Monday, July 30, 2007

many mini-munchies

I know that a few of you have already seen these pictures, but I thought that I'd share them anyway. About a month ago, Ken and I worked together on our first independent catering gig. Overall, it went pretty well. The food was beautiful and tasty, and we received a number of compliments. Of course, there were also several things that we decided to do differently if we do this again. I don't want to reveal any trade secrets, but suffice it to say that it was certainly a good learning experience.


The Spread:
Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Bruschetta:

Fresh Pepper, Mozarella, & Basil Brushetta with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

Salmon Carpaccio:

Spinach and Goat Cheese Mini-Quiches:

Apple & Aged Cheddar Fruit Bites:

Cranberry Nut Squares:
Raspberry, Strawberry, Kiwi, & Blackberry Mini-Cheesecakes:

Friday, July 27, 2007

Pack 'em up and Move 'em out

We're gonna move to a brand new house!

I apologize for the lack of posting over the last several days (and probably the next several as well). We are in the process of moving which has left us with less time for cooking, computers, and remembering recipes. In the meantime, I'll try to put up a few posts that have been waiting in the queue, but no promises.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

After writing this post, I decided that I should start enhancing my own family meal planning skills by creating some quick simple recipes. I'm not planning on having children anytime soon or anything so maybe developing my family meal planning skills is a little premature. However, I will be starting graduate school in a month and having some standby recipes ready in case of hunger emergencies seems wise.

I made this recipe up a few days ago while in the grocery store. I tried to keep the ingredient list simple with common components and the prep relatively quick. It turned out quite well and Ken said it was excellent (which is not a rating he gives lightly).













Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 package frozen spinach
(thaw and press out water)
1 small container ricotta cheese
1 onion
1 small can of tomato paste
1/4 C sherry
3 T butter
1 T olive oil
cooking twine

First, I finely diced the onion. (You want to make sure the onion is really finely diced so that you don't end up with raw onion chunks in the filling.) Then, I mixed about 1/3 of the diced onion, the thawed spinach, and some of the ricotta cheese in a bowl. Use your own judgment as to the amount of cheese. I would say you don't want the filling to be too soupy or too dry. Next, I used a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts. This doesn't take much time and makes a difference in how easy the breasts are to stuff and how tender they are. Then, I put probably a 1/4 C (or less) of the filling on the rough side of the breast, wrapped the edges of the chicken around it, tied the bundle with twine, and lightly salted the chicken. (See picture for how I tied the twine).

Once all the breasts were prepped, I turned the oven to 350 and began browning the chicken (2 at a time) in a hot non-stick pan (with about 1 T of oil). I then put the chicken in a small casserole dish, dotted each breast with a little butter, and put it in the oven to cook.

While the chicken cooked, I started the sauce. I left the browned bits in the pan and added the sherry to deglaze. I let the sherry cook off and then added about 1 T of butter. Once the butter melted, I tossed the rest of the onion into the pan. I let the onions cook until they were soft and then added a few spoonfuls of tomato paste. I browned the paste a little and then turned the heat off to wait for the chicken to cook.
Once the juice from the chicken in the oven ran clear (about 30 minutes), I removed the chicken and put it on a plate to cool. I poured all of the chicken juice from the casserole pan into the frying pan with the onions and turned the heat back on. I let the sauce cook down for a few minutes while I removed the twine from the breasts and got everything set up for dinner. All that's left is to serve and eat. I would recommend serving the chicken with a vegetable of some kind and possibly a side of buttered herbed pasta.

A few suggestions from Ken:
He really liked the sauce but thought there should be more of it. Perhaps adding tomatoes and chicken stock would be helpful.
Also, he mentioned that there is another (prettier) way to stuff chicken breasts. It sounded like it involved injecting the filling into the breast. It sounded complicated but maybe we'll try that someday.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Seared Sea Scallops

Ken and I were thinking that for every large several course meal that we photograph and post on the blog, we would also write a more specific post with recipes and prep instruction for one portion of the meal. Here is the recipe and some cooking suggests for the seared sea scallops from the Feast on the Fourth meal.

Ingredients:
-10 fresh jumbo sea scallops
-1/2 - 1 lbs. blanched green beans (smaller beans are better)
-8 oz. fresh shitake mushroom caps
-1/2 T fresh thyme leaves
-blanched spinach, rapini, or dandelion greens (or any other green you like-- mostly for decoration, so choose something with large leaves)
-olive oil
-vegetable oil
-beef stock reduced to nappe (should be thick enough to coat a spoon very well)
-shallot
-1 1/2 C port
-salt and pepper

Port Shallot Sauce (can be done in advance):
-Take beef stock, and reduce it until it has thickened considerably, and is approaching the texture of demi-glace.
-Heat the reduced beef stock in a pot over medium heat.
-In a separate skillet, over high heat, lightly brown the shallot, with very little oil.
-When the shallot is softened and starting to brown, add about 1 1/2 cups of nice, sweet port wine, and reduce to a very heavy syrup (au sec).
-Strain, and add the reduced port to the stock reduction, and reserve for service.

Prep for the Meal:
-Blanch the green beans for 3-5 minutes (depending on the size), until they are mostly tender, but still have some firmness, then chill them in an ice bath.
-While the beans are cooling, slice the mushroom caps into thin 1/4" pieces.
-Once the beans are cool, slice them each into roughly three pieces on a bias (try to get them to be the roughly the same size and shape as the mushroom slices).

Cooking the Vegetables:
-In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over high heat.
-Add the mushrooms to the pan, and saute, adding some oil if necessary, as well as salt.
-When the mushrooms have completely softened, add the thyme, and allow it to bloom in the heat for a few seconds.
-Next, add the green bean pieces to the pan. Add salt and pepper and fresh thyme to taste. Toss to mix, cover, and then leave the pan on the stove over low heat until you're ready to plate the scallops.

Cooking the Scallops:
-Preheat your oven to 500.
-Get a nice, decently heavy frying pan hot over high heat, then add enough veg. oil to coat it well. Allow the oil to come up to heat for a minute or two (do not use a non-stick pan for this, or you will not get a nice sear.)
-Season the scallops with a small amount of salt
-Once the oil is hot, sear the scallops on one side in batches. Make sure to not crowd the pan, as putting too many scallops in at once will cool off the pan, and you won't get a good sear. Once your batch of scallops is nice and brown on one side (takes one to one and a half minutes), remove it from heat while you finish the rest.
-Once all the scallops are seared place them all, together, back in the pan, and place it in the oven for about 1-2 minutes (seriously, do not overcook these, or they will suck).

Finishing the Sauce and Plating:
-Arrange the veggies on the plate, use the leaves to make a bed/canvas, and make a nice pile of the mushroom/g.b. mixture on top.
-Take your scallops out of the pan, and set them on a rack for the moment, to cool.
-Take the pan from the scallops, add red-wine to deglaze, then reduce au sec (til it's dry), add a little (1/4 cup) of water, and add this juice to your sauce
-Arrange the scallops on the plate, pour the sauce, and serve!















Thanks, Ken, for writing this recipe out!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Shelling Peas

During our camping trip in Wisconsin, my older sister drove past an Amish house with signs advertising fresh vegetables for sale. From the women's kitchen, my sister bought fresh baked loaves of bread, beans, peas, radishes, greens, tomatoes, and a few other wonderful fresh vegetables.

Most of these vegetables were eaten by the family while camping (the green beans were just fantastic), but I was given the peas (still in their pods) to take home. I was initially very excited by the big plastic bags of pea pods and imagined all kinds of exciting possibilities. However, when I got home and mentioned the peas to Ken, he wasn't immediately inspired to use them. Time passed and we ate several pea-less dinners.

One evening while Ken was at work, I was (once again) scrounging through the fridge looking for something to eat for dinner. I ran across the bag of peas buried in the vegetable drawer and nearly passed them by again. But I paused and decided to pull them out to check if they were still eatable. I realized, while examining the pea pods, that the reason we hadn't eaten these peas yet was that shelling hundreds of peas was a chore that neither Ken nor I was excited to complete. I remember helping my mother shell peas, snap beans, and clean corn on the deck as a child, but I can't ever remember shelling peas as an adult... it was just too much work. I decided that these peas needed to be shelled immediately. Some were already too woody and were going to sprout soon, so I sat down to work.

At first, I wasn't even sure if I remembered how to shell peas correctly and thought I might have to look it up on-line. But after a bit I got myself organized and settled into the cadence of a repetitive task. To the ping of the peas hitting the bowl, my thoughts started to wander. I thought about gardening and cooking, my mother, simple tasks, and the slow quiet reflection they inspire. It was very pleasant to take time to sit quietly and reflect on life. I think the next time I find myself considering whether or not to shell peas, I'll try to think of it as an opportunity instead of a chore.

After shelling the peas, I steamed a small portion of them to eat. They were very good, and hardly comparable to frozen store-bought peas. I wonder how I ever convinced myself that the frozen peas were just as good. Oh well.

Look for a post about what we did with the rest of the peas sometime soon.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Pecan Encrusted Pork Chops, Green Beans, and Sweet Potatoes

Ken's love of cooking and good food has been inspired and encouraged by his parents, who are both wonderful cooks. Ken's father is originally from the South, and this pork recipe is directly related to one of his father's recipes for lightly fried, pecan-encrusted pork.

This partially impromptu meal turned out extremely well (so well that we replicated it several days later for a dinner with some good friends of ours). The sweet potatoes and beans each complimented slightly different characteristics of the pork, which made for a rich and dynamic eating experience. The pecan crust added a sweet, warm, oaky flavor to the pork that contrasted well with the slightly creamy and flavorful pan sauce. The entire meal paired nicely and easily with wine. I remember it being a very satisfying meal overall. It wasn't too heavy but had the warm comforting feel that beloved childhood recipes seem to inspire.

The green beans were made by first blanching the beans, and then Frenching them (e.g. breaking them in half along the seam and removing the bean peas). Usually in this kind of recipe the bean peas are discarded, but I insisted that Ken not waste one of the more nutritional part of the vegetable and he set them aside for later use. Ken then sautéed garlic, shallot, and tomatoes. He cooked off the liquid from the tomatoes, and then added the green beans and the bean peas into the pan. He lightly sautéed the beans and then put them in the oven to warm until the pork was finished. (By the way, adding the bean peas to the dish creates a pleasing texture and flavor contrast and we've now made saving the peas a habit when making beans)
The sweet potatoes were pealed, cut into one inch slices, lightly tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted in the oven for around 50 minutes at 350 (until they are soft but not mushy).

Here is the recipe for the pork:
6 Boneless Pork chops, pounded to 1/4-1/2"
almonds
eggs
buttermilk
bread-
crumbs
salt
pepper
flour
parsley
butter
olive oil
chicken- stock

For the crust, mix equal parts bread crumbs and chopped toasted almonds, add about half a tablespoon of salt and 2-4 tablespoons of parsley (or to taste).

3 step bread the pork, first coat with flour, then dip in an egg/buttermilk mixture, and finally the crust mixture. Pan-fry the pork in olive oil and butter over medium heat for about 2 min. per side, or until the coating has turned a golden brown.

To make the sauce, take the pan with the oil and browned bits. Add flour and stir, until you have a light paste in the pan. Return the pan to heat, and cook until the paste turns very light brown, and becomes more liquid. At this point slowly whisk in your chicken stock, reduce the sauce (or not) to whatever consistency you desire. Season with salt if necessary (it shouldn't be necessary) and serve!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

NYT: Family Dinner Plans

I am not married or a mother, but I have a few older siblings with children. From them, I have learned that feeding a family is a never-ending and often thankless job. As an adult on my own, I can eat when I'm hungry and skip meals altogether. I can go out to almost any restaurant with minimal planning or eat a meal that took 4 hours to prep at 10:00 at night. The only other person I need to consider when cooking or shopping has a complex palate and a willingness to try almost anything. This is not the case for my siblings with young children. For them, serving healthy well-balanced, cost-efficient, home-cooked meals can be very challenging... and getting everyone to eat those meals is nearly impossible.

I ran across this article in the New York Times today. I thought it had some useful suggestions for parents with children. I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to post an article link here, but I figured if it helped someone that was a good enough reason for me.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Marinara Sauce Attempt

While there are some fantastic advantages to dating a cook, there are some disadvantages as well. I get spoiled with amazing food, on-site food expertise, and someone who enjoys doing a lot of the cooking work (in a quarter of the time it would take me). That may not sound like much of a disadvantage, but it means that when my chef is at work (which as anyone in the restaurant industry knows-- is a lot of the time), then I am at loose ends in my kitchen and often scrounging for edible scraps.

Today, I found myself searching through the fridge and trying to decide whether the jar of pickles or the last ancient fossilized piece of pizza called to me more. As it was already a good 90+ degrees in my kitchen, I figured "hey, what's a little more heat" and began making pasta. Of course, there was no sauce in the house, just noodles, so I attempted to whip up a quick marinara sauce in the stifling heat.

First I chopped an onion and 4 cloves of garlic. I began sautéing the onions in a bit of butter and olive oil while I chopped some carrots and some fresh basil and oregano from my wilting herb plants. (I would have added fresh thyme as well, but my chef, it turns out, is not as gifted with plants as he is with food and it died while I was away camping.)

I added the garlic to the pan for a bit, and then added the carrots and herbs. Then, I poured about 1/2 cup of an old opened red wine into the pan and let it cook off.

I added a can of diced, unflavored tomatoes (I know, I know, but I didn't want to run to the store for fresh tomatoes) and let the whole thing simmer while I started the pasta. I also added a bit of water, a large pinch of brown sugar, salt, pepper, and a few additional spices. Once the carrots were soft, I used an emulsion blender to make the sauce smooth.


I finished the pasta and ate. It wasn't as good as a 5 course gourmet meal but it was certainly better than gnawing on old pizza.




After cooking something, I often discuss the recipe and technique with Ken. He has a lot of helpful comments and usually manages to not sound patronizing. I've written a few of his suggestions below.

-dice the veggies very small
-use celery as well as carrot and onion
-sweat the vegetables in a bit of butter until they're completely soft and starting to brown
-then add garlic (raw or roasted as is your preference)
-add any whole dry spices
-use a bit of tomato paste and brown it in the pan
-use fresh tomatoes if possible
-use granulated sugar instead of brown (although, personally, I prefer the smokey molasses taste so I'm not changing that)
-also ken says to use ground beef (he's a really big fan of meat... as a matter of fact this is where his helpful comments ended because he started ranting about how delicious different meats were.)

Friday, July 6, 2007

A Feast for the Fourth


On the fourth of July, Ken and his father (pictured left) made a six course birthday feast to celebrate both Ken's mother's birthday and my birthday on the 5th. They spent a lot of time planning the meal and each had their own ideas reflected in the final menu. It was a magnificent meal and a tasty treat for all of us. We spent over 4 hours savoring the food, wine, and lovely company. At the end of the meal, Ken's mother announced she had never had a better birthday and I think I might have to agree.

Below I have listed the menu and paired wines next to photographs. I will try to post about the specific dishes and how they were prepared very soon.

Moules Meuniere
served with a 2004 Quincy
(Sauvignoun Blanc)












Salad of field greens, red pepper, radish, and crispy fried pumpkinblossoms with a walnut oil, balsamic reduction vinaigrette












Seared sea scallops with sauteed green beans and shiitake mushrooms with a port shallot sauce
Served with a 2003 Auxey-Duresses (Chardonnay)












Black pepper and mustard rubbed Filet Mignon served with broccoli and roasted potatoes and a mushroom shallot sauce.
Served with a 2003 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon











Three layer red white and blue cheesecake with almond sponge cake, mascarpone cheese mousse, morello cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and chantilly cream icing

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Camping: Carne Asada


On our first night camping, Ken made carne asada and a baby green salad with strawberries and some left over raspberry vinaigrette. Both dishes were surprisingly simple to make and tasted fantastic. I don't know why I had never thought to make a salad while camping before, but it was refreshing and the children loved the strawberries. Ken made the carne asada by marinating the beef in lime while he cut vegetables for the salsa and prepared the peppers. Once the salsa was made, he grilled the meat and peppers. Everyone assembled their own tortillas with the meat, peppers, salsa, and cilantro. We ate standing around the picnic table in a silence that was disrupted only by chewing and compliments for the chef. The food disappeared with remarkable speed.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Camping Disaster: rancid lamb may look pretty but tastes baaad

So I like cooking and am generally not too bad at it, but I've had a few disasters of my own over the years. There was the time when I was 11 and thought the angel food cake looked and smelled done after 15 minutes of baking and ended up with sticky goo all over the new floor, and the time I made pasta at 3 in the morning, fell asleep, and almost started my apartment on fire. I guess now I have one more cooking disaster story.

So, Ken had to go back to Chicago after a few days and I stayed behind to continue camping with my family. As we didn't use all of the lamb from the hunter's stew, the rest was left in an electric cooler for use later in the week. When my dad and I pulled the lamb out of the cooler several days later, we noticed the lamb now had a sweet and sour smell. It was clear that the meat was starting to go bad, but my dad thought that if we cooked the meat well done, the bacteria would be dead and the meat would probably be fine. So I took a deep breath of fresh air, began cleaning the lamb, and made lamb kabobs. I seasoned them very well and grilled them over a fire. They looked lovely and smelled great while they were grilling. Before serving them, Dad and I each tried a bite. At first all was good, but as you continued chewing the taste of rancid meat slowly overwhelmed the other flavors. We spit the meat out and had a lovely dinner of potatoes, broccoli, and fresh fruit instead. Oh well.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Cooking while Camping: Hunter's Stew

This past week, I brought Ken along on a family camping trip. It was the first time he met several members of my rather large family and I think he was intent on impressing them with his cooking prowess. The trip went very well and my relatives became fond of both Ken and his cooking. Phew.

I plan to post pictures of a few of our different meals and thought I would begin with his Hunter's Stew. This is a dish that he first learned to make as a boy scout and has been making while camping ever since. It is simple and an easy dish for any camper to make. Ken was also able to tantalize the taste buds of my sometimes picky nieces by having them watch as he assembled the food, and then allowing them to pick what went into their own foil packets.

This Hunter's Stew was made with lamb purchased from Nea-Agora Packing Co in Chicago. Ironically, when I went to search for a link to their web page (they don't have one), this review came up. It was written by a friend of ours about a previous outing to Wisconsin when we pit-roasted a lamb. Small world.

In any case, Ken seasoned the meat with a bit of salt and pepper and then browned it on a stove (which is not a necessary step if you're really roughing it).


We then cut up some potatoes, carrots, and onions and put them in a tin foil packet with some rosemary and thyme. Ken added a little flour (corn starch would also work), sealed the packets up, and threw them on the fire.


Over a wood fire, the packets should cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. We cooked our food over a charcoal fire and it took about 50 minutes.



After we pulled the packets from the fire we let them cool for a minute, poured them out on plates, and ate them. It was a very satisfying meal and the kids loved it.