SuperStar Chef Mark

August 18th - Summer Update

2010-08-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Winds of Change Keep Blowing

This summer is flying by, isn't it? It just seems like the beginning of July and now it's getting towards the end of August. Yeesh. Well, I tried to keep my promise, but not having to blog has been too nice and I'm 18 days late with an update for all of you.

I am officially a full time instructor now at my culinary school (I was a part-timer before). Congratulations to me (PAT ON THE BACK). I just found out today in fact. Also, got rid of the mall job and now work at a catering place in the city. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! The people are so nice and the work is fun! Finally, I've been keeping busy with projects for the school and teaching.

I know you're here to see what I've been cooking up in the meantime, so here's the two biggies I have for you.

The above sugar cookie is for the Culinary Honor Society I am the faculty advisor for. I made about 50 of these guys for the induction cerememony (it was at the end of June).

Below are the cakes I just finished last week for a buddy of mine for his baby shower. (Excuse the unpolished look of the photos. I did transfer them to a cake board and cleaned them up a little, but I thought I should get photos of them at that point in the process because I would forget in the end...and I did.)

He wanted childrens books, so I busted out the fondant. One was vanilla with vanilla butter cream (Giving Tree), one was chocolate with chocolate fudge frosting (Curious George), and the last one was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (Good Night Moon). I was a little disappointed with the Curious George. The perfectionist chef in me thought I could do better. I do have to give props to Brian for helping cutting out fondant shapes. He put in a lot of time at night when I was at the catering place.

So, that's my update. I'm doing really well, staying busy, and still loving my life. I hope to blog again soon. My goal is once again at the end of August. Stay tooned...

July 1st - Recipe for Success

2010-07-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Throwing In The Dish Towel
Well, I knew this day was going to come. The end of a silly project I half schemed after a few too many. I was hoping it would be January 1st 2011, but instead it's July 1st and I need to call it quits. This cooking everyday/blogging is going to have to take a back seat to the new responsibilities I'm taking on at school.

I got behind on the recipes due to side gigs and its impossible to get ahead now.   So, after much debate with Brian and others, I've made peace with the fact that this is the end of the Bon Appetite: Fast, Easy, and Fresh project.   I'll still blog every once in a while on special events and things I make, but it won't be on a daily basis. More like weekly. (I'm taking July off and will be back in August).

So Thank YOU kindly for all your comments, words of encouragement, and support as I trudged through the last 6 months of food, food, and more food.    I'll see you back in August for different food and a different format.

June 25th - Shallot Bruschetta

2010-06-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Shallots Next Year?
I'm thinking I want to plant shallots next year in my garden.   I've got garlic growing this year and its doing great. I'm too apprehensive to do full fledged onions, so maybe the small unassuming shallot will be my crop for 2011. I love the taste of shallots. They're small, but potent, and lend a great flavor to sauces and vinaigrettes.

This recipe was very simple. I was quite surprised. However, I think that the caramelized shallots and cheese would make a much better topping for flat bread pizza than bruschetta rounds.  Sprinkle on a little chopped thyme?

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Shallots: $1.29
Olive Oil: had
French Bread: $0.99
Cheese (Asiago): had

Total: $2.28

THE RESULTS

FAST:   About 10 minutes total.

EASY:   The difficulty lies in cutting up the shallots.

FRESH: Yes, but could improve with a sprinkling of some fresh herbs.

OVERALL: I like the simplicity of the recipe combined with that caramelized shallot flavor. Again, I would maybe add a little chopped parsley or thyme for flavor and garnish. It needs a little punch of color on the top.

This weekend we have bruleed berries (not to be confused with creme brulee). See ya then!

June 24th - One Hour Shrimp Paella

2010-06-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

You can have some of my paella..ella..ella..
Years back, when I was studying in Italy, I was able to get away for a long weekend to Barcelona. It was an amazing adventure and I'm so glad I did it. My mission on that trip was to eat the best paella in the city. So I researched, found it, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Super friendly staff at this family owned place...just perfect.   Every time I hear the word paella now, I think of me sitting at that little table on the second floor overlooking the street and eating that wonderful combination of seafood and rice.

What can you expect from this One Hour Shrimp Paella? Nothing close to the real thing, but this recipe was quite tasty.   It's suprisingly good for a recipe with a title that makes it sound no better than the photo printing at Walgreen's.

Try to track down real smoked Spanish paprika, it'll make all the difference. I was able to find that and some saffron at Williams Sonoma. (Trader Joe's might have it as well). I suggest you make this sometime soon before the price of shrimp becomes astronomical due to the BP disaster in the gulf.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients
Olive Oil: had
Smoked Ham: $2.44
Onions: $0.89
Red Bell Pepper: $0.75
Saffron: $6.00
Paprika: $7.50
Broth: $1.00
Arborio Rice: had
Shrimp: $6.00
Green Olives: $3.09

Total: $27.67 (Ouch. Pricey. But I spent the majority on excellent quality saffron and paprika, which should last a while).

THE RESULTS
FAST: Contrary to the name, the recipe does not take 1 hour. It takes about 15 minutes to prep, 15 minutes to cook the rice, and another 6 to cook the shrimp.   So about 36 minutes total.
EASY: Really easy. The most difficult part is chopping everything up and peeling the shrimp.
FRESH: Yes. You can even make it more fresh tasting with some chopped up parsley.
OVERALL: Not bad for a really simple and easy paella. Yes, technically it's not paella. Its more of a paella style risotto, but delicious none the less. Brian weighs in on the recipe with a yum and a thumbs up. I recommend the fresh parsley as a garnish and maybe a squeeze of fresh lemon to zing a contrast to the smokey/herby flavors of the paprika and saffron.

Tomorrow is a simple shallot bruschetta. See ya then!

June 23rd - White Beans with Sage and Olive Oil

2010-06-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Snoozeville!
This recipe is such a disappointment after the wonderful waffles. But alas, all is not loss. This recipe did remind me that dried beans really aren't that hard to cook. They may seem a bit intimidating, but can be pretty easy.

The flavor on these beans was weak and pretty blah. My recommendation: boil the beans in plain water, saute up a garlic/sage mixture in olive oil, and add the oil mixture to the cooked drained beans. You'll avoid the blahs and get a much better flavor on the beans.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Dried White Beans: $1.00
Olive Oil: had
Garlic: $0.89
Sage: had (from the garden)

Total: $1.89

THE RESULTS
FAST: Not at all. The beans need to come to a boil and soak for 1 hour. Then, you need to boil them again in some fresh cold water for 45 minutes. You're looking at 2 hours for beans.

EASY: If you can boil water, you can do this recipe.

FRESH: The flavor of the garlic and fresh sage is lost when you boil the poop out of it. In fact, the flavor gets so subtle you almost miss it.

OVERALL: Not great. Definitely making the garlic-sage oil mixture next time and drizzling it just before service. Otherwise, skip this recipe.

Tomorrow is Paella! See ya then.

June 22nd - Waffles with Frizzled Ham and Maple Mustard Cream

2010-06-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Waffles you say?
Gosh darn, I did! Breakfast for dinner is becoming really really popular in the Chicago-land area. You can find all sorts of savory waffles/pancakes and egg dishes on dinner menus throughout the city. I think folks like the comfort breakfast foods provide. Plus, they take well to interpretations. This, my dear friends, is an absolute treat that you MUST try. Brian is putting this recipe in his top 10 favorite recipes of all time! That's a big honor from such an oldster! (Ha ha, kidding!)

Seriously, ditch the Eggos and either make waffle batter from scratch or buy the Malted Mix from Williams-Sonoma (that's what I used). This recipe deserves the best waffle you can get! The maple-mustard cream is like gooey heaven and the pieces of ham thrown in put you over the edge! It all works fabulously together to make a memorable dinner that'll make your guests think twice before poo-pooing your crazy ideas!!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients
Butter: had
Ham: $2.57
Heavy Whipping Cream: $1.99
Maple Syrup: $6.00 (I got the real stuff)
Dijon Mustard: $1.00
Green Onions: $0.53
Waffles: used the Malted Mix from Williams-Sonoma which I had in the pantry

Total: $12.09

THE RESULTS

FAST: The recipe takes about 20 minutes including prep time, sauce cooking time, and waffle making time.

EASY: Super easy. You just saute the ham for 5 minutes, then add all the rest of the sauce ingredients and let simmer for 3 minutes. The hardest part for me was making the waffles.

FRESH: The green onions add the fresh zing to the sauce. Make sure to have some extra for garnish!

OVERALL: LOVE THIS RECIPE!! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE!! I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the best recipe so far this year from this crazy (time consuming) project. The ham-maple-mustard cream is so delicious. Who would have thought maple and mustard would go so well together? Now, in order for this to work, you CANNOT use Mrs. Butterworths. You need to spring for the real maple syrup (it is pretty expensive though). It will not taste the same. I just tried it and it does not taste the same!! Please, do me a favor and have waffles for dinner. The kids will love it and your dinner guests will freak!

I don't know if anything will ever top the awesomeness of this recipe, but we've got white beans tomorrow. I'm thinking it'll be a let down. We'll see ya tomorrow and find out!

June 19th & 20th - Heath Bar Brownies

2010-06-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Brownie Goodness...
I go ape for brownies. Absolutely love them. Especially when they are fudgy (and not cakelike). Yumm.. I could eat a whole pan by myself. This is a delicious twist on the, dare I say it, ho-humness of brownies. Although, I'll stick with ho-hum any time.

I found Heath bits at my local grocery store. They were with the chocolate chips. I decided to go with those rather than trying to crush up candy bars. It was a tad more expensive, but worth the convenience.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Butter: $1.99
Chocolate: had (compliments of Callebaut, where I took a chocolate class)
Flour: had
Salt: had
Baking Soda: had
Sugar: had
Eggs: $0.89
Vanilla: had
Walnuts: had
Heath Bits: $3.19

TOTAL: $6.07

THE RESULTS

FAST: These brownies took about 55 minutes overall. Fifteen minutes for prep, 30 minutes for baking, and ten minutes for the brownies to cool down enough for me to eat.

EASY: The part about beating the eggs with the sugar to get them really fluffy and then fold in the dry ingredients was probably the most difficult part.

FRESH: Meh, you can call these brownies delicious, but you really can't call them fresh tasting. Now a fresh take on the classic brownie, they are!

OVERALL: Love these brownies. Absolutely love them. The fact that you sprinkle the Heath bits on them when they just come out of the oven...shear genius! Although, I did put some in the batter. Also, I had a handful of pecans leftover in the freezer and threw those in as well. Yumm! I haven't met a brownie I didn't like (unless it had raisins in it!). These are a must try!

Well folks, we've got waffles for Tuesday. Yes, that's what I said...waffles! See ya then!

June 18th - Classic Shaken Margarita

2010-06-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Cocktail Time!!!!
I'm not a huge fan of tequila (there was an episode back in my younger days), so I shy away from the margarita. This recipe actually was pretty easy, but really really strong. If you like tequila, you'll love this!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Limes: $1.00
Tequila: Had
Cointreau: Had
Salt: Had

Total: $1.00

THE RESULTS

FAST: It only took about 5 minutes to concoct this drink (which doubles as a relief tonic from pesky children).

EASY: Easier than trying to get a full time job (believe me, I know!)

FRESH: The fresh squeezed lime juice makes all the difference.

OVERALL: This drink was too strong for me. I know, you're shocked and horrified. But, I had to dilute it with some flat club soda and some sweet sour mix. The tequila taste was too strong and I kept throwing up in my mouth and tasting that awful bile taste. The sweet sour mix mellowed it out, but I'm going to skip this recipe for the future.

We've got brownies for the weekend! See ya then!!!

June 17th - Grilled Chicken with Olive Puree

2010-06-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

Backed Up...
If you've been checking my blog, you'll have noticed that the Thurs and Fri recipes haven't been posted. Let me assure you that I've made the recipes, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to blog them. I've been working on projects for the school. So, here they are, backdated and posted.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Kalamata Olives: $2.19
Olive Oil: Had
Chicken: $2.88
Rosemary: Had (from garden)

TOTAL: $5.07

THE RESULTS

FAST: The chicken has to marinate for 3 hours or overnight. (I recommend it otherwise you won't get any flavor into the chicken.) So this is one recipe you should probably do one day ahead of time.

EASY: The puree is super easy since you're using a food processor. Then it's just slab it under the skin of the chicken, marinate, and grill.

FRESH: The rosemary gives it that punch of freshness.

OVERALL: This recipe was a little boring. I didn't care for it and Brian thought it was good. It would go really well with a gravy of some sort. Maybe a Sauce Maltaise? That's a hollandaise sauce that uses orange zest and juice (typically blood oranges). The orange, rosemary, and olives would be really good together.

Okay, I need a laugh. Here's my favorite lady, Amy Sedairs, stickin' it to Martha.

June 16th - Sugar Snap Peas with Toasted Sesame Seeds

2010-06-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

SNOOZE FEST!
Ugh. What a boring recipe. Literally I got a bag of snap peas that steam in the bag, microwaved it, added sesame oil and sesame seeds and bang...that's it. Know what it tastes like? Snap peas with sesame oil and sesame seeds.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Snap Peas: $2.19

Sesame Oil: had

Sesame Seeds: had

Total: $2.19

THE RESULTS

FAST: Took me 4 minutes to nuke the peas in the bag and 30 seconds to add the sesame oil and sesame seeds (which I toasted while the microwave was going).

EASY: Umm...it's the microwave.

FRESH: Surprisingly the steam in the bag frozen snap peas actually tasted fresh (and good).

OVERALL: Not feeling like being Martha Stewart in the kitchen? This recipe is for you. Nice and easy and BORING! YAWN. It's sleepy time. Wake me up when we get a good recipe cause tomorrow's is even more boring!

See ya then!

June 15th - Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza with Fresh Thyme

2010-06-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up...

Well, I'm feeling 100% better today. The cough is now subsiding and I'm able to sleep at night. Yeesh, that was a little rough going. So, today I bring to you a nice pizza recipe. Usually, I'm not a fan of the bell pepper (especially green), but this was actually pretty good.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Olive oil: had
Red Onion: $0.79
Garlic: had
Red Bell Pepper: $0.89
Yellow Bell Pepper: $0.69
Crushed Red Pepper: had
Pizza Crust: had (see note)
Goat Cheese: $3.99

Thyme: had (from my garden)

TOTAL: $6.36

So a while back (April 27th to be exact), I had to make calzones and I decided to buy a pizza crust mix. Well luckily it came with 2 packages in the box and I kept the other package just in case I'd need to make pizza again. Viola! Another pizza recipe. So that's what I used.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Well, it's not the quickest. For now, we're going to ignore the pizza crust I made. (Once it's mixed up, you have to let it sit, covered, for an hour to rise.) The onions had to saute on low for at least 30 minutes. Then you add the peppers and saute for another 5. Then, you assemble your pizza and let it cook for 12. The prep took me about 10 minutes. So, all together, you're looking at 57 - 60 minutes to make pizza even with a fully baked shell. Not so quick compared to the other recipes.

EASY: Yeah, somewhat. The trick with the pizza is to make sure the onions and peppers are sliced really thin. That can be somewhat tricky if you're not good with a knife. Don't slice your fingers off!! Otherwise, it's just assemble and bake.

FRESH: I'd say. The sweet of the onions with the bite of the bell pepper match well to the creamy, earthiness of the goat cheese and that hint of fresh thyme. But something felt missing...

OVERALL: I happened to have some balsamic glaze in the fridge and drizzled some on top of the pizza. It took that recipe from WOW to POW (bringing back a classic, Joy). That little extra zing of balsamic really set all of the flavors off. So, I actually liked this recipe. I'd make it again.

Tomorrow is snooze city with some snap peas. See ya then!

June 12 & 13 - Lemon and Anise Sugar Twists

2010-06-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday!
Feeling somewhat better today. Went with Brian and Nikki to see Sex and the City 2. My review is...meh. Didn't care for it so much, but it got me out of the house for 2 1/2 hours which I needed. I've been cooped up in there since Thursday Night.

After the movie we came back to the house and had a Thanksgiving in June meal. I made a free range turkey that I've had in the freezer for a while. Thawed it out on Friday and brined it on Saturday. Turned out excellent. Brian made the stuffing, sweet potatoes, and green beans. Yumm!
So for this blog entry I've got a guest taster, Nikki!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry: $3.19
Egg and Milk: Had
Sugar: had
Lemon Peel: had
Aniseed: $2.99

TOTAL: $6.18

So I finally found anise seed at a grocery store I haven't been to yet. And I found a butt load of it for $2.99. Yeah for me! I've got anise seed for the next 2 years.

THE RESULTS

FAST: You need to dethaw your puff pastry for at least 40 minutes. The assembly took less than 5 minutes and they bake for about 20 (16 in my oven). So, I would say they were pretty quick.
EASY: Yeah, just make sure you don't let your puff pastry thaw too much on the counter, otherwise it'll be impossible to work with.

FRESH: I would say the anise seed and the lemon zest give it a somewhat fresh taste. It's much better than using fake anise extract.

OVERALL: I thought they were okay. They needed more sugar in my opinion. They would be a great garnish for a bigger dessert of some sort. Maybe ice cream or sorbet? They'd be a nice addition to an after-dinner cookie tray with coffee. Nikki gives it a 6 out of 10 and Brian says "that's fair".

Next week we've got some pretty simple dishes. We'll see ya then!

June 11th - Cantaloupe Mint Cooler

2010-06-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

GETTIN' BETTER

Well, my last two days of bed rest here in the homestead have helped a bit. I don't feel as congested, but still have the cough. Hopefully I can shake that in the next day or so. You'd think by the look of the drink in the picture above that I was making myself some kind of crazy home remedy. Although it packs a vodka punch, it didn't cure my cough. I can attest that it tastes much better than it looks (I think I over blended)!

THE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Cantaloupe: $1.29

Sugar: had

Vodka: had

Limes: $1.00

Mint: had (from my garden)

TOTAL: $2.29

THE RESULTS

FAST: It took me about 5 minutes to cut up the melon and squeeze the lime juice. Then, you just blend everything in a blender which didn't take more than 30 seconds! Super Fast!

EASY: Cutting up the melon was the hardest part of this whole recipe. Just zip zap the rest in the blender.

FRESH: Mmm..nothing like ripe cantaloupe and fresh mint with a smack of vodka. DEE-LISH!

OVERALL: I haven't met a drink I didn't like. Well, except for Campari. This was really nice and refreshing. Perfect for hot summer days. I suppose you could use any kind of fresh fruit or melon. I happened to have lemon vodka, but I suppose a raspberry or blueberry flavored vodka would work well too! Brian gives this a thumbs up. He says that it would also be good sans the alcohol.

Alrighty, we've got some puff pastry twists for the weekend. See ya then!

June 10th - Soft Tacos with Sausage and Feta

2010-06-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

It Continues...
Yuck. Still not feeling great. Nyquil is my nightcap of choice now. Good news, these tacos came together pretty quick, which was good because I was hungry and tired when I came home from teaching all day!

THE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:
Olive Oil: had
Italian Sausage: $3.08
Red Onion: $0.74
Cumin: had
Corn Tortillas: $0.99
Feta Cheese: $2.19
Cilantro: had (from Tuesday's recipe)
Romaine lettuce: had (from Tuesday's recipe)

TOTAL: $7.00

THE RESULTS
FAST: It took about 15 minutes to cook the sausage and another 5 minutes to chop up the rest of the ingredients. So, about 20 minutes for these tacos.

EASY: Nothing to it. Fry up some sausage with some onions and cumin. Then, it's basically a build your own taco bar.

FRESH: The feta was a great touch to the fennel/cumin taste of the Italian sausage. The fresh cilantro also perked up the entire dish.

OVERALL: This was a really quick, easy recipe. I would add some fresh tomatoes and maybe a little diced avocado as well to this. Top with some sour cream?

Tomorrow is cocktail time. Very simple and hopefully delicious.

June 9th - Green Onion Biscuits

2010-06-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Still Enfermo
Well folks, I'm still sick. I actually think I'm worse than yesterday. But, I was able to whip these biscuits up no problem because the recipe was so simple. I just wish it wasn't so hot out. Because the oven was on, I ended up opening the doors and shutting off the A/C. Normally, I would cool myself off with a chilled gin martini. But, being sick and medicated, I've got to stick to water. BOO!!

You'll love this recipe. They're so good. I skipped the part about brushing with melted butter because I wanted to get the true taste of these biscuits. Also, I ended up using a good amount of flour on the table when kneading/turning the dough (as instructed in the recipe). Just make sure to have the extra flour handy so you're not playing Edward Dough Hands and making a mess of your kitchen trying to get to it (from experience).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Flour: had
Baking Powder: had
Salt & Pepper: had
Whipping Cream: $2.99
Green Onion: $1.00

Total: $3.99

THE RESULTS
FAST: These biscuits took me about 7 minutes to prep (including green onion chopping time). They baked about 15 minutes in my oven (because it runs too hot). So about 22 - 25 minutes for some really good biscuits.

EASY: OMG, YES! The hardest part was waiting for them to cool down enough to eat!

FRESH: The green onion does it here. Make sure you put in a touch more pepper than it calls for. It helps to make the green onion flavor pop!

OVERALL: Love these!! I'm keeping this recipe for the next time company comes over. Simple and easy, they'll think you slaved all day to make these. I would love to put some cooked bacon bits into the dough. Nah, I'll just keep them they way they are.

Tomorrow we've got some interesting tacos. See ya then!

June 8th - Turkey Chopped Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

2010-06-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

I Hate Being Sick
Being sick, especially when the weather is warm out, sucks. I have a bad chest cold/sinus infection and I've been medicating myself up for the past few days. So, you'll pardon me if these blog posts are a little shorter than normal and more straight to the point. I've been sleeping a lot more than usual.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Avocado: $0.59
Lime: $0.19
Chili-garlic Sauce: $2.99
Chicken: $3.05
Jicama: $0.89
Red Onion: $0.84
Red Pepper: $1.02
Cilantro: $0.33
Romaine Lettuce: $2.99

Total: $12.89

I decided to substitute out chicken for the turkey. I found a great deal on boneless, skinless chicken thighs so I just rubbed them with the BBQ rub I had in the pantry and sauteed them. Perfect and tasty.

THE RESULTS
FAST: The chicken took about 15 minutes to cook. The dressing took 2 minutes to make (because you put everything in a food processor). The salad took only 15 minutes to put together (this included prep time for all the veggies). Overall, 30 to 35 minutes. I'm sure it would be even quicker if you used already cooked turkey (like the recipe calls for).

EASY: The dressing is really simple since you're using a food processor. The prep of the veggies isn't too difficult except for the jicama. That took a little bit longer. Patience grasshopper!

FRESH: You're darn tootin'. Its a salad for gosh sakes!

OVERALL: This was a really good salad. I ended up squeezing a bit more lime juice onto my salad as it seemed like it needed it. Otherwise, the dressing was a nice combination of creaminess and zing. The BBQ rub on the chicken worked great and the jicama and red pepper were a nice touch of crunch. I really liked this recipe. I think I would actually make it again, but add a bit more lime juice to the dressing or maybe even add some cilantro to the food processor.

Tomorrow we've got biscuits! See ya then!

June 5 & 6 - Amaretto Chocolate Pudding

2010-06-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

My chef friend Tommy is having a party tonight, so I thought I would make something a little different for it:

MEATLOAF CUPCAKES!!! YUM!

It's the best of both worlds. Meatloaf and cupcakes!!! Delicious!

The meatloaf recipe is from America's Test Kitchen which is actually really good. The mashed potatoes are homemade (no recipe really). Let's hope they go!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Milk: $2.99
Pudding Mix: $1.29
Chocolate Chips: $2.29
Amaretto: had
Whipping Cream: $1.99
Sugar: had

Total: $8.56

THE RESULTS
FAST: The pudding took about 15 minutes to make. It then had to chill for at least an hour.

EASY: As long as you follow the instructions on the box mix, you'll be okay. It's really not that hard.

FRESH: Adding berries as a garnish to the pudding will make the recipe taste much fresher. Otherwise, it's pretty much just chocolate pudding. Not really fresh.

OVERALL: I didn't care for this recipe at all. It just tasted like chocolate pudding with some alcohol in it. You might as well save some time and get the jello instant pudding mix and throw in some amaretto in the end. This definitely needs some strawberries to go with it.

Okay. Next week looks like some fun recipes. See ya then!

June 4th - Honeydew and Prosciutto with Greens and Mint Vinaigrette

2010-06-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS

Ugh. I screwed up. I somehow put cantaloupe on my shopping list instead of honeydew. And of course, at the grocery store, I thought that it should have been a honeydew, but picked up cantaloupe instead. So, this recipe is going to have a major substitution. Also, I couldn't find anise seeds (I'll talk about that later) so I substituted out a very tiny drop of anise extract.

Speaking of class, the field trips went fine (sorry I was so short yesterday). Nothing major to report. Just did a huge amount of walking and was beat from that and the constant wrangling of students. We visited a bunch of cool bakeries in the Chicago area, but I didn't grab my camera! Ugh. Some really tasty things, though. If you're in the Chicago area I recommend Bittersweet, Bleeding Heart Bakery, and Twisted Sister. Three very different bakeries with some very different pastries!

Speaking of class...again, this morning I was lucky enough to attend a "Summer Pastry" class at the Callebaut Chocolate Institute downtown. Mmmm just think mangoes and white chocolate and strawberries and dark chocolate goodies! It was great. Learned a lot of info. I'll post pictures once they e-mail them to me (again, forgot the camera).

THE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:
Sherry wine vinegar: had
Honey: had
Anise extract: $1.99
Mint: (from garden)
Olive Oil: had
Baby Greens: (from garden)
Cantaloupe: $1.19
Prosciutto: $2.29

TOTAL: $5.47

THE RESULTS
FAST: The whole salad, from dressing to finished plate, took under 10 minutes. It's a real quick throw together salad, so it shouldn't take you any longer than that (unless your catching up on season finales on hulu, then it'll take you a bit longer).

EASY: The hardest part of this recipe was cutting up the melon. Again, need to pay attention to the recipe because it calls for sliced melon and not cubed. DUH MARK!

FRESH: Are ya kidding me? Do you have to ask? Fresh baby greens from the garden, topped with fresh mint and really ripe cantaloupe with a slightly sweetened honey anise vinaigrette. This is the epitome of fresh and by which all other dishes should be judged!

OVERALL: Meh. It's okay. I think the substitutions got in the way of this one. I've really been trying to find anise seeds (I guess I'm not looking hard enough) for the last month because I have a great biscotti recipe that uses them. They would add a much better texture and anise flavor to the salad than the extract would (it's a little too stong for me..even though I put in only a drop). I actually prefer cantaloupe and the nutty/salty prosciutto together, but I can see why this recipe calls for the honeydew (because it's milder and would take on the flavor of fresh mint really well). It's a nice change from the norm and would be a great summer starter.

Yeehaw! This weekend we've got us some dessert and maybe a surprise recipe or two (or maybe I'll leave those for Tuesday...I'm not sure). See ya Sunday!

June 3rd - Hunan Lamb Chops

2010-06-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

I'm wiped out. Took my two classes on their field trips today and I've been on the go from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It was a beautiful day outside, but I'm going to be so sunburned tomorrow. Need to get this done and get some sleep.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Hoisin Sauce: had

Soy Sauce: had

Dry Sherry: had

Chili oil: Had

Rice Vinegar: had

Garlic: $0.89

Green Onions: $0.33

Lamb: $7.45

TOTAL: $8.67

THE RESULTS

FAST: The hunan sauce takes less than 5 minutes to whip up. The lamb has to marinade in it for at least 20 minutes. The cooking takes about another 6. So, you can have this dish from start to finish in about 30 -35 minutes.

EASY: The hardest part of this recipe will be to not overcook the lamb. I think lamb should be cooked to medium or medium rare (that's my personal opinion). Well done lamb is like an oil spill in the gulf, it ruins everything. NOTE: Keep an eye on your lamb!

FRESH: Not really. The hunan sauce is really thick and "dark" tasting. Lots of soy sauce and hoisin which can get really syrupy and cloying. Now, throw in a little fresh ginger to the sauce and you'll put a little more zip in the ship.

OVERALL: The lamb I bought for this recipe was too lamby/gamey. It killed the taste of the whole dish. The hunan sauce would be great with either chicken or pork as well (I didn't mind that so much). It's kind of all purpose that way. I will be adding some fresh ginger next time and maybe some more green onion.

Sorry to make this short. See ya tomorrow!

June 2nd - Bistro Oven Fries with Parsley and Garlic

2010-06-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

THE FRENCH FIGHT

I absolutely love potatoes. Whether boiled, baked, mashed, scalloped, au gratin, roasted, or made into a salad, I could eat nothing but potatoes! However, I get insane when it comes to French fries. I have an unhealthy (literally) obsession with them!! (Yes, I love them more than Butter Pecan Ice Cream). If I could eat nothing but French fries everyday for the rest of my life and not have any unhealthy side effects from them, I would! When I go out to eat and order a sandwich and they come with, I usually say screw the coleslaw give me more fries. And this, my friends, is where the fight begins.

Brian does not like French fries. He frowns (well, scowls) every time I order them. I get that look of "Do you really think you need to eat those?". I put on my own scowly face that says "Yes, I think I need to eat these, now back off." Every time we go out to eat. It's like clockwork. I tell him that I'm going to get fries and he tries to lay a guilt trip on me. Every once in a while he'll win the fight and I order either a side of fruit or salad instead of fries (just to appease him). But then the table next to me gets their food and of course their plates are loaded with fries. I think "Man, look at what I'm missing out on. Oh, I bet they're so good. Stupid fruit. Stupid salad. Stupid fries. Thanks for nothing Brian."

My name is Mark and I am a French fry addict.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:Potatoes: $1.07

Canola oil: had

Parsley: (from garden)

Garlic: had

TOTAL: $1.07

THE RESULTS

FAST: The fries took me maybe 7 minutes to cut and another 30 minutes to bake (my oven is a little wonky and I didn't follow the recipe cook time). So you can have these fries in about 37 - 40 minutes.

EASY: Cutting the fries so that they are all the same size can be difficult, especially if you're not very confident about your knife cutting skills. You could buy either a mandoline or a french fry cutter (often sold in kitchen supply stores like Williams Sonoma) if you're going to make french fries often. Otherwise, you better start practicing because they are pretty expensive.

FRESH: The parsley is actually a fresh touch to what could be ordinary fries. I'm thinking next time maybe some rosemary.
OVERALL: Brian says that there is no such thing as a healthy French fry. Whether it's baked or deep fried, they're still bad for you. I ignore that because I CANNOT live without my french fries. It is nice to know that I can use this simple recipe to do home fries (that are at least healthier than deep fried ones..you've got to agree with that Brian). Although they don't compare to Burger King fries, they're still good. And the herb salt is a nice touch and can be improvised with many different flavor combinations.

Okay. Tomorrow I make lamb. See ya then!

June 1st - Grilled Salmon with Tomato Olive Salsa

2010-06-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

THE HALFWAY POINT...
Can you believe it's June already? Gosh, where does the time go? I'll tell you. It goes into this blog. It's really becoming difficult to find time to do this almost every day ("...pity, party of one..pity, party of one"), but I'm surviving. Everytime I think of giving up this project, I get an e-mail from someone asking what's on the menu for next week or a comment from someone responding to my crazy opinions of things. Then I'm like "Wow, someone is really reading this thing! How sad." (Just kidding.) But seriously, here's to all of you that keep me going. Someone's got to keep you entertained (and make you hungry) at work!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Tomatoes: $2.07
Olive Oil: had
Kalamata Olives: $2.29
Basil: from my herb garden
Capers: had
Galic: had
Shallot $0.83
Salmon: $4.99

Total: $10.18

Doesn't it seems like I've made some version of this already. I'm having a total deja vu moment here. There's got to have been some sort of tomato/olive salsa with fish before. Hold on..I'm going to check.

The Verdict: Yes, and no. If you look back to January 12th there is a striped bass with Moroccan Salsa.

http://superstarchefmark.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-12th-striped-bass-with-moroccan.html

The salsa does have kalamata olives, but it does not have tomatoes or capers. In fact, it's a whole other set of ingredients. Similar concept, different take. I knew I wasn't going crazy. It's only June for crepes sake!

THE RESULTS

FAST: The salsa only takes about 10 minutes to make. However, it needs to sit for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to develop (longer if possible). The fish was really quick at 6 minutes. So maybe 30 minutes for this meal? If someone says Rachael Ray I'm gonna....

EASY: How good are your salsa making skills? That's about as hard as this recipe gets. Unless, you get the fish stuck to your grill. WARNING: Make sure you wipe down your grill with some olive oil. DOUBLE WARNING: Make sure you don't start your paper towel or rag on fire!

FRESH: Yeah. The salsa is a great fresh kick to the salmon. The just picked basil and kalamata olives combined with the capers is a symphony of flavors. You know I'm going to say that this salsa will be even better in the summer with garden fresh tomatoes!

OVERALL: A great variation of the fish and salsa recipe we've come to see twice now from Bon Appetit. How many more will we see before the year is up? Care to guess? This is a great recipe to clean out your fridge and to use that home grown basil and tomatoes that you'll have an abundance of.

Tomorrow is my favorite veggie: THE POTATO! See ya then!

May 29 & 30 - Butter Pecan Ice Cream Pie with Caramel Topping

2010-05-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM!!!!
Butter pecan ice cream is my most favorite flavor in all the world. There is just something about it that drives me nuts (Ha!). I will take a handful of lactaid just so I can enjoy this most holy of ice cream flavors. The sweet and salty are in perfect balance as you get a play of smooth and crunchy textures in your mouth. I think its my love for pecans in general that fuels this passion. Oh gosh, I could gush for hours and hours on the greatness of this flavor, but I've got an ice cream pie to eat on this extremely hot day!

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Pecans: $4.28
Graham Cracker Crumbs: $1.00
Brown sugar: $2.00
Butter: $1.99
Butter Pecan Ice Cream: $2.50
Caramel: made

Total: $11.77

I forgot to get caramel ice cream topping, so I decided to make a small batch. Since I had some leftover cream in the fridge and sugar in the pantry, I was good to go. (Caramel should only be made with cream. Regular milk or half and half don't work.)

THE RESULTS
FAST: Not really. The crust took 5 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to freeze. The ice cream sat out while this happened. The ice cream softened, I put it into the shell, and then had to wait 1 hour for it to harden back up (made the caramel during this time). So, about 1 hour 20 minutes for pie.

EASY: The crust wasn't too difficult. The processor made fast work of it. Just make sure you pack your crumbs in well and into the corners of your dish for a crisp, finished look.

FRESH: Not really. It's just butter pecan ice cream and caramel.

OVERALL: YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
I mean, come on. Unless you don't like butter pecan ice cream, this is the greatest dessert so far in the past 6 months.

Okay. I've got tomorrow (Memorial Day) off. Which I will need to do school stuff. Hopefully, I'll get back on track this week.

May 28th - Grilled Pesto Breadsticks with Goat Cheese Pesto Spread

2010-05-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

BEFORE THE BASIL HARVEST...
I have to tell you that I have always made my own pesto. I purposely grow a lot of basil in the summer to make a huge batch and then freeze (it works great in ice cube trays). If I don't have pesto in the freezer, then I go without. It has never crossed my mind to go to the store and buy already made pesto until this recipe. Cause guess what? No pesto in the freezer. And with the project that I've been working on, no time to make my own. So I discovered the pesto section (well, shelf really) of my grocery store. Not much to choose from, so we'll see how it tastes.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients
Pesto: $2.99
Goat Cheese: $3.99
Bread: $1.99
Olive oil: had

TOTAL: $8.97

THE RESULTS

FAST: The pesto/goat cheese was really quick in the food processor. 2 minutes tops? Then the bread took another 5 to prep, coat, and then broil. In less than 10 minutes, you've got an appetizer.

EASY: The hardest part will be cutting up the bread. You've got to split the bread, as if you're making a sandwich, and then cut those halves into strips. Just think bread stick shapes and you'll be fine.

FRESH: Pesto and goat cheese. Yummy. The jar pesto wasn't that bad. Now homemade pesto....YUMMY IN THE TUMMY!!

OVERALL: This is a simple, easy appetizer. Brian really liked the bread and said he'd eat that by itself. I liked the goat cheese/pesto spread. (I'm actually going to toss that in some just cooked pasta with some chopped tomatoes and cooked broccoli for dinner tonight. I think it's going to be great.) The cheese/pesto would be a great addition to any cheese plate as well.

Okay, now we just have to get dessert out of the way, and I'll be all caught up!

May 27th - Grilled Steaks with Anchovy Lemon Butter

2010-05-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

I've Been A Bad Blogger

Okay, so this recipe and the next (the pesto bread) are actually late. It is Sunday night and I am just blogging them now. I made the recipes on Thursday and Friday respectfully (so that part of this blog I'm still good on), but I have a project for school that needs to get done ASAP. In the spirit of full-disclosure, I've got to tell you that I've backdated these blog entries.

COMPOUND BUTTER

Compound butter sounds like a hoity-toity thing, but it's super easy thing to make. It's basically soft butter mixed with some herbs, spices, and/or other flavorings. Some people will reform it into a log to make it look pretty, other chefs like to use a pastry bag to pipe out stars. In either case you need to take your soften butter and put it back in the fridge to harden up. Then you can either cut the log or serve the hardened stars on your bread and butter plates or top cooked meats (or fish). The great thing about compound butter is that the flavor possibilities are endless. You can go very simple with one flavor (like dill) or make it as complicated as you want (with olives, paprika, marjoram, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, anchovies, and oregano). And, you can make a huge batch and put what you don't use in the fridge (tightly wrapped of course). Then, the next time you have company, you can pull it out last minute and wow your guests.

TOUCHING YOUR MEAT

The touch method of knowing how to cook meat is really not that hard. There are three basic touches:

With your hand slightly closed, touch the pad of your palm. Feel how soft that is? That is rare.

With your hand now outstretched (but not really tight), touch that same part of your palm. That is medium.

With your hand outstretched (somewhat tight now) touch the pad under your index finger. It should feel pretty solid. That is well.

Hey, not bad. I took these pictures myself with the auto-timer and the camera in my mouth!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Butter: had
Anchovy: $1.79
Shallot: $0.89
Lemon: $0.50
Steak: $7.99

TOTAL: $11.17

THE RESULTS

FAST: The butter didn't take more than 5 minutes to prepare. (If you need to soften the butter quick, give it a 1 minute zap in the microwave.) Even though the butter is quick to throw together, you'll need to let it become solid again in the fridge. My butter took about 45 minutes to come back to a hard solid. The steak was really quick. I like rare to medium rare so I only "grilled" it for 7 minutes total.

EASY: The butter is super easy to make. The best part is you can make a big batch of compound butter and store it in the fridge. Then, you can use it not only for meats, but as a flavored butter for a great loaf of crusty bread. Depending on your skill with a grill, the steaks can be no problem or a pain in the butt. I usually do the touch method of knowing when the meat is done, but some people will use a thermometer. Just make sure you don't stick your meat too much, or you'll release all of the juices.

FRESH: If it had some chopped up fresh parsley or thyme, then I would give this a big yes. But, it really isn't what I would consider fresh.

OVERALL: Surprisingly, the anchovy lemon butter really isn't that bad. However, if you don't like anchovies, you are not going to like this butter. You can try adding fresh herbs all you like, but the anchovy taste is going to pop through. Personally, I like anchovies and I actually liked this butter on my steak. I think adding some fresh chopped capers would have given the butter even more zing and an Italian flare.

Okay, we've got some pesto bread as an appetizer. See ya then!

May 26th - Warm Spinach Salad with Parmeasn

2010-05-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

YAWN!
If a recipe could embody the lack of enthusiasm as demonstrated by yesterday's post, this would be the blue ribbon winner. When I tasted this salad the words "ho-hum", "boring", and "lackluster" come to mind. Yeah, it could be the snobby chef in me coming out. But really folks, this salad is nothing more than a bowl of spinach with a warmed up balsamic dressing thrown on top. They're adding the nuts and Parmesan to "fancy" it up, but really, you've got a basic spinach salad with boring-ness thrown in. (I'm sure there is a pig and lipstick joke somewhere in there). I mean COME ON. Speaking of pigs, how about some bacon? Bon Appetit you could have at least gone with a warm bacon dressing on this one.

I can't be too upset. Everyone has those days where they don't want to work to hard. For example, me, yesterday with this blog. Today, Bon Appetit, I'm letting you off the hook on this one and chalking it up to a lazy day.

I suppose we should just get on with this as a formality.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Spinach: $2.10
Radicchio: $1.02
Olive oil: Had
Balsamic: had
Red Wine: had
Shallot: $0.89
Almonds: had
Parmesan: had

Total: $4.01

I'm sorry, but I was not going to spend a small fortune to buy pine nuts for this droll recipe. I went with some slivered almonds which I had in the freezer.

THE RESULTS

FAST: The salad takes less than 10 minutes to make. That includes the time you have to let the warm dressing sit in the spinach, the time it takes to make the dressing, and the time it took to toast the nuts in a pan on the stove top.

EASY: We've discussed this before, but toasting nuts in a saute pan can be a little difficult. You definitely never want to leave the kitchen or turn your back for too long on those guys. They'll turn to charcoal in less than a few minutes.

FRESH: Yeah, I guess. You've got fresh spinach and radicchio.

OVERALL: Well I think you all know how I feel on this one. LAME! Seriously, I would have gone with a warm bacon dressing. At least that would be a little more fun than a boring balsamic vinaigrette.

Well, I'm out of here. I'm going to get some Mexican food with Brian. A new Mexican restaurant opened up in the neighborhood and I've been wanting to try it for days now. Hasta mañana! See ya then!

May 25th - Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

2010-05-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Heat Stroke...
This warm weather is making me sluggish and not wanting to do much blogging. So, I'm going to skip the small talk and get right into the recipe, which is actually not that bad.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Italian Parsley: $0.69
Olive oil: had
Red wine vinegar: had
Cilantro: $0.69
Garlic: had
Red Pepper: had
Cumin: had
Salt: had
Chicken: $3.19

Total: $4.57

THE RESULTS

FAST: The chimichurri is real quick because its all made in a food processor. It took me less than 3 minutes. Cooking the chicken took about 10 minutes. I was too lazy to start the charcoal grill, so I decided to pan fry it in the house. Yeah, probably not the smartest when its so hot, but it was the only thing I had to cook and that's what air conditioning is for.

EASY: The hardest part is cooking the chicken. There really isn't anything to the sauce except throwing it all in the food processor. That's my kind of easy!

FRESH: Uber-fresh. Think of it as a parsley pesto/vinaigrette.

OVERALL: This recipe is really not that bad. I only put in one clove of garlic, because I didn't want to reek of it. Uncooked garlic is starting to make me very wary. Anyway, this recipe is so easy to make and would go great with some cooked asparagus or roasted potatoes. I like it because I always have too much parsley growing in my garden and nothing to do with it. This kind of remedies that.

Yeah this was kind of a bummer post, I know. Not very witty. But hang in there. We've got salad tomorrow and I plan on sleeping in, so I should be as right as rain. See ya then!

May 22 & 23 - Strawberry Mascarpone And Marsala Budini

2010-05-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

The Amazing Budini

Ugh, it is hot and sticky and I am not ready for this weather! It's going to help the tomatoes I planted, but it's not going to do a thing for me except keep me indoors with the A/C on high!

The dessert for this weekend is super easy, super delicious, and Italian! Budini means "pudding" and is used rather loosely. The consistency of the pudding can vary from really super soft to something rather dense. And don't even get me started on flavors. They are infinite and are only limited by your imagination.

This dessert is perfect for the hot, mugginess outside. Although, I will be enjoying mine indoors watching the last episode of my favorite T.V. show in the world....LOST! I do have to say this season kind of bit, but I'm excited to see how they end it all. After tonight, I won't have any shows to tune into regularly (except Modern Family). I guess that's good. It'll give me more time to read and cook (like I'm not doing that enough..cooking that is).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Marscarpone Cheese: $2.19

Marsala: had

Heavy whipping cream: $1.29

Sugar: had

Strawberries: $1.50

Amaretti: had

Total: $4.98

THE RESULTS

FAST: This recipe is really quick to throw together, but you have to let the cream and berries sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before you can assemble your dessert. Then, after it's assembled, you need to let it sit 30 minutes more. So, you won't be eating budini for at least an hour.

EASY: The hardest part you'll have with this recipe is not eating up all the wonderful strawberries before you get a chance to slice them.

FRESH: I had super ripe strawberries which put the letter R in the word FRESH. Garnish with some fresh mint leaves and you've got yourself one heck of a summer recipe.

OVERALL: Great recipe. If you don't want to go as heavy (or as expensive) as mascarpone, you can use cream cheese. Also, you can use any other sweet dessert wine or even liquor in place of the Marsala. I wouldn't mind trying this again with a little Chambord or Grand Marnier. The amaretti are a must in this recipe. You have got to search them out (look in Italian grocery stores) because they add a great crunch to the overall dessert. MMMMM....we've got a winner with this one and I suggest you try it!

Okay, I'm going to hunker down now for Lost. We'll see you Tuesday!

May 21st - Cucumber Gimlet

2010-05-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

GOOD OLE GIN

I fell in love with gin back when I was 21. It was a wonderful summer. My cousin, who lives in California, offered me a chance to stay with her and her husband for a month out there. I jumped at the opportunity. To make a really long story somewhat not as long, I spent my days lying out by the pool and sipping dirty gin martini's. Yeah it was only 10 a.m., but I was in California. The weather was beautiful all the time and I didn't have a care in the world. I somehow managed to get a month off from work (thinking back now that was really generous of my work) and relished every minute (except for the times when I got really drunk at night and ended up puking for a good hour or two). Come to think of it, that happened almost every weekend. Ugh the aftertaste of the dirty martinis in the morning with that strong sunshine blaring into the room. And the headaches....wait, where was I going with this?

So it was my cousin who introduced me to gin. Seagrams I believe. Now I've developed a somewhat more sophisticated palate and prefer Bombay Sapphire. I don't drink it dirty anymore. Basically straight up with olives. The drinking at 10 a.m. days are gone and I only touch the stuff once in a great while. But, it was fun to visit with gin again today. We reminisced on old times and had a good laugh about the crazy old days. Man, it's tough getting old.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients
Cucumbers: $1.55
Gin: $21.99 (I ran out and had to buy more)
Limes: had
Sugar: had

TOTAL: $23.54

THE RESULTS

FAST: Not as quick as you think. Making the "cucumber water" took a good 20 minutes. Straining it was the hardest part (partially because I didn't have a fine mesh strainer. SHOCK AND HORROR? Chef Mark doesn't have a fine mesh strainer? Yes, the truth is now out. There are a few kitchen gadgets I don't have. A fine mesh strainer being one of them).   Anywayw, once the cucumber stuff is done, the rest is really easy.

EASY: Again, I have to go back to the making of the "cucumber water" and harp on it. It was kind of putsy. And the "strainer" I used was a pain in the butt.  Not to sound redundant but once that's done, the rest is really easy.

FRESH: For as much work as the "cucumber water" is, it really freshens up the drink and is worth the effort. That with the combination of the lime juice make this the perfect hot day drink.

OVERALL: You know I like my gin and would you be really suprised if I didn't like this recipe? Well, I actually like it a lot! I will definitely have to find a real fine mesh strainer to use next time (to make things go quicker and easier). I'm also tempted to maybe add a little fresh mint.   Hmm...

Well, the rain has cleared up and the sun is out. It's actually quite beautiful outside now. I'm going to head outside with this martini, towel off the patio chairs, and try to recapture maybe 30 minutes of a simpler time when I was 21. I'll see you this weekend for dessert!

May 20th - Tuna, White Bean & Roasted Pepper Salad with Creamy Dijon Dressing

2010-05-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

Aw, Lettuce

So the lettuce we planted has finally started coming up! There is such a difference in taste between homegrown lettuce and store bought. We planted a loose leaf mix and some romaine-ish type head lettuce. What's great about growing lettuce is that you can keep growing more and more throughout the summer. It's pretty low maintenance. So the picture above is a 50-50 mix of homegrown and store bought!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Mayonnaise: had

Olive oil: had

Dijon mustard: had

Champagne vinegar: had

Baby greens: $1.99

White beans: $1.00

Roasted red peppers: had

Red onion: $0.88

Tuna: $1.75

Kalamata olives: $1.91

TOTAL: $7.53

THE RESULTS

FAST: The dressing took me 5 minutes to make. The prep for the rest of the salad (including opening the cans of tuna and draining them) took about 10 minutes. So, this salad can really be thrown together in about 15 minutes.

EASY: Really the hardest part of this whole thing is opening the cans and draining the tuna well.

FRESH: Very much so. Everything works together great. The creaminess of the beans and the saltiness of the kalamata olive play off the red onion and pungency of the dijon dressing. Throw in some garden fresh lettuce and you've got a hit on your hands.

OVERALL: My least favorite part of this whole salad is the tuna. I really would have enjoyed this recipe more without it. Unless canned tuna is mixed up with some mayo to make tuna salad, then I don't really care for it. I suppose you could mix in the tuna with the bean/red pepper mixture, but I think a total veggie version would be just fine.

Tomorrow is cocktail time!!! Exciting. See you then.

May 19th - Frisee and Morel Ragout with Prosciutto

2010-05-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

Mushroom Hunting

In the past week, I have heard 5 separate conversations regarding mushroom hunting. I know its morel season, but when did this get so popular? And these conversations were really hush-hush. Apparently everyone's got their own secret spot to look for morels.

Surprise surprise, I'm not on the bandwagon. First off, I'm too chicken poop to eat anything I find in the wild. I'm afraid of either dying or having some weird (how's that Joy?) psycho-trippy reaction to it. Second, these people spend hours looking in wooded areas and end up finding a mushroom or two. To me, it's not worth it. I can find better things to do with that time (like blog).

There were no morel mushrooms to be found in any of my local grocery stores, so I substituted oyster mushrooms. Also, frisee is near impossible to find, so I substituted escarole (a close relative).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Butter: had

Oyster mushrooms: $2.99

Shallots: $1.29

Chicken broth: had

Escarole: $1.79

Peas: had

Heavy cream: $1.99

Prosciutto: $1.74

Lemon Juice: had

TOTAL: $9.80

THE RESULTS

FAST: The ragout took about 15 minutes total. That included prep time and cooking time. It's really quick.

EASY: There is nothing difficult about this recipe except for finding morels and frisee. If you substitute out the ingredients, the dish will still be delicious. Chopping up the ingredients is not hard at all.

FRESH: The bitterness of the escarole comes through as do the sweetness of the peas. They really make the ragout fresh tasting.

OVERALL: I like it...a lot. I pan fried some chicken thighs and it was so delicious. There are so many different flavors going on, but they all work together. The salty/meaty prosciutto, the woodiness of the mushrooms, the bitter of the escarole, the sweet peas, the bite of acidity with the lemon juice. Yummy!!! Garnish with a little fresh chopped parsley and you're good to go!!

Well, tomorrow we've got another Italian dish - a tuna salad with white beans. Sounds like a nice light supper for summer. See ya then!

May 18th - Horseradish Spiked Roast Beef and Arugula Sandwiches

2010-05-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER WEEK...
Hope y'all are rested up. It's time for another week of food! I'm pretty excited for the cocktail on Friday!!

THE RECIPE
Ingredients
Sour cream: $1.99
Horseradish: $1.79
Thyme: had (herb garden)
French Bread: $1.99
Roast Beef $3.09
Vidalia Onion: $0.89
Arugula: $1.99

TOTAL: $11.74

The roast beef came from the deli counter of my grocery store. Otherwise, you can pretty much find everything no problem.

THE RESULTS

FAST: The horseradish sauce took 5 minutes to make. It says that it should sit for 5 minutes or up to 3 hours. (Obviously the longer it sits, the better it will taste.) Putting the sandwich together takes maybe 5 minutes tops. So you can have this on the table in about 15 minutes.

EASY: The horseradish cream is super simple and if you can build a sandwich, you're good to go for the rest of the recipe.

FRESH: I suppose. The thyme really stands out in the horseradish cream and the arugula is a great alternative to hum-drum lettuce. The raw onion slices were a bit too strong for me. I would have much rather had some sauteed onions instead.

OVERALL: These sandwiches were okay. I don't think they were anything spectacular or new. Again, I think some sauteed onions would have given the roast beef a little more dimension. Plus the sweetness of the onion would have played really well with the pungency of the horseradish.

Tomorrow is an interesting ragout with morels and frisee (both of which I cannot find). So we'll be substituting big time tomorrow. See ya then!

May 15 & 16 - Tangerine Granita with Vanilla Bean Cream

2010-05-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Fancy Creamsicle

Ah, how I love creamsicles. That smooth orange/creamy taste slips onto the tongue like a soft fluffy cloud. Memories of playing kickball in the alley with the neighborhood kids during the warm summer evenings. Thoses were the days!

So this recipe comes just in time for a perfectly sunny day today. Did a little shopping and some planting and enjoyed the rest of the sunshine with the granita. I served them in martini glasses for Brian and I and we spent the better part of an hour lounging in the backyard enjoying these "sophisticated" childhood treats.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Tangerine juice: $2.99

Sugar: had

Whipping cream: $1.99

Vanilla bean: had

TOTAL: $4.98

I just happened to have vanilla beans in my pantry. You can find them now in most upscale grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's (even Williams Sonoma carries them). The downside to vanilla beans are the price (they're costly). I did see that Williams Sonoma now carries the Nielsen-ssey Vanilla paste. I used to use the paste at work all the time. It gives you the flavor of beans (with the little specks of seeds) at a much cheaper cost. I picked up some of that as well for future recipes.

Tangerine juice was hard to find. I didn't want to buy fresh tangerines and spend the time squeezing them. I did find a bottled tangerine/orange mix. So, I just used that. However, I cut the sugar down to 1/3 cup instead of the 2/3 called for in the recipe. It worked great.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Really, it's not. The minimum the granita has to sit in your freezer is 3 hours. I let mine go overnight. The cream says 2 hours or overnight. (I did mine overnight).

EASY: The granita is simple. Just mix the juice and sugar together in a pan until it dissolves and freeze. The hardest part was remembering to come back in 2 hours and stir the mixture. Once frozen, you just use a spoon (or fork) and scrape the granita over the surface. The vanilla cream is super simple as well. The hardest part of that is to make sure you half the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the middle with a knife into the cream. You want all that vanilla bean goodness to flavor the cream.

FRESH: The citrus in the granita actually makes this one of the fresher desserts we've had in a while. (I'm sure if you used fresh squeezed juice, it would be much better). This would be really refreshing on a hot day.

OVERALL: I like the simplicity of this dessert. I forgot, however, to cover the granita with plastic wrap overnight and it has a slight hint of freezer (freon) taste. I think it looks really nice served in martini glasses. Just garnish maybe with a slice of tangerine or even candied orange zest and you've got yourself one classy looking dessert.

Well, I'm all for a break tomorrow. See ya Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.

May 14th - Grilled Chicken Skewers with Red Pepper Pesto

2010-05-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

Another Late Night...

Well, it's another late night of cooking due to the fact that I decided to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful weather today. My friend Nikki and I did some rummage and estate saleing with a little thrift store peppered in there. No great finds for me! (I was looking for some cool kitchen stuff). However, I did have the best fish fry for lunch at this Irish bar. Yummy! The fish was so crisp on the outside and delicate on the inside. The french fries are the best ever!! They have a crisp coating on the outside as well! Coleslaw, which I don't ever eat, was great! Thank god we did a lot of walking!!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Roasted Red Bell Peppers: $1.00

Cilantro: $0.69

Balsamic Vinegar: had

Garlic: had

Dry Mustard, Coriander, & Cinnamon: had

Olive oil: had

Almonds: had

Chicken: $4.22

TOTAL: $5.91

I like it when I have most of the stuff for the recipe in my house. It makes for less grocery shopping. I happened to have a jar of roasted red bell peppers in the pantry from a recipe last month (I bought extra because they were only $1 a jar). Also, almonds have been pretty big in the recipes for this month, so I bought a big container of them and kept them in the freezer.

THE RESULTS

FAST: The chicken took about 12 minutes to cook through. The pesto took 2 minutes to blend together. You could have this on the table in about 15 minutes.

EASY: Grilling chicken is a snap. If you don't want to go through that hassle, bake the chicken in the oven or put it under the broiler. The pesto is so super easy. Just bust out your food processor and add everything together.

FRESH: MMMM...YES! The roasted peppers, cilantro, and spices add so much dimension to the pesto. The almonds give it a nice little crunch.

OVERALL: The star of this recipe is that pesto, which is so good. It'll be oh so much more delicious the next day...I'm sure (INSERTED BLOG NOTE: It is so much better the next day. It's Saturday morning and I tried some and the flavors have developed a thousand fold. Yummmm!). The chicken is good, but I think I would like this pesto mixed in with some pasta. Maybe some spinach? Maybe mix the chicken in with the pasta as well? This pesto would also be a good sandwich spread. Maybe a grilled veggie sandwich? Or how about a prosciutto and fresh mozzarella panini? So many possibilities, so little time. Can you tell I highly recommend this recipe?

Okay. The dessert this weekend a granita. Hmm... I'm going to have to start it Saturday as it needs to sit overnight in the freezer. See ya then!

May 13th - Campanelle Pasta with Burrata Cheese, Spinach, Lemon, and Toasted Almonds

2010-05-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Not So Good Today...
I'm feeling really run-down today. I think it is a sign of oncoming sickness. Boo!! I just need to take some sleeping pills tonight and sleep in tomorrow. Hopefully, that'll help me shake it off.

So, I got an e-mail that my cake photo is published on the Les Dames Chicago website! Woo hoo!! Check it out at:
http://lesdameschicago.org/2010/05/the-desserts/

There's a better shot of it here (scroll down to the seventh picture):
http://lesdameschicago.org/2010/05/fashion-plates-2010-cocktail-hour/

THE RECIPEIngredients
Campanelle pasta: $1.99
Butter & Olive Oil: had
Garlic: had
Lemon: $0.59
Spinach: $2.99
Almonds: Had
Cheese: $2.19

TOTAL: $7.76

So, I'm still unable to find burrata cheese. This is the second recipe that calls for it. I haven't been able to locate it anywhere!!! So, I substituted buffalo mozzarella.

Campanelle pasta is the one that is shaped like a little flower or bell. I didn't have any trouble finding it. I suppose you could use any shape, but I actually like the look of the campanelle.

THE RESULTS

FAST: The pasta took about 10 minutes to cook. While I was waiting for the water to boil, I chopped the garlic, fried it up, and added the lemon juice (about 5 minutes total). As the pasta was cooking, I toasted the almonds. Total time was about 15 to 20 minutes tops from start to finish.

EASY: Toasting the almonds can get tricky. I just used a dry fry pan and toasted them on the stove top. As soon as they start to get golden brown, I shut off the heat and continue to stir the almonds. The residual heat in the pan helps to get them nicely toasted without burning.

FRESH: An overwhelming YES! Lemon, spinach, buffalo mozzarella and toaste almonds. It's a party in my mouth.

OVERALL: This is such a simple, yet delicious recipe. I was a little surprised at how well it turned out. I love the unexpected crunch of the almonds! And, the spinach naturally wilting in the hot pasta keeps that spinach flavor without the soggy sauteed spinach texture. Just watch the adding of the lemon juice to the garlic (it turned my garlic blue). I didn't saute the garlic as long as I should have and kept the lemon juice and garlic cooking longer than necessary. Oh well.

I am off to make some camomile tea, take two sleeping pills, and watch some mindless T.V.!

Tomorrow we've got chicken skewers! See ya then!

May 12th - Asparagus with Gremolata Butter

2010-05-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

So Long Joy!

So we bid Joy farewell and move back into the mundane of the work world. But fear not, for we are having my chef friend Tommy and his wife, Julia, over for dinner! I love entertaining. Unfortunately, I totally biffed this recipe (which I served to them anyway). I way overcooked the asparagus and really browned the garlic. Hey, nobody's perfect (well, except for Joy, but she's gone back to the land of cheese).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Asparagus: $3.99

Butter: had

Lemon: $0.69

Garlic: had

Parsley: $0.59

TOTAL: $5.27

THE RESULTS

FAST: This recipe only took 10 minutes from start to finish.

EASY: The hardest part of this recipe is chopping up the garlic and the parsley. Boiling and cooling the asparagus is a snap....unless you get distracted and you end up over cooking the asparagus.

FRESH: Asparagus and lemon. A classic combination that screams spring fresh!

OVERALL: Again, I biffed this recipe big time. However, the browned garlic actually gave this recipe a little bite. Otherwise, it would have been a pretty boring lemon and asparagus recipe. With that being said, the fact that I had totally mushy asparagus was a deal breaker. I didn't want to throw it away, so I figured we could all still enjoy it. Mushy asparagus is such a nasty texture.

Ah well. Pasta tomorrow!!!

May 11th - Turkey Cutlets Piccata

2010-05-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Oy! Major Fraud!
Okay, you'll notice that this blog is a day late. In the spirit of full disclosure (no song here Joy), I must tell you that I absolutely had no time to blog yesterday. I taught in the morning/afternoon and then spent the entire rest of the evening with awesome Joy from Wisconsin seeing the most fantastic "Billy Elliott" at the Oriental Theater. (I highly recommend the show!) We got home at 11 p.m. and I was in no mood to cook (but I was in the mood to "Dance Billy, Dance").

So you get two blogs for the price of one. The recipe for today will be coming shortly.

UPDATE: Apparently I got an e-mail about my cake for the fundraiser on Monday and it went for $1200. That's Crazy!! I'm so glad that I could help out for such a great cause. That makes it definitely worth all the hard work.

I'll be taking orders now for 2011 for my chocolate cake. Please make your $1200 checks payable to SuperStar Chef Mark.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients
Flour: had
Turkey Cutlets: $5.29
Butter: had
Veggie oil: had
Lemon juice: $1.59
White wine: $3.99
Parsley: had (from my herb garden)
Capers: had

Total: $ 10.87

THE RESULTS:

FAST: I was able to throw this recipe together in less than 15 minutes. The turkey cutlets were so thin that they only needed to cook for 3 minutes. The sauce was a 2 minute throw together.

EASY: The hardest part of this recipe would be trying to find the turkey cutlets. I had to go to two different grocery stores.

FRESH: Not at all. Guest taster, Joy, said that it was very blah. It needed "flavor".

OVERALL: We discussed how to amp up the flavor of the piccata or in Joy's words "make it taste like something that doesn't suck". I thought maybe you could sprinkle some parmesan on it, but Joy (and Brian) say to scrap the whole thing. It's a good recipe if you've got nothing in the house or very little in your pantry. I'm more of a fan of chicken (yes, I know this is turkey) Marsala. It's basically what I made here but using Marsala wine instead of white wine and lemon and adding some fresh sauteed mushrooms. Mmm...that sounds good.

Okay, I will make the asparagus later tonight and post it here. See ya later!

May 10th - My Crazy Chocolate Cake

2010-05-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

TA-DA!!

So here it is folks, my chocolate cake for the fancy schmancy fundraiser tonight. I dropped it off and high tailed it home to have a drink with my friend Joy who is visiting from Cheeseland (a.k.a. Wisconsin).

The monster above is a chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse and chocolate buttercream and covered with a chocolate fudge frosting. Then, there are hundreds (well not hundreds) of painstakingly hand made flowers around the entire thing. What do you think?

THE CAKE BEFORE IT'S PUT ON THE STAND

MORE DETAILED VIEW OF THE FLOWERS

Brian (and I, but it was mostly Brian) made this cake stand out of a plate and some weird wire dress thing I found at homegoods.

The take home gift for the lucky winners of my dessert is a box of homemade (yes Joy I made them myself) truffles. From the top left (clockwise) Salt and Pepper Truffle, Basil and Hazelnut Truffle, Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle, Cinnamon and Chili Powder Truffle.

Brian made these boxes for me for the truffles. Aren't they cute? Since the fundraiser tonight was a fashion theme, Brian used a bunch of Marie Claire magazines to decorate the tops.

So the way the fundraiser works is that everyone gets the same dinner (cooked by some really famous Chicago chefs) and then the tables of 10 have to bid on a dessert (there are like 32 to bid on). Whoever bids the highest gets that dessert and the little take-home gift. I guess I'll find out tomorrow how much mine went for. Okay...that's it. That's what I've been planning since March and working on for the past two weeks!! Time for cocktails!!!

May 8 & 9 - White Chocolate Mousse with Dark Chocolate Sauce

2010-05-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!
Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Growing up, you taught me a lot about food and cooking. It was all the exotic ingredients you fed me as a kid that peaked my interest in doing this for a living. And now, look at me, I'm a chef! Although my pierogi's will never be as good as yours, you patiently taught me how to make them and everything else in your culinary repertoire. Thank you for helping me find my passion in life!

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
White Chocolate: $2.99
Heavy Whipping Cream: $1.99
Corn Syrup: had
Bittersweet Chocolate: $2.89

TOTAL: $7.87

I am not a big fan of white chocolate (like so many people out there). It's funny because when I was a kid I loved it. Now...not so much. I think it has something to do with the fact that every time I tried to use it in a recipe at the restaurant, it always ended up being a pain in the butt . It never melted right and got all funky. Plus, there's something about the smell that just doesn't sit right with me. In any case, I'll eat it, but don't go out of my way to make anything white chocolatey.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Buzz!! It took me about 25 minutes to put the white chocolate mousse together (15 minutes of that was to let the white chocolate mixture cool). However, this mousse needs to set for at least 4 hours. And, the chocolate sauce will take you another 15 minutes to make. So, plan for about 5 hours from start to finish.

EASY: This is probably the simplest mousse recipe I have ever seen. Granted, it's doesn't technically fall into the classic French definition of a mousse, but it's a simple cheater recipe. There really isn't much to it. Melt the chocolate, let it cool for a while, and then fold in whipped cream. For some people the difficulty could lie in not grabbing a big spoon and eating the warm chocolate right out of the saucepan.

FRESH: I'm going to go with no. It tastes like white chocolate and regular chocolate (not that there is anything wrong with that). There's no zing of freshness at all in the dessert (maybe if it had some orange zest or orange liquor in it). Also, the recipe itself is not a fresh take on mousse.

OVERALL: I had to confer with Brian on this one as I am sort of meh about white chocolate. He loved it (being a chocoholic that's no surprise). I just thought it was okay. I didn't care for the texture too much. I'm used to a really fluffy mousse...this one wasn't. I folded with great care, but it was a tad dense. I'm sure there are much better recipes out there that are worth the effort.

So...tomorrow is that chocolate cake. I'm so nervous. Depending on what time I get back from the city, I may post pictures. Otherwise, Tuesday is Turkey Day! See ya then! (Wish me luck!)

May 7th - Beet, Chickpea, and Almond Dip with Pita Chips

2010-05-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

BEET IT
Growing up Polish, beets were a staple of our house. I love them. And I love finding new ways to use them. However, this recipe seemed a bit wierd to me. Pureed beets in a dip? The answer is a most definite: Yes, and it's delicious.

I decided to buy the beets with the greens still attached to them. They weren't any more expensive, and the greens can be saved and cooked up for another meal. (I cooked the beet greens with some sauteed onion, ham, and water for 10 minutes...until the water mostly evaporated..and then added a tablespoon of apple cider vinger. Delicious and simple).

Another keeper from this recipe are the pita chips. They are way too good!   Brian just about devoured the entire batch.   What a great alternative to crackers or tortilla chips for most any kind of dip!

NOTE: The dip actually came out a nice pinkish color. The photo above makes it look like marinara sauce. It was the best I could take on such a cloudy, overcast day.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Beets: $1.29
Garbanzo beans $0.99
Olive oil: $5.99 (I finally ran out)
Almonds: $2.99
Garlic: had
Red wine vinegar: had
Pita bread: $0.99

Total: $12.25

THE RESULTS

FAST: The beets have to cook for 12 minutes. In the meantime, I got all of the other stuff prepped out for the dip. Pureeing it all will take another 5 minutes. Then, the chips took about 10 minutes (my oven seems to be running hotter than it's suppose to). So, I had this on the table in about 27 minutes.

EASY: Peeling beets is a messy task. I highly suggest wearing gloves to not stain your hands.  Also, I flipped my pita chips half way through cooking to brown them evenly (the recipe doesn't tell you to do this). Those little suckers are hot and can be a little difficult. Otherwise, if you've got a food processor this is a snap.

FRESH: The red wine vinegar acts like a little punch to bring out the freshness of the beets. I would garnish with a little chopped up parsley though (not in the recipe).

OVERALL: The dip was really good, but heavy on the garlic. I only put in 4 cloves (the recipe calls for 5). I'd make it for a party, but cut down on the garlic. Maybe only two cloves? I'd rather let the taste of the beets shine through then the garlic.

For the weekend...white chocolate mousse. How fitting the dessert for the weekend be chocolate with my chocolate cake in the process of being put together for Monday?   I know its blasphemy for a pastry chef to say this, but the smell of chocolate is starting to make me ill.

See ya tommorrow (or Sunday).

May 6th - Grilled Pork Satay

2010-05-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Feliz Seis De Mayo...or Not!
Yippee...I'm finally over my really bad case of stomach cramps from the crappy (literally) burrito! That's reason to celebrate in and of itself. Not to whine again, but I'm flippin tired. Today was a dog day at school. 8 Hours of nothing but baking and pastry lab with a half hour break in there somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I love doing it, but EXHAUSTING!

Let's get to the food so I can go to bed.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Peanut Butter: $2.00
Limes: $0.69
Soy sauce: had
Ginger: had
Garlic: had
Red pepper: had
Pork $4.19

Total: $6.88

I just picked up some thick cut pork chops and cut them into thin strips. Worked great and was quite easy.

If you're going to grill these satays, I suggest you soak the wooden skewers in some water for at least an hour. This prevents them from burning on the grill. The longer they soak (for up to 2 hours), the less they'll burn.

THE RESULTS:

FAST: Preping and marinating the pork took no longer than 16 minutes. Cooking only took about 6 minutes. So you're looking at satay in about 22 minutes.

EASY: The marinade is throw together. The hardest part will be not sticking yourself with the wooden skewers as you try to thread the meat onto them.

FRESH: It's the fresh ginger and lime juice that make all the difference in the satay. They're crisp and clean and come through the heavy peanut butter flavor.

OVERALL: Brian and I really liked these. They're so easy and delicious. I would make these again for company. It's your typical satay recipe, but quite good. I'm a little surprised on the ease of this recipe.

Tomorrow is a wierd beet and chickpea dip....hmmm....see ya then!

May 5th - Polenta with Bacon and Fontina

2010-05-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO...OR NOT
I have been in the mood for a burrito since yesterday. So I decided that today would be the day to splurge on calories and to get one. I called my friend Nikki (frequent commentor on this blog) and we headed out for a margarita and burrito. Went to this place in town and it was packed. 45 minute wait! WHAT?? And then we had awful service, way too salty margaritas, and burritos that were meh. And now, 2 hours later, I feel sick. It's 8:30 p.m. and I am just now doing my blog for the day. I've been at school most of the day working on my chocolate cake for Monday. Also, Brian has had a touch of the stomach flu (aka diarrhea) this evening and is in bed pretty much dead to the world. Phew what a crappy cinco de mayo. I hope seis de mayo is much better.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Ham: $1.49
Onion: had
Garlic: had
Chicken broth: $2.00
Corn: had
Polenta: $2.99
Fontina Cheese: $3.12
Parmesan Cheese: $2.23
Parsley: had

Total: $11.83

I totally forgot to get bacon and I ain't going this late at night to get any. I have ham and am using that instead.

THE RESULTS

FAST: The prep took me 5 minutes. The polenta cooked for a total of 35 minutes (that includes the stuff you do before you add the polenta like frying the onions and waiting for the broth to come to a boil). So, overall this recipe took 40 minutes.

EASY: Really easy. The prep is the hardest part of the recipe. The only difficulty you may have is standing at the stove and stirring frequently for at least 18 minutes (the time it takes to cook the polenta alone).

FRESH: The corn and parsley are the standouts that make this fresh tasting.

OVERALL: It's actually really good. Now, I'm sure it would have been even better with the bacon (because bacon makes everything taste better), but the ham was a good stand in with the cheeses. The corn and parsley were nice little surprises in there as well. The only problem I can see people having with this recipe is the whole thing looks (and has the texture) of gruel. It's a thick poridgy mess. But don't let the looks fool you, it's actually a good (and filling) meal. I will have to definitely make this again (with bacon) and won't hesitate serving this to company.

Tomorrow is pork satay! See ya then!

May 4th - Striped Bass with Garlic Herb Oil

2010-05-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Oh Fishsticks!
Hey everyone. Did you have a good Monday? I did. Rest and relaxation for a change. Although I did do a little more for that cake on Monday the 10th. Don't worry, snapping away pictures..you'll get to see it.

WHINING ALERT: I'm exhausted. Lectured back to back today for 4 hours to my new students in baking and pastry. There's a lot of them: 25 in one class and 27 in another. YIKES! So, not so much chatter from me today! Lets get to the food! I'm starving.

Knowing my record, do you really think I got striped bass for this recipe? BUZZ! I didn't. I got ocean pearch instead, because it was much cheaper.

This recipe is deceptively simple, I'm wondering if it'll be any good?

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Olive oil: had
Garlic: $1.00 (when did garlic prices go up?)
Crushed red pepper: had
Lemon: $0.33
Marjoram (fresh): $1.99
Fish: $6.99
Italian Parsley: $0.69

Total: $11.00

THE RESULTS

FAST: The fish has got to "marinade" with the oil for 30 minutes. The oil itself only takes 5 minutes to make. Tack on another 6 minutes to cook the fish and you're looking at 41 - 45 minutes tops to make this recipe.

EASY: Super Duper. There's nothing to it. You don't even have to chop anything if you don't want to (except the parsley for garnish).

FRESH: Not too bad. The marjoram is overpowering a little, but you do get a hint of lemon.

OVERALL: Not bad. The marjoram needs to be cut with another herb. Maybe put some parsley in the oil too? I'd like some sliced green onions as well. Watch the red pepper flakes. You'll make it too spicy if you put too much. Needs a little tweeking, but a good start to an easy meal.

Tomorrow is polenta. I haven't made that since culinary school! See ya then!

May 1 & 2 - Exotic Fruit with Ginger Sabayon

2010-05-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

RELAX...IT'S THE WEEKEND

Shia, right. Remember that chocolate cake I have to do for that very fancy fundraiser? It's due next Monday (the 10th). Well, I've been making my chocolate flowers for it all day yesterday and today. (I am using a chocolate molding "clay" recipe that is just chocolate and corn syrup.) I've been rolling, cutting, and fashioning a ton of flowers to decorate the outside of this cake. (Don't worry, I'm taking a ton of pictures that I will post sometime next week.) The only thing that's been getting in my way is the humidity. It's making the clay too soft to work with (and a pain). But fear not, I will persevere...

So onto sabayon... I used to hate making this at the restaurant, but I've started to get a new appreciate for it. I do suggest that you get some sort of thermometer to measure the temperature (instant read is probably the best). You want to make sure you bring the sabayon to 170 so you don't risk anyone getting sick off the egg yolks. Also, to make things much easier for you, use a hand held mixer. If you're up for it, you can whisk by hand, but it is a definite work out for your arm.

Sabayon is one of those desserts that should be made as close to service as possible. You can fold in some sweetened whipped cream into it, to get it to stay longer (and to cut the alcohol flavor), but it doesn't stay for more than an hour. It will deflate and turn soupy.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Sugar: had

Eggs: had

White wine: $3.99

Sherry: had

Ground ginger:had

Mango & Pineapple: $4.38

Banana: had

Crystallized ginger: had

Total: $8.37

THE RESULTS

FAST: I don't know if my thermometer was broken or what, but it took more than 5 minutes to get to 170 (more like 9). Depending on how much fruit you have, cutting it up could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. This recipe took me about 20 minutes from start to finish.

EASY: The sabayon is really easy. Cutting up the fruit is the most difficult part.

FRESH: Like the Prince of Bel Aire. I love ripe tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya).

OVERALL: I didn't think I would like the sabayon with the ginger in it, but it actually was really good (and different). It went great with the pineapple and banana. The mango, on the otherhand, was NOT good with the sabayon. Yuck. The flavor combination was terrible.

This recipe got me thinking about doing different flavored sabayons. Maybe a lavendar one using dried lavendar flowers ground up with the sugar? Or use Grand Marnier (orange liquor) instead of the sherry? The possibilities are endless.

Well a new quarter starts this week and I am back teaching my favorite subject...BAKING AND PASTRY!! Yippee. Remember, Monday, I'm off. We've got fish on Tuesday! See ya then.

April 30th - Sesame Wonton Triangles with Smoked Salmon and Wasabi

2010-04-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

WASABI: It'll clear all that up!

Good Lord! These little suckers today pack a punch! (My sinuses have never been this clear.) Someone has got to put a warning label on this recipe! DANGER: MAY CAUSE FIRE IN THE NASAL CAVITIES!

There is entirely way too much wasabi paste in this recipe. You only need 1/2 teaspoon (not the 1 1/4 teaspoon recommended). I followed the recipe to a T and I can't taste the smoked salmon at all. (Which is too bad because smoked salmon ain't cheap). This recipe would also be good with some really nice fresh, raw tuna (if you're into sushi).

I think the little wonton triangles themselves are my new favorite thing. They are so simple and look so hoity toity. You could put all kinds of stuff on these things (with or without sesame seeds): crab salad, cheese, salmon mousse, pickled carrots, smoked trout, ceviche, texas caviar, etc, etc. Just make sure they crisp all the way through or you'll be left with a soggy center (from experience).

THE RECIPE:
Ingredients:
Sesame oil: had
Egg white: had
Wonton Wrappers: $1.99
Rice vinegar: had
Chives: had (from my herb garden outside)
Wasabi paste: $1.99
Ginger: $0.89
Smoked Salmon: $5.99
Watercress (for garnish): had

Total: $10.86

THE RESULTS:
FAST: Not too bad. The triangles take 13 minutes to bake, but you've got to do the eggwash/fold technique first, which will take you about 5 minutes. While the triangles are baking, you can get the wasabi mixture done. So, you can have these little guys done in about 20 to 25 minutes.

EASY: The triangles can be a bit tricky. I found that the best way to brush some of the egg wash mixture onto the wontons, was to use my clean hands. It eliminates a brush to wash, and I had more control over the amount of sesame oil/egg white on the wonton. The wontons I got didn't fold in half neatly. There was some extra wonton hanging off the end. I just took a knife and cut that off. Otherwise the wasabi sauce and assembly were pretty easy.

FRESH: I bet, if the wasabi wasn't so powerful.

OVERALL: If you follow the recipe, all you'll taste is wasabi and experience nothing but pain. It's a great idea, but needs to be tweaked a little.

For the weekend?? A little fruit dessert...that's all I'm saying. See ya then!

April 29th - Grilled Veal Chops with Warm Tomato Olive Vinaigrette

2010-04-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

The Veal World - Chicago
Yes, we have no veal chops, we have no veal chops today....

So I didn't get the veal for this recipe. I, instead, got steaks. I don't know if Chicago has become anti-veal or what, but I went to 3 grocery stores and could not find veal chops. So, I gave up (because it's so easy to do). My militant vegetarian pal, Lauren, would be estatic that I'm not participating in the slaughter of baby cows; but, I'm sad to say, it is by sheer laziness and not by some political agenda that I make this choice.

Deliciousness descends in 3..2..1..

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Meat: $5.29
Oil: had
Garlic: had
Tomatoes: $1.19
Kalamata olives: $2.12
Basil: $1.99
Red wine vinegar: had

Total: $10.59

THE RESULTS

FAST: Cooking your meat will take you anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes depending on how you like it. The vinaigrette will take about 7 minutes (including prep time). So, you are looking at about 15 to 20 minutes total.

EASY: Removing the seeds from the tomatoes will be your most difficult part of the process.

FRESH: Nothing like good, fresh basil to help out a recipe using not-in-season tomatoes.

OVERALL: I really like the recipe. The vinaigrette was simple and good with the steaks (who needs veal, right Lauren?) This would be a good recipe to try with garden fresh tomatoes. I would even like to put in a few chopped up green olives in this and maybe a sprinkle of some parmesan cheese.

Diagnosis: If your sick of boring steaks, I would definitely recommend trying this new twist!

Tomorrow we've got some pretty interesting appetizers. See ya then!

April 28th - Peas with Roasted Onions and Mint

2010-04-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

PEAS...NO MORE!
I woke up bright and early this morning to make some peas, one of my favorite veggies. I debated whether or not to plant them this year, but decided against it. Pea plants often suffer from root rot and my thumb isn't green enough to deal with that. Also, you need to blanch fresh peas right away otherwise the sugars they contain turn to starch. That's a bit much for me, so I'll stick to the frozen variety.

I've always heard that fresh mint and peas are a flavor match made in heaven. This was my first time eating the two together and I have to say that I quite enjoyed it. I think later on down the road I'll make some fresh pea and mint ravioli with a light cream sauce. Maybe even saute up a little shrimp to go with it? Mmm...I'm getting hungry.

THE RECIPE:

Ingredients:
Onions: $0.69
Oil: had
Salt: had
Peas: $1.00
Mint: $1.19
Pepper: had
Sugar: had

Total: $2.88

THE RESULTS:

FAST: The roasting of the onions took a little less than 20 minutes in my oven. (Some of the onions on the outer edges were turning black.) Boiling the peas takes only five minutes and you can have the mint chopped while waiting fo the onions. So, you're looking at about 20 to 25 minutes for this entire recipe.

EASY: Roasting onions is quite simple, as is boiling peas. There really isn't too much difficulty in this recipe.

FRESH: Utmost. Again, the combination of fresh mint and peas is quite tasty.

OVERALL: I liked the roasted onion, but I think I'll saute them next time. They'll have a more carmelized flavor which will add to the sweetness of the peas. Also, I really don't need to cut the onions into rings again. It makes for big chunks of onion which is an odd contrast with the the size of the peas. Anyways, I think this recipe would be a good filling for the ravioli I mentioned above or as a good side dish alternative to just boring peas and butter.

Tommorrow we've got some red meat! See ya then!

April 27th - Three Cheese Spinach Calzones

2010-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Lunch

MMM...calzones. Basically a pizza folded in half for your eating convenience. I love me a good pepperoni calzone, but I'll take this vegetarian option. And, yes, they do have calzones in Italy. Although they seem very simple, like this recipe, they are a filling "pick up and go" lunch item. I've snacked on my fair share during my time out there. (Hee hee...it rhymes.)

I was in a quandry as to what to do for the pizza dough. I DID NOT want to buy an already prepared dough from the grocery store (they didn't look very healthy). Trader Joe's wheat pizza dough was my stand-by, but I wanted to try something different. So I saw this pizza dough mix and gave it a shot. It is very simple and very good. It even has parmesan in it (so technically this was a four-cheese spinach calzone). Yeah, it was a little pricy, but it came with two packs of mix, so I'll save the other one for another time.

As far as the cheese goes, I mixed things up a little. I used a firm ricotta cheese (not your typical cottage-cheese looking kind) because I didn't want my calzone to get soggy. Also, I used a soft Fontina cheese to help the filling develop an oozing factor. Finally, I decided to stick with the recommended Gorgonzola because I found a great deal at the grocery store.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Spinach: $1.00

Green onion: $0.59

Ricotta Cheese: $2.49

Gorgonzola: $2.97

Fontina: $3.10

Pizza dough mix: $8 (I know. I decided to splurge...crazy, eh?)

Total: $18.15

Sure a touch pricy, but the results are actually worth it.

THE RESULTS

Fast: Well, my pizza dough had to sit out for an hour, so it really wasn't that quick. I suppose if you use the kind that comes already done in a tube, this recipe could take you about 25 to 30 minutes. NOTE: Make sure you put your spinach in the fridge the night before in order to defrost in time. Otherwise, you'll have to use the microwave and could possibly end up cooking your spinach (like I did).

Easy: The filling part of this recipe is super easy. As far as the dough, I suppose pre-made dough is pretty much a no-brainer (just read the instructions). If you're making your own dough, that gets a little more advanced. The most difficult part of this recipe is the actual assembly of the calzone. Make sure you pinch the edges of your calzone to seal them. I like to make a little twist on the end not only for looks, but to make sure it closes properly. Also, DON'T forget to make the three slits on the top to let the steam escape. Otherwise, you'll have some soggy-bottom calzones.

Fresh: The spinach and green onion are the driving "fresh forces" to this recipe.

Overall: Be careful that your filling doesn't get too salty. The instructions say to add salt and pepper to the filling after the first five ingredients are blended. My firm ricotta was really salty and had enough sodium in it to flavor the filling (I only added pepper to it). I recommend tasting your filling before adding the salt! Finally, my calzones were done in 12 minutes (not the 15 it said in the recipe). So make sure you check them after 10 minutes.

I really liked this recipe. It definitely should be served with some red sauce or pizza sauce on the side. I suppose you can get a little less fancy with the cheese to save $$, but keep the spinach and green onion to give it a fresh kick.

Tomorrow we've got peas! See ya then!

April 24 & 25 Blueberry Crisp with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

2010-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

A CRISP WEEKEND

On our trip to Nebraska last weekend, Brian and I were able to get some Rhubarb from Brian's childhood home. Brian figures that rhubarb plant has to be at least 50 years old. Having held onto it all week, we decided it was probably best to make something out of it. So I took half of it and made a Rhubarb-Apple Crisp. Brian took the other half and made a rhubarb/ginger/organge sauce for ice cream. Both were really good (but not pretty enough to take pictures of). So suprise, surprise the dessert for this weekend was another crisp...only this time blueberry.

I did not buy fresh blueberries for this recipe. That would have run me about $14. Instead, I found frozen blueberries for $7. Its early yet for blueberry season in the midwest.

Speaking of crisp, it's a little wet, cold, and damp out, so a hot helping of this with some icecream is just how I want to spend my Sunday.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Blueberries $7.00
Sugar: had
Flour: had
Walnuts: had
Brown Sugar: had
CInnamon: had
Salt: had
Butter: $2.29
Ice Cream: $2.99

Total: $12.28

THE RESULTS

FAST: Prep will take you about 10 to 15 minutes, baking will take you another 45, and then you'll need to let it sit for another 10 minutes. So you're looking at about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.

EASY: The streusel topping can be a little difficult if you don't have a pastry cutter.

I recommend getting the blade kind (as shown above) and NOT the wire kind. A pastry cutter makes quick work of cutting in butter (or shortening) into flour. It's great for many things such as pie dough, biscuits, and streusel topping. Its one of those tools everyone should have in their kitchen (I tell my baking and pastry students that they should get one to make life easier). If you don't have one, you can always use two knifes to cut in the butter or even a fork (my mom used to do that until I got her a pastry cutter).

FRESH: When it comes to baking fruit, I have no qualms about using frozen berries (it's when fruit is to be uncooked that I shy away from the freezer section). The cinnamon in the streusel topping adds a little pop and makes the frozen blueberries taste fresher.

OVERALL: This is your standard crisp recipe and I don't mind it. However, I always add a little lemon juice or lemon zest to my blueberries to perk them up (I didn't for this recipe). I will definitely stick to that rule from now on (to me it tastes like something is missing). If you've never made a crisp before, I suggest using this recipe. Also, it'll look like there is way too much streusel topping, but DON'T BE FOOLED. You will need all of it because most will sink into the blueberries. Also, I recommend spraying your glass 13 x 9 with Pam (or any other brand) spray to make clean up a bit easier.

Ahh...a much needed break from this blog is coming tomorrow. I need to recharge my batteries if I'm going to get through this next week. Lots of projects to get done! Hope you have a great Monday! See ya Tuesday!

April 23rd - Crostini with Burrata Cheese, Pink Pepper, & Arugula

2010-04-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

A Constant Search

First off, I have no idea where you can find burrata cheese. I have looked at an Italian deli, 3 grocery stores, and one specialty cheese shop. All of whom said they don't carry it and when I asked if they knew of anyone that had it, they said NO. Since burrata cheese is similar to fresh mozzarella, that's what I ended up getting.

Second, I honestly feel bad sometimes that I can't make Bon Appetit's true recipe when I cannot find an obscure ingredient like this. At the same time, I cannot spend 5 hours looking for one cheese. Sorry guys. So, you'll have to pardon the substitution. If you live in an area that has the burrata, I suggest trying it in this recipe.

Pink peppercorns, on the other hand, are now quite easy to find. Pink peppercorns are "the dried berries of the Baies rose plant grown off the coast of Madagascar. Their distinctive flavor -- pungent and slightly sweet -- invites experimentation in cooking. A wonderful complement to cheese, poultry, and seafood dishes, the rose-hued berries also make a beautiful garnish" (off the bottle of Willliams-Sonoma Pink Peppercorns).

The Recipe

Ingredients:

Baguette: $1.59

Garlic: had

Arugula: $2.29

Mozzarella Cheese: $3.19

Pink Peppercorns: had

Sea Salt: had

Total: $7.07

The Results

FAST: After toasting the bread (which will take 3 minutes), the rest of the ingredients get mounded on top. Depending on if you have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or not, the little crostini will take only a few seconds to assemble. You really can have this recipe done in about 5 minutes.

EASY: Don't walk away from the oven when you put the bread in. It only takes a minute or two before these guys brown. Any longer and you'll be smelling burnt bread for the next hour or so.

FRESH: The play of bitter (from the fresh arugula), garlic, creaminess (from the cheese), and sweet pungency (from the pink peppercorn) work really well together. Just make sure to give it a drizzle of olive oil to compliment the whole thing.

OVERALL: These are a quick and easy appetizer to serve. You can substitute a variety of cheeses...I would maybe like a blue cheese? Just make sure not to cut the bread too thick and that you toast it well. I'm sure, some day, I will probably run across burrata cheese and have to give this one a try again.

Blueberry crisp for the weekend! See ya then!

April 22nd - Spicy Grilled Chicken and Green Onions

2010-04-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

INFESTED RICE
So, I've gotten more than a few e-mails and phone calls from friends and family asking about rice being a PHF (potentially hazardous food). Let me explain.

PHF's are foods which can promote "rapid and progresive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms" (FDA Food Code) if not taken care of properly. PHF's have moisture, protein, and are slightly acidic. They include foods such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk & dairy products, raw sprouts, tofu & soy protein foods, untreated garlic and oil mixtures, and heat-treated plant food (like cooked beans, vegetables, baked potatoes, and cooked rice).

You can make sure that you don't get sick off of these items by:

1. Keeping them out of the temperature danger zone of 40 F and 140 F. (That means either keep it below 40 or higher than 140).

2. (In the case of cooked rice) Not keeping them too long as pathogens will begin to multiply exponentially the longer it sits.

I hope that clears up things a bit. I don't know the chemical make-up/science behind rice so I can't get much more detailed than that. Just make sure to not eat really old fried rice and you should be fine.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Veggie oil: had
Hot pepper sauce: had
Honey: had
Paprika: had
Green onions: had (from yesterday's recipe)
Chicken: $3.39

Total: $3.39

It's time to bust out the barbecue. We traded in our gas grill for a charcoal one. We don't use it that often, so I'm not worried about the whole carcinogen/charcoal debate. This recipe kind of reminds me of the sauce you make for hot wings. It's usually a stick of melted butter combined with Frank's Red Hot sauce. This has some honey in it, so I'm thinking it will have a great glazing effect to the chicken. Let's find out....

THE RESULTS:

FAST: My chicken breasts were a little fat, so I split them open so they wouldn't take as long to cook. Marinating takes 10 minutes, cooking another 12, and then a few minutes of rest. So you're looking at about 25 to 30 minutes total.

EASY: The marinade is super easy. Grilling chicken is pretty easy too (especially if you have a gas grill). The hardest part of this recipe is to not get the marinade all over your kitchen floor (like I did).

FRESH: The grilled green onions are a must with this recipe. They provide the freshness to the dish. Otherwise, you'll just have some chicken that tastes like buffalo wings.

OVERALL: I like this recipe. The marinade is quite simple and easy. It would go well with some blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce. The grilled green onions also compliment the chicken well. Make sure you don't skip them. I would make this again and use the chicken for sandwiches.

See ya tomorrow!

April 21st - Rice Salad with Sugar Snap Peas, Mint, & Lime

2010-04-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

MEH.....

Rice salad? Really? Sounds like it would be interesting, right? Wrong. Not so good (therefore, I'm not going to spend a lot of time today talking about it). I also have a problem with this recipe in that cooked rice is a potentially hazardous food (PHF: restaurant term for something that can give you food poisoning). Make sure you don't leave this salad out for a long time and that it's not in your fridge for more than a day or two. (Also, I really recommend not keeping cooked rice from your Chinese take-out because it's a PHF).

I decided to use a brown basmati rice instead of white to be a little healthier.

THE RECIPE

Salt: had
Rice: $1.99
Snap Peas: $1.49
Mint: had (from yesterday's recipe)
Green onions: $0.88
Olive oil: had
Limes: $0.49
Ginger:$0.77
Sugar: had

Total: $5.62

THE RESULTS

FAST: The rice needs to cook for 15 minutes and then cool for another 15 minutes. So this recipe will take you at least a half hour. You can get all the chopping done while the rice is cooking/cooling.

EASY: Yeah. The rice cooking/cooling is the hardest part of this recipe.

FRESH: The mint, snap peas, and lime really perk up this recipe, but it can't save it.

OVERALL: I really didn't like it. The salad was kind of blah. It seems like it needs a better combination of ingredients. Tomatoes? Garlic? More lime juice? Peas? It was really lack luster. I'd rather have made tabbouleh. Oh well. I just hope we can eat most of it before I throw it away on Friday (it made a lot).

Grilling time tomorrow! See ya then!

April 20th - Spiced Lamb in Pita Bread

2010-04-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back Deliciousness

I am so excited to be eating lamb again. Ever since I made the roasted leg of lamb recipe a few weeks back, I've been craving it. (It's just too bad it's always on the pricy side, or I would eat it more often.) Brian doesn't care for lamb because of the gamey taste. I actually enjoy it. There is just something about lamb and fresh mint that work so well together. Maybe because they are both such strong flavors? Whatever the case, I'm just glad it's back.

As you'll notice in the recipe, it calls for ground lamb. Around here, not all the grocery stores carry ground lamb. So, you sometimes have to be creative. Granted, I only went to one grocery store, but I didn't feel like hunting for something (and using up a lot of gas) that I could easily do myself. So, I bought lamb rounbone chops, deboned them, cut them up, and threw them in the food processor. Since these are just lamb patties, it didn't really matter that it wasn't store ground. It worked and tastes delicious.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Lamb: $4.55

Onion: $0.76

Mint: $1.99

Oregano & Cumin: had

Salt & Pepper: had

Cinnamon: had

Pita breads: $1.49

Total: $8.79

THE RESULTS

FAST: Chopping up the onion and mint will take about 3 to 4 minutes, throwing the patties together will take another 3 to 4 minutes, and frying will take about 6. So, if you buy ground lamb, this recipe should take you no longer than 15 minutes to do. Grinding up the lamb myself, took about 7 minutes.

EASY: The hardest parts of this recipe are the chopping (of the onion and mint) and the shaping of the patties (I suggest using slightly wet hands so the meat doesn't stick all over you).

FRESH: The fresh mint is the star of this recipe and makes the lamb pop along with the cinnamon and cumin.

OVERALL: Yummy in the tummy. I really like this recipe. I like to think of it as a lamburger. The patties were very juicy on their own, but I wanted some sauce with my lamburger so I made a throw together yogurt/sour cream sauce with lemon juice, dill, and garlic salt. Perfect! If you're looking for something different for dinner, I suggest giving this a try.

Tomorrow is a rice salad. Hmmm, not sure what to think of that.... See ya then!

April 17 & 18 - Strawberries with Lemon Sugar and Lavender Syrup

2010-04-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

GET YOU SOME LAVENDER!

Lavender is such a great spring/summer flavor. I used to make lemon and lavender tarts, lavender panna cotta, and lavender anglaise all the time at my old restaurant gig (not all at once). One patron commented that my lavender panna cotta tasted like France! I'm assuming that was a good thing.

Lavender might be hard to find for some. I know you can try growing your own and dry out the flowers, but luckily Chicago has some great spice shops where lavender is pretty common so I don't have to go to such extremes. Besides being excellent for cooking, dried lavender is good to steep with some camomile tea (or to put in some cheesecloth to freshen up your delicates...I saw that on Martha Stewart).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Sugar: had
Lemon: had
Honey: had (I used the last of my awesome greek honey)
Lavender: had
Strawberries: $2.00
Sour cream: had

Total: $2.00

I didn't buy creme fraiche because I needed to buy sour cream for the crappy crabby tostadas from Thursday. It was good with the sour cream, but I think the creme fraiche would have been more delicate with the lavender, honey, and strawberry flavors.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Not too bad. Cutting the strawberries takes about 5 minutes. The syrup takes about 10 (including a little cool down time). The lemon sugar is about another 2 minutes. So overall, about 17 - 20 minutes for this simple dessert.

EASY: Yeah. Grating the lemon peel and cutting the strawberries are the hardest tasks here.

FRESH: Almost heavenly. Summer berries would make this even better.

OVERALL: I like this recipe. The lavender syrup would make some great cocktails. The only thing I didn't like was the lemon sugar sprinkle. I would next time skip the extra sugar (extra calories) and just add a little grated lemon straight to the berries. Can you imagine this on top of some great pound cake or sponge cake? Yum!

Alright folks, it's been a fantastic week. I need a day off. See ya Tuesday!

April 16th - Delano Caipirinha

2010-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

LOVE ME SOME CAIPIRINHA

So you may or may not be aware of last year's trend in cocktails, the caipirinha. It is made with Cachaça (ka-SHA-sa) liquor which is from Brazil and manufactured from sugarcane. It's similar to rum only a bit crisper.

I remember seeing cachaça in our house as a kid back in the 80's. (My mom was raised in Sao Paolo.) Of course, I wasn't yet the drinker I would come to be, so I wasn't too interested in it. I do recall my parents making these on occasion because I wanted to muddle the lime with the sugar. It looked like fun. Did I get to do it? No. Man, why did I have to be born to good, responsible parents?

Well, fast forward 25 years and here I am making my own caipirinha in my own home. Who knew this foreign alcohol from my childhood would become so trendy? (When I told my mom about the trend last year, she was like "I was drinking those when I was 14". Nice Mom.) I haven't heard too much about them this year though. Like the mojito, I think they're becoming less popular.

Anyway, they make different flavors of cachaça now. But, I stuck to the original. There are several different brands to choose from too if you go to a larger liquor store. I liked this one because I knew the bottle would fit in my bar. It's good.

THE RECIPE

Lime: $0.69

Sugar: had

Cachaça: $23.99

Lemon juice: had

Ice: had

Total: $24.68

THE RESULTS

FAST: You can have some cocktail bliss in less than 5 minutes.

EASY: Almost as easy as drinking the cachaça straight from the bottle.

FRESH: Lime juice and booze. What else could be fresher?

OVERALL: The caipirinha is like a macho version of a mojito without the fresh mint to hide behind. It's strong, in your face, and ready to punch ya if you get out of line. You may or may not like these. I like drinking straight gin (Brian calls it rubbing alcohol), so these are right up my alley. If you're more of a fruity person, I'd go with the flavored cachaça. The weather is warming up so this would be a great summer refresher!

My favorite, lavender, is back for the weekend dessert recipe. See ya then!

April 15th - Crab and Avocado Tostadas

2010-04-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

HAPPY TAX DAY!

Hope y'all got your taxes done. Overachiever me got mine done back in late February and the refund is already spent. I heard on the radio that 1 in 5 people wait until today to do them. That's crazy. I'd hate to be working at the post office tonight.

SPEAKING OF TAXING....

This recipe is a lot of work for something that didn't turn out so great. I highly recommend using fresh crab meat (not canned) if you want to attempt this. Or, skip the crab meat all together and use either a cooked white fish or chicken.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Sour cream: $1.29
Canned chipotle chiles: $2.99
Tomatoes: $0.79
Onion: $0.66
Limes: $0.50
Cilantro: $0.63
Jalepeno: $0.44
Crabmeat: $5.98
Avocadoes: $1.19
Tostada shells: $0.59
Romaine lettuce: $1.17

Total: $16.23

So, I used canned crabmeat which was a big mistake. It had such a tin/bitter flavor that ruined the whole thing for me. I should have searched out other crabmeat (or frozen crab), but I was a little lazy. Also, they don't sell small cans of chipotles in adobo sauce. So, I pureed the whole can and put the leftovers in the freezer. I figured I can scoop some out every once in a while to use in other recipes (otherwise the whole thing is going to mold over in the fridge and I'd end up throwing it out).

Also, frying up your own tortillas in a little bit of oil is a lot cheaper than buying tostada shells. If you want to stay on the healthy side, like I'm trying to do, skip the tostada shells and just put corn tortillas under the broiler.   Yeah, it's more of a taco, but it's going to be less time on the treadmill in the end.

THE RESULTS

FAST: This recipe is all about prep. It took me about 20 - 25 minutes to get everything all chopped up, pureed, mixed together, and assembled.

EASY: Nothing too crazy (unless your frying your own tortilla shells). It's mostly just chopping and mixing together.

FRESH: Yes, once you get past the tin taste of the crab. With different crab or a different meat, this would have been a great, fresh recipe.

OVERALL: Where to begin? I guess by now, you know you shouldn't use canned crab meat. Second, there is way too much lime juice in the recipe (it overpowers everything). Cut it back to a tablespoon and a half. I would also add a small clove of garlic (finely chopped) to this.   Maybe even garnish with some chopped cilantro? I didn't use crema mexicana because at the store it was $4 and I didn't feel like driving to the Mexican grocery store.   The sour cream/ chipotle mixture is good, but be sparing with it. It has a tendency to overpower the rest of the flavors as well.    This recipe was kind of a hot mess. I can see what they were trying to achieve, but it seems that the balance of ingredients needs to be tweeked a little.   I don't think I'll ever make this again. I'd rather spend the effort making enchiladas.

Tomorrow is cocktail time!   Yummy!!! See ya tomorrow!

April 14th - Herbed New Potatoes

2010-04-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

STARTING MY GARDEN
So this year, I will be growing garlic, leeks, and fennel in the yard. On the patio (in pots) I will be growing lettuce, tomatoes, dill, chervil, chives, parsley, and basil. I want to try growing some hot peppers, but it'll have to be indoors (the seeds should have been started 8 weeks ago).

I though this year I should try and grow things that are a little more costly in the grocery store (like leeks and fennel). Also, I can never find a grocery store that sells chervil. Its a wonderful herb (used mainly in French cooking) that has a slight licorice flavor and goes perfect in omelets or with chicken.  It looks like mini-parsley, so its wonderful for garnishing.

This recipe is a good one to hold onto when your herb garden starts blooming. I actually have some chives that have come back from last year and are ready to use.   I'd also like to try this with the chervil (if it works out).

THE RECIPE

New potatoes: $1.99
Olive oil: had
Garlic: had
Parsley: $0.59
Dill: $0.89
Chives: had

Total: $3.47

I used a mixture of parsley, dill, and chives.   I chopped up the leftover dill, put it in a glass mason jar with a lid on top, and stuck it in the freezer. My mom used to do this all the time and we'd have fresh dill year round. Just make sure your dill is dried well with paper towel. (I also do this with my chives because the darn plant just keeps getting bigger and bigger).

THE RESULTS

FAST: Steaming takes about 10 minutes and then you cook them again in the oil/garlic/herbs for another 8. So maybe 20 minutes tops?

EASY: Not having to peel the potatoes makes this recipe a cinch.  Chopping your herbs will be the most difficult part. Make sure you use a sharp knife or you may bruise your herbs and loose the bright green color.

FRESH: It's fresh...fresh - exciting. It's so exciting to me. It's fresh...fresh - exciting.

OVERALL: Simple, easy, delicious. Not overly complicated. The more herbs you use, the more dimension of flavor you will get. Just watch that you don't over cook your potatoes.

Tomorrow is Tostada Thursday! See ya then!

April 13th - Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

2010-04-13T08:44:00.001-07:00

Stir Fry and Me

I love a simple, good stir-fry. It's one of those meals you can do to clean out the excess veggies you have in your fridge. Plus, you don't need to have a whole lot of meat on hand to do it. (You can stretch even a single chicken breast for a stir fry for four if you cut it thinly enough.) Serve either with some rice or cellophane noodles, and you're good to go.

Another reason why I like stir-fry is that it can be really healthy (if you don't put too much soy sauce in it..watch the sodium!). All you need is just a tablespoon or two of oil for cooking (vegetable or peanut) and that's it. For the sauce, you can do what this recipe says and mix some hoisin sauce with water or you can just throw in some broth (chicken, beef, or veggie) and thicken it with some cornstarch and water (what we chef's call a slurry). Real simple.

Hoisin is pretty easy to find in any grocery store now-a-days. It's a thick Asian sauce made from soy paste (soy sauce), garlic, chilies, spices, vinegar, and sugar. I've seen it referred to as "Chinese Barbecue Sauce". Watch the sugar content on the back. Sometimes it and the sodium content can be quite high. That's why its generally a good idea to thin it out with some water (your canned broths and stocks will increase the sodium content unless you use the low-sodium kind).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds: had

Beef: $3.29

Veggie oil: had

Red onion: $0.89

Asparagus: $1.99

Hoisin: had

Sesame oil: had

Total: $6.17

As you can see, I used black sesame seeds in my recipe. They taste the same, they're just a different color. I somehow ran out of regular sesame seeds...strange. But, I luckily had these so I didn't need to run out to the store. I toasted them in a dry fry pan for a few minutes until they became a little fragrant. Then immediately, dump them onto a plate (otherwise they'll continue to cook in the pan and burn).

Also, I bought steak from the grocery store that was marked "steak for sandwiches". It was cut really thin and pounded out. It was perfect for the stir fry because I wanted thin strips and all I had to do was cut it (no extra work!).

Finally, I had some left over broccoli in the fridge, which I added to the stir fry (it's not in the recipe). You can blanch and shock it ahead of time (which means cook it for a minute in boiling water and then throw it in an ice bath to stop it from cooking) or you can stir fry it raw. I prefer stir-frying it raw.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Toasting the seeds took 5 minutes. Cutting everything up will take you about 10 to 15 minutes. Cooking will take you maybe another 10. (Make sure you have everything cut up and ready to go first before you start cooking. Once you start, there is no stopping.) So you'll have stir fry in about 30 minutes (or less).

EASY: The hardest part of this recipe is toasting the sesame seeds. Everything else should be pretty easy.

FRESH: Yes. The more veggies you put in your stir fry, the fresher it will taste. I added a sliced up green onion and threw it into the stir-fry when it was done.

OVERALL: Go a little less on the water. I added the 1/3 cup and my sauce never thickened correctly. I didn't want to let it boil too long or the veggies would get soft. Also, make sure to season with salt or pepper. You can use soy, but use a light hand. This recipe was good. I'm going to chill the stir fry and make a cold salad out of it with cellophane noodles.

We've got potatoes tomorrow. See ya then!

April 10 & 11 - Coffee, Chocolate, & Marshmallow Sundaes

2010-04-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

Mmmm...Marshmallows
I am a sucker for marshmallows.   Whether an easter peeps, a fire-toasted marshmallow with chocolate and some graham crackers, or the little mini ones in a nice cup of hot chocolate, nothing beats a great marshmallow. And in my current health-kick phase, I should give them up (like the hotdog). But it ain't going to happen. I owe too much to the marshmallow.

Back in the days when I was a restaurant pastry chef, I would make homemade marshmallows all the time and stick them in a slew of different desserts. (There is something about a marshmallow that makes you feel like a kid again.) Oh and believe me, it is so easy (and messy) to make them! They would be a fun project for older kids, but you have to be careful because the sugar syrup you make is dangerous.    The process is pretty fun to watch.

So here is my recipe that I found on the internet for marshmallows that I used to use.   They store pretty well in an airtight container. The best thing about homemade marshmallows is that they taste much better than store bought and they don't contain any artificial ingredients or preservatives. I hope you give them a try!

MARSHMALLOW RECIPE (from O Chef.com)

Ccombine 3 tablespoons of gelatin (a professional-grade concentrated gelatin would be a good choice, but generally is available only to the food industry) with 1/2 cup of cold water and let it stand for an hour. In the meantime, heat 2 cups of sugar, 3/4 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil and cook until the firm-ball stage (244°F; 117°C). Remove from the heat and pour it slowly over the gelatin, beating it constantly in a stand mixer. Beat it for a good 15 minutes. When it’s thick but still warm, add 2 tablespoons of vanilla or other flavoring (mint, strawberry, orange, flower water, etc.), if desired. Spread the mixture in a pan that has been lightly dusted with cornstarch. Let it dry for 12 hours, then cut it into squares with scissors dusted with cornstarch, and store them in an airtight container.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Whipping Cream: $1.29
Marshmallow creme: $0.99
Bittersweet chocolate: $1.19
Coffee Ice Cream: $3.99
Almonds: had

Total: $7.46

THE RESULTS

FAST: The sauce takes at least 20 minutes to make (10 minutes for prep and 10 minutes to let it cool enough to put over the ice cream). I let my sauce cool for 25 minutes so that it wouldn't instantly melt my ice cream.

EASY: Peesy. Can you simmer and melt stuff in a saucepan? Then, you can make this sauce.

FRESH: Does it taste as fresh as a salad of garden vegetables? No. But it is a fresh take on the classic chocolate sauce (and ice cream sundae).

OVERALL: OMG BTW IMHO THIS ROCKS! Yummy goodness is all I can say. The coffee and the chocolate/marshmallow sauce are divine together. Add some marshmallow cream and some toasted almonds and you've got a bunch of different textures working on this one. I love it. You could serve this with some graham crackers and do a "smore" thing. It reminds me a little of tiramisu. Maybe a sprinkling of cocoa powder on the top of the marshmallow creme and a lady finger to stick out from the top? I wouldn't mess with this recipe too much. It's great the way it is.

So, I'm off to eat the rest of this beautiful creation and read the Sunday paper. Tuesday we've got a stir-fry. See ya then!

April 9th - Herbed Goat Cheese with Roasted Chiles and Olive Oil

2010-04-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIAN!
It's Brian's birthday! Yippee!! So, in honor of this great day, I'm not going to blog very much so we can go and celebrate the day.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Chiles: $2.10
Garlic: had
Goat Cheese: $3.99
Cilantro: $0.69
Oregano: had
Olive oil: had
Bread: $1.99

Total: $8.77

I didn't use Anaheim chiles (I couldn't find them). So instead, I used poblanos.    Also, I didn't use fresh oregano (I used dried).

When I roasted the peppers, I just wrapped them in foil (I didn't use the paper bag technique) and let them steam. It worked fine. I was able to peel them no problem. When you're peeling the peppers, make sure that you don't rinse the peppers under running water (as you might be tempted to do). It gets rid of that roasted pepper taste and makes the peppers just "meh". Instead, try to wipe off the outside with a paper towel (I learned this in my restaurant days).

I really like blanching garlic. It's a great way to get a mellower garlic flavor into things. I often will blanch garlic and put it into salad dressings or even on vegetables such as green beans or in mashed potatoes. Great technique to remember!

THE RESULTS
FAST: Umm...not so much. The roasting of the peppers will take about 15 to 20 minutes by itself. In the meantime, you can blanch the garlic and chop the cilantro. Then, all the flavors have to sit for an hour before you can serve it. So you're looking at about an hour and a half before this is done and ready to eat.

EASY: Umm...not so much. The roasting of the peppers can be a little difficult (especially if you haven't done it before.) The blanching of the garlic is pretty easy (just drop in boiling water). The rest is just chop and mix.

FRESH: Yes. Absolutely. The cilantro and oregano give the goat cheese a nice flavor. The roasted peppers and blanched garlic also help pep up the recipe.

OVERALL: I really like this recipe, although its a little hard to serve. Next time, I will chop up the peppers smaller (the strips are kind of awkward) and sprinkle them over the cheese. Also, I think I would form the cheese into a ball or a more solid structure. The crumbliness is messy when you try to pick it up with a spreading knife. I can see that being a hassel when serving this to company.   Otherwise the flavors are great!

Tomorrow is an ice cream dessert.  Yummy!!! See ya then.

April 8th - Asian Seared Tuna Pepper Steaks

2010-04-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

A Ho-Hum Day

The weather is so gloomy today. It doesn't excite me or motivate me. It just makes me want to sit around and do nothing. Maybe curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch some Judge Judy? But, alas, I cannot because I have a recipe to do.

And then I looked at the recipe for today. It matches the weather outside. Boring and ho-hum. It was so "meh" that I made rice to go with it. That's about the extent of my creativity today.

You'll notice I did not do Ahi tuna. All the markets I went to had sad (very sad) looking tuna steaks. I wasn't going to spend my hard earned money on yucky tuna. However, I did find swordfish! I figured since I was on this "trying new things" kick, I would try swordfish.

The recipe suggest oven roasted sweet potatoes with this dish, but I just did a plain rice. You could make a nice vegetable fried rice to go with the fish. But, it will definitely need something flavorful to be paired with it. Maybe a pickled salad of some sort (cucumber)?

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Fish: $7.89

Pepper: had

Sesame Oil: had

Soy Sauce: had

Dry Sherry: had

Green Onions: $0.99

Total: 8.88

THE RESULTS

FAST: This recipe takes no time at all. I think I was done with the fish and the sauce in like 7 minutes.

EASY: There is really nothing to chop except the green onions (for optional garnish). Do, however, have a lid or a splatter screen handy when you add the liquid to the pan. It will sputter everywhere and make a big mess (you've been warned).

FRESH: No. It's blah. There's no taste except for soy and pepper. Yes, they're suppose to be peppered steaks, but that's all it is. It's one-dimesional.

OVERALL: I don't know what to think of this recipe. There are so many other good fish recipes out there. Even if I didn't feel like cooking (which I really don't today) and had to throw something together for dinner, I would be a lot more creative than this. Sorry Bon Appetit, this is a big FAIL!

Tomorrow is a goat cheese spread (and Brian's birthday). Yum (and fun). See ya then.

April 7th - Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Butter

2010-04-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

MY FIRST TIME

I can't believe this is my first time ever working with fresh artichokes. You'd think we would have worked with them in culinary school, but we didn't. Needless to say, they look a little intimidating. But really, they're super easy to prepare. I used this video from the wonderful website OCEAN VIEW FARMS. They have all the information you need to know about artichokes

How to Prepare an Artichoke from Ocean Mist Farms

Then on youtube I found this video on how to eat an artichoke. I like it because the woman gives the camera a crazy look.

Another tip I picked up is to season the water you are either boiling or steaming the artichokes in. You can add a bay leaf, whole cloves of garlic, some lemon pieces, peppercorns, etc. It imparts flavor into the artichoke.

I had a really hard time finding fresh artichokes. I ended up going to 4 different grocery stores in search of them. Luckily I was able to pick up the last 2 in a shop on my fourth try. I don't think I'll need to make these again. They were good, but they're a lot of work to eat (and to find). I suppose, if you're up for a culinary challenge pick some up and give it a try.

THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Artichokes: $5.29 (yeah, pricey)
Olive oil: had
Garlic: had
Thyme: had
Lemons: $0.39
Butter: $1.79

Total: $7.47

THE RESULTS

FAST: Not really. The artichokes take 45 minutes to steam. You can get the butter done while it's cooking. Prep could take you about 10 minutes so you're looking at close to an hour before this recipe is done.

EASY: Again, if you follow the Ocean Mist Farms video, prepping the artichokes will be really easy.

FRESH: Fresh artichokes taste wonderful, but the lemon garlic butter makes them even better.

OVERALL: This was a great learning experience. I'm glad I got to try something I've never done before. It really builds up your confidence. Yeah, I didn't rub the cut artichoke with some lemon so it discolored while cooking. Yeah, I tried to reheat Brian's artichoke and it got really mushy. But I made it and it tasted delicious.

Tomorrow we've got fish on the menu. See ya then.

April 6th - Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Arugula, Capers, and Olives

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

OH, THE HUMANITY!!!

Yesterday was opening day for our Chicago White Sox. (Please, don't get the impression that I am a baseball fan.) The reason I'm bringing it up is that it officially begins HOTDOG season! I LOVE me a good hotdog.

So yesterday, while I'm grocery shopping, I decide that as a treat I should buy some hotdogs. Have you ever picked up a pack of hotdogs and actually looked at the nutritional information? OMG (or oh my gosh for you non-texters). I was shocked! And it must have showed, because an old lady scooting past with her cart says to me "those things are no good, honey". A whopping 19 grams of fat per hot dog? Made with processed chicken and pork "pieces"? (I'm not kidding, it really said pieces). Oh, my beloved hotdog. Say it ain't so! Needless to say, I didn't buy any hotdogs.

As I wandered around the grocery store in half shock and sorrow, I noticed that a lot of the food items that were cheap and fast were also the most unhealthy for you. Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, taco shells, canned chili, spaghetti-o's, microwave popcorn, jarred spaghetti sauce. Reading the back of the box/can/jar became the judas kiss for me. They were full of fat, calories, salt, and sugar. I will probably never eat those things again! Oh my poor hotdog. I'll miss you!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Tomatoes: $1.79
Kalamata Olive: $1.10
Arugula: $2.99
Olive oil: had
Capers: had
Garlic: had
Crushed Red Pepper: had
Pasta: $0.99

Total: $6.87

I love super easy pasta recipes. It reminds me of my time living in Italy. Pasta was super cheap, so we'd stock up on it. We'd go to the market, buy some fresh veggies, and just toss them into some pasta and olive oil. It was a quick meal that filled us up and kept costs down.

THE RESULTS

FAST: The recipe calls for letting all of the ingredients (except the pasta) sit in a bowl (at room temp) for 30 minutes to let the flavors mesh. Add the pasta boiling time (15 minutes) and prep time (10 minutes) and you're looking at about 55 minute before dinner gets on the table. Not so quick.

EASY: Super E. Just chop and toss. Boiling the water for the noodles will be the most difficult part (unless you bought kalamata olives that weren't pitted...like I did...BUY THE PITTED KIND!)

FRESH: This recipe is the epitome of fresh. Salty olives and capers with the sweetness/acidity of tomatoes, the bitterness of arugula, and the creaminess of olive oil. Delicious!

OVERALL: Loved it. I added some leftover basil, asparagus, canned artichoke hearts, and chicken that I had in the fridge. Simple, fresh, and full of healthy veggies. This is one of those recipes you can use to clean out the fridge/pantry.

Alright. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I will be cooking fresh artichokes for the first time ever! Exciting. See ya tomorrow!

April 3 & 4 - Mixed Berries with Mascarpone Limoncello Cream

2010-04-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hoppy Easter!!

Well, one of my favorite food holidays is here! Brian and I are headed to my parents house for the afternoon to eat and hang out with the family. My family has the traditional Polish Easter food: ham, Polish sausage, sauerkraut, grated beets with horseradish, lots of rye bread, and cheesecake. My grandma will bring her potato salad and my sister will bring her cheesy potatoes. Although the food is the same every year, it's good. I think one year we'll have to switch things up and have a turkey. Mmmm....turkey!

So last night Brian and I sat and decorated sugar cookies for 3 hours for his people at work. I think they turned out pretty cool. Here's a pic:

And now, I will partake in one of my favorite parts of Easter...the decapitation of the chocolate Easter bunny. Yum!!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Whipping cream: $1.29

Mascarpone cheese: $3.99

Sugar: had

Limoncello: had

Fresh berries: $2.00

Raspberry preserves: had

Lemon peel: $0.59

Total: $7.87

I finally used up the last reminder of my time in Italy, the limoncello. I bought it while I was out there (2 years ago) and it's been in my fridge ever since.

The recipe calls for fresh berries and I found some great strawberries for $1 a pound.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Cutting up the strawberries was probably the longest part of this whole recipe. The cream whips up pretty quick. I would say this recipe took about 15 minutes total.

EASY: The cream was really easy, it's just throw everything in a bowl and use a hand beater to blend. Washing and cutting the strawberries was the hardest part.

FRESH: The lemon stands out from the cream and really gives it a punch. You could make this even more fresh tasting with some fresh mint garnish.

OVERALL: The strawberries worked really well with this cream. Although I try to stay away from mascarpone because its not really good for you, I would make this recipe again (but with cream cheese). Also, mascarpone can be hard to find (and expensive). Not bad for a throw together dessert. This would be a great topping for a lemon cake with berries.

Okay, this was really a quick entry, but I've got some chocolate bunny to eat. Tomorrow is my day off, so I will see ya Tuesday!

April 2nd - Asparagus Soup with Lemon Creme Fraiche

2010-04-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Good Friday To You

What a crazy day. Put in a 5 hour shift at my part time job (people are so crazy), picked up my car from the auto body place (it was making a wierd noise), made the recipe for today (Brian did practically most of it), and started Julia Child's tripe recipe (I'm making it for Easter. Yeah, a little wierd).

Now, I'm ready to sit down with a bottle of wine and unwind.

So, let's get on with it...

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Butter: had

Shallots: $0.89

Asparagus: $2.98

Ground coriander: had

Veggie broth: $2.00

Sour Cream: had

Lemons : $0.59

Total: $6.46

I like to peel my asparagus whenever I have to use it in a recipe. I learned this from my restaurant days. We used to do a chilled aparagus salad and peeling the asparagus got rid of that bitter taste and that husky texture that asparugus sometimes has.

Start by cutting the asparagus near the bottom (you want to cut between where the hard stalk ends and the tender asparagus begins...for best results bend the asparagus and it should snap at that point) usually it winds up being the bottom 2 inches or so, it will vary with the type of asparagus. Then take a peeler and holding the head (top) of the asparagus, lightly brush the peeler over the stalk to take off the outer skin. Don't push too hard or you'll cut into the tender flesh of the stalk. You just want to take off of the "leaf" looking things on the stalk and the skin.

Also, instead of buying creme fraiche (which can be a little pricey), I used some sour cream I had at home. I think it was just fine, especially because you add lemon juice and lemon zest to it.

THE RESULTS:

FAST: This recipe is really quick. It took about 15 to 20 minutes total from start to finish.

EASY: Since this soup will be pureed, you don't have to worry to much about your cuts. Also, I used an immersion (hand) blender to puree it rather than a blender. It works great and you don't have to worry about the blender exploding with hot liquid.

FRESH: Most definitley. The asparagus and the lemon sour cream work well with eachother.

OVERALL: This is a really easy and delicious soup. Yeah, kids won't probably go for it, but adults (and company) will love it. I'd garnish with some croutons to give it some crunch.

This weekend is a really simple dessert with fresh berries. I picked up some great strawberries for this recipe. Oh, how I can't wait for the summer berries to return. See ya tomorrow (or Sunday...depending on how I feel).

April 1st - Mint Marinated Leg of Lamb

2010-04-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me!!

It's my birf-day. It's my birf-day. As a birf-day gift to myself, I am not going to blog very much today so I can spend a wonderful day outside!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Olive oil: had

Red wine: $4.99

Mint: $1.99

Garlic: had

Bay leaves: had

Lamb: $18.00

Total: $24.98

First off, good luck finding a 5 lb leg of lamb, boned and butterflied. This was next to impossible to find. I searched everywhere again, even middle eastern grocery stores. I finally came across a 4.5# lamb rump that had a bone in it. Which I then removed and butterflied myself. Also, lamb is not cheap. $18 for lamb? I think that's the most I ever paid for meat in years. But, it's my birthday and I thought I should treat myself. So, to balance that off, I bought a huge bottle of cheap wine.

I would like to suggest adding fresh rosemary to the marinade. There is just something about rosemary and lamb that work well together. Also, I'm excited to have some cold lamb sandwiches tomorrow! I'm going to make Julia Child's herb mayonnaise and have some sliced lamb on French bread and a little watercress. Yummm!!!

THE RESULTS

FAST: The lamb took a lot longer than the 35 minutes it says to cook it. It actually took about 55 minutes. Make sure to have a thermometer on hand, that's really the only way of checking to make sure this thing is done without overcooking it. Also, make sure to let the lamb rest for at least 10 minutes so the juices redistribute. Finally, the lamb also needs to marinate for 4 hours to overnight. I did the overnight method. So in reality, this is not a fast recipe.

EASY: Trying to find the lamb for this recipe was not easy. Boning out the lamb rump was not easy. Everything else was super simple. It's just marinating meat and throwing it in the oven.

FRESH: Very. Again, I should have added rosemary to the marinade. It's good the way the recipe tells you to make it, but the rosemary would have added more depth to the flavor.

OVERALL: If lamb wasn't so expensive, I would make it more often. I really do like it. I'm glad to have the leftovers too for sandwiches! Overall, a pretty good recipe, but the key is to have that thermometer. Overcooked lamb is chewy and too lamby tasting. Plus, you don't want to ruin a $18 cut of meat.

Yippee. Brian's and I are going to head into the city today to bum around. It's going to be such a nice day!! Tomorrow is soup. See ya then!

March 31st - Savoy Cabbage & Radicchio Slaw with Blood Orange Dressing

2010-03-31T05:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Nathan!!

My little nephew turns 7 today! That was the age I was in 1985 (see yesterday's post) thinking about this year's birthday, which is tomorrow. Yes, I'm an April Fool's Baby. No, the doctor didn't say to my mom that I was a girl and then April Fools. I think I've heard them all.

Symposium Cakes

So, every year the culinary school has a symposium which is basically a day of workshops and lectures dealing with all things culinary related based on the theme for the year. This year's theme happened to be Chicago: Past, Present, and Future. Along with other duties, they put me in charge of organizing the cake competition this year. I decided, to make it really easy on everyone, to do styrofoam cakes with fondant. The challenge for the students was to keep within the theme (Chicago: My Kind of Town) and to make sure that everything on their cake was edible (no wood, metal, plastic, etc.) They worked in teams of two and we had 12 entries. I am really proud of all of them because this was their first time working with fondant (which is not easy to work with).

So here are the cakes. Again, THESE ARE NOT MY CAKES!

3RD PLACE

2nd Place

1ST PLACE

Now folks, I did not judge so please don't send me comments about why this one won and this one didn't. I had nothing to do with it. They were judged on technical marks as well as artistic. Anyway, those are the cakes. Not too shabby.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Orange juice: $1.89

Rice Vinegar: had

Honey: had

Olive oil: had

Mayonnaise: had

Shallot: $0.99

Savoy Cabbage: $1.10

Raddichio: $2.29

Total: $6.27

I could not, for the life of me, find blood orange juice. So, I did the substitution (supplied by the recipe) of mixing orange juice with pomegranate juice. (I don't see the vibrant color.) Also, good luck finding radicchio. I searched for it for 2 hours at all my local grocery stores. Nothing. Finally, I just happened upon it by chance in my quest for lamb (which is tomorrow).

Was the effort worth it? Meh. Its a very different slaw recipe which would be good for the upcoming summer picnic season, but it needs to be tweeked. To me, I think it needs more vinegar or acid (lemon juice). I don't think it's sour enough. The pomegranate/orange juice is ridiculous..it adds nothing. I should have saved some money and used cranberry juice instead.

THE RESULTS

FAST: It's pretty quick. It took maybe 15 to get everything chopped and mixed. I, however, would let it sit in the fridge for a good hour to let the flavors marry before serving it.

EASY: Chopping up the cabbage and radicchio could be a little challenging. Just make sure to take off any outer leaves that look brown, cut the heads in half, and cut out the core. Then, you can start slicing it into thin slices. If you find your dressing is a little chunky, take a immersion blender to it (if you have one) or put it in the blender. It will help thicken and emulsify the dressing.

FRESH: Yes. It is really fresh tasting, but it could use a little grated orange zest to boost the orange flavor.

OVERALL: This recipe is okay. I'd have to play with it a little more before serving it to anyone. I think a little orange or lemon zest would help boost up the flavor along with a little more rice vinegar. Maybe a splash of soy to play up the asian characteristics of the slaw?

Tomrrow is my birf-day! I'm so looking forward to it and making the lamb recipe. I think I've only made lamb at home one other time (and that was lamb chops). Exciting! See ya tomorrow!

March 30th - Chicken with Carrots Prunes and Rice

2010-03-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

I'M BACK...AND READY TO GO!
Well, after a much needed few days off, I'm back and feeling much better. I've got some pep in my step and ready to take on anything (well, not anything...most anything). Why in such good spirits you ask? Well, it's my BIRTHDAY WEEK!! Happy Birthday Week to Me! I can't believe this birthday has finally come. I remember when I was little (back in 1985) and thought, "Gosh in 2010 not only will we have flying cars, but I'm going to be 32 years old. That's OLD!" Every birthday since 1985, I've thought of that. Well it's here and unfortunately, NO flying cars. But I think back on everything I've wanted to do since I was little, and I've pretty much accomplished most of it:

1. BECAME A CHEF
2. LIVED IN ITALY FOR A WHILE
3. OWN MY OWN CAR SO I CAN PLAY WHATEVER MUSIC I WANT
4. FOUND A PERFECT MATE
5. OWN MY OWN HOUSE SO I CAN LEAVE CLOTHES ON THE FLOOR
6. BECAME A TEACHER
7. TRAVELED TO SPAIN
8. LIVE IN A BIG CITY

Now I just need to get a dog and a pickup truck and I think all of my childhood wishes will finally come true.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Chicken: $4.59
Olive oil: had
Onion: had
Carrots: $0.66
Rice: had
Prunes: $2.29
Paprika: had
Chicken broth: $2.19

Total: $9.73

I have to be honest and tell you that I added 2 sticks of cinnamon and a bay leaf to this recipe. I just didn't think the recipe (the way it was) would be flavorful enough. I just lectured about North African/Morroccan cuisine to my class about 2 weeks ago and I remember a similar recipe like this but it had cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, clove, and saffron. I only added the cinnamon and bay leaf to stay semi-true to the recipe. I'm kind of glad I did.

Also, 1 hour in the oven is WAY too long. The rice got over done and mushy. I knew I should have trusted my instincts and checked the thing at 45 minutes. I didn't and UGH! It's like eating mashed potatoes.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Not really. I didn't feel like dragging out my food processor from the garage, so I hand grated the carrots. That took a while (10 min), plus this thing needs to cook for at least 45 minutes (MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IT). So you're looking at least an hour before its done.

EASY: Grating carrots by hand is not easy. Otherwise, the rest of the recipe is just layering in an oven proof pot and throwing it in to cook.

FRESH: The chicken, carrots, rice all pretty much taste the same (bland). The prunes come through with their sweetness. I added the cinnamon sticks to boost the flavor a little, which you could taste. It feels like it still needs something. I would do a squeeze of lemon and maybe some chopped up cilantro. Maybe a touch of heat (cayenne)?

OVERALL: I won't be making this again. Yes, it's super easy, but its super blah. I've become more adventurous in my tastes and this is like a ride on the kiddie train at the fair....perfect for the kids, not for adults. Bon Apetite, I'm chalking this one up in the FAIL column.

Tomrrow is a twist on coleslaw. See ya then!

March 27 & 28 - Chocolate Macaroons

2010-03-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

Coming Down With Something...

I think I'm getting sick, which sucks. I'm not sure who I got it from, but I can feel it starting to sneak into me. This could explain my lack of energy all day yesterday (or it could be laziness). But I'm getting some flemminess. Ugh. Why this week? Since I was playing shut in yesterday, I don't have any good stories....sorry.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Chocolate: $2.29

Egg whites: had

Salt: had

Sugar: had

Vanilla extract: had

Coconut: $1.89

Total: $4.18

I have to say, I have never made a chocolate coconut macaroon before. Sure, I've made the regular coconut ones, but chocolate?? My first thought was, is this going to work? My second was, how many can I eat before getting sick?

Obviously, from the picture, these cookies did turn out. I'm kind of amazed by them. They've got an outside meringue crunchiness and an inside of a chewy brownie. They're pretty good.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Prep took a little while with the melting of the chocolate and the beating of the egg whites. (About 20 minutes). Add another 20 minutes of cooking time, 10 min for the cookies to cool and you can have these cookies done and in your mouth in about 50 minutes.

EASY: I'm going to have to say moderate difficulty. The microwaving of the chocolate was pretty easy, just make sure to put the chocolate in a clean DRY bowl and use a clean DRY spoon. If you get any water into your chocolate, it will seize up and make this recipe near impossible. The beating of the egg whites can be a little intimidating. Make sure you don't over beat them. MY TRICK: When they get thick and glossy, turn the bowl upside down, if things start to slip out, beat some more. If the whites don't move while they're upside down, they're ready. Also, make sure you fold very carefully, you do not want to overfold and deflate your egg whites.

FRESH: The take on the recipe is pretty fresh. The cookies themselves taste like chocolate and coconut. No real crisp, clean flavors.

OVERALL: Its a pretty good recipe. I'd like to play around with it again sometime to experiment. Brian likes black forest, so I want to see if I can maybe throw some dried cherries or cherry extract into the mix. Maybe cut some of the coconut? Also, I was thinking of cutting the coconut into smaller pieces. Maybe add another egg white? So many possibilities, so little time.

Okay...Monday I am OFF and then we start Easter week. My first easter in a long time not at a restaurant. It's going to be exciting. I can finally enjoy this holiday! Tuesday is a chicken recipe. See ya then!

March 26th - Warm Spinach Parmesan Dip

2010-03-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

EXHAUSTION

I'm so terribly sorry, but I am so exhausted right now. I got home from being at school in Chicago all day (since 5:30 a.m.) and I'm beat. (We had our annual symposium today...which I'll talk more about some other time). I could gush on for hours and hours about this recipe...it's really that good!!...but I just physically can't. It's hard to even put words together to form sentences, let alone type.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Butter: had

Olive oil: had

Onion: $0.69

Garlic: $0.79

Flour: had

Chicken broth: $1.89

Whipping cream: $1.39

Spinach $1.25

Parmesan cheese $3.08

Sour cream: had

Cayenne: had

Total: $9.09

THE RESULTS

FAST: This took me about 20 minutes with all the chopping and cooking I was doing.

EASY: Really simple. The gradually beating in the chicken stock is the hardest part.

FRESH: Quite fresh...don't try to substitute frozen spinach!

OVERALL: Make sure to chop up your spinach...I didn't as much as I should. It doesn't have to be fine, but the bigger the leaves, the chunkier the spinach pieces in your dip (which can get messy). You can omit the cayenne if you want. Really, this dip is one of the better recipes in this series. I wish I wasn't so tired so I could sing it's praises. You really need to keep this recipe and try it for company...it's easy and impressive.

Okay. It's off to sleepy time. Chocolate macaroons are up for the weekend. See ya tomorrow...or Sunday depending if I don't get out of bed tomorrow!

March 25th - Fried Eggs on Toast with Pepper Jack and Avocado

2010-03-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Cake, Cake, and More Cake...

Well, today I get to spend most of the day in the city putting together sheet cakes for our school's culinary symposium (which is tomorrow). I won't bore you with the details of that, but I will mention that I am in charge of the cake competition. The students are putting together three tier-ed cakes with a Chicago theme. They've had 2 1/2 weeks to do it at home and today is the entry deadline, so I will be taking all of their cakes in today. I'm excited to see what they'll look like. Enough talk, let's get to the craziness...

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Butter: had

Eggs: had

Montery Jack Cheese: $1.10

Bread: $1.89

Avocadoes: $1.19

Cilantro: had

Total: $4.18

Reading this recipe astonished me. First, because I wouldn't expect something like this from Bon Appetit. Second, I wouldn't consider this a main meal (which is what Thursdays are supposed to be according to this calendar). I mean, I like the creativity involved with this, but I feel like someone was one recipe short of getting a book published and threw something in very last minute. I don't get it. Meh...that's my opinion. I still have to make it and eat it..so here we go.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Really quick. I toasted the bread in the broiler while the eggs were cooking (about 2 minutes), then threw the eggs on the bread, then the cheese, put it back in the broiler, and let the cheese melt (about another 2 minutes). Sliced an avocado and chopped some cilantro (another 2 minutes) and done. About 6 minutes all together.

EASY: Very. See above.

FRESH: I love fresh avocado. And the chopped cilantro was a nice touch too.

OVERALL: This was okay. It was much better when I put hot sauce on it. You know, if you made a spicy hollandiase sauce (or even did a salas), this has the makings of a southwestern Eggs Benedict (add some fried chorizo).

Spinach dip tomorrow...see ya then!

March 24th - Garlic and Olive Oil Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

2010-03-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

FINALLY FINISHING....

I am on page 883 of my 1007 page book...woo hoo! I will finish this sucker up today. For the past six weeks (god it feels like forever), I have been reading this book "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell". I have renewed this book twice now because it has been taking me so long. I'm not able to renew it anymore and I've got 2 days left to finish it up. Don't get me wrong, it's a really good book, I just haven't had time to read it. You're probably asking yourself, why not just get the book on CD like you've have? Well, I decided I needed to do this to show myself that I'm not lazy. It was a challenge to myself (just like this blog).

So later on today, I will be doing a little happy dance as I complete this book. And honestly, the printing is WAY TOO SMALL for a paperback novel so I'll be glad it's done. (God, I feel like an old man). Before you start ribbing me on joining AARP, I've shown this book to a handful of different people and they agree with me. Plus, there are these really annoying footnotes which are printed even smaller!

Goodbye Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, you've been in my life a little too long. (P.S. I highly recommend reading this book...only, get it on CD).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Yukon Gold potatoes: $2.49
Olive oil: had
Garlic cloves: had
Thyme: $1.89

Total: $4.38

Steaming potatoes to make mashed potatoes is something I learned last Thanksgiving from Brian. He found this recipe on America's Test Kitchen about the best mashed potatoes ever. They recommend steaming the potatoes rather than boiling them to retain the fluffiness of the potatoes. I was skeptical, but became instantly hooked.

This recipe follows the same logic. They tell you to leave the skins on the potatoes (which I don't mind), but make sure you scrub them really well under water, cut them in wedges and steam them. The timing is a little off (it took me a little longer to get them done than 15 minutes). They mash up beautifully and the olive oil just takes to them wonderfully (also, it gives them a nice golden color). I scaled back the recipe and only put in 3 small cloves of garlic. (I've been reeking of garlic recently...don't ask). Viola! Some of the best mashed potatoes I've had since Thanksgiving.

THE RESULTS

FAST: You don't need to peel the potatoes, so that saves you some time. The potatotes took longer than 15 minutes for me to steam. It was more like 20 to 25 minutes (I blame it on my stove). The garlic needs to saute on real low for 6 minutes, otherwise you'll end up burning it (and there is no way to cover up the taste of burnt garlic). All together, this took about 35 minutes from start to finish. Not too bad.

EASY: Again, you're not peeling potatoes, so this recipe is pretty basic. Steam the potatotes, saute up some garlic and then mash with a sprinkling of thyme.

FRESH: The thyme really adds to this recipe. I also like the fact that you can actually taste the potatoes. They aren't hidden by globs of butter or sour cream.

OVERALL: I will always make my mashed pototoes this way. Substituting the olive oil for the butter just brings the potatoes to life. I don't like my garlic mashed too garlicky, so I will probably just put 1 clove in next time. Also, I plan on growing thyme this summer, so that will be on hand and have much more pep than store bought thyme.

We've got an odd recipe for tomorrow. It doesn't really fit in with what we've been making since Jan. 1st (I think its not up to snuff for Bon Appetit)...but it's part of the project and it needs to be made. See ya tomorrow!

March 23rd - Spiced Pork Tenderloin

2010-03-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY....

I have come to the realization that the path of my life will never be easy. I'm not one of those lucky people who are blessed with good fortune everywhere they go. You know the type. They're always winning something or getting something for free or know someone who knows someone and "poof" they're a CEO. I will forever be on the twisty path of life with the roadblocks and stumbling points. I will have to work hard for everything that I want. Things can never just go simply. There are always complications.

Whether it's busting open loaves of bread because I thought I could throw it into my shopping cart (but it hits the side and the bag breaks and bread goes everywhere), or finishing baking cakes at school and keeping my chef jacket clean (but then spilling coffee on it when I go to check my e-mail), my days are always filled with that extra step. It's that extra something that always has to happen to zing me. (Forgot to mention cooking at home, opened a cabinet, and having a stupid shot glass fall, bounce twice, and THEN break, right as I'm ready to plate it up).

That all happened yesterday (plus add 2 paper cuts and Target messing up the printing of my pictures). I wonder what will happen today?

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Olive oil: had

Garlic: had

Cumin: had

Cinnamon: had

Ground clovers: had

Pork tenderloin: $6.10

Chicken broth: $1.79

Cilantro: $0.49

Total: $8.38

THE RESULTS:

FAST: Not bad. The pork took a little longer than 20 minutes to cook (about 25). The whole recipe took about 35 minutes from start to finish.

EASY: Very. You can actually marinate the pork ahead of time which will give it a better flavor. The deglazing of the pan and the making of the sauce is a bit involved (a word of advice...make sure you don't burn yourself on the hot pan).

FRESH: The cilantro gives it a kick of freshness. Don't skip it...you'll need it. Otherwise, the "spiced" part of the tenderloin is a little one-dimensional.

OVERALL: Brian really liked this recipe. My problem with it is that it's sort of blah (lackluster if you will). The deglazing the pan and making the sauce isn't worth the extra trouble. I'd rather just make some sort of sauce seperately to go with the pork (which I think it definitely needs). I think a really good, warm, roasted tomatillo salsa would be a perfect match for the cumin/cinnamon/clove flavor of the pork.

Mashed potatoes is next...See ya tomorrow!

March 20 & 21 - Pineapple Coconut Pie

2010-03-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

On Location...

So this blog is actually on location in Milwaukee as we are visiting my family! (I decided to bring the pie fixings with me so they could partake in this project as well.) The last time I've seen my family was Christmas, so I thought this would be a great weekend to trek up to Wisconsin and do a vistit. Nothing too intensive, just a low-key/mellow few days of hanging out with the nephews.

Joey deciding to do a spa treatment with his yogurt.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Pie crust: $2.19
Pineapple: $3.00
Sugar: had
Flour: had
Salt: had
Eggs: had
Butter: had
Coconut: had
Macadamia nuts: had

Total $5.19

I cheated this week (well, not according to the recipe) and bought a pre-made pie crust. I hate doing it because of all the un-natural ingredients, but I needed something that could travel.

THE RESULTS

FAST: Not really. The make-up will take you about 15 minutes, the baking an hour 15 minutes, and cool-down another hour. (I recommend making this pie the day before to really let the custard set.)

EASY: Yes, especially if you buy an already made pie crust. The tricky part may be cutting a fresh pineapple. You can find already cut fresh pineapple in your produce department. It's a little more expensive because of the labor involved, but it saves you some time. (I'll post some pictures on how to easily cut a pineapple the next time I make this pie...which will be very soon).

FRESH: Most definitely. There is a difference between using fresh pineapple and canned. I recommend the fresh (so you don't have to worry about excess moisture making the crust soggy).

OVERALL: This is a great pie. I'm surprised I haven't seen a pineapple custard pie recipe before. Now, the picture does not do it justice (because it was taken in my parent's laundry room), but this pie came out looking spectacular. My family couldn't wait to eat this pie, so we cut into it while it was still warm. It was good, but I'd like to try it again cooled off and set. This will be another keeper recipe which I really recommend you should try.

Monday is tip day and I'll be spending most of the day making a sheet cake at school for our upcoming symposium. Our next recipe will be pork tenderloin...yummy! See ya Tuesday!

March 19th - Meyer Lemon Cosmopolitan

2010-03-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

It Can't Come Quickly Enough...

Finally, the weekend is here! But, unfortunately, this is the last day of the nice weather here in Chicago-land for the next couple of days. The clouds are already rolling in. This week has been pretty blah for me so this grey weather coming is a great way to finish it off. And, just in time, it's cocktail day! (ROUND OF APPLAUSE) I'm going to savor this. Next week is going to be a busy one for me. But, let's not think of that. Instead, lets think happy yellow thoughts like the color of this wonderful martini.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

White Cranberry Juice: $3.49

Vodka: had (come on I'm Polish, I always have vodka)

Sweet & Sour Mix: $2.49

Meyer Lemon Juice: $3.29

Total: $9.27

THE RESULTS

FAST: I'm no Tom Cruise in Cocktail, but I can manage to throw this together in at least 5 minutes.

EASY: Like a Sunday morning.

FRESH: Lemon fresh.

Overall: I like that they call it a meyer lemon cosmopolitan, but they really should call this a lemon drop martini. Essentially, that's what this looks and tastes like. I can get a little of the cranberry, but the major flavor is lemon. Don't get me wrong, in either case this is DELICIOUS! I'm just saying if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck....

Tomorrow is a pie that I've never made before. I'm really looking forward to it. See ya tomorrow!

March 18th - Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili

2010-03-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

After a crazy St. Patty's day, it's nice to just have a mellow day of not doing very much of anything. I've got some grading and misc. school prep work to do, but I plan on enjoying the nice weather outside with a book (and some chili).

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Onion: $0.35

Red Bell Pepper: $1.29

Garlic: $0.79

Turkey: $5.25

Chili powder, cumin, oregano: had

Pinto beans: $2.97

Diced Tomatoes: $0.99

Chicken broth: $1.89

Chocolate: had

Total: $13.53

I am in absolute love with this chili powder (Merken Mapuche Spice produced by Chileangourmet). It is from Chile and made from the cacho de cabra (horn of the goat) chili and has a marvelous smoked flavor. I bought it a while ago at Williams Sonoma, but sadly, they no longer carry it. So, I've been saving for special recipes (especially chili). Although I only have maybe a tablespoon and a half left, I decided to pep up this recipe with it.

SNOBBY CHEF ALERT: Chili is only as good as the chili powder you put in it. Yes, that's a snobby chef thing to say, but it's true. If you buy an inexpensive chili powder in a paper packet, your chili is not going to garner the complex flavors it truly deserves. Am I proposing to buy a very expensive chili powder that costs $20 for one ounce? Absolutely not. I just want you to be aware that not all chili powders are created equal. And since this is the main flavoring of chili, you may want to be a little more experimental to other varieties than just the run of the mill. If you're truly daring, you can always make your own!

THE RESULTS

FAST: Nope. Took about an hour and a half to make this from start to finish. (Plus, chili is always better the next day. So, if you consider that, this is actually a recipe that takes 1.5 hours + 1 day.) Prep takes about 10 minutes to chop everything up (if your not constantly interrupted) and cooking will take about an hour and twenty minutes.

EASY: Pretty much. If you have a crappy can opener, opening the cans could be the most difficult part of this recipe. Otherwise, it's the chopping that'll be the most complicated step.

FRESH: Yes, it's pretty fresh. Again, your chili will only be as good as your chili powder. If it's old and stale, your chili will be dull and unflavorful. I'd love a dollop of sour cream and maybe a little chopped cilantro.

OVERALL: It's your typical chili recipe made with ground turkey. The chocolate darkens the flavor of the chili, but it's not very pronounced. (No one would be able to distinguish it in the chili unless you told them). Its a pretty "meh" recipe. I've had better (and worse). Not a keeper, sorry Bon Appetit.

Guess what tomorrow is? It's my favorite time again...cocktail time! See ya tomorrow!

March 17th - White Soda Bread

2010-03-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Top o' the Mornin' to You...

I have had the weirdest St. Patty's Day so far. First, on my way to school, I saw a man riding a unicycle in a mall parking lot. At first I was like, is he riding a unicycle? Then, as I was watching him, because I was stuck at a stop sign, I noticed how difficult riding a unicycle looked. I think he could have walked faster than they way he was tooling around on that thing. Why wouldn't he just ride a bike? It would be faster...I dunno.

Second, I had to stop and get some gas. So I went in to pay, because the credit card reader at the pump wasn't working (go figure). When I got inside, there was a husband and wife arguing really loud in Polish. Since I grew up hearing my parents fight in Polish, I had a good understanding of what they were saying...and it really wasn't very nice. All of a sudden the guy behing the counter goes "I don't know what you two are saying, but you need to take it outside". He looks at me like 'get a load of those two' and I just quickly pay and get the heck out of there.

Finally, I get to school and am really looking forward to the corned beef sandwiches they have been advertising for the past two weeks. Turns out, there's no corned beef. Someone got roast beef instead.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Flour: had

Caraway seeds: had

Baking soda: had

Salt: had

Buttermilk: $0.99

Total $0.99

I decided to throw some currants into the dough after I heard a conversation yesterday that Irish Soda Bread isn't good without some raisins in it. Knowing my absolute disgust for raisins, you can pardon me for throwing in the currants instead. I'm kind of glad I did.

THE RESULTS:

FAST: The make up of this dough is very quick. Maybe 5 minutes max. Also, the cooking time says 35 minutes, but it only took 30. So you can be eating a nice loaf of Soda Bread in as little as 45 minutes.

EASY: Probably one of the easiest breads I have ever made.

FRESH: The taste of the caraway seed is nice, but could get a little overpowering. That's why I'm glad I tossed in the currants. The little bits of sweet are a nice counterbalance.

OVERALL: The bread turned out super fluffy, moist, and has a great crust. I would definitely leave out the caraway seed next time and stick with maybe citrus and currants. I'll be keeping this recipe. It's quick and good.

Tomorrow is Turkey Chili. Yummy. I've been craving chili for a while now. See ya tomorrow.

March 16th - Salmon with Mustard and Brown Sugar Glaze

2010-03-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

WARNING: GRAPHIC ANIMAL PICTURES FOLLOW

(If you're vegetarian, you may want to skip this!)

As you know, this weekend my chef friend Tommy and I went to the Family Farmed Expo. It was really a motivating experience that made us want to cook with farm fresh ingredients. So, on the way home, Tommy came up with the idea of making head cheese. At first, I was a little apprehensive. Not about the head cheese itself, but of the process. Growing up Polish, I am accustomed to eating head cheese (which I actually enjoy). I knew the process would end up stinking up the house and I didn't want Brian to get upset (which, of course, he did). Luckily, Tommy is very adventurous and convinced me that this would be a good learning experience. As a chef, you always want to experiment and try new things. So, I thought, why the heck not. And here, my friends is my head cheese adventure from this past weekend:

STEP #1: FIND A PIG'S HEAD

This actually was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I guess you have to know where to look. As it so happens, Tommy is quite familiar with where to procure a pig's head. So, we went out to this old school butcher shop near the Illinois/Indiana border. We ended up buying a 12 lb pig head for $0.59 a pound. Total cost was a little over $6. We took home our head in a bag and went back to my kitchen. We proceded to unwrap it and lay it out on the counter. Then we thought, oh man, what are we getting ourselves into!

STEP #2: FIND A RECIPE

Having the pig's head on the counter and looking at each other like "what do we do next", we realized that neither of us knew how to procede. I decided to scan the vast library of cookbooks I had, but found no head cheese recipe. We then decided to Google head cheese and found only a handful of recipes using an actual pig's head. (Most recipes just use assorted pig parts). I can't for the life of me find the recipe we ended up using, but the videos and recipes all had the same first step, which (to this day) is the oddest thing I ever saw in a kitchen.

STEP #3: SHAVE YOUR PIG

Apparently you either need to burn off or shave off any remaining pig bristles the butcher may have left on. Since I didn't want the smell of burning hair in my kitchen, I got out the disposable razor and let Tommy have all the fun.

STEP #4: SOAK YOUR PIG

You then need to soak your pig head in a brine for at least 5 hours to overnight. This draws out all of the remaining blood from the pig. We made a flavorful bath and set the pig head outside (luckily it was very cold) to rest overnight. (Note: I finally got to bust out this 8 gallon stock pot that had been sitting in the garage for years. I bought it super cheap on sale at Williams-Sonoma, but never found a use for it...until this weekend)

STEP #5: BOIL YOUR PIG

The next morning (Sunday), I got up super early, 5:00 a.m., to begin the stinky process of boiling the head. It takes at least 5 hours for it to boil. Since I was using a super huge stock pot on my not so great stove, I figured it would take at least an hour for the head to come to a boil. So once I put it on the stove and opened the kitchen window, I went back to sleep.

STEP #6 PICK THROUGH YOUR HEAD

Once the head was done boiling, you need to take it out of the "stock" and let it cool down enough to pick through all the miscellaneous stuff to get to the meat. (At this point Tommy came back over to my house). I'll leave out all the graphic details, but there really isn't a whole lot of meat in the head. We measured out 1.5 lbs of meat from our foraging. While we were doing that, we let the liquid cook down with the pigs ears to develop the gelatin which will hold the whole thing together. This was the most time consuming part of the process. NOTE: If you don't let it cook down long enough, your "stock" won't have enough congealing factor to make the head cheesefirm enough to cut. You want it to be as firm as a Jello Jigglers recipe.

STEP #7 LAYER YOUR PIG PARTS AND LET IT REST

Finally, after hours of cooking down, we were able to line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, put down our meat, and cover it with our gelatinized stock. We then let it sit in the fridge to firm up over night. (Tommy took his home to congeal).

STEP #8 ENJOY YOUR PIG JELLO

Once the head cheese sets and you scrape off the layer of fat that collected at the top, it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. I actually didn't mind it. It needed more salt and a little more flavor, but it was pretty god. It's actually the best head cheese I've ever made.

STEP #9 REFLECT ON A FULL BELLY

Would I ever make head cheese again? No, probably not. It took the entire weekend and smelled up my kitchen. (Luckily the stink is gone now). But, I can say that I've made head cheese now and like Brian says, I can cross it off my bucket list. As a chef, it was interesting to see the whole process from start to finish, but I think I'll stick to just buying it at the Polish deli.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

White Wine: $4.99

Butter: had

Old Bay: $3.99

Salmon Fillet: $7.05 (See Note)

Spicy Brown Mustard: $2.19

Brown Sugar: had

Total: $18.22

Being in an experimental mood on Monday, I decided to forgo the salmon and use shark steaks instead. (It was the same price as two salmon fillets.) I've never had shark before and thought it would be a great alternative. Plus, I like feeding Brian new things.

THE RESULTS

FAST: This recipe took me 25 minutes from start to finish. The fish takes 15 minutes to cook in the oven and another 3 to broil. Prep will take you about 6 minutes to do the cooking liquid and to measure everything out.

EASY: As always, this recipe was super easy. There really was nothing hard about the process.

FRESH: Surprisingly yes. The white wine and Old Bay seasoning really pepped up the flavors.

OVERALL: I think I like shark. It's a really meaty fish (reminds me of ahi tuna) that had no fishy taste what-so-ever. Brian enjoyed it as well. I would have given the fish a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but otherwise it's a good, simple recipe. No changes needed. (I suppose you could use dijon mustard if you didn't have spicy brown).

Well, I'm all blogged out. Tomorrow is St. Patty's day and we've got a Irish Soda Bread recipe. See ya tomorrow!