It's Tuesday Night - Bring on the Tacos!: Food Musings

It's spring and it's Tuesday which means that it's softball night in our house - which really means: look out between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. because there is craziness and food flying all around! Tonight is night two of our International Flavors week and we're on to Taco Tuesday!  I didn't invent anything here - except for the salsa, which I didn't realize I was out of until about 5 minutes before I wanted to use it so I was forced to make a new batch (can't have tacos without salsa!). Thank goodness I stock the makings of my fresh salsa on a weekly basis and can usually create what I need pretty quickly.

The kids - all three of them - love Taco night.  What's not to like? There's meat, cheese, black beans and crunchy tacos and it's okay with Mom when all the food comes crumbling out.

We're making food fun in our house - hope you are, too.  Enjoy.  And here's the recipe for my best salsa ever...Best-Ever Salsa

The Incredible Edible Egg: Food Musings

Looking at this blog of mine, it's really hard to believe that more seven months have passed since I've posted something and even harder to believe that what I'm about to post is far from fabulous. So how do I explain months of inactivity?  One word: child. Isn't it amazing when you have the hang of something and a monkey wrench is thrown into the mix?  Well our littlest monkey is quite a handful, she is.  And add her to the mix of the two that came before and I'm a nutty mom with too many extra-curricular activities and overall lunacy in the house.  Don't get me wrong - in the past seven months, I've made dinner nearly every night, I cooked Christmas Eve for 12, a one-year old birthday party for 15 and assisted with desserts for Thanksgiving, among many other special things.  So I am still at it...it's just that the night seems to end there - with me finishing the last of the dishes, sweeping the floor for the 8th time that day, and staring blankly at the television set.  Writing and posting has taken a real back seat to surviving the every day that is our life.

So why am I writing today? Well, for one thing, I was inspired by a recent post of a new friend on her blog - and thought; "Crap, I'd better get back to blogging before someone pulls the plug on all that I've done thus far." And for another, it occurred to me as I swooped in to pick up my oldest from a playdate, that it was nearly 6:30 p.m. and no dinner was going to be had until nearly 7:00 p.m. So what is a Mom to do?  Dress up eggs, of course!  The French do it all the time and we think it's fabulous!

I often find that when time is at a real premium, the mighty egg makes a meal just that - mighty.  Protein and taste - what could be better (well, maybe the giant pack of Twizzlers I ate today, among many other things!) than a wholesome meal of perfectly scrambled eggs and "something."  You can fill in the blank with whatever you have!  We had a lightly dressed salad with our scrambled eggs and shredded Gouda Cheese and a pinwheel chicken sausage I broiled quickly. Along with it, I baked up some 5-minute french fries, since I didn't have time to fry them.  I could have added some toast and then we would have had a perfect meal - well, actually, I poured myself a glass of wine so the meal was completely perfect. Dinner was on the table in 15 minutes and it was devoured in an even shorter time frame.

Eggs are incredible...think of all the ways we use them: souffles, quiche, scrambled, poached, fried, over-easy, in cakes, in meringue, in flourless chocolate cake, and so on.  They are a wonder to behold and they often serve as my go-to breakfast: I submerge an egg in boiling water for about 23 minutes and peel the shell immediately under cold running water.  Then I sprinkle a pinch of Kosher salt and a few grindings of pepper and I shove the slices down my throat as I race out the door!  But, hey...a healthy meal doesn't have to be long and drawn out!

Try some of these ideas when you're pressed for time - eggs are sure to please every time!

Tico-Tango's Papaya: Food Musings

When my two older children were younger, we would read a book called The Parrot Tico-Tango about a gorgeous but greedy parrot named Tico-Tango.  It's a beautiful book of amazing colors and it's focus is on repetition and it's a little sing-songy.  We loved that book - my daughter memorized all of it (and the passages were very long) so naturally we were so proud. I remember that she once recited it to my mother and step-father and they could not contain their giggles as she repeated the whole story about how Tico-Tango's round-yellow mango was not enough for him...he had to have his friend's fruit...a lemon, a papaya, a green-grape bunch, a date, etc., etc., etc. Only each time he came across something he wanted, he stole it. Eventually his greed got the best of him and all of the fruit he stole fell.

Anyway, the story reminded me of the papaya, of course.  When was the last time you had a papaya?  Do you know what it looks like? How to find a ripe one? And do you know what to do with one?

I read somewhere that babies like the taste of papaya because it is so mild in its flavor and that it's very easy to eat. So off I went to find a ripe papaya.  A ripe papaya's skin is more yellow than it is green. Unlike a melon, you can't really smell a ripe papaya unless it's overripe. Slice it open lengthwise and you uncover hundreds of small black round seeds - just simply scoop them out and the remove the flesh from the skin with a spoon.  It comes out gracefully.  For our little girl, I puree the flesh and she eats it just like that.  It is mild, indeed. It has a melon-like texture but is less sweet than a ripe cantaloupe.  It's less flavorful than that, too.  But it's delightful and if you puree it, you can spread it over grilled fish or use the chunks in a  smoothie.  You can serve it over grilled chicken or even steak or pork! Heck...try it with whatever you like - just the way it is.

"The Parrot Tico-Tango had a round yellow mango when he spied the papaya from his friend Soraya and he knew he had to have it, too, so he swiped it!"

The Cookie Kid: Musings

Sugar cookies? Chocolate Covered Oreos? Can't seem to get enough!!!

Happy Spring!

Holiday Time: Food Musings

Ahhh, tonight we spring-ahead the clocks - a tell-tale sign that spring is upon us. With the promise of spring comes Passover and Easter.

I find the best way to host a dinner with a calm outlook is to prepare. I plan my menu, ensure I am able to cook everything in the oven at the times I need to, draft a shopping list as well as a 'to-do' list and I even plan out the serving platters I plan to use for each dish. So then, I offer you the following few items purely as inspiration for your holiday dinner table -

Feel free to check out all the recipes on Meredith's Food for Life for continued inspiration!

Ideas for Easter
Starters -
Lasagna Roll-Ups (can be made and frozen ahead of time)
Deconstructed Greek Salad

Main Course -
Drunken Lamb
Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb
Pesto Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mango

Desserts -
Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Coconut Raspberry Cake with Almonds
Raspberry and Grand Mariner Tiramisu


Ideas for Passover -
Almond and Chocolate Cupcakes
Roman-Jewish Fried Artichokes
Cherry Tomato Salad with Lemon Poppy Dressing

Learning to Juggle: Food Musings

As my three month maternity leave comes to an end, I want to tip my hat off to all the stay-at-home moms (and dads!). It is not easy to juggle the lives of several children, a household and all the chores that go along with it, and such insignificant things as, well...proper eating and bathroom breaks! Really, for anyone that doesn't have children, you must understand how challenging it is to deal with things like homework, dinner, a crying baby, and of course one's own sense of self which needs attention. So again...kudos to all those who stay home regularly.

I am heading back to work soon and I know that while my life will become a blur of daily activities, I still have it just a bit easier (in my opinion, of course) as I'll be able to eat when I want, take a walk when I want, go to the bathroom when it's needed, and make a phone call without the concern that the moment the person picks up my little sleeping angel will wake with wailing so loud that I'd be forced to simply hang up.

However, going back to work will require a new commitment to order, routine, and stated expectations...and dinners that are far less messy! There just isn't enough time in the evening before bed to clean up crusty pots and pans.  So I have just a few more weeks left to wreak havoc on my kitchen...and I've been having fun doing it!

Here's what I've been up to lately -

Honey-Dijon Roasted Salmon with Corn and Pepper Salsa

Herb Roast Beef with Rosemary-Beet Barley

Lamb Stew with White Beans, Cranberries and Sweet Potato

Chili Rubbed Steaks with Pineapple-Peach Slushi

May the Force Be With You: Food Musings

My nearly-six year old son has been bitten by the Star Wars bug. And really, who can blame him?  The classic movies (Episodes IV, V and VI) are truly that - classic.  And the new ones: I, II, and III are addictive. So this holiday break was filled with Star Wars movies, characters, conversations, and...you guessed it: food.

Williams-Sonoma (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/) was having a special on two of the cookie cutter sets and my husband purchased the last set for me (maybe it was really for my son...not sure).  So we have four space transporters, a Wookie, a Jawa, Yoda, Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper, Bobba Fett, R2-D2 and C3P-O.  We made traditional sugar cookies and royal icing and got to work.  The kids loved stamping out the shapes and icing them. They're adorable and somehow I see making tons of these in my future when birthday time rolls around!

Until then: May the Force Be With You!

A Little Carried Away

It's hard to be a food fan this time of year when you truly enjoy making something for others - if you've been advised to "lay-low." I'm almost to my due date for baby #3 so I know I need to take it easy. Easier said than done!

We always go somewhere else for Thanksgiving - it's never been "my" holiday...but I typically bake something.  This year would be no different, naturally.  But my mother emphatically begged me not to do anything too strenuous - and I swore I'd listen. Well?  Maybe that's why moms and daughters have issues...we daughters don't listen, do we?

So today I made these adorable cookies - two dozen of them - along with a pecan pie, a pumpkin pie, a pumpkin cheesecake and a batch of my peanut-butter-chocolate "kisses." I admit that I am BEYOND exhausted now but I'm pleased that the kids thought these little Nutcrackers were fantastic.  I couldn't help but buy the cutter, given my daughter's first performance in the show is just next week.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all...a safe and healthy holiday filled with much love!

Enjoy any of these recipes -
Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pecan Pie

Peanut Butter Kisses

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Be sure to search the blog - there are additional recipes that would be perfectly for your Thanksgiving menu!

* http://www.fancyflours.com/ for the Nutcracker Cookie Cutter and decoration inspiration

It's Black, It's White!: Recipe

I was home earlier than usual from work and needed a project to calm my brain after a very looooong week...what better than a baking project with the kids? These cookies are a throw back from my own childhood - images of diner-brunches or bakery-runs with my father.

My two kids helped me with these and it was a lot of fun to do together - I think they enjoyed it because they could conceptualize the outcome!  I've just finished eating one and to be honest, they are really delicious.  Mind you, I don't really like chocolate so I always eat the chocolate side first so I can savor the vanilla half.

You know, some things are really great to remember and then there are some things that are great to remember AND recreate.

Oh, I also made my favorite pumpkin bread - and since I purchased 15 cans of pure pumpkin in the last 2 weeks, I figured I'd better start using it! Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Enjoy the black and whites...

Black and White Cookies
makes about 10 cookies

For Cookies -
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg

For Icing
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Stir together the buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large electric mixer bowl until pale and fluffy - about 3 minutes. Then add in the egg, scrape sides of the bowl, and mix again for another minute. Mix in flour and buttermilk in alternate turns - starting and ending with the flour. Mix until smooth - about 1 1/2 minutes.

Using an ice cream scoop, spoon out 10 scoops of batter about 2" apart onto a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Bake in the middle of the oven about 15-17 minutes. Remove and allow cookies to completely cool - about 1/2 hour to an hour.

In a medium bowl stir the confectioner's sugar together with the corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 Tablespoon of water until glassy and smooth - you may need a bit more water - add by tiny teaspoons and mix very well before adding anymore.  Icing should be smooth and of medium thickness - if it's too runny, add more sugar.

Put half the icing into another bowl and add in less than the 1/4 cup of cocoa and again mix well and add water, as needed.  Chocolate icing should be the same consistency as the white - glassy and of medium thickness.

With a small spatula, coat the flat sides of the cookie in one half white and allow to dry slightly before coating the other side in the chocolate icing.  Drying time - about 1 hour. They can be eaten well before that!

Use Resources Wisely: Recipe

The Girl Scouts teach us, as part of their Law, to "Use Resources Wisely."  So, while searching for an easy-to-make-in-30 minutes dinner concept, I remembered those words and had a 'voila!' moment.

Sunday's dinner consisted of pasta, Vodka Sauce and a grilled pork pinwheel sausage. We didn't finish the entire pinwheel so I tucked away the left-overs into the refrigerator - secretly knowing that I'd never eat them again and they'd be lost to some sort of inadvertent refrigerator science project. Well, on Monday, I reversed course and actually managed to use those left-overs in an efficient manner. I felt great about having done that and the family peanut gallery seemed pleased, as well!

I used Orecchiette because they're cute...you know the pasta shape - they look like little ears? Yep, that's the one.  Here's what Wikipedia has to say about them...
Orecchiette (singular: orecchietta) is a kind of home-made pasta typical of Puglia or Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which reminds one of a small ear. In Italian orecchio means ear, and the suffix 'etto' means 'small'. In the vernacular of Taranto it is called recchietedd, or chiancaredd. A slightly flatter version is called 'cencioni', while in the vernacular of Bari, strascinate are more similar to cavatelli. In China a similar type of pasta is called maoerdo (cat's ears).



In Southern Italy women, young or old, sit outdoors in the spring and make the dough into small cylinders, which they cut into little cubes. Then they press down each cube with their right thumb, dragging it on the board, thus making it curl slightly [at this stage you have a 'strascinata']. Then they insert their thumb on the reverse side, making it pop out with a little convex bulge.


Orecchiette with Spinach, Garlic and Sausage
1 lb. Orecchiette pasta (or other dried boxed pasta)
1/2 lb. fresh spinach, washed and picked over
1 cup cooked sausage meat
3 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup great-quality olive oil + 2 Tablespoons extra
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the spinach. Cook at the boil level for about 3 minutes and remove the spinach with a large ladle with holes - and keep the water at a boil. Set spinach aside in a bowl and add the pasta to the already boiling water and cook according to directions on the box.

Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic in a food processor and set aside. In the same processor bowl, finely chop the sausage meat and set aside.

Heat a medium saute pan with 1/4 cup olive oil and when hot, add the garlic. Saute garlic over medium heat - do not burn - about 2 minuted. Next, add the sausage meat and saute until heated through. Lower heat, if need be, while pasta cooks.  Once the pasta is complete, drain and return to cooking pot.  Add the sausage mixture along with the spinach and extra olive oil. Mix well and then add the cheese. Serve!

Valentine's Day Treats: Recipe and Musings

I don't know about you, but I love - let me repeat: LOVE - sweets. However, if we're being honest, then I should tell you that I've never been much of a "chocolate" person (and I'm using quotes around chocolate to emphasize the traditional methods we're served chocolate; i.e., chocolate ice cream, chocolate bars, kisses, etc.). I don't really enjoy chocolate ice cream, though in a pinch and with absolutely nothing left to have, I've been known to indulge.  But given the choice, I wouldn't usually select things like Hershey's kisses, or Milky Way bars or really any other bar unless I am desperate for something sweet and I have no other options to satisfy the sweet tooth.

That said, I do like dark, dark, chocolate and I especially like it mixed with interesting items like Earl Grey tea, mint, or fire roasted chili peppers - that kind of chocolate is intriguing and really satisfies the taste buds.

I don't know what Valentine's Day would be complete without sweets, really...so I made up a few to please my husband and my children. The truffle recipes are below and are very simple to make.  The white chocolate one is a real favorite in this house and seems to delight others everytime I make them.  The chocolate lollipops are probably the easiest thing in the world to do: simply melt chocolate discs and then pour them into molds and freeze for a short time. Can't get much easier than that!

The round pink and purple lollipops are called Cake Pops. For Christmas I was given this amazing book with unbelievable photos called "Cake Pops."  The recipes and ideas are unreal - things like pandas, sheep, robots all on pop-sticks! This was the first time I made these so naturally I followed the directions purely. There seem to be a few tricks to master before trying the more daring recipes but I'm game.  In the meantime: these have an out-of-this-world taste (how could they not? They're made from a boxed cake mix and combined with prepared frosting, rolled into balls then dipped into melting chocolate). They are awesome!  Can't wait to make them again and try an adorable face, etc.

Happy Valentine's Day, My Sweet!

White Chocolate-Pecan Truffles
makes 18 small truffles

2 Tablespoons heavy cream
3 oz. fine-quality white chocolate, chopped fine
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons Kahlua
2/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted and chopped fine

In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from pan and add in the chocolate and stir well until smooth and melted completely.  Add the butter, stirring well, and then add in the Kahlua and 1/4 cup of pecans. Mix well. Pour mixture into a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. Form mixture into little balls by using a teaspoon. Roll the balls into the remaining nuts and re-chill at least an hour.  Keep in an airtight container covered - will last about 5 days.


Chocolate-Espresso Crunch Truffles
makes 18 small truffles


2 Tablespoons heavy cream
3 oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons prepared instant espresso
2/3 cup Graham Crackers, chopped fine
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from pan and add in the chocolate and stir well until smooth and melted completely. Add the butter, stirring well, and then add in the espresso and 1/4 cup of crackers. Mix well. Pour mixture into a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. Form mixture into little balls by using a teaspoon. Roll the balls into the remaining Graham Cracker crumbs and re-chill at least an hour. Keep in an airtight container covered - will last about 5 days.

Ode to a Great Man: Recipe and Food Musings

This week was the one year anniversary of my step-father's death. He died of a massive heart attack on Superbowl Sunday 2010 and it was a terrible blow to my family.  He was so loved by us all and we miss him very much.  He was a very funny man who loved to tell a great joke or make a quick jab to lighten a mood and when you were the target you knew it was said with love.  He would have loved this story and I am hopeful that he's looking down on us and getting a great chuckle.

The Saturday before this year's Superbowl, I went food shopping for the week.  I had a seen on TV a commercial for some kind of "Mexi-Melt," as I've started calling it, but it's far less fancy than its name implies.  It's a microwaved concoction of Velveeta and salsa. I know - it sounds both revolting and delicious at the same time. I allowed the "yum" factor to take hold - even while my husband cringed at the same commercial. My husband, mind you, has been known to splurge on such "gourmet" items as White Castle, McDonalds, or Taco Bell (the one place I wouldn't go to if I were starving and living on the street).  I digress...

So purchasing Velveeta is a complete and utter anomaly for me - I know you'll roll your eyes, but truthfully I've only bought Velveeta a handful of times in my life and the last time had to be about 15 years ago!

As I came to the last aisle where the cold items are - cheese, eggs, yogurt, etc., I had trouble finding the big block of Velveeta - all I could find were packaged slices. I took the package of sliced cheese, imagining it melted the same way as the block, and drove my cart to the store manager - who sees me and must realize that his weekly numbers are satisfied when they ring up my weekly food bill - and asked him if they had actually sold out of the block of Velveeta for the "big game."  He leaned in close to me and sort of whispered: "See that frozen aisle?" I nodded. "Go to the end of it and keep going...to the display of 'non-refrigerated' cheeses."  I must have looked petrified but I did as I was told - I walked back as far as I could go without walking into the "back" and I found the cheese block. I grabbed one - praying no one could see me - and returned the slices to their rightful place.

All I kept thinking was: if my step father could see me now, he'd be howling laughing! The food snob had actually purchased cheese from a 'non-refrigerated' cheese wall.  And then I started to laugh...how disgusting is that???

I made my Mexi-Melt with my homemade salsa and the kids LOVED it, ironically. But we didn't use it all up, of course.  Which leads me to this - when staring into the cavernous fridge three days later, I saw three items that popped out to me and instantly I knew what to make for dinner:  Chicken with Cheese and Broccoli!

A long time ago, in fact it may have been the last time I had Velveeta, I came home to my parents all excited with a new dish: Chicken with Cheese and Broccoli - a perfect one-pot meal.  I made it for my parents and my step-father loved it but my mother was less than pleased (another food snob - x10).  She decided another time to make the same dish - but she chose to use some other "fancy" cheese and it was horrible! My step-father told that story over and over and over and ultimately the story changed so that both she and I would not use the Velveeta (which melts beautifully) but instead we both insisted on using the fancy (read: snobby) cheese. Not true. But "never let the truth get in the way of a good story!"

Moral of the story? Eat your Velveeta. Believe it or not, the box actually says: it melts better than cheddar (true) and it's less fat and there is nothing artificial in it!  My kids loved this - thought it was "awesome," making it an instant success. We (reluctantly!) like Velveeta!  Miss ya, Grandpa!

Chicken with Cheese and Broccoli
1 lb. chicken cutlets, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
6 oz. Velveeta, cut into 2" chunks
12 oz. SteamFresh (Bird's Eye) broccoli, cooked and trimmed
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp., each: salt, dried oregano, Adobe seasoning, ground savory and dried basil

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large, heavy, pot.  Add in the chicken pieces and cook over medium-high heat until it begins to turn white on the outsides and light pink in the middle. Add in the spices and stir. Next add in the broccoli flowers and mix well. Add in the cheese and stir well until creamy and melted.

Serve with rice or plain pasta.

Just Bakin' Around: Food Musings

 

Here's a quick post of my homemade Snow Globe cookies made with royal frosting and edible glitter.  The second photos is that of a traditional Bouche de Noel - complete with sugar critters and marzipan mushrooms dipped in cocoa! The frosting is chocolate buttercream and the inside is a soft vanilla buttercake filled with mocha flavored whipped cream. Ahhh, I see visions of my childhood with that...my mother made this cake every year from the time I was 6 until I was 12 years old and my oh my did I love it!

Finally, I baked up an old fashioned Pound Cake the other night - I had some left over strawberries and whipped cream that needed a proper home so I thought this would be fun to make.  The kids are always so good - they ask "what is that yummy smell?" as they run around the house - stopping just long enough to give me a big kiss and beg for some batter or cake!  Pound Cake is wonderful - simple, moist, and sweet. Next, I'll add some vanilla bean to it and see how that changes things.

Life Imitates Architecture: Food Chatter

My mother has the most beautiful Dutch tile in her house over the fireplace and recently I found this wafer paper on Fancy Flours and had to buy it - they are exactly like the ones on her fireplace!  The cookies are the usual simple ones with royal icing.  Just wanted to share...Cookies

March to a Different Beet: Food Idea

Recently in the grocery store, I saw bunches of huge beets and they begged me to take them home. So naturally, I acquiesced.  I couldn't help it - and in fact, my verbal enthusiasm seemed to encourage a beautifully pregnant mommy-to-be to pick up a bunch and drop them into her cart! (the store should pay me some kind of royalty).

Roasted beets must be one of the easiest things to do (or not do, as the case may be) and the way they smell indicates to me that there is an overload of vitamins stored up in those little balls!

Slice off the greens - you can wash and slice them up and they're very delicious in a salad - and wash the beets. Dry them off and wrap each one well in tinfoil and place on a baking sheet. Bake the beets on 350 degrees for about an hour and 20 minutes. Carefully open the foil packets and let cool. With a knife, carefully peel back the skins and toss them.  Slice the beets and serve with crumbled soft goat cheese and a ripe tomato.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle crushed sea salt on top and lightly drizzle some balsamic vinegar as a final touch.

The result is wonderful and so very healthy. You feel terrific about eating them - and really, beets are an incredible food!

Tricks of the Trade: Food Chatter

So how come all those fancy TV chefs never show you where or how they cut corners? Why don't you ever see the cool tricks that save time or money? Well come on now...why would they give up those secrets?? You'd have no reason to be captivated by them if you knew some of the kitchen secrets, would you?

Obviously I am not a professional but I do know my way around the kitchen enough that I am clued into some of those secrets and this past weekend my girlfriend asked me why I never told her about a clever time and money saving trick. That got me to thinking about such things...

There aren't a huge selection of kitchen games one can play that will make food magically appear. Clearly.  But everyone has a few things they do that allow for a little extra relaxation time out of the kitchen.

For instance...

* Naturally when you are attempting to boil water you should cover the pot and turn it on high. And we all know that salted water will boil faster than unsalted water

* Using a food processor to chop vegetables like carrots, onions, garlic, parsley, other herbs, etc. makes life so much easier!

* Use the left over butter wrapper to grease the bottom of a baking pan

* Use "Baker's Joy" instead of butter and flour to grease the bottom of a baking pan

* Use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to make pizza or pasta dough rather than do it by hand

* Use a stand mixer to make whipped cream, rather than using a hand held mixer

* Use a paper towel or a coffee filter when straining liquids

* Drain fried foods on brown paper lunch bags rather than paper towels - keeps crisp longer with paper bags

* When peeling many potatoes, drop the peeled ones into cold water bath - otherwise they begin to turn green

* Squeeze a fresh lime over a half-cut avocado and seal using plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one day. Keep the pit in the left over half...

* When wrapping artisanal cheeses, wrap in fresh parchment paper and then wrap again in plastic wrap.  Cheeses will last much longer wrapped this way. Also, use fresh wrapping each time you dig in and need to rewrap!

* Bring baking ingredients to room temperature before using - eggs and butter, especially.

* To remove garlic smell from hands after using, squeeze fresh lemon juice over hands and wash with soap and water. Next rub a stainless spoon with hands and rewash hands.

There are so many more - and I'll bet you know of a ton of tricks, as well.  But let's keep the best ones to ourselves!!

Timpano: Food Chatter

In Italian, Timpano means: Big Drum.  To me, it's a giant exercise in patience and prayer. This is not difficult to make - not at all.  It's just time consuming and must be thought out well in advance.  There is cooking and chopping and baking and cooling that has to be taken into account.  But the result is so attractive and so pleasing. And when you cut into it, it's amazing to see that so much work went into one dish. It's no wonder that Tony Shalub (Big Night) was so passionate about his native food - who wants plain pasta and meatballs when it can be combined with salami, cheese, hard boiled eggs, homemade sauce, tiny meatballs and encrusted in a giant "bread."

I can't retype all the directions for this because there are trade secrets for the timpano! No, seriously, an entire book was made with the timpano as the basis.  The book was co-written by Stanley Tucci's sister and I must say, it's a terrific guide.  Many times I use the polpette recipe for simple dinner-fare. The kids and my husband simply love the meatballs so much that for my daughter's first birthday party I made these in the theme of "favorite foods."  They're a perfect bite.

I made the eggs and the meat balls two days before assembling, the sauce one day before and I sliced up the salami and the cheese way ahead of time. Hours before I assembled this, I had to make the pasta (3 lbs of it!) and allow it to cool.  Before making the dough, I shooed everyone out of the house: I needed complete and utter concentration.

Take solice in knowing that this is an undertaking that is fun, even though it's labor intensive. Maybe that's why people love to cook so much - it pleases people while tickling the senses.

Book: Cucina & Famiglia: Two Italian Families Share Their Stories, Recipes, and Traditions by Joan Tropiano Tucci and Gianna Scappin with Mimi Shanley Taft (forward by Stanley Tucci)

Choo-Choo Cupcakes: Musings

Like most of you, today marked the first day of school for my oldest.  My son, two years younger, already started his school last week. He is first up on the schedule for the "Bookworm Librarian," a very clever way of getting kids to enjoy books and to learn how to "report" on them.  Tomorrow, my son will bring in his favorite Thomas the Train book and his teacher will read it to the class. When they're finished, they will each draw a picture about the book and tell the teacher what they liked about the story - she will write it down on their own paper.  The stack of reports will go home with my son and we'll read them with him tomorrow night. It's a great project and we enjoyed it with our daughter - in fact, we still have each one from the 10 months she did it.

As was custom with my daughter, I decided to make a sharing snack to coincide with the book. I did it for her, so I assumed it was only right to make that much of an effort for him! We don't want to create any complexes for later in life!

So here are cupcakes with train cupcake wrappers. They're very cute and they take the cupcake up another notch!

Choooo Chooooo....

New Year's Day: Menu

I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve and fortunately for me, neither has my husband. We just don't seem to get all the hype. However, I'll admit that the first day of January is always exciting to us both - it seems fresh, clean and new. I like that - always grateful for a new beginning. So we welcome the new year with friends and family and we've tried to do this each year. It's been a lot of fun - everyone seems relaxed, somehow. No pressure, no gifts, just a toast to the new year ahead, some good company and lots of food.

I have found that the trick to entertaining on this day is to make very few items and make them in advance, if possible. The key is to relax and enjoy your guests. Crazy in the kitchen is soo last year!

New Year's Day Menu
* Quiche with Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese
* Grandma's Macaroni and Cheese http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/09/grandmas-baked-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html
* Spiral Ham (follow the directions!)
* Egg Salad
* Super Spicy Chili with Black Beans, Tortillas, Shredded Cheese and Avocado and Chips
* Green Salad with Green Beans, Cucumber, Cannelloni Beans, Red Pepper, Shaved Asiago and Lemon Juice

* Chari's Carrot Cake http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/charis-carrot-cake-recipe.html
* Carmel Squares http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/sweetsrecipe.html
* Fruit

As if...

As if we haven't been eating since September 16th...

As if we've been eating only hot dogs and/or take-out...

As if the blog no longer exists...

As if!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you know, this blog began with the basic premise: home-cooked meals need not be laborious nor do they need to be made using 15 different exotic ingredients, etc. It was designed to show you (and maybe myself) that cooking for your family should be - could be - quick and easy while also nutritious and interesting. Sometimes you get lucky and it's all of the above. Sometimes, I tend to get more involved in a meal or a recipe and sometimes I just plain order in.

But these past few weeks have been intense and overall I've been tired. That's not to say that I have neglected family meal time. As if I ever would. It's not to say that we've not eaten healthy meals. As if that would last in my house? And certainly, the fact that I haven't posted anything on the blog in more than a month has weighed heavily on my brain...I felt as if I had abandoned a project.

But tonight, I've mustered the energy to write.



Two weekends ago it was cold and my body cried out for something warm and comforting. That day I had a bolt of energy and made grandma's mac and cheese http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/09/grandmas-baked-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html followed by a roast chicken http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/10/roast-for-any-night-recipe.html which I simply carved to use as dinner later in the week. Then I made corn bread (from the box!!! but ohh soo good!) and then I made cupcakes for the girl scout troop's meeting the following day and THEN I made dinner! We had Butternut Squash Risotto with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Calvados. It was really good and as usual, it stuck to my ribs. (Recipe follows below)



This past weekend, I made a roast pork braised in red wine with carrots. This happens to be one of the best pork recipes ever. It's very simple and looks fantastic but it's not my recipe - it's Marcella Hazan's. Somehow she has managed to make the most amazing meals feel completely do-able. Some celebrity chefs don't do that...they take a simple meal and find ways to completely complicate it. Not Marcella.



And tonight I stood in front of the refrigerator like my five year old wondering: what on earth should I make for dinner? It's as if I had forgotten how to be creative. AS IF! Inspiration came quickly and I made linguine with spinach-fontina sausage, heirloom tomatoes, and edamame. Colorful, fresh, flavorful, and easy. (heat 1/4 c. olive oil, saute 4 mined garlic cloves and 1 tsp. fresh rosemary for 2 min., add 1 lb. sliced sausage from Trader Joe's, cook med./high for 6-7 min., add 1/4 c. vermouth and allow to bubble, add 10 oz. sliced baby heirloom tomatoes, saute 4 min., add 1/2 c. shelled edamame and pour over hot cooked linguine)

I say it's not as if you have to grow your own food to be a good home cook. And it's not as if you have to make coq au vin or lobster newberg each night of the week to be a good home cook. You simply have to act as if you are a good home cook and soon your home cooking will be just as you wish!

Butternut Squash Risotto with Prosciutto and Calvados
1 1/2 c. risotto
1 Tbsp. butter + 1 Tbsp. for later
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. diced prosciutto
2 large shallots minced
1 small-med butternut squash, chopped into 8 pieces
fresh sage (about 2 Tbsp.)
fresh rosemary (about 2 Tbsp)
1 lb. fresh asparagus tips
1/2 c. calvados
8 oz. chicken stock
14 oz. broth
1/2 c. grated pecorino

In a small saucepan, warm the stock and broth over low heat.

In a large heavy pot, heat oil and butter till foamy. Add in the shallots and saute about 3 minutes over medium high heat. Add in the prosciutto and saute about 6 minutes till fat has simmered off. Add in the fresh herbs and the rice. Saute the rice, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes till well coated with the fat. Add in the calvados and stir well. After the liquid is somewhat absorbed, add ladles of the broth to the rice and stir well. Do not leave risotto on the stove unattended - you'll be unhappy with the result. Constant stirring is needed. Add ladles of broth as the previous one becomes absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large pot with a steamer attachment, pour about 1 cup of water into the bottom and place a steamer tray over the water. Turn on the heat to high, add the butternut squash and cover the pot. Check the squash about 10 minutes later (be very careful opening the lid!). Remove as long as it's very soft to the fork. Allow squash to cool slightly and peel meat away from the flesh. Mash meat with a fork and add to the risotto. Stir well.

In the microwave, steam the asparagus tips for about 4-5 minutes. Drain and add to the risotto.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, the risotto should be very creamy and pasty. Be sure and taste to ensure rice is soft enough. Turn off the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the cheese and mix well.