It was the perfect wedding. More pictures to come in the next few weeks.
Archive for June, 2007
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Posted in Real Life on June 27, 2007| 9 Comments »
MIA again
Posted in Real Life on June 21, 2007| 13 Comments »
A Life Changing Event
Posted in Real Life on June 20, 2007| 10 Comments »
Yesterday my colleagues and our bosses presented me with a gift.
They bought me A KITCHENAID STAND MIXER!
I’m glad nobody had a camera to capture the spectactle of me blubbering.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Cake Week may be upgraded to once a month now.
Key Lime Pie
Posted in Sweets on June 19, 2007| 4 Comments »
This time next month I’ll get to have key lime pie in the right setting, on a Florida beach surrounded by family. It’ll mark the first time in EONS that we’ve all stood under the same roof. I’m curious if my version of the pie is accurate so I need to have lots of it beforehand as a comparison.
When it comes to pastries and desserts, I think homemade is always the best way. However, I’ve been short on time lately so I had to resort to a frozen pre-made crust. It’s probably even easier to use a graham cracker crust but I prefer pastry.
Fresh key limes are hard to come by so if you ever see them, stock up. They’re dead useful for things like Coronas, daiquiris, and gimlets. They’re good in food too. I use a larger quantity of the juice than you see in standard recipes because I love that tart flavor. One trick I learned is to squeeze the little darlins directly into a measuring cup. The skins are thin enough that it can be easily done between your thumb and index finger. Just cut them in half, hold them over the cup and squeeze all the juice out. No worries if the pulp and seeds drop into the cup. Because a bar strainer fits perfectly over most glass measuring cups, just pour the juice out and leave the unwanted bits behind.
Salt Encrusted Beef
Posted in Meat on June 18, 2007| 2 Comments »
Now this was an interesting recipe. Never mind that it was over 80 degrees today, this was good enough to overlook that. The idea came after watching Secret of the Pharaohs last night. I got a thing for mummies.
It only used 3 ingredients: salt, water, and beef. The cut I used was a 3 pounder top round roast. Mainly because it’s the cheapest item in the meat case among the $85/3lb. rib roasts. I occasionally play scratch tickets in hopes of landing on a winning streak so we can get one someday. But in the meantime the top round hasn’t been bad at all.
Start with 3 cups of kosher salt and stir in half a cup of water or until you get a nice pasty consistency.
Sunday Brunch Meme: Bagels and Lox
Posted in Real Life, Sandwiches, Seafood on June 17, 2007| 4 Comments »
Bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
A while back some fiend 🙂 with a serious coffee cake addiction tagged me for a Sunday Brunch Post. The creator of this wonderful idea is at the delicious Rosa’s Yummy Yums.
I owe a special thanks to Rosa for thinking this up. I didn’t realize until I saw her meme that brunch has gotten away from me. The whole feel of brunch has changed greatly over the years. At first it used to be wishful thinking, then it became a mad competition to passive aggressively claim space, a wish finally fulfilled, and until recently something badly neglected.
(more…)
Jalapeño Guacamole
Posted in Appetizers on June 13, 2007| 9 Comments »
It’s too bad the nice chicken that’s roasting in the oven isn’t going to be eaten tonight. We’re much too full to touch anything else.
When will I learn not to make a full dinner and this on the same day?
Oh well, I guess that means I’m off KP tomorrow evening.
Jalapeño Guacamole
3 avocados, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
the juice of half a lemon
1 jalapeño, de-seeded and de-ribbed minced fine
a handful of arugula, minced fine
3-4 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, through a garlic press
salt/pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash away. Serve with plenty of tortilla chips.
Zucchini Vichyssoise
Posted in Barefoot Contessa, Soups and Stews on June 12, 2007| 5 Comments »
This is the quietest soup I’ve ever had. Not quiet boring but quiet as in not making much noise. Can’t think of any other way to explain it. Two of my favorite foodie books, Kitchen Confidential and Julie&Julia, make very neat references to potato soups which got me curious. The flavors are familiar, potatoes and zucchini are standard fare but it’s very different served cold.
Traditional vichyssoise has leeks and potatoes. I’ve never liked leeks in any form so I substituted shallots, my favorite type of onions. It’s a twist on the Contessa’s fabulous Zucchini Vichyssoise but sans fat. Sorry Ina, I love you but I can’t do your level of butter and cream anymore.
Low Fat Zucchini Vichyssoise
4 large potatoes, peeled
4 large zucchini, unpeeled
1 c. diced shallots
2 qts. chicken stock
1/4 c. plain yogurt
chives for garnish
Throw the stock, shallots, potatoes, and zucchini in a large pot. Bring it up to a simmer and let it bubble away for 30 minutes. You can either use a food mill, a food processor, or blender to puree it all. Stir in the yogurt and a few snips of chives. Chill in the refrigerator until chilled.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Posted in Barefoot Contessa, Poultry on June 7, 2007| 9 Comments »
This is what I call a common sense dish. Of course it’s from the Barefoot Contessa, can you tell? It uses a great cut of chicken, lovely goat cheese, fresh herbs, and an occasional slice of tomato. It’s easy to prepare, the ingredients are available year round, works as a summer/spring/fall/winter dinner, goes well with pretty much any sides, and is delicious. It just makes a good meal. We have it a few times a month and never get sick of it.
Curry Chicken Salad
Posted in Poultry, Sandwiches on June 6, 2007| 6 Comments »
If I have to eat one more chicken salad, I’m going to lose it. But at least I have the recipe for the wedding. It took me 4 tries to get a lock on it, but this is the one. No pictures or recipes of the failed experiments (one was an herb dressing, another had a touch of habaneros, the worst of the bunch used olive oil instead of mayo, etc.) though I may try to go back to those later. Normally I love the stuff but after two days of it, I’m through with it. When the wedding finally rolls around, I will be stearing clear of this dish.
Since the lobster rolls will have a touch of mayonnaise, I figured the chicken salad shouldn’t be too heavy. So I went with plain yogurt for a dressing with a tiny bit of Miracle Whip to give it zing.
For the chicken breasts, I prefer roasting over poaching. The texture comes out better when it’s shredded. Also, like Ina Garten, I use the bone-in, skin on type of breasts. Just drizzle with olive oil, salt/pepper, and roast at 375 for 45-60 minutes.
Yogurt Curry Dressing
1 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. Miracle Whip
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
a few dashes of Tabasco
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 c. diced celery, minced fine
1/2 c. shallots, minced fine
1 c. red grapes, quartered
2-3 lbs. of roasted chicken breasts
1/2 slivered almonds
-Make the dressing first, adding one ingredient at a time until everything’s mixed in.
-Combine the shallots, celery, and grapes in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt/pepper and stir.
-Shred the chicken and add it to the bowl.
-Going a few spoonfulls at a time, stir in the dressing until you get the consistancy you want.
-Sprinkle in the almonds and stir.
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