My French Food experiment (Part 3): Along with “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”

I made it through breakfast I have to admit, with quite a few dishes that needed to be dealt with but was not deterred since I was on a mission and rather excited to tackle my first soufflé.

A VERY French Lunch:Soufflé Au Fromage (Cheese Soufflé)

Mr. B. was very surprised when I told him I was quite nervous about this soufflé, he was shocked to hear that I had never made a soufflé before, sweet or savory. I always take risks when I entertain, trying new recipes on old and new friends, and I never really worry about things. In my house, there is always a frozen pizza in case of emergencies. I have never had an emergency but there have been many recipes I would never do again. The soufflé just seemed so intimidating-the falling, the egg whites, the last minute prep, etc. When I entertain I like to do a lot of prep ahead of time. Soufflés always seemed so last minute to me but the book notes many steps that can be done ahead of time. Actually the entire soufflé can be made ahead of time and just covered with a large pot for up to an hour!

The book illustrates what a soufflé pan should look like but as noted most American soufflé pans are not high enough. I looked around and I did have one that looked high enough but it was too small. I did not want to alter the recipe. I opted for my round Corning ware white set. I arranged parchment paper around the perimeter and tied it with a string. This took 15 minutes! Not sure if I am just THAT uncoordinated but I have just added a proper French soufflé pan to my birthday list. Since I KNOW I will be making soufflés on a regular basis. Out of the three meals of the day this was by far the easiest. I chose the basic Cheese soufflé because I wanted to try it in its unadulterated glory. I am not at all a fan of omelets. I am not sure if it's a texture thing or what but I would never choose to have my eggs that way. A soufflé is a whole different egg-sperience (sorry I had to get at least one in there, I am done now J). The book suggested you butter and sprinkle the dish with grated Parmesan cheese. This created a crispy crust all around. I am thrilled that I used the paper collar because the soufflé rose almost to the top of the collar. It was perfectly browned and yes it did fall fast. The saying that "you wait for the soufflé it doesn't wait for you" is right on spot. The only laborious part was the egg whites which went fast with the stand mixer.

Because we were eating so much in one day I did not serve it with anything but for guests for a lunch course a nice green salad would be perfect. The soufflé is for 4-6 people (which is what is suggested) and it came out amazing! It was so tender with the cheese sprinkled throughout. Perfectly seasoned. WOW! The next time I would like to try the spinach soufflé or maybe even chocolate! I obviously had leftovers and the next day I heated it up on the stove and served it over a piece of baguette (think Hayes Street Grill Stand at the Farmers Mkt on a Saturday).

I can now say I have achieved a perfect soufflé, not so sure I have "mastered" it but I am looking forward to my next one that's for sure!

Five recipes and 2 meals down!

Jusqu'à ce Soir…Until tomorrow…

My French Food experiment (Part 2): Along with “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”

A VERY French Breakfast:
Oeufs a la Fondue de Fromage (Poached Eggs on Canapes with Cheese Fondue Sauce)

Canapés-Croutons (Plain or Sautéed bread rounds)

Beurre clarifie (clarified Butter)

Oeufs Poches (Poached Eggs)

 

I wanted to do an egg recipe and going in I thought, "eggs, piece of cake, I KNOW how to make eggs". What an idiot. Since my sis and I were young my mom frequently made "dropped eggs on toast" for dinner (sometimes for breakfast too). We loved them. I would eat 3 sometimes and want more. Its basically a poached egg on a piece of toast (Wonder bread back then). I have to admit, it hasn't even been 2 weeks since my last installment…in any event, I saw the recipe "Oufs a la Fondue de Fromage" –Poached eggs on Canapes with Cheese Fondue Sauce—aka FANCY dropped egg on toast. Because I am a "beginner" to French cooking (actually going in I thought I was intermediate, hey, I can make an omlette and a croquet monsieur) I really didn't have a clue as to how to make a couple of the ingredients called for in the recipe. BUT Julia took care of that because there are actually recipes WITHIN the recipe. Now, I am sure those of you that actually went to cooking school would know how to do most of this stuff but not me, I have never made clarified butter in my life and I had no idea how to make it. It is actually ridiculously easy and I can honestly say I will forever have some in my fridge. Within this egg recipe there were 2 recipes. One for poaching an egg and another for the canapés (which there was another recipe for the clarified butter). I was motivated to do as the book told me and instead of poaching the eggs like I usually do I followed Julia's instructions to the "T" and OMG her way is SOOOOO much better. All these years I have been suffering with LAME poached eggs. The eggs were perfectly cooked with a nice heavy firm white with a perfectly runny yolk and you couldn't taste a trace of vinegar! Not to mention how incredibly pretty they were! Her Canapes recipe was fantastic too. Of course, why wouldn't bread toasted in butter be better than toasted dry???

I feel like it took me forever to make but I think it was because I was up against the unknown. I honestly don't think I am going to be able to ever go back to MY dropped eggs on toast. I also now know that using good fresh eggs do make the difference. I had on hand my regular white eggs from the supermarket and I bought organic (blah blah blah) eggs specifically for this purpose. There was a difference. So much so, I now understand why all you people have chickens in your backyard. I promise to NEVER roll my eyes again and I now envy you…

At the very end when I was compiling the dish I realized that yes it was work BUT you could seriously do everything ahead of time and actually serve this masterpiece for guests. SO those of you who will be "brunching" at my place soon you now know whats on the menu.

SO to all you husbands and kids out there that are wondering what you should serve mom for breakfast (in bed, of course) on Sunday…try this!

Mom, if I was in town on Sunday this would be on the menu, but, it looks like you will have to wait a week…

Four recipes and one meal down! What a great way to start the day!

Jusqu'à ce Soir…Until tomorrow…

**I have chosen not to add in the recipes. I honestly don't have time to retype everything and there are so many references to techniques, like folding egg whites in batter, etc. that I think plays such in important role in making these dishes.

PS-OK I KNOW my pictures are really bad…I am working on finding a good camera and taking some classes…

My French Food experiment (Part 1): Along with “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” as my guide

I have a bit of a problem. I collect cookbooks and then I don’t actually USE them to cook with. I read them like a book from cover to cover and then they go to my cookbook shelf rarely to be seen again. I am a digital girl and I am sad to say that I enjoy digital copies of newspapers, magazines, recipes, but not books... I was determined to change my ways and start using them.


There were a few key pieces of motivation I must admit. The first is that I finally sat down to watch the recent movie about Julia Child & Julie Powell (the one with Meryl Streep & Amy Adams in it). I thoroughly enjoyed it, the story, the acting, everything. From my interpretation the movie’s “lesson” (in very basic sense) was that if you are sad or bored then do something you love. Julie and Julia loved to cook and eat. It made them happy. It makes ME happy too. I lost my cat of 15 years last week and I was very sad and really didn’t have any motivation for much of anything until I watched the movie.

Watching the scenes of both actresses’ eating everything not only got my stomach rumbling it also got me excited to get into the kitchen. SO off I went to visit my collection of cookbooks. Staring at me was of course "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I have NEVER cooked anything out of this book. Have you seen this book? Have you LOOKED at the recipes? I mean they are loooong…not to mention the format at first glance is kind of confusing to me. I was not brought up with recipes written out without a top list of ingredients so you can quickly see what you need to get or even if you like the ingredients in them. However, I was motivated and up for a challenge, and I have a big project coming up for a job I am working on which will not allow for much time in the kitchen the next couple of months. SO on Monday night at 8PM I sat down with this rather large cookbook and was determined to cook for an entire day from it…breakfast…lunch…and dinner (can you tell I am a short term thinker).

Since I was eating 3 meals in one day (which I very rarely do) I needed to make sure Mr. B and myself could handle it so I picked recipes that were somewhat light, or so I thought. I also had visions in my head of the food in the movies and wow did the food stylists make it look so freakin good! I mean how many of us remember that chocolate cake scene???

The menu:
Breakfast
Oeufs a la Fondue de Fromage (Poached Eggs on Canapes with Cheese Fondue Sauce)
     Canapés-Croutons (Plain or Sautéed bread rounds)
          Beurre clarifie (clarified Butter)
     Oeufs Poches (Poached Eggs)

Lunch
Soufflé Au Fromage (Cheese Soufflé)

Dinner
Sauce Vinaigrette (French dressing) with butter lettuce & Fleur de Sel
Filets de Poisson Bercy aux Champignons (Fish Filets Poached in White Wine with Mushrooms)

Dessert
Reine de Saba (Chocolate and Almond Cake)
     Glacage au chocolat (Chocolate –butter icing)

When I finalized the menu for the day I then went back to try and figure out what I needed to purchase at the store at 7AM the next morning. I literally needed FIVE items. I keep a pretty decent pantry but I was really surprised. I mean, count the recipes above…NINE! I imagined I would be searching all over creation for ingredients. BUT if you think about it, the book was published in 1960 based on true French food. They didn’t have the internet so they could easily source ingredients but they did have FRESH ingredients to cook with.

Jusqu'à ce Soir…Until tomorrow…

Easy Granola

I first started thinking about doing my own granola a couple of years back for a brunch I was throwing for about 15 ladies. Traditionally (back on the east coast) my brunches were served with lots of bacon, waffles, maybe a mac and cheese, you get the idea…well I was not going to get away with that kind of a menu with these woman, I needed to provide a healthy alternative. It was also an item that I could do ahead of time, which makes it a fantastic brunch addition.


Homemade granola is incredibly easy and so so good! There are so many different variations that you can do with the base recipe. You can then divide it up at the end and add in each person's favorites if you wish. I like to keep mine somewhat healthy so I keep to the dried fruits but my husband likes chocolate chips in his. I usually eat this for breakfast or snack with milk, kind of like a cereal. It's great over yogurt with fresh fruit and makes a fantastic hostess gift. It keeps well for a few weeks in an airtight container.


I always have some in the house and it's always on my table if I am serving breakfast or brunch. I am not going to lie this is not cheap to make which is why it's pretty expensive pre-made. BUT there are no preservatives and you can put in only what you like.


The "add ins" are endless. I checked out a website that allows you to customize your granola and they were a great source for looking for yummy items to add to my homemade granola.


What is your favorite "add ins" and how do YOU eat your granola??

Granola
Yields: 30 servings

8 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable or coconut oil
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1 ½ Cups unsweetened coconut


DIRECTIONS:
1.    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
2.    Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. (I use my nonstick roasting pan)
3.    Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. (I put on rubber gloves and get in there so I can make sure its all coated evenly)
4.    Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
5.    Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes.
6.    Stir once halfway through and add coconut if you want it toasted.
7.    Cool, then stir in the cranberries before storing in an airtight container.


Note: this makes A LOT of granola. I would suggest cutting the recipe in half first. I also use coconut oil which I keep in my fridge. You can nuke it easily since its hard to work with in its solid state. If you have a Trader Joes near you I would suggest getting all the ingredients there, I found it much cheaper than the regular supermarket. I LOVE cinnamon so I usually double the amount. IF you like large chunks of granola don't stir it so much half way through and let it cool completely in the pan before breaking up.

Going Bananas!

Who is bored with banana bread? ME! Ever since I started going food shopping bananas are always in my cart. You can't buy them in individual stages of ripeness, NO, you have to buy 1 bunch and hope that you get to them before they go bad. Well, I always have good intentions in finishing them but there is always that one or two bananas left, staring at me, making me feel guilty. It's not my fault; I just can't eat over-ripe bananas. And I am just saying…Chiquita is the best…if you can get them you are lucky…

SO here I am yet another time staring at two lowly bananas and thinking to myself "no WAY am I going to bake another banana bread!" I have done ALL different variety of banana breads—regular banana bread, chocolate chip BB, Coconut BB, Chocolate BB. Then of course there are the banana cakes, muffins and smoothies. Banana pudding and cream pies are amazing but you need to eat those desserts the same day and since there is only 2 in my household that would be quite a challenge.

On the phone with my sister yet again talking food, I started complaining about the bananas and the thought about making yet another banana bread. Now, don't get me wrong, banana breads are amazing I just need something different right now. Sis suggested…coooookies….HA! On to my quest for some variety of a banana cookie! I came across several and chose one with Oatmeal in it. I was trying to find one with peanut butter in it and will experiment with it next time but I was still very skeptical of using a banana in a "cookie". I was also looking for a recipe to use 2 large bananas. I am not convinced that you would be able to taste the banana in a recipe that uses only 1 with all the other stuff you put into making the cookie.

A little history on this cookie…So this is a very old recipe and you will notice it calls for shortening. This was a recipe that was used during wartime because there were no rationed goods used like butter. Oatmeal was also a replacement for wheat. This is also a cookie that ships very well and was often sent to troops overseas.

Would LOVE to hear from you about what you do with your leftover bananas!!!

Gadget: ice cream scoop—I always use this when I am making cookies. I like this particular one because it has a squeeze handle and not the trigger for your thumb. You can get these at most kitchen stores in a variety of sizes. So think about what size cookies you like to make while picking out your size.

Notes: When I say to cream the shortening and sugar that doesn't mean until it comes together, it means until its light and fluffy almost like a frosting. I do this in my KA mixer and add in the quartered bananas, I like to have little chunks of banana in the cookie. If you do use an ice cream scoop for these cookies keep in mind they do not spread a lot so if you like a flatter cookie then flatten the dough. I used my silpat but feel free to bake these on parchment. I chose not to frost mine but feel free to frost yours!

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Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from


1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Cream together the shortening and sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, banana, oatmeal and nuts/chips. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients, mix well and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until edges turn lightly brown. Cool on wire rack. Store in a closed container.

Chinese Food Experiment

I have always loved Chinese food. Where I grew up we had some amazing Chinese food restaurants. Every Wednesday growing up we went to the local Chinese food restaurant for the Pu Pu Platter and some Shirley temples for me and my sis. I couldn't get enough of the appetizers. Not sure if it was the food or the FIRE that was in the middle of our platter that enthralled me more. My sister and I would fight over who could stick their chicken wing in the fire first to burn the skin. I know, gross…I still love the appetizers but as I got older I actually branched out and started trying the dishes. As I started to get into cooking I tried my hardest to figure out the ingredients to no avail. When I go to the grocery store all I am familiar with is soy sauce. Actually, wrong. My mom used to BBQ spareribs in that Ah So sauce, I have to admit it was pretty good…

On my quest to overcome my fears (publicly) I attempted to make a Chinese food dish. I wanted one that I have had before in a restaurant so I could at least compare it with my version and I needed to pick something that my husband would eat since he isn't nearly as adventurous as I am. His requirement is that it not be spicy. I chose two recipes from Allrecipes and off I went to the supermarket. To my delight most of the ingredients I was somewhat familiar with, the only foreign one was the oyster sauce. To me it sounds gross but hey I was on an adventure.

Both of these recipes came out fantastic! Are they restaurant quality, probably not, BUT when a husband who refuses to eat leftovers asks if we are having leftovers that night for dinner, you know you did something right. To many, this dish might be on the sweet side so feel free to throw in some heat (maybe chili?). I did the beef in my wok and the rice in my 6qt sauté pan. Next time I would just serve the beef dish with plain jasmine rice. The fried rice was a meal in itself. You might want to double the sauce it was so good especially over plain rice. I wish I could come up with something else to do with the sauce. ..

Crispy Orange Beef
1 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat. Lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Allow to dry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice concentrate, salt and soy sauce. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside. Drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.
Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat.

Fried Rice

2 cups enriched white rice (I use Jasmine)
4 cups water
1 ½ Cup frozen peas & carrots thawed and drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 scallions sliced thin
soy sauce to taste (I used 2 T)
sesame oil, to taste (optional) (I used about ¼ t)
oyster sauce (I used 2T)

In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.

Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs and scallions with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

Notes: If you can make the rice in advance this dish is much better. The drier the rice the better. If you want to add in shrimp do so with the peas and carrots.

Bickford’s Apple Pancake

THE Bickford's Apple pancake brings only good memories. Actually Bickford's in general brings back great memories. I have spent many mornings there with family and many late nights there with friends. Bickford's is the North East's Cracker Barrel. I have to say though Cracker Barrel is realllly good. Thank goodness I don't live near one…

The apple pancake is called a Dutch baby and the German apple pancake. I really don't care what they call it I LOVE it! You can easily put it over the top and add warm maple syrup….mmmmm. I do think that cooking this in a cast iron pan is essential. It took 25 minutes from start to table which is great for me for a weekend breakfast. For the pancake shown below it was for a dinner, which, having breakfast for dinner is always a fantastic ending to a day.

I think that the recipe is for a 6-8" pan, I did this in a 10" pan and I think it came out a bit too thin. Other than it being a little thin this tasted VERY much like what I remember at the restaurant.
I cut the apple really thin and it was cooked perfectly.

The source for this recipe is supposed to be from Bickford's restaurant and I have to say I believe it!

Gadget: While this really isn't a gadget I feel that it's a tool that's absolutely necessary in your kitchen. I use this as much as I use my nonstick sauté pan. I bought it onsale for about 12$ at Cost Plus World Market. https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1_new.asp?idProduct=3924

Bickford's Apple Pancake

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 large medium size apples

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix sugar and cinnamon.

Mix flour, milk and eggs together.

Melt butter in cast iron skillet (this is essential). Remove from heat. Pour mixture into skillet.

Peel and slice thinly the apples. Place on top of mixture.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake 20 minutes. Serve from cast iron skillet.

The Fishwich

I was reading one of several blogs that I follow and noticed a fish sandwich and WOW that was such a blast from the past! I knew instantly that was on the menu as quickly as possible.

I was not the normal kid who went to McDonalds and got the happy meal and was thrilled with the free toy. Sorry Dad, you were not going to get off that easy…NO, I was the kid who at the fish sandwich or as time went on the PLAIN cheeseburger before it was "make it your way" time. The poor guy had to stand there for 10 minutes while everyone else ate their meals while they "made" my fish sandwich (because I didn't like condiments…then). There are only two fish sandwiches that have rocked in my adult life. The first was a salmon sandwich I had in Alaska and the second is THIS cod sandwich. Two VERY different meals but the outcome was amazing. An honorable mention is the crab cake sammi at Cheesecake Factory but is that really a fish?

SO, when I saw this blog post I got really excited! Not to mention I have been baking my own bread lately and was ready to make some homemade rolls (that's another post). SO off to the store to pick up some white fish…

Now, for all you Bostonians get either haddock or scrod. All you west coasters, its all about the Cod. Basically any white flakey mild fish you can find would be good for this. Because the fish is delicate you should get a soft roll with a soft crust. Brioche would be fantastic.

You can make the batter, rolls and tarter sauce (if you make that homemade) several hours ahead of time. Unfortunately you need to fry and eat these babies up quickly. Since I only made these for myself and my husband I heated the oil in my wok. After you fry them put them on a cooling rack or something where air circulates around them. If you put it directly on a paper towel then the bottom will get soggy.

Sorry peeps, no pictures they were gone THAT fast! My husband keeps asking me when I will make them next…

Fishwich
1 lb white fish cut into 4 pieces to match your roll size (check for bones)
1 cup dark beer (I used Newcastle)
1 ½ t baking powder
1 cup flour
4 slices cheese (I used cheddar)
Sea salt
Pepper
Peanut oil

Combine flour, beer, baking powder, pinch of salt and pepper, blend (I used my immersion blender). Store in fridge until ready to fry fish)

Heat up oil, enough to immerse fish in. you want this to be a pan fry (not a sauté or a deep fry). 365 degrees

Dip fish in batter then fry in oil about 2 minutes on each side (depending on how thick the fish is)

Arrange sandwich: Roll bottom, cheese, fish, and tartar sauce, roll top -EAT!

Slammin SuperBowl Sustenance

Throwing a super bowl party has been a tradition of mine for about 12 years now. As soon as I got my own place I used every excuse to throw a party. The place wasn’t big so the parties were pretty intimate which is really what you want anyway. I mean, everyone needs to have a comfy seat to watch the game right? Well, this year, I just wasn’t in the mood to do it. Not sure what it was, but our dear friends came to the rescue and decided we should hang together at their house that day. Well, I certainly wasn’t going to go over empty handed and just because I wasn’t in the mood to entertain certainly didn’t mean I wasn’t in the mood to cook! Between me and my gracious hosts we put out a spread that was INSANE! Thank goodness the neighborhood came! Below are a few recipes, some old, some new and certainly not to be enjoyed ONLY on game day!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This recipe was given to me by my sister’s friend from Vermont who is quite a cook. It makes a lot and is fine to make the day before and reheat. Remember though, it’s a hot dip. These types of dips get kind of lame after an hour or two sitting around. If you have a hot plate it would be fantastic to use for this. This is a pretty thick dip so use a chip/cracker that can “hold” it. There is nothing lamer than going in for a scoop and having your chip break all over the place. I usually do this in my giant 6qt sauté pan. Remember NO DOUBLE DIPPING!

3 T butter
½ C minced onions
1T + 1 t minced garlic
2T flour
1 ½ C heavy cream
3-10oz boxes of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1-14 oz can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
6 oz havarti or fontina cheese (Shredded or cubed small)
½ C grated parmesan
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t salt
¼ t white pepper
¼ t black pepper
½ t cayenne pepper

Melt butter in saucepan
Add onions and sauté until soft, do not brown
Add garlic, sauté 1 minute stirring
Sprinkle flour and stir and cook for 1 minute
Add ¾ C cream stir constantly until thick
Then add remaining ¾ c cream and stir until thick and smooth
Add rest of ingredients and stir until cheese is melted
Adjust seasoning and “heat” to your liking
Serve HOT with toasted crostini or tortilla chips

Tip: to drain spinach I have a tea towel that I ONLY use for spinach. (Its lightweight and dark green). Put all the spinach on the towel and twist the water right out of it. Remember to separate the spinach a bit so it’s not added to your recipe in one big ball.

Buffalo Calzone

OK so you know by now that my husband and I LOVE buffalo wings AND Calzone. This recipe (is it really even a recipe?) does not have MY “wings” in it but if I had the time I totally would put them in. I got the idea MANY years ago back in Boston and it was actually served at a Valentine’s Day party! The hostess used buffalo tenders from Mario’s in Lexington, MA. I loved that place but until that night didn’t know about them. Since then I only make this for Super Bowl although if you substituted the dough for some sub rolls filled it with chicken and spread the blue cheese on top…WHO DAT is right!

1 lb Pizza Dough
1 bag Tyson buffalo chicken tenders cooked according to package

Roll out dough, add wings, wrap up dough, spray top with Pam or EVOO and bake.
Oven temp should be about 425. I like to use my convection.
Bake on a foil lined sheet sprayed with Pam. If you have a seasoned baking stone use that.
Someone suggested adding Provolone cheese to it…

Serve with my Blue Cheese Dressing

Tip: I have been getting my pizza dough from Trader Joes lately in those plastic bags. To have the best crust you can with this prepackaged dough, cut it out of the bag and onto your floured pastry board or wherever you plan on rolling your dough out. Cover the dough with flour so it won’t stick, shape into a ball and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes if you have the time. The dough will stretch better and it raises better in the oven.

Potato Skins

This was a new venture for me and after finding many recipes I came across one on Allrecipes that looked good, easy and as healthy as one would get with tater skins. I don’t know why but these and twice baked potatoes seemed like a daunting experience for me. I also figured that if they were a disaster we had enough back up. I baked the potatoes the day before. Let them cool completely and then stuck them in the fridge. When scooping out the filling DON’T scoop it all out! You want there to be a nice layer of potato still formed around the skin, kind of like a boat. I am using the “insides” for baked potato soup, YUM! This is also another recipe that loses its luster when they get too cold although not sure if it will take that long to get them to disappear. These freeze well and I had 2 leftover and they reheated beautifully in the toaster oven the next day.

4 large baking potatoes, baked
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (save pulp for another use). Place potatoes skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Lawry’s and pepper; brush over both sides of skins. Bake at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn. Bake until crisp, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and green onions. Serve immediately.

Streusel topped Apple Pie
click here for recipe

I LOVE this pie! I wanted to let you know I baked it for this day because it’s an all American pie for an all American event! We served it with some praline ice cream…WOW!

My Indian Food Experiment

I have started to read some really great blogs and I am learning so much and getting a wee bit more daring in the kitchen. I had always considered myself to be a pretty cultured cook…well, not really. So many different foods scare the daylights out of me. Let's see, Indian and Asian food along with Bread is pretty much at the top of my list. Well, I am the type to confront my fears. To give you proof, on my 30^th birthday I told myself I was going to get over my fear of the ocean. I was a great swimmer but stick me in the ocean and I would probably drown. It was always the unknown for me. I turned to my (then boyfriend) now husband and asked him to join me on this venture. We took the classes near my home back in Boston and booked a trip to St. Lucia for our check out dives. The day came for me to hurl myself into the water…the clear blue, can see every speck of sand 100 feet down with little bright fish and cute turtles all around, water. It wasn't so bad, actually I got hooked. I am no way near feeling like a mermaid but I am glad I faced my fear because I would have never thought I would have enjoyed….Indian food!

I went to Allrecipes, my best resource so far and found a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala and some Naan. The Naan is SO easy and worth making! I was never a fan of curry and never have had a good Indian food experience until I went to my good friend's parent's home for dinner. It was spectacular. EVERYTHING this woman made was amazing. I still have no idea what I ate but I really don't care. Not sure this is worthy to go on her dinner table yet but a few more times and I might just have to have them over to my place for dinner!

Chicken Tikka Masala
You can easily do this recipe ahead of time and reheat or feel free to cook the chicken one day and then add to the sauce the next.

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers

 1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped seeds removed (only ½ if you don't like heat)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour min or overnight.
2. Preheat a grill or broiler for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate or foiled baking sheet. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, and paprika. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

 Naan Bread
I did this in my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook. I also proofed it in my oven. To do this turn your oven on to 200°F then right before you are ready to proof your dough turn the oven off and put in your dough. Also during step 4 I rolled out the dough in my kitchen and layered them on a tea towel then took them to the grill. They cook faster than you can roll them out. These freeze well and can keep for several days. This recipe probably makes 30 6-8" breads.

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (100°F)
1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted (add garlic to this)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow rising until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

What came first the chicken or the shroom?

This is one of my husbands favorite chicken dishes. Its simple, meaning few ingredients and on the table in about 30 minutes with few dishes to clean up. YUP my type of meal after working and working out. I like eating this after exercising (I usually do it after work) because its not heavy, and its low fat. I found this recipe about 7 years ago in Everyday Food and I have adapted it to the point I really don't need to have the recipe in front of me. I also like cooking with chicken thighs, although you can easily do breast meat (you should pound it relatively thin). My husband will not eat dark meat, he has no idea I have been feeding him dark meat for 7 years…shhh…
Of course as the night wears on our sweet tooth kicks in and we HAVE to have something sweet. Whenever I have sour cream in the house this cake always makes its way to my cake dish. Other than the sour cream I usually have everything in my pantry. AND its another use for all that cake mix that's always on sale.

Braised Chicken and Shrooms4 boneless. Skinless chicken thighs fat removed
Salt/pepper
EVOO
1 pound mushrooms (cremini are my favorite for this) sliced
2 garlic cloves
½ cup white wine
1 ¾ cup chicken stock
2 T chopped fresh parsley


Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T EVOO in large skillet over medium high heat and add chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to plate and keep warm.
Add 1 T EVOO to skillet and add mushrooms and ¼ t salt. Cover and cook until juices are released. Remove lid and cook over high heat stirring occasionally until mushrooms are almost cooked. Add garlic and wine and cook until evaporated. Add stock and parsley until liquid has reduced by half.
Return chicken to skillet, and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through.
Tip: I buy a large bulb of garlic and whirl it in my mini cuisinart and store in the fridge. It stays for a few weeks and you always have fresh chopped garlic on hand.

Marbled Chocolate Cake1 Cup semi sweet morsels
1 package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
¾ C sour cream
½ C oil (vegetable)
¼ C water
¼ C sugar


Preheat oven to 375. Grease pan of choice. I use a Bundt pan.
Microwave chocolate in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir and repeat at 10-20 second intervals until melted and smooth.
Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water and sugar in large bowl. Beat on low speed until incorporated, then on high speed for 2 minutes
Stir 1 ½ cups batter into melted chocolate. Alternately spoon batters into prepared pan, beginning and ending with yellow batter.
Bake 35-45 minutes until done. Cook in pan 20 minutes then invert on wire rack to cool completely.
As for the cake "dressing". I leave it bare because we cannot come to an agreement in my house. I like caramel and coconut, he likes chocolate syrup and ice cream. Simple powdered sugar will do too.

Syrian Spinach Pies~~aka Fatayir

This is yet another fantastic recipe I have had the pleasure of cooking with my grandmother. Although for some reason they never come out EXACTLY like hers when it comes to the look and taste. She very rarely measured anything and I think that her patience in the kitchen is something that was not passed down to me. Syrian cooking is very laborious, certainly a labor of love. She formed each pie so it was perfectly round dough with the exact amount of filling and then forming the triangle was with a precision that I just don’t have.

Speaking of “love”, I love the freshness of the lemon with the spinach and the crust is amazing with almost a sweetness to it. I have always preferred these cold. They are great to snack on during the week. They are baked not fried so they are not “that” bad for you.

You can also make these with a meat mixture and I will be making and blogging about it in the near future.

If you want to serve these as an appetizer then make them as small as you want and in any shape you feel like forming. You can make them ahead and preheat them in the oven to crisp up the dough and heat the filling.

6 months ago I was given the Kitchen aid 600 professional for my birthday from my husband. I honestly had no idea what I was missing. I have always been terrified of yeast, I think because it means that you actually have to knead something and that’s way too much energy for me in the kitchen. WELL now that I have my KA I can still make a yeast dough and not have to exert all that kneading energy!

Syrian Spinach Pies

1 1/2 C+2T flour
½ t dry yeast
2/3 C warm water
Salt
¼ C EVOO
1small onion sliced very thin
Pinch of Syrian pepper (optional)
Juice of 2 lemons
Pepper
2 lbs spinach cooked and squeezed dry (or 2 10 oz frozen)

1. In your mixer with the dough hook combine the flour yeast, water ½ t salt and 3 T of the EVOO. Mix at medium speed until a soft dough forms 5-10 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and proof for about 1 hour*.
2. Put remaining 3 T EVOO in pan and sauté onion until soft 5-10 minutes. Add Syrian pepper, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir in spinach and let cool completely. 
3. Preheat oven to 450 link baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Divide dough into 10 pieces and form into ball. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out into circle about 5” and place filling in middle. Bring up sides of dough to form a triangle and pinch ends to seal. Brush tops with EVOO and bake 18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Note: When I proof I usually do it in my warming drawer. If you do not have one turn on your oven and preheat to 200 then shut it off and put the dough in.

GADGET: The Silpat—I have to admit I was NOT a believer. It just seemed like it would not work, or burn. I received a mat for the holidays and I use it ALL the time! Can be used for sweet and savory items like pizza, cookies, anything, mostly for cookies though. There has been many times where I am in the middle of baking cookies and my roll of parchment paper runs out…not anymore! Check it out, you can find them anywhere.

Fancy French Sammie-the Croque Monsieur

I have yet to meet a person that doesn't love a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Leave it to the French to "kick it up a notch" with the Croque Monsier (aka "The Crispy Mister"). Some people might think this is overkill for a ham sandwich but when its all put together this is a MEAL.

A little history… Croque Monsieur Sandwiches were first served in 1910 in the "Le Trou dans le Mur" café on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, across from the Café de la paix. [Larousse Gastronomique. 1988 English edition. Page 339.].

There are so many variations to this Sammie. Some add apples, or pears, different cheeses, breads, hams and mustards. The recipe below is a basic Croque Monsieur doctored up with some yummy béchamel. We often see the Croque Madame as an option on menu's. Here in the US it usually means an egg on top. Traditionally in France it means to substitute chicken for the ham.

Traditional CM's are fantastic for entertaining as an appie or the main course. Depending on which course it will be served at will dictate the bread. If I am serving as an appie I will use a good white bread, cut off the crusts, omit the béchamel if you want and cut it into 4 or 8 triangles. If you do 8 triangles stick toothpicks in them so people can just pop them in their mouth. I have yet to have any leftovers. If you are serving this as a main I pick a nice French bread (not a baguette). When prepping these in advance with the béchamel sauce first assemble the sandwiches and then cook the béchamel but be sure to cover the sauce with a piece of buttered wax paper. The paper must touch the entire surface of the sauce. It is best to reheat this over a double boiler. Serve this either with salad, your favorite soup or if you're feeling naughty, some fries!

Croque Monsier
4 sandwiches

 3 T butter
3 T flour
1 C milk
2 T Parmesean Reggiano grated
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt/pepper
8 slices of bread
16 slices of Black Forest Ham thin sliced
2 1/3 Cups Gruyere shredded
Dijon Mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. To make béchamel sauce: In a small saucepan on low heat, melt butter until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a flat sauce whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and nutmeg to saucepan. Whisking constantly, bring to a simmer; continue cooking until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmigiano and 2 tbsp grated Gruyère. Reserve.
   
3. Lightly and evenly butter bread slices on both sides and toast both sides in sauté pan over low heat until just golden brown.
   
4. Spread one side of each toasted slice with mustard.
   
5. Evenly place the ham slices and about ½ cup Gruyère cheese on four of the bread slices.
   
6. Top each with one of remaining bread slices, mustard-side down.
   
7. Spread béchamel sauce to cover the top of each sandwich (crusts, too).
   
8. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
   
9. Place on oven-safe sheet pan and bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then place under lit broiler until cheese mixture on top is bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 minutes

Risotto…my comfort food

Risotto was one of those dishes that I was intimidated from as a young cook. It was never served in my house and I wasn't really introduced to it until I went to Italy my first time about 15 years ago. I have been fortunate enough to try it all over the world and I don't know what it is but in Italy it ALWAYS tastes better. Kind of like croissants in France…. I really believe that it's the Parmesan Reggiano. I don't care what anyone says but by the time its been cut, transported, and into my fridge its old and dry. If you have the opportunity to get to Italy go to any grocery store and buy a chunk of it vacuum sealed and take it home. I have no idea if this is OK with customs but until I am searched I will keep doing it.

There are so many different variations to risotto but I tend to stick to veggies and shrimp. My favorite is mushroom. Something about the earthiness of the mushrooms and the creamyness of the rice YUM! I have cooked risotto with squash too and it came out fantastic.

Risotto is so incredibly easy! And its not as time consuming as people think it is. I DO NOT stand over the stove and stir for 25 minutes. I stir, walk away, stir, do something else. While yes you need to be in your kitchen you do not need to be at the stove. It can be served as a main dish with a light salad or in smaller portions as a side dish or first course. This dish cant really be done ahead of time but you can do most of it an hour before your guests come.

Mushroom Risotto

1 lb mushrooms sliced (I prefer Portobello)
EVOO
4 cups warm chicken broth (or veggie broth if preferred)
4 T butter
1 small onion minced
Salt/pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine (or apple juice)
½ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano


In a large saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft but no color. Add rice and constantly stir for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until absorbed stirring occasionally. Add 2 cups of hot broth and simmer over medium low heat until absorbed stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes.Continue adding broth ½ cup (or ladel) at a time and stirring occasionally. In the meantime heat EVOO in pan and add mushrooms. Cook until desired softness and season to taste. When all broth is absorbed and rice is creamy add mushrooms and cheese. Serve hot with extra cheese. You can make this 1 hour ahead of time but leave some extra broth. Before you are ready to serve heat the rice and add the last of the broth stirring constantly, then add mushrooms and cheese.

TIP: since we never drink white wine in my house I never have a bottle opened to justify ½ a cup so I started purchasing those small 4pack bottles of white wine. They are perfect in recipes like this where the wine isn't the star of the dish but there is only a sublte hint of it.

Gadget: Strawberry corer
A couple months ago we threw a large party and had a good size chocolate fountain going. One of the dippers was strawberries. I had a huge tray of them that needed to be hulled. Well, I had to ask my husband to hull them while I was doing other stuff. In my stocking this year for Christmas was this cool strawberry corer. I just tried it out on some fantastic strawberries from the market (I love CA produce) and it was fantastic! I was always one to just lop off the top and lose 1/3 of the strawberry, NOT anymore!
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