An Intimate Hunger

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T09:28:00.000-06:00

Wishing you and yours a very safe and happy New Year!

Off The Market

2009-09-07T22:51:00.002-06:00

Well, I am officially a married woman!

My man & I tied the knot this weekend and it was a wonderful day, wonderful everything.

After much planning and spending, the evening was a huge success.

Top Chef Las Vegas

2009-07-09T17:31:00.002-06:00

Wooo!

Top Chef Las Vegas is slated to start on August 26th and I am DAMN excited.

I like Top Chef Masters for the amazing cooking & creations, but it just doesn't have the drama of the regular series.

Crepes with Blueberry Compote

2009-07-05T15:41:00.003-06:00

so I made crepes this morning with my new crepe pan - it works like a dream!

Here's the crepe recipe that I used (thanks Alton!):

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

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

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

*Savory Variation Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.

*Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

I made kind of the sweet version - I added 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. These came out really wonderful!

Here's the easy blueberry compote recipe I used:

2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
12 crepes, room temperature

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup blueberries, sugar and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Many berries will begin to burst and syrup should thicken. Add remaining cup of berries and allow them to heat through.

Spoon warm compote into crepes.

This was really delicious, but it wasn't quite as thick as I'd like it to be - next time I'll try 1/8 cup water and see if that helps!

Enjoy!

Which Top Chef Judge are You?

2009-05-08T20:09:00.004-06:00

Love it!

I took this quiz and I am PADMA.

I rule.

Which Top Chef are You?

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

2009-05-08T19:39:00.004-06:00

I'm on a roll here, so please don't stop me!

Just reviewing things that I haven't posted, but should.

If you love eggs as much as I do, then you'll appreciate a perfectly boiled egg - which is not really boiled at all.

This may take you a few times to get it right, but trust me - it's worth it; perfectly hard-cooked eggs, without the rubbery white or the gray-coated yellow center!

Place eggs in a single layer in a sauce pan using an appropriate sized sauce pan - use the smallest pan you can for the amount of eggs you're cooking while still being able to keep them in a single layer.

Cover with cold water until about an inch over the eggs.

Place over medium heat, uncovered.

You want to bring them to a boil within about 10 minutes - this is where the practice comes in!
As the eggs warm up, it's good to increase the heat a bit, to medium high.

As soon as the eggs start to reach a rolling boil, shut off the heat, let stand & set your timer for 10 minutes.

Now, if it took longer than 10 minutes to get the water to a boil, deduct the extra time from the sitting time.

When 10 minutes have passed, run immediately under cold water for 3-5 minutes, to stop the cooking process. Let the eggs sit in the cold water until completely cool to the touch.

It's best to peel the eggs immediately, but I often don't have time for this and still find they are easy to peel.

Give this method a shot and I'll bet you'll find that great hard cooked eggs are easier than you think!

Top Chef Masters

2009-05-08T18:45:00.002-06:00

Wooooooo...are you excited?

They're doing a Top Chef Masters starting June 10th.

I cannot WAIT!

Bring it.

Steamed Pork Dumplings with Dipping Sauce

2009-05-08T18:12:00.006-06:00

See how good I am? I'm totally posting my dumpling recipe, just like I said I would!

You're gonna love me for these - I promise!

Dumplings

1 Pkg won-ton wrappers (If memory serves, it's about 64)
1 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced, then roughly chopped green onion
3 Medium cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 Large egg, beaten
2 1/2 Cups finely shredded and chopped Napa cabbage

Flour for dusting.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients EXCEPT FLOUR well.

Refrigerate for 1/2 hour to an hour to let the flavors meld a bit.

In the meantime, make the dipping sauce:

Asian Dipping Sauce

1/3 Cup light soy sauce
1 Green onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine all ingredients well.

Now back to the dumplings:

Dust a sheet pan or your clean counter with flour - otherwise your dumplings may stick and you'll be very upset after all the work you've gone to making them.

Have a small bowl or ramekin of water handy, and a pastry or marinade brush for brushing. Lay out your first won ton wrapper and brush the edges with water. Honestly - I just brushed the whole dumpling and mine came out great! Then, using a spoon, place a teaspoon of your pork mixture into the center of the dumpling, fold one half over the other and press the edges together to form a tight seal. Place on floured surface and continue through the rest of the wrappers and pork.

Now please hear me out - I know this sounds like a lot of work, when you can order these at your corner Chinese restaurant and have them delivered. But these are so fresh and flavorful, and much less doughy than the ones that you can order for take out.

Here's what they look like before going into the steamer:

When you've got them all ready to go, just place in your steaming apparatus (stove-top, electric, whatever), then steam for 20 minutes.

Serve with dipping sauce. (duh)

Hint: I didn't cook all of mine the first night - I just laid on the floured tray, covered tightly with plastic wrap (try to lay the plastic right on top of the dumplings, so the wrappers don't dry out) and cooked the second batch the next night.

You can also lay the tray in the freezer until fully frozen and then wrap up and toss back in the freezer for future use. This makes them an easy and impressive appetizer to pop out when time is short and friends come calling.

Not bad, huh?

Enjoy!

Random News

2009-05-07T19:51:00.005-06:00

Ok, sue me - it's been a while.

So I'm just gonna throw out some random thoughts and see where it sticks, eh?

REALLY? Grey's Anatomy has turned into a fake website and shit? This is why I stopped watching it. Get a grip. Oh - and is Izzy really dying? Cuz that would suck. But the wedding thing is really stupid.

Speaking of weddings, if all goes as planned (and don't count on it), I'm getting married Labor Day weekend. Hold your breath and wait for it....

Lowe's doesn't have a wedding registry anymore, so obviously newlyweds don't do home improvement. Not very happy with lowe's at the moment.

WTF? What happened to my guy with the store in Maine that sold fiddleheads on ebay? argggh.

Is this Jon and Kate plus 8 really such a big deal? I've never even seen the show, but from what I hear, I'd screw around on her too. Pretty sure it's gonna end with him confessing. Just sayin'.

Mom's day is right around the corner - don't forget your mom. Mine rocks. So does my mom-in-law to be. Cool moms are hard to find. Go hug yours, dammit.

Speaking of Mom's day, the menu is still up in the air. I'll keep you posted.

Or not, with the rate I've been going.

Brett Favre and the Vikings? Oh. My. God. I don't even know what to say about that. Retired? Not retired? Just having to retire to get out of the Jets contract so he can play in Green Bay's division? I'm torn between the hatred for the media coverage plus his 50 millionenth retirement and the desire to have a half-way decent quarterback. Is it too much to ask that the Vikings just do something worthwhile this year? Arrrgh squared.

Have you read the book "The Road"? Totally depressing and yet moving at the same time. More depressing than anything though. You really should read it. Unless you're suicidal, in which case, I don't recommend it. And of course, now it's gonna be a movie though. Ugh. Pick up the book and read it for God's sake.

You know it's time to plant your garden, right? I already have snow peas, snap peas and beets in. The other plants are still in their pots...we'll see how far I get this weekend.

Things I've cooked recently - salmon, bison burgers, steaks...I'm craving liver for some reason. Short on iron, maybe? I have some in the freezer that I need to defrost. Yum. Chicken livers and garlic. Oh, and I made some killer dumplings a few weeks back that I need to post. I got pix and everything - you'd be proud!

You'd be more proud if I posted them, huh?

Yeah, I'm getting to that!

Cool Ways to Dye Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T13:41:00.003-06:00

I just found this neat link from neatorama (go figure!) - it's a got a ton of cool ways to dye Easter eggs...it's from a site called "dabbled"

Oh and here's one more site at the barefoot kitchen witch...

Enjoy!

mmm...sushi

2009-04-05T07:49:00.002-06:00

Shogun in Rockford is the best! We went for lunch yesterday and it was delicious as usual. I don't know why we continued to waste our money at JMK Nippons for so long - how aggravating.

We had salmon, tuna, eel and squid, plus asparagus rolls, Hawaiian rolls, and spicy tuna rolls...with a large Sapporo to wash it all down. Yummy. This lunch followed our massages which led us to contemplate what other poor souls were doing that day. It was a delicious morning and afternoon all the way around.

Tonight I'm making some Chinese dishes - going to try my hand at steamed pork dumplings with dipping sauce, hot and sour soup and maybe some Thai peanut noodles.

Yeah, Yeah

2009-03-17T21:18:00.002-06:00

So Hosea won it - don't rub it in. I felt a little better about his victory when I heard that his dad has cancer and his mom's not doing well, either. He's moving back home for a while to be with them - money or not...good for him.

We're having a big seafood fest at our place this weekend - a combo of many b'day's - I can't wait! I've got the oysters, cherrystone clams and mussels ordered, plus we're having shrimp cocktail, grilled shrimp, & maybe some scallops. We were going to do lobsters but seriously - do we really need them? We're having the oysters raw on the half shell, the clams grilled with garlic and herb butter, and the mussels steamed with a white wine and herb sauce.

Major migraine episode tonight - why is it on the first day of super nice weather I'm in a hot tub trying to ease the pain? ugh. well...it worked, so whatever.

Booking the wedding plans slowly but surely - Briggs Mansion & brio - our two definate favorites are a lock down. Now if we can get the photographers we want, we'll be thrilled. Plus we already have a DJ - very cool. So then it's just...let's see...wedding rings, minister, flowers (maybe), marriage license, candles, limo, invites, registries...I'm POSITIVE there's something I'm not thinking of right now, but I'm coming down off a migraine...

Got the greenhouse going with a ton of tomatoes, sweet & hot peppers, eggplant & herbs. Everything is growing & looking great. My honey cleaned out the garden this past weekend, so we're getting ready to go.

C'MON SPRING!

Go Carla!

2009-02-19T06:15:00.002-06:00

I REALLY don't wanna see Stephan or Hosea take Top Chef! It was cool to see Jeff back in it last night & he did really well...but not well enough to make it into the finale part 2. And I was sad to see Fabio go - he's so much fun to listen to.

Carla totally needs to blow those boys away!

Top Chef Finale Part 1 Tonight!

2009-02-18T20:12:00.002-06:00

oooooooh. boy i hope hosea gets kicked - i don't like that boy. I'm rooting now for fabio or carla. stephan seems too smooth to win it.

Top Chef Update

2009-01-11T10:06:00.000-06:00

Are you watching Top Chef? I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

It's finally getting down to a real competition now. It was interesting this past week to see Eugene and Melissa go home - they were the two that I was wanting to see go & they did.

I like Radhika because I have to root for the (close-to) hometown girl. I think Stephan is really one of the ones to watch, and Fabio is entertaining, as is Carla. Good crew that it's getting down to now & I am completely addicted. Leah and Ariane seem pretty consistent at this point. Jeffery is pretty low-key for the most part, so he may just sneak up on everyone.

I just can hardly wait for Wednesday!

Seared Scallops with Tarragon Butter

2009-01-06T18:31:00.003-06:00

I just happened to have a open bottle of white wine I needed to use, one shallot left in the pantry, and some tarragon still left from the holidays - so this was PERFECT!

I found it on Epicurious - have been finding more there than anywhere lately, it seems.

I only had my homemade tarragon vinegar, so I went a little easy on the vinegar & a little heavier on the white wine, so that it wasn't to "tarragon-y". My cast iron skillet works great for searing - though I still dust a bit of flour on the scallops first, to get that nice golden color fast, without burning the butter or the scallops.

1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops, tough ligament from side of each discarded
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Preparation

Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.

Mushroom Quinoa

2008-12-29T19:20:00.000-06:00

I have also just realized - after paying $10.00 for a small bag of it at the store - that I have neglected to say how I cook my quinoa.

First of all, be sure to rinse it over and over before cooking it - you want the water to run clear - otherwise it has a tendency to have a soapy taste to it. (I do this and then soak in cool water for 30 minutes and then rinse again before cooking.) I take a teaspoon or so of olive oil in a sauce pan and toss in a healthy handful of sliced portabella mushrooms and chopped onion (probably about a cup or more of sliced shrooms and a half a cup of chopped onion.) Saute for a few minutes and then add a cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, add a half a cup of your clean quinoa and some fresh thyme. A bit of salt and pepper and then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 minutes)
I LOVE it like this!

C'mon - is that easy or WHAT? And quinoa is SUPER good for you!

Gravlax

2008-12-29T19:01:00.007-06:00

I realized after my last post that I've never posted the gravlax that I make & you really should try it. It's an Emeril recipe and I got to catch the show where he made it...I admit I have never made the blinis - I hear they are best made fresh and I just tend to find that a bit too time-involved. I serve mine with the caper sauce and just crackers - and trust me, no one has ever complained! I serve it in a dish that is set inside a bowl of ice to keep it chilled (plus it just looks nice this way!)

Citrus-Cured Gravlax with Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread

1 medium orange, washed, wiped dry, and cut into eighths
1 lemon, washed, wiped dry, and cut into eighths
1 lime, washed, wiped dry, and cut into eighths
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
1 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) side of salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed, rinsed under cool water, and patted dry
1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
1 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 recipe Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread, recipe follows
Chive Blinis, for serving, recipe follows
Chopped chives, for garnish, optional
Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish, optional

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the fruit, salt, sugar, and pepper and process to a paste.

Center a 2 by 3-foot piece of cheesecloth in a non-reactive baking dish or plastic container large enough to hold the fish flat, about 9 by 13 inches. Pack half of the citrus-salt mixture onto the skin-side of the fish, spreading out to the edges, and top with half of the herbs. Place the fish skin-side down in the middle of the cheesecloth and spread the remaining salt mixture and herbs over the flesh. Fold the cheesecloth in over the fish and carefully roll and turn the fish over into the cheesecloth to completely enclose.

Top with a second large non-reactive baking dish. Place weights or large heavy cans on the second dish to weight and press the fish. Let cure in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning once.

Remove the weights and top baking dish and place the fish on the work surface. Discard the wrap and scrape the remaining salt and herb mixtures from the fish. Rinse the fish under cold running water for 1 minute to remove any remaining mixture and gently wipe dry with paper towels. Wrap in plastic wrap, place on a platter, and freeze until firm enough to slice easily, 30 to 45 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate until ready to slice.)

Remove the fish from the freezer and slice the salmon as thinly as possible at a slight angle. Arrange the slices decoratively on the platter and serve with the Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread and the Chive Blinis. (Alternatively, blinis may be spread with the Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread and then topped with a small piece of gravlax and passed or plated as hors d'oeuvres. Garnish with fresh dill or chives before serving.)

Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread:

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 ounces sour cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped, drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and cream together using a rubber spatula or heavy wooden spoon. Spoon into a decorative bowl and serve immediately.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-28T10:51:00.001-06:00

Ok - So I'm a few days late with the Christmas greetings! I had a wonderful holiday and hope you all did too - no matter what holiday you celebrate.

I did fondue for Christmas this year - an oil fondue - and it was SO MUCH FUN! Everyone really enjoyed it and it kept everyone talking and laughing and moving around - it was much more informal than a sit down dinner. There were a few that have never done a fondue before, so that made it all the more fun. I wish I'd taken pictures of all that I made, but once again I was bad with the picture taking part of my cooking. I swear I will try to get better, so you all can see what the heck I'm doing!

I did cubes of beef and chicken, plus shrimp and sea scallops (I cubed the scallops too - they were pretty big). Then I had a big tray of chunks of onion and bell peppers, steamed Brussels sprouts, portabella mushrooms (my step-dads favorite!) plus broccoli and cauliflower.

We had two fondue pots going, so everyone had room to cook...it was really a blast.

I also made gravlax (my mans favorite) and the new pate', of course. Plus I did an olive tray with olives (obviously), grapes, and stuffed hot cherry peppers.

For New Years Eve we are doing our traditional steamed whole lobsters and I'm thinking of ordering some cherrystone clams to make clams casino - I'll let you know later if I tackled that or not! lol!

Self Absorbtion

2008-12-21T00:04:00.002-06:00

I am constantly amazed at how self-involved people are. I mean I am really, incredibly, quite often amazed by it.

Most people do love to talk about themselves - no big secret there. And maybe I have a higher ratio of self-absorbed people around me than the average person.

I think that I am a damn good listener - in fact, I know I am. And I always make a point of asking how people are, how their families are doing, how their pets and/or kids are...so I am fascinated by the fact that those same people rarely, if ever, ask me how I'M doing. I can be having a major crisis in my life and unless I'm the one that brings it up...no one really cares.

My other favorite thing is those people who do know things I'm going through and are still insensitive enough to constantly talk about that subject...really? Sometimes it's better to just SHUT THE HELL UP. Is compassion completely lost?

This is why I don't have a ton of friends.

I know it's funny that someone who has a blog thinks that OTHER people are self-absorbed, but honestly this is a good outlet for me...I guess I'm not the person that shares every little detail about their lives with every Tom, Dick and Harry. So this blog is very therapeutic.

I feel better already.

New Favorite Pate'

2008-12-20T10:30:00.006-06:00

I made this pate' for Thanksgiving & it's way easier than the other recipe I've posted. This one still has great flavor, but it's a creamier consistency and everybody RAVED about it!

Bourbon Chicken Liver Pate'

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
2 tablespoons bourbon

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-cup crock or terrine or several small ramekins
Accompaniment: crackers or toasted baguette slices
Garnish: a fresh thyme, marjoram, or sage sprig

Melt 1 stick butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes. Stir in bourbon and remove from heat. Purée mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer pâté to crock and smooth top.

Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. If using herb garnish, put sprig on top of pâté. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over pâté to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.

Chill pâté until butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.

Cooks' notes: ·Pâté can be chilled up to 2 weeks.
·Once butter seal has been broken, pâté keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap and chilled, 1 week.

The Wedding is All Planned!

2008-12-04T18:40:00.002-06:00

Mmwwah-haaa-haaa-haaa.

Please right now.

We haven't even started.

Once again, I am on the edge....

Who has time for wedding plans I ask you?

Not I, I will tell you.

Thanksgiving was wonderful - a great time with family and that's what it's all about! Oh - and some pretty damn good food too! - I will post those recipes later - have I mentioned how little time I have right now for ANYTHING?

DAY-UM!

Veal Scallopini with Brown Butter and Capers

2008-10-16T17:00:00.005-06:00

I just found this on epicurious and it's so simple and very, very delicious! Just make sure you use a heavy NOT non-stick skillet - I used my big cast iron pan and it was perfect...

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound thin veal scallopini (less than 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons drained small capers
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over high heat until hot, then add oil and heat until it shimmers.

Meanwhile, stir together flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then pat veal dry and dredge in flour, knocking off excess.

Cook veal in 2 batches, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Discard oil from skillet, then add butter and cook over medium heat, shaking skillet frequently, until browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar, capers, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Return veal to skillet just to heat through, then sprinkle with parsley.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

2008-09-14T08:19:00.004-06:00

If you have a lot of fresh tomatoes on hand - which I know I do this time of year - this is a great, fresh sauce to make with them. I grow my own tomatoes & basil & there is nothing easier or faster to make with them this this! You don't even have to cook the sauce - just let it marinate for an hour or two & toss it with freshly cooked hot pasta. I like to use my San Marzano tomatoes with this sauce - they are very meaty and work well. I have also done it with heirlooms, which tend to be a bit more watery so I usually mix them with my San Marzano's.

4 cups seeded, and coarsely chopped tomato
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, minced or finely sliced (I really pack it in - I love the fresh basil in this!)
3 garlic cloves, minced (more or less, depending on your personal taste
1 teaspoons kosher salt

Fresh Parmesan for grating
Some fresh basil, chopped or sliced, for garnish if desired
1 lb of spaghetti or linguine

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a glass bowl & stir well. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour.

Cook your pasta, drain it and toss with the sauce. Grate in some fresh Parmesan, toss & serve with a little more Parmesan & fresh basil garnish on top.

DIVINE!

Fermented Pickles

2008-09-14T07:11:00.006-06:00

Well, we finally made some fermented pickles this summer - I'm just finishing up my second big batch, actually! They have come out really good - I'm very happy!

And if you grow your own cukes like I do, I'm sure you've got a ton of them that you can use! This year I grew my standard pickling cukes but I also grew Pearl cucumbers - they're pretty cool looking - they are a very pale green to white & have added a visual interest to my pickles!

I followed Alton Brown's advice, after seeing him make them on Good Eats. This is his recipe & I followed it to the letter the first time.

5 1/2 ounces pickling salt, approximately 1/2 cup
1 gallon filtered water
3 pounds pickling cucumbers, 4 to 6-inches long
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 large bunch dill

Combine the salt and water in a pitcher and stir until the salt has dissolved.

Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly and snip off the blossom end stem. Set aside.

Place the peppercorns, pepper flakes, garlic, dill seed and fresh dill into a 1-gallon crock. Add the cucumbers to the crock on top of the aromatics. Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers in order to completely cover. Pour the remaining water into a 1-gallon ziptop plastic bag and seal. Place the bag on top of the pickles making sure that all of them are completely submerged in the brine. Set in a cool, dry place.

Check the crock after 3 days. Fermentation has begun if you see bubbles rising to the top of the crock. After this, check the crock daily and skim off any scum that forms. If scum forms on the plastic bag, rinse it off and return to the top of the crock.

The fermentation is complete when the pickles taste sour and the bubbles have stopped rising; this should take approximately 6 to 7 days. Once this happens, cover the crock loosely and place in the refrigerator for 3 days, skimming daily or as needed. Store for up to 2 months in the refrigerator, skimming as needed. If the pickles should become soft or begin to take on an off odor, this is a sign of spoilage and they should be discarded.

Mine have taken about 7 days both times...the first time I stored them in my basement during the fermentation process due to the heat wave we were having at the time.

This second time making them, I did add a bit more garlic (2 extra cloves - we love garlic!) and I added 2 dried red peppers that I broke up, instead of the red pepper flakes.

It's important to use filtered water (I used distilled) because the chlorine in regular tap water is the arch-enemy of fermentation. Keep that in mind!

These are truly awesome pickles - Alton hasn't let me down yet!

JMK Nippons Sucks

2008-09-07T08:04:00.005-06:00

I remember the days when JMK's in Rockford was still a little hole-in-the-wall place on Mulford, where you could go and get awesome sushi and hang out with the likes of Rick Nielsen. It was fun and funky and the food was good. Then they opened their big place on Perryville and really started packing the place nightly...and with these changes came the downward slide in food and service.

My first bad experience happened out on their patio during lunch time - it was not a busy afternoon there and yet our server repeatedly ignored us. I had to go inside to get our drinks from the bar myself...twice. This was a couple of years ago. When I finally complained at the front counter (quietly, I might add) all I got was a blank stare from the guy at the counter.

So I started noticing on return visits that the service was really sinking - and continues to do so.

Finally - (read: thankfully) a new Japanese restaraunt opened in Rockford: Shogun. Still a bit hit or miss in the service department but the food is always excellent. The servers are always nice (unlike Nippons) but a bit slow sometimes. We began to divide our sushi outings between the 2 places.

See, the catch is that Nippons serves Carpaccio - our favorite! - and Shogun does not. Hence our even bothering to return. But return we did - just gluttons for spending our sushi money foolishly, I guess - we returned a number of times to experience shoddy service and less-than-wonderful food.

The second to last straw was when my man & I went there late one evening and sat in the sushi bar area. We ordered a number of rolls and nigiri sushi and got some tuna that looked like the leftover scraps. Really - just tell us that you're out of it - don't serve us something that looks and tastes like bait. The tuna had a string of tendon or something tough running through it that made it completely inedible. That really should have been the last straw, except...

Our friends Dave and Michelle came to town this summer and they really wanted to go - so back we trudged, somewhat reluctantly, though we didn't want to tell them that. Our server was again horrible - first she was all over us every 5 minutes but then when we needed her, she was nowhere to be found. So we got some nigiri and rolls and Carpaccio and other things. This time the salmon shows up looking like something I picked up at the clearance bin in our local supermarket. And sadly, it tasted just as bad. And once AGAIN the tuna was terrible - what the hell? What's with with scrap fish being served as sushi?

So that's it - that's our last time giving our money to JMK Nippons - it's just not worth it. Especially when I can make Carpaccio at home (and I do!) and we can go to Shogun and get MUCH better food and service.

Fresh, Homemade Pasta

2008-08-14T18:19:00.004-06:00

While I would love to say that I remember how Sadie, an old Italian woman that I once knew, made her homemade pasta, I'm afraid there wasn't a recipe. She pulled out a large piece of plywood, made a mound of flour with a well, and then cracked a bunch of eggs into it. Of course there was no measuring - she knew it by feel - and then she dried the pasta that she'd cut on clean sheets stretched across her dining room furniture.

I did know that in my search for pasta, the only real source that I could know and trust was Mario Batali - and this is all him. I only had large eggs, so I ended up using 6 - I also added a bit of olive oil (just a drizzle) and this came out divine.

Fresh pasta freezes beautifully - and I also admit that my KitchenAid pasta attachments are a dream-come-true here!

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs

Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour, add the eggs. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). The dough will come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, primarily using the palms of your hands. Add more flour, in 1/2-cup increments, if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any left over dry bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board with flour when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Roll and form as desired.

Note: Do not skip the kneading or resting portion of this recipe, they are essential for a light pasta.

what?

2008-08-14T17:40:00.003-06:00

skinny, minnie
mini skirt
skirting the issue
issues, issues.

Congratulate Me!

2008-07-29T16:54:00.002-06:00

It has been a busy month or two - sorry for the long delay!

Jimmy asked me to marry him! He got down on his knees and everything - even asked my mom for her blessing first - major, major points! I will tell you that I am very happy - happy that he's shown me how truly much he loves me and values our relationship!

He proposed in front of my family - my sister and bro-in-law were in town at the time - so that really meant a lot to me. (and my family!)

The weekend after they left we drove to North Dakota for Dave and Michelle's wedding - had a great time there although it was a lot of craziness and running around. They had hoped for an outdoor wedding but sadly the 50 mph wind gusts and torrential downpours had a different plan - lucky for them they had an alternative plan & were able to move it inside!

Oh, and our refrigerator bit the dust - lost a ton of food, which we were NOT very happy about. So we had to go find another, which of course we did - it's a monster but it's beautiful and it's ours! And but, of course, we had to rip out some cabinets to make it fit, so now I have all kinds of barware and servingware covering our dining room table and server. We are going to try to do some of the remodel ourselves, so I will keep you posted. (maybe we should get married before the remodel? lol!)

Also on the remodeling front, Jim put a new ceiling fan in our bedroom - it's retro and cool - love it!

I just ordered a new duvet cover and shams from West Elm, plus some cool industrial bars for the wall from CB2 - very excited to get those!

Crazy crazy - so much more to write but that's the big stuff!

Gotta go!

Be sure to eat your dinner!

Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw

2008-06-06T16:14:00.001-06:00

I like oil and vinegar slaw way better than the mayo kind - if you haven't tried it, you need to!

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 head purple cabbage cored and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked white pepper
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion tops

In a large, non-reactive bowl, combine the cabbage, onion and carrot, season with the salt and pepper and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour before proceeding.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard and celery seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir the vinegar periodically to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat. Remove the cabbage from the refrigerator and pour the vinegar over the top of the cabbage. Add the oil and green onions and toss well to thoroughly combine.

Cover with plastic wrap and return the cabbage to the refrigerator. Allow slaw to sit for 2 or 3 hours before serving, stirring occasionally.

Woooo! Counting Crows!

2008-05-18T17:23:00.002-06:00

So I just did some checking - haven't checked in to the Counting Crows play dates for a few months - and they are playing in Chicago AND in Milwaukee - OMG! Yes, I'm excited.

It's going to be a concert summer!

I love it!

UPDATE:

This show was disappointing - maybe it's partially because The Cure played for 3 hours and the Counting Crows played for maybe 1. But Adam just didn't seem real into the show & they played some awkward songs. Maroon 5, on an up note, were amazing live - great show, great energy and they played all their big hits. I would still go see the Crows again, but only with the hopes that we caught them on an off night.

The Cure was AMAZING

2008-05-18T08:02:00.005-06:00

It was, seriously, a dream come true to get to see Robert Smith and his band mates last night. They put on an incredible show at the Allstate Arena here in Chicago.

65 Days of Static opened for them tho we missed seeing them - heard some of them as we were waiting t-shirt and beer/pretzel lines! Hel-lo! I HAD to get my Boys Don't Cry shirt! And REALLY...26 bucks for 2 regular-sized cups of beer and 1 pretzel? REALLY???

The Cure's crazy light show had me longing for my magic mushroom years and when Robert talks you can only understand about half of what he says, but they played for almost 3 hours (no watch or cell phone so I don't know exactly)!

Great mix of people too - not as much goth as we expected, but some for sure! And a wide, wide range of age groups - I know a lot of that is The Cure but suspect some of them were there just to see 65 DOS.

Robert, Robert, Robert - No "Letter to Elise"? You cracked my heart just a little with that one - the blood's still trickling down...

I will just have to go see them again!

We had such a great night, I can hardly explain it!

Now, when the hell are the Counting Crows going to play the Chicago area?

Finally

2008-05-13T04:49:00.002-06:00

The Cure show is this Saturday, at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

I only bought the tickets to this, like, almost a year ago.

I'm pretty fucking excited.

A Poignant Spring

2008-04-19T09:50:00.005-06:00

I love when everything starts turning green again! It's one of my favorite times of the year. I have so many plants growing in my greenhouse - I have all kinds of tomatoes - this year I ordered San Marzano tomatoes, so I am very excited. San Marzano's are the true, Italian paste tomatoes - there is no substitute. I also started some heirloom tomatoes - Cherokee (because I'm part Cherokee) and another one that I can't remember at the moment. Plus I have Lemon Boys and Sunrays (orange tomatoes) - those will be fun. I started some Italian Eggplant which looked great in the photo - white and purple striped..I can't wait! Then I also have my sweet peppers (a variety of colors), along with jalepeno's, cherry peppers and banana peppers. Stuffed cherry peppers are something I miss from being out east - they stuff them with prosciutto and provolone and soak them in oil....yum! I am dying to turn Jimmy on to these!
I got our asparagus in the mail the other day and Jimmy's going to dig a bed for them this weekend (I hope)...we got Purple Passion and Jersey Giant. I know it will be a couple of years before we can enjoy it but it will be worth the wait.
I'm also hoping he tills my garden - I am ready to plant my beets, peas, onions, radishes and arugula. The garlic that I planted in October is doing great - the sprouts are a few inches high already.

It's been a hard month...one of my kitties had to go in for oral surgery. Matilda had a problem with her mouth so I took her in to the vet..they said it could be a tooth or could be cancer...omg, that was so hard. I cried like a little girl when I had to drop her off, but turned out it was just her tooth. Thank you God! Now I am taking 2 more in for the same...so stressful as they are all my angels.

We also found out our big guy, Cody, is diabetic...giving him an insulin shot every day is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It's very hard to have him looking at me with those big brown eyes & having to stick a needle in him. Plus there's the pressure of him being Jim's best friend - I love them both so much that it's a hard situation. But he was so bad before he was diagnosed - I don't know if anyone else has a diabetic dog, but it was really scary. He lost a ton of weight and stopped eating and grew really lethargic...Thank God we found out what it was. He's back to himself now & I just am thankful that we caught it in time.

Meanwhile, Jim has been working long hours and it's taking it's toll on me - I really miss having him around. He's my sounding board, my strong shoulder, my co-lunatic, and the love of my life. We've been through a lot together - can you believe it's been 5 years? - and I'm not sure what I'd do without him, although honestly, with our current situation, it is still something I have to consider. I can never let my defenses down enough with the way that we are, to believe that it's forever. I guess that today is all we're ever really promised, right?

To top it all off, my dad - well, my step-dad - went in to the hospital a few nights ago with chest pains. I cannot even begin to tell you how scared I was. And it's sad but true that I was scared not just for him for a lot for my mom...they are such a great couple and it's hard to see my mom in pain. Luckily, the tests came back fine, at least the preliminary ones, and again I PRAY that he's fine and nothing is seriously wrong. They say it's not his heart, so that's a great thing.

The first couple of weeks in April will always be hard for me. I get to remember my best friend, Katie's birthday, the true love of my life -My brothers birthday, and the loss of Jimmy's and my little Peanut. Along with those things rush the memories - the sound of Katie's laugh, the feel and smell of my brother when I hugged him, the lonely hours before and after Peanut said goodbye. With all the newness and greenery around me, still every year I am forced to say goodbye to all of them, again.

But through it all, another spring arrives, nonetheless - new hopes, new dreams, new beginnings. The crocus have been up for weeks, the daffodils are currently impressive, and the sprouts of new growth are everywhere. Every year I long for the realization of the hopes that encompass me and every year I realize that no matter what's to come that I am truly blessed.

Bean with Bacon Soup

2008-02-17T14:59:00.002-06:00

Ok - so this is a classic soup, and I always forget how great it is, until I make it again! This is one of those soups where you can really change it up a lot, depending on your tastes, but this is a good basic starter recipe, and it's one of my own.

1 Bag of 15-Bean soup mix

10 Bacon strips, trimmed of excess fat & chopped
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, chopped

1 Large (48 oz) can of chicken stock
1 28 oz Can of chopped tomatoes
1 Whole bay leaf
1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

4-5 Celery ribs, sliced
4-5 Carrots, sliced
6 Medium potatoes, cut into chunks

Quick soak for beans: Place beans in a large stock pot & fill pan half way with cold water. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat & cover for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, turn crock-pot on high & place in chopped bacon, onion, & garlic. Cover and let simmer while beans are cooking. When beans are done, drain in a colander and rinse well. Add beans to crock-pot, along with chicken stock, tomatoes, bay leaf & spices. Reduce heat to low & simmer, covered, for at least 4 hours.

Add chopped celery, carrots & potatoes, and then allow to simmer for another 4 hours, or until beans are cooked and veggies are tender.

Now, of course, you can always do this in a big stock pot on the stove - works just as well, and of course is a little faster!

Enjoy!

Favorite Super Bowl Ads

2008-02-03T21:48:00.000-06:00

So we all know we love the commercials, right? (though some of us honestly love the game, too...Jimmy thinks I'm a football freak! lmao!)
My personal favorite Super Bowl Commercials...
LOVED the Pepsi Max commercial spoofing on the Night at the Roxbury song by Haddaway (What is love? Baby don't hurt me...don't hurt me...no more...) I loved the end where Chris Kattan comes out...Brilliant and fun!
LOVED the etrade commercials with the baby...also brilliant, edgy and super funny! When the baby spit up in the first one...laughed my ass off...perfect!
The Budweiser Clydsedale commercials always get to me...especially the one they did honoring 9/11... that one was really heartbreaking.
Oh - and the Bridgestone ad? That was sweet...deer....Alice Cooper...Richard Simmons...C'mon...that's funny!
And the ads for the new Hyundai...that is one hot looking car - but then, I've had my little Hyundai for 10 years and she ROCKS...

So this year they did the Rocky thing...pretty fun, I thought! I don't drink Budweiser but their ads are usually pretty good...the wine and cheese thing was pretty funny too.
Let me know your favorites...just don't tell me you were rooting for the Patriots! lol!

Gritty vs Pretty

2008-02-03T21:33:00.000-06:00

Woo HOOOOO! Giants win! We all know I'm a Vikings fan, so when it comes down to it, I have to root for the underdog! Can you believe the 4th quarter...Holy Moly....New York took down the New England franchise...I'm so proud of them! They played tough (could they have sacked Tom Brady any more?) and they played well! Plaxico is going to get all the glory, for catching the winning catch, and God knows he's awesome! (I had him on a fantasy team a couple years back!) But that catch by David Tyree was UNBELIEVABLE!
Go Giants, it's my birthday (almost)...Go Giants, it's my birthday...

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Chocolate Truffles

2008-02-03T11:31:00.001-06:00

Valentines Day is a perfect time to treat someone you love with these decadent truffles! I am not a huge sweet eater, as I'm sure you've probably noticed by my lack of dessert posts! lol! But I made these truffles over the holidays and everyone LOVED them - truth be told, I even impressed myself!
These are straight from Gourmet Magazine - I wish I could take the credit, but I can't!
They are actually very easy to make, just time consuming, so be prepared. It's easiest to make the ganache the night before, so that you aren't waiting around for it to cool. Also, the recipe states that it makes 180 truffles, but I found that to be a very generous number...and I don't feel that I made mine overly large.

Chocolate Truffles

For the ganache
Generous 2 cups (18 ounces; 500 grams) heavy cream
21 ounces (600 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Generous 1/4 cup (2 ounces; 60 grams) Grand Marnier or Stoli Razberi vodka (optional)

To enrobe the truffles
18 ounces (500 grams) bittersweet chocolate, tempered - see below
18 ounces (500 grams) white chocolate, tempered - see below

To garnish the truffles
2 cups (8 ounces; 230 grams) Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 1/2 cups (9 ounces; 250 grams) shredded sweetened coconut, toasted (see note, below)
About 2 cups (8 ounces; 230 grams) toasted nuts, finely chopped (see note, below)

Heat the heavy cream in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Make sure that you have chopped the chocolate as finely as possible to allow it to melt quickly and easily. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size mixing bowl. Make a ganache by pouring about half of the hot cream over the chocolate and letting it sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Then slowly whisk until smooth and homogenous. Do not add all of the hot cream to the cold chocolate at once; the shock of the temperature extremes would cause the fat in the chocolate to separate. As the chocolate melts, you will see some elasticity if there is no fat separation. This means the chocolate still has an emulsion; the fat molecules are still holding together. If the ganache separates, it loses its elasticity, collapses, and becomes very liquid. I use a hand-held immersion blender to ensure a smooth ganache and to keep the emulsion of the chocolate. Add the remaining cream gradually and mix until all of the hot cream is incorporated and the ganache is smooth and homogenous.

If the ganache separates, it is very easy to fix. Simply add a small amount of cold cream and whisk well. This will bring the ganache back together. The ganache should be thick, shiny, and smooth. Add the desired flavoring and mix until fully incorporated. Pour the ganache onto a plastic wrap-covered baking sheet and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and allow it to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature. I usually make the ganache at the end of the day and let it cool overnight. As it cools, it will thicken and set.

When the ganache has cooled to the consistency of toothpaste, scrape it into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Do not stir the ganache when you do this. Incorporating air by stirring will cause the ganache to harden. Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds spaced 1 inch apart on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. To pipe the mounds, hold the pastry bag at a slight angle and allow the tip to touch the parchment as you begin to pipe. Once you have formed the mound, stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up, leaving a small tail on the top of each mound. You can also use a spoon and drop small mounds of ganache onto the baking sheet. Let the truffles harden at room temperature for a couple of hours (or in the refrigerator for 15 minutes), until they are hard enough to roll with your hands.

When I roll the truffles, I usually wear surgical gloves. The gloves are not mandatory but if you do not use them, be sure your hands are very clean. To roll the mound into a ball, place a truffle between both palms, squeeze slightly, and roll between your hands. The truffles will look nicer if they are as round as possible. When all the truffles are rolled into balls, they are ready to be coated. If they have become too soft, place them in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours until they are firm enough to dip.

You can use either a dipping fork or your hands to dip the truffles in chocolate. To use the fork, drop the truffle into the bowl of tempered chocolate and then retrieve it with the dipping fork. Hold the fork over the bowl for several seconds to allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Gently scrape the bottom of the fork against the side of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate and roll the dipped truffle in the desired garnish. Place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. If you use your hands, dab some chocolate in the palm of one hand. Roll the truffle in that palm to completely coat it with chocolate. Place the enrobed truffle on the baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining truffles. This method is very quick but it can also be extremely messy.

When all of the truffles have been coated once, repeat the enrobing procedure. This is necessary only when you enrobe the truffles by hand rather than with a fork. The truffles are usually more evenly coated when dipped with a fork. As soon as each truffle gets a second coating, immediately roll it in the desired garnish. You need to do this before the chocolate sets or the topping will not adhere. At this stage, it is good to have a friend help because it is hard to dip and roll at the same time. Place the truffles on a clean parchment paper-covered baking sheet and allow them to set, about 5 minutes.

The truffles will keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, when stored in an airtight container.

Notes:
If you decide to roll the truffles by hand, it is important to make sure your hands are cold. A good trick is to dip your hands in ice water for a few seconds and then dry them. Do this immediately before rolling the truffles. If your hands are too warm and the truffles begin to melt while you are rolling them, redip your hands in the ice water, dry them, and proceed.

To toast coconut: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to keep the sugar in the coconut from burning. Return to the oven and toast until golden brown, about 3 more minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 300°F (148&degC). Spread the nuts evenly on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Toast for about 30 minutes, until they are golden brown. You will be able to smell the nuts when they are ready. A good test is to break a nut in half and check to see if it is light brown on the inside. Toasting nuts brings out their natural flavor. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

To Temper Chocolate

Tempering determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. To put them back together, you temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it.

One of the easiest ways is to place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. The chocolate will not look as if it has melted because it retains its shape. It should be only slightly warmer than your bottom lip. You may still see lumps in it, but don't worry; the residual heat of the chocolate will melt them. You can also use an immersion blender to break up the lumps and start the recrystallization process.

Usually, the chocolate begins to set (recrystallize) along the side of the bowl. As it begins to crystallize, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate and they will begin the recrystallization process. I like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered for a long time.

and life trudges on

2008-01-19T08:07:00.000-06:00

backward glances
sharp stiletto's
black shoes, black hats
(who's that girl in the black hat?)
the past is fleeting
the present's bleeding
(where did she go, who is she now?)
lost
lost
somewhere in the numbness
suburbia
disturbia
(is there any hope at all?)
long lost trains of thought
long lost pools of hope
drowning
swirling
the eddy of survival
sucks me
once again
into the
abyss

So much for the Afterglow

2008-01-19T08:06:00.000-06:00

This is a song about susan
This is a song about the girl next door
This is a song about the everyday occurrences
That make me feel like letting go
Yes I think weve got a problem
So much for the afterglow
So much for the afterglow

This is a song about susan
Yeah, this is a song about the way things are
This is a song about the scary things
You see from the corner of your eyes
Dont you wonder why?

We never talk about the future, yeah
We never talk about the past anymore
We never ask ourselves the questions
To the answers that nobody even wants to know
I guess the honeymoon is over
So much for the afterglow, so much for the afterglow
So much for the afterglow, so much for the afterglow

I remember we could talk about anything
I remember when we used to want to hang out
I remember we could talk about everything
I remember when we used to want to hang out
I remember we could talk about everything
I remember when we used to want to hang out
I remember when we used to want to hang out
I remember we could talk about everything
I remember, I remember, I remember

Yeah, we never talk about the future
We never talk about the past anymore
We never ask ourselves the questions
To the answers that nobody even wants to know

Oh well, oh well, oh well
So much for the afterglow
Oh well oh well oh well
So much for the afterglow
Oh well, oh well, oh well

Yes, I guess we need the drama

So much for the afterglow, so much for the afterglow
So much for the afterglow, yeah, so much for the afterglow
So much for the afterglow, so much for the afterglow
So much for the afterglow, so much for the afterglow
So much for the afterglow, so much for the afterglow

Is there anything more beautiful than Carole King?

2008-01-19T08:03:00.000-06:00

Stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time
There's something wrong here, there can be no denying
One of us is changing
Or maybe we just stopped trying

And it's too late, baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died
And I can't hide and I just can't fake it

It used to be so easy living here with you
You were light and breezy and I knew just what to do
Now you look so unhappy and I feel like a fool

And it's too late, baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died
And I can't hide and I just can't fake it

There'll be good times again for me and you
But we just can't stay together, don't you feel it, too
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you

But it's too late, baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it

Ok, I'm sad again

2008-01-19T08:01:00.000-06:00

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head
Lay down with me, tell me no lies
Just hold me close, don't patronize - don't patronize me

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't

I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
Morning will come and I'll do what's right
Just give me till then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't

Awesome lyrics

2008-01-19T07:59:00.000-06:00

See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you
See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you

Baby I don't know why ya treatin me so bad
You said you love me, no one above me
And I was all you had
And though my heart is eating for ya
I can't stop crying
I don't know how
I allow you to treat me this way and still i stay

See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you
See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you

Baby I don't know why ya wanna do me wrong
See when I'm home, I'm all alone
And you are always gone
And boy, you kno I really love you
I can't deny
I can't see how you could bring me to so many tears
after all these years

See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you
See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you
Oohhhhh
I trusted you, I trusted you
So sad, so sad
what love will make you do
all the things that we accept
be the things that we regret
too all of my ladies (ladies) feel me
c'mon sing wit me
See, when I get the strength to leave
You always tell me that you need me
And I'm weak cause I believe you
And I'm mad because I love you
So I stop and think that maybe
You can learn to appreciate me
Then it all remains the same that
You ain't never gonna change
(never gonna change, never gonna change)
See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you
See my days are cold without you
Butm hurtin while im with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you

Baby why you hurt me leave me and desert me
Boy I gave you all my heart
And all you do is tear it up
Looking out my window
Knowing that I should go
Even when I pack my bags....

So very Sad

2008-01-19T07:55:00.001-06:00

How many times do I have to try to tell you
That I'm sorry for the things I've done
But when I start to try to tell you
That's when you have to tell me
Hey... this kind of trouble's only just begun
I tell myself too many times
Why don't you ever learn to keep your big mouth shut
That's why it hurts so bad to hear the words
That keep on falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Tell me...
Why
Why

I may be mad
I may be blind
I may be viciously unkind
But I can still read what you're thinking
And I've heard is said too many times
That you'd be better off
Besides...
Why can't you see this boat is sinking
(this boat is sinking this boat is sinking)
Let's go down to the water's edge
And we can cast away those doubts
Some things are better left unsaid
But they still turn me inside out
Turning inside out turning inside out
Tell me...
Why
Tell me...
Why

This is the book I never read
These are the words I never said
This is the path I'll never tread
These are the dreams I'll dream instead
This is the joy that's seldom spread
These are the tears...
The tears we shed
This is the fear
This is the dread
These are the contents of my head
And these are the years that we have spent
And this is what they represent
And this is how I feel
Do you know how I feel ?
'cause i don't think you know how I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
You don't know what I feel

I am feeling lost...wandering...

2008-01-19T07:51:00.001-06:00

Written by stevie nicks.

So Im back, to the velvet underground
Back to the floor, that I love
To a room with some lace and paper flowers
Back to the gypsy that I was
To the gypsy... that I was

And it all comes down to you
Well, you know that it does
Well, lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice
Ah, and it lights up the night
And you see your gypsy
You see your gypsy

To the gypsy that remains faces freedom with a little fear
I have no fear, I have only love
And if I was a child
And the child was enough
Enough for me to love
Enough to love

She is dancing away from me now
She was just a wish
She was just a wish
And a memory is all that is left for you now
You see your gypsy
You see your gypsy

Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you

And it all comes down to you

Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you

I still see your bright eyes, bright eyes
And it all comes down to you
I still see your bright eyes, bright eyes
And it all comes down to you

I still see your bright eyes, bright eyes
(she was just a wish)
(she was just a wish)
And it all comes down to you

Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you

Have I mentioned how much Al Stewart makes me sad?

2008-01-19T07:48:00.000-06:00

Time Passages

Al Stewart & Peter White

It was late in December, the sky turned to snow
All round the day was going down slow
Night like a river beginning to flow
I felt the beat of my mind go
Drifting into time passages
Years go falling in the fading light
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

Well I'm not the kind to live in the past
The years run too short and the days too fast
The things you lean on are the things that don't last
Well it's just now and then my line gets cast into these
Time passages
There's something back here that you left behind
Oh time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

Hear the echoes and feel yourself starting to turn
Don't know why you should feel
That there's something to learn
It's just a game that you play

Well the picture is changing
Now you're part of a crowd
They're laughing at something
And the music's loud
A girl comes towards you
You once used to know
You reach out your hand
But you're all alone, in these
Time passages
I know you're in there, you're just out of sight
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

The Year of The Cat

2007-11-28T20:10:00.001-06:00

On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime

She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolour in the rain
Don't bother asking for explanations
She'll just tell you that she came
In the year of the cat

She doesn't give you time for questions
As she locks up your arm in hers
And you follow 'till your sense of which direction
Completely disappears

By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls
There's a hidden door she leads you to
These days, she says, I feel my life
Just like a river running through
The year of the cat

Well, she looks at you so cooly
And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea
She comes in incense and patchouli
So you take her, to find what's waiting inside
The year of the cat

Well, morning comes and you're still with her
And the bus and the tourists are gone
And you've thrown away the choice and lost your ticket
So you have to stay on

But the drum-beat strains of the night remain
In the rhythm of the new-born day
You know sometime you're bound to leave her
But for now you're going to stay
In the year of the cat

Liver Pate'

2007-11-15T09:18:00.002-06:00

While I would love to take credit for this recipe, it's all Emeril. I made this last year, and I have to tell ya, it's really wonderful!

Chicken Liver Pate: Terrine de Foies de Volaille

1 pound fresh chicken livers, cleaned
1 cup milk
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons green peppercorns, drained
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

French bread croutons or toast, accompaniment

In a bowl, soak the livers in the milk for 2 hours. Drain well.

In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken livers, 1 tablespoon of the peppercorns, the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the livers are browned on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside, about 5 minutes. Add the Cognac and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated and the livers are cooked through but still tender.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves.

In a food processor, puree the liver mixture. Add the remaining butter in pieces and pulse to blend. Fold in the remaining 1 tablespoon peppercorns and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Pack the pate into 6 individual ramekins or small molds, about 4 ounces each. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours.

To serve, place the ramekins on individual plates. Garnish the tops with parsley and surround with croutons.

NOTES:

I only probably used a little more than half of the green peppercorns - and I think you could totally do without them, if you want, but they do add a nice flavor.
How I chilled mine: I lined small ramekins with plastic wrap, placed a nice sprig of parsley in the center of the bottom, and then filled with the pate mixture. Cover and chill as specified. Before serving, lift the pate out by the plastic-wrapped lining, and turn over on small dish, so the parsley is molded into the top of the pate. This worked quite nicely! Then sprinkle some fresh parsley around the dish (just a touch!)

Mashed Potatoes

2007-11-15T08:23:00.001-06:00

Well, I can't believe I have come this far without posting some mashed potato recipes, but I guess that I have! This is another make-it-up-as-you-go type of food. People get a little too worked up about exact recipes sometimes, and this is just one of those dishes that there are so many different things you can do to it - just depends on your tastes. So just in time for the holidays, here ya go...

First, a couple of notes:

It's important not to overcook the potatoes. You want them to be fork-tender but not mushy.
Leaving the skins on, or not, is personal preference. I like to do this when I use red potatoes for 3 reasons - it adds color, it adds texture, and it adds nutrients.
I prefer mine hand mashed. If you want to use a hand mixer or such, be very careful not to overdo it - otherwise you will end up with glue.
Remember to go easy with any liquid or soft additions - you can always add more, but you can never take it out. If you do add too much, you can try to simmer a bit on a low flame, otherwise, you will have to boil some more potatoes to add in.
Try to have add-in ingredients at room temperature. (butter, cream, milk, sour cream, etc)

Scrub or peel your potatoes and cut into chunks. Place in a stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer - simmer until fork tender, usually around 20-30 minutes. Drain, leaving just a tablespoon or so of cooking liquid in pan. Add a tablespoon or two of butter, a bit of milk or cream and begin mashing. Add a couple tablespoons of sour cream, some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and continue to mash. Add a bit more liquid, as needed, until they are the consistency that you like.

I also like to add garlic to mine, and you can do this two ways - add whole cloves into the water with the potatoes & simmer together, or roast the garlic and mash it in at the end.
I also like some onion in mine - place finely chopped onion in the colander, and when you drain the hot potatoes over them, it will blanch them nicely. Or just add some finely diced scallions while mashing - adds some extra color, too!
Fresh parsley is really nice in mashed potatoes, just don't go too crazy.Chop it finely and mix in at the end.
If you like Parmesan potatoes, add some finely grated Parmesan in while mashing - yum! It's very good with the roasted garlic!

Mashed potatoes are fun to work with, because there are so many variations on them! You have to play around with flavors a bit, and see what you like!

Thanksgiving Dinner

2007-11-15T07:07:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's the middle of November already. I spent yesterday puking my guts up, so it's not a stellar start to the season. Still a little queasy today, so am taking a respite from work and going to actually try to get some real sleep. I was awake half the night with burning stomach. Must just be a stomach bug - a little different version of the one I had a few weeks back. Ugh. Makes it tough to even think about food at the moment, but I do have my Thanksgiving feast planned, and thought I would share it.

I brined my big bird last year - not the first time I've done it, but the first time I have brined it and cooked it ala' Alton Brown. It came out pretty damned good, so I'm gonna do it again. Here's the recipe...

Good Eats Roast Turkey by Alton Brown
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger

1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage

Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement or garage) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

NOTES:

I brined mine overnight, in a cooler that I sterilized really well after. This year, I will do the bucket!
It's a good idea to bring the turkey to room temperature before roasting - about 45 minutes or so. It will cook more evenly this way.
Don't mess with basting - all you do, every time you open the oven is let heat out, lengthening the cooking time, hence drying out the bird more. This totally defeats the supposed purpose of basting.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

NOTES:

Be prepared, when you cook it at 500F for it to start smoking - just a warning from personal experience!
I did invest a big $16.00 in a probe thermometer and let me tell you - it's worth every penny!
Also - make a foil triangle to cover the breast with, after you have done the 30 min's at 500 - this keeps the breast meat from overcooking and drying out. (He does this on the show)

This is the cranberry sauce that I'm making - a personal mix of mine that's really good..

Cranberries and Brandy:

2 cups cranberries
Juice and chopped zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup good Brandy
1/2 cup sugar, or more if needed
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice and zest, brandy, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook until cranberries are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more sugar, if necessary. Pour into a pretty bowl and chill until set.

I will make mashed potatoes, of course...I think that I've already posted my recipe for those.

Oh! And some Brussels Sprouts, because we all love them! Seriously!

Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Garlic

1 3/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Working in small batches, place brussels sprouts in feed tube of processor fitted with thin slicing disk; slice, or slice on a mandolin.

Melt butter with olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until almost translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add brussels sprouts; increase heat to medium-high and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

My mom is bringing the stuffing this year, but I will tell you how I make my basic stuffing. You will have to bear with me, as this is one of those things that I make without any real recipe.

My Basic Turkey Stuffing:

Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Add some sliced onion and celery, chopped mushrooms, plus one clove of minced garlic, and saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle in a bit of dried sage and parsley, and stir. Add some bread crumbs - I like the cubes that you buy (no, I don't do the bread crumbs from scratch, I admit it) and stir to coat with the butter & veggies. Add enough turkey or chicken broth (here, yes, I make my own turkey broth - I will get to that) to moisten the bread well, but not so much that it makes it all soggy. Let cool, if stuffing the turkey, (which I have stopped doing - it makes the turkey have to cook longer, therefore risking drying out the bird) or put in an oven safe dish and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. (I cover mine with foil for the first 30).

Now, I happen to also like the chopped giblets in mine sometimes (but I usually add mine to the gravy), so if you like yours like that, chop them well and add with the onions and celery.

Turkey Broth:

Take your turkey neck (and other giblets, if not using for stuffing or gravy) and place in a saucepan. Add a couple cups of water, some chopped celery, onion, and carrots, a few black peppercorns, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer until reduced by half. Pour through a strainer to strain out chunks, and then I pour through a colander lined with a paper towel to get out all the little bits. Wa-La - turkey broth.

Now, as far as my turkey gravy...I change this up a bit every year, but basically, this is how I do mine.

Turkey Gravy:

Transfer turkey from roasting pan to platter and tent it with foil, to keep warm. Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator, and give it about 2 minutes to let the fat separate. Carefully transfer the juices to another dish, leaving the fat in the separator for now. Place roasting pan across two stove burners and heat. Add a bit of brandy or white wine to deglaze the pan. (or a little apple cider works too!) Add a tablespoon or two of reserved fat, plus some butter if you'd prefer and melt. Wisk in some flour to make a roux, and lightly simmer, stirring constantly. (make sure there's no lumps!) I do this for a few minutes, and then add reserved pan juices and some turkey or chicken stock. Bring back to simmer and simmer until thickened.
Now, if you'd like, for some extra flavor, you can also add some chopped garlic/onion/celery/carrots/mushrooms and then strain before serving. (or not - I know people who don't).

I will also be posting some of my holiday appetizers, so be watching for those!

Mini Vacation

2007-10-18T09:37:00.001-06:00

So I have a few days off work - kinda nice! My sister and brother-in-law are in town from Connecticut. The went camping and diamond hunting with my parents for almost a week, so they've been keeping busy!
I am determined lately to try and make our house livable, even though it needs a ton of work done. It is starting to get on my nerves that nothing is really getting accomplished.
I am loving the cooler weather though, simply for the fact that it makes me want to cook big meals again. It also inspires me to start baking more - breads, muffins and such. I go through this same type of thing each year, when the weather warms up, and I can't wait to start cooking on the grill, again! Am I ever really happy? lol! Plus, with it getting cooler, I think maybe something will get done INSIDE the house, instead of the yard (which needs a ton of work, too, by the way.)
I think that I am going to do some shrimp appetizers for fun, for my family...shrimp ceviche, shrimp cocktail and maybe shrimp with basil dipping sauce. We all love shrimp, so it's an easy call.
I can't believe the holidays are right around the corner, already. It's true that the older you get, the faster time goes. When I was little, Christmas just took FOREVER to get here!
I still have a garden going, believe it or not. I have beets, arugula, snow peas, and onions that are starting to get ready (well, we've been eating the arugula) - I planted them too late in the summer, so I am pushing my luck. I am still getting tomatoes, squash, and peppers...a little slowly but still growing!
I need to plant my garlic this weekend! If you've never done it, boy, it's worth it and it's sooooo easy! I just think that homegrown garlic tastes so much more "garlicky" than the store bought stuff. You just separate the cloves, leaving the skin on, and then plant them pointy side up, about 2 inches deep. They will sprout green tops, just like onions, and sometime around mid-June, you can dig em up & you have a whole bulb! You all know how much I love garlic!
Jim and I have made a bunch of salsa that we canned, and I have frozen and canned tomatoes until they are coming out our ears! I love it though - having homemade stuff...I can't help myself!

Anyhoo...My sister and brother in law leave the day after tomorrow - it went so FAST - it is very hard to say goodbye. I try not to think about it...we will have a ton of fun, while they are here!

I LOVE Adrian Peterson

2007-10-14T14:44:00.000-06:00

Funny that I haven't really mentioned it, to date, but I am a HUGE Vikings fan! Todays game against the Bears ROCKED MY WORLD! Adrian Peterson is a force to be reckoned with...3 TD's and over 200 yards...I love him! And I love that the Vikes won!
Here's the official site....you know...in case you need more info...
www.vikings.com

Damn...they actually showed some SKILLS today!

Damn!

2007-10-05T05:14:00.000-06:00

Dale totally should have won Top Chef - I don't think that Hung did any better than Dale did...WHATEVER....I can't believe how badly Casey did, either. I was rooting for her, too, in a way.
I am still loving Gordon Ramseys Kitchen Nightmares - that's been entertaining! And of course, Greys kicked off last week, so I can't miss that! The Next Iron Chef starts on Sunday - I may have to Tivo it though. The Bears play Green Bay Sunday night. I don't normally watch that much tv, but with all these cooking drama's, how can a girl refuse?

Go Dale!

2007-09-27T05:13:00.000-06:00

Whew! Dale has made it to the final 3 - I am so excited! I thought he was going to cry last night - well, he actually did have tears in his eyes - I just love him! If he doesn't win it, I hope that it's Casey.

But Dale's gonna win!

Team Dale!

Dale is Going to Aspen!

2007-09-21T05:10:00.000-06:00

I am so happy that Dale has made it to the finals! He is still my favorite - have been voting for him for fan favorite - and would love to see him win it! He has some tough competition, though! Casey has really pulled through the last few episodes, and Hung has pretty consistently turned out some great dishes. Brian, well, I just don't think he should even be there, but what the heck...I just pray he doesn't win the whole thing!

GO DALE!

The Cure Has Postponed their North American Tour!

2007-09-04T18:23:00.000-06:00

I am NOT very happy! I was so looking forward to the cure playing the Allstate Arena at the end of the month and NOW? BLEH!

I am very upset.

Now I have to wait until the spring.

Bleh.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

2007-08-31T17:25:00.001-06:00

I concocted this from several different recipes, and it's been a big hit!

1 lb pasta, (rotini, farfalle, or shells) cooked to minimum time and cooled (don’t rinse!)
½ large red onion, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Sprinkle of salt, to taste
½ Cup extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 small can sliced black olives
1 & ½ clamshells of red pear or cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 bell pepper, chopped (I prefer orange or yellow for the color, otherwise red. You can use green, but the others are sweeter.)
1 large cucumber, seeds scooped out and discarded, chopped
1 block (6 or 8 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

In a LARGE bowl, mix together onion, garlic, herbs, oil, vinegar, and lemon juice and let sit for about 20 minutes. Add the pasta and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Other things you can add: chopped asparagus (steamed & cooled), chopped broccoli (steamed and cooled or raw), (this may absorb some of the oil & vinegar, so you may need to add more), chopped zucchini, chopped summer squash, canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, fresh, chopped spinach, thinly sliced pepperoni.

Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce

2007-08-31T05:06:00.001-06:00

This is a pasta dish that is so easy to make ... you can have this on the table in less than 30 minutes and it's really great!

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup vodka
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
A couple splashes of hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco), to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
4 medium-sized fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 pound penne
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Melt butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in vodka, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 4 minutes. Add tomato puree and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Keep sauce warm over very low heat.

Cook pasta as directed on package until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain pasta.

Add pasta to sauce and toss with sauce and cheese. You can add some of the reserved cooking water if pasta seems dry.

Tre Packs His Knives

2007-08-24T13:17:00.000-06:00

Wow...I really thought that Tre would make it all the way to the end - or at least a lot closer than he got! He is an incredible chef (and cute, too!)..so sad to see one of my favorites go home. Here is part of his exit interview...

Dale is still holding in there - go Chicago!!!

P.S....

2007-08-17T12:58:00.000-06:00

I am loving the Bravo show "Flipping Out"...ocd entertainment for the home decorating crowd! lol!

Top Chef is TOO much fun...I love Dale!

2007-08-17T05:19:00.001-06:00

I have to root for my homeboy - he's from Chicago and all! Sara needs to GO...She bugs me and Howie is too temperamental. I do like CJ and Tre - those two are some incredible chefs!

The One That Got Away

2007-08-12T08:04:00.000-06:00

Damn! Not ONE little fishy! I didn't catch ONE fish yesterday and I was a little perturbed! But I had a really great time anyway! I have not river-fished before, so it is a little different - requires even more patience than lake fishing, and we all know what my patience level is like! lol! We were there by 6 a.m., and found our special spot. Fishing started at 7 - it was a contest for carp and catfish - and Richard caught a pretty nice carp almost immediately! My mom and I thought that was a good sign! (as I am sure Richard did, too!) I had a few nibbles (read: a few chunks of bait stolen!) but never caught anything.

They tapped the keg around 9 a.m., I think, so by 10 we were drinking cold ones! It was another really hot day - not too bad until around the noon hour, and then it was H-O-T! Food was supposed to come out at noon, but it was after 1 by the time the pig was cooked. It was really good though! I think the combo of the heat, the beer, and the waiting for food got to be a bit much though. By the time we were back fishing around 1:45, we were all a little tired! I know my mom was disappointed that she didn't catch anything - she almost ALWAYS catches SOMETHING!

We finally called it a day around 2:30 or so, and packed up. On the way out we saw a guy and his kid pull in a 19 pound Carp - the thing was HUGE! The two of them had a nice string of fish, so we stopped and talked with them a bit, and the guy gave us some tips for river fishing, which was really nice of him. We didn't stick around to see if he won, but according to the leader-board when we left, he should have.

Got home, laid down, and fell promptly asleep until almost 5. Got up and showered and felt almost human again. Jimmy made Buffalo burgers on the grill, so that was nice, but otherwise it was a pretty quite night.

Hazy Days

2007-08-10T13:57:00.000-06:00

Still pushing 90 degrees around here, but at least it's Friday! I have had a lingering headache all week, since Tuesdays bad one, and it just won't seem to go away. I really need to go see Dr. Brantner - my chiropractor - but it's just such a haul down there. I stopped by last Saturday, but the office was already closed. Damn! Girl needs her neck and back cracked!

Things in the love life area are barely trudging along. What to do about a man that started out being one person and ended up being another? Tough call. So I'm selling my duplex and moving around my 401k, and in the end will have what I need to get on comfortably with my life, should I need to. And sadly, it's seeming, I may need to. I am not dwelling anymore; no more long talks that go nowhere; no more, supposedly meaningful, conversations that change nothing. I will do what I have to do to be happy in my life.

I am getting up bright and early tomorrow to go to a fishing tournament! I am very excited and hope that I catch something BIG! I'm going with my parents, who are nice enough to lend me the needed equipment. I got my license today, so I am all set. Jim, of course, does not want to go...do not get me started. I am truly realizing that it's just me that he doesn't want to do things with. Unintentionally, I regress. There's gonna be a pig roast tomorrow - that alone is worth the $10.00 entry fee. I have not been to a pig roast since right after my brother died in 1992. Those were the truly hazy days of my life.

Something is in the air...I can feel it moving, swirling, around me. Change is only bad if you let it be that way. Hope is always around the corner, and I hold out for what's still to come. I believe that life is what you make it, and I plan on making mine right. No more hanging on to empty promises, and no more tears...I have found my center of where I am right now, and from here, I move on. I cannot be sad that choices I have made have been less than stellar - Everyone you meet and everything you experience is for a reason - a lesson - and, as everyone else does, I continue to learn.

Wish me Godspeed.

The Bounty

2007-08-10T13:45:00.000-06:00

Ahh...the bounty of summer...

I just LOVE IT! My garden is going crazy, and it's still too hot to can anything, but damn, I love fresh veggies!

Homemade Herbal Vinegars

2007-08-07T16:26:00.002-06:00

If you have a plethora of fresh herbs, making herbal vinegars is a great way to use some of them. I have been doing this for years and years, and it's so simple it's almost embarrassing! But they come out so beautifully, and they are great gifts for your foodie friends! The first year I made them, which was a LONG time ago, I gave them as gifts...I even went so far as to write up little recipe cards with ways to use each vinegar, and tied the cards to the necks of the bottles with ribbon. Go Martha!

Anyway, you do kind of have to play around with flavors that you like. I typically use white-wine vinegar or seasoned rice-wine vinegar (the stuff with sugar and salt added already). Champagne vinegar also works nicely - the idea is, for the base, you don't want a heavy or colored vinegar.

Throughout the year, I save my used vinegar and oil bottles for just this purpose. You have to make sure that the inside of the lids aren't metal though, or it will react with the vinegar. Before I make the vinegars, I make sure the bottles and lids are super clean and dry.

Try to pick your herbs first thing in the morning - that's when their oil content is highest - that way you'll get the most flavor from your herbs. Wash them well, and then lay them out in a single layer of paper towels to dry completely.

When everything is ready to go, in a non-aluminum pan, add your vinegar and bring to a boil. Pack a couple of good healthy sprigs of herbs into each bottle...depending on the herb, I like to use 4-6 good sprigs each. If you need help getting them down the bottle neck, I have found that my chopsticks come in really handy here!

When vinegar begins to boil, remove from heat and, using a funnel, fill your jars to about the 3/4 full point. (Be Careful!!!) Leave a little bit of vinegar to top off when you are done. What I do is, with the bottles 3/4 of the way full, I use my chopstick again, (handy little suckers!) to swirl around the inside of the bottle and release the air bubbles. Once this is done, top off with remaining vinegar until bottles are full. I usually let them cool for about 20 minutes before capping. (again, be careful, the bottles are HOT!)

Now, my all-time favorite vinegar so far, is Red-Rubin basil (it's a deep, dark purple) mixed with rice-wine vinegar. The beautiful thing about this basil, is that the color bleeds out into the vinegar, making this gorgeous purple concoction. It does this with any of the vinegars, we just tend to be big fans of the rice-wine variety.

Now any of your herbs will bleed out some of their color, so be prepared! Green basil also makes a nice color, though the tarragon isn't nearly as intense. Again, you have to play with the herbs that you like best.

Now, before you use your vinegars, you want to let them sit for about 3 months to get the optimal flavor. And trust me, once you start making these, you'll be hooked!

Beef Short Ribs

2007-08-07T15:11:00.002-06:00

These are still, hands down, some of the best short ribs that I have ever had.

3 pounds beef short ribs, about 10 ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 to 12 garlic cloves smashed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
12 ounces good ale (recommended: Bass)
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 cup hoisin sauce

Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot with a lid (Dutch oven) over high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Remove the ribs and pour off all but a couple tablespoons of the rendered fat.

Return the pot to the stove, lower the heat to medium and saute the garlic and ginger for about 3 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pot. Add the beer and the vinegar. Stir and then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pour the hoisin sauce over the ribs, move the pot to the oven, and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Remove ribs and ginger from sauce. Strain fat from the top of the pot so that you're left with just the good stuff.

This is a recipe of Dave Liebermans that I stumbled across, and it's one of those recipes that you will find yourself making again, and again! It's very easy with incredible results! Enjoy!

Freezer Pickles

2007-08-07T15:00:00.001-06:00

We are in the middle of another terrible wave of heat and humidity...and to make matters worse, I kept waking up last night because of a terrible headache, made worse by the noise of a ton of thunderstorms that rolled through the area. Anyhoo, I think that it is Gods little joke that my cukes are going crazy and yet it is too hot to be canning them! So I have resorted to freezer pickles for the time being, and I thought that I would share....

7 cups thinly sliced cukes
1 Large white or yellow onion, quartered and sliced (not too thinly)
1 Tablespoon pickling salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 Cup sugar
2 Cups white vinegar

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well.
Let refrigerate for about 3 days, stirring every day.
Pack into freezer bags or containers, cover with brine, and freeze.
Thaw before serving.

Pretty simple, I know - but makes a damn good freezer pickle!

Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

2007-07-19T17:06:00.000-06:00

I am going to see THE CURE in September, at the Allstate Arena, and OMG I am so excited! Have I mentioned how much I love Robert Smith? Ok, a lot...A LOT. I can hardly wait! 'TOTALLY GRADESCHOOL, but what the hell...a girl can be excited, can't she?

Now what the heck is up with the Counting Crows not coming to the Chicago area this tour? I love that they are doing the whole baseball-stadium thing, and DID just find out they're playing at a zoo in Ohio, but seriously, WTF??? If they can play at a zoo, they can play Chicago, can't they? I get so aggravated! I love Adam Duritz, too...they are playing Greenwich Village in New York...how cool will THAT show be? Sometimes I SO miss living near NYC.

We have the OTHER CROWS coming to Rockford for the On the Waterfront Festival - The Black Crowes, that is. I can't believe that Labor Day is right around the corner....summer always goes by so fast!

One of my favorite Rockford restaurants - BRIO - has set up a beach in their little corner of downtown...they are having all these fun events with wine tastings and bands and comedy night...I soooooo want to go down and check it out. And I still haven't been to CRU'...wtf's up with that? Damien is just this amazing guy, and I just found out they've added mussels and creme brulee' to their menu...HELLLLLOOOOO....gotta get there before the summer ends. Two of Lesley's favorite indulgences?....cheese and wine! When you start throwing mussels and creme brulee into the mix, well...let's just say you had me at hello.

Baby, It's Hot Outside!

2007-07-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

So the Midwest is in the middle of one hell of a heatwave....it's 93 right now, and feels like 100....and I guess we still have a couple more days of it!

Yesterday was FINALLY my do-not-a-damned-thing day! Yea! It was pure heaven! I played around on my laptop over coffee, then Jim left to run errands and do some paperwork for work. I slipped into my bikini and laid my butt down outside for an hour or so...wowee was it hot. Jim came back while I was still out there - armed with beer, bless his heart - so he cracked us some cold ones and we finally came inside. Hung out and watched some television (I KNOW!...so not like me!) together,and we both dozed off! Woke up & Jim switched us to some frosty margaritas, and we tuned into Live Earth. We didn't even fire up the grill until around 8, but we had swordfish steaks and grilled zucchini from the garden...deeeeeeelicious! What an awesome day!

Friday night we did strip steaks on the grill, along with steamed snow peas from the garden, and a tomato and mozzarella ball salad with fresh basil!

Tonight we're cooking short ribs on the grill, with some roasted green beans and I think another tomato salad. I've already rubbed down the short-ribs with crushed garlic and a bunch of spices, plus a touch of canola oil just to spread it all around. I've never done the short ribs on the grill before, so I hope they turn out!

Breaking News on Steroids...

2007-07-08T13:56:00.001-06:00

I think that my tomatoes are on 'roids!

And so is my squash and cukes!

Holy Moly...

Lunatic Fringe

2007-06-28T17:49:00.000-06:00

I just want one damned day that I can honestly say "I didn't do a Goddamn thing today". Is that too much to ask for?

I finally got my apartment rented - well, the papers get signed next Friday, say a little prayer - but I still have people to call back every night due to the "for rent" sign still being up. But every day it's something, and every weekend, it's something, and every night, it's something.

I AM SO DAMNED TIRED OF RUNNING AROUND AND DOING SHIT. IS ONE NIGHT OF PEACE TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?

grrrrr.......

Attack of the Arugula

2007-06-26T19:34:00.001-06:00

OMG! Does anybody need some fresh arugula? My garden runneth over! lol!

It's a good thing we both love the stuff, cuz it's going in every dinner I make for the next week! Holy shit, I have a ton of it! My radishes, however, are not doing too well...I have got a few good ones, but the rest are all green and no radish...waaaaa.

Herbs are doing great though, and my tomatoes, peppers, cukes and squash are in serious growth spurt! We will be feeding everyone we know in another month or so!

Another Fun Filled Weekend. Bleh.

2007-06-16T20:07:00.000-06:00

Another fun day in the life.

Another Saturday of not being able to sleep in.

Got down to my duplex at 8...and thats after a trip to Nicholson's Hardware, only to find that they didn't have what I needed. But I did get a lot more done at the apartment, and I hopefully will have someone signing a lease by next weekend.

Stopped at Lowe's on the way home and they didn't have all that I wanted, either, but more than Nicholson's had.

Got home at 2 and practically passed out. Jimmy is visiting his friends Spike and Dave this weekend. He left Thursday and won't be home until Tuesday, so at least I don't have to worry about dinners and such.

I have a love/hate relationship with him at this second. Love him, cuz I do. Hate him, cuz he's on vacation, having a grand ole time, and he's calling me and sending me pictures because he's excited and wants to share, and I'm bitter and resentful that I'm stuck at home. Apartment, errands, planting, watering, laundry, cleaning, dishes, dog-walking, cat-sitting, grocery shopping, phone calls to possible tenants. Lists. lists. more lists....ARRGH.

Today is his - I say our - friend, Dave's birthday. Jimmy was going there to surprise him, and I'm sure he did. He got to visit Spike though, first, before venturing over to NoDak. This morning, he got the chance to look up his friend Adam, who is an artist, and I know that he is happy that he got to see him and spend some time. I got to meet him via phone call this morning, and he sounds pretty cool. He is sending Jimmy home with some more artwork, and I can't wait!

So tonight I get another call - they are all out getting drunk and having fun. Thanks for the call. And Dave just..literally...proposed to his girlfriend, Michelle, so everybody there is very excited. I am excited for them..I know that Dave is really happy, and so I am super happy for him. He is such a great guy, and I am assuming that she is worthy...I am withholding any true opinion until I get to meet her myself. You just have to know Dave, though, and know that any woman he loves must be truly special.

I am such a sucker for love and romance...hence the....

AND MY DRYER JUST STOPPED WORKING. PLEASE SHOOT ME. NO, REALLY, PLEASE.

WTF???

I swear to God, I can't take one more thing going wrong right now.

deeeeeeeep breaths......

fuck it.

Who fucking needs dry clothes, anyhow?

so anyway...Yes, I am a sucker for love. And how sweet is it that he proposed on HIS birthday?

But, again, everyone is there enjoying it, but me.

Me? I am sitting here on a Saturday night, with the dishwasher running and the dryer NOT running ... good times all around.

And Jimmy asks - so you're not going out?

NO! Some of us have actual responsibilities this weekend. Some of us have more to do than just their regular job. Some of us feel the need for clean clothes, a clean house...some of us have another house that they have to take care of. SOME OF US IS NOT VERY HAPPY AT THE MOMENT.

okay..i'm so raging...i will stop now.

I am going to go in and push the start button on the dryer and it better fucking start.

THANK YOU GOD....I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO SHOOT A HOLE IN THE FUCKING DRYER RIGHT NOW, AND DON'T THINK I WOULDN'T.

Okay, it must have overheated from my sneakers, or something, because now it's running.

peace and serenity now...

So, yes, it IS Saturday night, and yes, I am spending it doing dishes and laundry, and am starting to clean. Yes, I have to be at my parents at 8:30 tomorrow, to go to breakfast for Fathers Day...but at least that is fun stuff. I still have to wrap his gift, now that I think about it. WHY WASN'T THAT ON MY LIST? Damn. Okay...I really need to do that!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend.

Don't Stop Believin'

2007-06-11T20:05:00.000-06:00

Ya know, I don't even really watch The Sopranos, and I was riveted by the way it all ended last night! Jimmy's a big fan - it must remind him of the old country - and I have been slowly and unwittingly sucked into the countdown to the season finale. A final episode that rushed screaming into an eerily dead silence.
Brilliantly masterminded and irritatingly vague, all at the same time...I was torn between the lingering terror of the violence I was convinced would ensue, and the shock, instead, of Steve Perry's lyrics being cut off with true brutality...leaving me staring at the silent, black screen in awe.

WTF?

I will never hear that Journey song the same way again.

Irritates the shit out of me..I never even watched the show until halfway through this season. Who am I to complain, right? And I'm really not even complaining...it truly was a brilliant way to end it.

still....WTF?

I. Am. So. Tired.

2007-06-07T15:48:00.000-06:00

Wow. My first week at my new job is almost over, I am exhausted, and I haven't even really started my new position, yet! This first week, I have to work out in the factory, so that I can see how our product is made, meet the people there, and get a feel for how things are done. It makes a ton of sense, and I'm glad I've had the opportunity to do it, but it is really, really tiring. Those people work their butts off!

I don't even get the luxury of sleeping in on Saturday, because I have to be down at my duplex cleaning, again. I have also set up some appointments to show it that morning, so I have to be there, whether I like it or not.

Sunday is a graduation party for Jimmy's cousin, so that will shoot that day to hell...we'll see if I make it. I need a breather. Plus our house is in desperate need of cleaning, I have grocery shopping to do, clothes shopping for my new position...grrrr.

Right now, all I want to do is curl up with a book, a beer or a glass of wine, and relax. But now I need to think about what the hell I am gonna make for dinner.

grrrrrr....

Top Chef - Season 3

2007-06-06T21:02:00.001-06:00

Woo hoo! The new season of Top Chef begins a week from tonight - June 13th - and I am excited!

Click HERE for all the details!

Kool-Aid Pickles

2007-06-05T18:35:00.002-06:00

Have ya seen these? Very strange, but causing quite the buzz!

Here is the latest...the article in the NY Times...check that thing out! lol!

I have done some searching and it seems that the "Jamaica" flavor of Kool-aid is the key to getting the bright red color!

Looks a little weird to me, but a great way to spark up your next summer barbecue!

Deviled Egg Ideas

2007-05-31T13:22:00.000-06:00

Most everyone loves deviled eggs and God knows they are easy enough to prepare! The basic deviled egg is just taking the yolk from a hard-boiled egg and mixing it with a little mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper, with a sprinkle of paprika on top. Sometimes I add a little horseradish to mine, to kick em up a bit - a trick I learned from my sister years ago. And now and then I add a little chopped onion or crispy bacon to them, but that's about as creative as mine usually get.

A recent article in Better Homes and Gardens was inspiring though...it listed a number of suggestions and I wanted to share them with you.

A confetti of chopped colored bell peppers and ranch dressing
Bacon pieces, sliced cherry tomatoes, and snips of basil
Slivers of smoked salmon, snipped chives, and sour cream
Flaked tuna, pickle relish, fresh lemon juice, and a small, thin lemon slice
Cooked diced potatoes, mayo, chopped onion, and radish slices
Fresh asparagus, canadian bacon, and hollandaise sauce
Herbed cream cheese, apple slivers, and toasted walnuts
Cucumber slivers, tiny cooked shrimp, and lemon thyme
Mexican sour cream dip, chopped chilies, olives and cilantro

Feeling inspired? I know I was!

Chicken Florentine

2007-05-31T12:26:00.001-06:00

I will be honest here and tell you that this is the first recipe that I have posted that I haven't made myself! BUT! Jimmy has made it FOR me, so I have eaten it, and it is really wonderful. He got it from his other girlfriend - Giada De Laurentiis - and it is delicious!

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour, for dredging
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons shallots, sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 Cups dry white wine
1 Cup whipping cream
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep it warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicen to coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute until heated through. Season the spinach, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken on top of the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.

Damn the Grilled Duck

2007-05-31T12:24:00.000-06:00

Do you know that I can not find my recipe for grilled duck? I am NOT very happy right now! I was thinking of making it soon, which is why it's been on my mind...damn. I will have to really search and see if I'm overlooking it somewhere...I can't imagine where it would have gone!

Speed Demon

2007-05-31T10:59:00.000-06:00

The push is on now to get shit done before I have to start working! I made a list of everything I have to do this week, and it's a doozy...little by little though, I am crossing things off.

Got my hair cut and highlighted yesterday - Callie did a bang up job - I love it! Aside from that, it's been finishing the few last plantings, making some calls about my duplex, paying bills, going through old papers and magazines, shopping...I am waiting at home today for our locksmith to come and change some of our locks...that's been on my list for, like, 2 months now! (ok...maybe even longer!)

I am praying that the apartment at the duplex isn't trashed and that it will be just a clean up and rent thing, but tenants are tricky so you never really know.

We had a great weekend - the first Memorial Day weekend that I have had off in 8 years - I was pretty excited. We went to the Rockford Wing Ding on Sunday - Breaking Benjamin and Buck Cherry played and I at least got to see Buck Cherry. The place was mobbed and full of drunk, obnoxious people, so it definitely tried our nerves! That and the fact it took 45 minutes in line just to get a damn beer.

But we hung for a while and then went downtown...had a drink at the Irish Rose and then took a horse and carriage ride around for a bit...it was a nice end to the day.

Monday, Jimmy was helping an old neighbor put in a pool, plus he ran some errands, so I had a lot of the day - blissfully - to myself! I made us french toast that morning and then we did burgers on the grill that night, along with potato salad...pretty simple!

I was not thrilled with the clam sauce that I made the other night - the flour without cream in the sauce should have tipped me off...the sauce has to be either creamy or brothy, on one of the two. So I will have to play around with it a little and let you know. Jimmy liked it, but he's never had clam sauce and linguine before, so I need to show him how it's really supposed to be!

Today I am doing a pork shoulder in the crockpot - it's not a real nice day, kinda drizzly and cloudy, so I figured today would be a great day for it!

While I am thinking of it, I did a whole duck on the grill last summer and it was AMAZING..I will find that recipe and post it for you. I will also share some marinades that I use for meats and fish, as soon as I get my act together here! I really have quite a few things that I have, that I have been meaning to post!

Hot Damn!

2007-05-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

Well, I got the job...I am very happy and excited! I am getting a little spoiled having so much time off to do things! I can say that I have used (most of) my time wisely, getting things done around the house and yard, so I don't feel too guilty. It is an amazing place to be when you find yourself unemployed, and I believe that you can either use it to your advantage or waste the time you're given.

I am thrilled that I got to take a freelance writing course, and would love to take another. I am thankful that I have been able to paint, and redo, and garden; all without true time-restraints. I have finally, for the first time in 8 years, been able to have weekends and nights free to enjoy! And with my new position, I will still have that, and I am incredibly happy!

So I just had to ramble...excited and nervous all at the same time!

Wish me luck!!

New Food!

2007-05-22T18:35:00.000-06:00

So tonight I am making my first linguine and clam sauce! I used to order it all the time when I lived in New Haven....that, and white-clam pie (pizza)....it's some of my favorite food! But tonight is my first attempt at actually making it. I got the recipe from Epicurious, but I (of course) am making my own recipe out of that. I am so excited!

I also have more new sprouts sprouting in my gardens...very exciting...I got out and watered everything today and fed them some plant food.

Plus, I actually started to tackle our garage...EEEK!! What a disaster! But at least I made a dent in the chaos!

Cody was so goofy today...I tied him up outside for the few hours that I was out cleaning, watering, etc...He just lays there, in the shade. He doesn't like when I walk out of sight though - he barks for me to come back...he's so funny. And he wouldn't pee while he was tied up...had to wait until I untied him and then ran over to pee like he'd been holding it, which he probably had!
Anyway, I had a terrific day - had an interview first thing this morning, and I feel like it went pretty well. I really hope I get the position, but I will have to wait and see.

Time to start cooking clams! If it's awesome, I will post it tomorrow!

Sprouts!!!

2007-05-21T12:47:00.000-06:00

I have sprouts in my garden already! I am so excited!

Friday I noticed radish and lettuce sprouts, already...I just can't believe how fast they came up! And now today, I see arugula, more lettuce, more radish, plus snow peas, squash and cukes!

Woo Hoo!

Have I mentioned how much I love to grow food?

Tears for Yesterday

2007-05-19T20:13:00.000-06:00

Saline traitors
leaking
Spilling
Threatening my dominance
O’er self control
Who are you
Shaking my foundation
Weakening my core
Lessening my mind
Backward glances
Searching
seeking
My powerful place
My inner bitch
Where have you gone
Misrepresented
Lying
to lay with me
Truth intervenes
Reality
tangled up
Lastly
unnerving
All that I wanted
nothing
I hold

Spring Cleaning

2007-05-17T11:41:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have those days where you wish you just had the time and energy to clean EVERYTHING???

Seriously!

I got up today at 5 am...could have something to do with the fact that I dropped from shear exhaustion last night at 9:30!! Waited for Jimmy to leave and then got down to cleaning. It is 1:00 and I have already done 4 loads of laundry, and scrubbed the house down...bathrooms, stove, dusting, windexing, vacuuming, mopping!!! I just took the garbage out to the garage and thought "man, what a disaster area...maybe I should clean and arrange out here, too."

A girls gotta rest, ya know?

Today is my last day until Monday to take some time for myself...and I still have to shower and go to the grocery store...we have NOTHING left to eat around here! (total lie...plenty to eat...just not anything good..you know what I'm talking about...don't pretend you don't.)

I am helping my parents with a huge flea market they are part of, this weekend. And Jimmy's dad is in town, too. Plus next weekend is another flea market that I said I might help with...I can't believe next weekend is Memorial Day, already!

My moms garden looks soooooo great! I was over there yesterday, and she has all these veggies sprouting up! I am so jealous! I can't wait for my little sprouts to come! We have been lucky...had little bursts of rain the last couple days, keeping my seeds wet!

My friend Mandy got her veggies in a week ago, too...she also has a big strawberry planter that her boyfriend built for her...so, so jealous. She and my mom both have asparagus, too. I am lime-green with envy. My asparagus patch is going to have to wait..maybe I can get one started in a few weeks...we'll see.

I am SO tired...yet so amped over all I have accomplished this last week! Unemployment has it's benefits. LOL!

Butternut Squash Soup

2007-05-16T17:17:00.003-06:00

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Cup chopped onion
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 Cup thinly cut carrots
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 Cups butternut squash, cut into 1 inch chunks
1Tbsp minced jalapeno
31/2 Cups chicken broth
1/2 Cup half and half

In a large pot, over medium heat, add canola oil, onions and garlic. Saute until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, cumin, salt and pepper and cook another 3 minutes. Add the squash, stock and jalapeno, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat if necessary, and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until squash is softened.
If you are lucky enough to have an immersion blender...blend in pan until smooth and creamy. If however, you are like me, you will need to scoop it into a blender (or food processor) and puree it.
Return to the pot and add half and half, stirring to blend well.

If you are really creative you can serve this in hollowed-out squash shells!
Also, a little dollop of sour cream on top, before serving, is divine!

The Gardens are In!

2007-05-16T17:17:00.001-06:00

Well it's about time!

Friday I spent the entire day planting flowers! I was so excited to get out and dig in the dirt! We have a huge window box, and a built-in planter by our front entry, so I did those first. I did Alyssum, snapdragons, impatients, and those viney things in those...vinca? Then I moved into the front gardens and planted a ton of stuff...lavender, creeping phlox, Mexican heather, columbine, clematis, ... I don't even remember the names of everything! lol! I rearranged some limestone rocks to use for stepping stones, too...it looks great.

Saturday I tackled the huge area around these 2 tall pines up by our road. I did some hostas up there, some creeping nancy, white impatients, and creeping phlox.

Yesterday, I got to do my veggies and herbs! Yeah! So this is what I did in my veggie garden (which will never, ever be big enough for everything I really want...): summer squash, zucchini squash, pickling cucumbers, big boy tomatoes, early girl tomatoes, roma tomatoes, lemon boy tomatoes, snow peas, all-colors of bell peppers, white radishes, hybrid rose radishes, sparkler radishes, mesclun, arugula, endive, beets, red onions, white onions, green onions....I think that's everything! Oh, and I planted yellow french marigolds around the whole thing to keep the bugs at bay!

Out front in my herb garden, I planted green globe basil, purple basil, cilantro, parsley, and rosemary!

Woo Hoo! I can't wait!

A letter to jimmy

2007-05-09T10:33:00.001-06:00

oh, it doesn't matter what you say
i just can't stay here every yesterday
Like keep on acting out
the same
the way we act out
Every way to smile
Forget
And make-believe we never needed
Any more than this
Any more than this

it doesn't matter what you do
i know i'll never really get inside of you
To make your eyes catch fire
The way they should
The way the blue could pull me in
If they only would
If they only would

At least i'd lose this sense of sensing
something else
That hides away
From me and you
There're worlds to part
With aching looks and breaking hearts
And all the prayers
your hands can make
Oh i just take as much as you can throw
And then throw it all away
Oh i throw it all away
Like throwing faces at the sky
Like throwing arms round
Yesterday
i stood and stared
Wide-eyed in front of you
And your face i saw looked back
The way
i wanted it to
But i just can't hold my tears away
The way you do

please, believe i never wanted this
i thought this time we'd keep all of our promises
i thought you were the boy I'd always dreamed about
But we let the dreams go
And the promises broke
And the make-believe ran out...

And every time i try to pick it up
Like falling sand
As fast as i pick it up
It runs away through my clutching hands
But there's nothing else i can really do
There's nothing else
i can really do
At all...

Meatballs

2007-04-30T22:21:00.002-06:00

1 1/2lb ground chuck
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1/2 cup flavored bread crumbs
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil

Mix it all together and form meatballs...I do ones a little bigger than golf balls. Place on baking sheets and bake at 350 F for about 35-40 minutes, rolling them around every 10-12 minutes.
Pretty simple...pretty garlicky, so if you are not a garlic fan (as you all know I am), reduce the amount! You can also use just flavored breadcrumbs instead of half plain, half flavored - I do that so I can use my own herbs.
If you like yours with cheese add about 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan to them before baking.

Herbage

2007-04-30T21:56:00.000-06:00

Well, I got some of my herbs in, at least! Got down to my other house last weekend and dug up half of each of my herbs there - tarragon, oregano, chives and thyme. I got them in just before the rains came and now I get to admire them from our kitchen window! Another week or two, and I can put in my basils (purple AND green), parsley and cilantro...yee ha!
I also brought up a few black irises and a couple of splits off some hostas that I have...It made me feel a lot better, to get in and get digging!

This weekend, I got out and trimmed a bunch of dead limbs off of some of the many, many trees we have out here. It is looking much better!
Jimmy is still working on my garden plot - I am getting antsy...I should have had peas, beets, onions, lettuce and radishes in weeks ago. I am trying to be patient!

We went out with his sister on Saturday night and had a roaring good time...a little too much fun, but it was so nice to hang with her! We had some great food at Brio, here in town...they have a tapas menu that is to die for.

My mom and I got to spend the whole day on Friday going to garage sales all over town...we had a blast! We didn't find a lot, but we did get a few things - of course! We did find some cheap canna bulbs that I can't wait to plant! I had some at my other house, but then last year I didn't dig up the bulbs in the fall, and they all died. Argh. Totally my own fault, but I was in the middle of moving and just couldn't be bothered.

I am thinking I'm doing a Mothers Day lunch out here...that was actually my moms idea! So already the menu ideas are a-spinnin'! If I make anything new and exiting, I will be sure to post it!

Grill Season

2007-04-24T10:45:00.002-06:00

There is nothing that I love more than food on the grill...any food.
We finally broke ours out on Sunday, and fired her up.
It was a pretty simple dinner: Baby greens salad with tomato, onion and avocado, rib eyes, portabella mushrooms, and potato and onions...I was not feeling well this past weekend, and this was as much as I could muster, but it was still delicious!

A couple of easy tips for grilling some veggies...
Portabellas, I just brush with a little olive oil (crushed garlic in there is always grand) and then grill on medium flame for a few minutes each side.
If you want to roast red peppers (unbelievable flavor) like those jarred ones you find at the store, simply place whole peppers on a hot grill and burn, all the way around...seriously. Once they are completely charred, use a pair of tongs to transfer to a paper bag. Roll bag shut and let them steam for 10 minutes or more. Open bag, remove peppers, peel off charred skin and discard skin. Easy. You can do this under your broiler, too, although then it is easier to flatten the peppers down on a baking sheet, skin side up, and burn them that way.
Zucchini and Yellow squash, onions, peppers, eggplant, etc. can all be placed directly on the grill to roast.
A great way to do onions, that I learned from my friend, Rene', is to take a whole onion and place on a square of tin foil. Make an "x" at the top (not root) end of it, place a pat of butter on it, salt and pepper, and then squeeze the juice of one lime over it. Fold foil over and wrap, place on grill, and let sit for about 30 minutes...this is to die for..ya gotta trust me! It makes a great side to grilled fish, lamb, beef, anything....yum.
Okay, I am getting carried away...more on grilling at a later date!

Fettucini Alfredo with Prosciutto and Asparagus

2007-04-24T10:29:00.001-06:00

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound prosciutto, julienned
1 cup chopped asparagus, roasted* and chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 pound fettuccini
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute for a couple minutes or until tender. Add cream and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add prosciutto and asparagus and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle cheese over top and stir to melt and combine. Cook until heated through.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add fettuccini and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Add the reserved pasta water and drained fettucini to skillet. Toss to combine pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*To roast asparagus, see my previous post.

I have made a lot of variations of this dish....sometimes I do it with chopped broccolini, sometimes with peas, sometimes with bacon...it really depends on what I have on hand!

Chicken Soup

2007-04-21T19:52:00.001-06:00

I rarely buy chicken soup - I usually have some homemade on hand that I can take out of my freezer and heat. This is best with stock you have made yourself, but you can, of course, use store-bought.

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and garlic, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add stock and water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add the chicken, herbs, and spices. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour.

Add the veggies and continue cooking, still uncovered, for another hour, or until veggies are tender.

Add cooked egg noodles (I tend to like mine really noodley), or you can add cooked rice, instead.
I have also done this with farafelle noodles, or whatever other kind I may have on hand. I even added linguine once!

If you are going to freeze, it is best not to add the noodles, although, I have done that, too!

The Promise of Spring...

2007-04-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

Jim and I have had some tough times lately, as a lot of relationships do. It all came to a head the other night..big blowout with much screaming and yelling. Too much built up, too much not said, too many things not discussed.

I have to admit that my tolerance level is wearing thin. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do not have a high tolerance level for certain shit to begin with. And the older that I get, the lower the tolerance level. And especially when I am going through some trying times without the boyfriend factor, I do not need any added bullshit.

But it would seem that we have talked it out. This is one of those scenarios, that only time will truly tell, but it is a huge weight off of my mind. And heart. I find it hard to function day to day, when Jim and I are arguing..it throws off my chi and disrupts my soul. Jimmy is my best friend. He's the person I usually feel that I can bear my soul to, and he understands. I have never had that in a relationship, before...being able to truly be myself. So when there are problems between us, and suddenly we can't talk about them, I feel hurt. And hurt leads to anger, and anger leads to much worse...it's a slippery, downward slope that becomes increasingly difficult to navigate.

I would much rather be alone, than be in a relationship that I feel lonely in.

Relationships take work, and they take both people to make them work.

We are working on it.

Spring has Sprung

2007-04-18T10:47:00.001-06:00

Ahhh...spring is finally making an appearance. Much to my delight, there is a small bunch of chives growing in our front garden. I don't know how we missed them last year, but this year, there they are, amidst the flowers and the shrubs. Sweet.

I am getting ready to get down to my other property and confiscate the herbs I have planted there...tarragon, oregano and thyme. All of these herbs are wonderful perennials, and there is nothing that I enjoy more than cooking with fresh herbs. Along with these, I always plant some basil - I usually do a sweet, green one and also a purple one - and of course, parsley and cilantro...love it love it love it.

This year, I think I will do some fresh sage, also.

The beauty of planting a lot of herbs, is that they also bloom...chives with a purple flower, my oregano and thyme with white...they look very pretty in a garden, along with being yummy.

I also dry all of my herbs - when they start to get a little leggy, or the season is coming to a close, I take stems of them and hang them upside down until they are dry. Then, simply crumble herbs onto a plate and store in jars. This way, I can enjoy them all year long.

The seeds that I started indoors are all doing well...a few different tomato varieties, some different colored bell peppers, etc. Still a few weeks away from planting them around these parts, but that's okay!

If you are not cooking with fresh herbs, you are missing out on a whole world of flavors. And you don't need a large area to plant them; in fact, they do really well in a container garden. Even in a small area or containers, you can do not only herbs, but some leaf lettuce, arugula, and even tomatoes!

Try planting something this year! There is nothing more rewarding than watching it all grow and then being able to create wonderful dishes with it!

Busy, busy, busy

2007-04-10T07:06:00.000-06:00

How is it, that without a job, I am busier than I was with one?

I finally got my biggest spare room primed and ready to paint. Now I can't paint it because Jimmy has 2 friends coming to visit tomorrow & we don't want to stink them out. That is fine, really, considering I am backtracking on the painting it gold idea. All of the yellow paints are so YELLOW and all of the golds are so DARK, I think I may just do it a light brown/dark beige.

We did get one of the mattress sets moved out though, (amid much huffing, puffing and bitching) and I got the bed all made with fresh linens, so it's aired out and ready. And even though it's primer, at least the room is all one color now. I still need to power clean the rest of the house..that is on my to-do list today, along with making potato salad and maybe some bean salad. I want to have some easy to eat food for when Alex and Valerie get here, just in case. Oh, and I'm doing laundry now..don't want to leave it till the last minute.

I have to finish my travel article for class tomorrow night...so I need to do that today or tomorrow. I cannot believe that tomorrow night is our last class, already. It went by so fast! Next week, there is a class party at the teachers house.

I was hardly even here most nights last week...shopping with Mandy and Sara on Tuesday night, Freelance writing class on Wednesday night, Church with my parents on Thursday night, Disco party on Saturday night, plus Easter service with my parents on Sunday morning.

I finally got to see Sara and Tims house on Tuesday night and I just loved it. They haven't gotten the chance to do a lot to it, but it is really pretty cool. They have hardwood floors, and slate tile in the kitchen. Sara is into Feng Shui, which I find really interesting. I have so much clutter and crap that I am trying to get rid of, and their house just emphasized how nice a place can look without a bunch of STUFF in it!

Mandy got to show me pix of her and Mikes new bathroom - they just overhauled it, new tub and vanity, new flooring, everything...it looked great on her camera - I can't wait to see the real thing though.

The Disco party was a lot of fun! Jimmy said I looked pretty "Charlies Angels" so I took that as a compliment. It was hard to get my hair to feather, but I made it work - shelacked it down - it held up most of the evening. Sara's friend, Mary, was really nice, and a lot of fun. We all had a pretty good time! It ended at midnight, so I was home by 12:30. I sat up for a little while, trying to talk to Jim and finally crashed around 1:30.

Sunday morning I was up at 6:45...Jim had fallen asleep watching tv, so he slept on the couch all night. I showered and stuff and then came out..and he just got up and went downstairs without saying a word to me..nice. That really set my day off nicely. Whatever.

Our church had a beautiful service, plus the pastor did a funny piece ala Jeff Foxworthy, called "you might live in the Midwest if"...I wish I could remember them all. My parents took me out for breakfast afterwards, and we got the buffet and ate like pigs. I came home after and just chilled out. Jimmy had a thing to go to at his sisters house, but I stayed home. Not that we were talking that day, certainly not with the way he started it out...he'd asked me earlier in the week if I wanted to go, and I said I didn't think so. Why am I going to all of his events, when he won't even consider going to mine? Right.

I am really fed up with his selfish attitude. He made a crack about something the other day...said "well, I'm sure I'll read about it on your blog". Nice, again. Maybe if he talked to me, he might know how I was feeling.

You might be a crappy boyfriend if:

you have to find out how your girlfriend is feeling by reading her blog.

But he's moody...that's his excuse.

You might be a crappy boyfriend if:

You only want to do things that you want to do.
You never want to go anywhere or have people over, unless it's someplace you want to go, or people you want to see.
You can go days without talking to your girlfriend....and you live together.
T.V. is more important than anything else.
You're too tired to do things with your girlfriend, but find plenty of energy to do other stuff.
You have come to expect your girlfriend to: make dinner, do the dishes, take out the garbage, clean the house, do the laundry, feed the cats, feed the dog, let the dog out...it's all expected of her, so never say thank you....never. (oh it was like this before I stopped working)
When she's good and pissed, buy her flowers and a card that basically amount to: I'm a crappy boyfriend, deal with it...and then stop talking to her again.

God...This shit is getting really old.

Anyhoo...same shit, different day.

I got a house to clean...catcha later.

Chicken/Vegetable stock

2007-04-07T11:26:00.001-06:00

I try to make my own chicken and veggie stock whenever possible. It freezes well and tastes much better than store-bought. Plus, I know that it is only good stuff in it...not a ton of sodium or preservatives. I do the chicken stock whenever I roast a whole chicken, making use of the left over chicken and carcass. I really hate to throw things out!

Now I don't really have a recipe for this, I will just tell you how I do it.

I take the chicken carcass and clean off any remaining, edible chicken meat, and reserve. (I freeze it, unless I am going to immediately make chicken soup).

Place the carcass in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Turn on heat to medium.

Now, I learned this from a chef, so it might sound strange, but it always results in a beautiful stock.

Take a clove or two of fresh garlic, crush them, and place in pot, skin and all.

Peel an onion or two, and the ends you cut off, plus the skin?>that is what you put in the pot. Put the peeled onion(s) in the fridge for other stuff.

Toss in 6-8 whole peppercorn, a bay leaf, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and about a teaspoon of salt.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer on medium-low heat until liquid is reduced by half.

Let cool, and then pour through a colander. Throw away all solid waste.

Take a couple of paper towels & line the colander. Strain the stock through paper towels. Repeat this step another 2 times, using clean paper towels each time.

That's really it...although I usually take it a step further...

I go through my veggie bin in the fridge, and all that stuff you cut off and throw away?>put it in your stock>I throw in broccoli stalks, asparagus bottoms, celery bottoms, carrot tops, scallion tops, leek tops, etc. It's a great way to clean all your veggies in the fridge for other meals, plus you are using what you would normally throw out.

This adds so much flavor - it is amazing!

Now with veggie stock, I start with all of the veggies parts that I've mentioned, plus the garlic and herbs and spices.

Again, simmer until liquid is reduced by half, strain as above, and use or freeze.

It is so easy - and there are so many things you can do to make it yummy!

Tomato Sauce

2007-04-07T00:02:00.001-06:00

Making your own tomato sauce is really pretty easy, and you can always freeze the extra portions for later use in all kinds of dishes. It is well worth the little bit of effort it takes to make it and it's way better than those jarred or canned sauces!

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes (or whole, peeled if you like your sauce a little chunkier)
1 28oz can water
1/2 of a 6oz can tomato paste
2 tsp each:
dried oregano
dried thyme
dried basil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper

In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients. (if using whole, peeled tomatoes, crush them with your hand as you add them to the pot. Otherwise, coarsely chop them first.)
Bring sauce to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a low simmer.
Simmer, uncovered (or partially covered) for at least 3 hours, up to 5 if possible.

If the sauce begins to get too thick, add a little more water.

I watch for the color of the sauce to change...it slowly deepens to a brownish-red.

Meat Sauce:

Brown 1 lb any combination: ground beef, pork, or turkey
Drain off excess fat
Add 2 Tblsp olive oil to meat and stir

Continue from onion and garlic step above.

Other Options:

If you'd like, add 1/4 cup of red wine to the sauce.

If you like your sauce with just a little kick, toss in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Now, some people like to add mushrooms and bell peppers to their sauce...I do not...however, if you want to add them, add them with the onions and garlic.

If you would like to do this in a slow cooker, make the sauce on the stove & then transfer to your slow cooker.

Mussels over Linguine

2007-04-05T07:29:00.004-06:00

For cleaning mussels, see previous post.

2 lbs mussels, cleaned and soaked
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 stick butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp each, salt & pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1-2 lemons
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 (1 lb) box of linguine.

Prepare linguine to al dente, according to directions on box.

Meanwhile, melt butter in the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and red pepper flakes, simmering until softened, and garlic starts to turn golden, about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in wine, oregano and salt & pepper, and bring to a boil.

Add mussels & cover, reducing heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until all of the mussels have opened. If any have not opened at this point, ya gotta toss 'em.

Stir in fresh basil & parsley. Cover pan for a minute or so, to wilt the herbs & transfer flavor.

Fill serving bowls with pasta & spoon mussels & sauce over each serving.

Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over each bowl & then sprinkle with parmesan, and serve.

Serve with a nice salad of baby greens, and a loaf of crusty bread or rolls.

And a bottle of wine, of course!