The Incidental Gourmet

Thanks to DWT for the first recipe of this fun thread:

UNINTENTIONAL LASAGNE

So. Dinner tonight is a new recipe - "Unintentional Lasagne"

First time I've made it, and most likely the last as well,

I HAD planned on stuffing cannelloni with spinach & ricotta, so I got set up for that. 

The canelloni had no cooking instructions, so I went online and found a supposed chef who said "boil 8 to 10 minutes until Al Dente. 

I looked at what he took out of the pot and Al Dente was not what I saw, so I decided to try six minutes. 

Should have been four.

So, here I am with a spinach & ricotta mix, ready to stuff into cannelloni with all the spine of a snail, or a Republican congressman.

After a vain attempt to stuff the first (and a few foul words, sigh)I had a brainstorm, complete with thunder, ouch. I cut the cannelloni lengthwise and it looked suspiciously like lasagna noodles (leaving me to wonder if the first lasagna was an accident as well)

I'd already poured some roasted garlic pasta sauce into the baking dish to act as a base for the now-spineless pasta, so I laid out the now cut cannelloni over that, with a layer of ricotta & spinach and proceeded from there.

At the top layer, however, I ran out. Of ricotta, sauce, and patience.

So, I added the remainder of a jar of Herdez medium salsa, some extra sharp cheddar and about 1/2 pouch of 4 cheese Mexican blend.

It's all in the oven now, and I'm about to go look. . .

Not nearly done.

So now it is a race between my appetite for unintentional Lasagne and my appetite for cheap port wine.

So far, the wine is winning, but it did, after all, have a big headstart, as I was sipping it the whole time I was mismanaging my dinner cooking chores.

Warning! My pride tells me - "ReRead this and check for spelling, typos, etc." My port wine tells me, "Just POST the damn thing"

I am posting

Comfort Food!

This culinary delight is not good for you. Don't make it, and don't try it...not even one bite! Just walk away, because it's absolutely delicious, and your taste buds will never be the same! What you'll need:

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni or penne

1 cup half and half

2 cups milk

1/2 stick butter plus 1 Tbs.

1/4 cup flour

8 oz. Velveeta cheese ( you can use American, but nothing beats Velveeta in this)

about 4-6 slices Swiss cheese

2 cups cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (may sound strange but it adds a hint of flavor)

The end result:

 Here's how to put it all together, but I'll warn you, this cooking blog will add more than a few inches to your waistline!  TCKT, meet Sweet Tea and Cornbread.  Yum!

Winter Means Fondue!

I found this recipe in the Oregonian:

Ingredients

2 cups pinot gris wine
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 shallots, quartered
2 to 3 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk
6 ounces gruyère cheese, shredded
6 ounces raclette cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound boiled fingerling potatoes, cut into quarters lengthwise
1/2 pound high-quality charcuterie, such as artisan salami or prosciutto
Various pickled vegetables, such as cornichons, cauliflower or green beans
2 loaves crusty baguette, cut into cubes

Instructions

Pour wine into a heavy saucepan and add garlic, shallots and thyme. Heat wine over medium-low heat until it just starts to boil, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain wine into a medium-sized bowl and set aside, discarding garlic, shallots and thyme.

In the same saucepan over low heat, whisk together the flour and butter to form a roux, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn't brown, until mixture is smooth and the raw flour flavor has cooked out, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat milk just until it starts to boil. Add the milk to the roux and whisk mixture until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add seasoned wine and whisk until mixture is smooth.

Begin adding cheese a handful at a time, whisking until each addition is melted and fully incorporated before adding another. Repeat process until all the cheese has been added and mixture drips from the whisk in solid sheets. Transfer fondue into a fondue pot or slow-cooker. Keep the fondue warm over an alcohol burner or in the slow-cooker on the lowest setting. Serve with accompaniments.

Delightful and delicious!

Recipe Of The Day!

I was doing my morning news-crawl when I ran across this recipe. Seeing as how the family will be at our place for the Thanksgiving feast, I squealed in delight and did a little jig. These taters will be a perfect time-saver, and they should be delicious!

MAKE-AHEAD POTATOES

You have to have mashed potatoes to go with all that luscious turkey gravy. For years, I played switcheroo with pans of side dishes just to find enough space on my stove to cook them all. Then, I discovered the following recipe for perfect mashed potatoes which can be made in advance. Now, all I do is pop these in the oven when I take out the turkey. By the time the bird rests and is carved, the potatoes are hot and fluffy.

9 medium-sized white potatoes (Idaho, russets or Yukon Golds)

6 ounces low-fat cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup low-fat or nonfat sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons onion salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup melted butter

2 teaspoons room temperature butter

Paprika for garnish

Peel and boil the potatoes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, white pepper and melted butter. Beat with a mixer until fluffy. Place in a 2-quart casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Dot with remaining butter. Cover and chill until ready to use.

To serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake casserole 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish.

Serves 8.

Recipe adapted from "The Lucy Miehle Too Good To Be Lowfat But It Is Cookbook."

Let's Have Pie!

I finally finagled my budget around enough to buy a Breville pie maker! I just ordered it today, and it should be in by the end of next week. I'm so excited! AFW loved hers so much that I know it will be a big hit with my family too.

Here's the linkypoo to Williams-Sonoma. Warning: the shipping, handling, and taxes will cost you a boatload. It came to over $28 bucks for the pie maker, cookbook, and nifty little pie-taker-outer gizmo, for a grand total of $161. *faint*

Soup: You Know You Want It.

Best soup book ever.

As the chilly winter nights creep up there is nothing better than a bowl of homemade soup. This is my favourite.

Then again, you can't go wrong with this.

I also love minestrone and cream of mushroom.

And if soup is not enough...try these wonderful cheese scones as an accompaniment. I usually just roll out the dough and cut out large biscuit rounds rather than shape and cut as specified in the recipe. This recipe is also easily halved.

Mmm..Krispy Kreme...

Good news!  Americans are now snarfing four point nine meals/snacks per day!  According to this article, it's the reason we're all so porky, and why we waddle from place to place.  I know I'm doing my part to contribute to this awesome fat-stat.  Could you please pass the chips and dip this way?  It's been minutes since my last meal, and I'm feeling woozy.

Of course, portion size has increased too.  Have you noticed how much bigger dinner plates are now, compared to when we were kidlets?  It's crazy!  Our meals are yummier too.  Why make a pot of beans when it costs the same to enjoy an artery-clogging pizza?  Oh, and put extra pepperoni on mine.  And extra cheese!

I'm fairly sure that most of us are a bit more sedentary too.  We stuff our faces, but we don't burn it off like we once did.  My mom was the "stay-at-home" variety when I was small, and that woman never stopped!  She planned and cooked three well-balanced meals a day, walked to and from the grocery store and library (uphill both ways), washed the dishes by hand, hung the clothes on a line in the backyard, ironed everything from shirts to sheets, and polished the wood floors by hand.  She was skinny as a rail in those days!  I doubt she weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet!  Now she plants her jiggly bottom in a recliner, reads on a Kindle, has a maid come in once a week, and shoves frozen, pre-prepared meals in the oven or microwave.  Her and dad nibble on the meals in between the gooey snacks.  Retirement is grand!

As for me, I'm debating what to have for lunch.  A tiny container of yoghurt?  A piece of cheese and a cracker?  An itsy-bitsy cup of salad with a half-teaspoon of low-fat Ranch?  Or THIS!

Brunchburger!  And yes, those are glazed donuts!

If You Find Yourself In Flagstaff

Nelly's Soul Food is the first restaurant to catch my eye in quite some time:

The menu of the new restaurant at 2118 N. Fourth St., which opened on Jan. 17, is comfortable, too -- packed with country staples as familiar to many as breathing.

Among them: fried chicken, ribs, catfish, beef brisket, roasted pork loin, chicken-fried steak, macaroni and cheese, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, greens, cole slaw, potato salad, fried okra, three types of beans, candied yams, fruit cobblers and sweet potato pie.

Oh my, I'm suddenly starving!  I predict that Mr. Joseph will be a huge success.  HUGE.

What's Cookin'?

It's a cool, overcast, blustery November afternoon in the Ozarks.  Most of the wildly colorful leaves have fallen from the trees, and the bare branches are a stark contrast to the evergreen of the cedars that huddle together in small groves.  We have a fire dancing in the woodstove, and a football game barely audible on the television, mostly ignored as we go about our individual projects.  It seemed like a great day to dust off the crock pot and create something aromatic, healthy, and delicious.

I had two chicken breasts thawed, so I half-filled the crock pot with water, chicken bouillon, and a dash or two of poultry seasoning and black pepper.  I then tossed butter into my favorite skillet, and added diced onions, minced garlic, sliced celery, and baby carrots.  When they began to caramelize, I pushed them to one side and added big chunks of the chicken breast to brown.  Then the contents of the skillet were added to the broth in the crock pot.  Next I scrubbed up some potatoes, cut them into chunks with the skin still on, and added them to the pot.  For additional color, I opened and drained a can of corn.  Into the pot!

The house smells heavenly.  Later I'll whip up some dumplings, and voila!  Dinner is served!

What's cookin' at your house?

Coq Au Vin

It's what's for dinner!



I've made this dish a few times before but this Alton Brown recipe from the Food Network is outstanding.

I made a few changes (don't we all?) I used regular bacon instead of salt pork. I used one bottle of wine and 750 ml of chicken stock. I also didn't do the 45 minute reduction at the end and thickened the sauce with a cornstarch slurry.

Anyway, all this is just as any cook would do in accordance with their taste.

But, if you stick to the basic ingredients and cooking methods of this recipe you will have one of the most delicious meals ever!

Yum Yum.

Who's Up For Some Lentil Soup?

I have a bag of lentils in my cabinet that I acquired from my daughter-in-law, who had no earthly clue what to do with them.  I've been rummaging around the internet looking for a good recipe.  I think this one has real possibilities:

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups dry lentils
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

I would probably add a little diced ham for flavor, cut the olive oil way back, and use stewed tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.  I'd also toss in a some chicken bouillon cubes, or use broth instead of water.  Have any of you ever created a lentil soup?  Any yummy ideas?

For Florrie...

Florrie was wondering what to have for dinner. We recommend the Waldorf Salad.


With Hebrew sub-titles!

Summer Food

TABBOULEH


I love this light, fresh, yet intense summer salad. Instead of faffing with big tomatoes and peeling them as the recipe instructs, just use the wonderfully flavourful and tiny grape tomatoes. Cut them in half and leave the skins on. Oh, and double the amount of parsley.

1lb 5oz/600g ripe tomatoes

1 English cucumber, peeled

1 clove garlic

Juice of 3 lemons

50g cracked (bulgar) wheat

Half a bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Few sprigs of mint, chopped

6 tbsp olive oil

A handful of salad leaves

* Put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Count to 10 (longer if they are not very ripe), then lift them out, run under cold water and slip off the skins into a bowl. Cut them in half and squeeze the juices and seeds into the bowl too.

* Chop the tomato flesh into rough cubes and keep in a second bowl.

* Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and, with a teaspoon, scoop the seeds and juice into the bowl with the tomato seeds. Cut the cucumber into rough cubes the same size as the tomato and add to the second bowl.

* Add the garlic and lemon juice, plus a pinch of salt, to the seeds and juices. Purée with a hand blender or in a blender, then sieve and discard the debris.

* Add the bulgar wheat to the strained juice and soak for at least two hours, gently forking it through once or twice. Add a little water if it seems dry.

* Drain any excess juice from the wheat. Carefully fold in the tomato, cucumber and herbs, adding the olive oil and salt to taste.

TURKEY COBB SALAD (courtesy of The English Kitchen)


This is a delicious salad which contains no less than 3 of the super foods, turkey breast, avocado and tomatoes! Bacon and cheese aside, I reckon it is pretty good for you.

2 TBS white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 TBS good quality mayonnaise
4 TBS olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
8 slices of thick cut bacon
1 head of iceberg lettuce, cored and thinly sliced
2 small avocados, peeled, stoned and cubed
4 small plum tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cubed turkey breast (1/2 pound)

First make the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, oil and a pinch of pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in a quarter of the cheese.

Fry the bacon in a heavy frying pan over medium heat until crisp. Drain well on paper towels, then crumble.

Add the lettuce to the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce amongst 4 chilled plates. Arrange the avocados, tomatoes and turkey on top. Sprinkle with the bacon and the remaining cheese and serve.

Cookies

I made these cookies the other day and they turned out to be just as fabulous looking as the blog photo's. Trouble is they didn't taste that brilliant.

I love this cooking blog, I just didn't happen to love these cookies.

Not Your Normal Cupcake!

Chocolate cake, in a mug, prepared and cooked in 5 minutes.

Yes.

It's true.

Matt and I just finished eating it.

Yum yum.

Going Bananas!

Every thing you ever wanted to know about bananas and more.

The reader recipes look divine.

Food For The Kitchen Table

The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) has the best recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. Not to be indiscreet, but Matt gets a happy smile every time I make it...

However, I do not make my own pastry. I use frozen puff pastry which works wonderfully well. If you choose to do as I do, then you will need to cook the pies at 400 not 375 as stated in the recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Food For The Kitchen Table

This on-line recipe for The Silver Palate's Beef Stroganoff most closely resembles the one from the book. Do not, under any circumstances, substitute sour cream for the Creme Fraiche. And please, leave the Creme Fraiche to develop longer than the recipe time states. I usually make my Creme Fraiche on a Wednesday for use on the following Saturday.

Creme Fraiche is the soul of this recipe. If you don't do it right then you may as well leave out the beef.

Speaking of beef, use top sirloin or tenderloin. No substitutions allowed.

Bon Appetit!

Some food for the kitchen table, Julia Child's French Onion Soup, just the thing for these still cold and dark winter days.

2 hours | 30 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

* 5-6 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs)
* 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 6 cups beef stock (preferably homemade)
* 1 cup wine (dry red or white)
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
* salt and pepper
* 12 ounces swiss cheese, grated
* 4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
* 1/2 raw yellow onion
* 2-3 tablespoons cognac
* 8 slices French bread (about 1 inch thick)
* 4 tablespoons olive oil, for drizzling

1. Place heavy bottom stock pot or dutch over over medium-low heat.
2. Add 1 Tbs cooking oil, 2Tbs butter to pot.
3. Add sliced onions and stir until they are evenly coated with the oil.
4. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until they are very tender and translucent.
5. To brown or caramelize the onions turn heat under pot to medium or medium high heat.
6. Add 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently until the onions have browned and reduced significantly.
7. Once caramelized, reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 Tbs flour to the onions.
8. Brown the flour for about 2-3 minutes trying not to scorch it. (If the flour does not form a thick paste, you can add a bit more butter here).
9. Stir in about 1 cup of warm stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all of the cooked-on bits.
10. Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf to the soup.
11. Simmer for 30 minutes.
12. To make the "croutes" (toasted bread), heat oven to 325 degrees F.
13. Drizzle each side of the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and place on baking sheet.
14. Cook the croutes for 15 minutes in oven on each side (30 minutes total).
15. Check the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
16. Remove the bay leaf (if you can find it).
17. Transfer to a casserole dish.
18. At this point you can add the 2-3 Tbs cognac and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup.
19. Add a few ounces of the swiss cheese directly into the soup and stir.
20. Place the toasted bread in a single layer on top of the soup.
21. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese in a thick layer on top of the bread making sure to cover the edges of the toast to prevent burning.
22. Drizzle with a little oil or melted butter.
23. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
24. Turn on broiler and brown cheese well.
25. Let cool for a few minutes.

Memories, If I Had A better One

I just took care of the various dishes I made for dinner. Pork tenderloin cooked in coffee, spiced with just fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Chicken thighs in three different tastes. The first with olive oil & poultry spice, the second with olive oil & a salt-free spice mix and the third with roasted garlic oil and a 'soul food' spice mix. I roasted the third one in a cast iron skillet, so it actually fried in the oil, while the others had far more broth than grease. I put the meat away separately, but mixed the broths (not from the pork) and will make a chicken, leek & rice soup with the broth and soul-food thighs.

Before that, I threw a bunch of stuff away. Directly from the shelves in my bedroom to the trash. Paystubs from 2008, Imprimus magazines from 2006. Anything that just did not hold my attention.

I did keep all the old Christmas & birthday cards, and I drank a dead-flat Coca-Cola from a 'Holiday 2008' bottle.

Among the things I did NOT toss were report cards from as far back as 1961 and on from there, which detail both an undistinguished time as a student (does not apply himself) as well as the predations of the river rats that inveded the house 20 years ago, but were finally repulsed.

Among the things I found was a self-portrait in pencil from 1967. God. Was I ever really that young? Judging from the Senior picture taken two years later, I don't think I romanticized myself much, although my younger self was a good-looking kid.

The report cards made me realize what a burden I was to my mother, even before I was tetched by the idiocy of hippiedom

Thank God I've outgrown at least that part of my past.