OD'd on Cheese!

For those of you who know me this is pretty much apparent but for those of you who don't, I love 3 food products - Pork, Cheese, and Chocolate - these I can't live without, ever.  Yea, probably not all 3 together but pork and cheese or chocolate and pork go together. Mmm, chocolate covered candied bacon. Or grilled cheese with bacon. Oh yea, love love love me some cheese, pork 'n chocolate.  Sorry, just got a bit excited there.
OK, so today we are focusing on Cheese and Pork and what better way to celebrate these two foods than with Pancetta Cheesemonger's Mac 'n Cheese (courtesy of BonAppetit).  WARNING: this mac 'n cheese is not for the weak-hearted.  If you are not an artisan cheese fan and / or a fan of pork this recipe is not for you.  Sorry, but go back to your "homestyle Kraft mac 'n cheese" oh yea, processed cheese. HA, I don't think so!

Here are my mini 1-serving Mac 'n Cheeses right out of the oven, heart-attack good!

Talking on the phone to my Gran and describing this mac 'n cheese dish, the first thing she says is "That sounds like a heart-attack of cheese." Yea, you could say that; but if you're going to eat mac 'n cheese you might as well indulge because let's face it, cheese isn't the healthiest food in the world, if only right. So being me, I of course had to tweak the recipe a little bit by adding Pancetta and more cheese, oh yes more cheese.

Serves 6-8 depending on size of dish.

You will need:

1 large pot of water with a helping hand of salt for boiling pasta

1 sauce pan for crisping the pancetta and making the cheese sauce

1 whisk, 1 wooden spoon

1 medium sized glass casserole dish or 6 - 8 individual oven-proof ceramic dishes

Preheat your oven to 375.

Start the water on to boil for the pasta - I used Penne - and cook al'dente.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried pasta

2 cups Greyere - grated

2 cups Sharp Cheddar - grated

1 to 1 1/2 cups Brie, rind removed and cubed (pop in the freezer for 15 mins max to help cut off the rind of this gooey cheese)

4 Tbsp. butter (plus extra to grease your baking dishes)

1/3 cup of AP Flour

2 tsp. Thyme

3/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1 tsp salt and pepper

4 cups whole milk or 3 cups 2% milk plus 1 cup heavy cream

2 cups breadcrumbs - panko or plain

*side note: I used cheese sticks in swiss/dijon flavor as my breadcrumbs and though it was delicious, I think the cracker cheese flavor over-powered the delicious flavors of the greyere, cheddar and brie.*

1. Cook your pasta till al'dente and drain, set aside.

2. In the sauce pan, sprinkle a little bit of olive oil and heat to medium-high heat. I buy the pre-cubed pancetta and use the whole pack. Crisp the pancetta in the oil and using a slotted spoon, scoop out the pancetta onto a couple sheets of paper towel.

3. There should be about 1 Tbsp. of fat left in the pan, combine it with the 4 Tbsp.s butter. Melt. Add the flour in and whisk making a roux, cook for 1 minute.

4. Heat your milk up in a microwaved safe bowl and pour the warm milk into the roux, keep whisking.  5. Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the spices: thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper, stir.  The liquid, now a Bechemel will take about 4 minutes to thicken, stirring often. 

6. Reserve 1 cup of cheese for the topping. Turn the heat off and stir in with a wooden spoon the cheese in batches of 2; taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt or pepper; don't forget to put the pancetta back in! Once the sauce is done, fold in the pasta then pour the mac 'n cheese into your pre-greased containers.

7. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and bread crumbs on top and drizzle with olive oil to help brown the bread crumbs.  Place on a sheet tray (incase over flow of cheese) and put in the oven until light brown and bubbly, 20 minutes.

Carefully take out of the oven and let cool 5 minutes (that's forever in cheese time) to let cook so you won't burn the crap out of your mouth :)

There you have it.

The best mac 'n cheese probably like ever!!

Cheese and Pork, mm so good! Enjoy.

Fall'n Acorns

The leaves are changing outside. The weather is getting chillier, wind whirling through your hair just starting to nip at your nose.  Fall vegetables are aplenty.  Hot toddies and hearty lamb stew are perfect companions to those fall nights.  Oh who am I kidding, I live in Florida and there is nothing changing colors, it's still green.  Yes, we still get all those fall vegetables but I swear people are still eating summer mango salsa with their fish and drinking rum punch and sangria, no hot toddies here.  And the only time it's cold it when it's dreary and raining out, like it has been the past couple of days.
But in light of all that, the Resort's menu is still changing for "season" i.e. Florida season when all the snow birds come down to enjoy the still green grass and warm beach days.  We are adding items like braised lamb shank and clams casino.  But what I'm most excited about is the holiday Thanksgiving menu..... I finally made something my Chef liked, tweaked a little, but it's going to be there on the Turkey-weekend menu.... my acorn squash flatbread.
Acorn squash, the forgotten squash because everyone is too obsessed with butternut to remember that acorns are just as delicious when prepared right.  Pizza or flatbreads, are pretty much a given when it comes to people liking a new food they haven't tried.  Haven't tried smoked salmon?... put in on a pizza with some hard boiled eggs, capers, lemon, dill and sour cream.  Haven't tried some kind of seasoned pork sausage or chicken sausage?.... add some hearty tomato sauce, lots of cheese and there you go, fabulous new sausage pizza.  Ever seen those Cici restaurant commercials where they display their less than appetizing pizza buffet of such pizzas like mac'n cheese on pizza..... yea, I swear they'll put any concoction on a pizza these days but mine isn't one of those.
Nope, my flatbread is much more, how should I say this, sophisticated.  If your kid doesn't like squash, apple or onions, let alone brie cheese AND salad (i.e. that so called green slimy stuff) than they probably won't like this; but that doesn't mean you can't make it for yourself or date night with your hubby.
The version for work will be on a cut-out round piece of flatbread with Asian Pear instead of Granny Smith apple but either one would taste great.
3 layers:
1) Bechemel (simple milk & roux cream sauce) with Parmesan and Brie cheeses
2) Roasted Acorn Squash with thinly sliced Granny Smith Apple and Caramelized Onions
3) Mixed Green Salad of Watercress, Greenleaf, and Arugula in olive oil

Ingredients you will need:

• 1 pre-cooked pizza shell, preferably thin crust, or buy pizza dough - roll it thin and pre-bake
• Bechemel = (makes 2 cups of white sauce) 5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup AP Flour, 2 cups whole or 2% Milk, 1/4 cup finely shaved Parm. & 1/2 cup Brie -rind removed - cheeses, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, a pinch of nutmeg.
• 2 Granny Smith apples or Asian Pears, peeled and seeded, thinly sliced
• 1 large Sweet Vadalia Onion
• 2 cups approx. of mixed greens: Baby Arugula, Greenleaf julienned, and Watercress stemmed

To make the Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pot over medium heat then with a wooden spoon, stir in the flour making a roux, cook for 1 minute. Heat the milk up to just under a simmer, and begin using a whisk as you pour the hot milk into the roux. Stir constantly but slowly with the whisk until the mixture gets thick - you can both feel it when you stir but to double check take the wooden spoon and after dipping, if you finger leaves a mark when you drag it across the back, its thick or nappe. Turn the heat off and stir in the cheese and spices.

Caramelized Onions: Cut off the top and bottom and cut in half, peel off the skin. Following the rips of the onion, cut into half moon juliennes.  In a saute pan with half butter half oil and salt over medium-low heat, begin to cook the onions.  The key here is low and slow makes the onions sweet.  If you need to turn the heat up at first to get them started, that's ok, but turn down after they start to cook.  The onions will turn a caramel color once they are done.

Acorn Squash & Granny Smith Apple:  Turn your oven onto 375 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with aluminum foil. Cut the top and bottom off the squash and then in half and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Lay them out on the tray and drizzle olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes on top, mix with your hands till coated and lay down flat.  For the apple: peel and seed and cut into 1/4 inch slices.  The apples with take half the time to cook.  Cook the squash till tender, approx. 20 flipping halfway through.  Once cooked, let cool slightly and peel off the squash's skin.

To Assemble:
Coat the pizza shell with cheesy Bechemel Sauce.
Evenly spread out the caramelized onions.
Then lay the Apples and finally the Acorn Squash in a spiral fan pattern around the pizza.
Sprinkle on extra Parm. cheese and bake until bubbly, maybe 5 minutes.
Top with greens that have been tossed lightly in extra virgin olive oil and s+p.
Cut and serve.
Good for 1 large pizza to share or individual pizzas for everyone.

I made it at work for a tester (this is without the fixes of brie cheese and the greens but it still tasted delicious).

And there you go... a new way to eat Acorn Squash. Can't go wrong with sweet caramelized onions, cheese sauce and roasted squash!

In a Food-Rut? Think outside the Box.

Are you in a food-rut?
Can't think of something to make?
Walking around in the isles at the grocery and though everything looks fresh, nothing comes to mind, but you buy some products anyway.  Once you get home, you take them out of your bag and either put them away or stare at the wondering "why did I buy this?".  Even us chefs and cooks get in food-ruts, trust me, it's not just you.
But I have a solution for you!  Make a collage.  No really, not kidding here. Get out your food magazines, scissors, paper and tape or glue.  Yes, I do realize you probably haven't done this since you were a kid, but trust me on this one, it helps.  Simply just start looking.  See anything, anything at all that peeks your interest like a phrase: "piece of cake", "family", "eat".  Food that looks divine, colorful, photographed well, or simply you just think it's cool.  Cut out objects too if you like.  Have fun with it.  Once you get a nice little pile of clippings start pairing things together.  Think of a theme like colors, or flavors of food like spice, or words that match the foods.  Once you start getting your theme together, start cutting out the clippings artistically. . . meaning if there's an advertisement for lipgloss, cut the lips out and then cut out the black inside of the mouth then stick some food coming out the the mouth so it looks like the lips are eating.  Cut close to the pictures, cut out part of it or all of it, cut it out however you like.  Really, anything goes in a collage.
Here is what I came up with after spending an hour looking through some food magazines.

Theme: Green with a pop of Red

Foods: vegetables, limes, lettuce, drinks, that red burst

Words: "Family", "Live Happier", "Get a Head", "Your Heart's Desire". "Eat"

It all started with the head of bib lettuce.  

I then saw the margarita, and sushi, and a page full of vegetables. The "Eat" is from a sign of fun wall hangings in the kitchen.  See how I took a pair of lips and have them eating the "Eat" sign? 

After finding the shrimp cocktail and the Italian landscape clips, I saw the glass of red wine splashing into the glass, perfect for that red pop to balance out the red throughout the rest of the collage.

And now. . . in the end. . . I am inspired to make a fresh salad with a red wine lime emulsion, avocado, shrimp, a light leafy lettuce, tomatoes, maybe some cucumber and scallion, oh and a cheese to fit in with Italy.  Sounds like a nice, light summer salad.  Food-rut solved, well for now.  Food is about passion and creativity in your own light.  Keep thinking outside of the box!

Chef Gusteau's Kitchen in Real Life

Zooming in on life in the kitchen can be compared to my favorite movie Ratatouille.  While I was in culinary school, some of my Chefs even referred to the movie so we would assimilate to what we had not experience yet with a working kitchen and a fully operational line working with the front of the house staff and our own class to that of the Chef Gusteau's in the movie.  For the most part, minus Remy the rat being a chef in a 5 star French Brigade style kitchen, the movie holds true and was a good lesson while taking Classical French Cuisine lab.
When we first see the kitchen from the roof-top as Remy and his imaginary Gusteau are peering in, he tells us the different positions as we get to scan the colorful and remarkable kitchen scenery.  If you don't work in a restaurant's kitchen, did you know all of this went on back there?  Most non-cooks / chefs, probably not, unless you know someone or have had the privilege to be shown it.  Hot plates, hot ovens, hot flat-tops, hot utensils, hot stoves, greasy slippery floors, hot steam-kettles, sharp knives, fryers, grills, pantry, tons of assorted food, ect.  There is A LOT going on in the kitchen at any given time whether the cooks and chefs are actually cooking or not.  Always finding something to prep, something to cook, something to clean, it's an on going cycle.
A line in the movie that always pops up for me when I or someone else gets yelled at for timeliness (huge aspect of the kitchen) is this one between Colette and Linguini when she is teaching him the other aspects of the kitchen to be well rounded besides soups.

Colette: What are you doing?
Linguini: Uh . . . vegetables. I'm cooking the . . . vegetables?
Colette: No! You waste energy and time! You think cooking is a cute job, eh? Like Mommy in the kitchen? Well, Mommy never had to face the dinner rush while the orders come flooding in, and every dish is different and none are simple, and all different cooking time, but must arrive at the customer's table at exactly the same time, hot and perfect! Every second counts and you CANNOT be MOMMY!

YES, oh so very true. A line of tickets stubs shoved under the line holder as you race to plate in time while multitasking to do 5 tickets or more at once that all have the same dish so you can get those 5 done and away with to the customers to then start on something else all while your Chef is asking for tickets you either have done so they're in the "window" or you haven't even realized yet that you have them because the machine is still printing and tickets are falling on the floor.  You're sweating and your brain is all confused trying to remember everything at once while you personally are just trying to get through the rush so you can breath. It's the fast pace, rush, excitement, and the love of food that gets cooks through it.
There are chefs out there like Chef Skinner and worse.  Sometimes it may seem unbearable, but you just have to trudge through the shift to and get to the next day. Other times it's great.  Like the feeling you saw flash over Remy's face when the waiter came banging through the door saying the customer's love it! (the veal stomach dish) and you are happy for that one moment of instant gratification because your plating looks beautiful, you got it out on time, and the waiter or manager comes down to tell you the customer enjoyed it.  Like getting butterflies but good ones.  That feeling of floating but stable on the ground as you try not to become a bubble head and have an ego boost, it just feels happy.  It's even better if you can see the customer's face, like in that of an open kitchen - where the customers can see the kitchen.  I worked in one of those, and though I was only the pantry girl, it was summer and well everyone loves cool refreshing salad on a hot day and just seeing a glimpse of a smile knowing they are actually enjoying their lunch break was simply nice to know.

For this feeling, it is why I do what I do.  While on days I feel crappy because things didn't go right, I get an oil burn, or my plates aren't coming out on time, the desserts are falling apart or whatever the reason is, those days could be better.  But when all else fails, at the end of the night when the numbers get tallied and we find out how many covers we did, the manager and / or Chef says: "Everybody did a good job tonight. The customer's enjoyed it.  You did a good job getting the food out." That moment is pure joy.  Keep cooking!

And watch Ratatouille if you haven't already, or just watch it again, as I do.

The Cake that Never Fails

Whether you want to admit it or not, everyone has a sweet tooth.  Ok, so I have met probably two people in my life who honestly don't like chocolate or cake, but that's just flat out wrong if you ask me.  There's nothing wrong with sweets, you just can't sit there being a fat kid and eat the whole thing after you bake it, no matter how good it is.  (You could always go run half way around the world to burn off the calories, but I know I definitely don't have the energy or will-power for that.)
So here's how the story went. . . . I was still in college, living off campus in my apartment and it was late, too late for the grocery to get something.  While standing in front of my bookshelf looking at my baking books I thought there must be something in one of these with basic kitchen ingredients so I'm not cutting out half the recipe and ending up with a deformed flat cake.  With out caring really what was in the cake, I found a recipe with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and zest.  Quickly looking in my fridge for eggs, butter and zest of either an orange or lime, excitedly found them and got out the rest of the ingredients.  This cake was so simple to make and when it was done baking not only did my apartment smell amazing but I was amazed it even turned out! Since the happenings upon this cake, the baking book calls it "Swedish Visiting Cake"and when I make it for my parents my Dad asks if the cake is staying over, very funny, I have tested other ingredients.  I have made flavors like lime, lemon almond, chocolate cinnamon, chocolate orange, orange and grande manier, fresh mango & lime, and a citrus blend. I like more flavors than others but really the combinations are endless.
AND the best part about the cake, you can make the whole recipe or half and once you make it, it's easy to remember because it's pretty all equal parts.
Here is the simplest, easiest, won't ever mess up and always turn out perfect in texture, flavor, and moist-ness CAKE:
** Preheat the oven to 375 degree on Bake.
1 mixing bowl
microwave proof bowl
whisk
rubber spatula
cake pan & PAM for Baking spray
1 cake plate

1 cup All-Purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of butter, melted & cooled to room temp.
2 whole eggs, room temp.
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of: 1 orange or 2 limes or 1 lemon

Melt the butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Let stand at room temp.
In the mixing bowl combine zest and sugar. Massage zest into the sugar using your hands until fragrant and the sugar has changed colors.
Whisk in one egg at a time, completely into the zest/sugar mixture, the batter should be light yellow.  Add salt and vanilla extract.
Using the spatula, fold in the flour. The batter will be very thick at this time, it's ok.
Pour in the melted stick of butter. Carefully incorporate using the spatula; if you need help use the whisk.  Do not over mix.

Spray your favorite cake pan with PAM for baking (flour in the canola oil spray).  Pour in the batter.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until cooked through (test with wooden skewer) and light brown.
Pull out of oven, cool for 1 minute. Cut around the outside and then place a plate on top and using a towel or oven mitt so you don't burn yourself, gently flip the cake onto the plate, will come right out.
If you can't resist, you may cut your cake now or wait until room temp and devour.  To store, just let cake to room temp if you haven't already done so and wrap in plastic. It does not need to be refrigerated, and will still be moist and good a week later if wrapped tightly.

Other flavors that are sure to please:
**Chocolate-Orange = zest of 1 orange, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted, replace 2 Tbsp. of flour with 2 Tbsp. of good quality coco-powder.
* Orange - Grande Manier = zest of 1 orange. When cake is still hot, after flipping it onto the plate, pour on a simple syrup with 1 shot Grande Manier, 1 part water and 2 parts sugar. You can make the simple syrup and then add the liquor and pour on top or you can cook out some of the alcohol by cooking it in the simple syrup.

I brought the Chocolate-Orange flavor to work, it was devoured while many comments of "This is soo good" were exclaimed!  Everyone loved it and I'm sure you will too after you make this cake.  This simple sweet never tasted soo good.

'Tis the Summer for Sangria!

The number one go to drink of choice in the summer time, sangria! It's always a party with sangria, whether you're sipping it on the patio with friends and family or just enjoying a chilled glass with a delicious shrimp salad, it's always worth the wait.  What, wait?  Well, the longer sangria chills in the fridge, the better it tastes.  Think of it like potato salad. . . yes, tastes pretty good that day at the BBQ, but it tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have mellowed together.
Tonight I tried a new recipe for sangria with pureed, strained, white peaches and a new wine, White Plum infused white wine and Prosecco.  Recipes are great and all, but personally just experiment with it.  Put together flavors you like.  Get an inspirational start from a recipe in a magazine or cook book, but make it your own, that's what cooking is about.
So to start those thinking juices going, here is my version of white sangria, best after a few days blending together:
1 bottle of crisp White Wine - like Pinot Grigio with citrus and pear undertones
1 bottle of Blood Orange sparkling Juice (can be found in most groceries stores or specialty stores like Trader Joes. If you don't like the bubbles, add plain 'ol pulp-free OJ)
1 bottle of Extra Dry Prosecco
1 to 2 shots of Grande Manier or Rum
2 oranges, cut into wedges (plus 1 extra, thinly sliced, for decoration)
1/2 lemon, wedges
1/4 grapefruit, slices
1/2 cup granulated sugar
a small hand full of mint, torn

In a large, tall juice container add all the fruit, sugar, mint and alcohol. Muddle with a wooden spoon.  Add the White Wine and Juice, stir.  You can add the Prosecco now or you can wait till served (I would wait).  Let this base sit in the fridge at least 2 days before drinking.  Make sure the spout on your juice container either has holes or you pour it through a sieve so you don't get any pulp or mint sprigs in your glass. Half base half Prosecco, stir.  Garnish with an orange slice and mint spring.  It isn't a summer party until someone pops the sangria bubbly!

Summer's Favorite Fruit

TOMATOES! Did you know tomatoes are fruit? That's right, those colorful, juicy, sweet little bombs are fruits and summer is the best time for them.  Cherry tomatoes, Grape tomatoes, Heirlooms, Beefstake, Vine-Ripe, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Purple Haze (yes that's the name of a Heirloom tomato variety), Black Cherry, the list goes on and on.  Because it's summer, there are tons of tomatoes coming into fresh peek.  Tomatoes are great to eat just like an apple.  Or slice one up with a pinch of salt and pepper plain or in a sandwich.  You are now starting to get so many tomatoes in your garden or are totally bewildered by the varieties in the grocery store you just don't know what to do with them all.  You could make gazpacho or hot tomato soup or a big jar of homemade tomato sauce.  You could make caprese salad or the Boca Raton Beach Club's vine-ripe tomato salad with seared proscuitto wrapped motz.  But one of my personal favorites is bruschetta.  Probably one of the most under-rated or over-popularized food dishes with tomatoes.  You can find it in most Italian restaurant chains now-a-days.  But ever try it in the summer time, with home grown or actually ripe heirloom tomatoes, olive oil toasted bread, and fresh basil, a whole other story.

Multi-colored Heirloom Tomato Basil Bruschetta on Semolina Bread with a smear of Brie

One of my favorite scenes of Julie & Julia is when Julie is talking about work and Annabelle's blog and her husband says she could write a blog.... guess what they're horking down.... yea, bruschetta.  Her husband's mouth is so full of it you can just make out the words, "This is really good. No really, this is really good."  Yes, I'd have to say my dinner choice was along those lines.

Bruschetta dinner for 2:

4 medium sized Heirloom tomatoes, assorted colors, medium dice - seeds and all

1/2 lemon juiced (red wine or champagne vinegar would work too but I like lemon)

about 1/2 cup fresh Basil, julienne

1 large Garlic clove, finely minced

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I used Basil Infused Olive Oil for that extra basil oomph)

salt & pepper to taste

--> combine all ingredients in a bowl.  let marinate together while toasting bread.

I used Semolina bread tonight, but I also like Sourdough or French Baguette - your choice

* 1 loaf of bread cut into 1 inch slices

--> Heat up a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) with some regular olive oil. Toast the bread evenly on both sides.

This is totally optional for those of us that can't live with out having a bit of cheese everyday - while the bread is still hot, spread on a thin slice of gooey Brie cheese.  Then top with marinated tomatoes.

And there you go, perfect summer time snack, appetizer, dinner or even lunch.  Really, you can't go wrong with this summer fruit.

Go Bananas!

Bananas, you've got them in your kitchen either in your fruit bowl or on a banana hook and half the time you don't end up eating them so where do they go?, in the garbage.  Instead of putting those bananas in the garbage, yea I know they're probably black and nasty and maybe attracting some friends, but instead, put them in a freezer bag and put those suckers in the freezer.  Why would I do that? Well, for smoothies or for bread.  Yep, the classic banana bread.  Great for breakfast on-the-go or a snack with peanut butter spread on top for extra protein or just plain toasted with a slather of butter.  Reading this, you're probably wondering when the last time you had banana bread was.  It's probably a food you had many times as a kid but it's a forgotten favorite in my book.  The great thing about banana bread is that you can add so many bonus flavors to it if the "banana" flavor isn't your favorite.
Today, I looked at the half-rotten bananas sitting on my counter, and now living in Florida, thought "Oh great, those will be attracting fruit-flies any day now."  So instead of throwing them away, which is what I would end up doing half the time and the other half of the time the poor things sit in my freezer for months on end,  I baked some banana bread.  But not any old fashion banana bread, a dressed-up version.

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

I took the recipe from America's Test Kitchen Baking Cookbook and tweaked it.  I didn't have any plain yogurt so instead I used a mix of heavy cream & sour cream.  And I replaced 1/4 cup of flour with cocoa powder.  Here is the recipe:

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, pam for baking, loaf pan (I used my meatloaf pan, took the drip dish out), baking sheet, a whisk, a fork, and a spatula.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, peeled

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted & cooled

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain yogurt OR a mix of heavy cream + sour cream = 1/4 cup

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Steps:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position & heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your loaf pan with the Pam for Baking.

2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, 5 - 10 mins.  Set aside to cool.

3. In the first bowl whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, salt and walnuts together in a bowl.

4. In the second bowl (a larger size), mash the bananas with a fork then add the eggs, yogurt or heavy/sour cream mix, vanilla extract, and butter. Carefully whisk together.

5. Fold in the dry ingredients to the banana mix until fully incorporated but still chunky, no flour clumps.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 mins. Use a chop-stick or wooden skewer the check doneness - if it comes out clean, it's done.
7. Rest on a baking sheet for about 10 mins, then using a hand towel or oven-mits dump out the loaf.  Let cool to room temp. or if you're too excited about how awesome this bread just made your kitchen and house smell, cut off the cut and dive right in.  Delicious!
* Hope you enjoy this new twist.  The chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder is not over powering and still lets the banana flavor come through.  You can always use different nuts or chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder.  Dried fruit also makes a compliment. *

Fruits of Our Labor

Summer, the best time to enjoy fruit.  Not only is it "in season", but it also just tastes better, looks better, and who doesn't love a watermelon with their bbq cook out? I know I do.
A great summer dessert, besides just a big bowl of your favorite fruits sprinkled with some sugar, mint and a little lemon vodka, are crisps.  Crisps are a great summer dessert because you can really use anything; well also most anything, I wouldn't use melon... the idea of cooked melon doesn't sound pleasant.  The other night, I made Georgia peach and blueberry crisps with a lavender sugar oat topping.  The one bonus of living alone is that you can make a bunch of something and freeze the extras.  Because I made my crisps in individual size, but of course you can make crisps for a crowd easily in a large ceramic dish or glass pyrex, I can now have the extras whenever I want a fruit dessert!  Besides being one of the the simplest desserts to make, crisps enhance the flavor of the fruit and a big dollop of ice cream on top never hurt anyone.
Here are a list of fruits that are great for crisps:
Peach - white or yellow
Blueberry
Raspberry
Strawberry
Blackberry
Apple - whatever apples you like to use when you make apple pie
Cranberry
Pear
Pineapple
Mango
Banana
Plum
Nectarine
Cherry
I am sure there a few more fruits but these are a good start.  For crisps, I think it's best if you choose 2 or more fruits, otherwise if it's just 1 fruit - it's like a pie minus the pastry crust and you want a CRISP!
Ok so now that you've chosen your fruit (like yellow Georgia peaches and Blueberries) you can start mixing together the other ingredients for the filling.  Depending on the fruit, please peal is necessary -either use lemon or lime juice & zest, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, all-purpose flour (the flour mixes with the fruit juices and creates a thick sauce inside the crisp) and optional - a spice like cinnamon.  Mix all these ingredients together in 1 bowl.
In a second bowl, mix together lightly pulsed oats, flour, granulated or light brown sugar, spice (in my peach & blueberry, I used a fancy lavender sugar) again like cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and butter (the butter shouldn't be refrigerator cold but not room temp either). Combine these ingredients until the butter has clumped with the flour, oats, and sugar.
Spray with Pam for Baking or butter the inside of baking ceramic bowls or a glass pyrex for a big crowd.  Place on a baking sheet for just in case purpose of over spills.  Put the fruit 3/4 up the pan and top with crumble.  Bake in a 350 - 375 degree oven until lightly brown and fruit is bubbly and hot; + / - 25 mins.
Enjoy your crisp with some old fashion vanilla ice cream or your favorite flavor.  If cooking individuals and there are extras, let cook completely to room temp before wrapping with both clear plastic and aluminum foil, label, and put in the freezer.  When you want to eat it again, reheat either in the oven - take the plastic off but leave the foil on, or in the microwave (please take off both plastic & foil, you don't want a fruit bomb) and enjoy again!
Think of it this way, not only are you using up the fruit in your house and in season, but you're also eating a healthy dessert.  And if you're like me, you can't resist some sweets at the end of a meal.

Julia Child

A movie of inspiration to the introduction of french food and the stories behind them, watch Julie & Julia.  Now I know what many people have said, they didn't like the movie or it wasn't what they thought the movie would be like or Meryl Streep didn't play an accurate portrait of Julia Child.  Well, despite all the nay-sayers, I quite like the movie.  I think Nora Ephron, the director, did a marvelous job capturing the picturesque times when Julia & Paul Child were in Paris (I myself have been to the French capital) and in turn did an equally good job at capturing the both the struggles and smiles of the life of Julie Powell and mastering Julia Child's French cookbook.  I read Julie's further adventures in her 2nd book about becoming a butcher, and she even said she liked the movie.

I remember when I was young, watching Julia Child on PBS with my mother.  Julia was wonderful; and still is wonderful on all her shows and in her books.  I would have loved to meet her, RIP Julia.  Julia & Jacque Pepin's show on PBS on Saturday mornings was one of my favorites.  I would watch every new show.  Julia would make a dish her way while Jacque did his own, but in the end they would both have delicious looking dishes and glow with big smiles across their faces.  What a joy it was to watch them.  At the time, so young, I did not know I wanted to be a chef, but playing "house" with my own plastic child-sized kitchen in the playroom with all my assorted plastic foods was always my delight.

When watching Julie & Julia, we can share in those "warm-'n-fuzzy-feelings" when we eat something, dare I say it, yummy, and our guests and ourselves (most important, self) love it.  Something as simple as sharing a glass of wine and my So You Had a Bad Day bread and cheese dinner is not only a comfort, but a relief that this will always be good and is most always better shared.  I think this is one of the main reasons I cook, I love that feeling.  Yes, you could say this feeling is just like a Food Dance.  However simple or complex your food may be, or your dance, just to know that someone else is enjoying it always puts a smile across my face.

So thank you Julia Child for being one of the first celebrities to begin my cooking inspirations.
And thank you Paul Child for these words: "You are the butter to my bread, the breath to my life, I love you."  Words of such beautiful wisdom can only for always be shared with one another.

ps. I forgot to mention, I have visited Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian, and it was a dream. If you're in D.C. you must go!

Not Just Any Burger

There's just something about a burger that gets my mouth watering.  All those toppings, sauce, the fluffy bun with a side of thin and crispy fries and either an ice cold beer or a classic Coca-Cola.  But hold up, I'm getting ahead of myself. . . we must first start with the patty.
Now I know what most of you are thinking when you see those Burger King or McDonalds or even Wendy's commercials, "hell that looks pretty damn good and it's cheap, nice." WRONG.  First of all, yes we know it's cheap, that's what the dollar menu is, it's CHEAP.  But what the average consumer doesn't realize is what exactly is that burger?  Where's it come from?  What are those cows being fed?  Is this just beef in my beef patty?  Well, we probably don't really know.  You'd have to ask; good luck finding that information out because after all these movies like FOOD INC, the reporters usually can't find out everything because the mega-companies don't want to tell you.  Simply put, these cows are fed CORN.  Yep corn, it's in almost everything we eat in the grocery store.  Sad thing is, cows can't naturally digest corn so e-coli grows in their stomachs, yea not good :(
Want an easy on your wallet solution? Well here in Charlotte it's simple.  There's this family who has a farm in Kings Mountain, NC - the Proffitt's, and they raise their own grass fed cows.  Yea, you know that green stuff that grows naturally in nature with no pesticides, grass, weeds like dandelions, clover, and guess what hay, it's grass too.  Shelley then sends it to a specific butchering-plant where she tells the guys to make particular cuts for that weeks' orders.  You can get her email every thursday night and older whatever on the list as much as she has and pick it up at the Charlotte Market, Atherton market, Kings Market or at the farm.  Ribeye, New York Strip, London Broil, even marrow bones, organ meats, tongue, lunch meats like hot dogs and pastrami, as well as her famous 1/3 lb. - 4 pack pattys!

I love these pattys!!  (I have gotten my family and a few friends addicted to them too; they're that good.)

There's just something about grass fed beef pattys.  For one thing, grass fed burger pattys don't shrink up like corn-feed beef.  When you ask for a 1/3 lb burger that's what you get.  Also, the meat tastes well like meat should, "meaty".  Like the meatiest steak you've ever tasted or really delicious dark beef broth, oh man.  Simple ingredients make these burgers shine.  Shelley even sells spice rubs you can use on these burgers or use your favorite (my family likes costco's steak seasoning or World Market's beef seasoning, salt pepper and some cayenne or paprika work great too.) Heat up your grill super hot, oil it, and these babies only take 2-3 minutes per side.  You do NOT want to over cook these burgers. A perfect med-rare to medium is just what you want.
Now that you've cooked the burger, top it with anything you like on a nice soft, but toasted bun.  I love potato bread or a Weagman's fennel seed roll, sesame seed bun is fine too.  And now for the toppings.  We already know I love bacon, mmm.  Ripe avocado mash (just mash with a fork because slices tend to slide off when eating), real caramelized onions (low and slow is the way, yellow sweet onions work best), fresh sweet tomato slices, lettuce (arugula, butter lettuce, or plain old romain), aoili or mayo, mustard, ketchup, bbq sauce, cheese - can't forget the cheese (muenster, provolone, cheddar, blue, brie, feta, goat cheese even).  You name it, it will probably taste good.

So there you have it. I love grass fed burgers, especially Shelley Proffitt's because they come pre-packaged 4 each, all 1/3 lb.  Now that's (sorry Alton Brown, but I can't resist) GOOD EATS!!

Eat Local.  Eat Fresh.  Grass fed is always better. Eat Meat.

Serene Beauty

The sweet sensation of a kiss.

She twirls around in a circle, the dress rippling over her long legs in the calming spring breeze while gazing upon the diamond clarity of clear skies, she whispers sweet nothings into our ear.  Her voice is bold with passion but velvety like the texture of her silk dress gliding across our clean skin.  Blackberries on nearby bushes blossom with luscious ripe juice, bursting with flavor.  Her lips taste of summer-time cherries just picked off the trees enjoyed while laying in the over-grown tall grass.  She is as smooth as polished silver and as vibrant as the mid-day's sun shining through a church's praised stained glass window.

K I S S. . .

a lasting impression.

A glass of kisses from our young Cabernet Sauvignon.

Simplistic Ingredients

When ingredients are presented in its most simplistic forms with just a dash of seasoning, the outcome is delicious.  We don't need to load on the heavy spices or pounds of sauce to make our food taste like something.  What we should be doing is using spices or sauce to enhance the flavors of the ingredients, not cover it up.  Farm-raised, Free-range, Organic, In-season are all words we hear in the grocery and markets today; it's the craze.  But what we, mostly Americans sorry to say, don't realize is that this has always been the craze.  It's just fact that simple, home-grown, local ingredients are better.  When visiting Europe this past summer (2010), the Europeans (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria) always use local, fresh, cream-of-the-crop ingredients.  They resource out to farmers whom they know how to grow the best of that product whether it be cheese or proscuitto or lettuce or pasta, it's who the people are represented in their food.

With that said, last weekend (March 26) I cooked a 3-course Italian dinner for a family and their friends from an auction they won from the Charlotte Rotary.  I made a simple "Italian" dinner for them using ingredients which I only lightly enhanced to bring out its flavors.  Below is a picture of the salad: Baby Arugula, Goat cheese, Seared Strawberries, Proscruitto, and Pistachio Dust in a Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Simple ingredients = abundance of flavors.  (The dinner party loved it.)

Making your own food from natural ingredients isn't hard, just combine what you like.  In this spring salad, these were ingredients I liked and that the hosts said they liked.  A little bit of sweet, some peppery flavors from the arugula, tangy from the cheese, salty from the proscuitto and pistachios, and an over-all mouth appeal when dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. Light, simplistic.

So you had a bad day?

It's the end of your crap-tastic day and you're hungry.  We all know wine solves problems (possibly sipping it while taking a hot bath), so a glass of your favorite wine is a given.  Personally, a good oaky- buttery Chardonnay is always nice; feeling a red, maybe a bold fruity smooth Malbec. Pour yourself a big glass.
OK so wine - check.
Now for some substance.  Bread is always good, and how about some cheese to go with that? Yes, sounds good.  But being me wanting more than some cheese slathered on regular everyday bread, although good isn't great, some nice crusty bread pan fried with a good cheese sounds way better.
Get a loaf of your favorite crusty bread like French or Sourdough or maybe some Ciabatta. (I love some good crusty Sourdough.)  Get a loaf, not pre-sliced; it's so much better when you slice it yourself.  Cut 3 or 4 - 1 inch slices of bread.  Get a sautee pan, preferably cast-iron, nice and hot with some extra virgin olive oil to just cover the bottom, a sprinkling of salt and dry or fresh thyme leaves on medium high. Right before the oil starts to smoke, i.e. really hot, place in your bread.  Crisp on one side till toasty brown and flip. Take out of pan and put directly on your plate.
Now for the cheese.  Buy a good gooey melty cheese or your favorite is fine.  I am always in the mood for some gooey creamy Brie, but some tangy Goat cheese would be equally good.  Make 1/4 inch slices of brie and place directly on top of the crusty bread. The heat from the bread will start to melt the cheese.
And there you go. Your's and mine's day might have been crap, but at least you can come home, simply toast up some bread and cheese and sip some wine while sitting in the cozy corner of the couch and watching your favorite show or movie.  Problems from the crap-tastic day eaten away.

Unique Eats

Finally, I will supply you with my own unique eat.   I absolutely LOVE the show on Cooking Channel "Unique Eats".  It goes along with the enthusiastic followers I was talking about earlier.  The chefs and everyday people who invent food ideas that they like and craft it into something everyone will like, brings smile.  So, since I am a mega bacon fan, this recipe is an explosion of breakfast in cupcake form.  In involves flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, and bacon.   The cupcakes are topped with a homemade bacon cream cheese frosting.  This "French Toast Bacon Cupcake" is good anytime of day.
This recipe may look like a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps, but I guarantee a successful food dance.

Equipment: whisk, spatula, muffin tin with paper wrappers, electric hand whisk, 2 mixing bowls.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Makes 24 cupcakes

*Hint* You can use yellow or white super moist box cake mix instead of mixing your own, but use 2 eggs and 4 oz. pudding mix instead; makes 18-22 cupcakes.*

Cupcakes:
~ Dry Ingredients ~
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

2 oz. vanilla instant pudding

~ Wet Ingredients ~

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks @ room temp.
1 1/2 good vanilla extra (no fake stuff here)
1/4 cup real maple syrup (do not use that corn syrup flavored crap)
8 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled

Method:
1. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl = flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pudding.
2. Add butter, sour cream, egg & yolks, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat the wet ingredients into the dry at medium speed until smooth and satiny, 30 -ish seconds.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatular and stir in the cooked back by hand also making sure all the flour mix is incorporated.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown and toothpick insert comes out clean, 20-24 minutes.
5. Lift the cooked cupcakes out of muffin tins with wrapper still on, and let cool on a baking rack for about 40 minutes.

While the cupcakes cool.... make the frosting!

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened but still slightly cool
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened still slightly cool
1 1/4 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp. good vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. real maple syrup
3 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled

1. Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
2. In about 3 batches, incorporate the powdered sugar.
3. Frost the cooled cupcakes with a frosting spatula or a knife and top with crumbled bacon pieces.

Enjoy breakfast in a hand-size bundle of delicious-ness. Definably food dance worthy in my book.
I know my brother and his friends love when I bake them off a batch and they appear on their door-step.
With love from his sister, Sarah.

Enthusiasts

I found some enthusiasts.  A hand full of people who not only enjoy cooking, but enjoy it with a passion like mine that is well received through both the action of cooking the food as well as enjoying it.  Where are these enthusiasts from you may ask?  They're on the Cooking Channel.  And yes, I am aware this network was developed by Food Network, which some chefs have carried over to CC, but a few of these chefs I really can relate to.
Chuck Hughes from "Chucks Day Off", Laura Calder from "French Food at Home", Roger Mooking from "Everyday Exotic", Nigella Lawson, and of course Julia Child "The Art of French Cooking".
These handful of chefs all display their passion and knowledge of food as one.  It's really inspiring to know that there are these kinds of chefs out there today (minus Julia Child, RIP) who want you to feel the way they feel, image the smells in their kitchen, and understand the simplicity of cooking fresh, local, eat-good food.

I take pride in my cooking.  When I serve something in my apartment, at my parents house, in my friend's homes, or even on the line in a restaurant, the best feeling is when you see that smile of pleasure spread across your family, friends, or customer's faces; it brings the utmost simplistic heart fluttering feeling. It feels damn great frankly.  And I am not going to shy away from my feelings towards the rewards I get when I cook.  It is one of my most prized possessions.

What is The Food Dance?

Hello food advocates, my name is Sarah and I love food.
Friends and family know I am having a bad day when I'm not thinking about it.  I cook it, I dream it, I think food all the time.  If a day dream during class does not consist of a food thought, yea I'm pretty much lost. (Oh by the way people, I go to Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC - graduating in 2 months!)  Food is my happiness; my piece of mine that I wish I knew more people like me as enthusiastic about the creation of food as I am.  I'm not a big person, very tall - check, large appetite most of the time - check, like the smell of bacon and coffee to get me out of bed - check, check.  But there's just that feeling you get when you are enthusiastic about what you love and that thing that you love so much makes you happy.
OK so I'm not a fan of those Campbell Soup commercials where you see people making casseroles and they're licking their wooden spoons and smiling because supposedly the soup made their attempt at dinner taste better (and no Campbell's chunky soup over rice is not a dish for dinner in my opinion), that smiley dance those actors do is in essence, I suppose, like the dance I'm thinking about.
Recently I made a really delicious, amazing tasting, best recipe of it so far, tomato sauce.  Yea sure, I could buy it out of a can or glass bottle; but why would I do that when I can make it myself and usually for around the same cost to make it as it would be to buy it pre-made and probably over salted or too sweet or the numerous other problems I could point out.  No, this tomato sauce recipe, marinara, was simple but totally food dance worthy.
Imagine the smell of rendering bacon... now sauteed onions, celery, carrots, and button mushrooms with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves sweating away in extra virgin olive oil and bacon fat. (Is your mouth already salivating? I mean who wouldn't with that bacon fat? no?) Now pour in Velvet Moon red wine, a mix of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and let that reduce with chicken stock and crushed roma tomatoes. This concoction will reduce and meld together for almost 3 hours.  Oooh yeaa, my apartment smelt A-mazing.  Get ready for it...take a spoon, dip, and the sauce hits all your taste buds. But wait, what's that funny movement going on with my hips and the tip-top action across the kitchen, small as mine may be, that my friends is "the food dance".  Once you taste something that just puts that big smile on your face and you do that wiggle, that's it.  Your emotions for that food have exploded.
This is THE best feeling.