Getting all the details ironed out for the graduations this summer - both my mom and my sister are graduating! With mom's graduation on Saturday morning and a large gap followed by Saturday afternoon mass for my sister's graduation, my family will have a few hours to waste in between the two events. And driving from Tiverton to Providence for graduation, back to Tiverton to spend time, then back to Providence for mass, I figure we can eat and relax at my house - between the two colleges.
I'm planning on my wine-free porc alentejana (or something like that, which I just call Portuguese Pork & Little Necks) and something with chicken. If we eat some veggies and non-hot appetizers or salad first, it gives me enough time to reheat whatever the hot dishes are going to be and I won't be limited to room temp food or crock pot dishes. (Though I do make the porc alentejana in the crock pot... it just tastes better and is SOOOOOOOOOO tender that way!!!)
Anyway, I already ate lunch early today and I'm making myself even hungrier writing about this. Maybe I'll grab a soda and hope that takes the edge off at least until after my meeting!
:) Happy eating!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
yummy steaks
With the warmer weather we had in Rhode Island on Saturday, I brought out the grill, set it up in the back yard and grilled some tasty pork chops. I used a pork rub that I sprinkled moderately on both sides before slapping on the grill, then I basted (both sides for my chops, one side for my husband's) with a sweet chipotle sauce I found at the grocery store earlier that day. It was actually in the aisle with the croutons (and salad dressing) and that's how I found it.
Sunday I grilled some of the dry aged eye round roast that I had frozen a while ago. I sprinkled with a "barbecue" seasoning mix I picked up a while ago. It's a big container so I'll have it for the entire summer. Definitely tasty - it gave the meat a little bit of a smoky flavor as if I had actually used the smoking chips. I'm thinking that maybe I'll break out the smoking chips this coming weekend after my trip to the zoo.
Sunday I grilled some of the dry aged eye round roast that I had frozen a while ago. I sprinkled with a "barbecue" seasoning mix I picked up a while ago. It's a big container so I'll have it for the entire summer. Definitely tasty - it gave the meat a little bit of a smoky flavor as if I had actually used the smoking chips. I'm thinking that maybe I'll break out the smoking chips this coming weekend after my trip to the zoo.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Prime Rib
So I made the prime rib last night and it came out really good, in my opinion. The outside was nice and crusty and flavorful :) And it had enough seasoning to not be bland, like when you order it at a restaurant.
Tonight for supper, I heated it by cutting it into slices, cutting it off the bone and placing it in hot, seasoned beef stock made from water, 'better than bouillon' super beef concentrate yummies and some steak grill seasonings. (Just make sure the stock doesn't boil - meat will become tough if it does.)
Served it with some white rice and broccoli... and the au jus that resulted from the reheating was AWESOME on the rice. Definitely a way to think about making beef in the future!
Off for now, thinking of what to make for tomorrow. Some kind of chicken is my guess. I should tak it out of the freezer now, huh?
Tonight for supper, I heated it by cutting it into slices, cutting it off the bone and placing it in hot, seasoned beef stock made from water, 'better than bouillon' super beef concentrate yummies and some steak grill seasonings. (Just make sure the stock doesn't boil - meat will become tough if it does.)
Served it with some white rice and broccoli... and the au jus that resulted from the reheating was AWESOME on the rice. Definitely a way to think about making beef in the future!
Off for now, thinking of what to make for tomorrow. Some kind of chicken is my guess. I should tak it out of the freezer now, huh?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Graduation Party
We had my mom's surprise graduation party on Saturday and I got all the food done in the nick of time!
Made the madeleines in advance - lime-almond-honey flavored! And I made the pina colada cake fresh on Saturday. It would have been better had the waitress at the restaurant known how to carry a cake and if they had refrigerated it LIKE I TOLD THEM and the whipped cream underneath the fruit was still there and hadn't dissolved or melted into the cake.
Oh - and I guess it doesn't matter if the Portuguese pork and little neck dish (pork alentajara or something like that) tastes like there's any wine or not, it does - and I can't eat it. So the three small cubes of pork I ate are still attacking my head with unrelenting diligence. But the Aleeve and sinus tabs are working fairly well.
Made the madeleines in advance - lime-almond-honey flavored! And I made the pina colada cake fresh on Saturday. It would have been better had the waitress at the restaurant known how to carry a cake and if they had refrigerated it LIKE I TOLD THEM and the whipped cream underneath the fruit was still there and hadn't dissolved or melted into the cake.
Oh - and I guess it doesn't matter if the Portuguese pork and little neck dish (pork alentajara or something like that) tastes like there's any wine or not, it does - and I can't eat it. So the three small cubes of pork I ate are still attacking my head with unrelenting diligence. But the Aleeve and sinus tabs are working fairly well.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Truffle fever
I think it might be a truffle night tonight. I need to make some for the weekend anyway, so what's wrong with a head start???
The question is, what flavor or flavors should I make? I love making (and eating) the smores, but those are really more a confection than a true truffle. And when you want chocolate, you could be terribly disappointed to find marshmallow in the center.
The question is, what flavor or flavors should I make? I love making (and eating) the smores, but those are really more a confection than a true truffle. And when you want chocolate, you could be terribly disappointed to find marshmallow in the center.
Cooking Class!!!
So I have cake class tonight - I'm hoping one of the topics covered includes brushing a cake with a flavored syrup to impart additional flavor and help seal in crumbs before it comes to the crumb coating stage of cake decorating. It would also be fantastic if they covered fondant and gumpaste, but I think my luck ends on this one. Chef Joe isn't much of a decorator so unless the girl with a degree in pastry arts is there, (I apologize that I don't remember her name at the moment) these two topics will definitely not be covered.
Definitely looking forward to the class, especially since the timing is perfect with all the baking I will be doing this weekend.
I'll post later on the results of my last dry-aging, my rearranged kitchen, and other food-worthy topics.
Definitely looking forward to the class, especially since the timing is perfect with all the baking I will be doing this weekend.
I'll post later on the results of my last dry-aging, my rearranged kitchen, and other food-worthy topics.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Dessert for after a spaghetti supper...
So my mom asked me today to think of some kind of fairly easy to make dessert for a spaghetti supper she's going to the Friday I'll be up on Cape Cod for a hockey tournament.
I'm thinking of something you can eat without cutlery; cookies, bars, etc... Keeping with the Italian influence, there's biscotti. Tiramisu and Spumoni are a little harder to accomplish if you're eating with your hands (though I've made Spumoni-inspired biscotti before!)
I'm trying to think of something a little between a cookie, bar or brownie, and trying not to think about my brownie-bottom cheesecakes. :) YUMMY! Maybe a cookie-bar hybrid.
Well, I'm off to pour over recipes - wish me luck!
I'm thinking of something you can eat without cutlery; cookies, bars, etc... Keeping with the Italian influence, there's biscotti. Tiramisu and Spumoni are a little harder to accomplish if you're eating with your hands (though I've made Spumoni-inspired biscotti before!)
I'm trying to think of something a little between a cookie, bar or brownie, and trying not to think about my brownie-bottom cheesecakes. :) YUMMY! Maybe a cookie-bar hybrid.
Well, I'm off to pour over recipes - wish me luck!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Spring/Summer Preview
I'm already looking forward to the warmer weather and all the great food-related stuff that warm weather brings. Cookouts, barbecue, grilling, gardening and fresh, local produce!
And yes - there is a difference between grilling and barbecue. Grilling is a faster cooking method at higher tempteratures for smaller cuts of meat. Barbecue is a long cooking process at lower temperatures for larger cuts of meat. Last summer I barbecued a pork shoulder on a couple cedar planks. I would have liked more of a smoky flavor to it, but my husband loved it.
To remedy the lack of smokiness, I bought a couple bags of smoking chips in preparation for grilling season! I have one bag of hickory chips, one bag of mesquite chips, tons of ideas, and an appetite waiting for the delicious results!
A smoked barbecue turkey breast is probably highest on my list, though I'm not yet sure if I want to use the hickory or mesquite on the turkey. I think I'm leaning toward hickory.
I also have a hickory smoked ham in my freezer, and I don't always find that it's smoked ENOUGH. So that's another thought for my hickory chips.
Other great things about the warm weather - planting your own veggie garden. I've already started an indoor herb garden of basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary and thyme. I have chives and sage that grow WILD and CRAZY outside in my yard. I also plan to plant a couple varieties of tomatoes, some squash, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, and peppers, and hope to have a better harvest than last year when some sort of critters ran off with my biggest eggplant, and kept eating the zucchini and squash blossoms before they could turn into veggies! I already have my asparagus plant in the ground from last summer and need to remember not to dig it up when I plant this year's garden.
I also have a few baby raspberry bushes (more like miniature stalks) that a friend of ours gave us last summer along with one of those 'still alive but dormant' raspberry mini bushes that I happened to find one day when I was shopping recently. That one needs to be planted, though.
With the expanded 'crop' I think I will try to use the little area along my fence to plant a few of the things that spread as they grow rather than trying to confine them to the area that was my garden last year. I just need to fill in with a little dirt and I'll be ready for fresh produce in no time!
Once I get around to starting my seeds, I'll post an update with what I actually decided to plant! 'Happy Eating' until then!
And yes - there is a difference between grilling and barbecue. Grilling is a faster cooking method at higher tempteratures for smaller cuts of meat. Barbecue is a long cooking process at lower temperatures for larger cuts of meat. Last summer I barbecued a pork shoulder on a couple cedar planks. I would have liked more of a smoky flavor to it, but my husband loved it.
To remedy the lack of smokiness, I bought a couple bags of smoking chips in preparation for grilling season! I have one bag of hickory chips, one bag of mesquite chips, tons of ideas, and an appetite waiting for the delicious results!
A smoked barbecue turkey breast is probably highest on my list, though I'm not yet sure if I want to use the hickory or mesquite on the turkey. I think I'm leaning toward hickory.
I also have a hickory smoked ham in my freezer, and I don't always find that it's smoked ENOUGH. So that's another thought for my hickory chips.
Other great things about the warm weather - planting your own veggie garden. I've already started an indoor herb garden of basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary and thyme. I have chives and sage that grow WILD and CRAZY outside in my yard. I also plan to plant a couple varieties of tomatoes, some squash, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, and peppers, and hope to have a better harvest than last year when some sort of critters ran off with my biggest eggplant, and kept eating the zucchini and squash blossoms before they could turn into veggies! I already have my asparagus plant in the ground from last summer and need to remember not to dig it up when I plant this year's garden.
I also have a few baby raspberry bushes (more like miniature stalks) that a friend of ours gave us last summer along with one of those 'still alive but dormant' raspberry mini bushes that I happened to find one day when I was shopping recently. That one needs to be planted, though.
With the expanded 'crop' I think I will try to use the little area along my fence to plant a few of the things that spread as they grow rather than trying to confine them to the area that was my garden last year. I just need to fill in with a little dirt and I'll be ready for fresh produce in no time!
Once I get around to starting my seeds, I'll post an update with what I actually decided to plant! 'Happy Eating' until then!
More fun with Dry-Aging Beef!
So I went back to Armando & Sons market yesterday and bought a significant amount of beef.
3 of the last ribs of a standing rib roast for Prime Rib (there are 12 ribs, I believe, and the smaller the number of the rib, the smaller the rib's size) I think I got either ribs 10-12 or 9-11.
Half of either a rib eye roast or eye of round roast
1.6 lbs of flank steak
1 pound of sirloin tips
I marinated the flank steak in some of Goya's Mojo marinade - it's basically bitter orange juice, lemon juice, onion, garlic, and some other seasonings - for two hours. Then I seared it in a grill pan and sliced it for the best fajitas I've ever made at home.
The two large hunks of meat will be trimmed, washed, dried and left to age tonight, and the sirloin tips will be wrapped and frozen - when I defrost them, I'll marinate them in a terriyaki marinade overnight and grill those. I think we'll make those to kick off the grilling season once I think we're past all the snow and take the grill out.
3 of the last ribs of a standing rib roast for Prime Rib (there are 12 ribs, I believe, and the smaller the number of the rib, the smaller the rib's size) I think I got either ribs 10-12 or 9-11.
Half of either a rib eye roast or eye of round roast
1.6 lbs of flank steak
1 pound of sirloin tips
I marinated the flank steak in some of Goya's Mojo marinade - it's basically bitter orange juice, lemon juice, onion, garlic, and some other seasonings - for two hours. Then I seared it in a grill pan and sliced it for the best fajitas I've ever made at home.
The two large hunks of meat will be trimmed, washed, dried and left to age tonight, and the sirloin tips will be wrapped and frozen - when I defrost them, I'll marinate them in a terriyaki marinade overnight and grill those. I think we'll make those to kick off the grilling season once I think we're past all the snow and take the grill out.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
my dry-aging experiment
After having filet at Texas Roadhouse for Valentine's Day, Bryan and I asked what was special about their steaks. I prompted the waitress to ask if they were aged, as the top (cut edge) of the steaks was sort of separated and the grain exaggerated when the plates were brought to the table. She came back from the kitchen with the news. Their steaks are wet aged.
Of course, this means I went home and poured over all the information I could find about both dry aging and wet aging beef. Dry aging lets the whole piece of meat sit, exposed, for a certain length of time to let some excess moisture out of the meat, concentrating the beefy flavors, and also to let the connective tissues begin to break down. (Thus eliminating the need to use some kind of mechanical or chemical tenderizers.) Wet aging also allows the connective tissue to break down, but it is vacuum packed.
So I decide to do some more research, because the Mr. Science of Food - Alton Brown must have an opinion on all of this. And he does - he did a show on dry aging beef at home. I even found a website with a transcript of the episode. And so I set out to find a butcher shop to buy a whole beef tenderloin and begin my dry aging experiment.
I went to Armando & Sons market on Pine St in Pawtucket - right off of exit 27. A great find, in my opinion. I picked up a small tenderloin for 6.99 a pound - it was about 2.11 lbs - and I picked up a few other things while I was there. There was a great seasoning-salt blend with no MSG that I have now fallen in love with.
Anyway - I digest. I got home, trimmed the silver skin, washed the tenderloin, dried it, and set it on a tray that I thought would allow some airflow on the bottom of the piece of meat. Since I didn't like the thought of the possibility of something dripping or falling through the upper shelves, I rigged up a flexible cutting board with some silicone ties to act as a tent for my tenderloin. Nothing could drip on it, but it still allowed for airflow. (AND I didn't have to destroy a rubbermaid container)
The buying of the meat and prepping it was Saturday. That means Sunday night was end of day 1, Monday night was end of day 2, and last night was end of day 3 - also known as Filet Mignon night.
Got home, took the meat out of it's tent rig and set it on the counter. Trimmed off the hard, leathery parts and cut the entire thing into 2" filet mignons. Weighed out about a pound for last night, a pound for the future. Froze the future pound in freezer paper. (Also something I picked up at Armando & Sons) Then I mixed *APPX* 1/2 tbs garlic, 3/4 tbs each parsley, rosemary, oregano, & seasoning salt, 1/4 tbs pepper, 1 tbs olive oil. Smear this on outside edges of filets. (the part that will go around as it sits on your plate or the pan - not the cut side) Overall, the steaks rested at room temp for about 45 mins before I heated a pan (working on getting an enameled cast iron saute pan to do this all in one) until a drop of water disappeared in 3 seconds, added a smidge of oil and inserted the steaks. Sear 2 mins on each side, transfer to a baking dish since my pan isn't oven safe, and bake at 400 until medium.
Results: WOW - easily and by far the best steak I've ever cooked.
Of course, this means I went home and poured over all the information I could find about both dry aging and wet aging beef. Dry aging lets the whole piece of meat sit, exposed, for a certain length of time to let some excess moisture out of the meat, concentrating the beefy flavors, and also to let the connective tissues begin to break down. (Thus eliminating the need to use some kind of mechanical or chemical tenderizers.) Wet aging also allows the connective tissue to break down, but it is vacuum packed.
So I decide to do some more research, because the Mr. Science of Food - Alton Brown must have an opinion on all of this. And he does - he did a show on dry aging beef at home. I even found a website with a transcript of the episode. And so I set out to find a butcher shop to buy a whole beef tenderloin and begin my dry aging experiment.
I went to Armando & Sons market on Pine St in Pawtucket - right off of exit 27. A great find, in my opinion. I picked up a small tenderloin for 6.99 a pound - it was about 2.11 lbs - and I picked up a few other things while I was there. There was a great seasoning-salt blend with no MSG that I have now fallen in love with.
Anyway - I digest. I got home, trimmed the silver skin, washed the tenderloin, dried it, and set it on a tray that I thought would allow some airflow on the bottom of the piece of meat. Since I didn't like the thought of the possibility of something dripping or falling through the upper shelves, I rigged up a flexible cutting board with some silicone ties to act as a tent for my tenderloin. Nothing could drip on it, but it still allowed for airflow. (AND I didn't have to destroy a rubbermaid container)
The buying of the meat and prepping it was Saturday. That means Sunday night was end of day 1, Monday night was end of day 2, and last night was end of day 3 - also known as Filet Mignon night.
Got home, took the meat out of it's tent rig and set it on the counter. Trimmed off the hard, leathery parts and cut the entire thing into 2" filet mignons. Weighed out about a pound for last night, a pound for the future. Froze the future pound in freezer paper. (Also something I picked up at Armando & Sons) Then I mixed *APPX* 1/2 tbs garlic, 3/4 tbs each parsley, rosemary, oregano, & seasoning salt, 1/4 tbs pepper, 1 tbs olive oil. Smear this on outside edges of filets. (the part that will go around as it sits on your plate or the pan - not the cut side) Overall, the steaks rested at room temp for about 45 mins before I heated a pan (working on getting an enameled cast iron saute pan to do this all in one) until a drop of water disappeared in 3 seconds, added a smidge of oil and inserted the steaks. Sear 2 mins on each side, transfer to a baking dish since my pan isn't oven safe, and bake at 400 until medium.
Results: WOW - easily and by far the best steak I've ever cooked.
Chardonnay's Restaurant - Seekonk, MA
So for my birthday dinner, I wanted to go to Chardonnay's in Seekonk, MA. The menu was very unique, but the thing that caught my eye was the pumpkin ravioli. I was expecting a savory dish of round pumpkin ravioli served in a brown butter sauce with some herbs. Instead, I got the most unbelievable dessert-like meal ever.
First, I sampled my dad's noodle salad, which is served cold with hot seared shrimp and scallops. The shrimp were unbelievable. The croutons on my husband's salad were made on site and were delightfully crunchy, toasted in seasoned olive oil versions of the bread that was brought to the table for us to munch before dinner. My mom's dinner choice was a wonderful shrimp scampi that would have tempted me to order it if they could make it without the white wine (though I was fine to taste a small piece of the sweet, succulent shrimp). I believe the scampi was also seasoned very simply with plenty of garlic, parsley and salt and pepper to complement the white wine.
My ravioli was square rather than the round I had imagined, and the brown butter sauce was more of a dessert sauce. Thick, syrupy and loaded with brown sugar. The dish was topped with candied pecans. How is this not a dessert? Well - the pile of sauteed spinach accented with finely diced tomatoes seated in the center of my ravioli wasn't dessert-like, but it was pretty darned good. Once I finished my meal, (well I did leave some spinach behind) we went back to my house where Sarah unveiled her "I made it all by myself from scratch" cheesecake from Trader Joe's. Very tasty & topped with pieces of oreo cookies. Yum
So all in all, a very tasty birthday :)
First, I sampled my dad's noodle salad, which is served cold with hot seared shrimp and scallops. The shrimp were unbelievable. The croutons on my husband's salad were made on site and were delightfully crunchy, toasted in seasoned olive oil versions of the bread that was brought to the table for us to munch before dinner. My mom's dinner choice was a wonderful shrimp scampi that would have tempted me to order it if they could make it without the white wine (though I was fine to taste a small piece of the sweet, succulent shrimp). I believe the scampi was also seasoned very simply with plenty of garlic, parsley and salt and pepper to complement the white wine.
My ravioli was square rather than the round I had imagined, and the brown butter sauce was more of a dessert sauce. Thick, syrupy and loaded with brown sugar. The dish was topped with candied pecans. How is this not a dessert? Well - the pile of sauteed spinach accented with finely diced tomatoes seated in the center of my ravioli wasn't dessert-like, but it was pretty darned good. Once I finished my meal, (well I did leave some spinach behind) we went back to my house where Sarah unveiled her "I made it all by myself from scratch" cheesecake from Trader Joe's. Very tasty & topped with pieces of oreo cookies. Yum
So all in all, a very tasty birthday :)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Boston Beer Works ROCKS!!!
So anytime Bryan and I go to Boston - either for the Sox or Bruins - we like to eat at Boston Beer Works if we're eating up there. There's one on Canal St by the Garden and one just outside of Fenway... I want to call it causeway, but I know that's the street that runs in front of the Garden. But if you're in the area and ask, someone should be able to point you to it if you can't follow the great smells and the lines of people around games.
So we watched the Bruins lose to the Red Wings on Saturday, but I have to tell you - it was awesome to see such a good team. And some of the players are of legendary proportions. I mean, come on, Chelios???
But after the game we went to Boston Beer Works to have some food, get our money's worth for parking, and to avoid the congestion of everyone leaving the area at once. Be forewarned, though, Boston Beer Works has employees outside checking IDs and stamping your hand around game time to make it easier for the waitstaff. If you're in with a stamp, you can be served alcohol.
Bryan always gets the beer basted steak tips and I don't think he's ever left hungry - or anything less than stuffed for that matter. I used to get the meatloaf all the time, and they have some DARNED good meatloaf. *If you're on the Cape, try the Collucci Bros. I should post on them sometime soon, too.* But then I found the specials. Last time we went to a Bruins game, we didn't realize we had luxury box tickets which include all the food you can eat there, so we went to BBW first and I got the Shark Schnitzel which was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I love shark and this dish did NOT disappoint.
This time there were several specials that looked good - the theme was Carnivale and Mardi Gras, but there's a Rajun Cajun entree on their regular menu that was just calling my name. It's shrimp, chicken, tasso ham, peppers and some other veggies I think in an AWESOME spicy cajun sauce and it's served with a pretty scoop of jasmine rice. UNBELIEVABLE. Most 'spicy' dishes barely register as spicy for me, but this had my nose running all night - in a good way. I actually would have liked more rice to soak up all the delicious sauce that came with the meal, but luckily I had leftovers and I'm planning to make some rice to go with dinner tonight and have some leftover rice to go with the leftovers from BBW to make an unbelievable lunch for work tomorrow. The loaded baked potato soup from Super Bowl (Defeat) Sunday will be there for lunch on Weds - Fri, reminding me of the holy offensive line, the missed FG opportunity to tie the game, and the missed interception opportunity in the 4th quarter.
So if you're anywhere near the 4 locations of Boston Beer Works (the Garden, Fenway, Logan Airport, and one in Salem, MA), stop in and enjoy some great food. *and if you know me, it would be great if you could bring me some food to go!*
So we watched the Bruins lose to the Red Wings on Saturday, but I have to tell you - it was awesome to see such a good team. And some of the players are of legendary proportions. I mean, come on, Chelios???
But after the game we went to Boston Beer Works to have some food, get our money's worth for parking, and to avoid the congestion of everyone leaving the area at once. Be forewarned, though, Boston Beer Works has employees outside checking IDs and stamping your hand around game time to make it easier for the waitstaff. If you're in with a stamp, you can be served alcohol.
Bryan always gets the beer basted steak tips and I don't think he's ever left hungry - or anything less than stuffed for that matter. I used to get the meatloaf all the time, and they have some DARNED good meatloaf. *If you're on the Cape, try the Collucci Bros. I should post on them sometime soon, too.* But then I found the specials. Last time we went to a Bruins game, we didn't realize we had luxury box tickets which include all the food you can eat there, so we went to BBW first and I got the Shark Schnitzel which was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I love shark and this dish did NOT disappoint.
This time there were several specials that looked good - the theme was Carnivale and Mardi Gras, but there's a Rajun Cajun entree on their regular menu that was just calling my name. It's shrimp, chicken, tasso ham, peppers and some other veggies I think in an AWESOME spicy cajun sauce and it's served with a pretty scoop of jasmine rice. UNBELIEVABLE. Most 'spicy' dishes barely register as spicy for me, but this had my nose running all night - in a good way. I actually would have liked more rice to soak up all the delicious sauce that came with the meal, but luckily I had leftovers and I'm planning to make some rice to go with dinner tonight and have some leftover rice to go with the leftovers from BBW to make an unbelievable lunch for work tomorrow. The loaded baked potato soup from Super Bowl (Defeat) Sunday will be there for lunch on Weds - Fri, reminding me of the holy offensive line, the missed FG opportunity to tie the game, and the missed interception opportunity in the 4th quarter.
So if you're anywhere near the 4 locations of Boston Beer Works (the Garden, Fenway, Logan Airport, and one in Salem, MA), stop in and enjoy some great food. *and if you know me, it would be great if you could bring me some food to go!*
A delayed Quizno's post.
I first tried Quizno's a while ago - the one on Oaklawn Ave since it's close to work - and I had the French Dip sandwich. And that was enough to keep me from going back for a VERY LONG time. The only thing that got me to try it again was the fact that Bryan tried a bite of their honey mustard chicken sandwich and was hooked. So when he wanted Quizno's for dinner and kept saying how good it was, I figured I'd try a flatbread sammy - only 2 bucks and pretty small if I didn't like it.
I tried one of the steak ones and it was pretty good... but the WOW factor came on my next visit where I wanted to try something a little different. And anyone who knows me knows that I have a special spot in my food preferences for spicy stuff. So, lo and behold, there on the flatbread sammy menu is a Sonoma Turkey flatbread sammy - turkey, chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese. Sounds "mmmm, tasty" if you ask me. And when it came to toppings, I added red onions, tomato, lettuce and some shredded cheddar. (I also have a thing for sharp cheddar!)
The sandwich was SO good and the thing that makes it is the chipotle mayo, but keep in mind that I'm someone who usually gets poultry without mayo because (A) I prefer miracle whip, and (B) I'd rather spend the fat and calories on something else.
Since then, I've gotten it a few more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke and believe me - that sandwich just ROCKS!
I tried one of the steak ones and it was pretty good... but the WOW factor came on my next visit where I wanted to try something a little different. And anyone who knows me knows that I have a special spot in my food preferences for spicy stuff. So, lo and behold, there on the flatbread sammy menu is a Sonoma Turkey flatbread sammy - turkey, chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese. Sounds "mmmm, tasty" if you ask me. And when it came to toppings, I added red onions, tomato, lettuce and some shredded cheddar. (I also have a thing for sharp cheddar!)
The sandwich was SO good and the thing that makes it is the chipotle mayo, but keep in mind that I'm someone who usually gets poultry without mayo because (A) I prefer miracle whip, and (B) I'd rather spend the fat and calories on something else.
Since then, I've gotten it a few more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke and believe me - that sandwich just ROCKS!
Monday, January 21, 2008
A second thought... cookbook
I've been going back and forth lately on how I want to set up my upcoming cookbook. I have decided that it will begin as an e-book as CD's cost significantly less than the paper, ink, and binding costs of a traditional book, as well as the cost to ship a traditional book. CD mailers are much cheaper and there's always the possibility to have the file emailed or downloaded. Part of my thought process is that an e-book also eliminates the cost-per-square-inch that would traditionally dictate what you do and don't want to include in the book. So I may opt to do a quick nutritional summary at the bottom of the recipe as well as a full nutritional analysis chart. (I have a program that spits it all out for me as long as I accurately input the nutritional information of the ingredients.)
As far as a plan of attack is concerned, I think the best way to do this is to get it typed up in some kind of word processing or notepad type of program so that it can be copied and pasted into the analysis program when I get home. This way I can work on any computer and use my flash drive for storage, or use the pda I have if Bryan's workout program won't sync and he doesn't want to use it anymore. (Or if I can find the really old pda)
Guess that's it for now. Just thinking how many recipes I should include and how to organize... though the organization should go by type of dish. Breakfast, breads, snacks, beef entree, poultry entree, pork entree, seafood entree, sides - veggies, sides - starches, cakes, cookies, pies, other desserts. If you think I'm missing something, feel free to post it.
As far as a plan of attack is concerned, I think the best way to do this is to get it typed up in some kind of word processing or notepad type of program so that it can be copied and pasted into the analysis program when I get home. This way I can work on any computer and use my flash drive for storage, or use the pda I have if Bryan's workout program won't sync and he doesn't want to use it anymore. (Or if I can find the really old pda)
Guess that's it for now. Just thinking how many recipes I should include and how to organize... though the organization should go by type of dish. Breakfast, breads, snacks, beef entree, poultry entree, pork entree, seafood entree, sides - veggies, sides - starches, cakes, cookies, pies, other desserts. If you think I'm missing something, feel free to post it.
Habaneros are hot...
Well, I made a turkey and beef hybrid chili last night, complete with whole wheat cornbread and sharp cheddar bread bowls. YUM!!!
I started out by roasting my cubanelle, jalapeno and habanero under the broiler. Then I peeled, seeded and diced them. Started my 2/3 turkey and 1/3 beef mixture in my enameled cast iron pan, drained off the fat (the turkey gave off more than the beef did!) and started my base, starting my onions first then adding cumin, chili powder, granulated garlic, oregano, some freshly ground black pepper and let those get toasty and tasty. Added some minced garlic, then the meat went back in with some fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and the three peppers.
I will add, at this point, that I did tempt fate. After I added the three peppers to the pot, I noticed one tinsy speck of habanero left on my finger, and I did eat it. It was hot, and it's a good thing I like spicy foods and had some milk right in the front of the refrigerator. My lips, however, were tingly for about 45 minutes. But it was a very flavorful morsel before the heat set in, and I believe the roasting was very good for developing the flavor of the pepper.
I let it simmer, covered, at this point for about an hour or so before adding the small red beans and pinto beans (drained and rinsed) and let that simmer all together for 45 more minutes.
My future adjustments will be: only use half a habanero or no habanero as Bryan doesn't like it quite as hot. (And I think this is a mild/medium borderline chili) I can always add some chipotle hot sauce or make a habanero sauce that I add only to my bowl. Also - one batch of dough could make 4 smaller breadbowls and serve it a little less like a bread bowl and a little more like how you would serve a chow mein sandwich. Unless the 4 lumps of dough will form a tall round rather than a wider flat round of dough before baking... then I'd have tall skinny bowls.
The cornbread is a different story. The adjustments I made this time around improved the moistness of the cornbread. (I made them in mini-loaf pans for extra crustiness too!) I think I will go with half wheat and half white flour next time, use half butter and half oil for additional flavor, and maybe increase the sugar just a bit and/or add some honey because I LOVE honey on cornbread. That's how I'm having my leftovers - chili topped with sharp cheddar and cornbread drizzled with some Orange Blossom Honey that I picked up while on vacation in Florida.
Okay - that's it for now. Back to my leftover chili for lunch before it gets cold!
I started out by roasting my cubanelle, jalapeno and habanero under the broiler. Then I peeled, seeded and diced them. Started my 2/3 turkey and 1/3 beef mixture in my enameled cast iron pan, drained off the fat (the turkey gave off more than the beef did!) and started my base, starting my onions first then adding cumin, chili powder, granulated garlic, oregano, some freshly ground black pepper and let those get toasty and tasty. Added some minced garlic, then the meat went back in with some fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and the three peppers.
I will add, at this point, that I did tempt fate. After I added the three peppers to the pot, I noticed one tinsy speck of habanero left on my finger, and I did eat it. It was hot, and it's a good thing I like spicy foods and had some milk right in the front of the refrigerator. My lips, however, were tingly for about 45 minutes. But it was a very flavorful morsel before the heat set in, and I believe the roasting was very good for developing the flavor of the pepper.
I let it simmer, covered, at this point for about an hour or so before adding the small red beans and pinto beans (drained and rinsed) and let that simmer all together for 45 more minutes.
My future adjustments will be: only use half a habanero or no habanero as Bryan doesn't like it quite as hot. (And I think this is a mild/medium borderline chili) I can always add some chipotle hot sauce or make a habanero sauce that I add only to my bowl. Also - one batch of dough could make 4 smaller breadbowls and serve it a little less like a bread bowl and a little more like how you would serve a chow mein sandwich. Unless the 4 lumps of dough will form a tall round rather than a wider flat round of dough before baking... then I'd have tall skinny bowls.
The cornbread is a different story. The adjustments I made this time around improved the moistness of the cornbread. (I made them in mini-loaf pans for extra crustiness too!) I think I will go with half wheat and half white flour next time, use half butter and half oil for additional flavor, and maybe increase the sugar just a bit and/or add some honey because I LOVE honey on cornbread. That's how I'm having my leftovers - chili topped with sharp cheddar and cornbread drizzled with some Orange Blossom Honey that I picked up while on vacation in Florida.
Okay - that's it for now. Back to my leftover chili for lunch before it gets cold!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Excitement and Packaging
So I just placed an order for some packaging supplies; stand up zip top bags that are heat-sealable for my granola, gusseted clear cello bags for biscotti, food tissue sheets, 3*2 cards (no fold) that have a chocolate and sprinkles pattern, a folded card with gold swirls that says "for you", and some pink hope ribbon cello on a roll - I can heat seal it to form baggies :)
I placed the order on my lunch hour and it was already shipped by 9-ish tonight. So, coming soon to A Cook's Delight... new packaging!
I placed the order on my lunch hour and it was already shipped by 9-ish tonight. So, coming soon to A Cook's Delight... new packaging!
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