Eating Dinner With My Family

My husband wanted back in the kitchen, so I let him:).  He didn't want to do the post, so I cut him some slack and said I would do a brief one for him.  He cleaned up the extra pancetta I bought and the one loose head of broccoli we had lying around.  He also found this frozen pie crust in the freezer in the garage.  He is as happy as I with his critical blow to the food clutter!  I thought the end result was really yummy!  If I were to give any critique or advise, it would be to make sure that the pancetta was well rendered.  I am only saying that because 1 (yes only one) cube of pancetta was a bit rubbery.  Every other bit was perfect, chewy goodness.  I think that piece was just a bit larger than the others, and constitutes no mistake, but if you aren't familiar with pancetta, keep that in mind. He wrote down the recipe as he cooked it.  Will also take this moment to not complain about the sub par pictures he took, but I was out with the girls at a wine tasting and have no

I am finding yet another advantage to this blog.  If I write it down here I seem to stick to it better.  I guess a public declaration keeps me honest;).  I was sorely tempted to just pick a recipe from the to try file and forget my war on the kitchen clutter, but I said to myself, you said you would do this so do it and don't give up yet.  (hey if this works, maybe I should write that I am getting a supermodel figure, write a best selling novel, open a successful restaurant and will make a million dollars!:)  So, I hit the pantry and the fridge with a serious blow.  I started with the pantry.  I have some corn husks in there from the last tamales I made.  Half a bag of something, a specialty something, has to go.  I remember the collards from my Front Porch Pickings Thanksgiving basket.  The tamale  we loved had kale; why not make that recipe but with the collards.  Oh and it will almost finish off that bag of masa in the pantry too.  Whoo hoo, I am on a roll.  When I open the dra

I really dig Korean food.  I am still trying and learning, but so far, me likey!  Last night's meal wasn't the yummy goodness I associate with the Korean food I have tried, so I decide to try again.  Tonight's clean up item (see Sunday's post to read my declaration of war on kitchen clutter:) frozen meatballs.  I know, I know.  Why, in the name of sanity, would I have purchased such a thing??  Well, sanity had nothing to do with it and lets move on.  So, what was I going to do with my little processed balls of meat?  I head to the web and look up different Korean sauces, and find a wing glaze I think will work nicely. (The recipe for the wings I based my meatballs off of can be seen here .)  I'm a little embarrassed to say they were delicious!  The prefab meatballs also made this supremely easy.  The hardest part was the 3 minutes I grated ginger.  (tip:  buy ginger root, peel it, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze it.  It keeps forever and is easier to grate)  We

If you read my previous post, you will know I am a woman on a mission.  Every meal, I vow, to get rid of something cluttering up my pantry or fridge!  Now, I can't get rid of too much in one meal if I want it to taste good, but one thing must go!  Today, being Meatless Monday, I am getting rid of an ancient piece of dried kelp.  I don't think it is the seaweed called for in this omelet, but in it goes!  Unfortunately, the kelp was the part of the dish that made it kind of meh.  Mostly because it was one long sheet.  I think I would have preferred it shredded up and mixed in, or something less massive.  However it gets made, it needs a sauce.  I used a little soy and sriracha.  It sure looked pretty, but the flavor a bit less so.  I love the idea of a rolled omelet.  Next time I make one, I am trying it rolled.  My darling husband cooked tonight, so I hope it wasn't too difficult.  He didn't say it was Korean Rolled Egg Omelette (Gaeran Mari) 3    eggs 1/2    small

I have leftover odds and ends I need to use up.  A couple of potatoes rolling around in a drawer, a random onion, and some almost empty cartons of chicken broth.  I bought the broccoli and chicken for tonight's dinner, but the rest of the ingredients were just taking up space in my kitchen. In the upcoming days, I am going to have to be doing the culinary equivalent of jazz improv just to get rid of the crap I have accumulated.  And I do mean crap.  I am all about fresh food and hate processed food, but I find my self continually, for no sane reason, buying the stuff I will avoid eating or using.  For example, I saw bags of frozen meatballs, BOGO, and I thought, hey for the tailgating party, knowing full well I was planning on sliders.  I went to the store sick, and canned soup was on sale.  What do I do, oh hey this will be good for me and I stock up.  I really hate most canned products.  I can taste the can, but that didn't stop me from buying like five.  And not 5 cans that

A great recipe for leftover ham and who couldn't use a salad the day after Thanksgiving;).  We have had this salad at the Columbia restaurant in St. Augustine and we loved it.  Then, some years later, we were in a cabin in North Carolina with some family and they had recreated the salad for dinner one night. It had become one of our family recipes and we all love it.  It is super easy and the dressing is wonderful on any salad.  If you have kids that require some extra calories or carbs, we add a baguette and butter for them.  Not only is is a great use of leftover Thanksgiving ham, but we had a lovely oriental salad mix from the Front Porch Picking basket.  Normally the salad is made with romaine, and it is great that way, but also wonderful with the mixed greens.  The recipe is a little vague because it was never written down properly and I hate to now assign an arbitrary measurement now, but for the sake of, some, clarity, I will throw out a measurement even though I eyeball it

I made Cranberry Sauce to take to my friend's house this Thanksgiving.  Funny story around this dish.  I was never a fan of cranberry sauce growing up, but I remember being fascinated with the tube of it as it came out of the can and managed to still look like a tin can but just cranberry colored.  So, fast forward a million years or so and I am a mom and learning to love cooking.  I made a cranberry dipping sauce and a cranberry sauce from Alton Brown one Thanksgiving and I liked it.  I decide then and there it isn't cranberry sauce I disliked but the canned stuff we always had as a kid.  I write a newsletter for Front Porch Pickings , a local and organic produce delivery company that serves Volusia county.  It is my job to offer recipes for the produce, particularly the more unusual items that many may not have cooked with.  Well this week was all Thanksgiving items, cranberries included.  I relate my above experience with cranberry sauce for the section on cranberries making

I had gotten extra ground beef and hamburger buns to I could have some to make the kids for lunches over the Thanksgiving holiday.  They ended up on the dinner menu.  I had the stuff on hand to make these and I didn't want to brave the stores on such a busy grocery day.  Were they good?  Yes, they were, even with out all the condiments we thought we would miss.  Were they great?   That is hard to say.  We all enjoyed them very much, but we have had some amazing burgers, and that makes it hard for a good burger to really wow us.  Even harder that they are competing with a memory which could be a bit more glorified than the actual event.  The meat should be cold to hold it's shape better, and follow procedure on the cheese.  It seemed wrong to stack them, but they turned out perfect because to it.  It is really hard to be unhappy with a sandwich oozing cheese!  They were only a little more work than shaping a regular burger, so don't let that put you off. Juicy Lucy Burger

So, I am not cooking this Thanksgiving!  I am both happy and sad about that.  We are going to friends house, but I have to bring something. (despite their protests;)  I am taking them their favorite salted caramel pretzel bark , but I also want to try out something new and holiday.  As I am thinking of it, there appears on my tv, Alton Brown doing a cranberry show!  I am also getting cranberries in my Front Porch Pickings basket!  Not being one to ignore fate, I decide to make some recipes on the show.  I choose this granita for two reasons.  The light, fresh and tart ice sounds like a great treat on a day full of heavy foods.  The other it that it can be made in to a cocktail!  That is a win-win for me.  I am bringing a desert and a drink with one recipe.  I made this early to taste it and make sure that I was bringing a guest worthy treat and cocktail.  It was.  I loved the granita.  It was a Thanksgiving trifecta, easy, tasty and light.  The cocktail was the big hit.  I don't

Yum!!!  Meatless Monday was a huge hit tonight. I did make some small adjustments based on what  I had in the fridge.  I had a 1/2 a red onion and a 1/2 a yellow onion, so rather than cut up a new one, I used those.  Also I had jalapenos on hand, so they went in for the Serrano.  I also did not follow the tip to mince up the lemon zest.  I really like the texture of the microplaned zest and it's easier.  The dish its self is really easy to make.  The most taxing part was grating the Pecorino and mincing the gremolata.  I was quite surprised at the world of difference the gremolata made.  If we had each eaten 1/4 of the dish, there was probably enough of it, but we ate a little over 3/4 and used it all.  Now I have a bowl of pasta and none of the yummy topping that took the dish from good to wow.  What makes this a must try dish?  Well, it's easy. fast, it doesn't have any ingredients that are hard to find and won't get used up, its vegetarian and it is really delicious

Gluttony!  This burger was a study in wretched excess.  It was pretty good, but you felt a little sick afterwards.  I didn't make my patty a half pound, but the boys did.  We also sliced our own bread, and made it a bit thick.  It seemed needed for all the wet toppings.  Also, I only found sliced smoked Gouda, and I only used one slice.  The cheese was totally lost on the burger.  We enjoyed the flavor but none of us could finish our burger.  We also were really sluggish afterwards.  I'm not trying to dissuade you, just forewarn you, that this is not for the faint of heart, stomach or cholesterol!  It was fast and easy, but then most burgers are.  The number one thing to keep in mind is to use a good quality sweet barbecue sauce.  The sauce is a big part of the burger.  (If you follow the link to the original recipe, you will see it was designed for a barbecue restaurant)  Another important point to keep in mind it that if you want to taste the cheese, go nuts with it, otherwis

I hate the new blogger app!!!!  I had typed this long post about the importance of learning to make a pan sauce and the basics of it and even looked up the proper spelling of some French terms.  I go to add the picture from my phone, using the blogger app, and it erases everything but the picture I added.  ARRRGH!  Since I have to retype the recipe (which of course today's was made up as I went along) and everything, forget trying to recreate the post!  I will sum it up in a short, if boring, sentence.  Pan sauces are easy and essential to cooking tasty, unprocessed food. Talapia with Garlic-Chive Cream 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter Salt, Pepper and Flour 2 Fillets Talapia 1 Shallot, thinly sliced 1 Clove Garlic, sliced 1/4 c broth 1/2 c half & half 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter softened and mixed with 1-2 tsp flour 2 Tbsp Minced Chives   Heat a saute pan over medium heat.  Season the fish with salt and pepper and lightly coat with flour.  Add 1 tbsp of butter to the p

This is a tasty and easy little dip that originally was made with black eyed peas. I like it with the white acre peas a lot.  The only change I would make next time is I think I will use cilantro instead of parsley or maybe a mixture of the two.  It could just be that we love cilantro, but we think that would be a much better herb for this.  I made the chips too.  I had some leftover corn tortillas and made them similarly to the Parmesan Tortilla Crisps , but I just used plain oil and then seasoned with salt, and garlic.  Fast and filling, and certainly healthier than those mayo or cheese based dips. Texas Caviar 3 1/2 c Cooked White Acre Peas   1/4    red onion,finely chopped 1/4 c  roughly chopped fresh parsley 1/4 c  red wine vinegar 2 T  extra-virgin olive oil 3 ea garlic,minced 2    plum tomatoes,seeded and chopped 1    small bell pepper seeded and finely chopped 1    jalapeno,seeded and finely chopped Dash hot sauce Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Torti

So, I have leftover buns from the Miami burger I made, so we will just have to have burgers again.  I figured we loved the Miami Burger, why not make the first burger in the cookbook, Bobby Flay's Bold Flavors, the Crunchburger!  Before I even ate it, I didn't like 3 things: no pickles (sacrilege!), no ketchup, and American Cheese.  I hate to say that despite missing my one crucial burger ingredient, pickles, I still liked it a lot.  I have always liked potato chips on a sandwich, and I have been known to put french fries on a burger, so this wasn't a big stretch for me.  My son adored it! My poor hubby is sick, but even he managed to be somewhat enthusiastic about it;). The only change was the buns, but I was making this to use up those extra 4 buns I had left over.  Oh and I forgot the romaine, but only I missed that. Crunchburger 1.5 lbs of Ground Chuck (or turkey) Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1.5 Tbsp Canola Oil 8 Slices American Cheese 4 Hamburge

I had some lovely kale from Front Porch Pickings , and I really wanted to make the kale and cheese tamales again.  They were so good, but to have a recipe for the blog, I decided to try this kale and white bean stew.  While I thought it was tasty, I think it needed a good dose of hot sauce. It smelled heavenly but didn't quite deliver on what that smell promised, but still pretty tasty.  It was a good, hearty bowl of soup and the kale was the star for me.  I did like the tamales better so next time I will make those instead:). Kale And White-Bean Stew 2 T  cooking oil 1/4 lb mild or hot sausages casings removed 2    onions,chopped 3 ea garlic,minced 1 lb kale,tough stems removed, leaves washed well 3 1/3 c  canned diced tomatoes with their juice (two 15-ounce cans) 1 1/4 t  salt 1/2 t  fresh-ground black pepper 4 c  drained and rinsed canned  cannellini beans (two 19-ounce cans) 1. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage

Meatless Monday was also clean out the odds and ends day.  I had several items I needed to use (2 onion halves, some broccoli, 2 green pepper halves etc...), so improvised a stir fry.  I am no Asian cooking master, but I thought I didn't acquit myself too badly.  I could stand to improve on this one;). Veggie Stir Fry 1 cup of uncooked jasmine rice (cook as per instructions) 5 Scallions, cut in to 1" pieces 2 Carrots, thinly sliced 1 large Onion, sliced 1 Green Pepper, Sliced 2 Cups Broccoli florets 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp of water 2 Cloves of Garlic minced 1 Tablespoon grated, fresh ginger Pinch of Red Pepper flakes 1/2 Tablespoon of sesame seeds 1-2 dashes Five Spice Powder 2 Tbsp  Tamari Sauce (or soy) 2 Tbsp  Mirin Sweet Chili Sauce Canola Oil Salt and Pepper Sauté carrots and onions for 3 to 4 minutes in about tablespoon and a half of canola oil with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add the rest of the veggies  (broccoli, greens b

We went to the Greek Festival today and had some leftovers from that and some other odds and ends.  I refuse to let my fridge bulge even more at the seams, so it's a pot luck dinner here tonight;).  I did however make banana bread with some bananas that were getting very ripe.  I haven't made this in years, but it was the best banana bread I have ever had.  I adore the coconut in it.  It makes the bread something special.  It is from Mark Bittman's cookbook, "How To Cook Everything".  It is a great cookbook and one I put on my list of must haves.  It if  full of recipes that are actually homemade and don't use a lot (if any) processed foods.  Mr. Bittman notes that he likes to toast this the next morning and eat it with peanut butter.  I haven't seen this stuff always last until the next morning;). Banana Bread 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp 1 1/2 cups AP flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cu

I made one deviation from this recipe, I used burger patties made from 1/2 ground chuck and 1/2 ground pork. Why? Well because I had some ground beef & pork leftover from the last time I made meatballs. We mixed those meats and made patties and froze them in vacuum bags. We didn't have enough meat to make patties from one type of meat but we had enough for 3 if we mixed them together. What was I going to do with them? I turned to the burger master, Bobby Flay, and the cookbook I got free on iBooks (Called Bobby Flay's Bold Flavors).  This is like a Cuban sandwich and a burger had a baby and those are two of my favorite sandwiches.  All I have to say is DANG it was good.  We all devoured our burgers.  I think we had patties that were a bit bigger than the 1/4 pound called for and that was my only issue with the burger; I thought the patty was a bit big, but that's my fault:).  We all were really pleased with the whole  meal.  A solid 4.5. Miami Burger 1/2 lb grou

I deleted the good picture but I think it still looks pretty tasty! I decided to make this recipe from a fellow blogger for two reasons.  One, I already had some Marsala wine from another recipe I made of his, and two since I was having a guest, and I loved the other recipe, I felt that sure it wouldn't disappoint my friend.  I hate making guests into guinea pigs for new recipes:).  It was wonderful.  Even my son, who hates mushrooms, said the mushrooms were ok.  I made only one deviation; I cooked the chicken, removed it, cooked the mushrooms, added the chicken back to the pan and continued on.  I took the author's suggestion of serving with mashed potatoes.  (I even had his recommended Yukon Gold on hand)  It was perfect.  I would have immediately thought pasta since its an Italian dish, but mashed were outstanding. (better than pasta) We all have our own way of making mashed potatoes.  I am firmly in the camp of using a potato ricer and just stirring with cream and butt

I went out with the ladies tonight, and there is a chill in the air, so I made this soup I heard about on NPR's The Splendid Table.  I loved what they were doing on the show; they asked chefs to give them three must know recipes.  This one caught my attention for a couple of reasons.  The chef recommended that, since you need a lot of tomatoes for this, buy all the brands at the supermarket and do a taste test and see which product is the best tasting.  I did this tonight and was very surprised to find that the expensive can was my least favorite!  I also liked his reasons for having this dish as a top three, was his mom would often give him tomato soup with a grilled cheese (canned soup, wonder bread), and he took that nostalgic dish and added to it by making it this way, and he hopes his kids will add to it too.  I was also intrigued by how fast it seemed to come together!  I made it in about 25 minutes, but 20 of it, I spent getting ready to go out;).  It is only slightly longer

I got this recipe from Food.com.   I thought it was pretty good.  I am not a huge fan of pork chops, but these were from the loin and were on sale, so I figured I would make the boys happy.  I also made a pan sauce from the drippings, some broth, fresh sage and some cream.  I thought they were a bit too lemony but the boys raved.  Oh, and I put about 1/3 cup of broth in the pan before I put them in the oven.  For the sauce, I strained out the big chunks of breading that were in the drippings and added about 1/2 cup of broth, and scrapped up the bits in the pan.  Boiled it for about 5-7 minutes.  When it was reduced to about 1/4 cup, I added 6 sage leaves chiffonade, and about 3/4 cup cream.  I cooked that until slightly thick and seasoned with salt and pepper.  My husband, who didn't know I inproved the sauce, said it was his favorite part.  (blush;)  We had a salad with it and for a starch, I used up a bag of herb stuffing that is at least a year old.  I am resolved to cook, crap

Chicken leg quarters were on sale at Publix for $0.99 a pound.  I bought two packages and am freezing one.  I figure the best way to cook them is ala the 40 Cloves and Chicken recipe we love, but I wanted it to be a different recipe.  I had plenty of potatoes on hand so I decide to use those since the idea of them roasting in garlicky chicken drippings and a bit of olive oil sounded heavenly.  So I kind of made this up as I went along.  Long story short, it was enjoyed by all.  Meat very tender, potatoes tasty, and while it took 1.5 to roast, it was not much active time cooking. Roasted Chicken and Potatoes 4 chicken leg quarters 4 large Yukon gold potatoes 1 tablespoons of olive oil salt 5 sprigs of thyme 1 bulb of garlic peeled 1/4 cup olive oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add the legs skin side down and cook until well browned. Flip and lightly brown on the other side Remove the chicken and

Meatless Monday again.  Why do I (and should you) go meatless on Monday?  There is plenty of information out there on the internet, but I am including a link to meatlessmonday  for one of the many reasons why.  On to the recipe... This one was just ok.  I halved the recipe, and that may have caused some of the issue.  It's biggest problem was the burnt bottom.  I'm not talking well browned, I mean black.  I also covered the pan when cooking the potatoes and when I added the egg mixture.  I wanted to be sure the potato was cooked and that the egg would mostly set before the broiling.  It wasn't inedible, but the burnt bits weren't pleasant.  I also think it needed a dose of salsa;)  Bell Pepper And Potato Frittata 12    large eggs 2 c  shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces) 2 t  kosher salt,plus more as needed 1 t  freshly ground black pepper plus more as needed 1/4 c  olive oil 1    medium yellow onion,large dice 1    medium red potato,quartered an

I had the most wonderful time at the Party of the Senses at this year's EPCOT food and wine festival. The Party for the Senses, is a ticketed event that take place in the pavilion between England and Canada in the world showcase of EPCOT.  It runs from 7:30-10.  Once inside, there are many food and beverage stations to try.  While grazing, Cirque du Soleil was performing on stage. It was a pricey event at $137.00 per ticket plus EPCOT admission, but I still think it is a deal.  It was an extravagant dinner that was my 40th birthday present from my wonderful husband.  Why did I want to go?  (Besides from tasty food)  What makes it worth it for me, is that you get to try a wide variety of foods, that are of a good quality, and by trying these, you can improve your own cooking as you learn what food can taste like.  In some ways, I won't be able to replicate the flavors, as I can't afford the high end ingredients that were in some of the dishes.  But, at least I have a high st