So today was an interesting day...wait did I say interesting? yeah I lied. I sat on my ass all day and did school work. FML.
BUT....I did make something quite tasty and as it was the highlight of my day I will now share it.
Sweet potato, roasted pepper, goat cheese quesadillas
recipe:
Take a tortilla (I used a wheat one) and layer on the following ingredients:
goat cheese
cooked sweet potato (400 degrees, 1 hour, scope out insides and mash)
sliced roasted red pepper
tomatillo slices
salt and pepper
add another tortilla and cook in pan over med-med-high for about 4 mins per side.
result: AMAZING!!!
So if you are in a lunch rut this is my suggestion
Your Welcome
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Snow = Saucy Balls
So I was snowed in for the past two days and it was heaven. Eventually being snowed in proves to be more burdensome then fun; the world doesn't stop just because you can't get out of the house after all. But I choose instead to ignore the sense of doom and gloom and instead give in to the temptation to do FUCK ALL. And it was amazing. I slept late, I watched an America's Top Model/The Tyra Banks Please Look At Me show (your call) then the next day Top Chef New York. I didn't put on real clothing till around 1pm. I feel invigorated having taken advantage of these mental health days so seldom afforded to law students. But most importantly, for the sake of this blog, I did a lot of cooking.
Adventure #1
Kettle Corn
Sweet and Salty and featured on Martha Stewart. Good Idea?? SURE!!! Here is the recipe:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Coarse salt, to taste
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add popcorn kernels, and cover. When kernels begin to pop, lift cover carefully, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cook, shaking pot frequently, until the popping slows; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Continue to shake pot until popping has almost stopped (be careful not to burn). Sprinkle with salt.
Sound easy? Yeah.....LIES!!! First of all trying not to burn the popcorn is harder then it sounds. Also I think this sugar measurement is pretty generous. Next time I'll probably use only 3/4 a cup. But the one thing that really should be in the recipe is the high liklihood that the popcorn wants to escape like me from a Glee marathon and you will probably end up wearing the popcorn. Shit...went.....EVERYWHERE. I had popcorn in my salt bowl, on the oven, in the measuring cup I used to measure the popcorn (couldn't do that again if I tried).
All that said, it was pretty damn good.
Adventure #2
I also made Spagetti and Meatballs....Nom. And I mention this because trolling throug hte millions of meatball recipes online, I am forever frustrated by the overly complex meatball recipes out there. This is mostly aimed at those meatballs that use more then one kind of meat. This bothers me. Are they good that way? sure. Is that how Italians do it? Maybe, but who cares I'm F**ing Polish.
I think meatballs are at their finest when you just let them do what they do and be meatballs. No bells and whistles. Here is the recipe:
1/2lb chop meat (I use sirloin...no comments on fat content I'm getting there)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 onion chopped very finely (to ensure meatballs are juicy. This is my trick for juicy turkey meatballs too)
breadcrumbs (no exact measure, but basically until the meat is dry enough to make a meat ball with)
salt and pepper
1 egg
Parmesan cheese
combine (with hands....which I hate doing cause the meat is cold, but I suffer for my art. procedural note: don't do it with your rings on....I could tell you story's about cleaning rings when I worked at a jewelry store and the number of times it involved removing age old pieces of meat....eck)
Heat non-stick pan(med-med high), add 2 tablespoons olive oil. place meatballs (formed so that they are roughly the size of golf balls (maybe a little smaller) into the oil, brown, and rotate until all sides are browned (not burned....don't want them to taste or feel like little golf balls, just look like them) 7-8 mins. when done cook in sauce for like 10-15 mins on med low
Sauce is easy too: cook 1 clove garlic on med in Olive oil until fragrant (not brown) add 1-2 cans whole tomatoes (better the tomatoes better the sauce), salt and pepper, and herbs of your choice and simmer for about 15 mins (bring to boil first then lower heat) puree ...add meatballs....enjoy
Well I hope you have enjoyed my adventures in saucy balls and attacking popcorn
Happy noming
Adventure #1
Kettle Corn
Sweet and Salty and featured on Martha Stewart. Good Idea?? SURE!!! Here is the recipe:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Coarse salt, to taste
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add popcorn kernels, and cover. When kernels begin to pop, lift cover carefully, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cook, shaking pot frequently, until the popping slows; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Continue to shake pot until popping has almost stopped (be careful not to burn). Sprinkle with salt.
Sound easy? Yeah.....LIES!!! First of all trying not to burn the popcorn is harder then it sounds. Also I think this sugar measurement is pretty generous. Next time I'll probably use only 3/4 a cup. But the one thing that really should be in the recipe is the high liklihood that the popcorn wants to escape like me from a Glee marathon and you will probably end up wearing the popcorn. Shit...went.....EVERYWHERE. I had popcorn in my salt bowl, on the oven, in the measuring cup I used to measure the popcorn (couldn't do that again if I tried).
All that said, it was pretty damn good.
Adventure #2
I also made Spagetti and Meatballs....Nom. And I mention this because trolling throug hte millions of meatball recipes online, I am forever frustrated by the overly complex meatball recipes out there. This is mostly aimed at those meatballs that use more then one kind of meat. This bothers me. Are they good that way? sure. Is that how Italians do it? Maybe, but who cares I'm F**ing Polish.
I think meatballs are at their finest when you just let them do what they do and be meatballs. No bells and whistles. Here is the recipe:
1/2lb chop meat (I use sirloin...no comments on fat content I'm getting there)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 onion chopped very finely (to ensure meatballs are juicy. This is my trick for juicy turkey meatballs too)
breadcrumbs (no exact measure, but basically until the meat is dry enough to make a meat ball with)
salt and pepper
1 egg
Parmesan cheese
combine (with hands....which I hate doing cause the meat is cold, but I suffer for my art. procedural note: don't do it with your rings on....I could tell you story's about cleaning rings when I worked at a jewelry store and the number of times it involved removing age old pieces of meat....eck)
Heat non-stick pan(med-med high), add 2 tablespoons olive oil. place meatballs (formed so that they are roughly the size of golf balls (maybe a little smaller) into the oil, brown, and rotate until all sides are browned (not burned....don't want them to taste or feel like little golf balls, just look like them) 7-8 mins. when done cook in sauce for like 10-15 mins on med low
Sauce is easy too: cook 1 clove garlic on med in Olive oil until fragrant (not brown) add 1-2 cans whole tomatoes (better the tomatoes better the sauce), salt and pepper, and herbs of your choice and simmer for about 15 mins (bring to boil first then lower heat) puree ...add meatballs....enjoy
Well I hope you have enjoyed my adventures in saucy balls and attacking popcorn
Happy noming
Monday, January 31, 2011
Foodie Film
So as promised, I am writing another of my Foodie Film Reviews.
Like Water For Chocolate
So this film was amazing! (and the obvious source of the later made, watered down but with a still cute Sean Patrick Flannery vehicle "Simply Irresistible")
The basic premise is this: Tita, our cooking heroine, falls in love with Pedro, but her mother will not accept his offer of marriage because of a family tradition which states that Tita, the youngest, can't marry for she must take care of her mother until her death instead (I know! over-barring mom much?). Instead of his love Tita, Pedro marries her sister, Rosaura, instead. Bastard! Except Pedro tells Tita that he married her sister to stay close to her (classic guy logic).
Tita, depressed and forced to watch her love marry her sister, turns to cooking and in a Marquez-esce bout of magical reaslism, starts cooking her feelings into every meal. Her sisters wedding banquet for example, consumes the dinner guests with all of her sadness and passion till they are all crying and vomiting by the end of the night (sounds like a Polish wedding). When Tita recieves a bouquet of roses from Pedro and uses them to cook quail, her family becomes consumed by passion, so much so her sister sets fire to the shower shed and runs off (naked btw) with a revolutionary soilder.
I won't delve too deeply into the story and that would be boring for you (that's what wikipedia is for after all) but I will say this. The food scenes are brilliant, and like so many other magical realism driven works, it manages to reach your real life experiences through the fantastic. Plus who hasn't dreamed of feeding someone you hate a meal that gives them a lifetime of gas...(oh yeah)
In short, go. Rent. Now.
Like Water For Chocolate
So this film was amazing! (and the obvious source of the later made, watered down but with a still cute Sean Patrick Flannery vehicle "Simply Irresistible")
The basic premise is this: Tita, our cooking heroine, falls in love with Pedro, but her mother will not accept his offer of marriage because of a family tradition which states that Tita, the youngest, can't marry for she must take care of her mother until her death instead (I know! over-barring mom much?). Instead of his love Tita, Pedro marries her sister, Rosaura, instead. Bastard! Except Pedro tells Tita that he married her sister to stay close to her (classic guy logic).
Tita, depressed and forced to watch her love marry her sister, turns to cooking and in a Marquez-esce bout of magical reaslism, starts cooking her feelings into every meal. Her sisters wedding banquet for example, consumes the dinner guests with all of her sadness and passion till they are all crying and vomiting by the end of the night (sounds like a Polish wedding). When Tita recieves a bouquet of roses from Pedro and uses them to cook quail, her family becomes consumed by passion, so much so her sister sets fire to the shower shed and runs off (naked btw) with a revolutionary soilder.
I won't delve too deeply into the story and that would be boring for you (that's what wikipedia is for after all) but I will say this. The food scenes are brilliant, and like so many other magical realism driven works, it manages to reach your real life experiences through the fantastic. Plus who hasn't dreamed of feeding someone you hate a meal that gives them a lifetime of gas...(oh yeah)
In short, go. Rent. Now.
Snow time....again....grrrrr
So just in case we were missing it too much it's going to snow tomorrow. This is great news. I was personally sad about the lack of snow because it had been more then 24 hours since we had a foot of snow fall, and that just hurts me mother nature. I have been loving the copious amounts of snow, constantly needing shoveling and interfering with my school schedule (ok I'm not so sad about that). And nothing makes me smile more then constantly bad driving conditions, never being able to see the road when I'm trying to get out of driveways because the snow drifts are at least a story and a half tall, and CONSTANTLY wearing my snow boots with EVERY outfit....it's great. AWESOME.
So in anticipation of another two days snowed into the house, I have decided that tomorrow will be the day I officially attempt my Farro Breakfast.
17 ounces regular or light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups farro
1 cup water
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
[1/2 teaspoon coconut extract]- I don't have this/know what this is so it's getting left out
2 medium mangoes, small dice - or in my case frozen Trader Joe Mango
put everything but the mango (and coconut extract...whatever the hell that is) in a pot and heat over medium, stirring occasionally until simmering (10 mins). reduce to low and cook about an hour (until milk almost dissolved, and faro cooked through)
stir in mango
serve in bowl, under blankets, with pajamas and Netflix rental.
I'll give you the review tomorrow!!
An additional mention I must make. I have been sucking wind at my Foodie movie reviews and I apologize. At present I am working on the review of Like Water For Chocolate, so expect that soon.
But until then I should mention that I just got Scott Pilgrim v. The World the other day and it .....was.....AWESOME! Did not expect it to be that good. But it was very clever.
So why mention it on a food blog? Because one of Romona's evil Ex's got his super powers from being vegan, got tricked into drinking coffee with half and half and lost his super powers to the vegan police (it's better then it sounds). But when rehashing a indignant (mind you incredibly sexy) Brendon Rouths crimes against vegan-ism, he dares to ask "gelato isn't vegan?" to which the vegan police retort "milk and eggs bitch"....I laughed like a retarded monkey and now may never be able to eat this frozen confection without thinking about this...just sharing
I should also mention though that I am glad Vegans don't actually have super powers as that would only serve to make them more annoying
Happy nomming
So in anticipation of another two days snowed into the house, I have decided that tomorrow will be the day I officially attempt my Farro Breakfast.
17 ounces regular or light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups farro
1 cup water
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
[1/2 teaspoon coconut extract]- I don't have this/know what this is so it's getting left out
2 medium mangoes, small dice - or in my case frozen Trader Joe Mango
put everything but the mango (and coconut extract...whatever the hell that is) in a pot and heat over medium, stirring occasionally until simmering (10 mins). reduce to low and cook about an hour (until milk almost dissolved, and faro cooked through)
stir in mango
serve in bowl, under blankets, with pajamas and Netflix rental.
I'll give you the review tomorrow!!
An additional mention I must make. I have been sucking wind at my Foodie movie reviews and I apologize. At present I am working on the review of Like Water For Chocolate, so expect that soon.
But until then I should mention that I just got Scott Pilgrim v. The World the other day and it .....was.....AWESOME! Did not expect it to be that good. But it was very clever.
So why mention it on a food blog? Because one of Romona's evil Ex's got his super powers from being vegan, got tricked into drinking coffee with half and half and lost his super powers to the vegan police (it's better then it sounds). But when rehashing a indignant (mind you incredibly sexy) Brendon Rouths crimes against vegan-ism, he dares to ask "gelato isn't vegan?" to which the vegan police retort "milk and eggs bitch"....I laughed like a retarded monkey and now may never be able to eat this frozen confection without thinking about this...just sharing
I should also mention though that I am glad Vegans don't actually have super powers as that would only serve to make them more annoying
Happy nomming
Thursday, January 20, 2011
FOUND THEM!!!
So my last post was lies and the prodigal pictures have shown up....here they are:
Here is the fish:
and the Faro Salad:
And because I'm awesome: here is a cocktail I made with some Black Tea Simple Syrup
I call it an Alex-Tea-ni (I know I'm BRIIIIIILIANT)
Here is how it's done:
1. Make simple syrup: take one cup of sugar and one cup of water and combine in small saucepan. Heat over medium for about ten minutes until sugar is dissolved. Place in small bowl (I put a bit in with my last batch of whip cream but it makes a decent amount so that's why I made this). Add two-three tea bags and let steep for at least 10 minutes.
2. Make the cocktail: Mix in small pitcher two shots of vodka (I used Chopin) 1 shot of syrup and fill with slices of lemon, liquid (iced tea (not from mis thank you) lemonade, sparkling water etc) and ice.
3. drink
Happy Noming
Here is the fish:
and the Faro Salad:
And because I'm awesome: here is a cocktail I made with some Black Tea Simple Syrup
I call it an Alex-Tea-ni (I know I'm BRIIIIIILIANT)
Here is how it's done:
1. Make simple syrup: take one cup of sugar and one cup of water and combine in small saucepan. Heat over medium for about ten minutes until sugar is dissolved. Place in small bowl (I put a bit in with my last batch of whip cream but it makes a decent amount so that's why I made this). Add two-three tea bags and let steep for at least 10 minutes.
2. Make the cocktail: Mix in small pitcher two shots of vodka (I used Chopin) 1 shot of syrup and fill with slices of lemon, liquid (iced tea (not from mis thank you) lemonade, sparkling water etc) and ice.
3. drink
Happy Noming
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I Hate My Camera Seafood
Bad news kids.....my camera, which so far this month has decided to turn on only when it wants to has now also deleted the pictures of one of my greater culinary accomplishments. You upset, cause I am.
But let's move on and begin the genesis of healing and talk about this meal that you are currently not looking at. It is one of my Top Chef inspirations. You see a few seasons ago the contestants went to Le Cirque and had to recreate a potato-wrapped bass and leeks dish. Well Marilou found a recipe for this dish and I thought...what the hey.
Well it came out pretty good but not without hitches. First of all, the recipe was vague to say the least. Things like sweating the leeks was pretty straight forward, as well as sweating the shallots. Don't need more specific directions. Same with the very instructive "cook the fish" (I elaborate, it mentioned it had to be brown, though no reference was made to at what temperature) HOWEVER, the sauce gave me problems. I had to sweat the shallots, then add wine, reduce, add cream, reduce, whisk in butter. However, with no more specific instructions I made a sauce that was pretty good but I had no idea if it was right or not.
That being said, I need to make the potato thinner and need to make more leeks, but the overall effect was delicious!!! Just look at the ....oh yeah
The second Top Chef inspiration that is not pictured in this blog, is a Faro-Salad inspired by this seasons US Open challenge where they had to make healthy food. One of the contestants made Faro, which I had never heard of, so I picked some up at Guidos, and then made a salad. I cooked the faro, which is prepared similarly to rice, and added it to some cooked vegetables (peas, yellow pepper, chive, tomato) and
tossed it with a Dijon Dressing. AMAZING!
I also saw a recipe for faro "oatmeal", with mango. That's next. It's so tasty, and filling, and chewy. A new favorite for sure.
Well happy NOMMING
Keep an eye out next week when I will be making deep fried digital camera
But let's move on and begin the genesis of healing and talk about this meal that you are currently not looking at. It is one of my Top Chef inspirations. You see a few seasons ago the contestants went to Le Cirque and had to recreate a potato-wrapped bass and leeks dish. Well Marilou found a recipe for this dish and I thought...what the hey.
Well it came out pretty good but not without hitches. First of all, the recipe was vague to say the least. Things like sweating the leeks was pretty straight forward, as well as sweating the shallots. Don't need more specific directions. Same with the very instructive "cook the fish" (I elaborate, it mentioned it had to be brown, though no reference was made to at what temperature) HOWEVER, the sauce gave me problems. I had to sweat the shallots, then add wine, reduce, add cream, reduce, whisk in butter. However, with no more specific instructions I made a sauce that was pretty good but I had no idea if it was right or not.
That being said, I need to make the potato thinner and need to make more leeks, but the overall effect was delicious!!! Just look at the ....oh yeah
The second Top Chef inspiration that is not pictured in this blog, is a Faro-Salad inspired by this seasons US Open challenge where they had to make healthy food. One of the contestants made Faro, which I had never heard of, so I picked some up at Guidos, and then made a salad. I cooked the faro, which is prepared similarly to rice, and added it to some cooked vegetables (peas, yellow pepper, chive, tomato) and
tossed it with a Dijon Dressing. AMAZING!
I also saw a recipe for faro "oatmeal", with mango. That's next. It's so tasty, and filling, and chewy. A new favorite for sure.
Well happy NOMMING
Keep an eye out next week when I will be making deep fried digital camera
Friday, January 14, 2011
New Years Resolutions
Dearest Blog,
I am sorry I have spent the early part of this new year silent but it's been a hell of a few weeks. Christmas happened and that's always busy; I am now single which is never fun; and school just started (yeah the light at the end of the tunnel was in fact jersey)
But I am resolved to look on the bright side, and will say that this is my last semester of misery, I didn't cook much after my break-up because of my lack of appetite, but this means I'll be nice and skinny when I'm ready to get back out there, and for Christmas I received a whipper which will be the subject of this post.
The whipper is an ISI and it has been sooooo fun to play with. And my latest experiment is getting blogged because it was delicious:
I'll call it the "One-Stop-Shop break-up Cure: Bourbon Spiced Whipped Cream"
To be fair the alcohol cooks out but I'm sure in a heart-broken state no one needs an accuse to pour a drink along side their dessert.
first you make a syrup: Take about 1/2 cup bourbon, pinch of cinnamon, few whole cloves and about a tablespoon of sugar and heat over med-high in a small sauce pan. Cook down till syrupy (when you taste it, it should not taste like the enormous shot you took for yourself after you started cooking) then add to whipper, add capsule, shake and serve....DELICIOUS!
be forewarned it is not that sweet, so if you like sweetened whip cream add more sugar.
Serve with nice satisfying but not soon to be regretted- sized ice cream sundae and a healthy serving of bitterness.
Also good on cocoa as your cuddled up watching Rom-Coms crying thinking "Duckie was more of a man then you ever were.." *throws mug at screen
Or squeezed right from the container into your mouth along with shots of bourbon while you scream and hiccup
I make no judgments about how you choose to manage your demons but I found a small coffee sundae and horror movies sufficient.
Happy New Year
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