Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Shrimp and Grits


Prepare old fashioned grits...add at the end of cooking 1/4 c cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of parm cheese....and if you'd like a 1/2 t chicken stock to the grits cooking liquid

For the topping
blend:
1 t paprika
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t cayenne
1/4 t dry mustard
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 t salt

have
1# lg shrimp
2 celery sticks, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 shallot, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 jalapeno, diced
1 c dry white wine or beer

Heat 3 T olive oil in pan, when hot, saute all veg except garlic for about 3 minutes. add garlic and spices, continue to saute for about 3 monre minutes. Add wine, bring to boil, add shrimp. Cover and simmer until shrimp are just pink, about 4 -5 minutes.
Stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice and cilantro to garnish before serving....or lem juice and parsley

serve atop grits, swirling the liquid toward the edges of the bowl and the solids in the center. top w more fresh herbs...

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

slow tuscan loaves


Turned out incredibly well! A deep color and light and airy....the ingredients were simply
flour and water and a micro pinch of yeast - slow rise in the fridge with feedings over 3 days and final dough only added more flour, water and 1 t yeast and 1 t salt....

the round has added walnuts and white wine...kept the long loaf traditionally tuscan for olive oil dipping

sourdough part 2


Wasn't happy with the rise i got from my sourdough. It was vigorously alive, and then i noticed last night somewhere in the sponge stage it seemed to die down...i let if proof all nite but still no change htis morning. baked it thinking what the hey, see what happens. It had dropped into the 70's this morning and was the only good oven time. The rise sucked but the flavor and texture were still nice. So, improvise! Sourdough crackers for our picnic. Slice the loaves real thin w serrated knife...then bake for about 5 more minutes, like biscotti!
it was a sorta happy accident. i like the way these'd look on a beautiful rustic cheese tray.


Still have about 8 hours rise time on the Tuscan loaves....what a lovely way to spend a day off....

Sunday, May 30, 2010

perfecting the homemade za and the new babydoll

Got my Infant massage teaching doll and we are enjoying the energy of having a (plastic) baby in the house.
Esp Tommy...

Also began 2 breads...one sourdough
(I have never had the patience to see through a sourdough, i usually toss the fermented mess on the 3rd or 4th day. But this time on only day 2 i had this beautiful risen mess of bubbly alcohol smelling goop....it just might work! it is in the fridge awaiting the final dough mix....there must be a wealth of happy wild yeasts a floating around in our kitchen... )

the second bread is a traditional tuscan loaf, that has only a pinch of commercial yeast but in most other ways is a sourdough....it does a two day slow ferment in the fridge and we are on day 2.

Will keep documenting developments....

Finally the best pizza we've made to date....the key was to crispen it on the over rack directly after it cam off the pan....and the addition of green olives, which gave it a salty zip and bumped up the flavor to new heights!


Friday, May 21, 2010

Simple Pleasures


The other night we just wanted a simple dinner - had seen a recipe for onion rings and thought, hey, onion rings and grilled cheese sandwiches sounds simple, decadent and delicious.

Now we must make onion rings everyday!!

Very easy - so tasty...light, crunchy, delicate, crispy!

Easy to prepare! Simply heat about an inch of veg oil in a pan til very hot....and have stack o paper towels for draining.
In one bowl pour some milk or buttermilk
in another pour about a cup of flour and 1/4 c corn meal, pinch o cayenne, salt and pepper
Slice a vidalia onion into thick rings (1/4 - 1/2 inch)
Dredge in milk, then flour mixture, milk, then flour mixture.
By the time you have finished the onion dredging, the oil should be perfect, turn it down a bit if it's smokin' and splattering.

Fry slices about 2-3 min per side, drain on towels. Keep warm and crispy on sheet pan in 350 oven til sandwiches are ready!
Perhaps not the most nutritious thing one can eat, but really pleasurable. And they'll make your sandwich shine!! Have some pickles too.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

cookies for lawyers,infant massages, life and life



Returned from weekend trip - Infant Massage teacher certification went really well....cute babies a-gurgling everywhere.
Also laywer catering job went splendidly....hopefully more cookies will be ordered!
Tommy on large Hyde Park big rehab job....then off to France!
Things are a brewing!
Lovely dinner last night of steak and sugar snaps with sesame seeds to celebrate
(another day of living)

Friday, May 7, 2010

corn souffle and flatbread w/roasted tomato


Pasta Primavera


We had the most beautiful Pasta Primavera last night...arugula, broccoli, carrots, purple and green basil, tomato medley...fresh, delightful delicious...made some french loave to go with it....!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Sunday, April 11, 2010

thai and silkscreening



Will post recipe soon, but made the most authentic pad thai recipe that i've ever attempted (it has never tasted like the restaurants does when i've made it before). After initially feeling a bit intimidated I finally asked the nice lady in the thai grocery to help me find such ingredients as tamarind paste, preserved pressed tofu, palm sugar, salted dried radish, tiny dried shrimp - aisles and aisles of similar looking stuff and it was hard to know which one things were needed. She was amused and sort of giggling at me but helped...our version ended up with beef and shrimp and was delicious...

and, both of us having so many loads of fun in our silkscreening classes. My first prints of the chef tea towel series underway. Escoffier has been burned onto the screen with photo emulsion and hosed off and he's looking pretty good.
It is fun to be among artists in studios again.


Update - as i'm typing, tommy walks in (he's working on his art in the kitchen) and asks where the gold glitter is.
I now wonder what is going on in there....

Ah....even fresher update! he came in again and kissed my neck followed by exquisite back rubbing that is making typing difficult...am no longer concerned about glitter mess

Thursday, April 8, 2010

soup and bread - HIDEOUT April 7


Hideout soup party with donations for the HELP shelter was fantastic. And though it was nasty outside, it really was perfect soup eating weather...
Can't wait til next soup season to do it again

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Soup n gratin


Had a lot of fun making big batches of sweet and sour cabbage soup for the Hideout's soup and bread nite tonight...with the leftover cabbage and potato, made T and I a lovely gratin...i recommend the cabbage potato combo...stewed the cabbage in some white wine, salt and pepper, onion and chix stock (for about 20 mins - fist saute it for about 5 mins in some olive oil, then add wine and stock and stew)...layered with thinly sliced potato placed in circles...topped each layer with grated parmy and poured over about a cup of 1/2 and 1/2. Topped w/more cheese baked about 40 min til crispy and bubbly. Deelishy. More on how tonight goes later...

Sunday, March 21, 2010

chalkboard wall and first day o spring



It was 70 and sunny and delightful here on friday! (And then on Saturday, in typical Chicago fashion, it snowed 3 inches and was blustery and frigid) but, on Firday spring was in the air!! We had the most delicious dinner of Arugula pesto and spinach linguine. We also painted a chalkboard wall in the kitchen, so we could have an ongoing site for action paintings, recipes, a place to remember a phone # or shopping list, ect ect ect.
We broke it in last night and had more fun then a barrel of monkeys....we're like 2 kids in a candy store. Fun fun fun.
Arugula pesto
in cuisinart:

3 heaping handfuls arugula
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic
3 T walnuts
Whir it up
stir in
salt and fresh pepper to taste
another 1/4 c olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 c grated parmy

toss with warm pasta. We made some garlic rubbed tomato brushcetta too, it was a near perfect meal.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

why did the soup picture come out 40 times on the post below and why am i powerless to change it? must be the histamines....

The soup that is saving me

nk goodness for the leftover chicken and carcass of previous post, used it for stock and chix bits for Emeril's tortilla soup. I don't know if it was the chest congestion or cold or what, but this soup tasted pretty much better than heavenly.


Emeril's Quick Tortilla Soup

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Prep Time:
ve Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
45 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup chopped onions
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1 pasilla or green bell pepper
* 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 6 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 pound cooked chicken, shredded
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
* 6 stale corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
* 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
* 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
* 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped, optional garnish
* Chipotle Crema, optional garnish, recipe below

Directions

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the fried tortilla strips, avocado and Chipotle Crema, as desired.

Chipotle Crema:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Serve with the soup.

Yield: 1/2 cup

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Wed Feb 24 2010

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Brokeback chicken take 2 - an even more perfect bird!!

Tommy "Once again we found ourselves under the boughs of the banyon tree"
Or, in a state of bliss, as he just translated to me, when i said "what does that mean?"
Tonight we had butterfly roasted chix with greek potatoes and mushroom rice. And a nice Chardonnay. Delicious. Eve though I have the plague and am bombarded with histamines, it was still delicious. I think it was so good it even cured me a little.
Greek potatoes....peel 2 large russet potatoes. Preheat oven to 350-
slice potatoes into large chunks. in bowl combine about 1/4 c olive oil, 2 T tomato paste, 1 T oergano, 1 T fresh garlic, and the juice of 1 large lemon. toss with potatoes in a roasting pan, then salt and pepper to taste. Roast @ 350 til knife easily goes through a spud. (about 45 min) Oh they are deelishy.


Rinse the chicken
Backside up, take a pair of serrated scissors, and cut down the middle of the back - cut off al l the spine - reserve to make a chicken stock later with the giblets that sometimes come with the chicken
open up chix like a book
flip over
then,with both palms, push down, like shaitsu, and snap and flatten chicken and perfect you'll have it
Preheat oven to 400

Marinade: let chix sit at room temp for 1 hour w marinade-
4 springs fresh rosemary (from window herb garden)
5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
kosher salt
fresh grnd pepper
baste in olive oil
2-3 T chix stock
1 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 (heaping we like oregano) T oregano (dried)
Tommy likes to mix all in a cup, then spread all over the chicken

Bake in preheated oven - we find exactly one hour @ 400 is great....but you want thermometer to read 165-170 in thigh, or juices running clear....




Thursday, February 18, 2010

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Making beef stew


Above, 2 typos...it is 2 1/2 cups (approx) beef broth. not 21!
and, on method, it's "enough beef stock to COVER (not bovver) the meat"
scuse my impatient typings. It's one fab stew. Tastes better if you make it the day before which makes is perfect for dinner parties. Serve over homemade noodles, or smashed potato, or sweet potato.....
ahh the stew...it was delicious!!! on top of smashed potatoes....


Yesterday started stew recipe. i like to let it sit for a day....while it was simmering i got inspired...supposedly Escoffier made the first version of boueff bourguinon in France. I most likely spelled that wrong but i don't care. So i sketched him. Then today, while warming stew sketched Julia. Her stew became famous, too. Now thinnking of printing tea towel series of the great chefs...
Later stew recipe + photos...

Monday, February 8, 2010

pasty party w/Kapa girls and boys

New dining table top we made came out stunning!




Al's recipe, minus the shrooms

Hi Dean,
Thanks so much for having us over yesterday. What a great time. You and Tommy are great hosts and your home is so warm & welcoming. Time to shower, then off to Tom & Donna's for the Super Bowl.
Take care,
Alice
Here's the recipe for the sauce I made.

Directions:
Heat milk, butter, garlic and spices over medium heat.

Before boiling occurs, reduce heat, add cream cheese, feta and red onion, stirring constantly.

When cheese is smooth, add Parmesan,drained mushrooms and artichokes.
Serve over fresh pasta
Artichoke Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com
Serves/Makes: 4 | Difficulty Level: 3 | Ready In: <>

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 oz. size) artichoke hearts, quartered, drained
16 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked, drained