Steph's Snack Shack

Christmas Spread

2012-01-24T11:17:00.000-06:00

I was looking for a hand-full of snacks to bring over to Christmas day at my parents. Something we could munch on before dinner and during the game. I made the Sesame-Chile Kettle Corn, the Sweet and Spicy Walnuts, and I found this new herb cheese dip recipe.

Herb Cheese Dip
From allrecipes.com

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped black olives - Greek olive would also be a good alternative
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
Sliced pepperoncinis - highly recommended, optional garnish

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, dill weed, basil, olives, and lemon juice.
Transfer to desired mold and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

I waited until Christmas eve to buy the ingredients and every food store was closed so I had minimal options for what to buy. I had to resort to Walgreens and our pantry. Luckily, we had all of these herb dried because I wasn't able to buy fresh.

Stay thirsty my friends

2012-01-02T13:09:00.000-06:00

A while back, I had my first hot buttered rum and I thought it was amazing, a little strong but really good. I never got that original recipe but a few years ago my cousin's girlfriend made a hot rum cider and I thought it was great and remembered to get the recipe right away!

Hot Spiked Cider

Spices in the cheese cloth*

7 cups apple cider
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp whole cloves
1 lemon peel, but into strips
1.5 cups rum
Cheese cloth
Apple slices, for garnish

Wrap the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in the cheese cloth.
Combine apple cider, brown sugar, rum, lemon peel, and cheese cloth in a pot.
Warm on the stove over low heat for about 20 min.

This is a great drink to sip but it seems to cool quickly so I would recommended just drinking small cups.
*The picture does not show the accurate amount of spices called for in the recipe. We doubled the recipe but only had 4 cinnamon sticks.

2011 Top Posting

2011-12-31T13:12:00.000-06:00

My top ranked post from 2011 is from a few months ago and it is called Cherryland's Best - Cherries 2.5 ways. I had an opportunity to buy some fresh Door County cherries right in Milwaukee if I agreed to write a blog about them. We ended up making cherry pie, cherry clafouti on the campfire, and started a batch of Chocolate Milk Cherry Stout beer. Well, I never completely finished that entry because I wasn't able to review the beer until it was finished. The beer has been done since about October and we have been drinking it ever since. Luckily, there is one bottle left that I can use for my final review.

Chocolate Milk Cherry Stout

The beer turned out good but not great. The batch ended up very inconsistent; some bottles you could really taste the cherries and in other bottles you couldn't. We had dumped whole cherries into the carboy about two weeks before bottling. After talking to other, more experienced, home brewers we found out that it would have been better if we extracted the juice from the cherries instead of putting them in whole. The whole cherries ended up soaking up some of the flavor and alcohol of the beer which is one of the reasons it tasted inconsistent. Overall, for a basic box kit the beer turned out well but the cherry aspect didn't come out as expected.

****
Well, that's it for me this year! I think it's been a pretty successful blogging year. Thank you very much to all of my readers, those who subscribe and those who just past through. I hope you've enjoyed reading and have been inspired to try new things.

Happy New Year! ~ Steph Snack

Quick! I need a cheap and exciting snack!

2011-12-20T11:11:00.000-06:00

I hope my title says it all. I was invited to my cousin's place to watch the Packer game and I was behind on my snack planning. We didn't have much time to run to the store so I was hoping we could make something with whatever we had in the house. I remembered a few days earlier I read this recipe in my F&W magazine for a form of kettle corn.

My husband and my cousin both love popcorn and it was easy to make so we had a winner!

Sesame-Chile Kettle Corn

from Food & Wine Magazine Nov '11

2 Tbs canola oil

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbs popcorn kernels

8 dried chiles de arbol - I used a basic chili we dehydrate

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp black sesame seed

Salt

In a large, non-stick saucepan, heat the canola oil, sesame oil, popcorn, and chilies over high heat - until sizzling.
Reduce the heat to moderate.
Add the sugar then cover.
Cook, shaking the pan constantly until half of the kernels are popped - about 4 min.
Carefully remove the lid and add the sesame seeds. Stirring once or twice.
Cover pan and finish cooking. Shake until popping nearly stops.
Pour kettle corn onto a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt - toss with your hands.

This recipe can be made up to 2-3 hour ahead if stored in an airtight container.

This recipe is a great one to keep in your back pocket. For most home cooks, you will always have these ingredients on hand and it's very easy and quick to make, feeds a lot of people, and is addicting!

Fighting Hunger

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

This is the time of year most of us overindulge in food (myself very much included), but it's also a great time of the year to start helping hungry Wisconsinites get food in their belly.

For the past few years my company has worked with the House of Peace to put together holiday food boxes. Normally, we do a good job but this year we did a great job! We turned it into a competition and split into teams to see which team could donate the most food. Typically, each person donates about three items but this year we each donated an entire box or more. In the end, my company ended up donating 50 boxes of food and feeding 350 families! This is the largest single donation the organization has ever had!

If you are looking for a more social way to help, look into FoodFightMKE (@FoodFightMKE). In their own words, FoodFightMKE "is a movement initiated by young adults dedicated to educating, engaging, energizing and inspiring local citizens to beat hunger in Milwaukee." This organziation was started by a group of OrangeAid interns who teamed up with the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee to start a more socially engaging way to fight the hunger of Milwaukee families.

FoodFightMKE has teamed up with #MKEfoodies and local food bloggers to start creating really FUN events to get people out, aware, and helping! This past weekend they held a Cookies for Kids' Cancer bake sale at Best Place and served specialty drinks at AJ Bombers.

If you missed either of those two events, this Thursday, Dec 15th they are holding a Soup & Bread Event at the Riverwest Public House (815 E Locust St, Milwaukee). The event will be held from 6 - 8:30 PM. Local chefs and foodies are donating soup, bread, and their time for this event; so you know it will be good! FoodFightMKE will be on-hand to collect free-will donations for the Hunger Task Force.

FoodFightMKE is hoping to end the year strong so please come out and bring your friends to these events. If you can't make it, you can also text "FOOD" TO 52000 to donate $10 to FoodFightMKE or email Marie at the Hunger Task Force if you would like to volunteer.

Oh yeah, and who doesn't love a Fash Mob?!

Beat Hunger Flash Mob - FoodFightMKE from MakeOrangeAid on Vimeo.

Recipe(s) from Greece!

2011-11-26T20:25:00.000-06:00

This past spring I went to Greece with a friend of mine and her roommate. I expected the typical gyro and lamb food-heaven, but I actually found a lot of chicken dishes and various cheeses! Most of the cheese I am not familiar with but the first one I noticed of course was feta.

It was our first night of the trip and we were in Santorini. We asked for recommendations for dinner and the woman at the front desk of our hotel recommended an inexpensive place to eat within walking distance. The restaurant is called the Kypa Nikh. I saw something on their menu called "baked feta"... I had no idea what to expect and it ended up being amazing!

The baked feta is served warm, topped with tomatoes and pepper, and I think it's typically eaten with a fork. I however, asked for a loaf of bread to eat it with. For the remainder of the trip we tried to order this or some other form of baked and/or grilled cheese.

Baked feta dish at Kypa Nikh

Unfortunately, when I got home I couldn't find a good recipe that seemed to replicate what we had. BUT I did find another Greek cheese recipe I want to share :-)

Whipped feta with cucumbers

from Food & Wine Magazine Nov '11

1 lbs feta cheese, cut into 2 pieces - room temp

1/4 lbs cream cheese - softened

2 Tbs heavy cream

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

2 cucumbers - halved, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice

1 Tbs chopped oregano

Salt and fresh pepper

Toasted pita for serving - I used sea salt crackers

Cracker topped with whipped feta
and marinated cucumber

In a bowl, cover feta with water and let stand for 30 min
Drain and crumble feta
Transfer to food processor and puree - I made this in the KitchenAid stand mixer
Add cream cheese, heavy cream, 2 Tbs olive oil, and 1 Tbs lemon juice
Process until smooth
Refrigerate for 1 hour
Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss cucumbers with remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil, 1 Tbs lemon juice, and oregano
Season with salt and pepper
Cover and chill for 1 hour
Serve feta lightly chilled with the cucumbers and toasts

I've never really been a huge fan of Greek food but it's my new obsession. Since I've been back, I've been enjoying Greek yogurt topped with honey almost every day for my work breakfast. For just a few moments, it really brings me back to the experience.

Milwaukee Winter Farmer's Market

2011-11-20T21:26:00.001-06:00

The CSA baskets have been empty for a while and the garden is going into hibernation, so that must mean fresh food is nowhere to be found. That's what I thought until a few weeks ago when a couple of MKE food bloggers sent out the official press release to kick off the third season of the Milwaukee County Winter Farmer's Market. To be honest, I've never been but I definitely need to go!

The market runs every Saturday from 11/5/11 - 4/14/12 at the Tommy Thompson Youth Center at the State Fair Park from 8am - 12pm. For more details, please see the official press release.

Photo courtesy of the
Milwaukee County Winter Farmer's Market

Once my husband and I make a venture to the market I'll be sure to include an update!

Cherryland's Best - Cherries 2.5 ways

2011-09-11T09:51:00.002-05:00

Near the end of July I went camping with my family and, at the last minute, came across an opportunity to buy fresh Door County Cherries from CherryLand’s Best delivered from Door County that morning! I couldn't pass up the opportunity! I picked up a huge pail and wasn't sure right away what to do with them all - since they would only stay fresh for a few days. I ended up finding three ways to use them, If you don't count dehydrating.

Cherry Pie
Filling adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com
Crust from "The Recipe Encyclopedia"

Crust

1 1/4 cups bread flour (x2)
1/3 cup butter (x2)
1 tablespoons sugar (x2)
4 tablespoons cold water (x2)

Mix ingredients in a bowl.
Knead by hand on counter top for 2mins (use flour to prevent sticking)
Place dough in bowl
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30min.
Repeat all of the steps above to make the pie top (do not bake yet)
Roll 1/8in thin. Place in pie pan and bake for 15min (or until golden brown).

Tips

Pie Crusts are like a buttery cookie dough that doesn't rise. It is buttery enough by its self that you don't need to butter the pie pan.
To guaranty that the crust doesn't have air pockets that rise, while cooking the crust, you might want to add a layer parchment paper (not wax paper) on top of crust and weight it down evenly with loose beans or rice.
While the pie filling is cooking, the crust might brown to quickly. If the crust starts to brown too much, cover the pie with aluminum foil.
Make your own whipped cream (using real cream!)

Filling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
4 cups pitted cherries
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl combine salt, sugar, cherries, and extract.
Let stand 15 minutes.
Put filling over crust.
Cover with top crust, flute edges, and cut vents in top. - We did the basket weave
Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet --- in case of drips
Bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown.

Cherry Clafouti
Alton Brown

12 ounces fresh or frozen cherries - I used fresh of course!
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Butter, for the Dutch oven

Prepare charcoal for cooking outdoors by heating coals in a chimney starter until hot and ashy.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 5-quart Dutch oven. If using fresh cherries, rinse, stem, and pit the cherries. If using frozen, place the cherries into a colander and allow to thaw completely before using.
Discard the juice.
Spread the cherries evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until frothy and lightened in color.
Add the milk, vanilla, and flour and whisk to combine.
Pour the batter over the cherries.
Place 18 to 19 coals on a Dutch oven table.
Place a cooling rack, or other wire rack, that is at least 2-inches high, directly over the coals.
Place the Dutch oven on the rack directly over the coals.
Cover with the lid and place 22 to 23 coals on top.
Cook with the lid on for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden on top and a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the Dutch oven.

It is way too easy to burn this on a fire, so I would suggest doubling the recipe (at least) in case the bottom burns, you can still cut it off and have enough left to eat!

The .5 way is Chocolate Milk Cherry Stout Beer

Typically, you would make a lambic beer with cherries but that is a little advanced for a second attempt at home-brewing. So, my husband and a few of his friends started making a chocolate milk stout beer from a standard kit with the intention of adding the cherries during fermentation. Let's hope you can't go wrong with chocolate and cherries! We should know the results around Halloween - I will update you of course on the results.

Thank you Burp blog and CherryLand’s Best for this opportunity!

Are you ready for some Football?!?!?!

2011-08-28T19:48:00.008-05:00

It's about time to officially start the next Packer season and many more rounds of Packer parties. Last last football season I was introduced to the old fashion (as Wisconsin classic). It was the sweet version and I'm not really into sweet drinks, but I ended up having a ton of these! I have been drinking them even since.

Mr. Drew's Old Smashin'

Sugar cubes
Korbel Brandy
Marichino cherries
7-up
Bitters

Place two sugar cubes in the glass
Cover the cubes in bitters (make the cubes brown)
Add a splash of 7-up and a marichino cherry
Muddle till cubes are disolved
Fill glass with ice
Add two shots of brandy
Fill the rest of the glass with 7-up and stir
Add two cherries - optional

Be sure to have these at your next Packer Party and you'll soon realize why these are called an old "smashin' ". :-)

New Drink "The Farrell"

2011-08-20T14:30:00.001-05:00

Fill cup with ice
Silver spiced rum
Splash of SoCo
Lemonade
Stir

Live from the company picnic!

2011-08-11T12:26:00.000-05:00

Crock pot Lasagna

2011-07-21T08:08:00.002-05:00

My husband loves to cook crock pot dish when he works from home. This recipe is originally made in the oven, but can easily be made in a crock pot. Below I've altered the recipe for a crock pot, but will include the original baking directions.

Crock Pot Artichoke Mushroom Lasagna

Inspired from a recipe in Taste of Home magazine

1 lbs sliced baby portobello mushrooms

2 tbs butter plus 1/4 cup, cubed

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14oz each) water-packed artichoke hearts - rinsed, drained, and chopped

2 cups white wine - chardonnay suggested

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cup 2% milk

2 1/2 cup shredded parm cheese - we used regular grated parm
9 no-cook lasagna noodles - we used regular uncooked noodles

Saute mushrooms in butter until tender
Add garlic and cook for 1 min
Add artichokes, wine, salt, and pepper
Cover over medium heat, until liquid is evaporated
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat
Stir in flour until smooth
Gradually add milk - bring to boil
Cook and stir for 1 min, or until thickened
Stir in parm and wine
Grease the sides and bottom of the crock pot (or a 13x9 baking dish)
Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom
Layer noodles (about 3) with 1 2/3 cup sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 1/3 cup artichoke mixture
Repeat layers two more times
Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 45 min (or set oven to 350, cover dish, and bake for 45 min)
Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese
Lower crock pot to low heat and cook for 15-20 min (or uncover dish)
Cook until cheese is melted
Stand for 15 min before serving

Honestly, I didn't have high hopes for this dish, but it was so good! Not one flavor stood out, everything just worked well together. It was even great as leftovers. I just added a little hot sauce ;-)

Martha generally gets it right

2011-07-12T16:13:00.000-05:00

For our family's Easter gathering I was in charge of bringing a dessert. I had a hard time finding something to make because I needed it be able to be made ahead and travel well.

After a lot of searching I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com for chocolate babka. I guess its a traditional European Easter bread - and my family on that side is German. There are different versions of babka, and this is a dessert version.

**Don't be scared by the number of steps below, it's not as bad as it looks :-)

Chocolate Babka

Marthastweart.com

Makes 3 loaves of bread

1 1/2 cups warm milk, 110 degrees

2 packets of active, dry yeast (1/4 oz each)

1 3/4 cups of sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature + 2 large egg yokes, room temperature (5 eggs total)

6 cups all purposes flour

1 tsp salt

1 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces, room temperature

2 1/4 lbs semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

2 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

1 tbs heavy cream - I used half & half

Streusel topping (see directions below)

Pour warm milk into a small bowl
Sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over the milk
Let stand until foamy, about 5 min
In a bowl, whisk 3/4 cup sugar, 2 whole eggs, and all egg yokes
Add egg mixture to yeast mixture. Whisk to combine
Using an electric, stand, mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour and salt
Add egg mixture and beat on low until almost all of the flour is incorporated - about 30 seconds
Using a dough hook, in the same bowl add two sticks of butter and beat until butter is completely incorporated and smooth, about 10 min. Dough should be slightly sticky
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface
Kneed a couple times until smooth
Butter a large bowl and place dough in the bowl
Turn and coat
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until it about doubles in size, about 1 hour
Place chocolate, remaining sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl
Stir to combine
Cut remaining 1.5 sticks of butter until well combined - set a side
Generously butter 3, 9x5x2 3/4" loaf pans
Line with parchment
Beat remaining egg with 1 tbs cream
Punch back the dough and transfer to a clean surface
Let rest for 5 min
Cut into 3 equal pieces, keep 2 pieces covered in plastic wrap
On a generously floured surface, roll dough out into a 16" square, about 1/8" thick
brush edges with egg wash
Crumble, 1/3 of chocolate filling evenly over the dough, leave 1/4" boarder
Roll dough up tightly
Pinch ends together to seal

Twist 5 - 6 turns
Brush top with egg wash
Crumble 2 tbs of filling over the left half of the roll
Fold the right half over the filling
Fold the ends under and pinch to seal
Twist the roll 2 more times and lift into prepared pan

Repeat the last 11 steps with the remaining rolls - to make 2 more identical loafs
**If you are making this ahead of time, stop and cover the loaves in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. You can also make the streusel ahead of time. On the day you want to eat the bread, dethaw the loaves before continuing
Preheat oven to 350
Brush top of each loaf with egg wash
Crumble 1/3 of streusel over each loaf - This seems like a lot to me. I probably used about 1/3 total for all three loafs
Loosely cover each loaf with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for 20-30 min
Bake until golden, about 55 min. Be sure to turn 1/2 way through
Lower temp to 325 and bake until a deep golden color, about 15-20 min
Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool

Streusel topping

1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and butter.
Using a fork, stir until fully combined with clumps ranging in size from crumbs to 1 inch.

It was a huge hit. It will end up like a high-class cinnabun bread

AP's Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-06-27T08:14:00.000-05:00

Everyone has their staple that they like to bring to pot-lucks (or at least what everyone likes them to bring). For a friend of mine at work, one of her's is buffalo chicken dip. This is her recipe...

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 package cream cheese

2 cups cooked chicken

1/2 cup buffalo sauce - I use Franks Red Hots brand

2 tbs melted butter

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 300
Cover the bottom of an 8x8 glass dish with the cream cheese
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sauce, and butter
Pour over the cream cheese
Top with blue cheese dressing and mozzarella
Bake for 20 min
Server warm with chips

It's dangerously addictive. The weird thing is that it doesn't look that appetizing. The first time I saw it, I didn't even want to try it, but I was told it was good so I gave it a try!

Even when I brought it over to a party, no one wanted to dive in, but once they did they couldn't stop. I've also seen a variation of this dish in a crock pot instead of a baking dish - that's a good idea too. It looks more like a chicken dip that way.

Sorry Boys...

2011-06-17T14:14:00.001-05:00

When I was little, my parents would sometimes ask me what I wanted for dinner and I often said, "sorry boys." What I really wanted was a po-boy. I had always thought it was called a poor-boy and I missremembered it as sorry-boy. Opps

There are many different versions of this southern-style sandwich, but I really like the way my dad makes it.

Pop's Po-Boys

I think these look good, but usually they look better!

Fresh French bread

About 10 - 14 slices of deli-style cheese. I suggest a mix of the following: Munster, Pepper jack, Mild cheddar, and Mozzarella

About 10 oz of sliced meat. I just buy a couple of the variety pack sandwich meats that include some of the following:Ham, Salami

Bologna, and Turkey

Mustard

Mayo

Preheat the oven to 350

Cut the bread in half

Put an even layer of cheese on the bottom, start with the cheese that melts the best - I start with munster

Follow with an even layer of meat

Continue alternating layers of meat and cheese until your sandwich is full (about 6 layers or so total) - make sure to end with a layer of meat

Wrap the sandwich in tin foil and place on a baking sheet and into the oven

Bake for about 30-40 min - until the bread is crispy and the cheesed is melted

Carefully unwrap the sandwich and cut into about 3-4 servings

I left the top layer without cheese so the top slice can be pulled off and you can add mayo or mustard.

This recipe can easily be swapped out with different meats and cheeses. I haven't found a combination yet that doesn't work!

This is a staple in my house now and I often use it as a quick backup dinner when I have last minute dinner guests. It's also great to bring for camping or something to make ahead for the coming week's lunches.

Watch out Red Lobster!

2011-06-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

We had another pot luck at work and I signed up to bring an appetizer. I was really busy that week and didn't have much time to think about what to make let alone go shopping and make it!

The night before, my husband was trying to help me think of something I could make with only the ingredients we had in the house. We came across this cheese garlic biscuit recipe on allrecipes.com and it turned out great!

Cheese garlic Biscuits II

Allrecipes.com

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

5 tbs butter

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 clove minced garlic

Preheat oven to 400
In a large bowl, sift flour, salt, and baking powder
Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
Push the flour mixture to the sides of the bowl until you can see the bottom of the bowl
Add the milk and cheese in the center
Stir until combined
Place small spoonfuls of the batter onto an ungreesed baking sheet
Place in the oven for 12-15 min-until golden brown
While the biscuits are in the oven, mix together melted butter and the minced garlic
Once the biscuits are done and out of the oven, brush garlic butter over each biscuit

Served best warm, but can be refrigerated and served the next day.

They aren't going to replace the ones at Red Lobster, but it's a good rival.

Oceana Grill - Quick Thoughts

2011-06-03T14:41:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago, the Kitchen Nightmares season finale featured Oceana Grill in New Orleans. I was shocked to see it because it was the last place we ate in NOLA before we had to catch our plane.

The show makes the restaurant look OUTRAGEOUS; someplace I would never go. However, the meal we had there was great. I didn't do a full posting on the restaurant, but I did a live blog. My husband and I both thought the food was good - my only complaint was that the sweet tea was way too sweet.

From a little Google research, it looks like this episode was filmed back in Jan of 2011 and we had visited back in Sept 2010. I remember it being pretty reasonably priced - I wonder if the prices have gone up with the new menu.

Cuban burgers with garlic mayo

2011-05-25T00:07:00.000-05:00

This burger is great on the grill or campfire. A few friends of ours came over for dinner a few summers ago and they said they were bringing mojitos. I needed something to go with that but I just wasn't in the mood for a Cuban sandwich. After a little searching I found this Cuban burger. It's very easy to make and is a hit every time!

Cuban-style burgers on the grill

Picture from foodnetwork.com

Bobby Flay, foodnetwork.com

2 lbs ground chuck
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup high-quality mayo - this is critical
3 cloves roasted garlic (see below for directions*)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
4 soft, classic hamburger buns
8 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 slices thinly sliced smoked ham
2 dill pickles, sliced 1/4 inch thick - I used dill sandwich pickles

Preheat the grill, to high
Form meat into 4, 1/4 inch burgers
Season meat with salt and pepper on both sides
Grill for 2-3 min on both sides, for medium
Once burgers are done, remove from heat and reduce to medium-low
Spread garlic mayo and the mustard on both buns
Place a slice of cheese on the bottom of each bun
Then layer the burger, ham, more cheese, and the pickle on the bun
Wrap the burgers in foil and place on the grill
Use a heavy pan or brick and press on the burgers for 30 sec to 1 min
Cover the grill and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until cheese is melted

Roasted garlic mayo*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Take 1 whole garlic bulb and peal off the outer layers of skin, but keeping all the cloves intact
Chop off the top 1/4 inch of the bulb
Place garlic in tin foil and drizzle in extra virgin olive oil
Wrap the garlic in a pouch, leaving room at the top
Roast for about 30-45 min, until golden brown - it's important to make sure this is roasted well enough, otherwise the flavor will be too mild in the mayo
Once roasted, take the pulp out of 3 cloves and puree
In a small bowl, combine the garlic and mayo
Season with salt and pepper

This garlic mayo is so good, it's like Franks Red Hots, "I put that sh*t on everything!". Also, if you make it a day ahead of time, it will all be sooo much better :-)

Why am I writing this a few summers after I originally made this?!?!? This is soo good I just kept assuming it was already on my blog.

Live from Panormos Beach

2011-05-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

Dessert!

Live from Greece

2011-05-14T01:45:00.000-05:00

Breakfast at the hotel :)

Live from Mykonos!

2011-05-13T14:08:00.000-05:00

Grilled cheese :)

New Glarus beer dinner

2011-03-09T17:46:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite Milwaukee restaurants, Roots, held a "Beer lover's small plate dinner" featuring New Glarus beer. It was held in the Cellar and they closed the entire level for a "private event". It was really nice, made the whole event feel more welcoming.

They started us off with an "appetizer" of the New Glarus Raspberry Tart. This beer is much closer to a sparkling wine than a beer - it's actually recommended to be served in a champagne flute. This was served during the cocktail hour where everyone was supposed to mingle, but what really happened (at least by the time we got there) was everyone just sat patiently at their table waiting for the food to come out :-)

This appetizer was followed by some brief introductions and then the 5 course dinner.

First course

Brandy smoked duck

Bitter chantrelles

Almond croquettes

Wisconsin Belgian Red

This was my first time having duck. I though it had the texture of a German bologna combined with a pork chop. I also defiantly got the smokey flavor on the duck.

Second course

Salt and pepper crab

Avocado salad

Fried scallions & jalapeno

Moon Man

I had pictured a fresh salad of large lump crab seasoned with fresh sea salt and cracked black pepper - nice and light! That's not what came out but it still was very good. The crab was a breaded and fried dungeness crab.

The garnishes were delicious too but I've never been a fan of Moon Man beer, so..

Third course

Buffalo & bandaged cheddar Frankfurter

Pork belly & rutabaga beans

Kohlrabi pickle

Back 40 Bock

This sounds better than it tastes, it really was just sausage and baked beans. It was good, but nothing that really excited me. However, I did find a new love for the Back 40.

Fourth course

Shake & bake chicken

Spicy popcorn balls with beer caramel

Spotted Cow

By this time, I was getting full and they served a huge portion of chicken. I couldn't finish it. I was really looking forward to the spicy popcorn balls, but they were too salty (and from me, that's saying something), I just didn't want to finish them. Neither did my popcorn-loving husband.

Fifth course

Chocolate coffee stout cake

Malted Carmel

Scotch cherries

Coffee Stout

This was my favorite dish. Yum Yum Yum. I guess normally they would serve the Raspberry Tart for dessert, but I'm glad they didn't. The Coffee Stout worked so well with a dessert. Coffee and dessert - it just make sense.

I hate to say this, but overall I was disappointed. The food defiantly was good, but not up to the standards I'm used to at this restaurant. Also, I didn't feel the beer paired well with the food, nothing really complimented the other. I was expecting the brewer to be there too, but instead the evening was hosted by a local distributor.

Since this dinner was held on a Tuesday night, we finished the evening off at the German Beer Hall for some more beer.

I definitely will return to Roots again, I'm just not sure I'll be back for a dinner like this.

Nom Nom Nom, Dill!

2011-02-24T11:53:00.001-06:00

I've always loved the idea of a perfect food and beverage pairing. The idea of one enhancing the other just sounds wonderful. Food and Wine magazine put out an entire issue with their best pairings. Like normal, I've been meaning to try more but I've only tired one..and it's a really good one!

Pork Tenderloin Smothered in Onion and Mustard

Pairing suggestions:

Wine: Gewürztraminer

Cocktail: Shandy

Beer: German Ale - Hofbrauhaus original

2 12oz pork tenderloins, cut into 2" lengths and pounded 1" thick

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tsp all-purpose flour, plus a bit extra

2 Tbs unsalted butter

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, very thinly sliced

1 Tbs grainy mustard

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbs fresh, chopped dill

Buttered noodles for serving

Season the pork with salt and pepper and dust with flour.
In a medium, deep skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil.
Add the pork and cook over high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the pork to a plate.
Add the onion to the skillet, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the mustard and the 1 teaspoon of flour and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Nestle the pork in the onion sauce.
Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the pork is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the pork to plates.
Stir the chopped dill into the sauce and spoon over the pork.
Serve with buttered noodles. - Suggestion of course. I usually just have it alone or with a side of cooked carrots.

Who know food and wine magazine would make such a great pairing ;) I couldn't honestly describe how the beer enhanced the flavor of the dish, but it really worked well together. I mean, you are combing very traditional German flavors, you really can't go wrong.

Hello Moto!!

2011-02-13T14:20:00.000-06:00

We were watching tv at a friend's house and we saw a show called "Future Food" on the Green Planet network. It's a reality show that follows a pair of chefs who own a Chicago restaurant, with a focus on molecular gastronomy, named Moto.

Honestly, I wasn't that into the show until I saw the back drop to their "confessional" - it was a life-size periodic table wall with each element being a little cubby space. I thought it was the coolest thing.

Fast forward about a week later to one spontaneous Saturday afternoon. We (my husband, his friend, and myself) end up making 5pm reservations for that night at Moto. We jumped in the car and headed to Chicago.

Based purely on price, we chose the 10 course menu vs the gtm (the gtm came with about 20 courses. Each dish was a tasting menu size, so you left satisfied but not stuffed. I really wanted to analyze each flavor and try not to eat the bite size dishes too fast but there really want's much to analyze. The flavors were simple, good but simple. I felt it was more about the presentation, which is nice. Not too much thinking needed with the meal, other than your imagination.

So, here is what we ate:

White steel

Gruyere & onions - my favorite tasting

Cigar de cuba - my favorite looking

Rabbit maki

Rabe & pork belly

Reuben lasagna

Mexican cannoli

Phad Thai esque

Carrot cake

Tuber melanosporum

I feel like they added an extra dish of a root beer float, but I lost count.

Periodic Table Wall

When we first arrived, I was searching for that periodic table wall but didn't see it. The dining room was a lot smaller than I'm used to and I knew there was no way it was here - I was very disappointed. About half way through our dinner, we asked one of our servers where it was and she told us it's downstairs (in a part of the restaurant where you might hold a private party) and she offered to show us!!

We all had our picture taken in front of it. I felt sooo geeky; all the diners were watching us. Then we were greatly surprised when we were offered a chance to see the kitchen and meet the chefs. I was so nervous I said no, but they insisted. It was the coooolest!

It was nothing like I imagined a professional kitchen to be. It was clean and calm!! And by clean I mean uncluttered and minimalistic vs. small and cluttered :). All the chefs were busy, but they took a few moments to say hi and introduce themselves. I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I actually felt faint - like when a teeny-bopper meets their favorite boy band. It was either the rush of excitement or all of the nitrous in my food :) either way, I had the best time.

For two people, this meal was about $300 with tip. Very expensive but worth it - for that rare splurge. Luckily, it was near my birthday so it was easy to justify.

Dishwasher Confessional - Pizza Man

2011-02-09T17:02:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite pizza recipe. Reader beware, you might never be satisfied with your frozen store bought pizza again.

It's common knowledge that making things from scratch makes them more flavorful. Maybe it's because you use better ingredients, change things to taste, or add something extra to please your palet. Whatever the case, this is one recipe I make every week. Saw this first on Food Network's Good Eats; Alton Brown - Episode: Flat is Beautiful. This recipe is close to Alton's original; I just changed it a bit to fit my taste - but basically the same thing.

Pizza Dough

Written by Dishwasher Confessional
Time from ingredient to stomach 25hrs (makes 2 medium pizzas)

30-55 mins for dough
24 hrs wait time
20-30 mins of topping prep/cook time

Tools

Rolling pin
Spoon

Medium mixing bowl (glass or stainless steel)

Plastic wrap
Tea towel

Pizza stone

Pizza peel (wood pizza paddle)
Strong arms for kneading the dough -or a KitchenAid Mixer

Dough Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
0.5 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
0.75 cup warm water
2 cups bread-machine flour

1 teaspoon instant yeast
0.25 cup of Corn Meal

Topping Ingredients

1.5 ounces pizza sauce

Dried herbs oregano

Red pepper flakes

Thyme
3 grated cheeses such as mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Provolone

Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl.
After it becomes a sticky dough ball start kneading for 20 minutes, then rest for 5 mins
Knead again for 20mins - Add some extra flour if it sticks too much to your fingers. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, skip the manual labor and use the hook attachment. Spray the hook attachment with cooking spray or olive oil
Tear off a small piece of dough, flatten/stretch into a disc (kinda like making a tiny pizza). If it looks like a wax paper when you hold it up to the light, you're good. If the dough tears before it forms, knead the dough for an additional 5mins and try again.
Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the counter.
Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl.
Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
Place the pizza stone or tile onto the lowest shelf or bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500F. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven.
Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper.
Flatten into a disk onto the counter and then fold the dough into a ball
Lightly wet hands and rub them onto the counter to dampen the surface.
Roll the dough on the surface until it tightens.
Cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough - If not baking the remaining pizza immediately, spray the inside of a ziptop bag with cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bag.
Refrigerate for up to 6 days.
Sprinkle the flour onto the peel and place the dough onto the peel.
Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza.
Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air if you dare.
Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it's lose and will easily slide onto the pizza stone or tile.
Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil.
Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the pizza.
Sprinkle the herbs onto the pizza and top with the cheese.
Slide the pizza onto the stone in the oven and bake for 7 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. * Be sure to top and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.
Rest for 3 minutes before slicing.

Extra bonus points if you
-Use a pizza stone in the oven, it helps the pizza crust become crispy

-Use a wooden pizza paddle (called a pizza peal, makes it easy to get the pizza in and out of the oven)

-Double the batch and keep some in the fridge

-Use a KitchenAid mixer to kneed the dough

Packer Party!

2011-01-31T23:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I said Packer Party, not Super Bowl party :-) In honor of the Packers going to the Super Bowl on Sunday, I've pulled together a few snacks to add to your party list.

The first one is a pineapple upside down biscuit. It's such a staple of mine, I wouldn't be surprised if I posted this recipe before. It's a recipe from Paula Deen that I've recently adapted to be Packer-Friendly.

Pineapple Upside Down Biscuit

from foodnetwork.com

1 10oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup room temperature butter
10 maraschino cherries - For the Packer party get the green ones!
1 12oz package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, (10 count) - I can never find these so I usually get to packages of 8

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Grease 10 muffin tin cups.
Strain the can of crushed pineapple, save juice for later.
Combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter, and mix well.
Divide the pineapple mixture among the muffin cups.
Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup, making sure cherry hits bottom of cup.
Place 1 biscuit in each cup, on top of sugar and pineapple mixture.
Spoon 1 tsp reserved pineapple juice over each biscuit.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.
Cool for 2 minutes.
Invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm.

This next recipe was a HUGE hit on NYE. It's a pain-in-the-butt to make but well worth it.

Crispy smashed roasted potatoes

from The Best of fine Cooking Party Food magazine

I added a few scallions on top

12 - 15 baby red potatoes
Kosher salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water.
Add 2 tsp. kosher salt to the water.
Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a metal or wood skewer. The total cooking time will be 30 to 35 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on your countertop.
As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for just a minute or two on the dishtowels.
Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
Repeat with all the potatoes.
Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil.
Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet and let them cool completely at room temperature.
Heat the oven to 450°F. Alternatively, if you have a convection function, turn it on and set the temperature at 400°F.
Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 tsp salt and pour the olive oil over them.
Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides.
Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges, about 30 minutes if using a convection oven, 30 to 40 minutes if roasting conventionally, turning over once gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking.
Serve hot.

These went really fast! A lot of people gravitated towards these because they thought the brown bits on top of the potatoes were bacon - but really they were just browned potato skins. :-)

So Fresh and So Clean Clean!

2011-01-25T16:37:00.001-06:00

Let's keep trying to fool ourselves that it's not winter. Another way to do that is to have a light, summer salad.

Romaine, Avocado, and Corn Salad

From Marthastewart.com

Picture from Marthastewart.com

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
1 to 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp chili powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a bowl combine the romaine, corn, and cherry tomatoes.
Add 3/4 cup of avocado
Place the remaining avocado in a blender along with 1/3 cup water, lime juice, and chili powder
Season with salt and pepper
Pour dressing over the salad; toss gently

If you want to be really classy, you'll wait to make this salad until the spring or summer (when corn is in season), but if you're like me you will just use frozen. Oh Snap!

Pork Chops

2011-01-10T14:43:00.001-06:00

I'm not a big fan of pork chops but I know a lot of people that are. I had a small 4th of July party over the summer and wanted to do something fancier than just hot dogs and hamburgers - and since it was a small group I could afford something a little fancier. I debated steak, but ended up with this pork chop recipe from the ever-talented Alton Brown. It was a really great idea.

Molasses and coffee pork chops

By foodnetwork.com

1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
6oz molasses, by weight (about 1/2 cup)
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
4, 6-to-8-ounce bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick) - I didn't use the bone-in pork

Combine the coffee, molasses, vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the ginger, thyme, and pork chops in a 1-gallon zip-top bag; seal and shake to combine.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat a grill to medium-high.
Remove the pork from the bag. Pour the marinade into a saucepan
Boil gently over medium-high heat, stirring, until reduced to 1/2 cup, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove the thyme stems.
Grill the pork chops for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145. Let rest for 5 minutes; serve with the glaze.

Yikes, this is a gooood pork chop. Even though it's cold outside, don't let that stop you from trying to forget that and get the grill out. Not much more needs to be said than that.

It's mostly true, except the raisins

2010-12-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a snack for your New Year's Eve Party.

Usually Guy Fieri's recipes are a little too bold for me, but they look so good that I just can't help to keep trying them. This time I found a dessert that's really good fresh and as leftovers! At the end of this entry, check out the video that inspired the title. :-)

Tequila Bars

From foodnetwork.com

That gold color on top is honey

1 12oz box vanilla wafers
1/2 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
1/3 cup tequila
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
5 large egg yolks, plus 2 egg whites
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbs sugar
Agave nectar or honey, for drizzling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pulse the wafers and pine nuts in a food processor until well ground up.
Add the butter and blend until evenly mixed.
Set aside 1/4 cup of crumbs; press the rest evenly into a 9x13 baking pan.
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the tequila, lime juice, egg yolks and condensed milk.
In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. - Be sure to use the whisk attachment and not the normal egg beater attachment!
Gently fold the egg whites into the tequila mixture.
Spread the filling evenly over the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Cool.
Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top.
Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight before cutting.
Drizzle with agave nectar, if desired.

I didn't have a food processor big enough to make the crust at once, so I had to make it in batches which was a bit of a pain in the butt. So, hopefully you have a full size food processor. My final thought is that some pieces were very strong in tequila and others were tequila-less...maybe it's the way I mixed it.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/194729/saturday-night-live-update-guy-fieri

Steph the Bartender Chic

2010-12-25T15:45:00.002-06:00

As a follow-up to the Tink Drink, I made a few more drinks.

A Bubbly Dog
1 part Asti champagne
1 part Arizona Rx Stress Herbal Iced Tea
Serve over ice

A Penny
A 50/50 mix of vodka and coconut rum
Diet Dr. Pepper
A splash of ginger ale
A splash of grenadine
Shake over ice and serve on ice

I tested these with the family over the last few days and they have been a HUGE hit! Guys and girls, "young" and "old" :).

Happy Holidays!
-the snack shack and family

Last minute Holiday snack ideas

2010-12-21T11:05:00.001-06:00

Well, not too last minute. I think I'm getting this one out to you just in time actually :-)

Over the summer, my parents threw their annual Summer Party and it was my job to bring brownies. So, I scoured the Internet for some recipes and I came across this amazing brownie recipe from the Domestic Goddess. The second recipe I got from a really great cook book I found at an estate sale. It's an at-home substitute for those candied nuts you get at a baseball game or the fair.

Try both recipes at your next Holiday Party!

Baileys Cheesecake Brownies

Recipe from Domestic Goddess in Training

Picture from Domestic Goddess in Training

Brownie mixture
110 g dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa) - somewhere between 7/8 and 1 cup

110 g butter - a little less than 1 stick
120 g vanilla sugar (or caster sugar) - little more than a 1/2 cup of baker's sugar
60 g plain flour - about 1/2 cup

2 eggs

Glug of Baileys - To taste :-)

Cheesecake mixture
225 g cream cheese - 1 block
40 g caster sugar - between 1/8 & 1/4 cup
1 egg
Generous glug of Baileys

Preheat the oven to 300F
Line a 9x8" square cake tin with baking parchment
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bain marie (double boiler)
Remove from the heat
Add the sugar and stir then leave to cool slightly (if you don't do this you may end up with scrambled egg brownies)
Beat the eggs one at a time into the brownie mixture, beating until it is glossy.
Stir in the Baileys until combined
Gradually fold in the flour then pour into the cake tin
For the cheesecake mixture beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a separate bowl
Add the egg and mix then stir in the Baileys until all is well combined
Top the leveled brownie mixture with the cheesecake mixture and using a knife, gently swirl it into the chocolate mixture
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until just set in the middle
Leave to cool in the tin for 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving

Sweet and Spicy Walnuts

From The Recipe Encyclopedia - the complete illustrated guide to cooking

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamon

2 cups walnut halves - I got the ready to eat kind from the baking isle

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400F
Melt butter in a pan; remove from heat
Add cinnamon and cardamon - stir until combined
Add walnuts - stir until coated
Spread evenly on a baking pan
Bake for 8 min or until lightly browned
Meanwhile place sugar in a bowl
Place hot walnuts in the sugar bowl and coat well
Serve warm

Tonight, we have a special guest!!

2010-12-15T23:26:00.003-06:00

The Snack Shack is proud to present the addition of a new, featured column, the Dishwasher Confessional!

My husband is the author of this column which will feature his views on cooking and food. Where my posts are mostly about dinner recipes, my husband's interests are more in the area of gardening and dehydrating. Also, since we got a KitchenAid mixer his staple recipe is...

Beer Bread
Written by the Dishwasher Confessional

Its bread with beer. It is so simple, so hearty, and tasty I really don't buy bread any more. Throw in something special like cheese and life just gets a little better. I can't even remember exactly where I found this recipe 'cause it is everywhere on the net (kinda of a beer bread 101 recipe).

Time from ingredient to stomach is about 1.25hrs (makes 1 loaf)

Tools
Bread pan
Mixing bowl
Oven

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 can of beer
1 Tbs Crisco

Start preheating the oven to 400 F.
Mix all ingredients in a big bowl (except Crisco) 'till it looks like mushed bananas (if it looks dry add a little more beer).
Grease bread pan with Crisco.
Put the mix in the bread pan and stick it in the oven.
Cook for 1hr (or until top of bread is dark brown).
After taking out of oven, remove from pan and let it cool for 10min.

Extra bonus points if you:
-Sift all dry items first (makes bread fluffier)
-Use a glass bread pan (cooks bottom of bread)
-Use butter to grease pan (yummy butter)
-Put bread on drying rack to cool (helps bottom of bread dry better)
-Add something special to the mix: shredded cheese. bananas, or
pepper flakes (be a rebel and add something crazy)
-Try different beers (remember with the exception of hoppy beer, it
makes bitter bread)

Live from Oceana Grill

2010-09-20T11:10:00.003-05:00

Last meal in NOLA.

Very special eggs benedict. The bottom is fried eggplant, grilled tomato, shaved grilled ham, poached egg, and parm. Wow!

Live from NOLA restaurant

2010-09-19T19:17:00.001-05:00

Emeril's Grilled Rib Eye, Loaded Mash Potatoes, and Abita Beer Battered Onion Rings.

Live from Alpine Cafe, NOLA

2010-09-19T11:42:00.001-05:00

Instead of Canadian bacon, this eggs benedict has a crab cake.

Live from Mona Lisa, New Orleans

2010-09-18T19:54:00.001-05:00

Though not pictured, the lasagna was the best! I didn't know lasagna could have that much flavor. Pictured is a special appetizer of an olive tapenade.

Live from Court of Two Sisters

2010-09-18T11:02:00.001-05:00

Jazz Brunch!

Desire - Royal Sonesta hotel Live

2010-09-17T22:28:00.000-05:00

Live from Acme Oyster House!!

2010-09-17T17:15:00.000-05:00

Live from (last day) in Key West

2010-08-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

Eggs Benedict

Live from Banana Cafe, Key West

2010-08-21T08:31:00.001-05:00

Eggs benedict

Don't worry, I'm still eating

2010-07-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I wanted to let you know that I'm alive and eating!

Here, I've mixed a powder mix Fiesta Dip into sour cream and topped that on my nachos - more flavor!

Live from a BBQ

2010-05-30T19:55:00.001-05:00

"Great Recipe On Back!"

2010-04-27T17:22:00.000-05:00

I often see food products include a recipe with their product. I have tried them a few time and have never been impressed. I've sort of given up on them - but I appropriate the effort :-)

Well, my husband saw a recipe on the package of some Blue Cheese and wanted to try it and we already had all of the ingredients so I agreed to try it.

Blue Cheese and Asparagus Salad
From www.treasurecavecheese.com

2 lbs asparagus, ends snapped off
1 can mandarin oranges, drained. Save the juice.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup blue Cheese, crumbled
Salt to taste

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender
Drain the asparagus and place into the ice bath for 1 minute
Drain again and set aside
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and 1 tsp orange juice
Toss the asparagus, blue cheese, and oranges together
Drizzle dressing over asparagus mixture
Toss gently and sprinkle with salt to taste

I didn't really like the recipe. Mostly because I'm not a fan of boiled asparagus, but I also didn't like the combo of blue cheese and oranges. However, the oranges did work well with the asparagus. I think it's a flavor combination worth investigating further.

Live from Iron Chef Cupcake

2010-04-25T16:34:00.001-05:00

Guard this with your life!

2010-04-18T11:04:00.001-05:00

Years ago my cousin sent me a salmon recipe. I'm not really a big fan of salmon but my husband is so we tried it. To my surprise, it was AMAZING! It became a favorite of mine and my cousin's. Well, not long after that - both of us lost the recipe! No hard copies, no email copies, nowhere to be found on the internet. It just vanished. It was a great loss.

Well, at the time my cousin gave me the recipe she also sent it to one of her coworkers. Now, years later she ends up working at the same place and reconnected with her old coworker. By the grace of the food gods, this man still had the salmon recipe!!!

So, this post today is serving two purposes: share this recipe with you and electronically preserve the recipe foreeeever.

Salmon with Mushroom Sauce

Four 6-oz skinless, center-cut salmon fillets
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Salt
4 Tbs, plus 2 tsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lbs, sliced cremini or oyster mushrooms
Fresh, ground pepper
8 medium scallions, cut into 2-in lengths
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat broiler
Lay salmon fillet in a baking dish
Pour orange juice over the fillets
Season with salt
Let stand for 5 minutes
Turn fillets and let stand for 5 more minutes
Meanwhile, melt 4 Tbs of butter in a large skillet
Add garlic and cook over moderate-high heat
Add mushrooms
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Cover and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes
Add scallions and stir occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes
Add wine and boil for 1 minutes
Add stock and cream and simmer for 3 minutes
Season to taste with salt and pepper
While the sauce simmers, transfer salmon to a rimmed baking sheet, skin-side down
Top each fillet with 1/2 tsp of remaining butter
Broil fillets about 5 inches from the heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Do not turn.
Spoon sauce on plates and set salmon on top
E-N-J-O-Y

If you know someone who doesn't like salmon much, have them try this recipe. The sauce is really the highlight of the recipe and complements the salmon flavor very well.

Grand-re opening

2010-04-14T11:23:00.000-05:00

It was a looong process, but the Snack Shack has a brand new kitchen!!
We have already started cooking again and I can't wait to do more :-)

A little behind the weather...

2010-04-11T16:42:00.001-05:00

Over the winter I made few really great soups and I haven't had a chance to sit down and share them with you. I know it's not really soup season anymore, but since I do live in Wisconsin there's a very good chance we could still have a cold spell.

The first soup, baked potato, I decided to make because a girl at work was craving baked potato soup for lunch and we couldn't find any place near work that offered it. After talking about it so much I really wanted some too. So that weekend I went home and made it :-)

It was hard to find a baked potato soup recipe because they are all very similar with just have few variations. I finally decided on a basic one and went from there.

Baked Potato Soup
From Yumsugar.com (adapted from Cooking Light magazine)

2 tbsp. butter
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 baking potatoes (about 2-1/2 lbs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F
Pierce potatoes with a fork and place on oven rakes
Bake for 1 hour or until tender
Cool, peel, and coarsely mash potatoes
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat
Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes
Add flour into the vegetables
Gradually whisk in milk, stirring until blended
Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, about 8 minutes
Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper
Stir until cheese melts
Remove from heat
Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions
Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Do not boil.
Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls
Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tsp cheese, 1-1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tbsp. bacon
Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired

The next recipe is the "losing" recipe from the Iron Chef competition we had a work. Though it didn't win, I think it's a great soup! I first made it with reuben sandwiches for St. Patty's day last year. Yum!!!

Guinness and Onion soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton
From Foodnetwork.com

Picture from foodnetwork.com

My picture from the Iron Chef competition

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
8 cups thinly sliced onions
Gray salt - I just used regular table salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups Guinness
6 cups beef stock
6 slices country bread cut 1/2-inch thick, toasted - I used croutons
1/2 pound Irish Cheddar, sliced thin - I used swiss

Make the soup

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat
Add garlic and cook briefly
Add onions, season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown
Add the thyme, vinegar, and beer
Reduce beer by half and add the beef stock
Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes

Prepare to serve

Preheat the broiler
Transfer soup to an ovenproof serving dish or individual ovenproof soup bowls
Top with toasted bread slices and sliced Cheddar
Broil until cheese melts and starts to brown slightly
Serve piping hot

Live from Perkins

2010-02-20T10:07:00.001-06:00

That's alfredo sauce on my eggs!

Shocking!

2010-02-15T11:58:00.002-06:00

It seems to be increasingly popular to have food and wine pairings on your menu. I've tried these pairings before and they never really worked for me. So, I tend to ignore the advise and just order whatever I would normally want.

Well, Food & Wine magazine's February issue has 50 recipes they pair with wine, beer, and cocktails. Even without the pairings, many of the recipes sound great, so I thought I would try the pairings with it.
Some Shocking news; the food and beer pairing was amazing! I really felt the beer enhanced the flavor of the dish. F&D magazine really knows what they are talking about :-)

What I chose to make was a pork tenderloin and a salad (the salad had no alcoholic pairings).

Pork Tenderloin Smothered in Onion and Mustard
Wine: Gewurztraminer
Cocktail: Shandy
Beer: Amber Ale - I paired this dish with Hofbräuhaus
Two 12oz pork tenderloins: cut into 2" lengths and pounded 1" thick
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp flour
2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
1 Tbs grainy mustard
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill

Season pork with salt and pepper and dust with flour
In a medium, deep skillet, melt butter and olive oil
Add pork and cook over high heat, turning once until lightly browned. About 3 min.
Transfer pork to plate
Add onion to skillet and cover and cook over moderate heat. Stir occasionally until soft. About 10 min
Stir in mustard and 1 tsp of flour and cook for 1 min
Add chicken broth and bring to boil
Nestle pork in the onion sauce and cover and simmer over moderate heat until the pork is cooked through. About 8 min

Serve over buttered noodles.

Bibb-and-Radish Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
3 large heads of bibb lettuce, leaves torn (serving for 8 people)
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup snipped chives
2 Tbs mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the radishes and chives
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the buttermilk and vinegar
Gradually whisk in the olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Just before serving, drizzle dressing over salad and toss well

Surprisingly, both of these dishes take about the same time to make (about 30 min each). So I made the salad and my husband made the pork and we were done around the same time.

One tip my husband taught me was how to preserve the dill and the chives.

Take the bunch and and hold it together tightly by the stems.
Put it in a brown paper lunch bag, upside down (stems facing up). Keep a hold of the bunch.
With your other hand, grab the paper bag around the stems and rubber band them together.
Take a knife and gently poke holes around the bottom of the bag.
Store in the refrigerator.

Live from lunch

2010-02-10T11:39:00.000-06:00

An ENTIRE chili in my tuna! Watch out.

It's Martini Time

2010-02-07T11:19:00.004-06:00

For a really long time I was never a fan of chocolate martinis. They always sound so good, but I've never ordered one that actually tasted good. A very big let down.

However, over the past few years my friends and I have been able to create a few pretty terrific chocolate martinis at home and we are ready to share them with you :-)

Martini One

Layer Ice, Fudge, and Vodka in a blender.
Blend. Enjoy.

To be a little more specific, we used gourmet ice cubes, homemade fudge, and 3 Olives brand vodka.

Martini Two

Put ice and two shots of the following in a martini shaker: vodka, Irish cream liquor, and creme de cocoa.
Shake. Enjoy.

Finishing touch

2010-01-22T13:23:00.000-06:00

Back in August, I posted an entry entitled 15 minutes of fame where I wrote an article for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about my experience cooking a recipe from Julia Child's book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The entry was to promote the release of the movie Julia & Julie.

Well, I just saw the movie a few days ago and my review is: I liked it. It was a cute and funny movie and for me, very motivational. I love cooking, eating, and writing in my blog. But l don't cook or blog much anymore :-( and this movie helped light a fire under me to get cooking again!

I admit I was a little jealous that she had so many fans and people who would send her food! However, even though that all would be nice, I don't mind really because I do this for myself and my friends and family. And I hope you all enjoy it :-)

Bon Appetit!

Snack Shack Under Construction

2010-01-16T12:35:00.004-06:00

The Snack Shack (a.k.a. my kitchen) will be under construction soon. But as with most constructions, will return bigger and better. Well, in my case, just better.

We will be replacing our counter tops, getting a new sink, new and LARGER cook top, new oven, and a DISHWASHER! We recently got our first KitchenAid mixer in "Pistachio" and a restaurant style-ish deep fryer. So, with all of these new things I hope to be cooking up a storm in the next few months. So for now I won't be cooking too much (we are also busy redoing our shower and tub in the bathroom).

However, I do have a few posts on the back burner to keep you full while we do our updates. I'm thinking 2 more soup recipes, one about chocolate martinis, a short review (finally!) of Julia & Juile, pork tenderloin and beer pairing dinner, and maybe one more.

Until then, here is the final few of our old/current kitchen.

Kitchen when we moved in

Kitchen after some new paint and hardware

Live from the Funjet Christmas Party

2010-01-08T20:07:00.001-06:00

A mash potato bar!

Live from...

2009-12-28T19:59:00.000-06:00

Beer, wings, football

Live from Florida

2009-12-24T17:12:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas snacks

Safety 3rd

2009-12-11T09:35:00.002-06:00

About a year and a half ago a friend of mine gave me a really cool soup cookbook for a housewarming gift. It sat in my car for a while, and then it sat in the kitchen for a while.....until about a week ago.

I finally got the motivation to make some soup. And it was so good I made it two days in a row!
The first day, I made a pretty bad mistake (hence the title of this entry), but the second day we improvised...

Asparagus soup with Parmesan crisps

2 1/4 oz butter
1 lb 10oz fresh asparagus spears, finely chopped (this is about 1 bunch)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cream - I used heavy cream
3 1/2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in large, heavy-based pan
Cook the asparagus and onion. Stirring over medium heat for about 5 min (until onion is soft)
Sprinkle flour in pan and stir for 1 minute to combine
Remove from heat and gradually add stock. Stirring until smooth
Return to heat and bring to boil
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes (until asparagus is tender)
Transfer soup, in batches, to blender. Allow to cool before handling*
Pour blended soup in metal bowl for the meantime
Once all the soup is blended, transfer back to original pot
Stir in the cream
Reheat soup on stove, without allowing it to boil

The next steps describe how to make a Parmesan crisp. But instead, I just grated a pile of fresh Parmesan cheese on top of my soup.
You might notice that this recipe is lacking seasoning. Normally, you would add "salt and pepper to taste" but my husband and I have different tastes. So what I started doing was not seasoning our food (particularly soups) while I made it. We now just season our own portions of food. For my servings I added sea salt and hot sauce, while my husband added a lot of freshly ground black pepper.

*So, I didn't fully understand the warning about letting the soup cool before you handle it in the blender. So, I went ahead and dumped boiling hot soup into a blender, sealed it off tight and hit "go". Within moments, the top of the blender blew off and I had boiling soup land on my skin and green soup covered the kitchen. While I immediately ran to the sink to cool off my arm, my dog got a head start on the clean up.

Besides letting the soup cool a bit, what we did the second time around was remove the little plastic center from the blender top (this lets air in and pressure out) and covered/held down the lid with a dish towel. I also realized my new found need for an immersion blender.

Live from Famous Dave's

2009-12-08T19:47:00.002-06:00

it's served in a trash can lid! And they have $1 LandSharks!!!!!

Made me Happy :)

A delicious way to bulk up for Winter

2009-12-05T13:13:00.001-06:00

The other night my husband and I were looking through our cookbooks and magazines for the weekly dinner plan. While going through a Paula Deen magazine, my husband found a recipe for "Fried-egg and Avocado Sandwich". He read the ingredients to me and I realized we already had everything in the kitchen to make this stack-of-fat-on-a-piece-of-toast.

We were lucky enough to live through the spontaneous triple bypass burger, I thought we could live through this.

Fried-egg and Avocado Sandwich

Extreme close-up

2 TBS cream cheese - we didn't have this so we used sour cream and butter
1 slice of toasted wheat bread
1/2 tsp fresh parsley
1/2 tsp minced green onion
2 slices of bacon
1 large egg
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 slices tomato
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Spread cream cheese over 1 piece of toast
Sprinkle with parsley and onion
In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy
Remove from pan and drain on paper towels
Remove all but 1 TBS of grease from pan
Fry egg in same skillet, over medium-low heat
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Place egg over cream cheese mixture
Top with bacon, tomato, and avocado

YUUUUM!! :)
Quick, easy, late-night snack to share.

aerial side-by-side of what we made compared to the picture in the magazine

Iron Chef! Part 3

2009-11-30T23:12:00.001-06:00

My work had a pot luck lunch a few weeks ago and we decided on an Iron chef theme. We had three categories and each category had a theme ingredient. Appetizer: Cheese, Main course: Booze, and Dessert: Fruit. It turned out really well! There was a ton of food and it was all so good. I took pictures of most of the dishes, but only got the recipes from the winning dishes.

I'm going to finally share with you the last course, the dessert. The winning dish was a bit of a surprise, but a winner none-the-less. :-)

See the previous post for the winning appetizer and main dish recipes.

Chocolate Cake

Use Betty Crocker Supreme boxed brownie mix with Hershey's chocolate (prepare as directed on box)
Cook in 9" round pan, 350 degrees for 40 minutes (this makes it more like a cake than a brownie)
Dust with powdered sugar
Top and garnish with fresh raspberries

Live from Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T14:57:00.002-06:00

Pumpkin fondue

Cheese
Bread
Nutmeg

Dan Dan the Pizza Man strikes again!

2009-11-26T08:51:00.002-06:00

Last week we were out at a friends house and Dan made his homemade
pizza. He said "I could put anything on a pizza and it would taste
good" - and he was soon challenged to put banana on a pizza.
Well, we were out again at our friends house last night and Dan
surprised everyone and put banana slices on the pizza.

It was a HUGE hit! Everyone loved it. I guess it was that age old
pairing of sweet and salty.

So the moral of the story is - put banana on your pizza. :)

Iron Chef! Part 2

2009-11-20T03:11:00.002-06:00

My work had a pot luck lunch a few weeks ago and we decided on an Iron chef theme. We had three categories and each category had a theme ingredient. Appetizer: Cheese, Main course: Booze, and Dessert: Fruit. It turned out really well! There was a ton of food and it was all so good. I took pictures of most of the dishes, but only got the recipes from the winning dishes. I competed in the Main course category. I didn't win :(. BUT the winning dish was fantastic, so I'm going to share that with you.
See the previous post for the winning appetizer recipe.

Cajun Cafe Bourbon Chicken - Made by Amber

1/2 cup Soy sauce
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
2 Tbs White wine (dry or semi-dry)
1 tsp Powdered ginger
2 Tbs Dried minced onion
1/2 cup Bourbon Whiskey
1 lb Chicken, cut up

Combine soy, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, onion, and bourbon in a plastic storage container
Stir till sugar dissolves
Add Chicken and stir to coat
Cover and Refrigerate over night
Place chicken and marinade in a 8x8 glass dish
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes - Basting every 10 min
Remove chicken and set aside
Move all juices, with all the brown bits, into a frying pan
Place over medium heat
Slowly add in white wine
Stir and add chicken

Allow sauce to thicken a little before serving

You don't have to be a fan of Bourbon to be to enjoy this dish! It's full flavored and smells great. It is good served with rice, but I often prefer egg noodles.
Thanks AP!

Iron Chef! Part 1

2009-11-08T16:51:00.013-06:00

My work had a pot luck lunch a few weeks ago and we decided on an Iron chef theme. We had three categories and each category had a theme ingredient. Appetizer: Cheese, Main course: Booze, and Dessert: Fruit.

It turned out really well! There was a ton of food and it was all so good. I took pictures of most of the dishes, but only got the recipes from the winning dishes. I competed in the Main course category (I'll let you know later if I won).
For this entry I'm going to share the winning appetizer.

Crab Rangoons - Made by Monique

1 package of wonton wrappers (found in the produce aisle at local super market)
8 oz of plain cream cheese
1 green onion chopped really small
½ package of imitation crab meat, crumbled in small pieces
1 egg white
Vegetable Oil for deep frying the Crab Rangoon

Mix the the cream cheese, green onions, and crab meat in a bowl
Spoon one scoop of the mixture in the middle of the wonton wrapper
Dab a little egg white along the edges of the wrapper to seal with mixture
Fold corner to corner to form a triangle
Place aside and cover with a damp towel (to prevent them from drying out) until all wontons are made
Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying (the temperature should be between 360 - 375 degrees)
When oil is ready, carefully slide in the crab rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd the wok
Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning once.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cool and serve.

You can eat them by themselves or your favorite sweet and sour sauce. We ate them with Mae Ploy brand: Sweet Chili Sauce. I HIGHLY recommend using this on the side; it's awesome. You can probably find it in the Asian section of the store or at a specialty Asian store.

Save yourself the trouble

2009-11-01T21:23:00.005-06:00

My parents threw a party at the end of the summer and asked me to bring something to pass. I thought that a dessert would be a good idea because I assumed no one else would bring a dessert and it would be a good chance for me to try something new.

Instead of going to the usual foodnetwork.com or cooking light magazine for ideas, I went for Cooking with Paula Deen! I found a recipe for white peach crumble. I thought it was going to be like a wonderful sizzling apple cobber - but it wasn't......and it was a lot of work.

White Peach Crumble

(Picture from Cooking with Paula Deen magazine)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs brown sugar - I recommended using quite a bit more
2 Tbs cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbs sliced almonds
4 white peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced - This part is the real problem in this recipe. It takes a lot of patients to peal, pit, and slice a bunch of peaches. It was suggested that I use canned peaches...I think it's worth a try :-) (yes you can substitute with yellow peaches)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
Vanilla ice cream

In a small bowl combine flour and brown sugar
Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixtures is crumbly
Stir in almonds
In a medium saucepan, combine peaches, sugar, and salt
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until peaches are tender
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla orange zest
Pour peach mixture into a small baking dish
Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over top and bake for 20 min or until crumble is bubbly and browned - it doesn't say how hot, but I had the oven at 350
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

This recipe only serves 2 people, so for the party I had to multiply it a few times. I bought enough for about 2 large peaches per person. This ended up being way too much! We ate this peach crumble for days.
One tip though if you do end up making a lot. Keep the dry crumble part in a Ziploc bag and keep the peaches in a Tupperware container. Then, right before you eat dinner you just throw some peaches in a small Pyrex dish, sprinkle some crumble on top, and put it in the oven. By the time you are done with dinner, your dessert will be ready!

Hopeless romantic

2009-10-04T16:49:00.012-05:00

Every time I am struggling to find something to make for dinner or a party, I lean towards pasta salad. But I soon remember that every time I have pasta salad I end up disappointed. Oh, maybe this one will be better. This sounds interesting; it's not like the others. But in the end, it really is. Pasta salad is just so bland!!! I think I’m just on a life-long quest to find a good pasta salad. So, I've recently tried again and think I'm am getting close. I found a new recipe for pasta salad in one of my Cooking Light magazines. It wasn't bad, but I ended up adding my own twist to make it pretty darn good.

Note: The magazine said you could make this dinner in about 20 min. It took me about 30 min to make it with my husband helping.

(picture from Cooking Light magazine)

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad
6 oz acini de pepe pasta
2 1/4 cup diced plum tomato
1/3 cup capers, rinsed and drained (just to remove some salt)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup sliced pickled banana peppers - I used pepperoncinis
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano - didn't use
1/8 tbs salt
2 oz cubed monterey jack cheese
16 oz canned navy beans, rinsed and drained - this bean is pretty bland, I would suggest substituting with a better bean
1 oz salami, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Cook pasta, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Combine all ingredients and toss well.

So, this was an Ok recipe to start. I thought it was a little better than most because I liked the unique, little pastas and a lot of my favorite condiments are in this salad (pepperoncinis, capers, salami, and cheese). But, it was still a little bland. We tried to add some flavor by adding sea salt and some pear vinegar. They both helped, but not enough.

The leftovers sat in the fridge for a few days until I had a great idea on how to add flavor - Cesar dressing with bacon flavoring (a Kraft product)! I've had this dressing sitting in the fridge for a while because I don't really like it on my salads. But WOW. I put that on this pasta salad and it tasted so much better. I fully understand though it can't really qualify anymore for a "cooking light" recipe. But I really don't care. :-)

Pasta Tip: It was a little hard to know when the pasta was done. I can usually tell by the look or the feel of it in the pot. But this time I had to taste it a few times. I knew it was done when it didn’t stick to my teeth anymore. Also, be sure to use a large pot for this. You should always use a big pot when cooking pasta, but these small noodles can be deceiving.

I'm calling it!

2009-09-25T22:44:00.001-05:00

Last night I had a dream about a crispy, sizzilin, apple pie made with
chocolate chip cookies for the crust!

Beat this Applebees!

2009-09-20T21:57:00.004-05:00

Applebees is once again running their 2 for $20 combo deal (one appetizer and two entrees for $20). I think I've got them beat with this HUMUNGUS, fresh, grilled dinner for two my husband and I had a couple of weeks ago.

We went to the grocery story to find something for dinner. I didn't have anything in mind, including a budget. But we ended up spending just under $20 total and came away with a really great dinner.

It started out like this.

Then ended up like this.

It was all very basic grilling. Cooked the steak with some salt and pepper. Then I topped mine with gorgonzola cheese and my husband left his plane. We wrapped asparagus in tin foil and threw in some garlic cloves and butter. Once it was done, I topped it with some fresh parmigiano cheese. We also rapped mushrooms and onions in tin foil with butter and garlic. For the starch, we sliced up some sweet potatoes and covered them in oil. I read that you can cook it like a regular potato (whole, poked, and covered in foil) but it takes at least twice as long to cook. Finally, we sliced up some pineapple and put that on that grill as dessert (not pictured because there wasn't room on the plate!).

It all was so good and filling. To add to the enjoyment, we ate it outside with some cold bottles of our favorite beers.
I recommend this menu for a quick, fresh dinner that you should try while there are some good grilling days left this "summer".

Note: The $20 total could go either way depending on the cut and quality of the steak you get. It also assumes that you already have oil, butter, and cheese at home.

6 degrees to Andrew Zimmern

2009-09-14T12:55:00.001-05:00

This seemed to work last time, so I'm going to try it again.

I live in Milwaukee
Milwaukee is famous for sausages
Usingers is famous for German-style sausage
The Old German Beer Hall is located across the street from Usingers
I am a stein club member at the Old German Beer Hall
Andrew Zimmern filmed an episode of Appetite for Life at the Old German Beer Hall

Hooray! You can watch the video at http://appetiteforlife.msn.com/

Live from Mackinac

2009-09-03T09:47:00.001-05:00

I poured Baileys in my pancakes (while they were on the griddle)
this morning. Sooooo good.

Live from the OGB

2009-09-01T21:25:00.000-05:00

It's stein member night. The free food ran out early so I ordered some
radishes. This is what I got. Pretty good!!

Strawberries and Chicken?!?!?

2009-08-26T11:33:00.000-05:00

Back in my post, "I really love sandwiches' I mentioned I had two recipes I would share from Looking Light magazine and I only shared one of them. Well, wait no longer....I'm about to share with you the other recipe!!!!

Gorgonzola-stuffed chicken breasts with strawberry gastrique
Sauce:
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth - regular chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Place strawberries in a small, heavy saucepan
Partially mash with a fork
Stir in sugar, vinegar, broth, and coriander
Bring to boil
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 min, stirring occasionally
When sauce is reduced to about 2/3 cup, strain mixture and discard solids

Chicken:
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2oz prosciutto, chopped
4 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh, ground, black pepper

While the sauce is cooking...

In a separate bowl, combine cheese, thyme, and prosciutto
Cut horizontal slits in the thickest portion of the chicken to form a pocket
Place about 3 tbs of cheese mixture in each chicken pocket
Heat large, non-stick skillet over medium heat
Coat pan with cooking spray
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, then place in pan
Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned on one side
Cook in the other side for about 4 minutes
Once cooked completely, serve with sauce.

I thought I was really going out on a limb when I picked this recipe. The combination of strawberries and chicken just didn't sound good. But WOW, this was really really good. I defiantly have to make this again. We unexpectedly had my cousin and her fiance over for dinner that night and they loved it too. We didn't' serve it with any sides though, and it was filling enough for us (with some wine of course).

Live CT photos

2009-08-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

I learned how they get the fruit in the bottle!!

15 minutes of fame

2009-08-16T10:57:00.009-05:00

Nearly a month ago a friend of mine sent me an online posting from the local news paper asking for young food bloggers to participate in a recipe challenge. I responded immediately and was accepted into the challenge.

The basis was this: I and my fellow "young, Milwaukee food bloggers" (The Accidental Wisconsinite, Burp! Where Food Happens, The Post-College Kitchen, A Serving of Life, and The Vivacious Chef) were to take a recipe from the book Masting the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, cook it, and then write a blog about it. This blog entry would then be printed in the Food section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and online. All of this to promote the release of the movie "Julie & Julia."

You can read my full entry online, so I'm just going to throw in a few behind the scenes tid-bits.

I was a little worried how the article would turn out because the editor seemed to imply they would take the story I sent them and alter it as they wish to fit their needs. But I was very pleased with the output; hardly any changes at all. There is, however, one funny edit they made. There's a part in the article where I'm talking to my dad about what I should do since I couldn't find any veal. His advise was that I was "shit out of luck", but I knew I couldn't publish that, so I put 'SOL". The editors didn't like that either, so they changed it to "I was stuck". HeHe.

I also briefly mentioned I had to baste the roast quite a bit. The recipe called for a regular bulb baster; which I didn't have. I knew I could just use a spoon to base it, but at the time all of my regular spoons were dirty...the only thing I had left was a grapefruit spoon. So I basted the roast with that.

The title of my article in the paper was "She has a beef with marinating." Which I did. I have been caught many times before not reading a recipe until minutes before I was going to make it, and realizing I had to marinate something. Silly, Silly, me I let it happen again. I needed to marinate the beef for at least six hours, but I hardly had six hours until dinner by the time I had started.

Overall, I had a great time cooking it, and it turned out OK. I will defiantly make it again. I am also very appreciative of the Journal Sentinel and the Food editor Nancy J. Stohs for giving us this opportunity.

Life's little let downs

2009-08-12T23:34:00.005-05:00

Now a rarity, I was watching Dinner Impossible on the Food Network (back when they took a brief break from Mr. Irvine) and the challenge was to take boardwalk food and turn it into a gourmet meal. One item in particular caught my attention, chocolate covered bacon. It sounded gross, yet amazing. I new I had to try it, but where in the world would I find this.

Nearly a year later, my wait was over. In the Wisconsin State Fair's quest to have the world's largest selection of food on a stick, this year they've added chocolate covered bacon on a stick.

(by the way, it was really hard trying to get an appetizing shot of this thing)

There was quite the line outside of the Machine Shed tent to order this treat, but it moved very quickly. So quickly, I hardly had time to know what was going on. I can't even tell you how much I paid. But who cares?! How did it taste?

The verdict is..... meh. It wasn't really anything special. There was no harmony, no mmmmm, nothing. It just didn't work for me. Separate the two and they were good. The bacon was crispy and the chocolate was good too. But don't let my picky taste buds deter you from trying. There are some quality fair days left, so go ahead and try it. I Dare You!

p.s. Even though the State Fair's website says you can get kettle corn on a stick, you can't. The kettle corn guy said they weren't able to make it this year, but will try next year.

I really love sandwiches

2009-08-02T13:41:00.013-05:00

I haven't been eating very well lately (a lot of pizza and tacos) so I decided I should pre-plan some meals. I subscribe to a few different food magazines so I thought it would be neat to look into those instead of foodnetwork.com, like I usually do. I picked out two recipes from Cooking Light magazine and my husband picked two from Cooking with Paula Deen.

I'm going to share both of mine, but today I'm just going to share one.
Before I started, I had no idea what fennel was. When I got it home, I realized it smelled like licorice. I REALLY don't like licorice - but it was too late now. Surprisingly, after cooking it, I really liked it. The flavor mellowed down quite a bit and it had great texture.

Steak and Fennel Sandwich
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds - I found whole fennel seed that I ground

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 tsp olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about one bulb)

4 4-oz beef tenderloin steaks (1" thick) - sandwich steak
8 tsp homemade mayonnaise - Miracle Whip (or use a canola-based mayo if you want to stay healthy)
8 slices ciabatta - sour dough

1 cup arugula - organic salad blend with arugula

Combine fennel seed, salt, cumin, and pepper in a bowl.
Heat 2 tsb oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 1/2 tsp spice mixture and all the fennel.
Saute for 15 min or until fennel is tender and lightly browned. Stir frequently.
Transfer hot mixture to bowl.
Wipe down pan with paper towel. Careful!! It's still hot!
Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in pan.
Sprinkle steaks with remaining spice mixture.
Add steaks to pan and cook to desired doneness. About 4 min per side.
Assemble the sandwich - Toasted bread slice, mayo, beef, fennel, arugula, bread

This is a fantastic and easy-to-make sandwich! I will defiantly make it again, but with one change. I will be sure to use tenderloin steak. I bought some generic sandwich steak and it was very tough. It made the sandwich very hard to eat and not enjoyable.

My wedding cake is a star!

2009-07-16T09:06:00.001-05:00

My wedding cake made its way to the infamous Cake Wreck hall of fame :)

Check it out: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/07/love-is-in-air.html

Coffee talk

2009-07-10T21:45:00.001-05:00

My computer has been a little verklempt. So I can't blog properly.

Please, talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic.

Why do sandwiches always taste better when someone else makes it?

Did you know that...

2009-06-07T17:33:00.004-05:00

I recently received that latest issue of Special Events magazine (may/june 2009) in the mail and read a really neat article called "New to You". It highlights four foods/ingredients that have been around for a while, but are making a comeback in the catering business. So, even though you may not use any of these items in your kitchen, you could impress a few friends with your knowledge next time you are at a wedding!
(I'm not going to follow proper APA style, but I will let you know now, all of the following descriptions are excerpts directly from the article.)

Black garlic
Striking in color and Gummi Bear-like in texture, black garlic offers a tone-down garlic flavor despite its dramatic look. Made by fermenting whole cloves of garlic at high temperatures for one month, black garlic has an "almost candy-like flavor" similar to European licorice or balsamic vinegar with hints of molasses, [chef Charlie Giordana of Duvall Catering & Event Design in Charleston, S.C.] says. The ingredient is popular in Japan, China, and Korea, and recently has made its way to California thanks to the Hayward, Calif-based company Black Garlic.

Sumac
This berry, found on bushes growing wild in the Middle East, is "tart and somewhat sour," according to Patrick Cuccaro, general manager of Affairs to Remember Caterers in Atlanta.

Acquerello Carnaroli
This organic rice comes from Italy, where it ages for one year in temperature- and humidity-controlled steel silos, says creative services manager Sarah Finlayson of Chicago's Blue Plate Catering. An excellent rice for risotto, the grains absorb more cooking liquid than average rice, making them bigger and firmer, not to mention less likely to stick together.

Crosnes
Originally from Japan, this tiny tuber made its way to France in the late 1800s, where it was named for a French town renowned for growing them. A crosnes is "small and resembles a bloated caterpillar, has a crunchy radish/potato/apple-like texture, and can be used in much the same way as sunchokes," says Richard Mooney, resident and CEO of Los Angeles-based Kensington Caterers. "The addition of the crosnes essentially adds texture and, of course, a note of mystery."

…Now you know.

Potluck

2009-05-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

One part buttermilk
I was trying to cook something that required buttermilk. I had everything I needed, except for buttermilk. As a foodie I felt a little foolish not knowing what (if anything) I could use as a substitute for buttermilk. So, I secretly ran off to ask Google and I found out this.
For each 1 cup buttermilk called for in a recipe, use...

1 cup plain yogurt;

1 cup sour cream;

1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup;

1 cup milk plus 1 3/4 tablespoons cream of tartar;

1/4 cup buttermilk powder and 1 cup water.

(from cdkitchen.com)

Who'd a thunk?!

One part appletini
This is a photojournalistic view of my Easter 2009.

Drinks complements of my G-ma.

One part chocolate cake
A good friend of ours has become quite the chef! He's quickly surpassed my cooking experience with his homemade fudge, rolls, bread, soup, drinks, cakes, etc. I mean, don't be surprised if you see his cookbook advertised here! Anyways, we were at his house one night and he mentioned a microwave chocolate cake. This is something you would make if you wanted chocolate cake NOW but didn't have any.
I have the recipe below (I don't know where it originated). Now, I might be committing a felony but not only have I not made this, but I've never tried it! But I will...maybe at work someday :-)

Chocolate mug cake
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Mix dry ingredients in the mug.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix.
Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract.
Quick stir of all ingredients.
Place your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool before enjoying!

Funnies

2009-05-10T13:00:00.004-05:00

A few months ago I played this game where you get a bunch of people in a circle with each person having a pad of paper and a pen. Then, everyone one writes out a phrase the top of the sheet and passes it to the person on their left. Then that person reads it, and tries to draw it. Then the fold the paper over the first line and passes it to their left. That person looks at the picture and tries to write out what they think it is...and on and on and on. It's kind of like telephone.
The point of this story is, I started out my turn with "My food blog rocks!"

Also, a friend of mine at work gave me this.

Sounds pretty good to me!

Put these on your grocery list!

2009-05-03T22:13:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've become a little adventurous and veered off the grocery list to try a few new things.

Salad finishers
Jalapeno Scoops

Sargento salad finishers
I've seen the commercials for these and they sounded totally lame. I would never buy them; they are just for lazy people who want to waste money. To be more specific, it's a bag of salad toppings in various flavors. You can find them right next to the bagged salad mixes. So, why did I end up trying it....I was lazy and couldn't decide what I wanted on my salad that week.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised! I liked it so much I bought it a second time. Now, I wouldn't buy it every week since it is pricey for the amount you get. But, if you're in a hurry/lazy then I say go for it.

Jalapeno Scoops
This is something else I never thought I would try since I don't like Scoops. But, since I do love jalapeno (I even just bought a jalapeno plant from the garden store today) I thought it would be worth a shot. Well, it was an amazing decision!
I used them to make my special nachos (recipe in a previous post) and it made them so much better! First, the hint of jalapeno was delicious. It really added that little something extra, though it wasn't spicy. But I think the best part was since the Scoops are bowl shaped, you now get a bowl of melted cheese instead of just cheese on a regular chip!!! Definitely hard to share. I haven't tried it with regular salsa because I really don't see the need to.

Dry spell - Update

2009-04-06T21:42:00.005-05:00

Well, we are messing around with the house again so there hasn't been much cooking. So, to hold you over until I cook something, I'm posting the chicken recipe made with the roasted veggies. My cousin and her fiance made this for us.

This is what it actually looked like! Pretty good :-)

Buttermilk Chicken with Crispy Cornflakes
I think it's from Food and Wine
1 quart buttermilk
3 garlic cloves, smashed
Kosher salt
4 whole chicken legs, separated into drumsticks and thighs
Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, garlic and 2 tablespoons of salt.
With a sharp knife, make shallow, 1-inch-long slashes in the chicken.
Rub generously with Tabasco sauce and add to the buttermilk; turn to coat.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Light a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill over moderate heat, turning often, until the skin is browned and charred in spots and the meat is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
In a shallow dish, toss the cornflakes with the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Brush the chicken with the butter.
Using tongs, roll the chicken in the cornflake mixture.
Transfer to a platter and serve, passing Tabasco sauce at the table.

Try it man!

Definition

2009-03-31T23:13:00.002-05:00

Phrase: Microwave snack

Definition: A snack you eat while waiting for your food to cook in the microwave. See also, "What you do when you're really hungry"

Example: Pringles

Teaspoons two ways

2009-03-24T11:58:00.003-05:00

Teaspoons as Giraffes

Teaspoon as a Dog

(We named him Teaspoon, but we call him Mr. T.)

Due to his large size, some people thought he should otherwise be called tablespoon. But with his doggie diet, I'm pleased to say he's lost some weight.

Tink Drink P2

2009-03-12T00:30:00.003-05:00

A about a month ago or so Foodnetwork.com and TGI Fridays held a contest for the best drink. The winner won a chance to have their drink featured on the Friday's drink menu. This contest was a mini version of the Ultimate Recipe Showdown.
When I found out about it, I was so excited to show off my Tink Drink to the world!!

I ended up not winning :-( BUT You can all still enjoy my video submission..and the drink.
P.S. I bought some really cool glasses for this video, but you can't see them very well. Also, you don't have to garnish with an olive - I just threw that in at the last second.

Eat your veggies!

2009-03-04T20:08:00.007-06:00

Every other Friday or so, my cousin and I get together with our men and have game night. Before we start the games we always cook dinner. Normally, it's fried fish and french fries, but my cousin's fiance wanted to eat a little healthier so i decided to look for a roasted veggie for a side dish. Sooo, I went to the trustworthy foodnetwork.com and found a great recipe. I went and read the reviews and saw that someone posted a few alternatives to the recipe and i tried it and loved it!!

Below is the original, with my alterations.

Oven roasted vegetables
2 medium parsnips, peeled and quartered or 3 large parsnips,
peeled and cut into quarters - zucchini
2 medium carrots, peeled and quartered
8 small red potatoes, halved if large - didn't use
2 small white turnips, quartered - 1 large yam
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 white pearl onions, peeled
4 cloves garlic, trimmed but unpeeled
1 large portobello mushroom
8 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
8 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed - button mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon thyme leaves - didn't use
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leafed parsley, leaves - didn't use
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss the parsnips, carrots, potatoes and turnips, in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated.
Arrange the vegetables cut-side down on a large baking sheet and roast on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are beginning to brown.
Turn the vegetables 2 or 3 times during cooking to prevent burning.
In the same bowl, toss the pearl onions, garlic and portobello mushroom with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated. Add this mixture to the baking sheet of vegetables and gently stir to combine.
Continue roasting for 7 to10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to boil and blanch the Brussels sprouts for 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain thoroughly under cold running water. Set aside separately.
In a small bowl, combine the shiitake mushrooms and the Brussels sprouts and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated.
Add them to the baking sheet of vegetables, stirring to combine.
Dot the butter over the vegetables and sprinkle with 1/4 cup wine.
Roast for another 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and gently mix them with the thyme and parsley before serving.

Delicious!!!!! I could eat it every day. The mushrooms were my favorite part.
If you're lucky I'll share the amazing chicken recipe we had with it :-)

I survived...barely

2009-02-21T21:56:00.004-06:00

So, we had the triple bypass burger and as you can see, I lived to tell about it.

It was as good as it looks! I loved it. It was great. The best part was the grilled cheese buns.

But incase you don't want to try it and are still curious about what it's like.
Here's a little recap of how it will go.

MmmmYup, this is good
You know what, this is pretty salty
Man I love grilled cheese
That was delicious
I'm just going to lie down for minute. Wake me up in 10 minutes.....
....What happened?! Where did everyone go.

If that didn't make any sense to you. It means after you eat it, you will pass out worse than you did on Thanksgiving.

Valentine's day Heart special

2009-02-10T21:03:00.007-06:00

pHere's to testing the strength of your heart! While watching the Travel Channel I've seen some crazy food, and man does it look good! Two in particular look interesting and editable. The Okie-dog and the Triple bypass burger. Both will test the healthfulness of your heart, but shouldn't be tried by the faint of heart! Hehe :-)

Okie Dog
You can find this at the "The World Famous Oki Dog" stand in Hollywood baby!
2 hot dogs
cabbage
sauerkraut
onions
pastrami
chili
cheese
mustard
pickles
wrapped in two tortilla shells

hotdogspot.com

Triple bypass burger
You can find this at The Vortex in the ATL
1/2 lbs burger
3 fried eggs
4 slices of American cheese
5 slices of bacon
2 grilled cheese sandwiches replacing the buns

Before the week is over I hope to try one of these.......and live to tell about it.

Two tip Tuesday

2009-01-27T17:48:00.003-06:00

Tip one: Have you recently made lasagna and don't have a clue what do with the leftover noodles? I do!

Cut them into skinny strips and turn it into regular pasta!

Tip two: Few day old leftovers a little dry? Pour peperoncini juice (or olive juice if you don't like spice) over the food before you reheat. It has the same effect as using chicken stock, but IMO a lot tastier!!

Lasagna!!

2009-01-25T20:35:00.005-06:00

Friday night after work I had my aunt, uncle, mom, and dad over for dinner to celebrate my aunt's birthday. I asked her what she wanted and she said a meat lasagna. And I wasn't too worried, I can for sure handle lasagna. But I was kinda lazy and didn't think to find a recipe, so I had to shop for it on the fly.

I already had ground beef so I thought I just needed the pasta and sauce. When I got home I realized I had forgot the cheese! But I didn't have time to go back to the store, so I thought I could get away with using the left over pizza blend cheese.

Friday night came and I was very nervous because I was cooking for good cooks and tough palate. In the end, it turned out marvelous!! I thought it was great, and my aunt and my dad said it was the best they've ever had! So, of course I will now have to share.

But be warned, since I made this on the fly, I don't really have specifics on everything.

Steph’s lasagna
To serve 6 with leftovers...
1 lbs ground beef
1 box of lasagna noodles
1 large can of tomato puree
1 small can of marinated diced tomatoes
1 small can of seasoned tomato sauce
1 small can of Rotel
Maybe about 4 cups of shredded pizza blend cheese
About 4 oz of sour cream
Grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Italian seasoning

Boil the water for the pasta
Once that is ready, put in the pasta (drain once ready)
In a deep frying pan start browning the meat
Preheat the oven to 375F
Once the meat is brown, drain off the fat
Pour all four cans of tomatoes over the meat in the pan
Then add the seasoning to taste (3 swirls around the pan with the garlic powder, one even layer of Cayenne pepper, and about half as much Italian seasoning.)
Stir and cook through for about 5 - 10 min.
Assemble the lasagna in layers in a glass baking dish:
Sauce, pasta, a few dollops of sour cream, solid layer of cheese
Repeat layers and end with the cheese layer
Take the leftover sauce and make a border with it around the edge of the pan (between the noodles and the glass)
Tent with tin foil and bake for about 45 min
Take of the foil and bake for about another 10 min or until the top is bubbly

Tip: My uncle said that if you make all of this ahead of time, and then bake it the next day it will settle and be easier to cut the next day. However, I've never tried this!

Enjoy the best lasagna ever!

Bloody Mary Bar!

2009-01-05T22:49:00.008-06:00

A.K.A. a reason to have a party in our basement! We made some progress in dressing up our bar and wanted to show it off, so I thought a little theme party would be a good start. I thought most people wouldn't like the idea, but it was received very well!

When you make a bloody mary bar you can basically do whatever you want, just make sure you do a lot of it! I over did it a bit on the amount of vodka, but that will not go to waste later.

A bloody mary can be a meal within itself, but I told people, if they wanted, to bring a light snack and some beer for chasers. There ended up being plenty to go around!

So, here is the first bloody mary of the night.

You can see a neon Captain Morgan sign reflecting in the mirror.

I bought the following for about 20 happy guests...
1 jar of pickled asparagus
1 jar of pickled brussel sprouts
1 jar of cocktail onions
2 jars of pimento stuffed olives
1 jar of blue cheese stuffed olives
1 jar of pepperocinis
1 jar of pickles spears (kosher dill)
3 small bottles of hot sauce (various types)
1 container of celery salt
1 container of lemon pepper
1 bottle of worcestershire sauce
1 jar of capers
1 bag of ready to eat shrimp
1 bag of mini beef sticks (cheaper than the full sized ones)
1 container of cherry tomatoes
1 large celery stalk
2 bell peppers
1 jar of homemade pickled green beans
1 jar of homemade pickled mushrooms

6 liters of vodka (I only went through about 1/2 of that. Remember to go mid-grade with that. You won't really taste it in the drink if you make it right)
2 large cans of tomato juice
4 jars of bloody mary mix (various brands)

To make things easier, I laid out all the glass on the table and had a cooler of ice next to them on the floor. I thought my overall flow was good, but after making a drink or two I noticed it was a bit congested. But this seemed hard to remedy because everyone makes their drink in a different order, or the rest don't know what they are doing.

BUT, it was still a great party :-) Even though it's been about a month since the party and I'm still up to my eyeballs in pickled condiments!

This is how we do it in Arizona - Poll

2008-12-09T20:16:00.006-06:00

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Which one of these would you like to learn more about?
Put your vote in the comments below. :-)

W.I.P

2008-11-25T13:36:00.003-06:00

I am currently working on redesigning my blog! You already have a sneak peek of the new logo. :-)

Please try to ignore the "mess" while I work.

Feeding a group

2008-11-10T21:38:00.018-06:00

We had our housewarming party about a month ago and it was a chance for me to stretch my wings and plan and cook food for a large group. I think we planned food for about 50 people or so. My parents plan a lot of family parties so they know how to feed large groups of people. So, over a Packer game we planned out the meal and the timing of everything (very important to do!). I don't remember exactly, but I think including alcohol I made food for 60 people for about $200....soooo I think that was pretty good. :-)

The main items are were pulled pork, beans with meat, a chocolate fountain, and Italian pasta salad. Overall everyone really liked the food and we had just the right amount! We had some leftovers but not too much. Some of our guests liked the food so much I had frequent recipe requests for some of the food and drink I served!

I used my magnetic seasoning grinders to stick
my recipes up on our metal tile over the stove.

BBQ pulled pork
1 boneless pork butt, about 4 pounds
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons season salt
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika (surprisingly adds quite a bit of after-spice - even made my uncle sweat!)
1 tablespoon black pepper
BBQ sauce (You can chose whatever you like....yeah)

Prep station

Cook the meat in the oven until the internal temperature of the meat is 160F.
Let cool a bit
Roughly pull a part the meet into a separate dish. Be sure to take off some of the larger chunks of fat.
Cover the meat and put it in the fridge (if you are making it the next day)
The next day, put the meat in a slow cooker with your BBQ sauce.
Start to separate the meat more as it cooks. DONE!

Fresh out of the oven

Tip: If you serve this on small buns the meat will server more people.

Creamy Latin pasta salad
(Footnetwork.com)

1 pound rotini pasta (3/4 of a 16-ounce box)
Dressing
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or queso blanco
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
Salad
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely diced ham
1 orange bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup peeled and chopped jicama
1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives

Cook the pasta
Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender
Mix all the ingredients together
Let sit over night and season to taste the next day

Generally speaking, I don't like pasta salad. They tend to be very bland, but they are good for feeding large groups. So, I looked for something a little different. It was kind of fun because most people didn't know what the jicama was and they kept trying to guess. Overall, I think most people liked it. However, despite the unusual flavors, I think it was still bland. At the last minute my aunt tried to help me season it with sea salt but it didn't seem to help too much.

Beans with meat
1 can garbanzo
1 can black eye peas
1 can kidney beans
1 can bean mix
1 can Chick pea
1 can Butter beans
1 can Ground beef
Bacon
BBQ sauce (I would suggest using a different kind than you used from the pork)

Cook ground beef with seasoning and bacon
Mix all beans, bbq sauce, cooked beef in a crock pot
Remember to stir

This was probably the least liked dish. I made this on the fly and didn't plan it out very much so it ended up being bland. I had intended to make an awesome recipe from my great aunt, but of course, family recipes aren't always easy to get. So, at the last minute I improvised.

Punch
Dry Sangria mix
Club soda
Arbor mist
Frozen fruit (I used a berry mix)

Raito: more wine than soda

Guess what? You mix all the ingredients in a punch bowl!
You don't really need to add ice because the frozen fruit acts like an ice cube

Chocolate fountain

Dipping items

So there you go. All of that food rounded up with some typical snacks (Doritos, taco dip, etc) and dessert (cookie bars and pie) and you have yourself a budget friendly meal to feed a crowd. Then to please the late night crowd, head to the basement bar and play some shot roulette :-) Lucky 21!

What really matters...

2008-11-01T23:37:00.002-05:00

I found a website that highlights the presidential candidate’s favorite foods. (http://www.obama-mccain.info)

McCain:
Shrimp
Enchiladas
Pizza
Doughnut
Baby-back ribs

Obama:
Chili
Pumpkin pie
Food from Italian Fiesta Pizzeria, Chicago

Who would you vote for?

Refreshing!

2008-10-28T09:24:00.003-05:00

I was at my parent's house the other day for dinner and helped my dad make an incredible dessert! It's very simple to prepare and was full of flavor, so I just had to share.
(Since this is my dad's recipe, there aren't any exact measurements. He's a "little of this little of that" kind of cook.)

Dad's fruit salad dessert
Kiwis
Strawberries
Tangerines
Brown sugar

Place a few tablespoons of brown sugar in the bottom of a bowl
Prep and cut one container of fresh strawberries; place in bowl
Peal and cut a few Kiwis (equal to amount of strawberries); place in bowl
Juice 3 - 4 tangerines directly into the bowl. Be sure to remove all the seeds (there’s a lot!) The high amount of seeds is what made us decide at the last minute to just use the juice; it was too hard to pick out all the seeds!
Mix and serve

We served them in a glass ice cream cup. We all loved it.

Tip: The bottom of your cup will collect quite a bit a juice; I thought it would be good to save it and pour over ice cream.