THIRTY : CRUSTED PUMPKIN WEDGES W/ SOUR CREAM

PLENTY

JANUARY 17 2013

THIRTY : CRUSTED PUMPKIN WEDGES W/ SOUR CREAM

What does one do with leftover chicken liver paté? Make paté-stuffed pork chops, of course. I am a frickin' genius! I shall serve them with crusted pumpkin wedges, a nice green salad and a robust Pinot Noir for a very, very fine dinner, indeed.

While my handsome assistant packs as much paté as possible into the thick-cut chops, I tackle the pumpkin. It's just a little baby sugar pumpkin so it doesn't put up much of a fight. Each slice is crusted with an herbacous mix of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, thyme and lemon zest then baked for 30 minutes until browned and tender.

While they're baking I sear the pork chops on each side then slide them into the hot oven to cook through. Maye I can distract my hunger pangs from the amazing smells filling the house but chopping salad toppings and shaking up a quick dressing. It almost works... Okay! The pork chops are out of the oven and resting, so I make a simple pan sauce with lots of marsala wine and we're ready to eat!

Well, the pumpkin is just fine. Delicate and savory with a lovely tang from the dill-sour cream mixture. But the pork chops totally steal the spotlight. So much so that I barely remember the pumpkin at all. You must make paté stuffed pork chops. Think bahn mi + French bistro + down-home rustic cooking. SO FRICKIN' GOOD!!!

TWENTY-EIGHT : STUFFED ONIONS

PLENTY

NOVEMBER 22 2012

TWENTY-EIGHT : STUFFED ONIONS

As anyone who knows me can attest, I have no problem spending hours or even days on a ridiculously complicated recipe with 87 steps and 41 ingredients. Case in point, the insane Peking Duck recipe from Lucky Peach, fully described here by another crazy person willing to go the distance. But, there has to be some kind of payoff for all the invested effort and time. Unfortunately, some of Mr. O's recipes ask me to put myself through the ringer but just don't deliver. One example is this ridiculous herbed rice which had more steps than I even care to recount yet tasted like rice with lots of herbs stirred in. These stuffed onions are another example of wasted effort as I will explain.

TWENTY-SIX : SMOKY FRITATTA

PLENTY

NOVEMBER 18 2012

TWENTY-SIX : SMOKY FRITATTA

 

Doesn't that look good?!? Bubbly cheese, crispy around the edges. Warm and comforting. We were a bit wild last night and this looks like exactly what I need to shake it off and start a new day. First I need a bloody mary and then let's get cookin'!

TWENTY-THREE & TWENTY-FOUR : HAM PARTY!

PLENTY

NOVEMBER 02 2012

TWENTY-THREE : EGGPLANT CROQUETTES
TWENTY-FOUR : QUINOA & GRILLED SOURDOUGH SALAD

It's Friday night and I'm cooking up a ham the size of my head! The big boy, slathered in a mix of jalapeno jelly and whole-grain mustard, has been slowly baking for the last couple of hours and requires little attention. So I can focus on the other dishes while keeping an eye on the Blazer game. I'm planning to greet my dinner guests with hot, crispy eggplant croquettes then serve the ham with mashed potatoes, sauteed kale, Mr. O's Quinoa & Grilled Sourdough Salad and lots o' wine.

The croquettes worry me because I never deep-fry at home. Don't get me wrong, I really, really love fried foods, but I just know I'll run into trouble... grease splatters, left-over oil to deal with, realizing how easy it is and eating everything breaded and fried from now on. But tonight, it's on! First I need to blacken the eggplant but the broiler isn't really getting the job done so I transfer them out to the grill. The recipe calls for "4 medium eggplant"; I had two small ones from the garden and bulked them up with another three from the store.

garden eggplants in the front

TWENTY-ONE : SURPRISE TATIN

PLENTY

OCTOBER 27 2012

TWENTY-ONE : SURPRISE TATIN

I had to look this up, but a tatin is "a caramelized tart that is baked with pastry on top and then inverted for serving". Sounds complicated! And it kind of is although turned out to be way, way easier to deal with than I expected.

First important thing to point out is that some of the potato in this tatin came from our garden! Sometime this spring, I pushed a couple sprouting red potatoes into the ground and they magically transformed into seven potatoes, some of them huge!

garden potatoes!

SEVENTEEN : MARINATED BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO

PLENTY

SEPTEMBER 19 2012

SEVENTEEN : MARINATED BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO

We all are familiar with this equation: summer = tomatoes = caprese salad

Mr. O takes this classic combination of soft mozzarella, ripe tomato and fresh basil to a new level by massaging the mozzarella with a pungent, basil-laced marinade before serving. I usually don't spring for the more expansive buffalo mozzarella, but am truly glad I did this time. It has an amazing softness and richness. And serving it alongside a just-picked tomato still warm from the afternoon sun makes this dish hard to beat. All it needs is some crusty bread to soak up all the lovely juices. Could be a meal in itself!

chiffonade of basil

FOURTEEN : ZUCCHINI & HAZELNUT SALAD

PLENTY

AUGUST 30 2012

FOURTEEN : ZUCCHINI & HAZELNUT SALAD

ZUCCHINI!!! I love you and I hate you at the same time! How many ways can we eat thee without going insane? How about grilled in a lovely salad w/ basil and toasted hazelnuts. OKAY!

garden basil!

garden zucchini!

THREE & FOUR : TWO-COURSE AL FRESCO DINNER

PLENTY

JUNE 14 2012

THREE : ASPARAGUS VICHYSSOISE

FOUR : CARAMELIZED ENDIVE WITH GRUYERE

On warm summery evenings, nothing makes me happier than a simple, healthy dinner leisurely enjoyed in the fading sunlight while the pets frolic and a gentle breeze rustles the growing garden. My drive home from work flies by as I dream of the hot grill, fresh green salad and glass of wine in my future. More often than not, my schemes necessitate a stop at New Seasons to turn them into a reality. Today I saw fish, whole, charred and crispy, served with a simple side. Maybe even multiple courses... start with a refreshing cold soup, perhaps.

TWENTY-EIGHT & TWENTY-NINE : CRUSTED FISH IN ROMESCO W/ BAKED CELERY

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

MARCH 29 2012

TWENTY-EIGHT : PARMESAN-COATED FISH WITH WALNUT ROMESCO SAUCE
TWENTY-NINE : CELERY BAKED IN VINAIGRETTE WITH PANCETTA & SHALLOTS
 
Why, oh why am I so darn bad at cooking fish?!? I can't understand it. Am I using the wrong pan? Is the pan not hot enough? Do I need a fancy fish spatula? I was determined not to mess up the fillets for dinner tonight. "I can do this! Just use lots of butter and get the pan super hot." Fish into the pan with a reassuring sizzle. Okay, lets turn these babies. AAARRRGGHHH!!! It's all sticking and falling apart and I start panicking and... ugly, ugly, ugly.

TWENTY-THREE : TRIPLE TOMATO "RISOTTO"

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

MARCH 14 2012

TWENTY-TWO : ROASTED AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO RISOTTO
 
Risotto is hard, right? It shackles you to the stove for 25 - 30 minutes of continual stirring and brothing and stirring and brothing, right? Wrong! Turns out, after just a few minutes of sauteing, I can stick everything in the oven and ignore it for 35 minutes and suddenly have risotto! Well... kind of risotto. More like baked rice. Which is good, but lacks that all important sauciness and texture contrast of risotto. The rice was flavorful, ooey-gooey and I ate it up, but calling it risotto is a bit of a stretch. Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but I can so I will.

SEVENTEEN : FETA, OLIVE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SCONES

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

FEBRUARY 19 2012

SEVENTEEN : FETA, OLIVE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SCONES

scone o'clock!

Good morning, scone! You perfect, compact, savory little breakfast nugget. Salty, cheesy, yummy.... and so easy. I want to eat you all but that would well exceed my daily sodium intake, thanks to all the salty, salty feta, olives and sun-dried tomatoes packed into each little guy. Oooh! These would be even better (and saltier) with crumbled bacon. Maybe next time...

THIRTEEN & FOURTEEN : CHICKPEA-CORIANDER SOUP WITH CROUTONS

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

FEBRUARY 16 2012

THIRTEEN : CHICKPEA, CHILLI AND CORIANDER SOUP
FOURTEEN : PARMESAN CROUTONS

"I stand before you ashamed yet undeniably guilty of soup-icide. My only excuse is that I was led astray by the persuasive influence of one Delia Smith. She sweet-talked me and made me believe, albeit hesitantly, that the chickpeas would be better off in the blender, processed until fine and smooth. I did as asked and am now filled with regret." ~ Day, 15 minutes ago

The opening paragraph above was composed while tonight's soup was in it's final 30 minute simmer. I'd been tasting it all along and thought it bland, liquidy, meh. And I have always found pureed soups to be lacking any real qualities other than a strong similarity to baby food. (Except the turnip velouté at Beast, which rendered me speechless). Then, I had my first bite of the finished soup in all it's glory. And immediately realized I would be completely rescinding every word in the above paragraph. I only leave it in this post to illustrate how first impressions should not always be trusted.

ONE & TWO : BEEF IN DESIGNER BEER W/ GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

JANUARY 26 2012

ONE : BEEF IN DESIGNER BEER
TWO : MASHED POTATO WITH GARLIC-INFUSED OLIVE OIL

Oooh la la, beef! You look so fantastic in your designer beer! And what is that intoxicating scent you are wearing? I still can't believe it was only 2 1/2 hours ago I was cutting you into 2 inch chunks to be seared before getting all glammed up in your rich, glossy beer sauce. I have to admit, the searing part was a bit of a pain... but I just know your resulting deliciousness will make it well worth the effort!

beef in designer beer with garlic-oil mashed potatoes. YUM!

GNOCCHI MARINARA RECIPE

JANUARY 19 2012

In order to fully enjoy the Gnocchi Marinara, one must also sauce them in the authentic Frankies Tomato Sauce. So, I have included both recipes in this post to help you have the full experience.

EIGHTY-SEVEN - NINETY-FIVE : SUNDAY SAUCE!

JANUARY 5 2012

EIGHTY-SEVEN : OLIVES
EIGHTY-EIGHT : ANTIPASTO PLATE
EIGHTY-NINE : CANNELLINI, CAPER, LEMON & ANCHOVY CROSTINI
NINETY : MULLED WINE
NINETY-ONE : PORK BRACIOLA MARINARA

NINETY-TWO : POTATO GNOCCHI 
NINETY-THREE : GNOCCHI MARINARA  
NINETY-FOUR : PUNTARELLE WITH LEMON, CAPERS, ANCHOVY & PECORINO
NINETY-FIVE : TIRAMISU

 
And that's all folks. I am now done with the book! My grand adventure culminated tonight in a fabulous Sunday Sauce (on Thursday) party where I crammed all the remaining dishes onto the table and we ate until we just about burst. I think it will be easiest to talk about each section separately. So here goes...

SEVENTY-SEVEN : LINGUINE CACIO DE PEPE

DECEMBER 23 2011

As of today, I have four recipes left that aren't already planned for New Year's or Sunday Sauce. All four of these are pasta. Get ready for a carb-filled next week...

The approaching holiday weekend has me pretty darn worried about getting them all done so I was happy to stay in tonight to make dinner and watch media. One problem... I do NOT want to make fresh pasta. I mean really! So far, I haven't found fresh pasta to be enough better to justify the effort. In fact, I usually feel less happy cause it never seems to have enough heft or bite or something. Just lots of softness... not really satisfying.

So I am going against the recipe and using dried linguine... and I don't care!

SEVENTY-SIX : SAUSAGE & BROCCOLI RABE SANDWICH

DECEMBER 18 2011

Man I love sandwiches! Such a perfect food. I really, really love bread and stuffing it with delicious things makes it that much better. In fact, stuffing it with Italian sausage and sauteed broccoli rabe is almost magical!

sandwich fixings from heaven

SEVENTY-ONE & SEVENTY-TWO : BASTARD THANKSGIVING

DECEMBER 10 2011


SEVENTY-ONE : RICOTTA CROSTINI
SEVENTY-TWO : SWEET-AND-SOUR BAKED EGGPLANT WITH MINT & RICOTTA SALATA

I know dishes from an Italian cookbook aren't exactly traditional, but I am taking any opportunity possible to cross off recipes, so today Thanksgiving went Italian! I chose a couple recipes I thought would fit nicely with the turkey and stuffing, and I think these were quite appropriate.

The crostini is very simple. Brush sliced baguette with parsley oil, toast, then top with a dollop of ricotta cheese, a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. I felt like being extra fancy, so I decided to make the ricotta myself. I've done it before with pretty good success and it's not a difficult thing. I did try a new method: heating the milk in the microwave instead of on the stove top. Everything went quite well except I somehow ended up with way less finished cheese than I expected.

fresh homemade ricotta

SIXTY-SEVEN : ESCAROLE & CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP

NOVEMBER 26 2011

Why am I so bad at dried beans? I leapt out of bed at 8am realizing I was supposed to soak the damn beans for 8 hours before starting the soup (which then had to simmer for 2 hours). But I only had 4-1/2 hours before the Civil War & soup eating started. Dang, dang, dang. I let them soak in hot water for about 2 hours, then put them in a pot to simmer for about an hour before starting the soup.

The soup itself is pretty basic. Saute the holy trinity of carrot, onion and celery until softened. Add the beans along with veggie broth and a bay leaf then simmer 2 hours (or in my case, however long it takes for the beans to be done). So where does the escarole come into this equation? Well, that is the pain in the ass part of this recipe; the escarole has to be cooked separately then added to the soup. 

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SIXTY-FIVE : EGGPLANT MARINARA W/ MOZZARELLA SANDWICH

NOVEMBER 19 2011

It's probably so predictable that once I spend most of the afternoon baking a big dish of eggplant marinara from page 137, I will then take the leftovers and make the eggplant marinara sandwiches on page 58. Duh! Especially since there were only two of us taking on 6 huge servings so we had tons of leftovers.

Per my amazing plan, after watching multiple hours of football (the Beavs actually won!), I refueled us with a couple big, hot, delicious sandwiches. So easy too! Just chop up a cup of marinara per sandwich and warm it in a skillet. Once it's "too hot to the touch", it's heaped onto the ciabatta rolls and the whole hot mess is covered with a thick topping of fresh mozzarella. That's it. Eat it!