VOTE!

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!

I Can Sweat Duck Fat

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.)

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

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.

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

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

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

A British Kind of Day

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!

Jools' Favorite Beef Stew & Mine Too!

During these sad months of longing for dinosaur kale I have turned to another vegetable.

Parsnips.

They don't compare to kale, but they're keeping me busy, happy, and quite full.

I've never really thought about parsnips. They've gotten lost in a family of other, more-popular root veggies: the baby carrots and the robust red bliss potatoes. But parsnips shouldn't be ignored. They're sweet sourness adds so many layers to simple dishes like roasted vegetables or more complex (flavor-wise) dishes such as Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs.

After making the absolutely-heavenly-so-easy-to-make-cook-them-tomorrow Short Ribs for friends on Saturday night I had a few parsnips leftover, and, of course, I turned to Jamie Oliver to see what recipes he had to ensure I use them wisely.

I came across Jools' Favorite Beef Stew in Jamie's Dinners. I was excited by how easy the recipe is but I was reluctant to make it. Beef stews, in my experiences, are pretty boring. I've tried countless stew recipes, but they always seem to turn out the same--edible but not memorable, a conglomeration of lack-luster tomato and beef. I had a feeling I'd like my mate Jamie's, though; he adds one whole bottle of red wine. I'm a sucker for red wine.

This was by far one of the best beef stews I have ever eaten. The flavors stood out. From the parsnips to the butternut squash to the lemon zest (a necessary step; do NOT skip). This stew partied on my palate and settled quite nicely in my tummy. I served it over some leftover mashed parsnips and potatoes, which was divine.

I did do something a little different from Jamie. I softened the onions and sage with a bit of garlic too. I didn't flour the beef cubes; I just browned them for a few minutes before adding all the veggies, wine, and broth. I brought all that to boil and dumped it into a Crock Pot. I let the Crock Pot cool, set in the fridge overnight, and put it in its cradle before heading to work the next morning. After being on Low for 8 hours, we came home a delightful little but hearty meal.

Leave it to Jamie for yet another success.

You know if Julie Powell hadn't done the whole Julie / Julia Project, I would totally do a Jamie / Amanda project. Or sacrifice my dignity for the sake of sounding catchier and rename it The Mandie / Jamie Project.

Even writing Mandie makes me cringe.

Alas, no worries, since that's been done before. I just need to find my own little niche. Or at least get on one of Jamie's shows...

The Perfect Sunday Morning Breakfast on a Rainy Day

When people tell me they don't eat breakfast, I feel sad for them.

Breakfast is wonderful. Granted most mornings I eat 1/4 cup of plain fat yogurt with a teaspoon of Ohio maple syrup and berries (when in season), but on the weekends, I enjoy a good hearty b-fast that involves more dirty dishes than a bowl and spoon.

My favorite lately is Jamie Oliver's (no surprise, is it really?) Eggy Breakfast Crumpets. I've been dying to make this dish, but I haven't been able to find crumpets. And now it's my fav dish because finally--FI-NAL-LYYYY--I found crumpets at the Anderson's in Maumee.

Perfectly sweet, salty, chewy, luscious, and crisp, this totally easy first meal of the day is fabulous when you want something to hold you over and give you a reason to eat a light lunch and perhaps even a light dinner. I just love it, and it's definitely a recipe worth sharing...

Makes 2 servings

2 large eggs
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 chile, deseeded, chopped finely
4 slices of bacon
2 crumpets
maple syrup

Whisk eggs, salt, pepper, and chili. Push crumpets into eggs. Make sure to coat both sides of the crumpets several times, then let them soak in eggs.

Meanwhile fry bacon on medium heat. When done, drain on paper towel.

Drain most of bacon fat from pan. Leave 1T. Add crumpets to pan. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden.

Drizzle crumpets and bacon with maple syrup. Serve.

Dinner: Pasta & Kale

When the cupboards seem bare, there always seems to be pasta.

Generally we don't eat a lot of pasta. But being that we are trying to be even more conscious of our dining out and our food choices, I thought I'd give the good ol' carb a whirl.

I wanted something quick, easy, and without all that heavy tomato sauce. Of course, I reached for my tried and true Jamie Oliver cookbook Jamie's Dinners.

While the fettuccine was boiling I fried up prosciutto, set it aside, and then whipped up one of Jamie's quick sauces of minced garlic, parm, a squeeze of lemon, and olive oil. After I reserved a little of the pasta's water to stick the noodles and thicken the sauce, I drained the noodles, put them back in the warm stock pot, and incorporated the sauce and prosciutto. Easy enough.

The side dish was easy too. Lately, we've been addicted to kale. I can't get this Molly Wizenberg article our of my head, especially this passage, "She pulled out my largest skillet, put it on the stove, and slipped in some olive oil and a sliver of butter. While the pan warmed, she washed the kale, spun it dry, and gave it a coarse chop. Then she piled it into the hot pan, where it sputtered and crackled like popcorn." I wanted to hear that crackle, so I gave this technique a try. It's been my favorite way of cooking kale thus far.

A simple rustic dinner. Cheap yet tasty. Light yet filling. Quick yet thoughtful.

Connotation Press: Feature with Steph Izard!

Check out my interview with Steph Izard & her awesome video of her visit to a goat farm!

Visit Connotation Press today!

A Simple Little Dinner I'm Quite Proud Of

I don't just get comfort from "comfort food." All food comforts me. Cooking comforts me. And I embrace that, especially on days I can't (for more reasons than one) articulate the exact reasons why I'm sick and tired, achy, bitchy, pissy, whiney, exhausted, done-with-it-all, etc., etc.

Today was one of those days I came home from work and just needed to decompress with a counter-shark lab at my feet, a glass of wine (the best $6.99 wine I've ever had in my life!), some stellar recipes, and my LeCreuset.

Suddenly, all became right my own silent little-world-bubble.

Tonight I made Lamb Chops with Yogurt Sauce (Everyday Food), Lemony Shredded Brussels Spouts (Everyday Food), and Baked Carrots and Parsnips (Jamie Oliver--At this point can I cook a meal without using one of Jamie's recipes???).

I was quite pleased with how everything turned out. (Even though I wish the picture showed the true colors a bit better...)

This completely local-foods meal took me 40 minutes to prep and cook. That's rad. And I didn't use a different skillet for the brussels sprouts. While the chops were resting I cooked up my precious little cabbage heads in the same skillet I seared the lamb in so they took on a little more flavor. And lemon. Thank God for lemon. It pulled this whole meal together. And mint. The yogurt sauce calls for cilantro, but I couldn't bring myself to by that plastic-container-crap from the grocery store. So I used our crazy-ass mint (from our organic gardener) that won't die no matter what. And it was awesome! I also used a red candy onion (from the same organic farmer) rather than a shallot, and it was perfect too. All the flavor in the sauce brought out the lamb's flavor. --I'm thinking next year I going to buy a lamb--

Writing this post kinda makes me want to eat it all over again. Right now.

Luckily, I've learned to control myself through Weight Watchers...

A Weekend of Cooking, Eating, and Grading

This weekend almost all of my dreams came true.

My all-time favorite poet joined FD and I for brunch at our house. We had bacon, goose, radishes, tomato salad, kale chips, and roasted potatoes. Everything we ate came from Ohio. It was a fantastic little meal, but what made it so fantastic was sharing it with Rachel Zucker. (Thanks, Rachel! I hope we can share another meal together soon!) My only regret: I didn't take any pictures.

[After brunch and before dinner I graded essays.]

For dinner that night, we invited friends over for homemade pizzas: one game pizza and one

pepperoni-onion-mushroom pizza. I served a side salad of bibb lettuce, radishes (clearly, I'm addicted to them), and red onion with the Everyday Food garlic and herb vinaigrette. Again,

great company. My only regret: I didn't take any pictures.

[After dinner I tried grading essays, but that was a futile cause.]

For lunch the next day, my foodie friend Lenz made me Chicken Liver Pate with wine soaked figs, as she promised. I was happy. And I finally remembered to take pictures.

What I loved about the pate was whatever condiment/garnish we added changed the flavor. On its own, the pate was rich, salty, and metallic-y (in a good way). Paired with a radish, the pate took on some heat and the pepperiness of the dish came alive. With yellow mustard, the sweetness moved to the forefront. With a fig, the earthy, gaminess came alive. I loved every bite. And if we hadn't decided to have a 3-course lunch, I would have eaten half the mold pictured above.

Our second course was artichokes with white wine reduction, butter, and Canal Junction's Burr Oak cheese dipping sauce. Lenz boiled the artichokes in salted water for about 45 minutes. In the meantime she made the sauce. We sat down to a feast of leaves and hearts. I was impatient for the third course, so quite frankly, all the peeling wasn't worth it to me. Lenz helped me get the heart, and after that I waited for the main course of game and polenta--my new food addiction.

As a token of appreciation, I'll let Lenz post her own polenta recipe. It's one I'm going to use again and again. As she says, polenta is the grown-up version of Mac 'n' Cheese. I adore it. And this course's was no exception. My only regret was that we didn't bake it right away after serving it. It got hard. I attempted reheating it on the stove later that day with more water and bouillon cubes. It just wasn't the same. Next time I'm baking it right away. Definitely.

Confession: Lenz and I cooked and ate from 11-3. That's food dedication.

[I graded later in the evening--after my wine buzz wore off...]

[The next morning and afternoon I graded like a fiend.]

Sunday was our dear friend Babs' birthday, and I wanted to give her something special. Of course, that gift would be a meal. But not just any meal. A Jamie Oliver meal. If I can't give her the man, I can, at least, give her his food.

For our first course, I served a simple garden salad with mushrooms, radishes, and red onion. Then for dinner I made her the Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie with Puff Pastry Lid with a side of peas with the artichokes' wine, butter, and cheese dipping sauce. I was quite proud of how

everything turned out. (Though, I'm not sure why my pie filling was lighter and less liquidy than Jamie's...I will need to explore this more...) The taste, though, was spot on. It was the perfect birthday/comfort food I could have made for Babs' October birthday, and I think she was quite happy. My only regret: Babs made her own dessert because I suck at baking. And her cream cheese pound cake with pomegranate and cranberry sauce was a perfect ending to a spectacular meal.

[After dinner I could not grade. I was too full. But I finished this morning. Go, me!]

All in all, this was the best weekend I've ever had with grading.

Food does make everything better.

A Must-Have iPhone/iTouch App for Home Cooks

My dream has (almost) come true.

On my iPhone, not only can I watch Twilight as much as I want, but also I can now watch Jamie Oliver as much as I want.

Ah, the simple joys in life.

For $7.99, you too can download Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals.

That seems pricey, doesn't it? I don't normally buy apps that aren't labeled as free. But this one is well worth the cash.

Not only does Jamie provide recipes, 50 of which are new--meaning, not found in his cookbooks or website--but also he has included an overview of each recipe, the shopping list for each recipe (which you can use to create your interactive grocery list, complete with being able to mark off the items in your cart), a photo step-by-step breakdown of the recipe (many of which include audio tips from Jamie), AND helpful hint videos on topics such as knife skills and pestle and mortar skills.

What's so fantastic about Jamie is, he isn't belittling or cocky in his how-to videos. He's just a dude who wants to help you enjoy cooking efficiently and intelligently. *Sigh*

I bought the app yesterday and already have next week's meals planned with my shopping list created! And I've watched almost every hour and half's worth of videos, which I found entertaining and informative. The app is simple, easy-to-use, and visually appealing.

Additionally, I get the impression from the app's description and Jamie's videos, too, that the app will be updated with new recipes and videos periodically. Cool?

Now, Michael Symon needs to create an app, and all my iPhone fantasies will be fulfilled.

A Fall Evening Dinner--Outside

My new obsession: pork.

I want to know about all about it, and I want to eat it all the time.

My consistent obsession: Jamie Oliver.

After the stellar success of Jamie Oliver's pork shoulder recipe, I thought I would be able to trust him for some ground pork recipes. Of course, my English love didn't let me down.

Tonight we tried Jamie O's Green Chilli. Imagine the love child of a fresh, full-of-chilies chilli and the most amazing taco meat you've ever eaten. That's Jamie's recipe.

I didn't use all green peppers and chilis, which the recipe calls for, though. I need color, but everything else was spot on. I adored this recipe, yet I would make a few changes in the future. First, I would add WAY LESS water. He calls for 1/2 a cup. I would add a 1/4 and then see if it needs more. If so, I would add a tablespoon at a time. I had gotten my ground pork and ground venison (how I love when those Brits call it minced meat!) all dry, but when I added the 1/2 cup of water, it made the mixture wet again. Also, I would add one very hot chili pepper. We had some "medium hot" chili peppers, but those weren't hot enough for me. I needed more heat, which I think would have made the dish more edgy. Next time, I'm adding more heat--be it through the addition of jalapeno and chili powder.

The mint, lettuce, and lime make this dish, though, so be sure to dress the dish with those seemingly unneeded garnishes. Also, it's great with the tortilla, but I think nacho chips would as good or even better.

The best part of this meal was eating outside in the chilly evening with an ember-hot-fire in our outside fireplace roaring at our feet. I've been feeling under-the-weather today, but FD's fire

and Jamie's Green Chilli made me feel like a million bucks.

Leave it to my two favorite men to make me feel better.

Symon's Roast

I heart Michael Symon.

Here's a cook-dude who could open restaurants in LA, NY, or Chicago, but he keeps it real and opens them in Cleveland and Detroit. That brings a huge smile to my face.

Our families are in Cleveland.

Some of best of friends are in Detroit.

We can eat Michael Symon's food whenever we want.

Located in the historic Book Cadillac Hotel is Detroit's gorgeous Roast. But I'm conflicted.

I didn't like Roast as much as I like Lola, Symon's flagship restaurant.

The deal is this: the food was good, the service was good, the atmosphere is good. But it all just felt good. I wanted to have a fuckyesawesome!-spaz-freakout, but it never happened. Did I drink too much wine? Did order too much food? I feel like it's my fault that I missed something I shouldn't have.

What I enjoyed most was the company of our friends Sarah, John, and E (who took this magnificent pics for my blog! Thanks, E!)

Let me be clear: in the moment of dining at Roast, I was in food heaven. The beef tartar was to die for. The rib eye with shallot confit was amazing. The roasted chicken was mouth-watering. The short rib smelled divine.

But I was disappointed that our server didn't describe each meat on our charcuterie board. The wild boar was incredibly salty. The roasted bone marrow wasn't all that special. The brownie with lime was disgusting.

Can you see why I'm torn? I thought after a few weeks, I would feel happier about our visit. That I would have made my peace with the pro's and con's to the point it would be all pro. But I still feel a little ripped up and just not right about it.

Would I go back? For sure. Maybe I will drink less wine. Maybe I will only order one starter. Maybe I will ask our server to talk about the food more.

The definite is I want to go there again with our D-town dinner companions. They rule during every dining experience we have with them, even if the meal isn't all that.

And I will always heart Michael Symon, even if I'm not sold on Roast.

(For all the fab photos taken by E., check out my Facebook album.)

Pork: My Favorite White Meat

Last weekend, FD and I picked up our half hog from Luginbill Farms in Pandora.

Petunia the Pig.

She's one tasty treat.

I made Jamie Oliver's Spicy Pork and Chili-Pepper Goulash with one of many shoulder roasts. This recipe was fantastic, but it was truly even better the next day and the day after that. The trick to this recipe is to make the sour cream with parsley and lemon zest. The sour cream helped to cut the heat a bit and lemon brought out the taste of the pork. We made basmati rice with ours, and its nutty flavor added another layer to the dish.

It's been a busy last few weeks, which is obvious based on how little I've been posting. So any make-ahead dinners I can make I'm making. I will make this one again and again, especially when I have tons of hot peppers I need to use.

Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite chefs right now too. Yes, partly because he is HOT! But mostly because I feel like our food values are most compatible. He's really into local, organic, free-range, sustainable, from the wild, including mushrooms and game, foods. And his recipes, while a bit more intuitive than Cook's Illustrated, always turn out for me. Always.

And I feel like I learn something new about them each time I make them. I like that. And I like him. He seems like a cheery mate.

And he makes me feel cheery, even when I'm stressed out and busy.

One Success. One Failure.

This coming weekend I'm fleeing to the Cleve to help my sis&bro-in-law with the little burrito & Miss L. (And I'm helping her organize, which some of you know is seriously one of my favorite OCD things to do!) To give us more time together and to give them some quick meals, I'm going to come bearing the one thing I feel that expresses true love.

I come bearing food.

In the quiet moments of a really busy work week, I've been plotting, planning, and searching for fab cook-ahead recipes that could freeze well. Of course, I headed to my Cook's Illustrated Make-Ahead magazine and found there a great recipe for Mac & Cheese--something I know Miss L adores.

When I discovered the Whole Foods app for the iPhone, I immediately found a make-ahead recipe for meatloaf, the perfect protein for Mac & Cheese. I got a head of organic lettuce and some organic veggies from our local farmer and now I've got a side salad. Perfect for one night.

For another night I'm going to make Jamie Oliver's roasted chicken. That way they can use the leftover chicken however they see fit.

But I wanted to give them something frozen to have on hand in a pinch. I bought the September 2009 Everyday Food and found just what I was looking for: a one-pot beef stew and freezes really well. Bullseye.

Tonight I made the beef stew and it looks exactly like the pic in Everyday Food, and the flavor is out of this world. I'm really really really pleased with this recipe! And it was the easiest, cleanest beef stew I have ever made in my life. This one is a keeper, for sure!

Then I got ambitious and the cookie crumbled. Literally. To further impress my niece Miss L., I wanted to make her a special cookie--a dog-shaped cookie. I have the cutter; all I needed was a recipe. I found a sugar cookie with lavender I've been meaning to try. Good.

Everything seemed to be going good until I attempted to cut the cookies. I couldn't get them to stay in their forms. And then I overcooked them. I'm thinking next time the butter should be even more so at room temperature before I begin baking. And I'm thinking I'm going to need to ask Babs, the dessert-ess herself, to oversee my baking.

But one out of two ain't bad...

Dinner: Sunday Night: Sauerbraten

After a long hot summer, all I crave is fall. So when the temperature dropped into the 60s this past Sunday, I made a Sauerbraten, the perfect fall dish.

The best Sauerbraten recipe is my mother-in-law's, but I wanted to test something new--a recipe from Bobby Flay. I don't normally cook Bobby Flay recipes. I'm not going to lie; I don't really like Bobby Flay. He seems shady to me. I'm sure he's a great guy, but I'm a Jamie Oliver kind of girl. But I found this fantastic recipe for Sauerbraten from his Nana, and I had to try it.

And it was awesome! Seriously awesome! However, I actually like my mother-in-law's recipe better. Maybe it's just because it's our family recipe. I don't know. But I would make Bobby Flay's again. I just think I wouldn't have a couple of absinthe drinks while it was simmering for three hours (Happy 21st, SEM! Love you, girl!) However, I will braise cabbage to go with Sally's recipe; that cabbage was RAD!

Sally's Old World Sauerbraten

Ingredients:

1 (3-4 lb) chuck roast

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 c. vinegar

1/2 t. ginger

1 c. water

3 bay leaves

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. thyme

1 t salt

2 onions, thinly sliced

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. butter

4-5 whole cloves

Directions:

Brown roast in butter. Add onions and brown. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the roast. Simmer on the stovetop for 3 hours or in a slowcooker for 6 hours. If you desire, thicken sauce with flour. Serve with egg noodles.

(This is a fabulous make-ahead dish for a busy week! Check out FD's tasty sandwich he made for lunch: pumpernickel, sauerbraten, cabbage, hot mustard, & gravy.)

Dinner: Moussaka

During our routine Monday morning walk, Babs and I were discussing dinner possibilities. I had these two gorgeous eggplants that I needed to use before our next produce delivery this Wednesday. I thought about making the Jamie Oliver pasta, eggplant, mozz recipe again or the Cook's Illustrated eggplant parm for two recipe again.

I think that's my downfall as a cook; I like to make the same things again and again to improve on them and because I know they're tasty treats and I know how long they take to make. And Babs knows this repetitive recipe trick of mine, so she recommended Moussaka.

My tummy rumbled, and I knew what was for dinner. Thanks, Babs!

I went online and found this Tyler Florence recipe. It seemed easy enough. And it was easy, just like difficulty level suggests. However, it's very time consuming. This is not a dish I would prepare in a flash. It look time prepping the eggplant and other ingredients. (Granted I'm slower in the kitchen because my knife skills suck and trying to cook with a wounded finger slows everything down.) After prepping the dish must bake for 30-40 minutes, which takes time but it's time that can be used to clean the kitchen and put together some peach fruit crisp (more on that dessert later). Overall, though, time was the only drawback.

This dish turn out stunningly! It had so much flavor and really was much lighter than Moussaka I've had at several restaurants. Because Tyler's recipe calls for feta, it wasn't heavy or overwhleming with bechamel. Also, I used ground beef instead of ground lamb because it's what we had on hand, and it was perfect--not greasy like other times I've had it. We had only 2 smaller-ish eggplants, so I halved the recipe and made one layer of eggplant, one layer of meat, and topped it with the cheese and breadcrumbs; doing it this way totally worked! I added a few pats of butter on top my breadcrumbs too to avoid them drying out. The only addition I would make in the future is to add fresh mint if I was using lamb. We served our moussaka with malabar spinach with roasted garlic and fresh lemon, which really brought out the lemon & garlic in the casserole. (Again, sorry for the bad pic! I'm using my phone's camera.)

Added bonus we have a lot of leftovers, which is great because we don't have time to cook dinner for the next couple of nights. Luckily, I have a feeling that this dish is even better leftover...

Sunday's Dinner: Roast Chicken

Every time I hear "roast chicken" I imagine, in the movie version, Frodo and Sam talking about needing herbed salts "just in case," even though they're lost in the middle of Mordor...

My all-time favorite dish to make, the one that always comes out perfect, and the one that always taste great, is my roast chicken. I use Jamie Oliver's recipe, and it's fantastic. I always use a whole chicken from Luginbill Farms, and they are always so tasty--I assume because they're free of all those gross hormones & antibiotics.

Last night, though, I did make one revision. I added turnips with the potatoes ("boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew"). Those turnips were mind-blowing, so buttery and crunchy. I'm definitely going to add those little angels every time I make this dish from now on.

Sadly, the broccoli was just there for some green. We should have had a salad instead. Because the broccoli just didn't stand up to the richness of the chicken, potatoes, and turnips.

~

While the chicken was roasting I couldn't stop craving Fall. Even though it was 70 outside (with for August in Ohio is pretty darn good!) I wish it was even cooler and that the leaves were turning. I'm ready for my favorite season and the hearty dishes that come with it.

Our chicken was our last meal of summer, the one before we meet our students and head into a new academic year.

And what's perfect about roasting a whole chicken on Sundays is that we have "cook-ahead" leftovers to last us most of the week. (Chicken salad sandwiches, cooked chicken for quesadillas, chicken to throw in with pasta and pesto, etc.--quick home-made meals!) Because we teach late, have evening student conferences or a night yoga class, we try to do two "cook-aheads" a week so we avoid eating carry-out or dinner at a restaurant. It's all about saving money and time when the semester starts. This cook-ahead ritual has worked really well for the past two years. And it's allowed us to more frequently visit fine dining restaurants we love, such as Revolver.

I guarantee more cook-ahead recipes to follow. Stay tuned.

For now, good luck to all those starting school!

Author's Note: The roasted whole chicken was golden and gorgeous. I'm sorry my phone's camera didn't accentuate its beauty.