Scalloped Potatoes

"And don't forget the flour." That's what my mother said to me when I asked her how she makes her scalloped potatoes. "Layers of potato, onion powder, pepper, butter and flour and topped off with whole milk. And don't forget the flour." 3 guesses what I did.

It all started when I got a hankering for scalloped potatoes on our third consecutive day of below freezing weather. It just sounded warm and comforting. Having never made them, I briefly confirmed with mother goose the basics and then set to work. I used my food processor to uniformly (and quickly) slice the potatoes wafer thin. I had my roommates pick up three thick slices of ham from the store which I then cut up into chunks. And then I went to work. Potatoes, salt, pepper, onion powder, ham, butter. Potatoes, salt, pepper, onion powder, ham, butter. Potatoes, salt, pepper, onion powder, ham, butter until my baking dish wash full. As I poured the milk over the top, and all my roommates admired the pretty dish, it hit me. !@#$%. I forgot the flour.

It turned out tasty, but very liquidy. It definitely needs the flour.

Inspiration: It's Frickin' Freezing Out Side
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food processor with slicing tool, deep baking dish
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients
4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and dried
2 slices 1/4" thick cut ham, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 stick of butter, cubed small
onion powder
black pepper
FLOUR
1 pint whole milk

1. Using a food processor, slice the potatoes as thin as possible. If you don't have a slice mechanism (or a food processor for that matter), you will have to hand cut the potatoes, as thinly and uniformly as possible.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a deep baking dish. (I used olive oil)
3. Create a layer of potatoes on the bottom, over lapping the edges so that the bottom of the pan is covered. Sprinkle with 1/8th tsp onion powder, 1/8th tsp. black pepper and 1/2-1 tsp flour. Spread a small portion of the ham across the bottom and butter. Repeat this until you have either exhausted space in your baking dish or have run out of potatoes.
4. Pour milk over the top of the potatoes until it reaches the 2nd before the top layer.
5. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 for 40-45 minutes. It should be golden brown on the top, and a knife should easily pierce the potatoes.

Winter Stew

On Saturday, my roommates, our friends Shiv and Ra, their dogs and I piled into the hippie van and drove out to Beaver Creek to find a couple of Christmas Trees. The forecast called for snow at about 1000 feet and boy did it ever. For the better part of an hour we ran around the tree farm, throwing snowballs at each other, chasing the dogs, and eventually cutting down a couple of trees, all the while it flurried around us. It wasn't until we got back into the van that we realized how cold we were. We figured the best thing to do was to make a big pot of buffalo stew to warm us back up.

Inspiration: Tree Hunting
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Super easy
Special equipment: Cast Iron top dutch oven (enamel coated a plus)
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients
2 lbs stew meat (beef, buffalo, or venison)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbs flour
3 tbs olive oil
4 cups beef broth
1 pint dark beer (such as porter or stout)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2-3 bay leaves
3 medium carrots, peeled and chunked up - bite sized
3 celery stalks, chunked up - bite sized
3 Yukon gold potatoes, chunked up - bite sized

1. Toss the stew meat with the flour and salt and pepper until coated. Over medium high heat, cook the stew meat in the dutch oven with oil in batches until browned on all sides.

2. Once browned, add all stew meat back into the dutch oven. Add in broth and beer and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Using butchers string, tie the herb sprigs together and add to the simmering pot (this makes it way easier to remove the sprigs later). Add in the bay leaves. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours. (check on this occasionally to make sure that it's simmering and not a rolling boil.)

3. About 20 minutes before you're ready to eat, add the potatoes, carrots and celery into the pot and continue to simmer. As soon as the carrots and potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaves and the sprigs from the stew. Serve hot.

Buttermilk Biscuits

A few years ago, while visiting my Mom's Aunt Jan and Uncle Red at their property on Snag Lake in the Warner Mountains, Jan taught me the art of making biscuits while camping. I thought she was nuts. It actually turned out to be a super simple technique involving a cast iron dutch oven, some charcoal and Bisquick biscuit dough. While making the biscuit dough, I was telling Jan about my failed attempt to make a sourdough for bread and biscuits and the like when Red said to me, "Now Joe, Do you believe there is a better recipe for biscuits that is as easy to make as Bisquick?" It was not a question. You have to understand that, even in his 70's, Red was an imposing man. He stood over six feed, was still muscular from his days as a forest ranger, spoke very loudly and he had a complete disregard for personal space. So I took his question as a challenge to find him a recipe for biscuits from scratch that are as good as Bisquick and just as easy. Red, wherever you may be, I am happy to say, I've done it.

Inspiration: Red's Biscuit Challenge
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Super easy
Special equipment: Cheese grater
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, grated using a cheese grater
3/4 cup buttermilk
Milk, for brushing the biscuits

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend in the butter until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

3. Add the buttermilk, stir the mixture until it just forms a dough, and gather it into a ball. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough gently 6 times and pat it out into a rectangle, roughly 1/2-inch thick.

4. Using a knife, divide the dough into 12 even-sized squares. Separate the squares and invert the squares onto a lightly greased baking sheet.

5. Brush the tops of the squares with the milk, bake the biscuits in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are pale golden, and transfer them on to a rack. Serve the biscuits at room temperature.

Simple Vinaigrette

Last night I had a potluck board meeting and was fortunately assigned salad duty. I say "fortunately" because salad is easy and my free time has been scarce this past week due to catching-up-at-work-post-vacation (I know, big sob story). The holidays are also in full swing, which hit me over the head when I went shopping for the fixings. Runny-nose kids were jumping on toy displays, ladies clad with coupons were racing through the aisles (and taking out elbows with their carts), men with perplexed faces were picking apart the bric-a-brac on 2-day-sale tables, and I was fighting for my life (and the last fennel bulb) in the produce department. I survived the checkout lines and fled the store, only to realize that I had forgotten salad dressing. I refused to go back into the hell mouth that was Fred Meyers and wait in line again, so I raided the cupboards at home and whipped up this simple vinaigrette. It's not half bad...

Inspiration: Jingle-bell meltdown
Time: Under 5 minutes
Difficulty: What difficulty?

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quality vinegar (I mixed apple cider with balsamic)
  
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon finely-chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Add first six ingredients and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Or, you can just pour all ingredients into a bottle with tight-fitting lid and shake it (and I mean shake it. Shake, shake, shake, shake it. Like a Polaroid picture.)

What to dress? For the salad, I caramelized red onion and fennel root and tossed it with 1/2 spinach, 1/2 field greens, fresh tomato, cucumber, carrots, pears and pecans. Yum. Goat cheese is also a great addition... but alas, another ingredient that I forgot to get at the store!

Pineapple Salsa over Grilled White Fish

One of my favorite things to do is cook using local ingredients. Rarely is that more exciting than when you're visiting someplace exotic, like Maui for example. Known for many things (from beaches to Bikinis) Maui is probably best known for Maui gold. That is, its island grown Pineapple which are so incredibly flavorful and so incredibly sweet that you'll be hard pressed to eat a mainland pineapple ever again. They are that good.

Now, Maui pineapples can be found all over the island (although oddly not at the Safeway...go figure). Jenny and I were fortunately to have a local surf bum give us the low down on where to find the freshest fruit and the freshest fish, which just happened to be a 10 minute drive from our condo. We win!

Inspiration: When in Rome...err...Maui...
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Super easy
Special equipment: Grill or grill pan
Servings: 8 Adults and 2 munchkins

Ingredients:
6 fillets of fresh white fish (we had Mahi Mahi and Mon Clava caught earlier that morning)
1 large pineapple, chunked into bitesized pieces
1/2 papaya, seeded and chunked into bite sized pieces
1 medium Maui sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 tsp salt
1 lime, juiced
Fresh ground pepper to taste
(optional, 1 avocado, diced)

1. Season fresh fish with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Let sit for 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile, toss together pineapple, papaya, onion, ginger in a medium sized bowl. Mash garlic to a paste with the salt, and stir in lime juice. Toss mixed fruit in garlic lime juice paste. Season with ground pepper to taste and set aside. (Let sit at least 20 minutes...the longer it sits the better. Like over night)
3. On a hot grill, cook fish briefly until done. Fresh fish fillets don't take long to cook. Maybe 4-5 minutes on either side)
4. Serve fish with salsa over the top of the fish.

CrockPot Stuffing

While SOME people are off cavorting in the sun & sea, the rest of us get to cook this Thanksgiving. I'd like to share a secret I discovered years ago when I had only one small oven, a medium sized turkey and 12 hungry people coming over for dinner: my crockpot! It is simple, healthy, leaves oven space and makes perfect stuffing every time. And the best part is that you get to use what ever stuffing recipe you like! The hard part is keeping people from lifting the lid to take a taste.

Inspiration: Not enough room in the oven for extra stuffing.
Time: 4-6 hours
Difficulty: easy
Special Equipement: CrockPot
Servings: whatever your recipe says

Make your stuffing as if you were going to stuff the bird. Put it in the crockpot and cook on high for 45 minutes. Turn to low and cook for 4-6 hours.

Grilled Minty Lamb

Last night I made Spanikopita. It was fantastic. Sauteed mushrooms, shallots and spinach all inside a crispy and buttery, triangular filo dough crust. So why am I not writing about it? I'll tell you why. I hate filo dough. It's such a pain in the butt. You have to move fast or it will dry out. If it's not perfectly thawed, it cracks. If it's too well thawed it sticks together. Pain Pain PAIN! So, before I add up the spanikopita recipe (it was too tasty not to), I want to get my technique down for working with filo dough so I can, in turn, make useful suggestions (instead of just using more butter, which is what I did). In the mean time, I think you should definitely try this simple recipe I used to grill a boneless leg of lamb to go along with the spanikopita.

Inspiration: My Big Fat Greek Wedding ("What do you mean you don't eat meat? That's okay I make lamb")
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Super easy
Special equipment: Grill or grill pan
Servings: 2 legs of lamb.

Ingredients:
2 one inch thick lamb steaks, washed and patted dry
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed (or 1 tsp ground coriander)
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup olive oil.

1. Mash garlic to a paste with salt. Mix in ground pepper and ground coriander.
2. Mince mint leaves until they are very finely chopped. Add to garlic paste with oil and mix thoroughly.
3. In a one gallon ziplock bag, pour garlic mint mixture over lamb steaks so that it coates the steaks evenly. Remove air from bag and seal. Let sit for 30 minutes.
4. On a hot grill, or on hot grill pan, cook lamb heat by searing on both sides for 4-5 minutes. You want lamb to be medium rare (NO EXCEPTIONS!), so it should still feel tender when you poke it (like if you press your index finger to your lips). Let steaks sit for 10 minutes before cutting into.

Note: You can make paste in a mini food processor if you have one.

Baked Goat Cheese

I am extravagantly generous when it comes to most things. Even in these woeful economically down-turned times I’m still willing to spend lavishly on food, on friends and on myself. Money should not be an object when it comes to these all-important necessities. But there is one thing that I am stubbornly opposed to… and that is turning on the heater. My California born and bred husband can be blue to his toenails, huddled in a fetal position while his breath steams out of his silently screaming mouth, and I will still refuse to turn on the heat. Yes, I may be cruel. But it’s only 45 degrees outside right now. Put on some socks and suck it up.

And it is because of my attitude about turning on the heater, and because (I’ll never admit this to my husband) I’m kind of cold right now, that I am going to be defiantly contrary and post a recipe that should really only be eaten in the summer, at the height of tomato season.

Of course, this recipe can be enjoyed even in the dead of winter, while the remnants of our homegrown tomatoes are rotting on the vine because we’re too lazy to pull them out of the ground (I’ll get to them by Christmas, I swear.) But everything is better with freshly picked still-warm-from-the-sun tomatoes. Sigh. I’m feeling toastier already.

Cheap goat cheese works great in this recipe. I’m thinking of that massive tube you can get at Trader Joe’s for like four bucks. The good stuff is, of course, even better. But save the good stuff for when you’ve got the good tomatoes. This makes an excellent appetizer for parties or potlucks. But I must admit, we eat it for dinner quite often.

Inspiration: I’m not turning on the heater, damn it!
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Super easy
Special equipment: An oven-proof dish
Servings: 2 as dinner (yes, we’re pigs) or a crowd as an app.

Ingredients:
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded’ed
1 T balsamic vinegar (especially important if you’re using winter tomatoes)
2 T fruity extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (11 oz) goat cheese log
¼ cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1 good quality baguette, toasted until crispy and sliced thin

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350.
1. Mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until a paste is formed. Add the balsamic vinegar and then the oil, whisking briskly to form an emulsion. Toss the dressing with the tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the tomatoes into a soup plate or other serving dish.

2. Form the goat cheese into a disc approximately 1 ½" thick. Press the walnuts into the goat cheese to form an even coating. If you have extra walnuts, sprinkle them into the bottom of your baking dish and place the goat cheese on top.

3. Put the goat cheese in an ovenproof dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is very soft when pressed with your finger.

4. Using a flat spatula, gently place the goat cheese on top of the tomato salad, sprinkle any loose walnuts over everything. Serve immediately with the baguette slices… A little dab of cheese, a topping of yummy tomato… Damn that’s good.

Note: The goat cheese can be prepped and stored in the fridge for up to 3 hours (any longer and the walnuts start to get soggy). Make sure you bring the goat cheese to room temperature before baking. The tomatoes can sit for about an hour at room temp before the basil starts to turn black.

Beef Gravy

My mom and I have an agreement. When a meal calls for it, she makes the gravy. It doesn’t matter what the function may be, or if some one wants to make it because they claim to make the best gravy. If my mother is involved with making dinner, she makes the gravy. From turkey gravy to gravy for roast beast and Yorkshire pudding, it is always perfectly flavorful, perfectly spiced and perfectly velvety. It doesn’t matter. My mom makes the gravy.

So why in the world would I post a gravy recipe to a blog in which my mother not only reads but also contributes to? The simple answer is that I want to teach you to make gravy so that I can post a number of my favorite wintertime comfort meals that would be lost without gravy. But let’s be clear. Although I make my gravy using the same ingredients she does. And although I have spent the last 26 years dutifully watching her make gravy, my gravy really does not compare. But it will get you to where you need to go, a winter of comfort food, slathered in the wonderfulness that is GRAVY.

Inspiration: Cold and rainy nights
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate (only because gravy can be tricky until you get the hang of it)
Special equipment: Heavy bottomed, mid sized pot
Servings: 8 hungry people

Ingredients:
4 Tbs. Flour
4 Tbs. Bacon fat (What? You don’t keep a jar in your fridge? Then fry up 1 lb of bacon and reserve the juices…I mean fat)
2-3 cups Beef Broth
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
¼ cup red wine
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Over medium heat, brown the flour in a heavy bottomed, medium sized pot, stirring constantly with a gravy whisk. Once flour is a golden brown, remove to a bowl or a plate (Note: you can do this ahead of time and store in your pantry).
2. Melt bacon fat in same pot, turning heat down to medium low. When liquefied, stir in flour with gravy whisk until flour has dissolved and made a paste.
3. Add ¼-½ cup of beef stock and stir rigorously. Paste will separate and come back together as you stir. Once it has come back together, continue adding the stock in ½ cup intervals, continually stirring and working out any lumps. Add enough of the stock so that you have the consistency you would like.
4. Reduce heat to it’s lowest setting. Add in onion powder, garlic powder, and wine. Salt and pepper to taste. As the gravy continues to cook, it will thicken further. You can always add more stock to thin it back out to desired consistency.

Note: You make poultry gravy the same way, but substitute rendered chicken fat for the bacon fat, and turkey or chicken stock for the beef stock.

Chicken Curry

Saturday night meals were always my favorite when I was a kid. We would break from routine meals during the week, and enjoy something that my mother could afford a little more time to make for us. Once of my favorites was my mother's version of Yellow Indian Curry. A Complexly flavorful dish with a surprising comfort food appeal. She would make up a huge steaming pot of it, and we would spoon it out plentifully over rice and then top it with coconut flakes, hard boiled egg whites and yolks, raisins, peanuts and bacon. I always remember noticing that when we were eating curry, the dinner table was quiet while we ate.


Inspiration: Sat night dinner at the blue house
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: Heavy duty pot
Servings: 4 hungry people

Ingredients:
1/2 lb bacon, cut into bits
2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup curry powder (Madras Preferred)
4 cups chicken stock (can substitute veggie broth)
2 hard boiled eggs, yolk and white separated, and then shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanuts shelled
3 cups prepared rice (Sorry, I can't cook rice for the life of me, so I won't try to tell you how)

1. In heavy bottomed pot, and over medium low heat. fry up bacon until crispy. Remove to a plate with paper town. Pour our all but 2 tbs of bacon fat.
2. Over medium low heat, cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat. Remove to a plate with a paper towel.
3. Over medium heat, Saute onions, and carrots in bacon fat (if you need to add 1 tbs of olive oil to keep from sticking, that's fine). After 2 minutes, add in curry powder and stir. The curry powder will stick to bottom, and that's OK.
4. When curried onions and carrots start to turn a dark caramel color, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the stock. When the bottom is cleared, add another 1 cup of the stock and begin to simmer. Thicken until sauce coats the back of a spoon. (note, if you want to add green beans, this is an excellent time to do it) Add your remaining stock and bring back to a simmer.
5. When ready to serve, spoon over prepared rice and top with coconut flakes, raisins, egg, bacon and peanuts.

Note: I often add green peppers while sauteing the onions and green beans while simmering before adding remaining liquid. I also like adding shredded colored greens in at the very end before serving. This can be made vegetarian by using very stock and omitting the chicken.

Sloppy Joe the Plumbers

It's been just over 20 hours since Obama was projected as our next President. In those 20 hours, I can't help but notice the excitement level of those I'm around has spiked through the roof. Friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, complete strangers on the streets have an collective aire of hope pouring out of them, the likes of which I have never seen before. I can honestly say it is the most remarkable experiences of community I can remember.

Last night, my roommates and I hosted a Barack Obama election party with around 30 of our nearest and dearest friends. Each time a new state was called for Obama we raised a glass to the people of that state. The nervous energy mounted as we cried, "PENNSYLVANIA!" "OHIO!" "VIRGINIA!" It was really happening. No one could believe it. At ten seconds to 8 we started counting down to the close of the Oregon polls and the chance to raise a glass to our state. At the count of zero and the stroke of 8:00, we erupted as it was announced Barack Obama had been elected as our President. Cheers became fits of joy became hugs and became dancing for no reason. We poured onto the porch where our neighbors next door, and around Portland, were joining in the celebration. All for the hope of something better than what we've suffered through for the last 8 years. 20 hours later I'm still abuzz. I still have goose bumps.

Inspiration: Joe the Plumber
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: Cast iron skillet
Servings: 10-15 sliders

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 tbs olive oil
1 Medium onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs yellow mustard
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
12 slider buns

1. In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef. Remove from skillet and let drain.

2. In same skillet, saute onion, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Stir in brown sugar until it dissolves. Add mustard, tomato sauce, browned meat and stir. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat oven on broil. Turn slider buns onto a cookie sheet insides facing up, and slide into oven on top rack. Toast buns until golden brown (WATCH LIKE A HAWK!)

4. Spoon even amounts of sloppy joe mix onto slider buns and serve while hot.

Country Chicken

The first time I had this, I had just arrived, with my husband and daughter, in Phoenix, Arizona from Missoula, Montana after a harrowing 2 day drive through winter weather & multiple pee stops (I was pregnant at the time). My mother had this waiting for us and it was like heaven - the ultimate in comfort food. I don't know where she got the recipe, but I imagine it was from either Ladies Home Journal or Good Houskeeping, both magazines she subscribed to until the day she died. It's a great one dish dinner and is easily adabtable to any vegies you have in the house (I used red peppers and threw in chunked green tomatoes at the very end last night). The leftovers (if there are any) are great as a chicken pot pie!

Inspiration: a great weekend at the beach & nothing for dinner when we got home
Time: about 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: a large roasting pan
Servings: 6

4 medium potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
1 pound hot Italian Sausage links cut into 1 1/2" pieces (or regular sausage plus 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 frying chicken, cut into pieces
4 medium green peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, quartered & separated
1/2 cup water (I use chicken broth)
1/2 teaspoon salt (opt)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
1 10oz package frozen whole green beans

Mix the potatoes, sausage & oil in a large roasting pan. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients. Bake 15 minutes. Thaw beans enough to separate. Add to the pan w/ the mushrooms. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until done, stirring occasionally.

Jerk Pork Chops

Several weeks ago, I made Jerk Pork chops for House night, and had every intention of putting the recipe up on the blog since then. Sadly, weeks later, I'm only now getting around to it. But the important thing is that I'm sharing a recipe which my roommate Sarah said, "Whoa! That really smells like fall!."

Inspiration: Pork Chops from Gartners
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: Food Processor
Servings: 4 Pork Chops

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
2 thick cut pork chops, washed and patted dry.

1. Preheat grill to be very hot. Brush clean and spray with olive oil.
2. In a food processor, combine all ingredients (but the pork chops of course) and created coarse paste by pulsing the blade. Rub chops with jerk paste and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
3. Grill pork over the very high heat for approx 5 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until tender.

(Note: Pork does not need to be cooked through until it is a dry coarse chunk of meat. You can cook pork to medium and it's perfectly safe to eat, and better yet, it's moist and delicious.)

Smoked Brie and Chanterelle Crepes

Last weekend Jenny and I spent our anniversary at the coast. Two days of wandering a quiet little beach town, petting the world's smelliest dog, interrupting a pelican convention, sampling local micro brews and of course eating more than our fair share of bread and cheese (we went to Cape Mears, which is just outside of Tillamook).

Baked Brie with roasted garlic in a sourdough loaf (Prosser Style) for dinner on Friday. Artichoke/cheese dip and bread at the Pelican Brewery Saturday afternoon. Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup for dinner on Sat. Caprese Paninis at the Blue Heron Cheese Factory for lunch on Sunday. Smoked Brie and bread with Cabbage soup for dinner on Sunday night (by the way, you should implore Mother Goose to add that recipe onto the blog, it was AWESOME!).

While I am not ready to trade in my US passport for a buree and a cigarette yet, after three straight days of a Frenchman's diet, my mind seemed reluctant to return to bacon laudened existence that is my life in Portland. So when Jenny's sister pushed a bag of fresh Chanterelles into our unsuspecting arms, naturally and instinctively my mind turned to the French for inspiration. I sauteed an onion, garlic, rosemary and the sliced mushrooms in butter, delgazed with Sherry, and then, with the left over smoked brie, wrapped in a freshly made crepe. Thus creating yet another satisfying bread and cheese meal. Bon Appetit!

Inspiration: A weekend as a pseudo Frenchman
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Special Equipment: Small nonstick pan, fresh chanterelles,
Servings: 4 crepes

Ingredients:
Crepes (I use Alton Brown's Recipe, but if you're lazy you can make a really watered down pancake batter):
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

Filling:
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (1 sprig of fresh rosemary), chopped
2-3 hand fulls of fresh chanterrelles (or other wild mushroom) scrubbed clean, and diced into large bite sized pieces
1/4 Cup cooking Sherry (Note: My sister taught me that you should always buy Sherry in the wine section of a grocery store)
2-3 oz. brie (I used the smoked brie we purchased at the Blue Heron Cheese Company), cut up as best you can

1.To make the crepes, combine all of the ingredients in a blender and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

2. Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. You can wrap in a damp towel and place on a cookie sheet into a 150 degree oven to keep warm while you make the filling. Of if you want to make crepes ahead of time, you can stack them (once cooled) and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months.

3. To make the filling, melt butter in medium pan and saute onions, garlic, rosemary until the onions is transparent. Add mushrooms and saute for 1-2 minutes, but not until mushroom is dry. Delgaze pan with sherry and simmer until sherry has cooked completely off.

4. Place a bit of the filling and cheese in a crepe. Wrap and Serve.

Note: Crepes are actually really easy to make. I highly recommend watching the Good Eats: Crepe Expectations, episode EA1E09.

Potato Leek Soup

I remember when my mom first made potato leek soup. She found the recipe in a Williams-Sonoma catalog, and made it for dinner on a cold fall night to warm me up after football practice. My first impression was that it looked to me what I imagined gruel would look like: A vaguely green substance of unknown origin blended to a smooth, uniform texture. Frankly, it's a statement of how much I trusted my mother's cooking as a forth grader that I even tried it. But upon the first spoon full I was hooked on the gentle sweetness of the five ingredient soup, and quickly insisted that it became a staple in the household.

I'm not certain when she decided to deviate from the recipe for the first time, but at some point she decided to add small chunks of ham. (Her philosophy was then, and is today to some degree, it's not a meal if it doesn't have meat.) This was the first step of evolving this recipe from the traditional form of a French Potato Leek soup that it once was into the hearty, rib sticking, soul warming recipe that it's been developed into. This is, by the way, my favorite soup.

Inspiration: 7lbs of potatoes and one GIANT leek in the crop share this week
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: enamel coated, cast iron pot (really, you just need a large pot with a thick bottom, but I like using the enamel coated caste iron because soup cooks better in it)
Servings: 6-8 bowls

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage
2tbs + 2 tbs butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, diced
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried sweet basil
2 medium leeks (or 1 GIANT LEEK), washed well, split in half and cut into 1/2", half rings
1 small-medium celery root, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
6-7 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, washed well, and cubed into bite sized pieces
4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock (or Turkey stock)
1 cup whole milk

1. over medium low heat, brown Italian Sausage in large enamel coated cast iron pot. Remove from pan and drain, reserve 2 tbs of sausage fat in bottom of pot.
2. Add 2 tbs butter to sausage fat and melt. Add in onions, carrots, celery and herbs. Saute until carrots are tender and onions are transparent.
3. Add leeks to pot, turn heat to low and cover. Let steam for 10-15 minutes until leeks are tender (they turn bright green)
4. Add 1/4 of the chicken stock and deglaze pan. Add potatoes and celery root and stir. Add enough of the remaining stock until potatoes are covered (this could very easy take the rest of the stock). Turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are cooked.
5. Add milk, butter and any remaining stock that you have. Bring back to a boil. Then, being very, VERY careful NOT to burn yourself, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and celery root so that only about 1/4 of the potato cubes remain.
6. Add sausage and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

This soup is best served with some thinly cut spinach in the bottom of the bowl and topped off with some fresh Parmesan cheese. Also, fresh bread, such as Challah, goes very well to mop up the bottom of the bowl.

Italian Wedding Soup

Soup. I LOVE soup. It's warm. It's filling. And it tastes great on a cold day or night. In fact, I don't know a single person that doesn't like soup. Over the next few cold months, I will undoubtedly be uploading a number of soup recipes like Potato Leek, Curried Chicken Noodle, White Chili, Chipotle Chili...the list could go on. However, my favorite fall soup.) is Italian Wedding Soup. Essentially, it's veggie soup with meat balls. What makes it great in the fall is the abundance of fall veggies to throw into the soup. And best of all it's really easy to make.

Inspiration: Monica's overflowing tomato basket
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: mini muffin pan
Servings: 6-8 bowls

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 lb ground pork and 1/2 lb ground beef)
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Panko (or whatever breadcrumbs you have in the pantry)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs butter or olive oil
1 onion, diced
3-4 medium carrots, diced
3-4 sticks of celery, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
2-3 potatoes, cubed, bite sized
1 zucchini, diced
5-6 large tomatoes (2 lbs), diced and juices saved (if out of tomato season, use 2 12 oz cans of diced, unsalted tomatoes)
32oz of chicken stock or broth (can substitute veggie broth)

To make the meatballs:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend ground meat, grated onion, parsley, egg, wooster, garlic, salt, panko, parmesan and pepper in a large bowl using your hands (seriously, this is the only way to do it).
3. Using 1 1/2 tablespoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place in mini muffin pan so that the meatball is elevated off the bottom. You may need to make larger or smaller meatballs to accomplish this. If you do not have a mini muffin pan, you can use a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating meatballs once to ensure they cook evenly. Remove from oven and let sit.

To make soup:
1. In a large sauce pan, melt butter or heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until onion is transparent. Add Peppers, thyme and oregano. Cook until peppers are tender.
2. Add 1/2 of stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, and add potatoes. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until potatoes are tender but not soft.
3. Add Tomatoes (including any juice that came from the tomatoes,) zucchini, remaining stock and bring back to a simmer.
4. Add meatballs, and continue to simmer until meatballs have come to temperature with the soup.

Notes: This soup is served best while hot. I also like to add 1/4 spinach leaves that have been sliced thinly to the bowl before I pour in the soup, and then sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Hollandaise Sauce

Once upon a time, when I was still thinking that I wanted to open a restaurant, I spent many a drive home daydreaming about what I would serve. As weekend brunch is one of my favorite meals, I developed an elaborate plan that would differentiate my brunch from all of the other amazing brunches in Portland. My favorite ideas was a "Build Your Own Benedict" menu. I mean think about it. Everyone has a traditional eggs benedict: Canadian bacon, poached egg, english muffin, hollandaise sauce. Very boring...although that doesn't stop me from ordering it. I was imaginging having a choice of breads: English muffin (of course), crumpets, toasted biscuit, fresh baked rye bread and so on and so forth. A plethora of meats: Canadian Bacon (of course), smoked salmon, pate, etc. etc. etc. And veggies...oh the veggies. Tomato, avacado, asparagus, artichoke hearts, spinach. Slather the combo in hollandaise sauce and YAHTZEE!

The only thing that keeps most people from doing this at home is the hollandaise. It's seems like it's a really hard thing to make, but rest assured, it's super simple, and it makes for a great homemade breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning.



Inspiration: A wild hair to make an atypical sat morning breakfast (Usually, I put PB on toast)
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: Double boiler
Servings: 4-5 benedicts

Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1 teapsoon water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Pour 1-inch of water into the base of a double boiler; over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low.

2. Place egg yolks and 1 teaspoon water in the top half of a double boiler and whisk until mixture lightens in color, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and whisk for another 30 seconds.

3. Place the top half of the double boiler on top of the other half that has the simmering water and whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, or until there is a clear line that is drawn in the mixture when you pull your whisk through, or the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

4. Remove the top half of the double boiler and gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and whisk until all of the butter is incorporated. Place it back over the simmering water occasionally so that it will be warm enough the melt the butter. Add the salt, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Serve immediately.

Note: if you don't have a douple boiler, a metal or glass mixing bowl over a pot of water works just as well.

Grilled Zucchini, Red Peppers & Mushrooms

So what to do with grilled vegies when you get tired of the same-old? Add different ingredients!

Inspiration: Wanting something different to go w/ grilled lamb
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: BBQ or broiler
Servings: 2

1 medium zucchini, slice lenghtwise into 1/4 inch strips
1 small red pepper seeded & sliced into strips
4-6 mushrooms sliced
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Powdered sumac (or other Mediterranean spices)

Toss the vegetables in the oil and add salt & pepper to taste. Grill until done to your liking. Toss with lemon juice, feta & sumac. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweet Potato Hash

Sweet potato hash was the first thing I remember creating on the fly. Adding a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Up until that point, I was an ardent follower of recipes. I mean I would alter them here and there, but I wasn't confident in my ability to straight up wing it. Needless to say, this recipe changed my life.

In the three years I have been making this, I have made some important modifications. I have discovered roasting the potatoes before frying them up cuts the time into about half. I don't rely on maple country breakfast sausage entirely for a maple kick, and have converted to be a proponent of runny egg yolks, which really make this hash.

So here you have my first ever unique recipe. I made this for Christmas brunch last year to rave reviews from my family, and again this past week to stave off the first chilly fall night. I think I have a winner.

Inspiration: Sweet Potatoes from this week's shopping
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: 9x13 metal baking pan 1 large pan
Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes or yams, washed, peeled and cut into bit sized cubes
2 tbs olive oil
8 country maple breakfast sausages
1 small yellow onion or 1/2 walla walla sweet onion, diced
2 tbs butter
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs maple syrup (the real deal only)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with roasting pan in oven
2. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. When oven has come to temperature, place potatoes on pan and spread to form 1 layer. Roast for 15-20 minutes (until tender but not cooked through), tossing once or twice to cook evenly on all sides. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered.
3. Over medium-low heat, brown sausage in large pan, ensuring they cook all the way through. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. When cool, slice into small, bite sized rounds.
4. Drain all but 1 tbs. of sausage fat from pan. Add butter and onions, and cook onions until transparent. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, brown sugar, maple syrup and spices. Stir until everything has mixed completely and sugar has dissolved.
5. Add the orange juice to deglaze pan. Stir in sausage rounds.
6. Serve with an egg, either fried or poached easy.

Roasted Tomatos and Rice

I guess it's just been one of those years. We waited breathlessly for the tomatoes to finally ripen on the vine until the very end of August. When they did first start to turn, they did so slowly and only here and there. Then all of a sudden (while I was on vacation, I might add), BAM! Tomatoes. Ripe and ready to be eaten. SO MANY...and SO SUDDENLY...that I have tomatoes up to my eyeballs. What a great problem to have! That's been the story of the past three weeks. So, when Jenny brought over 3 pounds of little cherry and yellow pear tomatoes for dinner, we had to think creatively to find something new to do with them.

Inspiration: 3 pounds of cherry and yellow pear tomatoes, picked off the vine that very
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: 9x13 metal baking pan with at least a 1" lip, 3 medium bowls, 1 large bowl
Servings: 6-8


Ingredients:
2 cups of basmati rice, well rinsed
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
3 pounds, cherry and yellow pear tomatoes, stemmed and cut into quarters (do not drain seeds)
1/4 Sweet onion, diced
3 medium carrots, chopped into bite sided pieces,
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 hand full of fresh green beans, stemmed and snapped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook rice to desired chewiness by bringing chicken broth to a boil. Add rice and cover. Simmer over low heat. After 10-15 minutes the rice should have absorbed all the liquid. Remove from heat and let rest while you prepare the roasted veggies.
2. Turn oven to 450 degrees, and place rack in center of oven. Put a 9x13 metal pan in oven while preheating.
3. In first bowl, toss carrots in enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
4. In second bowl, toss green beans and garlic in enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
5. In third bowl, toss tomatoes and onions in enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
6. When oven has preheated, dump carrots onto metal pan (it will sizzle) and space so that carrots are in one even layer.
7. 6-7 minutes later, add green beans and garlic to carrots and toss so that the carrots cook on both sides.
8. 6-7 minutes later, add tomatoes and toss again making sure carrots, green beans and garlic are cooking evenly on all sides. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until juices have run out of tomatoes and all veggies are tender.
9. In a large bowl, mix together rice, roasted veggies and toasted pecans. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Optional: Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.)

Note: Spicy Italian sausage rounds would be excellent in this.

Ramen Soup

I'm sure when most people think of Ramen, they think of the 90 cent dried noodle pack that is full of sodium at the store. Ramen to me is the amazing noodle soup at Biwa, a Japanese restaurant in SE Portland. The story goes that ramen broth is a highly secretive family recipe in Japan, and that true ramen broth takes days to make. I don't know if Biwa's broth takes that long to make, but sure tastes like they've taken that kind of care. It flavor bold and perfectly salty, and the home made ramen noodles and an absolutely perfect texture. The best part is when I look around and see every one else slurping their noodles. It's the best thing to warm your soul on a cold night. My preferred way to eat it is with an egg (a smokey hard boiled egg that is floating in the soup) and wakame (a delicious seaweed that I'm sure is good for you). I am inspired to figure out how to recreate their broth, and when I do I might even post it on the blog...

Inspiration: Ramen Soup - Biwa
Time: 20-30 minutes (Sit at the bar for Happy Hour Prices)
Difficulty: Depends on your ability to use chopsticks
Special Equipment: transportation, debit card
Servings: 1 order feeds two person. (seriously, share a bowl of ramen)

Devils on Horseback

I was supposed to make desert for my grandmother's dinner party Saturday night. I was supposed to make something light...something that would be good on a warm fall night. That's what I was supposed to do. However, after a little cajoling and not near enough bribery, my sister talked me into bringing a fruit platter so she could make lemon verbena ice cream (she said she'd post the recipe soon).

It hardly seemed fair that I could go from having such an important role in dinner to a mere side note. So I was determined to go for the gusto. If I were to make a fruit platter, then it would be a fruit platter for the ages. So I promised my grandmother a fruit plate that would knock her socks off.

Being only a few days removed from fry night, my first thought was to deep fry bananas, peaches, apples, and grapes in a sweet corn batter, but a hearty, "Are you sure you want to transport fried fruit?" from my girlfriend...I had a change of heart. But I still had the problem of promising a fruit plate of epic proportions and no plan to bring it to fruitition.

And so it was, after much consideration and one dick cheney/pig with lipstick joke, the thought occurred to me, "What would bacon do?" Would it sizzle under pressure? No! Would it raise your cholesterol...NO! Would it stuff dates with goat cheese and hazelnuts and then wrap itself around it. HELL YES! Bacon saves the day! God bless bacon!

Inspiration: Everything tastes better with bacon
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: cookie sheet, tooth pick
Servings: 16 bites of heavenly goodness


Ingredients:
16 fresh dates (not dried)
8oz goat cheese
16 hazelnuts
8 slices of bacon, cut in half

1. Move oven rack to upper third of oven. Preheat to 500 degrees
2. Pit dates by slicing in half (but not through) length wise and pinching on edges.
3. Fill date cavity with 1/2 ounce goat cheese, and then stuff with hazelnut.
4. Wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around stuffed date, and skewer with a toothpick to hold into place. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dates.
5. Back for 10-15 minutes, turning dates every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Note: When dates are in the oven, keep a close eye because bacon can cook quickly.

Confetti Beans

This came from a family reunion at my husband's family farm in North Dakota and is a great way to use all kinds of goodies from your garden.

Inspiration: Lots of different vegies in the fridge
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special Equipment: frying pan or wok
Servings: 4

1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 pound green beans cut in bite-sized pieces
1 whole red, yellow or green pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft. add the Italian seasoning and saute for a few seconds. Add the beans and pepper and saute until beans are crisp-tender. (Add a little water & cover, if you need to). Just before serving, stir in the tomatoes & salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mini Corn Dogs

Wednesday night, my roommates and I decided to celebrate our "family meeting" by making a fry night out of it. I picked up 4 different types of house made sausages at New Seasons (chicken and basil, chicken, red pepper and feta, pork kielbasa, and something else) and made a quick batter while Matt got 3/4 of a gallon of peanut oil heating in the fry daddy. Being a poor judge of how much batter it takes to fry a corn dog, I ended up making way more batter than we needed. In an effort to minimize wasted batter, Matt and I began searching the kitchen for things to fry. First up, Pickle halves, then salami slices followed by bananas and finally peach slices. The ladies were not keen on the idea of "wasting a peach," but it worked out.

We gorged ourselves on platters of fried food, each one of us ignoring the little voice inside of us that said that we should stop. Instead we all ended up holding our bellies uttering phrases like "I ate way too much," and "I shouldn't have had that last corn dog, but it was SO GOOD!"

The corn dogs were amazing, as were the the pickles, but the real star of the night were the fried bananas which only missed a perfection due to the lack of ice cream and chocolate sauce to accompany...which I will do for sure next time. And the fried peaches? They were like like individual peach pies seasoned with cayenne and chipotle pepper. I think next time I fry fruit I will make a sweet batter instead of a savory one.

Inspiration: Fry Daddy
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: medium
Special equipment: Deep Fryer, slotted spoon, splatter screen (optional)
Servings: More fried food than 4 adults can eat


Ingredients:
8 sausages of your choice, steamed, dried and cut into bite sized segments
3/4 gallon peanut oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
2 tablespoons (approximately 1 large) jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 (8.5-ounce) can cream-style corn
1/3 cup finely grated onion
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging

1. Pour oil into a deep fryer and heat to 375 degrees F.

2.In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the jalapeno, corn, onion, and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps. Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Scatter the cornstarch into a dry pie pan. Roll each sausage segment in the cornstarch and tap well to remove any excess.

4. Using tongs, quickly dip sausage segments in and out of the batter. Immediately and carefully place each batter covered sausage into the oil, and cook until coating is golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Note: Use slotted spoon to turn corn dogs to ensure they brown evenly.) With spoon, remove to cooling rack, and allow to drain for 3 to 5 minutes (I put newspaper under the rack to catch the oil).

5. Serve warm while corn dog is still crispy.

Pasties

Some foods in life were made to go together. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Pizza and beer. Chocolate and anything. One of the combinations I loved most as a kid was meat and pastry. I'm not talking about the nasty steak and kidney pies the Brits made famous. I'm talking about individual, hand held, meat pies called Pasties. Someone told me recently that the Pastie first originated back when heavy metal miners would take them into the mines for lunch. Because they couldn't wash the metal particulates from their hands, they would hold on to the thick folds of the crust and eat the center meaty part from around them, and then discard the crust. I don't know if this is true, but it makes for a good story. It's also an awful waste of crust, especially given Pastie crust and Mother Goose's gravy is a new favorite combo.

Inspiration: Monday Night Football Dinner
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: medium
Special equipment: Pasty Brush, Cookie Sheets
Servings: 12 Pasties

Ingredients:
1 lb very lean ground beef
2 tbs olive oil
3-4 shakes Worcestershire Sauce
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic
Hand full of fresh parsley, Chopped
Salt and Pepper
A good amount of plain yogurt (honest to god, this is straight from my grandmother's recipe...I usually use about 1/4-1/3 of a cup)
6 rounds frozen pie dough (or you can make your own using a standard savory pie dough recipe)
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp of water

1. On medium heat, brown ground beef in 1 tbs olive oil. Remove from pan, Drain and reserve juices.
2. Over medium heat, saute carrots, onions, celery and garlic over medium heat. When carrots are nearly tender and onions are translucent, add parsley to briefly cook, then remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, combine meat, and veggies and salt and pepper to taste. At this point you can refrigerate overnight to meld flavors.
4. When ready to assemble pasties, separate fat from reserved juices and discard fat. Mix the remaining meat juice and the yogurt with the meat to finish the filling. It will be wet, but that's okay.
5. Cut your all pie crusts into quarters. Spoon the filling equally among 12 quarter pieces of dough. Then, one at a time, dampen the edges of the pie dough around the filling with a little bit of water on your fingers, and pat down one of the remaining, unfilled pie dough quaters so that the edges meet around the filling. Use a fork to press the edges all the way around the pastie to seal the moisture. Transfer completed pastie onto a baking sheet, and repeat this step with the remaining pasties.
6. When all the pasties are on the baking sheet(s), brush the egg yolk over the pasties top . This will help the pastie to brown nicely.
7. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake pasties for 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown.
8. Serve with Mother Goose's gravey (You'll have to ask her for it...I don't make gravey quite like she does)

Brandied Apple Sauce

This time of year, I always seem to be asking myself..."What do I do with all of the apples?" It's an excellent problem to have. One of the best things about living in the Pacific NW is that from now until Thanksgiving, there is an abundance of cheap apples in every form of tartness and sweetness. Good for pies, crisps, salads, strussel and of course apples slices with sharp cheddar cheese. However, despite all the crisp, yummy apples you find, it is inevitable to come across mushy, meal apples. The only way I now to make mushy apples palatable is to make applesauce. Specifically, Brandied apple sauce.

Inspiration: APPLE SEASON!!!
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: None
Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb of mush apples (the tarter the better)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 brandy (Calvados is prefered, but any brandy will work)

1. Core and slice apples. Add all ingrediants but brandy into a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until liquid thickens (about ten minutes), stirring occassionally.
3. Add brandy and stir. With a potato masher, mash the apples to a chunky mush.
4. Will keep in the refridgerator for up to a week...but I doubt you'll let it.

Quick Pizza Dough

I feel like I need to apologize to this blog. It was largely ignored during what was a very busy August. I promise, I didn't meet a prettier, younger blog, and I didn't cheat with an older more experienced blog. Between my roommates' wedding and a 10 day vacation I was unable to make time for this blog. I'm sure that doesn't make me a very committed blogger. I guess I'll have to live with that.

Now that it's September, I'm ready to transition from Summertime dishes to Fall inspired, which is exactly what my roommate Sara and I did for dinner last night. We took squash, broccoli, tomatoes and basil from our garden and farm share and made a garden pizza. Thankfully my sister had a quick and easy pizza dough recipe that made up for our last minute inspiration.

Inspiration: Too Many Fall Veggies
Time: 90 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food Processor, Baking Stone
Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1/2 C + 1 C flour
1 1/4 tsp. quick active yeast
1/2 C Hot Water (130 degrees)
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Combine 1/2 C flour and yeast in a food processor. Turn on. Add in water and mix until combined. Turn off.
2. Add remaining flour, oil, salt and sugar and blend until a ball forms.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8-10 times and then let sit as you gather the toppings.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
5. Roll out the dough (or toss it if you know how) and place on a baking stone (a regular cookie sheet will work too). Build your pizza with your toppings.
6. Bake on the lowest rack in the oven until golden brown. 20-25 minutes.

Pasta w/ Morels and Brown Butter Sage Sauce

I love going to the Farmer's Market. There are always so many yummy fruits and vegetables to buy. And I am always excited when the Mushroom Man is there because I get to buy all different kinds of mushrooms that I can't get at the store. And sometimes I get lucky & he has morels! I like to do dishes that are simple & let the flavor of the morels shine. I think I have come up with a winner!

Inspiration: Fresh morels at the Vancouver Farmer's Market & an overgrown sage plant
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: none
Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1/4 pound fresh morels
1 small shallot minced
2 cloves garlic minced
6 tablespoons butter
8 sage leaves
Penne pasta


Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and place in steamer pan back over boiling water.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saute pan. Cook on low until the butter just starts to turn to amber. Add the sage leaves and cook, turning occasionally until the butter is nicely browned (be careful not to burn it). Remove the sage leaves and chop.

Slice the morels in thin strips. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan and cook the onions and garlic until golden. Add the morels and cook until just done. Pour the browned butter over and mix thoroughly. Add the sage and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Reheat the pasta by quickly dipping it in the boiling water. Drain. Toss with the morel-butter sauce. Serve with freshly grated grated parmesan.

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

As many of you know, I'm at war with a giant weed in my yard. I chop it down and it grows back two fold (and I swear I hear it cackling at me). Much like Batman and the Joker, I can't bring myself to kill this nuisance completely... sure it threatens my dahlias, cucumbers and lettuce, but somehow the world wouldn't be the same without it: my arch-nemesis Rhubarb. Unfortunately, it only gives me a break five months out of the year; the other seven are spent concocting new ways to chop, boil and bake it's flesh, like in this pie!

Anyone who wants to make this recipe but not pay the ever-exploding price for store-bought Rhubarb... I live on Albina and Farragut. It hides in the back. Bring your machete.


Inspiration: An over-grown plant and the sweet taste of revenge.
Time: 20 minutes prep, plus 50 for baking
Difficulty: Fairly Easy
Special Equipment: Pie pan
Servings: 8, 6, or 2... sometimes you just can't stop eating, especially when it's a la mode.

Ingredients:

Pie dough (See below for recipe. New Season's has a good organic pie crust in the freezer section if you want to skip this step.)

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries (can get canned pie cherries too- Oregon brand isn't bad if you buy the tart, pie variety)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbs. cornstarch and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add rhubarb stalks and cherries and toss to coat (note: if the rhubarb seems particularly stringy, like celery, take off the outside layer with a knife or vegetable peeler). Add cinnamon and toss again.

Prepare pie crust in a 9 inch pan (see below... or make sure that you've purchased 2 at the store: one for the top and bottom). Pour the rhubarb-cherry mixture into the crust, making sure to spatula out any remaining juices from the bowl. Cut the 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and scatter about the top of the mixture. Place second crust on top and pinch the sides. Cut ventilation holes into the top of the crust so that steam can escape (in any decorative pattern you like). If you have time, go ahead and do the lattice, Betty Crocker.

Place in preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes. At this point reduce the heat to 350 degrees and sprinkle the top of the pie with remaining tablespoon of sugar (I like to use raw turbino sugar). Bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.


Crust: (this recipe is for one pie-plate, so you'll need to double to make enough for a top and bottom)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut cold butter into small cubes and toss into the flour mixture (prevents cubes from sticking together for this next step...). Using a pastry cutter or large fork, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles small granules. Add ice water slowly and mix to bring the granules to a dough (only use as much water as you need to make the dough consistency). Be careful not to overwork the mixture; those superfine butter granules are what melt in and make the pie crust flaky. If making a double batch, divide the dough into 2. Roll out the dough between waxed paper to create a circular disk- large enough to fill the base and sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Carefully lay into an ungreased pie plate.

Side note: I usually put a cookie sheet on the rack underneath the pie in the oven. It catches the drippings from the pie as it cooks and prevents a nasty clean-up.

BBQ Sauce

When I was a kid, my mom never bought BBQ sauce. She always made Bert's, a recipe that originally came from The Good Housekeeping Cook Book in 1955. She made her tweaks to it (adding curry powder and garlic) and I have mine (adding chipotle powder for a smokey kick) Either way, the pungent smell of simmering vinegar takes me back to walking into the kitchen on sunny summer evenings. These days, I find that Bert's is perfect for any "lack of any better ideas" grillable. It's great on chicken, on pork, on veggies or on grilled bbq beef quesadillas, like I made last night.

Inspiration: Lack of a better thing to do
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Pretty Simple
Special equipment: None
Servings: Depends how much sauce you like on your meat

1/4 C Butter
3 Tbs. Curry Powder
1 Onion Chopped
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1/4 C Cider Vinegar
1/2 C Water
2 Tbs. Sugar
1Tbs. mustard
1 thick lemon slice
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
3/4 C ketchup
2 tsp. Wooster

1. Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add curry powder and stir until fragrant.

2. Stir in half of the vinegar, scraping the bottom to dissolve the curry powder. Then add the remaining vinegar, water, sugar mustard, lemon slice, salt, pepper and chipotle powder. Simmer for 20 minutes

3. Remove the lemon slice, and add ketchup and wooster. Bring back to boil. then remove from heat and let cool.

Note: Bert's stores in a mason jar for up to a month.

Lucky Fried Rice

Lately, while I've been making dinner I've been thinking about my blog. I've been keeping in mind how much of what I add and when. If I'm evening thinking about it, I grab my camera and take pictures of the process. But the other night when I made fried rice, I didn't bother. I suck at making fried rice. I'm not just saying, either...through many a trial and error, I KNOW I suck at making fried rice. For whatever reason, it NEVER turns out as well as my mom used to make. Assured of mediocrity, I just kinda threw stuff together, rice, carrots, old broccoli crowns, chicken, 2 tbs of bacon fat. Poof. Amazingly good fried rice. If only I had been paying enough attention to replicate it! Well...here goes my best recollection...

Inspiration: Dumb Luck
Time: 30-45 minutes
Difficulty: Everyone but me should find this easy
Special equipment: Very large skillet (Preferably cast iron)
Servings: 4

2 cups dried basmati rice, and left out to dry for 1-4 hours
2 Tbs. bacon fat (or 1 lb of bacon, cut into bits and fried crispy, drained with 2 tbs of fat reserved)
3 medium to small carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 large head of broccoli, cut into crowns
3-5 green onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 tbs. garlic chili paste
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup shelled peanuts
1-2 cups cooked meat diced into bite sized pieces (a great use for leftovers)

1. Over medium heat, fry rice and veggies in bacon fat until they start to brown. Stir with a flat metal spatula every minute or so so rice and veggies brown evenly.
2. Add spices and continue to fry and mix until rice is very fragrant. Spices will begin to stick to pan (and that's okay).
3. Add chili paste and soy sauce and mix well as the pan sizzles (the liquid at this point will mix with the spices stuck to the bottom of the pan and thicken into a little bit of a sauce)
4. Drizzle the beaten egg over the rice so that it fries in little dropped bits.
5. Add meat and continue to stir until meat is warm
6. Remove from heat and toss in peanuts (you can do this over heat too if you want to soften your peanuts)

Note: I usually eat mine drizzled in a spicy soy sauce, or with more chili paste to give it an extra kick. Cayenne works too.

Sunday Mac and Cheese

Contrary to popular belief, I don't stay out until 3am very often. The same can be said about sleeping until noon. However when I do the former, I do the later. Such was the case Sunday morning on into Sunday afternoon after a late night of ro-sham and rock band. When I did make my way out of bed Sunday I was HUNGRY. I didn't have any of the typical breakfast makings (things like bacon, eggs, or bacon), so instead I made vat of Mac and Cheese that was spicy and delicious, and easy like Sunday morning.

Inspiration: No Eggs
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: Flat Whisk
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (mini penne or shells are my favorite)
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1.5 C milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 C sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 large handful spinach, chiffonade-ed

1. Bring 6 cups or so of water to a boil in medium to large pot. Add a good hefty pinch of salt, and then noodles. Cook until pasta is done. Drain, and set aside
2. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flower and stir continuously with a flat whisk until flour butter paste is a golden brown color. (If you don't have a flat whisk, your next best option is a fork, or normal whisk. I don't recommend using a spoon.) Add milk 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly in between until milk is incorporated and paste comes back together. When all your milk has been added, you'll have a nice velvety white sauce.
3. Add spices and cheese. Stir until cheese has melted in. If the sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add more milk. If it is too thin, continue to cook over low head stirring occasionally.
4. In a large bowl combine pasta, sauce, tomatoes and spinach.
5. Optional: Some people choose to put the mac and cheese into a lightly greased 9x13 pan, cover with breadcrumbs, lightly dust with grated cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. But I wouldn't recommend that. It's hard to wait another half hour to eat.

Note: You can mix almost any combination of stuff into this and it's great: veggies (mushrooms, broccoli, squash work very well), cheese (cheddar, bleu, gruyere), meat (I like bacon, sausage, left over turkey or chicken breast, pork, roast beast, or bacon), and toasted nuts (like hazelnuts or pecans) also add a nice variation. You should play with spices too. Curry is especially good with a yellow cheddar sauce and chicken.

Grilled Chicken w/ Tomatoes and Feta

So. What does one do with mounds of tomatoes from one's garden? I wouldn't know. This year my tomatoe plants are PATHETIC! That being said, when I do have lots of tomatoes, here is a quick and easy recipe.

Inspiration: a recipe from Gourmet (I think) and lots of fresh tomatoes
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: grill
Servings: 2

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt & pepper
2 whole tomatoes chopped & drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced thin (opt)
Extra virgin olive oil

Rub the chicken with salt & pepper. Cook on grill until done. Mix together the tomatoes, feta and basil. Drizzle oil over it & mix in. Serve w/ chicken.

NOTE: The original recipe called for marinating the chicken in white wine with chopped fresh herbs and salsa was just tomatoes & feta. It is very good that way too. I will sometimes rub a mixture of fresh herbs, garlic & salt and pepper & omit the basil. Actually you could do any combination of the above!

Grilled Portobello Sandwiches

On Tuesday night, I made grilled portobello sandwiches for my friends Eric and Robyn while Eric told stories of his thrilling (and in some cases, death defying) sailing voyage across the Atlantic with his father.

I decided to make the grilled portobello sandwiches based on the rave reviews from some friends I made them for the year before. I figured that if I were to hearing stories of glory, the least I could do is reciprocate by providing amazing food. Sadly, my recreation of the sandwiches did not go to plan. Don't get me wrong. They were good. Just not as good as they were the last time I made them for people, and I can't remember what I did. However, this is a great starting point, and I highly recommend suggestions for how to make it better.

Inspiration: unknown food restrictions of friends (no dairy apparently)
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: grill, grill screenServings: 4

Ingredients:
3 large Portobello Mushrooms, stems removed
4 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 springs fresh rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
1 tsp mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2" rings
1/2 tsp cumin
4 thin slices of pancetta, fried crispy
1 ripe avacado, slide thinly
1 tomato, sliced
4 slices parrano cheese
4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half

1. Mash Garlic to a paste with salt. Divide paste in half. To one half, add rosemary, mustard, and 1/8th cup of olive oil, and mix very well. Pour over the underside of the mushrooms so that the comb absorbs the oil mixture. Use a little oil to coat the smooth side of the mushroom

2. To the other half of garlic paste mix cumin, pepper to taste and 1/8th cup olive oil and mix very well. Toss with onions

3. Over medium heat, grill onions on grill screen until tender. Remove and let sit until you build your sandwiches.

4. Place mushrooms on the grill, smooth side down. Grill for 10 minutes and flip. Grill for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill and slice into 1/2 slices.

5. Toast ciabatta rolls on grill, cut side down. (note: I find it's tastiest to brush the cut side lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt)

6. Assemble sandwiches including avocado, tomato, onions, pancetta, cheese, and grilled portobello slices.

Baked-Fried Chicken

Baked-Fried Chicken isn't as gross as it sounds. You don't bake chicken that's already been fried. You baking breaded chicken instead of frying it. Tres Healthy, no? And it's nearly as good as the real thing (well...kinda), and way better than the overly salty Shake and Bake. This is a great winter dish when it's too rainy/cold to grill outside.

Inspiration: A childhood Staple
Time: 45 min
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: three shallow bowls (soup plates)Servings: 2

Ingredients:
2 chicken Breasts, washed and patted dry
1/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tbs dried Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground paprika
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pinch salt
1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Add flour to first shallow bowl. Add egg to second shallow bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients to third shallow bowl, and mix.
3. Dredge chicken breast in flour coating entire breast. Then dredge in egg, coating entire breast. Finally, dredge in breadcrumb mixture and place on baking sheet. Repeat with second breast. Sprinkle top of breaded chicken with lemon juice.
4. Bake until chicken is done, but not over cooked 20-25 minutes.

Note: I mix up the spices I add to the panko depending on my mood. I like it spicy, so I usually add ground chipotle powder. I also regularly add ground mustard and sometimes ground cumin and coriander.

Leftover Pasta

So....as promised in my earlier post:
Inspiration: Leftover Acini di Pepe Pasta
Time: 20 min
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: none
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Leftover Acini di Pepe Pasta (or any other leftover pasta)
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 Italian sausages, casings removed (I used leftover I had in the freezer)
1 small onion
Parmesan cheese

Saute the sausage, breaking into crumbles, until browned. Drain. In a little olive oil (or sausage grease if you want to be really bad), saute the onion until cooked. Add the left over pasta and sausage and cook until heated through. Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes & heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: my pasta already had garlic, kalamata olives and feta cheese in it or I would have added those as well.

Triple Berry Crisp

I have three best friends that I've had since Kindergarten, two of which live in Portland and one that lives in Manhattan. We don't know why our dear Jessie would choose to live in such a dismal, dirty, rat-race of a metropolis; something about culture, good job opportunities, thousands of fantastic restaurants at your disposal (many of which deliver in under three minutes)... bah. Fortunately, she still comes to visit us twice a year and we do our darndest to lure her back: bring her to new PDX hot spots, go on long drives to the Oregon coast (kicks the Jersey Shore's butt), and cook for her, as we determined in sixth grade - when she made "sugar" cookies with 2 cups of salt - that she cannot do it for herself. She'll be in town soon, so I'm excitedly planning trips, cleaning up the house, and dusting off my recipe card for berry crisp, her favorite. Since the berry season is now in full swing, I thought I would pass this along to everyone...

Triple Berry Crisp

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups fresh blackberries
1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
4 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons instant tapioca

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, gently toss together blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, white sugar and instant tapioca beads; set aside. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

I bet this would go really well with home-made chocolate raspberry swirl ice cream... anyone have a recipe for that??? ;-)

Antipasti Pan-Bagnat

So. Since last Saturday, I have been living in a dusty, tenuous environment rife with stress, unexpected destruction and tearful recriminations. No, I've not joined the Army and been deployed. I've been remodelling my house. It'll look fabulous. Really. It will. When it's done. Sigh.

Anyway. Since I've been without a stove/oven for the past 6 days, I've had to be very organized in planning my meals. Everything had to be cheap (since we'll soon have fabulous new bamboo floors, we're now dirt floor poor) and everything had to grillable (Grill-able. That's probably not a word, huh?)

We had grilled veggie sandwiches one night, then dumped the left-over veggies onto pizza crusts and grilled those the next night. And I made a surprisingly successful grilled taco salad. Luckily, my dear brother Goose had offered to cook me dinner one night, so I only had to plan 5 meals (ok, 4 meals - we went out to eat once. You would too.) But now, dear brother Goose has ditched me, bailed, tossed me over for the Portland Ultimate Frisbee Freaks (PUFF. Heh.) I have nothing fresh in the fridge. No stove upon which to cook. Oh woe is me.

But not being one for too much self-pity (it's bad for the complexion) I got over myself and my brother's betrayal and concentrated on what I had going for me: a well stocked pantry. Pan-Bagnat means "wet bread" and is a sandwich that is traditionally stuffed with Salade Niçoise. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I HATE wet bread. But this sandwich doesn't get soggy. If you use a really good bagette, the crumb becomes infused with the antipasti's oils so that the bread becomes soft and unctious, but the crust stays crispy-crunchy. It was pretty damn good for a total fluke.

Inspiration: A bailing brother
Time: 20 minutes active, 120 minutes total
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: Plastic Wrap and something long and flat and heavy... like a cutting board!
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 really good quality baguette - you should always keep a couple of these in the freezer
1/4 cup pepperoni, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (I prefer the the fresh sundried tomatoes, not packed in oil. But you can use those too in a pinch.)
1 8 oz jar marinated artichokes, cut into quarters - reserve the marinade
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and corsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade (chiffonad'ed? - cripes, just slice it thin)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (balls of fresh mozzarella or diced provolone would also be really good in this.)
2 T really fruity extra virgin olive oil or to taste. This amount depends on what type of sundried tomatoes you use and how oily your artichoke marinade is.
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

You could also add roasted red peppers, pickled asparagus spears, or omit the meat and go veg.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toast the baguette for about 1o minutes, until golden and crispy.

While the baguette is toasting, make your antipasti stuffing. Toss all the above ingredients, save the oil, in a small bowl. Add about half of the artichoke marinade to the mixture and stir until well combined. Now, consider your oil options. You want to add enough oil to create a cohesive mass without drowning the veggies; if things start to float - you've gone too far. Add a bit of cracked black pepper to this and set aside. What? you want to add salt too? Well sure you can - if you're on one of those wacky dehydration diets. Otherwise, the pickled and brined veggies in this are plenty salty on their own.

While the baguette is still warm, slice in half, then lengthwise, leaving a hinge. Stuff the two halves equally with the antipasti filling. Place one sandwich half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Tightly wrap the sandwich like you would a sushi roll. Repeat with the other sandwich. Lay your heaviest cutting board on top of the sandwiches and press down firmly for a few seconds. Let the sandwiches sit for 1 hour at room temperature (so that the bread gets all oily and delicious). Eat!Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Slaw

In the summer between high school and college, I had a job as a produce clerk at a local Albertsons. I hated it so much that I created an alter ego to help me survive my shifts. From 2-11pm M, W, F, Sat, Sun, I was Super Produce Boy and it was my duty to keep the Northern Vancouver area safe from moldy fruits and vegetables. Last night, in need of veggies for dinner at my folks' place, I did the unthinkable...I went back.

Like Superman returning to Metropolis years later, I was dismayed by all the little uglies that had taken over in my absence. All the good work I had once done was forgotten. I did what I could to rescue these few bits of life that remained(a half a head of purple cabbage, a lone carrot, a misshapen cucumber and a handful of green onions,) and sadly turned my back on a store that I can help no longer.

Inspiration: No Veggies in Fridge
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: A really big bowl
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
1/2 head of red cabbage, cored and shredded
1 Carrot, outer peel removed, and shredded using peeler
3-4 Green Onions, sliced thin
1/2 Cucumber, sliced thing (I cut the slices in half too)
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs tangy mustard (I like to use European mustard if I have it)
1/4 Tsp. thyme (dried or fresh, chopped finely)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbs blue cheese crumbles
2-4 Tbs. Olive Oil

1. Mash garlic to a paste with the salt. Add mustard and thyme and mix well. Add vinegar and mix well. With a fork, mash 2 tbs blue cheese crumbles into the vinegar mixture until incorporated. Then slowly add 2 tbs olive oil using a whisk or a fork to incorporate the oil into the mixture. Taste the dressing. Some people like to mask the stark vinegar flavor by adding more oil...but I don't recommend that
2. Toss slaw ingredients with dressing.

Grilled Pesto Toasts

I think it's funny that all winter long, I dream about the warmth of summer. I imagine myself sitting on my back deck in shorts and a shirt, enjoying a warm summer breeze and sipping on a margarita, gnashing on pork and pineapple kabobs. It's like I forget that it's going to be HOT in the summer, and that if I spend too much time in direct sunlight I burst into flame. Such was the case last night. It was darn hot in our house, and I was hungry (muddled mint of mojitoes does not a salad make.) All I got out of my freezer, aside from 5 minutes in a cold place, was a bag of frozen pesto cubes I made last summer. I figured they would be perfect as a variation on garlic bread to go along with a Pork chop smothered in bbq sauce.

Inspiration: Frozen Pesto
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment: Frozen Pesto, Foil
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread, sliced
2 cubes of pesto
2 Tbs. olive oil
(Note: you can substitute 1/2 Cup fresh pesto instead of the frozen pesto and olive oil)

1. Spread pesto evenly on one side of bread slices
2. Wrap in tin foil
3. Cook on grill on in oven for 10-15 minutes

Planked Salmon Panini

So. What does one do with leftover cedar planked salmon with lemon viniagrette? I had that and leftover acini di pepe pasta with garlic and olives (Gourmet, June, 2008) in the fridge. We also had a very nice young man come over to give us an estimate to paint our house that took until 8:00. What to do???? (Not what you'd expect.)

Inspiration: Leftovers in the fridge, late getting started and one very hungry husband
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Special equipment; Panini or grill pan
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons capers chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill (or dried to taste)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
3 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
several drops of lemon juice (if you have it)
1/2 cup cooked salmon
1/2 avocado, sliced
sliced bread
olive oil

Mix the first 9 ingredients. Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Spread the salmon mixture on the unoiled side. Place several slices of avocado on top. Top with another slice of bread, oiled side out. Place on hot grill pan & grill til golden. Flip & grill other side until golden. Serve with a side salad.

Stay tuned for what I do with the leftover Acini di Pepe Pasta!

Steak Salad

"You've got to be fracking kidding me!" That was my reaction when the sour butcher at Whole Foods said that his flank steak was selling at $14/lb. I couldn't believe it. The Flank used to be the budget cut of meat. When I asked about skirt steak, he huffed and told me it was an inferior cut of meat, and that they didn't carry it for their consumers benefit. Little did he know that a skirt steak would have made my belly very happy. Instead, I was left peering into the meat locker looking for a cut of meat I could grill up for my steak salad that wasn't going to cost me more than a gallon of gas. I settled on a 1/2 pound cut of London Broil for $3.93 and decided that, from now on, instead of walking to the Whole Foods 7 blocks from my house, I will ride my bike the the New Seasons up the street. At least at there I get my meat handled the way I want it with a smile.

Inspiration: Antonia's Rice Salad from Season 4 Top Chef
Time: About 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: Grill/Grill pan
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 lb skirt or flank steak (substitute what steak you or your butcher has available)
1/2 tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp. Ground Coriander seeds
1 head red leaf lettuce (Mine was out of my garden) - Washed and ripped into bite sized pieces
1 heaping handful baby spinach leaves (Mine was out of my crop share)
1 heaping handful of sugar snap peas (Again, straight out of my garden) -
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 tomato diced
Blue cheese to desired amount (I used lots because I like blue cheese
Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette -or-
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs tangy mustard (I like to use European mustard if I have it)
1/4 Tsp. thyme (dried or fresh, chopped finely)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2-4 Tbs. Olive Oil


1. Wash steak and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix cayenne, garlic powder, pepper, salt, cumin and coriander together in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over all sides of the steak and rub into meat. Let sit for 15-20 minutes. Heat grill on high. When you put meat on grill turn down to medium, and cook to desired doneness. I cooked mine medium rare so that it was still very pink in the middle. Pull off the grill and let sit while you pull together the rest of the salad.

2. If you are making your own balsamic vinaigrette, mash garlic to a paste with the salt. Add mustard and thyme and mix well. Add vinegar and mix well. Then slowly add 2 tbs olive oil using a whisk or a fork to incorporate the oil into the mixture. Taste the dressing. Some people like to mask the stark vinegar flavor by adding more oil...but I don't recommend that.

3. Thinly slice your meat. I usually cut each slice into bite sized pieces, because I don't like to use a knife to eat my salad.

4. Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl, but do not toss in tomatoes and dressing in until ready to serve, or you'll wilt your lettuce and spinach.