tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17992236329655231422024-02-18T17:35:26.574-08:00Renaissance Kitchenjenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-15724923849140162592011-01-19T10:27:00.000-08:002011-01-19T10:27:23.371-08:00UPDATES!!!!!!!Hi everyone.<div><br />
</div><div>Just letting you know that Renaissance Kitchen has been moved to http://thruthekeyhole.tumblr.com! You can find all my current recipes as well as photos, etc..!!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Thanks for checking it out. </div><div><br />
</div><div>xx</div>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-68997365247426124142010-09-19T18:13:00.000-07:002010-09-20T09:19:26.080-07:00what links us together.Whenever I'm having a bad day, I cook.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>It doesn't even matter if it something simple, like making the vinaigrette for a salad from scratch; sometimes all it really takes is just the mindless act of chopping ingredients on a cutting board, or stirring a pot of something bubbling away at the stove, that makes me smile.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Whatever it is, the kitchen never fails to make me feel better. Growing up with a younger brother who was handicapped, my family had its fair share of heartache. But I've never been one of those people who looks back on their childhood as a bad one. It wasn't all that bad, just unstable; to the point where constant change and adapting became normal to me, like breathing. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So maybe that's why, from a young age, I fell in love with baking. The precise measuring of ingredients; the smell of something deliciously sweet or savory that permeated from the oven. I loved it all. Mostly, I loved the predictability of it; that I could start off by just reading the instructions for a recipe, and by the time I was whisking ingredients together, or spooning dough into rounds on a cookie sheet, I could transport myself to a different place. A place where, by following a few simple directions, butter, sugar and flour could produce something as consistant and wonderful as strawberry shortcake. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Today, when I cook in my kitchen, I don't just bake; I boil and roast and fry and saute and blend. I whisk and caramelize and knead and stir. I don't have to follow a recipe's instructions as often as I used to, and sometimes I make up my own. But there's one thing that hasn't changed since I was that little girl, standing in my parent's kitchen, trying to make sense of my life by way of chocolate chip cookies. What hasn't changed is that cooking, no matter what form it takes on, still has the power to transform me, or the people I love, even on the hardest of days. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm not that little girl any longer, and I've become a much better cook than I was then. But that doesn't mean that I've forgotten who I was, or where I've come from. Each time that I sit down to eat on my grandmother's wooden dining table, or churn sorbet in my mother's old Kitchenaid Ice Cream maker, I take my family with me. The memories, good and bad, make up the woman that I am today, like the many layers that make up the dishes I create in my kitchen.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I cook, because it makes me happy, and it makes other people happy. We all have different ways in which we deal with the stress or pain in our daily lives. For some people, it's a glass of whiskey or wine at the end of a long day- or yoga, or running, and that's just fine. For me, <b>I choose to cook in my kitchen</b>. The pots and pans, the wooden spoons and measuring cups- the way it makes not just me, but anyone, smile when they eat something that tastes delicious. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Like me, both of my brothers share a love for food. My older brother, Steve, was a restaurant chef for many years, and my younger brother, Michael- well he loves anything you put in front of him, especially if it's laced in ketchup. I like to think that it's something we share as siblings, <b>a tiny invisible string that links us together</b>.<br />
<br />
</div><div>They're who I am thinking of today, while I wait for my Roma tomatoes and Italian sausages to finish roasting in their juices with rosemary, thyme and olive oil. I can feel my bad mood begin to lift already. I'll smile when I taste the caramelized onions and garlic, whose flavor has mellowed and sweetened during their time in the oven- the perfect balance to the acidity of the tomatoes and the richness of the meat. And I'll smile because of that little girl in her parent's kitchen, trying to make sense of the world with her mother's cookbook, her grandmother's green pyrex mixing bowl, and an oven.<br />
<br />
<b>Roasted Roma Tomatoes and Italian Sausage</b><br />
<i>Yields enough for two hearty servings (but can be doubled very easily to accommodate more)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A Note:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is the kind of recipe that will put </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">anyone</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> in a better mood, no matter </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">who </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">they are. It's mindless cooking, but comforting, and the most rewarding dish to to eat. You can serve it with big hunks of toasted bread, or just eat it straight from the refrigerator with a knife and fork, which is exactly what John and I did. It's also fabulous the next day, chopped up and tossed with any kind of pasta. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz9GTOQzC2FTu-Bt3br6V7LwfI5GHqzOQ2kKpWWfgXMZFWqZQn066d1Bgzj6AjY9It7crtGzNM3TeDiuBcHGu2FLyUHJu_A7wbKmOqw26W9jA5BsB5XjJSCa5PhiEdhs19eUAZXQiUfmz/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz9GTOQzC2FTu-Bt3br6V7LwfI5GHqzOQ2kKpWWfgXMZFWqZQn066d1Bgzj6AjY9It7crtGzNM3TeDiuBcHGu2FLyUHJu_A7wbKmOqw26W9jA5BsB5XjJSCa5PhiEdhs19eUAZXQiUfmz/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" /></a></div><i><br />
</i><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>Four good quality Italian sausages (we used "hot Italian", but any Italian type will do)</li>
<li>8 Roma tomatoes</li>
<li>One large cippolini onion, thinly sliced (or any other kind of yellow variety)</li>
<li>Five garlic cloves, peeled and smashed</li>
<li>a sprig or two of rosemary</li>
<li>a sprig of thyme</li>
<li>1-2 bay leaves</li>
<li> extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li>a few small glugs of good quality balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper </li>
</ul><b>Directions: </b><br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</li>
<li>Layer the sliced onions and garlic on the bottom of a large baking/roasting tray. </li>
<li>Drizzle a decent amount of olive oil into the pan, enough to decently cover the onions and garlic with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Place pan in the oven, and let the onions and garlic caramelize, about 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove from oven and add roma tomatoes, herbs and sausage to the pan. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper and drizzle a tiny bit more olive oil, if desired. Toss everything together to coat with oil. </li>
<li>Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. </li>
<li>Turn sausage over on other side, and pour a few glugs of balsamic vinegar over everything. Roast for another 20-40 minutes, depending on how browned you like your sausage. </li>
<li>Check seasoning, and serve on its own- or even better- with big hunks of toasty bread. </li>
</ol></div>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-74609197086234294952010-09-17T13:28:00.000-07:002010-09-20T09:22:44.536-07:00keeping summer around.Summer came late this year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZfFLEqg7nmIb4UFZQQU6tKFmQ4g9XE20M-13QQBXQ6PZp81q5MsKaNmB34PLsqjt2TNIxblLYFSW3igRNp1c9Q-9SA8zu6ZdyNKnOaAGJgxSLI45RSuvmciyVgo1EV3SLf6Y17ThAf21/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZfFLEqg7nmIb4UFZQQU6tKFmQ4g9XE20M-13QQBXQ6PZp81q5MsKaNmB34PLsqjt2TNIxblLYFSW3igRNp1c9Q-9SA8zu6ZdyNKnOaAGJgxSLI45RSuvmciyVgo1EV3SLf6Y17ThAf21/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div>June and July passed quickly, and so did my two week trip to Europe; and by the time August rolled around, the sun had still managed to stay hidden behind thick, grey clouds on more days than I could count. Summer isn't exceptionally warm when you live in a Northern California beach town, and you get used to the fog and the colder winds that blow in from the ocean. But this felt different. It felt like Spring would never leave, permanently stuck between seasons, <b>repeating itself like a broken record</b>. And it was starting to get personal. The cold weather had been bullying my garden for so long that it began to take a toll on our fruits and vegetables, leaving them sad and stagnant. Even my neighbors and friends agreed that the weather was affecting everyone, leaving us to sulk around inside, hoping that the never-ending fog outside would somehow dissipate. I felt it too, in the cool breeze that blew through my window at night, <b>forcing me deeper underneath the covers</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9fR1E0b5o4HSpCotfqI39yPYQrj2zW-RGaHp8uR6A67pSFjDkHNAXRE8-CMQXjbosGjYiVnfsKi2nXdBUgHgczd1csa7ThrH50cgk90MJVVueO-zCF1ZCQrVH4yQJQCi2ZbWE2BlwCju/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9fR1E0b5o4HSpCotfqI39yPYQrj2zW-RGaHp8uR6A67pSFjDkHNAXRE8-CMQXjbosGjYiVnfsKi2nXdBUgHgczd1csa7ThrH50cgk90MJVVueO-zCF1ZCQrVH4yQJQCi2ZbWE2BlwCju/s320/DSC_0032.JPG" /></a></div><br />
But then the end of August came, <b>and things began to change</b>. My garden perked up, and so did I, and all of my favorite seasonal produce finally began to pop up at the farmer's market, which was just starting to come alive again. Watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, basil, sweet bell peppers and spicy hot peppers. John and I took back with us as much as we could, including a bouquet or two of bright yellow sunflowers that had beckoned to me earlier.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgy39FBFx_M5fEEInOVLyy8Z2qDt8w_CcOJJymLgX22fCdPCf1Ydy3NJvifcf8pTfinZDfxMwQO1Ln7U1vzgihoqayRKa-v_KsZm3EFzraU8dLWOLoX6NwSUIWeN0XkkfmXE9C9rZP2ltd/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgy39FBFx_M5fEEInOVLyy8Z2qDt8w_CcOJJymLgX22fCdPCf1Ydy3NJvifcf8pTfinZDfxMwQO1Ln7U1vzgihoqayRKa-v_KsZm3EFzraU8dLWOLoX6NwSUIWeN0XkkfmXE9C9rZP2ltd/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It's not that summer had done it on purpose, making us wait all that time. Maybe she had just forgotten for awhile, or overslept. Either way, we forgave her, asking only in return that she might stay around, <b>for just a little while longer</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwqQP9EH7eELP45XJ7fiTOewVQui55jV44hTPQbiatht57-o2POKIqBzoCxnzei4Xnj2h6pH0l8ru6PHrca03FaonVx2TwmwBAdulf4NnrKJCN0_jxN-oAhrI47aOUnRIyOFh8fE1xDOn/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwqQP9EH7eELP45XJ7fiTOewVQui55jV44hTPQbiatht57-o2POKIqBzoCxnzei4Xnj2h6pH0l8ru6PHrca03FaonVx2TwmwBAdulf4NnrKJCN0_jxN-oAhrI47aOUnRIyOFh8fE1xDOn/s320/DSC_0029.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It's mid-September now and the sun is still shining, but soon enough it will be gone. Eventually the summer produce will be gone too, so there's really only one thing we can do. We'll stuff all of that delicious food into jars and can it. Jars filled with all kinds of jams and preserves, of green beans and carrots and peppers pickled in their own spicy brine, of homemade ketchup and heirloom tomatoes floating in their own juices. W'ell pickle and preserve and can until we can't stand it any longer- and when winter finally comes back around, and the cold air leaves it's mark on our cheeks, we'll stay inside where it's warm and open a jar of something that tastes like summer. <b>Something to look forward to</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4ebvmhQrvunflii9C1DrA2sGEmiddQrghyjkWK6RAX2bK8tFvtBLh9Jok7yu5dwMBJRLxyk57m5gG9g2j-zrrtZ8KQRxwf_T8O63Xjgr-4zf6p0CfPItqO6MYPKwX-OhzEy4ZLOrgx5W/s1600/DSC_0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4ebvmhQrvunflii9C1DrA2sGEmiddQrghyjkWK6RAX2bK8tFvtBLh9Jok7yu5dwMBJRLxyk57m5gG9g2j-zrrtZ8KQRxwf_T8O63Xjgr-4zf6p0CfPItqO6MYPKwX-OhzEy4ZLOrgx5W/s320/DSC_0484.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This is just the start. We've canned a lot, and we plan to can a lot more. And lets not forget that fall harvest will be upon us soon enough; so there will be lots of tasty additions to our growing canned collection. Already, the bartlett pears have appeared by the box load, golden and plump and ripe with sweetness. Which is exactly why, last weekend, we mashed them and forced them into submission with a little bit of lemon juice and sugar and vanilla bean. We appropriately titled our creation "Vanilla Bean Pear Jam", and we're proud of it. I really hope that you make it, not just because it's my recipe, but because it's <i>that</i> good. In my opinion, it puts the "J" in Jam- and somehow I think you'll agree.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvhS-ZVJe1I-0L-pFnpHlWOVFLVB1acszFmfHeqW8IQ-hRNFaeWSop7da7UeNmbpnWX0ExKqfQbYusI3-K7wZozVFBQDe2-H5RxhXySiYYTtWN8w030X5tOZrSR53OxMLHtrmkuxfbZzF/s1600/DSC_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvhS-ZVJe1I-0L-pFnpHlWOVFLVB1acszFmfHeqW8IQ-hRNFaeWSop7da7UeNmbpnWX0ExKqfQbYusI3-K7wZozVFBQDe2-H5RxhXySiYYTtWN8w030X5tOZrSR53OxMLHtrmkuxfbZzF/s320/DSC_0008.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Vanilla Bean Pear Jam</b><br />
<i>Yields about 5 half-pint jars </i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A must read side note: </span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first time I tasted pear jam with vanilla bean was this summer, while I was staying at my friend Virginie's apartment in Paris, France. The first breakfast that we had together, Virginie broke apart a fresh baguette that she had picked up from her favorite neighborhood "boulangerie" (every Parisian has their personal favorite boulangerie, in which they swear that all other boulangerie's come second). To spread on our bread, she offered me the jam, which was a coveted old family recipe. In fact, the opened jar at the table had been made by Virginie herself, on a recent trip to her parent's house in the country. It was, as I'm sure you can imagine, delicious; and I promised myself I would try to recreate it once I had made it back home to the States. I'm not sure what Virginie's family uses for sweetness, or if they add lemon juice or pectin to theirs, but this combination works for me and tastes good enough that each time I take a spoonful of it, it brings me back to Virginie's kitchen. I hope she approves.</span></span></i><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSx33EpdKey_hVxmC5-MSRb-RfMgkS1A4T_HhZQSVZQyTw4Yzs8m4fakpuiCxCkiByekBlbhQuoNBPwQ7xrDaqIX_SDsayB-2tdsu28Viic4xYnhGR3tNkaNTaboxVoQ8LCH1T04dsT_4/s1600/Vanilla+Bean+Pear+Jam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSx33EpdKey_hVxmC5-MSRb-RfMgkS1A4T_HhZQSVZQyTw4Yzs8m4fakpuiCxCkiByekBlbhQuoNBPwQ7xrDaqIX_SDsayB-2tdsu28Viic4xYnhGR3tNkaNTaboxVoQ8LCH1T04dsT_4/s320/Vanilla+Bean+Pear+Jam.JPG" /></a></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>4 cups of bartlett pears, peeled, cored and mashed</li>
<li>1/4 cup of lemon juice</li>
<li>one fresh vanilla bean pod</li>
<li>3/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar</li>
<li>all-fruit natural pectin, amount varies (amount required depends on the pectin brand you choose; it's not a problem, just make sure you use the amount that your brand suggests for the amount of fruit and sugar that is stated in my recipe)</li>
<li>five half-pint jam jars and their lids</li>
<li>very large pot, or canning pot, for boiling </li>
</ul><b>Directions:</b><br />
<ol><li>Wash your jars and lids with hot, soapy water; rinse well. Leave the lids to dry on a clean kitchen towel. Place the jars in a canning pot and fill with warm water, until the water reaches at least 2 inches above the jars. </li>
<li>Bring to a rolling boil, and then turn down the heat; let stand in hot water.</li>
<li>Place mashed pears and lemon juice into a large saucepan. </li>
<li>Add proper amount of calcium water (if using- refer to your brand of pectin's directions).</li>
<li>Mix sugar and proper amount of pectin in a separate bowl, until thoroughly combined.</li>
<li>Scrape the grains out of the vanilla bean pod, and place them (along with the pod) in with the pear mixture. Bring to a boil on medium heat.</li>
<li>Once the mixture is boiling, add pectin-sugar mix to the pan; stirring vigorously for 1-2 minutes, until it has properly dissolved.</li>
<li>Return to boil, and then remove from heat. Remove the vanilla bean pod.</li>
<li>Remove jars from hot water. Ladle the jars with the jam to 1/4" from the top of the jar. This is very important if you want a proper seal; don't mess around too much with how much space you leave.</li>
<li>Screw on lids, and place jars back in the pot of hot water, and bring back to a rolling boil. Boil the jars for 10 minutes, from when the water immediately begins to boil.</li>
<li>Remove jars from water. Let jars cool. (You may even hear a "ping" or two come from the jars while they cool; don't worry, this just means they are sealing correctly)</li>
<li>Check seals for proper seal- lids should be sucked down. Lasts about three weeks once opened.</li>
</ol></div>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-8829652931840910572010-08-28T16:19:00.000-07:002010-09-19T12:44:31.663-07:00forgiveness in the form of Focaccia.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I have a confession to make. It's something I could only trust with you, so I hope you can keep a secret. Four weeks ago, I came home from my amazing trip to Europe. I took my clothes and shoes out of my suitcase, put them back in their usual place in my closet. I gently arranged the coveted teas I brought back from Paris on my kitchen shelf, alongside my freshly dried chili pepper flakes brought back from Barcelona. I ate a lot of chocolate, which I managed to sneak through customs in the airport, along with a whole box of heavenly French macarons that, on a side note, John and I polished off rather quickly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div>And then. <b>I found myself in my kitchen, and I began to cook</b>. It had been awhile, and I realized right away how much I had missed it. Don't get me wrong- it was so nice being with friends, sharing good wine and laughs and recipes from their kitchen. But back at home on my own turf, I took one loving glance at my Le Crueset pans and my favorite bread knife and my Kitchenaid mixer,<b> </b>and I knew it was all over from there. Oh reader, I made so many things. I made a gorgeous plum torte, a french apricot tart with a creamy vanilla filling, three pots of spicy chicken noodle soup, a pot of lentil sausage soup, a pot of fennel vegetable soup, a roast chicken, two loaves of foccacia bread, and Panzanella salad with grilled bell peppers, onions, crusty bread, and tomatoes. I made zucchini fritters, fig ice cream, chicken stock, and heirloom tomato salad. Hell, I even made a loaf of oatmeal sandwich bread.<br />
<br />
But the problem is, dear reader- the reason I am telling you all of this- is that <b>I made all of that wonderfully delicious food</b>, and I didn't blog a single one of them. Not only that, but I never even gave you <i>one</i> photograph from my travels to enjoy while you waited! And there were so many things to show you- like the one of the best cafe creme I ever had, in a bistro in Paris; or the one of John eating a really, <i>really</i> good carne empanada, at the unbelievably amazing La Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain.<br />
<br />
So, I'll admit it. I have been a complete and utter slacker, in every possible way. I have been a slacker in the way of chicken noodle soup, zingy and warm from suprising ingredients like lemon and cinnamon; and I've been selfish, ever so selfish, keeping all those wonderful recipes to myself. I didn't even share the fig (fig!) ice cream with you, and it's because of my guilt that I am here to offer you my humblest apologies, in the best way I can; I am here to offer you the recipe for my <b>Tomato-Rosemary Focaccia Bread</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0eCSd6o2YpsBvUbY5HLu7xG1BYg1vjOs3_5jPB2iqwttkUhOO4eXux7RPwrHr_aO9259nS3FKUlTtYbPVldn-avT181ToeiwGssFwLRIMk0ItZr5DoMCqDjAxHVaWkARbT3VHu7YD3hS/s1600/DSC_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0eCSd6o2YpsBvUbY5HLu7xG1BYg1vjOs3_5jPB2iqwttkUhOO4eXux7RPwrHr_aO9259nS3FKUlTtYbPVldn-avT181ToeiwGssFwLRIMk0ItZr5DoMCqDjAxHVaWkARbT3VHu7YD3hS/s320/DSC_0453.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I know. I know what you're thinking. That you're not so easily bought. That you're forgiveness is worth far more than one stinking recipe for bread. But that's because you don't know how perfectly delicious my focaccia bread is. And how suprisingly easy it is for you to duplicate. You'll have to make it yourself to fully understand, and that's why I'm hoping you will. So if you haven't given up on me yet, and you're still reading this, than please, for crying out loud, just make the damn bread. I promise it won't dissappoint, and you'll be so happy when it comes out of the oven, golden and speckled with rosemary and tomato and fragrant from yeast and garlic and salt, that you'll forget all about my horrible, selfish ways. <b>Perfectly crunchy on the outside with a soft, chewy crumb in the inside</b>, this bread is the perfect accompaniment to any meal, anytime of the day; but I personally think it's best eaten straight from the pan, when it's still warm from the oven. Anyway, you decide, and in the meantime, I'll leave you with the photographs I promised I'd show you, and I hope that you'll forgive me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrsQKpR4khVO_MQw8g7Gf7WLwFI3cB7WEYQFPOUT8pwnG4CJyehmVNlFdRi9nB1ADtDqRjBZ7fHQUo2kdIF1vo-WkE0c4l3RKU5CXeesJ7NbVrg4FTohcpFmFAp0g1UebQoqIorB39yNo/s1600/FH000008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrsQKpR4khVO_MQw8g7Gf7WLwFI3cB7WEYQFPOUT8pwnG4CJyehmVNlFdRi9nB1ADtDqRjBZ7fHQUo2kdIF1vo-WkE0c4l3RKU5CXeesJ7NbVrg4FTohcpFmFAp0g1UebQoqIorB39yNo/s320/FH000008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a cafe creme (espresso w/milk) at a French bistro.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgxG1JnDy_w5ZT65rA9n9bTKhah0ld-Rfcgc-W0j9GU4TUHR33Z6gyeUYBvjv-XRkdWTQnGxFXBxA_RINFXQt4xSaSOZIsYcvxxUhNMHET7ns7rWZyM_8HJTpiFqtRqvYnabDJiD2aR2d/s1600/38903_412806837198_503842198_4847485_865148_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgxG1JnDy_w5ZT65rA9n9bTKhah0ld-Rfcgc-W0j9GU4TUHR33Z6gyeUYBvjv-XRkdWTQnGxFXBxA_RINFXQt4xSaSOZIsYcvxxUhNMHET7ns7rWZyM_8HJTpiFqtRqvYnabDJiD2aR2d/s320/38903_412806837198_503842198_4847485_865148_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the Louvre museum in Paris.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjjBBah8bF78Htsj70LlVXx1vzpaU7diG4hGW1jE7__MOXa-j2fAZspP6CuKYEUEzt8inVT3Hgu6IlaBSPYD3xhDVI_MUkyq-pcyja_NeqzvkPKptjmPLRqP0tInhOcAQgNxani2tYbMm/s1600/DSC_0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjjBBah8bF78Htsj70LlVXx1vzpaU7diG4hGW1jE7__MOXa-j2fAZspP6CuKYEUEzt8inVT3Hgu6IlaBSPYD3xhDVI_MUkyq-pcyja_NeqzvkPKptjmPLRqP0tInhOcAQgNxani2tYbMm/s320/DSC_0271.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best carne empanada I've ever tasted.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLkYwLnqj0BQ3Ka3gjXcwxVvz-SvuJ9cFOB74bviMgdzy4c77pjgLiWVJtMFkwFsIu5LuQYhRrQTV1s0OvUOJpiAqEknlNFaN5mH1MQWdOA9JX8o80W_FXEN_3NA98vFtZ4RcF6JxBMG2/s1600/DSC_0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLkYwLnqj0BQ3Ka3gjXcwxVvz-SvuJ9cFOB74bviMgdzy4c77pjgLiWVJtMFkwFsIu5LuQYhRrQTV1s0OvUOJpiAqEknlNFaN5mH1MQWdOA9JX8o80W_FXEN_3NA98vFtZ4RcF6JxBMG2/s320/DSC_0268.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My personal fave: chili's, and lots of them- at La Boqueria Market in Spain.<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq07-_ugSED5qYskl_Mxr8nvji1ScHO1N7uVoN6D3Bt2kBne9vb9gRcSshYTkyhz3DVNelbd7LrrkT9cfWmBFR8un2fgztY4lba-lPV-bLpz0qwN8u_KJbBzPpj5ar96l-tM6RDvgYKKg2/s1600/DSC_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq07-_ugSED5qYskl_Mxr8nvji1ScHO1N7uVoN6D3Bt2kBne9vb9gRcSshYTkyhz3DVNelbd7LrrkT9cfWmBFR8un2fgztY4lba-lPV-bLpz0qwN8u_KJbBzPpj5ar96l-tM6RDvgYKKg2/s320/DSC_0278.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom varietals at La Boqueria.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><br />
</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span">Tomato-Rosemary Focaccia Bread</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5lgu0J8Eyay6xfbqxmddg9JtkSplg6wViiinsYWMLRMlct_2OawVY8mXA-BJ2ECCZ4pKdVarPyEDgGWPZjCDeokAYYeI_jBjcdv46Km9Maj-Bm4KmZn6u8cfbiYoBguHngcD5QQs6h9q/s1600/DSC_0458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5lgu0J8Eyay6xfbqxmddg9JtkSplg6wViiinsYWMLRMlct_2OawVY8mXA-BJ2ECCZ4pKdVarPyEDgGWPZjCDeokAYYeI_jBjcdv46Km9Maj-Bm4KmZn6u8cfbiYoBguHngcD5QQs6h9q/s320/DSC_0458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On a side note (because there's always a side note, isn't there?): This recipe is adapted from a March 2002 issue of Gourmet magazine, but their version called for more flour, and in my opinion, the dough came out far too dry- which is why my version starts off with less flour, and you can just add more if your dough needs it. I also added the garlic and tomato- but if you're not a fan, there's no reason why you couldn't omit them. I've made this recipe dozens of times without the tomatoes, and played around with a few more herb combinations, which I encourage you to do. This is just my personal favorite combination at the moment. Whatever you do, promise me you will add the rosemary. It's a must</span></span>.</i><br />
<i> </i><i><b> </b></i><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast</li>
<li>4 cups (may need a bit more depending on how dry/moist your dough is) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading</li>
<li>1/4 cup plus 3 extra tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 teaspoon course sea salt</li>
<li>2 and 1/2 tablespoons table salt</li>
<li>1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, plus extra 1/2 teaspoon</li>
<li>1 large tomato (or two small tomatoes) cut into 1/4-inch thick slices</li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another note: I use a KitchenAid stand mixer to bring my dough together, because it's easy and quick; but if you don't have one, you can certainly do it with your hands and knead it the old-school way.</span></span><i> </i></div><div><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Directions: </b></div><div><ol><li>Stir together 1 and 2/3 cups lukewarm (105 to 115 degrees) water and yeast in a bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy/foamy, about 5 minutes. </li>
<li>Add flour, starting off with just 4 cups, and adding more, a 1/4 cup at a time, if your dough seems too wet. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 2 1/2 tablespoons table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at medium-high speed until the dough is soft, smooth and sticky, about 3-4 minutes.</li>
<li>Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough for 1 minute- your dough should feel slightly sticky- then transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise, at room temperature, until it is doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.</li>
<li>Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Let the dough rise once more, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 500 degrees.</li>
<li>Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then drizzle evenly with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary.</li>
<li>Lay tomato slices evenly on top of dough, making sure not to let any slices sit too close to the edge of the dough (their juices will run off the sides of the bread and create a mess, and trust me you don't want that). </li>
<li>Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt and the sliced garlic evenly over the top of your dough.</li>
<li><i>Okay, here's the important part: </i>Bake in the middle of the oven, for about 6 minutes, until lightly browned, then turn the oven down to 475 degrees. Bake until golden and cooked through, about another additional 15-20 minutes.</li>
<li>Immediately place focaccia onto a rack using two spatulas, or inverting a rack over pan and flipping the focaccia onto the rack.</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VtfNURTE0hIfbGsId0JqPtfq0csJTcWPPmazuv5KjKsUIrHN83S5L_2TM80geKw3TMypPd87oS9u7tdlhf_ZUiIO2hc7qJBdFH58RvMWGsM1xRph9hM1R-5MqLGDMnnRrvrzZWfrec8z/s1600/DSC_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VtfNURTE0hIfbGsId0JqPtfq0csJTcWPPmazuv5KjKsUIrHN83S5L_2TM80geKw3TMypPd87oS9u7tdlhf_ZUiIO2hc7qJBdFH58RvMWGsM1xRph9hM1R-5MqLGDMnnRrvrzZWfrec8z/s320/DSC_0449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-38638540213018503832010-06-28T00:32:00.000-07:002010-06-28T09:54:26.580-07:00a farewell with deli meat.Last night, John and I went over to my brother's house for dinner. It was one of those nights when nobody felt like cooking, so we all agreed on something uncomplicated. Steve's wife, Elena, had just come back from a recent trip to Washington D.C. to visit her mother, and had found herself back in an old Italian deli that she had visited often as a young girl. <b>She brought back with her a variety of mouth-watering Italian deli meats</b>, like Mortadella and spicy Ham- and with that in mind, we decided on a dinner of Italian-style sandwiches, with wax peppers, pepperoncinis and olives to snack on the side.<br />
<br />
We layered thick slices of freshly baked Focaccia bread (from local breadmaker Brio) with buffalo mozzarella, provolone and the prized deli-meats, and then topped it all off with a sweet-and-spicy chili-pepper spread and lettuce and tomato. Mine disappeared rather quickly, and I couldn't help thinking how lucky I was that in my family, this was considered an "uncomplicated" dinner. It was absolutely delicious. And then, of course, I had a never-ending supply of hot peppers to chose from- which as you might already know, makes me very, very happy. My brother and I both have a special place in our hearts for spicy food, so I can always count on getting my fix at his house.<br />
<br />
<b>Between big bites of food and a few cold beers to wash it all down</b>, we chatted about the World Cup, laughed until our stomachs hurt, and discussed my upcoming trip to Europe (two more days!). While we chatted, Steve and Elena's kids- Nico and Natalie- popped in and out of the conversation, eager to show us a new toy (Natalie just acquired her first set of golf clubs), or just to ask for more yogurt (Nico's favorite). It was a great meal, with great company, and I couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye to my brother and his family before leaving for my trip.<br />
<br />
At this point, I'm sure you've guessed that I have no recipe for you today, but I hope you can cut me some slack, since I technically could be packing my suitcase, instead of writing on here. I guess, since were on this subject, I should also say that I can't promise I will be posting many recipes on here during my trip- but I <b>can</b> promise you lots and lots of photographs of food, and stories of my adventures along the way. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmR3-oPg4NcBaHnAyVVSwrPUHV5FCTd8OqStBRKpRy0j3_0yzAkPBL2uTFWO_VFOkKyEKJX8o_WsnhHCs2dYCT-dTnu3vEesx4i0zur2ykG8B7uexFyTRlwMsNMCWR_5QalF45hESpWuW/s1600/CIMG1084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmR3-oPg4NcBaHnAyVVSwrPUHV5FCTd8OqStBRKpRy0j3_0yzAkPBL2uTFWO_VFOkKyEKJX8o_WsnhHCs2dYCT-dTnu3vEesx4i0zur2ykG8B7uexFyTRlwMsNMCWR_5QalF45hESpWuW/s320/CIMG1084.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I'll be back in the States in about a month, so in the meantime, I'll keep you all posted, and wish me bon voyage!jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-13520155050804035382010-06-25T20:33:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:13:30.400-07:00Wishful Thinking.There are so many reasons why I love Italian food, and it's not just because my boyfriend is Italian. Even as a young girl, I always had a special connection to the cuisine. I think at one point I even wished my own mother (hey Mom! I love you!) would turn into an Italian one, so I could rush home from school everyday to find her<b> standing at the stove, stirring a big pot of tomato sauce</b>, and yelling at me to chop more garlic. That wish probably came from the fact that my first serious boyfriend- who was also Italian (what can I say, I guess I have a thing for them)- had a mother who was born in Italy, and still had the accent to prove it. Whenever she would call on him to come down for dinner, or ask me if I wanted a piece of her homemade Tiramisu, I would swoon every so slightly at the sound of her voice, my head filled with visions of an unknown country whose food I had fallen in love with.<br />
<br />
As it goes, my mother is actually Jewish, not Italian, but she does make a mean tomato sauce. Seriously. It's from her recipe that I've created my own, and although I've never been to Italy, I think it's some of the best tomato sauce I've ever tasted. It's tangy and sweet, rich and creamy, and hey- even my boyfriend approves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uGnaEJximNKwZcmlNsYPMPS6gyBcaweBmvBBzxWrjhVTtKebbilH2ufqmj0_IH3NRIGhYh_WBrdsG3cL1sU604kE2JTMDXvgLU8TW_o_ElOe4K3L0c1cGhFo_g1Xb8Iypo8R0Wj2ilkM/s1600/tomatosaucecloseup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uGnaEJximNKwZcmlNsYPMPS6gyBcaweBmvBBzxWrjhVTtKebbilH2ufqmj0_IH3NRIGhYh_WBrdsG3cL1sU604kE2JTMDXvgLU8TW_o_ElOe4K3L0c1cGhFo_g1Xb8Iypo8R0Wj2ilkM/s320/tomatosaucecloseup.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Basic Tomato Sauce</b><br />
<i>Yields enough sauce for about 1 pound of pasta, or serves 4 </i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Almost every Italian dish, including this one, starts with a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">soffritto,</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> which is a combination of finely minced vegetables and aromatic herbs. The most basic of </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">soffritto</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> consists of a mix of onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. For this recipe, I've tweaked mine a bit, and used butter instead of olive oil, which I think makes all the difference in the flavor of this particular sauce. I've also omitted the celery, but you could add it in and I'm sure it would taste just fine. In Italian, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">soffritto</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> means "fry slowly"- and I can't tell you enough how important it is to spend some serious time with your </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">soffritto</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, because the more patience and love you give it, the more flavorful your tomato sauce will be.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A few other things to think about:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I recommend lightly blending your sauce together at the end in batches with a blender. Once blended, the carrot creates the most beautiful creamy looking sauce, so much so that someone might think it has actual cream in it- and don't worry, I won't tell if you won't.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Also, this recipe can be made with either fresh tomatoes or canned, depending on what you can find. In the Summer, I usually use fresh tomatoes, since they are at their peak of flavor, and in the Winter when tomatoes are more bland and mealy, I use them canned. This summer, however, there has been absolutely no sign of a decent tomato- so I made my sauce with the canned tomatoes- and honestly, I can't tell the difference! I think the most important part of this recipe is the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">soffritto</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, anyhow- but you decide</span></span>.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 28 oz. can of good quality whole tomatoes, including their juice</li>
<li>1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 small carrot, chopped</li>
<li>5 tablespoons unsalted butter</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li>1 teaspoon tomato paste </li>
<li>salt, to taste</li>
<li>pinch of red pepper flakes, optional</li>
<li>2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned </li>
</ul><b>Directions: </b><br />
<ol><li>Heat butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add onion and carrot and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.</li>
<li>Remove cover and add minced garlic. Increase heat to medium, and cook garlic for one minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, shredding them with your fingers to break the whole tomatoes up. </li>
<li>Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes (if using), and season with a little more salt, to taste. Bring sauce to a low simmer, adjusting heat accordingly, and cook, uncovered until sauce has thickened about 20 minutes. </li>
<li>If you can, it is recommended that you blend the sauce in batches through the blender. Be careful! This step can be tricky and hot- don't let your blender explode and spray tomato sauce all over the kitchen walls (trust me, I've done it, and it's not fun).</li>
<li>Add julienned basil leaves into sauce and mix well.</li>
<li>Toss sauce with pasta noodles, and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB54umc5pSdVk9NFXy9Vc3zR16wp9_fm1hPGQd06nEm4ebABEsghxeu5foe7R8Bm5rkfFdrEQxtP7eNdb1G0ldoXrpekTIKY8bY6R_H0Mbxdg9eaFSi46cN4QwBY3EM774GfmPyTs9qFmg/s1600/tomatosauce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB54umc5pSdVk9NFXy9Vc3zR16wp9_fm1hPGQd06nEm4ebABEsghxeu5foe7R8Bm5rkfFdrEQxtP7eNdb1G0ldoXrpekTIKY8bY6R_H0Mbxdg9eaFSi46cN4QwBY3EM774GfmPyTs9qFmg/s320/tomatosauce.JPG" /></a></div>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-66943278396834474982010-06-25T12:42:00.000-07:002010-06-26T11:23:19.953-07:00I've got my head in the clouds.Last night, John and I were lucky enough to come across some unbelievably fresh Wild King Salmon. We were told it had just been taken off the truck from Washington only two hours before, and in that moment, we were sold. The Salmon being the star of the meal, we decided to marinate it in a Teriyaki sauce and then pan sear it. We gravitated towards some bright green and vibrant looking Swiss chard, and agreed to saute it the usual way with olive oil, garlic and a bit of lemon juice. We plopped a few Garnet yams into our basket, with visions of them baking in the oven, <b>and just like that, dinner was planned</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9Fpq9YQcNjfI0h_n8053x7xJYj9twH7DyzvOTi6JuVE8eP_cdCPT2LsL8fgmGYTFapvspS7AR_bwr25ZocidZCWs5p5fLYTxGs-jkVHrNkD0Skyv4ynpbRCfr0iZqXaKKZQuDU93iXsO/s1600/salmonyam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9Fpq9YQcNjfI0h_n8053x7xJYj9twH7DyzvOTi6JuVE8eP_cdCPT2LsL8fgmGYTFapvspS7AR_bwr25ZocidZCWs5p5fLYTxGs-jkVHrNkD0Skyv4ynpbRCfr0iZqXaKKZQuDU93iXsO/s320/salmonyam.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I am an unabashadly huge fan of baked yams, and when they are roasting in the oven with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, I can't imagine why anyone would not be. Filled with vitamins and nutrients and lots of flavor, yams (if not already) should be your best friend in the kitchen. They also pair perfectly, if I might add, with the sweet and buttery flavors of our Teriyaki Salmon.<br />
<br />
I would like to say that I stopped here, but no, I just <i>had </i>to make homemade ice cream. I just <i>had </i>to place a saucepan with cream and sugar on the stove top, and then apparently, when I walked away for approximately 30 seconds, it just <i>had </i>to <b>bubble and boil over and spill onto the stove</b>, where it instantly spread and crackled into a thin layer of burnt crisp.<br />
<br />
Well. Wasn't that fun? I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as John and I enjoyed cleaning it up and watching our kitchen smoke up so bad that we could have played Marco-Polo with our eyes open. Apparently I wasn't done with the fun, or maybe I couldn't think straight inside the cloud of burnt milk. But somehow, the car was started, a trip to the grocery store was taken, and suddenly I found myself staring at a brand new carton of heavy whipping cream, in a somewhat less smoky kitchen. <br />
<br />
Let me tell you reader, if you think that was the end of that, you are very, very mistaken. Honestly, you really should know me better at this point. You've read about my adventures with the Tomato Tart, after all. It should come as no surprise, then, that in the time it took to finish dinner,<b> I had whipped and stirred another batch of ice cream into submission</b>, and had even added bits of chocolate chunks to it at the last minute, on a whim.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VsNBwZjCngS96g0V-eenD4Bt9o2xOfThS49CM_5IkZj0AtGpI-LF-ZvhBhhyphenhyphenGgVlun5RJCDXge56SCFyg6D5u5ChWvySQQyAOFU2jhUOeSOJxPgMlgWdFb25uNoVaT-XXbQWWNWjXIfi/s1600/icecream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VsNBwZjCngS96g0V-eenD4Bt9o2xOfThS49CM_5IkZj0AtGpI-LF-ZvhBhhyphenhyphenGgVlun5RJCDXge56SCFyg6D5u5ChWvySQQyAOFU2jhUOeSOJxPgMlgWdFb25uNoVaT-XXbQWWNWjXIfi/s320/icecream.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
After an unbelievably delicious meal (the salmon, with a caramelized top and a buttery inside was beyond good, I tell you- beyond), we sat down with cups of our ice cream topped with fresh strawberries, and it was, alright. Not amazing, just alright. I've made some really tasty variations of ice cream in my day, and the consistency of this one was perfect. But after a few bites, it was decided that the recipe I used had called for too much sugar. I like my ice cream smooth and rich but not too cloyingly sweet. I'm sure you'd agree. <br />
<br />
So you see, I can't give you the recipe for the ice cream, because I would never, ever give you a recipe I wasn't completely enamored with. Don't worry though. It's only the beginning of summer, and I promise to supply you with some of my favorite homemade ice cream recipes in the very near future. But what I can give you right now, is the recipe for the baked yams. Easy, simple, and perfect- every time. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Baked Yam Halves</span></b><br />
<i>Serves 2</i><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>Two medium yams (we used Garnet, but you can obviously use Jewel instead)<b> </b> </li>
<li>good olive oil</li>
<li>one teaspoon or so freshly chopped thyme </li>
<li>kosher salt</li>
<li>freshly ground pepper</li>
</ul><b>Directions:</b><br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.</li>
<li><b></b>Halve the yams length-wise and place them in a shallow baking dish in a single layer, cut side up.</li>
<li>Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Bake until golden brown and very tender, about 40-50 minutes.<br />
</li>
</ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-2319946779820998312010-06-17T21:27:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:18:58.158-07:00Few things are better than this.So after this week's Tomato Tart fiasco, I was glad when tonight's dinner came together smashingly. Then again, few things (and I mean very few things) are better than pasta. Especially, if that pasta involves butter, prosciutto and parmesan cheese. And then of course, there were the sage leaves fried in brown butter, and I think I might have<b> melted into my chair after the first bite</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwDc12yyqMK37cSYe638dOfr7S5PXdStTIpjjSGo3YJS9ywf6cH0fKYng-ShYXCdt2MI4PG3c7fpcT7wccI1Yt26jhz34-_rKwe9YRXhv2mv0vE0x1c8CaeQOpqe73BF_PxNruxN4yXUd/s1600/pastaoutside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwDc12yyqMK37cSYe638dOfr7S5PXdStTIpjjSGo3YJS9ywf6cH0fKYng-ShYXCdt2MI4PG3c7fpcT7wccI1Yt26jhz34-_rKwe9YRXhv2mv0vE0x1c8CaeQOpqe73BF_PxNruxN4yXUd/s320/pastaoutside.JPG" /></a></div><br />
There is something so wonderfully homey, so wonderfully heart-warming about a bowl of pasta. But it <i>is</i> summer, and there really isn't any need to be warmed up, when the sun is shining like it was today. That's why this pasta is so perfect. It's the ultimate go-to dish when you feel like making something rustic and comforting, but also something quick and effortless- the kind of meal that won't have you using your stove or oven any longer than you need to on a hot day. It's also sort of a godsend, when you are still(!) getting over the scars from a previous dinner gone bad (we all know what I'm talking about). So do yourself a favor, and make this amazingly no-fuss pasta that will have you swooning in no time (from the taste, not the heat, I swear).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJxHRG4VczjwnahvAxrE-PHbBlz-_0r4jnhnCHDENjRuAbn4qEfLhKDqaiKSrQQIqSJbl49dAeWe2s4ktEfFVGPHAYeDDAEb_D7fthTCIPAPIQOf6JekUvZ1W8HVTbFjEI3uCDMMJpqKs/s1600/pastaupclose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJxHRG4VczjwnahvAxrE-PHbBlz-_0r4jnhnCHDENjRuAbn4qEfLhKDqaiKSrQQIqSJbl49dAeWe2s4ktEfFVGPHAYeDDAEb_D7fthTCIPAPIQOf6JekUvZ1W8HVTbFjEI3uCDMMJpqKs/s320/pastaupclose.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And since we are on a roll here, I thought I would share another low key recipe that is quite the regular in our kitchen- and one that goes perfectly with the aforementioned pasta, if I might add. <b>I'm talking about broccoli, oven-roasted with some garlic and olive oil</b> and then topped with a bit of parmesan cheese and lemon zest. I know, I know, you thought I would never roast a single thing after the tomatoes, but look at me now! Like the old saying goes, "If you can't succeed, try, try again."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YPt_AeReDrpG4Hng6L_HPYqRbpY4YVet_J_PdyBm72A6O0JKHNFYHNIybvJNRiOZLZBpFWwuUc6qnQcaFjKUdHTKVKTlSaWT_2dLXUgudHqZ3PXGNpZrsmGE-0cqTyPloQtHgidytwBm/s1600/roasted+broccoli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YPt_AeReDrpG4Hng6L_HPYqRbpY4YVet_J_PdyBm72A6O0JKHNFYHNIybvJNRiOZLZBpFWwuUc6qnQcaFjKUdHTKVKTlSaWT_2dLXUgudHqZ3PXGNpZrsmGE-0cqTyPloQtHgidytwBm/s320/roasted+broccoli.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Anyway, back to the recipe. I am here to tell you that I became an instant broccoli lover- no wait- an instant broccoli <i>fanatic </i>from the moment I tried this. And I'll have you know, I didn't even <i>like </i>the vegetable until this recipe. And if that's not enough to make you want to get up right now and roast some broccoli in the heat, than maybe this will: I will bet you twenty dollars that if you make this for someone who claims to dislike broccoli, they will totally and forever be changed after one bite. They will probably even ask for more, <b>because they will like it that much</b>. Seriously, I'm betting money on this dish. So come on, make it- I <i>dare</i> you.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_-GxOC1AFI5MSZeLMqdBuLwVebFr-Z0q9NO0ZjJeLpLm1HGzeGlPo7Jn_IB32FVvP7UfBTOsP5YFZ9tooM_Y62wzxdQTFgm0Ww2wlYdZcNkHtPqjrZpKtczr0qX0RKRXZ5L4P2pjJunF/s1600/pastaoutsideabove.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_-GxOC1AFI5MSZeLMqdBuLwVebFr-Z0q9NO0ZjJeLpLm1HGzeGlPo7Jn_IB32FVvP7UfBTOsP5YFZ9tooM_Y62wzxdQTFgm0Ww2wlYdZcNkHtPqjrZpKtczr0qX0RKRXZ5L4P2pjJunF/s320/pastaoutsideabove.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan</b><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some notes: This dish is adapted from an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe. My version serves two, but can be multiplied very easily to accommodate more if needed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>2 large heads of broccoli</li>
<li>2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced</li>
<li>good olive oil</li>
<li>generous pinches of salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of lemon zest </li>
<li>1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese </li>
</ul><b>Directions: </b><br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 425 degrees.</li>
<li>Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets. Discard the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a knife and pull the florets apart.</li>
<li>Place the broccoli florets on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the the florets generously with olive oil and then toss with the garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. </li>
<li>Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until florets are crisp-tender and some of their tips are browned.</li>
<li>Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with parmesan and lemon zest. </li>
</ol><b>Pasta with Prosciuto and Fried Sage Leaves</b><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some notes: This recipe is a combination of a few different recipes and variations, including this </span></span><a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-am-not-kidding-around.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">one</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. It serves two, generously, but feel free to scale up the recipe to your preference.</span></span><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>About 6 ounces dried pasta, whatever you prefer (although this dish is best with egg Tagliatelle or egg Papperdelle, which is what we used)</li>
<li>2 oz. prosciutto, sliced 1/8 inch thick<b> </b> </li>
<li>2 tablespoons unsalted butter</li>
<li>Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano </li>
<li>kosher salt </li>
<li>good olive oil</li>
<li>10 sage leaves</li>
</ul><b>Directions: </b><br />
<ol><li>Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a skillet, about 1/4-inch deep, on medium-high heat. Add sage leaves, and cook for about 1-2 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to paper towels.</li>
<li>Bring a well-salted pot of water to a boil.</li>
<li>In the meantime, cut the prosciutto into thin strips length-wise, about a 1/4-inch wide- and then cut the strips in the other direction, about 1-inch long.</li>
<li>Place the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the prosciutto. Sprinkle with a small pinch of kosher salt. </li>
<li>Saute the prosciutto until it loses its raw color (but make sure you don't let it brown), about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.</li>
<li>Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until it is al dente. Drain the pasta, but not too thouroughly, leaving some moisture on the noodles- the starch from the pasta water will help create a sauce when everything is tossed together. </li>
<li>Transfer the noodles into the skillet with prosciutto, and toss. Grate parmesan cheese on top and toss once more. Top with sage leaves, and serve immediately, with more parmesan to your preference. </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ol></ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-34232107645930543402010-06-16T22:25:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:20:48.988-07:00Dear Martha.I have always considered myself quite the optimist; but sometimes life’s challenges can be a bit overwhelming. Especially, when one of those challenges includes a <b>Roasted Tomato Tart</b>. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>I am here to tell you that yesterday was not a good day in the kitchen</b>. In fact, when I woke up this morning, I was still thinking about how disappointed Martha Stewart must be, as I had adapted the tart recipe from her. And although my <span style="font-size: small;">Pâte Brisée</span> (traditional French tart crust) turned out just as planned- and looked just as golden and buttery as the one in Martha's baking cookbook- the rest of the tart was a soggy, sad mess. So sad, dear reader, that I could not bring myself to post a photograph of the disaster on here; I didn’t want to scare you, nor did I want to give you bad dreams. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not even sure how it happened. I roasted a head of garlic, until it was fragrant and oozing out of it’s layers, and I was humming quietly to myself while the tomatoes did their dance in the oven with thyme, olive oil and salt. Hell, I had even bought the <i>expensive</i> Gruyere cheese, thinking, <i>why not?</i> <i>Go bi</i>g. <b>But somewhere between the roasting and the humming</b>, my tomatoes began to take on the form of sundried instead of roasted. Oh yah. You heard me. Shrunken and shriveled into themselves, I placed the pan of anemic tomatoes on the counter and John and I just stood there, silent, taking it all in. John, for his part, tried to reason with me, gently suggesting that we might order a pizza before it got any worse; as it is a well known fact that for me, <b>a bad day in the kitchen</b> is a <b>very, very bad day indeed</b>. Catch my drift?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I should have agreed to order a pizza. I should have stopped before it was too late. But you see, I had Martha there, waiting, and I did not want to let her down. So I forged onward, assembled the tart and threw it in the oven before I could change my mind. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The thing is, sometimes I really am too much of an optimist. I was silly enough to think that the oven would work its magic on my poor, dried up tart and out would appear a fragrant, juicier version of itself. So you can imagine my surprise- and I’m sure you saw this coming- when sometime later, I retrieved the tart from the oven, and it had not transformed after all, and was nothing but a sad, sunken sight. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dear Martha, please accept my humblest apologies. I hope you can forgive me for completely and utterly destroying your recipe. It might have tasted pretty good, but in all honesty, it was not worthy of your approval. I also hope you are not angry with me, because now I am going to rid myself of you, for just a little while, and focus on something that did go right in my kitchen: <b>Taco Night</b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu49AoEEnyD_pgTBJoadxPfLr5hgvrnFA6ZvJvRd6aasbCiGdK_y-yEXGPmRh8OZdewMcEp9RbfcEA4zlscqa-4QiA0a07M2XsxarBhaV3gSNk0UYE7AUcf5_7Y5NbDqJ0w76K5Kh5Qg1/s1600/salsachip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu49AoEEnyD_pgTBJoadxPfLr5hgvrnFA6ZvJvRd6aasbCiGdK_y-yEXGPmRh8OZdewMcEp9RbfcEA4zlscqa-4QiA0a07M2XsxarBhaV3gSNk0UYE7AUcf5_7Y5NbDqJ0w76K5Kh5Qg1/s320/salsachip.JPG" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Phew</i>. Now that that’s over, can we please talk about Taco Night? Taco night was something I grew up with, so much so that when I think back to weekly family dinners, taco night blurs any memory of other meals eaten (well, that and spaghetti and meat balls). I remember chopping the ingredients for the salsa, my mother peeking over my shoulder every once and awhile to check on my progress. In those days, I was afraid to have the last word on whether something was finished or seasoned well enough. I didn't know what to look for, what nuances would give away whether a dish was <i>just right. </i><br />
"It needs more cilantro, don't you think? And a little more salt", my mother would say. And she was always right. <br />
<br />
If taco night is not already a part of your weekly schedule, I strongly suggest that you change that right away. Especially if your tacos are as good as ours, piled high with spicy, pan-fried steak, caramelized onions and a zingy, homemade Pico de Gallo salsa. Served alongside tortilla chips and lime and paprika-spiked corn-on-the-cob, <b>each and every bite is like melt-in-your-mouth heaven</b>. To this day I still have yet to taste a better taco. Seriously. And that’s saying a lot, because I grew up in California, where taco stands and mexican food joints were a plenty. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONKc_9QlaRQZKbdadzfeAawnqN9VMi3qPV74gbTBWymDi3wwKBoTijOuXDSwQb2oOdUa9Sx61NqsgyY_oLvNP-ijBaaujD91bHNsd3_Fh5NxiOrHmQ5GBrq8f9vmzfhepOPP6v6VnZA0M/s1600/tacoandcorn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONKc_9QlaRQZKbdadzfeAawnqN9VMi3qPV74gbTBWymDi3wwKBoTijOuXDSwQb2oOdUa9Sx61NqsgyY_oLvNP-ijBaaujD91bHNsd3_Fh5NxiOrHmQ5GBrq8f9vmzfhepOPP6v6VnZA0M/s320/tacoandcorn.JPG" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">These tacos are inspired by my older brother, a wonderful cook in his own right. When summer is upon us and dinner ends up at his place, he has been known to fire up the grill and cook up a <i>phenomenal</i> tri-tip steak, which is cut into thin slices and served with caramelized onions, another side or two, and then placed atop some warm tortillas. Served with homemade margaritas, a few moans have been known to escape from my mouth (okay, or <b>a lot</b> of moans). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">These days, when it’s taco night at our house, and John is practically <i>skipping</i> through the kitchen with joy (tacos, as it happens, are one of his favorite things in the whole world), I seem to always come back to my brother’s delicious combination, and it never, ever disappoints. So go ahead, <b>declare taco night at your place</b>, and make an excuse to try these. I promise, you will not regret it, and who knows, you might even catch yourself moaning. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZhhY5FiAUq_CH7Ks_gFh5O2VBzMueln0BSaiebGOvfzPr_DggHz-fKZKxBGbNP84nsLOZRHQFqtxpCpclHkVVAnIHl8v9k-Y16p3UqEAPLv8KDblexKdro7w6nYOeqHUb4BHfpRHyI_u/s1600/tacoutside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZhhY5FiAUq_CH7Ks_gFh5O2VBzMueln0BSaiebGOvfzPr_DggHz-fKZKxBGbNP84nsLOZRHQFqtxpCpclHkVVAnIHl8v9k-Y16p3UqEAPLv8KDblexKdro7w6nYOeqHUb4BHfpRHyI_u/s320/tacoutside.JPG" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A few things: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Although we happened to pan-fry our tri-tip, you can certainly grill it (like my brother does). What I love about this meal is that you can use the same pan throughout the cooking process- for frying the garlic and jalapeno, the steak, and the tortillas- and we all could use a little less time washing dishes and a little more time eating in the kitchen. And as for sour cream: we like to use non-fat plain greek yogurt. I know, it sounds crazy, but it tastes exactly like sour cream, and it's so much healthier. We stumbled upon the yogurt idea once, when we realized we had forgotten to pick up sour cream for taco night, and both of us were to lazy to go back to the store. To our surprise, the yogurt tasted wonderful on the tacos, and we've been using it in place of sour cream ever since. This recipe serves two generously, and there is usually a little extra of everything for leftovers (or snacking) the next day. Enjoy.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pan-fri</span><span style="font-size: small;">ed Steak and Caramelized Onion Tacos, with fresh Pico de Gallo Salsa</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbRkSDJ9VxlRAiyM43-PDlUt6G10WPHt6ANE9uvKiAo0PtHtlPPikYyqWNBbvA2i3u3GfW_I6Yo0xOWLhnnf1fdQo6shUHHjdYifJLp3twiNm0BsamHk7m9nCAbnk1MFVZkOdBZ2TWeK-/s1600/tacocloseup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbRkSDJ9VxlRAiyM43-PDlUt6G10WPHt6ANE9uvKiAo0PtHtlPPikYyqWNBbvA2i3u3GfW_I6Yo0xOWLhnnf1fdQo6shUHHjdYifJLp3twiNm0BsamHk7m9nCAbnk1MFVZkOdBZ2TWeK-/s320/tacocloseup.JPG" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients for tacos: </span> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></b></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">one pound of Tri-Tip beef, cut into roughly 2-inch strips</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">4-6 yellow corn tortillas (we use a brand called La Tortilla Factory, and we like their 'Sonoma Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas')</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">good olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">few generous pinches of salt and pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">few generous pinches of cayenne, paprika, chili powder and brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Caramelized Onions, recipe follows</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">non-fat greek yogurt, amount depending on your preference (we usually use one single-person serving container of yogurt and it's always plenty)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">few slices of lime</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">freshly chopped cilantro </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ingredients for Salsa:</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">2-3 cloves of garlic, minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>one small, or half of one medium jalapeno pepper, minced (seeds removed)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1/8 cup olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">4 medium tomatoes, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">one large white onion, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">juice of one large lime</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">generous pinches of salt and pepper, to taste </span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks6WXO8b8wkVz86-YuNGixiin4M-EuWqdZ-xNJiwg6S92X1lfa7XCvJSvFQTuKt9pvuLtPZTXnjOd_kOXApSN1MdR0t5KcgpES-JqvrbcWPTDv8KOsKW8Jh6TsldiLqdJ6ewT5zD0mlKZ/s1600/salsa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks6WXO8b8wkVz86-YuNGixiin4M-EuWqdZ-xNJiwg6S92X1lfa7XCvJSvFQTuKt9pvuLtPZTXnjOd_kOXApSN1MdR0t5KcgpES-JqvrbcWPTDv8KOsKW8Jh6TsldiLqdJ6ewT5zD0mlKZ/s320/salsa.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Directions for Salsa: </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Heat olive oil, garlic and jalapeno in a medium skillet on moderately high heat, stirring until garlic turns golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">In a large bowl, combine onion, tomato, and lime juice. Pour garlic, jalapeno and olive oil from pan over the rest of the ingredients. Add cilantro; mix all ingredients together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, to taste. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Set aside, and let ingredients sit for as long as possible; the longer they hang out in the bowl together, the more time the salsa has to enhance its flavors. </span></li>
</ul><b>Directions for Tacos:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ol><li>Place beef in a large, shallow dish and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, sugar and spices. Gently rub marinade into beef with your hands, making sure to evenly coat each piece.</li>
<li>Cover and let chill for at least 30 minutes; the longer the meat marinates the better it will taste.</li>
<li>Thinly slice one medium or large yellow onion. </li>
<li>Heat a combination of a tablespoon of butter and a bit of olive oil over medium heat, and stir in onions. Season with salt.</li>
<li>Slowly cook over medium heat, covered, and stirring often, for about 30-40 mins.</li>
<li>During the last few minutes of cooking, add a splash of vinegar, stirring to deglaze the pan. Set aside. </li>
<li>Heat a medium skillet (preferably the one you used for the garlic and jalapeno frying), lightly coated with oil, over medium-high heat. Place the tri-tip strips into the skillet and cook until well browned on all sides, turning with tongs, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to cutting board and slice each piece into thin, 1/4-inch strips. Set aside.</li>
<li>Drizzle same skillet with olive oil, enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat on medium high, and lay tortilla in the pan, flipping over once with tongs. Fry for about 15 seconds on each side, or a bit longer if you like them crisper. </li>
<li>Add oil as needed, allowing it to heat up first in the pan, and repeat above step for desired amount of tacos. </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKbq253txOUOLGwMR_kXocIAzapgbb89V4YVzWFkvCfP7QNlpnFjp91Ux4IEnzUQP4OzH-o1hETxIN1c9vczgJotMzKtm0kYiZL6Em2i_x88hlAVRI5m9MeAYym_9HE_J6MmJk6m43nDW/s1600/carmelizedonions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKbq253txOUOLGwMR_kXocIAzapgbb89V4YVzWFkvCfP7QNlpnFjp91Ux4IEnzUQP4OzH-o1hETxIN1c9vczgJotMzKtm0kYiZL6Em2i_x88hlAVRI5m9MeAYym_9HE_J6MmJk6m43nDW/s320/carmelizedonions.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Taco Assembly: </b><br />
<ol><li>Layer fried corn tortilla with desired amount of steak slices, carmelized onions and salsa. Add toppings of your preference (we like to play it simple with some guacamole, to allow the steak and onions to really be the star of the show here, but it's up to you). Top with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of lime juice and cilantro. </li>
<li>Try to eat your taco without the juices rolling down your chin (if you can) and most importantly, don't be afraid if you moan. <b>It's normal when something is this good</b>. </li>
</ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-67538176460485479102010-06-12T18:59:00.002-07:002010-09-17T14:25:31.717-07:00Saved by Salsa Verde and Claritin: an unlikely but pleasant combination.Summer is <span style="font-weight: bold;">finally</span> here. Our garden beds are bursting with green life and the herbs are spilling out of their pots and onto the porch, where Sammy lays panting contently in the warmth of the sun. Besides a bit of wind, the sky is bright blue and completely void of clouds- a perfect day for a bike ride. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQajmS7qCL4rCwbaLONdd0WIni757DXdyulnGoNyimeHkffXNKID2kkjZJPWq9VbfJvK6y7qVIzD3mp3jZ9RfhXEPxisWtiW9peCT06WtCHFYPLiHa9t_6ssqubBr3b96DZkvrcgYIINVE/s1600/02740012.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482094694407115410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQajmS7qCL4rCwbaLONdd0WIni757DXdyulnGoNyimeHkffXNKID2kkjZJPWq9VbfJvK6y7qVIzD3mp3jZ9RfhXEPxisWtiW9peCT06WtCHFYPLiHa9t_6ssqubBr3b96DZkvrcgYIINVE/s320/02740012.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 243px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 367px;" /></a><br />
So off John and I go, he on his spiffy-and-shiny fixed-gear Bianchi, me on my laid back, 1964 Schwinn Cruiser (an oldie but a goodie). We make it about 1 mile, before I start sneezing and hacking and my eyes and nose itch so bad that I feel like screaming. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Apparently summer is here, and so are my allergies. </span>I try pushing through anyway, stubbornly pedaling against the wind. But my sneezing gets so bad that my tongue feels like it's swelling up, and with that, we turn around and sadly head back towards the car. On our way home, I am grumpy and defeated, and I know that the only way to boost my mood is some allergy-medicine and dinner, in that order.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">(Below is a drawing John made of my bike. She's a beauty, ain't she?)</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEczxRFb-KkEeqll2fRGRrN8NJTdwEkv-w70hORFk_Yzfk2eWwOrB-81dAXeXOqTQvAhSn0oeFeaNNt7laeHL1L97Ky_TI8ST3tSkYjSq8TlSiGwquV0T6054brfJ7CtFDOEQgUS28t_n/s1600/31840_1243034010561_1670680603_485282_8248007_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482096253955032338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEczxRFb-KkEeqll2fRGRrN8NJTdwEkv-w70hORFk_Yzfk2eWwOrB-81dAXeXOqTQvAhSn0oeFeaNNt7laeHL1L97Ky_TI8ST3tSkYjSq8TlSiGwquV0T6054brfJ7CtFDOEQgUS28t_n/s320/31840_1243034010561_1670680603_485282_8248007_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
A few hours and a dose of Claritin later, I am in the kitchen, doing what I do best- lusting over the food I am about to cook<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span>Besides nearly sneezing my head off today, I also managed to pick up some lovely produce from the Farmer's Market in town. Bright green and leafy rainbow swiss chard, enormous sugar snap peas, and some amazingly fragrant and heady China Rose garlic- the perfect component to some yellow corn and fingerling potatoes previously purchased at the grocery store.<br />
<br />
In no time at all, I begin to feel like myself again, chopping and mincing and stirring and tasting. The swiss chard is sauteed with garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, and a bit of lemon juice and zest; the snap peas are also sauteed, on a higher temperature, with some garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper as well, cooked until they are slightly soft but still retain their crunch when bitten into. The corn is prepared simply, boiled and then rubbed with butter, salt and pepper. And the whole meal is rounded out with the fingerlings, which are halved, placed on a baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil and salt, and roasted in the oven (at 425 degrees) until their skins are slightly wrinkled and golden (about 20 minutes). <span style="font-weight: bold;">But the</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> real star of the show,</span> is the <span style="font-style: italic;">salsa verde</span> that is poured over the fingerlings when they are still warm from the oven. The fingerlings are then tossed, immediately speckled with garlic, red chili pepper flakes and parsley.<br />
<br />
Full belly and allergy-free, I find myself considerably more at peace. I can't tell whether this is because the Claritin has officially kicked in, or because I've just eaten the whole bowl of fingerling potatoes; but either way it seems like something to celebrate about, so I do, curled up on the couch with a glass of wine, a good book, and my dog at my feet.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjWuurukK29fS0ojMWQNpu55sOzFp1ZGgqQlpqpRHekPfPPBb-K5EqXF0G_hyphenhyphenKq7KLhOfO1EJMQptuZvSZXp5_-X91Zcao6WFJsVYGnIhi29qUpacwFG6Y9fMUzkQZJYUaFk0P3tWqkWP/s1600/fingerlingsalsaverde.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482091879385749826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjWuurukK29fS0ojMWQNpu55sOzFp1ZGgqQlpqpRHekPfPPBb-K5EqXF0G_hyphenhyphenKq7KLhOfO1EJMQptuZvSZXp5_-X91Zcao6WFJsVYGnIhi29qUpacwFG6Y9fMUzkQZJYUaFk0P3tWqkWP/s320/fingerlingsalsaverde.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Salsa Verde for Potatoes:</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This recipe is adapted from the food blog 'Orangette'. The original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of capers, which at the time of making this, I did not have in my possession. I made it without them, and it tasted divine- but if you would like to add the capers, by all means, go for it! And, if you don't, I can vouch that the salsa will absolutely be just as delicious on your potatoes. </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> </span><br />
<ul><li>6 tablespoons good olive oil</li>
<li>2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced</li>
<li>1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice</li>
<li>½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest<br />
</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
</li>
<li>Pinch of red chili pepper flakes</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Let sit for at 15-30 minutes, so the flavors have time to blend together.</li>
<li>Pour over hot potatoes, and add more salt to taste if needed.</li>
</ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-8501919191116657312010-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:002010-06-10T10:20:46.620-07:00a changed woman.When I was a kid I used to hate squash. I hated <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span> about it, from the taste, to the texture (oh lord, the texture!), to the way it smelled when it was cooking. Mushy and bland, I thought it was a child's worst food nightmare. And so I promised myself I would never, ever, be a lover of squash, and moved on with the rest of my life.<br /><br />And I didn't look back.<br /><br />Until, about five years ago, when I met John and he claimed to be the biggest squash-lover there was. He was shocked at my life long contempt for the soft and seedy vegetable and begged for me to give it another chance. Ah, the things we do for love....I gave in and agreed to try some squash- and I'm sorry reader, but I can't say I remember whether it was Butternut, or Delicata, or Acorn, I just remember it was <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">some</span></span> kind of winter squash- and we roasted it in the oven with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and pepper. We may have even drizzled a bit of maple syrup on it. Regardless, I took one bite, and in that moment, the Earth shifted beneath me. It was good. Really good. Apparently I had been missing out on something unbelievably delicious, and suddenly a whole new world opened up in front of my eyes. And John- who continually claims that in our relationship, their is an odd pattern where he is always <span style="font-weight: bold;">wrong</span> (even when he's not, that blessed man) and I am always <span style="font-weight: bold;">right</span>- was ecstatic over his victory. And rightfully so. He had proved my food bias to be wrong in every way. Visits to the farmers market now included my once enemy, the squash- and was hence added to my list of vegetables that could and would inspire a wonderful, seasonal meal.<br /><br />And so. Yesterday John and I were shopping for dinner, tired from cooking a pretty extravagant meal the night before. We wanted something easy. Something simple. We headed over to some fine looking corn, bright yellow and vibrant, and it was added to the basket. For part of our previous dinner, I had roasted some whole, vine tomato's in olive oil, garlic cloves, thyme, salt and pepper, until there skins split open and their juices ran out and onto the pan. They were heavenly. There were still a few left over, so I thought, why not, I'll make a Corn and Roasted Tomato Salad. Basil, arugula, and some Cypress Grove goat cheese was added in the mix. And last, but not least, we eyed some beautiful looking Delicata squash and threw them in the basket too, to be roasted later as an accompaniment to the rest of our meal.<br /><br />At home, and listening to Billy Holiday (because everyone should do this while cooking in their kitchen), I tossed slices of the leftover roasted tomato with the corn (taken off-the-cob, of course), basil, arugula, goat cheese and some salt and pepper. I drizzled the whole thing with the lovely roasting juices I had saved from the pan the night before, and at the last minute splashed a bit of balsamic vinegar on top. It was phenomenal.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I roasted the Delicata squash in the oven with thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper. They came out golden and fragrant and wonderful. And I enjoyed every. last. bite.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ_cqJ-RwfhBvXRVZ-Nd5qv1bMp8Ou3s_mShVj_tJ2mwUjZURr6JJavdvsMNMC-_5iuo3XNT2-JQMW4wR2uYCF4NYa99jNhAjlAFwR4wLZ_xF8zaKrh1lRDgbT3eP10jOsuqxi9VOqQ16/s1600/roasteddelicatasquash.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ_cqJ-RwfhBvXRVZ-Nd5qv1bMp8Ou3s_mShVj_tJ2mwUjZURr6JJavdvsMNMC-_5iuo3XNT2-JQMW4wR2uYCF4NYa99jNhAjlAFwR4wLZ_xF8zaKrh1lRDgbT3eP10jOsuqxi9VOqQ16/s320/roasteddelicatasquash.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481189584175203970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roasted Delicata Squash<br /></span><ol><li>Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.<br /></li><li>Cut the squash in half, length-wise, and remove the seeds. Cut each piece in half again.<br /></li><li>Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt and sugar (or honey, or maple syrup, I suppose), and some freshly ground black pepper. Add some sprigs of thyme leaves, and place in the oven. </li><li>Roast for about 30 minutes. Enjoy.<br /></li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></span>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-60654444995114877052010-06-07T21:00:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:36:06.226-07:00Je T'aime, Tarte Tatin.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsPK8GPq0T2bJMGktUavO-FCIuvJc5ocMPoTufCZ8_rBVDa3oopdSQvsDNlUo1pVOHdIZPp5HK6AuoVLoHyR9NEviiVwI9xUcSzZEQVbnK7khOs_Di6Cj-AM-8cq06MHd4_qoKbJPvtOr/s1600/tartetatincloseup.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480277308524823394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsPK8GPq0T2bJMGktUavO-FCIuvJc5ocMPoTufCZ8_rBVDa3oopdSQvsDNlUo1pVOHdIZPp5HK6AuoVLoHyR9NEviiVwI9xUcSzZEQVbnK7khOs_Di6Cj-AM-8cq06MHd4_qoKbJPvtOr/s320/tartetatincloseup.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>I can't believe that in just a few weeks, I will be on a plane to Europe!!! I'll be visiting a few countries, staying with friends along the way; taking in different cultures and (most importantly) different foods. I will be spending a few weeks in Paris- and although it will be my first time, I know the moment that I lay eyes on all of those oh-so-<span style="font-style: italic;">P</span><span style="font-style: italic;">arisian</span> buttery <span style="font-style: italic;">croissants</span> and<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" style="font-style: italic;"><span title="">pâtisseries</span></span> it will most certainly begin a love affair that I've suspected of having my whole life. I've been preparing myself by brushing up on my French, reading books like Julia Child's memoir, <span style="font-style: italic;">My Life in France</span> (which is so amazing and inspiring by the way, if you haven't read it yet), and last but certainly not least, I've been having a go at some of my favorite French dishes, like this wonderfully delicious tarte tatin.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XikUnHgF7QQR8wgSx4nLxmS1_wuiNN6CPUrpytj3zmiUcSdbMIwW4a_qzxvapkpQeVDvIrQ3Ma-pMc8-eyN8x4ObJsfqH-W2lSyuFpcFps4kY5KA91cXRG5-DmKfMLI3jzSsAmQdQtF0/s1600/tarteslice.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480465239191602546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XikUnHgF7QQR8wgSx4nLxmS1_wuiNN6CPUrpytj3zmiUcSdbMIwW4a_qzxvapkpQeVDvIrQ3Ma-pMc8-eyN8x4ObJsfqH-W2lSyuFpcFps4kY5KA91cXRG5-DmKfMLI3jzSsAmQdQtF0/s320/tarteslice.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Tarte tatin is one of those classically French desserts that everyone, and I mean <span style="font-style: italic;">everyone</span>, cannot bring themselves to resist. Perhaps this is why, when I retrieved my bubbling, caramel and apple creation from the oven, and left the room for a total of 5 minutes, I came back to a tarte tatin with one slice suspiciously missing from it.<br />
<br />
I looked around the kitchen for likely suspects; Sammy, my labrador retriever, gazed innocently into to my eyes and I knew that although he was capable of many food-related crimes, he was not related to this one. And that's when I saw John. Or rather, the back of him. He was facing the stove, and seemed oddly quiet. He turned around, and with one look at his sticky and pastry crumb covered fingers, I<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>instantly knew he was the tarte tatin culprit.<br />
<br />
Well well well, somebody got his hands caught in the cookie jar!<br />
<br />
So if you haven't noticed, that's why one of the photographs below is missing a slice. And you know what, it <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> looks delectable. So now, if you don't mind, I think it's my turn to dig in and give John a run for his money. <span style="font-style: italic;">À votre santé</span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" style="font-style: italic;"><span title="">!!</span></span><br />
<span class="short_text" id="result_box" style="font-style: italic;"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">arte Tatin</span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" style="font-style: italic;"><span title=""><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This recipe comes from a collaboration of three or four recipes, that I tweaked and meddled with until I was finally happy with the result. It's such a fun and easy dessert to make, as long as you have an oven-safe skillet and some fearlessness when it comes to flipping the tart onto a plate after it finishes baking. And honestly</span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, if some of the apples end up sticking to the pan during this </span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">process, don't panic- just gently loosen th</span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">em and</span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> place them back on to the plate- remember, no one's looking! Other than the flipping-of-t</span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">he s</span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">killet trick, this recipe is mostly about caramelizing a bit of butter and sugar with apples and then finishing it off with a bit of pastry d</span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ough. Anyone can do it, I promise, and if you really want to take this baby to the next level, do as I did- and add vanilla bean to the butter, sugar and apples while they are caramelizing. The </span></span></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">granny smith apples will be left speckled with the vanilla's sweetness, balancing out their tartness. Perfection. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">C'est Magnifique.</span></span><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL1cMwxjCEuDgDhLwk4mD6wfWr3jZfdFV7B2bbBGf-jNsNiWyP6OMdoksBNeCKCiQb9pU_BCA42zhp7FIfJA6aHU7ZWcyRWfRrfaw6UV20bUXV2prVVneN62WVdbl0a9Vs2muYBCNWQUD/s1600/vanillabeancloseup.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480277525607521330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL1cMwxjCEuDgDhLwk4mD6wfWr3jZfdFV7B2bbBGf-jNsNiWyP6OMdoksBNeCKCiQb9pU_BCA42zhp7FIfJA6aHU7ZWcyRWfRrfaw6UV20bUXV2prVVneN62WVdbl0a9Vs2muYBCNWQUD/s320/vanillabeancloseup.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One final note: This recipe is pretty forgiving, which is one of the reasons I love it. You can add more apples depending on the size of your pan, and it will probably come out still tasting phenomenal. You can also, evidently, do as I did and start off this recipe with a </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">bang</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by placing the apples peeled side up instead of peeled side down. Yup. You heard me, I messed up my own recipe. Just look down at the photographs below. There's the proof. But you know what? Right before I placed the pastry </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">round on top (which is when I realized my mistake), I gently and oh-so-carefully flipped the apples onto the ri</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ght side and through the whole damn thing in the oven. And it came out tasting divine. So there.</span></span></span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYghe5P9PpGi3nmrD7wHBr28QBvKWPHcPpdYbx1MfuTcXxzcUKQQFduRlW-pfFzFeo7maaYEmPmhkw-X3vpO9AmnGYLZJmy3WKLW-A23OGzZKc2Ntogin7N6oXDXIHUkX1g7aybdpuEbzF/s1600/applecaramelizing1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480474323136512674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYghe5P9PpGi3nmrD7wHBr28QBvKWPHcPpdYbx1MfuTcXxzcUKQQFduRlW-pfFzFeo7maaYEmPmhkw-X3vpO9AmnGYLZJmy3WKLW-A23OGzZKc2Ntogin7N6oXDXIHUkX1g7aybdpuEbzF/s320/applecaramelizing1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2gsqUAuGFrXP21gB8WmPR8yhiIfVJdYdmQHp_WYzuaJnk1jxh3rZa143FR-3CmueYan8WA_Us-vdEtql7IADdD_esWluO4sMj0mBluy7cynp5HadpjDJbdvWnyKNlc5QHHqR-hpL2W7i/s1600/applecaramelizing2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480474673530440370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2gsqUAuGFrXP21gB8WmPR8yhiIfVJdYdmQHp_WYzuaJnk1jxh3rZa143FR-3CmueYan8WA_Us-vdEtql7IADdD_esWluO4sMj0mBluy7cynp5HadpjDJbdvWnyKNlc5QHHqR-hpL2W7i/s320/applecaramelizing2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span class="short_text" id="result_box"><span title=""><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tarte Tatin Ingredients:<br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
<ul><li>a frozen puff pastry sheet OR homemade puff pastry dough (recipe follows)<br />
</li>
<li>4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled quartered length-wise, and cored</li>
<li>1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>extract from half a pod of vanilla bean</li>
<li>1 beaten egg, for brushing the pastry </li>
<li>Special Equipment: an oven-safe skillet, 8 to 8 1/2-inches, or whatever you have that is closest to that.<br />
</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiW5rBp38tY9G3IdzgAhTOTiJW6qYQGDRxpkQdVAQ84nTZZOat0FFTVDR-Fo-ujGKEedv-VZt2dAl4lYGE_M7p0fxfu76lyw9wl6JMfiulAsZXr62fyreAP3M9WhED3lq25cXALzQCtxP/s1600/appleintro.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480278483615738498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiW5rBp38tY9G3IdzgAhTOTiJW6qYQGDRxpkQdVAQ84nTZZOat0FFTVDR-Fo-ujGKEedv-VZt2dAl4lYGE_M7p0fxfu76lyw9wl6JMfiulAsZXr62fyreAP3M9WhED3lq25cXALzQCtxP/s320/appleintro.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Homemade Puff Pastry:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<ol><li>Place one cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, one tablespoon sugar in large bowl. Mix together.</li>
<li>Add 1 stick (1/2 cup) of chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and using your fingers work the butter in the mixture until it makes fine crumbs. Just don't let it become completely smooth, though.</li>
<li>Set aside three tablespoons of water, and add it until the dough is just pulled together.</li>
<li>With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.</li>
</ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for Tarte Tatin:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</li>
<li>Take homemade pastry dough or defrosted (already bought) pastry sheet and place on a floured work surface.<br />
</li>
<li>Roll out the dough to a round that is slightly wider (on all sides) in diameter than the skillet you will be using. I like to find something that is the same measurement as the skillet, and then leaving myself a little extra room around the sides, I cut out my round from this. It works nicely, but you can do whatever works for you.<br />
</li>
<li>Transfer pastry round to a baking sheet and chill.</li>
<li>In an oven-safe skillet on moderately high heat, melt butter and vanilla bean (if using), swirling around so that the butter coats on bottom and all sides of the pan.</li>
<li>Pour sugar evenly on bottom.</li>
<li>Add apples, peeled side down, in concentric circles, arranging as many as can fit inside your skillet. </li>
<li>Cook apples over medium high heat, undisturbed, untill juices are deep golden and bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove skillet from heat and lay pastry round over apples, gently tucking in it's sides so that the dough curls a bit into the apples and caramel. </li>
<li>Lightly brush pastry all over with egg wash.</li>
<li>Poke a few holes with a fork or wooden skewer on the top of your pastry, so that as it puffs, the steam will be released and your pastry will not be misshaped. </li>
<li>Place skillet in oven on middle rack. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the apples feel cooked when inserted in the center with a wooden skewer.<br />
</li>
<li>Remove from the oven and let chill for <span style="font-weight: bold;">just a few minutes</span>. Okay folks, here's where your fearlessness comes into play: place an inverted plate on top of the pan, and using potholders (it should be really hot so be careful!), hold skillet and plate tightly together and invert tart onto platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet.<br />
</li>
<li>Serve immediately (as if you could wait! ha!). This recipe makes about 6 servings, depending on how hungry you are.<br />
</li>
</ol><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjr_7-Q21084aSutZTxDxhrRxzQKfr4G39nmlu7zaXAGhh6egm4dNP3YuYc3pIIhiyJbJYEm6pqpxUil9f0IBHVqBWsW7wrTE8cWK2PjypstxQskQGOVXyA02oHcgXu5ZGw2AtNJBV4U-/s1600/missingslice.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480281809012511666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjr_7-Q21084aSutZTxDxhrRxzQKfr4G39nmlu7zaXAGhh6egm4dNP3YuYc3pIIhiyJbJYEm6pqpxUil9f0IBHVqBWsW7wrTE8cWK2PjypstxQskQGOVXyA02oHcgXu5ZGw2AtNJBV4U-/s320/missingslice.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-4606693551019577952010-06-03T17:59:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:37:58.511-07:00I'll meet you antime you want, in our Italian Restaurant.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsyh2JtSQPstahlyUk7JzCEvo9N5bnHVtDULfWnxWmuGRaFs7zXmq9na6cci6MnBCtGkZim5_GN7cdZfHpwGVAppNUve575I7uZ9j8YQcR8C15YwwGPHZ37iCEtLFEsSgH0ieVqe1Wl3d/s1600/summercapresesalad.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479877245123481426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsyh2JtSQPstahlyUk7JzCEvo9N5bnHVtDULfWnxWmuGRaFs7zXmq9na6cci6MnBCtGkZim5_GN7cdZfHpwGVAppNUve575I7uZ9j8YQcR8C15YwwGPHZ37iCEtLFEsSgH0ieVqe1Wl3d/s320/summercapresesalad.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>One of my favorite things about summer is the taste of ripe, sweet tomatoes. Even better is when the taste is paired with buffalo mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. I've always been intrigued at how and why these three ingredients compliment one another <span style="font-weight: bold;">so</span> well. It's like they were made to be eaten together, and during this time of year, when tomatoes and basil are in season and at the peak of their flavor, there's no reason why they shouldn't be put on everything and anything.<br />
<br />
These three lovely ingredients happen to be very <span style="font-style: italic;">Italiano</span>, so it made sense that I would be craving Italian-syle dishes to incorporate them into. The first one was a summer caprese salad. Even in their most simplest state, these three amigos work their magic, accented with dried oregeno, olive oil and sea salt. Since a caprese salad is made to showcase the flavor of the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, it is important that every ingredient in the salad be high quality. This means using tomatoes and basil that are as fresh, ripe and local as possible, as well as <span style="font-weight: bold;">real</span> buffalo mozzarella cheese- <span style="font-weight: bold;">not </span>the stuff Pizza Hut uses. When John and I tasted our creation, we were pleasantly surprised at how much the oregano blended with all the other ingredients and helped bring out the flavors of the dish. I had made this salad many times before, but never with the oregano. Now I see how important it is in this dish. I am forever grateful of you, robust and green Italian herb!<br />
<br />
The second meal we made from the aforementioned ingredients was- and I bet you saw this coming- pizza. I made the dough from scratch, which, for me, is such a comforting and rewarding thing to do in the kitchen. I love the smell of the dough as it slowly rises, and being that hands-on with a recipe makes me appreciate when I eat it even more. What's really great is that you can always make double the recipe and save your leftover dough in the freezer; wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, it will last for up to a month. So next time you find yourself dreaming of pizza, you'll have dough willing and ready to help make it a reality, and in no time at all.<br />
<br />
My recipe for pizza dough yields enough for one large pizza or two smaller-sized pizzas; we opted for the two smaller-sized so we could try different combinations of pizza toppings. The first one we tried was a Margherita-style pizza, simple but classic and flavorful. John loves all things sausage, so we knew we had to incorporate it into our second pizza- and we did, pairing it with carmalized onions (heaven) and fragrant sage leaves (from our garden) to take it up a notch. Anyway what's nice about this recipe is that you can choose any combination you like, with whatever herbs you prefer, and most likely it will taste good because come on folks, lets face it- it's pizza!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7CVBpfmeObI4HtY07t_mg2E8WAphESJTNKXx9RIXMN1ltfZZxUTM-Fg2I7ZJClV5QHOuuckqvvR0btSnMHd0hs3__2SN1t5HRfuksEUDCPHHDZx-OxaaArH64qauEw0XQUklwo84FhQK/s1600/marheritafinal.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479865119299134962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7CVBpfmeObI4HtY07t_mg2E8WAphESJTNKXx9RIXMN1ltfZZxUTM-Fg2I7ZJClV5QHOuuckqvvR0btSnMHd0hs3__2SN1t5HRfuksEUDCPHHDZx-OxaaArH64qauEw0XQUklwo84FhQK/s320/marheritafinal.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
On another note, I'm sure after taking a peek at my pizza dough/pizza baking instructions, you might feel overwhelmed and slightly intimidated at how detailed and lengthy my directions are. But you know what? The recipes for pizza dough that I have tried over the years always had a few, vague instructions that would never lay out the process step-by-step, and never produced the kind of pizza crust I could be proud about. I had to figure out a lot of things on my own, through trial and error, and at times it was pretty darn frustrating. And, I am still learning! With that said, I sincerely hope that my directions don't scare you, but help you, make a wonderful and tasty pizza creation. Have fun!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summer Caprese Salad</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Adapted from recipe in 'My Italian Garden' cookbook, by Vi</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ana La Place)<br />
This salad serves 2, but can be doubled and tripled depending on how many you are serving!</span></span></span><br />
</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>2 large fresh buffalo mozzarella balls</li>
<li>3 medium vine-ripened variety tomatoes</li>
<li>1 pint cherry tomatoes</li>
<li>3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1 teaspoon dried oregano</li>
<li>handful of fresh basil leaves, jullienned</li>
<li>sea salt, to taste</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Slice the mozzarella balls into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Drain on kitchen towels if very moist.</li>
<li>Slice vine tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.</li>
<li>Arrange the vine tomatoes and mozzarella in a slightly overlapping pattern on serving dish.<br />
</li>
<li>Season with salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.</li>
<li>Sprinkle the halved cherry tomatoes on top, and drizzle with additional olive oil and sea salt, to taste. Sprinkle with oregano.</li>
<li>Scatter basil over top, and serve immediately!</li>
</ol><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Homemade Pizza: </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pizza Dough Ingredients:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>1 cup warm water</li>
<li>2 1/4 teaspoons (one packet) dry active yeast</li>
<li>3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (may use a little more or less)<br />
</li>
<li>1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt</li>
<li>2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon sugar</li>
<li>1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, optional</li>
<li>yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling the pizza stone/cookie sheet, optional</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The chopped fresh herbs are an optional addition to this recipe, but I highly recommend it. Just a little can add so much more depth of flavor to your dough! We used a combination of oregano and rosemary this time around, and although I thought it was a good pairing, I think next time I will add more rosemary than oregano. But that is just my preference, and it's partially because the taste of pizza crust studded with rosemary reminds me of focaccia bread, which happens to be one of my favorite things. Anyway, experiment with your own combinations and see what works for you!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for Pizza Toppings:<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Classic Margherita</span> </span><br />
<ul><li>2 vine-ripened medium/large tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices<br />
</li>
<li>1 to 2 buffalo mozzarella balls, cut into 1/4-inch slices</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly</li>
<li>few basil leaves, jullienned</li>
<li>dried oregano, for sprinkling</li>
<li>red chili pepper flakes, for sprinkling</li>
<li>sea salt, to taste</li>
<li>ground black pepper, to taste</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywThzJIuxbviFOgBduhjSYm9fJp0JOjL0rhzNK9s5GxEG_t5qsR3UgKOBbTb6JgM9HgofNAArN-bKbHiG6AMecX6FbKGAPVaskBDQwHDRKrI66dl9w1HcHOOHe22Ws7BeoCjGbQk5FaPJ/s1600/margheritapizza.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479078803081431778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywThzJIuxbviFOgBduhjSYm9fJp0JOjL0rhzNK9s5GxEG_t5qsR3UgKOBbTb6JgM9HgofNAArN-bKbHiG6AMecX6FbKGAPVaskBDQwHDRKrI66dl9w1HcHOOHe22Ws7BeoCjGbQk5FaPJ/s320/margheritapizza.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Spruced-up Sausage Medley<br />
</span></span><br />
<ul><li>1 Andouille sausage link, already cooked, and sliced into thin rounds<br />
</li>
<li>1/4 cup tomato sauce (homemade is so much better, but store-bought will work just fine if you don't have already made homemade sauce available)</li>
<li>1-2 buffalo mozzarella balls, cut into 1/4-inch slices<br />
</li>
<li>Caramelized Onions, recipe follows</li>
<li>5-10 sage leaves, roughly chopped or left whole<br />
</li>
<li>sea salt, to taste</li>
<li>ground black pepper, to taste</li>
<li>few basil leaves, jullienned <br />
</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9vzEp9HCJ7B4W6N47sGnfH8JRjaUg3a5i8A1LQc5JqY8ZBQabgcxYdoATcyzobX2HmJtqDt5oOpDL-fKTj_EDnyb1EvEg8WXalnv46vgxOaok5vPASZ80PzOGKcmx14YRJWcsrwC9iWo/s1600/sausageonionpizza.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479876566788670274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9vzEp9HCJ7B4W6N47sGnfH8JRjaUg3a5i8A1LQc5JqY8ZBQabgcxYdoATcyzobX2HmJtqDt5oOpDL-fKTj_EDnyb1EvEg8WXalnv46vgxOaok5vPASZ80PzOGKcmx14YRJWcsrwC9iWo/s320/sausageonionpizza.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for Carmelized Onions:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Thinly slice one medium or large yellow onion. </li>
<li>Heat a combination of a tablespoon of butter and a bit of olive oil over medium heat, and stir in onions. Season with salt.</li>
<li>Slowly cook over medium heat, covered, and stirring often, for about 30-40 mins.<br />
</li>
<li>At the end of cooking, add a splash of vinegar, stirring to deglaze the pan.<br />
</li>
<li>Try not to eat them before you make your pizza. <br />
</li>
</ol><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for Pizza Dough:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add yeast, sugar and water and stir with fork a few times. Let sit for 5 minutes or until mixture is foamy.<br />
</li>
<li>Add olive oil, flour, herbs and salt. Mix with the dough hook, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough comes together and starts to make its way up the dough hook. It should be smooth but still slightly sticky.<br />
</li>
<li>Remove the dough from the mixer and on a floured surface, form into a smooth ball.</li>
<li>Lightly coat the inside of a large bowl with a very thin film of olive oil and wipe away any access. Place dough in bowl and turn over once to moisten the outside of dough with oil (this prevents the dough from drying out as it rises).<br />
</li>
<li>Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in warm, draft-free place for about 1-1 and 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size (if you would like to make your dough a day ahead, it can be left to rise more slowly in the refrigerator for up to 6-8 hours).</li>
</ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for making pizza:</span><br />
<ol><li>When dough is ready, sprinkle a work surface with light amount of flour. Divide dough ball in half. Roll each piece into smooth ball, and make sure to knead out any air pockets.</li>
<li>Place balls on floured surface, sprinkle them with a little more flour, and cover with a kitchen towel and let rest, until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.</li>
<li>Dust a cookie sheet with corn meal OR dust a pizza stone with cornmeal (the thing with the pizza stone, is that it works best when left in the oven while it's preheating. So if you do choose this route, make sure you have a wooden peel to help slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. I know this seems more complicated than the cookie sheet method, but I think it's more rewarding for your taste buds. It's up to you though.<br />
</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to <span style="font-weight: bold;">maximum</span>, which is usually 500 degrees (most commercial pizza-ovens are 700 degrees, so as hot as you can get yours is ideal).</li>
<li>Shape the pizzas, one at a time, on a lightly floured surface.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">If using the pizza stone</span>, use your fingers to spread the dough into a flat and even circle . We like a thinner crust (Neopolitan style), so I make sure the dough is no thicker than 1/8-inch thick (and a tad bit thicker on the outside for a crust). Place dough on wooden peel. Sprinkle all over with olive oil. Top with combinations of your preference. No matter what, we usually go in the order of tomato sauce, cheese, meat and/or veggies, herbs (minus the basil). OR cheese, tomato slices, herbs, etc. Using wooden peel, slide pizza onto pizza stone in oven.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">If using the cookie sheet</span>, place dough on cookie sheet and use your fingers to spread the dough into a flat and even rectangle. This method will give you a thicker style pizza. Sprinkle all over with olive oil. Top with combinations of your preference.<br />
</li>
<li>Either way, for both methods, you should bake your pizza until it looks nice and golden, about 6-12 minutes, depending on thickness of pizza. Remove from oven. Top with basil before serving. Serve the pizza immediately or at room temperature.<br />
</li>
</ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A few tips: No matter how hard the temptation might be to check out your pizzas while they are baking (and believe me it happens to the best of us) try </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">not</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> to open the oven during the pizza baking process. It instantly cools the temperature in the oven, and remember- you want your oven to be at </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">maximum </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">heat so you produce the best pizza possible! Also, a note on the caramelized onions: this is the kind of topping (since it is already cooked) that I would recommend adding to your pizza about halfway through baking it, so that you don't over-cook the onions and make your pizza all soggy</span></span>.<br />
<br />
Buon Appetito!!<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">-Song lyrics in title by Billy Joel</span>.<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-75702658508162956232010-06-02T21:14:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:38:48.531-07:00Come on, make this. Your mother will be proud.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0PCpWEE0TV_DRwbkxAOwv2veB55UDkxogCaLNoGjY3sz1Towe_9aS1tFr-2lZLa2h-mVWf-TrEper_W1uEbjuFZP3yuox8sgoDaitJpgVuqoN__hGIYmt7V2-A2deuA67OqSp_F1t0Rf/s1600/strawberry+shortcake+.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478421851720682994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0PCpWEE0TV_DRwbkxAOwv2veB55UDkxogCaLNoGjY3sz1Towe_9aS1tFr-2lZLa2h-mVWf-TrEper_W1uEbjuFZP3yuox8sgoDaitJpgVuqoN__hGIYmt7V2-A2deuA67OqSp_F1t0Rf/s320/strawberry+shortcake+.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>On the account of how amazingly sweet, flavorful, (and did I mention) cheap strawberries are right now, I've been eating them a lot. It's also been raining a lot here, if you haven't noticed. The sun has yet to stay out long enough to make me actually believe that it's summer. I've been stuck indoors, staring out my window, watching the fog wrap itself around the many redwood trees in my backyard; I've also, however, been in quite the cooking frenzy. So what's a girl to do when she finds herself in this kind of state, and with lots of strawberries?<br />
<br />
Two words: Strawberry Shortcake.<br />
<br />
Oh yah. I'm talkin' old school, "the way mom used to make it" strawberry shortcake. This recipe is fairly simple, and I think the directions for making the shortcake biscuits are easy enough to <span style="font-weight: bold;">actually</span> produce them on your own, and not end up frustrated with a lumpy, doughy mess (believe me, its happened to me before). I was so happy when I opened the oven door and saw 8 flawlessly baked, golden delicious biscuits that I almost ate them on the spot and forgot about the strawberries and whipped cream. If this happens to you, please, don't give into the temptation. The taste of shortcake, melded with the taste of perfectly sweet strawberries and a cloud of fresh whipped cream is well worth the wait. This recipe makes 8.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for biscuits:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>2 cups unbleached all purpose flour</li>
<li>2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</li>
<li>5 tablespoons sugar, divided</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes</li>
<li>1 large egg, beaten to blend, for glaze</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A note about the butter: try chilling yours in the freezer before you start the recipe. When it's that cold, it's easier to cut into cubes, and it's easier to get the consistency you need without having to blend the dough too much. Which of course, is important if you want to yield perfectly cooked and buttery biscuits</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for strawberry filling:</span><br />
<ul><li>2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered</li>
<li>1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
</li>
<li>1 teaspoon lemon juice</li>
<li>2 tablespoons sugar, or more depending on your preference</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CaaiHi5W7C8_HB6Yu9ArqDZV0pdhJ-ftJ9AZX10xFSu4j3f-Ni200BYpjmHZmGY_bLd9-rO_rKnl0MTKerT3zLJa6cZMC4a_u7p6dfiXR11pUZHx72rKDyV-I07zAWd9SGrY7xeDCMZ-/s1600/maceratedstrawberries.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478421289801512418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CaaiHi5W7C8_HB6Yu9ArqDZV0pdhJ-ftJ9AZX10xFSu4j3f-Ni200BYpjmHZmGY_bLd9-rO_rKnl0MTKerT3zLJa6cZMC4a_u7p6dfiXR11pUZHx72rKDyV-I07zAWd9SGrY7xeDCMZ-/s320/maceratedstrawberries.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for whipped cream:</span><br />
<ul><li>1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream</li>
<li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
</li>
<li>1 tablespoon sugar, or a <span style="font-weight: bold;">tad</span> less if you like your whipped cream not as sweet<br />
</li>
</ul>**<span style="font-style: italic;">Something else to try would be almond extract instead of vanilla extract. Just use the same amount as you would for the vanilla. I think I am going to try that next time I make this.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for biscuits: </span><br />
<ul><li>Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Place flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor or bowl.</li>
<li>If using a bowl, add the cubes of butter to mixture and work it with the rest of ingredients so that each piece is coated and the butter resembles small peas.<br />
</li>
<li>If using processor (which is easiest), and cubes of butter and pulse until butter resembles small peas, about 5 short pulses.</li>
<li>Add cream, blending in the bowl or pulsing in the processor until moist clumps form.</li>
<li>Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Gather dough into ball, then flatten into 8x4 inch rectangle, about 1 and 1/4-inches thick. Cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 4 equal strips, forming 8 square biscuits. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet and chill for about 20 minutes.<br />
</li>
<li>Brush tops of biscuits with egg glaze, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 15 minutes.<br />
</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for strawberry filling:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>Combine strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Let macerate (which basically means hang out and get groovy) for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for whipped cream:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>Using an electric mixer, beat cream, vanilla extract and sugar until peaks form.</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Assembly for strawberry shortcake:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>Cut biscuits horizontally in half, and pile strawberries on each bottom half. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top and cover each with top half of biscuit. Serve immediately.<br />
</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<br />
</span>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-45992125262570086712010-06-01T09:50:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:40:21.598-07:00I love you Juila Child.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLzCeVXOBi-MoBjZZ_x2u8GTUCc_PTzken0GOVtckdm0uUmNKWvfzoDLK7V8CB11UcJltJV7ZKplWCnh3PR3Gn3B-M8mya9-YhDuVYHnC8huNmVRzyY3Oy3vLg2AypUk4JOTpyn0jyYIB/s1600/2009_julie_and_julia_003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477869622891951250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLzCeVXOBi-MoBjZZ_x2u8GTUCc_PTzken0GOVtckdm0uUmNKWvfzoDLK7V8CB11UcJltJV7ZKplWCnh3PR3Gn3B-M8mya9-YhDuVYHnC8huNmVRzyY3Oy3vLg2AypUk4JOTpyn0jyYIB/s320/2009_julie_and_julia_003.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 214px;" /></a>A couple nights ago, I was watching the movie 'Julie and Julia' for the umpteenth time. It is such a good movie! If you haven't already seen it, and you are a food lover like myself, I highly recommend it. I love Meryl Streep, Julia Child, Paris, <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> food- which is basically the entire movie in a nutshell- so I mean, how can a girl go wrong?<br />
<br />
Anyway. The movie got me thinking about my trip to Europe (Paris included) that I will be making next month. Which I am really, really excited about. I plan to eat lots of food, cook lots of food, and walk. A lot. Besides dreaming of Paris, I also started to crave steak and bruschetta, a meal that was cooked and eaten by one of the characters in the movie....and that is <span style="font-weight: bold;">exactly</span> what I did last night. And it was heaven. Pure heaven.<br />
<br />
I am ordinarily not the biggest fan of pan-fried steak, which I usually grill instead. But while reading a recent recipe in Bon Appetit magazine for just that, I began to second-guess myself, and thought, <span style="font-style: italic;">why not</span>?<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>So that is precisely what I did, and let me tell you folks, I feel like I've been missing out on something. If you are a griller of steak, not a pan-fryer of steak, I beg you to change it up sometime. You will not regret it. So thanks, Bon Appetit magazine- you made me a believer!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Harissa-Marinated Sirloin Steak<br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">(Adapted from a recipe in the June 2010 issue of Bon Appetit)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Harissa is a spicy chile sauce from North Africa. A</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">lthough it is delicious, I had a really hard time trying to find it in my local grocery store. Apparently</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> you can find it at "most specialty food stores or Middle Eastern markets", so maybe you'll have better luck than I had. Anyway, I ended up making my own blend of spices to mimic the taste of Harissa in the recipe, and the steak turned out equally flavorful and scrumptious. When in doubt, wing it in the kitchen! The only thing that could go wrong is it won't taste good, and you can always do it over again another time.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On another note, if you can, set aside time so that the meat can marinate for at least 2 hours; it really makes a difference in the overall flavor.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Hd6RCAV1SutaKtG_dO4K0pdd3Zz0C8Pouk-C6zfWIP8c8KpmSENOhA1eYB2UtSN18ZUh9C0Dzt1xo1Vj2EkVRw0hNXw90kZpXLqjC66ITX5aSUZWobt0qcoYXhKaxG9tg7sdPqN2_Ggk/s1600/harissasteak.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477866378924268066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Hd6RCAV1SutaKtG_dO4K0pdd3Zz0C8Pouk-C6zfWIP8c8KpmSENOhA1eYB2UtSN18ZUh9C0Dzt1xo1Vj2EkVRw0hNXw90kZpXLqjC66ITX5aSUZWobt0qcoYXhKaxG9tg7sdPqN2_Ggk/s320/harissasteak.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
Ingredients:</span><br />
<ul><li>1 two-pound sirloin steak (about 1 & 1/2 inches thick), fat trimmed</li>
<li>4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing</li>
<li>4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced very finely</li>
<li>2 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar</li>
<li>2 tablespoons soy sauce</li>
<li>1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped</li>
<li>2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon harissa sauce OR as a substitute: ground paprika, cumin and cayenne, to taste</li>
<li>salt to taste</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />
<ol><li>Cut steak length-wise in half, forming two 2- to 3-inch-wide strips.<br />
</li>
<li>Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, thyme, and 2 teaspoons harissa (or ground paprika, cumin and cayenne, to taste) in a large, shallow dish.</li>
<li>Add beef; toss to coat each strip evenly. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to one day, tossing occasionally. If you really don't have this kind of time, than marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Drain beef. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Brush skillet generously with olive oil. Place beef strips into skillet and cook until well browned on all sides, turning with tongs, 6-8 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer strips to platter.</li>
<li>Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon harissa (or more ground spices to taste) in small bowl and blend well. Season sauce with salt. Drizzle sauce over beef strips and serve.</li>
</ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spicy Cherry Tomato Bruschetta<br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">(</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Bruschetta is one of my absolute favorite things to eat (and prepare). It's mindless, great for entertaining, </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">and </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">great for just eating by yourself at home, which is what John and I did last night. I could keep eating it and never get tired of it, so usually I finish when there literally isn't anymore on the plate. This recipe is for a spicier version, which makes me love it even more because I am a fanatic for spicy foods. If you happen to not be that crazy for spicy, then by all means, put as little of the crushed red pepper flakes as you please in the recipe.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOp4U7daw2enU-amUgNmLznQlFV5MdlNNsSJXBnWRltFlS42EoQG4lF61hH_xJ-6ydPwBZdPDEFyMpWWkTRC_N603x3caVPHnQNuw3-hFXay23EqPz6RPoXJSKc6LypdPrk0keNjG6o1Cy/s1600/bruschettafinal.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477867175390784082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOp4U7daw2enU-amUgNmLznQlFV5MdlNNsSJXBnWRltFlS42EoQG4lF61hH_xJ-6ydPwBZdPDEFyMpWWkTRC_N603x3caVPHnQNuw3-hFXay23EqPz6RPoXJSKc6LypdPrk0keNjG6o1Cy/s320/bruschettafinal.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />
</li>
<li>4-6 cloves garlic, chopped</li>
<li>2 pints cherry tomatoes</li>
<li>1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li>a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped</li>
<li>a handful of basil leaves, cut into slithers</li>
<li>1 Italian long baguette (or something similar), sliced </li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, saute for 2 minutes, then add tomatoes and hot pepper flakes. Season with salt, to taste, and toss to coat in oil. Cover the pan, raise heat a bit and cook until the tomatoes burst, about 10-15 minutes.<br />
</li>
<li>Remove the lid, squish any whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon and let the tomatoes thicken, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley, adjust the seasoning, if needed, and then remove from heat.</li>
<li>Heat the broiler and char the bread on both sides. Arrange bread on platter and top with hot tomatoes. Garnish basil leaves and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oilve oil before serving.</li>
</ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7-o52_x4p-aT4pnqEFIynqKiQ735N7KE29Tt1IHRAv_C3cUJjtE4z_0GO7Hl61b-QuuTZ-nZpmkfUdJnlf58-QbwWa-dPfy13tMQZpPFBEJhrE36zw2UYdU3TXVfEQHh_XxQgmDNsbHa/s1600/steakandbruschetta.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477868801137113154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7-o52_x4p-aT4pnqEFIynqKiQ735N7KE29Tt1IHRAv_C3cUJjtE4z_0GO7Hl61b-QuuTZ-nZpmkfUdJnlf58-QbwWa-dPfy13tMQZpPFBEJhrE36zw2UYdU3TXVfEQHh_XxQgmDNsbHa/s320/steakandbruschetta.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-28929712680678407932010-05-31T11:15:00.000-07:002010-06-06T21:04:28.492-07:00This oatmeal tastes good? Yes folks, it can be done.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpw0IuuqAnC2huymfWCaX7VoNw4IzQbgVAYDJ6xc1tS66xXdRktvAxtAw5HRxYWfivIlsjyfFfb3LcY1qndjK1Zzx1V3r8lK_LwoVReUeVz3SBmRtfJwc5vXp6rtgxxvGo0d7i-Ybuq2j/s1600/oatmealfinale.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpw0IuuqAnC2huymfWCaX7VoNw4IzQbgVAYDJ6xc1tS66xXdRktvAxtAw5HRxYWfivIlsjyfFfb3LcY1qndjK1Zzx1V3r8lK_LwoVReUeVz3SBmRtfJwc5vXp6rtgxxvGo0d7i-Ybuq2j/s320/oatmealfinale.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477519632378832130" border="0" /></a>Happy Memorial Day everyone. Unfortunately for all you grillers out there, this will <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> be a holiday to remember. I know, that's the point of Memorial Day- to drink beer and grill lots and lots of meat, right?? But guess what. It's rainy and foggy and colddddd here. So grillers, all the best luck to you today- I hope you at least get to use your stove-top griddle. Ah well, c'est la vie.<br /><br />With that said, it's almost noon and due to the weather it's been a slow start to my day. John and I are finally <span style="font-weight: bold;">just </span>about to make breakfast. On account of our weekend spent eating too many rich and salty foods, we've decided to surrender to a bland and tasteless bowl of oatmeal. Yup, you heard me.<br /><br />Oatmeal. Tastes like cardboard if you don't prepare it right. Lots of fiber. Mom always told me to eat it. But somehow, it's never been that appealing. Don't get me wrong, I've gone through "health phases" where I wake up every morning and force myself to eat the mushy monster. But, as of lately, I want <span style="font-weight: bold;">nothing</span> to do with oatmeal. So, friends- I am about to do the impossible. I am going to attempt to make my oatmeal <span style="font-weight: bold;">actually</span> taste good. Here goes.<br /><br />I guess I have to add, that the following recipe is not to be taken as health food. In my humble opinion what makes this oatmeal actually worth finishing (and pretty darn delicious for mush), is the fact that I coax it into submission with a bit of butter and cream. <span style="font-style: italic;">Come on, you should know me by now</span>. This recipe makes two hearty servings of oatmeal. Eat up kids.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br /></span><ul><li>1 cup Bob's Red Mill Organic Scottish Oatmeal (I'm weird about texture, so I prefer the porridge-like consistency of scottish oats versus the regular modern rolled oats. Plus, I think the Scottish version tricks me into thinking I'm eating something special and not any old bowl of oatmeal)</li><li> 3 cups water</li><li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li><li>2 tablespoons unsalted butter</li><li>1/2 cup sliced strawberries or any other fruit you prefer (I think any berry works nicely)</li><li>1 tablespoon or so of honey, depending on how sweet you like it</li><li>2 tablespoons cream</li><li>sprinkle or so of cinnamon</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1KeIhodZnkWLLd0kmX1Dkxk69Zdit_uc4v4x_qg0q-ygMXFzQ0vr9QtDquXQYTXx_c2trhle3lzZ2UcOy0e8yEUZGMThL_C5PIYpWNZKfP18Eyg8PfiDCk_eqfdSOtF5yapt-BLull12/s1600/sammy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1KeIhodZnkWLLd0kmX1Dkxk69Zdit_uc4v4x_qg0q-ygMXFzQ0vr9QtDquXQYTXx_c2trhle3lzZ2UcOy0e8yEUZGMThL_C5PIYpWNZKfP18Eyg8PfiDCk_eqfdSOtF5yapt-BLull12/s320/sammy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477518548055608530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Say hi to Sammy, my labrador retriever. He likes this recipe because while I'm chopping the strawberries, he tends to get all their tops. And strawberries are one of his favorite things!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:<br /></span><ol><li>Bring water and salt to boil. Add 1 cup oatmeal, turn heat down and cover and cook for 10 minutes.<br /></li><li>Remove from heat. Equally divide oatmeal into two separate bowls.</li><li>For each bowl, add one tablespoon butter, one tablespoon cream, and honey to taste. Mix well.</li><li>Top each bowl with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and sprinkle each with cinnamon.<br /></li></ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-3361085471406021852010-05-27T15:11:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:41:24.962-07:00When you just can't seem to eat any more leftover roast chicken: A Recipe for Chicken Salad Sandwiches<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh5deVECl_AHjzaLIMrQlkmXpeWQa7RB96HTbh3xknvOjscPd8Z02edk1AUDsGDbxLaH7xTuT1TM0pv9UW-syv6_mKcfPE7bkee1NpXyiUkEGyk_bWPNgdc1_GQu1trHYdHxukFQDHbaN/s1600/chicksaladfinale.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476091929729079378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh5deVECl_AHjzaLIMrQlkmXpeWQa7RB96HTbh3xknvOjscPd8Z02edk1AUDsGDbxLaH7xTuT1TM0pv9UW-syv6_mKcfPE7bkee1NpXyiUkEGyk_bWPNgdc1_GQu1trHYdHxukFQDHbaN/s320/chicksaladfinale.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>It's still raining, and now I don't want to leave the comfort of my warm, dry house. Instead of taking a visit to the grocery store, I've decided to hibernate under the covers on the couch. This means I am stuck in my kitchen, trying to make something out of nothing. And that's when I remember the roast chicken I made last night: score.<br />
<br />
This recipe is the perfect answer for too much leftover roast chicken. Sometimes, I catch John eating it, cold, out of the refrigerator, and that's fine too. I have my own personal trashcan for any foods I can no longer find a use for. But most of the time, we both can't seem to make ourselves eat any more of the damn chicken.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsv3jVcQ_nPGeNVJ3shPZ1bFKIPNerr-C-pOBd5rW7fpjJYnWN94trNH2St-nvzf8Fo1omWaMbawl6xkKovbeFHOZv02rDdOlalJ0OcW2Ei5NrAKNHk4SWkJ6368vpF5hxQH0FqpKVXQY/s1600/johnnychicken.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476091389422412162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsv3jVcQ_nPGeNVJ3shPZ1bFKIPNerr-C-pOBd5rW7fpjJYnWN94trNH2St-nvzf8Fo1omWaMbawl6xkKovbeFHOZv02rDdOlalJ0OcW2Ei5NrAKNHk4SWkJ6368vpF5hxQH0FqpKVXQY/s320/johnnychicken.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
And that's where this recipe comes in. It's fast, easy and like most things I like to make, can be tweaked depending on your mood or preference. This variation has apples in it, which holds a special place in my heart. I used to hate tuna salad as a kid growing up, and no matter how many times I tried it I just couldn't like it. Then one day, my dad prepared HIS version of it for me; it had diced apples in it. I took a bite, and voila, I became a lover of tuna salad. I know this is chicken salad- but the apple still elevates this meal from so-so to amazing, giving it another layer of flavor and crunch. This recipe makes approx. 3-4 sandwiches.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>2 cups chopped already cooked/leftover roast chicken meat<br />
</li>
<li>1/2 of an apple, finely diced</li>
<li>1 celery stalk, finely diced</li>
<li>1 small dill pickle, finely diced</li>
<li>1 tablespoon (or so) of dijon or stoneground mustard (I like to mix the two)</li>
<li>1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise<br />
</li>
<li>1/8 cup minced red onion</li>
<li>dash of pickle juice from the jar</li>
<li>salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
</li>
<li>drizzle of olive oil</li>
<li>slices of light rye bread, or whichever you prefer</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGoToZ1_ZM5CjAYjn8c2qxdtASp7PD_2QTz-EssTJ_wpDp9QYJzIZADmcM9wUwRfDmeT5XWGmd9_hMfQUI4Dw1K2asuoumjoN3nmqZkEMGVBKhBikmB86SXIOYXZ4pn0QkKa11Oq7M7hc/s1600/dicedapplecelery.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476090245679318002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGoToZ1_ZM5CjAYjn8c2qxdtASp7PD_2QTz-EssTJ_wpDp9QYJzIZADmcM9wUwRfDmeT5XWGmd9_hMfQUI4Dw1K2asuoumjoN3nmqZkEMGVBKhBikmB86SXIOYXZ4pn0QkKa11Oq7M7hc/s320/dicedapplecelery.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The dash of pickle juice from the jar is one of my coveted kitchen secrets for any chicken or tuna salad sandwich (or potato salad, for that matter). It's not the biggest deal to omit it if you don't have it in your fridge already, but it brings out all the other flavors in the salad and adds just the tiniest bit of zing to your palate. Do it, seriously. You're taste buds will thank you later.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrsY_Uc6IL4gNSgHLod39RYNNud3uF9ulWi8j_Y3Q24htDMuiLWlNr_MbRVm30YAZlVxeINVKJrHneKCYlQ7RArehNmwkUb93Mwaa_IVQwCofSrqDeqrEjgiCHk4QrJgwYrn1N2hsTFTe/s1600/mayopickledijon.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476090903676506242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrsY_Uc6IL4gNSgHLod39RYNNud3uF9ulWi8j_Y3Q24htDMuiLWlNr_MbRVm30YAZlVxeINVKJrHneKCYlQ7RArehNmwkUb93Mwaa_IVQwCofSrqDeqrEjgiCHk4QrJgwYrn1N2hsTFTe/s320/mayopickledijon.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for salad:</span><br />
<ol><li>In a medium-sized bowl, combine first seven ingredients together.<br />
</li>
<li>Drizzle with olive oil. This is a great way to add much needed moisture to your chicken salad, without having to add more mayo into the mix (which is much more unhealthy than the olive oil).<br />
</li>
<li>Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>Combine everything together, making sure it is well blended.</li>
<li>Scoop desired amount of chicken salad mixture onto a slice of toasted bread, slathered with more mustard or mayo, if preferred. Add lettuce and final slice of toasted bread and you are good to go. Enjoy!<br />
</li>
</ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-24895041525706225022010-05-26T19:38:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:42:22.233-07:00The Perfect (Perfect!) Roast Chicken<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_cRHiG8OhTlBK59AXkJLse7ymMfqIGm070gc_3oUEFhAOsKmSQDwurU1azrZJZKk-GYLhPjZxhzM406Vr8eC-_-EX1jFKB2Db43JUwc3y-aJzSY2beag8CRuIi89uFoYGPpJ8vZeCRb0/s1600/roastchickenfinale.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475812847022731426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_cRHiG8OhTlBK59AXkJLse7ymMfqIGm070gc_3oUEFhAOsKmSQDwurU1azrZJZKk-GYLhPjZxhzM406Vr8eC-_-EX1jFKB2Db43JUwc3y-aJzSY2beag8CRuIi89uFoYGPpJ8vZeCRb0/s320/roastchickenfinale.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>So after some rainy day blues, I was craving something comforting and mindless from the kitchen. This roast chicken hits the spot every time, and there's always leftovers the next day (my boyfriend particularly likes to make chicken salad sandwiches with it). I have made many, many a roast chicken- each one a bit different- but this combination of ingredients produces the most fragrant, aromatic, and flavorful roast chicken I have EVER tasted.<br />
<br />
I totally get that you can find an already-cooked rotisserie chicken at most grocery stores these days, and every once and awhile I give into my laziness and opt for one instead of cooking my own- but there is something so comforting and old-school about roasting your own chicken. And the smell that permeates from the oven will make you thank yourself for not giving into the convenience of a store-bought chicken (believe me, I can smell mine roasting away right now, and it's like heaven).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnhAWRpiXPNUPdnPKDChqazector6qibPe0nYbh8crC5G2-Osbj9iPq_ujGeKHwVTOFLUdBtCmvy8DlbmjWwuNbt56EBZysMu4dUzgVGjDW4a_kH3YXdYzdaXDHOHRSXDrLZ49fjxPzZU/s1600/garlichead.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475808381738506114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnhAWRpiXPNUPdnPKDChqazector6qibPe0nYbh8crC5G2-Osbj9iPq_ujGeKHwVTOFLUdBtCmvy8DlbmjWwuNbt56EBZysMu4dUzgVGjDW4a_kH3YXdYzdaXDHOHRSXDrLZ49fjxPzZU/s320/garlichead.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Like I said, this recipe is pretty mindless and simple. I know the browned herb-butter portion of this recipe takes a little extra time than your usual "throw-it-all-together roast chicken", but I promise it won't disappoint- the butter creates the most amazing caramelized skin on the chicken that is the kind of thing I dream about at night (yah, I know, I'm kind of a foodie).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kEnDalV8XKZkxZO6i7g7qp3aleI_IPsTIBiuf4ae6Ntk5Q_MtW87PEPjc2rxDpF3RgZBw5tabBU4Hl7y3MAiEIePxqypyFGGltrI151NRPvcoBB4iP03UpYf1v4GI8mi40ARPvZbwH3j/s1600/herbbutter.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475804968536752514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kEnDalV8XKZkxZO6i7g7qp3aleI_IPsTIBiuf4ae6Ntk5Q_MtW87PEPjc2rxDpF3RgZBw5tabBU4Hl7y3MAiEIePxqypyFGGltrI151NRPvcoBB4iP03UpYf1v4GI8mi40ARPvZbwH3j/s320/herbbutter.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
So without further adieu, here is the recipe!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken</li>
<li>Salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
<li>2 tablespoons butter</li>
<li>1 teaspoon minced rosemary</li>
<li>1 teaspoon minced thyme</li>
<li>few sprigs thyme</li>
<li>few sprigs rosemary</li>
<li>1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced</li>
<li>4 carrots, cut into chunks</li>
<li>2 celery stalks, cut into chunks</li>
<li>1 large onion, cut into large chunks</li>
<li>1 small yam/sweet potato, cut into chunks<br />
</li>
<li>1 lemon, quartered</li>
<li>1 orange, quartered</li>
<li>2 bay leaves</li>
<li>tiny sprinkle of fennel seeds (optional)<br />
</li>
<li>Olive oil</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On a side note: I know this seems like a lot of ingredients, and I know that not everyone has all of these lying around in their kitchen or pantry. But that's the beauty of this meal- you can substitute and/or omit anything you like, for the most part. This is just what works for me. I think the only ingredients that are a must would be the garlic, lemon, butter or oil, onion, salt & pepper- from there you could experiment with different vegetables or herbs to your preference. But please, add SOME kind of herbs- it makes all the difference.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh454aThgjGVO3jloSaQaRm9ApbOUAVA5hX5UrFlHys7tnpDIvhpCo4YN46DOLqwDo5blArbXwG_BkP31G6qTMj7Qs86a2Ysk1gL5gmy2kPjWAIYMAguLoeHk7KHnWw7IAqNf7tzaL37k2I/s1600/carrotcelerymedley.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475811663004194626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh454aThgjGVO3jloSaQaRm9ApbOUAVA5hX5UrFlHys7tnpDIvhpCo4YN46DOLqwDo5blArbXwG_BkP31G6qTMj7Qs86a2Ysk1gL5gmy2kPjWAIYMAguLoeHk7KHnWw7IAqNf7tzaL37k2I/s320/carrotcelerymedley.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHTVat9E-PTQlljhQ4TG7JnwMjt_2xpXahwkvXnDYwgtVkCzgAu6I8ahf-174yjCvbbOPdWc-EG9AV5bfcJ8Ndegyia3IzpF3dPWiiba1vbV9kjzdX1pIl3LaMKF4QFAauzp9Wbup7vTt/s1600/orangeslemon.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475812439485107090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHTVat9E-PTQlljhQ4TG7JnwMjt_2xpXahwkvXnDYwgtVkCzgAu6I8ahf-174yjCvbbOPdWc-EG9AV5bfcJ8Ndegyia3IzpF3dPWiiba1vbV9kjzdX1pIl3LaMKF4QFAauzp9Wbup7vTt/s320/orangeslemon.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />
<ul><li>Preheat oven to 425 degrees.</li>
<li>Heat butter in a frying pan over medium high heat. When butter is just melted, add two teaspoons of minced rosemary and thyme and cook until butter just begins to lightly brown. Remove from heat.<br />
</li>
<li>Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and remove neck.<br />
</li>
<li>Pat dry. Generously salt and pepper the inside and outside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with few sprigs of thyme and rosemary, half the lemon slices, half the orange slices, half the garlic head, and one bay leaf. Stuff sliced garlic underneath skin of chicken.<br />
</li>
<li>Tie the legs together with kitchen string.</li>
<li>Place the onions, celery, carrots, yam, remaining half of garlic head, and remaining orange and lemon slices around the bottom of a roasting pan and toss with salt, pepper and olive oil and few more sprigs of thyme and rosemary, if desired. Place chicken on top.</li>
<li>Pour herb butter over the top of chicken, and lightly rub into the skin. Sprinkle a few fennel seeds over top of chicken. </li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nrksdbzdXrT2PmtK2dG_trioDHoAAhfZWfRDQAcg3gehHIGGClERy64ikofYXaBzQyBezjKJYUr73KdGUtF533LhjAzBVzZYrSnKbe_gftrxz2IhEPlabvGe_buVTI802Xu9n9RCD6HO/s1600/fennel.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475809528931906178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nrksdbzdXrT2PmtK2dG_trioDHoAAhfZWfRDQAcg3gehHIGGClERy64ikofYXaBzQyBezjKJYUr73KdGUtF533LhjAzBVzZYrSnKbe_gftrxz2IhEPlabvGe_buVTI802Xu9n9RCD6HO/s320/fennel.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<ul><li>Roast chicken for 1 hour-1 1/2 hours; until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh (or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 degrees).</li>
<li>Once removed from oven, cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes (this is what makes the difference between a DRY chicken, and a MOIST chicken. This allows the juices lost during cooking to go back into the chicken, which makes your chicken VERY happy).<br />
</li>
<li>Place chicken and vegetables on a platter and enjoy!<br />
</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-658150811161454882010-05-21T22:43:00.000-07:002010-06-06T21:05:04.110-07:00Angel Hair Pasta with Hot Cherry Tomatoes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyH4W1mEz7vfRsE82D2K2ozzblAL32R0gjlOGRs_IZLguCQZWoo-W-4_1wT4-iN0WsOhUzkd6X50tBtlJZhXJAPXhHAZVEqwTl_jznrTDU20jwJ5ts3hgmIQ1oeka145iA9_JhlvyzZ9i/s1600/tomatoes1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyH4W1mEz7vfRsE82D2K2ozzblAL32R0gjlOGRs_IZLguCQZWoo-W-4_1wT4-iN0WsOhUzkd6X50tBtlJZhXJAPXhHAZVEqwTl_jznrTDU20jwJ5ts3hgmIQ1oeka145iA9_JhlvyzZ9i/s320/tomatoes1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473981861742722626" border="0" /></a>This unbelievably delicious pasta dish is adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe for bruschetta with spicy tomatoes. I tweaked the recipe a bit and substituted the bread for angel hair pasta to make a meal that is perfect for entertaining- you can whip it up in about 15 mintues but it tastes like it's been cooking for hours (I'm not lying, seriously it does). We like ours extra hot, but you can always use less crushed red pepper flakes if you like your dish not as spicy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br /></span><ul><li>2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil</li><li>5 cloves garlic, minced</li><li>2 pints cherry tomatoes</li><li>1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes</li><li>salt</li><li>1/2 pound dried angel hair<br /></li><li>a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped</li><li>a handful of basil leaves, chopped</li><li>1/2 cup-3/4 cup grated parmesean cheese</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><ol><li>Bring a large pot of water to boil and add one tablespoon of salt and a splash of olive oil to the pot.</li><li>Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 2 minutes; then add the tomatoes and season with salt, to taste, and toss to coat in oil.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-HE5hBarAsZ64zyYoltcTQRV8l8GyVpSIk_D8is6gNfAbTdh5QVCq20pUZ38ByqPaOFXxe2il0f_aUaS10TjehDUu1swyeXZ3duQPUPEDQb3JWZ0snOPspNMSvLx4PEbgIU57y9ITHp1/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-HE5hBarAsZ64zyYoltcTQRV8l8GyVpSIk_D8is6gNfAbTdh5QVCq20pUZ38ByqPaOFXxe2il0f_aUaS10TjehDUu1swyeXZ3duQPUPEDQb3JWZ0snOPspNMSvLx4PEbgIU57y9ITHp1/s320/DSC_0061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473981406396945042" border="0" /></a></li><li>Cover the pan, raise heat slightly and cook until the tomatoes burst, about 10-15 minutes.</li><li>While the tomatoes are cooking, add the angel hair to the pot of boiling water and cook according to directions on package. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.<br /></li><li>Remove lid from tomatoes, squish any left over whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon and let thicken, about 1 minute.<br /></li><li>Stir in the parsley and basil, adjust the seasoning and remove from heat.</li><li>Transfer pasta and 1/8 cup pasta water (or more depending on how dry your pasta is) into pan with tomato mixture, combining well.</li><li>Add parmesan cheese and toss all together.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbUMuLVT2TC1Ti1GHVfqAb5eZ-WE8a2K61IZwd0NvFyurOh9W5ZyV4vJrueXDeIZOLRY0k1No0LyNPmuKZY1vLp4ZvJ58wj5NjD8hRHd1skghA36VeNVSmHy1NH-m8hGcaEskcrYsasY7/s1600/tomato2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbUMuLVT2TC1Ti1GHVfqAb5eZ-WE8a2K61IZwd0NvFyurOh9W5ZyV4vJrueXDeIZOLRY0k1No0LyNPmuKZY1vLp4ZvJ58wj5NjD8hRHd1skghA36VeNVSmHy1NH-m8hGcaEskcrYsasY7/s320/tomato2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473975519788847810" border="0" /></a></li><li>Serve with extra basil sprinkled on top and a bowl of extra grated parmesan on the side. Bon appetit!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HIdTCZrV6I2cnhHO9iD90pj1GRFpmRUsXGbHoKGl38R52HNAr0Jr1SZuJTSZ0T7HvSPfFsWAPvjfhuYPdjk-xRicuO-K_rlg0T3j6aJeWiJPixy5fCoCxo6h3O_QREyxyZzqAj-smeUf/s1600/pastafinal.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HIdTCZrV6I2cnhHO9iD90pj1GRFpmRUsXGbHoKGl38R52HNAr0Jr1SZuJTSZ0T7HvSPfFsWAPvjfhuYPdjk-xRicuO-K_rlg0T3j6aJeWiJPixy5fCoCxo6h3O_QREyxyZzqAj-smeUf/s320/pastafinal.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473976926752769490" border="0" /></a></li></ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-26021601886100264992010-05-20T21:38:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:43:35.460-07:00Strawberry-Raspberry Sorbet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-7fOgaB69g8Ix5-yiZO8se04O8FK9KcXM_4jFBo1FDcUnDvG0q-3SkV9lnTbBAsmfiqMljyVD1BJuCeoo0Vp4irlG0POuXnn2Jw37vFgO9iIHALTyyLmLbOTEJdisdOBsW2TPwDvJXt9/s1600/strawberry1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473613023728035090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-7fOgaB69g8Ix5-yiZO8se04O8FK9KcXM_4jFBo1FDcUnDvG0q-3SkV9lnTbBAsmfiqMljyVD1BJuCeoo0Vp4irlG0POuXnn2Jw37vFgO9iIHALTyyLmLbOTEJdisdOBsW2TPwDvJXt9/s320/strawberry1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>I'm the kind of cook whose food cravings depend on the season. In the Winter I feel like hibernating inside all day, and that's usually when I find myself making slow-cooked meals; a hearty soup simmering away on the stove, a fresh baked loaf of bread in the oven. But come Spring, my palate wants one thing and one thing only: fruit. Lots and lots of fruit. Spring is when berries are bountiful and at their ripest; they are usually cheaper around this time, too.<br />
<br />
This strawberry-raspberry sorbet is the first thing I make when it's warm outside and I bring home too many berries than I know what to do with. It produces a beautiful reddish-pink sorbet that is tangy and sweet all at the same time. Although this recipe is quite simple, the one thing I must preface is the importance of using fresh, local or organic berries at the peak of their flavor; trust me on this one, it can make or break the taste of your sorbet.<br />
Yield: Makes one quart.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Strawberry-Raspberry Sorbet</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Recipe adapted from Gabrielle Carbone, coproprietor of The Bent Spoon ice cream parlor in Princeton, New Jersey</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<ul><li>1/3 cup water, preferably spring or filtered water (this sorbet is essentially fruit and water, so what you put in is what you get)</li>
<li>3/4 cup sugar</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1 1/2 pounds of fresh strawberries, rinsed, patted and dry, and hulled</li>
<li>1/2 pound of fresh raspberries</li>
<li>2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, depending on sweetness of berries<br />
</li>
<li>1 large egg white (optional- but it helps stabilize and preserve the consistency of the sorbet if you plan to keep it in your freezer for a few days)</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7PJzIh_O4EScbU45gJSd5DNN0MfY27mJVUXk6EHaoy6bFAGuPOTyRCA0ew8-BUtUCMm19HgI0xZ7Tn7T_zMbHHuxsMujk45FnjYFp-LJ2egtw1vcDtiphdynIcAq5e9afm2ezoPnPozJ/s1600/strawberry2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473590704617143618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7PJzIh_O4EScbU45gJSd5DNN0MfY27mJVUXk6EHaoy6bFAGuPOTyRCA0ew8-BUtUCMm19HgI0xZ7Tn7T_zMbHHuxsMujk45FnjYFp-LJ2egtw1vcDtiphdynIcAq5e9afm2ezoPnPozJ/s320/strawberry2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
Directions:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>To make a simple syrup, combine the sugar, water and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar and salt dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.</li>
<li>In a blender, puree the strawberries, raspberries, simple syrup and lemon juice in batches, until very smooth.</li>
<li>Transfer puree into pitcher or an open container, and cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. (You can leave it over night if needed)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbNq9jmdnEpdPc5EM3DJ0KpSb4aeMPBbzhqkvF1V5JIEniI-TnXWNxYhlhS9gW_FhEyk2g5-c7y7iTqngeb5tz-0QMBD9b7iXp3lYQfzEjGdjPh_cSm0AAaWqtiWFkyWv17qpAKXHfG5C/s1600/strawberry3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473591149101224066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbNq9jmdnEpdPc5EM3DJ0KpSb4aeMPBbzhqkvF1V5JIEniI-TnXWNxYhlhS9gW_FhEyk2g5-c7y7iTqngeb5tz-0QMBD9b7iXp3lYQfzEjGdjPh_cSm0AAaWqtiWFkyWv17qpAKXHfG5C/s320/strawberry3.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></li>
<li>Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. If you are using the egg white, add it during the last few minutes of churning.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqOxqMkJKB2DlolE17xD5dhEvMaCGU8LJbYA8R459hKzxY1wX4VdgCiNN-WiVnMfjQ4EFmRzoNFKXGoQT4ey5_mcki7-YOKzXuTM8rV3ffGsmgHxMXi-z7zuu2E7NM5mWSH_d57IHIft5/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473612082873856482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqOxqMkJKB2DlolE17xD5dhEvMaCGU8LJbYA8R459hKzxY1wX4VdgCiNN-WiVnMfjQ4EFmRzoNFKXGoQT4ey5_mcki7-YOKzXuTM8rV3ffGsmgHxMXi-z7zuu2E7NM5mWSH_d57IHIft5/s320/DSC_0049.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></li>
<li>The sorbet is particularly soft after churning. If you prefer a firmer texture, freeze for at least one hour before serving.</li>
<li>Store tightly covered, in the freezer.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_DsxOyJUe6Fc5kINKQErj0BE2F99B9joB_ZspHuO_ekuG7gMW60Pj4O0GQ02R8ceSqluB7Awkcxe7qBv00hZtY7e8u0E_3AbF598n868D0Yf5Z6nHHP4cEXRUjKi-_Fer3m5uEfPaqZI/s1600/sorbet.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473612447676677746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_DsxOyJUe6Fc5kINKQErj0BE2F99B9joB_ZspHuO_ekuG7gMW60Pj4O0GQ02R8ceSqluB7Awkcxe7qBv00hZtY7e8u0E_3AbF598n868D0Yf5Z6nHHP4cEXRUjKi-_Fer3m5uEfPaqZI/s320/sorbet.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 195px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></li>
</ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-58443148956414521692010-05-19T20:30:00.001-07:002010-09-17T14:44:10.817-07:00Pan-fried Turkey Burgers and THE BEST Spicy Yam Fries EVER<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W_XxWQsmXfb5PL9YAIIIeqjzGjA3vFZ8jyBIqPtMHIwG3d_xnHw-I9X9zSylVAvzRa_INJV2BHNq_kJj9KHKpIRfXzGMR6oA2VBfKWQY0ut8dID17NG8KaJmWHwaddeq6Y6C6E6QS2kf/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473203982163833474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W_XxWQsmXfb5PL9YAIIIeqjzGjA3vFZ8jyBIqPtMHIwG3d_xnHw-I9X9zSylVAvzRa_INJV2BHNq_kJj9KHKpIRfXzGMR6oA2VBfKWQY0ut8dID17NG8KaJmWHwaddeq6Y6C6E6QS2kf/s320/DSC_0034.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Turkey burgers can be tricky because they can become dry pretty easily; and nobody likes a dry burger. This recipe makes a fool-proof moist burger and is the healthiest fix for 'burgers and fries' that you've ever had (esp. considering the yam fries are baked, not fried). This recipe makes two burgers and enough fries for two people.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for Turkey Burgers:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>1/2 pound ground turkey<br />
</li>
<li>few slices tomato<br />
</li>
<li>few leaves lettuce</li>
<li>whole-wheat buns (or whatever you prefer)</li>
<li>two cloves of garlic, finely minced</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning<br />
</li>
<li>two tablespoons of good olive oil<br />
</li>
<li>condiments, such as ketchup, mayo, and mustard</li>
<li>few slices of smoked-chedder cheese, optional</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for Spicy Yam Fries</span>:<br />
<ul><li>one large (or two medium) garnet yam</li>
<li>1/2-1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
</li>
<li>pinch of cayenne<br />
</li>
<li>pinch of paprika powder </li>
<li>2-3 tablespoons of good olive oil</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Although you can use any kind of olive oil you have lying around, I can't tell you how much good quality olive oil makes a difference in the overall taste of this meal. Try it, it's worth it!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:<br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.<br />
</li>
<li>Slice yam into 1/4 inch fries, then lay out on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil evenly on fries. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne; toss to coat.<br />
</li>
<li>Bake in oven, flipping every 15 minutes, until golden on outside, about 30 minutes.<br />
</li>
<li>In the meantime, in a large bowl, mix one tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning and ground turkey, using your hands to combine the ingredients together. Form into two patties.<br />
</li>
<li>Cook patties in a frying pan coated with remaining olive oil over medium-high heat, 5-6 minutes on each side. When in doubt, apply pressure from the back of a spatula onto one of the patties. If firm, meat will be thoroughly cooked through; if the patty is a bit squishy then the meat is still undercooked.<br />
</li>
<li>Half way through cooking the patties, lay thin slices of cheese on burger buns and place in toaster oven. (If you don't have a toaster oven, you can melt the cheese on the patties during the last 5 minutes of cooking).</li>
<li>Remove yam fries from oven and let sit for 5 minutes (this last step is very important if you want crispy, not mushy fries).<br />
</li>
<li>Assemble turkey burgers in whatever fashion you prefer, and serve with yam fries alongside.<br />
</li>
</ol>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-77361583247667020622010-05-19T12:42:00.000-07:002010-06-06T21:05:49.143-07:00Johnny's Jazzed-up Egg and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSpCqYhj9HVmOfAZgXrRnVnt6bcOVXk1PxaC7F44-OlP1E8u9bjFk7kRCEtdEpAUwFfEwznwrfAE6D8Oqw5knfbXbP5wh4KTOs0fsC58sD4KPIbMkbNBO6SuNL-KLIaWRvaGhPUzFq9o/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSpCqYhj9HVmOfAZgXrRnVnt6bcOVXk1PxaC7F44-OlP1E8u9bjFk7kRCEtdEpAUwFfEwznwrfAE6D8Oqw5knfbXbP5wh4KTOs0fsC58sD4KPIbMkbNBO6SuNL-KLIaWRvaGhPUzFq9o/s320/DSC_0037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473429452126657890" border="0" /></a>Don't let the name fool you- this is delicious for lunch as well- we've even had it for dinner on occasion. We microwave our bacon, which my parents always did growing up (I think it gets rid of some unneeded bacon grease). This couldn't be an easier recipe, and it tastes so good that we make it about 2-3 times a week. The recipe makes two whole sandwiches. Enjoy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:<br /></span><ul><li>Jewish Light Rye Bread, four slices (any sliced bread of your liking will do)</li><li>two eggs</li><li>one avocado</li><li>sliced bacon, 4-6 slices (we use turkey bacon, b/c it's higher in protein and healthier)</li><li>few tomato slices</li><li>few leaves of lettuce</li><li>handful of alfalfa sprouts (optional)</li><li>super easy spicy aioli spread (recipe follows)<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Super easy spicy aioli spread: <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span><ul><li>1/2 mayonnaise (we use dairy-free mayo, which I highly reccomend- it's healthier than regular mayo and tastes delicious)</li></ul><ul><li>about one tablespoon of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (adjust to your liking- we use about one tablespoon but we like our spread <span style="font-style: italic;">spicy. </span>If you don't already have Sriracha lying around in your pantry, you can pick it up at practically any grocery store in the International Foods Section. It's cheap and useful for spicing up lots of other dishes- we use it all the time).</li></ul><ul><li>To make spread, just mix both ingredients together untill well combined. That's it!<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sandwich assembly:<br /><br /></span><ol><li>Lay slices of bacon on a microwavable-safe plate that has been covered with a paper towel. Cook for as long as it takes depending on your microwave- the bacon should be crispy but never burned. It takes us about 6-8 minutes to cook the bacon, flipping the slices once on each side.<br /></li><li>In the meantime, heat a frying pan lightly coated with olive oil on medium heat. When pan is hot, fry both eggs to your preference. Don't forget to sprinkle them with salt and pepper!</li><li>This would be a good time to put the slices of bread in the toaster.</li><li>Slice up a tomato, and avocado- reserving one half of the avocado for each sandwich.<br /></li><li>Spread spicy aioli liberally on all slices of bread. Lay an egg on one slice of toast and follow on top in this order: bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce and alfalfa sprouts.<br /></li><li>Cover with final slice of bread and bon apetit!<br /></li></ol><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1799223632965523142.post-38756836173104192112010-05-19T11:23:00.000-07:002010-05-19T12:11:55.255-07:00here's to new beginnings...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGbcYMjd7c2JA-lizHeAFKixhzMcqyV3ckO1VU4c0svQaegOR2xuMhqsNovZc-8lDHm4v_2-6W4R_AjX2sqzaxpBsMw8vfiJLSvtYLdm87fqWPX70CNAXqReW78ouBiU-oy98GYnKhQBH/s1600/main_kitchen.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGbcYMjd7c2JA-lizHeAFKixhzMcqyV3ckO1VU4c0svQaegOR2xuMhqsNovZc-8lDHm4v_2-6W4R_AjX2sqzaxpBsMw8vfiJLSvtYLdm87fqWPX70CNAXqReW78ouBiU-oy98GYnKhQBH/s320/main_kitchen.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473060927410732194" border="0" /></a><br />I've decided to start a blog because my kitchen drawer is starting to overflow with too many recipes. They are scribbled on bits and pieces of paper, receipts, even a few napkins. Most of them are covered in stains that mark a successfully made meal, their edges curled over with too much use.<br /><br />For me, cooking is a daily ritual. It's like breathing. I can't go on without it! It makes me sad when people are afraid to use their own kitchen, or when they say things like "I don't have time to cook" or "It's too complicated". The thing is, cooking can be anything you want it to be. It can be a slow meal, simmering all day in a giant pot; or it can be a quick fix when you're in a hurry but is just as delicious. Either way, cooking doesn't have to be complicated and ANYONE can make time in their lives to enjoy a home-cooked meal.<br /><br />After years of cooking for family and friends and seeing their faces light up from something they've just tasted, I've realized that I want to share the joy of cooking on a much bigger level. I want to share it with all of you. This will be a place where you can find recipes for meals that make you feel good, on the inside and the outside- whether it entails fresh vegetables from the summer farmer's market or making use of your pantry by sprucing up winter dishes with spices.<br /><br />Renaissance means 'rebirth'. I want this blog to be a way for me to share some ubelievable food memories, in hopes that the rest of you will make your own, creating your own "renaissance in the kitchen".jenniferashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01988817975069532545noreply@blogger.com4