Salute to Moms

Good evening. Mr. Foodie is taking a post-dinner nap and I thought I would take a minute to post. Below you will find a great recipe that I tried tonight from the Stella Style Low Carb Cookbook. It knocked my socks off! I even have leftovers to take for lunch tomorrow. Mr. Foodie loved it.

I am really looking forward to this week coming to a close because I get to see my favorite friends in the world this weekend. We are going out of town for the 4th of July. The only thing I hate about leaving town is that I have to leave me cats at home. I wish they were like dogs and you could take them places, but then if they were like dogs I wouldn't love them so much. Yesterday morning when I got up Katalina was sleeping in the cat bed next to my side of the bed, and her brother Southpaw was curled up on a pillow next to her. I got up to make coffee and then came back to bed and they were giving each other a bath. I don't know what I would do without those cats. They are the only peace in my life. Whenever I look at them I instantly calm down. If only I could take them to the office with me. No pets allowed even though many of my coworkers would probably qualify as barn animals. HA!

I am not working on Thursday or Friday which is quite amazing. I am getting my hair done on Thursday and afterwards Mom is coming over to do a little shopping and to borrow a suit case. She is redoing the hems in 5 pairs of my work pants which is probably saving me from paying $50 at the seamstress. Gotta love a Mom with multi-talents.

Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese Casserole - Eating Stella Style

Ingredients:
Salt
Nonstick Spray
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
3/4 cup heavy cream (may use sugar-free soy milk)
2 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces (may use low-fat)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard [I used Coleman's because I didn't have Dijon]
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping the casserole
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the boiling water with salt. Spray and 8-by-8 inch baking dish with the nonstick spray.
2. Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Drain well and pay between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside. [Instead of drying it with paper towels, I left it in a colander until right before I assembled the dish]
4. bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth.
5. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups of cheese, salt, cayenne, and black pepper until the cheese melts. Put Cauliflower in baking dish and pour over the cheese mixture. [At this point I added cubed ham to make this a one dish meal, but you could omit and serve as a side dish]
6. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 minutes, and serve.

Other options: Cooked chicken, crab, shrimp, and of course cooked diced ham.

Breakfast Bites

Good morning everyone. Below you will find a great breakfast recipe that is sure to please. It is from the "Eating Stella Style" cookbook that I talked about several posts ago. This recipe was super easy and very satisfying. I am eating one right now as I type this post. This recipe may become a Sunday night tradition. There are endless variations: chicken sausage, pork sausage, chorizo (that is what the original recipe calls for), Salsa Verde, cheddar cheese, goat cheese, etc. I followed the variation recipe which substituted premade salsa for chopped onion, garlic, and green pepper. If you do not have salsa, and do have the vegetables you could always saute' them with the sausage.

"Southwestern Breakfast Bites" by George Stella

Ingredients:
8 oz Chorizo (I used Italian Turkey Sausage)
9 Eggs
4 Tbsp Salsa
Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
Salt & Pepper
Non-stick Spray

Equipment:
12 cup Muffin Pan.

Instructions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350. Spray Muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. Cook sausage in skillet until cooked through. (I used Italian Turkey Sausage - may need to add a teaspoon of oil due to the low fat content.)
3. Mix eggs in bowl with salsa. Add Salt and Pepper. (I also added a little Cayenne Pepper because that is my favorite spice.)
4. Distribute sausage amongst muffin pan. Ladle egg mixture over the sausage. Top with cheese (as much or as little as you would like).
5. Bake 15-20 minutes or until eggs or set.

Enjoy! The Bites are designed for an on-the-go lifestyle. I brought 2 to work for breakfast this morning, wrapped in tin foil.

Steak - It's whats for dinner

Mr. Foodie didn't have to work today so we were able to enjoy time together. He made me breakfast this morning: Scrambled Eggs British Style with Dill, Bacon, and Leftover thinly sliced Filet Mignon from last night. We went over to my mom's house and had grilled shrimp on skewers, and I made Okra and Tomatoes with fresh Okra from my parent's garden. It turned out to be very good, even if Mr. Foodie refused to eat it! He doesn't like okra or tomatoes...

The Best Way to Cook a Steak
Cooks Illustrated - May 1, 2007

Rib-eye or filet mignon of similar thickness can be substituted for strip steaks. If using filet mignon, buying a 2-pound center-cut tenderloin roast and portioning it into four 8-ounce steaks yourself will produce more consistent results. If using filet mignon, increase the oven time by about 5 minutes. When cooking lean strip steaks (without an external fat cap) or filet mignon, add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pan. If desired, serve with a pan sauce, relish, or butter.

Ingredients
2 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches thick (about 1 pound each) (see note above)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towel. Cut each steak in half vertically to create four 8-ounce steaks. Season entire surface of steaks liberally with salt and pepper; gently press sides of steaks until uniform 1 1/2 inches thick. Place steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of steak registers 90 to 95 degrees for rare to medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes, or 100 to 105 degrees for medium, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking. Place steaks in skillet and sear steaks until well-browned and crusty, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, lifting once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath each steak. (Reduce heat if fond begins to burn.) Using tongs, turn steaks and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer all steaks to wire cooling rack and reduce heat under pan to medium. Use tongs to stand 2 steaks on their sides. Holding steaks together, return to skillet and sear on all sides until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 steaks.

3. Transfer steaks to wire cooling rack and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes while preparing pan sauce. Arrange steaks on individual plates and spoon sauce over steaks; serve immediately.

Don't Go There: My Top 10 Overrated Travel Experiences | Frommers.com

Don't Go There: My Top 10 Overrated Travel Experiences Frommers.com


I think this is a great article. Made me laugh on a late Friday afternoon.

Attempting Low Carb Recipes...

My latest cookbook purchase is an attempt to try low carb cooking. I enjoy some of the low carb culinary principles: Lean Protein and Fish/Shellfish, Vegetables, and even whole grains. I looked around the Internet at different options and settled on "Eating Stella Style" by George Stella.

I have browsed through the entire book and I think there are some great ideas in here. Most of the recipes are east and great for week-night options.

I choose to make the Cream of Asparagus Soup for several reasons:

1. I recently went to Costco and bought Asparagus.

2. Soup is my favorite thing to eat and make

3. It sounded easy

4. It would require using one pot..... you get the picture.

5. OH.... and I get to use the Immersion Blender which is my favorite kitchen tool.

*I should design a hot pink kitchen tool belt with a holster for my immersion blender. If only I were creative and could draw up a design.

Cream of Asparagus Soup - Courtesy of George Stella's "Eating Stella Style"

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine

8 oz Fresh Asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths. [I used more than this because I wanted to get rid of it all]

1 Tbsp minced red onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2.5 cups chicken broth [I used more to stretch the soup, and because of the amount of asparagus]

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the cut asparagus, onion, garlic and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes.

2. Add broth , raise the heat to high, and continue cooking until reduced by half, about 5 more minutes.

3. Removed from heat. Puree using immersion blender. Add cream to soup and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

San Francisco

I am going to San Francisco for 4 days in July with my Mom and Grandparents. Mr. Foodie may be tagging along. I am trying to plan everything last minute. I am going to fly southwest because they have the best routes and prices for the trip.

Several things I want to do while there:
1. Golden Gate Bridge
2. Tour the harbour or go to Alcatraz.
3. Take awesome photographs with my Nikon D90.
4. Chinatown visit for culinary investigation.
5. Muir Woods tour.

I am doing my travel research to see what I can find. The family will be spending two weeks there but I can't take that much time off from work.

Any suggestions for things to do, see, or eat are appreciated.

Sunday Night Dinner

Grilled Flank Steak with Garlic-Ginger-Sesame Marinade [Cooks Illustrated: Published May 1, 2005]

We really enjoyed this recipe. Very simple to throw on the grill and cost-friendly. I served with broiled asparagus and mushrooms.

For Marinade:
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 medium scallions , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

For Steak:
1 flank steak (about 2 pounds), patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Puree all marinade ingredients in blender until smooth, scraping down blender jar as needed.
2. Place steak on rimmed baking sheet or in large baking dish. Using dinner fork, prick steak about 20 times on each side. Rub both sides of steak evenly with salt and then with paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Using large chimney starter, ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or 2 1/2 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill; build two-level fire by arranging coals to cover one half of grill. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate for 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for just 2 seconds).
4. Using paper towels, wipe paste off steak; season both sides with pepper. Grill steak directly over coals until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill until second side is well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using paring knife, make small cut into thickest part of meat; if meat is slightly less done than desired, transfer steak to cutting board (meat will continue to cook as it rests). If steak is significantly underdone, position so that thinner side is over cool side of grill and thicker side is over hot side; continue to cook until thickest part is slightly less done than desired, then transfer steak to cutting board.
5. Loosely tent steak with foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Using sharp chef's knife or carving knife, slice steak about 1/4 inch thick against grain and on bias. Serve immediately.

More Blueberries

My Mom gave me more blueberries so I decided to try another recipe for fun. Looks pretty good huh?

Another great way to use fresh summer blueberries.

Ingredients
Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
6 cups fresh blueberries (30 ounces), picked over
1 1/2teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Biscuit Topping
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
2 tablespoons cornmeal , stone-ground
1/4 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 teaspoons for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/3cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. For the filling: Stir sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in large bowl. Add berries and mix gently with rubber spatula until evenly coated; add lemon zest and juice and mix to combine. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch glass pie pan, place pie pan on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until filling is hot and bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes.
3. For the biscuit topping: Whisk flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Mix remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon in second small bowl and set aside. One minute before berries come out of the oven, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir with rubber spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain.
4. To assemble and bake cobbler: Remove berries from oven; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Pinch off 8 equal-sized pieces biscuit dough and place on hot berry filling, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart (they should not touch). Sprinkle each mound of dough with cinnamon-sugar. Bake until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool cobbler on wire rack 20 minutes and serve.

Havana Black Beans with Cilantro Lime Rice

One of my favorite cookbooks I have ever purchased is The Whole Foods Market Cookbook published in 2002. This book is also a great reference tool for every type of food. There is a great selection of vegetarian fare and traditional favorites with an organic or whole grain twist.

The recipes below were added to my repertoire about 2 years ago. This can be a complete meal or it can be served as a side to roast pork, or marinated flank steak.

Mr. Foodie absolutely loves this meal. I am serving tonight with his Jamaican Jerk Pork he is cooking on the grill.


Havana Black Beans - What differentiates this recipe is the addition of coconut milk.





1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Bell Peppers Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 Teaspoon canned chipotle chillies. minced with sauce (I substituted two dried chipotle chilies soaked in water to rehydrate)
3 15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained well
1/2 cup water
1 can of coconut milk
1 Teaspoon Lime Juice





Directions:
1. Heat EVOO in a medium saucepan. Add onion and saute' for 3 minutes until golden brown.

2. Add peppers and garlic and saute for 2 minutes (I saute' for about 5 minutes)

3. Add Cumin, Thyme, Bay Leaves and chilis. Stir well.

4. Add beans, water, and coconut milk and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste.



Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup Basmati rice
3 Tablespoons EVOO
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon lemon or lime zest
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Salt to taste
2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups washed finely chopped baby spinach
3-5 scallions finely chopped



Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, bring water to boil.

2. Add rice, EVOO, Garlic, Zest, Lime Juice, and salt and reduce to medium heat.

3. Stir Gently, cover, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

4. Leave the rice covered so the steam stays in, making the rice fluffy.

5. Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add cilantro, spinach, scallions and salt to taste and combine thoroughly.

Got Blueberries?

Blueberry Buckle - Cooks Illustrated.com

This recipe turned out great. I even got Mr. Foodie to eat fruit! I served with Vanilla Gelato.

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 8 to 10. Published July 1, 2005.

A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffeecake with a streusel topping. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. If you'd like to serve the buckle as dessert, consider a vanilla ice cream or whipped cream accompaniment (see related recipe for Cream Cheese Whipped Cream). Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Ingredients
Streusel
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces) I ONLY use King Arthur Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs , room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over

Instructions
1. For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.
2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.
3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).
5. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.

What's for dinner?

I got to leave work on time today, so I went to Publix to get something for dinner. In response to my husband's need for beef I got New York Strips on sale. We are having them with sweet potatoes and a green salad. Finally a home cooked meal!

My parent's blueberry bushes are really producing right now and she dropped off a large bag for me yesterday. I am searching for recipes right now for some sort of dessert. Today while zoning out at work I found a great food blog out there: http://simplyrecipes.com. I love this blog because every recipe has family story behind it.

I am struggling between several ideas:
Blueberry Buckle - Simply Recipes
Lemon-Blueberry Streusel Pie - King Arthur Flour
Best Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping - Cooks Illustrated

I will let you know what I decide... and post a picture.

Joe's Crab Shack

This is one of the worst restaurants on the face of the planet. I had never been to this place before and I hope I never have to go again. We had another work dinner last night and Joe's was my manager's choice because it is on the ocean and we had co-workers from out of town. My husband joined us for dinner because he had not met any of my co-workers before. This is quite ridiculous seeing that I have worked for the company for almost a year now.... I won't go into the details of exactly what foulness we were served. I can firmly say that I will never go to this place ever again.

On a lighter note. I will finally be able to get home before 9PM tonight. Every night this week we have been working until about 8:30 PM and then I have to drive home. This really wears you out after a while. My biggest complaint is that I have barely been able to spend any time with my husband. Last night he was very puzzle and exclaimed that there is no food in the house, I countered by reminding him that I took him to the grocery store on Sunday in preparation of my work schedule this week. He understood and again exclaimed that there was still no food. Obviously there is "no food" because I do the cooking and haven't been around to do it... Aha moment!!!

Only one more day in the office and the weekend is here. Mr. Foodie is working all weekend so I am going to take the opportunity to make a couple good dinners. I am going to start researching/menu planning. Mr. Foodie complained about the "lack of beef in his life" last night so maybe we can have steaks.

Awesome Deal!

I recently purchased these pans from Sur La Table and they are of excellent quality and very useful. Pans are very sturdy and easy to handle when placing in or taking out of the oven. The three sizes are also very useful because it can accommodate different kitchen tasks.

Highly recommended!

Was $55.00

On Sale for $24.99 + shipping

The Homestead Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, FL

Attended a work dinner this evening at The Homestead Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, FL. VERY disappointed with the quality of the food. This is a perfect example of a great thing gone bad. To make a long story short, The Homestead was institution in our community for at least 30 years. Their claim to fame was family style southern cooking, a.k.a. fried chicken. The restaurant was housed in an old house and the food was absolutely phenomenal and affordable at the same time.

Inevitably good things always seem to go bad when it comes to awesome restaurants in Jacksonville. The Homestead has been "gentrified." They cleaned up the place, added karaoke (for retirees), increased the prices and started offering cocktails. In the process they ruined the fried chicken and good southern cooking that made them famous. My dish was not heated correctly and had too much salt. The appetizers were pretty horrible and also served at the incorrect temperature. They brough biscuits and cornbread muffins with no butter or honey.... needless to say we were upset.

I definitely do not recommend this restaurant any longer for those dining in Jacksonville Beach.

Link to MyPublisher photo book I created of our latest trip to London last March.

LONDON!

BLTini

BLTini

Ingredients
1 small to medium ripe tomato
1 Teaspoon minced chives or scallions
1 Teaspoon finely chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce (or a dash) dry vermouth
1 strip bacon, cooked until crisp and blotted with paper towels.

Instructions
Cut the tomato into chunks, put in a coffee filter over a glass or bowl, and press gently with your fingers. Let the juice drain 12 hours or overnight until you have about three ounces of tomato water. Put the chives and lettuce in a chilled martini glass. Combine the tomato water, vodka, and vermouth in an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, and strain into the martini glass. Garnish with the bacon strip laid across the top of the glass.

From Spirit Magazine aboard Southwest Airlines.

Green Beans

My parents have a beautiful garden every year. They have already begun the harvest and provided me with a whole bunch of fresh green beans. I cooked them with cubed ham in boiled chicken stock mixed with water and touch of butter at the end to serve.

Mr. Foodie is planning on cooking a Pork Picnic Shoulder in our small Condo grill in the coming week. I am not very confident about his success but we shall see just how successful he is.

Mr. Foodie, the mixologist from heaven.... just made me a wonderful strawberry daquiri. Recipe below. He picked up a huge bunch of beautiful strawberries at the store.

Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz White Rum- 1 oz Lime Juice- 1/2 oz Triple Sec- 1/2 teaspoon Powdered Sugar- 1 cup Ice- 5 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Serves 2
Directions
Pour all ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for about 1/2minute. Strain into a Martini (cocktail) glass and decorate with a strawberry. Serve with a straw.

Sunday Adventures

We are headed to Whole Foods for lunch and some shopping. Mr Foodie finally has a day off from work and to celebrate we are going to spend some quality time together.

Every time I take him to Whole Foods he ends up buying expensive beef, but hey he deserves it because he is working every day and after hours.

Unfortunately I won't be able to do much cooking this week because my job will require late nights until about 8:00 PM for special training. Sounds like fun huh? I am searching the web for some quick healthy meals to make this week. I have a couple ideas including quesadillas, salads, and maybe a quick pasta dish. Those Rachel Ray cookbooks that family members keep buying for me can now come in handy. I am typically a Williams-Sonoma and cook's illustrated recipe kind of gal but sometimes you have to sacrifice taste for time.

Whole Foods here we cone

Cook's Illustrated's Modern Coq Au Vin Recipe

Serves 4 to 6. Published November 1, 2006.

A medium-bodied, fruity red wine such as Pinot Noir or Rhône Valley Grenache is best for this recipe. Avoid bold, heavily oaked red wine varietals like Cabernet and light-bodied wines like Beaujolais. To use fresh pearl onions, trim the root and stem end of each onion and discard. Boil for 1 minute, shock in ice water, then peel a thin strip from root to stem. Remove any remaining outer skin (it's like peeling off a jacket). If neither frozen nor fresh pearl onions are available, substitute one large onion cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (Do not use jarred pearl onions, which will turn mushy and disintegrate into the sauce.) Serve the stew with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
1 bottle fruity, smooth, medium-bodied red wine (see note above)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces bacon , preferably thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed of excess fat and cut in half crosswise
Table salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
24 frozen pearl onions , thawed, drained, and patted dry (about 1 cup) (see note above)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms , wiped clean, stems trimmed, halved if small and quartered if large
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions
1. Bring all but 1 tablespoon wine (reserve for later use), broth, parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Discard herbs.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons fat in small bowl; discard remaining fat.

3. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken in single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken and 1 tablespoon bacon fat.

4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and flour; cook, stirring frequently, until well combined, about 1 minute.

5. Add reduced wine mixture, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; add 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return chicken, any accumulated juices, and reserved bacon to pot; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

6. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce until thick and glossy and measures 3 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and reserved 1 tablespoon wine. Season to taste with salt. Return chicken to pot and top with minced parsley. Serve immediately.

Back in town

Flew home from Chicago last night and back in the office today. Looking forward to home-cooked meals this weekend. I am having dinner with a friend from out of town tonight who is a vegetarian so that always makes things interesting. Mr. Foodie still doesn't "Understand" vegetarians, and yes this is his phrase-ology....

That reminds me of a story. Mr. Foodie went through a vegetarian phase in elementary school until a certain event..... the Double Big Mac came on the market. Isn't that ironic?

Food plans for the weekend:
I am going to make Alton Brown's Coq au Vin recipe. I will provide all the details, photos, and a review afterwards. I have selected a great Pinot Noir to get with it and will review that as well.

I would like to make a summer fruit dessert of some kind. Maybe a cobbler in the iron skillet. Iron Skillets rock my world. Inexpensive and awesome at conducting heat. You could survive with an iron skillet as your only pot/pan. Any budget kitchen should include an iron skillet. Also - you gotta go with the Lodge Logic brand. Mr. Foodie loves the show "how it's made" on the Science Channel. We saw an episode all about iron skillets, and Lodge Logic is the best choice.

No food weekend would be complete without a trip to Whole Foods, so I might venture out if the weather is nice.

While I was out of town my latest issue of Cooks Illustrated arrived so I can't wait to check it out. I will comment on that later.

Best Dishes (as Paula would say)

Chicago

I am traveling in Chicago for work, so not much culinary news so far. I have heard a few things about a Chicago Beef Sandwich, which is supposedly similar to a Philly Cheesesteak but the beef is shredded and moist with some type of gravy. Sounds good to me.

Unfortunately I don't have much down-time to explore. Me and Mr. Foodie are considering a short trip here in September to explore food in Chicago. We will stay somewhere downtown off the Magnificent Mile. I have found several hotels and flights at great prices.

I will be back at home on Friday and ready to eat my own home-cooked meals. I also have a friend visiting this weekend, which I am looking forward to.

Hummingbird Bakery

Red Velvet and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery in South Kensington.

Delicious and beautiful... wish we were there.

Oysters at the Burrough Market

Mr. and Mrs. Foodie enjoying oysters at the Burrough Market in London this fall.

Bangers and Mash

In honor of our recent trip to London, I decided to make a traditional British meal. I went to my favorite store on Saturday, Whole Foods, and got all of my ingredients. I spent 2 hours in the store looking at everything. Yes... I am obsessed.

I got the Bangers and Mash Recipe from the Williams Sonoma site. I have a cookbook from London with a great recipe, but wasn't inspired until I reached Whole Foods so I used my iPhone to find a recipe.

Ingredients:
2 lb. good-quality bangers or pork sausages
1 Tbs. sunflower oil [I used Safflower Oil as a replacement]

For the mash:
2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbs. unsalted butter

For the gravy:
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 red onions, halved and finely sliced
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Shiraz
1 cup chicken or beef stock [I used Pacific Foods chicken stock]
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Place the sausages in a roasting pan, drizzle with the sunflower oil and toss to coat. Spread the sausages out in a single layer and bake, turning them after 15 minutes, until evenly colored, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the mash: Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Place in a saucepan with water to cover, salt the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain, cover with a kitchen towel and let stand until dry, about 5 minutes. In the same pan over medium-high heat, combine the milk and butter and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside. Pass the potatoes through a ricer or place in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the hot milk mixture and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. [I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer as a replacement for a ricer/masher with great results]

To make the gravy, in a wide, shallow nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are meltingly soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until evaporated. Stir in the red wine and stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until a rich sauce forms, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the sausages and mash among individual plates. Spoon some of the gravy on top and serve immediately. Pass the remaining gravy at the table. Serves 4.




I served Mushy Peas alongside the Bangers. I adapted a UK recipe the best i could using Fresh English Peas. The peas were good, but not great. I am still searching for an authentic recipe. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Introduction

A hearty welcome from Mr. and Mrs. Foodie.

I decided to start a blog today in order to share my kitchen adventures. I will include information about recipes, kitchen products, and throw in some colorful cookery commentary. Thank you for joining me and my husband for dinner.



My Husband, Mr. Foodie is a great cook in his own right. He isn't one of those traditional "I grill, therefore I cook" kind of guys. He can knead dough, whip up some of his famous Baked Ziti or Chimichangas in a flash. His most impressive skill is the Art of the Cocktail. He can shake a classic martini or create a tasty peachy martini.

More on that subject later... Thanks again and welcome.