Another dinner

Since we're hopefully moving soon, I had to use ingredients that I already had in my pantry.  I created another pretty good meal that can be whipped up in no time, is healthy, and really tasty.  I love shrimp and vegetables, so this one includes a lot of both.  Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Shrimp (serves 2 with leftovers)

1 small onion, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 can fire roasted tomatoes (Hunt’s brand is really good)

1 cup seafood stock

2-3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (depending on how much you like)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Salt/pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes (as much as you like)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika if you don’t have smoked)

1/2 – 1 pound shrimp, deveined and peeled

Juice of ½ of a lemon

Heat medium sauté pan to medium high heat- add olive oil

Add onion and cook until softened

Add mushrooms and cook until just starting to soften

Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds

Add can of fire roasted tomatoes, seafood stock, rosemary, parsley, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika

Increase heat to high and bring to boil

Reduce sauce until thick- about 10-15 minutes (stir often to check the thickness)

Add the shrimp, stir, and cook through

Add the juice of ½ of a lemon and stir

Taste for seasoning and serve

Note:  This recipe is also good if you use ½ cup white wine and ½ cup of seafood stock.

You can also use chicken stock if you can’t find seafood stock.

Feta cheese on top for garnish goes beautifully with this dish as well

I blame my parents (for making me love veggies)

I blame my parents.  They made me eat my vegetables everyday growing up, but I really don't remember ever complaining about it.  I ate corn, green beans, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, squashes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, spinach, asparagus, onions, bok choy, etc. and I loved them all.  Besides the ones that my dad grew in the garden, most of them were either frozen or canned, but nonetheless, I still ate them.  The only ones that I hated were lima beans that were mixed in with the frozen mixed veggie medley.  Yuck.  I still hate them. 

However, as I grew and started cooking, I grew tired of canned and frozen vegetables.  Also, my husband wasn't as big of a fan of veggies as I am and he would only eat canned green beans.  He claimed that he didn't like any other veggie (besides mashed potatoes) and wouldn't try them.  He said brussel sprouts tasted funny, mushrooms had no flavor, asparagus smelled weird, and broccoli was boring.  So, I had a mission:  make him like a variety of vegetables.  Being a beginner cook at the time, I had no idea how to make veggies in a delicious and easy way.  However, as I watched Ina on the "Barefoot Contessa" I noticed that she roasted all of her vegetables.  I figured I would try it because it looked easy and really tasty.  I roasted a safe veggie first:  potatoes.  They were, of course, a huge hit between my husband and I.  Potatoes were too easy though.  Of course he liked roasted potatoes- they taste like french fries without the grease.  I tried another safe veggie:  fresh green beans.  He also liked these.  Then, I tried broccoli and cauliflower.  Again, he liked it.  I tried zucchini.  He loved it.  I roasted butternut squash.  He went crazy for it (still one of his favorite roasted vegetables).  I started to get more daring and roasted brussel sprouts.  After convincing him to try it and giving permission to put Parmesan cheese on it, he agreed and ate more than me!  I then started roasting everything:  asparagus, onions, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, mushrooms (which are my favorites), bok choy, celery root, and any other veggie I could get my hands on.  Needless to say, I converted my husband into a vegetable lover like me and I roasted veggies at least 4-5 times a week to go with our meals.  Now when I have an off day or no veggie looks good at the store and I serve him canned green beans, he complains!  I take that as a good sign though.

Roasted Vegetables
You can roast just about any veggie out there (except lettuce)- I haven't found one that doesn't taste better after it's been roasted.  Here are a few of my favorites: 
tomatoes (de-seeded and cut in half), radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, zucchini, butternut squash, mushrooms (any kind but button- they really don't have any flavor), carrots, brussel sprouts, asparagus, bok choy, celery root, potatoes, and sweet potatoes

I cut up the vegetable into bite sized pieces (not too small) and make sure that they're all about the same size for even roasting
place on sheet pan
drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (season them really well)
toss around to make sure the oil and seasoning are evenly distributed
roast at 425 until tender
serve with Parmesan cheese (optional)

Roasted Vegetable Soup
(This recipe was adapted from one of Ina's recipes)
Any variety of leftover roasted veggies can be made into an incredible soup.  I've used leftover butternut squash and onion, broccoli, and potatoes, among many other variations.  I also add fresh spinach or arugula to give it extra texture. 
Just put roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor, add chicken (or veggie) stock (just enough to thin it), salt/pepper to taste, and any other spices you like- I like cumin, curry, and even hot sauce. 
Blend until pureed
If it's too thick, add more stock
Place in pot on stove and heat through (taste to make sure the seasoning is right)

So, thank you parents for making me eat my veggies.  It paid off in the end.  However, I still hate lima beans.

Note:  baking times may vary, but I've found that 425 will evenly roast any vegetable.  Usually temperatures range from 400, 425, to 450, but veggies really aren't that sensitive- just keep your eye on them so they don't burn.

Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

I created a recipe for strawberry champagne cupcakes out of my love for champagne, berries, white cake, and white buttercream frosting (I think the perfect cupcake is white cake with white icing).  However, I wanted to infuse flavor into plain white cake and since I had an abundance of strawberries, I started to experiment with them.  Also, what's better with strawberries than champagne?  Combing the 2 was a no brainer.  I've made them several times with rave reviews so far and I think I've just about perfected the recipe.  The champagne flavor is more of a fruity flavor (you won't taste the bubbles) and it's incredibly good.
The cupcakes have 3 parts to them, but they're all easy and you can make the strawberry sauce in advance.  You'll also have plenty leftover sauce and it's great over ice cream, berries, and it freezes beautifully. 
Here's my recipe:

For the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup champagne/prosecco/sparkling wine (make sure it's a good one and something you would want to drink- the better the quality, the better the cupcakes will be)
3 XL egg whites
2 tablespoon sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350
Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside
In another bowl (or measuring cup) combine champagne, egg whites, sour cream, and vanilla
Whisk together until sour cream is incorporated and there's no lumps
Using an electric or hand held mixture, cream butter and sugar at least 5 minutes, until light and fluffy
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated
Add 1/2 of the wet mixture
Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture
Add last 1/2 of the wet mixture
Add last 1/3 of the flour and mix until just combined (do not overmix!)

Divide the batter among 12 cupcake paper liners
Bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes
Remove from the pan and place cupcakes on a cooling rack until completely cooled (you can also refrigerate them- the colder they are the easier they are to cut)

Strawberry Sauce:
1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
2-3 tablespoons water
1 jar (12 oz.) strawberry jam

Cook berries, sugar, and water (start with 2 tablespoons and add more if the sauce is too thick) in a medium saucepan over medium high heat
Bring to a boil and stir so it doesn't burn
Cook until berries are softened and sugar is dissolved
Off the heat, add strawberry jam and puree (with blender, food processor, or immersion blender)
Taste and add more sugar if needed
Cool sauce

When cupcakes and sauce are cooled, use a small knife to cut a fairly large hole from the center of cupcake (reserve the top)
Fill the hole with strawberry sauce (about 1-2 tablespoons)
Place the top of the hole back in cupcake

Champagne frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp.
4-5 tablespoons champagne/prosecco/sparkling wine 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of champagne with an electric or hand held mixer
Add more champagne as needed until frosting is smooth and spreadable, but not thin (if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.  If it's too thick, add more champagne)
Generously frost each cupcake with the icing and garnish with a strawberry

Variation:  This recipe can be made by using a 1/2 stick of butter and a 1/2 cup applesauce in place of the whole stick of butter in the cupcake recipe.  Also, fat free sour cream is perfectly fine.

Note:  You can refrigerate these cupcakes (so the frosting doesn't melt), but bring them to room temp. before serving. 
Also, the longer the cupcakes sit, the more you'll taste the champagne- I make them the day ahead and they're even better on the 2nd day.  Enjoy!

Anniversary Dinner

Yesterday (June 18) was my husband and I's 6 year wedding anniversary.  We usually celebrate by going out to a wonderful meal and making a wonderful meal at home.  We went out to Farm Haus in St. Louis which is an incredible place.  The chef was just named one the top 10 chefs in the country by Food and Wine magazine and the food is based on what's in season and local ingredients.  Thomas had the asparagus salad with grilled asparagus, radish, and a garlic vinaigrette, "breakfast" for his main course (pork belly with a sunny side egg on top, homemade sausage, and corn blinis), and strawberry panna cotta with angel food cake, fresh strawberries and basil ice cream for dessert (basil ice cream is on my list to make- soooo good!).  I had the wild mushroom salad with bacon vinaigrette, blackened red snapper with collard greens and spoon bread, and a "rocky road" dessert with flourless chocolate cake, caramel ice cream, marshmallow, almond brittle, and caramel sauce.  The meal was one of the best we've ever had.

Now onto the meal that I made at home.  I don't have a name for the dish because it was born from my mom's seafood with linguine that I grew up on.  I changed it and added more ingredients.  It's a wonderful, fast, easy, elegant, and delicious recipe that anyone can do.  You can change the seafood to any seafood you like, add herbs, and add veggies.  It's a thin, almost broth like sauce that incredibly flavorful (and also healthy).  Here's my recipe:

8 oz. pappardelle pasta (or any wide noodle would work, like linguine)
3 tablespoons olive oil
About 2 cups of sliced portabello mushrooms
About 6 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so I go heavy, but add as much or as little as you like)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
A couple of splashes of chicken stock or seafood stock (if you like a thicker sauce, add less.  If you like a thinner sauce add more.  I probably added 1/4 - 1/3 cups)
A splash of white wine (probably a couple tablespoons)
2-3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt/pepper to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Red pepper flakes (as much or as little as you like)
1/2 - 1 pound shrimp, cooked/peeled/deveined (depending on how much shrimp you would like)
1/2 - 1 pound fresh crab meat, cooked (again, depending on how much crab you like)
1/2 pound clams, cooked
Parmesan cheese to top

Bring a large pot of water to a boil
Salt the water and add the pasta
Cook according to the directions (I always cook pasta 2 min. short on what the package says- you want nice and al dente pasta)

While water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil over medium high heat
Add the mushrooms and cook until just starting to soften
Add the garlic and cook another minute
Add scallions, chicken or seafood stock, wine, parsley, salt, pepper, zest and juice of the lemon, and red pepper flakes
Bring to boil to reduce (the sauce will thicken slightly) and stir
Reduce heat to low
Add shrimp, crab, and clams
Heat through
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss gently to combine (the pasta will absorb the sauce)
Serve with Parmesan cheese

Be sure to taste the sauce as you go along to make sure you have seasoned it correctly.  Also, instead of straining the pasta, I take it out of the water with tongs and put it directly in the sauce.  Some of the starchy cooking liquid will still be on the pasta and it adds flavor.  They do this with pasta in Italy and it's perfect every time.  Also, if your sauce is too thin, add some pasta liquid to it- it thickens up beautifully. 

Husband Pleasers Part 2

Ok, I jumped the gun a little bit on my husband pleasers (Scotcharoos) post.  I remade the recipe again this morning and used mini marshmallows in the Special K mixure.  Another winning result! Here's what I did:

Make the Scotcharoos exactly as stated before, but after you add the peanut butter to the sugar mixture, stir in about 3 cups of mini marshmallows off the heat (or you can take big ones and break them up). 
Stir the marshmallows until incorporated- they shouldn't melt completely, but they'll get really soft
Spread mixture in pan
Omit the caramel (unless you like extremely sweet things, but I didn't add it because I was afraid it would be too overpowering)
Put chocolate/butterscotch chips on as usual and sprinkle with sea salt

The Special K mixture becomes like a Special K marshmallowy-crispy treat and they are wonderful!  Try the famous Scotcharoos all 3 ways (traditional, caramel with sea salt, and marshmallow with sea salt) and decide which one you like best!

Jazz up boring meat

Plain chicken, pork loin, fish, or even steak is boring!  Here's a sauce that's healthy and full of flavor.  I've adapted this recipe from a combination of many recipes and I tend to change it every time I make it, but here's the basic recipe:

Leek sauce

2 medium leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms, any variety (I love mushrooms, so I include a lot, but you can add as many as you like or leave them out. Portabella mushrooms are really good, but plain old button mushrooms would be just fine)
a splash of Brandy
a splash of chicken stock
1-2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
1-2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
Crushed red pepper (as much or as little as you like)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sour cream

Put olive oil (or spray) in large pan and turn on heat to medium high
Add leeks and cook until just softened
Add mushrooms and cook until just softened
Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until garlic is cooked
Add a splash of Brandy and scrape up the browned bits on the pan
Turn heat to high and reduce Brandy
Add a splash of chicken stock and stir until slightly thickened
Turn heat down to medium low
Add rosemary, parsley, crushed red pepper, Dijon, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste
Heat all of the ingredients through and serve (serves 2)

This is excellent over roasted chicken, pork loin, or fish.  I usually sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Simply delicious!

Note:  You can add any herbs you like- thyme and basil are great additions.  Leeks are part of the onion family and look like giant scallions.  They are milder in taste and really good.  If you can't find them, I'm sure that regular onions would be fine- just a little stronger tasting (I've never tried this with regular onions)

Husband Pleasers

A husband pleaser comes in the form of a scotcharoo.  What's a scotcharoo?  It's a cookie/bar/candy that my mother in law, Susan, has made since my husband was a child.  Everyone loves them.  They are addictive.  They are crunchy, peanut buttery, chocolaty, and everything else that is good in life.  They are also the easiest recipe I've ever made.  The basic recipe is Special K cereal mixed with sugar, karo syrup, and peanut butter.  That's pressed into a pan and topped with melted semi sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.  This is the only way that my mother in law makes them and I made them the same way for years.

However, I was bored with them.  I wanted something more- more flavor and something different.  I started by experimenting with the cereal.  I tried Rice Crispies, but they just went stale after a day.  I then tried Corn Flakes, but it gave the Scotcharoo a corn flavor that was not welcome.  So, I stayed with the Special K since it stayed crunchy and didn't add any flavor. 

I decided that instead of messing with the recipe, I would add things to it- I love caramel and think that caramel should be included in all desserts, so I added caramel between the Special K and chocolate layers.  I also love sea salt and noticed that salt combined with chocolate is simply delish.  A sprinkling of sea salt on top of the warm chocolate really set this dessert off and brought out all of the flavors.

So, after experimenting with this humble recipe, I recreated it and made it a bit fancier and more decadent. 
Here's the new recipe:

6 cups Special K cereal
1 cup sugar
1 cup white syrup (karo)
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
caramel sauce (any brand of your choice)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
sea salt

Measure Special K and place in large bowl.  Set aside
In small saucepan, bring sugar and white syrup to a boil (stirring often so it doesn't burn)
Off the heat, add peanut butter and mix until smooth
Pour sugar/peanut butter mixture in the Special K and mix gently until combined
Press evenly into a greased (or sprayed) 9x13 pan
Let cool
Pour and spread caramel sauce over Special K mixture (as much as you like- I like a lot, so I went heavy)
Let cool and set
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips (don't burn!) and stir together
Pour chocolate over caramel/Special K mixture and smooth over the top
Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the top of the warm chocolate
Let set at room temp or in the frig until firm and cut into bars

While this is a good start to a new and improved Scotcharoo, I may try mini marshmallows mixed in with the Special K/peanut butter mixture next.  If that goes well, I'll change the recipe again.  As for now, the humble and incredible Scotcharoo got a makeover and they are even better than the originals- Thank you Susan for this recipe!

A simple, yet impressive party

(I know that the picture is sideways, but I couldn't get it to cooperate, but hopefully you'll get the idea)
Another successful party occurred this past Saturday and the food was a hit.  I chose all Ina things and took her advice on only cooking 2 of the 3 courses that I served.  For appetizers, I served olives, naan bread, hummus, 2 varieties of cheeses, and water crackers.  White and red sangria were the drinks (my mom made those and they were yummy).  For dinner, I made an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette and parmesan cheese shavings and paella with halibut, shrimp, and sausage.  While most of the people in attendance had never heard of paella, they all tried and raved about it.  Paella is really nothing more than a rice/veggie/seafood/sausage dish that's flavored with saffron.  It's incredibly easy to make and tastes incredible.  Ina's paella is loaded with flavor thanks to the hit of Ouzo at the end (Ouzo is a Greek liquor that tastes like black licorice- it's really good with seafood).  It's different, yet I find it to be comfort food as well. 

Now onto dessert.  I chose to serve a dessert that could be made the night before and required zero fuss on the day of the party.  I made individual chocolate ice box cakes with really good chocolate chip cookies and a mascarpone/chocolate/whipped cream filling.  The recipe couldn't be simpler- mix mascarpone cheese (cream cheese would be a good substitute as well), heavy cream, vanilla, Godiva liquor, sugar, and cocoa powder until it forms stiff peaks.  Put a layer of good chocolate chip cookies on the bottom of a springform pan followed by layer of the whipped cream mixture, and keep layering until you reach the top of the pan.  However, to make these fancier and more special, I used individual spring form pans so everyone had their own.  A nice shaving of semi sweet chocolate over the top finished the dessert and people went crazy for them.  If you've never had an ice box cake, I highly recommend it- it's incredible. 
As if an individual ice box cake wasn't enough, I also served a variety of chocolates and caramels including, chocolate covered cherries, sea salt caramels, toffee, and chocolate mints.  They were an excellent topper for the dessert!

The party was held outside at my parent's house and they have the perfect backyard for entertaining.  The party started on the upper deck, then moved to the lower deck for dinner.  I wanted the table decorations to be simple, low, and not big since the food was served family style and the bowls remained on the tables.  I simply chose 1 flower (red gerber daisies) and placed them in low, small vases on the tables.  According to Ina, the food should be the star, not the flowers or tableware, so I really let the food shine for this event.  The plates and napkins were fun, upbeat colors so the party wouldn't have a "stiff" feeling to it. 

Overall, everything was successful and Ina's food never fails:  it's easy to prepare, easy to cook, and easy to eat.  Anyone who chooses her food will come out looking like a rock star chef, but only you will know how easy it truly it is.  Also, this made the party fun- I wasn't a part of the actual party, but I wasn't stressed and still had a good time.  The moral:  choose a simple, yet impressive menu, make things in advance, choose simple decorations, and have fun!

New York City- as I see it

I love New York.  I've noticed that everyone from the midwest says that they love New York too, but most of them have never been there.  They have only experienced it through movies or sitcoms (that aren't even based in NYC).  Or, they've only seen the tourist traps of New York.  I am lucky enough to have family who has lived in New York for 10 years, so I've been to almost every burrough and off the beaten boring tourist path. 

I really love NYC for the food.  Where else can you find authentic Chinese, Greek, sushi, an all french fry place, and McDonald's all within a few blocks?  I really started becoming a foodie when I started visiting New York on a regular basis about 6 years ago and I've eaten at some amazing places.  Sure, I've been to Bobby Flay's "Bar Americain", Mario Batali's "Babbo", Nobu, Le Bernardin, Magnolia's, and Tavern on the Green, but those aren't my favorite places.  Like I said, I have family in NYC and they also love food, so through them, I have experienced some authentic and truly yummy places. 

First, my favorite Greek place in Queens is definitely "Taverna Kyclades".  This is an unassuming place, very small with tables touching each other and packed in.  The menu is in both Greek and English and very simple.  We always order way too much for the table, but it's hard to narrow down you choices.  Everyone wants the extremely large Greek salad with huge chunks of feta, the fried cheese, and spanakopita.  I've eaten the Greek shrimp and the whole snapper for dinner, which was amazing.  Both dishes were so simple- seasoned perfectly with a light coating of olive oil.  My side has always been the roasted beets- again just seasoned and coated with olive oil.  My meals have been nothing short of amazing there with the simplest food you can eat.  Dessert is also free which makes it even better.  Gladly, it wasn't baklava- it was more like a pudding drizzled with honey- incredible. 

My next favorite place probably ranks as my most memorable and favorite meal I have ever eaten.  It was a warm Friday night in July and I was with my brother's girlfriend.  She said that she was going to take me to a place called "Ino" that served mainly paninis.  While this doesn't sound exciting, the atmosphere more than made up for it.  We walked into a very small and very crowded restaurant/bar with no AC.  We were lucky to find a very private table by an open window and in the middle of all of the action.  I ordered a presecco and looked at the menu.  She wasn't lying- their main focus was paninis, but made with unusual ingredients like fruit and a huge variety of cheeses.  Thankfully, they have an option where you can order a sampler platter with 4 different types.  That's what I did (and I really wish I could remember what I ordered!) and it was so simple, but so incredibly good.  I'm not sure if it was the presecco, the great food, the great company, or the fact that I was in New York by myself, but that was one of the best meals of my life. 

Next has got to be pizza.  I've had pizza in a variety of places in NYC, but Grimaldi's in Brooklyn was the best.  Super thin crust, simple tomato sauce, fresh ingredients- what more could you want?  Mostly though, I loved the attitude.  No slices, no fancy cocktails- just get in, order, eat, and get out.  It was wonderful.

Just this past March, I went to NYC with my mom and I wanted sushi for lunch (good sushi doesn't exist in the midwest, so anytime I'm in NYC I want to eat it).  My brother went with us and we heard about an "underground" sushi place that was hard to find, but worth it.  We walked in the basement through a couple of halls to find this place and when we walked in, you would have thought we were transported to Tokyo.  The atmosphere was amazing and the sushi was divine.  I ordered the sashimi lunch with tuna and salmon and it was so fresh, so simple, and so tasty.  The green tea and black sesame ice cream was the perfect ending as well.  I just can't enjoy sushi in the midwest after eating the real deal.

Lastly, are 2 places that I heard about through Food Network:  LeVain Bakery and Doughnut Plant.  First, LeVain- they serve nothing but cookies (maybe a few other things, but I was there for the cookies).  Their cookies are at least 6 oz. and so incredibly good, words cannot describe them.  I ordered the chocolate chip walnut and the double chocolate chip.  Due to my Crohn's disease, I really shouldn't eat cookies or anything else high fat, but I took the bullet on this one and practically finished both cookies in one sitting.  They were crispy on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside- simply amazing.  I still dream of the cookies.
Next, the Doughnut Plant.  My mom is crazy about doughnuts, but I personally don't care for them.  However, I could eat a Doughnut Plant coconut doughnut with coconut cream and toasted coconut and a peanut butter doughnut filled with jelly everyday I think.  The flavors were fresh, the jelly went throughout the entire square shaped doughnut (instead of a blob in the middle), and they were still warm from the fryer.  They were unlike any doughnut I've ever had and will never find another one like them around here.  We also met the owner and creator, Mark Isreal, got our picture taken with him (I'm still just a tourist!), and asked if he could please open a store in St. Louis.  Sadly, he's branching to Chicago and I'll probably make that drive just for a doughnut- or 4. 

Those are just a few of my favorite places in New York.  It's one of my favorite cities and I wish that I could live like Carrie Bradshaw and have a fabulous life there so I could eat at these places more than once a year, but I'll just continue to drool until then.  

Other inspirations

Ina was not my first cooking/foodie inspiration.  I owe that to my parents.  They are both foodies and enjoy good food.  However, their cooking styles are very different, so I'll explain them separately. 

First, my dad.  (The picture above is my dad and I last year at his birthday party.  I made a huge chocolate cake, filled with homemade raspberry sauce, and ganache with raspberry liqueur.)  He cooked on occasion and has signature dishes that he still makes today.  Some of his famous dishes include:  homemade pasta, risotto, strawberry shortcake, pesto, salads, and fettuccine alfredo.  He also loves to eat huge slabs of watermelon and tomatoes straight off the vine.  I think that he's eaten every spicy pepper there is and I've never seen him be miserable after an extremely spicy dish.  He makes a mean cup of coffee and gave me my first cup at around age 10.  I remember this well because he thought I wouldn't like it, so he poured half milk and half coffee.  I sent it back and said that I wanted coffee.  So, he poured black coffee into my mug and I've loved it ever since- thanks Dad.  He's a huge gardener and got me into gardening at a very young age.  I think that gardening interested me because I actually knew where my food came from and it tasted so much better. 
He's helping my mom out more and more in the kitchen and will do anything.  However, most of his signature dishes require time and a special occasion.  For instance, fettuccine alfredo is only eaten on Christmas, risotto is saved for weekends, and pesto is made in huge quantities at the end of summer when there's too much basil.  He's a great cook and knows good food when he tastes it.  More importantly, he has no fear with food and will try anything- I mean anything. 

Now onto my mom.  (The picture above is my mom and I during Halloween last year.  I made her a flourless chocolate cake with ganache and decorated a cemetery scene on it- I made chocolate trees out of melted chocolate, RIP gravestones out of cookies, and placed sugar pumpkins around.)  My mom cooked almost everyday when I was growing up.  Everything was homemade and quite delicious.  She has too many signature dishes to name, but my favorites as a child (and today) are her oven fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, lasagna, spaghetti, cinnamon twists, meatloaf (with melted cheese on it, of course), mashed potatoes, cowboy cookies, sugar cookies, peanut brittle, roasted veggies, homemade vanilla and chocolate frosting, and her 2 famous dishes:  homemade bread and homemade pie. 
While she cooks pretty much every night, we can always expect homemade, hot out of the oven cinnamon twists on Christmas, homemade bread on holidays, and pie anytime good fruit is in season.  She will make anything you want when you come to visit and my last favorite meal was her oven fried chicken and carrot cake for my birthday- I still dream of that cake.  My mom was my first teacher in the kitchen and she still schools me.  I love cooking with her and know that I'll always get a great meal. 
She has also taught me the art of "evening" cakes and pies, how to read a recipe, how to taste, and how to cook for a family.  While she won't try anything (like my dad), she knows good food and can make good food.
Overall, thanks parents for caring about food, cooking, and nutrition.  I will carry this on for the rest of my life and I'll remember where it started.

Picnics

We live near a very large park in St. Louis and are lucky enough to have free concerts twice a month throughout the summer.  The first concert was last night and it's always a huge ordeal over what to cook- what will taste good in the heat?  What won't spoil?  What won't melt?  Ina always comes to the rescue because she has endless recipes for simple salads that will stand up to the heat and won't spoil.  The picture above is what I chose for last night.  It's my husband's personal favorite picnic meal and it's called "Roasted Shrimp and Orzo".  The recipe is in Ina's "Barefoot Contessa at Home" cookbook, page 74.  Basically, it's orzo pasta tossed with roasted shrimp, red onion, cucumber, dill, parsley, feta, with a olive oil-lemon vinaigrette.  It couldn't be easier to make and it tastes better the longer it sits. 

So, now that I have my first concert done, the challenge is what to make for the remaining concerts.  Maybe I'll get creative and make my own recipes or combine recipes into a great meal.  I have 2 weeks to figure it out.    

For the love of cookies

I love cookies.  Who doesn't though?  They're a perfect size, easy to make, take on a variety of textures and flavors, and go with everything from ice cream to caramel, to milk, to fudge, to fruit, or just plain.  I even have a sign in my kitchen that says "Life's Short....Eat Cookies".  I live by that motto.  I bake cookies almost every week or at least every other week and they are never the same.  I've experimented with fruit, all kinds of chocolate, butterscotch, oats, cinnamon, peanut butter, toffee, no butter, only egg whites, more white sugar, more brown sugar, different oven temps, various sizes of cookies, bars, drops, roll outs, crispy, soft, underbaked, chewy, etc. etc.  I don't have a ruling favorite, but I am partial to my "garbage cookies".  I needed to clean out the baking cabinet and I was in the mood for chewy ooey gooey cookies.  I had a small amount of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, oats, dried cherries, and cinnamon.  Why not combine those into one delicious cookie?  I did and they were fantastic.  Every bite was different.  Some bites had only chocolate, some had a combo of butterscotch and oats, while others had hints of cinnamon and cherries. 

Today though, I felt like a chocolate cookie with hints of orange.  Thank to Ina, one my absolute favorite flavor combinations is chocolate with orange.  Sometimes I use just the orange zest, other times it's zest and juice, or maybe just a splash of orange flavored liqueur called Grand Marnier (excellent on it's own too).  However, for today, I used a basic chocolate cookie dough base that used both melted semi sweet chocolate and cocoa powder.  Then, I added the zest of 2 medium oranges along with a healthy dose of semi sweet chocolate chunks.  The results were tasty- a hint of orange flavor without hitting you in the head and the chunks of chocolate (as opposed to chips) added just the right texture and were a little melty.  I'll be making these again.

I've learned a few things about baking cookies over the years.  First, use room temperature ingredients.  I leave my butter and eggs out over night to ensure that they are room temp.  They mix better and you are left with a better cookie.  Second, cream your butter and sugar with an electric mixer (either stand up or hand held) for several minutes until it's light yellow.  Third, add your eggs one at a time and make sure that they are incorporated.  Fourth, sift your dry ingredients together.  I don't use a whisk, but a sieve and this prevents lumps in your flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda (no one wants to bite into a chunk of flour when they eat a cookie).  Fifth, don't overmix!!!  When you combine your dry ingredients into your butter/sugar, only mix until they are combined.  If you overmix, you'll end up with a tough cookie because you will develop the gluten in the flour- no one likes this I promise you.  Finally, don't overbake.  Cookies should look slightly underbaked when you pull them out of the oven because they will continue to cook.  I hate hard and burnt cookies, so I pull them out before they are completely done.  Let them rest on your baking sheet for a few minutes, place them on a cooling rack, then enjoy.  Cookies are true happiness when baked correctly.


One book that I highly recommend is Martha Stewart's (who helped launch Ina's cookbook career may I add) "Cookies".  It is pages and pages of yummy, simple yet elegant, and easy to make cookies.  I haven't made it through the book, but all of the recipes that I've tried are awesome.  My personal favorite is the "Milk Chocolate Cookies" on page 79.  Trust me you won't be disappointed. 

My kitchen

Yep, this my pathetic excuse for a kitchen. Thank God I'm currently renting, so I don't own this kitchen. Needless to say, it's tiny and only 1 person can comfortably cook in it.  The stove is uneven and electric (I hate electric stoves- gas is the only way to go), the frig is tiny, the dishwasher doesn't work, the floors are awful, and I have no cabinet or work space.  However, I've created a lot of meals and desserts in this tiny kitchen and it's challenged me to think of ways I can cook using a small space.  It's pretty difficult rolling out pasta dough, pie crust, or even have my essential appliances readily available (most of them are in a closet in a spare bedroom), but I'm glad that I've had the experience of cooking in this small kitchen.  It's made me appreciative for larger and better functioning kitchens.

The good news is that we're hopefully moving soon to a bigger house with a larger kitchen.  My fear is that I won't know what to do with extra space, but I'm sure it won't be a problem!  Until then though, this my tiny kitchen where I'll keep cooking and dreaming.....

Oh yeah, see the picture left of the window?  In case you're wondering, it's a signed picture of Ina Garten that my husband got for me.  I like to think that she smiles upon me in the kitchen :)

Frig dinner

OK, the plating isn't the best, but I wasn't designing the food for a magazine shoot.  I decided to challenge myself last night and only use ingredients that I had on hand in either my frig or pantry.  Here's what I came up with: 

2 tilapia fillets, thawed (or any white flaky fish you like or have on hand)
1 small onion diced (I used a yellow onion)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms (any variety)
broccoli (as much as you would like)
1 large roasted red pepper, sliced
1/2-1 cup frozen potato shreds (like hash browns)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
crushed red pepper flakes (we love spicy food, so I added quite a bit, but add to your taste)
white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425
Place tilapia fillets on baking sheet, rub with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper
Bake for about 10-12 min. until fish is flaky
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with cooking spray or olive oil to medium high heat
Put onions in the pan and cook until softened and slightly browned
Add mushrooms, broccoli, and garlic and cook another minute until mushrooms and broccoli are softened and garlic is cooked
Add roasted red pepper, potato shreds, thyme, parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper
Stir and heat everything through
When everything is heated and cooked, splash white wine vinegar over the ingredients and stir
To serve:  place a mound of the veggie mixture on the plate and top with the fish

My husband isn't crazy about boring tilapia, but the veggie mixture adds so much flavor that he loved it!  This is another simple (and very healthy) recipe where you probably already have a lot of the ingredients. However, add or take away anything you like to suit your tastes. That's the beauty of cooking!

What Ina has taught me

Before I started watching Ina or the Food Network in general, I was a terrible cook who didn't care. I had no idea that scallions were the same things as green onions, didn't know the difference between Dijon and regular mustard, and thought that fast food was good food.  All of that changed when I started paying attention to food and cooking.  I noticed that my tastes improved, I wasn't afraid to try new things, and my health improved. I owe most of my new knowledge to Ina and here's a list of the most important things that she's taught me over the years:

Only use good vanilla, combine flavors that compliment each other (ex- chocolate and orange), how to decorate a simple, yet elegant, table, coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate, how to throw a dinner party without stressing out, make your food ahead, prep ingredients, how to shop for fresh ingredients, use fresh herbs, don't over mix when baking, experiment and recipe test, have no fear in the kitchen, try new recipes, use kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, how to brown onions without burning them, roast veggies, how to roast any protein without overcooking it, cook garlic for 30 sec. max, make elegant food, have fun at your own party, always use olive oil/salt/pepper, how to fold, make homemade angel food cake, what shortcuts are OK to take, use All Clad pots/pans and Wustoff knives, how to write a recipe, how to season, knife skills, importance of good stock, how to cook with alcohol, reduce, deglaze, use a food processor, don't use fancy gadgets, the difference in taste when you use quality ingredients, make easy pie crust, zest, only use freshly squeezed juice, roast a perfect chicken, make a great and simple vinaigrette, use fennel/leeks/shallots, use unsalted butter, and the best thing- be calm in the kitchen!!

Last night's dinner

Last night's dinner was pretty good. It was an adaptation of beer braised chicken breasts and I combined different recipes for it to make it my own. Here's how I did it (sorry if the measurements aren't exact- I rarely measure and do it according to taste)

2 boneless and thawed chicken breasts
2 red skinned potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
1 12 oz. ale beer (any brand)
1 cup frozen pearl onions
About a tablespoon of Dijon mustard
About 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
About 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray a large pot with cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil
Heat pot over medium high heat
Add potatoes and cook until lightly browned and slightly soft
Add beer, onions, mustard, thyme, parsley, chicken, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste, and stir
Make sure that the chicken is submerged in the liquid and simmer (covered) until chicken and potatoes are cooked (about 15-20 min).

It's an easy weeknight meal and quite tasty. This version only serves 2 since I only cook for my husband and myself.