Banana Cranberry Bread......YUMMMMMM!!!!

I am not one for banana's, you would never catch me eating one plain, but I do enjoy a good banana bread. I had some holiday baking to do for clients over the weekend so I decided on a recipe that I found in my new The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. This is the second cookbook I have purchased from the Test Kitchens and I love it. They test every recipe to find the best variation.

This banana bread recipe calls for plain yogurt which I think really helps to keep the bread moist. As I am sure that I have mentioned (one more than one occasion) I do not like nuts, so I used dried cranberries instead.

This is by far and away the best banana bread I have ever eaten! Peter really likes it to, but says until I add the walnuts in it will not be the best he has ever had....maybe next time! ;-)

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love my crock pot and I tend to use it a lot during the winter when we are craving heartier meals. It is so handy, especially for weeknight meals. There is nothing better than coming home to the smells of something cooking and knowing that all the work is done for you and all you have to do it enjoy!

Tonight I tried a recipe for slow cooker beef stew from my latest cook book purchase (it really is an obsession) The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The recipe was easy to follow, but I did cheat a little bit and didn't brown the meat before putting it into the crock pot. This was for two reasons, 1. I was too lazy to do it the night before after having just cooked another meal and 2. I really didn't have time to do it this morning before leaving for work. However, the dish was still fantastic and really hit the spot on this dreary, rainy day.

Amish Friendship Bread.....Last Post (I think).

I have really enjoyed the whole process of making this bread. It was very easy to find the basic starter on the web but finding a winning recipe to make the actual bread was the hard part.

The first recipe I tried was this one which was just OK. The main reasons being that it had few ingredients, lots of cinnamon (YUM) and no nuts or fruits. It made the kitchen smell fantastic, however it was fairly dry and lacked flavor.

Then I was on to the winning recipe. Although this one calls for walnuts (yuck, yuck, yuck), raisins (sort of yuck) and dates (can't say I have tried one but I am thinking they taste similar to a raisin) everything else about it appealed to me, I just left these ingredients out, but I am sure if you are a fan of these it would still be great.

Unlike the first recipe it calls for vegetable oil, applesauce, and instant vanilla pudding all of which would made the bread very moist. What a hit! I made two loafs the first go round and Peter and I basically had it for dinner that night and ate almost all of one. Then I made four more loaves to share with the family for Thanksgiving and I had none left to show for it after people left for the evening.

I will be making many loafs for Christmas gifts this year, I am so excited!!!

Wine, Wine, Wine

I used to be a horrible baker, I used to claim to "hate" it. However, in actuality I just didn't know how to do it. When I was in high school my mother used to dread when I got the itch to bake because I would make such a mess of the kitchen. One year for my step-father's birthday I decided to make him his favorite lemon poppy seed cake and left out the baking soda so it was a dense disk like cake. It was frustrating, especially being the daughter of an expert baker.

So, in 2007 I vowed to teach myself how to bake. I do not claim to be an expert but I have gotten much better and have a few recipes that I do very well and I continue to challenge myself as a baker. I am also very proud to say that I can bake up just about anything and not make a mess of my kitchen.

In 2008 I wanted a new challenge to add to my culinary knowledge so I decided to take on blogging. My thought was that it would make me think more carefully about the dishes I was making as I challenged myself to be witty and entertaining to create a blog that people would enjoy reading. I am not sure if I have accomplished all of that, however I have really enjoyed blogging and plan to continue with it.

Now, with 2009 quickly approaching I find myself thinking of where to stir my culinary focus. I have not fully decided as of yet, but I think I am leaning towards wine. Not only the drinking of wine (which of course is a plus), but also learning everything about it and how to pair it well with food.

Last weekend the Gilbertson's and the other Kallos' came over to dinner (Italian Pot Roast, YUMMY!) and we tried a new bottle of wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon by Myers Vineyard. This wine is a lot pricey that I would normally buy, about $48, but I decided to serve it as the salesman at the wine store said it was better than Silver Oak at half the price. Silver Oak is a Cabernet that all of us, excluding Peter who doesn't care for wine (shocking), really enjoy. It is about $80-$100 depending on where you go, but it is very smooth, rich and delicious. By far the best wine I have ever put in my mouth.

This new bottle was very good, and I would not turn it down if offered to me again, however it is no Silver Oak. It is not nearly as smooth as the Silver Oak and has a bit more of an alcohol taste than the Silver Oak.

Any opinions on this wine thing? Do you think it is a good challenge for 2009? I would love your opinion.

Banana Cookies

I had about 5 over ripened banana's that had to be used so I made these delicious banana cookies.

I am not a fan of banana's usually, but I do like banana breads. This cookie is very cake like and has the same flavors of banana bread. I used chocolate chips instead of walnuts (yuck!) and they were great, this is a keeper!

Friendship Bread Starter

It is ready! Very easy to do, it just takes tending to every day. I have already made several loaves for clients and it seems to be a hit! I will be making a loaf for Peter and I today so we can try it as well.

Amish Friendship Bread

My friend Traci brought me literally a sliver of Amish Cinnamon Bread that a friend of her had made. She said it was all she could part with but I had to try it. Holy cow was it delicious! I have heard of Amish friendship breads before, but had never eaten or made any myself. So, after eating this very small and very delicious sliver that Traci was able to part with I decided to do some research to make some myself.

The bread begins with a starter made of yeast, flour, sugar and milk. The starter is a 10 day process in which you sometimes add more of the ingredients and you sometimes just stir the mixture. I am currently on day 3 of this 10 day process and I can not wait for it to be done so I can start making breads! Apparently there will be plenty of starter and it is meant to be shared, hence the name friendship bread.

I will keep you posted on the progress.

Old-Fashioned White Bread

Peter and I (OK.....it was probably for me) received the Williams- Sonoma Cookbook as a 5th anniversary gift and yesterday I made my first recipe out of the book.

I have been wanting to try my hand at bread for awhile now. Peter's dad and his Uncle Peter make some great breads and I would very much like to join their club!

I think this is a great starter recipe for bread. It was very direct and allowed a little room for error. Everything went very well, although I am afraid that I may have burned up the motor in my Kitchaid, and I am proud to say that the dough rose without a problem twice!!!

Very yummy straight from the oven, we will see how it holds up today. I am a little nervous that it may be dry.......we shall see!

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

I am back to cooking (and blogging) now that life has calmed down a lot!

Yesterday I tested a cookie from Taste of Home- Best Loved Cookies & Bars for the Christmas season. This cookie was very easy to make and I think gives the uh-ah factor that I look for during the holidays. The only thing I will need to do differently next time is melt the chocolate for the top a little bit more so it does not go on so thick.

24 maraschino cherries

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips, divided

1/2 teaspoon shortening

Pat cherries with paper towels to remove excess moisture; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in cherry juice and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Insert a chocolate chip into each maraschino cherry. Wrap a tablespoon of dough around each cherry. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt shortening with remaining chips; stir until smooth. Dip tops of cookies in melted chocolate. Let stand until set. Store in air tight containers.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

I miss cooking...and blogging...

Unfortunately I have not been doing a lot of cooking, and therefore not a lot of blogging this month. I have been busy with all sorts of things, including a class for work that is Friday-Sunday for the past two weekends.

Tonight I am cooking for some friends who just had a baby, lasagna and pineapple coconut loaf cake. I have blogged about both recipes in the past.

Next weekend things should slow down a bit and I will be back in the kitchen! I have plans for several recipes but the one I am the most excited to try is homemade bread!

TTFN!

Italian Chili

I made this one out of Soups Stews & Chilies a special edition magazine from the editors of Cuisine at Home (love their regular bi-monthly magazine by the way) and thought it might be a good way to start out some cool weather.

The recipe was easy to follow and is filled with things that I thought Peter would just flip for. Italian sausage, pepperoni, beans ect. It filled the house with the beautiful smells of Italian cuisine and I couldn't wait to try a bowl!

Well.......Peter thought it was too rich and didn't finish his bowl.....I never did get a good answer out of him about the actual taste of the dish. I do have to agree with him that it was very rich but it was also pretty tasty, it reminded me of pizza. However, I do not think I will be making it again, it was good but not a keeper.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

If you look to the left on my blog you will see links to Foodbuzz which is a great online community of Foodies like me who like to cook, bake, and dine out all around the country. I joined the Foodbuzz family in March 2008 and I must say I am so proud to be a part of it!

I would like to help them in officially announcing their publisher community! Check it out when you have some time, this is a great place to meet people who love food and to hear reviews and feedback about your local restaurants!

Cheers!

A Seasonal Treat

Even though I try I just can not seem to break my coffee addiction.....I am just too weak!

Every year around this time Coffeemate releases their Peppermint Mocha creamer and I just can not resist it. I saw it a Publix, on sale for 2 for $4.00 and I just had to buy the last four on the shelf!

Peter was so disappointed in me, he said that I am hoarding coffee creamer like people hoard gas! I say so be it!! This stuff is hard to come by and is only around for a limited time!!

Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!

Really, really delicious! Peter is into pork chops recently so I have been looking for creative and healthy ways to fix them and this one is a winner from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. The classic combination of sage, apples and pork immediately caught my eye and with the addition of carrots and cabbage I had a feeling the dish would hit the spot.

The recipe is fairly easy to put together. I like to prep everything before I start cooking to ensure nothing becomes overcooked. I shredded the carrots into long strips with my vegetable peeler, I thought it gave a nice visual interest. I also must admit that I took some help from the store and bought preshredded cabbage. I love cabbage and cook with it a lot, but often times I find chopping a head of cabbage a little daunting so this is one area that I normally buy preshredded.

The chops which marinate in a mixture of chopped fresh sage, minced garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper for about 10 minutes and then they are browned in the pan. The chops are then removed and the onions, apples and more fresh sage sauteed until soft. Then in go the rest of the veggies with a bit of cider vinegar. This cooks down for a short time and then the pan is deglazed with chicken stock. The chops are then placed back into the pan and covered to simmer for about 5-7 minutes longer. The result is absolutely one of the best meals I have had in months.

At only 330 calories per serving Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw will be a meal made in the Kallos household again and again.

Pasta E Fagioli

I arrived home around 7:00 PM last evening from my trip to London feeling so happy to have had the experience and homesick all at the same time. London was absolutely fantastic and more beautiful than I imagined. It was also a very busy 10 days at the convention I was attending.

I am fighting a bit of jet lag and feeling a little blue....I think because I am completely exhausted so I thought that a nice comforting soup would be the best bet for dinner tonight.

Pasta E Fagioli from my latest special edition magazine from Cooks Illustrated. The recipe sounded like it would be light enough for the still warmish temperature and comforting at the same time and I was right.

It is filled with tomatoes, beans, onions (I added the chicken because Peter prefers a heartier soup) and a surprising ingredient....anchovy paste! It really did add a great richness to the soup without a fishy taste. Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crisp prosciutto it really hit the spot!

This one is a keeper and has me in the mood to make more soups. I love Autumn, I can not wait for the air to get crisp and cool, it really inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen.

Heading Across the Pond

I miss blogging.....feels like I haven't in a long time....really this is because September has been crazy busy and I have not done any interesting cooking. Everything has been easy, on the fly dishes that I make all the time.

Today I am heading to England for a work convention, I am excited! But this means there will probably not be any more posts in September, October will be different, I have big plans to start cooking up a storm!

Cheerio My Friends!

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

I had big plans this weekend to make coconut cream pie but that fell by the wayside when I found this recipe for one of the best looking cupcakes I have ever seen.

The recipe has many steps starting with the bottom crust.

A mixture of crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter a pressed into the bottom of the tin and then topped with finely chopped chocolate. This is than baked for about 5 minutes to set the crust and melt the chocolate.

The crust is then topped with the cake batter. The batter is not thick at all, it has the consistency of melted ice cream, which worried me at first but everything turned out well. The batter is topped with the remaining graham crackers and chocolate and then baked.

Next comes the marshmallow frosting. I was a bit nervous about making the frosting but it turned out to be very easy.

I then pipped it on top of the cupcakes (I still need some practice at this) and placed them under the broiler to toast.

The cupcakes are delicious! One thing to note is that the recipe says it makes 2 dozen, when in actuality it could probably make about 4 dozen.

Anxious for Fall and New Cooking Magazines

I have been uber busy recently. Nothing I can complain about, but it has kept me out of the kitchen quite a bit. This weekend (and hopefully next) I plan to change that. I am missing cooking and baking a lot.

Fall is upon us (OK, so it is still hot outside, but a girl can pretend) and I could not be more excited, Fall is my favorite season. The weather is great, the clothes are cozy and best of all it starts the season for all sorts of fantastic foods.

I have two new cooking magazines that I can not wait to make some recipes out of. One is Cooks Illustrated American Classics. I am excited to try the following recipes from this issue.

Crisp Fried Chicken: Who doesn't love fried chicken! I have never attempted it though so it will be a new experience.

Philly Cheesesteak: One of my favorite sandwiches and I think that Peter may like it too.

Coconut Cream Pie: This is one I think I may try this weekend. I really like cream based pies and this recipe looks excellent and the crust is made with animal crackers....very interesting.

The second magazine is a special edition from Cuisine at Home. This is one of those $10 splurges but I love the regular magazine and this issue is filled with Soups, Stews and Chilies which are some of my favorite foods. There are countless recipes in this issue that I would like to try and I am sure I will though out the Fall and Winter seasons. This weekend however, I think I am going to try Kung Pao Shrimp Soup. I already have some shrimp that needs to be used and the recipe seems light enough for the warm weather that is still lingering.

One thing I am worried about with the Kung Pao Shrimp Soup is Sriracha.....what the heck is that!?!?! Looks like it will be Google to the rescue for me on that one, hopefully I will be able to find it in a local grocery store......

BLT's & Copious Amounts of Tomatoes

We have TONS of tomatoes on our one lone tomato plant. Last night I took about 10 over to the Gilby's for dinner, and I just picked about 60 more......I swear, 60! I will be sharing these with my office mates tomorrow as there is no way that Peter and I would be able to eat all of these tomatoes. And, believe it or not there are still plenty to pick once they are ripe!

Tonight, in an attempt to use up some of the tomatoes we had BLT's for dinner. YUMMY!!! This is one of my all time favorite sandwiches and I love how simple and old fashion they are. Just some great bread, mayo, lettuce, bacon & tomatoes. It doesn't get much better than this!

Foster's Pimento Cheese Spread

I had this delicious treat over Christmas when Traci brought it for lunch one afternoon when the girls got together to bake. I loved it and have been looking for an occasion to make it again. Saturday was just the day, I co-hosted a baby shower for our good friends Becky & Nate. She is as big of a cheese fan as I am so this was perfect......I wish there had been leftovers!

From The Foster's Market Cookbook pg. 102

1 cup (4 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese *

1 1/2 cup (4 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup (4 oz.) grated smoked Gouda cheese**

1 roasted red & 1 green bell pepper, peeled, cored, seeded & chopped***

1 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 jalapeno, seeded & minced

1 tbls. cider vinegar

1 tbls. honey

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, and roasted peppers in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, jalapeno, vinegar, honey, salt & pepper and stir to blend well.

Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the cheese mixture and mix well. Season with additional salt & pepper if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to one week.

Notes

* If you have a food processor use it to shred the cheese, the time saving is unbelievable.

** I used regular Gouda, not smoked

*** I used an oven roasting method for the peppers. Rub peppers with Olive Oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in a preheated 450 degree oven, turing until the skin is charred. Remove the peppers and cool, then remove the charred skin, stem, core & seeds.

Cheesecake Redemption

I will not be defeated!!!


I had to give cheesecake a try again, but I decided not to use the same recipe. Instead I used the recipe for New York Cheesecake from my trusty Baking Illustrated Cookbook. I really like this book because it gives several suggestions based on mistakes that the bakers made while trying different methods for each recipe. They do this to find what they feel gives the best final product.





I followed the directions to a T, I took my time and prayed that this go round would be better than the last. I am happy to report that my hard work payed off, the cake turned out beautifully.









I brought it to my father in laws house on Sunday to celebrate his birthday and it was a big hit! I can not wait to make it again and will try some different variations that were suggested as well.

Blueberry Pancakes

I picked up the most recent issue of Cooks Illustrated last week and I am excited to try almost every recipe in the issue. Most will require some time, which I don't have a lot of at the moment, but one stood out right away as quick and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Blueberry Pancakes on page 43 was what caught my eye. I believe I have mentioned before that I am not usually one for pancakes, however this recipe reminded me of sleep overs at my friend Megan's house when we were little girls. Her mom would make us blueberry pancakes on Sunday mornings and it always made me so happy. Since I had blueberries left from the bag my mother in law gave me last week I decided that this past Sunday would be the day for pancakes.

Delicious! I just loved them and Peter did to, he said "these are better than Pancake House" which is one of his favorite breakfast restaurants, so I knew I had done a good job!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

My mother in law lives just north of us on several acres and grows all sorts of fresh foods. This year she had copious amounts of blueberries which she picked at the peek of the season and froze. When she came for a visit last weekend she brought me a large bag and I was excited to use them right away.

As you will see from previous blogs this spring/early summer I tried my hand at blueberry pie a time or two. The first time the pie turned out beautifully, the second time....not so good. I think it is do to the hot & humid Atlanta weather in the summer so I decided to hold off on pies until the fall and winter months.

This go round I tried a blueberry crumb cake from Great Food Fast. This is a very easy recipe, the only thing that I was disappointed in was the crumb topping. It didn't come out with the thick crumbs that I was expecting, this may be due to the large amount of topping the recipe made. The next time I will cut that portion of the recipe in half but keep the amount of butter the same to see if that makes a difference in texture.

The cake was delicious. Not too sweet and very moist, it was excellent in the morning with a cup of coffee. This is a keeper, I will make it again for sure!

Hyperlinks

Whoo Hoo!!!

I finally figured out how to make a hyperlink, no more long complicated looking links on Fabulous Culinary Experiences!!!!

Easy Shrimp & Cabbage Lo Mein

This recipe from Everyday Food Magazine is a deliciously quick weekday meal.

Asian food is one of our favorites and can at times be labor intensive. This dish gives us the great Asian flavors that we love in under 30 minutes!

the leftovers are also excellant for lunch!

Bing Cherry Sauce

Even though the cheesecake was a total disaster the Bing Cherry Sauce that I made to accompany it was fantastic! We enjoyed it over ice cream later in the week.

The recipe is very simple and could be made with a variety of fruits. I have used raspberries in the past but blueberries or strawberries would be delicious as well.

1/2 lb. fruit cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

12 oz. jar of fruit jam (preferably the same flavor as the fruit you have chosen)

Heat first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then add jam and heat until the mixture is reduced by half.

Cool to room temperate and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Lucy and the Bee

Our poor dog was stung by a bee yesterday, I feel really bad that her poor little face puffed up, but she sure did look cute!

Cheesecake Disaster

Cheesecake is one of our favorite desserts and I have made cheesecakes before but never one that needed to be baked, so I tried a baked version over the weekend.

I choose this one from Epicurious, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CHEESECAKE-107432 because of its promise of being light and fluffy rather than dense and creamy.

The recipe seemed easy enough. I had no luck finding orange- flower water so I diluted orange extract with some water. The meringue took much longer to come together (20 minutes) than the recipe said that it would but other than that I had no troubles.

Into the oven it went. I was rather proud at my parchment job and sealing the bottom of the spring form pan like Fort Knox with the foil.

The recipe says to bake for 55-65 minutes or until the top is golden and the cake trembles slightly. I baked it for about an hour, the top was very golden and the cake did tremble a bit so I thought everything was perfect.

Last night my in-laws came for dinner and I was so proud to present my cake. It looked so beautiful, I felt like I was really going to impress everyone. Then I cut into it......

Apparently I did not bake it long enough! We had cheesecake pudding rather than the decedent cake I had hoped for!

What a bummer! All I could do was laugh and try to find the good in it after all that work. Luckily the top of the cake was cooked enough so that we were able to get an idea of how the true cake would have tasted. The flavor was excellent and the texture was what I was looking for which are both positives, so I will just have to try this one again.

Schwartz's Deli- Montreal Canada

We have just returned from our yearly trip to visit Peter's family in Montreal. We had such a great time and ate A LOT!

Schwartz's is a Montreal staple and our favorite place to have lunch. They are known for their smoked meat sandwich which is so delicious that people literally line up outside the door to get one (no matter the type of weather).

Although the Smoked Meat Sandwich is the main attraction you also need to accompany it with a few of Schwartz's other delicious treats.

The cherry soda is fantastic and one of the only sodas that I will drink with full sugar.

Also, the big dill pickles are a must. Our nephew Riley was not so interested in his smoked meat however, the pickle was a hit has you can see.

And of course who can have a sandwich with out french fries? These are some of the best around.

If you get the opportunity to go to Montreal do not pass this one up!

Weekend Party at the Kallos'

What a great weekend! We had friends over on Saturday and had a great time, but I have to admit that I was not so good at taking photos this time around. I (of course) was running around chatting with everyone and manning the grill. I did manage however to take a few before the party started.

A quick cheese, prosciutto and melon tray was great for snacking. The cheeses were Dubliner, a great sharp cheddar like cheese, and a wonderful smoked Gouda.

The main dish was ribs (I am so bummed I forgot to take a photo) a recipe/technique I learned from our good friend Cody Bullis. They were great as usual. I made WAY too many so everyone was pleased to take some home for lunch on Sunday.

We also had Asian Cole Slaw which I love and I made the mac & cheese I recently posted about. But, believe it or not, the highlight dish of the night for me was this Layered Summer Salad, http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/layered-summer-salad-75160.aspx.

This salad is full of fresh vegetables and I was able to use more of the fresh basil from the garden. I was a bit worried that it would get soggy by letting it sit with the dressing for 5 hours, however I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Very crispy and cool, perfect for a hot summer day, I can't wait to make it again!

As an added bonus we celebrated Peter, Brian, and Becky's birthday (all coming up this week) with a fantastic Devil's Food cake from Cakes by Darcy, http://www.cakesbydarcy.com/. Everyone loved this cake so much! I can not wait for another excuse to order from this bakery.

A Summer Treasure

Fresh tomatoes from our garden. Delicious!

Coconut Pineapple Loaf Cake

YES!!!!! I think I have restored my faith in my baking abilities with this one, phew! I was getting worried that all the skills I gained during the baking year of 2007 were gone.

Found this recipe in the June issue of Everyday Food, and immediately ear marked it. It is deliciously light and sweet. Yum, can't wait to make it again.

Hungarian Delight

Peter is half Hungarian (and very proud) and I am about a quarter Hungarian, no wonder we're in love! :-) Early in our marriage my father in law taught me to make traditional Hungarian Goulash. It is has always been one of Peter's favorite and now it is one of mine.

Such simple ingredients make a rich and flavorful dish. If you can, make it the day before you want to serve it, it is so much better the next day!

1 Large Onion- Diced
1 Large Green Pepper- Diced
1 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2.5 Lbs. Beef Stewing Meat

3 Tablespoons Paprika

1 Sm. Can Whole Tomatoes
½ Cup Sour Cream & More for Garnish
Salt & Pepper
Water


Heat oil in large Dutch oven and add onions & peppers. Cook until softened but do not brown, about 7-8 minutes.

Season beef with salt and pepper and add to soften vegetables. Brown lightly and then remove from pot.

When beef is removed drain most of but not all of the oil from pan saving the vegetables. Then pour 1 cup water and paprika into pan. Simmer for about a minute scrapping all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add beef back into pot, along with the tomatoes, broken up roughly by hand. Add water until beef is just covered. Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer pot for about 3 hours or until beef is very tender.

Remove one ladle full of sauce and mix in separate bowl with the sour cream. Add mixture back to pot mixing until smooth.

Serve over small noodles and top with a dollop of sour cream.

A Midsummers Night

This is how it began.......the ending was not so pretty........

Funny how a beautiful evening and good conversation leads to drinking an entire bottle of Pinot Noir by yourself......

Sunday Cooking

Peter has been growing a basil and tomato plant for me and I could not be more excited. Both plants are doing excellent, although the tomatoes are not yet ripe enough to eat. The basil plant however is thriving and I took the opportunity to make fresh (and organic) pesto.

The recipe from the Martha Stewart Living- New Classics cookbook was very simple. The pesto made the whole kitchen smell great and I can not wait to try it over pasta for dinner and in an egg white omelet with cheese for breakfast.

It is unbelievable how much pesto this recipe made. According the the directions it will last up to one week in the refrigerator, so I will be sharing some with friends as not to waist any.

For dinner I made King Crab Legs, one of Peter's absolute favorite meals. I have to admit though that I do not make them that often as I find cooking them a bit daunting.

This time though I am happy to report that it was a lot easier. For my birthday (in March) Peter bought me a fantastic new set of aluminum cookware and I have been loving them! The large stock/pasta pot made steaming the crab much easier to manage and cutting them into pieces made for even cooking.



The night was beautiful and we enjoyed the crab on the deck. A great way to end a relaxing weekend, delicious food and a happy husband.

Creamy Salad's for the 4th of July

I love the 4th of July! It marks the true beginning of summer which means great times with friends and of course delicious food!

This 4th of July weekend was a lot of fun and very busy. We had several parties to go to starting with our annual holiday feast at the office. This year I made pasta salad which is one of my favorite summer foods. I was looking for a traditional recipe with a twist and I think that this one from Foodnetwork.com hit the spot, http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_14130,00.html. It is creamy, crunchy, spicy and satisfying.

The salad as easy to make but had several steps and a lot of ingredients. Also, it should be noted that although the salad is delicious it will do nothing for your breath! :-)

We had two other parties to attend on the 4th and I had plans to make some other treats, however this salad made so much that I had enough to bring to these two parties as well! This one is a keeper, I will make it again for sure.

With one more party left on Saturday the 5th I was out of pasta salad so I made potato salad (my apologies, I forgot to take a photo). This recipe is my mom's which she taught me years and years ago. I LOVE it and make it whenever I have the opportunity.

1 lbs. tender potatoes (I usually use small red potatoes)

1 lg. green pepper- seeded & chopped

2 stalks celery- chopped

3 scallions- chopped

4 eggs- hard boiled & chopped

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1 tbls. garlic salt

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Boil potatoes until tender, cool to room temperature and quarter into bite sized pieces.

In a large bowl combine the potatoes and all the vegetables. In a small bowl combine the mayo, mustard and seasoning, then mix in with the potato mixture. Fold in eggs.

Chill for at least two hours before serving.

A Meal for New Parents

My co-worker Adam and his wife Kate welcomed their first child to the world on June 21. Little Addisen Brian is just beautiful, but is keeping his parents very busy. So, I thought they would appreciate meals that they could make in a jiffy.

Who doesn't love Macaroni and Cheese! I made this one from Tyler Florence (one of my favorite Food Network hosts) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29021,00.html and found it very interesting that you infuse the milk with onion, clove, garlic, dry mustard, and thyme before adding it to the rue. The milk smelled delicious!

Then the cheese was added, cheddar and Parmesan. The mixture was thick and creamy.

After baking in the oven I am sure it will be heaven! I will have to make this dish again ASAP so that we can try it too.

A Childhood Memory

Chicken Chop Suey is one of those dishes that brings back a million memories. Both my mom and my Grandmother Lois used to make this dish for us when we were kids (I am pretty sure that it was from a can, regardless it was one of my favs).

Ellie Krieger does it again! 470 calories per serving, delicious and satisfying, you just can't go wrong.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35583,00.html

I didn't make the the wonton crisps on the top (forgot to get them at the store) so I am looking forward to making this dish again with them.

Pineapple Fast

I have never done anything like this before, but I am giving it a shot today. For the past few weeks I have been feeling really heavy and just plain gross. I heard about the pineapple fast on the radio and have read a lot about it. It seems to be fairly good for you, will flush out your system and (strangely) is great for the elasticity of your lungs.


So....on this very grey day of working at home, I will be eating nothing but an entire pineapple and drinking lots of water. If I don't absolutely hate it I may try the recommended 3-10 days next week.

I Scream...You Scream.....OK, You Know the Rest

I LOVE ice cream, and who doesn't?!?! If you are looking for a new flavor I highly recommend Ben & Jerry's - ONE Cheesecake Brownie, YUM!

PS

I swear I did not eat the entire container in one sitting (although it was tempting).