CHG's Food Blog

More Gluten!

2012-02-14T10:40:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to write a book about food for a long time. I've played around with many ideas, and I am finally on to something that ties my blog and my love of writing together. I'm not making this project public yet, but in my research I came across this blog post about why gluten is suddenly making everyone sick. I'm not saying this reason is fact and set in stone, but it is a theory that makes sense. I've noticed that some types of wheat make me feel worse than others, and this article kind of explains why. It comes from "Sure Foods Living," a website dedicated to living with food allergies and intolerances.

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

2012-02-08T12:21:00.000-05:00

I made coq au vin in the slow cooker, and I can feel all of France judging me. Nonetheless, it came out very good and was super easy. I found it on the blog "365 Days of Slow Cooking," but I believe the original recipe is from Next Food Network Star. Before I got a new job, and I was slightly on the destitute side, I was buying chicken thighs a lot. Now that I can afford it again, I used chicken breasts to keep it healthy. I'm guessing this would have been over the moon with fatty chicken thighs.

--6 to 8 frozen chicken thighs
--6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (I used turkey, but you could use PORK)
--8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms (they are right next to the regular mushrooms)
--1 cup baby carrots
--1 chopped yellow onion
--3 cloves chopped or minced garlic
--1/2 t black pepper
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1/2 cup chicken broth
--1 1/2 cup cheap red wine (you can use non-alcoholic wine, if you wish)
--2 large fresh thyme sprigs (I really think the fresh thyme is the key, here. Go steal some from your neighbors garden.)

The Directions.

Cook your bacon. I used turkey bacon, and baked it on a broiler pan. Dump the frozen chicken into your crockpot and start layering in the rest of the ingredients. This is really a no-fuss (albeit amazingly gourmetish) preparation. Just throw it all in.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. You could cook it on high for 4, but it won't taste as good. The flavors meld so nicely when cooked low and slow.
Serve with mashed potatoes or your favorite pasta. We did brown rice fusilli.

Mediterranean Lentil and Quinoa Salad

2012-02-06T13:56:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I managed to jam pack in everything I like to do on the weekends: cook, write, dance, nap, hang out with friends and run (oh wait, I didn't see my family, oh well, I was close to everything). Because I was so busy, I needed some easy no-fuss recipes to make. I made this salad, which I've posted before, but use quinoa instead of couscous as part of my reducing wheat in my diet initiative. I actually like it with the quinoa better! Original recipe comes from Epicurious. I have changed it to add the quinoa.

1 cup lentilles du Puy* (French green lentils) or brown lentils
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 bunch arugula, stems discarded and leaves washed well, spun dry, and chopped
2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 pound feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

*available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

In a small saucepan simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain well. Transfer hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool lentils completely, stirring occasionally.
Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl whisk together garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir lentils and dressing into quinoa. Chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24. Just before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Sage Breadcrumbs

2012-01-31T13:25:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a very interesting one for CHG. On Friday night, my friend from running club and I decided to take our aching bodies to the Inman Oasis where they have a community hot tub you can pay to sit in. The guy across from is a frequent bather, and it was a hoot to talk to him. He played Volleyball with my old boss. When I asked him if he knew him, his first reaction was “yeah, that guy is a douche.” My sentiments exactly.

Saturday night I went to an interestingly themed party: dress as a “position.” I went as a missionary, my friends as a reverse cowboy, angry farmer, a Roman, and a Trojan. I have to give the party organizers props for creativity.

I made this mac and cheese with high hopes but it makes way more sauce than you need. It was ok. It comes from Boston.com.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese with Sage Breadcrumbs
Recipe by Katie Barszcz, The Small Boston Kitchen/ The Skinny Beet

1 – 3 lb. Sugar pumpkin, scrubbed clean
6-7 whole cloves
3 pieces of whole wheat bread
1 lb. dried pasta
½ Vidalia onion, diced
8 tablespoons butter unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1 + ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
1- 8 oz. log of goat cheese
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
A generous pinch nutmeg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Carefully cut the pumpkin into six equal parts and scoop out the seeds.

Pierce the insides of the pumpkin pieces with the cloves, salt generously and then lay onto a cookie sheet, flesh side down.

Roast pumpkin until it is very soft, about 35-45 minutes.

Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Peel off the skin of the pumpkin and place the flesh into a blender or processor.

Blend the pumpkin until smooth and velvety, and set the pumpkin puree aside.

On a baking sheet, toast the three pieces of bread until they start to brown a bit. Set them aside to cool, then use a processor to pulse the bread crumbs.

Mix in 1 teaspoon fresh sage and a pinch of nutmeg. Using your hands, combine 2 tablespoon of softened butter to the crumbs until they are evenly distributed. Season with salt and set aside.

Heat a medium-sized sauce pot and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the diced onions and a generous pinch of salt and cook on medium heat until they start to lightly brown (about 15 minutes).

Add the butter to the pot and once it has completely melted, gradually add the flour, stirring constantly. Let the butter-flour mixture heat for a minute or two and then remove the pan from the heat and gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly.

Return the pan to medium heat and add two cups of the pumpkin puree, stir, then add the mustard, goat cheese, smoked Gouda and 1 cup of cheddar cheese.

Stir until the cheese melts. Add the 1 tablespoon sage and cinnamon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Cook the pasta until very al dente (about 5 minutes). Strain pasta and add to the cheese sauce, and pour into an oven-safe casserole dish.

Top with remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese and Sage Breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees until the breadcrumbs brown, about 30 minutes.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

The Eat Clean Diet

2012-01-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

I've missed my opportunity to become a millionaire! People often ask me how I eat. Everyone thinks I'm all high and mighty about eating organic, but that is not true. I only buy organic fruit and vegetables if it is something that doesn't have a thick skin on it, such as spinach or pears. I will buy locally produced cheese that is not certified organic over mass production organic cheese such as Horizon or Organic Valley. But for the most part I eat foods that are close to the source as possible and minimally processed (although we all know that I cheat every now again with Doritos and M&M's- life is too short.) So I was doing more research on the genetically modified wheat making us all sick, and I came across the "Eat Clean Diet." Low and behold, this is pretty much how I eat, and these people are making a fortune off of it! May be I'll create the "Consume Tidily Plan."

Wal-Mart

2012-01-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

I haven't been up on my soap box in a while. They are trying to put a Wal-Mart in the town next to me. It kills me that I can't vote on it. But in researching for my next children's book (they are trying to stop a mall from being built so as to not upset a fairy settlement), I came across these statistics. I admit, I love Target, but I never go to Wal-Mart, and I try to buy local goods as much as possible. This comes from DRG Da Real Grinc- I have no idea.

Walmart's health insurance approach

Walmart has one of the worst policies for health insurance in corporate America. Their pay is low and demand is up. Walmart encourages employees to get on public assistance, medicaid and public housing to compensate for low wages. They are not shy about this and the average employee struggles to live a prosperous life working at Walmart. Most employees spend their checks minutes after cashing it right at their job. Employees have noticed a significant change in Walmart's policies since Sam Walton's death. Walmart offers health insurance but at a high price of about $75 out of each check but pay an average of $7 an hour. It is not the WalMart that Sam built. Here are some statistics that might shed light on what I'm getting at.

In Alabama: 3,912 children of Walmart employees are enrolled in Medicaid

In Arizona: 2,705 workers are on medicaid

In Arkansas: 4009 workers are on public assistance

In Connecticut: 835 workers have children on state health care plan

In Florida: 12,300 workers and their dependants are on medicaid

In Georgia: 10,265 are enrolled in Peachcare for kids.

In Massachusetts: 4,175 workers and families depend on state health care

In Tennessee: 9,620 workers depend on state health care

In Texas: 4,368 children of Walmart employees are on state health care

In Wisconsin: 1,255 employees and dependants on Badgercare

In actuality that means that the tax payer pays for what Walmart does not want to pay for. How much does that cost us? 1,558,000,000 is the price tax payers pay to support Walmart employees, a multi-billion dollar company. In 2008 taxpayers paid out 18 million dollars to Walmart employees and dependants in Boston.

Slow Cooker Peppercorn Steak

2012-01-25T13:10:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I hate stew so much. I think I may have had a traumatic childhood experience involving it because I just can't eat it. And it's not the flavor that is the problem, it is the texture. So if you like stew, you will like this recipe. I ate it, but I had to get over the stew consistency. It was very convenient because you just throw the frozen steaks in the crock pot, which is wonderful in my microwaveless home (I guess I've never talked about my microwave phobia on this blog- topic for another day.) This recipe comes from the blog "A Year of Slow Cooking."

--4 to 6 steaks (use whatever is on sale, it's going to tenderize nicely in the crock; don't buy expensive meat.)
--1 cup tomato sauce
--1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce (Lea Perrins is GF)
--1/4 cup of water
--2 chopped bell peppers (I used one yellow, one green)
--1 chopped yellow onion
--8 oz sliced mushrooms
--1 T Italian seasoning
--1/4 t black pepper

The Directions.

Put the meat in the crockpot; mine was still frozen solid. Cover with the chopped vegetables. Pour in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and water. Add the Italian seasoning and black pepper.

No need to stir.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. I cooked our dinner for 6 hours on high.

Bratwurst Casserole

2012-01-18T13:05:00.001-05:00

I'm sure you've heard by now the devastating news that Paula Deen is diabetic. Who knew that six sticks of butter in one dish were bad for you? In all honesty, I've always respected her recipes because she doesn't give a damn what goes in them, but at the same time I don't cook her stuff very often because I kind of do. Everything in moderation, and I stand strong in my conviction that real butter is better for you than margarine.

I got some bratwurst in the meat package I got from Groupon. I toyed with the idea of making Bratwurst the traditional way, but I needed something that was easier to eat at work, so I made this casserole. When it comes down to it, I just love baked beans, and adding the other stuff to it was pretty good. I used Market Basket brand baked beans which I was shocked to discover had real ingredients in it, and it tasted delicious! (For those of you who are not familiar with Market Basket, it's like the Anti-Whole Foods, but with lobsters for $5 a lb) This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pound fresh bratwurst sausages
1 (32 ounce) package sauerkraut
1 pinch celery salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) can baked beans
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook bratwurst in a skillet over medium-high heat just until nicely browned on the outside.
Spread sauerkraut in the bottom of a 9x11 casserole dish, leaving a 2 inch margin at the edges. Sprinkle celery salt and brown sugar over the sauerkraut. Place the sausages on top. Pour the beans around the outer edge of the sauerkraut. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until bratwurst links are cooked through.

CHG's Top Ten Recipes of 2011

2012-01-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

Ok, I'm a little late to the game with the countdown lists, but it is time for my Top Ten Favorite recipes of 2011. Sorry the formatting is screwy.

10. Tomato Vodka Sauce
9. Kentucky Bourbon Cake
8. CHG's Halloween Cookies
7. Three Bean
Pasta Faglioli
6.
Lemony Quinoa
5. Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs
4.
Beef Wellington
3. Chicken Taquitos
2.Autumn Golden Lasagna
1. Pumpkin Patch shells

Black Beans and Rice

2012-01-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

I ran 7 miles on Saturday morning, and I felt like death afterwards. And then I woke up Sunday morning with sores all over my mouth. While I'm not one to immediately panic when things go wrong with my body (which is why I avoid WedMD at all costs- that website always tells you that you are dying), I thought there was something seriously wrong. But then it dawned on me- this has happened before. I'm anemic! So I made the steak enchiladas from yesterday's post, and this side dish of black beans and rice. I used brown rice instead which made it a little bland. My suggestion is that if you are going to use brown rice, add more spices. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium, low fat vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained
Directions

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the spices and black beans.

Steak Enchiladas

2012-01-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

I can't find the article, but a few months ago, someone posted on FB an article about how wheat is terrible for you, and we should all stop eating it. The foodie in me was outraged! Plus, it's only responsible for the creation of civilization. But something came over me, and I decided to try out the wheat free diet for a few days, and I could not believe the difference. I thought I was destined for a lifetime of stomach aches given my family history, but as it turns out, I think I might have a slight wheat intolerance. As I already have more food allergies than I can count on one hand, I'm going to cut back on wheat, but not give it up entirely. I made this dish as part of my diet change. It came out very good. Instead of making the enchilada sauce, I used the bottled kind from Trader Joe's. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
1 pound sirloin steak, cut into bite size strips
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 (7 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers
4 cups tomato sauce, divided
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh salsa
3/4 cup chopped black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onion
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
In a skillet over medium heat, saute onions until almost translucent. Stir in beef, garlic, and chile peppers, and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Pour in the tomato sauce and chili powder. Mix thoroughly and heat through. Remove from heat.
Spoon a little of the meat mixture into a corn tortilla and add small amounts of salsa, Cheddar cheese and olives. Fold the tortilla up and place in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas using up all of the meat mixture. Reserve 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese for topping.
Pour the other half of the tomato sauce and sour cream over all of the tortillas. Top with green onions and 1/2 cup of reserved Cheddar cheese.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until hot and bubbly.

Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers

2011-12-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

Christmas vacation is always the calm before the dance competition storm for me. Although, I have cut back on the number of dances I am choreographing this year, I still want to be well prepared for a busy winter season. I have spent the whole week stocking my freezer with calzones, sauce, and these gems: chicken pot pie turnovers. These were so yummy! This recipe comes from Melissa D'Arabian who hosts Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots, and celery with salt and pepper, to taste, until the carrots soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute, stirring frequently. Add the flour and cook off the raw flavor, about 1 minute more. Turn up the heat to medium-high and deglaze the pan with the wine. Whisk in the stock and Dijon mustard. Add the peas and chicken and cook on a very low simmer until the sauce thickens up into a gravy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry dough and cut into 4 even squares (cut once horizontally and once vertically). Gently roll out each square, increasing the size of the square by about 20 percent. Place the squares on a baking sheet and spoon the chicken mixture in the center. Fold the squares diagonally to create triangles. Pinch the edges together to create turnovers (use a little water if needed to bind). Press the edges with a fork to create a decorative border. Whisk the egg with a splash of water and brush the turnovers with the egg wash. Cut a small slit in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Bake the turnovers until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving as the insides will be very hot.

21 Ingredient Chili

2011-12-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

So I almost got into the fist fight in the parking lot of Russo's trying to get some last minute things for my Christmas Eve dinner. But then I reminded myself that Jesus wouldn't want everyone fighting on his birthday, so I walked way, lucky for that person ha. I will be making veal parmesan with garlic bread and a light salad. I also bought some mini pickles aka corchinons, because who does not love a bowl of corchinons.

I am a chili purist, and I should have known better when I set out to make this chili. It wasn't bad, but definitely not worth all the ingredients. I accidentally put way too much cloves in, but I still don't think I would have loved it. It comes from the blog 365 Slow Cooking.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut in 1-inch chunks)
1 onion, diced
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can corn (drained and rinsed)
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (whole can)
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat Free are gluten free)
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder (this has heat, if you are sensitive, start with 1 tsp. 3tsp = 1tblsp)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white pepper (this has heat, if you are sensitive omit completely or go slow)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 cups chicken broth

add salt to taste at the table, if needed

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your cooker; frozen is okay, but cut it into chunks. Add the diced onion, canned beans, tomatoes, chiles, corn, and grated sweet potato. Now add the mustard, honey, and dried spices. Carefully stir well to distribute spices the best you can. Pour in the chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until chicken easily shreds with two large forks. Although you could cook this on high in 4 hours, the flavors will meld best when cooked low and slow. Stir very well and serve in a large bowl with your favorite chili toppings. We like shredded cheese and sour cream.

CHG's Peppermint Bark

2011-12-12T08:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry faithful readers of my blog, but I'm in the middle of changing jobs and I've had zero time to cook. This is my last week at my job, and while I am very sad about it, I'm excited about the new one. I'll be making a lot more money and should be able to afford to buy meat again ha. I did , however, start making my annual batch of peppermint bark for Christmas. Here is the recipe.

12 oz. dark chocolate (you can use milk too)
12 oz. white chocolate
1 tsp peppermint extract
crushed candy canes or mints

Line a jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper. Melt dark chocolate over in a double boiler. Remove from heat and mix in peppermint extract. Spread on lined pan and place in refrigerator until hardened. Melt white chocolate in double boiler and spread over hardened dark chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed mints or candy canes and place in fridge until hardened. Break into pieces and watch people go crazy over something so easy to make.

Butter is Better

2011-12-07T07:35:00.000-05:00

Bacon explosion: where's the beef?

2011-12-05T08:09:00.000-05:00

My friend brought this over to my house on Friday. The fat content made me quite ill, but it was totally worth it.

Frosty the Cheeseball

2011-12-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a yankee swap/pot luck for my club. I made this cheese ball. It came out really cute, but it definitely needs way more flavor. It just tasted like cream cheese.

Ingredients
16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 raisins for eyes, mouth, and buttons
1 piece of carrot for the nose
4 crackers for the hat (we used Ritz and Dare water crackers)
1 thyme sprig for the hat (optional)
Strips of carrot for the scarf
2 broken pretzels for the arms
1 (1/2-inch) piece of a canned baby corn for the pipe
Toothpick for the pipe
Instructions
In a large bowl, let the cream cheese soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and the onion powder, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Make the snowman by rolling two thirds of the cheese into a ball for his body and the other third into a ball for his head. Stack the balls, then add the facial features, clothing, arms, and pipe as shown. Serve with crackers or mini bagels.

Autumn Golden Vegetable Lasagna

2011-11-24T11:44:00.002-05:00

It is Thanksgiving and I feel I have many things to be thankful for this year. As always, I am thankful for the health and well being of myself and my family. I am thankful to have a job that I love, and I am thankful for my friends, new and old.

The media makes a big deal every year about how we are all going to DESTROY our diets and become morbidly obese with the 4,000 calories we consume on Thanksgiving. No one talks about all the people that get up early and run road races or hit the gym. I ran a five mile race with 10,000 people this morning, and I will feel no guilt as I load my plate with stuffing!

This week, I made this non-traditional lasagna that comes from Rachael Ray. It was fantastic! I used regular lasagna noodles instead of egg rolls because Shaw's did not have any stock.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (10 oz.)
Salt and pepper
2 cups Creamy White Sauce
1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin puree
1 egg
10 egg roll wrappers (5-inch square)
1 3/4 cups shredded aged gouda cheese (about 8 oz.)
8 large basil leaves

EGG ROLL WRAPPERS: You don’t have to boil them, plus they have a naturally al dente texture that plays nicely with the tender veggies in this meat-free lasagna. (Look for the wrappers in the refrigerated produce section of your supermarket.)
Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the squash and 1 cup water and simmer over medium heat; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the water is evaporated and the squash is golden and tender, about 13 minutes; set aside.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Meanwhile, lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish and spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the bottom. In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and egg.

Cut half of the egg roll wrappers into 3 strips each. Fill a large bowl with hot tap water (as you work with the wrappers, dip them in the water to rinse off the starch). Use 1 whole wrapper and 3 strips to cover the bottom of the dish in a single layer (there will be overlap). Spread a generous 1/2 cup of pumpkin mixture on top and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat the layering.

Add another layer of egg roll wrappers. Spread with 1 cup white sauce, then top with the squash, basil and 1/3 cup cheese. Add another layer of egg roll wrappers, the remaining pumpkin mixture and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with the remaining egg roll wrappers, then spread with the remaining white sauce.

Cover the dish snugly with foil and bake on a baking sheet in the upper third of the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top and bake until golden and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

Kale and Bacon Hash Browns

2011-11-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a long one, and I was able to go up to Portland, ME to see my cousin's new house. I love Portland for its fantastic restaurants. I sampled food at both a French restaurant called Le Petit Jacqueline and a tapas restaurant across the street whose name escapes me at the moment. I also went to a great tea shop where the owner showed me a new hip stretch and I got to go to the bakery I love in South Portland. Basically, I did nothing but sit around and eat. Good times.

Saturday, my running friends decided they wanted to check out Waltham so we started at my friend's house and made our way down to Moody Street. It was weird because it was a combination of all my new running friends and people I've known in Waltham for a long time. I was the only person who knew almost everyone there. It was an interesting night to say the least.

Prior in the week, I made this dish. I boiled up some potatoes, then sauteed them with kale and bacon seasoning with some salt and pepper. It came out very good and very easy to make.

Pizza Casserole

2011-11-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

This weekend I caught up on a lot of sleep, and made a sincere effort not to spend too much money. I also ran 7 miles for the first time and it was freaking hard. I just don't know how people do 26.2. I also cut 2 1/2 minutes from my 5K time thanks to acupuncture. It was productive overall. I made this pizza casserole and I really like it. I used grass fed beef and nitrate free pepperoni (this took 6 tries before I spelt that right). I omitted the olives and egg noodles because they are just gross (I used whole wheat penne instead). I also omitted the garlic because it was heavy in the sauce I used, and my friend Adam told me he had to break up with a girl because she smelled like garlic all the time, and I am now paranoid that I smell like garlic all the time. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced pepperoni sausage
16 ounces pizza sauce
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cook noodles according to package directions.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Drain excess fat. Stir in the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well. Pour this mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, top with the cheese, then bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Sweet Potato Chili

2011-11-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

I love chili and sweet potatoes so I thought I would love this chili. Don't get me wrong, the flavor is good, but I like my chili a little thicker and this did not have anywhere near the amount of calories I need to consume. I should have known when it said "vegan!" in the description. I seriously don't know how Vegans thrive. Ron Swanson would agree. This recipe comes from A Year of Slow Cooking, whose link is to the right.

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2/3 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled briskly for 10 minutes because of the freaky red bean toxin thing)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (whatever's on sale, mine had oregano and roasted garlic)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice (not pictured. If you don't have any in the house, use water)

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. This is enough food to feed a family of 4 regular-sized, or 6 smallish people. Peel and chunk the sweet potato and add to the pot. Add diced onion. Follow with the red bell pepper, can of tomatoes, the beans, garlic, and seasonings. Pour in OJ and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the sweet potato is fork-tender (if you want the sweet potato to get really squishy and disappear when stirred, cook longer).

Please sign this petition....

2011-10-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

From Slow Food USA:

In under 24 hours, we saw over 3,000 people stand up and demand our leaders rethink the way they deal with our food. Right now, we find Congress in the kitchen testing out different recipes to reduce the U.S. budget. They’ve put a Super Committee in charge of it: 6 Democrats and 6 Republicans who are tasked with trimming the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion.

Food and farming programs are on the cutting board. We understand: we're on a budget too. But we need the right recipe and the right cuts for getting the U.S. out of debt. Unfortunately, the industrial agriculture lobby has some recipes too, and they are the same old ones that have the same disastrous results. If the Super Committee takes industrial agriculture's suggestions, it will be more expensive and more challenging to grow and eat food that is good for us, good for our planet, and good for our farmers and workers.

The Super Committee needs a different plan, and we have it— a Recipe for Change.

Endorse our Recipe for Change. Give the Super Committee the solution for a delicious and nutritious food system.

Our recipe is simple: To help balance the budget and drive local economies, the Super Committee needs to:
Reform subsidies for commodity crops like corn and soy.
Protect all funding for nutrition assistance programs (food stamps).
Maintain funding for conservation, new farmers, and other programs that support sustainable farming and ranching.
The Super Committee has until November 23rd—the day before Thanksgiving—to submit their recipe for deficit reduction. We have to ensure that their plan doesn’t make it any harder for our farmers and our families to grow and eat good food. We need them to adopt a plan that reforms subsidies and doesn't just redirect them into crop insurance schemes, protects nutrition benefits like food stamps, and supports local, sustainable food economies that are proven engines of economic growth.

Sign on to our Recipe for Change and tell the Super Committee to balance the budget by protecting working families and farmers.

The Super Committee—all of Congress really— needs an entirely new cookbook of Recipes for Change. You and I—we have those recipes, and we need to get them in the hands of our Congressional cooks.
Join me in getting our Recipe for Change in the hands of the Super Committee.

- Angelines M. Alba Lamb
Associate Director, Campaigns

P.S. - Don't get it? Check out the Super Committee comic strip, designed by Slow Food USA member, Misa Subari.

Chicken and Kale Casserole

2011-10-27T08:53:00.000-04:00

Everyday Food finally had a section on kale this month. We get a lot of kale in our farm share, and luckily, I really love it. This recipe was very easy to make and made great leftovers for lunch this week.

3/4 lb large pasta shells
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bunches of kale, ribs removed and coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded or chopped chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
48 oz part-skim ricotta
lemon zest from 2 lemons
3/4 cup parmesan, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and return to pot. IN a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic until onion begins to soften, about 4 min. Add kale, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to pot with pasta.

2. Stir chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 9X13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmsesan. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

2011-10-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

Sweet potatoes are considered a super food. They are jam packed with vitamins, minerals, and cancer fighting compounds. They are also super yummy. Yet another reason I love fall is that they come into season. I've made this basic recipe a few times already. It comes from "The Joy of Cooking."

Preheat oven to 375.
Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces.

Put the pieces in a roasting pan along with olive oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of chili powder. Turn pieces to coat well. Bake, turning often, until browned on all sides for approx. 40-45 minutes.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

2011-10-26T08:24:00.000-04:00

I've been dealing with tendonitis in my hips for quite some time. I've done physical therapy and it only helped a little. I asked one of my friends who is an acupuncturist if acupuncture has a high success rate for treating this, and she offered me some advice: eat an anti-inflammatory diet. I've read about this diet a little bit having read a few books by Dr. Andrew Weil. I have to say, I've been following these guidelines this week, and I'm already noticing a difference in my pain level. Here is a basic outline (please note: it is not a diet in the sense that you are meant to lose weight, although you probably would if you started eating this way), as taken from Dr. Weil's website:

General Diet Tips:

Aim for variety.
Include as much fresh food as possible.
Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food.
Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables.
Caloric Intake

Most adults need to consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day.
Women and smaller and less active people need fewer calories.
Men and bigger and more active people need more calories.
If you are eating the appropriate number of calories for your level of activity, your weight should not fluctuate greatly.
The distribution of calories you take in should be as follows: 40 to 50 percent from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat, and 20 to 30 percent from protein.
Try to include carbohydrates, fat, and protein at each meal.
Carbohydrates

On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, adult women should consume between 160 to 200 grams of carbohydrates a day.
Adult men should consume between 240 to 300 grams of carbohydrates a day.
The majority of this should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load.
Reduce your consumption of foods made with wheat flour and sugar, especially bread and most packaged snack foods (including chips and pretzels).
Eat more whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat, in which the grain is intact or in a few large pieces. These are preferable to whole wheat flour products, which have roughly the same glycemic index as white flour products.
Eat more beans, winter squashes, and sweet potatoes.
Cook pasta al dente and eat it in moderation.
Avoid products made with high fructose corn syrup.
Fat

On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 600 calories can come from fat - that is, about 67 grams. This should be in a ratio of 1:2:1 of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat.
Reduce your intake of saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, high-fat cheese, unskinned chicken and fatty meats, and products made with palm kernel oil.
Use extra-virgin olive oil as a main cooking oil. If you want a neutral tasting oil, use expeller-pressed, organic canola oil. Organic, high-oleic, expeller pressed versions of sunflower and safflower oil are also acceptable.
Avoid regular safflower and sunflower oils, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and mixed vegetable oils.
Strictly avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products listing them as ingredients. Strictly avoid all products made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind. Include in your diet avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews, almonds, and nut butters made from these nuts.
For omega-3 fatty acids, eat salmon (preferably fresh or frozen wild or canned sockeye), sardines packed in water or olive oil, herring, and black cod (sablefish, butterfish); omega-3 fortified eggs; hemp seeds and flaxseeds (preferably freshly ground); or take a fish oil supplement (look for products that provide both EPA and DHA, in a convenient daily dosage of two to three grams).
Protein

On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, your daily intake of protein should be between 80 and 120 grams. Eat less protein if you have liver or kidney problems, allergies, or autoimmune disease.
Decrease your consumption of animal protein except for fish and high quality natural cheese and yogurt.
Eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans in general and soybeans in particular. Become familiar with the range of whole-soy foods available and find ones you like.
Fiber

Try to eat 40 grams of fiber a day. You can achieve this by increasing your consumption of fruit, especially berries, vegetables (especially beans), and whole grains.
Ready-made cereals can be good fiber sources, but read labels to make sure they give you at least 4 and preferably 5 grams of bran per one-ounce serving.
Phytonutrients

To get maximum natural protection against age-related diseases (including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease) as well as against environmental toxicity, eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.
Choose fruits and vegetables from all parts of the color spectrum, especially berries, tomatoes, orange and yellow fruits, and dark leafy greens.
Choose organic produce whenever possible. Learn which conventionally grown crops are most likely to carry pesticide residues and avoid them.
Eat cruciferous (cabbage-family) vegetables regularly.
Include soy foods in your diet.
Drink tea instead of coffee, especially good quality white, green or oolong tea.
If you drink alcohol, use red wine preferentially.
Enjoy plain dark chocolate in moderation (with a minimum cocoa content of 70 percent).
Vitamins and Minerals
The best way to obtain all of your daily vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients is by eating a diet high in fresh foods with an abundance of fruits and vegetables. In addition, supplement your diet with the following antioxidant cocktail:

Vitamin C, 200 milligrams a day.
Vitamin E, 400 IU of natural mixed tocopherols (d-alpha-tocopherol with other tocopherols, or, better, a minimum of 80 milligrams of natural mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols).
Selenium, 200 micrograms of an organic (yeast-bound) form.
Mixed carotenoids, 10,000-15,000 IU daily.
The antioxidants can be most conveniently taken as part of a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement that also provides at least 400 micrograms of folic acid and 2,000 IU of vitamin D. It should contain no iron (unless you are a female and having regular menstrual periods) and no preformed vitamin A (retinol). Take these supplements with your largest meal.
Women should take supplemental calcium, preferably as calcium citrate, 500-700 milligrams a day, depending on their dietary intake of this mineral. Men should avoid supplemental calcium.
Other Dietary Supplements

If you are not eating oily fish at least twice a week, take supplemental fish oil, in capsule or liquid form (two to three grams a day of a product containing both EPA and DHA). Look for molecularly distilled products certified to be free of heavy metals and other contaminants.
Talk to your doctor about going on low-dose aspirin therapy, one or two baby aspirins a day (81 or 162 milligrams).
If you are not regularly eating ginger and turmeric, consider taking these in supplemental form.
Add coQ10 to your daily regimen: 60-100 milligrams of a softgel form taken with your largest meal.
If you are prone to metabolic syndrome, take alpha-lipoic acid, 100 to 400 milligrams a day.
Water

Drink pure water, or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon) throughout the day.
Use bottled water or get a home water purifier if your tap water tastes of chlorine or other contaminants, or if you live in an area where the water is known or suspected to be contaminated.
Join Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for more in-depth information on the anti-inflammatory diet, plus over 200 anti-inflammatory recipes, dozens of diet tips designed to help prevent age-related disease, and an exclusive version of Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid!

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

2011-10-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

This weekend I had my running club formal. Yes, you read that correctly. My running club put on a formal at a hotel in Cambridge. It was really fun getting all dolled up and hitting the dance floor. Also weird: seeing runners in dresses and suits!

I'm seriously pondering training for a half marathon. Plus- I get to eat more carbs. Minus- I would have to run 13.1 miles. I'm doing a lot of research first to make sure my aching joints can handle it.

I made this dish last week and it came out really good. The recipe says to put walnut size gnocchis in the water. They came out huge, and were more like dumplings. I would make them a little smaller. Regardless, these came out awesome. But really, when you pour brown butter sage sauce over anything, it's going to to taste good. This recipe comes from gourmetsleuth.com

1 butternut squash (about 1-1/2pounds)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Sage Butter Sauce
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, through the stem end, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Roast until tender, about 35 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds. Remove squash flesh (pulp) and place in a sieve. Set the sieve over a bowl to catch liquid and allow squash to drain in a refrigerator overnight.

The next day, puree the squash in a food processor. Transfer puree to a bowl and add the eggs and salt, stirring to combine. Add the flour and blend thoroughly. The dough should feel sticky and soft.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a teaspoon, form walnut-sized pieces of dough and push them off the spoon and into the water with your fingers. Alternately, use a pastry bag and a small knife.

Cook the gnocchi in small batches, 10 to 15 pieces. Once the gnocchi have risen to the surface, poach for exactly 2 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
Sage Butter Sauce Prep
Place butter in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the foam subsides and the butter begins to lightly brown. Add the sage leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the gnocchi to the browned butter, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

The Salty Pig

2011-10-15T09:33:00.000-04:00

Last night, I suggested that my friends and I try the Salty Pig, a new restaurant in Boston's Back Bay. This place has a great selection of cured meats (my fave) and cheese. However, the menu is confusing. It is unclear if their focus is charcuterie boards or "main dishes" which are quite small. They also have a large selection of pizza, which looked delicious. I think they should focus more on wine and market themselves as a wine bar. I hope they make their menu less confusing, but nevertheless, I would go back.

Tomato Vodka Sauce

2011-10-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

I have been looking for a vodka sauce recipe that I like for some time. I tried this one on Monday and I really liked it. I took the advise of a comment and added the vodka after I cooked the onions. I also added prosciutto and some diced grilled chicken. I served it over some gnocchi I purchased at the farmer's market. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can canned peeled and diced tomatoes
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt better with oil; add onion and saute for 8 minutes or until transparent.
Add tomatoes and cook for 25 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet; stir frequently.
Increase heat and add cream, vodka and red pepper flakes; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened to sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Bring sauce to a simmer and pour over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; serve.

CHG's Halloween Mystery Cookie

2011-10-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

I went out to UMASS this weekend with my college friends and sufficiently abused my digestive system. This week, I am cleaning up my act and swimming, biking running, and cutting out refined sugars. However, as part of my bender this weekend, I made these cookies. They are based on a Martha Stewart recipe, but I changed it up a little bit. I'm bringing them to a Andy Griffith show themed party this weekend. I am going as the baker.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp fine salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 sleeves of Rolos
1 cup roughly chopped Butterfingers
3/4 cup M&Ms

1. Preheat oven to 350 with racks in middle and upper thirds. I large bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. In another large bowl beat butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions until combined. Beat in vanilla, fold in Rolos and Butterfingers.

2. Drop about 2 tsp of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes. Remove form oven, and press M&M's onto cookies. Rotate sheets and bake another 8 minutes until golden around edges and set in centers.

Pumpkin Patch Stuffed Shells

2011-10-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

I have FINALLY started the process of turning my blog into a book. People have been telling me for years. I've been trying to years, but I've never been quite sure on the format. It will be a work of fiction, however. Mostly so I don't get in trouble with everyone haha. I went to a party this weekend and I started talking to one of my friend's brothers. He laughed at all my jokes, and then we had a long discussion about writing this stuff down. I was inspired. He is also a very talented children's book illustrator: adamsdoyle.com. Check him out!

It is October, my absolute favorite month of the year. It is when I consume all things pumpkin. I made these stuffed shells from Rachael Ray. They came out awesome! I got a pie pumpkin in the farm share this week. I roasted it and used it in this recipe.

5 Servings
Prep 40 min
Bake 25 min

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
EVOO
20 jumbo pasta
1 lb. baby spinach
4 tbsp. butter
1 large onion
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
Parsley leaves

Directions:

Add 2 tsp. salt, a splash EVOO and 20 jumbo pasta shells to a large pot of boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse until cool. Cover with damp paper towels.

1 inch water to a boil in the same pot. Add half of 1 lb. baby spinach. Let wilt before adding the rest; stir to wilt. Rinse with cold water; squeeze to get the spinach as dry as possible.

Place the spinach on a cutting board and chop with a bench scraper. (Or, if you don’t have a bench scraper, let an adult chop with a chef’s knife.)

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter. Add 1 large onion, chopped; add 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef; cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chopped spinach until well mixed. Stir in 1/3 cup shredded cheddar. Let cool.

Heat 2 cups milk in a microwave. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour; cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot milk, then the rest. When it boils, whisk 1 minute.

Remove from the heat; season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar. Cover to prevent a skin from forming.

Hold a pasta shell in one hand and stuff with a large spoonful of the beef-spinach mixture (about a 1-inch ball). Cover the stuffed shells with a damp towel as you work.

Sausage and Lentil Stew

2011-10-02T19:49:00.000-04:00

I had a very good weekend. I went to a dessert themed birthday party on Friday night. The smell of chocolate overwhelmed the house. I ate my fill and then a professional pastry chef showed up with his tray of wonderfulness. It looked so good, but I just couldn't eat anymore. : (. Saturday night I went a roast, as in a make fun of someone roast, not a pig roast. I'm happy with either. I made this stew last week. I made the mistake of using a sausage that was quite strong in flavor. It overtook the flavor of the stew. Next time, I'll use sweet Italian sausage. This recipe comes from Rachael Ray.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 lb. sweet italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
8 oz. brown lentils, rinsed
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 head (3/4 lb.) escarole, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a large dutch oven, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lentils, broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the escarole and sausage, cover the pot and cook until the escarole is wilted and the sausage is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

2011-09-28T08:19:00.000-04:00

We have had some success at catching mice, but yesterday the trap was missing which meant a mouse was dragging it around the office all day. We looked under everything. It wasn't until I had been sitting at my desk for 3 hours that we discovered it was sitting 12 inches from my feet, alive and stuck to a trap. I almost died. Now who wants to talk about food!

The most successful dish I made for my party was the bacon cheddar deviled eggs. Make sure you chop the bacon finely or else it is very hard to pipe. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

12 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon mustard
Directions

Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.
Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.

First World Problems are the Worst!

2011-09-24T16:46:00.000-04:00

Phew what a week! My office was infested with mice, my dog came down with kennel cough, and my party was almost a disaster!

1) The mice: I have a very irrational fear of opossums. I have no idea why other than that they look like giant rats. Mice look like mini possums. While I've worked out many of my germ-phobe issues since getting a dog, I still don't like to touch sponges and I HATE mice. They are so disgusting. I have a family living in the wall of my office, and literally every time I went in there on Wednesday, there was one or two scurrying around. I wanted to die. My coworker said she would bring in humane traps. I responded, " I eat veal. Do you think I give a crap about killing mice? I want those suckers dead!"

2) So I don't sleep very well all week because the stupid mice are invading my dreams and giving me night terrors. I saw no mice on Thursday, so I thought I would finally have a great night of sleep. Wrong! I was up all night with my little Violet. I took Friday morning off to see if she would make a miraculous recovery, but she did not, and I had to take her up to my parents. That took an hour out of my party preparation time. I couldn't have her walking around the party yacking while people were trying to eat, but I felt so bad I wasn't taking care of her. She is my fur-baby.

3) But my party went over pretty well, especially thanks to my bro and SIL who saved the day by helping me avert the baked beans disaster, and helping to set up. I don't know what went wrong with my beans, but I had to throw the whole batch out. I had no idea how many people were bringing food, but luckily many people did, and we had a feast fit for a king. The Kentucky bourbon cake was awesome, but it made me drunk! I was pacing myself all night, but after a slice of that, the room was spinning. I had no idea you could get drunk from fruit cake.

Cabbage, Polish Sausage, and Pierogies

2011-09-17T08:36:00.000-04:00

Thursday night I had my last summer series race. I beat my time by 3 minutes. It's amazing what a 20 degree drop in the temperature does for my energy level. For the first time in 5 months, the temperature in my condo has moved below 80 to a nice 68. I'm in heaven. Bring on all things pumpkin flavored!

My brother has been picking up the farm share for us now that school has started for me. This week he got me some savoy cabbage. Cabbage is not something I usually go for, but I decided to challenge myself and make something outside my comfort zone. Cabbage is very good for your digestion and skin, and as I am always looking for ways to prevent aging, I was ready to add it to my diet. This recipe did not disappoint. I also love cooking when it involves adding beer and a lot of butter. It comes from allrecipes.com. I used turkey kielbasa because the real stuff is too greasy for me.

Ingredients

1 head savoy cabbage, quartered and cored
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

1 (16 ounce) package kielbasa (Polish) sausage, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

12 pierogies
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Directions

Place the cabbage, butter, and mushrooms into a large pot or Dutch oven with lid. Season with seasoned salt, and pour in the beer. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer. While the cabbage is simmering, combine the kielbasa, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar in a skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook until the onions have turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir the sausage mixture into the cabbage mixture, recover, and continue simmering until the cabbage is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more.
About 15 minutes before the cabbage is ready, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the pierogies and return to a boil. Cook until the pierogies float to the top, 5 to 10 minutes; drain.
Heat the vegetable oil in a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Add the drained pierogies, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Gently stir the browned pierogies and diced tomatoes into the cabbage mixture, and cook 5 to 10 minutes to reheat.

Beacon Hill Social Club

2011-09-15T08:50:00.000-04:00

Last Monday night, I had dinner plans after work at 9:15pm. I normally do not go out to dinner after I've been at work for 12 hours, but I made an exception. The Patriots were playing anyhow. My dance students were very impressed at my ability to change my clothes, put on makeup and go over my hair with a straightening iron in 5 minutes. It was a good lesson for all of them- if they want to be dancers, they need to learn to get ready quickly. It's a dancer's life skill.

I went to the Back Bay Social Club on Boylston Street where I had the Berkshire pork tenderloin with sweet corn pudding and green bean salad. It was very good, and I would recommend this restaurant. I give it 4 hats.

Quinoa and Beet Salad

2011-09-13T09:02:00.000-04:00

I made this salad from Fitness Magazine. It's pretty good, but not as good as the lemony quinoa salad I make. I got red beets in my share this week and it turned the quinoa pink.

INGREDIENTS
6 small golden beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar plus additional to taste
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus pinch and additional to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cups baby arugula
2 ounces crumbled ricotta salata or feta
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. In a pot with a steamer basket, steam the beets until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer beets to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons each of the oil and vinegar; mix in the garlic, salt and sugar. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another pot, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in the quinoa and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let cool.
3. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm remaining oil. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Pour pine nuts and oil over quinoa and toss.
4. Remove garlic from beets. Add quinoa and the arugula and cheese to beets and toss well. Season with vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

10 Years Later

2011-09-13T08:59:00.000-04:00

You know, I don't often have bad days, never mind bad weekends. I'm generally a very positive person, and I think that brings positive energy into my life. But the weekend started out with my going on a date, and the ex showing up at the same bar. I thought that only happened in movies. Thankfully there is a country song to express my feelings:

You Could've Heard A Pin Drop
When They Walked Through The Door
Had To Turn My Eyes Away
My Heart Fell To The Floor
Someone Whispered, "Where's Her Halo?"
Cause She Had An Angel's Face
He Stood There Smiling, Holding On
To The One Who Took My Place
-The Dixie Chicks

But then the weekend got worse with the non-stop media coverage of 9/11. I'm all for remembering and honoring, but those images are still extremely difficult for me to look at since I had just stopped working at the WTC, and I still had a lot of friends in the buildings. I think the memorial they built at Ground Zero is beautiful, but it is still to soon for me to look at the video clips. One positive thing from the weekend is that we put together a memory book for my slain roommate's mom as it is also his 10th anniversary, and she absolutely loved it. But man, am I emotionally drained from the whole weekend.

But as I am a positive person, I will say this. Gregory's passing and 9/11 the following week made me change my whole life, and I would not be who I am today of these two things had not happened.

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

2011-09-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

Since I started running, I drink less, not that I drank a lot to begin with. I was supposed to have a 5K last Sunday but it was rescheduled to today because of Irene. But I had a party to go to last night. So I had three beers, and less than 6 hours of sleep, and I somehow managed to beat my personal record running, but that was the sickest I have ever felt after a run in my life. I thought I was going to faint, and there were no bananas to be found anywhere. Lesson learned. Now I get to sit at BBQs for the rest of the day hooray!

I am hosting a small soiree in a couple of weeks that is bacon and bourbon themed. Sausage and scotch are my preference, but bacon and bourbon sounded more sophisticated. I made this cake for the party. It needs to be made a few weeks in advance so it can soak in bourbon. I wish I had a scale because it weighs at least 20 lbs. Be sure to use a sturdy spoon to stir- I almost broke mine. I took a little bite, and it is delicious!

Ingredients

2 cups bourbon
8 ounces golden raisins
16 ounces red candied cherries, halved
3/4 pound butter
2 cups white sugar
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 pound chopped pecans
1 cup bourbon
Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch tube pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Soak raisins and cherries in 2 cups of bourbon or whiskey for 48 hours. Before making cake, drain well and reserve the bourbon.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, nutmeg and baking powder. Set aside.
In a small bowl, cream butter with the white sugar. In a separate small bowl, cream yolks and brown sugar until very light.
In a very large bowl, combine the two sugar mixtures and blend well.
Alternately add flour mixture and reserved bourbon in three stages, mixing well with each addition.
Add soaked fruit and fold in. Add nuts and fold in.
In a clean medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter until evenly distributed.
Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven and bake for 4 to 5 hours at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Ovens vary, so watch the baking time. Test cake with wooden pick. (May take longer than 5 hours).
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out. When almost cool, brush sides and inside hole heavily with bourbon. Wrap cake with bourbon soaked cheesecloth, then with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight and saturate again with bourbon. Cover with plastic wrap and then with foil and store for at least 2 weeks in a cool dry place.

Butterscotch Babies

2011-09-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

My biggest vice in life (besides the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise) is sugar. Since it was the first week of school, I used it as an excuse to eat a lot of sweets. I would say I'm getting back on the wagon this weekend, but with it being Labor Day and all, it is more realistic that the wagon will pick me up on Tuesday. I made these Butterscotch Babies last week with every intention of bringing them into work. I kept forgetting to, and now I have eaten almost all of them myself. Fail. This recipe comes from therunawayspoon.com.

Butterscotch Babies

1 (11-ounce) package butterscotch morsels

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking pan or line with non-stick foil.

Place the butterscotch morsels and the butter, cut into chunks, in a large microwave safe glass bowl and microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes. Stir the mixture until smooth and incorporated. Microwave at 10 second intervals if necessary for the morsels to melt, stirring after each blast. It’s okay if the mixture looks a little granular. Stir in the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Leave to cool for at least five minutes. The mixture may separate, but that’s fine, just stir it back together. When the mixture has cooled off, add the eggs and blend well with a fork until incorporated and the mixture has loosened up. Add one cup of the flour, the baking powder and salt and stir to incorporate. Add the remaining cup of flour and stir until everything is well incorporated. You’ll use a little elbow grease. Stir in the vanilla.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then cut into small squares.

Makes around 60 small bites

Mardi Gras Salad

2011-08-29T08:27:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to say I'm disappointed that Hurricane Irene was kind of lame because still having my power and in tact windows is not a bad thing. However, I had a list of things I would do when the power went out, and it never did, so now I have a messy kitchen and a pile of reading that I did not do. I also did not get to use the lovely scented candles I bought. I did make this salad. I named it Mardi Gras salad because I used purple peppers and purple basil, yellow summer squash and a cuke, and it looks very festive. I also threw in some quinoa to add some protein.

3 small zucchini, sliced
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
fresh basil, chopped

Directions

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Lackluster Foie Gras Protesters

2011-08-26T08:25:00.000-04:00

I came across this article yesterday about a group called the Foie Gras Crusaders who protest outside restaurants that serve foie gras. To protest the protesters, patrons inside the restaurant all ordered the foie gras, many of whom had never tried it before. The video is pretty entertaining. Foie gras is so sinful that really, Foie Gras Crusaders, who eats it more than a few times a year?

Blue Ribbon Dill Pickles

2011-08-21T17:24:00.000-04:00

I sometimes have the metabolism of a 16 year old boy, and today is no exception. I ran a 5 mile race in the heat yesterday, and then didn't eat much of a dinner afterwards. I can not stop eating today. I woke up at 6am and had to get a snack, and it has been a constant need all day.

We are getting a constant stream of pickling cukes each week in our farm share. My brother took them this week, but last week I made two jars of dill pickles. I'm a little worried about them because the recipe caused for one clove of garlic in each jar, and this was literally the only time I did not have any garlic on hand. I don't know how that is going to affect the flavor, but I guess I'll find out in three months! This recipe comes from food.com.

7 wide-mouth quart jars, lids & rings
fresh dill, heads & several inches of stems shaken free of bugs
cucumber, washed, scrubbed
1 garlic clove (or more)

Brine
8 1/2 cups water
2 1/4 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt
Directions:

1 GET ALL OF THIS GOING BEFORE FILLING THE JARS.
2 Wash 7 quart jars in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher), rinse and fill with hot water; set aside.
3 Fill canning kettle half-full with hottest tap water; set on burner over high heat.
4 In a medium saucepan, fit lids and rings together, cover with water, bring to a simmer.
5 In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside.
6 FILL JARS: place a layer of dill at the bottom of each jar, along with one garlic clove (if used), then TIGHTLY load the cukes into the jar to the NECK of the jar (depending on size you may get two nice layers with a few small cukes in the top--)---squeeze cukes into the jar tightly--uniform size helps; add a few TINY spriglets of dill at the top, too, and another garlic clove if desired.
7 Once jars are loaded, pour in the brine leaving half-inch head space in each jar.
8 Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly.
9 Place jars into canner with water JUST to the necks of the jars.
10 Bring water ALMOST to a boil (about 15 minutes--depending on how fast it heats up).
11 Remove jars, set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter, cover with another dish towel & let cool.
12 Check for seal (indented lid), label jars or lids, store in cool dark cellar or cupboard.
13 NOTES: When washing/scrubbing cukes, sort them into piles by size. This really helps make your jars look nicer, if you have uniform sizes (and this impresses the judges too!). And makes for easier packing, too.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/blue-ribbon-dill-pickles-241139#ixzz1VhW8i0xr

Zucchini Banana and Flaxseed Muffins

2011-08-17T14:18:00.000-04:00

I have reached a new personal low. I was asked out on a date by a homeless person. I would like to make it clear that before he asked me out, I was not judging him for being homeless. He came to my writing group, and he was a bit smug and a little condescending. Then he dropped the bomb that he lived in shelters. Times are rough, I get it but as far as qualities in a potential mate go, homelessness is something I will not budge on. I think even my dad would agree on this one.

Today is my last day at my summer job. I decided to make these muffins for the preschoolers I have been working with all summer. I was worried they would not want to eat something as different as zucchini muffins, but they really liked them and asked for seconds! These are a great way to use the bounty of zucchini in your garden.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (from 1 large zucchini)
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana (from 1 large banana)
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, flaxseed, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add zucchini and banana and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined (do not overmix).

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let muffins cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Golden Beet Risotto

2011-08-17T14:04:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I went to Chicago for the first time. Like me, the people of Chicago like to eat. The first night, we went to a wine bar called Enology. There, you can sample flights of wine, cheese, and chocolate- my three favorite things to consume. Afterwards, we headed to Bin 36, another wine bar that specialized in flights. I am still wheezing from the amount of dairy I consumed this weekend, but it was worth it. I would highly recommend either of these places to anyone visiting Chicago.

As my flight was delayed coming home, my whole schedule for cooking up last week's farm share got all screwy. But when I got home from work last night, I made spaghetti sauce (with fresh tomatoes), pickles, zucchini muffins, and this beet risotto, which I brought to work today for lunch. My boss said "holy vomit" when I told him what I was eating, but I strongly disagree. I did make a few changes: I added a splash of white wine to the rice before adding the broth, and I gradually added the broth instead of putting it all in at once. I also substituted Swiss chard for mustard greens. This recipe comes from epicurious.com.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped mustard greens
1 (5 1/2-ounce) package chilled soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add beets and onion. Cover; cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in rice. Add broth and vinegar. Increase heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until rice and beets are just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into shallow bowls. Sprinkle with greens and cheese.

Toaster Pastries

2011-08-10T07:55:00.000-04:00

I went into W-S the other day to buy an egg slicer, and instead came out with a toaster pastry press. Pop Tarts are one of my favorite things on earth, but obviously I don't eat them anymore. When I saw this, I was very excited. I'm not going to go into all the details of how to make them because it would be difficult without the press, but the recipe for the pastry part would make an excellent tart crust.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 sticks cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 to 8 tbsp ice water

In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt and sugar until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and process until mixture resembles course meal, abotu 10 pulses. Add 6 tbsp ice water and pulse 2-3 times. Dough should hold together when squeezed with our fingers but not too sticky. Add more water if crumbly. Turn dough out on a work surface, divide in half, and shape each half into a disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll out and fit to a tart pan. Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes to shape tart shell.

Baba Ganoush

2011-08-08T07:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I volunteered at the Urban Epic Triathlon which my friend was competing in. It has been one of my life goals to compete in a triathlon since I was a teenager. My biggest issue used to be the running, but now that I am doing that, I think I may be able to train for one. They are opening a brand new public pool on my street, and if I go early in the morning, it won't be as gross. And at the suggestion of my friend, if I train on my heavy mountain bike and borrow a road bike for the race, I'll be at an advantage. I just hate to spend that much money on a bike and then decide that I never want to do a tri ever again. Plus if I train for one, I'll be able to eat even more haha.

We got eggplant again in our share this week and I decided to make baba ganoush. I ventured from the original version slightly by adding a can of cannellini beans to add some protein. This came out delicious!

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and spray with cooking oil. Broil flesh side down under high heat for 5-10 minutes keeping an eye out that is lightly chars but does not burn. Flip over and broil another 2-3 minutes. Let cool.

now add to food processor: the eggplant flesh (skins discarded), 1/4 c tahini, a few cloves garlic to taste, i can white beans, 1 T fresh lemon juice, and sea salt to taste. blend until smooth. swirl in some olive oil if you like. Serve with pita bread.

Article on Healthy Eating

2011-08-05T12:42:00.001-04:00

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2011/08/04/study_healthy_eating_means_spending_more_at_store/

I've probably mentioned it before, but getting into arguments in the comments section of Boston.com is one of my favorite pastimes. And no matter what the topic is, the fine people of Boston manage to turn the argument into a debate about liberals vs. tea baggers. Yes it is an unfortunate reality that poor people have less access to fresh fruits and vegetables, but I also know many middle class people who opt for processed foods over the healthy alternative of making their own meals. Their excuse is always the same- they don't have time. The argument I got into was with some mother of three who is married to a guy working 2 jobs to pay for their education. I understand that people are busy (I work 2 jobs too) but what is the cost of your health? It's fine and dandy to make a quick meal on the go so you have more time to provide, but what happens when diabetes and other health issues prevent you from being able to do that? I get called a smug, elitist liberal a lot. Actually, the mother of three assumed I was an elderly man with lots of free time on his hands.

Anyhow, exciting things in the kitchen this weekend: baba ganoosh, tomato soup, tomato pie, beef shortribs, and I bought a mold from W-S to make homemade pop tarts! It's going on the shelf right next to my pan for making homemade twinkies. Like Michael Pollan says, you can eat all the junk you want as long as you make it yourself.

CHG's BBQ Sauce

2011-07-30T17:50:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday night, I met the book club at Smoken' Joe's Cafe in Brighton. I love BBQ and I love this place. I had a rack of ribs with mac and cheese and baked beans. It was out of this world. I realized that I've never posted my BBQ sauce recipe before. Here it is:

Mix in a bowl:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp molasses
1 tdp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

CHG's Potato Salad Draft 1

2011-07-25T14:24:00.000-04:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom's potato salad, but I know it will not taste as good if I make it myself. It's like grilled cheese sandwiches. They just taste better when your mom makes them because they are made with love. So I am attempting to create a CHG potato salad, much like I did with minestrone and meatballs. I know this can be better. This draft I added mayonnaise, champagne vinegar, a hard boiled egg, salt, pepper, and fresh dill. Suggestions are welcome. May be some Greek yogurt?

Zucchini Tart....sort of

2011-07-22T18:02:00.000-04:00

4 months ago, if anyone were to ask me, I would tell them that I absolutely hate running. But then my friend Ryan came along, and he convinced me to give it a try. And as we all know, I hate heat. But last night, I ran my first 5 mile race in 95 degree heat. I can't believe I did it, and it really wasn't so bad. They sprayed people with hoses as you ran by, and then they had a bunch of Irish people yelling at you at the end. And I beat my previous place of finishing 7th to last. There were a whole bunch of people behind me.

I also used to not be a huge fan of zucchini, but I'm finding much more to do with it this summer. I made the zucchini tart in the last issue of Martha Stewart Living. I can't find the recipe online anywhere to copy and paste, but I found many similar recipes where the gist of it is to get some phyllo dough or puff pastry, and make a filling with some heavy cream and eggs and milk, and then layer the zucchini on top. It came out very good. I would like to use the rest of the zucchini to make my tomato soup, but as it is 101 degrees today, I just can't get myself to do it. So I sliced them up and froze them.

Pan-fried beans and kale with ravioli

2011-07-21T10:29:00.001-04:00

I made this recipe and threw it over some ravioli from Dave's Fresh Pasta. It was good, but my issue with it was that when I brought the leftovers to work yesterday, everything was completely dried out. This recipe comes form 101cookbooks.com.

Pan-fried Corona Beans & Kale
A few notes related to the recipe - be sure to wash the kale well, so you don't end up with grit in your beans. I use dried beans (that I've cooked myself) here, and would highly recommend using them over canned beans - they brown up better and are less likely to go to mush. I used giant corona beans, but you could use runner cannellini, or something similar. I like the white beans because they take on a lot of color in the pan. Alternate recipe - I'm confident you could do this preparation with gnocchi (don't boil the gnocchi first) in place of the beans.

1/2 bunch / 6 oz / 170 g dino kale or lacinato kale, remove stems

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 - 3 big handfuls of cooked large white beans (see head notes)

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup / 1 1/2 oz / 45 g walnuts, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
scant 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup / 1/2 oz / 15 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Finely chop the kale, wash it, and shake off as much water as you can. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in the widest skillet you own. Add the beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3 or 4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.

Add the kale and salt to the pan and cook for less than a minute, just long enough for the kale to lose a bit of its structure. Stir in the walnuts and garlic, wait 10 seconds, then stir in the nutmeg. Wait ten seconds and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Remove from heat and serve dusted with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 2 - 4.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

Potato Croquettes

2011-07-20T13:59:00.000-04:00

It is another hot week and my Northern European DNA is having an all systems meltdown as usual. I say it all the time, I am not genetically built for this heat. I signed for a 5 mile road race tomorrow, before I knew the weather report. My focus will not be on speed, but rather on not passing out.

I'm trying to be more adventurous with my CSA cooking this summer. I made potato croquettes stuffed with spicy beets. These came out really good, but I'm not sure they are worth the amount of time that went into them. I love beets on so many levels, but I'm trying to do more with them than eat them in a salad with goat cheese. I'm thinking next week I will make a beet risotto....

The Gallows

2011-07-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

This weekend was excellent. Friday, I spent the day with my nieces and nephews as we walked around Boston in the glorious weather. Saturday, I competed in my first relay race. While I ran terribly in the noon sun, I did win the award for the best cartwheel, and almost won the best human trick award. I also had to spin and balance on one foot at one point in the race. I never thought my dance skills would come in so handy at a race. Saturday night I went to a great BBQ.

On Sunday, I went to the Gallows for brunch, a trendy (well aren't they all trendy in Boston?) spot in the South End. I had the corned beef hash with poached eggs and hash browns. It was very good, but I was still hungry after. Small portions are good news for America, but not so much for me when I can barely eat enough calories with all the running I've been doing.

Quick Pickled Zucchini

2011-07-11T12:46:00.000-04:00

I realized something over my first 4 day weekend of the summer that is not a holiday weekend. I asked to only work 3 days a week this summer so I would have a lot of time to write. What I did not realize is that I had an hour lunch break, and the children all nap in the afternoons and I am free to do as I please while they do so. I am actually much more productive at writing during these times, so I told my boss I can also work Fridays. My goal is to finish book #2 by the end of the summer, but I am so easily distracted by EVERYTHING in my house.

I am not a huge fan of zucchini. I think it is boring, but it is easy to throw in with other vegetables. I decided this summer that I would experiment with pickling the bounty of zucchini, and I am extremely pleased with the results. I found this recipe from a website called 101cookbooks.com. She has a lot of great recipes!

3 medium zucchini (1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g), thinly sliced 

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced 
3 shallots, thinly sliced
 1 1/2 tablespoons fine grain sea salt
 1/4 cup (small handful) fresh dill sprigs
1 small fresh red chile pepper, very thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

 3/4 cup / 180 ml cider vinegar 
3/4 cup / 180 ml white wine vinegar 
1/3 cup / 1.75 oz / 50g natural cane sugar

 
Toss the zucchini, onion, shallots, and salt together in a colander and place over a bowl to catch the liquids. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Toss once or twice along the way. You're aiming to get as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible.  When you're finished draining the zucchini, shake off any water. At this point you want the zucchini as dry as possible. Place in a 1 liter / 1 quart jar along with the dill, chile pepper, and mustard seeds. Alternately, you can cram them into a 3/4 liter Weck jar like I do, but it's always a bit snug in the jar.

Combine the ciders and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and continue to boil for a few minutes. Pour the liquid over the zucchini and seal the jar. Let cool, then refrigerate. The pickles are good for a week or so.

  Makes one large jar.

Prep time: 120 min - Cook time: 5 min

Boston joins food swap movement - The Boston Globe

2011-07-08T09:08:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty excited about this. I will be making refrigerated bread and butter zucchini pickles to bring. Sure, it's a little sketchy that you are at the mercy of people's cleanliness, but is it any worse than eating at a restaurant?

Boston joins food swap movement - The Boston Globe

Also, I added my friend Jeremy's snack review blog to my blog list. I told him last night that a lot of his snacks are overly processed and not in line with my blog's philosophy, but he assured me there are plenty of all natural and organic snacks on it.

New Vendors at the Farmers Market

2011-07-07T08:24:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, I volunteered at the Waltham Farmers Market for the farm that I get my CSA from. Afterwards, I walked around, and noticed there are a few new vendors this year. Each were giving samples, and here is my review:

1) Samira's Homemade: I've seen this purveyor of Egyptian and Lebonese food before, and I actually buy their ful medammes at Russo's on a regular basis. Ful Medammes, the national dish of Egypt, is simmered Fava beans mixed with Tahini (Sesame Paste), Organic Garlic, Organic Onions, Organic Lemon Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Spices. I also love their Muhammara, a delicious spread of fire roasted red pepper, toasted walnuts, organic lemon juice and a touch of spice, offset by pomegranate molasses, as well as their stuffed grape leaves. I highly recommend stopping at their new store in Belmont, or at a local farmers market, or at one of the many grocery stores they sell at.

2) Sweet Lydia's: I never had Sweet Lydia's until I stopped by their new table at the market. People who sell sweets at the market are geniuses. You go to the market, you feel awesome about yourself because you bought a whole bunch of local, healthy items, and then you don't feel guilty when you stop and buy some of these delicious marshmallow treats. Lydia had me at "s'mores."

3) Silk Road BBQ: I love it when food is educational. When I went on the Silk Road BBQ website, I learned "for hungry Silk Road travelers, roadside grills offered some of the world's first take-out food. Later, Mongol invaders spread the practice of grilling meat on skewers to Russia and eastern Europe. By the 1800s, it had become fashionable food in Russian cities. When the Soviet Union annexed Central Asia, charcoal-grilled skewered meat became universally known by its Russian name, "shashleek." Today, this original Central Asian BBQ is the most popular BBQ in the world, enjoyed from eastern Europe to China, from Siberia to the Mediterranean, in Queens, and now in Boston and Cambridge." I sampled some of their jerk chicken, and I was impressed. They are not afraid of spices.

Pickled Kohlrabi

2011-07-05T07:43:00.000-04:00

This weekend was 4th of July weekend, and one might expect that I was queen of the grill. I didn't cook for any of the parties I went to. I actually ate fast food and drank 2 Cokes. It was a 2 day downward spiral, and I don't even know who I am. But I cooked up the rest of the vegetables from my share yesterday and I am back on track.

On Saturday I went to my friend's lake house where we attempted to go swimming after a few beers. I had run 3.5 miles in the morning, and then drank 3 beers and then attempted to swim. Long story short, I could barely tread water and I had to steal some flotation devices from children. All the people in my party did this, but the kids didn't seem to mind, and we didn't drown. It was a success all around.

One thing we get in our farm share is kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is also known as a German turnip. It is a little known member of the cabbage family that is best eaten raw. To me it tastes like a mild broccoli stem. I only like broccoli if it is smothered in cheese beyond recognition, but I don't mind kohlrabi much. I decided to pickle it.

Quick Kohlrabi Pickles (from restaurantwindow.com)

2-4 small kohlrabi bulbs, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2" cubes

Good olive oil (optional)

Rice vinegar (not sweetened, available in Asian grocery stores and some well-stocked supermarkets. If you don't have rice vinegar, you could substitute something rather mellow - white wine or sherry vinegar, or even white vinegar with just a pinch of sugar added)

Kosher Salt

Fresh Black Pepper

Place the kohlrabi chunks in the bowl of a lidded, airtight container. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a good splash of vinegar, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Replace the lid and shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place in fridge, shaking occasionally. They are best after they have marinated for a few hours, and will last about a week, becoming more intensely flavored but still largely retaining their lovely texture.

Snow Pea Noodle Salad

2011-07-02T08:03:00.000-04:00

Snow peas are growing like crazy on the farm. We got 4 pints per share this week, and I still had some from last week. I didn't want a stir fry, so I searched for some sort of salad to make. I can across this recipe from Rachael Ray, but instead of serving it over lettuce, I served it over soba noodles. Came out pretty decent. I love the use of maple syrup- being a New Englander this makes it local for me!

3/4 cup pure maple syrup (eyeball it)
1/3 cup Tamari (dark soy sauce)
1/2 cup sweet hot mustard (eyeball it)
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders (the average weight of one package)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup sesame seeds, a mix of black and white or all white
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Dressing:

1 1/2 inches fresh ginger root, grated or minced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (3 generous splashes)
1/4 cup Chinese duck sauce or apricot all fruit spread
1/4 cup vegetable oil (eyeball it)

Salad:

1 bag mixed baby greens (5-6 ounces)
1 /4 English (seedless) cucumber, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced on an angle
1 /2 cup shredded carrots (a couple of handfuls)
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/4 pound snow peas, sliced on an angle
Fried Chinese noodles, perhaps leftover from take-out, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Combine syrup, soy and sweet hot mustard in a bowl. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken tenders to half of the marinade and coat. Set aside. Reserve the remaining half for dressing.

Pre-heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread sesame seeds on a sheet of waxed paper or into a shallow dish. Waxed paper will speed your clean up. Dip the tenders into the sesame seeds. Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Cook chicken in small batches 3 minutes on each side and remove to plate.

To make the dressing: Whisk ginger, vinegar and the reserved marinade together then stream in the oil while you are continuing to whisk dressing.

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl. Toss with dressing and serve, topping with sesame chicken tenders. Toss some crunch into your salad with fried noodles, if you have any leftover packets from Chinese take-out.

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

2011-07-01T07:37:00.001-04:00

After a lovely day at the beach (I no longer look like a vampire, but in fact have a little bit of a tan), I went to the farm to pick up my share. I decided on some Swiss chard this week. I made this dish, which I have learned is a traditional Mediterranean way to prepare chard. Because I needed it to be a little more hardy as a meal, I made popovers, and then shoved this and some cheddar cheese into one. It was delicious! I had some CHG Meatballs on the side too. I copied this from Epicurious, but I think it is pretty standard.

1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard (preferably rainbow or red; from 2 bunches)
1/2 cup pine nuts (2 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, finely chopped
1 cup water

preparation

Tear chard leaves from stems, then coarsely chop stems and leaves separately.
Toast nuts in oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
Cook onion in oil remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, 1 minute, then add chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add raisins and 1/2 cup water and simmer, covered, until stems are softened, about 3 minutes. Add chard leaves and remaining 1/2 cup water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve sprinkled with nuts.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Swiss-Chard-with-Raisins-and-Pine-Nuts-231509#ixzz1QquZpMum

Deviled Eggs

2011-06-30T08:28:00.001-04:00

I originally linked this blog to my author page, but then realized that as I gain more young fans, they probably don't want to read about the soup I just made or the party I just went to. So I made a separate blog dedicated to my book. It will include samples of my new book, letters from kids (which I already have 30), and other stuff. Please follow the new blog too!

Last night, I took a spin class. It was insanely hard, and the whole time I kept thinking to myself "why do I torture myself?" But then after class I saw one of the trainers eating peanut butter straight from the jar with a spoon. I realized that is why I torture myself- because I love to eat so much. I was very jealous of his jar of pb.

The other dish I made for my book club was deviled eggs. Despite a strong love for these, I have never made them. I used Grey Poupon for the mustard since that is all I had, and my friends and I agreed that it gave it a nice flavor. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com. Eggs were from Hubbardston, MA. Now I have "Whiskey You're the Devil" going through my head.

Ingredients

6 hard-cooked eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Paprika
Directions

Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard and salt; mix well. Stuff or pipe into egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until serving.

Spinach Dip

2011-06-29T08:51:00.003-04:00

My shiny, new, red Moleskine planner has arrived in the mail, and I could not be more excited or caucasian. Because I am a teacher, I use an academic planner, but July is always left out. My social calendar for the month was a mess. But now, thanks to Moleskine, which runs June 2001 through the end of 2012, my social calendar is under control. Phew.

Last night, I had my book club over to watch the movie version of a book we recently read, (Tipping the Velvet). I really wanted to incorporate something from my farm share, so I made this spinach dip. It was very, very good, and I am very excited to eat it for lunch. It comes from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (1.8 ounce) package dry leek soup mix
1 (4 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (1 pound) loaf round sourdough bread
Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, dry leek soup mix, water chestnuts and chopped spinach. Chill in the refrigerator 6 hours, or overnight.
Remove top and interior of sourdough bread. Fill with mayonnaise mixture. Tear removed bread chunks into pieces for dipping.

Florentine Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

2011-06-24T08:47:00.002-04:00

I recently met a great guy, but he is completely hung up on his ex who was horrible to him. Man, have I been there. If you all remember from my late 2008-early 2009 posts, I was a hot mess. But now, I've matured a lot, and I take everything I experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. I kept Oprah's last episode in my DVR because when I get discouraged about where I am in life, I listen to her words. My favorite line of hers is "Trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be in life." Anyhow, I offered him some advice, but he did not respond. Oh well, I tried to do a good deed. I would also like to say that my horoscope today said to make less jokes, and be more serious. YAWN!

My farm share has started! Last night, I made this dish with the spinach I got. Since I've been working out A LOT, I'm going to have to eat way more meat than I normally do this time of year. I could seriously be a vegetarian for the summer with all the veggies I get. I overcooked a little bit, but still very good. It comes from Rachael Ray.

Ingredients
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few grates nutmeg
6 chicken breasts
6 slices prosciutto di Parma, 1/3 pound
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wring out defrosted spinach in clean kitchen towel.

Toast nuts and combine with spinach in a bowl, mix in cheeses, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Cut into and across but not all the way through the chicken breasts, opening them up like a book with a sharp knife. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill each with a small mound of stuffing. Flap chicken breasts back over stuffing and wrap each breast with prosciutto to seal them, carefully covering the whole breast. Brush chicken all over with some extra-virgin olive oil and roast 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through.

La Campania

2011-06-14T08:35:00.002-04:00

I had my most successful book signing to date this past Saturday. Sure, there were still people who did everything in their power to avoid eye contact with me, but I sold out. I have sold 75 books so far- not bad for an unknown. And my book is on Good Reads, so if you have an account, please add my book to your list!

Saturday night, my old roommate was in town, and we went to La Campania- an outstanding authentic Italian restaurant in Waltham. I have been to 5 star restaurants, and many many Italian restaurants, including in Italy, and La Campania is still one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I sampled many things on the menu:

Pan Seared Foie Gras
Fresh Fig, Duck Leg Confit, Port Wine and Orange Reduction, Gorgonzola “Crema”

Arancini with Cured Meats

Insalate Caprese

Fresh made gnocchi with a veal ragu

Hot Chocolate Soufflé
w/ Vanilla Bean Gelato and Hot Chocolate Ganache

By the time I got my entree which was the gnocchi, I could barely touch it, so I had it for lunch yesterday. Amazing!

Posto

2011-06-09T08:42:00.001-04:00

Last night, I went out to dinner at Posto in Davis Square. This place has a great setup- sidewalk seating, open air lay out, huge wine selection. I loved it. I had the beef short rib gnocchi in a parmesan cream sauce. It was a little heavy handed on the pepper, but otherwise very good. My dining partner had a strawberry rhubarb pizza, also very good. I give it 3 1/2 hats.

Three Bean Pasta e Fagioli

2011-06-05T18:14:00.004-04:00

Today I had my book launch party at the dance studio. It was so great to see everyone and to have all my worlds collide- family, friends, and students! As for the rest of the weekend, I mostly relaxed, but I did go to great party on Friday night. The food was awesome- prunes wrapped in bacon, stuffed jalapeno poppers, quiche- the list goes on. Even though it is June, I decided to make soup for dinner because I had all the ingredients. Since my farm share starts next week, I'm trying to clean out my freezer to make room for storing veggies. This soup surprised me. I'm pretty attached at my Marcelle Hazan recipe for pasta e fagioli, but this one from Rachael Ray is a delicious lighter version. What makes it great is the lemon zest and juice you add at the end. I omitted the green beans because much to my eldest brothers chagrin, I strongly dislike cooked green beans. One year at Christmas, he refused to set aside some raw green beans for me. I got him back during Yankee Swap when I took his Lego set.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 to 4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stems fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
1 (15-ounce) can chick peas
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 cup mini penne with lines or ditalini
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds on an angle
1 lemon, zested and juiced
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Grated Romano cheese, for topping
Directions
Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, onions, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper, to taste. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the canned beans and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and water, then cover and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and let simmer in the soup for 5 minutes, then add the green beans and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes more. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Discard the rosemary stems. To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with cheese

Kingston Station

2011-05-27T13:44:00.002-04:00

This week marked the end of the Oprah Winphrey Show. I can't believe the number of people who I've talked to that don't like her. Sure, I like to make fun of her unexplainable love for John Travolta (which is different from my unexplainable love for him, but that is another topic), and I love it when they make fun of her on SNL, but she is one of my biggest idols. If a poor black girl from the backwoods of Mississippi can live the life of her dreams, so can anyone. I was sobbing when the 450 Morehouse College Oprah scholarship recipients came out. I might have to subscribe to her magazine because I'm having serious separation anxiety.

This Wednesday I had book club, and we went to Kingston Station. I had the Station Burger which is a beef patty with bacon, gruyere, a fried egg (which I omitted), and some special sauce. The highlight of the meal was the seasoning that they put on the fries. They tasted like Italian sausage. For any of you have attended a BBQ with me, or witnessed me late night on a Saturday, I freaking love sausage (get your mind out of the gutter). French fries that taste like sausage deserve a Michelin star in my book.

What's on tap for my Memorial Day weekend? I'm going to chill out and relax! I'm also hoping to do some grillin' with my family so may be I'll do something fancy.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

2011-05-23T08:32:00.005-04:00

Yike, I've been bad about posting lately! Marketing the book is taking up a lot of my time, but it's all good. Here is my life in a nutshell:

1) I had my first book signing. It figures it was on the one nice day we've had in 2 weeks. The weather worked against me, but I managed to sell 10, which I think is pretty good considering. It is so awkward sitting at that table.

2) I competed in a road race with tendonitis in my hips and a fever of 99.5. Since I was so high on Aleve, I was able to run the first half and walk the second. I came in 993 out of 1000. It can only go up from here.

3) When I go out, I put effort into looking nice (although my mom thinks I don't, but that is another story). So after the race, I am sweaty, gross, I'm wearing a parka, and my hair is huge. A guy asks for my number ha.

4) I hung out with the guy yesterday, but he is not engaging AT ALL. I have little tolerance for people who cannot carry on a conversation. But it definitely gave me a little boost in the old ego.

Last weekend was the dance recital, and I made this dish in the slow cooker while I was at it. It comes from the slow cooking blog I have listed on the right. It was very good!

The Ingredients:

--leftover cooked chicken (about 2 cups)
--28 oz can of enchilada sauce (check ingredients for possible family allergens!)
--1 orange pepper

--1 yellow pepper
--1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can olives (I wish we had sliced, I sliced the whole ones)
--6 corn tortillas
--2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
--sour cream (optional)

The Directions:

--combine chopped or shredded chicken with the enchilada sauce

--Starting with 2 corn tortillas, layer ingredients into stoneware insert. I happened to go in this order:

--tortillas

--chicken mixed with sauce

--chopped pepper

--black beans

--olives

--cheese

Repeat layers. Finish with a handful of cheese and 1 tablespoon of water that you swirl around in the bowl that had the enchilada sauce and chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. This is a no-peeking recipe. A lot of times it's okay to peek and to stir, but for this one it's best left alone for the flavors to meld properly and for the edges to get that yummy crispy cheese texture.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Lentil-Quinoa Salad with Fresh Ginger

2011-05-09T08:55:00.002-04:00

I've been somewhat successful at resting, but man do I hate it. I'm really hoping to be well enough by tomorrow to start PT. I can't start it until I can walk with manageable pain. I think I'm getting there. I did go out to Mother's Day lunch with my friends and Godson. I had an excellent lobster BLT on challah at Charley's off Newbury Street. When I got home, I made this salad for my lunches this week. I omitted the ginger, mostly because I forgot to get it, and it was too painful to do back across the store. It came out very good otherwise. This recipe comes from Pompeian brand olive oil's website.

INGREDIENTS
1 quart water
3/4 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup dried quinoa
2 ounces fresh asparagus tips cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Pompeian Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 ounces pine nuts, toasted
6 cups mix arugula and radicchio leaves

Preparation
1. Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the lentils, reduce heat, cover and simmer 17 minutes. Add the quinoa, cover and cook 7 minutes. Add asparagus and cook 2 minutes or until asparagus is just tender crisp. Drain and run under cold water to completely cool. Shake off excess water.

2. Meanwhile, combine the oil, vinegar, ginger, salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Add the cooled lentil mixture, mint, and pine nuts to the oil mixture and toss gently, until well coated.

4. Serve over arugula and radicchio mix.

Lentil Kofta

2011-05-07T15:25:00.003-04:00

Ugh, I've been training for a road race for 2 months, and I now have tendonitis so bad I have to use crutches for a few days. 3 out of the 4 things he has prescribed I hate doing 1) resting, 2) taking medicine (Aleve)- I could seriously be a Christ scientist in this respect, and 3) join a gym to strengthen my hip muscles when the pain is better. I don't mind #4 which is icing a few times a day. I live above the boiler room so it's quite nice. But, I've prided myself on not having to pay money to stay in shape for years. And God knows I hate resting. I guess it is good in that I'll get some writing done.

A few weeks back when I tried to go vegan for 7 days, and made it about 60 hours, I bought this stuff at Russo's called "keofta." It is so good. It has a consistency slightly thicker than hummus. I put it in pita bread. I am addicted to it. I looked online for a recipe, and low and behold, someone else who had bought it at Russo's was looking how to make it. I don't think I'll make it since I have easy excess to it, but I wanted to share the recipe I found.

Ingredients:(serves 4-5)
1,5 cups red lentils
1 cups finely cracked bulgar wheat
3 cups of water (used for cooking the lentils)
4 tbs olive oil
1 big onion, peeled and finely diced
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
a handful of dill, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 lemon's juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mint
salt and pepper to taste

lettuce leaves and lemon wedges for garnish

1)Wash the lentils and cook them in water until lentils are soft.
2)Near the end of the cooking time add the bulghur wheat. Let the bulgur soften for a while.
3)Meanwhile sauté the chopped onions and garlic in olive oil.
4)Add the tomato paste and spices.
5)Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and let the mixture cool for a while(so that you don't burn your fingers while shaping them).
6)Shape them into patties and serve on a bed of lettuce with lemon wedges.

TIP: If you don't feel like measuring ingredients while cooking, be careful in the first step. If you add too much water while simmering the lentils, they will be too watery and it will be very hard to shape them into patties. The important point here is that, when lentils are cooked, nearly all of the water should be absorbed.

Mexican Pizza

2011-05-06T09:16:00.002-04:00

My first week of promoting my book has been crazy. I've scheduled 2 book signings and a launch party. I'm learning that most independent book stores, which I try my darndest to support, only let you do signings if you are from that town, or you've already hit the big time. So, I'm changing my approach to free events at town libraries. Word of mouth is everything. I'm trying to sell a lot of copies before I approach the big stores such as B & N and Borders. I'm hoping to have a Pretty Woman moment where I go back to one of these stores and say "Big mistake. HUGE." But I really can't complain. It's been not even a week, and I'm doing pretty well.

Last week I made this Mexican pizza. I was a little underwhelmed, but I think with some tweaking I could make it better.

Ingredients
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1/2 cup medium salsa
4 (8-inch) premade pizza crusts
1 can black refried beans
1 package 4 cheese Mexican blend
Shredded lettuce
Finely chopped tomatoes

Directions
Preheat over to 425. Lay pizza crusts on pizza pan or baking sheet covered in foil. Spread refried black beans over top of pizza crusts. Evenly spread chilis over beans. Cover in cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and top with lettuce, followed by tomatoes, and salsa. Serve hot.

Stoddard's Fine Food and Ale

2011-05-02T08:57:00.003-04:00

After watching so much Royal Wedding coverage as to need an intervention, I went out Saturday night and finally tried Stoddards, a gastro-pub that opened last year in downtown Boston. The decor is really cool, and the food was decent. My only gripe is that they described the fondue as coming with pretzels, but it was really just bread. Since I went to Germany and researched how to make pretzels when I got back, I'm noticing more and more and more that restaurants are claiming regular bread as a pretzel. No celery seed- no pretzel. I also had the lobster hush puppies which were to die for. I give it 3 hats.

CHG has hit the big time!

2011-04-30T09:05:00.003-04:00

The day has finally arrived! I am officially a writer! My debut book, "Turtle Soup and Tiramisu" is officially available for sale on Amazon.com!

So as to not confuse the faithful readers of my blog, this is not a cookbook. It is a children's book about a secret society of pirates.

Spanish Style Chicken

2011-04-26T08:45:00.003-04:00

If I had known badminton was going to be an Olympic sport, I would have trained my fanny off growing up. I seriously love this game, and when I discovered there are regulations badminton courts in the town I work in, I didn't hesitate to sign up for their drop in hours. I went on Saturday afternoon. As it turns out, badminton is very popular with Indians (not surprising) and lesbians (surprising). As I am neither of those things, I felt like an odd duck. Then everyone starting critiquing my playing, which I appreciated the help, but they were totally contradicting each other. I haven't decided if I will go back. Book club and running club are keeping me plenty busy this summer.

When I got home from the exhausting two hours of badminton, I made this dish for my Saturday evening fancy shmancy meal. I opted to serve it over polenta. Since I started running, I've been getting weird cravings for glasses of milk and corn products. This comes from Rachael Ray, and is very good.

Spanish-Style Chicken w/ Mushroom-Chorizo Sauce

...and Butter-Herb Spani-Spuds
lbs. boiling potatoes (Yukon gold)
T. chopped or snipped chives, about 10
T. cold butter
cup fresh parsley, chopped
alt & Black Pepper
ew shakes of Hot Sauce
c. EVOO
boneless, skinless chicken breasts
t. dried thyme (⅓ palmful)
t. paprika (⅔ palmful)
lb. chorizo sausage, finely chopped
lb. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
lb. shitake, oyster or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
med. yellow onion, chopped
lg. cloves of garlic, chopped
c. dry sherry, a couple of glugs
cup chicken stock
Put the potatoes in a saucepot, cover them with water, and place the pot over high heat to bring them to a boil. Cook them for about 12 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, then place them over medium heat for about 11 minutes to dry them out a bit. Turn the heat off and add the chives, butter, half of the parsley, salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Stir the potatoes until the butter has melted, then transfer to a serving platter.
While the potatoes are cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, twice around the pan. Season the chicken w/ salt, pepper, the thyme, and the paprika. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook it on each side for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate and cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm. Return the skillet to the cooktop over medium high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO and the chorizo and cook, stirring it frequently, for about 2 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the skillet to a plate using a slotted spoon and reserve.
Turn the heat up to high and add the mushrooms to the skillet. Spread them out in an even layer and resist the temptation to stir for a couple of minutes so that the mushrooms can start to brown. Once they are brown, go ahead and shake the pan up, stir, and continue to cook them for 2 minutes more, then add the onions, garlic, and reserved chorizo and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring every now and then, for about 3 minutes, or until the onions start to look tender. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute more, then add the chicken stock and bring it up to a bubble. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining parsley and stir it to combine, then taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
To serve, arrange the cooked chicken breasts on serving plates, top with the mushroom-chorizo sauce, and serve the butter and herb spuds alongside.

Lo Mein

2011-04-25T08:06:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday was my book club's monthly meeting. Because it was 4/20, we decided to meet at a Chinese restaurant. Actually, I did not decide this. Chinese food completely sceeves me out, not because I don't like it, but because I've heard horror stories. This place was kind of dirty, and the people I was with insisted we be adventurous in our eating. I am all for adventurous eating, but not in a Chinese restaurant. But I lost, and I ate duck tongue and blood pudding in porridge (nothing like Irish blood pudding). That was 5 days ago, and my stomach is still unsettled. The duck tongue was way too greasy. Because I did not get to eat anything I liked, I decided to make lo mein for my lunches this week. This recipe comes from food.com. I used ground pork to save some money.

Ingredients:

Servings: 2-4

* 1/2 lb fresh pork tenderloin

Meat Marinade

* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon rice wine

Vegetables

* 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (cut very fine)
* 5 -6 large mixed mushrooms
* 1/2 cup bamboo shoot
* 1 red bell peppers or 1 carrot
* 1 small onion, cut in wedges
* 2 green onions, shredded
* 1 medium zucchini or 1 medium celery, cut in 1-inch strips

Sauce Mixture

* 4 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1/4 teaspoon ginger
* 4 tablespoons peanut oil

Seasoning in Noodles

* 1 lb fresh Chinese egg noodles
* 2 tablespoons peanut oil
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce or 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Directions:

Prep Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs

1. 1 Cut pork into thin strips, and then into pieces. Mix with meat marinade for 30 minutes.
2. 2 Slice mushrooms, bamboo shoots, red pepper and zucchini into thin strips. Mix sauce.
3. 3 Parboil noodles for 3 minutes. Rinse and drain.
4. 4 Bring another pot of water to boil, and keep hot.
5. 5 Heat 2 T. oil in wok. Stir fry all vegetables together for 2-3 minutes.
6. 6 Sprinkle on a little salt and 1 teaspoons of sugar. Set aside.
7. 7 Add 2 T. oil, and stir fry pork until done.
8. 8 Add sauce mixture. Stir until thickened.
9. 9 Add the vegetables. Stir until well mixed.
10. 10 Put noodles into hot pot of water for 10-15 seconds, just to heat. Drain.
11. 11 Put back in pot, and add seasonings to noodles .
12. 12 Serve meat and vegetables over noodles.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/authentic-pork-lo-mein-chinese-284271#ixzz1KXJN7zBS

Marzipan Babies

2011-04-12T13:34:00.002-04:00

May be it's my love of miniature things, may be it's the number of times I've seen the Nutcracker, may be it's the craftsmanship- I've always loved marzipan. But sculpting naked babies out of almond paste for people to then eat makes me think of one thing- when cats eat their kitten because it is not going to make it.

What, no sodas? -- Boston to ban sugary drinks on city property

2011-04-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

What, no sodas? -- Boston to ban sugary drinks on city property

This is what is so messed up about this. Sugar is not the problem- it's the other garbage. So they are going to allow diet soda, which is linked to strokes, and ban ice tea that may have only two ingredients: tea and pure cane sugar. Oh, and let's allow cocktails at Fenway Park because the people weren't obnoxious enough.

Vegan Week Day 3: The End

2011-04-05T07:59:00.003-04:00

So as I mentioned yesterday, I am starving all the time. I did a better job of keeping full yesterday, but when the hunger comes on, it comes on strong. I promised my coworkers if I was still lightheaded today, I would stop. I woke up lightheaded, so I am having some yogurt with my oatmeal this morning, and I will be adding some chicken to my quinoa this afternoon. The worst part was that last night I got dizzy while I was dancing, and fell over. I don't know how vegans, or anorexics for that matter, do it! I think I am just way to physically active to be a vegan for more than one meal. But I learned some things. 1) If I ever need to lose weight, I know exactly how to do it, and 2) Vegans hate food- I say this all the time, but I've learned they also hate life. What I mean is, what is more wonderful than a buttery grilled cheese sandwich or a slice of pizza? It's the little things in life that make you happy, and for me, those little things are mostly food related. But, I did make my tomato soup from scratch using veggie broth instead of chicken. Here is the recipe. I'm still going to eat it, but drown it in parmesan cheese like I normally do. And a side note: I used butternut squash instead of zucchini. I should know better than to mess with perfection. It added a sweetness I don't like.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 turns of the pan3 cloves garlic
chopped1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomato
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans or cannellini beans

Salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn or shredded
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, to pass at table
Crusty bread, to pass at the table

Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pot, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir then stir in the onions, carrots, celery and zucchini. Cook 10 minutes, then add in the stock, tomatoes and beans. Bring soup up to a bubble and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Simmer 5 minutes. You can now either puree the soup in a blender or use an emursion blender right on the pot. Turn off the heat and wilt the basil into the soup. Ladle up the soup and serve with grated cheese and bread.

Vegan Day 2: The Hunger

2011-04-04T08:14:00.003-04:00

My single friends and I often compare notes on the men we are dating. There is always the guy who does the disappearing act after three dates, the guy you think might be gay (that would be last summer), the guy that won't kiss you (this has happened to my old roommate I don't know how many times), the guy who thinks taking out and putting in his invisalign in public is ok, the list could go on forever. So when a friend is telling you about a new guy she met who is a total gentleman- walks you to your car every night, only talks to you when out with a group of people, asks you to go to a show, agrees to come to a wedding with you, you think he is a total catch! But no, it turns out he was only being friendly, and was dating someone else the whole time. My friends and I have lost all faith in humanity, and apparently our abilities to read a situation. We feel pretty freaking stupid right now. Thank god this happened to a friend and not to me because I would be eating my feelings right now!

But alas, I am on Day 2 of my vegan cleanse. The meals aren't so bad, but I am STARVING all the time. One of my good friends was a vegan until she got irreversible brain damage from a B12 deficiency. I always wondered why she was snacking non stop, and now I totally get it. I just ate some oatmeal for breakfast because it is normally filling and tides you over all morning, but nope, I still want some more food. For my dinner tonight, I made my pasta with lentils and kale recipe, but used escarole instead, and adding in some leftover mushrooms. This recipe comes from epicurious.com.

* 1/2 cup French (small) green lentils
* 2 cups water
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3/4 pound kale (preferably Tuscan; sometimes labeled "lacinato")
* 3/4 pound dried short pasta

* Accompaniments: toasted bread-crumb topping and/or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation

Simmer lentils in water (2 cups) with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep lentils barely covered, until tender but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt.

While lentils simmer, heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden (stir more frequently toward end of cooking), about 20 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to moderate, then cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.

While onion cooks, cut out and discard stems and center ribs from kale. Cook kale in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a colander to drain, pressing lightly. Keep pot of water at a boil, covered.

Coarsely chop kale and add to onion along with lentils (including lentil-cooking liquid), then simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add pasta to kale-cooking liquid and boil, uncovered, until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta-cooking liquid, then drain pasta in a colander. Add pasta to lentil mixture along with about 1/3 cup of pasta-cooking liquid (or enough to keep pasta moist) and cook over high heat, tossing, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Cooks' Notes ·Lentils and onions can be cooked up to 5 days ahead and chilled, uncovered, until completely cooled, then covered. Reheat over low heat, thinning with water as necessary.
·Kale can be washed and trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with dampened paper towels.

Going Vegan aka Going Crazy

2011-04-03T16:54:00.003-04:00

I'm doing my annual Spring vegan cleanse. I don't know why I insist on torturing myself every year, but I had a sucktastic weekend so I might as well get all of my misery out at once. As my cousin Frank used to say, "Sometimes you get the elevator, sometimes you get the shaft." I, my friends, got the shaft. But as for those of you who know me well, I'll be back to my positive confident self soon.

First meal of the week for my vegan cleanse is the lemony quinoa I made a few months back. The recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Directions

Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat. This will take about 5 minutes, and stir constantly as they will burn easily. Set aside to cool.
In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.
Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the pine nuts, lemon juice, celery, onion, cayenne pepper, cumin and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper if needed before serving.

Petition to Break up Monsanto

2011-03-26T09:53:00.002-04:00

I'm all for supporting the local economy, but not Monsanto so much. Please read......

Last year the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture held a series of 5 hearings investigating anti-competitive practices in the food and agricultural sectors. The hearings were historic and gave a vital opportunity for hundreds of thousands of America’s farmers, agricultural workers and citizens to call for an end to agribusiness’ excessive monopoly power. 1

Last December, Food Democracy Now! delivered more than 200,000 citizen comments to Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney with your demands to break up the worst abusers. 2

Nowhere are these abuses more prevalent than in the extreme market share enjoyed by the seed and chemical company Monsanto, which has a virtual stranglehold on seed supplies in crucial sectors that has severely limited farmers' choice in what seeds they can buy. Monsanto’s control of the seed market is so high that 93% of soybeans, 82% of corn, 93% of cotton and 95% of sugarbeets grown in the U.S. contain Monsanto’s patented genes. 3

Not only is this level of market share allowing Monsanto to jack prices up on farmers because there’s no competition, but it also threatens our democracy as Monsanto uses their corporate power to influence our regulatory agencies, like the USDA, EPA and FDA, as well as Congress and the White House.

It’s time to fight back and the only way to do that is to make sure that the Department of Justice continues their investigation into Monsanto’s anti-competitive business practices.

Click on the link below to automatically add your name to the letter asking for the Department of Justice to break up Monsanto. It’s time to stand up for farmers and our democracy. Tell the Department of Justice that it’s time to do what’s right!

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/357?akid=303.119811.hDM2dy&t=7

Over the past two months the biotech industry has gotten their way in Washington with the approval of three new genetically modified (GMO) crops. First GMO alfalfa, then GMO sugar beets and most recently an industrial GMO corn for ethanol.4

The common link between these crops, except for the fact that they’re bad for farmers and the environment, is that they face virtually no oversight once they're planted and their genes are allowed to contaminate neighboring fields and our food. These multinational corporations are not required to submit rigorous, independent peer reviewed studies prior to approval, but are allowed to submit their own corporate science to the federal government for approval.

To date, no petitions for approval of GMO crops have been denied. The only way to reign in the abuse that determines the quality and safety of the food that you and your family consume is to put pressure on the Department of Justice is to make sure that they follow through on their investigations into Monsanto’s abusive practices.

Last year seven state attorneys general launched an investigation into whether or not Monsanto “has abused its market power to lock out competitors and raise prices” while the DOJ is investigating anti-competitive practices with Monsanto’s marketing abuses in limiting access to seeds for farmers and competitors through manipulative contracts.5

It’s time to end Monsanto’s abuses, tell the DOJ to do their job and complete this investigation. It’s clear that abuses of farmer’s rights are taking place and the U.S. government needs to stand up to them now!

The Abbey

2011-03-25T08:10:00.003-04:00

For this month's book club selection, it was my turn to pick the book. I chose "Cutting for Stone" by Andrew Verghese. It's the longest we've talked about a book- some people hated it, some people loved it (myself included), but most agreed that they couldn't put it down. While we discussed, we ate dinner at The Abbey, a new gem of a restaurant in Washington Sq. The food was fantastic! I had the lamb lollipops with goat cheese brulee with a side of truffle fries. I give it 4 hats.

Chicken Taquitos

2011-03-24T19:11:00.002-04:00

I had to take a mental health day yesterday after working almost 50 hours in a four day period. About 30 of those hours were spent at a dance competition. I sat in a dark theater for HOURS. As much as I love dance, it is complete torture. This weekend is going to be even worse, and we are in Brockton which is completely ghetto. The food there is terrible- your best bet is D'Angelos ugh.

On my mental health day, I did a lot of cooking and baking as that helps me relax. I made these chicken taquitos which came out awesome. I bought the store bought taquitos for school, but they contain mechanically separated chicken parts which is freaking nasty. These taste much better and are not processed. This recipe comes from Epicurious.

* 1 store-bought whole roasted chicken
* 1 cup favorite barbecue sauce
* 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
* 1 (4 1/2-ounce) can chopped green chiles
* 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
* 1 small red onion, diced
* 1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
* 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
* 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon chile powder
* 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
* 24 flour tortillas
* 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
* Favorite salsa and guacamole, for serving

Preparation

In a large bowl, debone the chicken and shred the meat. Add the barbecue sauce, sour cream, chopped green chiles, corn, red onion, garlic, both cheeses, and spices. Toss well.

In a large pan over moderate heat, warm 1/4 cup of oil until it sizzles. Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling into each tortilla, roll, and secure with a toothpick. Working in 4 batches (wipe the pan clean and add 1/4 cup fresh oil between batches), pan-fry until the tortillas are golden brown and the mixture is warm, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel, transfer to a platter (or serve 2 per plate), and serve with your favorite salsa and guacamole.

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadilla

2011-03-17T08:26:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Here is an excerpt from the book I am working on- a series of essays, mostly stories taken from my blog:
St. Patrick’s Day

For the past three years in a row, I have traveled to Ireland to attend weddings and visit family. When I was a child, it did not occur to me that this was any sort of a big deal. My mom had a thick Irish brogue, all my aunts and uncles on her side live there, and it was really not that different from going to visit family in California. Everyone I grew up with was Irish or Italian, or some mixture of both. Sure, we had some other ethnicities thrown in to mix things up, but for the most part you were one or the other. When I got a little older, it was a great surprise to me that the entire United States was not like this. I would really not experience this until I started working at Market Basket and met kids from the neighboring city who were Portuguese, Hispanic, and may be even Asian.
I’ve been told my whole life by women over the age of 60 that I look like Scarlett O’Hara. I have dark brown curly hair, pale skin, and green eyes. I look like a Celt, with some Scottish-ness thrown in. Growing up, we went to Ireland during the summer, ate blood sausage on Sunday mornings, and listened to Bing Crosby at Christmas. It was my culture, and yet this is not enough for the people of Boston.
There is nothing more annoying than growing up in Boston, and 1) Not having an Irish last name, so people don’t believe that you are actually Irish 2) People trying to out-Irish you on St. Patrick’s Day and 3) explaining your last name is not Dutch, nor Danish, as they are too stupid to know that Dutch and Danish are not the same thing (I speak for a Mulholland that I know). I do not have an Irish last name so therefore I am not as Irish as their 5th generation Irishness. The fact that the other 50% of me is Scottish really irks people. They clearly did not pay close attention to Braveheart or any part of European history for that matter.
If Ireland had participated in colonization, could we still celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Would it bring up issues of racism and oppression? It would, but because the Irish were oppressed by both the English and Americans, it makes it totally ok for us to be white and wear it proudly on this one specific day. As people lament to me about the oppression of their ancestors when they first came to this country, often while they point to a sign that says “Irish Need Not Apply,” and sipping a Black and Tan, I like to point out to them that my great-aunt, whom I am named after, had a gun held to her head by the Black and Tans. An Irishman drinking a Black and Tan is like a Jew drinking a gestapo.
Even more puzzling on St. Patrick’s day is that we can celebrate it at all. At the elementary school I work at, we are barely allowed to mention the words Christmas or Easter, never mind do any sort of art project that pertains to these holidays. And in the greater American world, we are no longer allowed to say “Merry Christmas;” we must replace it with “Happy Holidays.” When I began working at my current job, I brought this up as the teacher I was working with decorated the classroom with some sort of green garland, while I stirred the green punch. “Why is it that we can’t even mention Christmas, but we can celebrate the Christianization of Ireland?” She stopped what she doing, looked down at me from the stool she was standing on, and only said “Well......it’s not the same.”
I often find myself explaining Irish traditions to Irish Bostonians. For example, I sometimes wear a gold sapphire ring. People will compliment me on it, to which I reply “Thank you. It is my 21st birthday ring.” They will give me a strange look, and then I will explain that in Ireland on your 21st birthday, it is tradition to get gold as a gift. They will look at me quizically, and then realize that no one gave them gold jewelry on their birthday. They will probably contemplate this over a Guinness, and then feel their Irishness again when they are full of the frothy brew.

I made these for my lunches this week. They are very good and very healthy.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 ounces baby spinach
4 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas
4 ounces semisoft goat cheese
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sugar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is dark golden brown. Remove from pan. Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water to the skillet; cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is just wilted. Remove from skillet and turn off heat. Spread a quarter of the goat cheese on each tortilla and top with spinach, tomato and onion; fold closed and press lightly. Heat the skillet and place two folded quesadillas in it; cook two minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. Repeat.

Butternut Squash and Pearl Barley Pilaf

2011-03-13T19:46:00.003-04:00

This weekend was my first weekend off in a long time, and I tried to make the most out of it. I took an excellent nap on Saturday, then went to a fundraiser for my friend who is running the marathon, and then went to another friend's house where we sat around a fire pit and people played some blue grass. My hair smells like a chimney, but it was worth it.

Today I participated in my first road race. As I have not had much time to train, and I'm still in PT for my hip, I decided to walk the race. The majority of the walkers were at least twice my age, or at least twice my weight or both. The crowds would cheer these people on, but as soon I as approached their clapping and cheers would slow down as if to say "Way to not try very hard." One guy blatantly asked me why I was walking.

Yesterday, I made this pilaf for my work week lunches. It was super easy, and makes a nice side dish. It comes from recipeland.com.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil, extra-virgin
1 medium onion chopped
14 ounces chicken broth, low salt or vegetable broth, about 1 can
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup pearl barley
2 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed, 1-inch cube
1/2 cup cilantro leaves freshly chopped, or parsley leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest freshly grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced, more or less to taste
1 x salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add chicken or vegetable broth, water, barley and squash; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the barley and squash are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 48 minutes.

Add cilantro (or parsley), lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; mix gently.

Serve warm.

Blue Ginger

2011-03-11T09:31:00.002-05:00

I didn't think people were reading my blog these days, but then all these people are asking me about my promotion/what type of purse I'm going to buy. I might actually do jewelry instead. My raise doesn't take effect until next year so I have some time. Wednesday night I went to Blue Ginger to celebrate the success of my school play. I had the following:

Shiitake-Leek Springrolls with Three Chile Dipping Sauce

Sake-Miso Marinated Salmon
Wasabi Oil, Soy-Lime Syrup and Vegetarian Soba Noodle Salad

Bittersweet Chocolate Cake
Cardamom Ice Cream
Spiced Sugar Wafer and Chocolate Ganache

As always, the meal was fantastic. I particularly liked the cardamom ice cream. However, as we were leaving, Ming Tsai came out to ask us how we enjoyed the meal. He asked us if we lived in Wellesley. When we told him we were teachers in town, he pointed to the bar area and said, "You know, the bar menu is much cheaper." I mean I may not pull in the big bucks like the rest of Wellesley, but I can afford a nice dinner every once in a while. I'm not destitute! I was insulted, to say the least.

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

2011-03-08T13:32:00.003-05:00

CHG got a promotion! Not giving the details yet, but involves me wearing a suit and bossing people around. I went out and bought some sensible pumps today. I feel so grown up. And as always when I get a promotion (which has only happened twice), I buy myself a new purse. Yay!

I'm starting a new trend of replacing some of the meat in a burger with a whole grain such as quinoa or bulghur. You still get the beef flavor with some added fiber and lean protein. I've had better success at this on my own than with this recipe. This recipe is in the March issue of Everyday Food. It was a bit dry, and I could not get the mixture to stick together, but I still enjoyed it. I used ground lamb instead of beef. I borrowed the picture from the blog Martha and Me, who also saved me the trouble of typing this up. Thanks!

2 oz feta

1/4 c plain yogurt

salt and pepper

1/4 c bulgur

15.5 oz can chickpeas rinsed

1/2 lb ground chuck

1/3 c roughly chopped mint leaves

4 buns

1 small cucumber

1 large tomato

Mash feta, stir in yogurt and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine bulgur with 1/2 c boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap for 10 min. Pulse chickpeas in food processor, mix with beef and mint. Drain bulgur and add to mixture. Mix with your hands until combined. Divide into 4 1 inch thick patties and season with salt and pepper. Spray a pan with cooking spray, heat over medium high. Add patties and cook 8-10 min, flipping once. Serve on buns with cucumber, tomato and yogurt sauce.

Market

2011-03-06T21:14:00.002-05:00

Friday night I went to the MFA for the First Friday event. The people watching was supreme, especially the cougars that pounced on my guy friends. I totally respect the cougar, but the most aggressive one was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I mean if you want to have any luck, you need to sex it up a bit. I'm just saying.

This weekend, my former roommate was in town and we went to Market, the swanky urban chic bar and restaurant in the W Hotel downtown. It was her choice, and I must say I was completely underwhelmed. Granted I did keep it on the light side since Restaurant Week has begun and I'm going to be eating my weight in calories, but the menu selection was boring. I had the lobster pizza that was supposed to have a lemon infused olive oil on it. It was not infused- you either got strong lemon, or straight up olive oil. The atmosphere was cool. I give it 2 hats.

Beef Wellington

2011-03-01T08:13:00.004-05:00

This weekend was my birthday, I had a great night on Saturday that started out at an Irish pub, next went to the Hong Kong where I had a scorpion bowl with my friend, and saw two guys who lived on my floor sophomore year at UMASS, and ended at a hookah lounge. Let's just say my 9pm soccer game on Sunday was rough. I didn't know what was in hookah, and my mother is now very concerned that I would smoke something not knowing what it was. It's not like I do that all the time.

My mom should not surprised that I ask for something like beef Wellington for my birthday dinner, when in the second grade I asked her to buy me cavier because I wanted to try it. She did buy it, and I liked it. Beef Wellington (which is essentially filet mignon wrapped in puff pastry) is one of my favorite dishes, but I've never had it homemade. My whole family agreed this was excellent. This recipe comes from Tyler Florence.

For the Duxelles:
3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Beef:
1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices prosciutto
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Minced chives, for garnish
Green Peppercorn Sauce, recipe follows
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Warm Wilted Winter Greens, recipe follows

Directions
To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Warm Wilted Winter Greens.

Green Peppercorn Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 cup brandy
1 box beef stock
2 cups cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1/2 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained, brine reserved
Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat, add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add green peppercorns.

Slow Cooker Maple Country Style Ribs

2011-02-25T17:18:00.002-05:00

Words cannot even express how much I want the dance competition season to be over. Don't get me wrong, I love choreographing and working with my students, but after the winter we just had, I am itching for the weather to get nice and to get out there and play sports. I am working non-stop the whole month of March, and then I am free as a bird. However, the help me get through the rest of the winter, I signed up for indoor soccer, and a running club. I'm taking it easy with the running until competition is over just because I need to keep my body healthy while I finish 17 dances, but the little I am doing is more to get me in shape for soccer. I met some really cool people last night, and even signed up for a 5K in a few weeks which I plan on walking. My quads are on fire today after running 1.2 last night. My foot is surprisingly ok today.

Last Sunday I made some ribs in the slow cooker to go with the quinoa. It came out very good and I will definitely make this again. Speaking of the slow cooker, if you look on my blog list, I added a new blog that chronicled using a slow cooker for 365 days straight. As I am always looking for slow cooker recipes, I was very excited to find this. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds country style pork ribs
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash ground black pepper
Directions

Combine ribs, maple syrup, soy sauce, minced onion, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, garlic powder and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours.

Lemony Quinoa

2011-02-21T18:49:00.000-05:00

Last night I had my first soccer game in 2 years. I played better than I thought I was going to, until I got smacked in the face with the ball. I subbed back in and had to play on the left side, which I hate, and I got disoriented and couldn't see the ball. I turned around and a girl was kicking the ball straight for my face. I have a slightly swollen sore nose today, and feel and awful lot like Marsha Brady. I'll never be a teen model.

Since I had no school today, I made myself a dinner that included this quinoa side dish. I really like it and will be making it again when I do a week long vegan cleanse in April. Yes, the episode of Oprah with Michael Pollan has influenced me to do so. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Directions

Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat. This will take about 5 minutes, and stir constantly as they will burn easily. Set aside to cool.
In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.
Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the pine nuts, lemon juice, celery, onion, cayenne pepper, cumin and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper if needed before serving.

Oatmeal Lacies

2011-02-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

I'm very tired today, although I really didn't do anything out of the ordinary this weekend. Friday night I went to Watch City Brewery with my friend who just got dumped over text message. I mean seriously, grow a pair. The guy then had the audacity to send a multiple booty call texts. Ugh. Saturday night I went to my cousin Joey's 30th birthday party followed by a late night meet up with a coworker at the Green Briar. I think I am outgrowing the Briar. It's the end of an era, although the World Cup party I went to there over the summer was outstanding.

Is it a coincidence that I have been trying to cut down on refined sugar and the Gelato Cafe in Wellesley went out of business? I think not. I really have been doing pretty well, and I've gained a better understanding of addiction. I was most def a sugar addict. Since Sunday is my "eat whatever the hell I want to day," I decided to make these oatmeal lacies. Low and behold, I find them too sweet. This is happening more and more frequently as I cut down on sugar. I think my sweet tooth has fallen out. My parents really liked them however. I'm going to experiment with lacies more. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

* 1 cup quick cooking oats
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cover baking sheets with foil, then coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour and oat mixture until just combined. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 1/2 inches apart.
3. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges turn golden. Cool, then peel cookies off with your fingers. Be sure to re-spray baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray between batches.

Vanishing of the Bees

2011-02-19T08:47:00.001-05:00

Slow Food Boston is hosting this screening next weekend. I want to go, but the honey tasting afterwards would cause me to break out in a rash just being around it. If I wasn't so allergic to it, I would totally keep bees, right next to the chickens I'm going to have someday. I might throw in a goat.

Bzzz! Bee Movie + Local Honey Sampling
Sunday, February 27th, 2:30 pm
George Sherman Union, Small Metcalf Hall, 2nd floor, Boston University
775 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Where did all the bees go?? If you've been aware of the news in the past few years, we're sure you're familiar with CCD: Colony Collapse Disorder. Discovered first in late 2006, hordes of bees literally....disappeared. The worker bees leave for the day and never return, abandoning the queen, the young, the eggs. Everything.

So maybe the darn queen was crackin' the whip too hard. But maybe not -- the theories abound. Was it a virus? Environmental changes? Malnutrition? An affect of pesticides?
Want to explore these questions? If so, join us Sunday, February 27th at 2:30PM for the film Vanishing of the Bees, which explores the issues in greater detail, outlining what led up to the problem and what can be done differently going forward in order to prevent it from happening again.

We're following the film with a panel of local beekeepers and honey makers (Golden Rule Honey, Allandale Honey Co., http://www.eatlocalhoney.com & more!) discussing their work... And then we'll get to taste their bounty! It's your chance to learn the nuances of honey and talk to the folks that make it. And understand exactly why we need to be informed and make changes to prevent honeybees from disappearing again...

This screening is generously co-sponsored by Slow Food Tufts and Slow Food BU.

Cost for the afternoon's program is only $5. Reserve your spot today!

Thinking of spring, which brings flowers... And bees!

Fresh Homemade Ricotta Recipe

2011-02-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

I was looking through my Epicurious recipe box, and found this recipe that I made a long time ago. Fresh ricotta is delicious, but unfortunately I don't always have the time. It's worth doing every once in a while.

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Special equipment: large sieve, fine-mesh cheesecloth

Line a large sieve with a layer of heavy-duty (fine-mesh) cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.
Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered; it will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fresh-Homemade-Ricotta-234282#ixzz1EEzRv0KT

Foodies Can Eclipse (and Save) the Green Movement

2011-02-16T07:57:00.000-05:00

Here is an article that I thought was interesting....
Foodies Can Eclipse (and Save) the Green Movement

Chef DJ

2011-02-13T16:26:00.000-05:00

This Friday night, I went to my friend's bachelorette party. They decided to have it at her house and hire a chef to make us dinner. This chef is known as DJ Chef because not only does he cook, he dj's the party. I was more impressed by his dj-ing than his cooking, but that says a lot. Numerous times, I've threatened to become a DJ myself. Whenever I go out dancing, I like to make requests- lots of them. The DJ gets sick of me, and then typically shuns me from his/her booth. But I'm a dance teacher. I know exactly what makes for good music to dance to. They really should listen to me! But DJ Chef knew exactly what constituted good dance music. But I suppose that when teaching a group of intoxicated women how to cook, I guess it is better to keep it simple. We had quesadillas and bread pudding.

Sibling Rivalry

2011-02-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

I was considering giving up my blog, but then I read this article connecting diet soda to strokes , and it made me realize that if I encourage one person to stay away form processed food and make their own meals, I'm doing a good deed. Plus, like my dad says, this is a good way to practice writing. So here is a recap of my life since I last posted:

1) I went to St. Louis for a dance convention. The best meal I had was the lunch that was catered by the hotel. We had roast pork. I went to a couple restaurants but nothing stood out. I saw the arch. It was cool.

3) The week before I worked at a dance convention here in MA. I got to hang out with Allison Holker, Joshua Allen, and tWitch all weekend. It was so cool!

2) I went to Sibling Rivalry in the South End. I give it 4 hats. Here is what I had:

Salad of Braised Leeks, Beets, Hard Cooked Eggs, Potatoes, Walnuts,Radicchio and Roquefort and salmon for the entree.

Turkey Burgers

2011-01-16T21:09:00.001-05:00

I am working on turning my blog into a book. It's basically the stories from my blog without the recipes. I'm dedicating a whole chapter to socially awkward situations because I tend to find myself in them quite often. Last Thursday night was no exception. I was at the bar ordering what turned out to be a horribly made cosmo. A girl was sitting at the bar, her name was Julie. It took a long time to make my drink, and during that time, 2 gentlemen came up to the bar. We all began talking as a group, but Julie took an interest in one of the guys, and clearly saw me as a threat. The guys kept trying to get me involved in the conversation, but every time I tried to talk, Julie would shout over me.

Example:
Julie: I'm going to Park City next month.
Me: Oh, I just went...
Julie: I LOVE SKIING!

This went on and on all night. I finally gave up because I literally could not get a word in, and Jersey Shore was on so I decided to head out. One of the guys walked out with me, and as we were opening the door, Julie came flying from across the bar yelling "ARE YOU TWO EXCHANGING PHONE NUMBERS?!" Ah good times.

I've posted these turkey burgers before, but it's been a while, and there are very good/easy to make.
INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound ground turkey
* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 1/2 cup chopped onions
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the grill for medium high heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together, and form into patties.
3. Lightly oil the grate. Place patties on the grill. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through.

Potato Salad

2011-01-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

The Bachelor has returned and with it Fantasy Bachelor at work, and Bachelor dinner parties with my friend. This season features a girl who thinks she is a vampire, as well as your typical "I've known this guy for a week, and my insecurities have caused me to be obsessed with him." This week, I made this potato salad to go with my turkey burgers. My friend ended up not being able to come over because of blizzard #2, and it is just as well because the potatoes came out really al dente. Also, the recipe calls for 2 cups of mayonnaise, I cut that down to one, and it was still too much. I think with a little tweaking, this recipe could be better. This recipe comes from Tyler Florence.

Ingredients
2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
1/2 bunch sliced scallions, white and green parts
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles with 1/4 cup juice, about 2 pickles
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 bunch dill, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Directions
Put the potatoes and eggs into a big saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer. After 12 minutes remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let cool. Continue cooking the potatoes until a paring knife poked into them goes in without resistance, about 3 minutes longer. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.

Reserve some scallion greens and capers for garnish. Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and their juice, onion, remaining scallions and capers, parsley, and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Peel the cool eggs and grate them into the bowl. Stick a fork into the potatoes and lift them 1 at a time out of the colander. Break up the potatoes by hand into rough chunks, add them to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.

Rice Pilaf with Arugula

2011-01-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

I often find myself with extra arugula because the neighborhood grocery store only sells it in huge tubs. This is an excellent way to use it. I made this to go with the steak tips. This recipe comes from Rachael Ray.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup orzo pasta
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped arugula
2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add the orzo and toast until deeply golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and toss with the orzo. Add the stock and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook 16 to 17 minutes until tender. Stir in the arugula and cheese and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Lemon Garlic Sirloin Tips

2011-01-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

I am almost done with week one of my crazy three month schedule. The good thing is, the busier I am, the more productive I am. I already finished the crocodile hats for our school play, 2 days ahead of schedule.

For NYE, I went to a place called CultureFix, an art galley/bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The place was really cool and I highly recommend if you want to feel all hipster (NY hipster, not Boston hipster which is just people wearing skinny jeans and riding bikes). The alarming thing I discovered, however, is that the fashion of the 90's is coming back hardcore. I really really do not want to relive the fashion of the most awkward decade of my life aka my pre-teen and teen years. Everyone was wearing big glasses, which I had back in the day, and in the 10th grade Susie Lussier made fun of them. I am scarred for life and do not want to wear big eye glasses again. My sunglasses on the other hand, are almost as big as my face.

So anyhow, I made these steak tips last night. They came out great, but next time I am going to use way more garlic. This recipe comes from Rachael Ray.

Ingredients
2 pounds sirloin tips, trimmed and cubed into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup white vermouth or dry white wine

Directions
Bring meat to room temperature and pat dry. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in large, heavy skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. When the oil smokes, add the meat and caramelize before turning. Once evenly browned all over, about 5 minutes, season liberally with salt and pepper, add the garlic and toss with the meat for 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and a little lemon zest and cook for another minute. Add the white vermouth and deglaze the pan. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.