Published by mel on January 22, 2010 in recipe.
When I was in college, my favorite snack was soda crackers slathered in yellow mustard and a Diet Coke.
(Sidebar: I used to be completely addicted to Diet Coke, going so far as to have them with my morning bagel at the dining hall. I don’t think I ever drank water in college. God only knows how I made it out alive. These days, I have maybe couple of Diet Cokes a month, but am completely addicted to sparkling water.)
Soda crackers and mustard? Isn’t that a bit…weird? Probably. But I loved how the crunchy blandness of the crackers contrasted with the salty, vinegary mustard. I could eat them all day.
These days, I’ve moved on to more sensible and refined snacks like salted chocolate covered graham crackers or homemade power bars, but I haven’t lost my deep-rooter affection for mustard. Especially for grainy, spicy mustard. The kind with a little bit of a kick. This mustard is just that. I used some Guinness to add a bit of malty flavor and some honey to sweeten it up. It will be the perfect compliment to the roast beef and pepper jack sandwiches I’m making tonight.
By the way, if you’re thinking, She’s crazy. Why would I make my own mustard? The answer is: because it’s easy. Just combine the ingredients, let them sit and blend. Voila! Mustard. The best part is that you can adjust the vinegar and honey to get it just the way you like it.
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Published by mel on January 20, 2010 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
We’re in the throes of winter! Actually, we’re not here in Miami. After the ridiculous cold last week, it’s been a crisp and beautiful 70 degrees every day. This is why I live here! But enough bragging. For most of you, it’s still freezing outside and that makes salads really unappealing. Cold vegetables? No thanks. You want something warm and rich, like a lasagna. Or like this warm winter vegetable salad.
You start with rutabaga (or potatoes), carrots, leeks and brussel sprouts. Those get roasted with some olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh herbs and just a little bit of applewood smoked bacon. You know, because it’s winter and you need bacon in the wintertime. Once they’re caramelized and delicious-looking, you toss everything with some whole wheat orzo and drizzle with a balsamic reduction.
This salad doesn’t mess around – it’s bold and rich from the roasted vegetables, woodsy from the herbs and a little smoky from of the bacon. It’s everything you could ever ask for in a salad – except for lettuce.
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Published by mel on January 15, 2010 in breakfast, dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
Tom and I are training for the A1A (Fort Lauderdale) Half Marathon next month and we’re getting to that point in our training where I get really, really hungry in the afternoon. I’m not talking about your typical afternoon snack craving. I’m talking full-on hunger pangs with embarrassing stomach grumbling. The kind that always happens during a quiet lull in your meeting and makes your co-workers giggle. Like I said – embarrassing.
I needed to take action. I needed a snack. Something that was filling and nutritional, but also tasty. These Nutty Power bars are it. They’re really similar to my homemade granola bars, but I added more nuts and peanut butter and omitted the brown rice cereal to keep them dense and nutritionally packed. I love how sticky salty and chewy these are. Just perfect for marathon training, regular snacking and keeping my tummy quiet during meetings.
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Published by mel on January 12, 2010 in recipe and sides & bites.
A what-choke? A sunchoke. What’s that? Wikipedia says that “despite its name, the Jerusalem artichoke has no relation to Jerusalem, and it is not a type of artichoke, even though both are members of the Daisy family.” Does that help? No. Ok – Sunchokes are basically root vegetables. Like a cross between a potato and a rutabaga. They look weird (kind of like ginger root) but taste amazing. Better than potatoes.
They’re also simple to prepare. Just give them a good scrubbing, peel them as best you can and toss them into a covered casserole dish with olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and thyme. Into the oven for 30 – 45 minutes and your whole house will smell wonderfully of garlic. And if you make these before you go to work, you too will smell wonderfully of roast garlic. All day. I should know.
If you’ve ever seen these at the grocery store or farmer’s market and thought – what on earth can I do with those? This is your recipe. And if you can’t find sunchokes, or the thought of them creeps you out, just use potatoes or any other tuber. Because there’s nothing better than something roasted in garlic oil.
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Published by mel on January 6, 2010 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Happy New Year! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? My fingers feel stiff and rusty from lack of blogging. Or maybe it’s the frigid weather. Yes, it’s frigid in Miami! While you Michiganders and Minnesotans are probably scoffing at our Floridian fragility, 40-degree weather is unheard of down here and I’m freezing. It doesn’t help that we don’t even know how to turn the heat on. So, what to do when it’s cold out? Make soup, of course.
In Italy, it’s good luck to eat lentils on New Year’s Day. I think everyone’s looking for a little luck this year because my local grocery store was completely sold out of lentils all week. I had to pilfer some from my mom’s pantry (thanks Mom!). So I’m kicking off 2010 on Bitchin’ Camero with lucky lentils and a resolution to blog more often and redesign the site. Here’s hoping.
This recipe is actually an adaptation from my favorite Christmas present – Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home cookbook (thanks Tom!). If you’re going to buy one cookbook this year, this should be it. Not only is it spectacularly beautiful, it’s full of all kinds of tips for mastering home cooking, from essential cookware to building the perfect salad dressing. Did I mention the hundreds of amazing recipes? I am in love with this book. It’s all about showcasing good ingredients in interesting ways. Like the Roasted Beet and Potato Salad with Smoked Salmon and Soft-cooked Eggs we had last night. Sounds weird, but tastes like heaven.
This soup caught my attention immediately. Sweet potatoes, lentils, bacon and cilantro are definitely a few of my favorite things. Of course I decided to make this before work, and the recipe ended up being too much for me to handle in the morning, so I simplified it a bit. When I have more time, I’ll be making it Thomas Keller’s way and I’m sure it will blow my mind. As it turns out, the simplified version is pretty darn good, too. A little smoky from the bacon and curry powder, a little sweet from the potatoes, carrots and onions, and brightened up with cilantro and sherry vinegar. For me, it’s the perfect bowl of soup and the perfect way to ring in this rather nippy new year.
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Published by mel on December 18, 2009 in breakfast, dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
My mother-in-law is the cookie queen. Especially at Christmas. Every year, I look forward to the massive tupperwares filled with all kinds of cookies. But my favorites are always, always the Candy Cane Cookies. These are the ones I sneak in the morning before breakfast, after breakfast with my coffee, as a mid-morning snack… You get the picture.
They’re simple shortbread-style cookies flavored with almond extract and covered in crushed candy canes and powdered sugar. They look they’re nestled in a snowdrift. They get all over your nice black pants. They’re simply awesome.
These cookies have been a tradition in Tom’s family for years and I know I’ll be including them with my own traditions.
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Published by mel on December 15, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I am a very bad blogger. I’ve abandoned my website for what seems to be months. Years. First, I was on vacation in Chile (highly recommended for food and wine lovers!). Then I was severely ill and avoiding anything to do with the kitchen altogether. Then we adopted the cutest little mutt I’ve ever seen. (Her name is Mussels – isn’t she just precious?)
Not that I’m making excuses or anything. I just haven’t stepped foot in the kitchen. Until now.
This Eggplant and Sausage Casserole is kind of a mutt itself – a mix between Eggplant Parmesan, Lasagna and Strata. It’s warm and cheesy and perfect for winter. The bottom layer is a kind of sausage bread pudding covered by a thin layer of eggplant. That’s topped with some marinara sauce, then more eggplant. As with any casserole, the crowning glory is a layer of shredded cheese and breadcrumbs. Pop in the oven until it smells delicious and dinner is ready.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from this recipe. Sure, I thought it would make a good weeknight meal, but I was surprised by how much I really liked it. It gave me a homey, pajamas on a Sunday afternoon kind of feeling. Like Chile, it’s highly recommended.
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Published by mel on November 18, 2009 in breakfast, dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
On the subject of pie vs. crumble, I must admit that I’m torn. Sometimes, I like a good and messy crumble with plenty of oats and brown sugar. Other times, I prefer the neat triangles and flaky crust of a pie. Well, I will no longer choose between the two. It’s like Sophie’s Choice. Ok, so maybe I exaggerate, but it really is a tough decision and I won’t make it anymore.
I’m taking Thanksgiving off this year to go on vacation (yay!), but I didn’t want to miss the big Thanksgiving meal we only have once a year. I’ve been making stuffing, roasted squash and carrot pumpkin soup all month to make up for it. Last weekend, I made dessert.
The questions was: Pie or crumble? Why not both? This pie has a ton of crumble top on it, which is much easier – and tastier – than a lattice top. I usually make apple, but since this year we’re going non-traditional, I used pears. All I can say is: Wow. See you later apples – I’m making pear pie from now on. The vanilla and cinnamon bring out the pear flavor, and the crumble top was thick, crunchy and a perfect contrast to the filling.
Served with a ball of vanilla ice cream, it was an amazing way to end just about any meal.
Continue reading ‘Thanksgiving Recipe: Vanilla & Pear Crumble Pie’
Published by mel on November 13, 2009 in entree and recipe.
Last Saturday was one of those busy errand days where you do nothing but run from store to store, then come home and clean the house and go for a run. You know – they kind of day that makes you really hungry, but by the end of it, there’s no way you want to cook. Good thing I started this braise hours before dinner, before I’d cleaned the house and expended all my energy. Good thing it was a mostly one-pot meal and I’d already washed and put away all the prep dishes before collapsing. And dinner? Not to get overly Martha, but it was a very Good Thing.
I used pomegranate juice, fresh orange juice and red wine as my braising liquids and dried guijillo peppers and tart cherries for flavor. The juice and wine reduced into a deliciously concentrated sauce, the peppers lent some good spice to contrast the plump cherries and the meat was so very tender that I had a hard time moving it to the serving dish without it falling apart.
This dish is everything I wanted at the end of that long day. And leftovers were just as good or even better. My favorite kind of meal.
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Published by mel on November 10, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I don’t know how much you know about Detroit, but pretty much every diner in the Detroit Metro area serves Greek food, which means you can get Greek Salad, Gyros, Tzatziki, Lemon Rice Soup, Saganaki (Greek fried cheese) and Spanokopita anytime, anywhere. It’s amazing. We always hit up Leo’s Coney Island when we’re in town and I can’t wait to get my fix when we’re there for Christmas.
So, it turns out, Tom loves Spanokopita. This was news to me since he almost always gets the Gyro or the Greek salad or the Lemon Rice Soup. Never the spinach pie. Nonetheless, I was craving a good Spinach pie with a flaky filo crust, so I got to work.
I made a simple stuffing with sauteed onions, garlic, spinach, lemon and good feta cheese. I also didn’t add filo to the bottom of the baking dish because it always gets soggy. Tell me, what is the point of filo dough if it isn’t crisp and flaky? But don’t worry, I added a few extra sheets to the top to made up for it.
It was everything I could ever ask for in a light lunch or snack – flaky, flavorful, full of good stuff and delicious.
Continue reading ‘Spanokopita (Spinach Pie)’
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