MK's Kitchen

Mixology 101

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, while Stuart was in Vegas for work, he ate at Public House, and has not stopped talking about it since. He was particularly taken by their Barrymore cocktail, a twist on an Old Fashioned with an incorporation of blood orange liqueur and orange marmalade.

Partly due to boredom, partly due to my current fixation on bourbon, and partly just to shut him up (with love of course), we decided to try and recreate the cocktail at home.

We set out to find a blood orange liqueur, but Greenville's small town liquor stores just have not caught up to Vegas yet, I guess. So, instead, we swung by the grocery store to pick up a couple blood oranges and a jar of orange marmalade, then, headed home to the lab.

We started with a recipe based on something similar we found online - incorporating blood orange juice, marmalade, bourbon and a little sweet vermouth. It was good, but a little too sweet.

After a couple more variations, at different amounts and in different mixing techniques, we were getting discouraged.

Then, Stuart found this video on how to make a traditional old fashioned, and we decided to start there, substituting the orange marmalade for the sugar cube. We added the marmalade, to an old fashioned glass, along with a couple dashes of bitters and a splash of soda water. We muddled that together, then added bourbon and ice, and finished it off with the freshly peeled rind of the blood orange.

The result? Delicious and refreshing. Not too sweet, but just sweet enough, not too strong on the bourbon flavor, but still the star. Different enough from the original old fashioned to be called a different drink (hence the new name we felt inclined to give it), but similar enough to keep within the same category.

The Winner (although, would suggest not adding the blood orange slice)

Overall, it was a fun experiment to do on a Saturday night...and it gave us an excuse to name our first cocktail - The Mallard - an acknowledgement to our first address. I think maybe we'll have to open the lab up again soon for another creation...I personally have always wanted a drink named after me. :)

The Mallard

Ingredients:

1 tsp. orange marmalade

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 tsp. soda water

2 oz bourbon

ice

1 fresh blood orange rind

Add the orange marmalade, bitters and soda water to an old fashioned glass. Muddle together. Add bourbon and a small amount of ice. Stir once to combine. Take the orange rind and twist it over the drink to extract the oils, then rub it along the rim and inside of the glass and drop it in the drink.

Enjoy!

The Best Coconut Cake. Ever.

2012-02-10T09:42:00.007-05:00

No lie. This is the best coconut cake I've ever had. Yes. I'm tooting my own horn, but I can't help it. It was that good. Originally intended to be an 8 layer, I got lazy and shortened it to 3...really because that's all I had time for. (It's not the quickest cake you'll ever make!)

This was the kind of cake that just after taking the first bite, you're calling your friends and neighbors asking - no telling - them you are bringing some over. True story.

I'm not a baker, and there are no plans for opening a bakery any time soon. But, if I were to open one, this would be the star. I'm sure of it.

Best Coconut Cake. Ever.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

The Makers Mark "makes" this...no pun intended. You must try it! I found coconut oil, and unsweetened coconut flakes at Whole Foods.

Ingredients

Cake:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 3/4 cups cake flour plus more for pans
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (not reduced-fat)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to melt
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting and assembly:

3-4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup Makers Mark
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 cups powdered sugar

Equipment needed:

Stand mixer, electric mixer, 9" round cake pans (preferably 4, but I made do with 2), cooling racks

Preparation

For cake:
Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat cake pans with nonstick spray; dust with flour. Whisk 2 3/4 cups flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter at medium speed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until smooth, 3–4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Gradually beat in oil. Beat in dry ingredients at low speed in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide among four 9" cake pans (about 2 generous cups batter per pan); smooth tops with a spatula.

Bake until a tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, 22–27 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks; let cool in pans for 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks, remove pans, and let cakes cool completely.

For frosting and assembly:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place coconut coconut in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast until some of the chips are golden brown (some will remain white), 5–7 minutes; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on high speed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until smooth and creamy, 2–3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons Makers Mark and salt; beat to blend, about 1 minute longer. Add sugar; beat on low speed to blend. Increase speed to high; beat until fluffy, 5–6 minutes.

Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake stand or plate. Lightly brush with Makers Mark. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over. Repeat with remaining 3 layers, Makers Mark, and frosting. Chill cake for 30 minutes. Leave remaining frosting at room temperature.

Cover sides of chilled cake with frosting. Gently pat handfuls of toasted shredded coconut over sides of frosting, covering cake completely. Enjoy immediately or chill overnight. Remove cake from refrigerator about an hour before you plan to serve it. It's best enjoyed at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Pecan Pie, Green Beans and Tomato Sandwiches

2012-02-03T09:30:00.004-05:00

I'm in a southern mood.

Maybe it's the Bon Appetit issue on savoring the South that I just sped through cover to cover in under an hour, or the article I finished in Charleston's The Local Palate featuring "off-the-box" dessert favorites like pecan pie with Karo corn syrup (see below), Domino's buttercream frosting or Nilla Wafer banana pudding - all desserts that appeared on our table quite frequently growing up - or maybe it's the recent day trip to Charleston in which I met with Southern culinary queen, Nathalie Dupree in her beautiful home on Queen Street (more on that later).

...or maybe it's the 3 cups of coffee I've had this morning and the burst of energy its brought me.

But, somehow I've been reminded of my youth and my upbringing in the most touching of ways - through food. And I was inspired to share my thoughts.

It's hard to think back on my favorite Southern foods growing up and not immediately think of Nanny's pecan pie. Even though there is a good possibility that the recipe was pulled from the back of the Karo corn syrup bottle - I will still always call it Nanny's. It was consistent, always delicious and always made with love. The ingredients are simple, nothing "secret" about it, just a frozen pie crust, sugar, butter, eggs, lots of fresh pecans and Karo corn syrup (the edible corn syrup, I might add, not the high-fructose version that exists in pretty much everything we buy from the grocery store these days). Pecan pie is usually only served on special occasions in our house - Christmas, Thanksgiving, family gatherings...and my birthday, complete with candles and the happy birthday song. (And I wouldn't' have it any other way.)

I also could not go without mentioning Gram's green beans. Beans that have cooked in a smokey, bacon-y, salty broth for no less than 2 hours I'm sure (although I'm not completely sure, because they were always cooking away when we arrived an hour or so before lunch). Or the dinner rolls that accompanied every Sunday lunchtime meal, but were only brought to the table after the blessing was given, everyone was seated and plates were full, so as to serve them nice and buttery-hot.

And what Southern-memory blog post would be complete without mentioning Dad's tomato sandwiches - which he still has for supper every night, as an "accompaniment" to whatever Mom's serving...notice I didn't say "complement..."

Spaghetti? Tomato sandwich.

Chicken and rice casserole? Tomato sandwich.

Chinese takeout? Yep...tomato sandwich.

In case you're not familiar with this classic Southern staple...it's white bread, sliced tomatoes (preferably fresh from his yard), salt and pepper, and mayonnaise. Lots of mayonnaise. Now, I do have to say that while this was not a favorite of mine growing up (like many of the other delicious foods I turned my nose up to as a child), I've come to appreciate it recently for a number of different reasons. It's amazing how simply satisfying a fresh tomato sandwich is. I have yet to enjoy one alongside Chinese takeout, but don't think I won't try it.

Everyone has their own special foods that remind them of their upbringing, and there are many more for me...but the caffeine is wearing off and the beautiful weather outside my window is calling my name. So until I can come up with more, I will leave you with a recipe for Southern Pecan Pie...taken from the back of the Karo corn syrup bottle.

Classic Pecan Pie

1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups pecans

1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350. Stir the first 5 ingredients thoroughly using a spoon. Mix in pecans. Pour into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 - 70 minutes, cool for 2 hours.

Curried Cauliflower Soup, Brussels Sprouts Salad and Trout en Papillote

2012-01-15T14:27:00.013-05:00

I'm a little late on my New Year's post. Apologies.

Ok VERY late.

With that said, I'm still excited to share a recap of our oh-so-lovely New Year's Eve-ning.

Stuart and I had a small group over for a long-overdue dinner party. Long-overdue because I've been looking for an excuse to use my brand new fine china ever since we began receiving it over a year ago as wedding gifts. We've used it a few times here and there, with just the 2 of us, just because. But, I just had an inkling to entertain. And New Year's Eve was the best excuse I could think of.

I planned the menu in advance and had each couple bring a bottle (or two) of wine to pair with each course. First course was Curried Cauliflower Soup which was so delicious I forgot to snap a photo! Second course was what I called "Brussels Sprouts Three Ways" - aka, a salad. This was probably my favorite course of all. I have a guilty-pleasure for brussels sprouts prepared pretty much any way... except steamed. eek.

Our main course was Sunburst Trout en Papillote, a technique I learned while in Nutrition class and I thought what better way to begin the New Year than with a healthy and delicious dish.

...and finally, we finished the meal off with lemon pavlovas topped with a cranberry and orange sweet chutney and a coconut cream butter. The butter was an accidental result of an overworked attempt at coconut cream. :)

I should mention that this entire meal was gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free, free of tree nuts and soy-free. I had a special guest in attendance, which presented me with a welcome challenge to make sure all of my guests could eat everything I served.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the camera issue is still an issue. So, graciously, I received these photos from a friend who took them with her awesome camera, which makes me feel a little guilty for not being so upset about my broken camera...since that means maybe this is a good excuse to get a fancy one?

Pardon the Brain Nap...

2012-01-04T13:09:00.006-05:00

As you've noticed, thanks to a busy holiday, a broken camera aaaaaaandd a lazy blogger, MK's (cyber) Kitchen has been on the back burner for the last few weeks.

Parties, relaxation, family time and an overload of calories have resulted in one giant brain nap over the last two weeks. We had a low-key, but high-energy Christmas with my family (enter 2 excited nephews and 2 crazy dogs) and what ended up being a not-so-low-key (but FUN) dinner party at our house for New Year's Eve. And in between there were plenty of late nights, lazy days and a couple fun day trips.

But, now that I'm cruising down the homestretch of holiday break, I'm switching gears - preparing for the intense last 2 days of my second course of culinary school, and paying some much needed attention to the blog - camera or not.

So, here is an update on the last 2 weeks of school. I finished up my first class, Nutrition and Sensory Analysis with a final exam and a practical, and started my second class...wait for it...Principles of Beverage Service....in a "classroom" that resembles nothing short of a scene from "Cocktail."

Yeah.

By the time this class is over, I will have had 9 days to study nothing but beer, wine and distilled liquors. I know what you're thinking...how horrible! Oh, but I didn't mention all the tastings and pairings, gosh...pitiful me.

Seriously though, don't get excited, it really has been difficult. There is a lot of information to squeeze into such a short time frame, plus throw Holiday break right in between days 7 and 8, giving 2 weeks to completely forget everything you've worked so hard to learn so far, just to be tested on it as soon as you get back. Along with a group project (which is one of my biggest annoyances in life). And don't forget about that brain nap I told you about earlier...yep...I'm in trouble.

But, the class itself is very interesting. Who knew there were so many things to learn about the processes, ingredients and history involved in producing alcohol. Or, that there were so many rules involved in mixing cocktails. Did you know that Scotch Whiskey must be from Scotland and aged no longer than 3 years and 1 day? 1 day?? And in order to be called a Bourbon Whiskey, the contents must be made from 51% corn? And that contrary to popular belief, it can be produced in any one of the contiguous United States, not just Kentucky? Or, that the only difference between Bourbon Whiskey (Jim Beam or Maker's Mark) and Tennessee Whiskey (Jack Daniels) is the extra step of filtering the Whiskey through maple charcoal? Well, I didn't. And if you didn't, you know now!

I think the most interesting thing I've learned so far is the correct way to taste wine. It's actually a much more involved process than I realized. Don't worry, the swirling and the sniffing that we all do to look like we know what we are doing is still the first step. But, the actual tasting involves 4 different stages that can take any where from 5 seconds, to 30 seconds or more to taste the actual flavors of the wine after you sip. Everything before that is really just the punch from the tannins, and a brief taste of nothing but water. Sounds complicated, but if you concentrate you can really taste those hints of vanilla, oak or apricot that the label lists or the sommelier (fancy term for wine expert) describes.

Next class up is dun dun dunnnnnn....Principles of Meatcutting. Eh. Wonder if I can skip that one?

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break as much as I did...no matter how long or short. At the very least, I hope you got a good brain nap in.

Cheers!

Healthy Cooking

2011-12-06T11:17:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe but my first class is halfway over! Today will be day 6, out of 9 days in "Nutrition & Sensory Analysis." I've really enjoyed this class because I have found a lot of similarities in the techniques and processes we are learning to the way I tend to cook at home. Using creative methods to add flavor to dishes, without having to add all the fat and calories.

I love my Southern roots, but I tend to believe that there is no reason to go all Paula Deen and add 2 sticks of butter to every dish. Sure it adds flavor, but if you want to save on hospital bills down the road, I'd suggest re-routing. And I'm proud to say that this class is proving me right, and showing me even more creative ways to achieve that same flavor...without all the negative side effects.

Here are some ways to improve the nutritional value of your dishes: (and also prove I've actually been learning)

- Instead of frying or sauteing your meats in butter/oil, try roasting, grilling, steaming or poaching (cooking in liquid)

- The maple-brined pork with sauteed apples pictured above was grilled first to sear the outside, then finished in the oven through roasting. (recipe below)

- Instead of thickening sauces with heavy cream or flour, try mixing in pureed fruits or vegetables

- Or even better, instead of serving meats with a thick, creamy sauce, try adding a relish, salsa or chutney made with fruits or vegetables

- And probably my favorite way to save on calories and add flavor, is to always include seasonings, herbs and spices to whatever you are making. It's easy and delicious!

Maple-brined Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples

Serves 10

Ingredients:

3 pork tenderloins, trimmed

1 T. butter

1/2 tsp salt

4 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup maple syrup

For brine:

2 c water

2 c apple cider

1/2 c maple syrup

1 T. fresh thyme leaves

3 T. Sugar

3 T kosher salt

4 shallots, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1/4 light soy sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 bay leaves

Combine all ingredients for the brine in a large bowl, stir until sugar and salt have dissolved. Add pork tenderloin and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat, and oven to 325. Remove pork from brine and pat dry. Place on grill and cook each side 1 -2 minutes per side to achieve grill marks.

Place pork on sheet pan and roast in oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until temperature is 140 degrees.

Remove pork from pan, and let rest for 10 minutes until juices redistribute and temperature has reached 145 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and cook apples with maple syrup until golden but still firm. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice pork and serve with apples spooned over.

Enjoy!

Culinary School - Day 1

2011-11-30T21:48:00.004-05:00

First of all...thanks for all the supportive messages, texts, calls and emails! Even though I'm semi-far from home and away from my friends and family, it feels great to know so many people are thinking about me!

So, here's an update: So far, I'm completely overwhelmed, absolutely exhausted and way out of my element...but I'm having a blast!

For the next 7 days I'm enrolled in "Nutrition and Sensory Analysis" where the cooking methods we're concentrating on are steaming and poaching...along with other healthy techniques that don't involve a lot of fat, but still include great flavors. It's a great class to start off with because, 1 - I'm told it's one of the more difficult classes, so I'm getting that over with, and 2 - everything we eat is good for you!

On day 1, we took it easy and each group made a different sandwich. Our group was in charge of sliced poached chicken on ciabatta with roasted red peppers and a white bean puree. The bean puree took the place of the mayonnaise, and by poaching the chicken in court bouillon we added flavor without incorporating fat or losing a significant amount of nutrients.

Day 2 was a little more involved...we studied the technique of en papillote, which involves wrapping a protein (chicken, pork or fish) with an acid (vinegar, wine or lemon), aromatics (herbs or spices) and vegetables in parchment paper and steaming the little packages in an oven. Our project was Chicken en Papillote, which I must say was delicious!

Thursday has more fun in store with a special "field trip" to the university auditorium to view a culinary demonstration by Certified Master Chef, Helmut Holzer of Atlanta Foods International, which I'm super excited about.

While I know there are MANY more exhausting days ahead...I am looking forward to them all and ready to soak up some culinary knowledge!

Stay tuned for more updates, but for now I'm counting down the days to a fun weekend with my husband in Charlotte, a break from classes, a little r&r...oh yeah, and a tiny little football game. :)

Pumpkin Pasta Bolognese

2011-11-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

Recently, I've had some downtime to get ready for my busy year at Culinary School (which starts in just over a week!!!), and in my "downtime," I had a hankering for an all-day project. Enter "Bolognese."

I've never made this sauce before, but its essentially a thick meat ragu typically served over pasta, polenta or something starchy that's capable of soaking up the rich flavors. It's typically slow-cooked over 3-4 hours, with attention needed every 15 minutes or so for stirring...just to keep it from sticking to the pan.

I prepared mine with a mixture of ground pork, ground chuck and ground lamb...which made for a hearty combination. Other variations include veal or turkey, but this combination worked for me this time.

I bought 2 servings of fresh pumpkin pasta a couple months ago at one of the last Farmer's Markets of the season and stuck it in the freezer until I could figure out what to do with it. And this seemed like the perfect opportunity. So, Pumpkin Pasta Bolognese it was.

The sauce turned out velvety thick, with an infusion of rich and hearty flavors. It was definitely a full afternoon of cooking, but it was so worth it in the end.

This recipe made enough to feed both of us for dinner, plus fill (2) gallon-sized freezer bags. And you better believe I froze the leftovers for another day!

(Pumpkin) Pasta Bolognese

olive oil

3 oz pancetta, diced

3/4 c. celery, diced

3/4 c. carrots, diced

1 1/2 c. onion, diced

1/2 lb ground chuck

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground lamb

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 T. tomato paste

1 c. red wine

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

salt and pepper

water

2 T butter

1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pasta to serve

Fresh basil (for garnish)

Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1 T. olive oil. Add the pancetta and saute until crispy, 4 -5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and onion and saute for 15 minutes until browned. Add the chuck, pork and lamb, cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, thyme and tomato paste and saute until browned. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits and cook down for about 2 minutes. Then, add tomato sauce and chicken stock, plus salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 - 4 hours, stirring often and adding water by the ladlefuls if the sauce begins to thicken too early. After sauce has cooked for 3 - 4 hours and has reached a thick consistency, remove from heat and stir in butter and parmesan cheese.

Serve over pasta of choice, and garnish with more cheese and fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Bleu Cheese Burgers with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Spiced Sweet Potatoes

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Funny how plans can change with the discovery of an unavailable ingredient. In this case, it was charcoal. We originally planned to grill out Sunday night (on the most beautiful Fall evening yet) - bleu cheese burgers alongside grilled brussels sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes.

So I patted out the burgers, and cleaned and seasoned the brussels sprouts ready to throw them on the grill. However, when Stuart went to light the grill, he realized we were lacking the single most important tool in cooking - the heat source.

On to plan B.

Lucky for us, we have a nicely seasoned grill pan...and an oven. So, the blue cheese burgers were saved by the stovetop, and who doesn't love roasted brussels sprouts? I wasn't completely thrilled with the sliced sweet potatoes, (which I tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon and roasted for about 30 minutes) They needed a little bit more caramelization. But, that might could have been solved with a higher heat setting and a sprinkle of brown sugar. So, I won't share that recipe, but here are the other two.

Bleu Cheese Burgers

Yields 5-6 burgers

2 lbs ground chuck

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp worcestire

2 oz bleu cheese

to dress burgers:

arugula

spicy mustard

hamburger buns

Mix all ingredients together, except bleu cheese. Form meat into even-sized balls and set aside. Break bleu cheese up into small 1" balls, as many bleu cheese balls as burger patties. Form a small indention in each meat ball and place he bleu cheese ball inside, then form the patty around the bleu cheese and flatten out to about 1" thick. Season the outside of the patties with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat and add 1 T canola oil. Using a paper towel, spread oil over whole surface area of the pan. Add burgers 4 at a time (or enough to fit) and cook for 5 minutes on one side, then flip, place a cover over the grill pan and cook for another 5 minutes (for medium). Remove from grill pan and let sit for at least 5 minutes to let juices re-distribute. Meanwhile, add buns to the grill pan, face down and heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly charred.

To assemble burger, place a handful of arugula on the bottom of a bun, add the burger on top, then spread mustard on the top bun.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

About 20 brussels sprouts, cleaned and outer leaves removed, cut in half length-wise

olive oil

salt & pepper

large pinch of nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Toss brussels sprouts with oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Roast in oven for 12 minutes. Stir the brussels sprouts and add the pecans, then roast for another 5-7 minutes being careful not to burn pecans. Remove, let cool slightly.

Enjoy!

Rosemary-Cheddar Drop Biscuits

2011-11-06T20:38:00.004-05:00

Happy "fall-back" Sunday!

We enjoyed our long morning with some "shortcut" drop biscuits, using Bisquick mix and adding cheddar cheese and rosemary. I did not have any milk, so I substituted half-and-half, which added a nice accent of sweetness.

I served the biscuits with creamy scrambled eggs, fried canadian bacon and of course, a hot cup of coffee.

Hope you had as wonderful a weekend as we did.

Rosemary-Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Yields 6 biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup Bisquick

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 T chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450. Mix all ingredients just until combined. Drop by the spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 7 - 9 minutes, checking on them once halfway. Serve with butter.

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash stuffed with Spiced Pork and Quinoa

2011-11-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday, Stuart and I finally broke down and gave the house a major clean-up. Top to bottom. We're talking dusting the shelves, polishing the silver and vacuuming the blinds. Intense. We felt so good when we were finished, we wanted to show our hard work off and have some friends over for dinner.

I'd bought some acorn squash at the Farmer's Market the week prior and had been dying to use it. So, I decided to stuff it with ground pork, quinoa and some good cold-weather spices. I only had one acorn squash on hand so since we decided to invite another couple over, I used the heads of 2 leftover butternut squash from a previous recipe a couple weeks back. (leftover winter squash holds up well in the refrigerator)

The warm cinnamon and smoky cumin created a nice sweetness for the pork, and there was the perfect amount of nuttiness from the nutmeg. I love this combo of spices and will definitely use it again. I served the stuffed squash alongside a simple salad of arugula, grapes and goat cheese. Such a delicious (and easy!) meal to enjoy with good friends after a productive fall day.

Happy Friday everyone!

Acorn Squash stuffed with Pork and Quinoa

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 lb ground pork

3 small Italian peppers, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 T fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 c half and half

1/4 c parmesan, grated

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Heat oven to 375. Season squash with salt and pepper and olive oil, then bake, flesh side down, on a baking sheet for 45 minutes. Let cool before handling. Once cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving about 1/2" thick shell. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place quinoa and water in a 2 qt. saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Set aside.

Also meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat with 2 T olive oil. Add ground pork and break up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Season mean with salt. Cook until no longer pink, and slightly browned. About 10 minutes. Add Italian peppers, garlic powder, cinnamon, cumin and nutmeg. Saute for 5 minutes more, then reduce heat and continue cooking until quinoa is ready. Add quinoa and stir to incorporate. Season mixture to taste. Deglaze pan with a tablespoon or so of water if brown bits have formed on the bottom of the pan. Scrap up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add half and half and rosemary and stir to combine.

Scoop mixture into shells, top each with some parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for another 15 minutes on 375. Then, move the pan to the top rack and broil on low for about 2-3 minutes, watching closely so the cheese doesn't burn. It should be golden brown, not too dark.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

What a lovely weekend we had.

Fun party Friday night to wish a good friend farewell, a full day in Charlotte on Saturday to prepare myself for a new upcoming adventure, followed by a low-key night with my parents watching football by the fire. (Not so fun outcome for the game, however.) Then, on Sunday, we slept in and had breakfast at a new spot called the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery.

Greenville friends...if you have not yet discovered this place, you are missing out! The Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery is located along Highway 183 just outside the Greenville city limits, and right alongside the successful and popular rails-to-trails project, called...well...the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

The SRT stretches a total of 34 miles, out and back, (so 17 one-way), from Downtown Greenville to Travelers Rest, with plans for expansions at each end. On weekday afternoons and weekends, the trail is packed with cyclists, runners and walkers. And on weekday mornings, you might find a commuter or two.

The SR Cafe and Grocery is just that, a cafe and grocery that stocks local produce, breads, meats and cheeses, as well as other organic dry goods and necessities both local and non-local. The cafe offers a light breakfast consisting of your choice of pastries or a breakfast sandwich, and a lunch/dinner menu with several sandwiches, smoothies or other daily specials. They are open every day 7am - 7pm, except Sunday when they open at 8am. The prices are good, comparable to what you would find at the Saturday morning Farmer's Market, and a little less than Whole Foods. And best of all, it's independently-owned by friendly and passionate people.

For breakfast on Sunday, I went with a freshly-baked blueberry scone (shown above) and Stuart had a breakfast sandwich with Canadian Bacon, swiss cheese and a fried egg on cheddar-ciabatta. Everything was prepared fresh, and in house. We brought the dogs with us, and sat outside under a pecan tree right beside the trail to enjoy our breakfast, admiring those who got their morning off to a more productive start than we did.

I can't wait to ride my bike out for my next trip, maybe for groceries...or another blueberry scone.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from MK's Kitchen! This weekend, we celebrated with football, firepits, spider bread and Spicy Brittle Candy. We also took a trip to Charlotte for a Preview Day at Johnson & Wales. It just got me even more excited for the adventures ahead!! Hope you enjoyed your Halloween weekend as well!

Spicy Brittle Candy from Serious Eats

Oooh...back to school, back to school...

2011-10-25T21:30:00.000-04:00

MK's Kitchen is thrilled to exclusively report this latest bit of public knowledge: Yours truly is going back to school.

Where and for what, you might ask? Good questions. Ever heard of a school called Johnson & Wales University? Oh? Yes, you have? Do you know what they are known for? Oh? Did you say their famous Culinary Arts program???

Yep!! Starting November 29th, I begin a 4-term program in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte!!!

[exhale]

...that felt good to get off my chest.

I am SO absolutely excited about this decision...it was very difficult to make and took a good bit of time and work to actually make it happen, but with the support of my husband, family and friends, I decided that it was the best next move for me at this point in my life and career.

Cooking has always been my passion, and it's definitely evolved over the years. I can remember at the age of 10 or 11, making spaghetti - out of a box and a jar - and stirring in spices and dried herbs to kick it up a notch, just to put a personal touch on it.

For years, I've always looked at it as a hobby, and at times, a form of therapy. And starting this blog helped me realize that my love for cooking can be so much more than that!

I've been unhappy in my career path for a few years now. I've become a dread-Monday-look-forward-to-Friday type of person, and that's not who I want to be. I want to be excited to get up and start my day in a career that I love, and that doesn't feel like a "J-O-B." shiver. The dreaded word.

Ok, that's a little dramatic.

But, that's what I've come to think of that word, and I don't want to continue that for the rest of my career. And yes, I want a career...I need something to keep me grounded as life goes on and a family comes into the picture.

So, it only felt right when I arrived at the crossroads a few months back - unsure of where to go, and what to do with my life - and Stuart suggested Culinary School. "Why don't you go to Culinary School?" Um...what? REALLY?!?

Immediately, my eyes lit up and a huge smile spread across my face. I didn't realize how much I really wanted to do this, until someone suggested making it a reality. From there, there was no turning back. I applied, was accepted, we began the financial aid process, and I just recently put in my notice at work. I found an apartment in Charlotte, living with a friend 3 nights a week, then commuting back home Thursday afternoon. Lots of big steps, but I just kept moving and never looked back, and now I'm only a few weeks away from starting the process of fulfilling a dream.

I realize I am fortunate to have this opportunity, and while I know the next year will be hard on my marriage, my friendships AND our finances...it will all be worth it in the end when I can look back and say I did something I've always wanted to do. I followed my passion and didn't settle.

So, thank you everyone for your support!! You know who you are. I could not have made this decision without your words of encouragement. I look forward to returning the favor with lots of "recipe-testing" dinners.

And stay tuned for many updates on life as a culinary student!! I'm sure I'll have lots to share, and you'll be the first to hear. Can't wait!!

"Chow," for now. :)

Have you discovered Pepperplate?

2011-10-24T17:07:00.004-04:00

In searching our new ipad for an app that would help me organize my recipes, I came across a wonderful discovery...Pepperplate.com.

I love that you can import a recipe straight from a select number of popular food sites/blogs and it recounts every step and every ingredient. You can also customize the recipe to include your own touches, and it will adjust to accommodate any number of people. If you're not into copycatting (although my mom always said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) - you can add your own recipe. And similar to many other apps of its same nature, it also creates a customizable shopping list for you, and incorporates a planner to stay organized.

Not only is there an iPad version, but there is an online version too! So, you don't have to have an iPad to play...but it certainly helps when it comes time to cook.

I found it particularly helpful when organizing my last dinner party.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Savory Butternut Squash Tart with Apple, Manchego Salad

2011-10-23T21:11:00.004-04:00

Last week, Stuart was out of town, and I had a couple nights to myself. Those types of nights are rare, and as much as I miss him when he's gone, I do cherish the alone-time. I don't know why it takes him leaving for me to plan out an evening to myself. We spend plenty of time apart when we're both here...there's just something nice about having the whole house to yourself to do as you please, without consulting with anyone else.

On one of those nights, I planned a girls-only dinner party so that I could spend the other night (the night before) prepping. Ahh...how therapeutic.

For the menu, I decided on something completely "Fall," head-to-toe: Butternut Squash Tart with Gorgonzola and Pancetta, with an Apple and Manchego salad...and for dessert, Pumpkin Chiffon Mousse Cake. The tart recipe was from a wonderful blog that I've discovered call Farm-House-Table. Her recipes are so tastefully rustic. The cake is from Epicurious, and the salad, from Serious Eats.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Savory Butternut Squash Tart with Gorgonzola and Pancetta

Recipe for Manchego and Apple Salad

Recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Mouse Cake (Sorry...no photos...but trust me, it was pretty!)

French Onion Soup...Welcome, Fall!

2011-10-16T21:04:00.003-04:00

It's been a great few weeks in MK's Kitchen...I've enjoyed a little rest and relaxation, a lot of college football, a fun Fall festival and some delightfully chilly weather. Fall also gets my culinary juices flowing. My eyes grow wider with every recipe I find that contains the word pumpkin, squash, spice or soup. It's the only season that gets its very own Pinterest board. :)

So...to start our Fall posts off on a good foot...how about some hearty French Onion Soup? I can't think of anything better to pair with a juicy Ribeye steak on a chilly October evening.

French Onion Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped

1 T unsalted butter

1 T Apricot Brandy

4 cups low-sodium beef stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 whole grain baguette, sliced 1/2" thick (should be able to fit within ramekin)

1 cup grated Gruyere

Preheat oven to 450. Saute onions in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until soft and translucent, making sure to stir often. Add butter and toss to coat. Remove pan from heat and stir in Brandy, return to heat and cook until Brandy is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Add beef stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes until soup is reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare 4 10 oz ramekins by first placing them on a rimmed baking sheet, then filling them with the soup, and topping with a slice of the baguette and a generous sprinkling of Gruyere. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and top of bread is slightly toasted. About 5 minutes. (But watch closely)

Enjoy!

Go Tigers!

2011-10-10T21:55:00.003-04:00

Made using refried beans, guacamole, sour cream and block cheddar cheese for the tiger paw...easy, quick and festive!

Go Tigers!

Weekend Menu

2011-09-23T16:32:00.006-04:00

Dinner tonight...

From Here

...Served with Grilled Pork Chops and a Pear and Walnut Salad

Lunch tomorrow (at the tailgate)...

From here

Happy Weekend Cooking, Gooooo Tigers!

Maine Day 4 - A Day to Remember!

2011-09-22T11:30:00.001-04:00

Day 4 in Maine was a special day - September 11, 2011. Not only was it a day for our nation to remember the many lives lost on that day 10 years ago, but it also marked a day that Stuart and I will remember for a different reason for many years to come - our first anniversary.

To celebrate, we would head to Bar Harbor for a quick stop, followed by a tour through Acadia National Park and the Northeast Harbor, then end the day back in Blue Hill, with a top-notch dinner and a night at the cozy Blue Hill Inn.

So, we packed up our things, hugged goodbye to our wonderful hosts and set out for the last leg of our trip.

Our drive from Stonington to Bar Harbor was quick, with plenty of sights along the way. We spent a quick hour walking down the Shore Walk in Bar Harbor, right alongside the ocean, taking in the views and the cool breeze.

Then, we headed straight to Acadia National Park for a scenic drive along Loop Road followed by a much-needed lunch at the Jordan Pond House.

We each had a salad and a popover (a restaurant specialty) while we took on the amazing views of Jordan Pond and the surrounding hills right from our table.

After lunch, we set out for Cadillac Mountain, our last stop before heading back to Blue Hill. At the top, we were astonished at the breathtaking scenery below us - 360 degree views of clear sky and sparkling blue water, dotted with islands of green. It was heaven.

Back in Blue Hill, we checked into Room #4 at the Blue Hill Inn and got cleaned up for the celebratory night ahead. We started with wine and cheese in the garden outside the Inn where we exchanged cards and reminisced about our wedding day exactly a year ago. Then, we walked up the street to Arborvine, a local restaurant who has gained National and Regional attention for their farm-to-table gourmet cuisine. We were a little early, so we stopped next door for a quick drink at the Deep Water Brewing Co. - a local brewery started by Arborvine's bartender. With some mighty fine beers, I might add.

Then, we headed to dinner. The staff at Arborvine was so amazing and accomodating - they greeted us with smiles and told us congratulations. The lady who escorted us to our cozy table right by the fireplace, introduced herself as the owner and told us to save room for dessert, as it would be complements of Stuart's Uncle who had called ahead. We should have known...he never misses a beat! I ordered the Bagaduce River Oysters as a starter, recommended by Uncle Mark...but they were a bit too salty for me. Stuart ordered an Heirloom Tomato Salad. Then, for the main course, I got Lamb Chops and Stuart ordered a Filet, which were both cooked perfectly.

Dessert was the star, Chocolate Mousse with a Pistachio Cookie. It was light and airy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of crunch from the cookie. Yum.

The day was just as I'd hoped it would be, a day with just the two of us, spending time together and enjoying our favorite things, remembering the past but more importantly, focusing on the future and appreciating the life that we have together.

When we chose September 11 as our wedding day, we decided that we wanted to take a day that we had seen as somber and tragic, and turn it into a day that stood for celebration and new beginnings. We did not want to take away from the impact of the day, nor cover up the reality of what happened, as those wounds will never fully heal. But, instead we wanted to show that as life goes on and anniversaries come and go...we all can be thankful and feel blessed for being touched by those we have loved and who have loved us.

I'll end on a favorite quote by the Avett Brothers, that we happen to like, and just about sums it all up.*

"Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name."

*Please pardon the mushy end to this post...sometimes I just can't help myself!

A true Maine experience - Steamed Lobster

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our third day in Maine continued our tradition of more exploring, and more eating. We reserved this day for an adventure on Isle au Haut, a remote island just a few miles from Stonington, only accessible by boat. A portion of the island is dedicated as part of Acadia National Park with bike paths and hiking trails throughout. Since the island is about 12 miles in circumference, we decided to rent bikes to cover the whole thing in one day.

Our first stop on the island was Black Dinah Chocolatiers. The only cafe (and chocolate shoppe) on the island...located inside a house in the woods. They have gained both local and national attention for their delicious, hand-made chocolates using local ingredients. We picked up a few truffles, drooled a little over the rest of the goodies that we had to pass up, and headed on our way.

After a good 4 or 5 mile ride on pretty rough terrain, I was ready for a break to steady my head. (I've now got a whole new respect for mountain bikers) So we stopped for a quick lunch on the rocky shore of a beautiful cove right near the trails. We thought we might have an unexpected guest join us when we saw a seal pop its head above the water nearby, but he must of changed his mind when he saw no offering of fresh fish.

We instead enjoyed brie cheese and ham on rosemary crackers and chocolate for dessert. Just enough to re-fuel and get on our way.

The rest of the island was more of the same gorgeous views and run-down chic-ness that I had come to associate with Maine. I particulary loved the old, re-furbished cars from decades before that had made their way onto the island, never to make it off again.

We even saw what we are 99.9% sure was Stuart's grandparents' old station wagon...sold to an Isle au Haut resident years back.

Just spending a few hours on this remote island made it clear that this was a very special place...both to visitors and residents alike.

When the ferry docked back in Stonington, and we began our short walk back to the house, I was giddy with excitement because I knew what awaited us at the top of the hill - Stuart's uncle was preparing a traditional lobster dinner for us on our last night on Deer Isle.

We got back to the house, showered and quickly began helping prepare what would become my favorite meal of the whole trip.

The lobsters were about as fresh as you can get them...pulled right out of the ocean that very day.

We kept the preparation simple...placing them straight into in a large pot, steaming them for 20 minutes and serving them whole alongside a dish of melted butter and lemon for dipping.

You could say I was excited.

Now, I don't by any means consider myself a lobster connoisseur...I think I may have had lobster two times in my entire life...but you better believe that the lobster I'd had before, was in no way, shape or form even remotely comparable to this. This lobster was tender, sweet and mild and the zest from the lemon butter added just enough contrast.

Uncle Mark showed us the right way to eat him...getting every little scrap of meat that was there. He made sure we did not miss the parts that produced the tiniest little bits of meat, as those pieces were often the most tender and flavorful. When all was said and done it was worth every bit of effort that we put into eating it, and every bit of mess that we made. I think next time I'll wear a bib though...that or avoid wearing a silk shirt. (Who invited the rookie?)

Regardless, it was another wonderful day spent in Maine, and another delicious meal to seal the deal.

Day 2 in Maine - Farmer's Market and Blueberry Pie

2011-09-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

Day two in Maine started with a fresh cup of coffee and a stroll to the local farmer's market just up the road.

Where we bought tomatoes, croissants, blueberry salsa, corn, chevre and blueberry pie...all from local vendors or farmers in the area. We also couldn't resist one more cup of coffee from a local roaster who was serving it up freshly brewed in mason jars.

We followed the Farmer's market with a walk through town to get a taste of the incredible scenery that surrounded us. It's hard to think of old, retired lobster traps, washed up booeys, run-down boats and sagging laundry lines as charming...but that is just how I would describe it.

We had lunch at Lily's in Deer Isle, a quaint cafe that is a popular spot among locals and summer residents. We opted for lunch because Friday night dinner is so busy you have to arrive at 5:00pm to get a table. (They only serve dinner once a week) Lunch was fine with me though - I had a hearty veggie sandwich with potato salad.

After lunch, we went down to the docks to get a close-up of the lobster activity. We lucked out with our timing because the boats were coming in with fresh loads right as we walked up.

The afternoon consisted of some much-needed exercise and some down time by the water. And after enjoying a glass of wine as we watched a gorgeous sunset...we started on dinner.

On the menu, was basil grilled chicken, grilled corn smothered in mayonnaise and cayenne pepper, and an heirloom tomato salad. A meal full of fresh flavors.

What better way to top off a busy day of shopping, walking, eating and relaxing than a warm slice of blueberry pie served alongside a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream. Man...what a tough day.

Rope Cultured Mussels and a warm Maine welcome

2011-09-14T21:27:00.008-04:00

This past Sunday, Stuart and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary. (How quickly a year flies by!) In true fashion, we stretched it out as long as we could - starting with a surprise trip to Atlanta 2 weekends ago for a night of spontaneity, and ending it on Tuesday night by cutting into our year-old wedding cake, toasting to a bottle of champagne and recounting memories through photos.

In between those two celebratory events, we managed to fit in a wonderfully relaxing trip to Maine. We stayed with Stuart's Uncle Mark and his lovely wife Susan on Deer Isle in the quaint fishing village of Stonington, then ended the trip with a night on our own just down the road in Blue Hill.

After a quick pit stop at Shaw's grocery store to pick up Stuart's favorite wild Maine blueberry muffins that he remembered from years ago...we were headed on our way. Yes...I had to figure out a way to include this picture.

When we arrived in Stonington on Thursday evening, exhausted and hungry, we could not have been greeted by any more welcoming hosts. Susan and Mark (and their Maltese, Nori) warmly ushered us in and made us feel right at home.

Lucky for us, Mark had already picked up some fresh, rope-cultured mussels from a local vendor down the road. If you didn't know (because I didn't) rope cultured mussels are grown on a rope suspended in the water, keeping the sand and grit out, and producing a much cleaner mussel than one that would grow in the wild.

He immediately put me to work (which a cook can appreciate) to sort through the pile, removing the beards and separating the live from the not-so-alive. We then steamed the mussels in beer until the shells opened up and they were ready to devour.

They were served alongside roasted brussel sprouts - my favorite! - and a nice crusty slice of bread for soaking up the salty broth. Dee. lih. shus.

The night was capped off with a few hilarious family stories, just before we stumbled down to the guest house (also known as "Brown House") to crash for the night...with the windows opened of course.

A perfect introduction to what would be a wonderful adventure in Maine.

Happy Birthday Sarah Jo!

2011-09-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

I must take a moment to wish my fan-ta-bu-lous sister, Sarah Jo, a Happy Happy Birthday!

She's the epitome of the perfect mother to two precious boys, a wonderful wife and the most beautiful 29 year old I know! I'm so very proud of you, and love you very much!

Farmers Market Finds

2011-09-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

These were my Farmer's Market finds:

Which then became this:

Fresh Bean Salad

And then this:

Soy-Lime Shrimp with Fresh Bean Salad over Cilantro Lime Pasta

Recipe for Soy-Lime Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime

1 T Sesame Oil

2 T fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 T butter

1 tsp chopped, fresh garlic

Whisk top 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Add shrimp and cover bowl with plastic wrap, then marinate in the refrigerator for 45 min - 1 hour.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, and garlic. Saute garlic for 30 seconds, then add shrimp. Cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side (depending on size of shrimp).

Remove shrimp from pan and set aside until ready to serve.

Fresh Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh green beans, cut on the bias in 1" pieces

1 cup fresh, shelled peas

3 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin

1/2 of freshly squeezed lime

1 tsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan and add green beans and peas. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes, then plunge into an ice bath (bowl with ice and water) to stop the cooking process. Drain and discard ice cubes. Transfer to a bowl and add tomatoes, lime juice, vinegar and salt and pepper. Let marinate in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To assemble the pasta dish, cook pasta of your choice as directed, drain and toss with 1 T of sesame oil and 1 T soy sauce. Spoon pasta into a bowl and top with shrimp and Fresh Bean Salad.

Enjoy!

Farmers Market Finds

2011-08-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

These were my Farmer's Market finds:

Which turned into this:

Heirloom Tomato and Fig Salad With Rosemary Goat Cheese

And this:

Eggplant Fries

And eventually this:

Pork Burger Pizza with Heirloom Tomato, Fig and Basil

Yum!

Grilled Eggplant "Fries"

2011-08-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

I picked up an eggplant at the Farmer's Market not too long ago and decided I'd try a twist on a recipe shared in Bon Appetit for eggplant fries. I took breaded eggplant and pan fried them quickly, then threw them on the grill to finish them off. I didn't have enough breadcrumbs on hand, so my breading turned out a bit thick and therefore didn't cover the whole surface of the eggplant, but the bits and pieces of crispy coating were still a treat.

Grilled Eggplant Fries

Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant
1 cup of Italian-style bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup half and half (for dipping)...can sub milk if needed
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cut the eggplant length-wise into long slices about 3/4" thick. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain on a paper towel for about 20 minutes. Discard excess water. Then, cut each of the slices into 3/4" strips. If the eggplant is really long (mine was round and fat), feel free to cut the strips in half so they are manageable. Sprinkle with pepper to season (they should already be salted).

Pre-heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix together the egg and half and half. Pour the egg mixture into a large bowl. Place the breadcrumbs into a flat baking dish. Dip each of the strips in the wet mixture, then roll them in the breadcrumbs until coated. Place the coated strips in the pre-heated saute pan and sear for about 1 minute per side...until the breading is crisp and golden. Transfer the crispy eggplant strips to a vegetable grilling tray and place on a pre-heated grill for 5 - 7 minutes on medium-high heat.

Remove, let cool and enjoy!

It's Bon Appetit Magazine Day!

2011-08-24T14:46:00.009-04:00

Is it sad that I go completely nuts whenever I see my newest Bon Appetite Magazine peeking over the side of my mailbox at the end of every month? Eh...who cares. Because today was a good day. I came home for lunch delighted to find the September [Restaurant!] issue so patiently awaiting my arrival. And who was featured on the front cover as the Best New Restaurant of 2011 but Charleston's own, Husk!

I'm over the moon that Southern food is now back on the map as a hip, but elegant [and delicious] style of cuisine. (Apparently so is Andrew Knowlton, the BA Foodist who selected the top 10 restaurants in the September issue.) And who better to lead the charge than Charleston, the food staple of the South Carolina lowcountry.

I have not yet been to Husk, and I've heard it's received its share of underwhelming reviews from the locals. But those out-of-towners just can't get enough of this new restaurant's classic Southern fare. And I can't say I would argue with them, it's hard to believe how this place could not be good.

CB.A.L.T's with Basil Aioli

2011-08-24T08:44:00.003-04:00

A twist on the usual BLT...subbing Canadian Bacon for regular bacon and adding sliced avocado. I whipped up these sandwiches to serve alongside my refreshing Corn and Summer Squash Soup. I cannot express the importance of using fresh, quality ingredients for this sandwich. When you have so few ingredients the best you can find make all the difference. I used local avocado and heirloom tomatoes on the sandwich, and fresh basil in the aioli. And always make sure the bread is freshly baked...don't want any broken teeth!

CB.A.L.T's with Basil Aioli

Makes 2-4 sandwiches (depending on how hungry you are!)

Ingredients

2 3-inch slices of focaccia bread

4 slices of canadian bacon, seared on each side for 5 minutes total

1/2 cup of arugula

4 slices tomato

half of a ripe avocado, sliced

1/4 cup Basil Aioli (recipe below)

salt and pepper to season

To assemble the sandwich, cut each slice of bread lengthwise to create 4 total pieces. Toast the foccacia bread in the oven (or toaster oven) for about 5 minutes. Spread each slice with the aioli, then layer tomatoes, avocado, arugula and Canadian Bacon on two of the slices, and top with the remaining focaccia to create the sandwich. Cut the sandwich into two halves, and either enjoy two halves to yourself or share with a group of 4!

Basil Aioli

Makes 1/4 cup

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T fresh, finely chopped basil

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 T lemon juice

salt and pepper

Add garlic and basil along with a pinch of salt to a mortar and pestle and grind into a paste.** Add mayonnaise, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Let cool in refrigerator until ready to use (at least 1 hour).

**If you do not have a mortar and pestle, simple place garlic and basil on a cutting board and sprinkle with salt, then run your knife through over and over, occasionally running the blade across the top of the mixture until broken down into a paste. Then, transfer this paste to a bowl and continue with the steps above.

Corn and Summer Squash Soup

2011-08-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

Soup doesn't have to be neglected for the Summer months, this is a perfect example of how to turn fresh, seasonal ingredients into a refreshing, light and flavorful meal that doesn't weigh you down. There is no cream or added fat in the soup...I used the food processor to add thickness through pureeing without losing flavor.

Corn and Summer Squash Soup

Yields about 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 T extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 ears of corn, shucked

1/2 small onion, diced

2 summer squash, roughly chopped

3 cups chicken stock

3 T rosemary, finely chopped + more for garnish

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1/4 c. cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)

To remove the kernels from your corn, place a kitchen towel over the top of your cutting board and stand each ear of corn up vertically with the wider end resting on the cutting board. Holding the top, run your knife from the top to the bottom, to remove kernels in one long slice, then move around the entire ear to slice off all kernels. Place the cobs to the side for use later.

Bring a saute pan to medium-high heat and saute garlic and onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add corn, reserving 1/2 c to add later, and squash and saute for 10 minutes more. Add chicken stock, scrap up browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add half of the rosemary and the reserved cobs from earlier. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Discard cobs. Transfer mixture to food processor (in batches if necessary), and blend until smooth. Transfer mixture back to pot and add the reserved half a cup of corn from earlier and remaining rosemary. Add pinch of red pepper flakes, heat through (anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes) and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with rosemary and grated cheddar cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

Homemade Herbed Ricotta

2011-08-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I cannot take credit for discovering this delicious appetizer, (thanks Marci!) but I can tell you that I'm surprised I have not heard of, or enjoyed it before now! It was so easy, and completely refreshing for a hot summer day. The fact that you can make a fancy cheese spread in half an hour is pretty impressive, too.

Thanks to Ina Garten for another flawless recipe.

Recipe for Homemade Herbed Ricotta

Corn and Bacon Salad

2011-08-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love being able to pull together a wonderful dinner with ingredients that I have on hand. There is something about the idea of being resourceful and still being able to get creative and make a tasty dish that gets me excited.

This yummy salad uses a combination of fresh and frozen ingredients to create a delicious Summer side that can be served warm or chilled. Although, in this 100 degree heat...I recommend the latter!

Corn and Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

2 slices of thick cut bacon

1/4 of a large red onion, diced

2 ears of corn

1/2 cup of chicken stock

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 handful fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook through, turning once (5-7 minutes total). Remove the bacon to a plate with a couple layers of paper towels to drain the fat. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel (carefully) or pour excess grease out. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the corn and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and make sure to scrap up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the peas and the basil and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator to chill.

Hognose Snapper with White Beans in Tomato-Rosemary Broth

2011-08-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

We are so fortunate to have a wonderful Farmers Market just a few steps from our house. The booths stretch for 2 blocks with selections ranging from fresh produce to homemade pasta to locally caught seafood. I always make a lap around the entire market when I first arrive to see what yummy options are available that weekend.

A few weeks ago, I stopped at the local seafood booth and noticed some red snapper on the menu. When I got up to the front of the line to order, the guy behind the counter sold me instead on Hognose Snapper. He compared it to Black Bass, something a little more milder and flakier than the usual Red Snapper. And being a rare catch for them, I decided I wouldn't let this opportunity pass me by.

The only problem I was left with was how to prepare it. I googled a number of different things, and one of the results that came up was this recipe for Sea Bass with White Beans in a Tomato-Rosemary Broth. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I figured this would be the perfect preparation for my special purchase. I used heirloom tomatoes instead of Roma, only because I had bought some of those at the market as well...I would highly recommend you do the same if you have access to some ripe heirlooms.

I'm still mastering the technique of seared fish filets, but I'm getting better. This time I only got one side of the filets stuck to the pan. I guess next time I need to be more patient before flipping to get a good sear. Regardless, it was flavorful, light and refreshing...a perfect Summer meal using local ingredients. Success!

Homemade Dill Pickles

2011-08-11T13:55:00.008-04:00

I got this idea from The Kitchn, a couple weeks ago. It coincided with the perfect urge for a homemade weekend project and a refreshing summer treat. And it was so easy! See directions via the link below.

I then turned around and used these delicious pickles in an appetizer of rye bread toasts topped with pimento cheese and pickles. What a perfect combination.

Happy Summer cooking!

Homemade Dill Pickles from Design Sponge

Grilled Pizza with Shrimp, Strawberries and Cilantro Pesto

2011-07-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

This scrumptious creation was inspired by ingredients available in my fridge - fresh cilantro, local SC shrimp, fresh basil from the yard, and juicy strawberries from the Farmer's Market. We stuck it all on grilled pizza dough and voila! A tasty, seasonal treat.

Grilled Pizza with Shrimp, Strawberries and Cilantro Pesto

(Makes 1 pizza)

Ingredients:

1 package pre-made pizza dough (available at your local grocery or favorite pizza joint)

1/4 c Cilantro Pesto (recipe below)

1/2 lb shrimp (grilled on the charcoal grill prior to grilling pizza)

Fresh mozzarella, cut into 5 or 6 1/4" slices

1/4 sliced strawberries

1 handful fresh basil leaves

Knead the pizza dough and roll out to desired thickness (I like mine pretty thin, about 1/4" thick). Oil one side of the dough and transfer directly to a hot grill. Grill one side for about 2-3 minutes, until stiff enough to hold its shape. Remove from grill, flip over onto a floured surface (so that uncooked side is face down), and add cilantro pesto, mozzarella cheese, grilled shrimp and sliced strawberries. Place back on grill and cover. Heat until the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through, about 3 -5 minutes, depending on the coals. Remove from the heat, and sprinkle with fresh basil.

For the Pesto:

Ingredients:

1/2 c fresh cilantro

1/4 c fresh basil, divided

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 c sunflower seeds

Add cilantro, basil, garlic, and sunflower seeds to food processor. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Pulse about 10 times, then let run on low speed as you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Use your judgement and when the mixture is loosened, but still thick enough to be a paste...then it's done. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Enjoy!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins a la Stuart

2011-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd share the pleasant surprise I woke up to one morning a couple weeks back. Turns out when Stuart wakes up early in the morning for a hard workout at the gym...I reap the rewards.

If only I had snapped a picture of the kitchen amidst the madness that went into baking these delicious treats. :)

Chicken Curry with Roasted Baby Carrots

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, we returned from way too short of a beach trip to Pawley's Island with the fam. And I'm still in vacation mode. Maybe it's the holiday weekend ahead, or the fact that Summer has now officially been set, but all I want to do is sit by a pool, float on a lake or lay on a beach with a good book and a nice cold beer. Needless to say, I have not been in much of a mood to cook.

So, I'll just tell you guys about a delicious chicken curry that I made last week, while attempting to clean out the fridge before we left for 4 days.

I've never made curry before, but I've always wanted to give it a try...I think I can probably perfect this recipe a little more, but it was a good start. I served it over basmati rice cooked in coconut milk and alongside some roasted baby carrots that I'd bought at the Farmer's Market over the weekend.

I apologize for the lazy recipe below...I really need to start taking note of my measurements!

Chicken Curry

(serves 4)

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 turn around the pan of extra virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

3/4 of a 8 oz package of sliced baby portobello mushrooms

half of a small bunch of scallions, sliced into 1/2" pieces

1 T flour

2 T butter

1 T curry powder

1/3 can of coconut milk

1/3 cup (ish) chicken stock

salt and pepper

heaping tablespoon of greek yogurt

1 handful of fresh basil, chopped

Heat a good sized skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken, then add to the pan. Sear the chicken on all sides and cook in pan for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Add the peppers, onions and mushrooms to the pan. Season with a sprinkle of salt. Saute until soft and onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add scallions and saute another 2 minutes. Remove veggies from pan. Add butter to pan, then add flour and combine to make a rue. Add curry powder and stir to combine. Deglaze pan with chicken stock, making sure to pick up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, then add the coconut milk and whisk together. Heat until thickened, continuously stirring. Turn heat down to low. Add greek yogurt and incorporate. Add veggies and chicken back to pan, and stir all together to combine. Add basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Bamberg, Germany

2011-06-02T11:34:00.005-04:00

The next stop on MK's European culinary tour is Bamberg, Germany.

After docking in a little town that I can't remember the name of, about 30 miles from Bamberg located right on the river (town #27, as it will be known), we had a little time to browse the city and grab lunch before our buses arrived to take us to Bamberg. I grabbed a couple sandwiches from a deli/bakery and we ate them on our way back to the ship to catch the bus. My sandwich had tomato, fresh mozzarella and pesto on crispy but chewy foccacia, and it was absolutely refreshing. As were the views on the river where we sat on a wall to stuff our faces...ahem, I mean eat. :)

Bamberg was one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed in WWII because of a nearby Artillery Factory. So, the city is known today for its old, old, OLD architecture which dates back to the 1000's...yeah, I said 1000.

It's also a city full of beautiful canals which create a gorgeous backdrop for the medieval buildings and bridges that surround them.

Perhaps one of Bamberg's most famous "claim-to-fame's" is its beer. Not only are there 8 breweries in this town (for a population of 70,000...that's alot), but one particular brewery stands out amongst the others because of the type of beer that is served - Rauchbier...or Smoked Beer. The story goes that years and years ago, the brewery partially caught fire, and the beer took on a smokey flavor. This distinct flavor caught on and its still being made this way today.

We were told it was an "acquired taste" and I'd have to say that it definitely was not my favorite, but I've never tasted anything like it before...and that left me very intrigued.

Wurzburg, Germany

2011-05-31T10:44:00.021-04:00

In Wurzburg, I got to experience all my favorite foodie activities - coffee, Italian food, good wine and eis (ice cream). Not to mention a fabulous "date-night" dinner for me and S.

We docked early, so that gave us a chance to get off and enjoy a light breakfast before exploring. We stopped at a busy little cafe near an open-air market in what seemed to be the city center. I decided on a breakfast consisting of a selection of cheeses and fruit spreads, along with a huge basket of bread. They also snuck a soft-cooked egg onto my plate, for which I had to spy on another table to see how to eat. After watching the girl next to me crack into the side of it with a spoon and peel off the top, I did the same. Inside was a milky, yellow egg yolk, surrounded by a slightly harder egg white. I scooped a little onto a piece of bread and spread it around like butter. After I got beyond the raw egg yolk consistency, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it!

After breakfast we set out to explore, and ended up caught in a rainstorm on a hike up the mountain to the castle overlooking the entire city. No worries though, a little rain wasn't going to stop us!

Luckily, the rain cleared and by the time we'd hiked back down the mountain, we'd worked up a pretty good appetite! S. had looked up a little Italian spot back down in the city, and who was I to argue with pasta! We walked in to find tall tables, with no chairs and a walk-through line where you made your selection based on the day's dishes. We made our order of lasagna with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, based on the English-speaking chef's recommendation, and proceeded to an empty table outside to stand and enjoy our lunch. The lasagna was just what I needed... silky pasta, covered in a creamy tomato sauce with a kick from the pungent Parmesan sprinkled on top. I was in heaven.

After more walking and exploring, I was a little thirsty. So, we stopped at a weinhaus for a nice, cold glass of wein. My choice was a local riesling...delicious.

Then, we got a little hungry...so that meant it was time for eis! Or, as us Americans like to call it, ice cream.

After an afternoon of wein and eis, we headed back to the boat to clean up and get ready for our only date-night of the trip. We found a cute little place hidden off the beaten path in an old hotel. It had a quaint little courtyard filled with old charm, so we decided to make ourselves at home for a nice, long dinner.

Our waiter started us off with his recommendation of wines, which turned out to be a German version of Pinot Gris, which I absolutely loved. Then, we moved on to dinner, which was set for the evening, with a couple of choices to choose from. We each went with something different of course, so we could try as many things as possible. And after our bread course and a complimentary appetizer of seasonal spreads from the chef including pate, lentils with thyme, and salmon with sprouts, the meal began.

I started with cream of asparagus soup, which I think could have been the best soup I'd ever tasted (or so I thought, until dinner in Durnstein on our last night). Stuart started with a carrot souffle and spinach salad.

Then, for our main courses, I went with the Char (fresh from the Rhine River) served over white and green asparagus and Stuart went with vegetable quiche, served with a relish of white and green asparagus. Asparagus was the theme of the night, since it was perfectly in season at the time.

And finally, to round out a perfectly planned meal, we both opted for different desserts. Mine, a chocolate mousse and his a selection of 3 different sweets...which I wish I could remember! But, who cares...it was all absolutely delicious. And could not have been a better evening for the two of us to share with each other. Overall, Wurzburg proved to be one of our favorite culinary adventures in Germany, and a great stop on our tour.

Miltenberg, Germany

2011-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of our next stops on the trip was a quaint town in Bavaria called Miltenberg. This was the first of many medieval towns we would visit along the way. The town itself was breathtaking, as were the views at the top of the giant hill we hiked to get to the castle ruins.

But, as usual, I was most excited about the food. We chose an outdoor spot this time, right in the heart of the city. Our waitress spoke no English, but we were in luck with English descriptions on the menu. :) To start off we ordered a couple traditional Bavarian pretzels and beer for the table. I chose their potato soup for my meal, because I wasn't too hungry. Stuart and his Dad both ordered the Currywurst with fries, and Nat ordered Dumplings in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce. (which I was pretty excited about, because I secretly wanted to order both the soup and the dumplings!)

The soup was perfect. Not too heavy, not too light and full of flavor. Complete with a dense piece of bread to soak it all up.

The dumplings were absolutely divine, as was the mushroom sauce they were served in.

And the currywurst was delicious also. Not sure about the pairing with french fries, but the Germans do love their potatoes!

On the way back to the ship, we stopped at a Biergarten located conveniently along the river close to our dock. I can't remember the exact taste, but I can remember that this was one of my favorite beers of the trip. :)

Cologne, Germany

2011-05-27T10:58:00.007-04:00

I'm trying not to get myself too overwhelmed with all the things I want to tell you about our fabulous trip through The Netherlands, Germany and Austria...but there's just so much to tell!! 12 days and 300 pictures later, I CAN tell you that it was a trip of a lifetime. And while I know I'll never be able to get through all the amazing stories, I know that I can at least tell you about the food!! So here it goes...

One of our first stops, after entering into Germany was Cologne. While Cologne wasn't the most picturesque town we visited because of the effects of the bombings in WWII (the entire town was bombed and has since been rebuilt), it was definitely one of the most fun. Here, we were able to spend an entire day and part of the night, exploring the whole city. We started out at "The Dom," the only structure in the city to survive the bombings. And let me just tell you that this Cathedral is one of the most intimidating buildings I've ever seen. Intimidating, but beautiful.

After visiting "The Dom," we headed to lunch just across the street at a pretty touristy, but still authentic German restaurant. It must have been a tourist spot for Germans though, because I was shocked to find out they didn't have an English menu! (I know, how ignorantly American of me to assume.) So, this became the first of many situations where we were completely intimidated by the German language. However, after our impatient waiter walked us through some of the items in broken English, we decided to take some risks. I ended up with what I will call a "German Pizza"...but it was hardly a traditional pizza like I'm used to, which I was happy with. The sauce was a light cream, but not too heavy, there was no cheese and it was topped with ham and asparagus. The flavors were simple, and they all worked perfectly together.

Later that night, Stuart, Nat and I went out for our "first night out" in Germany. The boat was docked until 11, so we put on our party shoes and set out for a night on the town. Stuart had read about a great spot called "Papa Joe's Jazzlokal," and we knew we wanted to check that out. But first, we were eager to try some local cuisine...and local beer. So we stopped at the first Bierhaus we could find and immediately ordered 3 biers. You don't really pick your beers at these places since most of these towns have their own breweries and they supply the bierhauses with one type, and that's what is available. Which was fine with us! After ordering the beers, we decided upon an appetizer of typical German snacks, which included blood sausage, raw pork, liverwurst, pate, potato salad, deviled egg and a small slice of cheese. As always it came with plenty of bread. I think it's safe to assume this was not my favorite taste of Germany...I couldn't bring myself to try the raw pork, although S. said it was pretty tasty.

After our "snack," we headed to Papa Joe's...where we proceeded to step back in time to the 1920's, listen to some of the best jazz I've ever heard, eat roasted peanuts and toss their shells on the floor. We grabbed a pizza from a side street pizzeria on our way back to the boat, and I wish I'd had a picture of that, but we were so hungry at this point that it disappeared before I could blink!

Cologne was an absolute blast. And I knew after hitting the bed that night, that if the rest of the trip was anything like this...it was going to be fun. :)

Bon Voyage!

2011-05-05T14:16:00.002-04:00

So, if my posting record the past couple weeks is not proof enough, we have been very. very. busy. My oven is gathering dust as I speak. Poor guy hasn't seen the light of the burner in quite a while! And he might as well get settled in, as should my stove, microwave and toaster...'cause we're going on vacation!!

That's right...tomorrow we leave for a 12-day European excursion down the Rhine and Danube Rivers, from Amsterdam to Vienna. 12 days of sailing, eating, sipping, viewing, then more of the same. Life is good.

We were ecstatic when Stuart's Dad called just about a year ago to inform us that he was surprising Stuart's Mom with a 60th birthday surprise - a European vacation - and even more ecstatic when he asked us to join!

I can't wait to come back and post about all the fabulous schnitzel, sausage and spaetzle. Not to mention the famous wine and beer that the region is known for.

So, I'll see you in a couple weeks blog world!

Auf Wiedersehen!!

Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up I was never a big fan of meatballs...or meat...or any food that had any substance to it whatsoever (but that's another post for another time). I guess meatballs - much like meatloaf - just seemed odd to me: a whole bunch of meat ground up and then smooshed together and molded into a big clump. At least that's what I thought of them then.

Now, as an adult with matured taste buds and an appreciation for food - I've come to realize meatballs' full potential. They are moist, flavorful, easy to prepare and there are umpteen possibilities when it comes to deciding what will go into them. Beef? Lamb? Turkey? Chicken? Pork? Beef, Pork and Turkey? All the above? The options are endless! These days you can even make "meatballs" out of chickpeas!

They are delicious on top of pasta, on salads or even smothered in sauce and sandwiched in between two slices of thick, hearty bread. They can incorporate any number of herbs, seasonings or thickeners (like breadcrumbs, crushed saltines, or panko). They can be small, big or huge. Baked, pan-seared, or braised. I could go on and on!

But for now, I'll just share with you my latest concoction...it was simple, quick and decided upon on a whim. I served these alongside a green bean salad (stay tuned for blog post!), with a piece of toasted bread. And the leftovers made for great snacking all week long.

Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey (not just breast)

1/2 c. italian breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 T. chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper

1/2 jar store-bought marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients except marinara sauce, and 1/2 T of the basil in a bowl. Form into 2" balls and place in a shallow casserole dish. Bake for approx 15 minutes or until beginning to brown around the outside, then remove from oven and pour marinara sauce over the meatballs covering evenly. Turn oven down to 350 and bake for another 15 -20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining basil. Serve however you wish!

Birthday Season

2011-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my last post that the past couple weeks have been "birthday season" for Stuart and me. His birthday and my birthday are 15 days apart, so there has been a lot of celebrating going on recently. (And not much cookin'!) So in this post, I'll just tell you about all the delicious food we've eaten, not cooked, over the past couple weeks. :)

For his birthday, we went to a wonderful seafood restaurant in town called Nantucket. I had grouper and he had a filet. No complaints, but both of us agreed we'd had better. The atmosphere made it worthwhile though - comfy booth and low lighting, perfect for a nice evening of birthday indulgence.

The (half-eaten) Grouper at Nantucket

For my birthday, we went to a Northern Italian restaurant that neither one of us had been to before called Ristorante Bergamo. The menu was different than I'd expected, but then again, I don't know much about Northern Italian cuisine. I went with one of the few pasta dishes on the menu, Rigatoni with Porcini Mushrooms in a light, buttery sauce. Exactly what I was looking for and absolutely delicious. We finished the meal off with the chef's own tirami su and a couple shots of his homemade limoncello.

We also spent a nice Sunday at my parents house to celebrate, and per the birthday girl's request, my parents prepared a meal of grilled filet mignon, creamy mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. Plus, one of the best desserts I think I've ever had called "7 Sins" or something like that. :) It doesn't matter what the name was, the dessert was anchored by an oreo crust, and then layered with ice cream, a caramel/chocolate sauce, whipped cream and walnuts. RIGHT up my alley. It's not the most photogenic dessert you've ever seen, and it looked much better in my bowl with a candle on top, but I gobbled it up before anyone could take a pretty picture!

Thanks to our friends and family for all the birthday cards, birthday wishes and birthday celebrations...it's been another wonderful "season" and I can't wait until next year. :)

Weekend Herb Blogging!

2011-04-11T22:05:00.002-04:00

So, it's birthday season around the Wyeth household and the last 2 weeks have been full of fun activities and celebrations...and that's my excuse for the lack of cooking, which resulted in the lack of blogging.

I'm literally logging on to my blog for the first time tonight in about 10 days. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my post about the Spring Veggie Quinoa Pilaf ended up on Cook Almost Anything's Weekend Herb Blogging last Monday, hosted by Susan at The Well-Seasoned Cook. How exciting!

Thanks to Bon Appetit for the recipe, and thanks to Susan for including me in the Round-Up!

Bowtie Pasta with Roasted Spring Veggies

2011-03-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm on a spring vegetable kick. I love my hearty winter veggies, and always will, but frankly I'm ready for a change. Bring on the peas, asparagus and summer squash (ok, that's a summer veggie but close enough)!

I cannot put into words how easy this dish was to prepare...although, I guess technically that's what I'm doing now. :) Just pop the veggies onto a sheet pan and roast, then toss with whole-wheat pasta. E-A-S-Y. The juices released in the roasting process add a subtle sweetness that you could not get from a stove-top saute. And the addition of the walnuts gave it a nice crunch and nutty flavor. I love a meal that's easy, delicious and healthy, too!

Bowtie Pasta with Roasted Spring Veggies

Serves 2

4 oz. dried whole-wheat Farfalle pasta

1 bunch asparagus, cut diagonally in 2" pieces

1 small zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick

1 small summer squash, sliced 1/4" thick

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper

1/4 c. walnuts, chopped

1/4 c. frozen peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 400. Spread veggies on sheet pan, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine then spread back out in even layer on pan. Roast in oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions (don't forget to salt the water!). After 10 minutes in the oven, pull the veggies out and stir. Add the walnuts to the pan and put back in oven for another 7-10 minutes.

Toss veggies and walnuts with pasta, then add peas. Combine all together and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Enjoy!

Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf

2011-03-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm a little behind on the quinoa phenomenon. So, this was my first experience with it. I'd heard and read about it for months now and have been curious to try it out for some time, but I just never could find a recipe that really encouraged me. Well, thanks to the very first issue of my new Bon Appetit subscription that arrived on my front porch over the weekend (yes, after years of buying the $5 version off the shelf, I finally broke down...ahem, stopped wasting money), I found a recipe that not only intrigued me, but got a "mmmm" response from my husband when I read him the list of veggies it called for. That's a double plus.

I was surprised at how easy the quinoa was to prepare, and how little "dressing" went into the base...just a little salt and some water. It was just as easy and simple as cooking rice. I'm sure you could get fancy if you wanted, like substituting chicken or veggie stock for the water, and adding in some herbs to infuse flavors as it cooks, but salt and water did just the trick for this recipe.

I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed the texture of the quinoa. It was light and fluffy and not quite as heavy as rice tends to be, and it soaked up the sauce and the juices from the veggies perfectly...a real flavor absorber.

We decided to add grilled shrimp to ours, but it could easily be served without if you are avoiding fish and/or meat. Overall it made a perfect light and springy meal for a cool evening on the last weekend of winter.

It's also been great for leftovers!

I plan to submit this to Cook Almost Anything's Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Recipe for Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf from Bon Appetit.

Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Plantains

2011-03-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

I was looking for something different to cook for dinner last week, something a little out of the norm for us. We had a pork tenderloin already in the fridge that needed to be cooked, and earlier in the week I'd had an inkling to throw a couple plantains in my grocery cart when I saw they were on sale.

So, when I found a recommended pairing on Bon Appetit's website for pork tenderloin and mashed plantains, I knew dinner had been decided for me. It was definitely out of the norm, but it was such a pleasant surprise of flavors.

At lunch I ran home to throw the pork in a marinade of soy sauce, olive oil, red wine vinaigrette, crushed red pepper, grated fresh ginger and salt and pepper. I'm sorry I did not measure so I don't have a "recipe," but just take a guess...it's hard to mess that one up. I roasted the pork in the oven at 350 for about 35 minutes, until the internal temp reached 145 degrees. Then, let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

I used the mashed plantains recipe I found at Bon Appetit, and then added some green by boiling some hericot verts and then throwing them in the saute pan with some toasted pecans. Everything came together beautifully and the star of the dish was definitely the plantains. I cannot believe I have not brought these into my kitchen before now!

Souper Sundays!

2011-03-21T09:52:00.005-04:00

Please make sure you scoot over to Kahakai Kitchen today and check out Deb in Hawaii's Souper Sunday round-up. If you're a follower of mine, you may find a familiar recipe!

I've been anxious to get my posts out there in the blogging world and when I found Kahakai Kitchen and her weekly "Souper Sunday" round-up, I immediately submitted my Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout soup recipe. And on Saturday afternoon, I was thrilled to get an email from Deb saying I would be included in this Sunday's round-up!

So, go check it out! I personally can't wait to try Deb's Creamy Artichoke (& Potato) Soup!

Pizza Night and Guinness Cupcakes

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago, we went over to our friends' house for an early St. Patty's Day celebration and did what any other Irishman would have done to celebrate the great St. Pat...we ate pizza.

To be fair, St. Patrick's Day is full of traditions, and Sunday night has its own tradition for our good friends, the Jones's - it's Pizza Night! And so as not to break tradition, we kept Pizza Night alive, even if it was to celebrate an Irish holiday.

We had pizzas galore. There was a grilled pizza, a wheat crust pizza, a pizza with pesto and one with everything but the kitchen sink. And I was in heaven. We even took time to incorporate the St. Patrick's Day tradition of Irish Car Bombs. Okay, so maybe a couple of us just sipped on the Irish Cream and left the Guinness behind, but whatever...same thing right?

To make sure no one received a pinch from the lack of green at the party...I brought along some Guinness cupcakes donned with bright green frosting. While you probably won't find these sold among the streets of Dublin, they worked perfectly for this occasion. Surprisingly, the Guinness flavor really showed through and worked well with the sweet frosting.

The recipe called for Bailey's in the frosting, but I made the mistake of waiting until Sunday to buy my ingredients, forgetting about South Carolina's blue laws which include the ban of liquor sales on Sundays. So I substituted a little heavy cream instead which worked out just fine. The cupcakes were a hit. Don't be afraid to step outside "tradition" and make these any day of the year...I would highly recommend them.

Chocolate-Guinness Cupcakes

Adapted from Sassy Radish

For the cupcakes:

1 cup Guinness beer, or other stout
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the frosting:

3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream

green food coloring

green sprinkles (optional)

Make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup Guinness and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add Guinness-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely. (or if you're in a time crunch just stick them in the freezer!)

Make the frosting:
Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutesuntil light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Apparently, this is to get a smoother, less chalky taste to your frosting. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the cream and whip it until combined. Feel free to add more sugar if the frosting ends up too runny. Add 3 - 6 drops of green food coloring to get a bright green color.

I find it's easiest to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using a star tip...after filling the pastry bag it took me a total of about 2 minutes to ice all 24 cupcakes. And they looked pretty, too!

Sprinkle iced cupcakes with green sprinkles and serve.

Enjoy!

Turkey Burgers with Roasted Broccoli and Creamy Mushrooms

2011-03-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

A perfect Monday night supper - Turkey Burgers on English Muffins with Roasted Broccoli and Creamy Thyme Mushrooms. Yum!

Turkey Burgers on English Muffins

Serves 2

1/2 lb ground white meat turkey

salt/pepper to season

1 T. carraway seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle to release oils

1 T. dijon mustard

sliced avocado

english muffins, toasted

Preheat cast-iron grill pan over high heat on stove and rub with canola oil (I used a paper towel for this). Combine first 4 ingredients well. Form into 2 patties and add to pan. Cook on one side for 4 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes until cooked through (use your judgment based on your stove/pan). Dress english muffins with avocado and more mustard if you like, then add the burger and enjoy!

Creamy Thyme Mushrooms

Serves 2

1 package sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 T olive oil

1/2 T butter (I used Smart Balance)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dried thyme

1 T. greek yogurt

Preheat saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, then mushrooms and saute until soft and moistened. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until browned and juice has cooked out. Add butter, thyme and yogurt.

Roasted Broccoli with Pecans

Serves 2

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

olive oil spray

salt and pepper

nutmeg

1/2 c. pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 375. Spread broccoli in one layer on baking sheet and spray with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven and sprinkle with pecans.

Enjoy!

Ravioli with Nuts and Brown Butter from Edward Schneider

2011-03-11T10:05:00.004-05:00

photo by Edward Schneider

This looks like my kind of pasta...I cannot wait to try this scrumptious dish from New York Times writer, Edward Schneider.

Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout Soup with Crispy Canadian Bacon

2011-03-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

We're on a roll with good healthy meals lately, but yesterday was a very rainy day. I'm talking the kind of rain that falls sideways in heavy gusts...so intense that I stayed in my car an extra ten minutes on my way back into the office after lunch because I didn't want to get soaked (in a raincoat, boots and an umbrella). Needless to say, a light avocado salad was not going to do the trick for dinner. I needed something hearty and warm. When I was home for lunch, I caught an episode of Barefoot Contessa where she was preparing a mouth-watering pot roast. I seriously considered calling in sick for the rest of the day so I could devote the 4 hours needed to prepare it for dinner. But that wasn't very practical, so I decided to do a hearty roasted veggie soup instead.

I've experimented with cauliflower in soup before and I love how well it purees, especially after a good roast in the oven. But, at the last minute while picking up some things at the grocery store, I had a thought...I wonder what cauliflower and brussel sprouts would taste like together in a soup? I love them roasted together in the oven with some carrots and sweet potatoes, so why not pureed in a soup? So I scooped up a couple handfuls and set out to give it a try.

I must say with the addition of the yogurt and the walnuts at the end, plus the added saltiness and texture from the canadian bacon - it made for a pretty tasty (and healthy) combination! Along with a simple salad, it provided a great hearty meal on a cold, rainy night.

PS...I am planning on submitting this to Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen!

Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout Soup with Crispy Canadian Bacon

6 slices canadian bacon, sliced thin

1 head of cauliflower

about 15 -20 brussel sprouts (sorry...forgot to measure!)

1 T salt + more for seasoning

1/2 T pepper + more for seasoning

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 med onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 cups chicken stock (more if you like it soupy)

1 T lemon juice

2 T plain greek yogurt

yogurt, toasted walnuts and gorgonzola cheese to garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Cut cauliflower into small florets, and cut brussel sprouts in half. Spread on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 T olive oil, 1 T salt, 1/2 T pepper and nutmeg. Toss to coat and roast in oven for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil over med-high heat in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add canadian bacon strips and cook until crispy and browned, about 5 minutes. Warning: the bacon will pop and splatter oil so be careful! Remove from pot and place on paper towels to cool and drain.

Turn heat down to medium and add onion. Saute for 5 minutes or so until translucent, then add the garlic and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes. When veggies come out of oven, empty onion mixture onto pan with veggies. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to pot to deglaze and with a wooden spoon scrap up any browned bits.

Add veggies in 2 batches to a food processor, streaming in a 1/2 cup of chicken stock with each batch. Add batches back to pot and stir to combine with chicken stock. This is where I added another 3/4 - 1 cup of chicken stock to make the soup a little more creamy. You can add as much or as little as you want.

Add yogurt and lemon juice to soup and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper (and I added a little more nutmeg). Ladle into bowls then top with another dollop of yogurt, some toasted walnuts, a sprinkle of crumbled gorgonzola and the crispy canadian bacon strips.

Enjoy!

Turtle Cookies from Diamonds for Dessert

2011-03-08T17:09:00.003-05:00

How flippin' cute are these little guys from Diamonds for Dessert? Go check her out...she's got tigers and penguins, too!

Grilled Eggplant Salad

2011-03-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you Bobby Flay for another classic recipe using ingredients cooked on a charcoal grill...just to add one more element of flavor to an already delicious dish. This made a great side to jerk chicken kabobs and grilled ahi tuna alike - perfect for a cookout with friends on a Sunday evening with temps in the 70s...in February.

Bobby Flay's Grilled Eggplant Salad

Enjoy!

PS...I found this recipe on my BlackBerry minutes before arriving at the grocery store (don't worry, I was not driving) via foodnetwork.com's mobile site. Genius!

Shrimp Fajitas

2011-03-01T22:05:00.005-05:00

Dinner last night needed to be easy and quick. I got home around 8pm, after a long day at work, an hour and a half at the gym and a trip to the grocery store. I was exhausted. And let me tell you, it is REALLY hard to come up with a healthy dinner (that is easy and quick to prepare) on the fly. I knew fajitas were easy and - without the tortillas and sour cream - fairly healthy. I knew shrimp could cook in just a few minutes and that adding black beans would make it filling. So, with those things in mind - Shrimp fajitas over black beans was born.

It got rave reviews from the critics in the house and it was the easiest meal I'd prepared in a long time. In my opinion, it was a home run.

Shrimp fajitas over black beans

Serves 2 - 4

1 med. red onion, sliced thin

1 large red pepper, sliced thin

1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

1 T. chili powder

1/2 T. paprika

1/2 T. cumin

salt and pepper

juice of 1 lime

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, diced

plain, nonfat greek yogurt for garnish

1 can black beans, heated through on stove

Preheat a grill pan over med-high heat. Spray with cooking spray then add peppers, onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes stirring often to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, combine chili powder, paprika, cumin and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.

After peppers and onions are softened and browned, remove from pan and place on a platter. Add shrimp to pan. Cook for 1 - 1/2 minutes per side until opaque and pink. Add onions and peppers back to pan as well as the lime juice and cilantro. Mix well.

Pour mixture out onto same platter used for peppers and onions previously. To plate, spoon black beans onto plate and cover with a good helping of the shrimp fajitas. Top with diced avocado, a dollop of greek yogurt, a fresh squeeze of lime juice and a little more cilantro.

Enjoy!

Living Social Deal of the Day!

2011-02-24T15:56:00.002-05:00

Get $40 to spend at The Green Room in downtown Greenville for only $20! Love this restaurant! I would highly recommend the Cauliflower and Gorgonzola soup. :)

Click here

Cheese Toast...the foundation of a marriage

2011-02-23T21:56:00.006-05:00

So, my husband is not what you would call a "cook." He's more of a "preparer," if there is such a thing. He does a great job at preparing his own lunch everyday, and preparing a salad every now and then for when we're "on our own" for dinner that night. He's also great at preparing snacks or simple hors d'oeuvres like nuts, olives and cheese with a nice glass of wine. I love him for this.

But, there is one thing that I can absolutely, hands-down say is a culinary talent of his which impressed me from the beginning of our relationship, and which I've yet to top. That is his insane ability to prepare such a simple, yet complex American staple - cheese toast.

Now, when I think of cheese toast, I think back on my childhood days of stuffing my face with a couple pieces of Sunbeam bread covered in thick-slices of melted then slightly cooled - from sitting on the counter for 10 minutes - cheddar cheese, while running out the door 10 minutes late for school. (Ahem...the reason said cheese toast was so patiently cooling on the counter...thanks mom).

But, Stuart introduced me to a whole new world of cheese toast the first time he presented me with a plate full of bite-size pieces of cheddar-cheesed, tomato-covered, mustard-slathered, avocado-topped goodness finished off with a few pieces of crumbled blue cheese which had been slightly melted and browned after a quick run under the broiler. You could say I was a little impressed.

Ok - so I can't actually remember exactly what all was on this first batch of so-called "cheese toast," but I can tell you that I remember it being similar to the above...and delicious. Unlike any cheese toast I'd ever had.

Since then there have been many accounts of "Stu-toast" (new name I just cleverly thought of), including a couple involving crackers instead of bread - which, come to find out was an already, well-known specialty (and late-night tradition) among his friends.

His latest account was on Valentine's Day this year when he threw together a pre-dinner, half-and-half platter of "Stu-toast" (still trying this out), including a few topped with provolone, and a few topped with sharp cheddar, all sprinkled with fresh thyme and served on a plate with a puddle of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil in the middle for dipping. And don't forget the side of kalamata olives and the glass of good red wine to complement. There could not have been a better start to our evening.

If there's one thing about Stuart and I that you should understand, it's this: if there is bread (or crackers) and cheese in the house and a good bit of wine-consumption involved, he will probably be in the kitchen busily "preparing" his newest creation...and I will be there waiting patiently to enjoy the latest batch of "Stu-toast." (It's catching on).

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

2011-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

You may remember me mentioning these on my last blog post about my weekend home alone. I found them on Not Martha, via The Kitchn, (but she pulled this particular recipe from Tea and Cookies), and they caught my attention because of the use of buckwheat flour. For a couple years now I've read many mentions of different types of flours in baking, buckwheat being one of them, and most of the time I pass it by because it sounds complicated with the addition of other weird and unknown ingredients. Not to mention that our local main-stream grocery stores don't carry many of these rare, but increasingly popular flours. But, this recipe seemed too easy, and I figured with all my "me-time," I could make a special trip out to Whole Foods part of my weekend.

I can't describe to you how easy or how delicious these pancakes were. It's something you just have to experience for yourself. The buckwheat flour actually added an element of taste that enhanced the richness of the pancakes...really I preferred it over any other pancake recipe I've ever made using the plain-jane stuff.

I was hesitant to use all buckwheat flour as Not Martha suggests in a side-note to keep these gluten-free, so I stuck to the half and half ratio. But, I think next time I fix these I will try using all buckwheat. I'll also try going ahead and mixing the blueberries in the mixture after coating them in flour first because her method of placing them on top of the batter after pouring onto the skillet did not work out so well for me. They kept falling out when I flipped the pancakes...slippery little suckers!

Recipe for Blueberry Lemon Buckwheat Pancakes from "Tea and Cookies"

Home Alone...with Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-02-13T20:57:00.005-05:00

I love my husband and I absolutely love being married. There's nothing better than coming home to him every day and being greeted with a cheerful smile and a kiss; or waking up next to him every morning with sleepy-eyes and a scratchy, "guh mornin'."

[insert record scratch noise]

Can you tell we've only been married for 5 months?

Well...last weekend was the first weekend out of those 5 wonderful months that I had the whole house all to myself for an entire 2 days. Did I mention we have 1 TV, 1 usable bedroom and 1 living room with the only comfortable seating in the house? Yeah, that means that whenever we are in this house together (which is everyday), we are literally together.

So when I realized I was going to be flying solo for the weekend, I decided I would make it a productive weekend. One filled with activities important to muah - exercise (time to get crackin' on that 10-k training), home-improvement (3 trips to Lowe's later and I have a homemade window valance) and my very favorite solo activity...cooking.

Immediately, I knew what was on the menu.

If you've read my blog, then you have probably caught on that Stuart is not a pasta fan. And I am the world's biggest. Which makes it difficult when I'm craving homemade mushroom-stuffed ravioli in a basil pesto sauce and he wants nothing to do with it.

You can imagine the pasta dishes that I ran through my brain when I realized I would be cooking for one this weekend. But, I bet you can't guess the one that appeared over and over again in my mind. Good ole' Spaghetti and Meatballs. I can't even remember the last time I had this classic pasta staple. So I grabbed the best-looking recipes I could get my hands on (which both happened to be from the fabulous, In Good Taste), and settled in for a relaxing, self-indulging Saturday night. It was everything I imagined and more. Oh Spaghetti and Meatballs, how I've missed you so! Add to that a big heaping of frozen yogurt with homemade peanut butter truffles, and then blueberry buckwheat pancakes the next morning? Well that my friends equals a very happy girl.

While it was a wonderful, long-overdue weekend filled with plenty of "me" time (and lots of good pasta), Stuart came back Sunday afternoon and I have to admit...it was nice to get my roomie back. I was getting kind of lonely. :)

Recipes for Classic Italian Meatballs and Lemon Basil Marinara Sauce both from "In Good Taste."

Honey-Chipotle Chicken with Winter Vegetables

2011-02-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've had a real inkling for seasonal vegetables lately - root veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, fennel, carrots and my most craved vegetable as of late...brussel sprouts. They're all so comforting this time of year. So, when I found this recipe for "Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes" on Eats Well With Others, it fell right in line with what I was looking for. It was healthy, didn't involve "bad" carbs (which pleases my paleo-dieting husband) and best of all, incorporated winter veggies. "Eats Well's" recipe, which was adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite only incorporated sweet potatoes and butternut squash, but I decided to add some color with brussel sprouts and baby bella mushrooms. Either way you try it, this recipe is a must-do. It was easy, quick and left the house smelling oh-so-delicious. Plus, the heat from the chipotles was a bit unexpected, but much appreciated...perfect for a cold winter's night.

Honey-Chipotle Chicken with Roasted Winter Vegetables

Adapted from "Eats Well With Others"

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 10-ounce sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, whole

8-10 brussel sprouts, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Chopped cilantro or basil, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, squash, mushrooms and brussel sprouts in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and scatter on the bottom a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the remaining olive oil, chipotles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon to make a paste. Rub the paste all over the chicken. Carefully place chicken on top of the veggies and continue to roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes longer. Serve garnished with cilantro or basil.

Enjoy!

Pork Kebabs with Romesco

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is wake up (obviously), fix a nice breakfast, make some coffee and then catch a few quality shows on Food Network. Most of the time it ends up being Ina, Giada or Bobby, but my latest interest has been Chef Anne Burrell. At first the "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" star really got on my nerves with her over-excited and rather affection attitude towards food...it's a little showy. But, after a couple episodes I was able to look past her quite serious (and sometimes scary) love affair, and see, well...really good food. The other weekend I caught an episode featuring pork kabobs with a homemade romesco sauce - probably in preparation for Super Bowl parties. I was a little underwhelmed at first, but we were looking to grill something that night and I was completely out of ideas. So...pork kabobs with romesco sauce it was.

The dish may have been underwhelming upon first impression, but once I got in and got my hands dirty, I realized quickly this would be no quick and easy feat...which I was totally fine with. And the outcome was anything but underwhelming. The pork was perfectly marinated and perfectly cooked with just the right spice. And the romesco sauce? A. ma. zing. I could have eaten it by the spoonfuls. Correction - I DID eat it by the spoonfuls. And it tasted even better the next day on a cheddar, tomato and avocado panini.

This was the first recipe of Chef Anne's that I've tried, but I can assure you that it will not be the last. She can share her "secrets" with me any time...well, anytime on Saturday mornings.

Recipe for Pork Kabobs with Romesco

Enjoy!

MK's Kitchen-finds:

2011-02-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite finds from this past week:

Can't wait to try this Lemon Marinara Sauce from In Good Taste!

Or this light take on Macaroni and Cheese at Eats Well With Others!

Head over to Love and Olive Oil for a Cookie Dough Cream Pie recipe...hmmm...what excuse do I have to make this...

Yep...we went there.

2011-02-04T08:00:00.004-05:00

The best thing to happen to grilling since - well...heat. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to: Grilled Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Happy Friday.

Short Ribs and Cheddar Dill Cornbread

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for another supper club blog! We hosted at our house this month and on a cold, wintery night I chose to prepare Ina Garten's short ribs with her Cheddar Dill Cornbread.

What a fabulous combination! In an effort to organize the timing of everything, I cooked the cornbread on 300 for about 5 or 10 minutes longer than directed (until a toothpick tested in the middle came out clean), but it made for a much more moist center which I prefer anyways.

Thank you Ina, and thank yooouuu Food Network.

Scott's Short Ribs from Ina Garten

Cheddar Dill Cornbread

On Baking...

2011-01-30T21:27:00.000-05:00

I love to prepare food - that's pretty obvious by my efforts towards updating this blog - but it's hard to find time (or energy) during the week to put forth the effort I would like. I do my best to put a decent meal on the table every now and then, and it's enough to keep my husband happy, but when the weekends come, all that energy is balled up inside and I'm bursting at the seams to get out the heavy-duty stuff and get my hands dirty.

This weekend, I had a hankering to bake. Now, those of you who know me, know I'm not much of a baker. It requires a lot of time, patience and attention - two of which do not match up well with me - I don't pay attention well, and I'm not very patient. However, knowing all of the risks involved, on a wide-open Saturday afternoon...I was up for the challenge.

I researched some recipes, looking for something "relatively" healthy, and happened upon some Light Pumpkin-Spice Cupcakes on Delish.com. I had most of the ingredients on hand and the "pumpkin-spice" part sounded oh so tasty - so, I got out my Kitchen Aid and got to mixin'.

I have to confess that I took some shortcuts (i.e., used my finger as a leveler and might have measured my ingredients over the bowl...a baking no-no), but the cupcakes came out light, fluffy and a beautiful golden brown. A tad on the chewy side, but I think that was due to using my unbleached cake flour which I've found to be a little stubborn in the past.

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience, and as exhausted as I was afterwards (I should note that I also prepared an entire meal for that evening in the same afternoon...stay tuned for that post!), I felt very at ease, relaxed and accomplished. It was a very good Saturday.

Recipe

Gram's Cheese Straws

2011-01-26T17:34:00.000-05:00

So...me and cheese straws have a pretty deep history. My sisters and I grew up on the best cheese straws this side of the Mississippi - homemade by none other than our "Gram." If you don't know what cheese straws are, then you are missing out. But, to let you in on the excitement - they are spicy, cheesy, thick-cut crackers in the shape of...you guessed it...a straw.

My Gram (and my Papa Jack) lived about an hour and a half from us in the teeny, tiny town of Edgefield, South Carolina where my Dad grew up. Trips to Papa Jack and Gram's were always special, and not only for the many family memories that we made - or the huge "playground" of a yard that we always had to play in, or for that matter, the pecan trees that dropped millions of pecans on their driveway which would eventually end up shelled and packaged in our freezer to make multitudes of pecan pies. They were special for my sisters and me because a trip to Papa Jack and Gram's translated as 3 simple words...Gram's. Cheese. Straws. Okay 4 words...YUM.

She always had them pre-packaged, individually, so that each of us could have our own, and she always kept reserves in the freezer - which was the first place we would run as soon as we rung the musical doorbell and had given our hugs. It never failed. There were always multiple tin containers filled with cold (because they were frozen), crispy, spicy nuggets of cheesy goodness. And we knew they would be in our hands before the trip was over...and in our stomachs before bedtime!

Now we are grown up and the days of Gram's cheese straws are a distant, but wonderful memory. And even though I know my mom has "Gram's Cheese Straws" locked up somewhere in her recipe safe, I got curious this weekend to see if I could make them on my own using this recipe I'd found on Epicurious.

I have to say they were good...but they were not Gram's. They were not even close, really. These were a little more flaky and the dough was much thicker than I remember. So thick that I had to roll them out and cut out strips with a pizza cutter, which made them not quite as pretty as Gram's either. But alas, I tried. And I guess it just gives me a good reason to try again...and again...and again, until I get them right! At least I have plenty of time to perfect the recipe before I have grandchildren of my own that I can make them for. :)

Curried Lentil Soup

2011-01-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

I've been dying to try this recipe over the last few weeks, ever since I saw it come across my blog feed - and low and behold it's from one of my favorite sources...Bon Appetit Magazine.

Curry has been one of my more recent palate-pleasing discoveries. For whatever reason, it was one of those tastes that I did not acquire until later in life. I remember trying a curry dish at a Thai restaurant with a friend's family when I was around 10 or 11 and I absolutely hated it. I remember it being too strong with a lingering flavor. Then, on a trip down in Florida a few years ago, I tried a curried chicken salad with grapes and almonds on the side and it changed everything. So here we are in my late 20's (eek...do I really have to say "late" 20's now??) and I'm just discovering what many others have always known - curry is delicious.

And it was extra delicious in this soup! Albeit, a little late for the cold, snowy weather that is now behind us but I couldn't wait any longer to give this recipe a try. I'll definitely be making it again, but in the meantime, I'll just have to settle for leftovers all week...that's right, I doubled the recipe. :)

Enjoy!

Perfect Mac n Cheese

2011-01-09T17:00:00.001-05:00

Good 'ole traditional macaroni and cheese is a staple in the Southern diet. I grew up eating it at every holiday dinner, along with all the other necessary side-dishes like green beans, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole and chilled pea salad. It also tends to be considered one of America's quintessential comfort foods, and thanks to the melting pot that exists in our country, macaroni and cheese has adapted many variations over the years. The starchy pasta, cheesy middle and crispy topping lends itself to much adaptation, and cooks all over the country have taken advantage of that by creating delicious variations using everything from blue cheese to mushrooms to spinach.

So, when I decided to prepare macaroni and cheese for a recent dinner party, I thought I'd take advantage of the mac n cheese evolution. I searched and searched for what seemed like millions of recipes and when I'd all but settled on going back to my traditional recipe, I found Martha Stewart's "Perfect Macaroni and Cheese." It was only a tad bit different from what I was used to, using the usual cheddar cheese mixed with Gruyere, and incorporating interesting spices like cayenne and nutmeg, but it was definitely a hit. I think what made it so special was the buttery, breaded topping that sat atop the gooey, cheesy filling. Delicious.

I know they say there's no such thing as "perfect," but Martha's "Perfect Mac and Cheese" comes pretty close!

Recipe

Freud and Fahler

2010-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Another one of our favorite places was called "Freud and Fahler" and was located in the Palermo-Soho district of the city. AKA...the shopping district.

This was a tip given to us by a connection of one of S's family friends who currently lives in Buenos Aires. We met her for drinks one night and she highly recommended a place just down the street that sounded right up our alley. The best way she could think to describe it was "they serve steak with yogurt on top." We were sold.

After a 30 minute escapade around the neighborhood looking for this place, which included a venture a couple blocks too far into a "sketchy area" (as Stuart likes to call it), 2 stops to ask for directions in broken Spanish - one with a policeman, and the other with a group of musicians - we ended up one street down from where we started and exactly in the place we were looking for - Freud and Fahler.

It was a tiny little place, with dim lighting and a simple atmosphere. A small bar and a couple window seats were all you could see when you walked in, but the friendly host ushered us right back through a small doorway into a slightly bigger dining room packed with candle-lit, white-clothed tables.

After getting settled and ordering a great bottle of wine recommended by our waiter (also the host/manager/owner), we opened the menu and were quite surprised to find a setup like we've never seen before. The pages were very simple, with descriptions printed on clean, white paper, and each description followed by a very detailed, almost architectural sketch of what the dish would look like. I might add that this was slightly helpful to an English-speaking couple who had a pretty hard time reading Spanish menus. For example, below is the dish that Stuart decided on:

and here is the real thing:

See what I mean? Very helpful! You can see that he ordered the filet with some sort of a potato log, I guess? Either way...it was absolutely delicious.

To back up a bit, I have to make sure I tell you exactly everything we ordered. So, in an effort not to leave anything out, here is our appetizer - proscuitto slices served with a sweet cream sauce and dusted with pistachios. I apologize for the quality of the photo, I was trying not to make too much of a "touristy" scene.

Should I let you guess what I ordered?

Any thoughts?

I bet that was hard...spinach ravioli! But, to my defense, this one was served with some sort of a foam on top. I couldn't pass that up, right?

Anyway, on to dessert. As good as everything else was that night, this was the star.

Mini doughnuts stuffed with different sweet fillings, and served with bitter chocolate and a raspberry sorbet.

Our favorite doughnut was filled with with dulce de leche, and that's the only one I can remember. But, I promise that all of them were still so, so good. Especially, when consumed with a hot cup of cafe con leche.

This is the meal that I wish I model my dinners after every night. It started off salty and sweet, then moved to savory and filling, and finished off sweet with a touch of bitterness. Perfect. Obviously, this was one of our favorites.

Cumana

2010-10-17T11:08:00.000-04:00

One of the "food goals" that I set for myself before visiting BA (yes...I set food goals), was to make sure I got a taste of one of the most well-known local treats - empanadas. Empanadas are pastries stuffed with basically anything. There are sweet empanadas and savory empanadas, meat-stuffed, cheese-stuffed or corn-stuffed. Chocolate-stuffed, coconut-stuffed, or caramel-stuffed. There are endless possibilities, and that's why I love them!

So, when we were given a tip on some of the best empanadas in BA, we knew we had to try it. That, and a mouth-watering image of this dish from the same place that we found from an Argentine blogger...

...gnocchi smothered in a gooey, creamy cheese sauce and baked in a 700 degree wood-fired oven.

YUM.

As soon as we walked in the door, we couldn't wait to sit down and dig in! We immediately ordered 4 of the 6 empanadas on the menu (chicken, pork, corn, and ham), and quickly regretted not ordering all 6!

We also shared the gnocchi dish above and absolutely devoured every bite. All complete with 2 bottled Cokes served with a straw. (I love how the Argentines love their old-fashioned Coke!)

From left to right: Corn, chicken, ham and pork

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Cumana. So much so that we visited their sister restaurant right next door a few days later!

Oh, and did I mention they had paper tablecloths with crayons to keep you entertained while waiting on your food? Well, you can guess the first thing I couldn't wait to do:

Cooking In

2010-10-01T08:00:00.005-04:00

On our third night in Buenos Aires, we decided to cook in. We were lucky enough to be in our own condo, with a full kitchen, so we knew we had to take advantage of the local ingredients.

Earlier in the day, we walked down a section of Avenida Vincente Rodriguez that was full of different types of food markets. We passed a meat market, a seafood market, a bakery, a vegetable market, a spice market, and a pasta market!

Given the limited amount of equipment we had to work with in our unfamiliar kitchen, we decided pasta would be the safest bet. So we wandered into San Jose pasta market and picked out the ham and ricotta stuffed ravioli and the homemade salsa de ajo (garlic tomato sauce). After a quick stop at a prepared foods store for some homemade tiramisu, we took the pasta and sauce, along with some mushrooms, a couple baguettes, and a bottle of malbec back to our condo to begin cooking our freshly-prepared dinner.

I cannot even describe how delicious this fresh ravioli was. In combination with the homemade sauce, I don't think I've ever tasted any other stuffed pasta that holds a candle to San Jose's. The ravioli was soft, with a bit of a bite to it, and had a filling that was out of this world. Topped off with a tart but sweet, and very well-seasoned tomato sauce. Ridiculous.

To accompany the pasta, we sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil and salt, and then toasted some crostini along side. With the wine, it was the perfect combination!

As if that wasn't enough, then came time for dessert - homemade tiramisu out on the balcony. If we thought the meal could not get any better, we were so wrong. The pastry portion, that clearly was not made of "lady fingers" as commonly used in the States, was light and fluffy and had absorbed just enough of the espresso to add flavor, but not overwhelm. And the marscapone cheese mixture was fluffy and creamy and just sweet enough. Top it off with a chocolate sauce and a dusting of espresso powder, and my friends, you have the best tiramisu I've ever put [shoveled] into my mouth.

Once again, Stuart and I finished the night off completely stuffed and perfectly satisfied. If this was a sign for meals to come, this was going to be a very good trip...

Sirop Folie Resto & Tea Corner

2010-09-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Our first night in B.A., which happened to be a rainy one, we found an adorable off-street alley lined with a few quaint restaurants, private shops and even a tango studio!

Well, technically we didn't "find" it, we were actually looking for it. We had been given a tip that there was a great spot for tea on this little alley-way called "Sirop." You may be able to see the sign there in the photo to the right. Yep - that's the one. But, unfortunately, we were too caught up in taking pictures to notice that it was in fact the place we were looking for. You see, the owners of "Sirop" have 2 different restaurants directly across from each other. On one side of the alley is the restaurant, only open for dinner. And on the other side is "Sirop Folie Resto & Tea Corner," open during the day for breakfast, lunch or tea. You guessed it, this was in fact the place that we were recommended to try, however, blatantly ignoring the signs, we mistakingly thought that the place we were looking for was closed and only open for dinner so we ventured back down to one of the local chains and settled in for tea time there.

For whatever reason, we ended up back near that same alley a couple days later, and decided to take another peak, this time in the daytime, sans dreary weather. We noticed there was a bustling little cafe open with two inviting tables sitting outside just underneath the window...a perfect spot for a late lunch. After sitting down and being given a menu, we discovered that we had finally found our mysterious tea spot! We also discovered after looking at the menu, that it was spotlighted in the New York Times...not too shabby.

I decided on the ravioli (shocker, I know), which was stuffed with ham, served in a super light cream sauce and garnished with basil. de. li. cious.

enough said.

Stuart had a steak sandwich with roasted red pepper and brie, served on what was easily fresh, homemade bread. Another solid order.

Obviously, we both left full and happy and ready to return for a try at dinner. And that my friends deserves its own post, so stay tuned!

Los Maestros

2010-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our first taste of Argentinean pizza came at Los Maestros in Recoleta, just a few blocks up from our condo. I'd received the tip from Saltshaker, the Web Site of food writer, Dan Perlman, who lives in Buenos Aires, not far from where we stayed. We entered clumsily, speaking in English and poor Spanish, but quickly found a cozy table against the front window and settled in.

The atmosphere was pretty tame, with about 15-20 tables spaced pretty far apart. It was not much different from the typical "Mom and Pop" pizza joint that you would find in the States. We arrived around 10:30, and initially were 1 of 3 tables in the entire restaurant. By 11pm though, the restaurant had filled up nicely.

We started with a half-bottle of a local Malbec, and quickly moved on to the Roquefort y Jamon (Roquefort and Ham) Empanada. This was our first taste of an empanada, a specialty that had been raved over by friends who had traveled to BA in the past, so we were very anxious to give it a try. And our rookie mistake was only ordering one! It was delicious! The roquefort was tangy and strong, but not overpowering and the crust was soft yet crispy, with spots of golden brown coloring from the wood-fire grill.

For dinner, we decided on the Romano pizza, with mozzarella, ham, sliced tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Probably not the bravest choice, but we figured our first taste of pizza should be a safe bet - and there was no lack of a great first impression. The pizza came out on the stone that it was baked on, with cheese bubbling over the sides, sizzling as it touched the piping hot pan. Our waitress served us each a slice, and we immediately dug in. The crust was perfectly crispy with bits of burnt cheese lining the edges, and just thick enough that it held up the toppings nicely. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, and the parmesan added just enough saltiness to complement the ham. My only complaint was that the gobs of mozzarella cheese were clearly processed, and not fresh - but still tasty, nonetheless.

Overall, the meal was a great first taste of the cuisine in Buenos Aires, and a check off of my lengthy "must-try" list. Good thing we still had 8 more days left!

We're back!

2010-09-27T22:43:00.000-04:00

Wow. What a perfect couple of weeks this has been! It started off with the wedding of my dreams, and ended with the honeymoon of a lifetime! I can't wait to share many of the delicious meals with you, but for now, you'll just have to settle on this little teaser.

Ciao!

T-10 days!

2010-09-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

So...I'm getting married in 10 days, and life is crazier than ever! But, I promise to be back on the blogging circuit when all the madness is over! For now, my thoughts are 100% consumed with wedding, work and a 2 week honeymoon in Buenos Aires!! (Where I'm sure I'll come back with lots of fun food inspiration to share.)

Until then...Adios! (again)

It's back!

2010-07-20T12:13:00.000-04:00

The Table 301 Stimulus Package is back! Just print out the coupon here, use it before July 31st at any Table 301 restaurant (The Lazy Goat, Devereaux's, or Soby's) and automatically get $25 off your meal, plus another $25-off-coupon for use the next month at a different Table 301 restaurant! S. and I have taken major advantage of this program in the past and I highly recommend it! Just consider it a $5 bottle of wine, or a free entree or appetizer.

I know where we're eating this weekend! Well, I guess I have a decision to make - Lazy Goat, Soby's or Devereaux's? Hmmm...

Diet Coke - not just for drinking anymore...

2010-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend, S. and I went down to Conway, SC for a Fourth of July weekend on the Waccamaw River filled with fun celebrations, great friends and of course - good food. Not only was it a weekend to celebrate our Nation's birthday, but there happened to be a couple other birthdays to celebrate that weekend as well. And what would any worthy celebration be without cake?

The plan was to keep it simple and fix an out-of-the-box yellow cake with chocolate icing. Sounds delicious, right? Yes it does, until you realize that you don't have the appropriate mix-in ingredients on hand and there's no time to run out to the store. Not to worry - thanks to the brilliant suggestion of one of our friends who overheard the dilemma. Just use Diet Coke.

That's right - I said Diet Coke. One can of Diet Coke and a box of yellow cake mix, mixed until combined and then baked at 350 for 35 - 40 minutes. (If using a bundt pan). Who knew the the cake would come out fluffier, tastier and more moist than the conventional preparation? Not us. But, wow, it was delicious!

So delicious that we tried it again the next night on our "American Flag" cake, using Sprite Zero! (We found out after the fact, that it's best to use Sprite for yellow cake and Coke for chocolate cake to complement the coloring of the batter). The Sprite Zero cake was equally (if not more) delicious than the Diet Coke cake...and the best part is, there's no added fat to either one! I don't think I'll ever go back to the butter and egg version again!

I hope everyone had a safe, fun and happy July 4th Holiday weekend filled with good food, great friends and lots of laughs...I know I did!

"Soda Cake"

1 box cake mix of your choice
1 can Sprite Zero or Diet Coke (depending on the type of cake - Sprite for yellow, white or pound cakes, Coke for chocolate cakes)

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the 2 ingredients above until combined. Pour into cake pan of your choice and bake according to instructions on the box. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before icing.

Enjoy!

A bite out of the Big Apple

2010-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

This past week I had the pleasure of traveling to New York to work for a few days in the city. Obviously, I took advantage of the time I had out of the office exploring two of my favorite pastimes - shopping and eating.

On Monday night, I met my co-workers out at a trendy Italian restaurant in the lower east side called 'inoteca. The fare was mostly authentic Italian bar food (or so I was told), and upon sitting down, the waiter handed us all menus, along with a "glosseria" to help us interpret. They had a vast selection of Italian sandwich dishes like paninis (pressed sandwiches) and tramezzini (tea sandwiches), a long list of different types of bruschette (one of their specialties), and a small selection of entree style dishes from which we all ordered. I got the "lasagnette di melanzane" (eggplant lasagna). It was delicious. We also ordered grilled calamari and an order of one of the tea sandwich selections. Those were both "okay." The star of the show for me was definitely the lasagna!

'inoteca

On Tuesday night, I was on my own. I set out early after work to explore the shopping in Soho. After 3 hours of walking what seemed like 5 miles, popping in and out of about 50 boutiques, and trying on about 20 dresses, I found myself exhausted, shopped-out, and STARVING! Earlier that day, I had received a tip about a local chain of pizzerias in NYC called Patsy's . I did some research before I left on my shopping excursion and there just happened to be a Patsy's Pizzeria "out of" my way back to my hotel, so I decided I'd make a stop. :) And, I'm so glad I did - the extra couple miles of a walk was worth every step! I kept it simple, ordering the margarita pizza to go, and then practically ran all the way back to my hotel. I made a quick stop at the hotel bar to grab a glass of chilled white wine and headed up to my room to rest my feet and stuff my face with authentic New York pizza. I was in heaven. The thin, floppy, perfect-ratio-of-cheese-to-sauce pizza was like candy, I just couldn't help taking one more bite...over and over again.

Patsy's Pizzeria

My trip to New York was a great success, and was a nice break from the day-to-day. I only wish I had a few more days to eat my way around to a few other recommended spots! Oh well, I'll be back. :)

Lazy Goat Wine Tasting

2010-06-29T12:33:00.000-04:00

Anyone in the Greenville area tomorrow night should head to the Lazy Goat for an informal wine tasting event!

Wonderfully Informal Wine Tasting
featuring
Delicious French Summer Wines

Tomorrow, Wednesday June 30th
6-8 pm
The Patio at The Lazy Goat
(we will move inside if interrupted by a late afternoon summer t-storm)

Phillipe from Bourgeois Family Selections will be here, with a great selection of
French Summer Whites and a few Delicious Reds!

Light paired hors d’oeuvres will be prepared by Chef Vicky.

$25++ per person

Lemon-Rosemary Tilapia in Parchment Paper

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have found a new favorite method for cooking fish - bundling it in a pocket of parchment paper and baking it with lots of flavorful ingredients. I can't believe how delicious and easy this was! Wrapping everything in parchment created a sauna of steamy aromas which infused together to add a huge depth of flavor and prevent the fish from drying out. It also removed the frustrations that come along with searing a delicate fish filet on the stovetop without it falling apart - or am I the only one that struggles with this?!

The lemon and the rosemary really gave the tilapia a crisp and smooth flavor. The garlic clove and onion slices provided a good base and the butter just added that little bit of nuttiness it needed to tie everything together.

The best part is, cleanup is as simple as throwing away [or recycling] a piece of paper!

Lemon-Rosemary Tilapia in Parchment Paper
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 large Tilapia filet (cut in half, lengthwise)
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 2 lemon slices
2 tbsp. butter
1 half of small white onion, sliced 1/2" thick
2 garlic cloves, whole
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Season the filets with salt and pepper and lay over sheets of parchment paper. Squeeze half of lemon over each filet. Add onion slices, garlic clove and rosemary sprigs to each filet and top each with 1 T. of butter and lemon slice. Pull the 2 long sides of the parchment paper together and roll the paper tightly together. Then, roll up each end as well. Place on baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 - 17 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets.

Enjoy!

Hi Ho Cherri-o!

2010-06-22T08:00:00.009-04:00

I love berries. I always have. They are by far my favorite fruit. But, one fruit that I feel I've been overlooking (as I can't seem to get away from it this time of year in the food blog world) are cherries. I have an inkling though, that once I try one of the mouth-watering recipes below (selected carefully from the 20 or so recipes I've collected over the past couple weeks), I may possibly have a fruit that competes with my beloved berry...the cherry.

Roasted Cherries from The Kitchn

Cherry Almond Cafloutis from Bon Appetit

Sour Cherry Crumb Cakes from Martha Stewart

Um...Cherry Hazelnut Bruschetta from Serious Eats? Yes, please!

In light of not forgetting about my #1 fruit - Blueberry-Cherry Cobbler from Saveur

And last but not least...one of my own posts, Sauteed Cherries in Zinfandel over Ice Cream

Enjoy!

Happy Sunday!

2010-06-20T12:00:00.002-04:00

In honor of Sunday - I'll share with you my new favorite blog. I love the name, I love the look, I LOVE the recipes!

Sunday Suppers

Devereaux's Special

2010-06-18T14:37:00.000-04:00

Great deal for great food in Greenville!

Devereaux’s offering special 4-course for $40 menu in celebration of their 5th anniversary (available until June 30th).

Did someone say fish tacos?

2010-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but "fresh" Mexican food is my favorite kind of Mexican food. You know, the kind that doesn't involve throwing meat and cheese inside a tortilla, deep frying it, smothering it with queso and serving it alongside a pool of refried beans? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about - or at least, you do if you live in Upstate South Carolina where you can't drive 5 miles without passing a Monterrey's.

Well, my friends, I've heard through the grapevine that Papa's and Beer, on Haywood Road in Greenville is a breath of fresh guacamole. They claim to be "Cal-Mex" as opposed to "Tex-Mex" like your typical Mexican fare as it's known in the South. And according to Metromix , their focus is on fresh herbs, avocado and seafood dishes, and yes...fish tacos. And the best part is, they're in the $9 - $15 price range - that's my kind of meal!

Can't wait to try it!

What's Cooking in MK's Kitchen?

2010-06-17T08:00:00.004-04:00

In an effort to make this blog more adaptable to the masses (shockingly, not EVERYONE loves to cook as much as I do), I've decided to make a few small changes to my current habit of just posting about my own cooking experiences. As an avid blog-follower (I love you, Google Reader ), I find that I'm most loyal to the blogs that have a variety of postings - not just those who report on last night's dinner. Not that I don't want to hear about (or write about) the delicious shrimp tacos that were a hit with the neighbors - I always love new recipes - but I'm realizing that a love of food isn't just about how often or how much someone likes to cook, it's about the experience, and that's something I enjoy both reading and writing about. So with this blog, I want to be able to give others inspiration for new experiences involving food, not just recipes. My hope is that people will enjoy what they read, and pass it on to their friends - it's all about sharing the love of food!

And not to worry my "cooking" fans, there will still be recipes...the good, the bad and even the downright ugly ones. :)

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Hazelnut-Free Fruit Crisp

2010-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

A couple weekends ago, S. and I had some good friends over for a casual cookout. One of our friends happens to have food allergies that prevent her from eating anything with gluten, soy or hazelnuts (just to name a few). :) So, I did some major research (unfortunately it's not easy to find recipes without any of these popular ingredients) and put together a fruit crisp using simple ingredients containing no gluten, soy or hazelnuts. You can see from the pictures that it's not the prettiest dessert I've ever made, but I can promise you that what it lacked in beauty, it made up for in taste! I was extremely pleased, as was our gluten-free guest! It didn't taste "gluten-free" at all (if there is such a taste). It was tart, sweet and savory all in one big, delicious bite. Actually, it might be up there as one of my favorite recipes that I've concocted all on my own! (Because there are SO many of those). I made the filling with peaches and strawberries because they both happened to be on sale at the grocery store that week. But, there is definitely room for fruity substitutions - I think next time I'll try it with all blackberries!

Of course, I had to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to mine (because I can't eat any warm, gooey dessert without it), and I crossed my fingers in hopes that my guest just might be able to add it as well, but unfortunately she had to pass. I should have known judging by the 15 ingredients that I didn't recognize on the side of the carton. [sigh] Two steps forward, one step back - I'll get there next time!

Anyway, I hope you'll give it a try - whether you're gluten, soy and hazelnut-free or not!

JH - This is for you!

Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Hazelnut-Free Fruit Crisp

Filling:
1 qt. fresh strawberries, quartered*
4 small peaches, sliced*
3 T. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. granulated sugar
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 c. honey
3/4 c. almonds, ground
1 c. pecans, halved
1 c. rice chex, crushed

*Fruit can be substituted with any other combination you so desire...get creative!

Preheat oven to 375, and grease a 9x9 casserole dish.

Make the filling:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over the stovetop and add fruit, sugar, vinegar and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until mixture has thickened.

Make the topping:
Heat the honey and the butter in the microwave until butter has melted (30sec - 1 min). Combine ground almonds, pecans and crushed rice chex in a bowl. Pour butter mixture over the nuts mixture and stir to combine.

Assemble and bake:
Pour the filling into the greased casserole dish and spoon topping all over in small spoonfuls, making sure to disperse evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until mixture is bubbly and topping has browned. Let cool for 20 minutes and serve with your favorite (gluten-free) ice cream!

Enjoy!

Chilled Pea Soup with Fresh Mint

2010-06-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend - a true American Holiday and MY official kickoff of Summer. S. and I celebrated in style down in Charleston with great friends, good food, perfect weather and of course some much-needed beach time. I don't mind the sun-burn one bit! (OK - that may be a lie) But regardless, we had such a great time and managed to pack a short few days with lots of great activities and events - Congrats Ben and Heather!

Now that Memorial Day has arrived, I feel it's appropriate to post about a recent summertime soup recipe I found thanks to the Food Network - Chilled Pea Soup with Fresh Mint . It was light, slightly sweet and so refreshing. I wish it had turned out a little smoother, but even with a slightly thicker texture, it was still delicious. I'll definitely be making this again when those hot, Southern Summer nights kick in!

Enjoy!

Pan-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil

2010-06-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

This post just makes me excited because I love the vibrant-color of the tomatoes in the pictures. :) And if you can believe it, they tasted even better than they look!

On my way home tonight, I made an impromptu stop at the Fresh Market to pick up something to make for dinner. Normally, I crush under pressure when I arrive at a grocery store without a list. Yes, I'm dying to be one of those people who can run in, pick an item that's fresh and in season and build my dinner around it, right there on the spot. BUT, I'm a list person, and therefore most of my unscheduled grocery trips end with me settling on something boring like meat and potatoes or another dish that I've made 10,000 times before and already know the recipe by heart.

Tonight though, the FM had some bright red cherry tomatoes from Mexico that were on sale and immediately caught my eye. I thought of the basil that I have growing in my little herb garden and decided to pan-roast the tomatoes in olive oil and garlic and incorporate a little basil at the end for extra flavor. So simple. So delicious.

The tomatoes went great with oven-roasted summer squash and a nice plump pork chop. (Both recipes to come later). :) And the best part is, the house still smells delicious with the lingering aroma of the sweet fruit. I love happy endings.

Pan-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 pkg. cherry tomatoes (about 18 tomatoes)
1 small handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat pan over medium heat and add the Olive Oil. Add garlic and saute for 30sec or so, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook on Medium for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to burst. Turn heat down to low, add basil and let simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Buckle

2010-05-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

It's strawberry pickin' time, ya'll! And these tart-but-sweet berries are flying off the shelves left and right at our local Publix. This could be because of the 2 for 1 deal going on, or because strawberries this time of year are ripe to perfection, but no matter the reason, I'm not going to stand back and miss all the fun!

A few months back I tried out a Blueberry Buckle from Martha Stewart that was out of this world. Well, thanks to strawberry season in the Carolinas - I'm at it again! I can't think of anything better at the moment than that first berry-packed bite of a warm Strawberry Buckle straight out of the oven. Mmm Mmm Mmm!!

Strawberry Buckle
Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
3 eggs
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 quart of fresh strawberries, washed and cut into bite size pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2-qt. baking dish. Beat sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, blending between each addition. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time, until all ingredients are evenly combined. Add strawberries and stir to incorporate. Pour batter into greased dish and bake until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean and top is golden brown. (Anywhere from 50 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes, depending on the type of dish you are using...I used glass and it required a full hour and 10 minutes). Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Garnish with a nice dollop of fresh whipped cream and...

Enjoy!

Baked Mangoes with Cinnamon-Sugar Tortillas over Vanilla Ice Cream

2010-05-03T11:31:00.001-04:00

A few weekends back, S. and I went over to The Tomato Vine, a local market just down the road, where I noticed a display of mangoes that were on special that week. I instantly remembered this recipe from Sparkling Ink that I'd found a few days earlier and had tucked away in my "recipes to try" list. I decided this would be the perfect time to introduce myself to baking with mangoes.

I ran into some trouble when it came time to slice the mango, as I had not done my research and did not know how to properly disassemble this juicy, tropical fruit. You can find out how, here. I did what I could, and although it wasn't very pretty, it was tasty none the less. Especially when combined with the cinnamon-sugared tortilla and ice cream. (Have you noticed that I'm a sucker for warm fruit over creamy vanilla ice cream?!)

Enjoy!

Rosemary-crusted Dover Sole with Lemon Butter Sauce

2010-04-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

Before I get straight to the recipe - let me give you a brief history (and explain the picture above).

As I've grown older my tastes in food (or rather, what I am willing to try) have significantly evolved. And thank goodness for that. I'm sure my Mother can tell plenty of stories about frustrating evenings when she was forced to prepare 3 different meals for 3 different daughters, in order to give each of us SOMETHING to satisfy our nutritional needs. I can remember one night in particular, when she must have been determined to fix one meal, and one meal only, for the entire family because I remember having to sit at the table post-dinner for what seemed like an eternity (probably 20 minutes) while my sisters excused themselves to run off and play, dad retired to the living room and mom cleaned off the entire table AND finished the dishes all while I sat still at the table (pouting) with a plate full of carrots, forbidden to move until I at least had a couple bites. When Mom, determined to make a point, retired to the living room (which was connected directly to the kitchen via an open door, mind you) I decided to make my oh-so-clever move... I quietly tip-toed to the trash can, lifted the lid, slid my carrots in, tip-toed back to the table, set my plate back down and put a giant grin on my face. "Mo-omm!...I'm do-ooone!" I was so smart. (Sigh) I'm sure you know what happened next, so I'll spare the gory details. :)

The point of this story is that for a period of time when I was younger, I wouldn't touch anything that mooed, clucked, swam, oinked or rhymed with "Megetable." Now, this faded slightly as I got older (i.e., I discovered Chick-fil-A, restaurant salad bars and Dad's cheeseburgers), but a part of me still held back. When I hit my 20's, that all began to change. College brought new experiences like sushi (I started slow with the California Roll), crab cakes and delicious gourmet steaks. And as my curiosity took over, I continued to remain adventurous and try new things as often as possible - shrimp, broccoli, oysters, porkchops, CARROTS - every new and delicious food I could get my hands on.

Every food... except fish. Yuck. I couldn't stand to even think about eating a creature so scaly, slimy and down-right ugly.

Thank goodness for my new-found love of the culinary world. And a fabulous restaurant just down the road from me who serves the best Carolina Trout you've ever put in your mouth. It was here that I worked up the nerve to order my first fish dish (if you haven't caught on, it was the scrumptious Carolina Trout fillet mentioned above). I was immediately in love - it was so tender, buttery, flaky and delicious. From there, it was a sesame seared tuna steak and seared grouper fillet from another favorite local spot and then Chilean Sea Bass from another. With each new fish order, I became more and more intrigued.

Which brings me to my newest adventure - cooking with fish. I've never been brave enough to try it on my own, until now. My latest delicious fish experience was the Trigger Fish at The Purple Onion Cafe in Saluda, NC. It was prepared so perfectly that I was inspired to ask the waiter what the preparation included. I listened as he quickly explained and I couldn't believe how simple it sounded. Just season with salt and pepper, sear on each side and finish it in the oven. Okay, I can do this.

So, this past weekend, I went up to Whole Foods and gave the friendly man behind the counter my concerns - first time cooking fish, need something mild, and relatively inexpensive (in case I royally screw up). He recommended the mild, flaky and thinly-filleted Dover Sole. Sounded good enough to me! So, I picked out a few fillets and headed on my way. I decided I'd serve it crusted with rosemary and over a simple risotto and a side of haricot verts (or, like us southern folks refer to them...crunchy green beans).

A couple hours and a messy kitchen later, my Dover Sole was done and lay beautifully in the pan. Unfortunately, I don't have the correct utensils for handling delicate fish fillets, so in the process of moving from pan to plate, I made quite a mess using my metal tongs. I hope you're not discouraged by the pictures below. Aside from the crumbling of the fillets (and the mild temper-tantrum that occurred during the plating process), it was a relatively easy experience! And the Rosemary-crusted Dover Sole was delicious! I will definitely try it again, maybe next time with a less-delicate type of fish, and who knows...maybe I'll even throw in some carrots for old-times-sake! (No sneaking around the trash can this time, though). :)

Rosemary-Crusted Dover Sole with Lemon-Butter Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 T. Canola Oil
1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper to season
2-3 Dover Sole fillets
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 c. white wine
2 T. chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheet with tin foil (to save on clean-up time later), and lightly coat with oil spray. Heat saute pan over medium-high heat. (Note - do not add oil until pan has pre-heated) Prepare fish fillets by seasoning each side with salt and pepper and then coating with chopped rosemary. Press down so that rosemary sticks. When pan is pre-heated, add the oil then the fillets. Sear on each side for 1-2 minutes, until browned. Then, move the fillets from the pan to the baking sheet and finish in oven for 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute. De-glaze pan with wine and add chicken stock. Add lemon juice into pan as well. Let mixture come to bubble then reduce until fish is finished cooking in oven.

Remove fish from oven and serve with sauce spooned over.

Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Pizza topped with Ground Lamb, Mint, and Feta

2010-04-26T12:01:00.003-04:00

So, I think it's pretty obvious that I love pizza. This is probably the 4th or 5th post on pizza that I've done since the start of this blog a few short months ago (6 short months, to be exact!). In fact, I don't think I quite realized the severity of my obsession until I started writing this blog. Although, I do have to attribute my recent explorations into this versatile italian pie to my recent-found love for cooking. I have to admit that I've become quite creative in the ingredients that I choose to put together. To me, a pizza is like a blank canvas, and there's not much that you can't put on a blank canvas of crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, delicious pizza crust. In terms of foods, that is. Okay, so maybe "salmon pizza" doesn't sound so appetizing, but if you put it in front of me, I can't say I wouldn't try it!

So, as I digress, let me bring you to my next adventure in pizza baking - ground lamb. I've recently discovered how much I love ground lamb. It's like it almost has it's own fragrance of herbs infused right into the meat, which releases as it cooks. Much different than ground chicken, or ground turkey, it doesn't require too much "fixing-up" to give it a good taste. So, I took this love of ground lamb and applied it to my love of pizza, and voila! - Pizza topped with Ground Lamb, Mint and Feta. Delicious!

Give it a try and let me know what you think. I welcome any suggestions of different pizzas you've tried, too!

Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Pizza topped with Ground Lamb, Mint and Feta

Ingredients:
1 Pkg, store-bought pizza dough found in the deli section of your grocery
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 -1/2 lb. ground lamb
2-3 Tbsp. store-bought (or homemade) pizza sauce
1 lb fresh, mozzarella cheese
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 c. scallions
1/4 c. feta cheese crumbles
handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 425, and lightly grease a pizza pan. Punch down pizza dough and either roll out or toss until its to the thickness and shape you desire (about 1/4" - 1/2" thick). Spread pizza dough onto pan and poke holes with a toothpick to prevent air bubbles. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until crust has hardened.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. olive oil and ground lamb. Season lamb with salt and pepper and saute until browned. Set aside.

When pizza crust comes out of the oven, top with sauce, lamb, cheese, onion, scallions and feta crumbles. Bake for another 5-7 minutes, until crust has browned slightly around the edges. Remove from oven and top with mint leaves. Let cool slightly, slice as preferred, and serve with a nice glass of wine!

Linguine with Shrimp, Asparagus and Basil

2010-04-21T11:58:00.000-04:00

I'm officially taking a break from my busy work/wedding planning life to spend some much needed time releasing my thoughts and ideas to the blogging world. And it feels good! :)

As I was browsing through the photographs of foods that I have yet to share, I stumbled upon this picture of a delicious dish I prepared a few weeks ago - Linguine with Shrimp, Asparagus and Basil. I found this recipe, which hails from Bon Appetit, on a lovely blog appropriately called, "Love and Olive Oil." Even though the review from Love and Olive Oil was not fantastic, I decided to give it a try any way. It sounded light, refreshing and best of all...easy!

While I tend to agree that it didn't "blow me away," it still satisfied my appetite very well. It was crisp, light, tart, and sweet all in one bite (that is, if you were skilled enough to maneuver your fork correctly). It also makes for a very attractive dish, and hey, don't we eat with our eyes first anyway?

I hope you'll give this a try when you're looking for a simple, healthy and tasty option for dinner, or - if you're so lucky as to have the opportunity to get in the kitchen during the day - for lunch!

Enjoy!

Gorgonzola and Walnut Grapes

2010-03-23T13:43:00.000-04:00

There's a wonderful tapas restaurant in Greenville called "The Cazbah" that is a great spot for a group outing or an intimate date night, and anything in between. They offer your typical small-plate fare like hummus, spinach dip, crab cakes and small salads, but they also have plenty off-the-wall options that are oh so intriguing like the Southern Fried Sushi Roll and their house specialty, Lobster Cigars.

A couple years ago, S. and I stopped in for dinner one night and made a delicious discovery - "Roquefort Grapes." Red grapes, individually wrapped in a mixture of Roquefort cheese and chopped walnuts - a lovely combination. We enjoyed them so much that a few nights later when we had some friends coming over, I attempted to re-create them. Except, I decided to try Gorgonzola cheese instead of Roquefort to mix it up a little. The sweet grapes in combination with the rather strong cheese flavor and the crunch of the walnuts all seemed to flow together perfectly. They were delicious!

We made them again recently and they once again proved to be a hit. And it's a good thing too since a recent trip back to The Cazbah revealed that the yummy creation has now been taken off the menu. So sad!