Archive for February, 2008 Page 2 of 2

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Spumoni Cookies

Published by Hal on February 13, 2008 in Just Baking and recipes. 1 Comment

10spumoniI never made a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, and, really, I still don’t. My wife is just the same way. To us, it’s just a made up holiday, heavily marketed by Hallmark to make people feel guilty for being single. That doesn’t mean I don’t try to do something special for my wife; in fact, for our first Valentine’s Day, I made her a delicious dish of aromatic pistachio rice with apricot marinated chicken pieces. Usually, we’d rather opt for “just-us” time, over a candle-lit dinner in our own home.

So, this year should be no different, at least in terms of making something special. I’ve just really started getting into baking, and I’m learning more and more each recipe I try. In this formative phase, I usually just stick to a recipe as written. But, with a basic recipe as a foundation, it’s easy to come up with something unique and delicious. Inspired by the Valentine’s Day holiday, I came up with this delicious, pink cookie, reminiscent of Neapolitan’s cousin. Continue reading ‘Spumoni Cookies’

Spaghetti with Three-Tomato Sauce

Published by Hal on February 11, 2008 in recipe reviews and recipes. 0 Comments

After purchasing Everyday Food over the weekend, I was eager to try something from the book. I settled on this simple, rustic-style spaghetti dish and made plans to make it Sunday. Of course, life got in the way, and Stacie and opted for Fazoli’s instead (and, might never opt for it again, but that’s a different story for a different time).

We have been notoriously deficient at being able to keep our pantry and refrigerator stocked, but I had enough staples on hand that this recipe wasn’t a problem. The end result was a delicious and not so saucy take on a simple spaghetti with tomato sauce that will be sure to please. And, after thinking about it, this could be a perfect Valentine’s Day addition to your dinner table–it’s simple, delightful, and–most importantly–it’s red! Coincidence? I think not. 3tomspaghetti04

Spaghetti with Three-Tomato Sauce

From Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

Ingredients:

  • Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, oil reserved
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

Procedure

  1. In a large pot of boiled salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water; return the pasta to the pot.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes (with juice) and sun dried tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally and breaking up the canned tomatoes, until thick, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the cherry tomatoes; simmer until soft, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, adding pasta water as desired. Serve immediately.

The book says this makes 4 servings, but between my plates and the reheat-able containers, I got 7. The box of pasta says this should actually be 8. Your mileage may vary.

As you are aware, I have a tendency to look at a recipe once and think I’ve got it down. I never do, because I also want to do something the recipe doesn’t call for or I omit a step. So, what did I do differently here? Well, I thought I needed to roast the cherry tomatoes, so I did. Then I checked the recipe. Then I remembered that I forgot to pick up fresh garlic and I didn’t haven’t any pre-minced stuff*. So, I used about a teaspoon of garlic powder added once I added the tomatoes.

Beyond that, there wasn’t much else for me to screw up :) Even still, I think roasting the tomatoes added a nice smoky flavor to the dish–and there just wasn’t enough garlic flavor (we love garlic–it’s yummy-licious!). We served it up with a store-bought baguette, and it was good. Try it and let me know what you think!

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*As a matter of practice, I don’t buy the pre-minced garlic anymore. Sure, it’s, convenient, but you’re pay a large mark-up on something you can easily do yourself. Plus, fresh just tastes better. 

“Everyday Food” Review

Published by Hal on February 11, 2008 in product reviews. 2 Comments

I received a gift card to Barnes & Noble for Christmas that I hadn’t had the chance to use. So, over the weekend Stacie and I went there to see what we could see, and perhaps to buy some books. I looked at two things: the computer books (I’m getting a new one, soon, if FedEx ground cooperates), and cooking books.

Now, I have a ton of cook books, and I don’t really use the ones I have very well. But, when Stacie pointed this book out to me and I glanced through it, I just couldn’t help but pick it up. It is a collection of recipes from Everyday Food, called Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, published by the folks at Martha Stewart Living.

Love her or hate her, Martha Stewart has a knack for all things domestic. She can cook, she can clean, she can nearly do it all. One of my favorite shows several years ago was Martha Stewart Cooking on Food Network; she’s somewhat matronly, and, for some reason, that appeals to me. The network dropped her pretty quick after the whole obstruction of justice scandal, but she’s still had a happy place in my heart and I miss her show dearly.

So, you can imagine, then, that I quite liked this book. Not just for Martha, for you see, the recipes are actually quite simple and they aren’t basic, bland items. This book is arranged by the seasons, featuring such recipes as Rhubarb Crisp in the spring, Greek-Style Mini-Lamb Burgers in the summer, Pear Custart Tart in the fall, and Creamy Parsnip Soup in the winter. Most of the recipes have fewer than 10 ingredients, including spices and seasonings, and the cooking techniques aren’t French-culinary inspired–if you can boil water and turn on an oven, you seem to be set with these dishes.

I tried the “Spaghetti with Three-Tomato Sauce” (p. 73) tonight, and was delighted by the result, even if a bit stuffed, too. The portions are generous, so be sure to make room for leftovers or make your guests take a plate home. In all, I think this is a wonderful addition to my cookbook arsenal; of course, you know, I can’t follow directions when I cook if I try, so be prepared for me to put my own little spin on these recipes that I’ll share with you!

(In the interest of fair and total disclosure–if you click on the link or on the image and you buy the book, I get a cut. Until I update my Legal page, I will disclaim any such referral option at the end of each post–please bear with me!)

Follow-up: Salmon and Roasted Vegetables

Published by Hal on February 9, 2008 in recipe reviews. 0 Comments

After posting a preparation method last night, I thought I might show you the final result–yum!

salmon01

Perfectly cooked salmon, and roasted cauliflower!

salmon05

I had brussel sprouts once, and I just didn’t like the idea of eating little, bity cabbages. I think it’s because they were steamed and the texture was off-putting. However, I thought this preparation method might yield some better results–and it did. They weren’t my favorite vegetable of the night, but they were much better than the first time I had them. Which means I could do this again.

Salmon and Roasted Vegetables

Published by Hal on February 8, 2008 in Fish Fry-day and Frugal Friday. 0 Comments

On this Frugal Friday, I’m mindful that it’s currently the first Friday in Lent, which means that many people aren’t eating meat. Fish is still permissible, and I’ve heard horror stories of how people, growing up, were forced to eat tuna casserole every Friday. I promise, I’m not going to do that (unless it’s tasty!).

I thought, for this Frugal Friday, I’d introduce a segment called “Fish Fry-day,” (Quiet! I can hear you groaning! It’s punny!) where, for the next six weeks, I’ll look at simple, inexpensive ways to prepare seafood during this Lenten season.

Tonight, Stacie and I are going to be very simple. We LOVE salmon; it’s perhaps one of our favorite fish. The preparation is extremely simple: Preheat the oven to 425. Place some cut vegetables on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of oil, and lightly season (salt and pepper). roast for 25-35 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to caramelize. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand or whatever you like roasted–I might try some cauliflower tonight, or maybe I’ll go with some squash and peppers. We’ll see what strikes me at the grocery tonight.

Near the end of the process, heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of a salmon fillet (or two) with salt and pepper and place into the skillet, skin side down if necessary. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until the salmon has reached it’s desired done-ness.You can use less oil–I’m just trying to use enough to get some nice color on the fish, since I have non-stick cookware.

That’s it! Simple as pie.

Photo courtesy of reesie.

Your Body Can Burn Fat On Its Own

Published by Hal on February 6, 2008 in Wholesome Wednesday. 0 Comments

Breaking away from the talk of food and how it related to your body for a week, I thought I’d share an article Stacie pointed out to me earlier this week.  Last week we talked a lot about what makes a good meal, and some guidelines–I got three comments, and all of them presented a slightly different side of the issue. Clearly, food is important to maintaining proper body health. But, it’s only half the equation, and not necessarily the half you need to be focusing on, exclusively, if you’re trying to get back into a healthful lifestyle.

The article was posted on Yahoo Health, titled Your Body Can Burt Fat on Its Own. I thought the advice was pretty straight-forward, and thought I might share some with you. Here is what the author had to say about food:

3. Chill on the amount of food you are eating.

…

3. If you are obsessing over things like fat grams and not eating a nutritious diet, your body will reserve energy (store fat) to survive.

…

5. Eat moderately - stop counting fat grams and calories and look at how much food is on your plate! And eat more nutritiously by eating foods that are natural and unprocessed.

I agree on all three points. How I (or you) put this into practice is up for interpretation. Personally, I follow the WW Points ®  system. This works for me because of the how the formula works; it makes some general assumptions, but they are, for the most part, true. Food that is less processed and lower in fat has lower point values. Most of the time, these foods are less energy dense and high in nutrients. When you follow this system, you learn pretty quickly that you can wipe out your daily point allotment by eating a hamburger from McDonald’s.

Other people choose to actually count calories and other nutrients. Others, still, just eat moderately and strive to eat a healthful variety of foods. The point is to be mindful of what you’re putting in your mouth, as it’s ultimately going to impact your waist (not to mention, your heart, brain, and all your other vital organs).

The article also has some interesting statements about exercise. For instance, I’ve always heard to try to do at least 30 minutes to an hour of cardio exercise per day, but this article seems to suggest a different approach. I guess the article is really saying not to perform intense cardio everyday, because you’ll condition your body into thinking it will soon going into starvation mode, thereby hanging on to its excess energy stores. I like the concept of a weight vest, but I’m skeptical; however, I do know that I don’t really want to add more exercise time to my already packed week.

What about you; do you have any thoughts on what this article says about fitness and nutrition? Any more tips for food, or some new ones regarding how to incorporate fitness? When you are “on a diet,” do you find yourself focusing more on food or fitness? Why? 

Bourbon Slush

Published by Hal on February 5, 2008 in mixed drinks and recipes. 0 Comments

bourbonslushThis drink is super easy and was popular at our party last night. If you’re looking for a way to enjoy whiskey or bourbon, this might be it! This recipe comes courtesy of Stacie’s cousin, as part of the family cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate, softened
  • 12 ounce can of frozen orange juice concentrate, softened
  • 4 cups of bourbon or sour mash whiskey
  • 1 cup of water
  • 4 tea bags
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
  • Lemon-lime soda

Procedure

Bring the water to a boil and steep the tea bags for one minute. Drain the tea bags and discard. Combine all the ingredients, except the soda and the sugar, in a large container. Add sugar to taste. Place in the freezer and allow to become slushy-to-firm.

When ready to serve, scoop some slush into a nice glass, then top off with a splash (or a bit more) of soda.

Some Hints

This make take a day or more to firm up in the freezer. We made the mix Saturday night, and it’s still not completely frozen (and we had some, over ice, last night). This might say something about our freezer, or it just might be that between the sugar and the alcohol, the freezing point for this concoction is lower than normal. If you can’t get this to freeze by the time you’re ready to serve it, just pour the mix over ice, top off with soda, and stir. It’s still equally delicious, even if not so slushy.

Also, use whatever whiskey tastes good to you. Normally, I’m a big bourbon fan, but I don’t drink cheap bourbon. The cheapest bourbon I’d drink is Maker’s Mark, but I thought it would be too sweet for this drink, and I didn’t want to waste any “good” bourbon. So, I went with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. It worked great, as much as it pains me to say. Regardless, I still won’t drink any whiskey straight but my good old Kentucky bourbon ;)

S**** B*** Party Fare

Published by Hal on February 4, 2008 in admin. 0 Comments

Some of you probably think I’m nuts for not posting what we were having for our party that happened the same day at the Super Bowl :) That’s because posting recipes and images of the food requires some planning and preparing the food ahead of time. That does work so well when you are cooking to feed 15 plus people, but there are only 2 of you in the house at any given moment.

However, in the next couple of days, you’ll see: lasagna (both meat and meat-less), bourbon slush, chocolate eclair cake, breadsticks, and a special cookie. Never you fear, I have plenty to write about for the next several days! Get ready for some tasty goodness (and possibly a guess post from Mrs. Culinarian!)

Follow-up: Chicken & Corn Chowder

Published by Hal on February 2, 2008 in recipe reviews. 0 Comments

Dear readers, I love to hear when you try out something I put up on this site. A friend of Stacie’s made the Chicken and Corn Chowder I posted about the other night–you can see his review here.

This makes me really excited, because someone else tried what I came up with, he liked, and he did a few things that made the recipe his own. Oh, and he added a recipe to his cooking arsenal ;)

Here’s what he did and why it worked:

  • He used buttermilk rather than whole milk. This was in response to the question “Can I use skim instead?” I said he could try, but it might not work as well–this is because skim milk is not as rich, and he’d really just be adding white coloring to the chowder. Buttermilk, however, is not as fattening as whole milk, but is richer than skim. Good way to improvise!
  • He used regular baking potatoes rather than the small potatoes I recommended. This worked in this chowder because regardless of the size, potatoes have starch, and starch is what thickens the chowder. When I came up with this, these potatoes are what I had on hand and what I needed to use up. He noticed that his potatoes were not browning (though everything else was)–this is because baking potatoes have more water in them than the “baby” kind. The starch never could get hot enough to caramelize because the potatoes just kept steaming themselves.

However it works, I’m excited he tried it and liked it. Cooking is not that scary. Many times, it’s just taking a basic recipe or idea and tweaking it for the vision in your head or whatever ingredients you have on hand. Kudos!

P.S., dtjunkie, the taste you found that was new to you–probably was the tarragon. It works especially well with chicken and potatoes, and is apparently one of the four fines herbs of French cuisine–or, at least, Wikipedia says so, so it must be true!

A Pear of Good Sandwiches

Published by Hal on February 1, 2008 in The Cook's Kitchen and recipes. 1 Comment

One of the blogs I read on a regular basis, mental_floss, posted an article the other day where the author was reminiscing about sandwiches past. It seems that at one time he was rather poor and had to resort to eating things such as mustard sandwiches — poor fellow! But, that wasn’t even really the point of the post. Rather, he and his wife were remembering some rather interesting sandwich combinations growing up:

  • onion sandwiches
  • banana and pineapple
  • bacon, tomato, and sugar (BST).

He wanted to expand his palate and present it as a challenge for a t-shirt. I entered because, well, what self-respecting food blogger wouldn’t? And, then, I thought, as a new contributer to The Cook’s Kitchen, it seemed a fitting first post. Not too difficult, and something rather tasty to set the tone for all future posts. So, dear reader, I present to you:

Entry 52 (aka, Prosciutto and Pear Sandwiches)

Ingredients:

  • 1 crusty roll
  • 2 thin slices of prosciutto or deli-ham
  • 1 thin slice of pear, seeds removed
  • brie, rind removed
  • coarsely ground mustard

Procedure

Split the roll in half and spread a thin layer of mustard over both halves. Layer the ham on the bottom half, then top with the pear slice. Finally, spread the brie over the mustard on the top half of the roll. Combine both halves, and enjoy.

Some observations: when I envisioned this sandwich, I wanted the roll to have a sturdy crust and a light inside. My comment was “[a]n English muffin, but with a slightly firmer crust, comes to mind.” However, in the middle of South Central Indiana, a good crusty roll is hard to find at 7 p.m. on a Sunday. My grocer did have some Vienna Rolls, so that’s what I went with. For this sandwich, it actually turned out very well, so I think this is an appropriate choice.

Additionally, prosciutto was a little expensive for my wallet tonight, so I opted for regular ham. I did not skimp on the brie; you can, just choose a soft, spreadable cheese. Mild cream cheese or neufchatel with a bit of pepper could suffice.

Furthermore, my wife does not like ham, and until tonight, did not like pears. It seems that her only memory of pears is from a can — I can’t blame her because, most of the time, that mushy stuff has no place on my plate. So, this sandwich would not work for her. She does, however, like turkey; and, you can get pre-made cranberry relish year-round (I looked desperately for fresh cranberries, but, again, this is South Central Indiana on a Sunday night :) ). Thus, to satisfy another palate, simply exchange the ham for turkey, the pear for warm whole-berry cranberry relish, and omit the mustard. I might also suggest that you use a softer bread, such as a croissant. These sandwiches are delightful departures from a regular ham and cheese or a plain old PB and J.

This post first appeared on thecookskitchen.net, part of the Well Fed Network, on February 1, 2008. Check out that site and some of the other writers, who all share a passion for food and (hopefully) good writing.

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