In March 2013, I ate a dish that changed my life. It was at Locanda Verde, and it was simply sheep’s milk ricotta, with herbs and olive oil served with grilled bread. How could that possibly be life changing? Well, it’s because it came from the mind of Andrew Carmellini who is described by his peers as “as a cook’s cook”. The cheese was light and creamy, the amount of herbs and oil, perfect. The bread was expertly charred with just the right amount of salt. Simple ingredients were transformed into something I can’t forget, and can’t wait to have again. When I think about the fact that I almost didn’t get this dish (it was a last minute thought, while we were eating the entrees no less), I shudder to think about how my view of food might not have changed the way it has since then. His food speaks for itself. It is not fussy, or overworked. He understands how to make ingredients shine.

Recently, The New York Times wrote an article on him. Here are some of my favorite bits and quotes from the article: (more…)

I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, and I’ll usually choose a salty breakfast over a sweet one, but even I can’t resist the perfect combination of lemon and blueberries, combined with a hot fragrant waffle.  I’ve been on a bit of an acid kick lately (no not that kind), and really enjoy a touch of lemon or lime, or a dash of vinegar.  It really brightens the flavor and adds a bit of freshness to dishes.

I can’t take credit for this one, as I sort of cobbled together two recipes I already had on hand. But that is sort of the beauty of having a basic recipe, and adding your own personal touches to it, making it something special. (more…)

I make butter ALL THE TIME. That may seem weird. It always seemed like a daunting task to me, and then I saw Alexandra Guarnaschelli make it on Alex’s Day Off, and she made it look so easy. And guess what? It is! If you’ve got an electric stand mixer, it is quite possibly the easiest thing to make (no churning required). It’s very little work for a big impact, so why not? All my guests are really impressed by it even though I tell them how easy it is, and it really does taste far superior to the stick of butter. Plus, there is an added bonus of buttermilk that comes along with it, which you can use for so many things, like muffins and pancakes

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I had almost forgotten Pancake Tuesday/Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday was coming up until I received my annual King Cake from my favorite rep (shhh don’t rell my other reps) from Louisiana. I can’t tell you why I live for the arrival of this cake. It could be because they are just awesome, or they are fun (who is going to get the baby in their slice this year?), or it’s just really cool to have a part of tradition shared with me. Either way, it kind of took me by surprise that it was that time of year ALREADY! Time to make the pancakes!

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I think back on the dishes I normally like to make with my all-time favorite Fall ingredient, the glorious pumpkin. On this blog, I’ve done pumpkin bread, and pumpkin spice lattes. I’ve made pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, etc. I even taste and review pumpkin beers on an almost yearly basis. I think we all know how I feel about pumpkin. If you notice, I am only using pumpkin in sweet dishes. I am not the type of person to mix my sweet and savory foods together. I know this makes me weird. I will only eat sweet potatoes if they are heavily spiced with spices like red pepper flakes, fennel, or cumin. Even my butternut squash soup has garlic and herbs in it, and tangy yogurt, rather than the typical nutmeg and sweet cream. Having said this, I would never have thought to use pumpkin in any of my savory dishes, but last year I was enticed into trying out a turkey chili with pumpkin. I can’t really tell you why, I think I was just looking for something new to try out in the warm months, and it sounded like a good idea. I was not sorry. Not only is the chili delicious, it’s quick and easy to make, and it’s also pretty healthy. I actually got this recipe from my boss. I am not really sure where she got it, so I can’t actually give credit where credit is due, but thank you to whomever originally posted this on the interwebs for us to find and make our own. (more…)

That’s me and my friend Missy in the background

It’s that time of the year again when the weather turns cool, and things start smelling and tasting like cinnamon. That includes beer, which means it’s time for the annual pumpkin beer tasting. This year the boyfriend and I invited some new taste buds over to get a different take on some of our old favorites, as well as some newbies. Missy and Alex are both beer lovers just like us, so we trust their opinions. And as you will see, Alex has a way with words. It was a really fun night, and it was interesting timing because we were throwing an Oktoberfest party the next day. After sampling 10 pumpkin beers I stayed up until 4am making german chocolate cake and pretzel dough, but both gatherings we were worth every minute, every sip, and every bite. (more…)

I am writing this on the way up to Maine. Can you believe I have never been to Maine?? At least not that I ever recall. It’s been several months of all work and no play, and I can think of nothing better to do on the last weekend of Summer, during an absolutely picture perfect weekend, than cracking open a lobster while drinking a cold beer, on the waterfront of Portland Maine.

This also makes me think of the BBQ about to take place tomorrow, poolside. I probably won’t have enough time to make the following recipe for our own BBQ, but perhaps you will, and I encourage you to do so. Some time back I made a turtle ice cream pie. At that time, I thought, what could possibly be better than this? Well, this ice cream pie might just be better. Who doesn’t love peanut putter? And the peanut brittle adds such a lovely, crunchy texture. For this recipe, I made peanut brittle, but that’s only because I can never get over to my local candy store during business hours. Peanut brittle is so easy to make anyway, so why not? (more…)

I started a new job, and went back to school at night, and the next thing I know, it’s 5 months later, and another Pancake Tuesday is upon us.  There has been a flurry of work, homework, and papers but sadly, very little cooking going on in my life.  I decided to utilize the long holiday weekend to whip up some batches of pancakes.  You all know how I feel about pancakes (not the biggest fan), but the boyfriend was happy for a couple of days, trying out the new recipes! I tried out one of those fancy souffled pancakes (with mashed bananas and candied walnuts), and while it tasted pretty good, and was convenient (since I didn’t have to stand over a pan the whole time) the clear winner was these gingerbread pancakes.  Don’t you judge me about having holiday type fare in the middle of February.  In my mind, it should always be the holidays, and there is always room for warm, fragrant spices in a meal.  While researching some ideas for pancakes this year, the boyfriend stumbled up this recipe on another blog What Megan’s Making (click link for recipe).  Thanks Megan!

Long asked is the question “What is the difference between Cajun food and Creole food”? I have done much reading on the subject and I like the way Louisiana Chef Paul Prudhomme explained it best.  The short story is Creole food is old, steeped in history, and more “country”.  Creole is fancier than Cajun, a “city” version if you will.  Cajun food originated in France, came to Nova Scotia, and migrated south to Louisiana. Creole food started in Louisiana, and changed from there, adapting in the kitchens when a cook went to work in a new household, working for homes that introduced them to new nationalities. However, both are very similar, use many of the same ingredients, and have almost blended into one in many restaurants. I love both, although I have a soft spot in my heart for country fare, made with love, in a worn pot.  To me, a gumbo really says that.

It certainly was a labor of love, that’s for sure.  Between all the chopping, making the stock, and all the simmering, I spent the entire day making this dish.  I think it took a total of eight hours, although half of that is fairly inactive, for the simmering.  I almost wonder if the cooking time is a mistake (simmer for 4 1/2 hrs??), as I didn’t think it needed that long.  But I am no Cajun food expert. I was pretty excited to make a dark roux for the first time.  I have made countless roux’s before for gravy or sauces, but this was my first Cajun roux.  And they take their roux seriously down there. It was the perfect dish to make on a day off, and felt appropriate for Mardi Gras.  Long over are my days of partying it up at the bar, drinking hurricanes until I couldn’t feel my tongue anymore.  I much prefer a steaming bowl of gumbo, on my couch, with a good beer. Whatever way you are celebrating Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday, etc), I hope you are indulging just a little, eating and drinking something you truly enjoy. (more…)

My second CSA pick-up contained way more lettuce than I could possible consume before it went bad, but also provided me with some more veggies I’ve never used before: napa cabbage, and daikon radish to be specific. Radicchio, english cucumber, peas, dill, broccoli, and elephant garlic rounded out the bounty.  I very simply prepared the peas with some parsley and mint, lightly dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.  Broccoli was briefly steamed and then quickly sauteed with the elephant garlic and olive oil.  The real fun was had with the unfamiliar ingredients.  I have been making this marinated grilled pork tenderloin for about 2 years now.  It is always delicious and never fails me.  Normally I’ll eat it with some veggies and/or make it into a sandwich with some basic garlic mayo and some good cheese.  Since the marinade has a mildly asian twist to it, I decided to play on that a little with the napa cabbage and daikon radish and do an asian slaw to have with the pork.  This did not disappoint.  It was one of the better things I’ve made in months. And with all the fresh produce available, that’s saying something!

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After my meltdown, I decided to take some action and actually do something about my dilemma.  It was perfect timing when I heard from a friend that she was doing a CSA, and asked me if I wanted to split it. YES please!  So after much anticipation, I did my first CSA pick up a week ago.  Some veggies were familiar, others a little foreign to me.  We were able to swap some items if we wished, but I really wanted to try the items I wasn’t familiar with, and opted to swap spinach for more broccoli rabe (which I can’t get enough of).  So, this is the start of my “What’s in the Basket?” column. 

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Whatever way you look at it (Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, Paczki Tuesday, etc), it’s that time of year again.  Already??  Has a year already gone by since I made my first, of now many, batches of pancakes?  Looks like it has.  So, a quick background on the whole Pancake Tuesday thing: it’s mostly known in the UK, although a few other countries and some of the US still follow the tradition of Shrove Tuesday, which is when the faithful go to confess their sins before the start of Lent.  Lent was a time of fasting when eggs, butter, and milk (along with meat and lard) were forbidden.  So what was one to do with the last of their ingredients, but make pancakes!  Other areas of the globe follow the same principle by making donuts, king cakes, and other baked goods.  Whatever country you’re from, or whatever you celebrate, it’s a good excuse to indulge a little.  Since most of us are familiar with, and celebrate, Fat Tuesday, I use “Pancake Tuesday” as a good excuse to whip up some pancakes for breakfast before feasting on jambalaya and some hurricanes for dinner

One of the best things about pancakes is that they are SO easy to make.  I’m not knocking people who use a mix, but when something is this easy, why wouldn’t you make it from scratch?  It’s strange but refreshing to make a batter that doesn’t require me to use my KitchenAid mixer.  I feel almost guilty really.  I still love you mixer but sometimes time apart is good!  This recipe was inspired by an episode of Brunch at Bobby’s that I had on the dvr where he made waffles with sautéed cider apples.  I had been contemplating what type of pancake to make for this particular occasion, and it all came together for me after watching that episode.  I used granny smith apples in the batter, and in the syrup, because I really like the tartness, but you can use whatever apple you prefer, or whatever you’ve got on hand.

The dog was trying to sneak some when she thought I wasn’t looking.

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In keeping with my prediction/hope of seeing more ethnic and international cuisine, I decided to hop on board and make something a little different at home.  I was going through some old recipes I had printed out and came across this one for Moroccan Spiced Lamb Meatballs in a Cumin Coriander Spiced Tomato Sauce.  I printed it out FIVE years ago.  I remember thinking they sounded interesting, and that they might be great for a cocktail party.  Every time I considered making them, I got exhausted just looking at the ingredient list.  But I am a different person now; I don’t back down from daunting tasks or feel overwhelmed by things like unfamiliar spice combinations.  When it came to actually making this, it was no trouble at all, and I couldn’t figure out why I had waited so long in the first place!  This dish is incredibly comforting, in an unexpected way.  Most of us think of the traditional Italian meatballs in a tomato sauce, not meatballs made with lamb, flavored with cinnamon, allspice, coriander, and chili powder (among others), in a spicy and fragrant tomato sauce.  The flavors were a pleasant surprise, and I intend to be making this for years to come. (more…)

It’s another new year (already??) and it’s time to think about what’s to come in the year ahead, rather than dwell on the year that just came to a close.  Almost every major food media outlet has their own take on the trends we’ll be seeing more of this year.  Some I agree with, others I don’t.  No one can say for sure what is really going to take off and what is going to flop.  I thought it would be fun to make my own predictions and see how far off the mark (or not) I end up being.  Certainly my choices are a little biased, as I based some of them on my own personal preferences and hopes.  You’ll see a theme here.  Mostly I think it will be all about simple, authentic, local.  I think people (and chefs) will be going back to the basics, but with some gourmet (and hopefully ethnic) twists.  Of course, there are some modern things we can expect to see as well, but I truly feel that when it comes to the food itself, the trend will be simple, homemade, and authentic food that all comes back to family and community.  This, to me, makes sense.  It also makes me happy.  The feeling you get when biting into authentic cuisine, made with love, is indescribable.  Not to mention the feeling of satisfaction you get when supporting your own local community of artisans and farmers.  You’re giving back.  Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way because you get SO much out of it, but when you realize that you are helping to sustain a community or local business, it’s makes it all that much sweeter.  Now, without further ado, here are my predictions (in no particular order): (more…)

I, like anyone else preparing for Christmas, am scrambling around buying last minute gifts, wrapping presents, packing for travel, and baking some treats to bring along with me.  I needed a dessert that I could make ahead of time, so that I don’t have to fight for the oven when I get to my destination, but also something that I could pull together very quickly (because of aforesaid scrambling).  I recently bought a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Food Gifts (magazine) in the hopes of giving myself some more ideas for that homemade Christmas I keep intending to do, but fair miserably at preparing for.  Maybe next year……Anyway, looking through, I came across several delicious looking things, but these tarts really caught my eye.  There is something about mini anything that I adore.  Plus, who doesn’t love brownies??  I rarely EVER make anything for an occasion without testing it first, and then tweaking it a bit, but I really didn’t have the time to be messing around with the recipe.  Taking the chance really paid off.  Not only is this possibly the easiest from scratch dessert I have ever made, but it really is quite delicious.  It’s a chocolate lover’s dream.  The brownie base is moist and chewy (and came together in no time at all), and the decadent ganache type topping sets you right over the edge into chocolate nirvana. (more…)