It All Started With Potatoes...
I did my weekly shopping yesterday, because I'm still taking Victor's mom shopping on Monday's - and I don't like the store where she shops. (If the car is still not ready and we need to do this again next Monday, we're going to PathMark.)
In the nice big produce display right inside the door, there were 5 pound bags of potatoes buy one, get one free. 10 pounds of potatoes for 30¢ a pound. I rarely buy a 5 pound bag of potatoes, because they tend to go bad before I can use them. 10 pounds is insane.
I passed them by and went over to see what else they had. Loose potatoes were anywhere from 99¢ to $1.49 per pound. I did the math. Back to the front to pick up 10 pounds of potatoes. I'm committed. (Or should be committed...)
So... 10 pounds of potatoes means I have to think meals in terms of what goes with potatoes. (It doesn't make sense to get a deal like that and then throw them out.)
Also at the store, yesterday, I picked up a head of cauliflower. I wanted a bit of cauliflower au gratin, or something cheesy. I really like cauliflower, but, like those potatoes, a head goes a long way. There's only two of us, after all...
Tonight, I started with a classic - London Broil. Salt and cracked black pepper. That's it. Plain and simple. On the grill 5 minutes per side. Done.
I decided on a Guinness cheese sauce for the cauliflower au gratin, and a mushroom sauce for the steak. I started making the base for the Guinness sauce and realized I had enough for both the cauliflower AND the steak, so half went to cheese and the other half went to mushrooms and green peppercorns (along with a splash of brandy).
Guinness Cheese Sauce/Mushroom and Green Peppercorn Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup Guinness Stout
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 tsp worcesterhire sauce
Melt butter, add flour and cook until lightly browned. Add Guinness and beef broth and cook and stir until thickened.
For the cheese sauce add to half of the base:
- 4oz shredded cheddar cheese
Stir until melted. Thin with additional broth, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper
For the Mushroom and Green Peppercorn Sauce:
- 2 oz mushrooms, diced
- splash brandy
- 1 tbsp green peppercorns, drained
Saute mushrooms in a bit of butter or olive oil until browned. Add a splash of brandy and cook down. Add sauce base and green peppercorns. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed.
Thin with additional beef broth, as desired.
The cheese sauce would also make a most excellent Welsh Rarebit. Poured over toast with fried eggs on top... (Hmm..... I think I see a Sunday Breakfast in my future!)
I steamed the cauliflower, mixed it into the sauce, and placed it into 6oz souffle cups. I topped them with buttered panko bread crumbs and into a 350° oven for about 20 minutes.
And the potatoes that started this whole thing?!?
Really simple:
I cubed the potatoes and boiled them until tender. (I left them unpeeled. I like the skins!) Drained, I mashed them a bit and then put them into a hot skillet with just a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. I browned them a bit, stirred in 2 diced green onions and a bit of salt and pepper. Browned them a bit more. and that was it.
It really was easy, and I can see that Guinness sauce being used for all sorts of things.
Life is good!
Leftovers For Lunch
Those chicken breasts last night were huge. So huge, in fact, we didn't finish them. (After all, there were potatoes, brussel's sprouts, and CAKE to eat, as well!)
So... last night's leftover dinner became today's re-purposed lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
Diced chicken, a pickle, green onion, a bit of celery, mayo, salt and pepper. On whole wheat toast. With alfalfa sprouts.
Really basic, but really satisfying. I love toast, I love crunch, I love chewy, soft, and creamy. In one sandwich I got all of it!
Tooth is feeling better. Life is good! :)
Chicken on the Barbie
We usually grill year-round, but it seems we've been out of propane for a really long time. I rectified that situation, today.
The weather is screaming for outdoor cooking, it's officially daylight savings time... Time to do it.
Tonight was bone-in chicken breasts marinated in a bit of sofrito sauce, and then grilled to perfection. The potatoes were drizzled in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika, and then thrown on the grill in a grill-vegetable pan. The frozen brussel's sprouts were glazed with a bit of champagne mustard.
Quick, easy, and clean-up was a snap. It's amazing how few pots and pans I go through once we start cooking outside in earnest.
To celebrate - I baked a cake! Coconut spice...
The concept came from Bon Appetit, but - as with all things, I changed it around a bit. Here's their recipe.
I added coconut, cinnamon, allspice, and mace to the cake and made a coconut rum buttercream icing.
It came out pretty good...
Milking the "Soft Foods" Instructions
"Doctors orders" are usually something to be ignored in our house. I admit it - we do as we wish most of the time. (And, fortunately, we're healthy enough to be able to do as we wish.) Of course, if the doctors orders just happen to suit me... well... I can be a good patient!
Sloppy joes with shoestring french fries. Yum. The fries were frozen (America's Choice brand - no partially-hydrogenated fats or unpronounceable ingredients like those nasty "national brands").
The sloppy joes were ground beef, onions, garlic, chili powder, paprika, tomato sauce, sofrito sauce, ancho chili powder, pasilla chili powder, berbere, and salt and pepper. I'm not exactly sure how much of what I used. I just added a lot of the "red" spices. Hey. I'm on vicodin. I have an excuse.
They came out really tasty. Not overly spicy, but not bland by any means. And we had some little petite rolls, so two each and we were set.
I almost made three each, but remembered that I have to eat Ice Cream for dessert, again.
Doctor's orders.....
Following Dr's Orders
The Dr said "soft foods" for a few days so I am paying attention!
I had a tooth pulled today. #31 molar for all of you wannabe Dentists. Crown came off, tooth cracked, and I was in excrutiating pain. The type of pain that can't really be described, except, Victor hid every pair of pliers in the house, because I was going to rip the tooth out myself if I couldn't get to the dentist. I was not a happy person.
So... I feel absolutely miserable and EVERY single person I deal with is upbeat, friendly... I call the dental office and the woman who answers the phone is concerned, will get me in right away, the people in the office are happy, efficient, and upbeat, the dentist himself is friendly, outgoing, and totally professional. Because the roots are 12 miles long, he sends me upstairs to an oral surgeon. HIS office is - you guessed it - upbeat, friendly, efficient. I had to wait a couple of hours for the extraction, so I headed off to PathMark to get my first prescription filled (there was also infection, of course...) Friendly, efficient..
I swear, I felt like I had entered the Twilight Zone.
So... Vicodin-infused, I had cobbler and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
And it's almost time for bed. I think I'm going to sleep really well tonight.....
The Italian Cooks Italian
I was going to make macaroni and cheese. Victor had a better idea.
Rigatoni in a really simple sauce of bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta, lots of garlic, and olive oil. Fresh dided tomatoes (marinated in a bit of olive oil) sprinkled on top. Freshly grated cheese on top of all.
Sometimes it really is the simple things. The beauty of Italian cooking is that it can be so simple. I tend to fall back into the heavy sauces and lots of ingredients - which I love - but I also totally love simple foods with lots of individual flavors... where the different ingredients speak for themselves.
I'm fortunate to get the best of both worlds!
So... to compliment our simple dinner, I've made a simple blackberry cobbler.
Naturally, it boiled over all over the oven and made a huge smokey mess. I'm on the far other side of the house right now and can smell it. (I'm doing an auto-clean.)
Small price to pay, though. It looks pretty good!
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
After last night's artery-clogger, I thought something a bit simpler was in order. A stuffed chicken breast fit the bill this evening.
The stuffing was about 6 mushrooms, chopped, half a bag of baby spinach, a garlic clove, and 4 green onions, all sauteed in a bit of olive oil. And a small slice of Havarti dill cheese. A simple mushroom and white wine sauce, heirloom Carolina long grain rice, and fresh asparagus finished the plate.
While it looks like pounds of cheese oozing out, it was, in reality, less than a half-ounce. The picture caught the complete ooze!
Rice Pudding for dessert!
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Okay. I can't believe I just typed that title, let alone made it and ate it for dinner! In fact, had it been anyone other than Jenni to send Victor this recipe, I highly doubt I would have even considered making it. I have to admit, though, I'm glad I did. (And so is my future cardiologist!)
There is not a "light" thing about this recipe. It is fat layered upon fat - with added fat sprinkled on top. And damn! It was good!
I have no idea where she got the original recipe. It looks like something one would find in a 1950's spiral-bound Ladies Church Auxiliary Cookbook. Mayonnaise in meatloaf?!? Canned fried onions? Really. This is definitely not something one would expect to find in 2009 polite society. (Which may explain why it was sent to us...)
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.
But what a treat! What a surprise! It really tasted like a cheeseburger - with condiments. The only thing missing was the pickle!
I am pretty certain I shan't be making this again any time soon. But I am really glad I made it tonight.
It was fun.
Bean Soup and Beer Bread
When it started snowing last night - and the pundits were forecasting the end of the world - I thought that regardless of how much snow we may (or may not) get, I was going to be in the mood for beans. I took a 1-pound bag of navy beans out of the cupboard and soaked them overnight. (We didn't get nearly what was forecasted, but it sure was a nice, quite day around the neighborhood!)
Today, bean soup sounded like a winter winner. And soup calls for bread - homemade bread.
Navy Bean Soup
- 1 pound navy beans, soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup bacon grease
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 qt water
- 1 ham hock
- 1 qt chicken broth
- 6 ribs celery, chopped
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp herbs d'provence
- 1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cook diced onion in bacon grease in soup pot until wilted. Add garlic and continue cooking until browned. Add water and ham hock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about an hour, or until beans are almost done.
Add remaining ingredients and cook until vegetables and beans are tender.
Can be made early and then reheated.
It really is a throw stuff in a pot soup. Add sausages, linguica, chunks of ham or pork... Go for it.
The bread is my favorite beer bread, compliments of George and Suzanne.
Beer Bread
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 12 oz beer
Use a 4" x 8" bread pan. Mix and bake at 350° about 1 hour. Top with melted butter.
It really is that easy. I used a pumpkin ale for today's bread. It was really good!
The snow stopped, the roads look clear, and it's back to work, tomorrow. It was a perfect dayt off.
Risotto alla Victor
My stomach is definitely smiling right now! Victor made THE BEST Langostino Risotto tonight for dinner! I am in gastronomic heaven.
He has been making risotto forever. He has a perfect feel for them. He knows what to put in, when to put it in, and just how it's going to be in the end. Tonight, he used Langostinos. Perfect.
The basic is not really difficult. It's just knowing that once you start - you're committed. You can't be running off and doing a dozen other things and leaving it on the stove top do its thing....
The texture of a properly cooked risotto is creamy, with each grain of rice separate and al dente, and Victor has this down. It's using HOT liquid a ladle at a time, and continually stirring until absorbed. And with the temperature going down, snow falling outside, it was the perfect comfort-food for a winter dinner.
Langostino Risotto
- 4 cups hot chicken stock (or a bit more)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)
- 6 mushrooms, diced
- 6 scallions
- 2 cups Arborio Rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Pour the stock into a 2-quart saucepan and keep it hot over low heat.
Heat the olive oil in a wide 3- to 4-quart braising pan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the rice and continue stirring until the grains are coated with oil and “toasted” – the edges become translucent – 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the wine and let it boil, stirring the rice, until evaporated.
Season the rice lightly with salt and ladle enough of the hot stock into the pan to barely cover the rice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stock is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed and you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir. Continue cooking, pouring in the remaining hot stock in small batches – each addition should be just enough to completely moisten the rice – and cook until each batch of stock has been absorbed.
Stir constantly until the rice mixture is creamy but al dente; this will take 16 to 20 minutes from the time the wine was added. When in doubt, undercook – risotto continues to cook, even after it is removed from the heat.
Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the butter and green parts of the scallion until the butter is completely melted. Stir in half the grated cheese, taste the risotto, and add salt, if necessary, and pepper.
Top with grated cheese.
I hate to admit it, but I went back for another spoonful. (And we use BIG spoons at our house!)
A Miserable Shopping Experience
When one moves into a new neighborhood, the first thing one must do is find a local grocery store. That was me - 8 years ago when we moved east.
There's actually quite a few grocery stores around me, and I tried them all. First one was the Acme in Strafford, just a few blocks from us. It was old, dingy, and had some pretty surly employees. Two shopping trips there convinced me I should go elsewhere. Right down the road was Fresh Fields. The place was attitude-central. The staff AND the customers seemed to be competing to see who could be the biggest food snob. (Not that *I* would know anything about being a food snob...) The store just felt oppressive. Another two trips convinced me that I just didn't need to spend a bazillion dollars for groceries and attitude every week.
Being a Main Line neophyte, I was pretty much limited to Lancaster Avenue. I headed east and one day happened upon the Genuardi's in St David's. I had found my store! They could be a bit pricey at times, but I'm usually a pretty good shopper. Good products, friendly staff... I was happy. And then Safeway took over and I was not happy. I left and haven't really done much shopping there, since.
I was out exploring one day when I happened upon Super Fresh on Swedesford Road in Berwyn. I pulled in, got a couple of things, and then went back. And went back, again. I definitely had found my store! Staff was friendly, products plentiful, a store layout that was logical... and the prices were good. Who could ask for more?!? I became a regular.
In the ensuing years, the Acme's have all upgraded and remodelled, Genuardi's has become less Safeway-like, and Fresh Field's became Whole Foods. Whole Foods deserves its reputation for being called "Whole Paycheck." They have some great products but their prices are just a bit too over the top for me. The Strafford Acme has been totally remodelled, but the employees still are miserable to be around.
And a few months ago, Super Fresh was rebranded to PathMark. A new layout, some new products, and the same great staff. Works for me.
So... the reason for this missive in the first place?!? I've been taking Victor's mom shopping for the past few weeks since her car has been in the shop - at the Paoli Acme (which is maybe a mile away from her.) Right off the bat, the staff is surly as hell. I have yet to see a cashier even remotely smile, and last week, the cashier was downright rude. Seems she was upset with either her boss or a coworker (or both) and couldn't help but take it out on my 82 year old mother-in-law. (We'll just say that I voiced my displeasure with her attitude and leave it at that.)
This morning's shopping trip was yet another excercise in masochistic behavior. Because of the snowy weather this morning - and the impending doom later today - we called mom and got her shopping list (we wouldn't want her to break a hip and have to shoot her.) I was just going to go up to PathMark and shop for all of us. Damned if she didn't need a prescription picked up - at the Paoli Acme. Oh well.
We both went shopping. Victor took a cart for her shopping, I took a cart for ours. First thing I really noticed was just how much more expensive the Acme is over PathMark. Produce is more expensive, canned goods are more expensive, meats are more expensive. And the customers. Either on a cell phone and running through the store knocking everyone over, or just cranky and surly. I'm not sure if the cranky-and-surliness starts with the cashiers and infects the customers, or the other way around, but it's just not a pleasant store.
I got my coffee, got out my list, and started trying to find things. (Canned seltzer is not under the sign that reads "Seltzer." It's not even in the aisle that is headed "Seltzer." It's in the "Soda" aisle.)
Deciding that we really didn't need much, I got the basics and headed to the self-checkout. (There were ridiculously long lines at the registers.) Victor had gotten there first and I got to see the woman running the section tell him "you're doing it wrong. Now they won't open at all" when he was trying to get the plastic bags opened. (The PathMark employees almost always have the plastic bags opened and ready for you at the self-checkout!) Nor are they rude or try to make you feel stupid.
I had two types of potatoes, some russets and some creamers. Neither, of course, have plu's on them, so I hit the item lookup and start scrolling through. I found the russets and then went to the creamers. There were two creamer choices so I picked the first one. "Poduct not found" came up along with a notice to put the item aside and wait for help. As the woman was chatting away with someone up at her stand, I tried again. I went through the process agian, and chose the second option. This time, it said the product had been recalled and to put the item aside and wait for help. I went to the potato secion again, looked at every option available, and could not find anything that even closely resembled my potatoes - other than the creamers that they were. I went up to the desk to ask her what kind of potatoes I had. She pulled up her list ("They're not yukon gold's are they?!?" "Uh. No.") and then gave me a code for - russets. Whatever. At this point I just wanted to leave.
I usually go out of my way to be a pleasant customer because I'm usually on the receiving end. I know that shopping can be frustrating at times (both from the customer and the employee point of view) and when I'm shopping, I usually start out by getting a cup of coffee and entering my Zen-Zone. I really do try not to let things bother me. But I won't put up with a rude or surly staff member. I'm really sorry you're having a bad day and that all of your customers have been total jerks. 1) it's not my fault so don't take it out on me, and 2) maybe if you changed YOUR attitude, they would tone theirs down a bit.
So... hopfully Mom's car will be fixed soon and I won't have to shop at the Acme, again. Better yet... maybe I can convince her to transfer her prescriptions to PathMark and we can go shopping there!