Steak & Taters!

My cousin and I dearly love to cook together. Being as much of a foodie as I am, she was excited to check out a nearby butcher shop that specialized in local, pasture fed beef. So once we gave in to temptation, and purchased some beautiful steaks for dinner, we had to figure out what side dishes needed to go with these steaks. We tossed plenty of ideas around before settling on a classic. Potatoes. Steak and potatoes, in some form or other, just seems to be a marriage made in heaven.

Well, we didn't want just plain old baked potatoes so we found a recipe for potatoes au gratin. Of course we couldn't just follow the recipe as it was printed, so we added our own twist to the recipe, white truffle oil. I'm pretty sure we aren't the first people to add truffle oil to potatoes au gratin, but it felt like a new discovery to us.

So, here's the recipe for the rest of you. If you've never tried white truffle oil, please give it a try.I'm certain you won't be sorry.

Truffled Potatoes Au Gratin
serves 8-10


4 quarts water
2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced (or more to taste)
1 and a half cups heavy whipping cream
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
2 tablespoons white truffle oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350. Place the water in a large pot and add the peeled potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, but not fully cooked. Drain potatoes and let cool in a bowl of cold water.

While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they are lightly brown and wilted. Set aside.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them with either a food processor or a mandolin. You want the slices to be about 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch in thickness.

Place one layer of potato slices on the bottom of a 8 x 11.5 inch baking dish. Thinly spread a layer of the onions on top of the potatoes,then add another layer of potatoes. Continue like this until you are just barely to the top of the dish. Add your salt and pepper now.

Pour the heavy cream over top of the potatoes. Drizzle the white truffle oil over top of the potatoes. Spread all the cheese over the top of the potatoes and place dish on top of a cookie sheet, in case of a spill over.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Let rest for ten minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Sauce Anyone?

Garden Bounty

What do you do when you have several cups of very ripe tomatoes that are just begging to be used in some way? 

Yesterday I was faced with that very dilemma. I had a bunch of very ripe tomatoes, but not quite enough to justify bringing out the canning jars and the canner. So, I decided to make a batch of spaghetti sauce to freeze. Now I have made quick pasta sauces plenty of times, some good, some not so good.  This time, though, I wanted an authentic, rich, flavorful Italian tomato sauce. 

I ended up with a tomato sauce that simply blew my mind, and taste buds, to previously unknown heights (a little melodramatic, I know...but the sauce really is that good!). Oh. My. Gawd! I wanted to sit down with a bowl of the sauce, and eat it just like a bowl of ice cream. And just how did I manage to achieve this level of tomato nirvana, you might ask? 

I had a guardian angel to guide me through every step of the way. The one and only Lidia Bastianich, channeled through her book Lidia's Family Table (recipe 'Simple Tomato Sauce' page 132).  The woman is the Goddess of Italian cooking, in my opinion.

I have to confess that I did make a couple of minor changes to the recipe, but that was mainly because I didn't have some of the exact ingredients(or exact proportions) that was called for in the recipe. The main change I made was using fresh garden tomatoes, and a bit of tomato paste, instead of the canned San Marzano that Lidia uses. Other than that I stayed pretty true to the recipe. 

Due to copyright concerns, I will not be posting the recipe but I do urge everyone to try the recipe for themselves. So, go out there and hit up your local library or bookstore and find that book. You won't be sorry, I promise.

Huge Tracts of Land!

Well, we spent most of today looking at large tracts of land and we did find one that we really liked.  It's 75 acres of mixed pasture and woods with 2 spring fed streams. A really great piece of property at an incredible price. This may sound weird, but I got the distinct impression that the land itself was happy to see us...maybe it was because of all the birds and wildlife or maybe it was the cool, gurgling stream. Whatever the reason, I honestly think this is the property for us.

Now the biggest worry is getting the financing. Time to start buying lottery tickets!

Farm Plans

After spending a little over 2 months without a power cord for my computer, I am finally back online!
Here is what's been going on. Many of my ambitions for the garden have had to fall by the wayside, partly due to my own laziness but mostly to seeds not wanting to germinate. Total bummer. So I had to go back to square one and re-order beans (green and dry-soup varieties), peppers and tomatoes. Now my tomatoes are about 2 inches tall, instead of the 8-10 inches that they should be; this makes me worry that I may not have any tomatoes to harvest at all before fall frost.

On the bright side, my snow peas are going like gang busters and I am already harvesting some super delicious broccoli and spinach.  The lettuces will be ready for harvest in the next couple of weeks and the brussel sprouts are looking good too. Now if I could just get the carrots, turnips and cucumbers to do something!

In other news, I made an appointment to meet with a realtor this weekend.  The Hubster and I are dreaming of owning our own farm/homestead where we can grow ALL of our own food and host small group camp-outs.  So, we will be looking at some large tracts of wooded land that we can build on.  As unrealistic as this maybe, I am still hopeful that we will be able to find something we really like this weekend and get a bid in.

That's where I'm at right now...dreaming of woods, babbling brooks and sheep. What are you dreaming of?

Spring has Sprung!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but lately I've been nigh-on obsessed with getting my garden started. Only recently has it been warm enough for me to do any actual planting, so I've been doing that and have more planned. Here is what I'm planting:
Veggies
Federle Tomatoes (roma type)
Hillbilly Potato leaf Tomatoes (yellow tomato)
Brussel Sprouts
Lacinato Kale
Leeks
Cayenne Peppers
Red Sweet Bell Peppers
Spinach
Dragon Carrots
Gherkin Cucumbers
Green Beans
October Beans (shell type)
Onions
Potatoes
Turnips
Herbs
Basil (Purple, Thai and Genovese)
Greek Oregano
Culinary Sage
Comfrey
Thyme
Bronze Fennel
Mammoth Dill
Cilantro
Italian Parsley
Calendula
White Sage
Wormwood


Pretty ambitious, huh? If things go well, I should be able to put a real dent in our monthly grocery bills. Wish me luck!

Appetizer Saturday

It's Appetizer Saturday!  Today's amuse-bouche is sort of a southwest spin on Shrimp Cocktail. With my cousin playing the role of lovely assistant/food stylist/photo wench*, I really think we hit this one out of the park.

Because of the light, almost spa-like quality of this dish, I've decided to name this dish "Sedona Shrimp Cocktail."





Sedona Shrimp Cocktail
   serves 4-6 people, 4 shrimp per person

1 1/2 lbs of size 16-20 shrimp
juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup yogurt
1 TBS garlic powder
3 TBS minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder
1/4 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

    Set a pot of water on to heat, medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. While the shrimp are cooking, add the lime juice to a bowl of ice water. When the shrimp are done cooking, shock them in the lime-ice water to chill.
    While the shrimp are chilling, make the sauce by mixing together the remaining ingredients in a small bow.  Be careful with the chipotle powder, because it can easily overwhelm the other flavors in the dish.
     To serve, peel the shrimp and arrange the shrimp on a small decorative plate and drizzle the sauce over the shrimp.  Bon Appetit!


*Truth to tell, she did most of the work.

Pork & Beans

   This is definitely not your mama's out-of-a-can pork & beans! A moist & flavorful entree that is super easy to make and is super tasty. Don't be surprised if everyone asks for seconds!

Here's the recipe.

Roast Pork with Beans & Kale 
serves 4 - 6, or 2 teenagers

--- 3 lb bone in pork shoulder roast, also called Boston Butt or Pork Butt
--- 2 cans (15.5 oz.) great northern beans or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
--- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion
--- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
--- 2 TBS olive oil
--- 3 tsp minced garlic
--- 6 oz. fresh kale, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
--- Salt & black pepper to taste
--- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

-----   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
-----  Season the pork with salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat a large, heavy skillet or sauce pan (a cast iron skillet is ideal) over high heat and add 1 TBS of olive oil.  Sear the meat on all sides then remove and set aside.
-----  Lower the heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomatoes (with their juices) to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale starts to wilt, about 5 minutes.
-----  Remove the kale-tomato mixture from the heat and set aside.
-----  Place the rinsed and drained beans in the bottom of an oven roasting pan, a little larger than the size of the roast. Add the chicken broth and the optional pinch of red pepper flakes to the beans. Add the kale-tomato mixture to the beans and spread out evenly to cover the beans. Season the bean mixture with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Give the beans a stir and then place the browned pork butt on top of the beans along with any meat juices that may have collected.  Cover the roasting pan and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the meat after 1 1/2 hours of baking time; you are looking for a temp of 165-170 degrees. If the beans look like they are drying out, add some more liquid and finish baking.
-----  Remove from oven and allow the meat to rest in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove roast from pan and slice, roughly 1/4 inch thick slices. Spoon out the bean, kale and tomato mixture onto warm plates or a serving platter. Place the meat on the beans and spoon a bit of the cooking liquid over the meat.
----- Serve with a fresh garden salad and some crusty French bread and enjoy!

A Few Favorites

One of the purposes of this blog is to give you a peek into my kitchen and way of cooking. And one way of doing that is to share with you some of my favorite cookbooks.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love cookbooks of all sorts. There are just a little over 30 cookbooks in my collection at the moment (then there are the cooking magazines and the recipes I've printed off the internet). My cookbooks, I feel, are a reflection of me and my interests. And just like my interests, my cookbooks cover a wide variety of cuisines, everything from Amish to Thai and everything in between.

So, here are a few of my favorites which I hope will become favorites of yours as well.

1. The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno is probably the best of all the diet cookbooks on the market that I have seen.  There are lots of great pictures of great looking food to accompany the easy to read & execute recipes.  The food is so tasty and delicious that you won't notice or care that it's "diet" food!

2. Lidia's Family Table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. I was first exposed to this chef while watching Saturday afternoon cooking shows on PBS.  She comes across as being very down to earth and warm with a passion for food that is palpable. All of the recipes that I have tried from this book have been delicious and comforting. While this book may not be the best book for a beginer cook, this book's tips, instructions and plentiful pictures will help even a mediocre cook become an Italian chef.

3. The Fifth Taste, Cooking with Umami by David Kasabian & Anna Kasabian. This cookbook is chock full of recipes from some of this country's best chefs. My absolute favorite recipe from this book is the Roast Pork Shoulder with White Beans, Smoked Bacon and Kale on page 120. In the words of Rachel Ray "Yumm-oh!"

4. Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook by Hermann B. Deutsch. Having spent a number of my childhood years on the Texas/Louisiana border, I fell in love with the deep, bold flavors of Cajun cooking at a fairly young age. Cajun and Creole cuisine has influenced my palate and cooking style throughout my adult life to the point that I feel lost without my minced garlic, onions and hot sauce. So, when I had the chance to go to New Orleans a few years ago, I jumped at the chance. While in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to have a delightful brunch with my husband at Brennan's Restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter. A truly memorable experience. But I digress. The recipes in the Brennan's Cookbook are a wonderful collection of delicious old-school French style cooking. Many of the recipes look difficult and intimidating because of the French terminology, but they are really easy. The one recipe from this book that I cook, time after time, is the Crayfish Etoufee (pg. 98). This recipe tastes complicated but is easy enough to cook over a camp fire in the middle of a Living History encampment. And everyone that I've cooked this for, has loved it and asked me for the recipe.

5. Simple Italian Food, Recipes from My Two Villages by Mario Batali. Another great cookbook from Iron Chef Batali, himself. My only complaint about this book is that some of the ingredients called for are hard to find. Other than that, the book is a real treat for when you are feeling adventurous. I love Mario Batali and his Tagliatelle with Texas Boar Ragu (pg 85)!

6. Moosewood Restaurant, New Classics by The Moosewood Collective.  This is a new to me cookbook that I borrowed from my favorite cousin. A mostly vegetarian cookbook, this book seems to have just about everything you could ask for (minus the beef and pork) from pancakes to apple pie and ice cream. I confess that I've not tried very many recipes from this book, but they all seem very easy and very tasty. Give it a try and you may not even miss the meat!

Semi-Clean Eating

So, last night I decided to try a new recipe from the latest issue of Clean Eating magazine (Jan/Feb 2010). On page 69 is the recipe that inspired my dinner, 'Steak & Farfalle Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce.'  Yumm-o!! Due to copyright laws, I cannot give you the recipe here but I do urge you to get yourself a copy of the magazine and give this dish a try. If you like Tomato Vodka sauce or even Beef Stroganoff, you will like this recipe.

I confess that I did make some alterations to the printed recipe, but those were due to me not having all of the exact ingredients listed. For example, I didn't have Italian Seasoning, so I substituted a pinch of oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. And I used regular sour cream instead of the low fat sour cream that was called for in the recipe.

All in all it was a really good and easy dish to prepare and I will definitely be making it again in the future. If any of you give this one a try, please let me know how you liked it.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new cooking blog! The plan for this blog is to keep track, and share with you, all of my many and varied cooking adventures.  Some of the adventures will be wonderful, some will be horrible, but none of it will be boring. 

So join me as I explore the wonderful and wacky world of food and cooking. And always remember, life is too short to eat bad food!