I have not posted lately. I'm sorry. It's just that there is a lot to do when you are moving. Yes, moving!
About 10 - 12 years ago, my Mom and Dad asked me if I ever wanted to move back to Texas. My response: "I don't want to live any where that the zip code doesn't start with 7 or higher." In case you are wondering, the zip code in Texas starts with 6.
Now, after a year in Massachusetts (where the zip code starts with 0), Jeremy and I have realized just how true the “7” statement is for the both of us.
Tell someone that you had Lamb for dinner and you will probably get quite a reaction. People either love lamb, hate it (it's gamey), or they just can't believe you would eat an animal with such a cute face.
I'm thinking the gamey people have never had a good piece of Lamb that has been well cooked. As far as the "cute face" people - well, I don't really have anything to say about them. Me, I love lamb.
Ah, the Patty Melt: quintessential diner food. Until a few nights ago, I have never had one.
Back when I was little and out shopping with my Mom and Grandmother - we would sometimes go out to lunch. You know, that place with the Curried Shrimp Salad? I remember seeing it there on the menu – The Dieter's Special: ground-beef patty with cottage cheese and fruit. Yuck!
Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I can think of no better way to honor the man who taught me the love of food than to cook some of his favorites: Steak, Red Wine, and a little Pimento Cheese.
Everything I know about food I know because of my Dad. I grew up in the kitchen with him - cutting, stirring and tasting everything along the way. He taught me how to develop my pallet and identify different ingredients. He taught me the joys of trying new foods and experimenting with familiar ones.
Ah, the guilty pleasure, everything and anything we're just a wee bit embarrassed to admit to. Shopping indulgences. Michale Jackson's Thriller. The cheap paperback. Even the most straitlaced, politically correct vegan among us gives in to temptation of a favorite junk-food from time to time. Guilty pleasures put color in life, and who am I to deny myself?
For me, it is Jalapeño poppers, the ones with cream cheese, not cheddar. "You do realize this is fried cream cheese, right?" Um, yea! Isn't that kind of the point of a guilty pleasure – it's totally bad for you and Oh, So, Scrumptious! Heck, even Jeremy, Vermont boy, loves Jalapeño Poppers.
Sangría Rioja & Blanca: truly delicious and lusty coolers!
I love having friends over for Tapas style meals. Considering that in Spain, Sangria is traditionally served at informal social gatherings with the express purpose of communal enjoyment - That just sounds perfect to me.
I believe in Regional and Seasonal food. No, really, I do! Therefore, you might ask, Well then Tori, why are you cooking Beef Burgundy in September? Well, let me tell you about it.
A friend of Jeremy's, Arron, came over for dinner the other night. He has been a little bummed since his new girlfriend is out of town for two weeks. So what is a good hostess to do? Make that boy his favorite dish – Beef Burgundy!
Did every body have their grill going over Labor Day Weekend? I hope so.
Jeremy and I had a good weekend. We played lots of Ping Pong, grilled a bunch of good food, watched a bunch of movies and hung out on the deck. Did I mention we grilled a bunch of good food?
Yesterday Paul, a friend of Jeremy's, asked about cooking pasta al dente.
Al Dente is considered to be the ideal form of cooked pasta. What it means is “ to the tooth” or “to the bite”. But, that does not really tell us much. So, I looked up the term. According to Wikipedia, al dente is cooked so as to be firm but not hard, still offering resistance to the bite, but cooked through. I know what you are thinking: “What the heck does that mean?”
Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian-American dish, for good reason. Marsala wine sauce has a distinctive sweet and smoky aroma that tantalizes your taste buds. In other words, it's unresistable!
Traditionally Chicken Marsala is made by searing the chicken, reducing the wine almost to a syrup and then adding mushrooms and herbs. This wonderful dish really lends itself well to many variations. Therefore, any one can make it just the way the like it. I am partial to lots of mushrooms and lots of sauce. Sometimes I add a little cream and bacon. Because, well, I'm a sucker for cream and bacon!
Shrimp and a slice of pickled jalapeño wrapped with bacon and grilled to perfection. These little bites are so decadently delicious that every one of my vegetarian friends are suddenly “not that vegetarian” when Shrimp Diablo shows up.
A chef I worked with once told me that Vegetables were the Jewels of the plate. Well, I think of no better Jewels of the summer than the sweet juiciness of a vine-ripened Tomato and fragrent lovely Basil!
Just think of it: a hunk of grilled bread, a thick slice of tomato drizzled with olive oil, and topped with one perfect basil leaf. Summer in one bite!
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese - it's total comfort!
Creamy, rich, satiny, delicious... and just a little decadent. As far as I'm concerned, nothing makes pasta-meets-cheese harmony like a classic Cheddar Mornay Sauce.
It was my birthday. I was maybe seven or eight. My parents told me we could go to any restaurant I wanted for dinner. I said, "Yea, Kentucky Fried Chicken!" My mom and dad looked at each other, looked back at me, and said, "No, really honey. Any restaurant."
That night, my family had dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken.
I got an e-mail from Jeremy yesterday. "Hey Sweetie, R asked if you had any pork chop recipes you could put up on the site... mmm... I wouldn't mind having pork chops tonight."
Jeremy's friend, R, has a CSA in Chestnut Farms. Every month he gets 20 pounds of pork, beef, lamb or poultry. How cool is that?
As much as I love burgers, I don't make them at home too often. I guess it's because, to me, a burger is no simple affair. If I'm going to make them at home - they are going to be exactly the way I like them!
Sometimes I get crazy ideas in my head. Usually they are about food. Go figure. Often when I come up with those crazy ideas, I just can't help myself – I have to try it. You never know.
The other day, I wanted pasta. I had some nice tomatoes and some fresh basil. So, all I needed was some mozzarella. Hey wait a minuet, Caprese! I love Caprese. But, I still want pasta. Well, what if I put the Caprese on top of some Linguine? Hmmm.
Say what you will about the fake stuff. All I know is that this was a really tasty, inexpensive and fun summer sandwich!
I am a sucker for California Rolls. I realize they are considered "beginner" sushi, but I don't care. Slightly spicy Crab, tender avocado, crispy cucumber - it's a great combination. In certain applications, like California Rolls, I just don't mind the fake crab stuff.
I don't think I would care to live without garlic!
I remember having a discussion one day, long ago, with my Mom and my brother, Stephen. We were making barbecue sauce. Mom said that garlic did not go in barbecue sauce. Stephen and I disagreed. The only foods Stephen and I could think of that garlic did not belong in were desserts. Garlic went into the barbecue sauce.
What is so great about kebabs? Is it the little chunks of food? Is it the sticks? Is it the pretty patterns you can make with the food?Is it that they are so easily grillable?
I think it is the stick. There is just something fun about food on a stick! Think of corn dogs, or how much fun it was to spear cubes of cheese with a toothpick when you were a kid. Yes, I think kebabs remind us of these things.
It always makes me sad when the price of asparagus gets outrageously high again. And people think gas is expensive. Beautiful, tender, long and thin - no more, until next spring.
I bought my last batch a little while ago. I was having some friends over and wanted to make something special. Since I was really stretching the asparagus season this year, I was unsure about the flavor of the last of my little spears. But, then I saw a jar of marinated mushrooms and had an idea.
In case you were wondering, the exact same ricotta filling for the cherry tomatoes, is fantastic stuffed into a chicken breast.
A few nights ago I was rooting around in the refrigerator deciding what to make for dinner. I try to plan menus in advance, but I tend to be a "mood" cooker. What i found was chicken breast, ricotta cheese, and roasted tomatoes. The wheels were starting to turn.
Yes, these actually are stuffed cherry tomatoes. Aren't they cute?
I remember sitting at the kitchen table when I was little, helping my dad prepare food for a party. Cherry tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad. They were often the first tidbit we ran out of. People just can't resist them.
I think salads are a great way to keep cool during the hot summer months. Especially if it is made with cool, crisp vegetables, like tomato and cucumber.
As I have mentioned before, my sweetie is a meat and pasta guy. He eats salad, but it is not anything he gets excited about. Luckily, tomato and cucumber are two of Jeremy's favorite vegetables. They actually disappear pretty quickly around him.
I sure hope every one is having a chance to hang out by a grill today.
I can't thing of a better place to be than next to a grill covered in wonderful food, a beer in my hand and my sweetie by my side. Tonight Jeremy and I are having grilled hot dogs with smoky baked beans and blueberry pie!
Is there anything you can't put on top of pizza? This is the beauty of pizza. If you can imagine a topping, you can make it. Shrimp with Pesto & Goat cheese; Prosciutto & tomato; creamed onion & bacon or jalapenos & pineapple. Heck, why not?
There is a place in my neighborhood that makes a sausage and eggplant pizza. Only the eggplant is breaded and deep fried - like for eggplant Parmesan. That pizza is to die for! They have another pizza that has chicken, roasted red peppers and big dollops of ricotta cheese. Oh, my.
I remember a beautiful day back in the March. It was finally warm enough to sit outside for lunch. I whipped up a huge batch of Sticky Wings and Cole Slaw. Jeremy and I headed out to the porch with bottles of beer and a huge platter - we devoured every wing.
I love food that I get to eat with my hands, especially chicken wings. Even Jeremy, who is not big on eating with his hands, loves to eat wings. I am always thrilled for a chance to sit outside on a warm summer day with a cold beer and nibble on these cute and gooey little guys.
From humble Diners to stylish Southern Restaurants, you can find this comforting staple in every corned of the south. Why? Because it is just that good!
The origins of shrimp and grits were basic breakfast for southern fishermen for decades. Simply called 'breakfast shrimp," the dish consisted of a pot of grits with shrimp cooked in a little bacon grease. Most people nowadays add a few more ingredients. But, simple is always the best.
I'm starting to think people in my new neck of the woods don't barbecue.
Oh, sure, they throw a burger or chicken breast on the grill. That is grilling - high heat, fast cooking. I'm talking about Barbecue, a whole different beast. Smother a hunk of meat with a dry spice rub. Set it over a low, low heat for a long, long time. Baste it often with a succulent sauce - the result will fall apart in your fingers and melt in your mouth. You know, like pulled pork.
Intense sunshine upon the white sandy beaches. A warm breeze blowing off the crystal clear water. Forests of cacti. I sit and watch the waves lapping the beach drinking baby bottles of Pacifico, while eating fish tacos.
A few extra steps can make all of the difference in the world.
I cooked up these crispy little morsels the other night to serve with chicken fried steak and cream gravy. The taters were perfect, crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. As soon as Jeremy saw them he grabbed one, dunked it into the gravy and popped it into his mouth. He looked so happy, I thought he might cry. The taters almost did not make it to the table.
Chicken and Broccoli. No. Beef and Broccoli. (I am wandering around in the grocery store trying to decide what to make for dinner.) Maybe. Or should I get the chicken? Hey look at that! The pork is on sale. Pork and Broccoli it is!
Someday. Yes, someday (after I win the lottery) I will shop only at the Natural grocery stores. I will buy organic everything. I will buy grass fed beef raised by vegan virgins just down the street from where I live. Until then, I am on a budget. I got a pound and a half of pork chops for $3. Wahoo!
Tender pieces of steak. Sweet sauted peppers, onions and mushrooms. Spicy jalepanos. Soft chewy bread. Tangy mustard. Smooth melty cheese. What is there not to love about a cheese steak sandwich.
A cheese steak is everything that is great about a steak with even more good stuff piled on. All those flavors blending perfectly together. Even though it is a sandwich, cheese steaks feel decadent to me - rich and tender, sweet and spicy.
Romesco just isn't winter fare. Through the long dark months, you must wait. When warm weather arrives, you know that soon you will savor it again. The beautiful orange - red color will liven up your plate. Sweet, spicy, pungent, crunchy. Each flavor springs to life. Your taste buds will rejoice! I believe the waiting actually makes it taste even better.
As many Grandmothers as there are in Spain is how many ways there are to make Romesco Sauce. My favorite version involves peppery olive oil, sweet roasted red peppers, slightly tart apples and crunchy almonds and hazelnuts. While is may sound like an odd combination the result is magic.
I am a runner. At breakfast I remembered that I had forgotten a very important event that had to happen this morning. It threw off the day. Moods were not exactly high. Consequently, I had a bad run today.
I read somewhere that running is an excellent analogy for life. I think about this every time I have a bad run. There I am, breathing hard, aching, tripping over cracks all while other runners effortlessly breeze past me.
"Okay Tori, stop thinking about it. Think of something else. What am I going to write about today? Yea, that's good. What will I write about?"
A few days ago Jeremy told me about his favorite warm weather breakfast: cottage cheese and pineapples. Who would of thought? A die hard meat and pasta boy who likes cottage cheese.
What is a girl to do? Well, this girl was going to make her boy his favorite breakfast!
Right now the smell of a slow roasting chicken is permeating every inch of my little house. It is such an incredible sensation: to walk into a house and smell food cooking. It is the smell of love and home.
I don't know anyone (any omnivore, that is) who doesn't like roasted chicken. I think it is one of the things everyone should know how to cook. Want to make dinner for someone? This simple dish will impress the heck out of them.
You and I both know that the Summer Solstice is only two weeks away. Boston, however, does not.
Yesterday it was cold, rainy and only 55°F. This kind of thing does not happen out west.
I could not help myself. I was cold. I had to do it. I made soup. Not just any soup. I made Clam chowder!
People are always amazed when I tell them that Spaghetti and Meatballs was a rare treat in my childhood home. My mom didn't like pasta. So, we didn't eat it. (She has since mender her evil ways.)
This must be part of the reason I love spaghetti and meatballs! Back when I was a kid, when actually did get to have them it was like a holiday; a belated birthday present a month after your birthday, or a snow day in May. My brothers and I would whoop and holler! We'd pour on as much cheese as we could get away with. Oh, the slurping! As you can imagine, there was great amounts of spaghetti slurping. The sauce was everywhere. This is probably the real reason we hardly ever had spaghetti and Meatballs: we made a mess!
For a few years in the mid 90's I lived in a small town in the middle of Arizona. There were plenty of places to eat-out in this little town. However, a majority of them were extremely mediocre. Much to my amazement these places were always packed. I just don't get why people pay good money to eat bad food!
In the midst of it all, there appeared one shining star, Siena.
Okay, I confess, ever since Howard Yoon's Kitchen Window story “Welcoming the Dog days of Summer” came out last week, I have been craving hot dogs! Just the thought of biting into a crisp juicy dog takes me right back to childhood summers, cook outs and picnics in the park!
Considering that today is Memorial day – the official beginning of Summer – what a perfect day for hot dogs.
I love small things. Especially small plates of food. Call it what ever you want – Meeze, Tapas, Zakuski; I call it snack dinner.
Whenever I can, I have a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner. Small plates make great dinners. Unless, of course you make too many small plates – which I often do. (I suffer from “my eyes are bigger than my belly” syndrome.)
I was cleaning out my frig the other day. Fun, fun! I had a bunch of fresh basil that was not going to make it much longer. It was obviously pesto time.
Well, I also have some cilantro and some parsley. But, not really enough of either to make single purees out of them. So, why cant I mix them all together? I could not come up with a good reason. I look around in the frig a little more. Yep, I've got pine nuts. Garlic, of course. Plenty of olive oil. Bummer, no lemon. Hmm. I have some limes. I'll try that.*
My dad always made family breakfast on Sunday when I was young. I remember when I was a teenager my brothers and I would stumble down to the kitchen for a big breakfast with mom and dad. After filling our bellies with bacon and eggs we would climb back into bed. It was Sunday morning heaven.
I still love to have a big breakfast on the weekends. I scan the frig for the weeks leftovers, deciding what I can mix together. Meat, vegetables, sauces – it's all good. Sometimes I hide tid-bits in the back of a drawer. (If nothing else there is always a can of refried beans and some cheese.) I pile my discoveries on top of tortillas and place them in the oven to warm. Then I top the whole thing off with two fried eggs.
One of the many great things that spring brings with it is Picnics. And Picnics mean Deviled Eggs!
I love Deviled Eggs. My dad always told me the reason they were called Deviled is because they had Deviled Ham in them. That is how he always made them. I have no idea what is actually in Deviled Ham. In fact I'm a little afraid of it. But, I do know it is an excellent addition to Deviled Eggs.
