The Food Mill

2008-12-01T22:10:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I didn't post on my cooking day. But, I was running around crazy all day and didn't even start cooking until about 430. The turkey breast I made was absolutely delish. I left out the lemon because I'm not wild about that flavor w/a Thanksgiving meal. I highly recommend this recipe.

But, dear readers. Guess what I'm doing right now? I am sitting here smelling my turkey stock bubbling away on the stove. It should be done in about a half hour, then I can sleep. This is my first stock! I'm very excited to finally use the big stock pot I got as a gift. I hope to come home to meat jello in the fridge tomorrow. I will post pics if all goes well, or if it doesn't...

2008-11-25T21:58:00.003-05:00

Superbowl for cooks

Really, is there any more exciting time for a cook than a few days before Thanksgiving? The menu is planned, you have all your ingredients, and now all you have to do is dream about the happiness you will feel as you sit down to eat your feast. Okay, maybe the happiest time for me is actually during the cooking of the meal. I love just being lost in the whole process, spending the whole day in the kitchen. I mean, a whole day that is pretty much completely about food. It doesn't get better than that.

I am making the traditional recipes this year, as usual. I actually only make a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey, because we don't eat the dark meat, so I don't want to put it to waste. Of course, a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, stuffing, the Sweet Potato Casserole recipe I got from the Restaurant Widow last year (AMAZING), Green Bean Casserole (can't help it, we love it), gravy (its practically a side dish), and cranberry sauce (this year I bought a cranberry relish by Yoder's). For dessert, a friend of mine is bringing pumpkin pie, and I'm also making Apple Crisp.

I might do a midday update on Friday (since that is the day I'm actually cooking, Thursday I go to my parents, where everyone else cooks). I'm making Mac 'n Cheese for that day.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! For all you cooks out there, I hope the food turns out delicious, and nothing burns!

2008-10-15T12:09:00.005-04:00

Quick Update

With mere weeks left until the end of the summer farmers markets, depression has set in. I know, I know, there is the Worthington Winter Market, which I will be trying this year, for sure. But, losing the abundance of fresh veggies every week from local farmers will be quite sad.

However, there is a great option for meat! I know, I can get local meat at the N. Market, and a few other sources that I haven't taken advantage of yet. But, nothing compares to the excitement I have about OMC's winter meat delivery program! Okay, I talked to them a few weeks ago and asked if they were going to be at the winter market. I was told no, but they do a home delivery service in the off season. Just go to their website, email your order to them, and meat comes!! Well, sort of. I signed up for their mailing list at their booth last weekend, and at one of the last few markets coming up they will be passing out magnets with the delivery dates on them. They deliver once a month, with a minimum order requirement of $25 and a $5 delivery fee.

This is great for planning ahead, and they have pretty darn good prices. My winter days might not be quite so dreary.

2008-10-07T19:39:00.005-04:00

The last of summer bounty!

Aren't my tiny carrots so ugly and cute? I picked everything in the pics from my garden tonight.

I'll be making some salsa for canning tomorrow w/most of the tomatoes and some jalepenos. I also need to pull my herbs to dry and put in some jars.

I made a few batches of fresh pasta sauce a few weeks ago. Instead of canning, I just froze them. It was my first crack at making sauce from fresh tomatoes. I will say, peeling fresh tomatoes is not my thing. I did use the method of dropping them in boiling water for 30 seconds or so, then shocking them in ice water, so the skins did come right off easily. But, still. I can't imagine doing 30 lbs or more. I would go slightly insane. I guess the one silver lining is that my kitchen is open to the family room, so I can zone out and watch TV while peeling.

I have finally, FINALLY talked a friend of mine into going to the Worthington Market with me. She lives near Grove City, and has been going to their farmers market all summer. I have tried to get her to come w/me to Worthington quite a few times, because the variety there compared to Grove City is quite staggering. She likes the N. Market, too, but there are some vendors at Worthington that I'm quite attached to. OMC, for example. I am addicted to their ground chicken breast. I am using it in place of ground turkey breast in any recipe that calls for it. Plus, it's cheaper than ground turkey breast. Were you guys aware that OMC has a home delivery program in the off season? Check out their site for more info. I'm definitely going to try it out. That helps to ease the pain of the summer markets ending soon. I know there are places where I can buy local meat, but this is so much easier! Right to my door. And, their prices seem perfectly reasonable to me.

So, my point was...OH! That I'm thrilled to finally get her to the Worthington Market. Since I'm used to going to the markets alone, it should be nice to have some company!

Okay, now it's time to watch the Presidential Debate!

2008-09-15T12:49:00.005-04:00

Ohio Sweet Corn & Bacon Tortellini

This is a recipe I made about a month ago, and am just getting around to posting, as the corn season winds down. It is great served hot, cold or room temperature!

Ohio Sweet Corn & Bacon Tortellini

4 ears of sweet corn, blanched and cut off cob
4 slices bacon
1 package fresh tortellini (I'm not sure of the size, I used the cheese tortellini from Trader Joe's)
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp basil, chopped fine
extra virgin olive oil
freshly shaved parmesan

Cut bacon into pieces, cook in 12 inch skillet or saute pan until crisp, remove, leaving 1 tbsp of fat in skillet. While cooking bacon, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the tortellini.

Add onions to skillet and cook until translucent. Cook tortellini while onions are cooking.

Add corn to the skillet with onions, as well as the basil. Once the tortellini is done, drain and add to the skillet and toss.

Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly shaved parm. Even better, make some garlic bread on the side.

2008-09-15T12:42:00.002-04:00

Okay, I know, I haven't updated in a loooooooong time. I have been cooking, I promise! And, attending the farmer's markets every weekend, of course. The past month has been so amazing at the markets! Anything I could want, for the most part, I can find. I didn't attend the winter market in Worthington last year, but I know I will be there all winter this year. From anyone who has attended, what should I expect?

Today I am home, as a result of the insane wind storms yesterday. We were pretty lucky, our power was out from about 4PM to 830PM. It came back on just as it was getting really dark. We have plenty of limbs and branches in our yard, including a big tree from our neighbors yard that has a huge limb hanging on some wires and into part of our yard. Our neighbor to the side had a gorgeous Cherry tree that would hang over into our yard (free cherries!) that completely snapped and will have to be totally removed. I'll take some pictures later and upload. My camera battery is currently charging.

Other than the tree debris, we have no other damage. All of my veggies are fine, and no shingles or siding came off the house. I hope everyone else is doing okay!

2008-07-24T22:05:00.006-04:00

Covet Thy Neighbor's Bounty

My neighbors have a huge grapevine that is located right over my fence. I want to plant one!

Grapevine. Look at that nasty old rusted fence. We are supposed to be replacing it next year. I will be slightly sad, though. With the new privacy fence, I will no longer get to covet the grapes...

Yummy grapes. I seriously want to steal some. Just a quick reach over the fence...well, when they are ripe.

2008-07-24T21:47:00.005-04:00

Garden Update!

Finally, everything in my garden is really started to come along. Better late than never!

Baby tomato!

Cucumber plants.

Jalepenos

Bell Pepper

My garden. The peppers are on the left, tomatoes in the middle, herbs on the right. You can see my compost bin in the background, and my neighbor's grapevine, which I will be posting pics of soon. (jealousy)

2008-07-24T21:39:00.003-04:00

Peach Crisp

Peach Raspberry Crisp
From the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

4 to 5 pounds firm, ripe peaches (10 to 12 large peaches)
1 orange, zested
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pint raspberries
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the raspberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and raspberries. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and reheat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm.

I made this with about 1.5 lbs of peaches that I bought at the N. Market (can't remember the farm), and no raspberries. I have made the recipe before with raspberries, and definitely prefer it without. I halved just about all the other amounts, including the topping, and it turned out perfectly. Serve with a scoop of ice cream while the crisp is stil warm, of course.

2008-07-19T15:14:00.003-04:00

Farmer's Markets

This is gonna be a quick and picture-less update, as I am wiped out! At the N. Market, I ended up getting some zucchini for griling tomorrow, red potatoes, green beans, scallions, some peaches for a small crisp, some of the Blue Jacket Grillin' Cheese (my first one!), cucumbers, and a dozen ears of corn for $4.50 from Wishwell farms, I believe. Still a little pricey, but the cheapest I saw. If corn stays this expensive, I doubt I will be buying much of it this year.

Then I headed to Worthington, a little later than usual, and got there around 915ish. It was so packed, I literally drove for 10 minutes without finding a parking spot. I ended up just leaving. I was meeting a friend down at the Grove City market, and needed to be there by 10.

At this market, I got 10 banana peppers for $1 (gotta find a use for those! Any suggestions?), some tarragon infused white wine vinegar for my french potato salad, a few jalepenos for my chicken tortilla soup im making tonight, some shallots, and 2 jars of my favorite strawberry jam. I was planning on keeping it light today, but you can see I didn't really do that...I think I ended up spending about $40.

I am planning a feast tomorrow with a lot of the stuff I bought today, so I will try to remember to take some pictures and post.

2008-06-24T20:34:00.010-04:00

Garden Update!

The first tomato!

Far left raised bed, all my herbs. The middle bed is all tomato plants. The far right is all different kinds of peppers. The new bed in the ground is freshly planted with carrot and cucumber seeds.

My beautiful Basil plant!

My lettuce patch! I really need to get down there and pull some weeds...

My Mesclun lettuce mix!

My green lettuce.

I have been skipping the farmer's markets the past 2 weeks, because our fridge is completely broken. Luckily, we have a mini fridge that could use while we wait for our new fridge to come in (of course it was backordered). So, I avoided the tempation of buying tons of food and meat at the markets by just not going. I have been actually quite depressed about it. BUT, our fridge is supposed to be here on Thursday, so I should be at the markets this Saturday, stocking up!! We also ordered a new dishwasher, which we had installed today:

I love that the floor is reflected on the front of the dishwasher. Yes, that is the Barefoot Contessa on my TV in the background, hehe. I will hopefully post a report of what I got at the markets this weekend, if I have time! I am headed to the pride festival on Saturday with my good friend, and then to see a bunch of drag queens play softball on Sunday for Bat-N-Rouge. Should be a lot of fun!

2008-06-02T20:11:00.007-04:00

I was exhausted this past Saturday, and decided to skip the farmer's markets. I woke up at 10:30 and immediately regretted it. I suppose I could have hurried to the market and gotten some things, but I knew all the strawberries were probably gone, and that is what I was really craving. Needless to say, I will be at the markets this weekend, and buying loads of strawberries and other goodies.

I did get a small herb/veggie garden planted a couple weeks ago, though. I bought all the plants at various vendors at the Worthington market.

The top section has 2 kinds of tomatoes, Better Boy and Celebrity varieties. There are also red bell peppers and a I think a couple yellow pepper plants. the bottom section has green bell peppers and a couple more yellow peppers, jalepeno peppers, and two fennel plants. There are also all the herbs. Basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, oregano and 2 parsley plants.

We got a little excited and bought a few too many plants. I had to order another garden bed, where I will probably move most of the peppers, to give everything the room it needs to grow huge and delicious. I got the beds from a great gardening website. Click here for a link directly to the two-tiered bed I bought.

The funny thing is, my neighbor also planted a garden the day before I did mine, but I think her location is not the best choice. I guess we will see by the end of the summer who has the greener thumb!

I also planted a lettuce patch:

I planted some heritage red leaf lettuce, plain green leaf, a mesclun mix, and spinach. The red leaf and green leaf were planted more than a week ago, and are already coming up, as you can see in the picture. How cute! I think I will be eating a lot of salads soon...

2008-05-17T12:15:00.003-04:00

Farmer's Market May 17, 2008

I decided to skip the North Market this morning because of the Walk for the Cure traffic drama. Instead, I headed to the Worthington Market. I got there almost exactly at 9. I zipped through the entire market in about 20 minutes. I got some bacon for the boyfriend from OMC, as well as a couple boneless butterflied chops that I am defrosting now, for dinner tonight.

I got some more asparagus from Wishwell (which will also be grilled tonight). I also got some red potatoes, scallions, and some yummy fresh peas. I also got a bag of lettuce and some strawberry jam from Sweet Thing.

Geoff's mom is coming to visit next weekend, and I am planning on taking her to the markets Saturday. But, I am also looking for a great new restaurant or two to try. We always take her to the same places, and I would love some suggestions! I am looking for a great lunch place, as well as a great dinner place, and price is no concern! Please comment with any ideas you have.

2008-04-17T18:47:00.004-04:00

My new favorite Trader Joe's item

I use this salsa on top of chili, tacos, fajitas, nachos, etc. Or, just plain, with chips! It is a must have. In the store, it's located right next to the tortilla chips with the other jarred salsas, if they aren't sold out.

I promise a real post is coming soon! I'm in a big transition, with dieting and all, and have not been trying many new recipes. But, I am 18 lbs down since the beginning of February, so at least something is working! I am very excited for all the fresh produce coming our way at the farmer's markets, and I am sure that will definitely give me much inspiration!

2008-03-08T20:51:00.006-05:00

Turkey Lasagna

I know, I just posted a recipe for turkey chili, but this lasagna is absolutely amazing!

Not the best picture, but as usual, I forgot to snap a picture out of hunger.

Barefoot Contessa Turkey Lasagna

From the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

I actually left out the goat cheese in this recipe. Oh, and I just boiled the lasagna noodles as usual. This is probably the best lasagna I have ever had!

Since my friend Sara has been dieting since last may, and has lost a whopping 65 pounds, she sat down with her calculator and figured out a pretty close estimate of the calories in this dish. If you cut the lasagna into about 8 equal servings, each serving has about 550 calories.

2008-03-08T20:25:00.003-05:00

Blizzard '08!

There is a path to the front door!

See that little green thing sticking out of the snow? That is a 12 inch ruler. This was taken at about 2 PM today. It has snowed at least another 2 inches since then.

Another picture of the front of the house:

On top of all the snow, our furnace went out yesterday afternoon. Geoff was home from work and decided to change the furnace filter. After he put the new filter in, the furnace would not turn back on. He called me at work in a panic, and I decided to leave early. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the roads were bad, but not as bad as they would be a couple hours later.

After putting a call in to our home warranty company, we sat and waited for the furnace repair people to call us and hopefully tell us they were coming out. Just in case, we ventured out to the Sears Hardware down the street, on Henderson Rd., and bought a couple fancy space heaters. Luckily, the furnace guy showed up at about 530. Turns out the transformer in the furnace was blown and just needed replaced. Since it was under our home warranty, this only cost us a copay of $55. Looks like we can return at least one of the space heaters. The other one has proven quite useful in heating the colder-than-the-rest-of-the-house kitchen and family room.

As far as food, I defrosted a quart container of my Chicken Tortilla Soup and had a yummy warm lunch after shoveling the driveway. Oh yes, I did help. Here is proof!

It is far away, a little Marla Hooch-ish ala A League of Their Own, but proof nonetheless.

2008-02-03T16:11:00.001-05:00

Turkey Chili

Ground turkey breast is one of those things that I try to use to cut down calories in dishes normally using ground beef. I have a great Turkey Meatloaf recipe I will share one day, I have even made ground turkey tacos. But, by far, my favorite is turkey chili. You can pretty much use any chili recipe and simply substitute ground turkey breast or ground turkey for the beef. Here is my recipe:

Jule's Turkey Chili

- about 1 lb of ground turkey breast (whatever comes in a regular sized package)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sweet bell peppers, red, yellow or orange, or any combination, chopped in one inch pieces
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

For toppings:

- Finely diced red onion
- Sour Cream
- Grated Cheddar
- Tortilla Chips

Add olive oil to a large pot or enameled cast iron dutch oven on medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until transulcent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir until all the spices and well mixed with the onion and peppers, then add the ground turkey breast. Break up with a wooden spoon and continue cooking until the turkey is just cooked through. Then add the can of crushed tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving. This also freezes wonderfully for an easy weeknight meal.

2008-02-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Mexican Chicken Soup aka Chicken Tortilla Soup

Why does mirepoix make me so happy?

From the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

I did make one change to this recipe. I made it once before, and the sliced tortillas took over the whole soup, and made it a little too thick. So, this time I used only 4 tortillas, and sliced them only 1/4 inch thick. This made the soup perfect. I also added a 10 ounce bag of frozen corn. I actually forgot the corn until after I had already eaten and taken this picture, but I did taste it, and it definitely made it that much better. I froze three quarts of it to enjoy later.

2008-01-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

Belated New Year Goals

I prefer to say goals for the new year, because it sounds more pleasant to me than "resolution". Plus, less daunting. Okay, so here are my GOALS for 2008:

1. Plant a vegetable/herb garden in my new huge and empty backyard.

2. Finally make homemade chicken stock.

3. Bake bread from scratch.

4. Use my meat grinder. For some reason, I have been scared of it...

5. Learn to can vegetables.

6. Start going for walks at least 5 times a week.

7. Remember to take my reusable totes with me shopping. I have at least 10, there is no excuse.

8. Completely switch over to all natural cleaning products.

What are your goals for this year?

2007-12-31T21:54:00.000-05:00

You know the food is good when your boyfriend does this.....

2007-12-31T21:33:00.000-05:00

Italian Beef

I got this recipe from Geoff's mom, and we absolutely loved it! I actually made it with an English Roast the first time, and a rump roast the second time. We preferred the English, but both were great. The carrots in the pic were so easy and turned out so delicious (notice the HUGE serving, hehe) I have to share the method of how I cooked them:

From the Barefoot Contessa Family Syle cookbook

2 pounds carrots
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley

Peel the carrots and cut them diagonally in 1/4-inch slices. You should have about 6 cups of carrots. Place the carrots, 1/3 cup water, the salt, and pepper in a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until the carrots are just cooked through. Add the butter and saute for another minute, until the water evaporates and the carrots are coated with butter. Off the heat, toss with the dill or parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

I omitted the dill or parsley simply because I didn't have any.

Okay, now to the BEEF.

Italian Beef Roast

5 1/2 lb. rolled chuck or rump roast
1 Tablespoon. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. organo
1 1/2 tsp. fennel
2 1/2 Tablespoon salt
1 1/8 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. anise
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 1/2 tsp. accent
1 1/8 tsp. blackpepper
1 1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 can tomato paste

Place beef in a heavy pan (like an enameled cast iron). Add all ingredients. Add 5 cups of water. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Turn oven down to 300 degrees and continue for another 3 hours. The juice is great over mashed potatoes.

2007-12-26T15:52:00.001-05:00

Christmas

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas, as I did. I cooked a big meal on Christmas Eve, but I haven't uploaded the pics yet. I will post them, as well as a recipe, later on today or tomorrow.

As for gifts this year, I got plenty of food related items, including 2 new books. One is by Harold McGee, called On Food and Cooking, and the other is called Hidden Kitchens by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson. I am excited to dive into both! I am off work until January 2nd, so I will have plenty of time to read and relax until then.

I also got the 12 quart stockpot I wanted, so I will be able to make chicken stock, a cast iron grill pan, and a new digital camera! Hopefully the camera will help me get some better quality pics of my food. Okay, I will post more later!

2007-11-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

Pecan Crusted Pork Chop

Not a great picture at all, but I was too hungry to take my time! This recipe is from Cap City Diner. They post many of their recipes online, but I had to email them and request this particular recipe.

Pecan Crusted Pork Chop with Apple Cider Glaze - Cap City Diner

Ingredients:

4 Double cut bone-in pork chops
1/2 Gallon Apple Cider
4 Tbsp Finely Chopped Candied Pecans
Salt and Pepper

1. Reduce apple cider in saucepan until syrup, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Season and sear pork chops on all sides.
3. Bake in 250 degree oven until internal temperature of 155 degrees.
6. When pork chops are done, top with chopped candied pecans and some cider. Put under the broiler to caramelize.
7. Plate with Cheddar Chipotle Mashed Potatoes

Cheddar Chipotle Mashed Potatoes - Cap City Diner

6 lbs. potatoes, peeled
2 cups milk
3/4 lb. butter, softened.
1 Tbsp Salt and Pepper
1 cup Yellow Cheddar
1 Tbsp Chipotle pepper

1. Boil spuds until fork tender.
2. Drain spuds, mix in standing mixer, slowly adding butter, milk, salt and pepper,
chipolte, and Cheddar until there are no lumps. (I used a potato ricer)

Yield: 3 QUARTS

I halved this recipe, and it worked out well. I used a little less than 1 cup of milk.

I had planned on also serving some skillet green beans with shallots and bacon along with this meal, but the green beans I bought from the Fresh Market ended up being pretty horrible looking, so I opted for some frozen organic broccoli from Trader Joe's at the last minute. This is a great meal, and very easy to make for a large amount of people. Enjoy!

2007-11-01T12:46:00.001-04:00

Trick or Treat!

My one month old, nephew, Andrew!

2007-08-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

Belated Farmer's Market Post

I randomly hit the Grove City Farmer's Market on Saturday, and was pleasantly suprised by what I found. I ended up meeting my sister and niece there at about 11:30, and we quickly made the rounds, snatching up whatever looked good, before grabbing a table at a local restaurant for lunch. Either because we were there a little late, or it just isn't nearly as busy as the other markets, it wasn't so crowded that you wanted to scream. As you can see in the picture, I got some peppers, green beans, corn, a cucumber, green onions, some garlic and some seedless raspberry jam. That night I made some chicken breasts I bought quite awhile ago from the North Market, along with some sauteed peppers and green beans. Last night I grilled the corn along with some steaks, and made some scallion butter to slather onto the cobs. Sorry, no pics of either one of those meals, as the camera is currently MIA.

2007-07-30T11:59:00.001-04:00

More Corn..

Here is a new corn recipe I threw together the other night, that I will be for sure making over and over again.

Grilled Corn Relish

4 ears of Sweet Corn, on the cob
1 large Red Bell Pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
1 medium Red Onion, cut in half
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Brush corn, pepper and onion with olive oil, and then salt and pepper. Grill 7-10 minutes, until slightly charred.

Cut all corn off cob, chop red pepper and onion, and mix all together in a large bowl along with the chopped basil. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this immediately while still warm, at room temperature, or cold.

I had this for lunch the next day, cold, and it was absolutely delicious. I served it with a boneless pork loin chop, just grilled with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

2007-07-23T12:14:00.000-04:00

Corn Chowder, anyone?

With all the gorgeous local sweet corn available right now, how you can resist making an absolutely HUGE batch of corn chowder? Okay, reading the recipe, it didn't really dawn on me how large this recipe really was. I don't know how I missed it. I mean, seeing 12 CUPS of chicken stock didn't even tip me off. But, it was really, really delicious.

And, here are all my leftovers. All 5 quarts.

I have put it all in the freezer, and that way, I can enjoy a delish corn chowder when it isn't in season. Or, I will pawn some off on my family and friends to clear out my freezer a bit, hehe. Here is the recipe:

Cheddar Corn Chowder

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

2007-07-19T12:08:00.001-04:00

Well, I don't have much to say except I have finally been able to cook again, and I am so happy about it. I am still trying to organize my new kitchen, but it is coming along pretty well. Here are some pictures of the food I have made so far:

This is the first dinner I made at the house. I made a New York Strip steak for him, and a Ribeye for me, purchased at Trader Joe's.

along with Potato Fennel Gratin (my favorite)

I also made some pork chops with my homemade barbecue sauce, and tried out the Hobo Potatoes that I read about on Rosie's site. I addeed a little sliced fennel to mine, along with the onions and potatoes, and they were really good. Here is a picture of them cooking away on the grill:

Oh, and one last thing. I have discovered the best, and cleanest, way to cut corn off the cob. I read about it in Cook's Illustrated Magazine, and decided to try it when I needed to cut corn off of 12 ears on Sunday for a monster batch of corn chowder.

All you need to do is put a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl, cut the bottom of the ear of corn off so it is level, stand it up on the bottom of the small bowl, and cut the kernels off as usual. The kernels (at least 95% of them) will fall into the larger bowl. I am telling you, it was awesome. We all know the annoyance of having corn fly all over the kitchen, and then randomly finding little kernels for months afterwards. Give it a try!

2007-06-28T12:05:00.000-04:00

Moving

I apologize to the 4 of you who read my page for the lack of posts. We have been so crazy busy working on the house, I haven't had time to do anything. We are moving this Saturday, THANK GOD. I will finally be able to cook again! I have been trying to decide what the first meal shall be for weeks now. Probably my favorite, Potato Fennel Gratin, and then some kind of pork or steak on the grill. Or, perhaps I will finally get to go back to the farmer's market and I will get inspired by whatever looks good that day. Okay, back to work! I will post real food soon, I promise!

2007-06-10T18:44:00.000-04:00

My Lack of Cooking

I have not cooked in two weeks. I am going insane. But, we have been going to the new house every night after work, doing whatever we can, and then coming home around 8 or 830. At that point, I can't even begin to muster up the energy to do anything but slap some lunchmeat on some bread and stuff it into my mouth. We are making progress, though. The bathroom has been gutted and is now prepped for the new tile to be put in. Also, I finally started the priming some of the walls today. I can't believe it's been a week and a half already and we are just now starting the paint. We are planning on moving in on June 30th. I am sure the time between now and then will fly by.

As far as food goes, I have not been to the farmer's markets, mostly because I just don't have time. We barely squeezed in a quick trip to the grocery store last week. I felt really ashamed buying all the prepared food from the deli section, like a rotisserie chicken, pre-made potato salad, and baked beans. Actually, the rotisserie chicken didn't really bother me, it was the other stuff. Does anyone have any ideas for non-cooking meals I can make that will require no work, and uses good, fresh ingredients? I cannot take much more of these other food.

My posts will definitely be few and far between, since I won't be cooking, but as soon as my new kitchen is up and running, I will post some pics, and then get back to cooking! I have tons of bookmarked recipes I can't wait to try. I will still be reading everyone else's blogs, of course. =)

2007-06-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

Finally

We closed on the house Wednesday this week. The inspection went horrible, and we were shocked at how much needs to be done to this house, but we are still ready and willing. Last night we finally got to do a little cleaning, as the previous owner was still moving some of his things out on Wednesday night. It was totally annoying to still have to clean up some of his stuff, but at least he is out. Well, except for the huge "Street Boss" that is still parked in our driveway. It is some enormous SUV thing on steroids that is all rusty and gross. His friend is supposed to be coming to pick it up by tomorrow. Yeah, we will see if that happens.

Okay, so back to food. I finally got to hit the farmer's markets last Saturday!! I Went to the North Market first, and got there at about 9. I scored some yummy asparagus, strawberries, and some aged gouda. I then drove over to the Worthington Market, but as I was walking around, I realized I forgot my wallet in the car, and since I knew I didn't really need anything else, I just wandered around and took everything in. I am so glad I finally got to go! Unfortunately, I know I will not be doing much, if any cooking for the next few weeks, so I don't know when I will be going back. Well, that is not true, I know I will be doing some cooking, but I don't want to buy some gorgeous produce and let it rot since we are going to be so busy getting the house ready for us to move in. So, I will definitely work it into my normal shopping schedule, once we are back on a somewhat normal daily life again.

Okay, back to work!

2007-05-16T12:37:00.000-04:00

Oh, and by the way, we finally heard yesterday that the seller's bank approved our contract, and we are closing on the house either next week or the week after. YAY!!

2007-05-16T12:09:00.000-04:00

My Fridge

Everyone is posing pictures of the inside of their fridge since Sam at Becks & Posh started it, and since I did find it so interesting, I decided to post a picture of my slightly empty looking fridge:

Let's see. On the top shelf I have Trader Joe's organic ketchup, Hellman's mayo behind that, some non-maple low fat syrup that is definitely too old to consume. There is also some chicken stock, some outdated buttermilk from Giant Eagle, andt he clear container has homemade French Herb Potato Salad (DELISH). In the large ziplock bag is some chicken marinating in a lemon-dijon mustard marinade. There is also, obviously, the Brita, and some cat food.

On the second shelf, there are eggs, pudding, my sandwhich for my lunch tomorrow, some leftover pork chops in the large container, some sour cream, two kinds of salsa, one Wild Oats one with black beans and corn, and the other is Ortega. In the back is Geoff's yogurt and his Diet Dr. Pepper. (which I do have from time to time...) In the large ziplock bag are two defrosting pork chops.

Okay, bottom shelf on the left is our bin for cheese, and we have some really yummy Black Diamond extra sharp cheddar cheese slices, and some shreded cheddar. The baggie in the middle has a leftover turkey brat. The bin on the right holds our lunchmeat, salami and ham from Giant Eagle.

In the produce drawer we have a bagged salad, some fresh basil, some flat leaf parsley, some and some terragon. See why I need to hit the farmer's market?!

In the door, top shelf has some homemade pizza sauce, a tube of tomato paste, and a chunk of parmasean. The first shelf has some real maple syrup, some horseradish, spicy hot mustard, whole grain mustard, country dijon mustard, dijon mustard, and yellow mustard. The bottom shelf has soy sauce, hoisin sauce, another hoisin sauce, low fat ranch dressing from Trader Joe's, low fat Miracle Whip, another soy sauce, and some seriously old steak sauce.

2007-05-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

The longest weekend ever

Okay, so I didn't get to the farmer's market this weekend. Here is why:

I left work at 4:10 on Friday. I stopped at the ATM in my building to get cash for the farmer's market, and then happily walked to my parking garage to drive home. Upon exiting the parking garage, was involved in a car accident, which led to a hospital trip, which let me know I had a concussion. My car is not driveable, and is most likely totaled. I felt too crappy the next morning to try to talk Geoff into letting me borrow his car on my meds and drive to the farmer's market. I did, however, have my sister pick me up that afternoon and go with her to buy decorations for her bridal shower next week. After that was done, I decided to go to a car dealership and possibly buy a new car. I knew what kind of car I wanted, and they had the exact one I desired, for even less than I planned on spending. So, I bought it. It is a 2005 Hyundai Elantra hatchback. The reason I lusted after this car is because my true love is a Saab, but I cannot afford it. However, this Hyundai look very much like a Saab, for a lot less money. Here is a pic of me with the car:

Yay! So, even though I didn't get to go to the Farmer's Market, my old car is dead, and I had a concussion, at least I have a new car to show for it. But, I am going to the farmer's markets this weekend no matter what. If you see me there looking lost and confused, feel free to say hi and give me some advice, hehehe.

2007-05-09T12:20:00.000-04:00

A Month Without a Post..

Have I been busy? Not really. Just lazy. I have been cooking as much as ever, but nothing worth writing and photographing. We have been packing a lot, and have at least 70% of it done. Now, if we only knew when we were moving...

Yes, that is right. We STILL haven't closed on the house. And more than that, we still haven't gotten the contract approved by the seller's bank. Since it is a Bank Short Sale, we have to wait for them to approve the contract before we can even have an inspection. Sigh. But, I do think it should happen within the next week or so. The bank had the property appraised last week, which is a good sign. So, perhaps our original closing date of May 18th will not happen, but we might be able to close on the 25th.

I will finally brave the farmers market this weekend. My first time! I think I will go to the North Market, since it is so close to me. I can't wait to get some asparagus. I have been craving it, and wanting to slap it on the grill. I don't know what else will be there, but I am sure I will find stuff I didn't know existed. I am so excited. I actually printed out the Farmer's Market info that Lisa over at the Restaurant Widow shared with us, so I can have a little guide. Thanks, Lisa! =)

I got a belated birthday present from my friend Charla in the mail last week, and I just had to share it with you. It is this fabulous peppermill from Peppermate. I saw it on the Barefoot Contessa, and loved the clear plastic container that attaches at the bottom, so you can scoop out pepper to measure it. Sometimes it is nice to be able to measure easily. Plus, it grinds in either coarse or fine. I loooooove it. By the way, I don't know why the peppermill has a brown tint to it in the picture, but it is perfectly white.

Okay, now back to work!

2007-04-10T12:55:00.000-04:00

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

Yum! I made those on Easter to take to my sisters house, since I always get there before everyone else. Here is the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

And, in case you are all wondering, yes, I do make other recipes besides the Barefoot Contessa's. Hers are just so darn good!

As far as the potato salad recipe, I was in too much of a rush on Sunday to try to figure out the measurements, so I will work on that some other time.

As far as the house goes, we are starting to pack, but only books so far. We have packed I think 10 boxes. I haven't packed any of my decorating or cookbooks yet, and those usually take up at least 5 boxes on their own. I can't bear to part with any of them, even the ones I don't use! You never know what you might need them for one day.

Oh, and on Saturday morning I took a trip to Penzey's, which is always fun, and since I was so close, decided to drive around my new neighborhood. I went into the Fresh Market for a little preview. I thought it was pretty nice. They did seem to have a good produce section, and the place smelled amazing. Their shelf items were definitely limited, but I don't buy much of those anyhow. I think I will frequent the store, since it is so close, only a half mile from the new house. Anything they don't have I can pick up at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Giant Eagle, Kroger, or Marc's right next door.

2007-04-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Belated Easter

2007-04-06T14:29:00.000-04:00

Questions

1. Has anyone been to the Fresh Market on Henderson Rd.? That is right down the street from my new house, and I was wondering if it was any good.

2. Can someone give me some good tips for Farmers Market-ing this summer? i have never been before, and could use some advice! I am so excited to go, too!

Thanks in advance! =)

2007-04-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

My Lunch from Firdous in the North Market

I am too full. I think I might have to take a nap through the rest of the day. Do you think my boss will mind?

My birthday is Sunday. It is the first time Easter has fallen on my day, and it makes Easter extra sacred. I will be the ripe old age of 27. The downslide to 30 is happening pretty quick...

I am trying a new recipe next week from the new issue of Cook's Illustrated. It is for Italian-Style Chicken with Sausage, Peppers and Onions. It looks pretty darn good. I will share the recipe post consumption. I also have another chicken/sausage combo recipe I made by Nigella Lawson a couple weeks ago that was fabulous, but I don't have the recipe with me. I think I might have even taken pictures of that one...I will check later this weekend and post that as well.

I am making my famed potato salad for Easter, as usual. It is seriously such a simple recipe, probably not any different than tons of others, but I am a firm believer that the right consistency makes all the difference. I will share that if I ever figure out the correct measurements. It is one of those taste and see recipes that Charise was speaking of recently.

Okay, back to work I go!

2007-03-28T12:53:00.000-04:00

We have bought this house.

Yay!! We close on May 18th. There will be lots of painting, including all the kitchen cabinets, but we are very excited. And, it is very cloes to TJ Maxx, which is fabulous.

I do have some food stuff to write about, but I don't have time now. I will post sometime later this week. =)

2007-03-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

Turkey Bacon

I tried turkey bacon a few times when I had bought a couple different brands from the regular grocery store, and it was okay. I was at Trader Joe's a couple weeks ago and saw their Turkey Bacon for only $2.79, so I thought I would give it a try. I finally got around to making it yesterday morning, and I will have to say, I had my doubts. To start off, it doesn't have that artificial look that most other turkey bacons have, and it cooks really fast. Only about 3 minutes total. I will have to say, it was pretty good! I was suprised. I mean, nothing really takes the place of the real fatty, porky bacon, but this wasn't bad!

BTW, I did make the Chicken Kiev last night, and even though the butter leaked, it was still the best chicken I have ever made. I think my breasts were too small, (First time I have had that problem!) and the amount of butter was a little large. Making your own dried bread crumbs is soo worth it, too. A huge difference in the crunchiness factor.

I came home from work today at 11:30, as I am not feeling to well, but I still found time to read all my favorite blogs. I have such dedication!

Okay, now back to bed.

2007-03-11T12:12:00.000-04:00

On a non-food note

We are biting the bullet and starting the house buying search. Not because we are snobby, but because we truly love the area, we are looking in the Grandview/Upper Arlington area. Geoff has lived in Grandview for the past 11 years, and me for the last 5. The houses are overpriced, though. Upper Arlington, suprisingly, seems to have better options, even though their taxes are a bit higher. Wish us luck!

On a food note

I am making Cook's Illustrated Chicken Kiev tonight. I am excited, as the recipe looks time consuming, but delish.

Chicken Kiev

Serves 4

Herb Butter
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/8 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken
4 - 5 slices white sandwich bread , cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (7 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs , beaten
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

By coating our Kievs with oven-crisped bread crumbs instead of a deep-fried shell, we put the focus where it belongs, on the rich herb-butter filling.

Chicken
See Illustrations Below: Building a Better Chicken Kiev

1. For the Herb Butter: Mix butter, shallot, herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. Form into 3-inch square on plastic wrap; wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. For the Chicken: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Add half of bread cubes to food processor and pulse until cubes are coarsely ground, about sixteen 1-second pulses. Transfer crumbs to large bowl and repeat with remaining bread cubes (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to bread crumbs. Add oil and toss until crumbs are evenly coated. Spread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and dry, about 25 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Let cool to room temperature (you should have about 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs).

3. Prepare cutlets, following illustrations 1 and 2 below. Unwrap butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces. Place chicken breast cut side up on work surface; season both sides with salt and pepper. Following illustration 3, place 1 piece of butter in center of bottom half of breast. Roll bottom edge of chicken over butter, then fold in sides and continue rolling to form neat, tight package, pressing on seam to seal. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Refrigerate chicken, uncovered, to allow edges to seal, about 1 hour.

4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate pie plates or shallow dishes. Season flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; season bread crumbs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add mustard to eggs and whisk to combine. Dredge 1 chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off (illustrations 4 and 5). Coat all sides of chicken breast with bread crumbs, pressing gently so that crumbs adhere (illustration 6). Place on wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Repeat flouring and breading of remaining chicken breasts.

5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chicken (from top) registers 160 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes on wire rack before serving.

2007-03-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

Pictures, please!

Okay, I just scrolled down my page and noticed that the only picture I have posted recently was of my new dutch oven. I need to get on the ball and take pictures of my food. I will dig my camera out and leave it in the kitchen. How sad is that? 90% of the pictures I take are of food. How could I have kids? I don't have the time. I have to cook! Hehe.

Okay, so has anyone gone to any of those free cooking demonstrations at Williams Sonoma? I just got an email from them saying they are having some coming up in March and April. Some of them sounded lame, but others were slightly interesting. I am just wondering if there is anything I would learn, or would be worth driving all the way up to Polaris for. Is it just as good or better to watch America's Test Kitchen on PBS? I learn a ton from that show.

2007-02-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

I Loooooove Fennel

First, I did take pictures of the delish meal I made the Saturday after Valentine's Day, but they turned out all blurry and weird once I put them on the computer. So, I will just share that the food was awesome! The Barefoot Contessa Potato-Fennel Gratin was so amazing. It had a little too much cream, I thought, that made it a little runny, but the flavor was fantastic. I have never tried fennel before, but I am completely in love with it. I also cooked the steaks in the sear in a skillet and finish in the oven way, and it was amazing, too. The dessert, Couer a la Creme, was so-so. I think it might have been because I forgot to buy vanilla bean, so I just used a little extra vanilla extract. It was just a little bland to me. I will probably try to make it again, though. Oh, and I also forgot to buy raspberry jam to make the rasperry sauce, so I just used the strawberry jam I had on hand, and it basically tasted like strawberries. Still good, though!

My new love for fennel was cemented last night when I made the Barefoot Contessa (yes, I know I am obsessed) Loin of Pork with Fennel. Again, it was amazing. The pork was so juicy and flavorful. The cooking time in the recipe was exactly right. The only critisism was that the pork was a little salty. Next time I will just scale that back, and it will be perfect. The roast was so big that I will have leftovers tonight and possibly tomorrow. But, that's fine with me! Geoff was sicky with a cold, and he couldn't really taste the food, unfortunately. The only thing he could really comment on was how juicy the pork was. Hehe. Just a note, for anyone thinking of making this recipe. After a quick test w/the food processor, it seems that two slices of bread with the crusts removed makes about a cup of fresh bread crumbs. So, in total, plan on using 6 slices of bread for the stuffing. Another note, I didn't use white wine since we never drink, and there was only 1 tablespoon used in the recipe. I just used a tablespoon of chicken broth to deglaze the pan.

OMG, I can't wait to eat that again tonight.

2007-02-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

Because of the horrible weather, I stayed home from work today. Most of the roads around my apartment STILL aren't plowed, and it is 10:45 PM.

I have a nephew! My sister in law went into labor yesterday at around 3 AM, and my nephew was born at 11:30 AM. They have named him Austin. I have seen a picture of him that my sister sent to me on my phone, but have not been able to get down there to actually see him in person. Hopefully tomorrow night I will be able to. It is kind of weird, having a nephew. I have been 8 years with only nieces. It will take some getting used to. I much prefer buying girly things!

On to food stuff. Let's see, I haven't been really cooking, because I have been lazy. For today, Valentines Day, we did nothing. We were planning on going to dinner, but it was so gross out we decided to pass. So, I made the decision to cook a big fancy dinner on Saturday for us. We will be at his dad's, dogsitting, but I will bring all my essential pots and pans over there. I am planning on making steaks (Ribeye for me, New York Strip for him), Potato-Fennel Gratin (from the Barefoot Conessa), and Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Sauce (also Barefoot Contessa) for dessert. It all sounds so yummy, especially dessert. I don't have the fancy heart shaped dish she uses to drain the cream cheese, but I am sure I will come up with something. I will take pictures of this meal for sure. I know I say that a lot, then no pictures appear, but this time I mean it. =)

Time for bed. I actually have to work tomorrow. Sigh.

2007-02-07T12:01:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make

There is a McDonald's in my 1st floor of my building at work, and I find it hard to resist. Now, I have yet to understand the complexity of why I eat this food. It literally is disgusting. I am always grossed out completely after I eat and try to resist the urge to, well, purge! I don't eat there often, but enough to make me feel extremely guilty. I would prefer to be able to never eat there ever again.

My goal is to seriously buckle down and stop buying crap. I am extremely rigid about the food I buy and prepare myself to be non-processed fresh, and natural. But, when it comes to eating out, and I am much less anal about it. I want to try to stop eating all fast food.

The last time I ate a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald's, I looked at the eggs, and they literally looked like a yellow sponge. I thought to myself, would I EVER eat this at home? The answer was no. So, I couldn't figure out why I would pay someone else to make that crap for me.

Okay. That is out. I will try to stick to it, and will hold myself accountable if I slip! In the meantime, I am trying to come up with really great new lunches to bring to work. I am really getting sick of my peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches. Plus, even though the peanut butter, jelly and bread are all natural and delicious, peanut butter is still pretty fattening. What I think I am going to do is buy a split turkey breast, roast it, and with that create all kinds of different things. I can also do the same with chicken.

My obsession with broccoli still continues. I have now had it in a different form. For the Super Bowl on Sunday, I made a little snack tray instead of dinner, and cut up all kinds of yummy veggies. I had a head of broccoli in my fridge, and decided to blanch and then shock it to add to the tray. I have had raw broccoli before and I think it has a seriously gross flavor. But, I have never had cooked broccoli cold or room temperature like this. It was awesome! No butter, just cooked in salted water. I even had the rest of it the next day, cold, right from the fridge. I never knew cold broccoli could be so delicious.

Also, I have used my Chefmate Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven at least 3 times, and it has been fantastic! I even made my marinara sauce in it last week, and it did a fabulous job. For anyone who is wanting one of these, check out Target. If you can't find it, I can give you the info on how I found it, and hopefully you can get your hands on one.

Okay, back to work!

2007-01-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

I made some stir fry last night, with a recipe for Garlicky Hoisin sauce from Real Simple magazine. It was very good, except for the fact that I forgot to turn off the burner underneath the rice, and it kind of, um, overcooked just a bit. It was still edible, but very "fluffy".

Also, I finally used my food processor! I chopped a lot of the veggies last night with it. It really made it go much faster, and I loved that everything was uniform.

Okay, back to work.

2007-01-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

My new pot!

Okay, I have been lusting after a Le Creuset pot for about a year now. However, I cannot afford it. I know I can find some at TJ Maxx for much cheaper than probably anywhere else, but they are still a bit too pricey. Then, I read an articile on Cooks Illustrated magazine about inexpensive dutch ovens. They rated the Chefmate dutch oven from Target as the best buy. According to their tests, it kept up with the Le Creuset in every aspect. Of course, this item was out of stock in Target stores and online. For the next few weeks I called Target's store relations number every few days to check on the status of the pot. Finally, the other day, they said it was in stock in the Target store on Olentangy River Rd, which is about a mile from me. The kicker is, that is the only store within 100 miles that had it. It was a sign. So, I bought the pot, and here is a picture:

I haven't used it yet, but I will be tonight. I am making Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic with couscous and some sauteed peppers. I will most definitely take some more pictures. =)

2007-01-12T12:40:00.000-05:00

I have been cooking!

Okay, so I haven't posted in awhile. There is something about the new year that makes me exhausted. It is either the previous holidays or the year ahead. But, I have been cooking with my new toys. So far, I LOVE my new Cuisinart stainless steel pans. They are fantastic. And they really clean up just as easily as non-stick. This might be because I am anal about my dishes being done immediately after dinner, so the food doesn't sit in the pans overnight. The thought of that happening makes me lightheaded.

I am ashamed to admit, though, that I haven't actually used my food processor yet. I don't know why, but I just haven't really gotten around to it. I wanted it for so long, and now that I have it, I am not sure where to start!

I can't think of anything new that I have made that I can share. Actually, I am making something new tonight, though. I am making a pork loin roast over at my friend Charla's house, and with that I am making some Mustard-Roasted Potatoes from the new Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. They look delish. I can't find the recipe online, but I will post it after consumption.

I am really wanting to go to Wasserstrom tomorrow, but I have to keep myself at home. If I go, I will just spend money. And, I have no money to spend! After Christmas bills are killing me. All those gifts seemed like a good idea at the time...

Okay, so this weekend my goal is to stay at home with my bag of flour, sugar and sticks of butter and make Geoff some cookies. I also want to make SOMETHING with the food processor! Sigh. I did push the Pulse button once with nothing in the processor just to see how loud it was. It was pretty quiet! Maybe I will just shred some carrots to get the ball rolling.

Have a good weekend everyone! I am off Monday now that I am a giddy State of Ohio employee! =)

2006-12-26T17:44:00.000-05:00

Belated Merry Christmas

Christmas yesterday was great, and I received many wonderful gifts. I think about 90% of them are going in my kitchen. I am so excited about it that I feel I have to list some of them:

- Cuisinart 11 Cup Food Processor (Finally!)
- Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Pans
- Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel 3 1/2 quart Saute Pan
- OXO Potato Ricer
- Microplane Zester
- Barefoot Contessa at Home Cookbook
- Barefoot in Paris Cookbook

Okay, I'm exhausted from copying and pasting links. I am so excited about all of these things. =). Cooking will be so much fun as I play with my new toys. I will also say that the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook came from Geoff's mom, and that she ordered it from the Barefoot Contessa website, and it is signed and inscribed to ME! I was so excited! I already used the measuring cups yesterday morning to make Apple Cake Tatin to take to my parents house. By the way, that cake is absolutely delish. The measuring cups are fantastic. I love the oval shape.

I am going to the Food Bloggers Potluck this weekend, and have decided to make Chicken Chili. It is one of my favorite recipes that I make all the time. And, it's healthy! Well, until you add shredded cheese and sour cream to the top. Mmm. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I might also make a dessert. Or an appetizer. I did make a delish caramelized onion dip on Christmas eve that we devoured. I am sure no one will mind if I bring extra food. =)

2006-12-13T18:22:00.000-05:00

I should be ashamed

I live off of Kenny Rd in Grandview and I had never been to Penzey's Spices until a few weeks ago. I had passed it a million times on the way to TJ Maxx, but for some reason never gone in. I supposed I figured it would be really expensive. I was wrong! It isn't expensive at all! The first time I went there, I was scouting the place for possible Christmas gifts for Geoff's stepdad. Of course, I ended up buying myself a few things. I went there again on Saturday to buy the actual gifts. I bought a Sweet Hungarian Paprika, a Rib and Chicken Rub, an English Prime Rib Rub, Saffron, and Fleur de Sel. Needless to say, it was hard to not keep these things for myself. I did buy myself some new Chili Powder, whole Nutmeg and the same Rib and Chicken Rub. I made Chicken Chili last night and tried out the new chili powder. It was fab!

Okay, so I am really excited cooking on Christmas Eve. My menu is simple, and going to be delish. Here is the plan:

Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel and roasted vegetables
Williams Sonoma Classic Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Simple. I am not killing myself this time, like I did on Thanksgiving. I am really excited about the pork roast!

Okay, time to watch Barefoot Contessa!

2006-12-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

My house smells like rosemary

I am making this roast:

And I want to eat, NOW. I have been craving beef so bad recently. I made burgers on Monday night, and a beef roast tonight. I just chucked a bunch of potatoes, carrots and onions in a roasting pan with the seared beef, and added 2 bay leaves, some rosemary and a little garlic. Also, a little chicken stock. I'm STARVING. We usually eat around 6 or 630, but this won't be ready for eating until probably 7:15.

This is my new olive oil dispenser:

It is just one of those plastic squeeze bottles. It cost 79 cents at Wasserstrom, and I swear, it is the best one I have ever used. I need a dispenser because it seems like when I pour the olive oil directly out of the bottle it came in, I always use way too much.

Oh, and I have to share this new cookbook I bought last night at Half Price Books. It is called the Hay Day Country Market Cookbook, and it looks amazing. It only cost $4.98, and I even bought 2 copies. One for myself and one for Geoff's stepdad, who is an amazing cook. The recipes focus on using fresh, seasonal ingredients, and they also give great information and tips throughout the book. I can't wait to try some recipes from this book. I will surely post the results.

Okay, time to take the roast out of the oven to rest. Mmmm.

2006-11-30T19:44:00.000-05:00

Too Lazy

I am ashamed. I have not cooked all week. It has been take out! Between all the cooking last weekend and starting my new job this week, I am not in the mood for making dinner. The closest I have come to cooking was tonight. I reheated the pasta sauce that Geoff's stepdad made and froze for us when he visited in September, cooked some whole wheat penne, and made some garlic herb butter for some rolls. It was so exciting to have real food again. Compared to the boneless barbequed wings I ordered last night from Pizza Hut, reheated pasta sauce was like a gourmet meal. I can't believe I ordered Pizza Hut. Vomit.

We are seriously short on cash right now. I found out on my last day at my old job that they weren't paying me for Thanksgiving or the day after. So, that was a huge chunk of money. And now, I am not getting paid until the 22nd from my new job. I get teeny final check tomorrow from my last job, and then don't get paid again for 3 weeks. I need to do some budget cooking. I think I will try to buy whatever meat is on sale, and buy some stuff for pasta.

BTW, my new job is in the William Green Building downtown, which is connected to the Nationwide building. Pretty much amazing. They are connected by a huge atrium, and there are serveral cafeterias and places to eat. There is a McDonald's (EVIL), a homemade cookie and muffin shop (DELISH), and coffee shop, and two big cafeterias with awesome food. Of course, I have only really eaten out there once. I don't have my actual badge yet, which allows me to travel by myself easily. So, it is kind of a pain to have to knock on the door of my office every time I come back to my floor. I will wait for the badge, then sneak out and buy some cookies every now and then...

I need to go back to Wasserstrom. I want to get a quarter sheet pan. I don't know why, but I feel like it might be useful. Plus, I want to get lost in the clearance in the back of the store. I am happy jus thinking about it.

Okay, time to go upstairs and continue to catch up on Heroes. It is a suprisingly good show!

2006-11-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

The day after

My Thanksgiving meal was cooked yesterday. I ate at my parents on Thursday, and it was pretty good, but I had really been looking to my meal, prepared entirely by me. I put the turkey in the brine on Friday night and forgot to flip it over on Saturday. I didn't have a bucket, so I bought these huge Ziplock XL bags, and you are supposed to flip the turkey halfway through brining. I forgot, but the turkey still turned out amazingly moist. I didn't take any pictures, because I was too tired to care by the time the food was ready.

As far as desserts, the apple crisp was good, except I didn't like how mushy the apples were. I thought when I read the recipe that 45 minutes seemed like a long time to bake it, and I was right. I like my apples to still retain their shape, but these were all mush. The flavor was good, just not the texture of the apples. Next time I will only bake it for 30 minutes, tops.

I think I might go back to making just a turkey breast next year. I usually only eat the white meat, and a turkey breast takes less time to cook. But, you can't really stuff it with aromatics like you can a full turkey. I put a quartered apple, onion, a whole head a garlic cut of half, rosemary and thyme inside the turkey. It was absolutely delicious.

Okay, I have a million things to do today, so I better get going.

2006-11-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Just a side note

I have been recording all kinds of Thanksgiving cooking shows the past few weeks (obviously), and I saw one the other night that bothered me. It was on the Food Network, and was called Challenge. It challenged 4 professional chefs to make an entire Thanksgiving meal that included Turkey, Potatoes, Stuffing, a Vegetable, Chef's Choice, and a Dessert. But, they had 5 hours. Does anyone else think that doesn't seem like an extreme challenge? They had previous time to plan and test their recipes, and then they had 5 entire hours to cook. It just didn't seem like much of a challenge to me.

On the Food Network note, I don't understand why people watch Sara Moulton. She completely bores me. I know she is a great chef, but whenever she is on my tv, she instantly makes me feel extremely annoyed, and i immediately change the channel. The same with Emeril. That is a big difference to Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, who I can watch every day and never get sick of. Alton Brown is another person I love to watch. He makes me completely enthralled with whatever he is talking about, even if it is something as simple as beans.

Okay, enough Food Network ranting. Time for bed.

P.S. I just turned on Top Chef and saw they are making Thanksgiving dinner. Looks like I am not going to bed for another 40 minutes...

2006-11-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

My face hurts

Today was my last day at my current job, and I got so sick of giving a fake smile to everyone. I guess I am grateful, though, for the $50 Wal-Mart gift card they gave me. I can use that to buy some Christmas gifts for my nieces. I start my new job for the State of Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation on Monday. WOOHOO!

Now, on to the important stuff. I nixed the Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart, and decided to go with an apple crisp instead. I have a recipe from a friend of mine who is amazing baker. The apple crisp is really for me, since I love apples and am not a big fan of pastry crust. I also ended up spending another $30 at Giant Eagle after work today, even though I thought I already had everything.

I am making Caramelized Shallots and Green Beans to take to my parents house tomorrow. My mom wasn't sure exactly what shallots were, so I will be happy to share. I am also making the cranberry sauce.

The Jeffersonville Prime Outlets are going to open tomorrow at midnight for a special sale, and I am going there, alone. I was already planning on going down there to do some Christmas shopping (and wander around the Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn Outlet), so I figured I would take advantage of the sale.

Okay, I need some local help. I have been trying to find the reusable tube of tomato paste for about a year now, and not one store I have looked in has it. Does anyone in the Columbus area know where to find this? If so, please let me know! I am sick of buying those stupid little cans and only using a tablespoon. I know I can freeze the rest in tablespoons, but it just seems like a pain. I want the tube!

Eat lots tomorrow, everyone! =)

2006-11-19T16:42:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to cook!

So, I am having Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house on the actual day, and I am sure it will be fine. My dad always makes the turkey and stuffing, and I always make the mashed potatoes. My mom has been doing Weight Watchers for the past 6 months or so, and is only 6 pounds away from her goal weight, so we are going to be having "healthy-ish" food.

Thankfully, I am making my own Thanksgiving meal on Saturday for Geoff, my friend Charla, and her date, Alex (her dog). I am soooooooooooooo excited to cook! I have been looking forward to this for the past month. I am making the turkey, obviously, but I am brining it for the first time this year. I am very excited about this. We still bought a frozen turkey from Giant Eagle this year, but I am planning on buying a fresh one next year from a local farm. I also have a fantastic recipe for some dinner rolls from the current issue of Cooks Illustrated, my new bible. On Friday, I will be making two desserts. One is a classic pumpkin pie, even though I am not a big fan of it. Geoff has basically threatened my life if he doesn't get pumpkin pie. The other is a Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart that I saw on Barefoot Contessa the other day. I will also be making the dough for the dinner rolls, since the recipe says you can make it a day early and leave it in the fridge.

On the day of, I am making homemade cranberry sauce, since it seems ridiculous not to. I am also making mashed potatoes, simple baked sweet potatoes, the delish Cooks Illustrated gravy, a requested Green Bean Casserole (and really, no matter how your tastes change as you grow up, don't you still love it?), and Apple Herb Dressing. The dressing is a combination of a recipe I read, and a few other things I am throwing in.

Okay, now that I have gotten that out of my system, I can share some very exciting news. At least, the news is exciting to me. I got this new book, an early Christmas present, from Geoff. It is Alton Brown's Gear for your Kitchen. It has a lot of good info. I have been wanting some half sheet pans from Williams Sonoma for a couple months now, but haven't bought them myself. They weren't too expensive, at $17 each. But, in Alton Brown's book, he gives me information I should have figured out myself. Go to a restauarant supply store and buy them for $5 each. So, I found one located over on Wilson Rd, called Restaurant Depot. They have a sign that says "Not open to the public", but they sold me stuff anyway. I found my beloved pans for $4.93 each, and I was ecstatic. I got them home and tested them with my Silpat, and discovered another thing that should seem obvious. The Silpat was made to fit in these pans. Sigh. If I had only known this information when I first got the Silpat 3 years ago. I spent weeks trying to find a pan to fit it.

I then went to another restaurant supply store, Wasserstrom, off of Weber Rd. They had a lot more dinnerware, which I liked, but their prices were also higher. Their half sheet pans were $8.99. They also had quarter sheet pans that were $7.99, which confused me. Why were they not half the price of the half sheet pans, since they were half the size?

They had fantastic clearance, though. I got my mesh strainer for my gravy, which is the only thing I went there for. I also got a funnel for transferring sauces and stuff into jars. Overall, their prices were higher on just about everything, but I would stil recommend going there for the clearance. Does anyone else know of a good restaurant supply store in town? If so, please let me know.

On a non-food note, our dryer broke on Friday night. Yeah, it is 5 months old. Thankfully, we have a warranty, and Lowe's is coming out on Tuesday morning to look at it. But, I had been putting off laundry for about a week and a half before it broke, so I have pretty much nothing to wear for the next couple of days. Isn't that the way it always happens?

2006-11-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

Is it okay to love to cook and still not eat seafood?

Yes folks, I am a non-seafood eater. I'm not sure what in my childhood ruined any kind of water-dweller feasting for me, but something sure did. I do remember eating fish my dad had caught and filleted himself when I was younger. I recall pulling out the bones and lining them up on the side of the plate. My dad obviously needed work on his knife skills. I don't remember doing this past the age of maybe 5. Perhaps what turned me off fish was the fact that we went fishing all the time, and I saw my dad cleaning the fish, and remembered the gross smell. It is true that even now, when I walk into a seafood restaurant (not often, obviously) or by the seafood department in a grocery store, I feel a little sick just from the smell.

I wish I liked any kind of seafood. It is generally healthier than most other meat, and there are so many ways to cook it, and usually it is ready very quickly. I can't bring myself to do it, though.

Other foods that gross me out:

- Tomatoes in their fresh state, such as sliced on a sandwhich or burger. I will eat them in salsa, soup, pasta sauce, a million other ways. I think it's mostly the texture. And, all that yucky juice.
- Cauliflower in any form.
- Liver, from any animal
- Nacho cheese
- Canned green beans (or any other canned vegetable in general)
- Frozen pizza. I have never found one that I like.
- Most kinds of fruit pies. Especially the ones with crust on top.
- Ice cream with any kinds of chunks in it. Except for a Reese Cup Blizzard from DQ.
- Red Apples (too grainy)
- Chicken fried steak.

I am sure I will add to this list from time to time. I sound like a freak now. Who hates tomatoes and frozen pizza? Me, I guess. The cheese stands alone.

Speaking of cheese, here is a list of food items I always have on hand:

- Extra sharp white cheddar cheese.
- Almost any kind of potato and potato dish.
- Bread, all kinds.
- Garlic
- Shallots
- Broccoli
- Sour Cream
- Kosher salt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Couldn't live without it.
- Tortilla Chips
- Organic Free Range Low Sodium Chicken Broth from Trader Joe's for only $1.99 a carton! How can you beat that?!
- Ground Turkey Breast
- Boneless pork loin chops
- Granny Smith Apples
- Dijon mustard

So, today I am making a big batch of the Barefoot Contessa Barebecue Sauce. The last batch lasted I think 2 months. Then Sara is coming over for dinner, and I am making the Pork Loin with Balsamic Caramelized Onions again. It was so good, I couldn't wait to try it on someone else. Okay, I better start making the barbecue sauce, or I won't have time to do anything before Sara gets here.

2006-11-09T19:45:00.000-05:00

Pork Loin with Balsamic Caramelized Onions

I saw this recipe on Becke's page, and since I had some pork loin chops in the fridge, I had to make it. Let me say, at the end I was eating the onions by themselves out of the pot, it was so good. I will definitely make this again (like tomorrow..).

Anyway, here are the steps. (I was really into the pictures today)

First, you've got to have the chops. I had these extra thick ones, emphasized by the "Thick" sticker, from Giant Eagle.

I sliced only 2 pretty small onions, since I was only making 2 chops. I wish I would have sliced more now! Oh, and make note of my semi-new knife. It is his first appearance on the blog, even though I couldn't cook without him!

I browned the chops in my stainless stock pot in about 2ish tablespoons of olive oil. They look overbrowned, but they weren't. They had a nice crust, and were tender and juicy inside. Yumm...

After chops were done, I took them out of the pan and added a tablespoon of butter and the onions. I covered them (as I have heard THE Julia describe) to cook for about 15-20 minutes, then took the lid off until they were soft and sticky, like in the picture. Then I added a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.

I put the chops back in the pan and covered them while I finished the red smashed potatoes and of course, broccoli.

I know this picture is a little blurry, but I took 3 in total, and the other two were actually worse! I guess I was just excited to eat, lol.

In conclusion, I followed Becke's recipe, and this was the best meal I have had in awhile. Probably since the Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. I can't wait to make this again! Thanks for a great meal idea, Becke!

2006-11-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

I have been cooking, but have been so hungry each time the food is done that I forget to take a picture. I have made my version of Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Chili on Sunday, and it was amazing. I will make it again soon, I am sure. Then I will share some pictures and the recipe, my version and hers. I think I will be making the pork chops I read about on Columbus Foodie, since my mouth watered just looking at them. I will definitely let all 3 of you know how they turn out!

It is really sad then when I make these chops I will be forced to brown them in the only stainless pan I have, my 6 quart saucepan. I just think that everything browns better in this pan, and also for caramelizing the onions, and any kind of deglazing, a non stick just wouldn't work as well. I can't wait until I get my stainless skillet and saute pans!

Okay, time for bed. I will be posting more in a couple days.

2006-11-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

My friend Heather made this bread over the weekend, and sent me a picture. It looked so good, I thought I would post it. I will have to make this soon. Heather, I need the recipe....

I was just reading over some of my posts so far on this blog, and when I was looking at pictures of the food, I noticed I eat a lot of broccoli! Almost every meal has a huge pile of broccoli next to some form of red potato. I need to branch out.

Since I have never been to the North Market, and have heard so many good things about it, I have informed Charla that she will be coming with me this Saturday to check it out. I am very excited!

I haven't really made any impressive food recently. At least, none worth posting. I plan on making some Barefoot Contessa Chicken Chili next week, and I will share the pics and recipe then.

BTW, I made the chocolate cookies for my nieces birthday party with the Reese's Pieces in them, and they were AMAZING. I highly recommend making them yourself!

2006-10-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

Cookies!

These chocolate cookies were amazing. Click here for the recipe on joyofbaking.com. I didn't use white chocolate chunks, though. I just made plain chocolate cookies. They were amazing. In fact, they are so good that I am making them with Reese's Pieces for my nieces birthday/Halloween party this weekend. YUM.

My friend Heather and I are going to the restaurant Trattoria Roma tonight for a fun Italian dinner. We have been there once before, and LOVED their simple garlic bread, and delish pasta. I was just cruising the menu online, trying to decide what I was going to order tonight. When I emailed her and said that is what I was doing, I got this response, "OMG SO AM I LMAO". We are such geeks.

On a different note, my newish Rosemary plant that I just brought indoors because of the cold weather, is not doing so well. I trimmed it back a lot the other night, and I have been trying to give it as much light as possible, but it just isn't responding. I have a smaller Rosemary plant in a seperate pot that is very healthy. I have researched it online, of course, and have been doing all I can, but I don't know if it's going to survive. I hope it does! Any tips anyone has, (if anyone reads this site) I would appreciate very much.

2006-10-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

I'm making a transition..

To stainless steel pots and pans. I have one stainless steel Dutch oven from Cuisinart that I LOVE. So, I decided, after reading reviews in Cooks Illustrated magazine, and on Amazon, that I want more stainless steel pans from Cuisinart. I have just noticed how much better the dutch oven works when I use it to sautee onions for different soups and stews and sauces. I'm sure my non-stick pans will still have a purpose, but I'm definitely ready to move on. Check out my wish list for what I have picked out. I am such a geek.

So, I have been cooking, but nothing worthy of pics or a real post. I am basically awaiting Christmas, when I will get my food processor and hopefully some new pans to cook with. I can't really afford to buy them myself. I am making some simple easy food this week. Here is my menu:

Sunday: Jule's perfect marinara sauce, pasta, Barefoot Contessa Garlic Bread
Monday: Leftovers from Sunday
Tuesday: Roasted Split Chicken Breasts, just with some Olive Oil, salt and pepper, red potatoes roasted with Herbs de Provence, fried corn.
Wednesday: One piece of leftover chicken from the night before, cut into chunks, basmati rice with red pepper.
Thursday: Some kind of Ribs, baked potato, peas
Friday: Take out
Saturday: Take out again. I will be at the Circleville pumpkin show, so I am sure my dinner will have some kind of pumpkin in it.

Keep eating!

2006-10-09T19:57:00.000-04:00

Comforting Beef Stew

This was good, although Geoff wasn't crazy about all the red wine in the sauce. I also forgot to put the peas in until after I ate. But, I had the leftovers today with the peas, and it was really really good with the addition. Recipe:

2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.

Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.

2006-10-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Starts with....

and ends up looking like...

Probably one of the best things I have ever eaten. Specifically, the sauce was so good, I could have eaten it BY ITSELF out of the pan with a spoon. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Here is the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

The only difference between this recipe and the one I made was that I used no wine or cognac. I used all chicken broth instead. It was absolutely amazing. I don't know if the heavy cream is needed at the end, but it sure tasted good. Oh, and I just used 3 split chicken breasts instead of 2 whole chickens cut up. It made a lot of sauce for only 3 pieces of chicken, but since the sauce was so good, we didn't mind. =)

I made couscous with it, but I wasn't so crazy about that part of the meal. I don't know if it was what I did, or what. I think I might make some wild rice with it next time.

I have been trying to figure out what kind of food mill to buy. I don't know anything about them, other than I want one, so if anyone has any advice, feel free to share with me!!

2006-10-04T11:45:00.000-04:00

Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorns

Original Post date 10/02/06 12:26 PM

DELISH.

Okay, I had just typed out probably one of my longest posts ever, and when I went to publish, Blogger messed up and the post is gone. This hasn't happened to me in a long time. I am very upset! LOL. I am soo not in the mood to re-type everything, so all I am going to do now is to give you this recipe and then tell you what I am cooking this week. Here goes:

1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (about 5 pounds, 10 bones)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard, divided
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup good white wine
3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned broth
1/4 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the fennel seed, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the mixture on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cover tightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.

For the sauce, remove all but 1/4 cup of fat from the roasting pan. If there isn't 1/4 cup, add enough butter to the pan to make 1/4 cup total. Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the fat in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, the remaining 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the green peppercorns, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove the strings from the roast pork, slice between the bones, and serve warm with the hot sauce.

I didn't use a loin of pork roast, just a regular boneless pork roast that cost around $4.50 (and was suprisingly good). I also didn't use white wine, I just used another cup of canned chicken broth. I have made this recipe once before using white wine, and it was good, but I didn't really miss it. I made mashed potatoes the first night, and when we had the leftovers the next night (which were amazing, btw), I made roasted red potatoes, and it was much better with the roasted potatoes.

Okay, dinner this week is as follows:

*Sunday: Jule's Perfect Marinara sauce, Whole Wheat Linguine, Barefoot Contessa Garlic Bread
*Monday: Boneless pork loin chops sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, roasted red potatoes with rosemary, fresh green beans tossed with sauteed shallots.
*Tuesday: Leftovers or Takeout (I know, I am bad)
*Wednesday: Barefoot Contessa recipe for Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, couscous
*Thursday: Leftover chicken from Wednesday
*Friday: Probably take out pizza.

Okay, back to work for now!(I copied and pasted this, in case it doesn't post..lol).

2006-10-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

Actual Recipe for Rosemary Sage Marinade

Original Post Date 09/26/06 12:37 PM

Rosemary Sage Marinade
1/2 Shallot, minced
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
3 minced garlic cloves

Mix all ingredients together and marinate pork or chicken overnight.

Cook in the grill, then serve with roasted red rosemary potatoes and fresh green beans sauteed with shallots in a little butter.

2006-10-04T11:38:00.000-04:00

Pork loin chops w/Rosemary Sage Marinade

Original Post Date: 09/25/06 11:35 AM

I still haven't come up with a good name for that marinade. It has fresh Rosemary, Sage, Dijon and whole grain mustard, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic and Shallots. That is a lot of ingredients, isn't it? The funny thing is, even though it has that many ingredients, it isn't a really strong marinade. It is very mild, but delish. You have to marinade overnight, too. Okay, so I made those pork loin chops with the marinade, and with that I also made some roasted red potatoes with herbs de provence and green beans tossed with some shallots sauteed in butter. OMG so delish. That has to be the best way to eat green beans. Here is a pic:

Yummm. =) I don't have the exact recipe for the marinade here at work, but I will post it later from home.Okay, bye for now.

2006-10-04T11:31:00.000-04:00

My first Post, and Chicken!

Original Post Date: 09/20/2006 12:06 PM

Okay, since all I have wanted to talk about is food for the past year, I thought I would create a new blog so I can go on and on and on..and give my boyfriend, Geoff, a break from hearing about it. He enjoys eating the food, but not knowing every detail about it. So, I will start off with the most recent recipe I tried, Indonesian Ginger Chicken by The Barefoot Contessa. I worship this woman and all of her recipes. Well, except the ones involving fish, since, I don't eat seafood. Okay, so here are some pics of what I did:

Yumm. And then I had the leftovers for lunch yesterday. DELISH!Tonight Sara is coming over and I am making my new Marinara Sauce recipe and we will be watching the Grey's Anatomy premier. I might share the exact recipe for the sauce with you tomorrow. I am also making the Barefoot Contessa Garlic Bread, which is so delicious I could eat it every single day. I will post some pics of that on my next post.

Okay, time for lunch!

2006-10-03T18:51:00.000-04:00

Even though I don't actually have a food mill yet, it is my goal to buy one in the next few months. Anyway, this is the third food blog title I have had, and I am NOT changing it again. I will post all of the previous posts from the other blogs on here tomorrow. Then I will work on some nice little custom food mill picture for my title. Tired now. Will update tomorrow.