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Yearly Archives: 2010

Ratatouille Repentance

Posted on August 2, 2010 by amydeline

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s all about balance.

Yesterday, I served you a heart attack on a bun and called it a burger. I have to admit that I used my healthy side of steamed broccoli to wipe up the cheese, chili, and egg yolk, which dripped from my burger. But, today I’m making up for it with a delicious, fresh spinach salad for lunch and a healthful dinner, chock full of vegetables and oozing with nutrition. That, and a nice long run should set us right back on track.

Months ago, while watching the Disney-Pixar movie, my son asked me to cook him ratatouille. Now, what mom is going to say no when their son requests a dish that is completely loaded with vegetables? Then I lost track of his request and the months went by, until last week, when I spotted the most irresistible package of vegetables at the supermarket.

Instantly, I knew I would be cooking eggplant very soon. I started running through my mental library of eggplant recipes. My first thought was Eggplant Parmesan, one of my favorite dishes, but it seemed sacrilege to cover those beautiful baby eggplants with bread crumbs. That’s when I remembered the pending ratatouille request.

In the big climax of the movie, Ratatouille, little chef Remy, decides to serve a dish of ratatouille to the most discriminating food critic, Anton Ego. Chef Collette is appalled. But, it is a peasant dish, she exclaims. Remy astounds everyone by transforming this traditional Provencal stewed vegetable dish into something elegant and mouthwatering, which pulls Ego back in time to warm memories of his childhood. The culinary genius of a mouse saves the restaurant with his comfort food makeover.

The real-life chef mastermind behind Remy’s ratatouille is famed chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Napa. For the film, he designed a layered version of ratatouille inspired by the Turkish dish, Confit Byaldi; same flavor profile of a traditional ratatouille, same slow-cooked flavor, prettier presentation. In his version, a pipérade of roasted peppers, onions, and garlic is spread in a baking dish, topped with layers of fresh eggplant, tomatoes, and squash, then slow cooked until the vegetables are tender and sweet. The final dish is topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

Inspired by that package of beautiful eggplant, I decided that we would make Keller’s version of ratatouille. I told my son that we were going to make a fancy ratatouille, just like in the movie. His response was, I don’t want to make a fancy ratatouille! I want to make a smiley-face ratatouille! Where in the world does he get this stuff?? Anyway, we met in the middle with both a fancy and a smiley faced ratatouille. We’re serving our ratatouille with balsamic vinaigrette marinated, broiled fillets of salmon.

For the complete recipe, as published a few years ago in the New York Times, click here.

Here’s what we did…

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper in half. Remove ribs and seeds. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice up some baby eggplant, plum tomatoes, and yellow squash.

When the peppers have finished roasting, place them in a ziploc bag or cover with plastic wrap. This will help the skins to separate as they cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the peppers. Chop into small pieces. Turn the oven heat down to 275 degrees.

In a pan, heat a little olive oil. Cook a chopped onion until softened. Add minced garlic and thyme. Cook a few minutes more.

Add the chopped peppers, cook for a few more minutes. This your pipérade. Spread the pipérade in an even layer on the bottom of a baking dish.

Arrange the sliced vegetables in an overlapping pattern on top of the pipérade.

The kids worked on their smiley-face version of ratatouille.

Drizzle a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper over the vegetables.

Cover with foil and bake in a 275 degrees oven for 2 hours. Remove the foil and cook for 30 minutes more.

**If you have leftover sliced vegetables, toss them in a bit of the oil and garlic and arrange them on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven for about 45 minutes. You’ll have some delicious roasted vegetables, which make great roasted veggie sandwiches with a bit of fresh mozzarella.

This dish is best made a day ahead of time and reheated in the oven before serving. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy.

The kids enjoyed tasting their smiley-faced ratatouille.

6 Comments

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The Hangover Burger

Posted on August 1, 2010 by amydeline

Thought I was so slick. Went down to the grocery store Friday night and picked up all the things I would need for tonight’s dinner. The supermarket was quiet, peaceful, a virtual oasis of food; unlike on summer weekends, where it transforms into a frenzied circus of activity. But I was ever so clever and got it all taken care of Friday night.

Then, I woke up this morning, not so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; the result of a small child who decided to start his day at 5:00am. I made the kids their breakfast, tended to the labrosaurus rex, and started the coffee. I had a hankering for some eggs in a hole; the dish my mom used to call Rocky Mountain Breakfast. So I heated a little butter in a pan, removed the centers from my bread, cracked the eggs into the middle, and fried them up. Then I sat down to enjoy my delicious breakfast.

Boy, did it hit the spot! I could have eaten two more, but I’d used the last of the eggs. I sat there, lingering over the last bite and then it struck me. Right smack in the middle of my head. I’d intended to use those eggs for tonight’s dinner. Foiled again by my overwhelming food cravings!! So much for avoiding the supermarket on the weekend.

Tonight’s dinner is an indulgence; a guilty pleasure. You’d better start running in place right now, cause it’s going to take some work to burn off the calories in this one. It might be a good idea to have your blood pressure checked before consuming. It will be worth it though.

Austin Grill, a Maryland based Tex-Mex restaurant has a burger on their menu called The Hangover Burger. I’m not exactly sure whether this burger is intended to be the cure or the cause of the hangover. But, lordy, lordy is this a good one! I ordered it once and dreamed about it forever after. The burger features a beef patty, smothered with chili, bacon, queso, roasted jalapeño peppers, and a fried egg. It’s the egg that really does it for me!

Tonight, we’re having my version of The Hangover Burger. Once, you’ve made the chili, there’s really nothing to it, besides putting the pieces together. Here’s how it’s done…

Austin Grill-Inspired Hangover Burger

Ingredients

  • Burger Patties
  • Hamburger Buns or Hard Rolls
  • Bacon
  • Chili Con Queso
  • Chili*
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Jalapeño Pepper
  • Salt and Pepper

*For my easy recipe for Spicy Beef Chili, click here.

Directions

Cut the jalapeño in half. Remove the seeds and ribs. Roast in a 300 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until softened. When cool enough to handle, cut into small pieces. Set aside. Cook the bacon and place a few slices on each bun. Season the burgers with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the burgers to your preferred doneness. While the burger is cooking, warm the chili and queso. Place the cooked burgers on top of the bacon. Top with a spoonful of chili and a spoonful of warm chili con queso. Sprinkle with the roasted jalapeño peppers. Top with a freshly fried egg.

Serve with a side of steamed broccoli, to make yourself feel better about eating the burger.

I foresee many salads in my future.

14 Comments

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Chicken and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Posted on July 30, 2010 by amydeline

This post almost didn’t happen. This post was almost a picture of a salad from Panera or burger from Five Guys. I’d begun gathering what I needed for dinner, my mise en place, if you will. It wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to prepare. But 15 minutes was apparently way too long for my littlest guy. As I moved about the kitchen, he was on my heels, quick as a cheetah and loud as lion. Hold my hand. I’m ready to snuggle up. He roared. He screeched. He howled. And I surrendered to my little master. The kids’ dinner became a quick PB&J and microwaveable mac and cheese. The screaming stopped. I packed away the ingredients for tonight’s intended dinner. I’m not proud. But hey, I never claimed to be supermom.

Once everyone had their fill of snuggle and food, I had the chance to prepare the dinner I’d planned; breaded chicken with a spicy peanut sauce. Honestly, this is all about the peanut sauce. The chicken is merely a vehicle to transport the sauce to my belly. It’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s salty. This sauce is also magic with skewered, grilled chicken and shrimp.


Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, loosely packed
  • 1 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (plus more, if desired)
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  • Chopped Peanuts and Sliced Scallions, for garnish

Directions

Place the peanut butter in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for a few seconds to soften the peanut butter. Add other ingredients and stir to combine. Add small amounts of warm water and stir until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add more cayenne, if desired. Top with the chopped peanuts and/or scallions.

Delicious served with chicken or shrimp!

For the chicken:

Season chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into strips with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat a couple eggs. Dip the chicken in the eggs. Then roll the chicken in seasoned bread crumbs until well-coated. In a pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned and cooked through.

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Vanilla Carrot Bisque

Posted on July 29, 2010 by amydeline

A few weeks ago, my three-year-old asked me to make him Vanilla Soup. Hmmm…vanilla soup? Never heard of such a thing, but who am I to argue with the kid whose binoculars can transform into a jetpack; the kid who calls the fan a Bloominator; the very same kid who decided he’d prefer to be called Gastack and has been introducing himself as such ever since; the kid who, as I write this, is stomping around the living room in robot fashion, shouting Robot, Robot, Robot Secrets as he cleans up his toys. Vanilla Soup it is!

I thought about his request for a while; pondered how I’d go about making a vanilla soup. My sister suggested that I just melt a container of vanilla ice cream and pour it in a bowl. Voila! Vanilla Soup. That idea probably would have worked just fine for my little guy, but it didn’t gel well with me. If I were going to cook a vanilla soup, I was going to make a valiant effort at creating something that was both delicious and nutritious.

I’d need to select flavors which would showcase the vanilla, without overwhelming it. It should be sweet, but not necessarily fruity. My first thought was pumpkin, but that hardly seemed seasonal. I considered butternut squash for a while; a definite contender.I gave sweet potatoes their due consideration as well. And then I thought about carrots. Why, yes! Carrots would work nicely.

Carrots are loaded with natural sugars. To help develop their natural sweetness, I decided to give them a slow roast in the oven. I threw a couple apricots in the mix for added sweetness and a touch of tart. To the roasted carrots and apricots, I added light cream, infused with fresh vanilla bean. I pureed the carrots, apricots, and vanilla cream with a touch of honey and ground ginger. Finally, I added milk until the consistency seemed right. Simple as that. I chose not to add any other seasonings; not even salt…gasp! Let the vanilla be the star.

Turned out to be a very yummy soup; creamy and slightly sweet with a definite vanilla flavor. I adore the little specks of fresh vanilla bean running throughout the soup. My only complaint is that the texture turned out to have a slightly gritty feel; not entirely unpleasant, but definitely noticeable. I’m pretty sure this was a result of my decision to roast the carrots, which caused them to develop a slightly hardened exterior. I tried straining the soup, but my fine sieve was too fine and the holes in my colanders were too big. I knew I needed more strainers! My guess is that boiled carrots would probably produce a smoother, though less sweet soup. Despite the somewhat gritty texture, I think I’d stick with roasting.

This soup is best served warm. For a nice finish, top it with a drizzle of creme fraiche and some diced dried apricots or pumpkin seeds.

Vanilla Carrot Bisque

Ingredients

  • 1 8oz package Baby Carrots (about 3 cups)
  • 2 Apricots
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Light Cream
  • 1 1/2 cups Milk
  • 1 Vanilla Bean, split in half, seeds scraped with the edge of a knife
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tbsp Honey
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the carrots in the oil and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Place the apricots in a small baking dish. Roast the carrots and apricots in the oven for about an hour. When cool enough to handle, cut the apricots in half, remove the seed, and scoop out the tender insides. In a saucepan, add the cream, vanilla bean, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla extract. Heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean. Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the carrots, apricots, and vanilla cream until smooth. Add the honey and ginger. Puree for a few seconds more to combine. Add milk until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add more honey if desired.

To serve, warm the soup in a saucepan or microwave. Top with creme fraiche (or sour cream), dried apricot, or seeds.

Tasting his creation.

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A Lesson about Little Bread

Posted on July 29, 2010 by amydeline

My husband has been complaining lately. His gripe is with the size of the bread I buy him, which he claims is too big for the amount of tuna in the pouch, which he prepares each day for lunch.

The bread is so HUGE that my tuna is barely a spread between the two slices, he argues.

Then, make half a sandwich, I reply. It is normal sized bread.

Exhibit A

But he persists. On and on about the gigantic bread. I can’t listen to it anymore. So, I go to the supermarket with my ruler in hand. Ok, not really. But, I did spend a lot of time in the bread section, holding one loaf up to another and scrutinizing the weight and dimensions of each loaf. And I found a suitable loaf of wheat bread.

Exhibit B

My husband returned home for his lunch that day to discover the new smaller bread. He held it in front of me and said, This is what I’m talking about, in that I told you so tone of voice.

I don’t like that tone of voice. No siree, I do not.

So, I went shopping again today. And I found my husband some even better bread.

Exhibits C & D

And then I made my husband lunch.

I’ve got a recipe coming up later for you. In the mean time, if you happen to find yourself with a package of tiny toasts, a little piece of smoked salmon, dollop of creme fraiche, and sprig of dill makes a great snack.

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Some Chili with that Cornbread??

Posted on July 28, 2010 by amydeline

Wow! What a whirlwind blogging day this became! I was so thrilled to find myself on WordPress’s Freshly Pressed today. It’s exciting to know that there are people out there who are enjoying what I’ve been posting. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful feedback! I’ve been smiling all day. I’d also like to thank Netflix Instant Streaming for entertaining the kiddies while I’ve played in the blogosphere and chatted about cornbread all day.

In light of my day trip to the big time, my sister thanked me for changing the world with my blog. (I sense a touch of sarcasm in her comment.) But, you’re welcome, sis. It’s been my lifelong ambition to change the world, one pan of cornbread at a time.

The cornbread recipe was actually just Part 1 of 2. The main course tonight is the chili. But I have to be honest about the chili. The only reason I’m making chili tonight is because I want to use the leftovers for another recipe I’m working on. Poor neglected chili, upstaged by the cornbread and brought into this world with the intention of being leftover.

Regardless of its inception, it’s good chili; worthy of praise in its own right. I have a secret ingredient. I’ve swooned over skirt steak before for its wonderful flavor and texture in quesadillas and sandwiches. And I’m going to swoon over it again today for the intense beefy flavor and delicious chewy tidbits it adds to my chili; ever so pleasing to eat. If you can’t get your hands on skirt steak, flank or hanger steak would make suitable substitutions.

Besides the skirt steak, this is a pretty basic, spicy beef chili recipe. As with most of the things I cook, the ingredient list is limited and focuses on the flavors that matter. We like our food pretty spicy over here, but you can adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. (If you like it super spicy, throw a pureed chipotle in the mix.) If you’re cooking for kids, set a bit of milder chili aside before you season for yourself. Serve this chili with a side of my Sweet Honey Cornbread or over a bowl of macaroni.

The Gourmand Mom’s Spicy Beef Chili

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound Skirt Steak
  • Salt and Pepper, for seasoning steak
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 cups Onion, diced (about 1 Large Onion)
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
  • 1 pound Ground Beef
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt (plus more, if desired)
  • 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (plus more, if desired)
  • 2 cups Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 can Kidney Beans, slightly drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the skirt steak on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut the steak into small pieces. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until slightly transparent. Add the garlic and jalapeno. Cook for a few minutes more. Add the ground beef and cook until completely brown, using a spoon to break it up as it cooks. Once the ground beef is fully cooked, add the bits of skirt steak and any juices that have leaked from the steak. Add the chili powder, cayenne and salt and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two. Add the crushed tomatoes and the kidney beans. Stir to combine. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until all ingredients are heated through and the flavors have mingled. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and cayenne, as desired.

Serve with cornbread, rice, or macaroni. Top with cheese, scallions, or sour cream if desired.

Leftovers freeze and reheat well. Keep a lookout for an upcoming recipe which will feature the leftover chili.

11 Comments

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Sweet Honey Cornbread

Posted on July 28, 2010 by amydeline

Don’t ever buy cornbread mix again. Make this instead. It’s sweet, slightly crumbly, doesn’t contain the preservatives in that boxed mix, and won’t take you more than three minutes longer to prepare. I bet you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry!

I love cornbread, especially when it’s got little kernels of fresh summer corn and a hint (or more than a hint) of honey flavor. You can have fun with this recipe and add bits of jalapeno, scallions, cheddar, or even bacon, if you’d like! Serve it warm with a pat of butter or alongside a bowl of spicy chili, as I’ll be doing tonight!

Sweet Honey Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 cup Corn Meal
  • 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1/2 stick Melted Butter
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Sweet Corn Kernels
  • 1/8 cup Honey, for brushing on top (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease a small baking dish or cake pan.

In a bowl, combine flour, corn meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey, melted butter, and beaten eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until they are combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the corn kernels.

Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

If desired, brush the top of the cornbread with a little honey, about 20 minutes into the baking time.

Allow the bread to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and enjoying!

Check back later today for a spicy chili recipe!

Cornbread with a Drizzle of Honey

Edited to Add: Hi, everyone! I can’t believe I made it to Freshly Pressed! Wow! Hope you enjoy my blog. I really love writing it. If it makes you hungry, click on the right to subscribe. I add several new recipes each week, always with lots of pictures. Thanks for reading! ~Amy

92 Comments

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Merry Christmas (in July)

Posted on July 27, 2010 by amydeline

I love Christmas. I mean, I really, really LOVE Christmas. Not like the way a normal person enjoys the holidays. Much more like an irrational crazy person. I love the lights and the carols, the smell of a fresh Fraser Fir Christmas tree, the warmth and aroma of cookies baking in my oven. I love shopping for the perfect gifts for my loved ones and wrapping beautiful packages with high-quality paper (I spend a lot of time thinking about the paper) and perfectly coordinated organza ribbons. I love the smiles on my kids faces as they see the tree filled with gifts for the first time. I love having a house full of people and cooking a big meal. I love planning the color schemes for our Christmas trees and dining room table; burgandy and gold or a peacock theme of bright blues, greens, and purples, or maybe silver with shades of green. Our storage room is overrun with bins of ornaments, lights, nativity sets, snowmen, and festive jeweled fruits. The entire season puts a skip in my step, a perpetual grin on my face, and an extra pitter-patter in my heart.

Christmas Tree 2009

My anticipation and yearning for the Christmas season is so strong that it physically pains me. I’m aching for it right now as I write this. You’ll never hear me complaining about stores decorating for Christmas in October or radio stations who start playing nonstop Christmas carols as kids are trick-or-treating. You can fully expect this blog to get a little Christmas crazy sometime in early November. I sure hope you won’t hate me for it.

The Boys, Christmas 2009

When I was younger, I took the idea of Christmas in July very seriously. Each December, I’d spend large chunks of my hard-earned babysitting money on Christmas decorations; cardboard cut-outs of wreaths and Santas, tinsel garland, and long strands of blinking, musical lights. I’d bathe my small pink room in Christmas. Then, I’d pack it up after New Years and wait. Until July rolled around. At which point, I’d drag out the bin and decorate every square inch of my room. My parents didn’t mind, as long as I kept the Christmas carols at a low volume and my door closed. I brought the bin with me to college, where I added a 6 foot artificial tree to my collection and had easily the most festive room in the whole dorm. Thank you freshman year roomie, wherever you are, for tolerating my insanity.

Brie with Apricot Preserves, Christmas 2009

I don’t decorate my house for Christmas in July. My husband wouldn’t be nearly as tolerant of it as my parents were. But, I couldn’t let July pass without celebrating just a little. So, I decided I’d cook something that reminds me of Christmas. I went through the mental list of all of the foods that remind me of Christmas. The huge turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy my family makes every year. The pork loin with peanuts, ambrosia, and green bean casserole my grandmother-in-law would make. The roast beef with bordelaise sauce, ham with pilaf, scalloped potatoes and biscuits, or beef bourgignon with potatoes au gratin and quiche lorraine that I’ve made. Or perhaps a dessert, like my Dad’s apple pie or the Friendly’s Jubilee Roll my husband’s family enjoys each year. And then I started thinking about Christmas cookies…

Baked Brie with Homemade Cranberry Orange Relish, Christmas 2008

And that’s when I knew exactly what I wanted to make for our Christmas in July celebration. Something so incredibly simple and so irresistibly delicious. I’m pretty sure the only reason we don’t make them all year round is because they are so utterly addicting. These little treats may seem more appropriate for a Halloween celebration, but they ring Christmas to me. My grammy and mom make them every year as part of the Christmas cookie collection. And every year, they are the first cookies to go. Actually, they’re not really cookies at all.

Chocolate-Covered Spiders

They are Chocolate-Covered Spiders.

I always thought of this recipe as my grammy’s special recipe. After running a search online, I now see that this recipe has been out there for a while. Sometimes called Haystacks and each recipe using slightly varying proportions of chocolate chips to butterscotch or peanut butter chips, the basic concept is the same. And I’ll always think of it as my grammy’s recipe.

Chocolate-Covered Spiders

Ingredients

  • 1 package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup Butterscotch Chips
  • 1 container Chow Mein Noodles
  • 1 cup Peanuts

Directions

Line a few baking sheets with wax paper. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Fold in the chow mein noodles and peanuts until they are well coated in chocolate. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the wax paper. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until the chocolate has hardened.

Merry Christmas (in July)!

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Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Posted on July 26, 2010 by amydeline

Today’s a very special day! Right now, at this very moment, you are reading my 100th blog post! Wow! One hundred posts! Where in the world did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was spending all of my free time tending to my imaginary mafia.

Change a diaper. Beg for untraceable cell phones and illegal transaction records. Play legos. Save up enough Thai Baht to buy a Nguhea Sniper Rifle. Clean up the play-doh that’s been rubbed into the carpet. Try to collect the last faberge egg for my Moscow collection. Console a crying baby. Spend 24 million rubles on a musk ox. All in a day’s work.

Then, I abandoned my mafia and entered the blogosphere. Now I alternate between toys, cooking, temper tantrums, food photography, snuggling, recipe writing, laundry, editing, bath time, and menu-planning. I suppose that being The Gourmand Mom is a much more productive role than Mafia Wars Mom.

So, you may be wondering what else has changed during these past 100 posts.

Well…

Writing recipes feels a whole lot easier than the first few posts that I fumbled through. I hope they’ve become easier for you to follow.

I’ve baked more bread products than I ever did in my pre-blog life. In fact, I had to buy a new cover for my dining room table, since the old cover seemed to be harvesting yeast which my three year old so kindly scattered across the table.

I’ve gained back a couple of the pounds I worked so hard to lose. Going to have to fix that. But it’s been for a good cause and I had fun doing it. Perhaps I can file for some sort of blogger’s compensation for my troubles?

My love of cooking has been completely reinvigorated.  Having a forum for sharing recipes and stories about food has been truly fulfilling for me. Thank you for being my audience.

Having an audience has forced me to add even more variety to my cooking. Since I’m guessing you don’t want to read about the same recipes every week.

My children have become the most skilled toddler sous chefs. I think I need to find little aprons and chef’s hats for them.

Through practice, my photography has become more purposeful. Now, rather than taking a hundred pics to get five that are post-worthy, I take about fifty. Though I’m still quite the novice photographer, I’m getting better at judging lighting and approximating camera settings.

It’s been a fun hundred posts. I’m looking forward to writing a hundred more!

In honor of such a momentous occasion, I’ve been saving something special for you. My favorite food in the whole world is macaroni and cheese (or ‘Ronis and Cheese, as my little guy calls it). And I don’t discriminate. I love ALL macaroni and cheese, whether it’s frozen, from a box, or made fresh from the finest cheeses. I like it baked or creamy. I like it smothered with cheese and bread crumbs or not. Just give me any macaroni and some form of cheese and I’m a very happy girl.

Today is a special day though, so a special macaroni and cheese is in order. And I’ve got just the thing to turn something sort of pedestrian into something elegant and worthy of a celebratory meal. That’s right… Lobster!! Lobster makes everything fancy. Now, once we throw lobster into the mix, we need to pay special attention to the cheese selection. Now would NOT be the time for American cheese or Velveeta. They’ve certainly got their place in the world of mac and cheese, but it’s definitely not here. Now’s the time for smooth cheese with grown-up flavor. I’m using three of my all time favorite cheeses; Gruyere, Fontina, and Brie. You can substitute other cheeses, if desired. Try gouda, chevre, provolone, asiago, or sharp cheddar.

Our sauce starts as a basic Bechamel Sauce, which is simply a white sauce, made with milk that is thickened with a roux. (Check out my roux guide by clicking here.) The thickened milk is then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Bechamel is one of the five French mother sauces, meaning that many other sauces can be made with a base of bechamel. To our bechamel, we’ll melt in the delicious cheeses. Finally, we’ll toss the macaroni with the sauce and warm lobster meat. If you feel like racing lobsters, go ahead and buy some live lobsters, steam them, and collect the meat. Or, do as I did and buy a container of frozen lobster meat. You grocery store may also sell lobster tails, which can be steamed.

Before we get to the recipe, I want to let you in on a little secret. I made the macaroni and cheese on Saturday when we had people over. And I actually sort of botched it. Not a complete botch, but a definite error of convenience. My prime focus at the time, was on the burgers. My intention was to submit the burger recipe for a contest. So, I wanted to be able to devote all of my attention towards working out the timing and flavor balance of the burger components. Then the storm came, which totally turned the burger plan upside down. Anyway, I prepared the macaroni and cheese earlier in the afternoon and stuck it in a baking dish, figuring that I’d bake it in the oven to reheat with a little extra cheese melted on top. As I should have anticipated, the pasta drank up most of the sauce during the baking. It was still very flavorful, but not the creamy mac and cheese I’d intended.

Never fear though. The recipe I’m writing for you does not include a baking step. So, your macaroni and cheese will be creamy and delicious. If you do want to prepare it ahead of time, I’d recommend tossing the pasta with just a bit of sauce. Then, refrigerate the bulk of the sauce and the pasta separately. You can reheat both and combine, along with the lobster, when you’re ready to eat.

This is good, good stuff. If there were a way to send food through the world wide web, I’d send you each a taste and a glass of celebratory champagne. But since that’s not possible yet, I’ll share my recipe instead. Then you can whip yourself up a batch of fancy ‘Ronis and Cheese.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 box Pasta, such as Campanelle
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere
  • 1 cup Fontina
  • 1/2 cup Brie
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 3 Tbsp Flour
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 pound Lobster Meat

Directions

Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside. In the same pot that you cooked the pasta, whisk the butter and flour together over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. This is your roux for thickening the milk. It should have a pasty consistency. Remove the roux with a spatula and set aside. Add the milk to the pot. Bring the milk to a simmer. Then, begin to whisk in the roux, whisking until smooth. Allow the milk to simmer with the roux for a few minutes until it begins to thicken. Whisk constantly. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, and salt. Turn down the heat to low. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Add the lobster meat and the cooked pasta to the hot sauce. Stir for a minute or so until it’s well combined and hot.

I hope you’ve been enjoying this blog during these first one hundred posts. Let me know how you’ve liked it so far and if there’s any way I can serve you better! Thanks for reading!

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Posted in Cheese, Food, General Rambling and Such, Main Course, Sauces, Seafood, Things I Love and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Irresistible Spinach Dip and (Possibly) Pasta Chips

Posted on July 25, 2010 by amydeline

My little brother was in town this weekend! He’s the only one of my siblings who doesn’t live nearby and we miss him terribly. It’s always a good time when he drives up for a visit. And it’s always a good excuse for a soiree of sorts. So, yesterday, some family and friends gathered at my house for some good food and great company. There’s nothing better than being with a group of people, who can have a blast just sitting around a room, after a filling meal, telling stories and laughing together. Excellent people.

There are a handful of recipes I make over and over again when I entertain; the items that people have come to expect when they visit. One of those things is spinach dip, typically served in a hollowed-out bread bowl with chunks of bread scattered all around for dipping. People frequently comment on how much they love my spinach dip, but I can’t really call it mine at all. The recipe is printed on the back of every packet of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix. My mom used to make it for parties when I was a kid. At that time, it was her recipe. I make it now and it’s mine. You can make it tomorrow, and call it yours. But the true credit goes to Knorr.

Every single time I’ve ever made this dip, I’ve served it in a bread bowl (usually pumpernickel) with doughy chunks of sourdough and pumpernickel all around. Except yesterday, when I didn’t serve it with bread at all. I was inspired to try something new after a recent night out with my sister and a friend. We’d eaten at a restaurant which has several dishes on their menu featuring something called pasta chips. I’d had pasta chip nachos on a previous visit. And last week, we ordered a spinach and artichoke dip that was served with these crispy pasta chips. Following the initial nacho experience, my sister and I pondered how the pasta chips were made. When we had them again last week, an idea occurred to me. Perhaps they were made with wonton wrappers, like the wonton wrappers I used in the Shrimp and Sweet Corn Ravioli. I decided I’d give it a try.

Well, after frying up a batch, I can’t say for certain that the restaurant uses wonton wrappers for their pasta chips. The end result was quite similar, but not quite their pasta chips. But you’ll never guess what they did turn out to be. Drum roll please…. Fried Wonton Chips! And they are good; addictively good. So, I fried the whole batch and served my Wonton/Pasta Chips with the dip.

My Spinach Dip Recipe

(I mean Knorr’s Spinach Dip Recipe.)

Ingredients

  • 1 10-ounce package Frozen Chopped Spinach
  • 1 packet Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
  • 1 16-ounce container sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise*
  • 1 can Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 bunch of Green Onions, sliced*

*The original Knorr’s recipe calls for 1 cup of Mayonnaise and 3 green onions.

Directions

Defrost the spinach and squeeze dry. (This would be a good time to use a piece of cheesecloth, but your hands will suffice.) Combine the spinach with the other ingredients. Mix to combine and refrigerate. The dip is best after it’s been refrigerated for a few hours. Serve with bread or chips.

Fried Wonton Pasta Chips

Ingredients

  • 1 package Wonton Wrappers
  • Oil (Use a neutral flavored oil, such as canola.)

Directions

Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the wonton wrappers, if desired. Pour about 1/4 inch oil into a pan. Heat over medium/medium-high until it’s good and hot. In small batches of about 5-6, place the wonton wrappers in the oil in a single layer. They will begin to cook quickly. Use tongs to flip the wrappers after a few seconds, when they begin to look a light toasty brown. Cook a few more seconds on the other side. Then, use your tongs to remove the fried wontons and place them on a paper towel to drain. Repeat for all wonton wrappers, stacking layers of paper towels, as necessary.

Great visit with my brother, friends, and family. I took full advantage of my group of eager taste-testers to work on a burger recipe I’m planning to submit for a contest. Torrential rain foiled my initial grill plans, but we worked it out inside. Thank you cast-iron grill pan.

Enjoyed a bit of cool, crisp Riesling, my favorite summer wine.

There were warm Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits. Click here for the biscuit recipe.

Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits

I made one more really yummy dish, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that one.

Trust me, it’s worth the wait!

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Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Burgers, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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The Gourmand Mom

Good food, seasoned with a dash of life