The Unemployed Cook

We interrupt this gestation...

2009-05-01T09:02:00.001-05:00

...to point you towards a new website:

Drop by Food2.com today for a free sample of crazy good food, drink and pop culture (http://www.food2.com)

Food2 is also the new home of the Amateur Gourmet web show! Go check it out.

What's Cooking?

2009-01-16T10:31:00.002-05:00

I've abandoned this blog, I know. And lost my readers, no doubt. But for once I have a decent excuse, which is this:

Yep, that's my little girl up there, all of 20 weeks along (though I'm closer to 22 weeks by now). Due May 23rd and beyond happy about it. Even writing about it here: http://thedoritochronicles.blogspot.com/

Most women, by the 22nd week of their pregnancy, have developed a lustful passion for food, to make up for the misery of 1st trimester nausea. Lucky me, I had pretty much no nausea, maybe one or two days of mild, seasick discomfort in total. Instead, I don't care about food. At all. I am not exaggerating, no cravings, nothing sounds particularly appealing, I have to make myself eat every two hours, like clockwork, or I'll forget all together.

You can see why this might make food blogging difficult! I've been cooking, sure, but most of the time I have to choke it down and the very act of chewing pisses me off. Not exactly the time to lovingly photograph food and wax rhapsodic about the brilliant dishes I've been making.

I'm not going anywhere. I can only assume (and hope, oh PLEASE), that I will get back to normal eventually, and regain my passion for food. I've never realized just how much I identify myself as a person who loves food, cooking it and eating it. It's been kind of depressing to lose that, but it can't be permanent.

Hoopla.

2008-09-10T09:15:00.002-05:00

I threw a (mostly) vegan dinner party on Sunday, and no one starved. In fact, the food and company were delicious and plentiful. I say "mostly" vegan because I realized that Quorn crumbles--the base for my empanada filling--have egg white in them. No worries, I just made a batch with a spicy black bean filling.

I was determined to take pictures--of the two sheet pans of gorgeous vegetables, waiting for the grill...of the aforementioned empanadas with their raisin, redwine, chipotle, and caper-spike filling...of my favorite quinoa and black bean salad...of the last minute salsa I whipped up that I could eat every day until I die...of the grilled peach halves with a scoop of coconut sorbet melting on top. But I didn't. I didn't take a single picture and while I know that just means we were having too much fun to bother with it, I'm mad at myself.

Oh well, yet another reason to do it again, and soon. After a summer of not entertaining at home I am energized and planning 10 different gatherings in my head. I do love a hoopla.

The Unemployed Cook Omnivore’s Hundred

2008-08-26T19:50:00.002-05:00

Fun little experiment on this site, with the following instructions:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Well, I'm working late and my editor is on his dinner break so why not?

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos Rancheros
4. Steak Tartare
5. Crocodile (well, Alligator)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24.Rice and Beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce De Leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken Tikka Masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly Pear (does prickly pear juice count?)
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu (I've had soju, is that close?)
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. (I feel Blackberry Farm should count for something here, but alas)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft Shelled Crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermador
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
100. Snake

Pretty random and arbitrary little list, isn't it? But that killed a half hour. Oh dear, am I really to be here until 2am? Ouch.

Summer Sides

2008-08-25T12:39:00.004-05:00

Fall is looming, even if the temperatures don't show it. Labor day is literally around the corner and my enormous maple tree is flecked with orange, gearing up for its big show (and making me dread all of the raking to come). But at the Farmer's Market, and in my little kitchen, it's still pure summer.

I've never been one to curse the heat and pray for the relief of fall. Fall, while very lovely, always makes me a bit melancholy. I think it's because no matter how gorgeous fall is, winter is around the corner. And I hate winter, even the mild winter we have in East Tennessee. If I had my way it would be winter just for 6 weeks around Christmas and New Year's Eve, then Spring would takeover.

One of my favorite post-Farmer's Market activities is shelling beans. Tedious to some, I find it very relaxing, and of course it helps that fresh shelled beans are truly delectable--a seasonal treat not to be missed. These lovely beans are Purple Hull Peas, and they are tender and flavorful. They hardly require a recipe, just shell, cover with water, and simmer until they are as tender as you prefer. Since I was making a Very Southern Sunday Dinner I dropped in a couple of slices of salt pork and a vegetable boullion cube. The salt pork has a clean, porky flavor but doesn't add smoke. And the boullion, while not very fancy, is how Chris' grandmother cooked her peas and they were always so delicious.

I also picked up some very perfect zucchini. I know this is about the time when people start to feel overwhelmed by their squash and zucchini harvests but I just LOVE zucchini. I probably have a dozen favorite ways to make it, though this is a new favorite. The inspiration came from my friend Jessica highly recommending this squash recipe. It looked like comforting goodness, but I like my squash to have a bit more texture to it. Also, I just had zucchini, no yellow squash, so I had some meddling to do.

Zucchini Casserole

serves 4

salting the zucchini while sauteeing helps draw out the moisture, avoiding a soggy casserole.

2 large zucchini, chunked

Vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sour cream

kosher salt and fresh pepper

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers tossed with 1 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and a generous pinch of salt and saute until beginning to soften. Dump zucchini into a sieve and let drain for 10 minutes, pressing gently with the back of a wooden spoon on occasion.

Wipe out your skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Leftover Lunch: Sweet Pea Risotto Cakes with Grilled Shrimp and Corn Vinaigrette

2008-08-15T12:36:00.005-05:00

Ah, the mighty leftover. Last week I made a delicious risotto loosely based on a Cooking Light recipe. It was a veggie-packed risotto in a lovely moat of sweet corn broth, and I topped the lot with grilled garlicky shrimp. Pure summer, and good for you to boot. And of course, I cooked for your average family of four, as I often seem to. I dutifully packed the leftovers away and vowed to not let them go to waste.

The next day I scooped out two balls of the chilled risotto, flattened them slightly, and dredged them in cracker meal. Not unlike the more traditional arancini, I then quickly pan fried them in a little olive oil.

The warm cakes found their home on a pile of baby lettuces, topped with the cool leftover grilled shrimp (I didn't want them to be overcooked so I didn't reheat them). The corn broth I whisked into a quick vinagrette, which made a sweet savory dressing that perfectly complimented the salad. All told I think it took me 10 minutes to make this leftover lunch that ended up being worthy of first-run respect. Yum.

Sweet Corn and Pea Risotto with Corn Broth
serves 2, with leftovers

for the corn broth:
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine 2 1/2 cups water and 2 cups corn kernels in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place corn mixture in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Strain corn mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Set aside and keep warm. This would also make a lovely soup all on its own!

for the risotto:
3-4 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup diced onion
1 medium carrot, minced (or more if desired)
1 medium stalk celery, minced (or more if desired)
1 cup frozen green peas
2 cups fresh corn kernels
grated Parmesan cheese and basil, chives or parsley for garnish

Warm broth either in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add warm broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. Add peas, corn kernels, a good grating of the cheese, and herbs, stirring until blended and hot.

Place a mound of risotto in a shallow bowl and ladle some corn broth around it. Top with more cheese and herbs if you desire. This is great with some garlicky grilled shrimp piled on top, but also makes a lovely light vegetarian meal. And obviously, these pictures are not of the original recipe, but of my leftover feast. Enjoy!

Roasted Baby Eggplants

2008-08-15T11:24:00.002-05:00

What is it about tiny fruits and vegetables? Why do I find them so endlessly appealing and adorable? Take these mini eggplants:

ADORABLE! And look at these tiny heads of garlic:

I mean people, I practically squealed.

So excited was I to find these at the Farmer's Market that I quickly came home and prepared them for dinner. I split the eggplants almost completely, leaving the tops intact, and stuffed them with crushed tiny cloves of garlic (eee!) and slivers of lemon.

I drizzled olive oil and lemon juice over the tops and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Some thyme sprigs rounded things out.

Cover and cook for 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven, then uncover and cook until they are as soft as you'd like.

As ravenous as I was, I didn't get a shot of the final product in the dish, but it's very pretty. I did catch the leftovers, which I took with my lunch the next morning.

The result? Did the tininess make the eggplants more delicious? Honestly they were a little bitter but made a good foil against some rich salmon we had alongside.

But you can't beat them for sheer adorableness.

Changes.

2008-08-05T12:20:00.003-05:00

Change is good...change is good...sometimes I have to tell myself this, creature of habit that I am. But change is good, it's exciting and it's challenging.

For a while now the magazine I write for has been moving in a new direction, not a bad one, but...different. Moving away from the standard food and wine review and more towards straight journalism--interviewing chefs and owners of local restaurants. Interesting and insightful, but also not my passion.

And so, I'm taking some time off, and to be honest I'm really excited. I am feeling energized about the blog again and I plan to incorporate more reviews into the current structure, along with the literally dozens of great recipes that I've taken photos of, but haven't written up yet.

Eventually I would like to create an email list for those Knoxvillians interested in receiving my latest review in their inbox. My partnership with Foodbuzz is going to be great for this as well.

So it's true, change is good. Stay tuned...

Quickie: Salmon Niçoise Salad

2008-07-08T14:49:00.003-05:00

Oh, delicious! I slow roasted the salmon using Bill Granger's method--steep a handful of cherry tomatoes and a couple bruised garlic cloves in a generous splash or two of olive oil. Warm up the whole thing in a 350-degree oven until it smells delicious and the tomatoes have split.

Lower heat to 250-degrees, remove the tomatoes and garlic, and lavish a couple of salmon fillets in the scented oil. Add a hefty sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper and roast until cooked to your desire--20 to 30 minutes usually. It's hard to overcook the salmon with this method and it flakes apart beautifully for salads.

I made mine with the usual suspects for a Niçoise, as well as my most favorite Perfect Vinaigrette (http://theunemployedcook.blogspot.com/2006/01/perfect-vinaigrette.html)--I opted for raw tomatoes but the slow roasted tomatoes are very nice as well. Summer in a bowl, I tell you.

Escape To Your Own Backyard

2008-01-12T10:04:00.000-05:00

Blackberry Farm feeds mind, body, and soul with untold luxury
(Some content originally published in Cityview Magazine. Photos by Christie Chassareau)

You want to be pampered. You want 5-star accommodations; you want all of the amenities that you’re always reading about in the world’s top food, wine, and travel magazines. But…

Airfare these days is so expensive, and even if you land a flight reservation you must endure the endless indignities that accompany air travel these days. And really, for $1500 for travel alone, don’t you deserve to be treated with some respect?

What if I told you that one of the top 10 small hotels in the world was 40 minutes outside of Knoxville? What if I told you that it was consistently ranked #1 in service by the most esteemed publications in the world? And, what if I told you that you could experience, on top of the immaculate service and surroundings, a food and wine event befitting royalty?

Welcome to Blackberry Farm, the five star resort located in Walland (yes, Walland!), Tennessee. Maybe you’ve heard of it, mentioned here and there. Maybe it’s been dismissed as too expensive, too exclusive, too close to home. I am here to tell you, however, that it should be faulted for none of the above. For you can travel to a place unlike any other, for an experience of a lifetime, without having to refill your gas tank.

Yes, Blackberry Farm is for you, East Tennessean. It is, in fact, a resort that celebrates absolutely everything about this area that you might love—it just does it so much better. Are you an outdoor lover? Revel in the miles and miles of hiking trails, the fly fishing lessons, the horseback riding. Is relaxation and meditation more your pace? There is one of the only Aveda Destination Spas in the country at Blackberry, as well as yoga aside a tranquil pond and countless picturesque nooks in which to curl up with a book. Does your passion lie in the epicurean? Sign up for one of the culinary events Blackberry is quickly becoming famous for, and experience, as I did, an awakening to all of the things I never realized I adored about our fair corner of this state.

Driving through Maryville towards Walland, I am happy to see that the trip has not changed so much since I was a girl—maybe a new antique mall or two, an unfamiliar billboard here and there—but it’s the same drive through lazy foothills, grey-blue mountains looming on the horizon. The road to Blackberry Farm is an admittedly unremarkable one, dotted with horse and cow-filled pastures and modest country homes. And yet, the air changes once you come across the signature white fence…the road gets a bit more curvy, the forest dense and green even after our drought-plagued summer. Pulling up to the Oak Cottage, Blackberry’s outpost, everything familiar about East Tennessee is suddenly taken up a notch.

And that is really the crux of Blackberry Farm—it does not fight its Foothills birthright, instead it gives tribute to it in the most remarkable way. If only every person, resident or not, who has dismissed East Tennessee as pedestrian or backwards could have a stay here. It is truly the very best of our homeland, highlighting and showcasing the things that natives are lucky enough to be acquainted with already.

I am checked in before I even realize I’m here, whisked onto a cozy golf cart with a cool bottle of water and my own personal guide to the estate. He whisks me through a garden, past the Main House where the dining room and some guest accommodations are located. Suddenly, ducking through two outbuildings, we burst forth upon the crest of a hill and all I can see is mountains, a pond, and a pastoral collection of sheep seemingly there for solely the benefit of my view. I’ve been at Blackberry for less than 10 minutes, and away from home for just under an hour, and I am positively enchanted.

The guide to my cabin tolerates my endless patter of questions with an exemplary attitude, showing that no matter the job at Blackberry, everyone is more than capably trained. We dart across the main road while discussing the fact that I will be staying in one of the newest cabins built on the property, just opened in late July. We pull in to the golf-cart sized driveway where I immediately spy a cart of my own to use when traversing the thousands of acres encompassing the resort. My cabin, aptly named Speckled Sussex after a breed of chicken housed on the farm, is the embodiment of luxury, encased in a cozy “rustic” shell. Keihl’s toiletries, Frette linens, wide slabs of antiqued wood that disguise heated floors, and a fully stocked (and complementary, outside of the alcoholic offerings) pantry and fridge—I’m not exaggerating when I say I could happily while away many days in this spot. The beds are a confection of memory foam, feather beds, and luxe linens, and a flat screen television lurks behind a panel of biological prints.

But there is not time for too much relaxing, not yet, because I am not here for any average visit. No, I am attending this weekend’s “Smoky Mountain Table” event, featuring lectures from the Farm’s master gardener John Coykendall, Guest Vinter Bob Lindquist of Qupé Wines in Napa Valley, and Blackberry’s new chef, Peter Glander. I quickly freshen up and hop back in my cart to zip across the hills to the Welcome Reception listed foremost on my event itinerary.

The “reception” is honestly a relief—I am expecting some sort of forced revelry but instead I am handed a fantastic glass of champagne and left to enjoy the magnificent view from the Main House’s veranda. Not that the weekend’s attendants and hosts are anything but friendly—I am quickly greeted and made to feel at home among the diverse crowd. Before much longer we are ushered inside to kick off the dinner, where Blackberry proprietor Sam Beall welcomes all of the guests and gives us a glimpse of what is to come in the next few days. As he speaks, servers glid in like ghosts and set before us our first bite of food for the evening—Smoked North Carolina Steelhead Roe with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta & a Fingerling Potato Chip. Hilariously, the first thing I think of is the best smoked salmon and cream cheese I can possibly imagine—and I mean that as a compliment to the highest degree. This salty bite is a mighty harbinger of the delights to come.

Along with the incredible food that night—and incredible it is, featuring such delights as Diver Scallop Tartare, Torchon of Foie Gras, Lamb Breast Confit, and Wagyu Beef Sirloin—is a selection of wines that does nothing more than make me want to learn everything about the people behind Qupé wines. Lindquist, a charming bear of a man, imparts the joy and rapture only one that truly loves his work can communicate, and his wife Luisa shows a similar passion. After this one night, people I first looked upon as strangers have already become familiar, and everyone is feeling convivial indeed.

Bright and early the next morning I head to the garden, for a tour and lecture from Master Gardener Coykendall and breakfast under the shade trees on the periphery. Coykendall quickly charms with both his knowledge and delightful personality—I am quickly realizing that no one is involved with Blackberry Farm that isn’t beyond passionate about their calling in life. After a lovely stroll through only a fraction of the Farm’s massive gardens, we are treated to a refreshing breakfast, starting with heirloom tomato and watermelon juice and quickly followed by tiny, jewel-like figs, syrupy melon wrapped in salty local ham, and an assortment of sweet breads. After the previous nights feast, this light repast is exactly what I am craving.

Which brings up yet another point about Blackberry—the incredible intuitiveness of the staff and grounds themselves. There is very little that you could hope for or desire that couldn’t be delivered upon, and there were multiple times throughout the experience where I simply thought of something that would make things that much better and the literally appeared. I don’t want to know what witchcraft is involved to make this happen—I just want more of it.

Our morning in the garden then bleeds into a trip to the wine cellars at Maple Cottage, most recently the site of all cooking classes/demonstrations for the Farm. My hardy group, however, is the last to use this gorgeous home for such an occasion, but don’t weep for the future quests—an incredible new facility is being polished off as we speak…more on that later.

Because for now, the wines! Bob Lindquist leads us through a wine tasting that is as enjoyable as it is informational, and he manages to keep the interests of both the novices and true collectors. Indeed, most of the group is clamoring for more information on where to buy these remarkable and relatively affordable wines (qupé.com for more information). Pleasantly relaxed after the tasting, we head upstairs to find an impressive lunch waiting for us, including a soup that I will probably never forget—soft shell crawfish in a corn broth with heirloom tomatoes. Never has a dish captured a Southern summer in a more simple way.

A busy morning leads into a free afternoon to explore Blackberry’s other offerings. Some go horseback riding; others lounge by the pool, soaking in both the sun and the mountain view. I choose to curl up on my cabins porch with a cup of tea to do some writing. In the early evening I make my way to the main house and have a spectacular cocktail—the Farm’s own version of a mint julep. Made with small batch whiskey, homemade vanilla syrup, and garnished with a whole vanilla bean, I am quickly learning that you really can’t go wrong at Blackberry Farm.

That evenings dinner is on my own, letting me sample the dining experience the average guest has privy to. This is quite something on its own—a four course dinner with immaculate service. The food is divine, as expected, but I most enjoy the spirited conversation with one of Blackberry’s sommeliers. He recommends a white burgundy that is as delicious as it is in my budget, and I love that his enthusiasm carries over to even the more modest choices in the impressive wine list.

The next morning I wake up in my bowl of whipped cream masquerading as a bed, refreshed and excited about the mornings events. While a more elaborate breakfast is served in the Main House, I choose to duck across the way to the game room for some lighter fare. Settling in to a large leather chair with a bowl of berries; I nibble on some sweet bread and sip coffee until the time for my next encounter arrives. Today we are to be treated to a cooking demonstration from new head chef Peter Glander. Glander, who has a pedigree unlike anyone in the area I guarantee, has moved down to Walland to open The Barn, Blackberry’s newest 5-star dining experience. This barn, converted from an old structure moved from Pennsylvania, will not only house an amazing restaurant that will allow the Main House to take on a more casual, homey role; it will also contain the cooking classes and demonstrations, as well as an enormous wine cellar. But I digress…

Glander moves with the ease of someone with years of experience in a kitchen, yet he is also a fantastic teacher, answering questions all while preparing a selection of dishes that will also be featured in that evening’s grand finale dinner. Blackberry has provided notebooks with information on all of the wines we have sampled during this culinary journey, as well as the recipes Glander is preparing for us in the stately demonstration kitchen—a nice touch appreciated by anyone who has ever tried to frantically jot down the directions streaming from any television chef’s mouth.

Another afternoon free gives us time to reflect on the past few days, and to prepare for the once in a lifetime experience ahead of us. Rain is threatening the plans to dine in the stately gardens, and so our little troop becomes not only the last culinary group to utilize Maple Cottage for such an event; we are now the first ever group to dine in the new Barn facility. It is not complete, but is incredibly impressive nonetheless, and everyone involved is honored to be there for its christening.

Dinner is… amazing. I soak up conversation from new friends all while eating food that is as fresh and inviting as Blackberry itself. That night we are also treated to some of Qupé’s vintage selections, including one Roussanne that only remains in twelve cases.

Basking in the warmth of company and special treatment, I sit back and reflect on the past three days, which feels like over a week and miles and miles away from home. I came to Blackberry thinking it was out of my price range, that it wasn’t worth the money when I could use that to travel somewhere more exotic, further away. But now I have an entirely different outlook—where else could I experience a weekend like this? Could I learn about heirloom seeds and olive-oil poached salmon? Could I try wine varietals I’ve never even heard of? Nowhere, at least nowhere that I know of. Blackberry Farm is a place for you. A place to reconnect with your roots, to discover treasures in the land in Tennessee you never knew of, and to soak up the knowledge of a group of experts gathered for your benefit. The saying is more than true—Blackberry Farms is easy to find, and oh so hard to leave.

Blackberry Farm
1471 West Millers Cove Road
Walland, Tennessee 37886
(865) 380-2260
http://www.blackberryfarm.com/

(out of a possible five stars)
Accommodations: *****
Dining: *****
Service: *****
Atmosphere: *****
Overall: *****

Thanksgiving (remember that?)

2007-12-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

This fall has flown by so quickly that it really seems like Thanksgiving just happened. I had the pleasure of hosting my lovely family this year, and I have to say everything was pretty darned perfect. I ordered a fresh, organic, Amish turkey, brined it in all manner of delicious spices, and I have to say it was the best turkey I've ever had--and even better, my guests agreed.

Sadly, all of the cooking on my part left very little time or forethought to take pictures, which is a shame because my darling husband has given me a fancy new camera for and early Christmas present. It's a big girl camera with lenses and intimidating directions, but I'm learning and loving it.

I did grab one shot of the turkey after my triumphant carving job, and some random table and buffet shots. I hope that your day was as delicious and relaxed as ours was.

Revisiting Old Favorites.

2007-09-11T17:25:00.000-05:00

I made both of these this week and realized that I've made a lot of subtle changes that aren't reflected in the original recipe. And so...

My Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken has benefited from experimenting with chicken legs in addition to thighs, and I finally upped the cooking time since my original 45 minutes was ridiculous--it always takes me at least an hour on the first side. I don't know what I was thinking!

Our favorite pasta dish is this Rigatoni Alla Bolognese Bianco, and I've improved it by doubling all of the vegetables (after realizing I was chasing every mushroom and carrot around the plate), adding ground beef or ground turkey, reducing the half & half a bit, and upping the pasta amount. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it, and we just had it! Fantastic for leftovers, too.

Comaburgers are even more outrageous when topped with pimento cheese. I also adjusted the portions here, because with all of the toppings a quarter pound burger made more sense.

Eat up!

What I've been Cooking Lately...

2007-09-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

No time for a real post, but I thought I would link to some recipes I've found online and made recently, to varying degrees of success.

The Ultimate Vegetable Torta from Cooking Light. This torta is seriously labor intensive, but pretty delicious. I've made it twice now and I'm not entirely sure it is worth the effort, however it is a great way to use up the results of an over-zealous Farmer's Market trip.

Roasted Cod with Warm-Olive-Caper Tapenade from Eating Well. Mmmm, I loved this and it was such a snap to pull together on a weeknight. If you like briney things you'll be all over this. I served it with the suggested orzo (cooked in vegetable broth) and spinach.

Ziti with Grilled Gazpacho Sauce and Sausage from Gourmet. Another total winner, smokey and delicious. I used penne, and turkey Italian sausage in a vain attempt to lighten the recipe. Delicious, great leftover as well.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa from Gourmet. Delicious, healthy, filling. I served this with something--grilled chicken or fish maybe? It should tell you a lot that the side dish stuck out a lot more than the main course. Would make a lovely vegetarian lunch all on its own.

Beef Saté with Peanut Dipping Sauce from Cooking Light. Another super speedy and tasty weeknight dish. The meat wasn't my absolute favorite but I liked this meal well enough. I made it with brown rice instead of the instant.

Chicken-Chorizo Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise from Cooking Light. I liked these, although I over processed the meat mixture and I think that made it a bit tough. Great flavor, though, and a nice alternative to beef or turkey burgers. The recipe makes a lot and I froze a stack of the patties, seperated with parchment. I'll let you know how they fare after being thawed.

Green Onion Pancakes with Tomato-Avocado Salsa from Cooking Light. Oh, baby, I loved these. Served them with a pile of garlicky grilled shrimp. I used my own guacamole recipe, however, because I'm not a huge oregano fan. I also used Gruyeré in the pancakes.

Crispy Soft-Shelled Crabs with Bean Salad from Martha Stewart. The dish of the summer! If soft-shelled crabs were in season longer (and I could afford them), I think I'd make this all the danged time. I used some fresh black-eyed peas, edamame, and some coarsely chopped green beans in the salad. And make the homemade garlic mayo, please. You won't be disappointed. I made this same salad later in the summer to serve with crabcakes and it was lovely as well.

Review: Marty's Bistro

2007-07-03T16:49:00.000-05:00

Originally published in Cityview Magazine.

Rooms For Improvement

Downtown’s newest upscale eatery has the right idea, but needs to find its footing.

When I think of hotel dining, I usually think of just one thing: room service. I used to have a job that required extensive travel and one of the only things I liked about that was coming back to my nice hotel room after a long day, getting into the enormous bed, ordering room service, and watching loads of bad television.

Because of this affinity, I’ve never given much thought to eating in restaurants housed by hotels, especially here in Knoxville. And so when I heard that an attempt at fine dining was being made at the downtown Hilton, I was as curious as I was apprehensive. Could Marty’s Bistro be as good as it sounds? The description on the hotel website promises “eclectic new American cuisine with a special focus on regional ingredients and classical presentation…enhanced by our seasonal wine list featuring the best of California as well as alternative selections from around the world.” I really don’t look for much else from a local restaurant, so I was ready to go check it out.

The hotel itself was recently renovated and presents a gorgeous, open lobby upon entrance. Marty’s Bistro is tucked away next to the “Market Café”, which serves breakfast and lunch. Further down the lobby you can find a Starbucks and The Orange Martini, featuring specialty drinks and a casual bar menu.

Marty’s is a small restaurant but could clearly be opened up to include the Market Café space for larger occasions. The décor is sedate and contemporary, and much to my (and the harried solo server) surprise, the restaurant was at least half full. It seems that the rainy, cool spring night has kept many hotel guests in for the evening, giving the restaurant an unexpected boost of business. We were seated promptly and given menus and a wine list.

The wine list is more than adequate with a good range of prices for all diners. Don’t expect a sommelier in your server, however. Our server mistakenly thought that Sauvignon Blanc was a red wine and seemed flummoxed by the different varietals. However, all menu items are thoughtfully graced with wine pairings—usually at least two choices per dish (one available by the glass and one by the bottle).

The Low Country Crab Cakes ($9), while definitely more “southwestern” than “low country”, were packed full of lump crabmeat and topped with a grainy mustard remoulade and loads of spicy corn kernels, all puzzlingly resting atop a cornhusk. A perfectly fine start to the meal, even if wrongly named. The suggested Sauvignon Blanc wine pairing was indeed a nice match to the zesty cakes.

However, upon spying my neighbors Bleu Cheese Caesar ($4) I felt like I should have made a different choice. A tidy bundle of whole romaine leaves arrived encased by a Parmesan crisp and topped with a sprinkling of Stilton. If it tasted anywhere as good as it looked, I’d say it was quite a nice little salad indeed.

My dining companion quickly zeroed in on his entrée choice, the grilled Veal Chop with Bacon-Onion Polenta and Roasted Shallot Sauce ($26). I had a bit more trouble making my choice, but ultimately settled on the Lemon-Thyme Chicken served on a bed of Tomato Gnocchi, Fresh Asparagus Tips, and Sun-dried Tomatoes ($17). I’m not usually a chicken person but was tempted by the tomato gnocchi—not something you often see on menus around these parts and I was curious as to whether it was house made.

When I ordered the chicken I was told that it takes a bit longer to prepare than other dishes, but when it arrived I wasn’t sure why. It is basically a bone-in paillard—a thin breast cutlet. Seared to golden brown on each side, the chicken was nicely cooked and served atop a hearty serving of tomato gnocchi and chunks of asparagus and sun-dried tomato. The gnocchi had a non-uniform appearance that made me think it was indeed made in-house, but it was slightly heavy on the tongue and doughy. The flavor was good, however. The asparagus was asparagus, and while I’m not sure where the “lemon-thyme” flavor was, everything was tossed in a serviceable wine sauce.

My dining companion’s veal chop was a more impressive dish to look at, with a thick bone-in chop accompanied by two small wedges of fried polenta, steamed asparagus, and shallots. However, the smoky charred flavor brought on from the grilling tended to overwhelm the delicate veal flavor. The bacon polenta was delicious and my partner wished there was more on the plate to balance the enormous chop. Overall the dish was well prepared (after all, it is simply my preference to have veal seared instead of grilled) and lovely to look at.

The dessert options ranged from a pecan pie to a cheesecake, but we went with the one dessert made in-house, a chocolate torte. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what we received—a rather basic chocolate layer cake reminiscent of cake mix and layered with an insipid, over chilled chocolate mousse. Honestly, it was a disappointing dessert, especially as it was described as “melt in your mouth”.

I think that Marty’s Bistro is making an admirable attempt to be the only upscale restaurant housed in a downtown hotel. The space is nicely decorated and it seemed to be a draw to hotel guests. However, to attract a local crowd the hotel needs to have more people on staff (the sole server/busboy/host was in a complete panic by evening’s end, and I can’t blame the poor guy), revamp the menu to reflect more of the promised focus on local and seasonal ingredients, and promote the new space by including it on the signage outside the hotel. I think it is exciting that this endeavor is being made, and with continued efforts I feel that Marty’s Bistro could establish itself among other fine dining options in the downtown area.

Review: Ruby T.

2007-05-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

Originally published in Cityview Magazine.

A Foodie Divided:
The roots below Maryville’s newest hot spot might surprise you.

I have a confession: for the most part, chain restaurants make me cringe. I would always rather support a local business, and I feel like so often the quality suffers. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule—big restaurant conglomerates that manage to maintain the passion of a small boutique restaurant owner. I wouldn’t have thought to include the Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain to be in that category, that they would be interested in opening a small, trendy, unique restaurant with little to no media fanfare or advertisement—but that is just what they’ve done. Ruby T opened not long ago and has quietly become a charming, bustling little restaurant.

With its use of bright lighting and slick stainless steel, the outside of Ruby T projects the feeling of a neo-modern diner. Inside, you’ll find an incongruous, but not unpleasing, blend of unstained wood, luxe patterned upholstery, and over-the-top light fixtures. Not a bit of “flair” to be seen. My guest and I were greeted warmly by the staff and continued to be very impressed by the level of service as the evening went on. It was a fairly busy Friday night, yet we were seated immediately (however, reservations are recommended for large groups). My only nit to pick on the atmosphere would be the salad bar placed in prime position. I admit that I hate salad bars and wish they would be regulated to fast food restaurants, but after checking it out I must begrudgingly admit that everything looked incredibly fresh and there were some unique choices such as edamame, marinated cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, and what appeared to be homemade dressings. And it seemed like the majority of patrons chose the salad option, further proving that I am mostly alone in my condemnation. Well played, Ruby T.

Perusing the wine list, I found it a bit limited, but I didn’t mind because there are some decent choices and very good values, such as the Cavit Pinot Grigio ($5.00/glass). Feeling festive, I was pleased to see some specialty drinks featuring fresh-squeezed juices and happily ordered a signature Ruby T Margarita ($7.00) from our darling waitress. This was a very nice margarita, one of the best I’ve had in a while, not too sweet and with lots of fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice.

My thirst quenched, we moved on to two appetizers—Chicken Dumplings ($7.00) and Thai Phoon Shrimp ($8.00). They came promptly with nice presentation and generous portions. The peanut sauce that accompanied the dumplings is positively delectable, and the dumplings themselves had the proper crisp yet tender exterior and delicious chicken and water chestnut interior. The shrimp were a surprise: they are served absolutely drenched in a creamy chili sauce. I actually really liked the sauce but found the application to be a bit heavy handed and the extra sauce on the side to be unnecessary. That said, these little crustaceans were addictive. The fried coating managed to stay crunchy even under the weight of the sauce, and there was a slow burn from the chilies that had me going back for more.

I found the entrée selection to be a little sparse, but there is something for everyone, including a comprehensive burger list on the back. I was in the mood for fish but disappointed to see only 3 offerings, 2 of them tilapia. And so, I went with the Chicken Oscar ($12.50) instead—the lump crab topping satisfying my craving. Topped with a generous mound of the aforementioned crab, a creamy sauce, and asparagus, the chicken was quite nice—seasoned well, moist and properly cooked, and another portion. The pile of steamed broccoli seemed unnecessary with the asparagus (and actually I would have liked more asparagus instead), but the white cheddar mashed potatoes were rich and flavorful.

My dining companion also enjoyed the potatoes but wasn’t blown away by his Ruby’s Ribeye ($15.00). The steak was on the thin side and weakly seasoned. Not bad, but not a great, steakhouse-quality steak.

At this point we were so sated that dessert seemed laughable. But on we forged, ordering the Double Chocolate Cake ($5.50). It was described as your typical decadent chocolate cake with an oozing, molten chocolate interior, but was actually something quite different. The cake was almost more of a sponge cake, with a depression in the center filled with warm chocolate sauce. However, I actually preferred this version to what I was expecting, because it was lighter and not as rich. Served with a wonderful vanilla ice cream, this is a dessert that can be easily split between two people.

Our entire meal, including tax and tip, came out under $80.00, and we ended up taking half of it home for leftovers. Ruby T is a great choice for those in the Maryville area seeking out a fun, trendy atmosphere and fairly priced food.

Food *** ½ (out of 5)
Atmosphere **** (out of 5)
Service ***** (out of 5)
Overall ****

Ruby T
216 W. Church Avenue
Maryville, TN 37801
(865) 980-1847

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover: T. Ho serves delicious Vietnamese in an unglamorous location

2007-05-21T17:09:00.000-05:00

Originally published in Cityview Magazine in January, 2007.

The Merchants Drive area is hardly Mecca for gourmands, what with its proliferation of fast food and chain restaurants. One unlikely oasis in this barren culinary desert takes the shape of a small family-owned Vietnamese restaurant, located in a small, care worn strip mall just minutes from I-75. On our visit, it was a cold night and the shabby little strip mall was looking worse for wear. However, inside T. Ho it was warm and bright, and the fragrant Vietnamese food beckoned.

I was immediately transfixed by the (I assume) family photos that lined the wall in the main dining area. They are blown up and very evocative, and if I had any say I’d quickly replace the out-of-place French café paintings in the smaller dining area with more of the same. Quickly seated by our somewhat harried and distracted waiter, we placed an order for Tsing Tao beers ($3.25) and studied the menu.

The menu has been updated and now features some appetizers other than the signature spring rolls. The sampler ($7.50) included a large crab cake, wedges of fried eggplant, and some strips of fried calamari. The crab cake was crisp with buttery panko breadcrumbs and well seasoned, but I particularly enjoyed the fried eggplant, which managed to be crunchy yet not greasy or soggy inside. The calamari, while served a bit on the cold side, was tender and cooked properly. The real standout was the spicy chili dipping sauce that came alongside the trio. It was so good that we requested more of it to accompany our spring rolls.

The spring rolls that are served with all entrees are really spectacular. Delicately spiced with crisp, flaky layers, I could have easily eaten more than one. Given the choice between vegetarian or pork, I chose vegetarian—stuffed with peppery cabbage and delicious. As I mentioned before, we chose to dip these cigar-shaped delights in the spicy sauce that accompanied our appetizers, since we found the spring roll sauce to be devoid of any flavor. Heavy on the cornstarch, this “sauce” tasted just barely of red pepper flakes, but overall was just viscous goo.

After poring over the extensive menu I chose to go with one of T. Ho’s traditional Vietnamese dishes—Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Country Style Crepe—$8.75). I wasn’t sure what to expect and was pleased with the fluffy-yet-crispy rustic crepe that was set in front of me. The crepe itself was enormous, studded with shrimp and chicken, and stuffed with onions, bean sprouts, and mushrooms. Some sort of sweet sauce was puddle beneath the crepe, lending just enough spice without masking the delicate flavors of the dish. Alongside the entrée came a pile of T. Ho’s signature quick pickles—a slice of cucumber and shredded carrots with a very pleasant mild pickled flavor. A refreshing garnish to a very hearty meal.

My dining companions stuck to the traditional “House Favorites” side of the menu as well, choosing the spicy Pho ($8.00), Bun Bo Nuong (Beef with Thin Noodle—$8.75), and Stir Fry Beef with Lemongrass on a Hot Steel Plate ($9.50). They are not kidding about the hot steel plate—the sizzling dish could be heard before it was ever seen. While I didn’t taste any distinct lemongrass, I enjoyed the charred flavors in the beef and the freshness of the sauce. The pho, a traditional noodle soup, was indeed spicy and not for the faint-hearted. However, the flavors were so bright and intoxicating that I found myself sneaking spoonfuls even though I am not usually a fan of very spicy foods. The thin noodle dishes (this also can be ordered in chicken, shrimp, or a combination) are among my favorites that T. Ho serves, so I was as usual happy with this bowlful of noodles, salty sweet beef with caramelized edges, and multiple crunchy garnishes. While there are no desserts on the menu, I was glad for it, but those with a sweet tooth can order coffee or tea with condensed milk ($2.50)—a traditional Asian treat. However, after stuffing myself with so many Vietnamese delights I couldn’t imagine eating another thing, and was happy to retire next door to the Pint House.

The Pint House was opened by the owners of T. Ho earlier this year, and is another surprising gem in this less-than-impressive location. The cozy bar features multiple televisions, a nook with dart boards and a foosball table, several booths, a decent beer selection, and live music every Friday night and alternating Tuesday nights. While at first it seemed odd to see a somewhat trendy bar in this part of town, it’s very nice to have a place next door to the already popular T. Ho where you can relax with a beer while digesting your excellent meal. Who knows, maybe Merchants Drive will become the next hot spot in town? Only time will tell.

Food **** (out of 5)
Atmosphere *** ½ (out of 5)
Service *** ½ (out of 5)
Overall ****
Price $$ (out of 5)

T Ho Vietnamese and Oriental Restaurant
815 Merchants Road
Knoxville, TN 37912
(865) 688-5815

e-mails

2007-05-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

Seems I'm having massive spam issues since posting the site email address over on the right. For now I've taken it down, if you need to contact me please just leave me a message in the comments section. Thanks!

Does a Bear Dance in the Woods? (includes recipe!)

2007-05-09T18:20:00.000-05:00

If tempted by the food at Dancing Bear Lodge, he might.

Originally printed in the April issue of Cityview Magazine.

This is a busy time of year—spring has sprung in all of its glory and suddenly your weekends are starting to fill up in anticipation of summers festive warmth. As you get busier and busier, don’t you wish you had a moment to get away for awhile? A chance to get out of the city and unwind in a completely different atmosphere?

In these instances, we are particularly lucky in Knoxville. Within an hour you can find a bevy of rustic getaways offering ranging from no-frills to truly luxuriant. One glaring void, in my opinion, has been in the cuisine arena. And if you are a gourmand, you can’t truly get away from it all without satisfying your more carnal urges.

This is where Dancing Bear Lodge rises high above its nearby competitors. And competitors there are, in Townsend alone there are thousands of cabins for rent. What sets Dancing Bear apart? For one, it has an excellent pedigree, owned by those experts in accommodations at Blackberry Farms. Also, it offers a great range of rooms and cabins, as well as a truly lovely lodge that houses the restaurant and would make a wonderful location for a mountain-inspired wedding or event.

But really, I’m here to tell you about the food, and the food is great. You won’t find a large menu, but what you will find is seasonally appropriate ingredients prepared with a skilled hand and served in an extremely welcoming environment. The dining area is small and warm and we were lucky to be seated next to a roaring fire on this cool early spring evening. Our charming waitress was quick to supply us with menus, including specialty drinks and a wine list. Feeling like we were on a mini-vacation, my dining partner and I chose to start with a White Dancing Bear Cosmopolitan (white cranberry juice, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, Finlandia vodka, $12), and a Dancing Bear Manhattan (Maker’s Mark whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, $10). Both drinks were fresh and delicious, although my Cosmopolitan was a bit sweet for my tastes. While we sipped our libations we perused the concise yet tempting menu.

While looking over the menu we were brought a napkin-wrapped bowl of Tennessee Cheese Puffs, the Lodge’s answer to a bread basket. These airy, cheesy puffs may have been the single best thing I put in my mouth all evening, and you must understand that I loved my dinner. They are that good.

Whilst munching on the cheese puffs I immediately zeroed in on my selections for the evening: Tomato Basil Soup with Garlic Parmesan Croutons ($5); followed by Almond Crusted North Carolina Rainbow Trout, Butter Beans, Roasted Mushrooms, Spinach and Crayfish ($17). The soup arrived quickly and was exactly what I was craving—thick warm, bursting with flavor, and studded with crisp, fresh croutons. I ate every bite and had barely rested my spoon before the bowl was whisked away and replaced with the trout. Now, I am a huge fish fan, I cook it several times a week and really appreciate it when people know how to prepare it well. This delicate filet was masterful—the almond coating was impressively crisp and the fish was impeccably cooked, quite a feat when dealing with such a thin variety. Underneath, I found a bundle of wilted greens surrounded by the butter beans and mushrooms. While I did find the occasional undercooked bean, it hardly detracted from the rustic elegance of the dish. A topping of crunchy fried crayfish finished off a meal that felt both light and decadent.

My companion selected the Iceberg Wedge with Bacon, Sweetwater Valley Cheddar, and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing ($6); and then the Pan Seared Center-Cut Pork Chop with Marinated Mushrooms, Roasted Tomatoes, Green Beans, Mashed Red Potatoes and Fried Onions ($22). His salad was one of those that seems so simple, but can really leave a lasting impression if handled with care. The slivers of local cheese were especially nice paired with the smoky lardons of bacon. I encouraged him to order the pork chop as a test for the kitchen—in my experience as an avid restaurant-goer pork chops are much maligned and usually cooked to a grey, rubbery death. Not so with this hefty, bone-in chop. It was succulent, flavorful, and even though it was cooked completely through (I live dangerously and tend to like pork chops with a touch of pink), it was extremely tender. The accoutrement complemented the rich chop nicely, in particular the vinegary vegetables paired with creamy rough mashed potatoes.

We were quite full after this wonderful meal, but it was so cozy by the fire that dessert seemed to be an obvious decision. After being so delighted with our meal thus far, imagine my disappointment with our choices—an anemic sounding chocolate cake and a “New York-style” cheesecake. Regardless, by this point I was ready for something sweet and since I am normally a huge cheesecake fan that was our choice. Sadly, the dessert did not begin to match up to the rest of the evenings offerings, and while it was in the end tasty, it seemed reminiscent of a frozen cheesecake topped with a quick berry coulis. At a restaurant that succeeds in showcasing so many local specialties, why not a dessert that follows the same bent? Even a piece of really excellent pie would have been more than welcome.

But I can’t let this one small disappointment color the experience overall. Dancing Bear Lodge provides something that Townsend quite needs—a tranquil rustic retreat with world class dining and impeccable service. On our way out the door I mentioned how much I adored the cheese puffs and was delighted to receive the recipe in an email later that weekend. These are the details that will have those of us in Knoxville making the one hour drive again and again—dinner at Dancing Bear Lodge was a lovely little escape that left me wishing I was staying for the entire weekend. Sounds like a perfect excuse for another trip…

Rating (out of 5 stars):
****½

Dancing Bear Lodge
www.dancingbearlodge.com
137 Apple Valley Way
Townsend, Tennessee 37822
865.448.6000 phone
865.448.3075 fax
info@dancingbearlodge.com
reservations for dinner are required

TENNESSEE CHEDDAR PUFFS
courtesy of Dancing Bear Lodge

Makes about 80

10 ounces cheddar cheese
2 cups water
2 cups flour
8 ounces unsalted butter
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
8 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grate cheese and set aside. Melt butter with water, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Once butter is completely melted with the water add the flour all at once. Reduce heat and stir with a wooden spoon constantly for 1 minute. Pour into mixing bowl and mix with paddle attachment for 1 minute on medium low to cool the mixture. Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Fold in grated cheese. Drop with a small ice cream scoop (or you can use two spoons) onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 11 minutes, turn the pan and bake for 11 more minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe is easily halved and once cooled, leftover puffs can be frozen.

Raising the Bar: Sapphire surpasses bar food with luxuriant surprises

2007-05-04T18:41:00.000-05:00

I tend to think that every place has its purpose—a gym is for exercise, a restaurant for eating, a bar for drinking and other revelry. In other words, I don’t eat at bars.

Sure, I have fallen prey to the occasional vinegary chicken wing or platter of fried variety meats, but never of my own volition. When dining outside of the home I prefer to eat at a place known for a specialty other than flaming shooters.

And so it was with a bit of trepidation that I went into Sapphire with the intent to eat a meal, rather than raise a glass. While Sapphire is a lovely, upscale lounge, it still makes me think more of happy hour than food to devour. But, you see, I was so wrong.

The space itself is lovely, a gorgeously polished room with plenty of seating, anchored in the center by an enormous bar. Seeing Sapphire earlier in the evening was different, a definitely smaller crowd and much more laid back than the sometimes raucous beautiful people of downtown who hold court until the wee hours of the morning. We were quickly seated at the table of our choice and given multiple menus—for specialty cocktails, wine, food, and a new sushi menu. Sushi? Indeed, we were lucky enough to choose to dine at Sapphire after Chip Meyer, former head chef at Nama, had come on board. More on the sushi later.

Being a bar, the specialty drink and wine selection was thorough and interesting. I decided on a Pom Fizz ($10) to start—a dazzling concoction of premium vodka, pomegranate juice, and champagne.

I was surprised and impressed by the extensive menu, with different sections for hot, cold, raw and sweet foods. The options for starters were wide ranging—from kettle chips with blue cheese to salads and more, but my companion and I opted for the tuna tartare ($12). On the menu the tartare is said to be accompanied by quail egg and avocado, but if the quail egg was there, I didn’t notice it. Regardless, the tuna was excellent, with clean fresh flavors illuminated by creamy avocado and wasabi-spiked tobiko caviar. The chunkiness of the tuna and avocado made it a bit hard to eat, and the texture-freak in me wished for something crunchy to scoop the fish up with—maybe I should have ordered those kettle chips after all. For another starter, I ordered the Lobster Shooters ($12) for the table, intrigued by the “coconut curry” they were served with. Sadly, this dish was one of the few disappointments we had all night. The sauce was overly sweet, almost dessert-like, and completely overwhelmed the chunks of lobster. The presentation in 6 shot glasses was unique, but I would have preferred a much simpler preparation that showed off the delicate flavors of the meat, rather than cloaking it in a cloying, viscous liquid. If I could do it all over again I would have chosen the raw oyster shooters in a heartbeat.

A more substantial menu item—and arguably the best value to be found—was the Chicken Wellington ($9). Served atop a mountain of rough mashed potatoes, the chicken was cooked properly; the puff pastry flakey, and the mustard sauce on top added a piquant punch. This hearty dish, accompanied by a salad, would make a perfect meal for one. Not the most inventive menu item, but tasty and a nice option for the less adventurous diner.

To round out our meal we ordered a sushi platter for one ($15), and glasses of crisp white wine—Domaine du Poup Grassa ($6.50). While Meyer will take requests for the sushi platters, we wisely gave him free reign and were rewarded handsomely for the decision. Slabs of gorgeous ruby-red tuna, the best eel I’ve ever tasted, and inventive rolls—this is really where Sapphire shines. The sushi menu is new—it debuted in early January—but is by far the best choice for dinner; I highly recommend letting the chef work his magic and put together a great meal for you.

Stuffed as we were, I forged ahead and inspected the dessert options. Just like the rest of the menu, they are wide-ranging and unique. I am tempted by the Caramel Jack Bananas ($5), the blueberry and Stilton crostini ($8), and the gourmet chocolate sampler ($8), but settled on the sweetened mascarpone with poached seasonal fruit ($6). The resulting dessert was quite pretty and extremely sweet—even if I hadn’t been so full I don’t know if I could have managed more than a few bites. I loved the creamy mascarpone, but the cherries served alongside seemed to be dried or candied and then poached in a sweet red wine based liquid; delicious, to be sure, but probably overwhelming to anyone without a major sweet tooth.

While Sapphire’s décor is lovely, the atmosphere can come off as cold when there aren’t a lot of people there—the large, lofty space is hardly cozy. However, once it fills with revelers it is undeniably convivial and ultimately comfortable. When Sapphire first opened I admit that I found it smug and too proud of itself, but I’m pleased to see that it has evolved into an upscale neighborhood watering hole, of sorts—very inviting after all. Parking is easy to find in the State Street garage and you can take advantage of Sapphire’s back entrance, making this one of the more accessible restaurants downtown.

Between the happy hour specials ($5 mojitos and martinis, $3 house wines and champagnes) and fresh, delicious sushi, this bar could easily become one of my favorite restaurants. If you want great sushi downtown with no wait, please give Sapphire a try.

Sapphire
428 S. Gay Street
Downtown Knoxville

Preview: Fleming’s Brings the Upscale Steakhouse to Knoxville

2007-05-04T18:37:00.000-05:00

Originally printed in Cityview Magazine.

The American Steakhouse—dark leather; men in perfectly tailored suits; the scents of charred meat, cigars, and brandy commingling in the air—this is not an environment that exactly welcomes everyone across its threshold. And yet, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar seeks to do just that with a large open space both clinging to and shrugging off old “steakhouse” stereotypes. This is purposeful—Fleming’s has made including its potential female clientele a priority; rejecting the old school notion that steakhouses are dark, masculine, and smoky. In fact, you’ll find that smoking isn’t allowed at all, so leave those stogies at home. Fleming’s means to join the new order of the steakhouse by creating a restaurant that would appeal to women and families as much as stockbrokers; by offering lighter options on the menu; and by employing an open floor plan that wouldn’t be possible if there was smoking allowed at the bar. While the open bar and kitchen area can sometimes create a rather raucous, noisy dining environment, overall the atmosphere is warm and convivial.

Fleming’s is the mastermind of one Paul Fleming—the very “P.F.” behind the monumentally successful P.F. Changs Chinese Bistro. Fleming’s sets itself apart in many ways, but one standout is the innovative wine program, featuring 100 wines by the glass, as well as selected specialty bottles running up to $600 a bottle. The Fleming’s chain has a wine manager employed but does not have sommeliers at each location—rather, every member of the wait staff receives thorough training on the varieties of wines offered, as well as their best food pairings. Another unique offering from the restaurant is the choice to order “tastes” of wines, enabling the customer to order three 2 oz. glasses of wines from the same varietal; allowing you to try a multitude of styles without breaking your budget.

But your budget might be a concern at Fleming’s. While the food is top-notch, the prices reflect it, and the average Knoxville diner might balk at having to order everything a la carte. While the creators of Fleming’s might have had a more affordable alternative to the typical New York Steakhouse in mind, the prices for this market may take some getting used to. However, the food will not disappoint, whether you choose one of the expertly cooked steaks (I can say with authority that the 12 oz. filet mignon that I tried was impeccable), or any of the tempting starters—“family style” side dishes ranging from “Fleming’s Potatoes” (potatoes au gratin, touched with jalapeno) to steamed broccoli with hollandaise sauce. The portions are what you would expect at such an American restaurant—generous and enough for multiple people. Please don’t overdo it at dinner, though, because no matter what, you must save room for dessert. I thought I had reached my breaking point, yet a chocolate mousse cake that was as smooth as silk kept calling me back to the table, as did a peach cobbler that would make your grandmother smile.

The service is quite enthusiastic, no doubt reflecting the intense 3 day training session the staff went through before Fleming’s opened its doors in late summer. The training staff at Fleming’s is quick to point out that they choose to hire for the “hospitality gene”, meaning that they often choose personality over experience.

So, head to Fleming’s for hearty portions of excellent food, an unsurpassed selection of wine, and service that will make you feel catered to. Skip it if you can’t handle the sticker shock when you get the bill, but overall I think that it’s a great choice for special occasions and the odd craving for a nice hunk of meat.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
11287 Parkside Drive
Knoxville, TN 37934
For reservations, call: 865-675-9463
www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Okay.

2007-04-05T21:04:00.000-05:00

I didn't get THAT sick. But I did get something. Do you know what it is? Do you? It's a brand spanking new FULL TIME job o' my dreams. So since I got over the cold from hell I've been good and wrapped up in, well, wrapping up the current great (but part time with no benefits) job so I can move on to the new one.

The blog won't change, I'm forever The Unemployed Cook because being unemployed changed the way I cook permanently. If anything, I think having a more structured, regular job will open up more time to devote to this space. I've been diligently photographing and writing down everything I've been cooking so I have a nice hefty stockpile of posts once I have the time to give them some online lovin'. That sounds dirty but you know what I mean.

AND SO, there you have it. The good news keeps coming and I'm seriously excited about all of it and feeling pretty energized about this little website. I really think I never would have gotten to this point if I hadn't had this outlet. Mwah.

Sniffle.

2007-03-01T17:48:00.000-05:00

It's a Hell of a Town...

2007-02-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

We're leaving tomorrow for a few days of eating and shopping in New York. I promise to come back in a reasonable amount of time with stories about some really tasty things.

Also, I have 4 entries simmering that I don't have time to finish, but they are coming! I promise! I think tonight I'll try to get my very favorite new chicken recipe up before taking off.

Review: Restaurant Linderhof

2007-02-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

Originally published in Cityview Magazine in October, 2006.

Ich Bin Ein Berliner (for one night at least)
The Bavarian delights at Restaurant Linderhof are worth the drive west

King Ludwig of Bavaria was known as both the “Fairytale King” and “Mad King Ludwig” by his people, and for good reason. His favorite pastime was building strange, elaborate castles with garish color schemes, which have become some of Germany’s most beloved tourist attractions. How peculiar and amusing then, to find a restaurant in the depths of West Farragut serving authentic German food and named after one of Ludwig’s beloved castles. After all, what better place for a restaurant inspired by the decorating tastes of a 17th century king than a forlorn strip mall on Kingston Pike?

Opening the main door into Restaurant Linderhof makes me feel a bit like Dorothy walking out into a Technicolor Munchkinland. Multiple chandeliers cast light upon gilded frame after gilded frame, vibrant royal blue walls, lavender chairs, the occasional miniature Christmas tree or chubby cherub…to be truthful it was a bit overwhelming. But, considering that the restaurant gets its inspiration from a German king who made Liberace look understated, it was a fitting and fun introduction to an authentic German restaurant with the charm of a lovingly decrepit Eastern European hole-in-the-wall.

We are quickly seated and I’m glad to find that there isn’t a wait—from what I hear, however, the restaurant does a brisk business and since they don’t take reservations you are risking a wait, especially on weekends. With cold weather making its way into town, you can be sure that people will be craving the sturdy, warming German fare that is featured.

The menu offers a few starters, including a grilled sausage platter for two and herring salad. I found myself most tempted by the Leberworst Brot ($6.75)—earthy, smooth goose liver pate spread thickly over a layer of butter on a hearty slice of German bread. Accompanied by a bit of gherkin and slice of raw onion, the dish was utterly lacking in pretension but satisfying. After doing some research, I found that the preparation is a very traditional one, but the cook in me couldn’t help but think it could be improved by toasting the bread for a texture boost.

There is a small but comprehensive German wine selection, as well as several Bavarian draft beers to choose from. I went with a glass of Jakob Demmer Reisling ($4.50). While sweeter than described by our server, this golden wine cut through the well-spiced richness of the pate wonderfully.

The salad platter that accompanies some entrees might throw novices for a loop, but it’s really quite good. Piled high with German-style potato salad, cucumber slices tossed with dill, lightly dressed cabbage salad, and lightly pickled red cabbage, I had only one complaint—a ubiquitous canned 3-bean salad that did not hold up against the fresher offerings.

On the evening of my visit, the soup of the day was a pleasant, mildly spicy white bean and vegetable offering. It was a warm and soothing contribution to a chilly evening, and was even better with a piece of hearty German bread with butter.

My dining companion decided on the Schweinshaxe ($21.75), a Fred Flintstone-worthy hunk of pork shank, slow cooked until falling off the bone, almost reminiscent of pot roast or pulled pork barbeque. Served alongside a mountain of delicious fried potatoes, there was enough left over for both of us to have lunch the next day.

I once lived in Eastern Europe, where I developed an unabashed love for Weiner Schnitzel ($23.75), so of course I couldn’t resist trying Linderhof’s version. They offer multiple varieties of schnitzel, but I went for the traditional—tender veal, crisp coating, sprinkled with lots of lemon and also accompanied by those fantastic fried potatoes.

Although we were beyond full and had enough leftovers to feed a small family, I felt it was my duty to try the Apple Strudel ($6.50)—see the sacrifices I make? Sadly, this dessert was utterly skippable with a viscous vanilla custard-like sauce, disappointingly soggy crust, but at least a tasty enough filling. Perhaps it was an off night for the strudel, but I would be shocked if you had the room for it after gorging on the numerous German delights offered. In fact, considering the hearty portions at Restaurant Linderhof, you might want to take advantage of the $3.50 plate-sharing fee, which thoughtfully comes with an extra soup of the day.

You are doing yourself a disservice if you’ve never ventured out to Restaurant Linderhof. It has its quirks to be sure, but it provides a rare opportunity to sample great German food right here in East Tennessee. Sure, some might call the service a little slow, but I prefer to think of it as “relaxed” and “European”. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy, digest, and people watch—a rare treat these days.

Restaurant Linderhof
11831 Kingston Pike (in the Ingles Shopping Center)
(865)675-8700

Hours:
5:00-9:30 Tuesday-Thursday
5:00-10:30 Friday-Saturday
closed Sunday and Monday

3.5 stars (out of possible five)

She grows up and she grows up!

2007-01-30T23:13:00.000-05:00

In the midst of writing three separate entries (can you believe?), as well as adding some tags and whatnot now that I've finally made the leap to Blogger Beta, I realized--

Today, this very day, is my bloggaversary.

One year ago I pulled myself up from my depressingly unemployed bootstraps and started writing about food. It's become the best thing I've ever done with my life, leading me to:

1. Get a fantastic job as a restaurant reviewer.
2. Make new friends.
3. Learn new things and approach projects I would never have dreamed of.
4. Pursue work I really love, like the TV production and food writing I'm doing now.
5. Find out that the uncertainty, the struggles in life are often really worth it.

And so, this is my third in a dull series of (mostly) photo-less posts, but I couldn't let the milestone go unnoticed. Sporadic as I may be in posting, I treasure this blog and each and every person that takes a minute to read it.

Review: Le Parigo

2007-01-30T13:15:00.000-05:00

Originally published in the August, 2006 issue of CityView magazine.

You must go to Le Parigo:
French cooking finds an incongruous home in Bearden

There are many that would not predict likely success for a French restaurant in Knoxville. There are even more that would think an organic French restaurant doesn’t stand a fighting chance in the over-crowded dining scene our fair city is graced (or burdened?) with. I am here to tell these people—you are about to be proven wrong.

Walking into Le Parigo, I can’t help but notice the similarities and differences the décor has to the previous restaurant to hold court in this location. It is a disservice to an establishment, I think, to compare it to the previous tenant. But in the case of this small space, I couldn’t help but to seek out reminders of Mango, the Kenny Saio restaurant that was the inaugural inhabitant of the building. And reminders are indeed still there, in the palm leaf frieze on one wall (likely covering some sort of electrical panel), the smoke-reducing fans above the now smoke-free bar, and most jarringly, the vibrant russet, Bordeaux, and pumpkin colored walls. The art is different, of course, and the furniture has indeed changed. In fact, it’s the furniture that made the unchanged color scheme stand out so—pink velvet upholstered boudoir-esque chairs that did not, in any way, meld with the vibrantly earthy colors meant to match Mango’s eclectic fusion menu. Luckily, once you are folded into one of these admittedly comfortable chairs, the music sinks in, your attentive waiter brings you a glass of wine in a varietal-specific piece of stemware, and the food makes you forget any incongruities that the décor brought to mind. Because it’s the food, my friends, that really matters at Le Parigo. In fact, after eating (and eating, and eating), I quickly realized that this was not a restaurant that needed to rely on sleekly coordinated décor—just take one look, one smell, one bite of the dish in front of you, and suddenly your surroundings are oh-so harmonious.

From the moment I arrived at Le Parigo, the service was impeccable. Greeted at the door by the host I was immediately swept off to my waiting table, where another staff member swiftly pulled out my chair for me and handed me a wine list. When I requested to wait to order wine after ordering my meal, the dinner menu was in my hands seemingly before I finished the thought. A nearby table wobbled briefly and yet another waiter ducks in with a shim to stabilize the situation. I don’t even think the affected patrons broke their conversation. It’s these small touches—such as having your table crumbed between courses, never having to ask for a replacement for cleared silverware, or your water goblet never dipping below half full—that really do make the higher price you are paying for the food worth every penny. The service here evokes its Parisian ideal, where a career as a waiter is considered a noble profession worth dedicating your life to.

Not only is the environment evocative of a French dining experience, this is French food—replete with complex, labor-intensive sauces, showcasing perfect examples of classic ingredients—and yet it’s unique as well, paying homage to American cooking’s youthful ingenuity. I started with what is considered to be a classic warm weather French soup—vichyssoise (indeed created by a Frenchman, but in New York, not his native country). This dish ($5) showcases the French-yet-not-French parallel I mentioned: picture the lightest, silkiest potato puree you’ve ever tasted, packed with decadent cream…butter…the palest leeks…and drizzled with a trio of sauces, each bite a revelation. This took the very idea of vichyssoise I had ingrained in my memory (too cold, often thin and dominated by grainy potatoes) and knocked it out. The room temperature soup was so delicious I had to force myself to not scrape the bowl clean. This velvety, creamy essence of what potatoes and leeks aspire to be filled my mouth with a comforting, yet elegant, blend of flavors, topped with a dazzling drizzle of chive oil, carrot puree, and a red wine demi-glace so thick and jammy I would have sworn it was some sort of divine fruit reduction. These garnishes (if you can call something that adds so much a garnish) make a welcome reappearance throughout the savory courses.

With this auspicious beginning I was rapturously awaiting the next course. I purposely ordered the house special beef tartare ($12), because I feel that this is a dish that is easy to over do. High quality beef should not require too much fiddling, the idea behind tartare is to really let the exceptional flavors and textures of a supreme cut of beef shine through. And shine it did, with such aplomb that I began to wonder why you would ever want to cook such a meltingly tender cut of meat. Packed with flavor that complimented, rather than overwhelmed; the rich, unctuous steak was paired with wafer thin toast points and a lightly dressed salad of baby lettuces. If I had to offer a complaint, it would be that I would have liked more of the toasts with the dish, yet it seemed that I finished every bite of meat with no problems.

From here the evening took on the jovial, almost giddy tone that can only be set by excellent food. My dining companion and I were never rushed; rather I had the idea that our table was just that, our table, with no plans to seat another pair of diners at it for the rest of the evening. This added to the luxurious feeling of the meal, after all if you are going to have four courses of perfectly rich food you might as well take nearly three hours to enjoy it, which we did. After the first two courses, I took a moment to digest and enjoy the excellent glass of rosé I had ordered from the all-French wine list, a Caves des Papes Cotes du Rhone Heritage Rosé—pricey at $10 a glass but the tart raspberry notes summoned daydreams of summers in the south of France. After this breather came the entrée I had chosen from the tempting menu: pan seared sea scallops with pommes Anna, spinach prosciutto custard, carrot puree and buerre blanc ($27).

This is a masterful dish with sweet scallops perfectly complimented by the incredibly unique custard—the spinach and prosciutto concoction is light, with a flash of spinach flavor filling your mouth and then gone in an instant, leaving behind the savory chunks of prosciutto to compliment the buttery scallops. The crisp wedges of pommes Anna served alongside are a little dry and tough, but in the long run this is irrelevant, so entranced was I by the custard, the scallops, and the satiny carrot puree. Those with hearty appetites might balk at the four scallop serving, but they will find the dish so rich and ultimately filling that it might be difficult to finish.

Sated as I was by the parade of delights I’d just consumed, I felt it would be nearly criminal to not partake of one of the evening’s tempting dessert offerings. Crème brulee ménage a trios was in order—3 “shots” of the classic dessert, a perfect size after a decadent meal. Warm and crisp on top, perfectly cool and creamy inside—the mocha and pistachio flavors definitely outshone the classic vanilla, leaving my companion and me scraping each bit of smooth custard, following with a fantastic coffee from Vienna Coffee Company. The “Le Parigo Blend” custom-made for the restaurant is served with the rustic brown sugar cubes that can be found at any café in France, and can be purchased at the door.

Le Parigo is a restaurant that obviously prides itself on the small things that make a restaurant memorable, and they show that it’s these small things that can often matter most. Scrupulous attention to detail, exquisite ingredients and preparation, and an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere—these are the elements that will keep loyal customers coming back to Le Parigo again and again.

Review: La Costa

2007-01-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

Originally published in Cityview Magazine in July, 2006. Since then the restaurant has changed its menu dramatically but is still a great place to eat. Also, be kind, it's my first real review ever and I think I've gotten better at it since then.

Neuvo Latino Cuisine Makes a Splash on Market Square
La Costa is the newest entry to the blossoming downtown dining scene
by Marianne Canada

Chances are, you’ve heard of Gregg White’s first restaurant endeavor—the outrageously popular Nama—which has found success with inventive sushi and envelope-pushing fusion. So why open a restaurant featuring “Nuevo Latino” cuisine? White explains that he “wanted to continue to do something different, take the concept of higher end, high quality cuisine to a new level,” and that he saw a niche that La Costa could fit into.

White feels that the principles of sushi (small plates, quality over quantity) relate to all good food, and so the philosophy of La Costa is quite similar to Nama, even though the cuisine is very different. Working with Dean Holsberry, former Executive Chef at Mango and Edison Park, he created a menu that offers truly inventive and delicious food to the discerning downtown crowd. When the location on Market Square became available, he jumped at the chance to be a part of the thriving nightlife of that area.

Walking into La Costa, you are immediately surrounded by the warmth of the space. Though sparse in decoration, La Costa resonates with a Moorish atmosphere that fills you with anticipation for your meal. The dining area is set up like its sister restaurant Nama, with a bar flanking one side of the long, narrow space, and booths and tables along the facing wall. However, unlike Nama, there are more tables, both inside and out, and La Costa can accommodate larger crowds, thanks to two oversized booths up front. Spare yet warm décor keeps the space inviting—rich colors on the walls, exposed brick, dark leather and lots of wooden accents create a luxurious, but simple, vibe.

Here at La Costa, Spain meets Mexico, and you wouldn’t believe what a happy union they make. The inviting menu is full of choices—from burritos to empanadas to ceviche—and almost every option is reasonably priced. La Costa offers a great wine and beer selection, including two custom draft beers from Woodruff Brewing Company—an “amber” and an “oro”. You’ll also find a variety of specialty drinks unlike anything you would ever encounter at your typical Mexican joint, so I happily settled into our cozy, high backed leather booth with a Blood Orange Margarita ($8.50) and began making my choices for dinner. The margarita was fantastic: the mellow, rosy pink juice made a better compliment to the tequila than the traditional lime, with just the right amount of salt to balance the sweetness.

The appetizer menu tempts from many different directions, but my dining partner and I settled on two—the Roasted Corn & Crab Dip ($7.00) and the Roasted Red Pepper & Lobster Bisque ($5). The crab dip was incredible, hot and savory with heaps of crab, studded with smoky corn kernels and crunchy bread crumbs, served with thin bread rounds. After being advised that we should stir the crumb layer into the rest of the dip I could see the genius behind this dish—layers of textures and flavors that satisfied until the bowl was scraped clean. The soup was a lovely compliment to the dip—this was no typical silky, cream laden bisque, so don’t let the word “bisque” scare those of you with calories on your mind—rather, it was a more rustic version of the old classic—sweet, mellow, and subtle roasted pepper flavors with big chunks of grilled lobster stirred in. I was really pleased by the amount of lobster meat in the soup, especially for the price. The soup was light and filling, and would make a great lunch paired with a salad.

To go with our main course choices I ordered a glass of Alancia Vinho Verde ($6.00), one of my favorite summer wines that I was thrilled to see on the wine list. Vinho verde is a very young, slightly effervescent white wine from Portugal, and it pairs well with light, spicy flavors.

I ordered a trio of main dishes to share with my dining partner, starting with the Duck Confit Quesadilla ($7.50). The quesadilla made me swoon—stuffed with shreds of house-made duck confit, roasted red onion, queso blanco, apricots, and cilantro, the flavors melded together in a most pleasing way. With a dab of the accompaniments, pica pica salsa and sour cream, this was really a sensation. For your money, you get quite a bit of the tender duck and could easily eat this quesadilla alone for a light meal.

When White found out that restaurants are the #1 generator of trash in the retail market, he made it a personal goal to have La Costa be the first “Certified Green” restaurant in Tennessee, meaning that they compost, use products made from 100% post-consumer waste, recycle, and are working to use organic, local, and sustainable products whenever possible. White is also committed to providing more options for vegetarians and vegans, such as the Chickpea, Walnut, Spinach and Cheese Empanada ($5.00). This good-sized hand pie came with a piquant cabbage salad and was topped with a sizable dollop of pumpkin seed mole. At first I found the sludgy green mole a little off-putting in appearance, but one taste showed me how it really complimented the flavors tucked inside the flaky pastry. I think anyone, vegetarian or carnivore, would be happy with this unique dish.

The last entrée we chose was the Twice-Cooked Pork Tamale ($7.50). Served in a traditional corn husk, the tamale is split open and generously stuffed with meltingly tender pork and roasted onions, and is served alongside a tomatilla salsa and cabbage salad. You can make a meal out of this dish by adding rice and beans for an additional $2.00. This was another winner of a dish; however, after the two appetizers and two entrees we had already eaten, our appetites were starting to fade. Luckily, the attentive but unobtrusive waitstaff scooped up our barely touched tamale and wrapped it up for us to take home (a touch I always appreciate, as I hate trying to wrangle the to-go box at the table).

It’s amazing, isn’t it, how you can feel so full and satisfied, yet when the dessert menu comes around you have no trouble reclaiming some of your appetite? My dining companion ordered an Organic Coffee ($2.25) and we agreed to split the Phyllo Banana and White Chocolate Relleno ($6.00). What arrived at our table was masterful—a gorgeous presentation of buttery phyllo encasing a whole banana, white chocolate, and walnuts. Served with seriously good cinnamon ice cream (from Hilton Head Ice Creams) alongside, this was a lovely end to a lovely meal.

Reservations are taken, and I would recommend them on weekends, as well as on Thursday nights during the Sundown in the City concert series.

La Costa
31 Market Square
865.566.0275
www.lacostaknoxville.com

My favorite explanations...

2007-01-23T22:40:00.000-05:00

...for my prolonged absence:

I fell into quicksand.

I've given up cooking altogether.

I hate you all.

I no longer can taste food and am living in a cave.

I'm dead.

But my favorite is:

I'm still at the beach.

Oh, how I wish!

But really, it's nothing so exciting or tragic. I just got...busy. That's a lame excuse, but a valid one. After all, when someone that starts a blog called "The Unemployed Cook" starts being more and more employed, well, the blog is going to suffer.

And also I guess I needed a break. As good as it is to have an outlet, I was feeling more and more pressured to produce content for this wee site. And eventually it was easier to ignore than to put the effort into.

And so, I'm not making any sort of "I'm back" proclamations. BUT, I have been cooking like crazy, and the magazine I write for has given me permission to post my reviews once the current month has passed. I hate New Year's resolutions, but nevertheless, I'm hoping to post at least once a week. After all, I have so much to talk about.

Like Christmas...

Or pickles:

Or divine Country Cookin':

I mean, that's the very tip of a melting iceberg. Happy New Year.

I'm off!

2006-11-22T16:19:00.000-05:00

Chris and I are headed down to the beach, where we plan to have lobster instead of turkey. Yesss. I hope all of you have happy, healthy, and delicious Thanksgivings!

Bread, again, some more.

2006-11-21T01:02:00.000-05:00

Yes, I made the bread again. This recipe has become quite the Internet phenomenon! This time I made some notable changes and the results were worth mentioning.

From Rose, I got the idea to sub 3 Tbsp. of whole wheat flour for an equal amount of white flour. Then I watched the video one more time before they started charging for it, and noticed that Jim Lehey just scoops the flour out with his measuring cup--rather than lightly spooning flour into the cup, as I've been taught to do. Using this method, I am probably using more flour, which left me with a much more manageable dough. I was also much more generous with the flouring of the dough and surfaces. Lastly, I used 1.5 cups of water, as was called for in the video, but not the recipe.

My dough, as I mentioned, was much easier to handle and behaved as it was supposed to. The resulting bread was another triumph and I can't wait to make it again and again and again. Sadly, for this go I was so swept up in the results that I didn't take a picture (horrors!), but it rose more and had a terrific flavor.

The Best Bread I've Ever Made.

2006-11-10T12:42:00.000-05:00

Sticking my head above the towering pile of freelance work I'm buried under (not that I'm complaining one bit! Yay money!), to tell you to try this recipe. It's weird, and not quite perfect, but it produced the absolute best bread that has ever come out of my oven. Thin, crackling crust, airy, gorgeous crumb, and it's delicious too.

In case the Times decides to start charging for the article after a couple of weeks, here it is. A word of caution: in the accompanying video only 1.5 cups of water is called for, and I think that's what should be used. My dough was beyond loose and shaggy--it was more like trying to handle a thick pancake batter. But still, even though the whole time I was working with it I was sure it wasn't going to work, it was fantastic.

No-Knead Bread
makes one 1.5 pound loaf

Originally published by Mark Bittman in the New York Times
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt (note: I use a heaping two teaspoons of salt)
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water (very important note: this amount should be 1.5 cups but was misprinted in the Times), and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees (note: 500 degrees works even better). Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Open-Faced Falafel Burgers

2006-10-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

So, as I mentioned briefly earlier, I've been trying to watch my calorie intake these days. I truly hate the word "diet", but I guess that's what I've been on. Why? Well, my reviewing job makes it my business to eat a lot of really great food, and I can't afford new pants. Therefore, dieting must be done so I can continue wearing the nice pants I already own.

So, because of this new endeavor, I've taken up an interest in Cooking Light magazine. While following recipes to the letter isn't my idea of fun, I have found that sticking to their recipes gives me a clear idea of how many calories I'm taking in, and while it may not get the creative juices flowing, it does keep me in my current clothing.

And so, a recent CL recipe attempt was their Open-Faced Falafel Burgers, which really turned out to be fantastic. Really hearty and satisfying, healthy, and pretty to boot. Plus, I used a surplus of sesame seeds and made my own tahini instead of using store-bought stuff, so I was able to feel minorly inventive. I highly recommend this recipe.

Seared Duck Breasts with Cherry Wine Reduction

2006-10-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Before I get into this crazy wonderful meal from a while ago, I wanted to pass along an update for you guys. Cityview Magazine is working on updating their website (it's a mess right now, don't bother), so my reviews are still not available online. However, I might ask if I can scan them and post them here, if anyone is interested. The new job is going very well, I'm eating some fantastic food, and this month I even have a feature article with an original recipe! Pretty cool. They are supremely great to work with.

And now to dinner. And what a dinner! One of the things I love about my new food writing job is meeting people that share my passion for food. Last month I met William Carithers, who owns an upscale meat market here in Knoxville. This is one of the only places in town to get fresh duck and a multitude of other offerings. I couldn't resist the duck breasts, since duck is both mine and Chris' favorite, and so I brought four of them home (they are sold in groups of four, but William split them up and vacuum sealed them so I could freeze two).

I, like many people, prefer duck seared and topped with a fruit-based reduction. And so that is what I set out to do, working off of a memory of a white wine and dried cherry sauce I once had on duck. Served alongside some wild rice and (pre-e. coli) wilted spinach, you'll have to take my word for it when I tell you the results were divine. Recipe to follow very soon, once I decipher my notes...

Three-Onion Tart and Corn Bisque--the kitchen is finished!

2006-09-30T14:26:00.000-05:00

That's right, the over-two-week long kitchen renovation is complete, and things are looking mighty fine. Not everything is clean and back in its place just yet, so you will have to wait for photos of our accomplishment, but even better than kitchen photos?

Food photos! I am finally able to cook a complete meal in my kitchen again. While there's been some cooking in the past couple of weeks, it hasn't come easily and creativity has not really been an option.

So, I read Elise's blog fairly religiously--she always strikes a perfect balance between education and really creative cooking--and when she posted this recipe for a rustic onion tart earlier this week, I knew I had to make it. What better way to get back in the kitchen than with a baking project? I followed her recipe nearly to the letter (her pastry recipe is perfection), with one exception--I only had one red onion, so I also used two yellow onions and a massive shallot I had sitting around--thus the "Three Onion" distinction. This is a beautiful tart to look at, folks, and even better tasting. Go celebrate the cooling weather and make one for yourself!

The soup was born out of inspiration from a Cooking Light recipe (I've been on a dreaded diet, yet another reason I haven't been posting much), and with a couple of ears of late summer sweet corn languishing in the refrigerator, I couldn't resist making it my own. The result was sweet, delicious, and deceptively rich-tasting. Topped with a mound of fresh crab meat, a sprinkling of heirloom tomato, and chunks of ripe avocado, I felt it was a fitting goodbye to summer.

What Is A Girl To Do?

2006-08-31T19:17:00.000-05:00

So tell me, what does a good, food-adoring gal do when her stomach decides to protest anything other than bread, rice, buttered pasta, and its ilk? When that girl is literally ordered to avoid all of the gloriously crunchy, vibrant, and/or sweet summer produce that she's been gorging on?

Is your answer that she decides to redo her kitchen (since she can't cook in it)?

You might be right...

Before:

After:

I'm about 3/4 finished, but we are headed out of town for the holiday weekend. Expect a post next week with more pictures of the finished product, and hopefully some cooking because I can't HANDLE any more blandness.

Happy Birthday, Chris

2006-08-18T16:55:00.000-05:00

First, how gorgeous are pheasant eggs?

Last week I threw a little 32nd birthday party for my husband Chris. A good time was had by all and tons of food and drink was consumed, including enough sangria to go through 4 bottles of wine, a couple of cases of beer, and two different flavors of Italian buttercream.

Happy birthday (again), Chris.

Roasted Zucchini Soup with Fried Shallots

2006-07-31T22:52:00.000-05:00

You know what, Blogger? You and me? We are officially in a fight. You see, I've had people on my case for not posting enough, yet I've been trying to upload pictures for this recipe for DAYS. Days! This? Is ridiculous.

And so, with one triumphant picture loaded, I'm posting. This is a great soup that will use up any zucchinis that are taking over your garden or given to you by overburdened friends. It's best served at room temperature, but you can certainly chill it if the heat is beating you down. I like it at a thicker consistency than some of you might, just adjust the stock or half & half as you wish. Also, you'll see that the measurements are far from precise--just wing it and feel proud when you are later slurping down this savory sweet soup with its satisfyingly crunchy garnish.

Roasted Zucchini Soup with Fried Shallots

for the shallots:

3-4 shallots, peeled and sliced very thinly
peanut oil

Heat about an inch of peanut oil over medium-high heat in a small, heavy pot. Fry the shallots in batches, being careful to not overload the pot or they will stick, until a deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

For the soup:

4-5 medium zucchini
half & half
chicken stock (or any broth)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cube the zucchini roughly and toss generously in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until caramelized on the edges and very soft--you want it softer than you would if eating it on its own.

Dump the zucchini into a food processor and pulse a few times until pretty mushy. Now you can get creative--add stock and continue processing until as smooth and thin as you like. Add some half & half (you could use cream or even whole milk instead) in at the end and pulse again to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning--I like it simple, but you could add any number of spices at this point.

Ladle into a shallow bowl and top with a generous amount of the fried shallots. I recommend eating this whilst cursing your blog publishing program. It soothes the pain in a most satisfying manner.

Simple Pleasures

2006-07-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

I just made myself a heaping bowl of exceedingly sweet peaches, sliced thinly and drizzled with a tiny bit of fresh cream. The result is heavenly, like being given permission to eat peach ice cream for breakfast--but for me, even better (frozen peaches make my teeth hurt).

What's making you smile today?

Single Girl Crabcakes

2006-07-10T17:10:00.000-05:00

I am always inordinately proud when I make a real meal on nights when Chris is away, because really, isn't rice pudding and popcorn with lots of butter more appealing? I regret those nights of food debauchery every single time, though, and so I generally try to make something real.

These crabcakes weren't perfect, in fact I'm not going to post a recipe until I get a chance to tweak it. However, they were warm, they used up some ingredients languishing in the refrigerator, and they were satisfying to my ravenous stomach. Topped with a quickie fake-remoulade and joined by a tangle of wilted lemon spinach, I had quite a nice little meal on my hands.

Other single night favorites include linguine with white clam sauce, BLEATs, Lemon Risotto, Tuna Burgers, and Couscous with Halloumi and Spinach. Before you start to think that Chris has abandoned me, these "single" nights only come along 3-4 times a month, when he has a show or practice or something like that.

Also, one last thing, you might notice, over there on the right, a new "email me" link. That's right, kids, she's slowly being drug into the 21st century and you can now email the old girl at marianne at theunemployedcook dot com.

Moules Frites and Nostalgia

2006-06-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

First off, thanks to the brilliant boy my youngest sister is dating, you can now find me at www.theunemployedcook.com, as well as through the blogger portal. This was done to make it easy for new readers directed from the magazine to find the site. Nifty, huh? Thanks a million to the ever helpful Kid Gravy (when are you going to come teach us about perfect biscuits?).

And now, on to the evening meal. I've been flipping through pictures from our honeymoon lately, trying to get my act together and have some printed out, but instead of productivity, this has inspired a wave of nostalgia. Chris and I visited Paris and Nice for two blissful weeks, doing nothing but eating, relaxing, and enjoying eachothers company. Being an ultimately food minded person, I couldn't help but think back to favorite meals we shared. Besides eating nearly our weight in duck (it's our favorite and harder to come by here), we ate lots of Moules Frites, gorgeous mussels cooked in a silky wine and garlic concoction, served with plenty of crispy frites to dip in the remaining sauce. Paired with a sweet-tart Lambic, it was pure heaven, I swear.

And so, after skimming over a recipe for mussels and fries in the latest Real Simple, I seriously couldn't stand it. I was going to need this dish in the near future, otherwise we were risking some sort of culinary wanderlust-inspired meltdown.

When I happened upon a large box of New Zealand Green Mussels in my grocer's freezer, I knew that it must be fate. Let me tell you right off the bat, I know frozen is no way to have a mussel, but you have to grant the poor landlocked mountain girl a few concessions, lest she cry all over you and ruin your nice new shirt. Okay? Okay. Also worth a mention, these mussels were enormous, and their shells were the most incredible green color, I couldn't help but marvel at them.

This recipe is terrifically simple, with only a time investment (for the frites), and a bit of mind-numbing chopping. The end result, however, will transport you and have you making swoony faces in the direction of the one you love.

Moules Frites
with thanks to Real Simple Magazine
serves 2-3

for the oven-fried frites:

2 large white new potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
splash olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss butter in a large glass baking dish, drizzle a bit of oil over it, and chuck it into the heating oven. While the butter melts, slice your potatoes into french-fry sized pieces (the thicker you go, the longer they will take to crisp up, so go thinner). Once the butter has melted completely, remove the pan from the oven and swirl the oil around to coat completely. Sprinkle the hot oil generously with salt and pepper, then add the potato, toss very well to coat.

Return pan to oven. Cook until crispy and golden brown, about 45-60 minutes. Gently toss once during cooking (gently is key, the potatoes will be soft and might want to fall apart). Once the fries are about 20 minutes away from completion, begin the mussels.

for the mussels:

4 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, slivered
1 large leek, halved and sliced into half-moons
1.5 cups dry rose*
10 cherry tomatoes, diced roughly
handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded if they don't come that way
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

*any dry white wine is fine, but I love the sunset-colored broth the rose leaves you with.

Melt the butter and oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Once melted, add garlic and leek and sweat until very tender, but not browning, around 6-8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Toss in tomatoes and half of the parsley (reserve the rest for garnish), as well as a scant teaspoon salt and fat pinch or two of pepper. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then taste to check seasoning.

Toss mussels in the fragrant broth and clamp a lid on. Cook until mussels open, 3-4 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Divide mussels into shallow bowls and ladle generous portions of the gorgeous broth over them, topping with a sprinkle of the remaining parsley. Serve with lots of crispy, salty frites and a simple green salad alongside.

Sitting here, after happily devouring my delicious dinner, sipping a cassis lambic bought for this sort of occasion, I realize this is a rare moment of pure contentedness. All too often my bouts of nostalgia mire me in melancholy, but it seems that recreating this oh-so-French/Belgian meal has instead sent me soaring on the back of happy memories.

Curiouser and curiouser.

2006-06-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

Who is this mysterious anonymous commenter that cannot rest until I post the recipe for butter-poached lobster tails? This person, who leaves no distinguishing details about themselves, but comments again and again, like I am purposely punishing them?

I assure you, I meant you no harm.

You will be disappointed to find, however, that the recipe is ridiculously simple, and not too precise. I started by purchasing 3 enormous 10-ounce fresh Caribbean lobster tails at the fish market. Using a heavy, sharp knife, I split the tails down the middle and trimmed off their little flippers.

While I prepared the tails, I melted a pound and a half of salted butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. You want the butter to be melted, but not at a temperature that will fry the meat. If the lobster sizzles when you place it in the pan, the butter is too hot, remove from heat and adjust.

Cook, cut side down, until opaque, then flip over and cook another 10 minutes or so. The lovely things about this method is that the butter makes it much harder to overcook the tender meat. Serve to your guests and watch them gaze at you with a new sense of wonderment.

And please, mysterious commenter, leave yet another comment and let me know how this goes for you? It's really very easy.

Homemade Buns and Other News...

2006-06-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I was smart enough to take a crack at Kevin's recipe for Black Pepper & Garlic Buns, and my, am I ever glad I did. I made minimal substitutions, namely using only white flour (I didn't have any whole wheat, and I'm lazy), white pepper (same), and shaping them into hoagie-style buns.

We had these with some fresh Italian sausages picked up at the Farmer's Market, sweet corn on the cob, and a nice avocado and tomato salad.

In other news, one of the projects I've been working on has come to fruition--I will now being doing restaurant reviews (and other food-related writing) for Knoxville's Cityview Magazine. They are revamping their website at the moment, but once it is up and running I will link to monthly reviews and other tidbits. Needless to say, I am pretty excited about this opportunity and can't believe I get paid to do this.

Locals, look for my review of new restaurant La Costa in the July issue, on newsstands at the end of June.

Mixed Berry Tarts (and no excuses)

2006-06-05T12:16:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to avert my eyes and jump right into the recipe, because I can't handle your accusing stares right now. I'm sorry! But I'm not here to make excuses. Look, shiny pretty tart:

Now, since I wrote last I have finally acquired a food processor, and my life in the kitchen has honestly changed. I used it twice the day I bought it, and have used it multiple times a week since then. The best thing about it, so far, is the improvement my pie crusts have seen. People, I have made the perfect pie crust. And lo, it is good.

Along with the fancy food processor I picked up an adorable square tart pan and some exceedingly good vanilla beans. The tart pan inspired some sort of tart mania that has resulted in some very rich creations, and what appears to be a budding pot belly. I've had to take up swimming just to counter the Tart Problem.

The whole reason I was inspired to get on this tart kick was because of these tiny strawberries. I defy anyone that likes strawberries to not freak out a little upon seeing these fingernail-sized specimens. I made my first stab at pastry cream (good, but too thick and gummy in texture), and attempted a pie crust idea that lived in my wee noggin. The crust was fine, it wasn't exactly tender and tasted more like cornbread than I preferred, but it was serviceable and didn't reduce me to tears. Altogether the tart was well received and eaten in approximately 11 minutes by our friends.

But I was not satisfied!

And so, I tried again. This time, I took the pie crust idea in my head and merged it with a recipe from this month's issue of Fine Cooking. The result was magnificent--flaky and crisp with this almost buttermilk flavor that made me swoon. The pastry cream was perfect, too--firm enough to hold up to slicing, but delightfully rich and oozy (and boozy, for that matter). I am still perfecting the measurements for my ground breaking "less fat" chocolate ganache, so you can either use your own recipe or skip it all together. You really can't go wrong.

When I test out a new recipe on people (the first at a Memorial Day party, the second at a gathering of Knoxville food bloggers), I always make some miniatures so that I can test things and make sure they are not poison. For these sweet babies I cut out circles of dough with a large drinking glass and carefully lined a muffin tin with them. To weigh down the crust, you can use a muffin liner and pie weights (I use rice) to good effect. You can make this gorgeous tart with any combination of seasonal berries.

Mixed Berry Tart
with thanks to Fine Cooking magazine

for the crust:

1.75 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cornmeal
12 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into chunks
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp milk
2 tsp lemon juice
pinch salt (if you use salted butter, do not add salt)

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until the dough has begun to form big clumps (you want to go past the pea sized clumps and really incorporate the dough). Roll out a large piece of cling wrap and carefully dump the dough out onto it--the dough will seem a little loose and dry. Using your hands, press the dough into a compact patty and chill for 15 minutes.

After removing the dough from the refrigerator, let it sit for a few minutes. You want the dough to be cool, but not so cold that it cracks when you try to roll it out. Roll out to your desired thickness and shape, and place in a tart pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, poke some holes in the bottom of the pie crust. Carefully line the crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights (or dried beans or rice). Bake for roughly 25 minutes, until the edges are a deep golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a metal rack. Be careful when removing the pie weights, they can get pretty hot.

for the rum-vanilla pastry cream:

1.25 cups milk (I use 1%)
half of a vanilla bean, split down the middle
3 large egg yolks
.25 cups sugar
3 Tbsp flour
2 scant Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp spiced rum (or liqueur of your choice)

Place milk and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil. While the milk is heat, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then add the flour and cornstarch. This mixture will be pretty thick. Once milk has reached a boil, remove from heat and remove vanilla bean. Scrape vanilla seeds out and add to egg mixture (you can use the dried vanilla pod to make vanilla sugar). Slowly temper the egg mixture by whisking in the hot milk, a few spoonfuls at a time.

Once the milk is mixed into the egg mixture, pour back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. It will thicken very quickly, so keep an eye on it and keep whisking. Once the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, remove from heat and whisk in your liqueur (the liqueur is optional, of course). Pour into a bowl and press cling wrap down on the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely.

To assemble tart, spread a layer of chocolate ganache on the tart crust, if you are so inclined. Like I said up top, I'm still working out the measurements for my magical less-fat ganache, so I didn't include the recipe. The tart is certainly still delicious without it.

After the ganache, carefully spread the cooled pastry cream on the tart. Top with any fresh berries you can get your hands on, and serve to your adoring guests. If you want to be extra fancy, you can brush a little melted apricot jelly over the fruit to make it look all shiny and professional.

This one's worth every second of work, folks.

I'm on vacation this week...

2006-05-18T16:38:00.000-05:00

...but I'm still cooking! Butter poached lobster tails, anyone?

I'll be back next week with vacation tales and birthday adventures!

Asparagus Souffle

2006-05-09T23:28:00.000-05:00

Fellow Knoxville food blogger Kevin has been working on a project after my own heart, because it extolls the virtues of one of my most favorite vegetables. Every Monday you can find a round up of the most sublime asparagus recipes at Kevin's Asparagus Aspirations, and after days and days of wracking my brain for the perfect entry, I came up with this puffy wonder.

This souffle was a very proud achievement because I worked off of no pre-existing recipe, a daunting task when dealing with finicky egg whites. Armed with my vague knowledge of ingredient proportions and some extremely fresh spring asparagus, I set to work.

The results were better than I had dreamed. I managed to maintain the bright green color (that was my first concern, that I would end up with muddy greenish-brown puffs), and each bite truly tasted of asparagus first. The additional ingredients simply served as the supporting cast for this impressive dish. And, should you worry that you are wasting half of your asparagus stalks, I refer you to this recipe for a cold asparagus soup that makes excellent use of the woody stalks.

While I made two larger souffles, I think this would make a lovely first course for four people, served in demitasse cups or small ramekins. Feel free to try different cheeses--I think chevre or Gruyere would be quite nice as well. And of course, if you prefer perfect, flat-topped souffles, knock yourself out and smooth the surface evenly. I like the pillowy, free form mounds, myself.

Asparagus Souffle
serves 2-4

3 large eggs, separated
1 lb. asparagus
2-3 Tbsp vegetable or chicken stock
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
.25 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the asparagus stalks in half, for this recipe you only need the most tender green ends. Boil the asparagus in lightly salted water until just tender--about 3 minutes. Drain and let cool. Chop the blanched spears roughly and toss into a blender or food processor. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and some of the stock and pulse until smooth. You may need a dash or two more of stock, you want a very smooth green puree. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the egg yolks, flour, mustard, Parmesan, and asparagus puree until well combined--about 3 minutes. With the bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, whisk until paler in color and quite thick, roughly 5 minutes. Replace on mixer stand, and cream for an additional 3 minutes, until light and beginning to cool. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside. At this point you can wait up to 2 hours before completing the souffles.

In a clean mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold a stiff peaks. Be careful to not over beat the whites. Whisk one third of the egg whites into the asparagus mixture until well combined, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. Scoop the souffle mixture into ramekins or tea cups, leaving about.5 inch at the top, and making sure to not deflate the fluffy mixture.

Place ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake until puffy and golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Garnish with an asparagus spear (if desired) and serve immediately.

Eating Local in Knoxville

2006-05-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

There has been much talk of "Eating Local" over the past few weeks within the food blogging world, leading up to this months Eat Local Challenge. I think this is a wonderful idea in concept, but to try and execute a month's worth of meals coming from within 100 miles of this area would be an impossibility. After all, in this temperate mountain valley, spring fruits and vegetables are just barely starting to make an appearance, and there is a multitude of ingredients that I could never find locally.

And so, since the challenge encourages people to make it work the best they can, I set out this weekend to the first Farmer's Market of the season, and I came away with a pretty good bounty: local organic skirt steak and a chicken; gorgeous fresh eggs, with little bits of feather still on them; a loaf of bread, chocolate chocolate chip cookie for Chris, and some homemade granola; fresh butter; and a pile of really lovely Swiss chard. I then moved on to our local co-op, conveniently located about a mile from our neighborhood, and picked up some cheese, pasta, avocados, and snacky stuff. Even though the bulk of what I picked up at the co-op was not local, it was all organic and helped support the institution, so I figured that was the next best thing.

I'm pleased with how well this first attempt at local eating went. I was able to make a supremely delicious meal Saturday evening using ingredients that were 100% local or organic (I'll write about that meal next). Some things were decidedly more expensive (the chicken was double what I would pay at the grocery store, and you can see the price on that butter), but some were surprisingly cheap (the skirt steak was $5/lb, and the eggs were $2.50/dozen). All of it was definitely of wonderful quality, and I loved meeting the people who worked so hard to bring these things to market.

Homemade Pasta

2006-05-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

No pasta machine required...I may be in love:

Bacon Stuffed Burgers

2006-04-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

Food writers of the world, I feel that I must warn you. If you are trying to write a grocery list, planning to create a meal that will challenge and inspire you, do not, I repeat: do NOT talk to my friend Veronica. Because sweet Veronica, in her lilting and oh-so-charming southern accent, will tell you all about the amazing hamburger she just ate, and you will be able to think of nothing else.

I really fear that I'm becoming a kind of dull cook lately. Don't get me wrong, everything is delicious, but it borders on the mundane to read about. I need to awaken another part of my culinary multiple personality, the side that makes fresh ricotta, or who has been known to spend a weekend simmering beef stock.

Or maybe I should just shut my trap and enjoy this incredibly delicious hamburger. What made it so delicious? Well, in a fit of mad genius*, I decided to crumble up some very nice bacon and mix it into the ground beef. I know, how could I do such a thing? It was so good. It made the meat smoky and moist and what can't bacon improve? Seriously, I want to know.

Slathered with Lemon Avocado Mayo and topped with crisp lettuce and thinly sliced tomato, this was a work of art. Well, maybe not, but it was a work of beef, especially when cradled by a homemade bun. A side of perfectly smokey and charred grilled vegetables were a healthy and fitting complement to the bastion of cholesterol taking up half of the plate. Put bacon in your burger. It's really good.

Now I have to go out and make a spun sugar birdcage or something, lest I completely lose what little respect I've garnered.

*I hardly think that I was the first person to come up with this brilliant innovation, but I'm rather enjoying the view from my high horse, so I refuse to Google it and find out. Don't rain on my parade!

Quiche aux Fine Herbs (waxing poetic)

2006-04-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

The sunlight in East Tennessee is often magical, but it is even more so in the spring. The light is golden, dappled, filtered through the chartreuse new leaves popping out on trees. Suddenly, everyone looks more attractive, the noisy world fades to a lazy whisper, and you are content to do absolutely nothing, other than soaking in this just-warm-enough sun.

Of course, there are ramifications, jolting bursts of reality that shake your sun-addled brain awake. Before you know it, you've ignored your garden for two weeks and there are terrifying new weeds and enormous heads of neglected lettuce taking over. You haven't been to the grocery store in ages, and now you aren't sure what kind of dinner you can cobble together. You are suddenly conscious of your laziness and feel the need to take on a project. You bake bread, making rolls, hamburger buns, a mock baguette. But still the threat of dinner looms. You decide to take on your herb garden and are immediately presented with an answer: quiche.

The recipe varies a bit from my classic mushroom quiche, but of course the idea remains the same. Weed your herb garden, trimming back the fragrant plants, and put those trimmings to good use at dinner. If you have eggs, cream, and a few cheeses, you are already halfway to a simple dinner, made to be enjoyed while cool breezes blow through your tranquil, if only for a moment, home.

Quiche aux Fine Herbs
serves 4-6 (the leftovers are lovely)

1 pie crust, homemade or store bought
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
pat butter
olive oil
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
.5 cup cream
.5 cup 1% milk
1.5 cups of shredded cheese (I used a mixture of Parmesan, Gruyere, and chevre)
small pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh herbs (I used flat leaf parsley, rosemary, thyme, lovage, and chives)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick the bottom of your pie crust several times with a fork, and then bake until dry, but not brown (about 10 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Place the butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent and beginning to turn golden brown around the edges. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and eggs until very well combined. Add a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper and nutmeg. Lastly, whisk in your herbs. Sprinkle half of your cheese mix over the bottom of your cooled pie crust. Spread the cooked onions over the cheese evenly, then top with the remaining cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the surface is a nice golden brown. Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes (I actually pulled this out of the oven 1 hour before I planned to serve it, and it was perfect). Serve with a crisp green salad and an icy cold glass of white wine. Enjoy your meal, and let yourself slip back into delicious laziness, because the work can wait until tomorrow.

What I've been up to.

2006-04-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

Hi! HI! Can you see me over here, waving frantically? Have you taken note of the apologetic look in my eye, the air of contrition around me? Or have I been gone so long that no one bothers to check in anymore? I'm terribly sorry. The illness I referred to last week let up right as I had to leave town for a wedding. Upon returning from the wedding in Florida, I was blessed with a visit from my best friend, who lives in London. With her I've been enjoying the spring weather and blatantly shirking my writing responsibilities. I've been cooking, yes, but I've also been blissfully NOT writing about it. I have taken a few pictures over the past few days, and so, in preparation for a real entry (and to try and coax some readers back), I give you lots and lots of pretty pictures. Okay? Okay.

Lastly, this is what Buster thinks about this new, dreary weather:

And, one more thing, I'm afraid that I will not be posting with quite the regularity that you may be accustomed to, at least for several weeks. I have some exciting projects that are going to demand more and more of my time, and while I can't go into them just yet, I promise that I'm not just slacking. Promise.

Where Oh Where Has The Unemployed Cook Been?

2006-04-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

Well, for a few days I was buried under some other projects, and then the holiday weekend came and everything I made (caramel popcorn, white bean dip with wonton chips, and picnic salad), were things I had made before, and then...

And THEN...

I got sick. Really, really up-all-night-with-gastro-intestinal-distress sick. And so, once I can look at anything more complicated than soda crackers (today, I'm trying rice!), I will be back, regaling you with stories and recipes alike, I promise.

Junk Food: Fried Calamari

2006-04-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing that tempts every naughty-bad-for-you receptor in my brain on a regular basis, it is fried calamari. I have an almost unabashed love for the stuff, even if the offering is obviously pre-breaded and frozen and bearing enough of a resemblance in texture to pencil erasers to make you uncomfortable. I love it! And it's kind of embarrassing! Ah, well, we all have our junk food vices, be it Doritos or...I don't know...some sort of Hostess cake. This is my #1 vice.

One of my most favorite food memories involves calamari, which isn't too surprising, I suppose. When I lived in New York I worked at a pretty horrible, but highly profitable (for me) bar on the Upper East Side. The clientele and majority of my coworkers were pretty miserable, but I worked with my great friend and roommate, and she helped make it worthwhile. We quickly volunteered to work Sunday afternoons, a virtual wasteland with no customers for the first several hours of the shift. Were we upset to be languishing away our Sunday afternoon making no money? Certainly not! We would order mediocre calamari from the kitchen, slather it with lemon and extra salt, and watch The Shining on the big screen television week after week. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was a really special time to me.

And so, when I received Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites as a gift from my lovely sister-in-law a couple of years back, I was of course immediately taken with her Salt and Pepper Squid recipe. The problem? Tracking down squid in my neck of the woods. Yes, there is a wonderful seafood store in town, but I never remembered to drop by until it was too late. And so, the months passed by with only the occasional restaurant splurge to feed my strange (and admittedly non-gourmet) obsession.

Until today. Today, whilst swinging through the North Knoxville Kroger's (where I never, ever shop), I spied a "New Item!" in the seafood department. That new item? A pound of lovely snow white squid, tentacles and tubes, ready for my greedy little hands to snatch them up.

And so, with no further hesitation, Nigella's recipe came to fruition. I, of course, made some changes to her instructions. She calls for a much coarser salt and pepper mixture, and while I am sure that makes this a teeny bit fancier, I knew what I was after and how to get it. I like lots and lots of lemon and a bit of extra salt sprinkled over the whole batch, and I highly recommend eating them hot, right off of the paper towel-lined plate.

Decidedly Not Fancy Fried Calamari
serves 2 (or even 1)

1 pound squid--cleaned, trimmed, and sliced into appropriate shapes
1/3 cup corn starch
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
roughly 2 cups vegetable oil
lemon wedges for serving

In a medium Dutch oven (or other heavy, deep pan), heat .5 inch of oil over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, mix the cornstarch and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Toss the squid rings and tentacles into the bag, seal, and give a very thorough shake. When the oil is just smoking, add about half of the calamari. You shouldn't need to turn them, the oil should bubble up over the delicious bites nicely. After about 2 minutes, they should be a light golden brown (take care to not overcook, the color should be light). Use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle with salt. Fry the second batch. Serve with lots of lemon over the side, and share with a friend, sitting side-by-side. Or, you know, just devour the whole plate yourself.

Grilled Chicken and Peppers with Skillet Corn

2006-04-10T18:33:00.000-05:00

Longer days + warm weather = grilling in this household. And so, with Chris' help, I made this super simple meal that paid off with big flavors. Don't skip the basil, it really is the perfect touch.

Grilled Chicken and Peppers with Skillet Corn
serves 2

for the peppers:

1 red bell pepper
reserved chicken marinade (see below)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
sweet basil leaves (for garnish)

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are grey and nice and hot, grill the pepper until black and blistered on all sides. Place hot pepper in a Ziploc bag and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and rub or peel skin off. Slice into strips and toss with the reserved marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.

for the chicken:

.75 lb. chicken breast tenders
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp chicken stock
juice of 1 small lemon
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Mix all ingredients other than chicken. Reserve 2 Tbsp of marinade for the peppers, then add the chicken to it, turning each piece to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes. Grill over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.

for the skillet corn:

3 ears corn
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp salted butter

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add corn and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until the corn is bright and still crisp. Add salt and pepper if desired, but we found the corn so sweet and perfect on it's own, I didn't add a thing.

To put it all together, I recommend placing the chicken on a bed of corn, topping with the red pepper slices, and garnishing with the reserved pepper marinade and a few basil leaves. We ate this warm, but I think it would make a great lunch cold or at room temperature.

Broiled Lemon Trout

2006-04-10T11:02:00.000-05:00

And...the new design is live! Drop a comment and let me know what you think, even though I had absolutely nothing to do with how great it looks. The real credit goes to Suzanne, a brilliant photographer and crack web designer. Thanks, Suzanne!

On to the trout. This simple preparation is good for any light, delicate fish. I personally love the sweetness of trout and I prefer to highlight those flavors, rather than try to cover them up. Even better, it's done in less than 10 minutes, and is delicious to boot.

Broiled Lemon Trout
serves 2
2 rainbow trout fillets
2 Tbsp butter
4 thin slices of lemon
chopped fresh parsley
chopped fresh tarragon
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven's broiler. Rinse fillets and dry well with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then toss the parsley and tarragon over each fillet. Dot with butter and lay the lemon slices over the top. Broil until golden brown in spots and the fish is opaque and flaky (about 5-7 minutes).

This fish is perfection served with Spring Succotash and Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, and it's also quite good cold, in chunks over a salad.

Sides: Spring Succotash and Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

2006-04-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my exceedingly talented friend Suzanne, things are going to be looking much different (and better!) around here. She has taken some stunning photographs and is working up a more functional template, as well. Now on to the overdue entry:

I generally love to go to the grocery store. I love wandering through the aisles, picking out just what I need, and perusing any new and exciting products that catch my eye. But sometimes? Sometimes the grocery store makes me want to cry. When I can't find something I really, really need (read: want) at my regular market, I become a petulant, pouty child. When I can't find what I want at a second grocery store? Well, I become downright angry.

The source of my ire? Fava beans, and the lack thereof in North Knoxville. I am nearly sure that The Fresh Market, or maybe even Earth Fare, has the little devils, but I was in a hurry and there was no time to truck across town. And so, I had to settle for Lima beans. Lima beans! I was despondent.

Luckily, the other vegetables in this tribute to Spring flavors were crisp and perfect, and almost made up for the disappointing Limas. Next time, I'll just leave them out if I can't find favas. The "bruschetta" is just heartbreakingly simple and delicious, especially on a slice of fresh brioche. This vegetable-heavy plate makes it a perfect candidate for SweetNick's ARF/5-A-Day weekly event, so check it out on Tuesday for a swell round up of healthy recipes.

Spring Succotash
adapted from Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook
serves 3-4

1 smallish red pepper, chopped
.5 cup fava beans (about 10 pods)
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1 shallot, chopped
.5 English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
fresh tarragon, chopped

Heat some olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft, but not browning, 3-4 minutes. Raise heat to medium, add the corn, pepper, fava beans, and cucumber, saute for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the tarragon. Cook 1-2 minutes more, until you reach desired doneness (some people like things a bit crunchier than others). Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
serves 2
2 slices brioche
handful small cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
goat cheese crumbles*
fresh basil

*I used some grated Parmesan for Chris, who is not a goat cheese enthusiast.

Toss the halved tomatoes in a drizzle of olive oil, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toast the brioche until golden and crunchy. Immediately crumble the goat cheese over the warm bread, let sit for 30 seconds. Spread the now softened cheese just slightly to adhere to the toast, then top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle a chiffonade of fresh basil over the top, and serve. This is wonderful with a small salad as a light lunch, as well.

I served these lovely sides with some lemon roasted trout, recipe to come in the next entry. Spring is finally here, people, it's time to celebrate!

An Epiphany (Or, How I Made Brioche)

2006-04-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

While I have been gaining confidence as a baker, I still hold a comfortable amount of trepidation when it comes to certain, okay most, flaky French breads. The idea of attempting a truly perfect croissant makes me break out in a sweat, and honestly I always put buttery brioche on the same pedestal.

Until now.

Ina Garten can be so convincing, she always seems to confident that I can make something. Even better, unlike a certain sexy Brit, her recipes are very clear and usually work out perfectly with little interpretation. Such is the case with her recipe for Brioche Loaves, which I tweaked and fiddled with to my liking. Once I worked out two uncharacteristic and potentially ruinous typos (to paraphrase a friend, "Put some shoes on and get to proofreading, Ina!"), I set out to make the bread of my dreams.

The epiphany came whilst rolling golden raisins into the dough, "If this works...I could have brioche all the time." And work it did, producing excellently light brioche that was tender and exquisite. I fear we have entered a dark time for my waistline.

I made one brioche loaf and 6 "muffins" of my own design--who needs dear little brioche pans when you have a nice non-stick muffin tin? Next time, unless I need loaf for a particular dish (as I did last night), I will make a whole pan of my delicious muffins--studded with golden raisins and dried cherries, they are the perfect breakfast or mid-afternoon snack.

Brioche Muffins (or Loaves, or both)
makes 12 muffins, or 2 loaves
with thanks to Ina Garten

.5 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
3 Tbsp sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
4.25 cups unbleached flour (King Arthur is the best)
2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, very soft (leave it out overnight)
1 egg, for egg wash
1 Tbsp milk, for egg wash
1 cup golden raisins and dried cherries (optional)

Warm the bowl of your mixer with hot water, then dump it out. Mix the yeast, warm water, and sugar in the warmed bowl with a rubber spatula. Let sit for 5 minutes, until it is foamy and the sugar has dissolved. Add the eggs and using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for 1 minute, until mixed.

With the mixer on low speed, add 2 cups of the flour, and the salt, and mix for 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low, add two more cups of flour and mix for 5 minutes more. Still on low, add the soft butter in chunks and mix for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the paddle, for 2 minutes longer.

Switch to the dough hook attachment, and set on low speed again. While the mixer is running, sprinkle in the last quarter cup of flour. Mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes, until well combined and elastic, but still sticky. This is a soft, sticky dough. Scrape the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for an hour--it should have risen substantially in the fridge. Grease a 12-muffin tin, if you are making muffins, or two loaf pans. As you see, I did a little of both.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and cut in half. For muffins: pat each half into a rectangle with the dough about a half inch thick. Spread the raisins and dried cherries evenly over the rectangle, using more if desired. Starting on one of the rectangle's wide ends, roll up into a tight cylinder. The dough may stick, use a pastry scraper or a sharp knife to help loosen it. Pinch the seam closed. Cut each cylinder into 6 equal portions. Stick each dough portion seam side down into the muffin tin. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until doubled in size.

For loaves: pat each half into a 6x8 rectangle, and roll on the wider side, as instructed above (note: I did not use the fruit in my loaf, but you certainly could if you wanted). Place each cylinder, seam side down, in a loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (as always, I recommend preheating for at least an hour to let the oven heat to a very even temperature). Beat the egg with the milk and brush the tops of the risen muffins (or loaves). Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. Bake loaves for 30-35 minutes. Let cool briefly in their pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. You absolutely MUST eat a muffin while still deliriously warm, if you don't I'm not sure that we can be friends any more.

Once everything has cooled completely it can be wrapped in parchment and stored in a plastic bag for up to three days, or frozen for a month. I'm sorry there aren't more pictures of the baking process, but once I touched the dough it was all over my hands and I just had to get it done. Make brioche this weekend!

Steaks and Artichokes with Bearnaise Sauce

2006-04-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

As you see, the promised return to the good life has delivered, with a thorough trip to not one but two grocery stores, I am fully prepared to cook up a storm, and not think, quite as much, about the budget.

That said, you will benefit greatly from buying the best steak you can afford. I ended up with two tiny, but exceptional, fillets; deciding that when faced with 4 oz. of tender perfection vs. 10 oz. of chewy toughness, the tiny specimen will always win out.

I owe my friend Lauren, once again, for the trick to incredibly easy, perfectly steamed artichokes, which were a grassy green foil to the bright flavors of the bearnaise sauce. In fact, I highly recommend dipping the artichokes, steak, and possibly your fingers into this sexy cousin to Hollendaise--until you feel yourself floating away on a cloud of butterfat. What a way to go.

Steaks and Artichokes with Bearnaise Sauce
for 2

for the Bearnaise*:

3-4 Tbsp Tarragon vinegar
3-4 Tbsp dry white wine
1 small shallot, minced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 large egg yolks
.75 stick butter, melted

Put the vinegar, wine, shallot, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and half of the tarragon into a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the egg yolks in a blender, add the lukewarm shallot mixture and pulse to blend. With the blender running, slowly pour the hot butter through the opening in the lid. Add the remaining tarragon and pulse one or two more times. Add more wine if the sauce is too thick, but it should be just right.

Set sauce aside while you cook the steaks and artichokes. When it comes time to serve, pour a Tbsp of very hot water into the sauce and blend for 15 seconds.

*Ina Garten gave me the wonderful idea of blizting this in the blender, as well as the hot water revival trick. Many thanks, Ms. Ina.

for the artichokes:

2 large artichokes
water
large ziploc bag

Yes, those are the ingredients, it's that easy. When you are dipping your chokes into a rich sauce there is little need for any other flavoring. Trim the stem end of each artichoke and remove any tough, beat up leaves from the bottom. Wash under cool water, letting the water really penetrate the tight green heads. With some water on them, place the artichokes in the ziploc bag and zip closed. With some sharp scissors, snip 3-4 holes in the bag, then microwave for 11 minutes. Let stand to cool, and be careful of the steam when removing from the bag.

for the steaks:

2 beef filets, at least 1 inch thick
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Sprinkle steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add steaks and sear for 1 minute per side. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 8 minutes, for a gorgeously rare center. Remove to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Let sit at least 5 minutes, but 10 is better.

Serve steaks with bearnaise sauce drizzled over, and the remaining sauce in ramekins for dipping. Dip the verdant artichoke leaves in one by one, scoop out the prickly choke and dip the heart in as well. If you have someone in the house that is worried about an artichoke and a tiny steak being enough food, some crisp roasted potatoes do quite nicely. Now, go float away on that butterfat, sweet friends, and treat yourself to something decadent.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

2006-04-06T14:19:00.000-05:00

I did finally make it to the grocery store yesterday, for a full weeks-worth of food, so the ultra budget-conscious entries will be on the back burner for now (not that I could exactly afford anything too fabulous, but whatever). One last recipe, though, a lovely and cheap Linguine by way of La Mia Cucina. I followed her fine recipe nearly to the letter, and I recommend it to any readers with money on their mind (and their mind on their money).

I did make a few changes, notably:

I added one minced shallot to the garlic, and after sauteing I added .25 cups of dry white wine to the pan. I let the wine reduce to almost nothing, then added fresh parsley (instead of dried), and left out the oregano. I only poured the clam juice into the pan, and simmered that for 5-6 minutes, adding the chopped clams at the end, for only 1-2 minutes. This warms the already-cooked clams through, without making them tough or chewy.

Thanks for the great meal idea, Lis! I halved the recipe and Chris and I greedily slurped them down. I then I wished I had made more for leftovers.

The Ultimate Cuban Sandwich

2006-04-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

First off, a bit of business out of the way. If you are wondering where the garden update I promised is, take a look at the visitor we had a couple of days ago. Just when I was planning to photograph the beginnings of an abundant Spring, this hail beat my lettuce and herbs to near-death, but they are slowly recovering in the tranquil (for now) Spring sunshine. Sorry for the dim light, it was 2 o'clock in the morning:

And now on to the real food talk...

We were so lucky for a while. Sweet Knoxville, TN, landlocked in a mountain valley, managed to contain a tiny, perfect Cuban restaurant that sold the best Cuban sandwiches this side of Miami. But all good things, apparently, must come to an end, and Alex of Alex's Havana Cafe closed up shop and retired, leaving people like me completely bereft.

With my old, evil job I traveled to Miami a few times, and the best sandwiches I had there were on par with Alex's--crispy, tender bread housing a pork, pickle, and cheese concoction that I swear was addictive. So addictive, in fact, that I decided to set out and try to replicate them.

This may be my highest baking achievement yet--making a bread that involved a starter and required a very specific texture and flavor. Dear readers, I succeeded. And Chris might leave me if I don't stop crowing about it. But the bread, the sandwiches, they were perfect. Perfect! The only improvement would have been actually having some leftover pork in there, but the turkey and ham were more than acceptable. Turkey isn't traditional, but it lightens the flavor and calorie content, and you won't notice a difference, I swear.

I am unapologetic about the length of the recipe below, because it is worth every step and kind of fun (if you've never played with starter before). If you don't have ready access to a superb Cuban sandwich in your area, I implore you to give this a try.

Ultimate Cuban Sandwiches
makes 6 loaves

the day before you bake:

for the starter:

.75 tsp active dry yeast
one third cup warm water
one third cup bread flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water and stir in the flour. Cover the bowl and allow the starter to ripen in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After 24 hours it will be gooey and bubbly and slightly sour smelling. You will only use half of the starter in this recipe--leftover starter will keep for several days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 6 months.

for the dough:

4 tsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1.5 cups warm water
4 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 starter batch
1 Tbsp salt
4-5 cups bread flour

In a warm mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 3 tablespoons warm water. When the mixture is foamy (5 to 10 minutes), stir in the butter, the remaining water and the 1/2 batch of starter. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the salt and 4 cups of the flour, using the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer. Mix for 2 minutes on speed 2. Once incorporated, continue kneading for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add the remaining flour as needed, but not too much. The dough should be pliable, but not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm draft free spot until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. I recommend going ahead and preheating your oven to 375 degrees, and resting the dough on the stove top.

Punch down the dough. To make the loaves, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each to form a 12 inch long log or cylinder. Using the heel of your hand, flatten each log slightly. Divide the cylinders between 2 baking sheets with 4 inches space between, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.

If you haven't already, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In the bottom of your oven, place a small metal bowl or pan filled with hot water. The steam is supposed to help make a nice crust on the loaves, but I don't know if it did much. Bake until the bread is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, about 30 minutes.

Let the loaves cool slightly, transfer the breads onto a wire rack to cool completely.

for the sandwiches:

Mayonnaise
Yellow mustard
roast pork (if you have it)
sliced deli ham
sliced deli turkey (optional)
sliced deli Swiss cheese
Several dill pickle slices
Butter, softened to room temperature

Split a Cuban loaf and butter the outside crust. Spread mayonnaise and mustard inside, then layer with thinly sliced ingredients--from top to bottom, I use:

Swiss cheese
pickle slices
turkey
ham
roast pork

If you have a panini grill, well good for you, use that. Me? I say who needs a panini maker or a sandwich press when you have a small baking sheet and a tea kettle full of water?

Toast on a griddle or grill pan over medium heat until nice and brown and the cheese is slightly melted. Slice the sandwich diagonally and serve with black beans, rice, and fried plantains if you've got them (I couldn't get my hands on any in the 10 minutes I spent at one store). These sandwiches are freaking great.

Around the World?

2006-04-03T21:24:00.000-05:00

Stephanie of The Feast Crusade made some very flattering and complementary mentions of me in her last meme entry, and then sneakily tagged me to participate in the meme (kind of like an blog chain letter/poll for those unfamiliar readers) she was working on. And so...

1- Please list three recipes you have recently bookmarked from food blogs to try:

This is tough! Lately I've been saving recipes in my Favorites folder, and the numbers are mounting. In no particular order...

Dog-Eared Recipe 1

I have been happily poring over the archives at The Traveler's Lunchbox, and I have already jotted down the ingredients to make this salad, featuring Coconut Almond Snapper, Grapefruit, and Avocado. I can't wait. Seriously.

Dog-Eared Recipe 2

From Milk and Honey (a new favorite mentioned below), these Malted Chocolate Brownies, which I mentioned to Chris and now HAVE to make. Once the cookies are gone, maybe?

Dog-Eared Recipe 3

I'm totally cheating, because this isn't from a food blog. It was, however mentioned in one as a delicious recipe--Alton Brown's Granola is begging to be eaten with some fresh, plain yogurt with just a drizzle of honey.

2-A food blog in your vicinity

Kevin at Seriously Good makes me feel like I'm just a little kid playing in the kitchen sometimes, but I love learning from him. I have a secret desire to be his assistant during one of his classes.

3-A food blog located far from you

Lots of them, really! Right this second I'll go with Eggbeater, a gorgeous blog with incredible recipes, photography, and evocative, often introspective writing.

4-A foodblog (or several) you have discovered recently (where did you find it?)

I find most new food reads at Food Porn Watch. This week I've been reading the archives at Traveler's Lunchbox and Milk & Honey, two gorgeous blogs that make me want to get my act together.

5 - Any people or bloggers you want to tag with this meme ?

I'm really shy about this sort of stuff, and I also don't want to bother anyone out there. I'll leave it open to anyone that would like to reply, and if Kevin at Seriously Good wants to make a hometown contribution, that would be awfully nice.

Perfect (for me) Chocolate Chip Cookies

2006-04-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

I am very specific about chocolate chip cookies: I like crispy, buttery, brown sugary cookies with only a few chips. I like chocolate a lot, but with these cookies I want it to complement the crisp cookie rather act as the singular, overpowering, dominant flavor.

With thanks to my guru Jeffrey Steingarten, I have come pretty close to my ideal. His recipe was near perfect, but had too much chocolate for my tastes, and I used dark brown sugar to his light/dark mixture (I just love the molasses flavor). You can always add more chocolate chips to this recipe if you want.

For this batch I also baked a few cookies with no chips mixed in at all, testing my theory that I really like the cookie bit more than the chocolate. They were delicious, and would be wonderful with some ginger grated in. Next time.

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 4 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
.75 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. water
1 egg
.75 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl, set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and both kinds of sugar. Add the vanilla, water, and egg, and beat together. Beat in flour mixture, then stir in chocolate chips by hand (if you want some non-chocolate cookies, now is the time to take some dough out).

Drop onto Silpat-lined baking sheets (or you can use non-stick aluminum foil) using a mini ice cream scooper for uniform cookies. Bake for about 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes on the sheet before removing to a wire rack for further cooling--they will be soft, but will crisp up as they cool. Enjoy!

Milk-Braised Pork

2006-04-02T18:57:00.001-05:00

A dear friend first passed this treasure of a recipe along to me, one of the only good things to come out of a particularly bad boyfriend on her part. I have since discovered that there are as many variations on this recipe as there are food bloggers. People attack this different ways, sometimes adding herbs, garlic, onions, and more.

For our tastes, though, you truly can't beat the sauce that the very few ingredients makes--as my more poetic friend said, "If golden brown was a taste, this would be it."
I've given the same treatment to pork chops, but a nice pork tenderloin really works best in this situation. You can do two tenderloins in the same pan, if you have a larger crowd to feed.

Milk-Braised Pork
serves 2-3

1 Tbsp butter
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 medium pork tenderloin
.5 gallon of 2% milk*

*Traditionally this is made with whole milk, but I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror every day, and 2% works just fine.

Sprinkle tenderloin generously with salt and pepper. Heat butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a heavy saute pan with a lid. In the past I have always used my trusty All-Clad pan, but this time I used my new Calphalon non-stick skillet and the clean-up was so, SO much easier.

Brown the pork very well on all sides in the hot oil. Once finished browning, add milk to the pan until nearly covering the meat, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove lid, raise heat to medium, until milk starts to boil around the meat. This is where vigilance is important--boil the milk down until it resembles soft, light golden curds, turning the tenderloin over occasionally. This can take over half and hour, I usually take a chair and a book into the kitchen, because you do NOT want to scorch the milk.

Once the milk has boiled down, add more milk to almost cover the pork, and cook down again. At this point it should be smelling incredibly good and the pork should be quite tender. Once the milk has boiled down to a thick, golden brown sauce, remove meat. Slice thinly and generously spoon the sauce over the top. This is a rich dish, best paired with lightly steamed vegetables to cut some of the heaviness.
This is one of the top 5 things Chris requests again and again, and aside from the time (it should take upwards of two hours total or you're cooking with too much heat), it is incredibly simple.

Apologies (and BLEATs!)

2006-04-02T18:40:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I've been such an errant writer this past week. I have had two things against me:

1. The end of the month is an extra-lean time for us, which means cooking from the pantry and primarily making tried-and-true staples that I've already written about.

2. The weather has been gorgeous, and Chris and I have spent many exhausting hours working on our yard. When we bought this house we were blessed with a triple lot that was, unfortunately, covered in honeysuckle, ivy, and other nefarious vines.

And so, not as much cooking. I am, however, writing about the delicious dinner that we just had, and have big plans this week for more fun things, so don't give up on me yet. Until then, I leave you with my BLEATs.

What is a BLEAT? It's simply a Bacon, Lettuce (from the garden!), fried egg, avocado, and tomato sandwich, served up on toasted homemade bread. I made Lemon Avocado Mayo this time around, mashing avocado with lemon juice, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste; and it was quite frankly the best sandwich topping I can think of. I think avocados are one of my most favorite foods. More to come!

Spicy Shrimp with Corn Griddle Cakes

2006-03-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

After some truly masterful thrifty grocery shopping yesterday, I was able to pick up the ingredients I was lacking for three nice dinners (one of which will be a fancy egg sandwich, but still). This recipe is almost 100% Rachael Ray, which used to really embarrass me to admit, but I'm working through my issues.

When it comes down to it, Ray's recipes are often pantry-friendly (I only had to buy $4 worth of shrimp and a $.49 can of corn for this), and rarely call for spices that I don't already have. Gourmet cooking it may not be, but when you are broke and trying to stretch a dollar, her magazine features lots of good recipes. This one comes from the February/March issue.

I know I said these weren't gourmet, but I can't help but think how cute mini-corn griddle cakes with just one or two shrimp on top would be for a party.

Spicy Shrimp with Corn Griddle Cakes
serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are

for the griddle cakes:

1 15-oz. can cream-style corn
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs
.25 cup granulated sugar*
1 cup all-purpose flour
.5 tsp sea salt
.5 tsp baking soda

*I did not add the sugar and found that the corn was sweet enough on it's own. Your mileage may vary.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients well with a whisk. Set aside.

for the shrimp:

1 lb. large shrimp, shell-on
2.5 cups water
.25 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning*
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped

*I did not have this Cajun seasoning Ray calls for, so I improvise with Chili powder, powdered onion and garlic, and sea salt. Worked great for me.

Peel the shrimp and place the shells in a saucepan with the water and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half--about 10 minutes. Strain and discard shells, set aside.

While broth is boiling, toss shrimp with Cajun seasoning. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is shimmering, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook the oil and flour mixture (your roux), stirring constantly, until a deep golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Add scallions, garlic, and a drizzle more of oil and cook, continuing to stir, for 2 more minutes.

Whisk the reserved shrimp broth into the roux and boil for one minute to thicken. Add the shrimp and toss in the sauce for 2 minutes, then cover, remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat a non-stick griddle over medium heat (if you only have one large non-stick pan, transfer the shrimp to a bowl and wipe the pan clean). Working in batches, pour heaping .25 cups of batter onto the griddle, giving the pan a little shake to flatten them somewhat. Cook until they are a deep golden color and bubbles are rising to the surface, then flip. Repeat with remaining batter.

Stir your shrimp and taste to adjust for seasoning (I needed to add salt at this point). Serve griddle cakes with shrimp and sauce spooned over the top. We had corn cakes leftover, so I ate them for breakfast--they were really good! I will definitely make this recipe again.

Artichoke-Stuffed Eggplant

2006-03-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

Night before last Chris had band practice, and so in lieu of a big dinner I made myself a nice bowl of Lemon Risotto (substituting a shallot for the leek). While I stirred and stirred the creamy rice, I reflected on the time when an evening alone meant popcorn and television for dinner. I guess I'm really changing my attitude towards food--it's not just something to make to share with another person, it's something to feed and nurture your own self. I still watched some TV, though. Not everything changes.

Last night I was nearly sure I wouldn't have anything to write about, certainly no new recipe. We have almost no food in the house, and lacking the funds for a big grocery trip, I was nearly sure we were heading for fried egg sandwiches, which is fine, but nothing worth sharing with you guys. And then, what did I spy? A rogue eggplant in the vegetable drawer, completely forgotten about but miraculously unscathed. After a quick survey of the nearly bare pantry, I was able to cobble together this dish--half Nigella Lawson's Soft and Sharp Involtini, and half my own creation.

How was it? I don't know, but Chris liked it. By the time I was done with all of the slicing, sauteing, rolling, etc. I had developed a sour stomach feeling and ended up laying down on the couch and not eating dinner! The meal looked lovely, though, and I think it would make a very nice side dish to a roasted piece of meat. I will say, though, that I am as sick of Italian-inspired dishes as I am of baking right now.

Artichoke-Stuffed Eggplant
serves 2-3

for the sauce:

1 14-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch or two dried oregano
pinch or two dried basil
dash sugar
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet with a lid. Add garlic and shallot and saute until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add tomatoes and spices, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Using a food processor or blender, puree about .75 of the tomato mixture--you're looking for a slightly chunky sauce. Add back to the pan, stir to combine, and set aside.

for the stuffing:

1 medium eggplant
oil for frying
half a can of artichoke hearts, chopped
2 Tbsp bulgar wheat
dried oregano
dried basil
1 egg
.25 cup feta cheese crumbles (more for topping)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Slice the eggplant in thin slices from stem to tip. Discard the two slices with the skin side out. Heat a good layer of oil in a saute pan to near smoking. Working in batches, fry the eggplant slices on each side until beginning to brown. You will need to add more oil periodically, as the eggplant will soak it up. Drain eggplant on several layers of paper toweling for at least half an hour.

Place bulgar wheat, and a pinch each of the basil and oregano, in a small bowl. Pour boiling water generously over the mixture and then cover with a plate. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. After it has soaked and plumped up, pour into a fine meshed sieve and let drain. Before mixing with the rest of the stuffing, press to remove as much water as possible.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine chopped artichoke, wheat, feta cheese, egg, and herbs in a bowl, mix well with a fork. Lay a slice of eggplant in front of you, with the fatter, bulbous end closest to you. Using an ice cream scooper or a large spoon, place a dollop of the stuffing at the end near you (it will be loose). Carefully roll the eggplant over--you will likely need to replace stuffing as it falls out. Gently place in a small baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices--you are doing well to get six good rolls out of one eggplant.

Pour tomato sauce evenly over eggplant rolls. Sprinkle generously with feta cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving, it shouldn't be piping hot. Maybe I should test my stomach and go try the leftovers out, this is sounding pretty good!

Stay tuned tonight to see if I make something out of nothing. I can't wait to get past end of the month expenses and have the money for a big grocery trip!

Garlic Basil Hearthbread

2006-03-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

I know. I know what I said about being done with dough. However, when faced with the choice of baking some sort of bread to go with tonights thrown together dinner, or trudging out to the store to buy something inferior, it seemed really stupid to not just make something.

And so, I went with something I have at least been looking forward to making, Nigella Lawson's Garlic Parsley Hearthbreads. I made some changes, like using basil instead of parsley, and even ended up tweaking the basic structure of the recipe a bit--I love Nigella, but I have found that her bread recipes are not always very clear. No worries, though, because the end result was fantastic: chewy, garlicky, deliciously savory bread, a perfect highlight to an otherwise lackluster meal.

Garlic Basil Hearthbread
serves 4-6

1 packet active dry yeast
1.5 cups warm water
pinch sugar
3.5-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sea salt
5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for topping
3 medium heads garlic
handful basil leaves, chopped

Mix yeast, sugar and warm water together in a warmed mixing bowl. Add 3.5 cups flour, salt, and olive oil and use a dough hook attachment to mix for 1 minute on speed 2. Continue kneading, adding additional flour if the dough is too sticky. Knead for 5-6 minutes.

Form dough into a ball (it will be soft and slightly sticky), and place in oiled bowl, turning to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top of each garlic head off, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap loosely in aluminum foil, sealing edges well. Roast for 45 minutes (the top of your stovetop will be a nice warm place for dough rising). Remove from foil and let cool.

Once dough has risen, punch down and let sit for 10 more minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll each half of dough into a rough oval shape on parchment paper. Place each piece of parchment with the rolled dough on a baking sheet, cover and let rise for an additional 25 minutes, until puffy. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and let preheat for a good while--this tip came from Kevin at Seriously Good, and I think it really helped--thanks, K!

Squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl (it should be very soft). Using a fork, mix in basil and enough olive oil to make a paste. Using your fingers, make several indentations on each loaf of flatbread. Spread the garlic mixture evenly over each loaf. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the bread is a light golden brown and the garlic is a deeper golden color. If your baking sheets will not fit on the same shelf in the oven, rotate the two sheets halfway through baking. Sprinkle with salt right out of the oven.

Serve warm with any number of dishes. We enjoyed this fragrant yeasty wonder with grilled sausages, caramelized onions, and grilled tomatoes--wonderful

Cremini, Eggplant, and Escarole Saute

2006-03-26T17:22:00.000-05:00

Cate at SweetNicks hosts a weekly food blogging event called ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday, which focuses on bringing more Antioxidant-Rich Foods (ARFs) to your dining table every day. I always work to incorporate at least one vegetable side dish or main course to all of our dinners, but I've never submitted a recipe...until now.

I did some homework on today's three main ingredients--escarole, eggplant, and cremini mushrooms--and I was happy to find that each is a source of one or more vital antioxidants. As we should all know by now, antioxidant-rich foods are thought to slow the chemical process of oxidation, which can lead to cholesterol deposits, the narrowing of arteries, and other various heart-related problems. The best way to add antioxidants to your diet is not through vitamin supplements, but through the many delicious fruits and vegetables they are found in.

This is a simple, flavor and texture-full dish that has an Asian flair. We had this tonight alongside Chris' favorite Crispy Shrimp, served with its sauce on the side, for dipping.

I typically eat escarole raw, in salads, but it is getting harder to find the small, tender, less bitter heads as the weather gets warmer. Wilting the escarole helps foil the bitter flavor, and the sturdy leaves hold up to heat well.

Cremini, Eggplant, and Escarole Saute
serves 4

heaping cup eggplant, coarsely chopped
1 medium head escarole
6 oz cremini (Baby Bella) mushrooms
olive oil
toasted sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
soy sauce
sea salt

Toss eggplant generously with salt, and set aside. Wash and dry the escarole, removing the core and tough outer leaves. Slice into large, coarse pieces. Brush mushrooms clean, then slice.

Rinse the eggplant well in a colander to remove salt, pat dry. Heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, and another splash of olive oil, if necessary. Saute for about 5 minutes, until beginning to brown and release liquids.

Add escarole to pan and drizzle with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss well to coat and mix with mushrooms and eggplant. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and cook until escarole is wilting. Serve with a wedge of lemon alongside, if desired.

Sweet and Savory Balsamic Poached Chicken

2006-03-25T17:50:00.000-05:00

After last week's successful venture into the world of poaching, I have been thinking about trying it again with a new combination of flavors. After doing some research, I decided that balsamic vinegar would make a good flavor base, much like the white wine was last time. The result? Lovely caramel-colored chicken, filled with flavor with no added fat. I'm starting to really like this poaching thing. It's so easy and nearly fool-proof.

Sweet and Savory Balsamic Poached Chicken
serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1.5 cups chicken stock
.5 cup balsamic vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Bring stock and vinegar up to a boil in a medium (2 quart) saucepan, add chicken, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, turning once (cooking time will depend on thickness of chicken). Remove chicken from pan, set aside. Turn heat up to high, add brown sugar, and reduce cooking liquid to about .25 cups. Slice chicken thickly, spoon some pan sauce over, and serve.

We had this with Herbed New Potatoes and some pan seared asparagus. The spring asparagus is making its first appearances, and I really encourage you to pick some up and pair it with nearly anything. It was a really simple, easy meal with lots of complimentary flavors.

Herbed New Potatoes

2006-03-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

There is something to be said for simplicity when dealing with especially fresh or perfect specimens, such as the incredibly tiny baby Dutch yellow potatoes I found at the market this week. Have you ever seen such small, perfect potatoes? I have never been so tempted to pop one in my mouth raw, even though I know that no potato is worth eating raw.

I wanted to play up the perfection of each teeny tuber, so I decided that roasting them whole, with a slick of oil and a sprinkling of herbs from the garden would be ideal. Which brings us to our Weekend Herb Blogging feature: Lemon Balm.

I admit, I only planted lemon balm in my kitchen garden because it smells so delightful. I had no idea how it could be used in cooking, other than a vague idea that you can make a calming tea out of it. It turns out that while Lemon Balm does make a wonderful tea (it has a mild sedative effect and aids digestion), it also can be used sparingly to add a bright, citrusy flavor to many dishes, both savory and sweet. It worked very well with a mix of herbs in last weekend's white bean dip, and so I am inspired to learn more about it, and use it with these gorgeous potatoes.

Lemon balm is in the same family as mint, meaning it is hardy and will take over your garden if you let it. It's aromatic leaves are even similar to mint, but with a more rounded shape. It does flower in late summer, but the blooms aren't particularly attractive. However, these blooms have their advantages--they attract bees and will aid pollination in your garden.

This fragrant herb will add a lemony tang to any recipe it is added to, and I have even seen recipes that say you can substitute it for fresh lemon juice in some cases. For this recipe, I chopped two leaves with a variety of other herbs, and it asserted itself nicely without being overpowering. As my plants get bigger and the weather warms up, I can't wait to continue experimenting.

Herbed New Potatoes

a few handfuls of the tiniest potatoes you can find
1-2 Tbsp finely chopped assorted herbs, such as:

chives
lemon balm
rosemary
thyme
mint

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter and olive oil in a small baking dish and stick in oven to melt butter and heat dish. Wash potatoes and let dry. Once the butter has melted, remove baking dish from oven. Toss potatoes in oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to evenly coat.

Roast potatoes until their skins start to blister and a fork easily pierces them (40-45 minutes, depending on size). Remove from oven and toss with herbs until well coated. I think you will find the herbs play off of each other in a lovely way--the citrusy Lemon Balm, faint oniony Chives, astringent Rosemary, brisk Mint, and mellow Thyme coming together to bring out the best in your perfect, tiny potatoes. Enjoy!

Homemade Pizzas

2006-03-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

I think I have reached my dough limit. As a third installment to "Face Your Baking Fears" week, I decided to make homemade pizzas last night, and everything worked perfectly, but I'm just kind of over it. After making bread and then pie crust this week, I think I just don't want to look at flour for a little while. But even though I was overcome with dough apathy, these pizzas were tasty and well received.

Were these the charred, chewy, thin crusted pizzas that dreams are made of? No, they weren't. The crust wasn't right and my oven isn't hot enough anyway. But were they good, basic, crisp crusts with delicious toppings? Indeed they were. However, once I get over my ennui I know I will need to tinker with the crust recipe a bit. For a basic crust, though, it is reliable and easy to make.

Basic Pizza Dough
serves 3-4

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
.5 tsp salt
pinch sugar
2 tsp olive oil
2.5-3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp cornmeal

Warm your mixing bowl, then dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt, sugar, olive oil, and 2.5 cups of flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to a stand mixer, turn on speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.

Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour gradually, and mix until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the mixing bowl, about 2 minutes. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Brush a pizza pan or baking sheet with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough across the bottom of the pan, forming a "collar" of sorts around the edge to hold toppings. I wanted to make two smaller pizzas, and as you see that worked out fine--just divide dough in half and proceed accordingly.

Add toppings as you wish. I pureed a mixture of marinara and plain tomato sauce, because I like my sauce thin. Chris' pizza had eggplant (pre-roasted to soften), mushrooms, pepperoni, and mozzarella. My pizza had eggplant, mushrooms, kalamata olives, feta, and mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes, brushing a little olive oil in the crust edges halfway through.

Both pizzas were crunchy and fresh, just the way we like them, even if the dough was somewhat uninspired. And so ends the baking, for a little while at least. My mixer is tired, and so am I.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Syrup

2006-03-23T15:28:00.000-05:00

I'm not exactly sure when this started becoming such an issue, but lately I have been consumed with the idea of waste. Food waste, to be specific, we recycle and do our part to leave things tidy around here. But food waste plagues me, and I end up scraping together things into random experiments, some good, some bad.

Actually, I know exactly when this started, it was before Christmas of last year. I had decided to make candied apricots and followed a recipe that led me seriously astray. I was left with a half gallon of caramelized, soggy, mooshy apricots, and lots and lots of sugary bittersweet syrup. I was in a panic. I could not waste all of this fruit!

And so, I strained the apricots and mashed them into what turned out to be a divine conserve. I added vodka to the caramelized apricot syrup and made a liqueur that made dry champagne even more special. I saved Christmas. Okay, I'm being dramatic.

After making a lovely tart today, I was left with one rhubarb stalk, a cup of very ripe strawberries, and a lot of sweet syrup that the fruit had been soaking in. I tossed it all in a small saucepan, added another quarter cup of sugar, and covered in a little water. 2 hours of simmering and a thorough straining later, I am left with two bottles of gorgeous, rosy, sweet-tart Strawberry-Rhubarb Syrup that begs to be drizzled on pancakes or (again) added to champagne. Not bad, right?

Rustic Tart with Strawberries, Rhubarb, and Ricotta

2006-03-23T15:07:00.000-05:00

This has inadvertantly turned into "Conquer My Baking Fears" week, with bread yesterday and a pie crust today. I have been on a lustful hunt for rhubarb for a couple of weeks now, so when I found it yesterday I nearly squealed: I could finally make Nosheteria's incredible looking Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Ricotta Galette!

My creation didn't turn out quite as pretty as its inspiration, resulting in me dubbing it a "rustic tart". But the recipe is otherwise the exact same, so please do click on the link above and try it for yourself. I used some goats milk ricotta that I made fresh this morning, and I can only imagine that made it all the better.

This light tart isn't too sweet and really showcases the tart fruit and creamy ricotta. Decadent as this may sound, I think it would be wonderful for breakfast.

Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Warm Pineapple Chutney

2006-03-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

An easy dinner tonight, because it references one of my staples, Jerk Chicken. I simply cut the jerk seasoning rub in half and used it to coat a pork tenderloin. The result? Succulent, spiced pork that I paired with a warm pineapple chutney, and it was incredible--adding some tang and sweetness to the rich spices. Just the thing for this unseasonably cold evening--but I think a cold pineapple salsa will be just the thing come summer.

Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Warm Pineapple Chutney
serves 3-4

for the warm pineapple chutney:

2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple
.5 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp dark brown sugar (adjust to your liking)
fat pinch salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Add remaining ingredients, stir well to combine. Turn heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 3-5 minutes more, until mixture thickens up a bit.

for the pork:

1 Tbsp paprika
.75 Tbsp garlic powder
.75 tsp ground allspice
.5 tsp ground nutmeg
.25 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on preferred spice level)
1 tsp kosher salt
pinch tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of quarter a lime
1 Tbsp molasses
pork tenderloin

Mix all of the ingredients (except for the pork), in a small bowl. Once well combined, slather the pork tenderloin on all sides and place in a greased baking dish. Let marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast pork for 25-30 minutes, until a thermometer registers the internal temperature at 160 degrees (still rosy pink in the center). Let the pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with warm pineapple chutney on top, Thyme Rice Pilaf, and steamed broccoli.

French Bread!

2006-03-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Well, guys, I did it! I managed to make bread that looks gorgeous, and tastes great--chewy and airy, with a dense crunchy crust and slightly sour tangy flavor. And I didn't cry once during the process.

I need to sing the praises of my Kitchenaid stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. In 3 minutes, it had kneaded the most perfectly elastic dough, which I couldn't begin to do in 15 minutes of arm-breaking kneading.

Also, for those of you that tried to help me with a recipe, I decided to try the French Bread recipe right out of the Kitchenaid manual (I had it out to see about what speed to knead with). I am shocked by how good it turned out. I think the baking time ran a little long, I shortened it by 5 minutes in my recipe below.

French Bread
makes 2 loaves

2 packages active dry yeast
2.5 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted
pinch sugar
6.5-7 cups all purpose flour (I highly recommend King Arthur's)
cornmeal
1 egg white
1 Tbsp cold water

Warm your mixing bowl under hot water. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add salt, sugar, butter, and 6.5 cups of the flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer, and mix on speed 2 until well blended (about 1 minute).

Knead on speed 2 for about 2 minutes longer. Add the remaining flour if the dough is creeping up over your dough hook, it is too wet. Dough will be sticky and should form a ball around the hook.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into a 12x15 inch rectangle. Roll the rectangle of dough up tightly, tapering the ends if you so desire. Place loaves on greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal. I placed one of the loaves in a loaf pan to make sandwich bread, and it worked great. Cover the loaves and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

With a sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts in the top of each loaf. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty on the bottom. Remove from oven. Beat egg white with cold water, and brush egg wash over each loaf. Return to oven for 4-5 more minutes, until shiny. Remove from baking sheets immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Fettuccine with Meatballs

2006-03-21T18:58:00.000-05:00

Last night's dinner came to us by way of the lovely Nigella Lawson, my culinary pick as adopted big sister (if Ina Garten is my culinary adopted mother). I tweaked the recipe a bit, and sadly did not make my own pasta. I find that De Cecco makes the best dried pasta out there, so I used that.

This is a wonderful dish, the tiny meatballs are coated by the simple, pureed sauce. Chris was (and is, for leftovers), a big fan. Before getting into the instructions, I want to second Lawson's reccomendation that you make the meatballs pretty small--about a heaping teaspoon. It is a bit tedious, but you can kind of zone out and make a whole batch of them in less than 20 minutes.

Fettuccine with Meatballs
serves 4-6

for the meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef
2 mild Italian sausage links, removed from their casings
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp dried oregano
2-3 Tbsp fine bread crumbs
pinch freshly ground pepper
1 tsp salt

Use your hands to mix everything in a large bowl, making sure to break up the sausage and really combine it with the ground beef. Shape the meat mixture into small balls, then place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until you are ready to use them.

for the tomato sauce:

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 14-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
.5 cup of water
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
.25 cup half & half
1 lb. fettuccine
parmesan cheese, for grating

Pulse the onions, garlic, and oregano in a food processor (or blender), until it becomes a uniform pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan, then dump the onion mixture in and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and fragrant.

While the onions are cooking, rinse your food processor/blender briefly, then dump the canned tomatoes and their jucies in. Puree until smooth. Add to the cooked onion mixture, along with the water, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. You should have a kind of thin sauce, it will thicken up later.

Stir in the half & half, then drop the meatballs in one by one. Make sure to not stir the sauce until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown, or you might break them up and end up with meat sauce. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

Give the meatballs a stir and simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes (you may want a splatter guard, the tomato sauce is messy). Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve over pasta and top with lots of parmesan cheese.

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Curry

2006-03-19T17:01:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this recipe came to me from Erin at Erin Eats, a great blog full of healthy recipes, including calorie counts. I took her recipe for Low-Calorie Creamy Curry Chicken and tweaked it to make a smaller portion, as well as a few other adjustments. The roasted vegetables were fantastic with the creamy curry sauce, and that same silky sauce was glorious over rice.

I left out a few things (like celery, I just don't care for it sometimes), and replaced the onion with some leek. The leek was an unexpected twist, but the sweetness really works nicely with the spicy curry. I would have used onion, but I've had a bad run of luck lately, buying two bags that rotted within a week--I need to talk to my grocer about that. Anyway, this is a roundabout way of saying that you can sub out an onion for the leek.

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Curry
serves 2-3

1 boneless chicken breast, cubed*
2 medium carrots, chopped*
1 red or orange pepper, chopped*
1 medium leek (white and light green part), sliced*
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
4 oz. sliced bamboo shoots
4 oz. sliced water chestnuts
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, cubed*
.5 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
curry powder (or paste), to taste
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked rice, any variety

*I chopped all of these into about the same smallish bite-size. I wanted to be sure that you could get several flavors into each bite, and it worked really well. If you chop into a larger dice, you will need to adjust cook times.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potato chunks in a little olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and place them in a baking dish. Roast them for 10 minutes, since they take a little longer to cook than the other vegetables. Toss the pepper, carrot, and leek in a bit more olive oil and salt, and add them to the pan with the par-roasted potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes more, until tender and just beginning to brown around the edges. The leeks might get a little more brown than everything else, but they are crispy and wonderful. I kind of want to eat roasted leeks every day now.

Back on track, set aside your roasted vegetables. Season your chicken with a little salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat up a splash or two of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken chunks on all sides, then reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic, shoots, and water chestnuts, saute for about 1 minute, until warmed through and fragrant. Be careful to not burn the garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and surry paste/powder (I used a combination of the two). Adjust curry seasonings to desire spice level, and add a splash of water to thin. Pour over the chicken mixture, toss well to combine. Add mushrooms and roasted vegetables to the pan, toss several times to coat in the sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes more, until everything is warmed through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve over rice.

White Bean Dip and Baked Wonton Chips

2006-03-19T01:44:00.000-05:00

I love it when experiments work, don't you? We had dinner guests coming last night, and I wanted to have something snacky and crunchy out for them when they arrived. However, I was serving some very rich lasagna rolls (see below) and therefore wanted to avoid inducing cardiac arrest in my guests.

And so, on a whim, I tried making some baked wonton chips and white bean dip. The chips were incredibly easy, as you see, and the dip tasted creamy but only had a little drizzle of oil. Even better, I got to use some herbs from my garden, making this the perfect submission for Weekend Herb Blogging.

White Bean Dip and Baked Wonton Chips

for the dip:

1 14-oz can cannelini beans, drained
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
a few sprigs of whatever herbs you have on hand. I used:
-lemon balm
-mint
-thyme
-rosemary
coarse salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp chives, for garnish

Place everything but the chives in a blender (or a food processor, but I don't have one. Wah), and pulse until smooth and creamy. Top with chopped chives and serve with baked wonton chips.

for the chips:

half a package of prepared wonton wrappers
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the wonton wrappers in half and lay them out in a single layer. Spray with a coat of cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with the sea salt. Bake for 5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.

P.S. Yes, we have some new plants in the garden, and the radishes have made their way into the ground. Garden update to come once the sun decides to shine, maybe tomorrow?

Lasagna Rolls

2006-03-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

First of all, I would like to thank Cate at Sweetnicks for naming me as the "New (to her) Blogger on the Block" on Friday. Hopefully there are some new people reading this site, and so I welcome you and encourage you to leave a comment and tell me what you think!

In honor of Cate's distinction, I made her (by way of Giada DeLaurentis) Lasagna Rolls for dinner tonight. Rolling up the divine little parcels is slightly labor intensive, but worth every bit of work. They were rich and comforting, and I think the leftovers will still be delicious. I only had 8 lasagna noodles, so I just overstuffed them, and one turned out to be enough for each of our dinner guests. This is a winner of a meal.

Lasagna Rolls
serves 6

for the bechamel sauce:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 tsp all-purpose flour
1.25 cups whole milk
.25 tsp salt
pinch freshly ground pepper
pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Make this sauce while the lasagna noodles are boiling. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes (this will eliminate any uncooked-flour taste in your sauce). Whisk in the milk and increase heat to medium-high. Continue whisking until the sauce begins to simmer and is thick and smooth, roughly 3 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

for the lasgana rolls:

1 15-oz. container whole milk ricotta
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3 oz. prosciutto, chopped (I used hot capocollo instead)
1 large egg, beaten
.75 tsp salt, plus more for salting pasta water
.5 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (again, I used 8)
2 cups marinara (you can use jarred sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil and cook lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain; arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking rack to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, 1 cup parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper well with a wooden spoon.

Butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish (I used a smaller dish). Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 heaping Tbsp. of the ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at one end, roll up each noodle. Place the rolls seam side down, close together but not touching, on top of the bechamel sauce. Repeat with remaining noodles. Spoon 1 cup of the marinara over the rolls, then sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining parmesan over the top.

Cover tightly with foil and bake until heated through and sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until the cheese is golden, another 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Heat the remaining marinara in a small sauce pan and serve the warm sauce alongside the rolls. Great with a big chopped salad and a glass of wine, and a total crowd pleaser--I will definitely make these again!

Wine-Poached Chicken with Charmoula

2006-03-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes almost straight from Martha Stewart's "Healthy Quick Cook", a nice little cookbook featuring light, simple menus divided by season. I use it mostly for inspiration, but some of the recipes are wonderful. I actually managed to only make a few changes to this recipe, in fact. The sauce is very lively, and while Stewart (or whoever did the actual writing) classifies it as Moroccan, Chris and I agreed that it would be fantastic with Mexican dishes as well. Must be the cumin, cilantro, and tomato juice. Start to finish, this meal took about 20 minutes to make, so it's a great dinner for busy times.

I have never poached chicken before, and to tell the truth I was skeptical. I mean, just look at it, stark white and as bland-looking as can be. However, with this dish, it made sense. It was lightly flavored, moist, and served as a perfect backdrop to the piquant sauce. So, don't be scared when you are faced with these flabby-looking slabs of poultry, it's really quite good.

Wine-Poached Chicken with Charmoula
serves 2

for the charmoula sauce:

1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
.25 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsely
.25 cup tomato juice (more to thin)
.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
.5 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Add more tomato juice, if necessary, to reach a sauce-like consistency. Set aside to let flavors meld.

for the wine-poached chicken:

1 cup dry white wine
.5 cup chicken stock
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsely
8 whole peppercorns
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

In a heavy sauce pan big enough to hold the chicken in one layer, combine the wine, stock, parsely, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a lively simmer. Add the chicken and poach, turning once, for 15-17 minutes. Season to tast with salt and pepper. Remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

To serve, slice the chicken into 4 slices and pour Charmoula over the top. Delicious alongside Toasted Israeli Couscous and a chopped green salad. Enjoy!

Rigatoni alla Bolognese Bianco

2006-03-17T08:59:00.000-05:00

Ah, pasta. I cannot think of one dish that satisfies so many of my random cravings. This dish, with it's deceptively flavorful and silky sauce, holds rank near the top of all of my pasta dishes.

Amanda Hesser writes about a "Rigatoni with White Bolognese" she once had, and subsequently tried to recreate, in her book, "Cooking for Mr. Latte". It's a darling book with several good recipes, and I recommend you pick it up and try a few on for size. However, the recipe I eventually have settled on (after several tries), differs enough from the original that I feel I must only give her thanks for inspiring me. And so, thank you Ms. Hesser.

This dish can seem time consuming--after all, watching the liquids reduce over and over again not only becomes tiresome, it begins to inspire wrath from hungry dinner guests ( i.e., my husband). It is worth the wait. Reducing the wine, then stock, concentrates the flavors and produces a pasta so divine, I admit to patting myself on the back. It's that good.

Rigatoni alla Bolognese Bianco
serves 2, with leftovers

olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped*
2 stalk celery, finely chopped*
1 yellow onion, finely chopped*
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lb. mild Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
.5 lb. ground beef (or try ground turkey)
1 c. dry white wine
2 c. beef stock (chicken stock works, too)
8 oz. cremini (or Baby Bella) mushrooms, chopped
.3 c. half & half
1 lb. rigatoni
.5 c. Italiam flat leaf parsely
.5 c. grated parmesan cheese, divided

*It is important to get a fine dice on these vegetables, otherwise they will not incorporate with the sauce and won't stick to your pasta.

Pour a very thin coat of olive oil over the bottom of a large saute pan and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring often, until shiny and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper while cooking. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking apart the crumbles, and brown well.

Pour in the wine and keep at a brisk simmer until the wine has all but evaporated. Pour in 1.5 c. of the beef stock and continue to simmer, uncovered, until stock is nearly gone (about 12-14 minutes). Stir occaisionally. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Stir in the chopped mushrooms and as much of the remaining beef stock as is necessary to cover the meat halfway (I almost always use the entire .5 cup remaining). Continue simmering another 10 minutes, reducing heat if the liquid is cooking off too quickly. Your sauce should be loose, but not soupy, and highly seasoned. Pour over the Half & Half and fold to mix, then turn off heat and cover.

When the pasta water is at a full boil, add rigatoni and cook until al dente. When the pasta is almost done, scoop out a half cup of the cooking water and reserve for leftovers. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Pour the sauce on top, and add the parsely and most of the grated cheese (reserve some for garnish). Fold in the sauce with a wooden spoon--it should not be dry, rather a silky sauce should coat the pasta evenly. Add a little more stock or wine if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot, with grated parmesan on top. Add reserved pasta water to any leftovers to keep them moist for the next day. Enjoy!

Seared Scallops Over Wilted Spinach and Lemon Risotto

2006-03-15T16:22:00.000-05:00

Simple and healthful need not be boring, as is evident by tonight's dinner. Risotto, often an overly rich and creamy dish, finds its creaminess in slow cooking, chicken stock, and a bit of parmesan cheese. Lemons lend so much flavor that you can get away with ditching the heavy cream--try Meyer lemons if they are available to you. Scallops, simply seasoned and seared in a hot pan, give a caramelized crunch to soft, wilted spinach. Altogether, a lovely spring meal.

Seared Scallops Over Wilted Spinach and Lemon Risotto
serves 2

for the risotto:

1 small leek, white part only, well washed and cut into a fine dice
1 Tbsp butter, divided
splash olive oil
.5 c. Arborio rice
1.5 c. chicken stock
freshly ground pepper
sea salt
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
scant .25 c. parmesan cheese

Sweat the leek in half of the butter and the olive oil over low heat in a tightly covered sauce pan for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add the rice and raise the heat to medium, stirring often for 3 minutes, or until the grains are shiny and opaque.

Add half of the stock, season lightly with the salt and pepper, and stir continuously until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Add the remaining broth, .25 c. at a time, stirring constantly after each addition.

When most of the liquid is absorbed, add the zest and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes more, until the rice is al dente. Stir in the lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Season well with salt and pepper and stir in the remaining butter. Serve immediately.

for the scallops:

8 large diver scallops
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
.5 Tbsp butter
splash or two olive oil
splash of dry white wine or stock
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 small shallot, minced

Season scallops lightly with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat until butter is foamy. Place scallops in pan and do not touch, if you let them sit in the hot pan, undisturbed, you will get the golden caramelization we are after. Once the scallop begins to pull from the pan and look to be a deep golden brown on the edges (about 1-2 minutes), use a thin, flexible spatula or tongs to flip them over. Cook the other side until golden, another 1-2 minutes. Remove to a warm plate.

Add white wine and shallot to the hot pan, deglaze for 30 seconds, scraping up any browned bits, then add spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use tongs to toss quickly until it begins to wilt. To serve, you can either plate the risotto seperately or stack as such: scoop of risotto, topped with wilted spinach leaves, 4 scallops, and a bit of lemon zest for garnish. 4 is actually a proper serving of scallops, but Chris liked them so much he wished there had been more. This was a stunning dinner, enjoy!

A classic: Mushroom Quiche

2006-03-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

You might notice a new addition to the site over there on the left. The ads were suggested by a friend after I commented that being an Unemployed Cook was expensive. If the crass commercialism bothers you, I apologize heartily and encourage you to ignore them. But, hopefully, they will help me out a little bit. Thanks!

Today we had lovely lunch guests in the form of Chris' father and step-mother. I have been craving my classic quiche for days now, and this was a perfect opportunity to make it. Let me say right off the bat that I KNOW making piecrust isn't that difficult and I swear I'm going to learn how to make a proper one very soon. But for today, store bought had to do (and it was great).

Mushroom Quiche
serves 4 hungry lunch guests

1 8-oz. package baby Bella mushrooms
2 medium shallots, sliced thinly
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1 heaping cup shredded Gruyere cheese
3 eggs
.5 c. milk
.5 c. half & half
1 piecrust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick the bottom of your pie crust a few times with a fork and bake for 6 minutes, until it begins to feel dry to the touch. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Brush dirt off of mushrooms and chop into small pieces. Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan, add shallots and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and saute until they are a deep golden color and the liquid has evaporated (mushrooms are almost all water, so you want to cook that water out--liquidy mushrooms = soggy quiche). Remove from heat and let cool.

Using a whisk, mix the eggs, milk, and half and half until combined. Add a generous amount of fresh nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well.

Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly around the bottom of the pie crust. Top with mushroom mixture, then the rest of the cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top--it should be pretty full. Place into your oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown and is set in the middle. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before trying to cut it--although this is great at room temperature or even cold. Serve with a green salad. Enjoy!

Mimosa Soup

2006-03-13T16:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you reach a point where you've just had too much. Too much sugar, too much fat, too much everything. This is a good soup for when you've reached that point, and need something to make you feel cleansed.

This recipe comes from a book I'm a little embarrassed to own (it's about those damn French women and how they don't get fat, okay?). In the book, it is prescribed as a diet aid--eat nothing but this soup for nearly two days to jumpstart a new "programme". I usually just have it for lunch and snacks for a couple of days. It is bland, but in a comforting way. My recipe deviates from the original slightly, I added some salt (illegal!), a bit of chicken stock, and broccoli. Because I love broccoli.

Mimosa Soup
serves 1 for a couple of days

1 small head lettuce
several handfuls baby carrots
1 broccoli crown
1 small head cauliflower
1 turnip
1 large leek
1 c. chicken stock
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
.5 cup chopped parsely
hard boiled eggs

Clean and chop all vegetables in rough pieces and put them in a pot, except for the cauliflower and parsely. Add chicken stock and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Add the cauliflower and parsley and cook for another 10 minutes. Use salt and pepper to taste (remember, light on the salt!)

Puree in a blender in batches. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and a chopped hard boiled egg. Not the prettiest soup in the world, but very light, filling, and terribly healthy.

Deconstructed Fish Tacos...

2006-03-11T23:29:00.000-05:00

...because "Fish Nachos" just doesn't sound pretty.

Oh, but how I love fish tacos. I make them in probably a half dozen incarnations. One is the Shrimp Taco recipe I discuss here, yet another involves a cilantro beer batter. But these are very simple. Chunks of sweet grilled fish, topped with my friend Jenny's white sauce and a generous dollop of guacamole, piled cutely on a tortilla chip. Think how charmed you would be to find individual fish tacos served to you at a cocktail party--these are delicious two-bite wonders. And easy, too!

Deconstructed Fish Tacos
serves 2-3

for the white sauce:

This sauce comes straight from my friend Jenny, and it's lovely. I'm giving you her recipe, not the bastardized version that I cobbled together with available ingredients. I halved this recipe, and it still made a lot.

1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. plain yogurt
1 habanero pepper
2 Tbsp. capers
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried dill (or double the fresh)
.25 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
.25 tsp. salt
.25 tsp. ground black pepper
.25 c. lime juice (more may be needed to thin)

Put everything but the lime juice in a blender or food processor, process until thick and combined. Add the lime juice a little at a time until you think the sauce is thin enough--at least .25 cup.

for the tacos:

3 Tilapia fillets
pinch sea salt
pinch freshly ground pepper
splash dry white wine
olive oil
large white corn tortilla chips
white sauce
guacamole

Marinate the fish in a the salt, pepper, wine, and a bit of olive oil for 15 minutes. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat, coat with a film of oil. Grill fish for 1-2 minutes per side, being very careful while flipping--Tilapia is a delicate fish.

To assemble, place a chunk of warm fish on a tortilla chip, drizzle with sauce and top with a dollop of guacamole. Enjoy!

Comaburgers

2006-03-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last entry (before Blogger went crazy and wouldn't let me write anymore), the weather is positively balmy outside, and the world seems to have spring fever this weekend. All over the neighborhood I hear children playing, lawns being mown, and the telltale scent of charred meat wafts through the air.

And so, of course, it was time for hamburgers. And not just any hamburger, but the winner of the 2005 Build A Better Burger contest, the venerable "Grilled California Avocado BLT Burger wth Caramalized Chipotle Onions". It's even more of a mouthful to eat.

As usual, I took liberties with the recipe, made it smaller, etc. The link above will take you to the original creation, if you are a recipe purist. I have to say, this is probably one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten. Ever. PERIOD. It is that good, folks. Paired with grilled corn and slow baked beans, it will put you in heaven.

Now, why "Comaburgers"? First of all, I didn't quite follow the original recipe and I find typing it out to be a tiresome task. Secondly, these burgers have a unique narcoleptic effect. After eating them, Chris and I both felt the need to lie down and ultimately went to bed early. Today, I had a dialed-down version for lunch, and promptly took a nap with Buster the beagle. Dangerous stuff. But, so amazing.

Comaburgers
serves 4

for the caramelized chipotle onions:

.5 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Tabasco Smoked Chipotle sauce
1 tsp stock, any flavor (water will do in a pinch)
1 tsp basalmic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar

Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, tossing well to combine and cover onions. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender and sweet. Keep warm until ready to serve.

for the bleu cheese spread:

.25 c. herbed spreadable cheese (I used Boursin)
2 Tbsp. bleu cheese crumbles
(or, try melting some good pimento cheese instead)

Combine cheeses in a small saucepan. Heat gently over a low flame until soft and easily combined. Cover and keep warm.

for the patties:

1 lb. ground beef (I used Laura's Lean Beef)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. Tabasco Smoked Chipotle sauce
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
8 avocado slices
basalmic vinegar
4 leaves of lettuce
4 slices cooked bacon (very crispy turkey bacon works, too)
4 hamburger buns, split

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Remind me sometime to rant about the inferiority of gas grills.

Combine the beef, herbs, Chipotle sauce, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible, mix well. Divide into four equal portions, and keep in mind that wider, thinner burgers are less likely to cook up into hockey pucks.

Place the patties on the grill and cook, turning once, 5-6 minutes per side for medium doneness. While the burgers are grilling, brush the avocado slices with basalmic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut your cooked bacon slices in half. Lightly toast your buns during the last minute of burger cooking.

To assemble: spread the cheese mixture evenly on all cut bun sides. On each roll bottom, place a lettuce leaf, a patty, an equal portion of the caramalized onions, 2 bacon halves, and 2 avocado slices. Smoosh the roll tops on, and dig in!

So there you go, these burgers are to die for. Or, at least, worth the coma. Labor intensive, yes, but it's for a very good cause--enjoy!

Sides: Grilled Corn and Slow Baked Beans

2006-03-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

Spring continues to make appearances, and so the grill must come out. I woke up yesterday thinking of corn, thinking of hamburgers, and thinking of my special baked beans.

Now, these beans are out of the can, I'll admit that right up front. But, it's the things you add and the way they are cooked that will make them special. The end result is caramelized, concentrated with flavor, and a great foil to the freshness of the corn. Try them out at your next backyard barbeque.

Slow Baked Beans
serves 4

1 18-oz. can or jar baked beans (I used B&M Originals)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
.25 c. diced onion
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp sorghum molasses
2 slices bacon

Prehat oven to 300 degrees.

Pour the beans into a small baking dish, including the juices. Remove the chunk of pork floating around in there, unless you are using vegetarian beans.

Add the sugar, sauce, onions, and molasses, stir well to combine. Place strips of bacon on top.

Bake for at least 2 hours, or until the beans are a very dark, sticky, caramalized color. If you have a hot oven (like my parents), you may want to turn down to 250 degrees halfway through. Serve warm.

Grilled Corn
serves 2

This is more of a technique than recipe. To grill corn I like to gently pull back the husks and remove all of the silks. I then tie the husks up into a handle-like fashion and rub them generously with some herbed butter (1 clove garlic, 1 small handful parsley, butter, salt, and pepper).

I place them on a medium grill with the husk-handles hanging off the side, so they don't burn. Grill for 10 minutes, turning and applying more butter often, then enjoy!

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

2006-03-09T23:58:00.000-05:00

Ah, some ideas burn so bright until execution--isn't that always the way? I should back up, I have read several variations of this very dish, and every time, I am tempted and intrigued. And, in the end, it was very good and I cleaned my pasta bowl. BUT, I can tell this is something I will need to tweak to perfect.

Changes I would make:

1. Use less pumpkin in each ravioli

2. Use one wonton wrapper, folded in half, instead of two placed on top of each other

3. Cook pasta a little less so it can hold up to...

4. ...being sauteed in the sauce instead of pouring the sauce over

5. Serve with a crunchy savory garnish, maybe crisped prosciutto?

6. LESS BUTTER!

I altered my recipe to account for these changes where I could.

That said, this was lovely, and worth the effort. I used some frozen pumpkin puree out of the freezer (thanks, mom and dad!), but you could roast your own baking pumpkin or butternut squash and puree the flesh. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce
serves 4

for the ravioli:

1 cup pumpkin or squash puree
1 cup ricotta cheese (use fresh if you've got it, otherwise drain the storebought cheese in cheesecloth for an hour)
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp basalmic vinegar
1 Tbsp dark molasses
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
.25 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
wonton wrappers

for the sage brown butter sauce:

4 Tbsp butter
6 diced sage leaves
4 large whole sage leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread squash puree on a baking sheet and place in oven to dry, 10-15 minutes. You want your puree to be at a mashed-potato consistency. Scrape into a large mixing bowl.

Heat 1 Tbsp butter in a small sautee pan over medium heat until it begins to brown. Remove from heat, swirl in basalmic vinegar and molasses. Add to the pumpkin along with the ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Season to taste with the salt and pepper, chill for a couple of hours. At this point the filling can be refrigerated for 1-2 days.

Lay out your wonton wrappers--I use wonton wrappers because I don't make pasta. If you make pasta, knock yourself out. Put a small mound (abut half a Tbsp.) of the chilled pumpkin filling in the center of a wonton. Using a small pastry brush, moisten all of the edges with a little cold water. Fold the wonton in half, firmly pressing the seam, forming either a triangle or a rectangle. Repeat until you run out of wrappers or filling. You can freeze these uncooked raviolis, in a single layer, for 1 month. Cook the raviolis in gently boiling water for 2 minutes.

While the raviolis are cooking, melt the remaining butter with the sage and a pinch of salt until it foams and begins to brown. Remove whole sage leaves and drain on a paper towel (they will be a crispy, pretty garnish). Continue to swirl the butter sauce until it turns a rich chestnut brown.

Now, you can either spoon the sacue over your raviolis in their serving bowls, or you can toss the ravioli in the butter before serving. Either way, serve with grated Parmesan cheese, a couple of fried sage leaves and a nice green salad. Enjoy!

Fondue: Do You?

2006-03-08T21:34:00.000-05:00

It should go without saying, but: I do! I love fondue in any incarnation. Tonight, facing a refrigerator full of cheeses on their last legs, and some vegetables screaming to be eaten, I did what made the most sense: melted that delicious stuff down and dipped everything else into it.

For our dipping pleasure tonight, I brought out the regular players: pumpernickel and french breads, crisp Fuji apples, baby carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. I added some tender rotisserie chicken breasts to the mix because they are good, and also Chris panics sometimes about getting enough protien.

Before I get into the recipe, I feel the need to address a couple of things. We have been led to believe that fondue is 1) difficult, somehow; and 2) needs special equipment. I am here to tell you this is untrue! I made tonight's gooey mess in a double boiler, but the same effect could be reached with a small saucepan, a low flame, and a watchful eye. "But," you may be wondering, "don't you need a can of Sterno to keep it melty?" You don't! Good fondue has other liquids emulsified into it, and will keep liquid and warm for at least half an hour. If it starts thicken up on you, less than 5 minutes back on the stove will set you straight.

And so, I implore you, take those borderline moldy cheeses and almost-wilting vegetables and make yourself a light (well, except for all the cheese) and easy meal. This recipe is highly adaptable, just keep the proportions the same. Enjoy!

Cheese Fondue
serves 4

1 lb. assorted cheeses, sliced into sticks, or grated (I highly recommend using equal parts good Swiss chese, Jarlsburg, and Gruyere)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 garlic clove, cut in half
scant cup dry white wine
2 splashes beer
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brandy (kirsch, a cherry brandy, is traditional)
.5 tsp dry mustard
fat pinch fresh grated nutmeg

In a small bowl, toss the cheese sticks with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of a small saucepan with the garlic clove, then discard. Over medium heat, add the wine, beer, and lemon juice and bring to a low simmer.

Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid--I find a whisk helpful during this step. Once all of the cheese is melted and well incorporated, stir in the brandy and nutmeg, then serve. YUM.