Truly Epicurious

Who said cranberry sauce is only for the holidays?!

2012-01-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay. I'm not sure if anyone ever said that, but it seems the understood expectation of cranberry sauce is:
1. It must be part of every Thanksgiving spread.
2. It adds color to the table, but rarely is the entire batch ever eaten. Most people run to the turkey or casseroles.
3. It sits in the back of the fridge for a few days, then tossed out because not many people know what else to do with it.
Why is that?! I LOVE cranberry sauce. No, not the congealed kind that flops out of a can. I love the kind my momma makes, with fresh cranberries and hints of orange. Yummy!

Why am I ranting about this, in January? Because I was craving some cranberry sauce yesterday afternoon and I didn't want to wait till Thanksgiving to enjoy some. So I went to Trader Joe's (my new favorite grocery store in Charlotte) and got a bag of fresh cranberries to make some cranberry sauce to accompany dinner.
It wasn't until I returned home, had the berries on the stove top with a cup of sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice that I realized...what the heck and I going to eat with cranberry sauce tonight? I'm not going to roast a 20 lb. turkey. That's stupid. And it also won't fit in my teeny tiny studio apartment oven. (Seriously guys, it rivals an Easy Bake. Bless it.) So I began rummaging around the kitchen to see what I had to put a semi-cohesive meal together for my boyfriend and myself.

I ended up making one of my favorite meals I've ever made myself. Yes, I think so. Here's the recipe of something I developed and served with turkey meatballs and my cranberry sauce:

Harvest Hash
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Fresh Sage, chopped. (I used 6 leaves, but can adjust to taste)
2 T. unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Asian pears, cubed
2 apples of your choice, cubed (I used Pink Lady)
1/2 C. crushed walnuts
3 T. molasses
1 T. honey
1 T. ground cinnamon
3 T. melted unsalted butter
1/2 lb. bacon
Directions:
Take a saute pan on medium-high heat. Lightly saute sweet potatoes in butter and fresh sage. Salt and pepper to taste. You don't want the sweet potatoes to be completely cooked through, just giving them a head start. Saute for 3 minutes.
Take a casserole baking dish and place warmed sweet potatoes, cubed pears, apples and crushed walnuts in dish. Stir together.
In a separate mixing bowl, add molasses, honey and cinnamon. Mix together. Then, while still mixing, slowly pour in melted butter. Mix together till evenly incorporated. Pour sauce over contents of casserole baking dish and stir everything together.
Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Since I made this with an almost Easy Bake oven, you may have to keep an eye on this and make sure your oven requires a different cooking time. Most likely, it will be less than 30 minutes.)
While your casserole is baking away, turn on your grill pan and cook up the bacon. When it's to your likeness, crumble or cut up in diced pieces. After your first 30 minutes of baking time for the casserole is completed, remove aluminum foil and add cooked bacon. Stir together and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

2012 brings new things...

2012-01-09T18:38:00.001-05:00

I have successfully have started a new year in a new city. Settled in my new apartment, and applying for a new job. In March, as previously discussed on here, I will start a new school program to jump start my dream career as a food writer. I'm excited about studying culinary arts at Johnson and Wales University. March can't come soon enough! Yes, you could say this new year has brought several new things to me already, and I'm hoping for even better things to come.

During my first week here in Charlotte, I have been fortunate enough to do a little exploring. Living in Uptown gives me not only many opportunities, but they are also convenient and within walking distance. My boyfriend, Grant, has lived in Charlotte since August, so he has a bit of an advantage on local info on me. It's been nice to get tips from him, though. He took me to my first Bobcats game, too. (for you non-sports fans, that's Charlotte's NBA basketball team). It was fun, but I still support Rondo and his Celtics!

Lily, (my three-year-old Shiba Inu), also relocated with me. She sure enjoys the extra outdoors time with walking to do errands rather than driving with me. She even has a window in this apartment location to perch and look across her territory, just like she did in Tennessee.

Apart from the adjustment to the smaller apartment and the new noises, I think she's also settling in quite nicely. I've heard rumor of a dog park located close by, so I plan on going on a little adventure with her to check that out. She really misses her friends Jackson, Bear and Jabez, who still live in Tennessee. In an attempt to make opportunities for her to have new friends, a trip to the dog park may be in order.

Now enough life updates, let's talk food.

One of my new favorite restaurants is called the Dandelion Market. Located on 5th St., this American tapas bar has delicious food and a wide range of beers and wines, some are also of the local variety. My boyfriend and I have eaten there twice already! If you ever have a few hours to spare in Uptown, I suggest checking it out if you're hungry. Sorry I don't have a teaser photo...the food smelled so good, I had to eat it immediately after they sat it in front of me!

Another restaurant I really love (and have also already visited twice!) is a brunch cafe called Toast. It's not walking distance for me, but a ten-minute drive away, nestled in the neighborhood of Dilworth. If you taste their hollandaise sauce, you'll understand how I feel they're definitely worth the drive. Here is a picture of a Sunday special, the lox benedict, with a side of hash browns.

For those who aren't up on their brunch dining options, lox benedict is commonly composed of smoked salmon on top of an English muffin, accompanied with none other than hollandaise sauce. I have also had Toast's four cheese quiche, which was also velvety and flavorful. There are many different options of baked items on the Toast menu, too. And if you're looking for just a good piece of toast, you have a variety of breads to choose from as well.

Also, I did a little experiment in my own kitchen last night. Stay tuned for a post about those yummies!

welcome nana to the site

2011-12-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

this is a test for nana :)

Mexican Cornbread

2011-10-19T23:32:00.000-04:00

So one of my favorite foods of all time is bacon, and with good reason! It's very flavorful and you can use it in baked items, in sweet or savory recipes, or enjoy by itself!

On a road trip with my family, we brainstormed ideas of new ways to use bacon, because I love it so much. We all do. And really, who doesn't? One of my ideas has since become in high demand in my family and around the office, so it's time to share it with you, too. You will need a cast iron pan or cast iron baking mold of some sort. Alright, get baking!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. corn meal
1/2 C. self-rising flour
1 1/2 C. buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 jalapenos
1/4 C. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 C. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 C. caramelized onions, diced
1 C. whole corn

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a cast iron pan to prep.
Mix corn meal, flour, and kosher salt in separate bowl. In a second bowl, lightly whisk eggs and buttermilk together. In a larger bowl, mix dry and wet ingredient bowls together--mix with hand-mixer quickly. Do not over-mix.
Add diced jalapenos, Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled bacon, diced onions and whole corn in bowl. Mix til all ingredients are incorporated.
Add cornbread mixture to your buttered cast iron pan. Bake in 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Keep an eye and make sure only lightly browned on top. Bake on lower-third of oven. Cornbread is finished when toothpick test pulls clean.

Fall Frenzie: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

2011-10-19T23:03:00.000-04:00

In a previous post I mentioned making cupcakes for work...well everyone loved them! Which is good, because I like to cook and am trying to practice baking more before heading off to culinary school....BUT now that everyone thinks my cupcakes are better, they ALWAYS ask me to make some sort of baked good for every birthday. A bittersweet problem indeed. But at least it gives me an excuse to get in my kitchen and do work, and we all know I love that :)

So now that it's October, we wanted to have a birthday celebration for a team member this month that was a little festive. What did we go with? Pumpkin. But I had a little confession: I had never baked with pumpkin before. Sure, I've watched my mom or grandmother make a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving thousands of times. But I've never made one myself. I've never cooked pumpkin either, it seemed quite intimidating. Not to mention it would have added to my prep and cook time with this chore. And I'll be honest, I don't like doing chores for work (off the clock) before I complete a to-do list for my apartment (that seems to grow by the minute these days). So I tried to develop a quick recipe to help out people like me who sometimes have a lot on their to-do list, but want to throw a pumpkin cupcake on their plate too! It was an experiment in kitchen and here's what I came up with for the cupcake recipe:

Ingredients:
4 C. self-rising flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
2 C. packed light brown sugar
1 C. soft butter (2 sticks)
4 large eggs
15 oz. pumpkin puree, NOT pie filling

Direction:
Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in pumpkin puree. On low speed, add all other ingredients just until blended. Pour into muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Yields 24 normal-sized cupcakes, or 48 mini-cupcakes

Icing options:
I went with my classic cream cheese icing, and it was delicious! However, someone at work doesn't like typical icings, so they special ordered an option involving mixing vanilla pudding and cool whip together. I was skeptical at first, but it also paired well with this pumpkin cupcake.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chambord Cream Cheese Icing

2011-09-27T22:34:00.000-04:00

So I don't talk about my day job often on here, but I work for a mortgage company. We have a few social outings to try to keep stress levels down like many employers, and one of those involves having cake or cupcakes on a team member's birthday. One month, someone requested red velvet cupcakes. I had a new idea that I had been meaning to try, and I thought it would pair well with red velvet cupcakes...so I volunteered to make cupcakes. My idea: incorporating Chambord into my cream cheese icing recipe to add a little fruity flavoring. And hey, everyone could benefit from a little boozy cupcake at work, right?

Ingredients

2 1/2 C. self-rising flour
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 C. buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 T. red food coloring
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
NOTE: It's best for cohesive mixing to wait for the buttermilk and eggs to become room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 lb. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 C. sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 C. Chambord liquor

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a hand-held electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. (I like to use an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to make sure each cupcake is the same size.) Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick to see if baked through. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add Chambord and beat on slow speed. Add the sugar and continue to beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Heart Healthy Hints

2011-09-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

Reader requested post: living heart healthy!

This lifestyle change can be difficult for some people, so start with these few hints:

To control the amount and kind of fat, saturated fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol you eat:

Eat no more than 6 ounces (cooked) per day of lean meat, fish, and skinless poultry.
Try main dishes featuring pasta, rice, beans, and/or vegetables. Or create "low meat" dishes by mixing these foods with small amounts of lean meat, poultry, or fish.
The approximately 5 to 8 teaspoon servings of fats and oils per day may be used for cooking and baking, and in salad dressings and spreads.
Use cooking methods that require little or no fat: boil, broil, bake, roast, poach, steam, saute, stir-fry, or microwave.
Trim off the fat you can see before cooking meat and poultry. Drain off all fat after browning. Chill soups and stews after cooking so you can remove the hardened fat from the top.
The 3 to 4 egg yolks per week included in your eating plan may be used alone or in cooking and baking (including store-bought products).
Limit your use of organ meats such as liver, brains, chitterlings, kidneys, heart, gizzard, sweetbreads, and pork maws.
Choose skim or 1% fat milk and nonfat or lowfat yogurt and cheeses.

To round out the rest of your eating plan:

Eat 5 or more servings of fruits or vegetables per day.
Eat 6 or more servings of breads, cereals, or grains per day.

Health information brought to you by the Franklin Institute

It's football time...

2011-09-03T15:52:00.000-04:00

in Tennessee! and everywhere else in the country, but that's not what John Ward said ;)

This wonderful Labor Day weekend will be spent finally finishing and publishing the SEVERAL blog drafts I have accumulated over the past few months (of course while watching football!). So if you're a follower, I apologize for all the emails that will soon be blowing up your inbox ;)

Some of you may know a bit about the history of this blog, but if you don't, here's a briefing. While studying at the University of Tennessee, I took a managing media web sites class. In the class, we were encouraged to have a blog to supplement a news story assignment. Our professor was wicked cool and let us choose our own topics, as we would be researching and working with them all semester. I knew mine had to be food related to keep my attention that long, and it was a fall semester course...so my mind jumped to tailgating because I love football. So how did I turn that into an assignment piece? A news (ish) story about tailgating recipes and ideas.

To commemorate the season, and the whole reason why I started this blog in the first place, I wanted to re-share this with you guys: Tailgating recipes revamped
The completed news story for the Tennessee Journalist, published in fall 2009. Thankfully, tailgating hasn't evolved too much. Happy eating, and I'll have some more tailgating ideas for you throughout this football season.

For the record: I'm a Tennessee Volunteer for life and an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Culinary School...YES!

2011-08-16T15:37:00.000-04:00

So this is a bit of a 'life update' post...

*NEWS*
It's official. After searching for the right program since early 2009, I will be starting my Culinary Arts degree at Johnson & Wales University in March 2012. So yes, that means I will be relocating to Charlotte (most likely beginning of January, but that is still in the works). JWU has a 'Garnish Your Degree' advanced program option, and that's the program I'll be studying under. Rather than starting with general education courses (because I already took well over my fair share for my bachelor's degree), I'll jump right into culinary labs and be done with the program in 12 months.

While there's still a ton to plan (apartment hunting, job hunting, etc.) I'm still very psyched it's finally happening! I'm definitely in need of a change of pace, and would like to get started on the life I intended to live out--getting back to using my degree and going after my passion. Dream job, I'm coming for you.

What's the price for fresh produce?

2011-08-05T18:34:00.000-04:00

Fresh and organic food has become in higher demand over the past year or so in popular culture [i.e. people I don't really consider foodies, per se, because they don't immerse themselves in food issues, have a strict diet or simply have a love affair with food]. Let me first say that this is a fantastic turn in events. There may be hope yet for obese America.

Associated Press reported more than 150 Tennessee schools will be receiving fresh fruit and veggies in their lunch rooms, funded from government grants. Grand total of $3.15 million. However, a HUGE step in the right direction. This makes me happy, as I went to kindergarten-high school in Tennessee, and even went to the University of Tennessee. It's good to hear that schools are taking their students health into account.

here for the full reported story.

Knoxville's Baconfest Events Announced!

2011-07-22T19:04:00.000-04:00

Baconfest 2011 will be held Sept. 16-17 and tickets are currently available for purchase. The events include:

* Swine and Dine Dinner, 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at John Black Photography Studio. Meal prepared by James Beard Award winning chef Sean Brock, executive chef of Husk and McCrady's, both of Charleston, S.C., and Joseph Lenn, executive chef of Blackberry Farm. Cost is $150 per person.

* Baking with bacon at Magpies, 846 N. Central Street., 12:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Learn to incorporate bacon into your baking creations. Magpie bakers will demonstrate how to prepare blueberry buckwheat bacon with maple buttercream cupcake and bacon shortbread. Cost is $20 per person.

* Smokehouse discussion, 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Glowing Body, 711 Irwin Street. Learn about all things smoke from sourcing, traditions and methods from Allan Benton of Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams, Jennifer Nicely of Riverplains Farm and Tracey Monday of Laurel Creek Farm. Cost is $15 per person.

* Bacon bits, 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave. Enter your favorite bacon dish and enjoy a picnic dinner prepared by Rita Cochran. Cost is $25 for picnic and entry in bacon contest. Additional ticket prices are available.

* Baconfest bar food and corsair artisan distillery, 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at Public House, 212 W. Magnolia Avenue. An evening to celebrate Baconfest's culinary guests. Small plates and a special evening of spirits from Corsair Artisan Distillery will be served. $75 per person.

For additional information or to purchase tickets, including VIP and weekend packages visit www.knoxbaconfest.com. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW, SO GET YOURS!

Knoxville area farmer's markets

2011-06-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

It's that lovely time of year again--homegrown tomatoes, fresh herbs and cucumbers are starting to show up at area farmer's markets. And it's a great thing to shop for produce from members of your community! I encourage you to not only scout out their goods, but to talk to them and ask questions about their produce, any methods they use to grow differently from the booth next to them, etc. You'd be surprised of all the secret growing goodies a farmer or gardener will share with a friendly neighbor.

Don't know where they set up? No worries, I've done the research for you. Here's a list of area farmer's markets and their times of operation:

~ Dandridge Farmers' Market, downtown at corner of Meeting and Gay streets, 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays.

~ Dixie Lee Farmers' Market, 12740 Kingston Pike at Renaissance Center, 9 a.m.-noon, Saturdays.

~ Fresh from the Earth Farmers' Market, Grove Center Shopping Center, Oak Ridge, 2 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.

~ Gatlinburg Farmers' Market, 705 E. Parkway in Alamo Steakhouse parking lot, 8-11:30 a.m. Saturdays.

~ Greeneville Farmers' Market, Greene County Fairgrounds, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Wednesdays.

~ Lenoir City Farmers' Market, in front of Presstige Printing, 114 E. Broadway, 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. (Opens June 18).

~ Loudon County Farmers' Market, Downtown Loudon behind Tic-Toc Ice Cream Parlor, 5-7 p.m. Thursday.

~ Norris Farmers' Market, Norris Commons, Mondays, 3-6 p.m.

~ Knoxville FARM Market, Laurel Church of Christ, 3457 Kingston Pike, 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

~University of Tennessee Farmers' Market, UT Gardens, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays.

~ Market Square Farmers' Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays.

~ Maryville Farmers' Market, 9 a.m. Saturdays at Church Avenue, and 3:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at New Providence Presbyterian Church, W. Broadway.

~ New Harvest Park Farmers' Market, 4700 New Harvest Park, 3-6 p.m. Thursdays.

~ Oak Ridge FARM Market, Jackson Square at Georgia Avenue, 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays and 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays.

~ Seymour Farmers' Market, First Baptist Church of Seymour, 11621 Chapman Highway, 7-11 a.m. Saturdays.

Knoxville Summertime Food Events!

2011-05-29T10:57:00.000-04:00

Summer is here and Knoxville cooks up the excitement early. Here's a list of events you don't want to miss to kick the summer off right! Keep in touch with the events as time comes closer, as event details may change.

International Biscuit Festival culinary events
The International Biscuit Festival will hold its culinary events on Saturday, May 28.
They include a biscuit breakfast from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. ($10), Biscuit boulevard, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ($5) and the biscuit bake-off, 1-5 p.m. (Free). Visit www.biscuitfest.com for more information.

Knox Heritage hosts Summer Suppers event
Fourteen culinary events will be held this summer as part of Knox Heritage's Summer Suppers Fundraising event. They include:
~"The Triple Crown," from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Historic Middlebrook, 4001 Middlebrook Pike. The menu includes hot brown sandwiches, Maryland crab cakes and grilled New York sliders. Cost is $100 .
~"A Taste of What's to Come," at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at the William E. Peters House, 1319 Grainger Ave., featuring a slider bar with slow roasted pork, Tennessee beef and Benton's bacon, a crostini bar with Sweetwater Valley pimento cheese, country ham salad and Tennessee caviar and farmers' market vegetables. Cost is $100.
~"Dressed to Kill, A James Bond Cocktail," at 2701 Woodson Drive, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 featuring thinly sliced roast beef with hollandaise sauce, twice baked potatoes, marinated and grilled vegetables, deviled eggs and sweet pastries. Cost is $70.07
~"Riverside Supper at the McBee Farm," 2590 Day Road, Jefferson County, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11. The menu includes pickled local vegetables, tomato cucumber dill bisque, rosemary pork loin, summer succotash salad and lavender custard with berry coulis. Cost is $100.
Space is limited and advance registration is required. Register online at knoxheritage.org or call 865-523-8008 between 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, for more information.

Williams-Sonoma hosts June cooking classes
Williams-Sonoma, 7600 Kingston Pike, is hosting 10 culinary classes in June.
They include: "Fun with Food," ($55), from 6-8 p.m. June 2, with a menu of raspberry chicken with grilled peaches over mixed greens and brownie sundae with fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream; "Sassy Shrimp," ($55), from 6-8 p.m. June 13, featuring a menu of shrimp binyon, cheese grits and lemon tart with fresh berries, and "Quick and Easy Italian," ($55), from 6-8 p.m., featuring shrimp scampi over linguini, sugar snap peas and asparagus and tiramisu cheesecake.
For a complete list of classes or to register call 865-539-1070.

Fleming's hosts June 15 wine tasting event
Januik and Novelty Hill Wines will be featured at a wine tasting event to be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, 11287 Parkside Drive. The menu includes pecan smoked trout with avocado and radish, broiled lamp chop with blackberry sauce, slow roasted pork tenderloin with cherry balsamic glaze and caramelized apples and marinated ribeye steak with tri-colored scalloped potatoes.
Cost is $87.50 per person. Register online at www.farragutwines.com.

Lakeside Tavern to host beer tasting event
Mendocino High Gravity Beer will be featured at a tasting event at 6:30 p.m. June 20, at Lakeside Tavern, 10911 Concord Park Drive. The menu includes smoked trout crostini with golden beets and Globe radish, frisee and pork belly salad, grilled skirt steak with twice baked potato and fig with Marscapone mousse tart for dessert.
Cost is $45. Registermonline at www.farragutwines.com.

[How To] Discover Spaghetti Squash

2011-03-22T23:26:00.001-04:00

Like many writers, I like to take inspiration for stories from my friends or family's questions and general inquiries. This week, a dear friend of several years asked me for a recommendation for something new but relatively quick.

My friend, we'll call her Molly, is a mother of three high-energy pre-school to elementary-aged boys. While she has the help of her husband, life is busy. Between scheduling neighborhood play-dates for each of her boys, keeping up with organizations she's involved with, cleaning the house and spending quality time as a family...somewhere in the mix, cooking dinner has been a rushed chore with a repertoire limited by time constraints.

Molly says they eat many Italian-inspired meals because it's quick, relatively cheap and easy to prepare. She also relies on her crock pot slow cooker quite a bit, but desires to branch out from these culinary habits.

So what was a suggestion I had for her? Spaghetti Squash. While she wasn't familiar with the wondrous vegetable, after I talked about its benefits I realized many people may be in the same boat as Molly. So this post is dedicated to discovering spaghetti squash for those who would like to for the first time.

BASIC FACTS

So the most basic [and important] thing to learn is what a spaghetti squash looks like. How else are you going to find it in your market? So I took a series of pictures preparing it in the most basic form--taking it from it's raw to cooked state. Here is a picture of what the veggie will look like in your market:

The cooking recommendations I have for spaghetti squash is to cut it in half and bake in the oven on 375 degrees for an hour. Cutting it in half is easier said than done, however. Use a [sharpened] chef knife to complete this task with all fingers in tact. Here's what it will look like after you've successfully cut the veggie in half:

Next, you'll want to use a spoon and get all the seeds and gunk out of the center. Remember carving pumpkins as a kid? This step is very similar to prepping a pumpkin for carving; you don't want to carve into the firm edge of the veggie. Here's what it should look like when you're done:

The next step is super easy--just get a baking sheet pan and put the two sides face down and place it in the oven on 375 degrees for an hour. I like to line the pan with foil to make an easier clean up:

After the spaghetti squash has baked for an hour, be very careful when flipping it over. The veggie will be very hot for several minutes, so use an oven-mit. It should look like this:

Now comes the fun part. Next, take a dinner fork and scrape from one side to the other width-wise of the veggie. You'll notice before you begin that the baking process has changed the interior to a fibrous-looking texture. It will look like this as you begin the process:

Those "spaghetti-looking" fibers will scrape out to become the squash veggie we all know, but in a spaghetti form. As you scrape out the complete contents of each side, it will yield between 4-6 Cups of vegetable-noodles, depending on the size of the squash. As you finish, it will look like this:

So now what do you do with the mound of spaghetti squash once it's cooked? No worries, you can do anything you want! You can treat the squash as a spaghetti starch substitute if you're wanting to cut down the carbs and enjoy it with a pasta sauce. Or if you'd rather serve it as a side dish, saute it with a tablespoon of butter and top with Parmesan cheese for a velvety addition to any meal.

Nutrition & Fun Facts

The best thing about spaghetti squash is you put it in the oven for an hour and you don't have to do a thing to it for the whole hour. No flipping, no oiling or anything. Very easy, and very healthy. It's a dieters dream vegetable--a whole Cup serving only has 42 calories, 0.4 g fat, 10g carbs and 1g protein (according to Prevention Magazine's Nutrition Facts). Most markets will carry spaghetti squash year-round, but the peak season is late fall through winter. If you're a bargain hunter, take note that it will also be cheaper during peak season.

Next time you're browsing your neighborhood produce section, save a spot in your shopping cart for a spaghetti squash. It's a fun and easy way to incorporate an additional whole food to any meal. And this is a menu item even the busiest of mothers can single-handedly prepare while solving the latest neighborhood play-date dispute. I can't wait to hear the verdict from Molly and her family. If you're a veteran spaghetti squash user, post a recipe for the newbies. More the merrier. Enjoy!

Time in the freezer...

2011-03-21T21:48:00.007-04:00

Life is absolutely crazy--I started a new job November 1, 2010 [at a mortgage company...who thought I would EVER work anywhere near numbers?! not me, but it's been a fantastic learning experience] and I have been extremely lazy about posting.

Ironically enough, my lovely friends and family have brought up le blog in common conversation so much recently, I am putting an end to this no-new-updates business. Pinky promise.

As I'm revisiting the blog, you may notice some new restructuring or maybe I'll even start a series. I'd like to keep my life organized :)

So I guess you can say I just took a mini vacation in the freezer...but the blog is thawing out and ready to rock in any recipe. Let's get back in the kitchen! :)

For dinner tonight: saffron infused scallops over a bed of basil pearl pasta with roasted asparagus

2010-10-18T21:48:00.007-04:00

I was pleasantly pleased with the outcome of tonight's dinner, as spontaneous as it occurred. However, the cooking process was quite an adventure.

Around 4:45 p.m., I decided I had better eat something substantial of sorts since I ran quite a bit today. Instinctively, I reach for some sort of pasta. Next came the search for a protein, and taking inventory of which wines I had in the apartment, I decided to try something new with scallops. I knew I wanted to use some basil from my little herb garden before it all dies with the frost, so giving the scallops a little color was my concern. I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to do this, so I first pull out my grill pan. Then I remembered I picked up some saffron last week I hadn't used in anything yet, and coincidentally, I have never cooked anything with both saffron and scallops in one meal.

So it was decided. I was going to [try] to grill the scallops after they had been infused with saffron a bit. I'm not completely sure if I didn't use enough olive oil or if I used entirely too much...but the grill pan was a fiasco. I had to toss the first few scallops (sinful, I know!) but they were not edible. Embarrassed as I am to say it, I had the heat way too high for scallops and they cooked extremely fast, on the outside only. I've grilled scallops before, so I know better. I'm not sure which variable I changed. But half the fun of cooking is trying things, ruining things, learning from your mistakes to then make something fantastic, right?

As the pearl pasta is nearing its perfect al dente state, I realize I should also have some fiber. A touch of green makes every plate beautiful. Luckily, I had some asparagus in the veggie drawer. I love roasting asparagus in the oven on a sheet tray with just some olive oil, salt and pepper for 8 minutes on 400 degrees. I often prefer to enjoy vegetables either grilled or roasted with little-to-no seasoning. Salt and pepper with a little olive oil is all you need--if you need oil at all.

When I woke up this morning I didn't plan to have a dinner as such, which is funny. Sometimes you can plan out your day with specific meals and such, and sometimes it will happen and other times it won't. While on other days, you literally won't plan a thing and a dinner will come together beautifully without a special trip to the grocery. Love it.

Creamy Black Bean & Corn Soup

2010-09-19T14:01:00.004-04:00

I decided to make something a little festive for the Steelers-Titans game today for the family: Creamy Black Bean & Corn Soup. Yes, in support for Pittsburgh. I was definitely in the mood for soup and black and gold ingredients?! It seemed like a win-win decision. However, I have never made such a creamy bean-based soup before, so it was a bit of an adventure in the kitchen. I knew it would work theoretically, but I sure made my grandmother go in a tizzy in her kitchen cooking without a recipe!

First, I decided to heat up some minced garlic and extra virgin olive oil in the soup pot. Meanwhile, I grabbed a food processor and blended 16 oz of rinsed and drained black beans, a handful of fresh parsley leaves (from my little herb garden! yay!) and 1/2 cup of sour cream (and you can use low fat if you'd like, I did and it worked fine). You don't want this mixture to be incredibly soupy, just enough that it's cohesive like a dip.

Mix in the black bean dip substance from the food processor into the soup pot with the garlic and olive oil. Then, add another 16 oz. of drained black beans and 16 oz. of drained corn (you can also get a can of the Southwestern corn which often comes with peppers and onions) into the soup pot and stir together.

The next step is optional, but I chose to do it to make the soup a little thicker and cohesive. Get an immersion blender and blend the soup for 30-60 seconds, depending on how mushy you want your ingredients. You can use this blending method with any kind of soup with any ingredients, which is nice and it really helps everything come together.

Serve hot with your choice of toasted bread! Go Steelers!

Not Yo Momma's Banana Pudding

2010-09-02T21:30:00.001-04:00

Growing up a southern girl, pudding is often on the dessert buffet at family gatherings. My eyes always light up when I find it is of the banana variety. So what is it about this very simple dessert that satisfies my belly and makes me smile? Maybe it's slices of fresh bananas. Anything with fresh fruit is yummy, in my opinion.

In honor of a favorite dessert of mine, I began searching for a new recipe that really revamps the pleasure of enjoying banana pudding. I was not surprised to find that my favorite recipe was from Paula Deen. This woman knows how to make any southern favorite EVEN BETTER and of course, more unhealthy! But everyone needs to splurge every now and then, right? :)

Ingredients:

  12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip 
  14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 
  8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 
cup milk 
  5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding 
6-8   bananas, sliced 
  bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies 

Directions:

Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish [I used a triffle dish] with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a hand-held electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: none!
Difficulty: Easy

Show: Paula's Home Cooking/Just Desserts cookbook/Mar/Apr 2006 issue

What to do with eggplant

2010-08-21T17:40:00.001-04:00

To many people, eggplant is a vegetable that seems to come from an uncharted planet from a far universe. Because of this mentality, it is often over-looked in the grocery, under-used in recipes and forgotten in the culinary scheme of things. I think that it's a travesty to degrade eggplant to such a level and therefore dedicate this blogpost to all things eggplant. If you were once an individual known for shying away from the vegetable, I hope this will give you some much-needed courage!

First of all, at least for us East-Tennesseans, eggplant is at its peak during the late summer weeks. Yes, I am hinting at it...now is the perfect time to explore eggplant recipes! Many chefs from the Italian or French culinary paradigms will say that eggplant needs to be fried in a lot/not a lot of oil or that it is often bitter/not bitter. I say let's all just agree to disagree on the matter and get to experimenting in the kitchen. Like many ingredients, the more you familiarize yourself with it, the more you will learn tips and tricks that work best for you in your own kitchen. Until then, I will share with you some tips I have found help me. When I want to grill eggplant (which I do often, and highly suggest for various occasions) I typically will select smaller ones rather than the extremely large eggplants EXCEPT when I want to grill it for a panini or burger...then I select large ones. Anyway, my reasoning behind this is simple: smaller eggplants typically are more firm and tend to be about the same diameter from top to bottom (so your appetizers or whatever will be consistent in appearance). The larger eggplants tend to bow out wide near the bottom of the vegetable. But then again, I am picky, so all this may not matter to you! To each their own, right?

One more tip from myself: when you cut into an eggplant, don't freak out about the small brown spots/seeds. They're supposed to be there. I'm going to tell on my ignorance a bit, but the first time I used eggplant my sophomore year of college I was unaware of this tiny little trait and thought I picked a bad one and tossed it in the garbage! I know. What a waste. Live and learn, and that I did.

Here is an easy appetizer for a gathering where eggplant is the star:

How to make this: slice eggplant 1/4 inch thick. Salt and pepper to taste and douse with a little extra virgin olive oil before grilling (outdoor grill or grill pan both work great). Cook time varies with a person's preference of how crunchy you want your veggie. I usually grill till I have some nice, pronounced grill marks (as pictured). Then slice some tomato (variety is up to your preference...all tomatoes are delish!) and top with your favorite cheese and herb. I chose fresh mozzarella and a sprig of sweet basil. Enjoy!

Restaurant Reviews and Food Critics

2010-08-20T20:34:00.000-04:00

Famous for his sarcasm and food knowledge, Anthony Bourdain discusses something a little close to home in this video : the fairness of restaurant reviews.

In this video, Anthony Bourdain discusses the ethics of food critics in general. I found this one exceptionally intriguing, tho the video is a bit long. Enjoy! :)

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

2010-07-16T19:58:00.041-04:00

This has been a classic recipe for years, however, thanks to a certain movie this has become a very popular and almost cliche dish to an unfortunate extent. Nevertheless, it is delicious and I like to make it from time to time when I'm feeling nostalgic of one of America's greatest and most adorable celebrity chefs, Julia Child.

I took a few pictures step-by-step as I made this, but I do want to provide you all with Julia's recipe word-for-word. So here it goes. And as Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetite!"

Boeuf Bourguignon
recipe adapted from Julia Child
serves 6

6 ounces bacon
3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
1 cup baby carrots
1 sliced large onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
Crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 small white onions (white pearl onions)
1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
Chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in a dutch oven (no oil) over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. (The bacon will render and give off enough fat to cook with.) Remove the bacon from the pot and place in a bowl; set aside.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels - it will not brown if it is damp. Add the beef, a few pieces at a time, to the dutch oven to cook in the rendered bacon fat. Sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and add it to the bacon in the bowl; set aside.

If the bacon fat has been absorbed by sauting the beef at this point, feel free to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In the pot, brown the carrots and onions.

Return the beef and bacon to the pot and toss with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the flour over the meat in the pot and toss everything in the pot to coat the beef lightly with the flour. On the stovetop, heat the pot for about 2-3 minutes to lightly cook off some of the flour.

To the pot, stir in the wine along with the stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the pot and set in lower third of preheated oven. Allow the pot to braise very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms:

For the onions - place the unpeeled white pearl onions in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring the saucepan up to a boil over the stovetop and allow the onions to boil for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the onions from the water and cool. Cut off the ends of each pearl onion and remove the outer layer of skin. Once all pearl onions are peeled, saute the pearl onions in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter. Allow the pearl onions to caramelize. Remove from the skillet and set them aside to cool.

For the mushrooms - add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet used to prepare the onions. Saute the mushrooms in the butter until caramelized. Remove from the skillet and set them aside to cool.

After the meat has braised, remove and strain the beef and vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl; set aside. With the remaining sauce left in the pot, allow it to simmer. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down rapidly to reduce and thicken. If it's too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning.

At this point, return the beef and vegetables to the thickened sauce, along with the caramelized pearl onions and mushrooms. Gently heat everything over a medium low heat and then serve. Garnish with green chives or parsley.

July 4th weekend: Smoked pork

2010-07-06T20:09:00.012-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the main event! Well, for the most part. We pretty much pigged out the entire celebration, but here are some of my favorite items from our main buffet.

First of all, let me explain that my grandfather is a master on the grill and smoker. Seriously. I would like to see a battle of the grill or something with him and Bobby Flay. I am that confident in him. And papaw is more variant in his flavors and doesn't hold true or fall back on southwestern flavors... Anywho, so of course papaw wants to showcase his ability and manliness with the grill and smoker. His latest masterpiece? Smoked pork.

And we even ground some to mix with BBQ sauce and slop on a bun:

July 4th weekend: EASY red, white & blue cookies

2010-07-06T19:50:00.001-04:00

This recipe can be mixed and matched with any flavor, and is a super easy and quick way to have some creative cookies. You start with a box of cake mix from the grocery store. Yes, any flavor works with this cooking baking method. In this case, I chose red velvet in honor of Independence Day.

Next, you take the cake mix, 3 eggs and 1/3 Cup of oil (vegetable oil preferred) and mix in a bowl. After all the lumps are worked out into a smooth mixture, use a cookie scooper to place a ball about 2 inches from each other. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. More if you like them crunchy and less if you like them gooey.

Super easy, right? I can't tell you how many times I've had to make cookies last minute for something and used a cake mix as the cookie. Probably not what Martha Stewart does when she attends parties, but hey, I do what I can.

I served these red velvet delights with some cream cheese icing sprinkled with some blue sugar. America, America! You've never tasted so good.

July 4th weekend: Blueberry Granita Stuffed Strawberry

2010-07-05T18:46:00.001-04:00

I am a faithful subscriber to Food Network Magazine, and as I was reading the current issue, I stumbled upon a recipe from a chef of a Miami hotel: Basil Granita in a Strawberry. Sounds tasty, and I thought it would be a nice snack to have poolside on a hot July day. However, I wanted something a little more patriotic. So I swapped the basil for blueberry, since I picked five pounds of blueberries at a local patch earlier this week. Though the recipe is simple, making these strawberries was quite an adventure...

First, I began with a variation of a simple syrup on the stove top. In a medium pot over medium-low heat, I combined 1 Cup of sugar, 2 Cups of water, 1 Cup of apple juice and 1 Cup of sparkling white wine. After bringing the syrup to a boil, I added it to the blender with 1 Cup of blueberries. It was at this point in my endeavor that I scoffed at the note in the magazine article saying to leave the lid off the blender...why on earth would someone blend something with the lid off? However, the pressure from the heated syrup causes the steam to rise, and well, explode if the lid is on. Resulting is a big, sticky mess. Believe me, I found out the hard way.

After cleaning every inch of my kitchen, I started the recipe from the beginning. After the syrup is blended with the blueberries, you can choose to strain the fruit skins from the juice, but I didn't. I wanted as much blue-ish color as I could get to attempt to be patriotic, though it all looked purple-ish anyway. At least I tried, right?

Next is the easy part. Pour the juice in a 12 inch glass or metal baking dish and freeze for at least 3 hours. It is again here where I had some discrepancies with the magazine article. Food Network suggests that you take a fork and scrape every 20 minutes, however, I found that it took a bit longer for it to actually freeze with that method. Instead, leave it alone for a few hours then bring it out for the scraping. A fork does work well for scraping the granita into a slushie form.

With the strawberries, I hollowed out each berry like the magazine said, but I also cut the bottom tip off each so they can stand up on their own. I found some rather large berries, so serving them upright seemed best. However, when we all started digging in, it really didn't matter. We didn't eat them all immediately, and I'm so glad we didn't! We tossed the platter, strawberry and granita both, into the freezer while we had a splash contest and such by the pool. When we brought them back out, they were even better as frozen strawberries too! We used them as ice cubes in our purple hooter shooters my aunt mixed. All in all, a fun day.

July 4th weekend: Cheese balls

2010-07-04T17:55:00.002-04:00

If you know me at all, you know that I am a cheese fiend. I always have been, and I will forever be obsessed with cheeses. I feel that I am not alone in this though. Think about it. Every time you taste something that is so decadent and absolutely mouth-watering, and you ask, "what is in this?" the answer is often some sort of cheese. So what makes the perfect appetizer for large parties? Cheese balls.

Ingredients:

2 packs of low fat cream cheese

4 sprigs of green onion

6 slices of ham (deli ham works fine if you already have it in your refrigerator)

1 T of season salt

1/2 C crushed walnuts 

Directions:
-Place two packs of cream cheese in microwave for a minute to soften. Chop green onion and ham into fine pieces, then mix into cream cheese. Add season salt and mix. Form into a ball-ish shape and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I always leave it in overnight. After chilling, roll in chopped walnuts. Serve with your favorite crackers!

Ingredients:

2 packs of low fat cream cheese

16 oz. crushed pineapples

1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 C sliced almonds

Directions:
-Place two packs of cream cheese in microwave for a minute to soften. Mix drained pineapple and shredded sharpe cheddar cheese. Refrigerate overnight. After chilling, roll in sliced almonds. Serve with your favorite crackers!

Getting creative with cheese balls is half the fun, as my family and I found out 4th of July weekend when my dad's family came in town from Pennsylvania. After devouring the first two cheese balls, we brainstormed a new cheese ball. (and made another green onion, ham and walnut ball!)

Ingredients:

2 packs of cream cheese

1/2 C sliced banana peppers

1 T season salt

6 slices of bacon

Directions:
-Fry bacon in oil on skillet. Dry and crumble into small pieces. Place two packs of cream cheese in microwave for a minute to soften. Mix in banana peppers and season salt. Refrigerate overnight. After chilling, roll in bacon crumbles. Serve with your favorite crackers!

Moo Shu Pork

2010-07-02T11:35:00.038-04:00

I often have a craving for oriental food. Maybe my dad is to thank for that, as he took our family out for sushi and stir-fry over the years. He works for a Japanese company and has traveled overseas several times over the years. I guess I never realized how much that affected what we eat--because when we splurge on a Saturday night, you won't find us at a steakhouse. You'll find us at happy hour sushi at our local hangout. Fun times. This recipe is a quick way to enjoy some Moo Shu pork without having to call for takeout (and its more healthy too).

Ingredients:
-3 T. hoisin sauce (plus more for serving)
-3 T. rice vinegar
-minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 3/4 lb. pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into strips
-2 T. vegetable oil
-8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
-1 14 oz. bag coleslaw mix
-1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
-12 Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Whisk the hoisin suace, vinegar, garlic and 1/2 t. each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the pork and marinate 10 minutes.
2. Heat 1 T. vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade using tongs (reserve the marinade) and stir-fry until browned, about 4 min. Transfer the pork to a plate. Add 3-4 T. water to the skillet, then pour the pan juices over the pork on the plate/ 3. Add the remaining 1 T. vegetable oil to the skillet. when hot, add the mushrooms and stir-fry until slightly golden, about 2 min. Add the coleslaw mix and cook until wilted, about 3 min. Add the pork, the reserved marinade and half of the scallions. Stir-fry 2 more min. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with remaining scallions. Serve stir-fry in the lettuce leaves with more hoisin sauce.

Scallops with Watercress Salad

2010-07-01T13:20:00.035-04:00

Summer is the perfect time to mix your favorite seafood into a fresh salad. While I am a huge fan of ALL seafood, scallops continue to be at the top of my list of enjoyment. I'm sure this recipe will be a favorite of yours too, if you also crave creatures of the sea.

Ingredients:

-2 strips bacon

-2 bunches watercress (thick stems trimmed)

-2 Kirby cucumbers (cut into spears)

-2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves (real technical measurements, I know)

-1 C. diced pears

-1/3 C instant flour

-salt and pepper, to taste

-3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil

-1 1/3 lbs. large sea scallops (about 16)

-juice of 1 lemon (zest too, if you'd like)

-1/3 C chopped fresh chives

-4 thick slices rustic bread (toasted)

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; reserve the skillet.

2. Divide the watercress, spinach, cucumbers and pears among plates.

3. Season the flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Discard all but 1 T. of the bacon drippings from the skillet, add 1 T. extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, toss the scallops in the flour and cook until golden on the bottom, about 2 min. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 min. (Add 1 T. of extra virgin olive oil if necessary)

4. Arrange the scallops over the salads. Add the remaining 2 T. of extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice (zest too if you want) to the skillet, then remove from the heat and add to 1-2 T. water, swirling the pan to release the browned bits. Crumble the bacon and add to the skillet along with the chives, and salt and pepper to taste; swirl to combine, then pour over salads. Serve with toasted bread.

Music pairings with recipes...yes, you read correctly ;)

2010-06-30T13:54:00.002-04:00

So if you took my advice a few posts ago about watching season 6 of The Next Food Network Star, you already know the CD I am about to talk about because they've been advertising it like crazy during the show. Thanks to FYE, you can also be a proud (and embarrassed) owner of Get Ready: Next Food Network Star, Season 6 CD. So typical of the curious music and food lover that I am, I went and bought it. And to my surprise, it is a lot cooler than I expected. But keep in mind that I'm a big dork.

Music pairings with a recipe is a fantastic idea...we pair wine with food, why not music?! I had a lot of fun listening to this CD and reading their recipes. But I must say, some song choices I had to laugh at...you'll see what I mean when you check it out.

Pick up the CD in the FYE store closest to you and get cooking these recipes...and don't forget to crank the tunes :)

Getting Saucy: Alfredo

2010-06-30T13:53:00.001-04:00

I love to make my own sauces for several meals, but especially pastas. There's just some canny aftertaste or something of sauces you buy from the grocery store and let me break the news to you--you can make your own without the headache.

Here's a recipe of Alfredo sauce my grandmother shared with me from one of her favorite cookbooks, "Cooking with Vestal and Friends." Who the heck is Vestal, you may be wondering? Vestal was a member of a gospel singing group my grandmother really enjoyed. She even managed to get all of her cookbooks of Vestal and Friends signed by Vestal herself! My grandmother always had a knack for meeting people and winning contests...maybe I get that from her :)

And for the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pint of heavy cream
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/2 stick butter
dash of white pepper, to taste

Directions:
Melt butter, then melt blue cheese. Add heavy cream and white pepper. Let boil and then add Parmesan cheese. Pour over your favorite noodles...may I suggest some fettuccini :)

Triple-D with Mel B.

2010-06-30T13:45:00.001-04:00

As of late, I have had horrid fits of insomnia. However, my absurd schedule has enabled me to watch a lot of late night Food Network. One of the shows that commonly airs late night is Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, hosted by a Next Food Network Star winner Guy Fieri. If you aren't familiar with this show, he travels around the country and visits restaurants to sample favorite items on the menu. He interviews the chef or owner as well as guests in the dinning room--who commonly say they tell anyone who visits ___(insert city name here)___ absolutely must eat here during their stay.

So what does my post have to do with Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? Well, Alcoa, Tenn. has a restaurant I think should be featured on Fieri's show. The Hot Rod Diner is the most authentic 50s diner I have ever seen--from the hearty burgers, shakes and even ribbon fries. While the menu doesn't reflect items most would call "health foods," Hot Rod Diner is not your typical greasy spoon diner either.

As soon as you walk in, you notice the fun atmosphere, complete with the perfect 50s nostalgia decor--from humorous tin signs on the wall to a pimped out arcade area. I was impressed that lil Alcoa, Tenn. has a place as neat as this--with good food.

Next Food Network Star season 6 is coming soon to a TV near you!

2010-06-02T14:54:00.004-04:00

So it is a common fact (if you personally know me) that I am a bit obsessed with the Food Network, in a healthy way. However, what you may not know is my favorite show that appears on the network---The Next Food Network Star. This program airs each summer, and the 2-hour 6th season premier airs on June 6th at 9 p.m

While Food Network provides fans with a blog, video interviews and picture content on the show site, I'll provide you with commentary on the judges' and contestants' decisions and what not as the show progresses throughout the summer. My family and I really get involved with the show, so feel free to leave comments of commentary of your own!

I'm looking forward to the star-search this summer, and I hope you are too! Don't forget to tune in to Food Network Sunday, June 6th at 9 p.m. for the premier!

Here's how I started growing my herbs this spring

2010-05-20T22:40:00.072-04:00

As the trees get new leaves in the spring, I take that as inspiration to spice up my recipes and such cooking techniques. In my previous blog entry I discussed general tips to begin herb growing, so in this entry I'm going to share how I started growing this season.

Since I am in a new residence and with limited space of my own, I picked five herbs to plant in individual pots. While the exact specifications of the pots are up to personal preference, I chose ceramic pots with a ten inch diameter so the herbs could have room to grow well. If you know me personally, you will not be surprised to know that I painted the ceramic pots in quite lively colors:

Now to the herbs that I chose. For me, it was simple. I chose the herbs that I use most often in my recipes. Sage, Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary and Basil. While I eventually want to grow more on a larger scale, this is very satisfying to take care of these so far this spring.

The sage, thyme, rosemary and basil require full sun while the parsley requires part sun/shade. Because of this, they are placed on various sides of the house to accurately receive the correct amount of sunshine. I also water them twice a day, unless it happened to rain that day. These are considerations I and you must undergo if you take on herb growing as a hobby. Painless, I promise :)

Here are what my herbs looked like the day I planted the starter plants:

While I'm only a few weeks into taking care of these herbs, they still have a lot of growing to do. I'll be sure to update the blog with any significant milestones of their herb lives haha!

How to: begin growing your own herbs

2010-05-12T14:04:00.002-04:00

As many a chef knows, a quick and easy way to liven up your cooking is to use fresh herbs. However, in an economy like ours, it is expensive to buy fresh herbs in the super market when three ounces of thyme is seven dollars, for example. What’s a solution? Here are fun solutions that keep the greens around—both in your garden and your wallets.

The pasta is al dente, the sauce is piping hot and the plating process is almost complete. As you have the fork in hand, you proudly look at your creation and scoff. Something is missing. You decide to shrug it off and take your first bite. As you are chewing, you then realize there really is something missing. But what did you forget? You hastily check your recipe and you included everything, even salt and pepper. However, you didn’t use a small but powerful ingredient—herbs.

Many people don’t bother with buying fresh herbs each month for cooking at home, but it’s a common agreement among cooks that using fresh herbs can make the dullest of recipes pop with excitement. Unfortunately, fresh herbs are more expensive in the super markets and dry herbs don't generally have the same purity of flavor as fresh herbs and they go stale quickly, according to www.foodnetwork.com. What’s a solution? Growing your own herbs. While this may be an intimidating project to begin, these simple tips will help even the greenest of thumbs successfully grow herbs.

Placing your herbs

A good place to begin is to decide where you want to plant your herbs. Take note of how much space you have to work with—if you are planting them in the ground of your yard or if you are going to plant them in a pot—these are major details that will determine which herbs you select and where you plant them in relation to each other. To make sure herb don’t grow into each other, allot at least 12-18 inches for each plot to give adequate spacing, according to an agricultural article published by West Virginia University. It is also necessary to plant annual and perennial herbs separately to keep your herb garden organized.

Keep in mind you are not restricted to a pot or garden—you could have herbs growing in timpani drums in your back yard like Rob Clark, a high school administrator for Blount County Schools in Maryville, Tennessee who has grown herbs for several years. “I have the biggest basil bushes I’ve ever had this year, solely because I took better care them. You have to remember to snip the flowers off when they bloom in basil plants so all the nutrients can stay in the leaves rather the unnecessary flower,” Clark says.

However, he learned most of his tips from a local greenhouse. Stanley’s Greenhouse and Plant Farm is a family-owned business in the heart of Knoxville. The employees there can tell you exactly which month to plant what herb, what side of your house to plant herbs on and even which will grow best in your region—literally anything you would need to know, according to Clark. We were so curious, we went to Stanley’s ourselves to see what tips they had.

“When placing your herbs, keep in mind that all herbs need at least 6 hours of sun a day. Some are slightly different, but that’s a general rule for growing in this area,” Stanley’s employee of three years Beth Rue says.

Site and soil conditions

The next thing to consider when beginning an herb garden is the site and soil conditions. If you decide to plant directly into the ground, consider drainage of the soil when it rains because no herb will grow in wet soils. “Lavender trozence does well in this area, but it needs really good drainage. It’s best to mend with sand,” Rue says.

Also, decide early if you want your herbs to be more organic—this will determine if you buy a starter plant or the
box seeds and also what type of soil and fertilizer you use according to Clark. "I used Miracle Grow potting soil but have never sprayed any insecticides or fertilizer on them. It's just better for me to eat that way. The leaves aren't always the prettiest, but that's okay with me," Clark says.

Decide which herbs to plant

Next, decide what specific herbs meet your needs, such as culinary, aromatic, ornamental and medicinal—you can use herbs for more than cooking if you want. However, most common herbs are culinary herbs: thyme, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, basil, tarragon, sage, dill, mint and chives. Rosemary is a low-maintenance herb that does not require re-planting each year like the other herbs, which is a good herb to plant for beginning gardens.

Keep in mind that mint will take over your pot or garden, so plant those separately from your other herbs, according to Rue. “You have to watch ground covers—they overtake everything. Herbs like thyme, oregano and winter savory, (which is a spicier thyme) are bad for taking over gardens,” Rue says.

“I tried growing cilantro last year but it died quickly. The soil here in Tennessee doesn’t work very well,” says Clark. Clark suggests researching the herbs you choose before planting them because some have more specific care instructions than others.

“Perennials are easier and cheaper long term because you don’t have to worry about care during the winter,” Rue says. “I really think it is worth the extra money to get herbs like tarragon, basil and dill because they are great for cooking—and they’re perennials.”

Indoor herb growing

If you don’t have a yard for an herb garden, a window works well too. Even if you live in a small rented space, some apartments have window seals that can make a home for a nice herb garden. But if you prefer, you can grow herbs indoors for year around enjoyment. Indoor herbs will need natural sunlight and well-drained soil—just as outdoor herbs—but you will want to choose a south or west window to get adequate sunlight for most herbs. Keep in mind that perennial herbs grow better outdoors.

“Keep in mind that with indoor growing, you need a lot of southern or western sun exposure. Grow lights or herb boxes are another easy option you can research,” Rue says. Grow lights are artificial lights designed for growing gardens inside that are widely available in retail stores, Rue explains. These grow lights are an appropriate alternative to natural light if you do not have a lot of space near a window. Even if you don’t have a window at all and plan to grow herbs in a basement room, for example, it would be possible with a grow light. Rue also says herb boxes are a similar concept, just specifically designed for herbs and is enclosed rather than open.

Get growing

Herbs do not need a lot of water to prosper, so don’t drown them. So essentially, they’re easier to take care of than a goldfish. “I love keeping up with my herbs and other plants around the house. I don’t have a pet, so it keeps me busy. I figured if I can consistently keep a plant alive I can work up to a dog,” Clark jokes. After all, water and light are much easier to remember than water, food and vet visits.

If you're looking for a hobby, herb growing is a good one and it will keep extra cash in your wallet. Starter plants average five dollars a plant and if you take care of it, you could have a bush that would be the equivalent of forty dollars of herbs just with that one plant. Imagine how much money you could save if you grew several herbs.

Final encouraging words to rejuvenate an old garden or if you are beginning a new one: keep the basic rules of growing in mind for the most success with your project. For you new gardeners, Rue leaves you with some advice as well: “I think that sage is your best bet for an herb if you have never grown before. It’s an annual herb, it roots really well and it spreads further than most herbs.” Rue says.

So here's your challenge: I want to encourage you to pick a culinary herb to be a nice addition to your garden, if you haven’t already planned to choose one. Now you can cut down the grocery list of produce down a bit and have ingredients on hand for our recipe section. If you are having trouble picking know which herb to grow first, choose rosemary (which is quite easy to grow in East Tennessee). This savory herb has the perfect flavors for year around recipes, so pick up your starter plant now and get growing.

Mythbusters: "Bad things" are healthy now?

2010-04-13T22:45:00.002-04:00

Well, not really healthy now; they have always been healthy. Your favorite "bad food" may not be so taboo in the realm of healthy living. Blame your mother for telling you the following are bad for you all those years.

For more ways to splurge smartly, refer to Prevention. In the meantime, just remember that anything can be unhealthy if you eat too much of it, especially in one sitting. A trick to make sure you don't overeat (no matter what is for dinner) is to eat meals on smaller plates. Sometimes people get in the habit of filling their plate when it's actually way over the recommended serving.

What brought on this post? Well, my dad has lost 18 pounds (and counting) just by watching what he eats, walking during lunch and hiking/biking with me on the weekends. Granted, he doesn't really eat beef at all anymore because of all the grease, but he'll splurge and eat a burger or something once a month. We have replaced ground beef with ground turkey in every applicable recipe. So far, without missing beef at all (except with chili. the texture was just not the same at all. we're still tweaking it).

I'll take some cheese with this wine

2010-04-03T07:36:00.001-04:00

Wine pairing with antipasti parties and such gatherings is essential. So look at your menu and plan accordingly. A common accompaniment for wine are cheeses, but you have to match them up just right. Some wines are fruity or nutty, dry or fresh; cheeses can be bold or subtle, tangy or elegant. There's a lot to think about, but that doesn't mean pairing has to be stressful. These are just suggestions for basic cheeses:

50% reduced fat cheddar: half the fat, all the flavor in mild, easy melting cheddar.
   white wine pairing: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. (Tangym sippy flavors and aromas of grapefruit and honeydew melon.)
     red wine pairing: Dry Rose. (Semi dry pink wine with soft aromas of violets and subtle flavors of cherry and spice.)
     appetizer: put this wonderful cheese on a platter with summer sausage, crusty bread, fresh fruit and vegetables. Add a side of ranch or french onion for dipping and enjoy.

Mild cheddar: subtle, refreshing flavor.
     white wine pairing: Late Harvest Reisling. (Off dry medium bodied white wine with aromas of honeysuckle, apricot and flavors of soft peach and spice.)
   red wine pairing: Sangiovese. (Medium-bodied, dry red wine with soft flavors and aromas of vanilla and fresh cherries.)
      appetizer: shred a bar of mild cheddar and drape over a plate of crisp corn chips, top with sour cream, guacamole and black olives.

Sharp cheddar: rich, rustic flavor.
     white wine pairing: White Bordeaux. (Crisp, smooth, medium bodied white blend of Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc with hints of melon and citrus.)
     red wine pairing: Zinfandel. (Bold, dry red with rich aromas and flavors of blackberries, vanilla, black pepper.)
     appetizer: A potato gratin is the perfect side dish for a turkey or ham. In a buttered casserole, arrange layers of peeled and sliced Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded sharp cheddar and creme fraiche (about 1 1/2 cups each of cheddar and creme fraiche for 3 pounds of potatoes.) Season with fresh chives, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then 350 degrees Fahrenheit until potatoes are tender in the center.

Extra Sharp Cheddar: elegant, rich, lush.
     white wine pairing: White Rhone. (Silky, medium bodied blend of Marsanne/Rousanne/Viognier with spicy yet floral nose and rich lingering flavors of peach, nutmeg and tropical fruit.
     red wine pairing: Red Rhone. (Dry, full flavored red blend of Syrah/Grenache features cassis, mulberry, spice.)
     appetizer: Fruit and cheese make an elegantly simple way to end a meal. Serve extra sharp cheese with seasonal fruits like red grapes and Seckel pears. Or top slices of buttery pound cake with oven-roasted pears and a spoonful of creme fraiche whipped with a little honey.

Seriously Sharp Cheddar: bold, pungent and memorable.
     white wine pairing: Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine/Champagne (Rich, creamy, yeasty, full flavored Brut styles.)
     red wine pairing: Petite Syrah. (Rich, dry, full-bodied red with hints of raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, toasted oak.)
     appetizer: Hearty roast beef sandwiches with thick slices of seriously sharp cheese. Top with horseradish sauce and serve on rye bread.

Pepper Jack: spicy, tangy, fun.
     white wine pairing: Gewurztraminer. (Semi dry, fruity, light white with floral nose and touch of sweetness.)
     red wine pairing: Beaujolais. (Light bodied, fresh, fruity, tart red wine.)
     appetizer: Quesadillas. Shred pepper jack cheese and sprinkle on top of flour tortilla. Sprinkle layer of cooked shredded chicken or crab over cheese. Top with tortilla. Grill or pan cook until golden on both sides. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

These are just basic cheeses that most people have around the house, but there are hundreds of cheeses to choose from. For a quick reference, check out these sites:
Wine and Cheese Pairing Guide
Wisconsin-Pairing Guide
Oregon-Pairing Guide

Wine Snobs

2010-04-03T06:51:00.150-04:00

I must start off my saying I am (re)reading this hilarious book. Though it is tiny, it is mighty. Mighty odd. It was given to me by a friend as a joke a few years ago. (I didn't know anything about wine when I started working at Blackberry Farm at the beginning of my college years.) It's titled "The Wine Snob's Dictionary: An Essential Lexicon of Oenological Knowledge." I'm not kidding.

I enjoy reading it. I laugh (out loud, of course) quite a bit. David Kamp and David Lynch were the authors of this delight. The information in it (so far) is spot on correct. And I am dying to know if they are honestly as stuck up and sarcastically hilarious as they come off, or are they just a couple of goofballs who appreciate wine for it's greatness. Maybe one in the same? I don't know, but I like it.

If you enjoy wine or are interested in learning more about it, this book is an entertaining way to learn more about wine. The introduction alone explains a lot of things about wine--both facts and cultural stigmas. I am going to share the introduction from the authors in full with you, so you can laugh and learn as well:

"Wine Snob. Isn't that a redundancy, like saying wet rain or nuisance telemarketer?
   Well, yes--there's no getting around it. Central to the very premise of wine appreciation is the notion that is requires an advanced skill set; that, in order to most fully understand and enjoy the experience of sniffing and sipping fermented grape juice, one must have a cache of special knowledge to which mere ordinary people do not have access.
Wine Snobbery is, therefore, the default state of the wine enthusiast. In this regard, it is unique among Cultural Snobberies. In other realms, such as music, film, and food, the Snobs are the hard cases, the ones who have taken their passions to irrational extremes--devoting their lives to, say, the post-Mokees work of Michael Nesmith, or frame-by-frame dissections of Peter Jackson's early splatter pics, or the pursuit of the perfect round of Portuguese semisoft sheep's milk cheese made with thistle rennet. We recognize such figures as grotesques, at best euphemizing them as "intense," at worst calling them out as scary nutjobs.
   The Wine Snob, on the other hand, can sit judgmentally as a bottle is presented to him, watch intently as its contents are decanted and poured, swirl the liquid centrifugally in his glass, hold teh glass up to the light, lower it under his nose, close his eyes, take a sup, pause in contemplation, open his eyes, and declare what he has just drunk to be 'Complex, cola and pencil-lead on the nose, with leather, dust, barnyard, and raspberry on the mid-palate, and a medium-long, tannic finish'--and not only will this man not be led away in restraints to the sanitorium, he will find himself actually being admired for his taste and acumen.
   Far from existing on the freaky margins of society, like the ever-resentful Rock Snob or the madly dogmatic Food Snob, the Wine Snob commands center stage in his chosen area of cultural fanaticism. So why, then, should a book such as this one exist? Aren't there already plenty of wine references out there that are defacto guides to Wine Snobbery? In a world where library shelves groan with multiple titles by the likes of Jancis Robinson, Oz Clarke, Hugh Johnson, and Andrea Robinson, is a Wine Snob's Dictionary really necessary?
   As much as the Wine Snob is widely and correctly perceived to be the archetypal wine connoisseur, his profile and tendencies--precisely who he is--are only dimly understood. There persists an outmoded notion that the Wine Snob is necessarily wealthy, wellborn, and Francophilic, when, in fact, Wine Snobbery has many faces, some of them surprisingly homely. Indeed, one of the reasons the 2004 film Sideways proved so jarring was that it revealed a breed of Wine Snob that, while eminently recognizable to other Snobs, was unfamiliar to the public: a drab schlub who knows his stuff and commands the respect of winemakers and pourers, but who is also professionally unsuccessful and abjectly unglamorous. (Indeed, the film's surprise-hite status sent Snobs into defense mode, railing against purported slights and inaccuracies: C'mon, the Central Coast isn't even representative of the rest of California! He's totally wrong about Merlot--it only happens to underpin some of the greatest Bordeaux of all time! Well, let me tell you that I've never stolen money from my mother!)
   There are Wine Snobs all around us, and they range widely in age, income bracket, and hair length. There's the standard-issue hedonist-aesthete, for whom Wine Snobbery is another trait in the portfolio, along with the vintage-car fetish and the permanent tan. There's the hippie-ish evangelist who wears muddied boots and baggy shorts, and likes to remind you that viticulture is a kind of farming, man, and that the juice you're diggin' tells a magical story about the special chunk of earth from which its grapes came. There's the NFL offensive lineman who's spent his signing bonus on an insta-cellar and learned about wine from the top down, evolving from label whore ('Petrus! Awesome!') into shrewd collector ('An Araujo vertical! Awesome!')
     Put simply, you never know when or where you're going to encounter a Wine Snob. And then, before you know it, you're weathering a storm of terms like malo, extracted, and Cab Franc leafiness that leaves you feeling bewildered, humiliated, and inclined to drink nothing by beer (which will expose you to Microbrew Snobs, who speak a still-more-incomprehensible language of 'porters,' 'doppelbocks,' and 'dunkel weiss,' but never mind).
     The Wine Snobs Dictionary equips its reader with the tools and survival skills to endure a Wine Snob encounter, and possibly even disarm the Snob with a casual reference that he doesn't see coming--to, say, 'the '78 La Tache I was fortunate enough to share with Aubert,' or 'damnable, spoofalated swill that the McMansioners drink.' The book further serves as a helpful cheat sheet for those who simply wish to understand advanced-placement wine chat without actually getting caught up in tastings and spit buckets, and as a legitimate study guide or trainee Snobs who aspire to be wine professionals. Would-be sommeliers are warned, however, that even a book such as this is no substitute for experience, runty stature a persecution complex, and a tightly cinched dark suit offset by an assaultively loud necktie.

A Brief History of Wine Snobbery

     Though the references to wine abound in the Bible and in ancient classical literature (the word symposium is a corruption of a Greek term meaning 'drinking party'), Wine Snobbery as we know it dates back only to the middle of the nineteenth century. It was in 1855, on the occasion of that year's Exposition Universelle de Paris, that Napoleon III enlisted his country's wine merchants to put together a system of ranking and categorization for its finest Bordeaux wines. The result, the Bordeaux Wine Official Classication of 1855--or, in Snob shorthand, the 1855 Classification--was at once baldly hierarchical and utterly idiosyncratic: ideal breeding conditions for Snobbery.
     There were already plenty of wineshops in the Anglophone world--such as London's Berry Bros. & Rudd, founded in 1698, and New York's Acker, Merrall & Condit, founded in 1820--but the advent of a classification system, with its Premier Crus (first growths) and exalted chateaux, equipped wine-lovers with a common set of standards to be upheld, absorbed, dissected, and showboated. In Britain especially, it became the mark of a true oenophile to drink one's way through all the classified Bordeaux and jot down tasting notes about one's impressions, as much for purposes of social one-upmanship as for one's on edification.
     The image of the Wine Snob as a fancy English or Anglophile toff remains powerful in the public imagination, as antiquated as it now is; only the white-haired wine sage Michael Broadbent has legitimately played such a role in contemporary Snob discourse. But not for nothing has the image persisted in America. The period of Prohibition, from 1920 to 1933, was such a profound setback to winemaking in the United States that it really wasn't until the 1970s that there was enough indigenous wine of high quality to get Snobby about. Prior to the Nixon presidency, American Wine Snobs, their ranks thin and suspiciously emigre-heavy, looked invariably to Europe.
     But in the '70s, events conspired to legitimize both American wine and American oenophilia, opening entirely new frontiers for Wine Snobbery. In the so-called Judgment of Paris, a collection of condescending French judges, presumably on loan from central casting, convened for a blind tasting of French and American wines, and, to their utter consternation, reserved their highest praise for a Chardonnay crafted by Napa Valley winemaker Mike Grgich and Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Napa Valley winemaker Warren Winiarski. Near the end of the decade, a thirtysomething Maryland lawyer named Robert Parker gave flight to his latent Wine Snob urges and came out with a newsletter called the Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate (its name later shortened) that connected with a like-minded audience of young adults who pleasured in tilting balloon glasses into their faces for extended periods of time.
     Parker instituted a practice of rating wines on a 100-point scale, which while more user-friendly and easier to comprehend than the Bordeaux classifications, essentially opened up all wines to scrutiny and discussion. Suddenly, there was much more wine out there to be knowing about, and much more knowing-ness to be achieved through borrowed opinion. The Wine Advocate became, and remains, a Snob juggernaut.
   As is so often the case in Snob discourse, where yesterday's indie band/film/coffeehouse becomes today's corporate sellout, the upstart Parker soon enough morphed into the Establishment, bemoaned for his outsize influence and alleged preference for 'international-style' wines whose makers have crafted their products just to please him. Yet this has hardly sounded the death knell for Wine Snobbery; rather, it has created a powerful new strain of Reverse Snobbery in which wines and winemakers are esteemed for existing off the Parker grid. As with Food Snobbery, which as taken on a locavorist, sustainableista, sociopolitical dimension in recent years, Wine Snobbery is now sometimes informed by a crunchy consciousness that finds its adherents proclaiming their fealty to the purity of terrior and zero-manipulation wines.

Meanwhile, Parker's Establishment Snobbery trundles ever onward, turning small-batch favorites like Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvingnon and Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz into feverishly pursued cult wines. And somewhere, heard faintly from old drawing rooms with faded wallpaper and Noel Coward playing on the Victrola, there still persist a few members of the old Brit-Snob school who insist on calling an aroma a 'bouquet' and a red Bordeaux a claret. Wine Snobbery is, like the wines it inordinately celebrates, a living thing that changes over time.

Helpful Hints

Given the complexities and interconnections of the Snob universe, cross-references between entries are common and are spelled out in CAPITAL LETTERS for easy identification. The editors have also seen fit to identify certain entries with the Wine Snob Vanguard icon, which depicts the black or shaded blind-tasting glass used by experts and sommeliers when stunt-tasting for public approbation. The blind-tasting glass keeps out light and lends no visual clue to what its contents might be. And yet it's said that the dean of American sommeliers, Larry Stone, is capable, on days when his palate has brought its A-game to a blind tasting, to divine not only the vintage and grape variety of what he's sampled, but the specific producer. It is only fitting, then, that the presence of the blind-tasting glass icon should indicate, in this book, an entry that is held in especially high regard by Wine Snobs--for example, the intimidatingly esteemed Burgundy estate Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, or the Grand Award, the prestigious distinction bestowed by the Wine Spectator upon the Snobworthiest, most extensive wine lists in the world.

Finally, let us express our sincere hope that the knowledge collected herein serves you well on the path to Snob enlightenment and to a more mannered, ridiculous approach to wine-drinking. And if that doesn't work, at least this book makes a good coaster."

So that's the it; the introduction. Does it make you want to read more? Get the book here:

Can't get enough Snobbery? Check out Snob Site.

What to do with Easter Leftovers

2010-04-02T10:20:00.001-04:00

Holidays are great. You get to visit with friends and family to stuff your faces and sit and talk for hours upon hours about the good times. And when the day is over, you have all the leftovers to eat on for the rest of the week. Wait, what? Leftovers are a good thing?! Well, they can be.

While the holiday leftovers do clutter the refrigerator, you don't have to make an extensive effort for meals for the next couple days. But what if you're sick of eating ham and turkey (cold, hot or on a sandwich)? Well, these recipes will help out with that predicament. And hopefully after these recipes, the ham and turkey will be gone!

Ham and Broccoli Bake
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

14 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta

10 ounces frozen broccoli

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups diced fully cooked ham

15 ounces Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup milk

1 cup shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese

ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Thaw the broccoli in a microwave oven until you can break it apart into small pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the diced ham in the hot oil until the edges start to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and cook and stir until any excess water has cooked away and the ham and broccoli are hot. Pour in the Alfredo sauce and the milk; stir to blend, sprinkle with pepper, and add the cooked pasta. Stir everything together to coat the pasta with sauce and bring to a simmer.
Spread the bubbling pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, top with shredded Colby-Monterrey jack cheese, and bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information, Amount Per Serving Calories: 649 | Total Fat: 39.9g | Cholesterol: 77mg

Ham 'n Bean Soup

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 2 hours 20 minutes

Serves: 9

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock

1 pound dry great Northern beans

1 pound kidney beans

1 pound chick peas

2 cup chopped ham

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions:

Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. Soak in water overnight. (Drain before you proceed with cooking directions.)
In a large pot over high heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot stock for at least 60 minutes.
After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information, Amount Per Serving Calories: 257 | Total Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 30mg

Turkey Divan

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen broccoli spears cooked and drained

sliced cooked turkey, about 1 pound, enough for 6 servings

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt butter. Add flour and cook, stirring until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat; gradually blend in milk and egg yolk. Add dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and begins to boil. Add Cheddar cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted. Arrange hot broccoli and turkey in 12 x 8-inch dish, spooning sauce between layers and on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Broil about 4 inches from heat until cheese is browned.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

8 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

2 to 3 cups diced cooked turkey

2 tablespoons diced pimientos, if desired

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/4 chopped cup onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup dry sherry

salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Combine spaghetti with 1 cup Cheddar cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese. Add turkey and pimientos. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté mushrooms and onions just until tender; add to the turkey mixture along with remaining ingredients. Gently stir to combine ingredients; place in a greased casserole and sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Cover with lid or foil and bake at 350° for about 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Easter Weekend Treats

2010-04-02T07:59:00.002-04:00

Whether you are religious or not, many people have decorated hard-boiled eggs or participated in an Easter egg hunt at some point in their life. I had fun with it myself growing up, but it was also a time for our family to gather together.

However, when you graduate to the "adult table" at family gatherings, you are most of the time given some sort of responsibility--such as bringing a course for the meal spread. Sometimes this can be a tricky and stressful task, depending on what you're stuck with. You want to impress your family, of course, with your creativity and cooking ability. So what do you make?

For a brunch gathering, there are some simple options: a fruit tray, banana pudding, veggies and dip, egg omelets or even some bacon. While those are all very delicious, they aren't always very creatively presented. So maybe you can keep the ease of cooking and get a little in the spirit with these recipes:

Courtesy of Disney's Family Fun Magazine, check out this Easter Brunch Pizza. While this recipe used red, yellow, and green peppers, red onions, and cooked breakfast sausage for toppings, you can use whatever you want...as long as you decorate your egg!

For a little sweetness to top off any brunch menu (since it's too early for Cadbury Eggs), try this recipe courtesy of Taste of Home: Cinnamon Roll Bunnies.

Now if you have a lunch or dinner gathering, like my family, the options are wide open with fun possibilities. Starting off with a salad, enjoy this recipe courtesy of Taste of Home: Bunny Pear Salad. (A substitute option for this recipe: rather than having whipped cream as the bunny tail, you could also use a dollop of cottage cheese. A more healthy option that also meshes well with pears.)

Next up, you could create a different spin on the commonly served hard boiled egg with this recipe, courtesy of All Free Crafts: Boiled Egg Easter Bunnies. These are really easy to make, and look like they took hours. (But you know the truth of the simplicity.)

If you have a bunch of little ones running around your family gatherings, they usually aren't so much impressed with healthy or tasty food. They want the goods. The cool looking and ever so sweet desserts. I have done some heavy research and these are the neat things I have found:

Courtesy of Martha Stewart, these Spring Chick Cupcakes are sure to attract people to the dessert table. And aren't they so cute?

Here's something the kids can help you make, but everyone will enjoy. They don't take a lot of prep time either, so you can be doing other things. Courtesy of All Recipes, Easter Egg Dipper Treats are a hit.

Happy Easter!

Sun Dried Tomato & Artichoke Penne Pasta

2010-04-01T13:20:00.003-04:00

For those rainy days or long Mondays, you need an energy-filled lunch to get you through the afternoon slumps at work. A pasta is a good, quick and affordable way to get that much needed energy. If you choose a whole grain penne (which I suggest), you can also score some omega-3s too.

Pastas are typically reheat extremely well, so this is a good thing to cook the night before and take to work the next day for lunch. This recipe is like that--reheating in the microwave does just fine. Now for the recipe:

Ingredients:
12 ounces of whole grain penne pasta
       (cook as packaging suggests)
8 ounces of artichokes
       (unseasoned. if pre-packaged and seasoned in an oil or herb, just simply rinse off in water prior to warming. recipe is best with fresh artichokes.)
8 ounces of sun dried tomatoes, sliced
1 C of mozzarella cheese
1 C of pesto (jarred or homemade is fine)

Directions:
Cook pasta as the package suggests. Meanwhile, cook artichokes in skillet. If using jarred artichokes, place in skillet to heat with sun dried tomatoes. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and mix together with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and pesto. Finally, mix in the cheese and save some for garnish.

This pasta is very flavorful and it's super easy to fix. Using pesto as a sauce is a lighter option to a marinara or an alfredo sauce.

I think pesto is such an underused element in recipes. It makes this recipe easier to use a jarred pesto, but if you have the time and resources, it is easy to make yourself. Take it from Food Network Star, Ina Garten (of Barefoot Contessa), and try this recipe for pesto when you make this pasta dish:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yields: 4 Cups

Level: Easy

Ingredients:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Best BBQ of Knoxville

2010-03-31T22:42:00.003-04:00

Many regions of the country think they have the best barbecue ever made. National festivals in several states have people come from all over to battle it out with chicken, pulled pork, ribs, dry rubbed and sauces to make your mouth water.

When "barbecue" and "Tennessee" are ever in the same sentence, most people think of Memphis's Rendezvous, which has received much national attention over the years. Charlie Vergos and his charcoal ribs are legendary, but not everyone prefers dry rubbed barbecue.

So what's a person to do if they want some melt in your mouth barbecue, complete with sauce?! Well, if you are traveling through Knoxville, Tenn. any time soon, I suggest a pit stop at Dead End BBQ. I had the wonderful pleasure to eat my first meal at Dead End last week, and being a bit of a barbecue girl, I was critical. But I fell in love. So I ventured back, but this time I brought my family with me because they hadn't been yet.

I ordered the same exact thing I ordered the first time I went. Absolutely had to have a round two of that mess. Delish. The pulled pork dinner with macaroni and pimento cheese, potato salad and of course, a jalapeno cornbread muffin. Fantastic. A revelation. Tho the menu is oh, so tempting. Next time, and there will be another next time, I must try the chicken.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is not your hillbilly, Tennessee barbecue joint that is all mixed matched and smelly. This place is sleek and uptown. Trendy from the decor, bar area to the menu design. And oh, how I am a fan of bold colored walls. Located on Sutherland Ave. in the Bearden area, it is accessible to many people. If you come during lunch time during the week, you may even have to meander around the parking lot a few rounds to score a parking spot. The secret is out in Knoxville. Dead End BBQ is making waves in the barbecue world. And Knoxvillians should be proud.

How do you like your eggs?

2010-03-31T21:10:00.003-04:00

If you go to any restaurant that has breakfast items with an ambiguous side of "egg", you will be asked this question. For such a common question, there are so many different possibilities for an answer. Some simple, while others are complex and take a little time.

What do I mean? Aren't your choices just fried (over easy or medium) or scrambled (maybe with cheese if they're nice)? At restaurants, maybe. But in your kitchen, absolutely not.

Something I liked to cook for breakfast (or sometimes dinner) a lot while I was in college are egg scrambles--and they're not just scrambled eggs. It's very versatile--if red peppers aren't on sale, get green; if you're not a mushroom type of person, add another meat like hamburger or sausage; if you don't like spicy food, add mild salsa; and the list could go on and on. Here's a staple recipe I developed (shown for 4 people):

Ingredients:
8 eggs
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 C of sliced mushrooms
1 C of sharp cheddar cheese
1 pack of Italian sausage
1 C of salsa (your choice of spiciness)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Crack and beat the eggs as you normally would when making scrambled eggs. Put them in a greased pan on low to medium-low eat. With eggs, you don't want them to cook fast. Salt and pepper now. Meanwhile, take your sausage and roll into small balls, the size of a half dollar coin. Place in a fry pan and cook. As your eggs begin to cook, don't smash up into teeny-tiny pieces. When your eggs are no longer runny, but not completely done either, add your veggies and salsa and cooked Italian sausage. Stir together until cooked. As your eggs are done and you take them off the burner, add in your cheese and stir. Measurements of salsa and cheese can be altered to your liking.

If you don't typically like your eggs scrambled, you may be a fried eggs kind of person. For some people, frying an egg can be quite a frustrating task. My dad has a method that seems to be successful. He gets the oil in the pan pipping hot before he cracks the egg into the pan. As it is frying, he tilts the pan up and uses his spatula to spread oil over the top of the egg. Why does he do this? So a small layer cooks on the top, so when it comes time for the flip, the yolk doesn't and spill in the oil. If that happens, the result is (oily) scrambled eggs and many curse words filling the kitchen--in most cases. If you don't want to deal with the flipping of the eggs, you can always cheat. Yeulp, no one is keeping tabs with the methods in which you cook in your own kitchen. They make these handy little egg fryer pans to make breakfast stress free: Joie de Vivre 50162 Mini Fry Egg Pan with Nonstick Surface.

If you enjoy a challenge, and a velvety version of the edible egg, poached eggs are you for. Chef Julia Child once said, "Poached eggs…are to my mind the purest and loveliest of ways to cook eggs." A popular and elegant way to enjoy a poached egg is in Eggs Benedict. However, today, I enjoyed only a (not so) perfectly poached egg with some wheat toast. My adventure? Yes, I documented it. It was only appropriate that I had Julia & Julia playing on my laptop as I slaved in the kitchen this morning. Of course the poached egg scene always make me giggle, but after today, I sympathize with Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams). So here is how my breakfast went down...

I, of course, followed Julia Child's recipe she published in her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you don't have this cookbook, you should get it. I refer to it often, and it really should be a staple to anyone's cookbook collection. Here's Julia's recipe and commentary of what happened when I followed it:
Pour 2 inches of water into the pan or skillet (8 to 10 inches in diameter and 2 1/2 to 3 inches deep) and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water. Bring to the simmer.

Break one of the 4 very fresh eggs, and, holding it as closely over the water as possible, let it fall in. Immediately and gently push the white over the yolk with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 seconds. This is the most crucial step in the process. My first egg was not so successful:

My second and third eggs were, thank goodness. Maintain the water at the barest simmer and proceed with the other eggs in the same manner.

After 4 minutes, remove the first egg with the skimmer and test with your finger. The white should be set, the yolk still soft to the touch.

Place the egg in the cold water; this washes off the vinegar and stops the cooking. Remove the rest of the eggs as they are done, and poach the others in the same water if you are doing more. (***The eggs may remain for several hours in cold water, or may be drained and refrigerated***)

To reheat the eggs, trim off any trailing bits of white with a knife. (And man, do they look a lot more appetizing after you do this.) Place them in hot salted water for about half a minute to heat them through. Remove one at a time with a slotted spoon. Holding a folded towel under the spoon, roll the egg back and forth for a second to drain it, and it is ready to serve.

This is the type of egg that is most difficult to master. I think many share my opinion, which is why many kitchen products are available to make poaching eggs easier. For example, my mom has this awesome (and ancient) model of a 4-piece egg poacher set that you use on the oven top. The model looks similar to this: Fagor 4-Piece Egg Poacher Set. This method of poaching an egg is most simplest, you just add hot water into the pan and crack the eggs directly into the inserts. However, if you have several pans and want an option that doesn't clutter up your cabinets, you may consider a more inventive option, poach pods: Fusionbrands Poach Pods, Set of 2, Green These may look odd, but also do the trick. They float, so any pot will work well with these little wonders. Best thing about these? They're super affordable! If you want a super, super easy and fast way to poach an egg, you can microwave it. What?! Yes. Progressive International Microwavable Four Egg Poacher. I don't really suggest this method, because when you cook eggs fast they don't taste nearly as good. Burned eggs are never as satisfying as the cooked low and slow eggs.

If you are on a diet, maybe you don't want the fats a yolk offers. So what recipes are good for just egg whites? Well, a classic that I really enjoy is the Egg White Omelet. Similar to the egg scrambles, you can mix and match ingredients to make the omelet to fit your mood or to the ingredients currently in season. However, with an omelet, it is important to let the eggs cook a bit in the skillet before making the flip. Quick and simple.

Revamped shopping list

2010-03-30T17:18:00.005-04:00

Everyone has to go to the doctor at least once a year, for either a check-up, annual appointment of some kind or an unfortunate sickness. You fill out the paper work, answer the same questions and your doctor is concerned with the same things--"how many hours of sleep do you get," "what is your diet like," "how much exercise do you get," and other such questions you sometimes embarrassingly try to stretch your answers to make yourself sound more healthy than you know you are.

Bad habits that manifest themselves into any kind of routine in our lives can get out of control. I just graduated college and my brother is currently in college, so my parents aren't exactly spring chickens anymore. They get good news and not so good news at the doctors office, like we all do. As a result, our entire family has completely changed the items we eat in an attempt to become more healthy. Disease prevention is smart--no matter your age.

We are also trying to up the consistency we go for bike rides, hiking and running to get more exercise. (PS I'm trying to get my dad to start a blog about hiking. He hasn't been too accepting to the idea as of yet.) My family is a crazy bunch, so all of this is more fun when we do it together. Mom hasn't been on a hiking adventure recently, she's trying avoid the snow. Smart woman.

So what does this mean for my blog? I will be writing about the healthier sides of cooking, for the most part. Every once in a while I may have a post about some delectable souffle or a chocolaty temptation, but even those can be altered to be more healthy. If you're a regular reader, you realize this isn't really that big of a change to my normal recipe/food posts. But giving some support to eat healthy never hurts! So take the junk food off your list. If you don't buy it, you won't sit and veg out on it on your couch.

If you need some more inspiration, I found this little chef in Hobby Lobby yesterday as I was making my way to the canvases. I thought he would be nice to have around in the kitchen as a little decoration. And how adorable is he? There are of several--check them out. (And no, I could not resist myself to just one. But I didn't take one of each home! Success.)

If you want some more options for chef themed kitchen decorations, check out these:

Food Network Star Among Knoxville...

2010-03-21T19:39:00.041-04:00

So you may be dying to know which one of my idols in the foodie world I met today...well good news. This post will soon reveal that tid-bit of information. I will not bore you with every detail of the day, but if I don't go into great explanation of something, feel free to ask any questions!

The 16th annual Women Today expo, held this weekend and sponsored by the News Sentinel and Food City, enabled me to go to two cooking school demonstrations today. Many clamored to eat free food from Food City and get coupons, but I was just interested in watching some chefs show me their tips.

The first demonstration was by Bruce Bogartz,owner and chef at RouXbarb, who gave an enthralling speech about his new restaurant: RouXbarbeque.

Chef Bogartz announced that the anticipated opening of his new restaurant will be in 5 weeks. Here is the test plate of what RouXbarbeque will offer (some of these sides are currently served on the menu at RouXbarb but have had a high success rate):

Starting from the top and working clockwise, we have a sweet potato delight flavored with lemon juice. In all my times of baking sweet potatoes, lemons were not a main ingredient, but after tasting this I will reconsider.
Next, a country small-town favorite, cabbage. Chef Bogartz says many people ask how he makes it so heavenly, but his secret is simply butter. The real stuff. And lots of it. See, what many people don't realize is that cooking with salt and butter (even if you're baking with chocolate, salt is a must) brings out the pungent natural flavors to really make a dish shine how it should.
Bogartz presented the next dish as a bit of a puzzle. I'll let you guys have some fun guessing too. Okay--they look and taste like grandma's baked apples, but they're not. And they're red. Yeulp...let the guessing begin.
Finally, we have possibly my favorite of the test plate. I have been known to be a cheese fiend in my family, so they will not be surprised to hear it was my favorite when I say there are 7 different cheeses in this pasta. 7 delectable cheeses. Yes. Also, Benton's bacon is another all-star of this pasta. If you go to ANY restaurant in America with any class at all, they will have Allan Benton's ham products. And many publications support my claim, as Esquire Magazine named Benton's bacon the best in the country in a story they did on breakfast joints. So on a side note, while I'm on this soapbox, support Allan Benton. Especially if you are a local reader, because his farm is located in Madisonville, Tenn.

So I went to the Women Today weekend with curiosities of which regional stores Scripps would bring in for the Women Today weekend and intentions on networking with media company gurus. However, the next cooking school demonstration ALONE ended up being the highlight for me of the whole affair.
The season five winner of The Next Food Network Star, Melissa d'Arabian, prepared 6 recipes for the weekend. First, I must say that I came equipped with the April issue of the Food Network Magazine in hopes of getting Melissa to sign it since she is a featured chef on the cover this issue. And I was quite determined to make this happen. (I kind of have a knack for meeting and getting my picture taken with people, etc.)

Yes, that's me on the stage with Melissa and two other lucky souls. I should have bought a lottery ticket today...But I'm not greedy. To have Melissa interact with me and cook for me was pretty neat. Everyone that came to the demonstration received a paper with the recipes Melissa was going to do. Mine had a silver star on the top. I didn't really know what it meant at the time I received it, but hoped it was distinctive in some way? And it was! Before they announced her to the stage, they asked for us to look to see if we had a star or smiley face. The smiley face girl got a $25 gift card to Food City. Personally, I think the silver star people won out :)

The first recipe is very versatile. Herbed Pecans provide a recipe that you can interchange an herb and a spice to make a completely different tasting snack. Melissa's recipe she shared today was our appetizer, and the full recipe is as follows:

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup raw pecan halves
2 teaspoons dried herbes de provence
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small saute pan over medium heat, add the butter and sugar and stir until the butter is melted. Add the pecans and toss until the pecans begin to brown. Sir in the herbs, cayenne, and cinnamon, and stir just a few seconds to release the aroma. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the pecans as an appetizer with drinks, or as a salty accompaniment to dessert.

One woman on stage with me couldn't handle them--I guess the cayenne pepper? But I found them to be delicious. Other herb-spice options that Melissa mentioned were cilantro and coriander, rosemary and cumin or even nutmeg and cinnamon. Personally, if you do the nutmeg and cinnamon, a dash of clove would be an interesting flair to have.
The next recipe Melissa shared with us was Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne. I ate EVERY bit of this super fast. This is a really flavorful pasta, and if you use whole-grain penne, you get so much protein and omega 3s, you don't have to add the sausage as a protein component. Melissa mentioned that the sausage was specifically a flavor component, that can also be interchanged with spicy Italian sausage if you'd like. The recipe is as follows:

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 medium zucchini, slived in 1/2 lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, cheeks removed
1/2 pound button mushrooms, stemmed
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and dried
2 sweet or hot Italian sausages, thinly sliced or casings removed
1/4 cup white wine
12 ounces whole-grain penne, cooked according to package instructions, 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with a 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until caramelized (about 30 minutes), turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time. In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the baking sheet, at the halfway point of cooking, to caramelize.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until cooked through. Turn up the heat and deglaze with the white wine. Once the vegetables are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely shop. Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the sausage in the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.

Something about this recipe demonstration that Melissa did I noted: she reserved water from the pot she cooked the pasta. I have never done that, and added it to my final dish. But it makes sense. With this pasta dish, where there is no marinara or such sauce, a tee-niny bit of water is a nice way to make the vegetables and pasta cohesive. Some tips Melissa shared: when slicing an onion, put the root side of the onion in your palm to cut off the top. "Hair in your hand," was the catch-phrase she used. (Melissa has TONS of catch-phrases to simplify cooking methods. I'll share some more in other posts I have picked up from her challenges on NFNS and on her current show.)

And for dessert--Chocolate Pain Perdu (French Toast). If you don't know much about Melissa, she spent several years in France, so many of her recipes are French influenced. Fun fact: she met her husband and was married in France. And at the demonstration, she told us a story of how she was hushed at her own wedding. Funny, long story. (She is a TALKER and a half.) But the Chocolate Pain Perdu was so velvety--and *spoiler alert* I liked it so much, I am cooking it this week. The recipe is as follows:

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr 30 min (or overnight)
Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
2 eggs
6 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into triangles
Directions:
Special equipment: 9 by 5-inch baking dish
In a small pot over low heat, add 1/4 cup cream, milk, sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, vanilla, and salt and bring to a simmer. (BUT: add vanilla very, very last--after it's to a simmer.) Put the chocolate into a medium bowl and pour the in the cream mixture. Let sit until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until well combined. Grease the baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter, and line it with the bread slices, overlapping slightly. Pour the chocolate mixture over the bread, making sure to cover the tips. Push the bread down with your fingers to coat the bread completely. refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake until the custard sets and the bread turns golden at teh edges, about 30 minutes. Add the remaining cream to a chilled bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Serve the French toast on individual plates with a dollop of cream.

Sounds absolutely delish, right? It was. Melissa said that you can adjust the cream to milk ratio in an attempt to cut down on fat content. The recipe she actually demonstrated today was 3/4 milk and 1/4 heavy cream.

Like all recipes, ingredients are "optional" and no one is checking up on you in your kitchen to make sure you follow them true. ;)
Overall, you can say that I had fun today. An absolute blast. Talking with Melissa after the show was so surreal. Not in a star-stuck, omg I can't talk sort of way. I was relieved that I kept my composure and didn't make a fool of myself. I had an intelligent and informed conversation about what's she's been through in an attempt to help my current situation.
I idolize her because a year ago, she was a stay-at-home mother of 4 children and a wife of a husband in Texas. She risked proximity and convenience to her life to follow a dream and passion. Within a month of commuting from Texas to New York City to film her show, 10 Dollar Dinners, her husband got a job in Seattle and she had to put her house on the market and move. Today, she said she loves the Washington lifestyle, but it was a change. She gave me some encouraging words and strategy as far as breaking into food writing too, which was unnecessarily nice. This cover is going in a frame, allong with a picture of us, to serve as a reminder for myself to stop at nothing in holding onto my passions and achieving my dreams.

Famous Recipes of Interest

2010-03-20T21:45:00.002-04:00

I am sure many of you have heard of the book, Insider Recipes Master Edition; however, did you know how awesome the recipes are? Most importantly, all the recipes are supposedly exactly what you order in the restaurants. The cynic in me has found it fun to make these myself and see if it's better coming from my own kitchen. :)

I was very happy when my mother emailed me a PDF document of the full text. Go out and get the book. It's really fun to browse. Here are a few that caught my eye--one recipe for each letter of the alphabet. Bon Appetit!

Applebee's Baby Back Ribs
3 racks (about 1 lb. each) pork baby back ribs, each cut in half
Barbecue sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Put ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring water to a
boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour or until ribs are fork tender.
2. Mix all sauce ingredients together in a medium sauce pan and bring to a
boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes or
until slightly thickened.
3.Heat broiler. Line broiler with foil for easy cleanup. Place ribs, meat
side down, on broiler pan, brush with 1/2 the sauce and broil 4−5 inches
from heat source for 6 to 7 minutes. turn ribs over, brush with remaining
sauce and broil 6 to 7 minutes longer or until edges are slightly charred.

Blueberry Lemonade
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 pint fresh blueberries
1−1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about
10 big lemons, including pulp but not seeds)
.
First make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup sugar and water in a saucepan
over medium heat, stirring until the mixture boils. Lower the heat and allow
the syrup to simmer for another minute. Remove from heat and let cool. In a
blender or food processor, puree the blueberries with 2 tablespoons of
sugar. In a pitcher, combine the cooled syrup, lemon juice and blueberry
puree. To serve, pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of base into a glass and fill with
water. Makes base for 12 servings.

California Pizza Kitchen Chicken Tequila Fettuccine
1 pound dry spinach fettuccine
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons gold tequila
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, diced 3/4 inch
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook pasta; cook until
al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss with a little oil and set aside.
Cook 1/3 cup cilantro, garlic and jalapeño in 2 tablespoons
butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add stock, tequila,
and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until
reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.
Pour soy sauce over diced chicken; set aside for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile cook onion and peppers,stirring occasionally, with
remaining butter over medium heat for 3−4 minutes. Add chicken
and soy sauce; toss and add reserved tequila/lime paste and cream.
Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently until chicken is cooked through
and sauce is thick (about 3 minutes). When sauce is done,
toss with well−drained spinach fettuccine and remaining cilantro.

Duck Sauce
First:
1 Pound Plums halved and pitted
1 Pound Apricots halved and pitted
1 1/4 Cups Cider vinegar
3/4 Cup Water
Second:
1 Cup Cider vinegar
1 Cup Firmly packed brown sugar
1 Cup White sugar
1/2 cup Lemon juice
The Rest:
1/4 cup Chopped ginger
1 small Onion sliced
1 (or more) serrano −− seeded & chopped
2 small Garlic cloves sliced
4 teaspoons Salt
1 tablespoon Mustard seed (toasted)
1 Cinnamon stick
Combine first set of ingredients and cook over moderate heat
for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Combine second set of ingredients and boil for 10 minutes.
Combine the above three sets of ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove cinnamon. Puree in food processor. Return to kettle and
simmer until thick. Transfer to sterilized mason jar, cap loosely
and let cool. Tighten caps and let stand in dark at least 2 weeks.
Makes 2 pints.

Energy Bars
1 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 cup sliced almonds (optional)
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Chop raisins (using a food processor if possible). Cream butter,
sugar, molasses and egg.
Combine flour, dry milk, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda,
salt and ginger. Blend into creamed mixture with skim milk. Stir in
oats, raisins, and half the almonds (if desired).
Pour into greased 13x9x2 inch pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle
with remaining almonds (if desired).
Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes. Cool in pan and cut
into 1x4 inch bars.

Four Seasons Crab Cakes
2 pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 pound fresh codfish fillet
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons basil, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil for sauteing
Pick through crabmeat, removing all shells but being careful not to
break up the large lumps too much. In a food processor, grind codfish
until pureed. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and puree until incorporated.
Then add more cream if needed. The mixture should be smooth and
shiny, yet firm enough to hold its shape.
Place this mousse in a metal bowl and add the other ingredients, except
for the olive oil. Take a small portion of the crab−cake mixture and saute
in hot olive oil until golden brown. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Form the rest of the crab cakes and saute in hot olive oil until golden
on both sides. Finish by baking in a 450−degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
Serves six to eight.

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 of 14−oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups toasted coconut
1 cup semi−sweet or milk chocolate chips
In 2−quart saucepan over medium−low heat, combine butter,
sugar and corn syrup. Heat to a full boil, stirring constantly
with a wooden spoon. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Slowly pour in sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly.
Continue cooking over low heat until candy thermometer reaches
220−228 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Beat until
creamy. Immediately stir in toasted coconut and mix well.
Spoon mixture by teaspoonfuls into circular mounds onto
buttered waxed paper. Flatten slightly and with the end of a
wooden spoon poke a small round hole into the center of each
cookie. Cool completely.
Melt chocolate chips and drizzle thinly in stripes over
cookies and let chocolate harden at room temperature. Store
in airtight container.

Houston's Tortilla Soup
1 − 2 1/2−3lb. chicken, cut−up and skin removed
2 ribs celery, cut into chunks
1 med. onion, quartered
1 large carrot, quartered
2 sprigs parsley
2 tbls. chicken soup base
1 teas. lemon−pepper seasoniong
1 large clove garlic or granulated garlic to taste
Combine all the above in a large stockpot and cover with
water by about 2 inches. Bring to a rapid boil; lower heat to a
simmer and cook for about 1 hour until chicken is tender and falling
off the bone. Strain and reserve the broth. Tear pieces of chicken
into small pieces. Set aside.
In 4 cups of the reserved chicken broth, boil about 1 1/2 lbs
peeled potatoes until tender. Remove from heat. Do not remove the
broth....mash up the potatoes and add the following:
1 large can of creamed corn
1 10oz. can of Rotel tomatoes, crushed
1 1/2 cups half & half cream
2−4 tablespoons minced cilantro
Add enough of the reserved chicken broth to thin out the soup to
the desired thickness. Simmer on low for about 15−20 minutes.
Taste and correct seasoning. Be careful of adding too much salt.
Moments before serving, stir in:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
reserved cut−up chicken
4−6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4" julienne strips
Continue to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is heated
through.
To Serve:
Ladle soup into deep bowls. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chunks of avocado dipped in lemon juice, slices of black olives and
a small handful of thin corn tortilla strips that have been deep fried.

Italian Sausage
6 pounds meat (5 pork, 1 beef)
4 teaspoons of salt
1/2 oz fennel seed (or to taste)
1/2 oz crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1/2 cup water
Remove the pork from the bone and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Cut beef into cubes. Toss meat with seasonings and 1/2 cup
water. Store in refrigerator over night and grind the next day.
Grind the meat twice with a course blade and make it into large
patties (1/2 cup measure of sausage), freeze them between
double layer sheets of wax paper on a cookie sheet and then
put them in plastic bags.
Make hot sausage sandwiches with fried onions and green
peppers on a hoagie bun. Grill sausage either in a frying pan,
or barbecue.

Jack Daniel's Marinade
1/4 cup Jack Daniel's whiskey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon−style mustard
1/4 cup minced green onion and tops
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teas. salt
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
pepper to taste
Combine all ingreds. Blend well. Use to marinate shrimp or scallops for one
hour−−or beef, chicken or pork in the refrig. overnight. Use to baste the
shellfish or meat as it is grilled or broiled.

KFC Original Fried Chicken
2−3 pounds cut−up chicken pieces
1 Quart Water
3 tablespoons Salt (for soaking)
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon Accent (MSG)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Soybean Oil (no substitutions) for frying
Allow chicken to soak in salted water for a half hour.
Mix egg and milk in a bowl. Mix flour, Accent, salt, and pepper
in another bowl. Preheat deep fryer to 350F, or place 3/4 inch
oil in a skillet set on medium.
Dry chicken with paper towels. Dredge in flour mixture, place in
milk/eggs, and then back to flour mixture. Do this one piece at
a time making sure that there is total coverage over entire
surface of chicken in each step.
KFC uses pressure cookers to fry chicken, which is risky to do
at home. If you are using a deep fryer, fry a few pieces at a
time for about 20 minutes, covered, turning occasionally.
Likewise, if pan frying, cook, covered, turning occasionally
for about 30 minutes. As always with chicken, check the middle
of a large piece to check if it is done.
Allow to drain on paper towels when cooking is completed.

Long John Silver's Battered Fish
3 Cups Soybean oil
2 Pounds Fresh cod fillets
1 Cup Self−rising flour
1/3 Cup Dry Mustard
1 Cup Water
1 Egg
2 Teaspoons Granulated sugar
2 Teaspoons Salt
Sift together mustard and flour.
Heat oil to 400. Cut the fish into approximately 7x2" wedges.
With a mixer blend the flour mixture, water, egg, sugar, and salt.
Dip each fillet into the batter coating generously and quickly drop
in the oil. Fry each fillet until dark golden brown about 5 minutes.
Remove and drain.

Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica
Gratinata Sauce:
2 Teaspoon Butter
2 Teaspoon chopped garlic
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream
Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown.
Add marsala wine and reduce by one−third. Add remaining ingredients
and reduce by half of original volume. Set aside:
Penne Rustica:
1 Ounce pancetta or bacon
18 each shrimp peeled and devained
12 Ounce grilled chicken breast, sliced
4.5 cups of granita sauce
48 Ounce Penne Pasta, precooked
3 Teaspoon pimentos
6 Ounce butter
1 Teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cups parmesan cheese
1/2 Teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Saute pancette until begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook
until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent. Add chicken, salt,
pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
and simmer until sauce thickens. In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken
mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes
or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and
sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 for 10−15 minutes. Remove and garnish
with fresh rosemary sprig. Serves six.

Nutri−Grain Bars
1 pkg yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups quick oats
12 ounces preserves or jam
1 T water
Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter. Combine cake
mix and oats in a large bowl; stir in the melted
butter until the mixture is crumbly. Measure half
of this mixture (about 3 cups) into a greased
13x9x2−inch pan. Press firmly into pan to cover
the bottom.
Combine preserves and water; spoon over crumb
mixture in pan, and spread evenly. Cover with
remaining crumb mixture. Pat firmly to make top
even.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes−−top should be very
light brown. Cool completely before cutting into
bars.

O'Charley's Baked Potato Soup
3 lbs. red potatoes
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
2 quarts half−and−half
1 pound block Velveeta cheese, melted
White pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 lb. bacon, fried crisply
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dice unpeeled red potatoes into 1/2−inch cubes. Place in a large Dutch oven,
cover with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes or until
almost cooked. In a separate large Dutch oven, combine melted margarine and
flour, mixing until smooth. Place over low heat and gradually add
half−and−half, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until smooth and liquid
begins to thicken. Add melted Velveeta. Stir well. Drain potatoes and add to
cream mixture. Stir in pepper, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce. Cover and
cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place soup into
individual serving bowls and top with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese,
chives and parsley.

Pepperidge Farms Milano Cookies
1 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all−purpose flour
1 Tbls. salted butter
1 cup semi−sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and sugar
at medium speed. Then add vanilla and flour, blend thoroughly at low
speed. Shape a level tsp of dough into 1" balls, then roll to a log
shape, about 2" long. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart.
Bake 17−19 min, or until cookies spead and turn a golden brown.
Cool on a flat surface.
Microwave or melt chocolate and 1 Tbls. butter in a double boiler.
(microwave on high, stir every 30 seconds just until melted)
Let cool slightly, and spread chocolate on one cookie and top
with another.

Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits
Dough:
1 1/4 lbs. Bisquik
3 Oz. freshly shredded cheddar cheese
11 Oz. cold water
Garlic Spread:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teas. garlic powder
1/4 teas. salt
1/8 teas. onion powder
1/8 teas. dried parsley
To cold water, add Bisquik and cheese, blending in a mixing bowl.
Mix until dough is firm.
Using a small scoop, place the dough on a baking pan lined with
baking paper. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until
golden brown. While biscuits bake, combine spread ingredients.
Brush baked biscuits with the garlic topping.

Starbuck's Frappuccino
1/2 cup fresh espresso
2 1/2 cups lowfat milk (2 percent)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dry pectin
Combine all ingredients in a covered container. Shake until
sugar and pectin are dissolved.

T.G.I. Friday's Sizzling Vegetable Fajitas
8 oz. chopped cilantro, for pesto
3 cloves garlic, for pesto
1/2 cup olive oil, for pesto
salt and pepper, to taste, for pesto
2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for pesto
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tbsp. margarine
carrots, zucchini and yellow summer squash, cut julienne−style
broccoli and cauliflower, cut into small florets
green pepper and mushrooms, thinly sliced
snow peas, whole
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 flour tortillas, warmed
lime wedge, for garnish
To make pesto, put cilantro and garlic in a food processor and
process until finely chopped. With machine on, gradually add olive oil.
Season and blend in cheese.
Slice enough onion to equal about 1/2 cup. Saute with margarine in a
small cast−iron skillet over medium−high heat. Cook past translucent
stage until browned, about six to eight minutes.
Prepare about 2 cups of vegetables −− the combination depends on
personal taste. Cook all vegetables except mushrooms in lemon juice
and 2 tablespoons of pesto over medium to medium−high heat. When
almost at al−dente stage, add sliced mushrooms. Continue cooking for
about one minute. (The remaining pesto can be refrigerated for future
use.)
Place vegetable mixture over sizzling onions, then spoon
vegetable−onion mixture into center of warmed tortillas. Top with
condiments (guacamole, sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, salsa)
to taste, then roll up tortillas.

Uncle Ben's Seasoned Long Grain & Wild Rice
DRY MIX:
1 Tablespoon Chicken bouillon powder
1 Teaspoon Dry chopped onion
1/2 Teaspoon Dry minced parsley
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon Onion powder
1 Teaspoon Ground turmeric
1/2 Teaspoon Ground cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Ground ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Black pepper
1−1/2 Teaspoon Seasoned salt
RICE MIXTURE:
2 Cup Water
2 Tablespoon Butter or margarine
1 Cup Premium Minute Rice
1/3 Cup Dry wild rice
Combine all of the ingredients as listed in Dry Mix in medium saucepan. Add
to this water, butter, rice and dry wild rice. Bring to boil. Stir once or
twice just to combine. Cover pan with lid tightly. Simmer gently 8 to 10
minutes or until almost all liquid has been absorbed. Makes 3 cups cooked
rice.

V−8 Juice
8 carrots, cut into chunks
4 stalks celery, cut into chunks
6 tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 bunch fresh spinach
handful of parsley
1/2 a white onion
1 fresh, raw beet, cut into chunks
1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic
Run all ingredients through your juicer. Stir, chill, stir and serve.

Wendy's Frosty
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Nestle's Quik
3 cups Softened Vanilla ice cream
place in refrigerator for 1 hour
Blend Milk and Quik for 10 seconds on high speed.
"Pulse" in the ice cream until barely mixed.

York Peppermint Patties
1 (14−ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
green or red food coloring, optional
6 cups confectioners' sugar
Additional confectioners' sugar
1 − 16 oz. bag semi−sweet chocolate chips
In large mixer bowl, combine Eagle Brand, extract and food coloring if
desired. Add 6 cups sugar; beat on low speed until smooth and well blended.
Turn mixture onto surface sprinkled with confectioners sugar. Knead lightly
to form smooth ball. Shape into 1−inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on wax
paper−lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball into a 1 ½−inch patty. Let dry
1 hour or longer; turn over and let dry at least 1 hour.Melt the chocolate
chips in a microwave set on high for 2 minutes. Stir halfway through the
heating time. Melt thoroughly, but do not overheat. Melting the chocolate
chips can also be done using a double−boiler over low heat. With fork, dip
each patty into warm chocolate (draw fork lightly across rim of pan to
remove excess coating). Invert onto wax paper−lined baking sheets; let stand
until firm. Store covered at room temperature or in refrigerator.

Zwieback
1 Package (2−1/4 teaspoons) active Dry yeast
1/4 Cup Plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 Cup Warm water
1 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons milk
4 Tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter or Margarine
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/8 Teaspoon Ground mace
1/8 Teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1 Egg, lightly beaten
3 3/4 Cup All−purpose flour
2 Tablespoon Butter, melted, for glazing
The method for making Zwieback is quite different from that for most other
crackers. "Zwieback" means "twice baked." First you bake a yeast bread,
aromatically flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and mace. Then you
slice it and slowly dry the slices in a slow oven. For convenience, make the
bread over a two−day period. Bake the bread the first day and dry it the
second. If stored in an airtight container, Zwieback will keep almost
indefinitely. In a small bowl, combine the yeast with 1/2 teaspoon of the
sugar and the warm water. Set aside in a warm place until the mixture starts
to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, mix the milk and the
remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add the 4 Tablespoons butter and heat until
the butter has completely melted. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow
to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl or in the food processor, combine the
cooled milk mixture with the yeast mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Add the
mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Beat in the egg. Slowly add the
flour, adding just enough to make a smooth dough that is not sticky. If
mixing by hand, the dough will become too stiff to stir, and you should
knead in the last of the flour with your fingers. Then knead well for at
least 5 minutes, forming the dough into a ball. If using a food processor,
pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Place the dough in a large,
lightly oiled bowl and turn it over to coat all sides. Cover with a damp
towel and set the dough in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about
1−1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and knead a few strokes. Cover and
allow the dough to double in size again, 30 to 45 minutes. Punch the dough
down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth. Knead
about 30 seconds to remove the air. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions.
With your hands, roll each into a smooth cylinder or loaf about 2 inches
thick and 9 inches long. Place the loaves crosswise on a lightly greased or parchment−lined baking sheet, leaving at least 3 inches between the loaves.
Brush all exposed surfaces of each loaf with the melted butter. Set the
baking sheet in a warm place and let the loaves rise until doubled in bulk,
about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake the risen loaves for 25 to
30 minutes, or until the bottoms are reddish brown and make a hollow sound
when thumped. Allow the loaves to cool thoroughly on racks. Preheat the oven
to 200F. Cut the cooled loaves into 1/2−inch slices. Place the slices flat
on the baking sheet and allow them to dry out in the oven for 45 to 60
minutes, or until thoroughly dry. Check occasionally and turn the slices
over as they dry on one side. When dry, raise the oven temperature to 300F.
for 10 to 20 minutes to brown the Zwieback slightly. Cool on a rack. Yield:
40−50.

For all fans of "The Office:" BIG TUNA salad

2010-03-19T16:32:00.000-04:00

Tuna salad is a tasty sandwich that is easy to make--and a lot more flavorful than PB&J (though I know the inner-child in you craves them every so often). Keeping the preparation simple, but adding flavor. The recipe...

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 potatoes, boiled and cubed (leave the skins. vitamins are good for you and adds texture)

1/3 C of olives, chopped

1/3 C of roasted red peppers, chopped

a good handful of chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 ts. of dried oregano, smoked paprika, dried red chile, olive oil and lemon juice

Add lemon zest in addition, to taste. (But be careful to add a whole lemon--both juice and zest to not overpower the dish.)

2 cans/packages of tuna (the water packed kind)

Directions:

Easy. Mix everything together. You can leave out the potatoes if you want--would be better for a dip with pita or crackers. But on a sandwich, small cubes of potato can be nice texture and added nutrients.

Enjoy this easy to prepare, easy to eat at work (or in the car) lunch. A classic turned fantastic.

On the prowl...and learning to be patient

2010-03-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

Since I was laid off from my job just a mere three weeks ago, I have learned two things:

1. The importance of health insurance is so huge. I didn't have provided health insurance at my previous job, but not having an income makes these health insurance bills hurt more on the wallet. A job with health benefits would be fantastic.
2. Rather than waking up and searching/applying for jobs all day every day makes my head hurt, for several reasons, I need to do something else. Not only do I loath my mother's unnecessary help with searching for jobs, but I am getting discouraged with the waiting. I am not doing this anymore, all day at least. I am going to start doing things that I enjoy for myself...in an attempt to not go crazy.

What does this mean? My absence on this blog will, again, cease. Writing things other than cover letters will be a nice change for my brain, for sure. However, I feel obligated to make the first few posts about easy lunch recipes as previously promised. So look out for them. They're coming.

Side note: On Sunday, I will be in contact with someone I greatly admire in the foodie world. Hints? Hmmm...she has a cool name. Guess if you want. :)

Lunch break whoas and woes

2010-01-04T20:05:00.003-05:00

Since I have began this crazy thing called working, I have been forced to change my daily routine. I like change, so I welcomed the opportunity with open arms. At first. Then I began to realize that lunch required a different kind of planning than I was accustomed to. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but since my life revolves around food, I was highly concerned with how lunch was going to work.

Like many places of work, Cityview gives each of us one full hour to either leave and grab food or eat here and take a mental break if you wish. We're located at the L&N building downtown, so the options are a bit endless as far as proximity goes. However, I really don't relish the idea of eating out every single day. Actually, it terrifies me. Of course there's the whole issue of having time to either walk or drive to a restaurant and get food around the same time that everyone else working in Knoxville is too. And then there is also the concern of spending an increased amount of money allotted to food than you would if you ate at home (like I did most of the time when I was going to UT). Grocery shopping is becoming a thing of the past already for my life and I've only been employed for a few short weeks. I love grocery shopping. Don't ask me why, but I get a rush of adrenaline as I explore each isle. I always have a list of things I have to get. But I find myself meandering around to see if I can conjure something new. Some of my best recipes were developed as I was daydreaming in a grocery store. I'll share them as we go along, don't fret.

All of this discussion brings up my next quest. I am now on the hunt for some easy and fast recipes that are portable for the workplace to get people who are bored, frustrated, or ___(fill in the blank)___ with eating out for lunch breaks.

What I have access to at Cityview: a refrigerator and a microwave. If you are a lucky duck (like my mother is at the City of Maryville), you may even have access to a dish washer, oven or other such things. So for this lunch ideas section, everything will be refrigerated or will require a few seconds in the microwave.

I'll be making some up and also searching my cookbook collection. I welcome ideas, so share some recipes if you've got them. :)

New Year, new things

2010-01-02T11:11:00.031-05:00

New Years is a funny time for people who enjoy different types of food. It's a holiday, so you want to cook. But do you really want to make greens, cornbread and black eyed peas again this year? Start your new year off with something a little out of the norm.

This is how I felt leading up to New Years anyway. And my entire family was in Atlanta for the bowl game, of which I was not allowed days off work to attend. But that was okay. I had the kitchen to myself to experiment however I liked. Cooking is not only a hobby to me; sometimes it helps as an escape or stress relief just as running also does for me. When it's literally freezing temperatures outside, I tend to cook more and run outside less. (My knee can tolerate the treadmill in the basement for only so long...ugh) Cooking is just comforting. You know that when you mix certain things together they will always come out delicious. :)

UPDATE: I was not completely alone for New Years (that's good, right?) It was nice to have two close friends accompany me for some culinary experiments--I taught Whitney Walker and Drew Streip how to make risotto. When cooked properly, risotto can be one of the most decadent and delicious things you can make. Not to mention the options for flavoring risotto are endless. We were feeling a little adventurous (or stupid?) and decided to add seared veal to our risotto. I know, crazy. But it was tasty. Also accompanied by mushrooms and chicken stock (NEVER WATER). Cook low and slow...that's the motto for cooking a good risotto.

Chewy Chocola-Mint Cookies

2009-12-31T13:07:00.008-05:00

Interesting name? Yeah, but jam-packed with flavor and sure to not disappoint. This is the perfect recipe for when you are on dessert duty for a party or work luncheon and you may have forgot to make anything until last minute.

I conjured up this recipe making Christmas cookies a few years ago and my mom loves them so much, I find myself making them year around. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that peppermint is not just a winter flavor. Mint lovers will attest--there is no law that says it must be snowing outside or the holiday season to enjoy it's minty goodness.

So...I make this ode to peppermint and chocolate. And my beloved cream cheese icing. It is a strange thing. I do not like icing, unless it is cream cheese icing. This is how my mother does in fact know that I am her child. (An ongoing joke between us is when I don't like icing or something sweet like rich chocolate cake she claims that I am not her daughter. I just couldn't possibly be because she enjoys sweet, rich things so much.)

Ingredients:

1 box of your choice richness of chocolate cake mix (Yes, the kind in the boxes at the grocery store. Obviously this cookie may taste a little better if you measured out your own flour and cocoa and such, but this method gives you more time to worry about your outfit for the party rather than measuring and dealing with flour!)
2 eggs
1/3 C of oil
Peppermint (I get a few candy canes and some soft peppermint sticks you find at Cracker Barrel and other such old timey stores and mix them for ultimate deliciousness.)
Cream cheese icing (I use store bought on most days, but this is delicious if you make it yourself as well.)

Method:

Mix the two eggs with a wisk in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add the oil
Slowly add, little by little, the cake mix. Stirring with a fork or silicon spatula as you add more mix. When mixed together, the ingredients will get very difficult to stir. Do not add anything else to it! No matter how tempting it is to add a little milk or water to make it easier on yourself. Put a little elbow grease in it and get those clumps out yourself.
It's time to get your fingers dirty. When the mix is completely even and moist, grab about a spoon full-size and roll into a ball. As you place it on your greased baking sheet, softly flatten the ball to be about 1/4 inch thick.
Place finished pre-masterpiece into the oven at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. I like my cookies chewy. Always. So I usually bake mine for 6 minutes.
After they are baked to your liking and are cooled, put your cream cheese icing on top.
Gather your chosen peppermint. It sounds crazy, but the easiest way to crunch these up without burning out your mixing bowl (which isn't made for hard candy, so don't try it) is to put them in a couple plastic bags, go to your garage, and take a hammer to it. Seriously. Don't use a can of pears...it will dent. I know from experience.
Sprinkle your peppermint on top and enjoy. Delish!

I made these last night and brought some to the office this morning. Not really for lunch break, but just for a mid-afternoon snack before everyone starts their new years resolutions of eating healthy haha. So make these tonight for your last minute holiday party dishes. Or save this recipe for Valentine's Day, it is also a sure way to any woman's heart. Right, mom?

Cheers 2009, it was fun. Welcome 2010.

So I stand at the crossroads...

2009-12-30T13:50:00.002-05:00

So this blog was created as part of my assignment requirements for Journalism and Electronic Media 422 at UT. Now that I have graduated, and still have this blog to my Google account, I have decided to still make use of it. Though I did debate with myself on wither or not I should delete this. Anyway...

With that being said, I feel it's only fair to let you in on what you'll be getting yourselves into when you read. I am an aspiring food writer, or that's the life-long goal of mine as I have leaped into the magazine industry. It wasn't easy to graduate on a rainy Sunday afternoon and begin working full-time the following Monday morning. There's not a lot of time to transition your entire life routine, but I'm making it work. But that's not what I want to talk about on here...this isn't going to be a "reflect on my life and what I've done each day" kind of discussion. Though I may refer to myself or events of my past, that will not be the focal point. I can only imagine your sigh of relief...

Rather, I want this to be an experiment for myself on food writing. So hang with me on this one. I'm not going to claim to be Julia Child or Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller or Masaharu Morimoto by any means or capacity. (Though I have worked with Thomas Keller and have eaten at Morimoto's restaurant in Tokyo...maybe I'll tell those stories another day.)
I want to dig into a paradigm, ingredient or cooking method for a certain meat, for example, and see what I can do with it. Both in the kitchen and with my words. While it may be a recipe for a disaster, we will just have to see. The rest of my Subway sandwich is calling me...lunch break is almost over. That's all for now.

First Quarter Break: Fresh Salads Made Simple

2009-09-15T13:13:00.006-04:00

Okay, your tailgate is coming along but everyone is still walking around and talking and grabbing bites of food here and there. To move your tailgate along from the dips into the next stop on the menu, serving salads make a great segue.

With that being said, this week's recipes and discussions will be all about salads and the many possibilities they present. Salads can be extremely healthy as well as flavorful so feel free to break away from the classic Caesar or pre-mixed salads you can buy in the grocery stores. Get creative and make you own--your friends at your tailgate will appreciate it and so will your taste buds.

I know a few of my friends hate green salads, so offer up a few salads that don't have a lettuce or spinach base as an ingredient to liven things up. Many salads I will provide recipes for will not be your traditional green salads, but I will include a couple that are out of the ordinary as an idea for your tailgate menu. I hope you guys are as excited as I am about this week!

Dips and Spreads: "Smokey" Salmon Pâté

2009-09-13T19:55:00.007-04:00

This salmon pâté is especially easy to make and doesn't break the bank. With the exception of the smoked salmon, most people have all the other ingredients on hand anyway, which makes your trip to the grocery store that much shorter the week you decide to bring this to your next tailgate. And anything to make cooking easier and fun is fine by me!

I made this recipe with Vol fans specifically in mind. What could be more appropriate than to have a spread with a title to celebrate Tennessee's mascot: Smokey! But this recipe is very versatile--you don't HAVE to used smoked salmon if you would rather use pink salmon for a more natural fresh tasting spread. However, I personally think the smoke flavor of this salmon spread awakens your palate in a way other smoked flavored meats cannot. And paired with the cream cheese and other ingredients, this recipe is a velvety delight to have at any tailgate.

Ingredients:

1 lb of smoked salmon (cooked and shredded)
lemon juice from 1 large lemon, zest from 1/2 lemon
1 T of fresh, chopped thyme
3 oz of cream cheese
2 T of unsalted butter
1 teas. cayenne pepper
1 teas. paprika
pepper to taste
salt to taste

Directions:

Mix salmon, lemon zest and juice and thyme in a bowl with a fork until salmon is evenly coated. (You can choose to use a food processor to make this: add ingredients in the same order but make sure you keep the salmon a little chunky. Not purée.) Next, throw in the paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mix until salmon is evenly coated. Finally, mix in the cream cheese and butter with a fork until it is all one even consistency--making sure that all of the salmon mixes in with the cream cheese and butter. Toss the pâté into the refrigerator for at least an hour so the flavors can meld together. When you want to serve it, set out at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating.

A note about the smoked salmon itself: I went to Kroger this time for groceries and they did not have canned or bagged smoked salmon, but they did have a thinly-sliced option that you just pop in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees and pull apart when it is done. Super easy and the fact that it was thin strips of salmon made it even more simple for a salmon pâté. I had a lot of fun making this spread and ate mine with Wheat Thins Garden Vegetable crackers and it was delicious. Hope you all support Smokey and enjoy some for yourself!

Dips and Spreads: Guacamole

2009-09-10T22:54:00.002-04:00

Guacamole is a veggie dip that is jam-packed with vibrant flavor, but can be a bit intimidating for people to make. The all-star ingredient for guacamole is avocado, which is not exactly the most common vegetable to cook with on a weekly basis. However, it is one of my absolute favorites. This dip is a bit more challenging than the first recipe I shared with you--the avocados take a bit of elbow grease to smash but is totally worth it when you're done.

Now for the recipe...Alton Brown is one of the most intellectual chef personalities on Food Network. His show, Good Eats, is filled with food science and facts of ingredients and cooking tools he uses on any given episode. Because I admire him so much, it is only appropriate that I praise one of his favorite dip recipes from the "Dip Madness" episode of Good Eats.

Ingredients:

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Now of course, as with any recipe, you can alter spices to your taste preferences. Back down on the cayenne pepper and ground cumin if you don't like the extra kick this recipe has. Personally, I like a little spicy aftertaste in a guacamole. And a fun idea for serving is to keep your hollowed out avacado peels and place the dip inside like I did in the picutre. Something different as far as presentation goes and is functional in helping you portion the dip out to everyone too! Hope you all enjoy this "good eat!"

Dips and Spreads: Tangy Veggie Bean Dip

2009-09-10T13:02:00.006-04:00

My mother shared this recipe with me (one of which she stole from a friend) is now one of my favorite dips to dive white corn chips into when I'm watching the pregame show on ESPN. This recipe takes about 10 minutes of prep time (dicing up some veggies) and absolutely no baking time. Aka: piece of cake and a staple dip when you are "volunteered" last minute to bring an appetizer.

Ingredients:

- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 4 oz of diced pimientos
- 30 oz of black-eyed peas (unsalted, without bacon)
- 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup of diced green onion
- 3/4 cup of Italian dressing (light dressing is an acceptable alternative)

Directions:

- Dice bell peppers and green onion into bites no larger than your pinky fingernail.
- Chop 1 handful of cilantro and flat leaf parley leaves (discard stems).
- Drain pimientos and black-eyed peas.
- Mix all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Chill for 20 minutes prior to serving.

This is super easy and quick to make. Let me know how you like it!
Keep an eye out for my next post for a killer guacamole dip recipe!

the pregame to any successful tailgate: dips and spreads

2009-09-09T19:24:00.012-04:00

During the tailgate discussions I'll be leading this football season, I will choose a specific type of buffet item or tailgating tip to highlight each week. I hope you are all as excited as I am to tie up your apron and sharpen your knives as this project gets into full swing. It is going to be fun.

This week is all about preparing different dips and spreads--breaking away from the go-to Pace salsa and Tostitos chips.

Now there's nothing wrong with those; they're actually one of my favorite snacks, paired with sour cream of course. However, it is a snack that is overly relied on to appease palates while the rest of the tailgate menu is cooking up.

I have done some research through personal recipes and cookbooks of famous chefs and am going to share some vegetarian bean dips, fish spreads and of course a Mexican dip to replace the staple salsa dip.

The first recipe is on the cutting board tomorrow, so check back for a zesty vegetarian dip from my own kitchen.

So it begins...

2009-08-27T13:45:00.007-04:00

If you have read my "About Me," you realize that I am a student at the University of Tennessee, however, I am entering my last semester this fall. Yes, somehow I managed to graduate early from college. Yay yayee! A little bit more about me: I have a dream of writing recipes and articles, cooking in a test kitchen, and representing a the publication in media interactions at a food or lifestyle-oriented magazine. My passion and calling in my career life is food writing. I'm very excited and eager to start! But I realize I have a lot to learn and look forward to each day discovering a little bit more about food and wine.

One of my classes is titled, "managing news web sites" and we will be developing a project using various media throughout the semester. Discussing our project topic on a blog is one requirement, thus the reason for this blogs creation! My professor advised us to pick a specific topic about something we are highly interested in because we will be researching and developing the topic over the course of the semester. If you know me personally, it will be no surprise to you that I chose something in the foodie world to do my project on. :) My plans for this blog include posting my research or personal recipes on alternatives to bland and mundane tailgate food. Because football season is gearing up, I will focus on football tailgates. Any tailgating fan is used to (and probably very bored with) having hot wings, grilled burgers and hot dogs, deli sandwiches and Coca~Cola or beer on game days. I will give suggestions of recipes and drink options to spice up your game day that are quick and easy, so you can worry less and focus on enjoying the company of friends and family. Everyone will have smiling faces, full bellies and eager hearts in waiting for the marching band to take the field for pregame...because we all know that means it's football time!

Truly Epicurious

Who said cranberry sauce is only for the holidays?!

2012 brings new things...

welcome nana to the site

Mexican Cornbread

Fall Frenzie: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chambord Cream Cheese Icing

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Directions

Heart Healthy Hints

It's football time...

Culinary School...YES!

What's the price for fresh produce?

Knoxville's Baconfest Events Announced!

Knoxville area farmer's markets

Knoxville Summertime Food Events!

[How To] Discover Spaghetti Squash

Time in the freezer...

For dinner tonight: saffron infused scallops over a bed of basil pearl pasta with roasted asparagus

Creamy Black Bean & Corn Soup

Not Yo Momma's Banana Pudding

What to do with eggplant

Restaurant Reviews and Food Critics

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

July 4th weekend: Smoked pork

July 4th weekend: EASY red, white & blue cookies

July 4th weekend: Blueberry Granita Stuffed Strawberry

July 4th weekend: Cheese balls

Moo Shu Pork

Scallops with Watercress Salad

Music pairings with recipes...yes, you read correctly ;)

Getting Saucy: Alfredo

Triple-D with Mel B.

Next Food Network Star season 6 is coming soon to a TV near you!

Here's how I started growing my herbs this spring

How to: begin growing your own herbs

Mythbusters: "Bad things" are healthy now?

I'll take some cheese with this wine

Wine Snobs

What to do with Easter Leftovers

Directions:

Preparation:

Easter Weekend Treats

Sun Dried Tomato & Artichoke Penne Pasta

Times:

Best BBQ of Knoxville

How do you like your eggs?

Revamped shopping list

Food Network Star Among Knoxville...

Famous Recipes of Interest

For all fans of "The Office:" BIG TUNA salad

On the prowl...and learning to be patient

Lunch break whoas and woes

New Year, new things

Chewy Chocola-Mint Cookies

So I stand at the crossroads...

First Quarter Break: Fresh Salads Made Simple

Dips and Spreads: "Smokey" Salmon Pâté

Dips and Spreads: Guacamole

Ingredients:

Directions:

Dips and Spreads: Tangy Veggie Bean Dip

the pregame to any successful tailgate: dips and spreads

So it begins...