Week of October 24-30

Let's see, what did we do last weekend?  Friday night we went to see Wicked at the Orpheum, which was very enjoyable.  Walter and I were lucky enough to see it on Broadway and this production was almost as good.  We had a nice dinner at Felicia Suzanne's.  I had a goat cheese and carmelized onion tart to start and it was outstanding.  Saturday Walter worked, as usual, and I had my needlepoint group, then we went to Huey's for dinner.  Great fries.  Sunday night I cooked:

Chicken Marsala
Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli
Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon, Garlic, and Basil

All of these recipes are from Cooks Illustrated.  I will say, don't attempt this menu unless you're pretty good at doing several things at once.  I was mighty challenged, but it all came out ok and almost at the same time!  The pilaf and the peas were especially good to know about as I am always looking for good side dishes.

Monday 10-25-10

Chicken and Parsnip Soup

From Cooking Light, this soup was very easy and tasty.  I cooked some extra chicken when I was doing the Chicken Marsala yesterday, so I had that part done.  I intended to make some biscuits to go with this, but Walter informed me at the last minute that he wouldn't be home for dinner and then I was running late for my lit class, so I just did the soup.  My friend Pam and I spent almost all day on a gardening project, so I was pretty tired when I got home.  This soup was perfect.


Tuesday 10-26-10

My former neighbor Nancy invited Dotsie and Wanda and me to lunch today at her new digs at Trezevant Manor.  How nice is that place!  Nancy and Gordon have an apartment in the new building and it is first class.  They're very happy and very busy there.  We had a great lunch and a great visit with each other.  Thanks again, Nancy!  I took her these chocolate chip cookies which Walter later proclaimed as the best cookies ever (of course he says that about every cookie I make...) I had my Search class tonight so didn't really feel like cooking. Thankfully, Monday night's Lore of Literature class was the last one for this semester so I won't have double class nights for the rest of the year.  My wonderful neighbor Troy made a huge batch of spaghetti gravy earlier this month and brought some frozen to me.  I snatched that sauce out of the freezer and had spaghetti for dinner!  Thanks, Troy!

Wednesday 10-27-10

Get ready.  I made Pork Ragu Al Maialino and it was fantastic.  Notice that I'm big on one-dish menus.  They're not always balanced, but I don't worry about Walter, he eats pretty good all day long.  And I get lots of vegetables at lunch, so nights are kinda whatever.

Thursday 10-28-10

It's Thursday morning as I write this and we're leaving today for North Carolina.  We're driving to Asheville to spend the night, then to Charlotte on Friday where we're going to shop for a Murphy bed to put in Walter's upstairs office.  Then on to Blowing Rock for the weekend, can't wait.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16 cookies. 

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note)

1 teaspoon table salt 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 large egg 

1 large egg yolk 

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (see note)

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1.   Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2.   Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3.   Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4.   Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5.   Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon, Garlic, and Basil

Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon, Garlic, and Basil

Serves 6. 

Have a bowl of ice water ready to "shock" the drained peas and prevent further softening and shriveling.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon table salt 

4 cups sugar snap peas (about 1 pound), stems snipped off and strings removed if needed

2 tablespoons olive oil 

 Lemon zest from 1 medium lemon, sliced very fine

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 medium clove garlic , minced

6 - 8 fresh basil leaves , chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon table salt 

 Ground black pepper 

Instructions

1.   Bring 6 cups water to brisk boil in 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Add salt and peas and cook until crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes depending on size of peas.

2.   Drain peas, shock in ice water, drain again, and pat dry. (Peas can be set aside for up to 1 hour.)

3.   Heat oil over medium heat in medium sauté pan. Add zest and garlic; sauté until garlic is soft but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add peas, lemon juice, and basil; toss to combine. Cook until just heated through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.

Chicken and Parsnip Soup

Chicken and Parsnip Soup

Time: 40 minutes minutes
Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)


1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced parsnip (2 parsnips)
3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots (2 shallots)
1 (4-ounce) package gourmet mushroom blend (I used 8 oz of regular white mushrooms)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1 thyme sprig
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsnip, shallots, mushrooms, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and next 7 ingredients (through thyme); bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes or until parsnips are tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley.

CALORIES 204 ; FAT 4.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.9g); CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 62mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.3g; SODIUM 607mg; PROTEIN 17.4g; FIBER 5.1g; IRON 2.3mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2010

A New Favorite - Pork Ragu Al Maialino

I try new recipes all the time; I think it's one of the joys of cooking, discovering new good things.  (Sound like Martha, don't I?)  Most of the time it's ho-hum, but every once in a while - BAM! (Now I sound like Emeril!)

This recipe from a recent New York Times Magazine article is a big winner.  I made it for supper last night and Walter is still talking about it this morning!

Don't be put off by the steps; most of this is cook time and wait time.  The hardest part is waiting for the meat to cool so you can shred it cause it smells soooo good.  I couldn't wait and just cut it up into small chunks.

Take my advice and use fresh lasagna noodles.  Who knows how long mine had been in the pantry and they took forever to cook and were still, shall we say, chewy.  I'll be making this again, probably for a Sunday night dinner, and I'll be sure to hit Lucchesi's first! 

September 29, 2010

Pork Ragù al Maialino

By SAM SIFTON

1 pork shoulder, bone in, roughly 4 pounds
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 rib celery, cut into large pieces
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into large pieces
1 quart chicken stock (or enough to almost cover the pork)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 9-ounce boxes dry lasagna, broken into 3-inch shards (I only used about half this and it was plenty)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated grana Padano cheese (I used freshly grated Parmesan, same thing)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Small handful arugula leaves, cleaned.

(I omitted the parsley cause I don't care for it and the argula cause I didn't want to buy a whole container just for this recipe!  If I have some on hand next time I make it, I'll add it; I think it would be good.)

1. Using a sharp knife, remove the thick skin from the pork, leaving a sheen of fat on top of the meat. Season aggressively with salt and place in the refrigerator until ready to use, as long as overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a deep saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it shimmers, gently cook the onion, celery and fennel until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Rinse pork to remove excess salt, dry with a paper towel and add to seasoned broth. Cover and place in the oven for 90 minutes or more, until the meat just begins to pull away from the bone.
3. Allow both meat and broth to cool on the stove top for 30 minutes, or until you can touch the meat with your hands. Remove the pork and gently pull the meat from the bone, then tear the chunks into bite-size shreds. Place these in a large bowl.
4. Strain the liquid into a separate bowl and then pour enough of it over the meat to barely cover. (Use the rest for soup.) Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
5. Put a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.
6. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the pork and braising liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the butter and stir to emulsify.
7. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package, 10 to 12 minutes. When it is finished, drain and add to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the lemon juice, half of the cheese, a tablespoon of olive oil and the parsley. Stir to incorporate.
8. Serve immediately, topped with arugula and the remaining cheese. Serves 4. Adapted from Nick Anderer at Maialino in New York.

Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli

RICE PILAF WITH VERMICELLI

Serves 4 as a side dish.

If you like, olive oil can be substituted for the butter depending on what you are serving with the pilaf. Soaking the rice overnight in water results in more tender, separate grains. If you’d like to try it, add enough water to cover the rice by 1 inch after  the rinsing process in step 1, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature 8 to 24 hours; reduce the amount of water to cook the rice to 2 cups. For the most evenly cooked rice, use a wide-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. If you are using soaked rice for this variation, use 3 cups of water.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups basmati rice or long-grain rice

3 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

Ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

4 ounces vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch allspice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place rice in medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches; using hands, gently swish grains to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Repeat four to five times, until water runs almost clear. Using a colander or fine mesh strainer, drain water from rice; place colander over howl and set aside.

2.  Bring 3 ¼  cups water to boil covered, in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add salt and season with pepper; cover to keep hot. Meanwhile, heat 1 ½  tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat until foam begins to subside; add vermicelli and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove to small bowl and set aside. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoons butter to pan and beat until foam begins to subside; add onion and sauté until softened but not browned, about  4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and allspice to sautéed onion; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add vermicelli and rice and stir to coat grains with butter; cook until edges of rice grains begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir hot seasoned water into rice; return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Off heat, remove lid, and place kitchen towel folded in half over saucepan; replace lid. Let stand 10 minutes; fluff rice with fork and serve.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

Serves 4. 

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each), pounded to even thickness

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 

 Table salt 

 Ground black pepper 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

2 1/2 ounces pancetta (about 3 slices), cut into pieces 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)

1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon tomato paste 

1 1/2 cups marsala wine (sweet)

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, softened

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 

Instructions

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside. Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.

2.  Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; sauté while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

A New Personal Best!

I try to play the Set puzzle everyday.  I kick myself if I go over 5 minutes, got a lotta bruises, believe me.  But i solved today's puzzle in 45 seconds!!!! Wow!  Try it, it's fun.

Set Daily Puzzle

Oh Happy Day!

Two reasons for this being a great day:

1.  It's raining!  The sky is gray and we've had a nice, steady, soaking rain off and on all day!  I think it's been over 60 days since we've had anything more than a little sprinkle that almost evaporated before it hit the ground.  Our grass, trees, and gardens need this rain badly.

2.  I finished my first needlepoint project in about 30 years and here it is:

Ta Da!  I'm in a needlepoint group that meets three times a month.  We all worked on this pattern, called Contemporary Bargello designed by Susan Hulme. I made a few changes to her design just for personal preference but the basic design is pretty close.  Walter asked me how many hours I put into this and I don't even want to know.  Stitching this piece was fun, fun, fun!  And I truly enjoy all the great women in the needlepoint group.  It's amazing how each of our pieces looks just a little bit different, depending on the size canvas, number of threads, color changes, etc.  Seriously, it's been 30 years since I did needlepoint and I am totally blown away by the stitches and techniques in use now.

We started a new piece on Saturday and I can say this with total confidence:  don't expect a picture of the finished project until this time next year.  It is awesome.  This piece is designed by the late Jean Hilton and it's called Scott Lee.  Here's a picture

Again, untold hours of work.  I'll be keeping this for myself!

Week of Oct 17 - 23

Sunday morning my wonderful husband made Bud's French Toast for breakfast!  We were going to ride our bikes on the Greenline, but my bike's front tire was "flatter than a fritter" so we just took a walk around our neighborhood.

Remember the pizza I made last week with the butternut squash?  Well, the squash showed up again in this bisque that I made for lunch.  I substituted my leftover carmelized onions for the shallots, and I used the leftover bechamel sauce to come up to 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk.  It was very good, but I think I'll add about half again more squash next time.  I also made Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits from a recipe that I got from Smitten Kitchen.  As you may know, I'm on a mission to duplicate the wonderful cheese biscuits that they serve at Kojay's in Blowing Rock.  Kojay's is very stingy with their recipe!  Today's biscuits weren't even close, but they were good just the same.  They have Jalapeno peppers in them, so they have a little kick.

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

No cooking Sunday night - our homeowners association had our annual fish-fry, yummy!

This was a fairly busy week for me as I had several site visits for the Women's Foundation.  So I fell back on what my family considers "favorites."  These are very quick, very easy, very good, and very inexpensive dishes that they request over and over.  I'll set up a page with links to these recipes so that they're easy to find.  These are the tried and true dinners that get my highest recommendation!

Monday 10-18-10

Summer Sausage Skillet Supper

Boys love this - Walter will even eat leftovers!  I cook this a lot on class nights cause I can fix it before I leave and it's on the stove for Walter when he gets home.

Tuesday 10-19-10

Chicken Salad

A couple of weeks ago in needlepoint class, we were comparing what we had brought for lunch and my friend Leslie had chicken salad.  So we started talking about the multitude of recipes for chicken salad and Leslie said one of her favorites was from the 1964 Women's Exchange Cookbook.  The Women's Exchange is a Memphis institution.  They have a tearoom (fabulous food!) and a shop where they sell exquisite handmade items to support the women who make the items and to fund their various charitable projects.  I asked Leslie to send me the recipe and I made it today.  It's very different from the recipe I usually make.  I like pecans and grapes in mine; this one has almonds and capers.  But I have to say it's pretty good.  I coated the chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkled them with kosher salt and pepper, roasted them in a 450 degree oven until the internal temperature was 165, then covered them and let them rest for about 10 minutes.  Usually I flatten the breasts to an even thickness then saute them, but this worked just as well and was not as messy.  I doubled the recipe because I wanted to take some to my neighbor who has just had some surgery. 


Wednesday 10-20-10

Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
Rice
English Peas (yes, from a can!)
Buttery Pecan Rounds & Ice Cream

My former neighbor and soul sister, Tandy Gilliland, was in town and came over for dinner.  She lives in Lexington, KY now but still has ties to Memphis.  It was so good to catch up with her!  One of my PAR buddies, Kay McAdams, brought these cookies to the picnic Saturday and she kindly sent me the recipe.  I served them with ice cream, really frozen vanilla yogurt.  Delish!

By the way, my favorite frozen yogurt is Fresh Market's Homemade brand.  It has just the right flavor and consistency and no yucky aftertaste.


Thursday 10-21-10

Fiesta Enchiladas

First I have to say that I met with my needlepoint group today and took some of the chicken salad and cheddar bisquits for my lunch.  The ladies loved both, but the big hit was the container of Buttery Pecan Rounds.  We even got a lot of stitching done between the eating and talking!  I'm almost finished with my current piece, which is a good thing since we're supposed to start a new piece soon.  I'll post a picture, hopefully in a couple of days.

Fiesta Enchiladas is another family favorite.  Very easy and tasty and quick.

Friday, 10-22-10

Ok, my kitchen is closed for the week.  Friday is International Date Night, you know, and tonight we're going to see Wicked at the Orpheum.  We have dinner reservations at Felicia Suzanne's (no relation, darnit!)  Have a great weekend!

Buttery Pecan Rounds

BUTTERY PECAN ROUNDS

1 CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

½ TEASPOON SALT

1 CUP (2 STICKS) UNSALTED BUTTER ROOM TEMPERATURE

¾ CUP PACKED DARK BROWN SUGAR

1 LARGE EGG YOLK

1 ½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED TOASTED PECANS

PECAN HALVES, FOR DECORATING

1.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Sift together flour and salt into a bowl.

2.  Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Mix in egg yolk until combined.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture; mix until combined.  Mix in chopped pecans.

3.  Using a 1 1/4 –inch ice cream scoop, drop batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 3 inches apart.  Press one pecan half into the center of each.  Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

4.  Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.  Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops

 This will make the most tender pork chops you've every had!

Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops

from the Food Network

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 8 hr 0 min

Cook Time:6 hr 20 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1 pound ice

(There's some discussion about whether or not this brining is necessary.  I've done this recipe with and without and can't tell a difference.  You do whatever you want!)

4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) bone-in pork chops
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces dried apple slices (I use whatever dried fruit I have on hand)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, julienned
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Optionsl:  Combine the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup kosher salt, brown sugar and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat and add the ice. Place the pork chops into a 2-gallon zip-top bag along with the mixture and seal. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the chops from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Season on both sides with the kosher salt and set aside

Place the apples in the slow cooker.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch stainless steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once browned, place the pork chops into the slow cooker atop the apples.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan followed by the onions and saute until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze. Add the black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Transfer this to the slow cooker, set to high, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Decrease the heat to low and continue cooking for another 4 hours and 30 minutes or until the pork is tender and falling away from the bone.

Fiesta Enchiladas

FIESTA ENCHILADAS

8 8” flour tortillas

1 ½ c tomato juice

1 T veg oil

1 env taco seasoning

½ lb ground chuck

1 16 oz can refried beans

3 c (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomato

Chopped avocado

Sour cream

1.  Combine tomato juice, oil, and seasoning mix; stir well & set aside

2.  Brown chuck in large skillet until crumbly, drain

3.  Stir in ½ c of the tomato mixture and the beans.  Bring to a oil, reduce heat &

        simmer 5 minutes or until heated, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

4.  Place about ¼ c meat mixture & 2 ½ T cheese in center of each tortilla.  Roll and

        place seam side down in lightly greased 13x9x2 in dish.

5.  Pour remaining tomato mixture over top

6.  COVER and bake at 350° for 35 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with remaining

       Cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

7.  Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped avocado and sour cream.

Chicken Salad from the 1964 Women's Exchange Cookbook

Chicken Salad Recipe from the 1964 Women's Exchange Cookbook:

5 c. cooked cubed chicken                                                        1/8 t. white pepper

2 t. grated onion                                                                        1/2 t. curry powder

1 c. minced celery                                                                     1 T. taragon vinegar (or dry white wine)   

1/4 c. capers                                                                             4 hard-boiled eggs

1/4 c. coffee cream                                                                    1/2 c. toasted slivered almonds

2/3 c. mayo (or a little less)                                                                  

1 t. salt

Combine chicken, onion, celery, and capers.  Mix cream with mayonnaise.  Add salt, pepper, curry and vinegar.  Pour over chicken mixture, mixing well.  Just before serving, fold eggs and almonds into mixture. 

Summer Sausage Skillet Supper

Summer Sausage Skillet Supper (aka SSSS)

This is one of Walter’s favorites.  He’ll even eat leftovers of this!

8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked, drained, and set aside

1 14 oz pkg turkey smoked sausage (e.g. Healthy Choice)

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green pepper

½ cup chopped celery

1 ½ teaspoon olive oil

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup shredded 2 % cheddar cheese

Hot sauce to taste

1.  Cut sausage into ¼” slices.  In a large, deep skillet, cook sausage, onion, celery & green pepper in oil over medium until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

2.  Add macaroni, tomatoes, and seasonings; stir well.  Cook uncovered approx 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

3.  Sprinkle cheddar over mixture and stir to melt cheese and combine.

4.  Add hot sauce to taste.

Makes about 8 cups.

Bud's French Toast

Bud's French Toast

This is my father's recipe.  It was our favorite Sunday breakfast when we were kids.

2 large eggs

4 T milk

2 t vanilla

4 T sugar

6 slices French bread, about 1 ½ “ thick

Soak pieces of bread in mixture until full, but not soggy.  Coat skillet with butter

or oil and heat over medium heat.  Cook one or two pieces at a time, flipping when

slightly brown.  Keep skillet barely coated.

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits
Adapted from Gourmet by Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Drained and chopped pickled jalapeños, to taste (I used about 2 tablespoons)
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined. Stir in the cheddar, jalapeños and sour cream until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness on a very well-floured counter and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut six rounds. Bake on an ungreased (or parchment-lined, if your baking sheets are as “weathered” as mine are) for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden on top.

Roasted Butternut Bisque

Roasted Butternut Bisque

Ingredients

• 4  cups  cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped shallots
• 1  garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 1/2  cups  organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
• 1 1/2  cups  fat-free buttermilk
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Place squash in a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat squash with cooking spray. Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper; toss well. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until tender.

3. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add squash and broth to pan; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in buttermilk. Reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Place one-third of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

104 (26% from fat)

Fat:

3g (sat 1.9g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.1g)

Protein:

4.8g

Carbohydrate:

15.9g

Fiber:

0.7g

Cholesterol:

8mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

616mg

Calcium:

143mg

Katy McNulty, Sewickley, PA, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

Food for Thought: Is It Ever Too Late for Apologies?

I read in today's New York Times that Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Hill, called Anita Hill to ask her for an apology and an explanation.  You probably recall that in 1991 (yes, almost 20 years ago!) Ms. Hill testified during Justice Hill's confirmation hearings that he had made inappropriate sexual comments.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that was pretty much what brought workplace sexual harrassment into the spotlight.  But I digress.

Here's the text of Ms. Thomas' voicemail (again, a voicemail?):

“Good morning Anita Hill, it’s Ginni Thomas,” ...“I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband.”
Ms. Thomas went on: “So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. O.K., have a good day.”

In response to Ms. Thomas’s statement, Ms. Hill said that she had testified truthfully about her experiences with the future Justice Thomas and that she had nothing to apologize for.  “I appreciate that no offense was intended, but she can’t ask for an apology without suggesting that I did something wrong, and that is offensive,” Ms. Hill said.

Ms. Thomas: 
“I did place a call to Ms. Hill at her office extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get passed what happened so long ago,” she said. “That offer still stands. I would be very happy to meet and talk with her if she would be willing to do the same. Certainly no offense was ever intended.”   (Get "passed?"  Please.  It should be "past.")  But again I digress.

So that got me thinking:  is it ever too late to apologize?  Or to ask for an apology?

Frankly, I'm more concerned about the first question.  I still remember, in vivid detail, several of the mean and hurtful things I've said and done over the years.  Sometimes I even can't sleep for thinking of these episodes.  On the other hand, I'm hard-pressed to remember any specific incident in which I felt hurt by someone else.  I'm sure there were some, I just can't remember them.  Except one, maybe, from high school, but that was from a 16 year old boy so what can you expect?

Anyway, I don't think I'd ever call someone up and ask for an apology.  What if they didn't remember the incident?  What if they denied it?  What if, like Ms. Hill, they didn't think they'd done anything wrong or offensive? 

But is it too late for me to make amends to the people I know I've offended over the years?  A kind of a mini 12 steps thing?  I haven't even spoken to the people involved in 20 or so years (the main thing that I keep thinking about goes back to 1982.  And it wasn't horrible and they probably don't remember, but I still feel terrible about it.) 

I'm sure there are other, equally or more terrible, things I've done to other people that I don't remember or even cosider offensive.  Would apologizing for this one incident somehow make amends for everything?  Sort of, hey, I'd apologize if I only knew I did it?

Or am I making too much of this?  Do we all have incidents in our lives that we're less than proud of, so that, cosmically, everything is even?

Just thinking.

PAR picnic

I'm a Tennessee Master Gardener (class of '10 - yay!) and one of our projects is a garden at Davies Plantation called Plant A Row for the Hungry, "PAR" for short.  Saturday we had our first PAR picnic out at the garden.  What a gorgeous day we had and how much fun was it to get together and eat instead of our usual hard work!  Our fearless leader, Sharon Lusk, provided sandwich makings and drinks and the rest of us brought either a salad or a dessert.  Except for In Sung Kim!  He and his wife prepared various Korean dishes on the spot, using vegetables from their own garden which I need to see some day.  Kim was in my MG class and he's a fantastic gardener!

I took Vanilla Bean Shortbread.  These cookies are delicious, but there was so much good food that I came home with a lot of them.  Goody bags are available upon request!

Vanilla Bean Shortbread

Here's some more pictures:

Walter and our okra!

In Sung Kim and his lovely wife

The food...

A few of the PAR folks

Vanilla Bean Shortbread

Vanilla Bean Shortbread Recipe - MyRecipes.com

"This half-oil, half-butter version yields a crisper, more delicate cookie," says Cooking Light Advisory Panelist Greg Drescher of the Culinary Institute of America. Make up to five days in advance, and store in an airtight container.

Yield: 32 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Line bottom and sides of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray, and set aside.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.

4. Place butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add oil; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to butter mixture; discard bean. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon dough into prepared pan. Place a sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrap over dough; press to an even thickness. Discard plastic wrap.

5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; cut into 32 pieces. Carefully lift foil from pan; cool squares completely on a wire rack.

Food for Thought: the Beauty in the Ordinary

Saturday's Commercial Appeal had an article about fasteners, aka paper clips.  Seems the National Ornamental Metal Museum has been binding its grant application to ArtsMemphis with a special binder every year.  Here's an example:

You can read the entire story here.  These fasteners look more like jewelry than paper clips, don't they?  Which made me wonder:  How many other everday things do we never really look at?  What else, with just new eyes, would be beautiful?

By the way, the first grant to the Metal Museum by ArtsMemphis was in 1985 and was for $30,000.  The article listed the grants from 2001 to the present and they total $913,117!  If you aren't familiar with ArtsMemphis, go to their website and check them out.  This is an amazing organization that has raised millions of dollars to support artists, art institutions, and art education in Memphis.  The president and CEO, Susan Schadt, is a neighbor and friend.  She and her staff do an absolutely amazing job.

A poster of these fasteners would be so cool!  (I've already put a bug in Susan's ear!)

Week of Oct 10-16

Sunday I went to see the Tennessee Shakespeare Company's production of Othello.  It was fantastic!  We're so lucky to have so many Shakespeare resources here.  The TSC has a great program going into local schools to introduce kids to Shakespeare.  Check it out.

I got home around 5:15 and, of course, Walter was starving.  So I made a pasta dish that I'd gotten from a weekly e-newsletter that I get from The Splendid Table.  It came together very quickly, but it was just ok.  It had a sauce that was basically ricotta cheese and we didn't care too much for it.  For a quick dish, I'd probably say do the pasta and the sweet italian sausage part, but use a good bottled marinara sauce instead of the ricotta cheese.  Here's the recipe, Rigatoni alla Pastora, so you can judge for yourself.


I was on my own again Monday night (do I even have a husband?) so just ate leftover salad before I went to class.  Ice cream afterwards, of course!

Tuesday 10/12/10

Chicken Saltimbocca
Orzo
Broccoli

I got the chicken recipe from a weekly email I get from one of my favorite recipe sources, Cook's Illustrated.  You can sign up for their Notes from the Test Kitchen here.  Like Sunday's pasta, it was a little bland for our tastes, but very pretty.  I cooked the orzo al dente, then tossed it with a little olive oil and some grated romano.  It was good.  Broccoli is broccoli.

Wednesday 10/13/10

Butternut, Goat Cheese & Argula Pizza

I cut this recipe out of the Commercial Appeal.  Shelley Baltz writes a cooking column for the paper and also has the blog, Morsels and Moments, which I have listed to the side.  Making this pizza is not for the faint of heart!  IF I do it again, I'll make the bechamel sauce and carmelize the onions ahead of time.  All in all this took me about an hour and a half and I was busy the whole time - and used lots of cookware, so cleanup was a lot.  Was it worth it?  I'm not sure, Walter said he liked it.
The good news is that I have leftover squash, onions & bacon.  Sounds like there's roasted butternut squash soup in our future!

Thursday 10/14/10

Leftover pizza (Walter was out of town again!)  The pizza actually tased better warmed up!

Tonight was the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis' Grants Showcase and Volunteer Recognition Event.   I'm very humbled to have been honored as Volunteer of the Year by this great organization.  Truly, when I think of the hundreds of hours invested by hundreds of volunteers, my contribution is very small.  My friends Becky Boone and Joyce Carter were there to share this honor with me.  Walter couldn't be there, but he arranged for flowers to be presented to me along with the engraved plate.  It was a special night.

I'm excited about this honor!

Joyce & me

Rigatoni alla Pastora

October 6, 2010

This is not only a great fast supper, but it is exactly the sort of dish you'd be digging into if you were sitting down to supper in the home of an Italian friend. A few good ingredients, a little pasta water to help them become a sauce, that's what Italian food is all about. If you double up on this recipe, you could have a second supper by moistening the pasta with some broth and baking it in a covered casserole.  This humble recipe uses the ingredients a Calabrian shepherd might have on hand: fresh, homemade ricotta and a little sausage. An even more austere version calls for ricotta only. I pass the ricotta through a sieve to make it creamier, although most Calabrian cooks don't. They simply beat the ricotta with a fork and thin it with hot pasta water. Be sure to use a ridged pasta shape, such as rigatoni or penne rigate, to hold the creamy sauce, and be generous with the black pepper.

Suggested Wine: Salvatore Moletierri Aglianico "Cinque Querce," Irpinia, Campania, a rustic, medium-bodied red wine with a fragrance of black fruits, mint, and baking spices.

Alternate: Syrah

Rigatoni alla Pastora: Shepherd's-Style Rigatoni with Ricotta and Sausage

Reprinted with permission from My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South by Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher (W. W. Norton & Company; November 8, 2010). Copyright © 2010 by Rosetta Costantino and Janet Fletcher; wine suggestions copyright © 2010 by Shelly Lindgren; photographs copyright © 2010 by Sara Remington. All rights reserved.

Serves 6 to 8

3/4 pound (350 grams) fresh sweet or hot Italian sausage

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound store-bought whole-milk ricotta

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound (450 grams) rigatoni or penne rigate

Freshly grated pecorino cheese, optional

Ground hot red pepper, optional

Remove the sausage casings. With a table knife, break the sausage up into small chunks about the size of an olive. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned all over, about 2 minutes. Keep warm.

Press the ricotta through a sieve into a large serving bowl. Add salt to taste and several grinds of black pepper.  (Not sure why this is done.)

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat. Add 1/4 cup kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Just before the pasta is done, whisk a few tablespoons of the hot pasta water into the ricotta to warm it and make it creamy and saucelike.

Set aside about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage and toss over high heat just until hot throughout. Transfer the pasta and sausage to the bowl with the ricotta and mix well, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to moisten the pasta. Add pecorino and hot pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

LYNNE'S TIPS

Pecorino is sheep's milk cheese. Hundreds of different ones are made throughout Italy, but the type I think is being referred to here is an aged style that is a grating cheese. Pecorino Romano, which isn't hard to find, would work. If you can find the Sini Fulvi Sini brand, you'll have a superior example.

Fresh ricotta cheese has soft, nearly melting curds and tastes clean and almost sweet in its creaminess. Most of what we have here is a cow cheese, but in southern Italy it's often done with sheep's milk. Freshness is essential with ricotta. If at all possible, taste the cheese before buying. If premium ricotta isn't unavailable, look for whole-milk Polly-O, available in many supermarkets. A sound sheep's milk ricotta is produced by Old Chatham Sheepherders in Old Chatham, New York.

Come to think of it, making your own ricotta is pretty easy.

Homemade Ricotta

For about 1-1/2 pounds of cheese, pour 3 quarts, plus 3 cups whole milk into a stainless steel pot with 1 cup heavy cream (not ultra pasteurized). If possible make them both organic. Line a large sieve with cheese cloth or a thin towel and set it over a medium bowl.

Bring the milk and cream to a very gentle simmer, stir in 2 teaspoons salt and 1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed). Simmer 1 or 2 minutes or until you have cloud-like clumps floating in almost clear liquid. Don't let them cook until they are hard. Scoop them up and into the sieve. Gently press out excess moisture so the cheese isn't soupy. Put into a storage container and chill.