The Everyday Palate

An Exploration of Cheese (A GSW 1120 Honors Collaboration)

2012-02-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

As I’ve hinted at in my Connotation Press column as well as in an episode of Spatula, I’m addicted to cheese. I eat it at least once a day, and sometimes well more than that. What’s beautiful about cheese is that no two are the same. I’ve even found very different flavor profiles among the same brand of cheese; for example, I’ve had Grass Point Farm Sharp Cheddars that are perfectly tangy and rich and others that taste like lavender dish soap; it all depends on the grass the cow ate.

In an attempt to introduce source synthesis to the students in my food-themed Honors writing course, I took my love of cheese into the classroom. This past Thursday the nine of us chowed down five different cheeses and talked about the similarities and differences between them. Because they are an awesome, talkative, sharp bunch, our discussion was lively and intelligent. And the writing was even better.

The five cheeses we tasted and critiqued were:

Raw Milk GoatCheddar by Rosewood Products, Ann Arbor, MI bought at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor. 15.99/lb (Can be procured at Happy Badger too.)

Grass Point Farms Sharp Cheddar Cheese bought at The Anderson's. 10.99/lb

Naturally GoodKosher Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Meijer. 4.99/ 1/2 lb

Kraft Easy Cheddar Cheese from Kraft Foods Global bought from Kroger. $4.29 a can.

Kroger brand Marbled CheddarCheese by Kroger bought from Kroger. $1.88 1/2 lb

Without further ado, I welcome the following guest writers to The Everyday Palate: David, Kara, Alyssa, Laura, Tiffany, Spencer, Sarah, and Jess. Please enjoy these reviews of our tasting. Preferably with a glass of red wine (or sparkling grape juice, if you’re under 21.)

From The Cookbook Chronicles
"Photography internship
with Clare Barboza"

Cheese reminds of us many things: our grandmas, recipes, pizza, crackers, and, as Alyssa pointed out, mice. (Think about all the children’s books about mice can cheese!) While the French are the true connoisseurs of cheese, Americans have just as much love for this dairy product—we just show it in a different way; Spencer pointed out our love of fried cheese on a stick, when he jotted down his top five things that come to mind when someone says cheese. Tiffany, however, thought of France, and Sarah was reminded of the cheese tastings she had in high school. Laura brings together Tiffany and Sarah’s thoughts when she recalled, “My favorite memory of cheese is from my French class. Every year, over the past four years, my French teacher would always take one day off of teaching the class and let us have a ‘culture experience day.’ That day would consist of eating or trying different types of cheese and crackers/ bread. Along with the cheese we would try different types of drinks and such as well. It was always a fun day every year of just hanging out with my friends, spending time with our awesome teacher, and discussing with each other. This is one of the things that made this my favorite class (aside from bio) in high school.” But the sacred cheese dish that ignited ignites our senses and memories the most was Macaroni and Cheese. Jessica wrote, “A memory I have attatched to cheese is the paula dean mac and cheese my best friend makes it's my favorite mac and cheese, and she spent 4 hours making it for me for my graduation party.” Elaborating on Jessica’s memory that addressed the sacredness of Mac and Cheese is Kara who said, “My cheese memory that comes to mind is my Grandma's mac and cheese. It is gooey and has bread crumbs on the top and is baked and really delicious. I love it when I'm sick or if it is a cold winter day and I keep getting cravings for it while I'm at school, but I would have to go home to have it. It also helps that Mac and Cheese is my favorite food, which is why I probably crave her Mac and Cheese so much.” For me, Mac and Cheese has always been attached to nostalgia; it was the first food that ever appeared in a poem on mine, and it remains a meal that conquers so many memories I don’t know where to begin. Essentially, cheese is part of the foundation of American food culture, and will probably always remain as such.

During our tasting we learned many things about our palates and the cheese we liked and didn’t like.

David and Kara ate Raw Milk Goat Cheddar, which is produced by Rosewood Products. For this review, we purchased it at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor, MI, but it can also be purchased at Happy Badger. We would describe this cheese as being chalky and dry with a slightly grainy texture. It also has a very distinct taste. The distance to travel to get it is a little ridiculous as well. David said that he thinks that "it was my favorite of all the cheeses, however I would not pay that much for any type of cheese." Kara agreed about the price; however, she disagreed with David when it came to the goat cheese. She said that it had a "strong aftertaste" and was only "good if you prefer the taste of goat cheese." Essentially, this cheese is good if you have the palate for it; otherwise, there are better options available that are easier and cheaper to get a hold of.

Grass Point Farms Sharp Cheddar Cheese from The Anderson’s receives different reactions from altering consumers, making it hard to determine it’s worth. Alyssa, not an avid cheese taster, says that the Grass Point Farms Sharp Cheddar Cheese was “too strong for me and was dry in texture.” Laura disagrees with Alyssa saying that it “was creamy and had a slight taste, but not to strong taste.” Due to the differentiating reaction from the tasters, this cheese is not only easily favored but can also be disliked. When it comes to texture and taste of cheese, the two disagree. However, the two do agree on the fact that the cheese was not worth $10.99 per pound.

Tiffany considers Naturally Good Kosher Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Meijer to be quite delicious because of it's sharp, prominent flavor. Tiffany believes that this sharp flavor is the reason that this cheese went so well with the cracker it was accompanying. Tiffany also believes that this specific cheese would be a great addition to a fondue party. In concordance with Tiffany's opinion, Spencer finds the flavor of this cheese to be well worth the price, at $4.99 for every 1/2 pound. Spencer's opinion reflects on Tiffany's statement about the use of this cheddar for a fondue party because the flavor obtained is worth the amount spent on it and will ensure that the party will be a success. These two individuals both agree that Naturally Good Kosher Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Meijer is a fantastically delicious cheese.

During the cheese tasting experiment, Jessica and Sarah both refused to try the Kraft Easy Cheddar Cheese From Kraft Foods Global. This cheese can be purchased at Kroger in a can. Jessica stated, “I did not eat the spray cheese, because it is so processed.” Sarah agreed with Jessica, and further went on to state, “ I try to eat foods that are pretty healthy and that do not contain ingredients I have never heard of, as well as unhealthy chemicals.” The ingredients in this cheese include calcium phosphate, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, and sorbic acid as a preservative. In trying all of the cheeses, we chose not to try this cheese, because it just does not seem natural compared to the others.

(During our writing time, Amanda said, “I did it. I ate the spray cheese. And, honestly, I had to stop myself from having more. I have no clue what that says about my food ethics. Here I am a true locavore, all-natural, gluten-free-endorsing home cook, and I could easily become addicted to spray cheese…”)

Overall, our exploration of cheese let us see the many flavor profiles cheese can have. And it showed us how essential cheese is to our diets here in the Midwest, which was more proof of how food has meaning beyond it’s nutritional value.

Reflection: The Food Lover's Guide to Wine by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

2012-01-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Photo from http://drinks.seriouseats.com/

I'm obsessed with the end of the world. It's probably from the lack of oxygen while not breathing during movies about the apocalypse. The suspense in end-of-the-world movies about kills me. Zombies, aliens, natural disasters, diseases: they all seem possible to me.

And so I find myself considering, if I had to pack a bag in twenty minutes, what would I shove in it. Sure, Smartwool base layers, socks galore, and water are all viable options, but I know to stay sane I would need a few books. Jane Kenyon's Otherwise, Jane Austen's Pride and Predjuice, and definitely THE ultimate in cooking reference Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg's The Flavor Bible. Yes, I would choose The Flavor Bible over any of Nigel Slater's, Jamie Oliver's and Alice Waters' cookbooks. If you know me, that's says volumes about how much I respect and use The Flavor Bible. I've cited in many of my BG News articles, and I've opened it countless times while developing recipes or planning elaborate Sunday evening meals. Want to know what flavors are compatible with rosemary? Look up rosemary and you will find yourself immersed in a list that will NEVER lead you astray. God bless you, Karen and Andrew.

When Sarah L., co-star of Spatula and dear friend, showed me the latest addition to the Page and Dornenburg collection of food books, I flipped my lid: The Food Lover's Guide to Wine. There's no doubt I'm a food lover. And there's even littler doubt that I love wine--maybe to a fault at times...But as a food lover, I've been really wanting to work on collecting awesome wines and, better yet, pairing them with food that would create a holy matrimony on my palate. Additionally, becoming a gluten-free household has made us much more aware of wine's radness! As Page and Dornenburg share through quotes from Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, and Julia Child (aka gods of food and wine), food is better when paired with wine AND, when consumed moderately, wine is actually good for your health. In the preface, the authors thoughtfully and intelligently spell out the benefits of drinking wine and defend wine as something that is accessible to Americans --"...in 2010 the United States became the world's largest wine-consuming country for the first time in history..." (x).

In the following chapters, the authors include a timeline of notable events in American wine history; reflections from articulate, down-to-earth sommeliers; a how-to for talking about wine; and the beauty of winemaking. These are the chapters I really found myself lost--in a good way--as I read and reread passages, taking notes. What I really enjoy is the authors' writing style. They identify with their audience by using casual diction, a relatable tone, and humor at times. At least I laughed out loud when I read the last point in the "What Information Is Required on a Wine Label?" box: "The government warning ('Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery')" (95).

Probably one of my favorite lists is the "Wines Under $15." As someone who does not drink commercial pop (soda) and who is on a budget, this list of over 150 wines really hit home. I realized many of them were ones I have found and bought at my local Kroger or better yet at The Anderson's. Also, I'm a fan that the authors championed boxed wines. Too often boxed wines get bad reputations, when, many times, they can stand up a good bottle of value wine.

Finally, I like how the wines are listed. The authors provide pronunciation, country, region, color, grapes, weight, volume, dry/sweet, acidity, tannin, flavors, texture, temperature, comparables, season, pairings, tips, aging, producers, and iconic examples for more than 250 wines. AWESOME, right? I've learned a lot from just nonchalantly flipping through Chapter 4 a little bit each evening, sometimes while listening to tunes or watching Law & Order. I do have one criticism, though; for a recent dinner party I hosted, I referenced The Food Lover's Guide to Wine for what wines to serve with each course, but because the lists are arranged by wines rather than food, it was a bit difficult. I do feel, though, that's an easy fix; next time I'll reference What To Drink With What You Eat, another book by Page and Dornenburg, one that's definitely on my wish list. For The Food Lover's Guide to Wine what I have been doing and plan to continue to do is find a wine that sounds interesting to me, and then plan a menu around its "pairings", of course, using The Flavor Bible to help me fully construct it.

Which reminds me. My next blog post should be a menu that's worthy of the end of the world...with a stellar wine list.

On The Verge of a New Year

2011-12-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

GF Lemon & Rosemary Cookies (Blackbird Bakery)

2011 was pretty good to me.

The first episode of Spatula aired this year. Our transition into a Gluten-Free house was a delightful challenge this year. I experienced Yosemite National Park for the first time. I wrote a lot of articles and did a lot of yoga. I've been lucky enough to share the year with some really awesome friends and family. And, throughout the year, I've made some kick-ass food.

That makes me a pretty happy girl.

While walking Bleu Dog this afternoon, FD and I talked about our New Year's Resolutions. Of course, we discussed the little things that we want to accomplish in the new year and our life-long goals that we always revisit. And we shared the things we have overcome this year as well as those that we still need more time to resolve, or grow from, or experience--all those things we carry between every year. But, ultimately, I told FD, I'm not making any resolutions for New Year's; I'm going to resolve things as I go along this year. In other words, I'm going to go with the flow, be more open to seeing the present moment and thoughtfully reflecting and changing in that moment.

Lake Erie Walleye Fish Cheeks

If 2011 taught me anything, it was that change is possible all of time, and if we are open to seeing opportunities and taking chances, things can happen. Good things, bad things, different things, job things, personal things--things. It's these things that shape who we are. So why put all the pressure onto becoming someone I hope to be on one day of the year when I should be aware of myself everyday and resolving to be who I am in the moment and going from there?

That said, I have quite a bit great memories from 2011. From the special meals shared at Revolver with close friends or the most fantastic meal at Lolita with my in-law's to the unexpectedly perfect meals that just happened, from our Fish Fry in July to Fairy Dust, from my obsession with Nigel Slater to my new-found love for Chicken Pate with Basil and Cashews and from eating the most perfect burger to baking the most beautiful GF Christmas cookies, I have to say that no matter what every year I feel my palate gets stronger and my skill gets sharper. My journey with food feels never-ending, and that is a beautiful realization today, the last day of 2011.

Since the semester has been over, I've either been in the kitchen--figuring out GF holiday baking--or spending time with family. Most people would think spending six-to-eight hours in the kitchen in one day is maddening, but more and more, for me, it's becoming a mediation. A place where I can challenge the mind and calm it at the same time. And because of the time I'm willing to commit to the kitchen, I found several awesome GF cookie recipes (all from Blackbird Bakery). And those those quick moments mean so much more too, such as sautéing Walleye fish cheeks quickly in butter, lemon, salt and pepper, as Michael Ruhlman recommended; these fast meals, in contrast to more time-consuming recipes, show me that every dish has its own possibilities, secrets, and sanity.

I don't know what the new year will bring, but I hope there are even more aha! moments in my kitchen, many more great meals shared with dear friends and family, and a lot more moments of reflection and resolve.

I Ain't Playing Games!

2011-12-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks I have been completely preoccupied. I graded over 125 student essays, read over 125 student reflections, and helped over 125 students prepare for the portfolio process and the end of the semester--all the while reading The Hunger Games trilogy.

Needless to say, I am exhausted.

But I am satisfied.

With the end of the semester. And with how the Hunger Games trilogy ends.

I could do a book review, give spoiler alerts, forecast how the movies will be different from the books, and try to convince you to read them, but that's a waste.

Really all I want to talk about is the food.

These YA books portray a strong female main character, have bomb-ass action scenes, and perfectly blend Harry Potter with Twilight, but what I love the most is when the food appears.

I don't think it's supposed to be the highlights of the book, seeing that most characters are starving, but I'm thoroughly intrigued that an author has taken on describing high-end food while (un)consciously taking on world hunger as an issue.

Of course, I'm torn. I want more descriptions of the lamb stew Katniss loves. I want to taste Peeta's family's bread. At the same time, I'm frustrated by how many families are starving while others are getting their fill and much, much more.

Everyone should have equal access to good food. Be in it a fictional trilogy or, more importantly, in reality.

Reading The Hunger Games was the first time I've seen food highlighted in a YA novel. It confirmed for me how food does form culture, set social classes apart, and gives us the nutrition we need. I knew all those things, obviously, but seeing them play out in a YA novel was truly compelling for me.

And as I was thinking about this blog post and researching, I came across several sites that developed recipes based on The Hunger Games. Fictional Food is pretty rad. But this recipe adapted from Mark Bittman for the lamb stew has me quite smitten.

But then I feel guilty. Not everyone can afford lamb.

Then there is the saving grace: The Hunger Games advocates hunting.

Alright, I'm on board.

My philosophy with meat is simple. If you can't respect the life of an animal, you shouldn't eat animals. I know that sounds like I'm vegan, which I could be, if not for the local farms that surround us. In other words, I want to be able to meet the animals I could be eating, I want to know that they are humanely raised, I want to cook and eat meat that has its bones in proper places because it reminds me of the sacrifice of a life for my life, and I want to "honor" the animal by appreciating how ALL of its parts provide edible, delicious food, clothing or shelter.

Besides buying from local farmers, such as Luginbill Family Farms or Omega Meats, the only other way to ensure completely honoring an animal is having the balls to be a hunter. Not a sport hunter, but a real hunter.

This is where Collins, author of The Hunger Games, got it right. Two of the main characters are hunters. And wildfowl hunters, in additional to small and big game hunters. That's pretty kick-ass awesome, in my opinion. What seems like a trivial action to get a potential "couple" engaged with one another, hunting takes on this beautiful theme--that hunting can provide for MANY people, that hunting isn't ethically wrong--it's a means to survival, and that hunting actually reconnects us with nature, others, and the self.

Any day in the week I'd take wild goose over a steak/hamburger at a restaurant where I have no idea how they procured it.

I respect animals. So much so, I'm toying with the notion of only eating meat when I know exactly where it came from. If I don't know, I eat vegetarian or, better yet, vegan.

The Hunger Games has made me feel like I've fragilely connected the worlds between left and right politics. And better yet, it made me committed to finding a stellar wildfowl recipe in honor of the premier of the movie on March 23, 2012.

Eggs: Two Ways!

2011-12-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

One of my side projects this semester has been filming and airing an online cooking show through Connotation Press. What I love most about this project is working with Sarah and figuring out what fun foods to cook. While we're still getting our bearings being in front of a camera, I'm definitely proud of the unique camera work, our approach in the kitchen, and the concept of one food, two ways. I have to admit, though, it's been strange living within this new medium after so much hanging out with written words.

Because each episode is accompanied by an essay from me and Sarah, I think it's solid attempt at experimenting with multi-modal food writing. Even though it may seem as though we collaborate on our essays, we don't. Probably because we share a "food-brain," Sarah and I just end up writing about the same things more often than not. I think it's pretty funny.

Our second episode all about eggs really showcases how versatile eggs are. In fact, it was hard to pick what egg recipe to do. Easily, we could have made mayo, a meringue, omelets, a custard, a quiche, a strata, etc. etc. etc. In the end, I chose a frittata because it is my favorite egg dish, and one I make quite often.

I hope you'll enjoy this episode of Spatula and our accompanying essays, and tune in to our newest episodes and essays that air on the 1st of every month. For December, we're celebrating kale, our shared favorite vegetable!

Documenting A Weekend (Or A Lack Thereof)

2011-11-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

Alexandria's Opening Night 11/18/2011

My dear friend and co-star of Spatula Sarah says where you find a foodie, you find a camera in hand and guests at the dinner table rolling their eyes. It's true. Almost any time I go out to eat, I take my camera. I never know when I will need to capture a meal in a photograph.

This weekend while I had my camera on me at all times, I only took the photograph you see here. And it doesn't even capture the deliciousness of the meal. If anything, it documents a food memory I always want to remember.

During the fall and early winter, often I find myself as a hunter's widow. At first I wasn't a big fan of that new role. But as the seasons have come and gone, I've learned to enjoy the time in our quiet house when I grade, cook, write, work on projects, and/or catch up on Jersey Shore. I've realized alone time really nurtures my interior life. But after 36 hours I really start to miss FD.

This weekend was not so quiet as most, though. It began with a family dinner at my house with my in-laws and my sister-in-law on Thursday night. Then us ladies departed around 10 p.m. to get seats for the midnight showing of the epic Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn (which was fucking awesome, despite what any haters would say.) Friday afternoon after Big F and FD got back from the marsh, FD took off for the island, and Sarah came over to run through our Winter Wheat presentation entitled "Food Writing: Subgenre or Multigenre?" Then, joined by her hubs, we headed to Findlay for the opening of Alexandria's, where Michael from Revolver is the head chef. (The mole is the die for. An in-depth review is forthcoming.) We met up with G and E there and had a great time; the only thing missing for me was FD. Saturday morning Sarah and I gave our presentation, which went exceptionally well, and then Saturday night I had a date with my sis SEM at Revolver.

What's funny is I had imagined taking lots of pictures at family dinner, at Alexandria's, at Winter Wheat, and at Revolver. It was weekend full of a lot of my favorite people and my favorite food. But the lighting wasn't all that great at Alexandria's. And at Revolver, the opportunity never presented itself for SEM and I to "snap" some pics of us. To force a photographic moment is way worse than not taking any at all. The chicken meatballs that SEM ordered at Revolver were gorgeous; the perfectly cut pieces of toast with an even spread of cream cheese and herbs standing like small pyramids on SEM's dish are embedded in my mind. And seeing her in a pretty dress and feeling all girly in my Odd Molly dress was the perfect way to eat a meal celebrating her moving on in her life and going to LA. I can't help to wonder, though, if sometimes the best meals are better honored as memories.

In an age where Facebook has made us all feel like celebrities with our need to post every last picture of our comings and goings, it was nice to have a weekend with some of my family and best friends that I can cherish as vivid memories, without photographs. And being surrounded my the ones I loved, especially after FD left for his trip, made my weekend feel a lot less lonely. Great friends truly are one of the best parts of life.

Though a part of me does wish I would have taken just a few more pics, at least for my journal...

The Chew Got It Right with Marrow-naise

2011-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I'm addicted to The Chew. It all comes down to my love for Michael Symon. I totally have a foodie crush on him. The man is no Rob Pattinson, but when he cooks, he is wayyyyy hotter than Rob, hands-down. And better yet: he's Cleveland-proud, like me.

Seriously, I'm truly fascinated by the idea of The Chew, a daytime talk show that revolves around all things food--from fitness to recipes to politics to family connections and much, much more. The show is a true testimony of food's cultural, social, environmental, political, psychological, and sociological power. It's a truly brilliant idea. And while I'm still getting used to Clinton's quirkiness, I gained a lot of respect for him the day he took a stand against the Kardashian divorce (See Nov. 1st's Tweet or episode of The Chew.) But I find Mario and Michael to be wonderfully engaging hosts, and I'd love to see more of Carla's authentic, yogi self and Daphne's learning to love meat and trying new foods. All the hosts offer something important to their audience. I could go on, but I don't have the time right now, my loves.

What I need to address in the few minutes I do have between grading and conferencing is this: Michael Symon's Marrow-naise, homemade mayo with garlic, lemon juice, capers, parsley, and beef bone marrow. When I saw Michael make it last Monday, I drooled and swore I would make it on Saturday night as part of a special meal for FD.

Bearing in mind Ruhlman's Twenty and the several suggested ways to home-make mayo, I chose my immersion blender with the whisk attachment. Usually when I make mayo in my stand-mixer, it breaks. Not this time. This time it held together and made the most luscious mayo. And the roasted bone marrow only elevated its richness and accentuated our strip steaks. Not to brag, but I think I've mastered the perfect sear and bake for my steaks that surpasses almost all restaurants, so I was extremely pleased when FD sliced into this perfectly cooked medium-rare steak, spread with marrow-naise, and sighed that glad-to-be-home-with-my-baby sigh. With a side of roasted sweet potatoes with dried kale and herbs and smashed brussels sprouts, we enjoyed a delightful Saturday night dinner.

I have a feeling the only cook would have out-cooked me that night was Micheal Symon himself.

Pizza & PJ's

2011-11-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

After a long week of teaching, grading 125 essays, conferencing with students, taking the Volvo to the shop, spending a couple of hundred dollars to fix the Volvo, and dealing with a bunch of other crap, FD and I really needed a pizza and pj night-in.

Clearly, Bleu agreed.

Before our gluten-free days, we used to make killer pizzas on a homemade dough. But, presently, I've been disappointed with almost every pizza baking kit I've come across, and I just don't feel like working with several GF flours that don't rise and never seem to work out. We've started to relying heavily on frozen GF doughs, especially O'Doughs.

This Friday night our pizza journey began when we realized we only had one O'Dough's crust left. I ran to Walt Churchill's in Perrysburg to pick up another box or two, but they were sold out.

I considered making a GF pizza crust from scratch, but quite honestly, I wasn't in the mood for cooking, let alone experimenting with a new recipe.

So we had a GF frozen pizza crust competition between O'Dough's and Udi's, which we found deep in the deep freezer.

Udi's

Same ingredients. Two different crusts. Who would win?

Rather than following the Udi's baking instructions, we warmed up the crust for 5 minutes at 400. Then we put the toppings on and baked it for an additional eight minutes. Udi's crusts are easy to burn, so we watched it closely, especially because our oven is from hell. Literally, it runs 100 degrees hot. (Dear God, thank you for oven thermometers and please help our landlady find a new oven.)

The Udi's crust, while pipping hot, tasted like cardboard. But after letting it sit for a couple of minutes, it mellowed out and tasted like a crunchy cracker. And I am particularly proud of how beautiful the photograph the Udi's pizza turned out. (With my camera's user's manual, I'm teaching myself about photography and my camera.)

O'Doughs

The O'Doughs turned out wonderful as always. But strangely, Dan and I like the Udi's better. Its thin, crunchy crust was really flavorful. Whereas the O'Doughs had that GF-baked-good-after-taste in comparison.

I know I should be homemaking crusts, but really I need a break. And pizza is supposed to be a break from cooking, at least in my opinion. Maybe one of these days I'll make GF pizza dough from scratch. Until then, Udi's and O'Doughs are treating us just fine.

Oh, Yes, I Did Just Make Kale Dust

2011-11-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been obsessed with my homemade dried chili pepper dust (aka fairy dust).

But more so, I think I'm obsessed with food dehydrators. I don't own one, so I've been borrowing Sarah's to dry bunches of chili peppers, herbs, and whatever else I feel like.

A couple of days ago, I de-stemmed some Tuscan kale leaves, threw them on a tray, and turned on the dehydrator. Little did I know I just opened the gate to heaven.

Seriously, I just wanted to test oven-baked kale chips vs dehydrator ones. But I didn't get that far. When the kale chips were crisp enough, I packed them into my coffe grinder and made dust with them. It was as if The Goddess of Kale moved my hands; I didn't know what had happened until poured the dust into a recycled spice jar.

Kale dust smells like dried parsley on crack. The bitterness is alive but after a taste there's a sweet moment on the tail-end. Being the kale addict I am, I'm thinking that adding kale dust as a spice before roasting veggies, especially sweet potatoes, in the oven would be a good idea. Mixing it with olive oil and rubbing it on top and beneath a chicken's skin before roasting sounds fucking amazing. I could see it on scrambled eggs too. Or in a cheese dip/spread. Maybe as a garnish for a soup or salad. I'm mean, for real, what couldn't you put kale dust on? Maybe yogurt.

With the remaining kale leaves, I sauteed them in butter and olive oil--a la Molly Wizenberg style--sprinkled them over a hot bed of mashed tators and threw some grilled sausages on top. My own little version of Bangers and Mash.

Trust me, I was tempted to sprinkle fairy and kale dust all over my Bangers and Mash, but I didn't. Only because I knew that this coming weekend I am having a full-on-cooking-Saturday when I plan to make a four course meal for FD that warms his bones after a day in the marsh. The menu is forthcoming.

"I Smell Food. Where's Is Its?"

2011-11-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday, my furry foodie friend. Love, Mama

Homemade Dried Chili Dust (aka Fairy Dust)

2011-11-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

I know I just blogged about the fairy dust, but I can't help myself from doing it again.

Last night I blanched some brussel sprouts and then roasted them in rendered bacon fat, garlic, and fairy dust.

With braised beef brisket and mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, it was quite the Sunday feast.

What's funny is I don't usually mind rainy Mondays and work-weeks that involve teaching during the day and grading at night. But today I'm kind of bitter the weekend is over. I wanted more time to experiment with fairy dust. I have a pork tenderloin that should be rubbed in fairy dust and slowly roasted. I have a boring goulash recipe that would explode with flavor by adding some fairy dust. I want to concoct a dessert that brings together savory and sweet with some heat from fairy dust.

I just need more time.

At least another round of chili peppers are drying on the bookshelf in my office. Being enveloped in the slightly intoxicating smell makes me feel a little better. And feeling my sinuses clear out and tears well up in my eyes from their drying reminds me that there's next weekend--something to look forward to all week long.

Fairy Dust (aka Homemade Dried Chili Flakes/Powder/Dust/)

1 food dehydrator
As many chili peppers you have on hand. The more, the bigger the batch.

Wearing gloves, cut the stems away from the peppers, slice the peppers in half, keep the seeds and membranes in tact. Place peppers seeds-side down on the trays. Dry for 48-72 hours, until pepper shrivel and are dried through. Grind peppers in a spice grinder or coffee bean grinder. Store in a small jar for up to 6 months; though it's doubtful the fairy dust will last that long.

Fairy Dust: An Addiction

2011-11-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

For my ex-wife potatoes and fairy dust addictions, I blame Sarah Lenz, my fierce friend and fantastic co-star of Spatula.

If I end up on Intervention, she better be there too. It would only be a "I go, if you go" situation. I'm not watching her grind up Fairy Dust while I use commercial grade Cayenne Pepper. That would cause me to relapse. For sure.

Let me back up a bit.

A couple of weeks ago, Sarah told me over lunch that she was attempting to make her own dried chili peppers. As much as I love her, I half-heartedly dismiss these projects she pronounces. It's not malicious. It's just she always has a project and is super-motivated, like me, so I see the results only days after she first mentions said-project to me. Why on earth get all fired up about the idea when within a week I can ponder the results for a long while?

Needless to say, a couple of days later, Sarah calls to report about the dried chili flakes.

"After I ground the dried chilies in my spice (aka coffee) grinder, they came out like dust," she said.

"Like powder," I responded, dreamily.

I'm telling you I could be on Intervention. I'm thinking about how to get a cut of this stuff. How to divy it up. How to parcel it out. Without getting caught.

Dried Chili Dust = Foodie Cocaine.

What's weird is, I don't remember tasting it with Sarah. I remember her telling me about it. And then suddenly her dryer was in my house. Trays of halved peppers drying, with their seeds and membranes intact, widened our nostrils and awoke our lungs. Sarah warned me to dry the chilis in the basement; I kept them in the kitchen. After 2 days of drying, I put the shriveled peppers in a coffee bean grinder, like Sarah told me to, and ground them, in several different rounds, into fairy dust. I put the dust in an washed pimento jar. Then I feel as though I woke up and remembered my life, again.

The most mind-blowing result of fairy dust is forthcoming in a BG News article (click on the "YourNews" tab), but I have to admit that I put them in/on/over almost everything I eat.

I've mixed the fairy dust with butter and put it on steak.

I've swirled it into mayo and used it as a dip for my ex-wife potatoes.

I've sprinkled chicken breasts with it before a good sear and bake.

I've even added it to my olive oil before massaging it into a whole chicken's skin--above and just beneath its surface.

Tonight, FD added it to his venison chili, a fall dish I live for.

Rich with umami, FD's chilis are always acidic in a good way, complex in mouthfeel (the beans always stay firm and he always finds a chip or Nut Thin to add crunch while serving it), and hot(!!!) with chilies. The fairy dust just took it to a whole new level. Though, I have to admit that I almost put a few sprinkles of fairy dust on top of bowl just before my first spoonful.

I told you I have a problem.

To take some of the heat (pun intended) off me, I think Sarah should post the recipe. But if you read between the lines here and are feeling the itch from some fairy dust, you could easily put together the recipe from my post alone.

I'm not one to leave food junkies hanging. But be warned: THIS SHIT IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!

I seriously will never buy dried chili flakes or chili pepper for my pantry ever again when it's so easy to make my own.

...See, wouldn't Jeff have a field day with me?

Ketchup, Part Deux

2011-11-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

My First Meatloaf Sandwich

As promised, I made myself a meatloaf sandwich for lunch the day after our Sunday meatloaf dinner.

It was the first meatloaf sandwich I have ever eaten in my enitre life, which really surprises me because I love meat, I love sandwiches, and I'm from the Midwest.

Needless to say, I enjoyed every last bite. So much so, I didn't even give Bleu his normal lunchtime crumb or two.

I toasted a white bun, added cold meatloaf and ketchup, sliced some mozz cheese thinly, and plopped some thick slices of an heirloom Green Zebra tomato on top. Served with some re-heated ex-wife potatoes with Mayo and Fairy Dust dip, and I had myself quite a delightful lunch. Midwestern style.

Of course, I sneak kale in my meatloaf!

Ketchup: I Like It-----Finallyyyy!!!

2011-10-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight:

Meatloaf with kale. And Umami Paste.

Mashed sweet potatoes with 1/2 and 1/2 infused with sage and roasted garlic.

Braised Greens in Hot Chili Peppers.

During dinner, I finally pledged to make myself a meatloaf sandwich--the first in my life--for lunch tomorrow and taste the heaven that is umami (aka I'll will eating my sandwich with a healthy amount of ketchup.)

Because of a few bad demonstrations during sex ed and a few grossly expired bottles I've had the pleasure of throwing out, ketchup always seemed like a waste of time to me.

But, tonight for the first time, I tried a little dab on my meatloaf, and my tastebuds immediately cheered!

It has a salivating factor. + A sweet disposition. + A little tartness. + A hint of vinegar.

= Full-on umami, one of my favorite flavor profiles.

Who knew?

Apparently, the champion of begging, Bleu Dog, the lab with the world's most accomplished palate, knew.

I'm happy to finally have realized the greatness--of ketchup--too.

Though I still can't fathom putting it on a burger...

Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup with Kale

2011-10-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

Sis

Yesterday FD and I went to my parents' to celebrate my sister's birthday.

She turned 37 but looks only 12. Her life is a testimony in so many ways I still am unable to articulate yet, but I try.

The two things that are constant about my sister: pizza is her favorite food and five is her favorite number.

Needless to say we had pizza on her birthday, and she got 5 new nail polishes and more than 5 new puzzles. And when she opened her present from K. & Z., a necklace with a star-shaped pendant with a pink gem, I thought she was going to pass out or end up on YouTube.

It was a super cool birthday for her, and I was thrilled to be there to celebrate it.

While I was home, my Pops told me something I had forgotten. When I graduated from high school, I applied to Kent, BGSU, and a few other schools in addition to culinary school. It came down to Kent and culinary school. My love of writing won, and I went to Kent, became an English major, and "the rest is history," as they say. But my Pops said, "I think it's funny you're still so into food. It's like you went to culinary school after all."

Sometimes the best education is the one you give yourself.
Even if it's unintentional.

I totally forgot I had applied to culinary school.
I totally forgot I loved cooking in high school.
I totally forgot how food bonds me to everyone I love.

I totally forgot I forgot years of my life.

A great reminder was when Hons, my step-mom, gave me two of her America's Test Kitchen cookbooks last night.

Immediately upon getting home, I poured a glass of wine and devoured The Best Simple Recipes cookbook.

Knowing full well I needed a soup for the week and that I had some chicken breasts de-thawing in the fridge, I went right for the soup chapter and found their version of Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup.

What's funny is I wouldn't call it "simple." There are a lot of steps and a lot of ways to fuck it up. But the ingredients are simple. So I wonder if it's the ingredients that determine the "simple" adjective.

What I can say about the finished product? It is divine. Cook's Illustrated and Christopher Kimball never let me down.

The egg yolks (mine came from our local farmer Luginbill Family Farms) added great body, texture, and color to the soup. A total must. (And the leftover eggs whites are perfect for an omelet tomorrow morning.) Yet the procedure was not simple. There were several steps, and it took about an hour. It isn't the weeknight dinner that it had pronounced itself to be in the cookbook...but I do get home from teaching about 7:30 every night, and anything that takes longer than 10 minutes is far too long for me.

Texture and taste wise, the soup was amazing. I added kale to it, while the chicken rested, as well as magic pepper dust. (More on that soon, I promise!) The magic pepper dust made it probably a thousand times more awesome.

But what's even more awesome?

Knowing my decision to go to Kent rather than culinary school was the most awesome decision I ever made (i.e. FD, friends, poetry, job, etc.).

Thoughts During Breakfast After Morning Yoga

2011-10-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Photo from http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/

Early morning is the most sacred time to me. The house is sleepy and dark, and all is quiet--a perfect time to begin the day on my yoga mat.

My favorite part of my routine is the one that remains unseen by all except me and FD. Almost every morning during my warm-up twists, my big black Labrador, Bleu, yawns and stretches his way out of bed to do yoga with me. He's quite the fan of downward and upward dogs, so he does a little routine of bows and planks as I begin my sun salutation. Then he lies down next to my mat and takes a little nap. But the moment I sit down for seated twists or hero's pose, he finds his way into my lap with a big hug and will lay there like a little puppy. A 92 pound puppy. He's so sweet and snuggly that I can slide him around so I can continue my practice. It's a private moment that I cherish. Seriously, if you know Bleu, it's hard to imagine him calm and snuggly. But ever since he was an 8-week old puppy, we've done yoga together; it's our morning bonding time.

Each morning I change up my routine depending on what I need for the day. Sometimes it's rigorous standing and balancing poses like Warrior series or Side Angle twists. Sometimes I spend an hour on inversions or backbends. Other days I choose more restorative poses like legs up the wall or forward folds. No matter what routine I do, the one pose that is always most difficult for me is Savasana, or Corpse pose. My impulse is to skip it but I realize it is the most important pose to hold in order to remind myself throughout the day to "slow down and take a moment." This morning I acknowledged the resistance and used it to help me relax. In a sense, the resistance became a reminder for why I need Corpse pose so much. Yoga has a strange way of teaching us things about life.

Over my standard breakfast of plain yogurt and tea (I save the calories for later in the day and snacks), only minutes after my yoga routine, I had to remind myself to hold onto the quiet of morning yoga as I whizzed through the countless emails, student essays, the menu for the day, and the events in my planner--all before spin class at 9. So quickly the day hits me, and so quickly I hit the ground sprinting from thing to thing.

As I chow down breakfast and open up my laptop, sometimes I forget I only awoke from corpse pose an hour or two ago. The house brightens as the sun stretches through the windows and my to-do list gets longer and longer. Recording these special kernels of time, like my morning yoga with Bleu or my sacred dinner with FD, helps me remember and keeps me focused on what's really important in life.

A Sacred Dinner

2011-10-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Two New Discoveries

2011-10-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

I love gin.

In the summer it tastes like linen.

In the winter, pine needles.

Hand me a gin & tonic or a French 75 at any party or happy hour, and you'll find a very happy girl.

Determined to find a GF gin, I went on a woman-hunt and found Watershed Distillery's Gin made from corn. Of course, I found it at the end of the month when I couldn't justify paying for booze over food. And when we got paid, I didn't see it again for at least three months.

On a recent shopping trip to Rossford, I stopped in my favorite liquor store Corks, hoping I might find it again. And there it was, saying, "Manda, you just got paid and I'm perfect for French 75's." As my friend G would say, "Sign me up!"

Seriously, if you are a gin lover, other gins are untouchable. Watershed's Gin is perfectly tart and zesty. Perfect for mixing or for a straight martini. And even better it's distilled with corn. Score for GF! And even better better? It's made in Columbus, Ohio. Score for locavore!

The juniper berries are so pronounced and lovely, I keep imaging what it would taste like with venison. Jamie Oliver's venison tenderloin with juniper berries. Maybe overkill to some, but a match made in heaven to me.

::Sigh::

The only other person I know who loves gin as much as me is my good friend and Spatula co-star Sarah.

Which leads me to my other new obsession: Chicken Pate with Cashews and Basil.

This weekend I lent a helping hand to prep for Sarah's hubby's bday celebration. Part of tradition is to homemake pretzels dipped in lye (sp?). (That all whole situation is for a different blog post, which I had every intention of blogging about that until I tasted the pate.)

For one of the spreads for the pretzels or an app, Sarah asked if I would take charge of the chicken pate. Sure, easy, whatever.

Little did I know I was getting my first taste of a whole new food addiction. (Seriously, are Candy and Jeff coming for me?)

Sarah put me in charge of the pate. I began by browning chicken breasts in butter. And by brown, I meant brown. Each piece was crisp, after a full 1/2 hour and 1/4 gin and soda. Then I added the cashews and garlic and let them cook until the garlic was just about brown. We were worried about time, so we stuck the browned chicken chunks, cooked garlic, and cashews in a freezer-safe bowl for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, I put the mixture into Sarah's awesome food processor, gave it a whiz, added the mayo, cheese, and hot pepper sauce, and then processed it again. It was a little thick, so we added about a teaspoon of chicken stock and gave it a whiz again. At last I sprinkled in the basil and stirred it.

Let's stop talking about it. I'm hungry.

I will say, though, give me a French 75 and Chicken Pate on Nut Thins and I'm golden. So much umami equals so much happiness. If only there were three more meals in a day...

Last Meal: Burger and Fries, Hands Down

2011-10-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Episode 1 - Burgers from Spatula on Vimeo.

I'm a Midwest girl down to the bone of my little pinkie finger. And no meal ever will surpass the past memories, the search for the-next-best-one, and the yes-I-have-to-try-that-place-based-on-your-recommendation nod that's-completely-sincere than a good old burger and fries.

Here, my costar and I dish about whether house-ground meat buys good quality ground chuck the butcher.

Weigh in. The votes are still out!

And be sure to "like" Spatula on Facebook.

On October 19th

2011-10-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

Photo from chiotsrun.com

"Still haven't made the vegetable soup I promised to make almost a week ago to clear out the vegetable rack. And now, when there is every opportunity to make a pan of creamy parsnip and carrot soup, I am distracted by half a dozen of the most meltingly ripe tomatoes on the vine, their skins ready to burst with juice. I slice them thickly, then toss them with black olives and pieces of thick toast torn into chunks and drizzled with unfiltered olive oil. No basil, no garlic, no seasoning; just the peppery rush of thick, green oil, ripe tomatoes and black-edged toast." -- Nigel Slater, The Kitchen Diaries

A Night of Leftovers

2011-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

The harmonica of Neil Young's "Natural Beauty" croons.

Through the kitchen, dining room, living room, my office.

We're in the moment of flow. FD in the dining room, me in my office.

Working on creating, sipping red wine, finding words for things.

Dinner was at the table. Us relaxing, lingering on things,

much of which was art, the act of creation--from poems to eggplant gratin to Earth to turnip soup.

Long after forks toasted their plates in a last bite, we sat, talking, the rain

a mere percussion for the guitar and harmonica.

Sunday Beef Stew

2011-10-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

I admit.

I have a problem.

I'm a seasonal produce junkie.

I could very well end on Intervention, yelling at Candy that I wanted Jeff, pleading for one more LeCreuset dutch oven before the flight to Texas, and longingly staring out of a mini-van window at the sunset while thinking about the last time I roasted tomatoes or blanched a bunch a kale for the winter.

But by the time the leaves fall and trick-or-treaters carve their pumpkins, I'm done with lettuces, tomatoes, and summer squash, though.

Give me root vegetables and hearty stews, Honeycrisp apples and pears, and lots Butternut squash.

~

Candy: "'Being over tomatoes' isn't dealing with an addiction. What's next parsnips?"
Me: "Right????!!!??? Parsnips are sooooooooooo good. Just give me one more to chop for Jool's Favorite Stew, one of Jamie Oliver's favorite recipes.
Candy: We can't do that, Amanda...

~

Due to poor planning on my behalf, I missed my sister-in-law's birthday celebration because I have five sections of papers--over 125 papers total--to grade over the weekend. Needless to say, I was depressed. To get out of the funk, I called my good friend and Spatula co-star Sarah for a pick-me-up. Per our style, she suggested a cooking afternoon after a morning of grading on Saturday. Perfect. Done.

We cooked and talked our hearts out. It felt good. It reminded me that breaks are important. That friends and family nourish us as much as food. That being a seasonal junkie is perfectly acceptable in some circles.

No wonder she's my cooking partner. We speak a language through food that says so much more. What a blessing.

~

It was cold today. And rainy. And dreary. And inside the house was the best place to be.

It was perfect.

First thing in the morning I graded. I pushed through all the syntax issues to finish in time for a little yoga and noontime tea. After lunch I started Jool's Favourite Beef Stew. I diced the butternut squash, cut the Niman Ranch chuck roast in one inch cubes and dusted it in GF flour, and scrubbed clean the taters-precious.

All the while listening to Taylor Swift, Eisley, Tori Amos, Liz Phair, Aimee Mann, and many other fine woman musicians.

I was in a zone, enveloped in the art of making something, centered in between complete knowledge and being completely mindless. What do you call it? Felt experience. I Found Flow. I Felt.

It's all the same.

But what wasn't the same was the beef stew. A recipe I have made countless times blossomed to life. Was it because I felt different? Was it because I finally figured out how to regulate my oven's temperature? Was it because I was making it for my love after a long fall weekend of outdoormanship?

No.

It was because I used carrots I harvest from a crop I planted this summer, I bought the potatoes and butternut squash for an awesome local farmer, and the sage came from my good friend Sarah.

Local is where it's at.

The only thing missing is local beef. Just wish I had more time to get to Luginbill Farms.

~

Candy: Really, would Jeff do a better job than me?
Me: Probably. He's mustache is compelling. A real deal breaker for getting help.
Candy: Will you go?
Me: It depends. Does Texas have local produce?
Candy: What if I tell you you'd be going to a place where there's a strong local foods movement?
Me: Sign me up.

Meal For One

2011-10-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

When I sit down to a meal by myself, I always think of my Grandpa Prieur and Grandma Rita, both of whose spouses have passed and who often eat alone.

~

I've always been a loner. Back in my undergrad days I went to Country Kitchen in Ravenna, Ohio by myself at 3:00 a.m. I would order grilled cheese and hot tea. I would write until the sun peeked over the horizon through those commercial windows. I tipped well. The waitresses fought over me when I walked through the heavy glass doors.

~

Recently, my mum-in-law Sally told me a story about how her mom used to cook her dad his pork, eggs and toast in a mini cast iron pan. A meal for one.

The minute I logged in after talking with Sally I added a 5" Lodge cast iron skillet to my Amazon Wish List.

What a perfect little skillet for FD's GF Grilled Cheese.

Or for a meal for one.

~

My Grandma Rita is pushing 90, but everyday the woman makes three meals for herself.

Amen.

That's an amazing feat considering over 50,000,000 millon people eat fast food on a daily basis.

~

Tonight I cooked three boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a tomato and squash sauce, infamous ex-wife potatoes and roasted broccoli. Even though I made a meal for one, it was one that honored my food ethics and politics. I felt proud.

Most times when left my own devices, I order out.

I have an El Zarape addiction.

I often regret that decision.

~

What's funny is one of my all-time favorite people was supposed to join me for dinner tonight. But she bailed. I don't blame her. In fact, between you and me, I was happy. Bailing is under-rated. Sometimes we don't realize we will need that exact moment to be alone until that moment. Bailing is just the ultimate self indulgence, with the best of intentions. All day I wanted to be alone. I love others, but also I just wanted to close the door, knowing it was just me--here--alone.

Just a moment to breathe out.

Just a moment to blare Tori Amos' _Boys for Pele_, to make an all girl music mix, and to sing higher and louder than usual, in celebration of finishing grading one of five sections of papers.

~

As a treat for tonight I saved the pumpkin cupcake Sarah Cohen gave me for "writing such a beautiful article about them." I like to snack while watching _Dateline_.

But what's compelling is I can't turn off my Girl-Grading-Weekend Mix. Lykke Li's "Possbillity reminds me I'm alone. And not alone.

Maybe I should've taken a picture of my meal, but I didn't. Quite frankly, I just unrolled an Orla Kiely floral-print placemat on top a wooden tv tray seconds before I placed the plate on top, sat down, and ate. I didn't think it was special. I was alone.

(My boys are gone for opening weekend. My hope: they will return with food for all of us. Food we earned. Food politics in action.)

~

I poured my last glass of wine as I turned on the bath's faucet. I have Nigel Slater's _Toast_ on the edge of the tub.

But I miss my boys.

They will be home soon. And by Sunday night my grading will be done.

In the meantime I have food to get me through the next four sections of papers.

Cooking for one is worth it.

Welcome to Spatula!

2011-10-05T05:11:00.001-07:00

Intro from Spatula on Vimeo.

Fry 'Em Up

2011-07-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Local Fish photo by AMR

The story starts here. With a family tradition.

Fishing.

FD and his dad go fishing every spring and summer. I went one time last summer. There's not a lot of talking unless it's about the weather and how the fish are biting, which was fine by me. I love weather, and I love talking about bites. And as weird as it sounds I appreciated silence, the quiet rock of the boat. In fact I welcomed it, and when I achieve it with loved ones I hold it like a new kitten, a small gift from above. Sometimes talking clouds the purest truth of the activity, the act that is shared. Truth be told, as much as I'm a hip-hop/dance junkie, I'm happiest cooking when I'm in the kitchen without music and Bleu is at feet.

I pretty sure in our attempt to eat local meats our families decided we should eat what they can't. In addition to what we've procured.

Early this June FD and I realized we had a deep freezer half full of Ohio/Pennsylvania-caught fish. The only way to eat over 100 fillets/5 lbs of fish is to have a fish fry, right?

Other photos by SEKL, FDR, ASC

We like alliteration. We decide a Fish Fry on the 4th.

Sarah L. & I, over several Clover Clubs (okay, really it was over lunch at Naslada, we had water, there's no drama in that) craved Southern. We needed fish, corn on the cob, greens, coleslaw, shredded beef, cucumber salad, sweet potatoes, and pimento cheese.

At 5 Sarah arrived with 5 lbs of greens. We stemmed, we washed, we rendered fat from bacon, we wilted, we simmered, we kept going.

As a hostess, I can tell you a fish fry isn't easy. There's soaking, breading, frying, draining, and several more batches. In addition to getting sides ready, making sure guests are happy, and coordinating timing. I had anticipated easy street. I was wrong.

At any given time, I was stressed, crazy, witty, bossy, meek, pissed, satisfied, jittery, relaxed, humble, loud, quiet, grateful, and, most importantly, thoughtful about food, where it comes from and who we share it with.

~

Sweet potato chips in the fryer

There are few people I am around where we don't talk and are cool. It's a weird thing to be around people in silence. Besides movie theaters and doctor offices when really don't humans speak to each other except when they are alone?

I'm loud.

Many people have told me I remind them of a cartoon character (perhaps because of my love of Hello Kitty???) and that I'm intense, animated, intimidating, etc.

I'm just passionate, honest, and enthusiastic.

Even though fishing is a quiet act, frying is not. There's oohhhing, aaahhhing, yelling for more flour, worrying about bubbling over, etc. etc.

At one point, though, we got in our assembly line rhythm, and the four of us battered and fried the last batch with almost no verbal communication. Our hands dredged fish, shook off the extra batter, placed fillets in the fryer and did it again, as if we all shared one mind.

It reminded me of the rock of the boat, the fishing poles in our hands, and dawn breaking over the lake.

~

All hands on deck

We fried 'em up on the 4th.

Sarah L., G, E.H., and I took charge. It was clear we were the food obsessed.

Or better put: we were devoted to the fish. Others were too. They would be present for start to finish of a batch, such as FD, CC, and AC, which I appreciate whole heartily. In fact, as as Gemini, I welcomed any attention. The other guests looked on like it was a train wreck. People like danger, potential fire, and drama. In a matter of two hours of this fish fry I had cooked several dishes cooked and ready, a fryer that wouldn't heat up and tripped the breaker, a severe mandolin (the knife, not the instrument) injury, and realized I was two hours behind eating time.

As an OCD hostess I was fucked.

But inviting the perfect people dissolved my need to obsess and surrender to defeat.

Several dishes were ready: right on; Jersey helped me figure out my breakers and turn shit off to turn on the fryer; my mom's hospital office job where I became friends with nurses gave me the know-how to aid a cut wound into remission (we thought we needed stitches but really only what we needed was to lay down on the bathroom floor [see being OCD does pay off; the floor was sparkling clean] with the finger in the air, some Solarcaine, a bandage, and some Sherry), and for the most part our friends like to eat between 8-9 p.m.

I was in luck.

~

Fishes in the fryer

My Pops was specific, "Fry away from the house. Put it between the house and the garage on the edge of the patio. And assign one fryer attendant. It should be you. It's our fryer. You'll know how to work it."

I was in bare feet.

That wasn't in the manual, but my Pops said, "Wear shoes."

I followed my Pops' advice. And didn't. We do that as kids. We're allowed.

This was the first meal I made that potentially risked my home, my loved ones, my clothing (which I love a lot), and my bare feet.

And I think others felt that way.

They stood and watched.

What would happen?

For the first time ever I saw concern on Sarah L.'s face. I don't know about this, her expression read in one photo. When she showed me the pic, I thought, That's my look. What are you doing???

Then she said, "That's the look you make every time I make a souffle or marshmallows. I guess I didn't realize how freaked out I was."

Deep frying is scary.

And lots of fun.

~

I had a lot of help, but I was ultimately guardian of the fryer, as my Pops had advised.

I dropped the basket in. We all watched the oil bubble up and engulf the fish, though. And G would give the basket a shake so the fish wouldn't stick too much together while I was running around organizing other things. But when the fishies were fried, it was I who pulled the basket out with its little coat-hanger-pulley-thingy. I put the lid on, let the temperature come back up to 400, assembled the assembly line and started again.

My Pops would have been proud.

~

At 9, the crew went through the buffet line and piled their plates with cuke salads, braised greens, baked beans, grilled corn, crisp coleslaw, shredded beef, and fried fish.

There was one moment of silence at the beginning as folks chewed the first bites. But then there were outbursts over flavors or new conversations.

Dessert (s'mores with homemade marshmallows, chocolate, and pralines) was just as big of a hit.

And while I made future notes to buy more Nut Thins and lemons (thanks L & S for the run to Kroger!), to put butter, salt and pepper on the table for corn, and to put out as many chairs as we have, what sticks with me more is how a family tradition became a gathering.

There were writers and teachers, a print media-ist, a composer of music, a medical assistant, an archivist, a webmaster, a construction guru/visual artist, a dancer, and a bio-chemist. A talented motley crew with a love of fried food. What I love about parties is sometimes these talents are brought up and other times we get to escape them for a few moments under the silent canopy of holiday lights.

From Plate to Palate--July 2011

2011-07-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

I think it's fair to say that most food writers come alive in summer. The farmers markets are alive and bustling. There are places to go and new restaurants to test. There is finally time to wind down by campfire with a cold one.

The July issue of From Plate to Palate is dear to me because all four contributors are AWESOME. Each have written several pieces for FP2P, and that's exciting, especially considering that soon FP2P is changing its look and layout. Well, that surprise is coming soon. But in the meantime, enjoy these fantastic pieces from four stellar food writers!

Weeknight Meals, Comfort Foods, and Perfection (or Not)

2011-06-27T13:28:00.000-07:00


Nom nom nom

It's no surprise that I usually spend a whole day cooking, especially in the summer. Whereas most people hate cooking or "being tied to the kitchen," I feel most peaceful, happy, fulfilled, and sane when I'm in the kitchen.

At the same time, I have writing projects, syllabus planning, organization projects, and lots of reading and writing I want to do this summer.

So some evenings I see what's in the fridge/freezer and cook up what we have. And it's these meals that are probably my favorites. I know the recipes like the back of my hand, and I have the cooking down to a science.

Such as was the pictured meal. I wasn't really anticipating guests, even though we had more than enough, but I was more than happy find out two of our all-time favorite people could stay for dinner: flat iron steaks with chimichurri sauce, ex-wife potatoes roasted in duck fat and smoked on the grill, sauteed greens, grilled asparagus, and Sarah L.'s homemade roasted red pepper sauce I had scored earlier that day.

I'm quite critical of my own cooking. Every meal I figure out what flavor profiles need to be edited, what elements need to be added, and how a recipe should be revised. Most meals I'm only partially happy with the results. But this meal was almost flawless. The only revision: I would have braised the greens instead of sauteing them.

What I'm wondering is why these meals happen. I think about the ones where I cook elaborate dishes that take two to three days, the holiday ones that involve brining, marinating, intense butchering, fine chopping, etc. These meals are delicious but there never perfect. And then here comes this barely-planned, use-what-you-got, throw-it-together-flavor-combos of a meal that was simply divine. Was it the weather, the vibe of the day, the element of surprise, the delightful guests, the boxed wine? It was a meal that I ate slowly, that I savored, that I will remember. Lately these are the meals I live for, that sustain me. They are so few and far between.

Comfort level with the recipe has everything to do with it, though. Later in the week we invited good friends over last minute for dinner. I was trying four new recipes for one meal (totally crazy, I know): grilled chicken thighs, ginger cilantro rice, bok choy with braised Shiite sauce, and sesame broccoli salad. The broccoli salad was great, but I heeded the reviews to cut the dressing portion in half. I charred the thighs because I decided it was time to test out lump hardwood charcoal rather than use Match Light, which I have mastered. Thankfully, our guests were gracious and kind about having to bake the thighs because charring them didn't cook them all the way through. I suck at rice; period (more on that topic soon). And the bok choy was stringy, bitter, and droopy. I wasn't trying to impress our guests; it was a meal I planned to make even if it was just for me and FD. These were recipes I wanted to test and I wanted an Asian them. But I had hoped for more of a magical meal, like the one we had earlier in the week. But no. I think it's because I tried too many new things at one time. And experimented with new methods (new charcoal). I'm an adventurer as a cook, so I have to take it in stride that not every meal is perfect. But even in imperfection, my cooking is usually edible and above par. But I'm a perfectionist with OCD and an overactive palate. I always expect more.

So does it all boil down to the comfort level we have with recipes? And does that comfort level equal comfort foods? I cook and eat ex-wife potatoes almost every night in my dreams (for real); I've grilled asparagus eight million times; I've sauteed greens for all three meals in a day and did it again the very next day; and I can indirect grill with Match Light almost better than any BBQ joint in Ohio. Give me comfort foods and I can crank out an amazing meal.

But...

I feel like my comfort meals wouldn't be comforting if I didn't have nights where I test four new recipes and fail a little (or a lot). I think most people cycle their comfort foods or the foods they think they cook well each and every week. I remember when I was a kid my mom recycled a lot of the same meals: mac and cheese with green beans; burgers and Ore-Ida fries; bubble and squeak; etc. At some point, though, these comfort foods became some of my least favorite meals. "We're having bubble and squeak AGAIN?!?!"

I use true comfort foods sparingly. For those days when I would rather read or write then cook. And trying new recipes (4-6 a week) allows me to console myself with my favorite dishes after a dinner-disaster. But it also allows me to find new favorite recipes, maybe even new comfort foods.

And it keeps my voyage as foodie ever evolving...

On Turning 34

2011-06-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm an asshole. I forget to write down the title & artist.

I was born the year of the snake, which it's description paints me as saint and sinner.

And I'm a Gemini.

This could mean my good qualities outweigh my bad qualities. My bad qualities outweigh my good qualities.

Or that I'm a duel-minded, tortured soul.

Then again, maybe I'm the happiest person you've ever met.

Most days are a little bit of everything. Which is why this year, like every year, I vow to grow, blossom, and maybe even transcend. (Okay, I admit "transcend" is lofty.)

Lately I've been practicing intentional awareness (aka reflecting) as I'm observing my relationships with family, friends, work, hobbies, and self move into new stages and transform into something new things. Honoring my place/not place in those relationships is probably what's most challenging. From a friendship that flourishes immediately to one that fizzles out, I'm beginning to see that we all have our places and times with one another, and that each moment should be cherished, and that sometimes respecting someone else's needs before my own is/is not beneficial.

The snake and Gemini in me is skeptical of all this hippie bullshit.

But I can't deny how food is molding who I'm becoming as I step into a new year.

Food offers me sustenance, but beyond the basics it challenges me, comforts me, eases my worries, creates worries, motivates me, and provides me with connections to others.

Sarah L.'s Hello Kitty Birthday Cake

Take for instance Hello Kitty birthday cakes.

Last year practically-my-sister SEM made me a kick ass Hello Kitty cake.

And this year Sarah made a gluten-free version with all of my FAVORITE flavors: rhubarb, strawberries, pistachios, meringue, lavender, and chocolate. Thoughtful and fucking delicious.

It's a blessing to me that both Sara(h)s meshed my ultimate icon with my number #1 passion: food.

Being surrounded by love only proves to me that good food is a form of good love.

[OK, so here's a blogging moment where I don't feel I'm communicating what I want to communicate. Or that it sounds more "out there" than is my intention. Sure, I feel good food means pure, local ingredients from local farmers, butchers and gardeners. But more so, I just love how food brings people together, and how those who love me know my stomach and heart are the same organ. And I fully appreciate that. From the-what's-left-in-the-fridge-becomes-amazing dinners with FD to Kiderowski Bakery's cupcakes to Sally's seven-layer salad to Babine's simple syrup to Sarah's Ex-Wife potatoes to Revolver's Polenta to Tator Tots after a very gourmet meal to Better Made BBQ Chips to all the meals I've had and shared with my peeps far and wide, my post-birthday wish is that food continues to nourish my relationships and continues to draw me closer my passions and callings. I appreciate every food moment in the present and past moments. As tacky as it is, it's truly how I feel. Food is similar to spirituality, at least in my forever-clashing brain. And I hope it gives me enough sustenance for another 34 or more years.]

In the next year I wish to make even more good food to show some good love.

And So It Goes...

2011-04-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

The semester is drawing to an end.

For some that means graduation is right around the corner. All the excitement of the future is ahead of them. Along with the wonder, frustration, hope, and possibility.

And while I'm excited with them, I'm sad because it means some very good friends will be moving away.

I don't take good-byes well. I never have. I prefer the "see you later" approach. But year after year of friends leaving is making my heart feel just a bit more heavy.

Last year was Babs, and this year is Amy, Chris, Alex, Nikki, and Ian.

The hardest part for me is that I happen to make friends with folks who love food, who love to eat, and who are frequent dinner guests at our house. Come this summer, Sundays will just be a little quieter. Picnics at the quarry will be a little smaller.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Right now we're trying to get in as many games of Blokus and rounds of The Game of Things as possible. We're trying to eat as many kale salads and tofu bites as possible. We're spending as much time together as possible. FD's beer cellar is slimming down a bit, and the liquor cabinet is almost empty.

Of course the greater parts of my days are spent grading, presenting, student conferencing, food writing, editing, and cooking because I have to but mostly out of avoidance. I just don't want to see our good friends leave. But so it goes...

In the meantime, there's a polenta tarte in the oven, pork tenderloin to roast, and glasses to clink before the formal good-byes begin.

VOTE!

2011-02-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

Chef Micheal Bulkowski from Revolver, our all-time favorite restaurant, is up for Food & Wine's The People's Best New Chef 2011.

Vote for him.

He's put Northwest Ohio on the map as a culinary destination. He's talented, humble, thoughtful, playful, and RAD.

Vote for him. Right now!

Resolutions (Of Sorts)

2011-01-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

Every new year I make a list of resolutions--most of which I abandon at the end of January.

Last year I wanted to bake our bread instead of buying it. I attempted one loaf that was way too dense to eat. I'm okay with buying bread from Zingerman's at Happy Badger; it tastes better. I did cook with rutabagas, though, with much success. There were other resolutions too, but I've forgotten them.

This year my only resolution is to not have resolutions. To not limit myself to list but be open to whatever adventures arise.

And turn this blog into a space for ??? (??? = something but I don't know what).

While I'm figuring out the ???, be sure to check out my BG News column every Friday and From Plate to Palate at Connotation Press.

Until the next post, eat more offal.

"Thank You, Baby Jesus..." I'm Cooking Again. But, First, Check Out My Tree.

2010-12-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Kaleidoscope Farms for an amazing tree.

Loveliest tree ever.

Will eventually have a live tree in my office or kitchen that only has food/food-relate ornaments on it.

One of my favs I got from FD's parents the year FD and I married.

Creative Nonfiction: A Call for Nominations

2010-11-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

The literary journal Creative Nonfiction is hosting a food writing issue and calling for a few good food blog posts. Rather than asking for submissions, Creative Nonfiction is asking for nominations--a pretty clever idea.

Without a doubt, dear reader, I would like you to vote for your favorite posts from The Everyday Palate! These are a couple of posts that supporters plan to nominate: In-N-Out Burger, I Melt for Melt, The PawPaw Adventure, PawPaw Season 2: Admitting Failure, I Can Sweat Duck Fat, and The Greenhouse Tavern: Revisited.

According to Creative Nonfiction, ""Deadline for nominations: 11:59 PM EST, Monday, November 29, 2010. Nominate as many posts as you like, though we ask that you not nominate the same post multiple times."

You can cast your nomination here: Nominate A Blog!

There are many other food writers too which awesome posts I am nominating: Prose & Potatoes, Quest for the True Climate, Madame Fromage, A Written Recipe, and many more!

Thank you for your support! And eat on (in lieu of rock on)!

Give A Dog A Bone (I Mean, A Carrot)

2010-11-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Bleu dog is 3 today. And he's hungry. Always hungry.

He's hungry for the carrots I'm dicing for a Lentil Soup.

He's very happy when I offer him a carrot.

Off he goes with his carrot. Happy Birthday, Bleu.

C'est La Vie

2010-10-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm discouraged.

All summer I had time to plan elaborate meals, to shop at all the farmers markets and specialty stores, and to cook elaborate, tasty meals.

Right now I'm lucky if I have enough time or energy to wash, spin dry, and fry an egg and some kale in a skillet.

Between prepping to teach, teaching, conferencing with students, going to committee meetings, volunteering, grading, writing, editing, and just plain getting by, my meals are suffering.

Let me clarify. I've been throwing together the good ole standby--Lentil soup--and roasting a chicken on Sunday that we use in tacos, wraps, sandwiches, salads, soups, pastas, etc., but I really want a day to slave over the stove. Seriously, it's fall, my favorite season. I should be braising meats, roasting veggies, and simmering sauces. I should be homemaking pie crusts and spending hours peeling and thinly slicing apples.

Or do I just think I should be doing those things because I'm a self-pronounced food writer and food lover?

I just feel as though I'm letting down my readers (and my husband) by not serving up goodies that are blog worthy. Really, do you want to read about the turkey burgers I made Monday night or the Chipotle burrito I scarfed down 7:30 after teaching and before I walked the dog and started grading at 9 p.m.?

I want to promise better blog posts from here on out, but until winter break, it's just not possible.

What is possible, though, is a sharing of our go-to foods when we're in a hurry and don't have a lot of time to cook. Ground turkey tacos are one of our favs. But what I've really been loving lately are the quick pasta dishes we whip up by using the tomato sauce I made this summer and froze. And I've been loving the joy of autumn fresh apples, which have been lifesavers for snacks and side dishes.

What are your go-to dishes? What do you make when you have only 15 minutes and barely anything in the fridge? I need ideas!

Now back to grading...

LIVE This Week

2010-10-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

The leaves are turning colors and the air is crisp.

Fall has finally found its way through our open windows and screen doors.

With Fall, though, has come the mid-point of one crazy semester, which is why my food posts are few and far between. But that doesn't mean I'm not cooking and making a list of all the food adventures I need to blog about soon.

In the meantime, be sure to check out my other food writing at Connotation Press and BG News.

Connotation Press this month is all Potlucks! So join the feast and check out the great dishes from writers such as Kathleen Rooney, Arielle Greenberg, Anna Kauffman, and Katherine Willis Pershey.

And my weekly food column at BG News serves up a variety of topics from tailgating to an upcoming column about Facebook and Food.

Thanks for all your support and readership! I promise more tasty treats are on their way from Everyday Palate to Connotation Press to BG News!

Can Food Save a Mean Girl?

2010-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite BG News articles.

Pawpaw Season 2: Admitting Failure.

2010-09-18T11:28:00.000-07:00


Kaleidoscope Farms Mt. Cory, Ohio. Another season of pawpaw hunting with the ever-generous tree farmer Dave Reese.

Dave planted new pawpaw trees, but the deer munched on most of them.

Pawpaws: Season 2.

Haven't lost my gatherer instinct.

In the bag.

For pawpaw bread.

Scrapping the membrane--which contains a lot of flavor--from each and every seed.

Finally a perfect loaf of pawpaw bread.

Failure.

Food Columnist to the Falcons!

2010-09-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

This past summer I was invited to be the food columnist for our campus paper BG NEWS.

My good friend, summer editor-in-chief, and former student AMB hooked me up with this amazing gig, and I'm staying on staff this fall and, if Pulse editor Matt L. will have me, for a long while.

While I'm still learning AP style (I'm an MLA geek), each week I'm even more energized by food and food writing because of the work I do for the Pulse.

Matt's favorite piece might be the one about Twilight, but I'm quite the fan of my piece this week about competitive eating.

In a sense I feel like a brand new writer. I keep remember the days back in undergrad when I decided that poetry was my life. I started emulating all of my favorite poets--Jane Kenyon, Daisy Fried, Campbell McGrath. Only now I feel like I'm imitating Jim Harrison, Molly Wizenberg, and Steve Almond while trying to hold steady my own voice and be the ever-charming me.

I'm not sure I'm worth a damn as a food writer, but I sure enjoy it. And I'd sure be delighted if you subscribed to my BG NEWS food column here.

For the love of Tomatoes!

2010-09-09T04:16:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes from our friends' Anna & Jesse's Garden

The September issue of Connotation Press' From Plate to Palate is live and ready for a thorough read.

This month check out a special late summer issue devoted to our friend, the vegetable (no, fruit...), the Tomato.

And if you're a aspiring food writer, please submit your essays of yummy today!

The Greenhouse Tavern: Revisited

2010-08-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Crispy Hominy

Back in July I visited The Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland and absolutely LOVED my dining experience. It was one of the most incredible-tastiest, most-satisfying, so-happy-to-eat-in-Cleveland experiences I've had to date.

So I figured when I took FD there for his special birthday dinner it was going to be the same mind-blowing, mouth orgy again. That doesn't seem an unreasonable assumption, does it?

Chef Sawyer is known for his seasonl spin on contemporary comfort food. And I firmly believe in his Green mission and the restaurant's farm-to-table mentality. There's no doubt in my mind that my food values are completely aligned with The Greenhouse Tavern's; we're totally on the same page.

But FD's birthday meal has left me frustrated and reconsidering going to The Greenhouse Tavern again. At least for anything else other than Animal Style Frites.

Chilled Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup

I want to be clear that the opinions I express are as an honest food critic and paying customer. It is not my intention to slander any restaurant. It is only my intention to share my dining experiences as an average-Jane diner with no strings attached.

Let it be known that I think the good at The Greenhouse Tavern is definitely worth experiencing, but the customer service is something, I feel, needs much improvement.

Let it be known that the intoxicating, primitive experience event of eating Animal Style Frites is something every food lover MUST experience. However, I must warn any diner that the sassy-and-not-in-a-good-way attitude from a few of the servers and runners at The Greenhouse Tavern might disrupt that experience and turn it into something not-so-much-fun.

Animal Style Frites

Because I am a detail-oriented person who believes arguments should have ample credible support, I feel the following examples will illustrate how lack luster the customer service at The Greenhouse Tavern is. First of all, when we were seated we were not approached immediately, and once the server approached our table, he did not announce the beers on tap or show us the beer and wine menu. For an establishment that has tavern in its title, I feel is imperative that every server share this information before asking diners what drinks they want. It's helpful and it makes diners feel comfortable in additional to a little of booze and a few recommendations mean a bigger tip usually. Also, the The four course chef's tasting menu used to be $39; now it's $44. If you do the math, it's a rip off; you can order food from each section and usually pay less than $44. I understand this doesn't have to do with servers, but it has to do with customer service and not taking customers (who are in a city that is having hard economic times!) for a ride. Next, our first and second courses were served at the same time. Our table ordered the four course chef's tasting menu because we wanted to have a long dinner; serving both courses not only screwed up the timing and our experience, but also it upset the taste of each course. I have no interest eating chilled soup with hominy or even better hominy with lardo speck gnocchi, which is what we did in much of a rage. Our server's response to the matter: "First and second courses are small tonight; we're serving them together." However, all the surrounding tables were receiving them separately and our portions were huge. The runners had to be asked to box leftovers, and during dessert when a decaf cup of coffee served to our table was cold, the runner deliberated aloud the time it would take to make a fresh pot, which was really rude and destroyed the flow of our table's conversation. Finally, the server forgot one of our guest's desserts and overcharged that same guest by two desserts, even though dessert was included in their four course chef's tasting menu. Needless to say, I didn't leave feeling satisfied this time.

Strip Steak with Pomme Frites

Dear reader, I'm not happy to report these examples of rude, unorganized, and sloppy service. It breaks my heart quite frankly. But I feel the need to share because as food lovers and paying customers we expect a meaningful dining experience, and we, as paying customers, are shelling out a lot of hard-earned money to get that experience, especially in times like these. I have a huge problem with celebrity chef restaurants and talked-up restaurants not delivering on customer service. Restaurants are part of the service industry. That means meeting the expectations of customers and making those customers happy. In this case and in other cases, such as Michael Symon's Bar Symon, I feel the servers are hired because they need jobs and look indy enough to work there. But the servers and runners should know about the food, about serving a table, about the etiquette of dining, and about who actually is paying their paycheck, which are the customers, essentially. If I drop $200 at a restaurant, like I did at The Greenhouse Tavern, I expect the server to be respectful, knowledgeable, and competent. That's not much to ask. And as diners that's all we want. I understand some servers are flirty, some friendly, some hands-off-but-aware, or some funny. A little personality is great. But there must be smarts to match it. And that training MUST come from the owner, the manager, and the executive chef. I can't justify spending that amount of money on a meal when half my experience is spent frustrated at a server who looks and acts like he just did ten lines of coke and is saying his allergies are bad today.

Gravy Frites

With that said, the lardo speck gnocchi was to die for. The halibut was absolutely perfectly cooked, even though the garnish was useless. The kick of hit at the end of a taste of the Ratatouille Vegetables Involtini was divine. The texture of the sweet potato and cabbage chilled soup was so silky it was like sexy satin sheets. The strip steak had a flawless sear and was faultlessly cooked to medium. And the Gravy Frites and Animal Style Frites--I live for them. Period.

Alas, I'm sad this review isn't more about the food. But it replicates my turmoil during this meal. I would have one moment of ecstasy which would be clouded by an unnatural desire to throw a punch.

What's the balance of food and service? Which is more important? Or are both equally important? Is a small dining room like at Revolver or Lucky's Cafe--where service is ALWAYS good--the key? I don't have any answers. But I sure wish I did.

Pure coolness. The Greenhouse Tavern serves Black Label in a can for under $2.

Goodbye Summer & Picnics at the Quarry

2010-08-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the semester starts and summer ends.

While I really excited to get back in the classroom with my students, I'm a little sad too. It means I'm going to have a lot less time to cook.

One of my favorite summer activities has been going to the Portage Quarry with our friends N & I. They are as food obsessed as me.

So really, while swimming was totally fun, what was even more fun were our picnics. All of us brought A game to every meal. We're talking spreads that would shame wedding buffets. And what a better way to use up all that fresh produce that was overtaking our refrigerators' crisper drawers?

Also, what picnic days taught me was how to think outside the box of what was picnic food, and they forced me to experiment more with grains, chilled salads, and sides, most of which could easily become main dishes.

I had a blast spending the whole day before our outings scouring through online and magazine and cookbook recipes, creating various flavor simple syrups, testing adult lemonades, finding plastic containers with tight fitting lids, and cooking.

Thanks to our picnics I've learned to love lentils even more, and I feel much closer to N & I (and our friend J who joined us once too!), who were rad to begin with but who are even more rad after I got a chance to chill, swim, and eat with them.

As homage to the last of our picnic days (and summer, in general), here are photos from our summer of good eating, good swimming, and good friends.

Homemade grape leaves, homemade hummus, egg salad, chicken salad, coleslaw with beets, beet salad, etc.

N & I made their own pickles. True love at first bite.

A lot of our produce came from the community garden and farmers markets.

N's baking is divine. This is her cupcake with mint (or basil?) frosting. It's hard to remember everything...

Lentil wraps, fried chicken, bbq chicken & tofu, pasta salad, kale salad, roasted potatoes, peach crisp, etc.

Green bean and cherry tomato salad with onion--produce from my friend Sarah's garden.

Birthday Love Made From Scratch

2010-08-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Turtle!

A good birthday includes great food.

At least that's how I was brought up.

You should choose your own meal or pick your favorite restaurant. And, without a doubt, the day should end with a special cake. (Or pie or cupcakes or cheese platter--whatever you prefer.)

When it's a family member or friend's birthday I always want to make sure their food wishes come true along with his/her birthday wishes.

A great birthday dessert is a sign that you're loved. Take, for instance, my Hello Kitty cake from SEM.

This past weekend it was her birthday, so I wanted to share the love and ensure her food wishes came true.

But that I meant I had to get over my fear of baking...

Ever since I've started cooking seriously I've proclaimed to be the worst baker ever.

Baking is a combo of science and genetics. You're good at it or not.

At least that's what I used to think until I made a two layer white cake with orange whipped cream and fresh strawberry filling with orange butter cream frosting. Let me rephrase: I made all of that from scratch, even the whipped cream.

I think that wins me some bragging rights, especially when every batch of sugar cookies I make come out of the oven charred and smoking.

I do have to give Alice Waters props. She's the one who walked me through my first made-from-scratch cake. Her 1-2-3-4 Cake recipe in The Art of Simple Food is so easy to follow it make Easy Oven look difficult. Her variation suggestions are spot on and her whipped cream and frosting recipes were a snap. The cake came out perfectly moist and crumbly. The frosting wasn't too sweet or too hard. And the filling didn't drench the cake. It was such a breeze, I could hardly believe it.

The most difficult part was making the sprinkle turtle look like a turtle. That took a little work on mine and FD's behalves.

Thank you, Alice Waters, for giving me some baking confidence.

More importantly, Happy Birthday, McGuire! If I didn't love you so much and want to make you something special, I would have never known that I can bake.

This Week at BG Community Gardens

2010-08-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

BG Community Garden at First United Methodist

Sweet carrots


Melon hiding

Baby watermelon

A row of crisp cukes

Cabbage Patch Kid in the making

Squash still growing

Avocado Kick

2010-08-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

I love avocados. Their shape. Their color. Their creamy texture. Their light fruity flavor.

Everything about them makes me happy.

And when I eat them, I'm even happier.

After having a raw kale salad with avocados at a dinner party, I had to make it at home so I could eat the whole thing myself. (Okay, I did share with FD, but I finished the salad the next day by myself.) And I'm thinking I might make it again for dinner tonight. It's my new fav, as if you couldn't tell.

While reading Local Flavors by Deborah Madison I found yet another recipe with my silky green addition. The Tomato and Avocado Salad with Lime-Herb Dressing is one of the best summer salads I've made this year. Probably because I used my first batch of the heirloom tomatoes I've waited all year to taste again. (I just can't bring myself to buy fresh grocery store tomatoes, so when summer comes I overeat real fresh tomatoes.)

Bleu begging for the Tomato and Avocado Salad

This Tomato and Avocado Salad has crunch from the lettuce and peppers, creaminess from the avocados, juiciness from the plump tomatoes, and heat and spice from the dressing. I adore it. What follows is an adaptation from Madison's recipe:

Lime-Herb Dressing
1 T chopped mint
1 T chopped basil
1/2 c chopped cilantro
4 T olive oil
1 jalapeno chile, finely diced
3 T fresh lime juice
1/4 t sea salt

The Salad
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes (use a variety of cherry, slicers, or paste tomatoes), cubed into bite size pieces
1 large avocado, peeled and cubed
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1 sweet pepper, cubed
1 small red candy onion, finely diced
2 cups lettuce, shredded (I used a mix of Red Amaranth, tri-color Amaranth, Oracle, Wild Spinach, Malabar Spinach, and Romaine.)
sea salt
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1.) Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Taste to make sure there is enough acid.

2.) Put bite size pieces of tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and pepper into a large bowl with the onion. Add the lettuce and a few pinches of salt. Toss, add the dressing, toss again. Add feta cheese before serving.

For any salad with avocado, I usually add it individually to bowls. This way if any salad is left over, the avocado won't brown in the salad. If I have any avocado left over, I wrap it tightly in cling wrap and keep it in the fridge. It usually lasts one day. I cut away any brown spots before eating.

What are your favorite avocado recipes? I need more!

Stuffed, Part II

2010-07-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

After making my Hot Pigs in a Summer Couture Wrap, I had about 4 cups of the filling leftover and one huge zucchini that was a gift from my friend Sarah.

Even before all the storms last week and this weekend, I saw a flash a fate-lightning that led me to this recipe: Stuffed Zucchini.

For my Stuffed Zucchini, all I did was cut a LARGE zucch in half, lengthwise, spoon out its seeds, add my filling from the Hot Pigs in a Summer Couture Wrap, drizzle a little local tomato sauce in the pan before and after putting the stuffed zucch in it, grate some of CJ's Farmstead Cheddar on top of the stuffing, and cover the pan with foil.

Again, I baked it on my grill for about 40 minutes on indirect medium heat. (Please see the note from my previous post.) And it turned out AWESOME.

Truthfully, the BIG zucchs are perfect for stuffing but they are a bit overwhelming to eat. I want you to know it's okay to eat half a half and then the filling from the other half and then see how full you are. If your stomach is full, you can grate its leftovers into a lunch salad or grate it and put and freeze it. No worries.

What's awesome is zucchinis have fed us two solid meals in two days in a row with abundant leftovers.

I can't complain.

Stuffed, Part I

2010-07-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

"Turn your back on the little zucchini for just a few minutes and they grow into baseball bats," said Epicurious recipe review A Cook From NH.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

This growing season there so many summer squash I can barely grate it and freeze it enough before some more finds its way into our kitchen again. Be it from the community garden, a friend's garden, the farmers market, or the local farmer we order produce from, zucchini has aimed its target at me. And like a good cook, I'm up for the challenge.

On the Epicurious website, I found this recipe for Cabbage Stuffed with Beef, Zucchini and Herbs. While all the ingredients sounded like a perfect fit for my crisper drawers, the recipe reviews were something left to be desired.

But I braved it and tweaked this so-called bland recipe into a keeper. At least I feel confident saying that after getting the approval from our gracious neighbors and friends A & J who dedicated their Saturday night as taste testers.

What follows is the very revised version of the recipe from Self magazine using quite a bit of the comments from A Cook from California. I also must thank my mum-in-law Sally for giving her original pigs-in-a-blanket recipe that I used as a foundation.

Note: The baking instructions are clearly for summer. Being this last week Bowling Green only saw temps in the higher 90s, there was NO way I was going to turn on the oven. So I turned to my grill. I baked the cabbage rolls over indirect medium heat for 50 minutes. To get indirect heat on a charcoal grill, place a disposal aluminum pan in the middle of the charcoal tray. Fill the open space around the pan with 2 layers of charcoal. Bake the rolls in another disposable pan. (After cooking you can either recycle the pans or wash them for re-use. It's up to you.)

Hot Pigs in a Couture Summer Wrap (aka Pigs in a Blanket--Summer Style)

Suggested albums while cooking: The Beatles White Album, especially "Piggies" and Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard's One Fast Move Or I'm Gone. (Thanks, Jenn!)

1 large head of local cabbage
1 medium local zucchini
1 medium local summer squash
1 small local eggplant
1/2 bunch of kale
1 can diced tomatoes (local), drained (reserve juice)
2 medium local onions (red or white or mix)
3 local garlic gloves, minced
1 lb local, grass-fed ground beef
1 T each fresh local basil, parsely, thyme, & oregano
2 T organic olive oil, divided
1 c cooked rice
pinch of cloves
pinch of nutmeg

Sauce:
1 can zesty tomato soup (local) with 1/2 water, mixed well, and all of the herbs with some leftover for sprinkling.

Begin by cooking rice. Use wild grain rice, jasmine, minute brown rice, etc. Whatever you have on hand that floats your boat.

While rice is cooking, blanch cabbage. From the top of the head cut a straight incision that goes through the head (so surgical, I know) but that does not cut away any leaves. Blanch for 5 minutes or until bright green. If inner leaves aren't blanched enough, you can always re-submerge. Of course, you'll have ice cold water on hand to stop the cooking immediately after the head has been blanched. Set aside to drain and cool after ice bath. After cool, half and core cabbage, carefully tearing away leaves. Set leaves aside to dry and drain.

In an large non-stick skillet, brown ground beef with 1 T olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drain. Set Aside.

Saute onions and garlic until soft. Add squash, zucchini, eggplant, diced tomatoes, cloves, and nutmeg with a little of the diced tomato juice (I'm sorry I'm not technical like Cook's Illustrated). Cover and cook until soft. Add kale for last two minutes and cover again.

Stir in meat and cooked rice with veggie mixture.

Trim cabbage leaf veins so they are easier to fold. Be sure not to cut leaves.

Hold a leaf with the core side towards you. Add a bit of meat in its cup. Roll once, then fold in the sides and roll until it's covered. Place seam side down in a pan where the bottom is lightly covered with sauce.

Repeat until cabbage leaves are gone. (Recipe can be doubled and frozen, if you so wish.)

Pour remaining sauce over the rolls before covering with the pan with foil.

Bake on the grill according to the above note. If baking in the house, preheat the over to 350F and bake for 45-60 minutes.

When done, as the French say, "Mange!"

For dessert, consider homemade brownies! Our friends made-from-scratch their brownies using a recipe from How to Boil Water. As a brownie fanatic all I can say is that they were AWESOME, especially after they added whipped cream and Baileys to them.

Cheers to a fantastic dinner party!

Summer Salads

2010-07-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

During the height of all this fresh produce and these insanely hot temperatures, all I can actually do without feeling veggie-overwhelmed or passing out from the heat is make raw vegetable salads. These refreshing, chilled salads make great main courses (if you increase the portion size) or they are perfect side dishes for grilled meats.

This past week I harvested a few cukes from the community garden after my weeding shift. I came home, flipped through some cookbooks for ideas, and decided on a cucumber mint salad. Dressed with olive oil, yogurt, and lemon, this salad was a breeze to make and felt like eating a cool breeze on a hot summer day.

Perhaps my favorite summer salad has been Moosewood's Raw Veggie Salad. I cleaned out our crisper drawers making this salad. Diced beets, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, cukes, and herbs in a oil-vinegar dressing. That's it. Really awesome, healthy, and light.

Also, I've been digging on Water's Lentil Salad, Food and Wine's Santa Fe Quinoa Salad, and a lot of fresh green salads.

A few recipes I'm planning for these upcoming weeks: Raw Kale Salad, Michael Symon's Zucchini Crudo, Deborah Madison's Tomato and Avocado with Lime-Herb Dressing, and the Summer Pasta Salad with Tofu from Everyday Food July/August 2010.

I hope these salads help you stay cool!

I Can Sweat Duck Fat

2010-07-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I visited my friend Jeannie in Hudson. It's kind of like our annual girls weekend. We go the Grey Colt Sidewalk Sale, then out to really AWESOME dinner. This year I threw on a brand new Odd Molly top and funky Free People skirt I got at the sale and Jeannie threw on her best pair of green heels and a sweet summer dress and we headed to Greenhouse Tavern on East 4th in Cleveland.

This post isn't going to review Greenhouse Tavern. That review, in addition to one about Lucky's Cafe, will be live in the BG News this coming Wednesday.

This post is an account of my sweating duck fat during a yoga class. (And, yes, it smelled awesome as well as gross.) It's the unedited version of our girls night out.

The ambiance of the Greenhouse Tavern is sophisticatedly "green." From its fancy toilets that offer two flush settings (one for liquid, two for solids) to recycling old un-used menus as fry cones, this restaurant is thoughtful in its sustainability and certified for it too. I felt proud that my eating that evening was totally eco-friendly.

Without a doubt, the best choice on the menu is the 4 Course Chef's Tasting Menu. You get to choose one appetizer, one "second" appetizer, one entree, and either a dessert or a side for $39. Jeannie and I played it smart by each ordering the tasting menu and sharing a side and a dessert. However, as the plates started arriving we realized we should have split the tasting menu.

I ordered the French Buttered Radishes as my first. If you've been keeping up with my BG News articles, I've taken a liking to radishes lately. And these were amazing. Jeannie had the fried hominy, and I had a bit of food envy. Fried should be my middle name; crispy, salty, crunchy--the hominy rocked.

For seconds Jeannie had a lamb patty (sorry I forgot...I was having a food orgasm and wasn't taking notes when I should have been) that was AMAZING. I had the Hand Ground Beef Tartare, which rocked my world. As a kid I would sneak crumbs of raw ground beef before it went into a meatloaf or goulash. I have a raw meat problem, and unfortunately most raw meat is not fit to eat. So when I see tartare, I'm on board. Accompanied with housemade condiments, pickles, crostini, and a two minute egg, it was DIVINE. MINDBLOWING. INSANE.

While waiting for our entrees I realized to my left was a table of douche bags who were clearly there to be seen and maybe score some pu-tang. Maybe they thought they were cute, but truthfully they were obnoxious. So much so--we found out from our totally friendly, attentive waitress after they left--that the older couple sitting at our table before us asked to be moved. Ha! Jeannie and I tuned out all of their degrading comments about every woman in the restaurant simply by discussing each frame of Eclipse in-depth. Quickly, we became some weird, obsessed nerd girls they definitely wouldn't "fuck, marry or kill," which meant they left us alone for the most part. Until Jeannie's Half Roasted Chicken in Brioche Bread arrived at our table.

Dear reader, maybe you imagine shredded chicken in a bowl topped with buttery, rich French bread. If so, you are wrong. Chef Sawyer and his crew serve the half chicken in a HUGE LOAF of Brioche Bread. It's so huge that the runner asks if you'd like to slice it or have the kitchen slice it for you. Of course, any person in their right mind would have the kitchen do it.

So when the chicken returned, the douche bags next to us tried to claim it. Funny and cute? No, we wanted to eat. Patrick Swayze says, "No one puts Baby in a corner." I say, "No one comes between me and my food." After we laughed off their idiocy, Jeannie tried to make a dent in the chicken dish. If my guess is right she's still eating it right now for dinner.

I had the Sea-2-Table Halibut, which was beautiful. But the only reason I got it was so I wouldn't feel so guilty sharing and quite frankly devouring Jeannie's fourth dish: Gravy Frites. I'm not sure I'm prepared to talk about how much I think I'm addicted to these hand-cut potato sticks deep-fried in duck fat and topped with brown gravy and mozzarella curd. I can see why Michael Symon of Lola (a couple doors down on East 4th) calls them his guilty pleasure on the tv show The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

I swore to Jeannie I'd only eat a couple. I ate 3/4 of the plate. Yes, on top of the Halibut, beef tartare, and radishes. Clearly, I have problems. If I lived in Cleveland, I would be there right now eating them. And tomorrow morning I would wake up and be at the gym for 4 hours--I'm not lying--so I could go back and eat them tomorrow night. I'm having Walleye and a Raw Veggie Salad for dinner tonight. I'm not happy, and both are quite good (not to brag). I should have written this post after I ate.

That's how much I love those fries.

And we shared dessert--Carmel Milk Chocolate Pot de Creme. It was salty and sweet and a perfect ending to our fantastic meal. But the whole time I was thinking about the fries in Jeannie's to-go box.

And we got home and attempted to watch Little Ashes, which was horrible, but I got through it because I was thinking about the fries. (I couldn't eat them because I was that full and not that drunk.)

And I went to sleep and would wake up at random times with only the words "duck fat" on my mind and lips.

And in the morning we got up at 7:30 and went to Yoga Lounge where Kevin had us going through all these crazy advanced poses, including side crow and headstand, in a 98 degree room and all the while I'm thinking about duck fat fries. And I'm sweating duck fat all over my yoga mat. Which is a blessing and a curse. Because I can sniff my mat and remember the fries, but I probably should clean my mat after all the sweat that dripped on it.

I can't believe I admitted that for all the world to see...

(Grey Colt picture courtesy of their website.)

Who In Their Right Mind Craves Lasagna In the Middle of July?

2010-07-14T03:49:00.001-07:00

So begins the season of summer squash, and this year I'm devoted to trying to doing more with it than the run-of-the-mill zucchini bread. (Though I am trying to find a new recipe for zucc bread, if you come across one...)

In the meantime, I made Vegetable Lasagna from the Cook's Illustrated Light Cookbook, and it was divine. I recommend, though, carving out a lot of time to focus on this recipe. You begin it by making your own sauce (make a double batch!). It's time consuming and worth it, especially if you're trying to use up some of those endlessly harvested summer crops.

Postscript confession: I used Canal Junction's Gruyere cheese with a bit of mozz, but I did use a "light" ricotta and cottage cheeses. The WW exchange points are a 7, if you stick strictly to the recipe. I gauged my revisions would be 10 points.

Another consideration: Only make this if you have A/C; otherwise, the kitchen could get a little hot.

I promise "cool" recipes for summer squash in the near future.

Serves 6 to 8. Published September 1, 1997.

Smoked mozzarella, Gruyère, or Fontina can be substituted for the mozzarella and Pecorino Romano for the Parmesan. Also, three and one-half cups of your favorite prepared tomato sauce can be substituted for the sauce in this recipe. Because no-boil noodles come twelve to sixteen in a box, we suggest buying two boxes to ensure that you'll have the fifteen required for this lasagne.

Ingredients

Lasagne
2	tablespoons olive oil
2	medium cloves garlic , minced
	petite diced tomato
2	tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves
15	no-boil lasagna noodles (dried, 7-by-3 1/2-inch)
3	cups vegetables , cooked and seasoned (see below)
1	pound mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 4 cups)
5	ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2/3 cup)
	Vegetable cooking spray for foil
Vegetables: Toss with enough olive oil to coat them lightly before roasting or sauté them in a few tablespoons of olive oil.
	asparagus spears - trim tough ends, slice in half lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; blanch until crisp-tender, drain well, and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes
	broccoli or cauliflower - cut into florets, blanch until crisp-tender, drain, chop into 1/4-inch pieces and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes
	eggplant - cut into 1/2-inch dice, roast until tender, about 35 minutes at 400 degrees
	fennel - cut bulb into very thin strips; sauté until tender, about 15 minutes, or roast until tender, about 30 minutes at 400 degrees
	mushrooms - trim and slice or dice; sauté until golden, about 5 -7 minutes, or roast until tender, about 20 minutes at 400 degrees
	onions - peel and cut into thin slices; sauté until soft and golden, 5 -7 minutes, or roast until soft and golden, about 20 minutes at 400 degrees
	spinach or Swiss chard - wash, stem and chop; sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes
	zucchini - cut into 1/2-inch dice; sauté until tender, about 7 minutes, or roast until tender, about 35 minutes at 400 degrees
Vegetable Seasonings
	minced garlic (optional)
	minced fresh herbs (optional)
	red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil or parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into large measuring cup. Add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups.
2. Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over bottom of greased 13-by-9-inch lasagne pan. Lay three noodles crosswise over sauce, making sure they do not touch each other or sides of pan. Spread 3/4 cup prepared vegetables evenly over noodles, 1/2 cup sauce evenly over vegetables, and 3/4 cup mozzarella and 2 generous tablespoons Parmesan evenly over sauce. Repeat layering of noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheeses three more times. For fifth and final layer, lay final three noodles crosswise over previous layer and top with with remaining 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. (Can be wrapped with plastic and aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, defrost in refrigerator).
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover pan with large sheet foil greased with cooking spray. Bake 25 minutes (30 minutes if chilled); remove foil and continue baking until top turns golden brown in spots, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let lasagne rest 5 minutes. Cut and serve immediately.

Some Potty Humor for Foodies

2010-07-08T08:06:00.001-07:00

Toothpaste for Dinner rocks.

A Whole Lotta Heat

2010-07-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

All winter I did hot yoga (yoga in a room that's 90+ degrees). I loved it. It made me sweat. It made me cheerful. It helped me lose weight. But what I loved most was leaving class, going outside into the crisp 30 degree night, and feeling as though I lived in Florida, not Ohio.

Today it is 90+ degrees outside and I can't fathom doing hot yoga. This Ohio wet, breeze-less heat makes me feel dizzy and nauseous. And even a little irritable, especially because no matter what I cook it makes the house even hotter.

Bleu and I have taken to standing in front of the open fridge, acting like we're looking for something. It feels good for about a minute, but then I get nervous seeing the mustard bottles sweating and I close the door.

Today during our fridge cool-off time, Bleu and I spotted a bag of 7 small zucchinis that needed cooked. Being that it was early in the morning, it was the perfect time to cook.

Of course, I turned to Alice Waters and found her Spicy Summer Squash Soup with Yogurt and Mint.

Sure, let's add even more heat to an already hot summer day.

This soup is one of the easiest ones I've made, and it's awesome. But you need to like heat. I added the 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper it calls for and the first bite opened my throat and nostrils. After the second bite my brow began to perspire. Luckily, the yogurt and mint dressing begins to kick in and cool down the soup after about the fourth slurp.

The heat from this soup reminded me of hot yoga. It was cleansing and fresh. And there was a bit of struggle with sticking with such a spicy soup, especially on a day when it seems even the A/C unit is too hot to work, but the struggle turned into joy, which turned into a slightly religious, euphoric experience.

It was actually the perfect dish for today and made me appreciate "heat."

But I don't see myself doing hot yoga until at least November...

Spicy Summer Squash Soup with Yogurt and Mint
adapted from Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food

1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium new onions, sliced fine
1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
5-7 medium green or yellow summer squash, sliced
2 cups veggie broth
4 cups water
garnish:
4 mint sprigs, leaves only
2 T olive oil
2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
salt
lime wedges

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the onion, garlic, and spices. Stir often, and cook until the onions are soft and not brown. Add the squash to the pot, then the salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the garnish: Cut the mint into julienne. Pound half of it in a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl, add the rest of the mint, and stir in the yogurt, olive oil, and some salt. When the squash is tender, let it cool for a few minutes, then puree until smooth. Serve topped with mint yogurt and with lime wedges on the side.

If Only I Was the Love Child of Jamie Oliver and Alice Waters...

2010-07-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

My obsession with Alice Waters is getting out of hand.

I tried to find her biography on the internet today while thinking to myself, "God, if she was just in Us Weekly and on Perez Hilton, my life would be made."

Alas, the best I have is Waters' recipes, which I am more than grateful for.

And so my obsession with Alice Waters keeps growing and my obsession with Jamie Oliver is as solid as ever. So tonight for dinner, I consummated my "food parents." I planned the meal entirely around what I had on hand and recipes only from Jamie at Home and The Art of Simple Cooking.

No, I'm not that bored, just that crazy.

Oliver's Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs with Pistachios and Spicy Salad Wrap are the BOMB! Instead of using the food processor to grind up a neck fillet of lamb, I used ground lamb I had bought from Luginbill Farms at the Perrysburg Farmer's Market two weeks ago. I finely chopped the thyme and pistachios by hand and then mixed, by hand, them with all the spices and lemon zest (in place of sumac) with the lamb. The nutty spicy smell had me under a spell so much so I was considering eating the lamb tar-tare.

Oliver's spicy salad was easy too. I didn't have red onions on hand, but the spring onions that I had just gotten from Homestead Gardens were more than perfect substitutes. And we didn't have flat bread on hand, but we did have tortillas, which worked just as well.

Grilling the kebabs was stressful, though. First of all, watch for flare ups. Lamb is more fatty than most meat. Also, they wanted to slide right off of our metal skewers, so it was sometimes difficult to turn them, and they cook FAST! I was worried when a few of our kebabs (and we got 6, not 4 from a one lb of meat) started blackening. We pulled them off right away with silicone tongs. (Grab them in the middle of the meat. Oven mitts just don't work.) All the kebabs were on the grill for no more than 5 minutes. It was whirlwind well worth it. The charcoal flavor perfectly compliments the game-ness of the meat, the spicy salad, and the cool yogurt. All the stress is forgotten after the first bite, especially if you and/or guests love Middle Eastern food; just be ready to cook FAST.

Knowing I had my Jamie Oliver recipe all ready to go, I needed to pick an Alice Waters' one that would suit the Middle Eastern theme. I knew exactly what recipe I had to try in The Art of Simple Cooking: Lentil Salad.

Waters' Lentil Salad is absurdly easy and beyond flavorful. The red wine vinegar gives it a tang while the onions (I used my green onions from Homestead Gardens) add a little kick. We added diced cucumber to ours because I had one I had to use that I got from the BG Farmer's Market last week.

I made the salad in the morning and served it cold, and it was fantastic. I just added the cuke right before I served it.

What I'm learning to love about lentils is their versatility. They can be the main course. They can be a side. They are crunchy or can be mushy, if the recipes calls for so. They are sweet and sometimes spicy. They remind me of tofu's ability to take on any flavor well, but lentils have their own distinct flavor nutty, grainy flavor and texture.

I've been in a hormonally pissy mood the past two days (thanks to FD for putting up with me!), but I must say after eating this meal all feels right with the world, my body and my hormones again.

I'm sure that's strictly because my "food parents" are always looking after me and providing me with exactly the right food and nutrients I need.

Now if only I could say the same for Bella and Edward or Bella and Jacob.

How About A Little Tongue?: Dinner and a Movie

2010-07-05T11:06:00.001-07:00

Hello. My name is Amanda, and I'm a twi-hard.

And I'm food obsessed.

Mixing the two is what I imagine being on ecstasy is like.

Before going to the midnight opening of the Twilight Saga: Eclipse with my sis-in-law Suz and my husband FD, we had an exquisite dinner at Revolver in Findlay.

Dare I say, I enjoyed dindin more than the movie...

While Taj Mahal played in the background, Suz, FD, and I approached dinner from a family-style perspective; we shared all of our first courses and even our entrees.

Though it might be a HUGE stretch to think that our first courses were in any way linked to Eclipse, I somehow concocted a story to connect the two. We started our meal with Pickled Cow's Tongue with roasted beets and a soft boiled farm egg; Crispy Bone Marrow with shiitake mushrooms, braised beef, rhubarb, and star anise; and Local Porkbelly with potato galette, spring peas and curry.

The Cow's Tongue was divine. Imagine a flavor and texture combination of flank steak meets chuck roast. The beets gave it some moisture and the egg complimented the pickling. Eclipse has a lot of kissy moments in it, including the first not-so-romantic kiss between Bella and Jacob, which was a bit "offal"; therefore, the tongue was appropriate.

The Crispy Bone Marrow was juicy and salty with a bit of heat--much like the shirtless Jacob. (Wink, wink.)

The Local Porkbelly was smoky, chewy, and surprisingly light. It definitely represented the Cullens' fighting abilities. (Okay, that's a HUGE stretch.)

Seriously, we had a blast catching up and sharing family stories throughout the courses of our dinner as well as building the anticipation of the movie and the lines to get into the theater.

For my entree, I had Dickman Farms Chicken Breast with heirloom lima beans and black kale. My craving for kale is what drew me to this dish, and it did not disappoint. The tenderness of the chicken, lima beans, and kale worked beautifully together, especially with the slight hint of vinegar.

Suz and FD shared the pork sauerbraten for two with butter poached potatoes. Both are sauerbraten fans because their mum STR made it a lot from them when they were kids. Both really like Michael Bulkowski's stripped down version with a sauerbraten reduction drizzled over a pork tenderloin. The component that made the dish, though, was the butter poached potatoes. If crack potatoes hadn't already been coined, that's what they would be. The fingerlings were perfectly buttered and salted that they could have been mashed potatoes if I was blindfolded.

Quite frankly, even though I am obsessed with Twilight, I don't think the movie could have ever compared to our dinner. Which must mean I'm way more obsessed with food.

We saw Eclipse at the Carmike Theater in Findlay where it was showing on all 12 screens. You can only imagine the lines and the pre-teen mayhem. Unlike my experience of the New Moon midnight showing in Bowling Green who made several in-person announcements to our showing, the manager of Carmike did NOT ensure that there was NO saving of seats, outside food, or recording of the movie on digital devices. Basically, the manager of Carmike was NO WHERE TO BE SEEN. In other words, it was a cluster-mess of an event where every theater had rows of saved seats, aisles were littered with baggies of chips and gummy bears, and pubescent girls recorded all the "hot" scenes on their phones. I vow if I ever go to a midnight screening again, it will be in BG--no matter how geeky I have to feel by checking Fandango every hour to see when tickets can be purchased.

But even after all that frustration and the disappointment I felt with the movie's pacing as a whole, with the lingering of slow scenes, and the sometimes tacky acting, what made the evening so awesome were the fight scenes, the tent scene, the company of two of my favorite people, and the memory of another fantastic celebratory meal at Revolver.

Meal: 5 out of 5 stars
Movie: 3 out of 5 stars

Snap Peas, Please.

2010-06-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have a cooking companion.

His name is Bleu.

No matter what I am cooking or baking my furry little friend sprawls out on the linoleum and sleeps with one eye open, always prepared for the moment when a stray snap pea or diced carrot finds its way to the floor.

These snap peas with mint, orange, and a sliver of butter were exceptional, and unfortunately Bleu never got to try one. But you should cook them and try them.

Father's Day

2010-06-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I would be the cook I am without Cook's Illustrated. I learn a lot from their testing narratives and their step-by-step instructions.

For Father's Day, I relied almost fully on the Cook's Illustrated's 2009 Summer Entertaining issue, and, not to brag, but the meal was huge hit.

Seriously, no one can go wrong with a Cook's Illustrated recipe.

The Menu:
Slow-Cooker North Carolina Pulled Pork
Grass-fed Burgers
Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad
Buttermilk Cole Slaw
Root Beer Baked Beans (Food and Wine July 2010)
Strawberry Poke Cake

While the whole meal was easy to make, I feel like the pulled pork yielded the most flavor of all the dishes. And what was really great was I didn't have to worry about grilling it all day with temperatures in the 90's. Using the slow-cooker let me forget about it and get to my other dishes. And the flavor was AWESOME. Because the recipe calls for ham hocks, a rich red color emerged as well as a smoky, cured flavor. The meat was perfectly moist too. My Pops couldn't stop praising it, which made me feel good because I made it special for him on Father's Day.

The Macaroni Salad and Cole Slaw were fantastic. Perfectly easy make-ahead recipes, which made my cooking life extremely simple. And again great flavors, and, if there are leftovers, they keep for a couple of days.

I had higher hopes for the Root Beer Baked Beans. They were good, but I thought they needed less molasses and more smokiness. I think next time I will add coriander, cumin, and liquid smoke, and I'll cut down on the molasses.

Out of all the dishes, the best was the Strawberry Poke Cake. I was extremely worried about making the cake from scratch but it came out light and moist with a perfect crumble. I tweaked a few ingredients for this recipe, though, which I think made a difference. Cook's Illustrated calls for store-bought frozen strawberries, but I bought 2 quarts of homegrown strawberries, sprinkled them with a little sugar and froze them. Then I cooked them down to get the juice for the pokes and the puree for the jam filling. (I didn't want to use the fresh berries because Cook's Illustrated said the flavor was a bit inconsistent.) Instead of Strawberry Jell-O I used a plain gelatin. In my opinion the berries had enough flavor; I didn't want to cover up their natural sweetness with artificial flavoring. Finally, for my fresh whipped cream topping, I added vanilla to intensify the flavor.

My brother, one of the world's most picky eaters, had three pieces of my Strawberry Poke Cake. In other words, I never got a chance to photograph it. It was that good.

Good enough that I just might make it all over again for 4th of July.

Birthday Meals

2010-06-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I turned 33.

I have no problem admitting my age. I'm happy to be in my thirties with several years separating me from my wild, crazy, dramatic 20's. Ugh.

The thirties are pretty mellow. I naturally wake up around 5 a.m. I crawl between my ever-so-soft 400 thread count sheets around 10 p.m. I catch a wine buzz pretty quickly.

If given a choice between going out and ironing laundry, I probably would pick ironing. And if you were to tell me in my 20's that by 33 I would pick laundry over going out, I would have probably slapped you. Just for the drama of it.

Of all my birthdays, though, this one was my most mellow, which I assume is a sign of maturity rather than getting old. I didn't expect anything. I didn't anticipate anything. I just went with the flow and kept a positive attitude. I was cool, almost zen-like.

I started the day with 6 a.m. yoga. I went to work where I was surprised with delicious Lemon Rosemary Cupcakes made by a very sweet friend and co-worker.

When I came home for lunch FD made me a cheese quesadilla with Canal Junction's Charloe (MY FAVORITE CHEESE RIGHT NOW! BUY SOME!) and Frontera Grill's Salsa with Roasted Garlic and Tomatillos. I figure if I can't eat at Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill I might as well pay the extra money and buy his stellar salsa at Kroger. The side dish was a small portion of the Santa Fe Quinoa Salad recipe I made from Food Wine. One of the best summer salads I've made it, the quinoa created a nutty flavor while the black beans, peppers and cocktail onions added some crunch and spice. Without a doubt this easy to make recipe is going to be a stand-by for us, especially because of how light and filling it was.

For dinner, FD was in Cleveland to support the prose poem anthology he co-edited. But our friends and neighbors A&J insisted that I not eat alone on my birthday and invited me over for wine, salad, Lettuce Wraps and dessert. It smelled so good and I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture and I didn't use my fork (for the lettuce wraps). Imagine PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps--only way better--with red romaine picked from the garden only an hour earlier. Now imagine a perfectly seasoned filling of ground turkey, peppers, and spices with a homemade peanut sauce with just the right amount of kick. My intention was to eat two. I ate six. Okay, maybe eight. I'm sure A&J think I'm a some champion competitive eater. When something that good is placed in front of me, I don't have any control. Even with the help of Weight Watchers. God help me. A Lost Angel Chardonnay perfectly accompanied the heat of lettuce wraps and the Muscat paired nicely with the mini apple torte and mini carrot cake I bought that afternoon from Bella Cuisine at the BG Farmer's Market.

But out of all my birthday foods possibly the most fun was delivered today by the baker herself. One of my all-time favorite people, SEM, baked me up a fierce chocolate cake with Hello Kitty's picture in icing. I love eating. But I adore eating something cute that is made of chocolate. While SEM was worried her cake wouldn't be all that tasty, after she left I devoured 1/4 of it with a glass of Happy Badger milk. All birthday long I had been craving chocolate cake. For some cosmic reason, I couldn't find it. So when I opened the door to SEM holding out a Hello Kitty chocolate cake, I almost cried. (Okay, maybe I am as dramatic as I was in my 20's...but at least now it's only over food.) What really got me was SEM coupled my two favorite things: food and Hello Kitty.

I've had many good birthday meals prepared by my family, my in-laws, my husband, my friends, and Revolver. And all of them are dear to me. I might not exactly remember every dish, but I always remember the love put into every meal.

Revolver Restaurant: A Benefit for Sister Rita and the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center

2010-06-05T10:55:00.001-07:00

For me a good meal is like a good mix tape. There's a wide range of different styles with a calculated pace and subtle threads create connections and an umbrella of thoughtful themes.

The benefit for Sister Rita and the Franciscan Earth Literacy at Revolver this week reminded me of a perfect mix tape. The kind you listen to so much the tape becomes worn and warped with each re-play.

In a sense, though, the event was a culinary mix tape. Revolver's Chef Bulkowski brought in four talented chefs from around the country: Top Chef cheftestant Valerie Bolon from Chicago; Andrew Maykuth, executive chef at The Admiral in Asheville, North Carolina; James Lohse, executive chef at The Watermark in Nashville; and Pastry Chef Erin Mooney from BLT Steak in Atlanta.

And each chef brought with him/her their styles and music selection.

Yes, in the tradition of Revolver, the music of the evening set the tone for the menu. And the music became an actual mix tape. Chef Bulkowski chose Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Chef Bolon selected Gomez. To pair with his Halibut, Chef Maykuth picked The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou soundtrack, and Chef Mooney and Chef Lohse requested Roky Erickson and the Avett Brothers.

As a music lover, I derive much joy from obsessing about the connections between the dishes and music pairings. And as food lover, I delight in obsessing about flavor combinations and wine pairings.

In other words, during this event I was in heaven.

For the first time we choose to eat during the late service (8:30) because we wanted to end the night listening to Revolver co-owner Debi Bulkowski's band, and we wanted an opportunity to chat with the chefs and friends.

What I loved about the late service was I didn't feel alone in my food obsession. After each course was served I could hear the click of camera shutters before the restaurant came alive with flavor dissections and discussions. It was intoxicating to feel part of a culinary community rather than a lone foodie in a room of here-to-be-seen-ers.

Later this week my review of the food will be published in the BG News, so I'm saving the in-depth commentary on each dish for that venue. However, as I obsess about the meal and re-play it again and again in my head, I'm realizing more about it.

(Trust me, with a wine pairing for each dish, it's hard to remember everything. Unless you take notes. Which I did do. Thank God.)

The amuse-bouche: Chef Lohse's creation. English peas with serrano ham puree and lemon confit. Gorgeous and fresh. The initial crunch made the first bite of the meal so special. And when the puree hit, I started doing my orgasmic eye-roll. Pure awesomeness.

1st course: Chicken consomme with goat cheese ravioli, chicken meatballs, fava beans, and chanterelle mushrooms. For me the fava beans with the little itty-bitty mushrooms were the stars. And I fought--hard--not to tip my bowl and slurp down those last few sips.

2nd course: Wild Alaskan halibut with vidalia onion, anson mills farro piccolo, maitake mushrooms, English peas and benton's bacon. I've heard parents say again and again "I love all my kids equally." If anyone were to ask me, I felt that way about this meal; I loved all the dishes equally. That's the diplomatic answer, right? What parents don't want to confess is that they always have a favorite. Always. And I had a favorite course of this meal. It was Chef Maykuth's halibut. This surprises me because I wanted it to be the consomme or the pork belly or the venison. But no it was the halibut. The first hint that this dish was going to be my favorite was when I saw the night's playlist. I knew Chef Maykuth had to have picked the Life Aquatic soundtrack to go with the halibut. Why pick something so dedicated to the sea unless you were cooking fish? Immediately, I found that funny. And I'm a HUGE Wes Anderson fan. To the point I bought three copies of Wes Anderson's brother's book Chuck Dugan is AWOL. One copy to read, one copy to give as a gift, and one copy to cut pictures out with an exacto knife so I could frame and hang them in my office so I could feel like a Tenenbaum. While I wasn't exactly aware of it intentionally or in that moment, I guess I must have known that the halibut would be quirky, playful, and complex--just like a Wes Anderson film. So when Rachel poured the Anne Amie Pinot Blanco, which was provided by Adam Mahler at Ampelography Wines, with its killer notes of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, I had a feeling I would love the halibut. And when Chef Bulkowski let me in the kitchen to take pics of the halibut being plated, I think that was yet another hint. But when I sat down, set down the camera, and picked up the fork, I never imagined how much the dish would affect me. I'm a loud person. I'm dramatic. I love to exclaim my feelings. After my first bite, I was still. I sipped the wine. Then I wrote in my notebook. "Halibut: Fucking amazing. Flavor explodes with the wine. Fuck." I didn't say a word to FD or anyone. I stayed in a moment of personal zen, that space that only happens to me during yoga class. I felt divine. I felt like a Tenenbaum. How Chef Maykuth took ingredients that remind me of beef stew and made a perfect spring dish with halibut, I will never know. I'm a writer, not a chef. But I will spend my life thinking about it. In short, never believe a parent (or foodie) who says they don't have a favorite; they are lying.

3rd course: Local citrus braised pork belly with radish puree and smoked pak choi. I told FD that Chef Lohse's dish made me feel like I was at home. It was soulful, comforting, and rich. It truly melted in my mouth. What I loved during this course was the woman who sat behind me kept repeating over and over, "This is so special." I had a moment where I wanted to turn around and hug her. I restrained myself. But it made me joyful to hear someone who "got it."

4th course: Maple glazed broken arrow ranch axis venison with apple-beet-potato gratin and asparagus-fennel salad. Chef Bolon managed to get almost all of my favorite vegetables and fruit on one plate. If only kale had been there. The textures in this dish were spot on. The crunch of the asparagus with the velvety venison blew my mind. And the sharp cheese topping on the gratin did a lovely job of cutting the sweetness of the apples and beets.

5th course: Red Wine soaked strawberries with honey-almond tuiles. What I love about dessert courses is that they are their own entity. There's no competition when it comes to dessert. How could there be? Both of Chef Mooney's desserts slayed me through and through. The strawberries were those little perfect hearts that are only in season right now. Imagine how sweet and tart and juicy they were. Such a perfect transition between dinner and dessert. I saw them as that song on a mix tape gets you ready for a change in pace. Absolutely perfect. I wasn't crazy about wine pairing with this dish; it was a rose that didn't compliment the berries as much as I hoped it would have. But that's the challenge of cooking, right? You take a risk and sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. In my eyes it was a small hiccup, one that I feel I need to mention in order to show readers I'm not completely biased and just bragging about all the great food I had.

6th: Soft chocolate with tres leches cake and mole crunch. I've never had pure chocolate until I tasted this dish. Come to think of it, this dish was pure. Pure in heart and soul and love. Quite frankly, dear reader, if I could I would find some way to shoot it up, every day. But then again I wouldn't be able to taste it, and that's what made it so much fun. It was hot, salty, rich, smooth, sweet. Ugh, I wish I could be eating it right now. Literally right now. And what made it even better was listening to Debi Bulkowski sing "House of the Rising Sun" while I ate it. Talk about sexy and sultry. Two more adjectives that describe Chef Mooney's dish and the amazing Debi!

To say that FD and I had a great time is the understatement of 2010. We cherished this meal, the music and the company. Yet again Revolver delivered--on so many levels.

Summer Updates and Teasers

2010-06-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

My patio herb garden is out of control, and I'm craving the sweet acidic taste of tomatoes.

Summer is here.

And so far it's been a busy one that I haven't had much time to blog about.

I went to Florida on a trip with my Pops. We had fish and chips overlooking the Naples waterfront at M Waterfront Grille. To try to explain how important that meal was to me is for another blog post, which will happen soon.

A few weeks ago, I attended a going-away tea party for a very dear friend. Our ladies lunch at Clara J's at 219 in Maumee was delectable and delightful. I still need to share what a wonderful gem Clara J's is.

My brother and I went to Quarry Hill Winery--another (quite hilarious but slightly unfavorable) post that must be written at another time.

FD and I have made some great late spring/early summer dinners that use as much asparagus as possible.

And this past week I went small lake fishing with FD and Big F, my father-in-law. I figure if I'm a fan of locally caught crappies I should learn how to catch them. I brought the first crappie on the boat at 6:30 in the morning;I was baiting my own hook an hour in and handling--very slimy--live fish by the end. I wouldn't say I'm a natural, but I'm definitely going to go fishing again and learn how to filet a fish. We just didn't have enough time after this outing.

But the most exciting summer news yet is that I'm the Food Columnist for BGNews, our university newspaper. My weekly column is so much fun to research for and write. I only hope my readers enjoy it as much, if not more, than I do.

The June issue of Connotation Press rocks too! The contributors to From Plate to Palate outdid themselves. Read it for yourself. I promise the July and August issues will deliver just as much awesomeness.

The summer event I'm head-over-heels about happens tomorrow night. My all-time favorite restaurant, Revolver in Findlay, is hosting another celebrity chef event with wines of ampelography. Here's the scoop, and I quote from their Facebook page,

Revolver will be hosting a Celebrity Guest Chef Tasting Dinner on Thursday, June 3, 2010. There will be two seatings (5:30 and 8:30). The cost of $120.00 per person includes a five-course tasting as well as a complementary wine tasting. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center http://www.earthliteracy.org/default.html.

Celebrity Guest Chefs for this event include the following:

Erin Mooney, Pastry Chef, BLT Steak (Atlanta), http://www.bltsteak.com/

Valerie Bolon, Season Four Top Chef Contestant, private chef, http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/valerie-bolon

Andrew Maykuth, Chef, The Admiral (Asheville, NC), http://www.theadmiralnc.com/

James Lohse, Chef de Cuisine, Rathbun (Atlanta), http://www.rathbunsrestaurant.com/

Please call Revolver at (419) 424-4020 to reserve your seats for what is certain to be a exciting culinary experience. We hope to see you there.

Let's just say, I'm so giddy to attend with FD that I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight because I'm going to dreaming about the good food and good times we'll be having tomorrow night. I feel like I did when I was a kid trying to the sleep the night before going to Cedar Point.

I promise a long blog post about that event.

In the meantime, happy reading and even happier eating!

*Photograph from Revolver Restaurant's Facebook page

Reverend's: Best Bar Food in Bowling Green, OH

2010-05-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

When I'm wrong, I admit it.

And I take great pleasure in admitting when I'm wrong.

And after several recent visits to Reverend's in downtown Bowling Green, I happily admit that--unlike my previous posts about the bar/restaurant--I like it. A lot.

In the past two years, Reverend's has changed their name, style, and menu. A VERY smart move on behalf of the owners.

What once was a Mexican/Latin themed joint has become a hip American-fusion joint.

I'm delighted with the fact that Reverend's kept their open layout and exposed brick walls, but they added a more tavern vibe with the tap-handle-trim and microbrew neon signs. The new decor really reflects one of Reverend's strengths--their keen intelligence for fantastic microbrew beers and creatively tasty mix drinks. Also, I'm thrilled to see that Reverend's is just as clean, if not cleaner than, that day it opened, which speaks volumes about how well maintained it is. If the bathrooms are sparkling clean, I can only assume the kitchen is even cleaner.

Most impressive, to me, is the new menu. Previously the menu focused on Latin flavors that many patrons confused with Mexican food expectations. The owners thoughtfully worked out these kinks and changed the menu to reflect the bar; it showcases American pub classics with a flair for Latin spices.

My husband swears by their wings. But for me, it's all about their burgers.

Constantly, I am searching for the perfect burger, and Reverend's has it. Make that several exceptional burgers. Each burger is hand-pattied and ranges from 1/4lb to 1 lb of local meat.

I was hooked instantaneously by the Royale with Cheese, not only for its reference to Pulp Fiction but also for its perfect juiciness and balance of meat with cheese and condiment flavors. On my next visit, our friendly and knowledgeable server recommended the Fajita Burger, which was outstanding. It was a pure meld of my two favorite comfort foods: a burger and fajitas. The Chipolte Mayo is heavenly.

The Black 'N Blue Burger was terrific as well. And I've heard good things about the Double Wide, if you have that big of a stomach. These are some hearty burgers, which are clearly made in house.

I can only assume if the burgers are this good that the rest of the menu has just as much passion, freshness, and local ingredients, which is reassuring to someone who cares about their food and where it comes from.

As I frequent Reverend's I'm looking forward to trying the Southwestern Menu as well as the Mac and Cheese entree, another one of my all-time favorite comfort foods.

What's key here is that Reverend's menu has kept the Latin spices and heat from its conception, but the owners have modified the menu--smartly--to appeal to more Midwestern palates and the Midwest's desire to eat familiar food with a twist. (Imagine cumin and pepper dusted bacon.)

Additionally, the wittiness of dish names--The Everything But the Kitchen Sink Burrito and Texas Ranger Burger--add a hip, pop-culture vibe that creates an upbeat and fun dining experience. Reverend's is definitely a place that appeals to college students AND community members.

My only request is that I would like to see a short wine list--3 reds and 3 whites, as it is now--that has independent wineries and uniqueness. In other words, I'd like to see a wine list as thoughtful as the beer list. I think a better selection of higher quality wines that rotate like the beers would add another hip-yet-sophisticated dimension to bar menu.

I must say, though, a restaurant I had sworn off is now my favorite go-to place in BG. That makes me quite ecstatic.

(Photograph from Reverend's website.)

The Downtown Farmers’ Market in Bowling Green: An Ethnography for Dr. Lucy Long’s Culinary Tourism Workshop

2010-05-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve been craving a Farmers’ Market in Downtown Bowling Green ever since FD and I moved here. Having a market where fresh, local vegetables and fruits—in addition to homemade breads, cookies, and fine arts—are available in the center of town signifies our community stands together for good food and that good food is available to almost everyone in the town. (I understand there are some who unfortunately don’t have access to vehicles to get downtown or who are unable to walk downtown, but for the most part, a central location does unite the community.)

With the help of a committed, motivated committee and the support of Downtown Bowling Green Businesses, such as Huntington Bank and Grounds for Thought, and after heavy advertising at the Foodways Convention, in Downtown store windows, and at community workshops, The Downtown Farmers’ Market in Bowling Green is open for business Wednesdays 3-8 p.m. from May 12-October 27 in the SamB’s parking lot on Main Street. Vendors can reserve a spot for $300 the whole season or $150 a half season.

Mid-week seems like a perfect time to have the Market because most community members in our university town are around during the week and ready to buy something they can cook at home. Also, the times—from 3-8 p.m.—are great for those who start work late or who leave work at 5. The hours accommodate almost any work schedule, no matter the job’s hours, which, in my opinion, seems quite inclusive.

Across the street from Grounds for Thought and next to The Flower Basket, the Market is cozy in a small parking lot, but spacious enough to hold about 12 vendors. The mural on The Flower Basket’s outside wall creates a warm ambiance that shows an appreciation for art in the community as well as a nostalgia for “the past” Bowling Green.

Having a Market that supported by local Downtown businesses exemplifies that as a community we want money to stay within our community, which, to me, is smart thinking. If I walk downtown to Farmers’ Market, I’m more apt to stop into Grounds and get a tea, drop by Calico, Sage, and Thyme and pick up Father’s Day cards, or pop by Happy Badger for a quart of skim milk. And if a community member isn’t deliberately going downtown for the Market, I have a hunch that all the signs, traffic cones, vendor tents, and crowds of people by the vendors would make any passer-by curious and want to stop by.

And the fact that we can walk or ride our bikes means we can be eco-friendly, save gas, save gas money, and get even more exercise to be healthy. Clearly, this benefits the earth and us, as community.

Rain drizzled on and off the opening day of the market, which was yesterday. But the puddles and thick raindrops didn’t deter the community. Many folks strolled Downtown in their Wellies and under their colorful golf umbrellas to show their support.

One of my favorite aspects of the Market was seeing friends and neighbors, colleagues, and familiar vendors. My friend DHS waved as she jogged across the crosswalk with her son. I waved at a colleague from my Service-Learning Community as she sniffed the basil at the Calico, Sage, and Thyme table. And I stopped and chatted with gal at the Calico, Sage, and Thyme who I’ve gotten to know during my frequent stops in at the shop to peruse new cards and gifts. She said that even though it was raining the market was clearly a success. She told me that Barbara O'Brien, the Pie (p) Lady, sold out of her pies in the first half hour and Riehm Farms sold out of asparagus in an hour.

I was disappointed about the asparagus being sold out. I had plans for asparagus soup and a salad with asparagus this week. (I go overboard when it’s in-season because its season is so short—about one month. Thank God for Homestead Gardens who delivers fresh, organic produce to our house!) However, I did buy Edamame and a head of Red Leaf Lettuce from Riehm Farms for a total of $4.75, which was to me a steal compared to the prices of the Perrysburg Farmers’ Market where a head of lettuce is $4.75. (I wonder if that has to do with the different populations between Perrysburg and Bowling Green. Bowling Green has many more college students and middle-class folks whereas Perrysburg has many more upper-middle class folks.)

The cool thing about Riehm Farms is they offer organic produce at the Farmers’ Market AND they have Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in which members can buy a “share” of the farm and get a bag of 10-12 different kinds of produce each week that they can pick up at the Downtown Farmers’ Market in Bowling Green. What’s unique about Riehm is that they have a vegetable and fruit share where most CSA’s only have a vegetable share. Also, I appreciated how Mr. Riehm answered questions about his produce without any hesitation and clearly cared about his product and how consumers received it.

(The lettuce from Riehm Farms I had today was exceptional: crisp, flavorful, and completely free of any risk of E.Coli.)

FD and I also really enjoyed talking with the English Gardner who has exceptional fresh herbs and AWESOME eggplants later in the season as well as Forshee Farms who bought a non-working farm and are working to make it an operational farm again. Wanda Forshee’s baked goods—peanut clusters, chocolate bars, and cookies—are affordable and tasty. A cookie and chocolate bar were $1.25 total. I’m excited to get to know them better and find out more about their local meats.

Bella Cuisine, which is owned and operated by Chefs Tom and Linda Lambert who were classically trained at The Culinary Institute of America and Istiuto Sueriore di Gastronomia in Italy, is another treasure at the Market. They offer homemade breads, ranging from wheat to foccia to baguettes to gluten-free, as well as muffins, scones, and cakes. The couple offers catering services and private cooking classes. Their focus is on Mediterranean cooking but also baking and pastry.

Linda Lambert is most excited about Bella Cuisine’s cooking classes: “We do cooking classes from our home [between Sandusky and Fremont]. We call it the Mediterranean Kitchen. We go to our gardens, we get fresh food, and we prepare it. And we all eat together European style.” I’m definitely going to sign up for one of these classes this summer!

The Market also hosted magician Brendan Coleman and local quartet The Root Cellar String Band (a band my Culinary Tourism instructor, Dr. Lucy Long performs with. Go, Lucy!) Both drew families and passer-bys to the market, which was positive, and created a welcoming, friendly, and artsy atmosphere.

Overall, based on the turnout, despite the rain, the Downtown Farmers’ Market in Bowling Green was a HUGE success, and it’s only going to get stronger. This is a market that cares about the products—everything was produced in Ohio, without any of the bulk products that are now seen at Farmers’ Markets. Having a Farmers’ Market means citizens of Bowling Green can cut down on Food Miles and begin to participate in a 100-mile diet. Finally, the Market brings together diverse peoples, which only strengthens community bonds and renegotiates constructed ideas of class, race, and culture.

I’m ecstatic about the Market, and will continue to support it, weekly. And my hope is that many other community members will too.

Food as Homage

2010-05-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Quite frankly I'm not good with good-byes.

I think it has to do with an unresolved issue from my childhood. (But that's another story for another blog.)

We've lived in BG for seven years collectively, and damn me, every year I become close to someone who leaves. My last heartbreak was RR.

And as much as I love RR, Babs leaving kills me.

~

brrrrringggg.brinnnggggg.

"Hello?"

"Babs, you want some kale with chicken and mashed potatoes? I don't think I got the consistency right on the taters. You need to let me know.”

“I’ll be there in 5.”

Babs lives one street over from us. Not only is she one of my best friends, she's my neighbor.

My all-time favorite movie is The Royal Tenanbaums.

It’s slogan is “Family is a sentence.”

What’s funny is when I think of Royal Tenanbaum I think of my Pops, who’s a very charming, go-getter, family guy.

And when I think of Royal, I think of Babs who is always ready to help, without question or hesitation.

And if anybody can make family a sentence, it’s her.

For crying out loud, she’s leaving a full-time teaching job to get her PhD in Non-Fiction.

This is a woman who knows a sentence.

I used to eat a lot of frozen, processed food. As a kid, I swore I would hate brussels sprouts and spinach for all my life.

I never even heard of kale until three years ago.

Most times I think I’m a foodie fraud. I just learned how to cook—pretty well. I just happen to have a good personality that let’s be “cool” with chefs, farmers, and marketers. (Thank God.) But basically, I think with my stomach. Does that make me foodie?

I wondered that until I started bringing samples to Babs. She’s the one who made me believe my cooking was worthy to blog about. When I’d take her something and the next day get an email/review that was 10 paragraphs long describing what was great and what it could use, I was inspired, motivated, and, more important, confident. I owe my decision to dedicate a blog about food to Babs.

“I’ll be over in 5 minutes.”

As many know I have a crazy black Lab named Bleu. But if you really knew him, he has his mellow moments. I swear. Even though most don’t believe me.

But Babs does.

She always has.

And no matter how high Bleu jumps on her or how inappropriate his sniffing gets, she always laughs and gives him a calm command.

As a dog owner who thinks her dog is a child, I can’t thank her enough for being so patient and calm. Most people find Bleu obnoxious, but not Babs. If anything, Babs sees how Bleu takes after his Mama, and I think she recognizes that sometimes the affection that Bleu and I express is awkward, enthusiastic, inappropriate, and just plain crazy.

I could go into detail but it’s just not necessary.

But every time I’ve called Babs to see if she wanted to go for a walk with me and Bleu at Wintergarden or Oak Openings, she’s always said, “I’ll be over in 5 minutes.”

And every time during our walks we get so wrapped up in our talks about food or family or just “stuff,” I think we’ve both forgotten that Bleu was with us, and unexpectedly Babs witnessed the craziest of black labs heeling and sniffing without any misbehaving or horrible misbehaving.

In other words, our walks have made me and Bleu better a better person/dog.

Quite frankly, I only like to go to Revolver Restaurant with FD. Alone.

When I tell people I think about food every minute of every day, I’m not lying. When I’m teaching, I’m thinking about food. When I’m grading, I’m thinking about food. When my boss is asking me to do something in the office, I’m thinking about food. When I’m doing yoga, I’m thinking about food. When I’m on Facebook, I’m thinking about food. When I’m writing about food, I’m thinking about food.

FD knows this. He lives it. For crying out loud, I cook for him. And I know he appreciates it. So when I have that moment of awe as I sip Butternut Squash and Apple soup at Revolver, most on-lookers think “orgasm” and FD just grins.

But it’s not sexual. It’s just foodie appreciation.

Babs gets that.

I texted her that a dish I made with chicken, wild mushrooms and kale would bring her tears. She wasn’t lying when she texted me back—after picking up the dish in 5 minutes and eating it for breakfast—“I wept.”

That’s Revolver.

If you sit there with this “yummo” glazed over-stare, you’re not getting it—the experience.

If you orgasm, obsess, try to break down ingredients and cooking methods, and sigh countless times, you get it.

That’s Babs.

No pretense. No “I’m smarter than all chefs.” No “I have to prove I’m an awesome cook.” Just “I love food and I want to try to make that.”

There’s no other way to put it: Babs and I have a food love affair.

Her blog gets into the juicy details of dishes, and quite frankly I normally would. I love Revolver, and any chance to review them lightens my heart.

But…

That is meal I can’t review objectively.

I’ve had many perfect meals there with FD, or with FD and his in-laws, or with friends, but the meal I had there with FD, Babs, and me probably could bring me to tears if mentioned randomly to me at any moment in my life.

Babs’ go-getter/I’m-only-here-once mentality was divine. Her joy from the morels was the only factor in my food-envy of our first dish. Her portion-control restraint is mesmerizing and her ability to indulge without alcohol is mind-blowing (at least to me).

In other words, Revolver is on their game and using the FRESHEST of ingredients; they rock—as always. But last night, Babs made it rock. Her humor, her family stories, and her passion about food made it one of our most memorable Revolver times.

Well, I have to admit, Dan’s goat dish really helped.

And the fact that you’d only take reallyreallyreallreallyreally special people who love food, are adventurous, and care about where food came from to Revolver.

Babs is one of those people.

Babs is only moving to Nebraska, but in our four-year friendship, I’ve told her secrets I only tell my sister.

Who happens to be non-verbal.

I bet both will never spill the beans.

That’s how trustworthy Babs is.

I’ve always been horrible with conclusions.

How do you say good-bye to someone who is such an important part of your life?

I don’t know.

All I know is I’ll make her that “good luck” mix of songs, hug her, help her load the truck, and, that night, sob in FD’s arms.

I will miss her. Horribly.

But I plan visit ASAP.

Countdown

2010-05-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Only three more days until summer.

Which means more time to cook and eat.

Until then, it's all about quick, simple, and satisfying recipes like this one from Bon Appetit.

Earth Week at Project: Project

2010-04-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Week, my good friend and fierce blogger Lemon Cadet is hosting guest bloggers on her site and asking them to share their environmental do-good-ing from cloth diapers to Natural Home Essentials.

I'm really grateful that she asked me to contribute a post about food.

Please be sure to check out her blog this week (and forever and always)!

And do your own environmental do-good-ing this week (and forever and always)!

For the Love of Kale

2010-04-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Kale Fairy (Homestead Gardens) has blessed me with the beginnings of a very tasty growing season.

And though I'm drowning in a sea of student essays, rubrics, and portfolio comments, I always find time to cook up some divine greens.

Enjoy my tribute to kale and the other spring greens. It's celebration of local produce! Yay!

Flat Belly Diet

2010-03-24T05:30:00.001-07:00

Even with my food obsession I've managed to maintain my goal weight for over a year. But over the past few weeks I've just been feeling sluggish and bloated. I knew I needed a little jumpstart to get my system back on track and maybe lose a few pounds in the meantime.

After exploring a Raw Foods cleanse and the Candida Diet (both of which seem helpful but not for me due to a number of reasons, especially "NO cheese"), my very dear friends F & C suggested The Flat Belly Diet.

The Flat Belly Diet, on the most basic level, helps one reduce the intake of salt, excess carbs, raw bulky foods, and "bad fats" and increase the intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs or "good fats"), such as olive oil, salmon, walnuts, and dark chocolate. (Yes, I managed to use diet and chocolate in the same sentence.)

A strict 4-day Jumpstart menu commences the Flat Belly Diet. The Jumpstart is intended to alleviate water-retention that often happens at the beginning of a diet. Today is my third day of the Jumpstart, and quite honestly it's been a breeze. A breakfast of cornflakes, skim milk, applesauce and sunflower seeds is are more than filling. My lunch of organic deli turkey, string cheese (YES!), and steamed carrots with herbs, spices, and black pepper in place of butter is quite tasty. My dinner of turkey cutlet, green beans and roasted potatoes is light and healthy, a perfect meal after teaching late or before hot yoga. Plus, each day there's a snack, which I can have any time in the day I want it. And they call this a diet?

After the 4-day Jumpstart, 28 days that each include four 400 calorie meals follows. During this time one can use suggested menus from the diet book or the cookbook. The only objective is to stay within your appropriate calorie range, eat MUFAs, avoid "bad fats," and exercise.

As a skeptic and food-obessed maniac, I bought and cooked from The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook well before I embarked on my Flat Belly Diet journey. If the food wasn't going to be good, I knew I wouldn't have anything to do with it.

I was sold on the recipes after F cooked fantastic-after-fantastic meal for us during our visit to Delaware. But I knew I wanted to actually do the diet after I successfully BAKED (yes, me, the woman who can't bake) the BEST cupcakes of my life. A diet with delicious cupcakes--here's a way I can stay on track & not deprive myself of the foods I love.

Because I lost the majority of my weight with Weight Watchers, I can't say if Flat Belly would be as successful. I imagine it could be. Both diets help a dieter rethink portion size and offer good foods. Through my reading of the Flat Belly Diet, I believe it encourages dieters to buy more fresh, less-processed foods and to buy organic and from farmers markets when they can. With that said, one drawback of the Flat Belly Diet is its expense; the organic products and specialty oils can be expensive, especially if one is not used to buying these products. Also, I wish I would have read more regarding how to dine out on the Flat Belly Diet. Realistically, dieters, at some point, must have a meal out. With Weight Watchers, you can anticipate that meal and plan for it with points. I assume with the Flat Belly Diet you control your portions and try to order foods with MUFAs. That doesn't seem too difficult. I'll be trying it this weekend, and that's my plan, at least.

What's definitely not too difficult was making those tasty Lemon Cupcakes with Citrus Icing from the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook. And I will make them again and again, even when I'm not strictly following the diet, which very well might be after I finish the Jumpstart in which I've already lost 3 lbs and am feeling light, cleansed, and energetic.

Vaccariello, Liz and Cynthia Sass. The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook. New York: Rodale, 2008. Print.

Lemon Cupcakes with Citrus Icing

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 2/3c unbleached all-purpose flour
1c sugar
2t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt
3/4c safflower oil
2 eggs
1/3c fat-free milk
1/4c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1t lemon zest
1t lemon extract
1/2t vanilla extract

Icing Ingredients:
1 1/2c confectioners' sugar
2T freshly squeezed orange juice
1t orange zest

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2.) To prep cupcake batter: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Combine oil, eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
3.) Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for 17-19 minutes or until cupcakes are lightly golden and spring when gently touched. Place pan on rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, transfer to rack, and let cool completely.
4.) To prep icing: Combine confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl and stir until smooth. Spread some of the glaze over each cupcake with a small spatula and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tips: Use a blood orange for a more colorful icing like the one in my pictures. Also, fill each cup only 3/4 full so the tops are more flat. With the extra batter make a few extra cupcakes; this recipe yielded 16 cupcakes for me.

For the Pets (and Pet Lovers) Out There!

2010-03-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Our food-loving Black Lab Bleu and his best friend Benny convinced me I should do a pet issue for Connotation Press.

And because I believe dogs can talk and why wouldn't I listen to them, check out the March issue of Connotation Press.

It's funny, moving, and has a few great recipes for our furry, four-legged friends.

Let's Skirt Around the Issues

2010-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've been toying with the possibility of reviving my personal blog: A Skirt Around the Issues.

I first began my journey with food and food writing on A Skirt, but lately I've been realizing food is leading me back to personal reflections that might not be so appropriate on a food blog.

If you're interested, please follow A Skirt Around the Issues. I won't be updating it as regularly as Everyday Palate, but I promise, between both blogs, you'll get enough of me to tie you over until the next post.

Apple Two Ways

2010-03-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

I had pork chops defrosting in the fridge.

I had a honeycrisp apple on hand and two green apples on hand.

So I started digging around in my magazine and cookbook stashes for "pork and apple" recipes.

Even though I've heard from many food friends that Martha Stewart's recipes don't always work for them, I've had a lot of luck with her Everyday Food Great Fast Food cookbook. (And I hope to have a lot of luck with her iPhone App too. I'll keep you posted on that!) Both of these apple-inspired recipes came from there.

The pork chops with apples and shallots were crisp (because of the broiling and the apples) and juicy without being too sweet. Because my Luginbill Family Farm chops were about an inch rather than the recommended 1/2 inch, they took a little longer to cook: 15 minutes plus rest time and they probably could have used 3 more minutes. They were a touch pink.

As a rider on the Everything's-Better-with-Bacon bandwagon, I felt the side of red cabbage and apples would keep the theme of crispness from the chops going with some more pork flavor. It definitely did. My only recommendation is taste frequently so you can add the right amount of salt and pepper. The vinegar was almost too prominent, but salt really cut that tangy-ness.

Both recipes were super easy. The cabbage just requires some planning. It does need to cook down for 45-60 minutes. But the chops were done and ready to serve in 30 hour flat.

Definitely two keepers and enough leftovers for FD and I to come home from teaching late, eat, and then grade. If I want a Spring Break, grading crazily now is the only way I'm going to get it.

Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots

Serves 4.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound medium shallots, halved or quartered lengthwise (pieces should be about 3/4 inch thick)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1/2 cup white wine
4 pork rib chops (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes more.
Add apples and wine; cover, and cook until apples are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and apples are tender, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
While apples are cooking, season pork chops generously with salt and pepper; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. To serve, spoon warm apple mixture over chops.

Red Cabbage with Apples

Serves 4 to 6.

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 small head red cabbage, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1 green apple, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until browned, 10 minutes.
Add onion; cook until soft, 5 minutes.
Add cabbage, apple, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring, until cabbage wilts, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat to desired softness (if sticking, add water), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Fish Fry with Flare

2010-02-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

Fish, in general, never used to excite me.

In fact, it usually causes panic, especially when I used to buy it at the grocery store. I never knew if the fish--tilapia, sole, halibut, etc.--had come in contact with shelled seafood, my arch-nemesis that has the power to kill me.

So for many years I just avoided the whole fish situation by not eating it at all, unless it was a McFish sandwich during lent.

Then I married a fisherman. Then I stopped eating fast food. Then I became a returning Catholic.

Now I'm eating fish.

Not just any fish, though. I'm eating fish that FD or his dad or his brother caught--mostly crappies, perch or walleye--at Mosquito Creek Reservoir or in Lake Erie near the Canadian border.

Most times I've left it to FD to prepare and cook the fish. That is until Lent started. As one of my Lenten meditations, I've taken up cooking fish.

And, of course, the best recipe I found fries it. Proclaiming to be a huge fan of fried food doesn't do hot oil and batter justice. Literally, I would eat anything fried--pickles, pizza, twinkles, crickets, roaches. That's how much I love fried food. I try not to eat it often, though. As we all know, it's not the healthiest preparation.

FD makes the most healthy of fish recipes: sauteing fillets in curry powder, baking them in parchment paper, etc. And I find this little piece of buttermilk-battered heaven.

Surely God is proud of my Lenten promise to cook fish.

Or more likely the fool who invented Epicurious is definitely going straight to heaven.

FD and I didn't have the time or ingredients for the pickled onions and peppers or the salsa verde--mostly because I refused to buy the ingredients at the grocery when I know I could make it at the end of the summer with all local ingredients, which would taste WAY better--but we made the Baja Cream, I marinated those little fillets in the buttermilk batter and we fried up in an inch of oil for 4 minutes, kept them warm in the oven, and found ourselves absolutely in love with this Mexican fish fry. (Justin Timberlake and Timberland, how come you couldn't sing about this recipe???)

We made a few adjustments, though. Use flour instead of corn tortillas; they hold up better and taste better. (Yes, we used both to make sure.) Add Cayenne Pepper to the flour for a kick; it's awesome.

Seriously, I force myself to eat fish. With this recipe I devoured, easily and happily, four tacos in one seating plus a few sneak bites of leftover fish before FD did the dishes.

It was sick. It was sickly awesome.

(Note: I use the word sick as a good thing. I didn't get sick from this recipe. In fact, it made my tummy very happy.)

~

Ingredients:

Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeños

1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
5 whole small jalapeños
2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

Baja cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Pinch of salt

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

12 ounces tomatillos,* husked, stemmed, divided
4 green onions, white and green parts separated
1 jalapeño chile
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 1/4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice

Fish

2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce--Sriracha!!!
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 pounds skinless halibut, sea bass, or striped bass fillets, cut into 1/2x1/2-inch strips (or in our case, walleye, perch, crappies!)

16 flour tortillas
1t Cayenne Pepper
2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Fresh salsa
Guacamole

Preparation:

For pickled red onion and jalapeños:
Place onion and jalapeños in heatproof medium bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For baja cream:
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For tomatillo salsa verde:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil roasting pan. Char half of tomatillos, white parts of green onions, and jalapeño directly over gas flame or in broiler. Transfer charred vegetables to prepared roasting pan. Add remaining tomatillos and garlic cloves to pan. Roast until all vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes. Cool.

Stem and seed jalapeño. Place all roasted vegetables, green onion tops, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to push vegetables down into blades several times. Transfer to medium bowl. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired.

For fish:
Mix buttermilk, cilantro, pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish; toss. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil; place in oven to warm. Whisk flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Add enough oil to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Heat oil until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, remove fish from marinade and dredge in flour. Carefully add fish to skillet, cover partially, and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to oven to keep warm.

Set up buffet with all taco fixings, along with fresh salsa and guacamole.

*Green and tomato-like with a papery husk, tomatillos are available in the produce section of some supermarkets and Latin markets.

Carryout

2010-02-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is a bit misleading.

Maybe you thought I was going to write about carryout food.

That makes sense. Too much sense, in fact.

This afternoon on our way home from walking Bleu at Oak Openings, FD and I heard the song "Carryout" by Timberland and Justin Timberlake. I love my boy JT, but this song made NO sense. To the point that FD and I thought it was a McDonald's ad or a SNL skit.

We were wrong.

I can only assume that love has become a convenient commodity when people think a song that compares love to an iHop is "sooooooo good" and "sooooo hard." (I'm all for slang but what does "hard" mean? I thought it was slang for thugs, not cheesy pop songs that sing, "Take my order, baby, because you're body's like a carryout?")

As much as I find this song offensive, I'm fascinated by the idea that food is a cool enough topic to warrant a metaphor for a pop song that JT sings and that is played A LOT on popular radio.

I just wish JT and Timberland would have compared love to grass-fed cows, heirloom tomatoes, lacinato kale, community gardening, the Slow Foods movement, backyard chickens, and Revolver Restaurant. Then I would have been on board. To the point that the song would have actually turned me on.

Alas, comparing a woman to an order or thinking of her as a waitress is just setting us all back--to the 1950s.

For your enjoyment, included is a YouTube video of the song. If you prefer not to indulge in the moronic delights that are popular music, peruse the lyrics.

Just some food for thought.

~

Baby, you’re lookin’ fire hot
I’ll have you open all night like an IHOP
I take you home baby let you keep me company
You gimme some of you, I give you some of me

You look good, baby must taste heavenly
I’m pretty sure that you got your own recipe
So pick it up, pick it up, yeah I like you
I just can’t get enough I got to drive through

Cause is me, you, you, me, me, you all night
Have it your way, foreplay
Before I feed you appetite

Let me get my ticket baby, let me get it line
I can tell the way you like it, baby, supersized
Hold on, you got yours, let me get mine
I ain’t leavin’ till they turn over the closed sign

Check it

Take my order cause your body like a
carry out
Let me walk into your body until you
hear me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out

Take my order cause your body like a
carry out
Let me walk into your body till it’s
lights out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out

Number one, I take two number three’s
That’s a whole lot of you and a side of me.
Now is it full of myself to want you full of me?
And if there’s room for dessert then I want a piece

Baby get my order right, no errors
Imma touch you in all the right areas
I could feed you, you could feed me
Girl, deliver that to me, come see me

Cause is me, you, you, me, me, you all night
Have it your way, foreplay
Before I feed you appetite

Do you like it well done, cause I do it well
Cause I’m well seasoned if you couldn’t tell
Now let me walk into your body until you hear me out
And turn me on, my baby, dont you cut me out

Say

Take my order cause your body like a
carry out
Let me walk into your body until you
hear me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out

Take my order cause your body like a
carry out
Let me walk into your body till it’s
lights out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out

What’s your name?
What’s your number?
I’m glad I came
Can you take my order?

What’s your name?
Girl, what’s your number?
I’m glad I came
Can you take my order?

Come over here (what’s your name?)
Come closer (what’s your number?)
I’m over here (I’m glad I came)
A little closer (can you take my order?)

Come over here (what’s your name?)
Come closer (what’s your number?)
I’m over here (I’m glad I came)
A little closer (can you take my order?)

Take my order cause your body like a
carry out
Let me walk into your body until you
hear me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out

Take my order cause your body like a
carry out
Let me walk into your body till it’s
lights out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out
Turn me on, my baby dont you
cut me out

Dont you cut me out!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes & Carrots

2010-02-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

FD is a HUGE fan of chicken thighs.

And who can blame him? So juicy, so tender, so succulent. We should all be fans of chicken thighs.

Let me rephrase: we should all be fans of organic, free range chicken thighs.

9 times out of 10 I buy a whole chicken from Luginbill Family Farm, but in those in-between months when I'm out of Luginbill chicken and can't get to Pandora and we're craving a little farmyard friend, I turn to the organic, free range chicken from the grocery store.

Please know I'm not a fan of buying meat from the grocery store unless it's from Mustard Seed or Nature's Bin (oh, to live in the Cleveland area again...) because I feel the meat is already over-priced at Meijer and especially Kroger. However, I'm hawk when it comes to the sale meats, specifically organic, free range meats.

I found a package of chicken thighs on sale two weeks ago at Kroger. I bought them for FD. And after such a busy week for both of us, I thought I'd surprise him with one of his favorite meats.

For the recipe I turned to Epicurious but the actual recipe I used was in my archive of Bon Appetit magazines. The thighs were delicious. I'm sad to report, though, that my carrots overcooked and my purple fingerling potatoes also were a little over roasted. (Yes, I will use Yukon Gold and whole carrots next time.) It doesn't mean we didn't enjoy every single bite. I will make this recipe again. Especially after I have a kitchen with an exceptional hood. (I think I need to clean my oven; everything I roast smokes now...Ugh. How can I win a kitchen remodel?)

The herb and spice mixture of salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg was perfectly earthy with the root veggies. (Oh, I tried for parsnips instead of carrots, but the ones I bought a few days ago had already rotted. My detest of out-of-season veggies is only growing stronger. But it's in constant battle with my love of veggies all year round. What am I to do? *Sigh* I'm buying organic as much as I can...)

But those thighs.

Those thighs.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (preferably organic; about 2 1/4 pounds total)
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
2 pounds unpeeled medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears
2 pounds medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Prep

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place chicken on baking sheet. Turn to coat with oil and set skin side up. Mix salt, thyme, 1½ teaspoons pepper, and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle half of mixture over chicken. Roast until chicken starts to brown and some fat has rendered, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine potatoes, carrots, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining saltthyme mixture in large bowl. Transfer thighs to medium bowl; set aside. Transfer potato-carrot mixture to same baking sheet; turn to coat with drippings. Roast until vegetables soften, 30 minutes. Place thighs on vegetables; pour accumulated juices from chicken over. Return sheet to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked and vegetables brown, 15 minutes longer.

Place chicken on platter; top with chives.

Lent: A Challenge in Not Eating Meat

2010-02-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

For Lent I'm not eating meat on Fridays and on holy days.

As many of you know, I love meat. A lot.

True to my midwestern upbringing we eat meat and potatoes for almost every meal, as you probably have seen.

And the fallout from being on the Atkin's Diet is I have a fear of pasta.

But I've been pleasantly surprised by the pasta dishes I've started making during Lent.

On Ash Wednesday I cooked up my own spaghetti sauce thanks to a Cook's Illustrated recipe from May 1, 1997. (Old school and delicious!)

I was really pleased with the consistency, texture, and flavor. It's definitely one I'll use again and again.

I've been thinking a lot about the connection between food and religion. But I still have more thinking to do before I can post anything intelligent.

In the meantime, I hope you have as much success with this recipe as I did.

Ingredients

	1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 1 can whole tomatoes ( not packed in puree or sauce)
2	medium cloves garlic , peeled
3	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2	tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (about 8 leaves)
1/4	teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons table salt
3/4	pound pasta

Instructions

1. If using diced tomatoes, go to step 2. If using whole tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid. Dice tomatoes either by hand or in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade (three or four 1/2-second pulses). Tomatoes should be coarse, with 1/4-inch pieces visible. If necessary, add enough reserved liquid to tomatoes to total 2 cups.
2. Process garlic through garlic press into small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon water (see note above). Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente in large pot of boiling, salted water. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water; drain pasta, and transfer it back to cooking pot. Mix in reserved cooking water, sauce, and remaining oil and salt; cook together over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and serve immediately.

A British Kind of Day

2010-02-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today began with Jamie Oliver's crumpets for breakfast.

For lunch JB's Sarnies Shoppe. (Thanks, Jen!)

And dinner: Jamie Oliver's Wild Mushroom & Venison Stroganoff for Two Lucky People.

And we were lucky. Totally.

Even though I used lime peel instead of lemon, whiskey instead of brandy, and dried parsley instead of fresh.

Our recipe doesn't look as good as Jamie's but it sure tasted stupid good.

Another keeper recipe in terms of game. Another notch for Jamie.

I sooooo can't wait for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC.

wild mushroom and venison stroganoff for two lucky people

main courses | serves 2
This venison stroganoff is absolutely fantastic – of course, you can use more traditional beef fillet instead of venison, and any mushrooms you like, but there’s something about venison and wild mushrooms that works so well together. Have a go at this and you’ll know what I mean!

The whole point of this dish is that by the time you start cooking the meat, it will all come together quickly. The meat will be quite pink – cook it for longer if you want but it will go slightly tougher.

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions until it’s just undercooked and drain in a colander. Put the rice back in the pan, cover with tinfoil and leave to steam – this will give you incredibly light and fluffy rice.

Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and pour in a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and golden. Remove from the heat and spoon the onions and garlic out of the pan on to a plate. Keep to one side.

Season the meat well with salt, pepper and paprika. Rub and massage these flavourings into the meat. Place the frying pan back on a high heat and pour in some more olive oil. Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until they start to brown. Then add the meat and fry for a minute or two before adding the parsley stalks (you can do this in two pans or in batches if your pan is not big enough) and the cooked onion and garlic. Toss and add the butter and brandy.

You don’t have to set light to the hot brandy, but flaming does give an interesting flavour so I always like to do this. Once the flames die down, or after a couple of minutes of simmering, stir in the lemon zest and all but 1 tablespoon of the crème fraîche and season to taste. Continue simmering for a few minutes. Any longer than this and the meat will toughen up – it doesn’t need long as it’s been cut up so small.

Serve your fluffy rice on one big plate and your stroganoff on another. Simply spoon the remaining crème fraîche over the stroganoff, then sprinkle over the sliced gherkins and parsley leaves. Eat at once!

Red-Cooked Rump Roast

2010-02-21T17:53:00.000-08:00

We're almost out of our beef, Clementine.

Next time we're NOT splitting our 1/8. LOL!

Last year I struggled with figuring out what to do with the rolled rump roast. Today I just happened to stumble upon the Red-Cooked Rump Roast recipe in my one of my fav cookbooks, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Not only was this recipe SUPER delicious, but also it was too easy to be sooo good. With a side of mashed potatoes and a salad, this spicy and savory beef dish is perfect.

And I have a feeling the leftovers are going to make spectacular sandwiches!

Red-Cooking Liquid:
1 1/2 c water
1 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c dry sherry
2 T sugar
2 green onions (white and green parts), roughly chopped
Two 1/2 inch slices ginger, lightly crushed
1 whole star anise
1 stick cinnamon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 strip (about 3 inches) orange zest, removed with veggie peeler

Directions:

Pour red-cooking liquid into slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Put rump roast in cooker and turn to coat both sides with liquid. It is okay if the liquid covers the roast completely. Cover, turn the heat to LOW, and cook for 4 hours.

Turn over the roast, cover, and cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours more.

List roast out of cooking liquid and place on a cutting board. Allow to cool a bit, then carve into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick) and serve with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid drizzled over it. Or, if you wish to serve it cold, refrigerate until chilled before slicing.

Allow remaining liquid to cool a bit, then pour through a fat strainer. Discard solids. Refrigerate liquid but do not cap until liquid has cooled completely. It will keep in fridge for a week to 10 days and in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw it before using. To reuse the liquid, remove and discard the solidified fat on top. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker crock, and proceed as directed int he recipe with fresh meat. After every 3rd or 4th use, refresh liquid by adding 1/2 c of soy sauce and half of the seasonings.

Recipe will work with a whole 3-4 lb broiler chicken too. Remove innards, dunk both sides, and go at it. (I hope to try this soon and report the outcome.)