Hot Pot of Yum

It's true.  I'm a Southerner.  I don't do cold well.  But, I can survive what we call winter down here without too much complaining.  However, I can't deal with wet cold. Wet cold is a whole 'nuther matter. This is the kind of cold that usually attacks your feet first and then you're screwed because it simply won't go away.  

Instead, it travels not UP your body but INTO your body.  Like all the way in, into your bones.  Then you're really, really screwed because even if the sun comes out and starts burning up the planet, that damn wet cold is already in your bones and it doesn't want to leave anytime soon.

This is what I've been dealing with all flippin' day. While rain is always welcome this time of year because it takes all the horrific pollen down the drain, today the rain decided to bring cold temperatures with it.  

Look at this dreadful stuff

Oh yeah, it looks cute until it attacks you.  Spiky little SOBs.

Here's a tip:  get outta that damn field you dimwit!

I mean, come on, really.  It's past Easter, the dogwoods and azaleas are blooming, we're supposed to be well into our brief spring which will quickly segue into our blazing hot, "have I gone to Hell?" summer and here we are with 40's, rain and cold in our bones.

So, despite the fact that it's April, I just had to fight fire with fire this evening.  You guessed it.  A big ol' pot of chili.  If you're not in the habit of making chili, you should rethink that.  It's not hard, you can add anything under the sun to it and it doesn't take long.  And, I can tell you with complete authority that it WILL knock that chill out of your poor, freezing, chattering bones!  Worked like a charm tonight.

Oh, yeah.  Warming up now!

Here's what I concocted this time:

1 lb lean ground beef, seasoned, browned & drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 28 oz cans of tomato (crushed or pureed)
1 cup beef broth
1 can cannellini beans
1 can black beans

Brown the meat in a little olive oil and drain.  In your stock pot, or Dutch oven, saute the onions, peppers and garlic until the onions start to soften up. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and salt and cook about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, ground beef and beef broth. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes.  Add beans and heat through, about 5-10 minutes more.  

We like our chili with a variety of accompaniments.  Sometimes with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar, chopped green onions, Fritos, avocado; whatever sounds good at the moment. This pot of chili turned out awesome tonight and was just what the chilly doctor ordered.  Stay warm this spring!    

Gearing up for Fall & Winter

Before we get started, I need to get something off my chest:  I really hate the term "comfort food." Living in this current world where we are constantly combatting our weight (I'm totally in this crowd), we're lamenting childhood obesity (yet, how many Americans happily own McDonald's stock?),  and our Land of the Free is actually contemplating outlawing sugary drinks (really...protect us from ourselves, we know not what we do), the characterization of ANY food as comfort completely flies in the face of what we preach about proper eating, eating disorders and the obesity epidemic.  Food isn't supposed to be a source of comfort, happiness, love, acceptance, or stress relief.  At least, that's what we're told. Yet, it is all those things to most of us, in different ways at different times and under different and ever-changing circumstances.  Even so, I hate that term.

So, kids, on with the show!

Neilio loves the cool months and all the comforting foods that come with it.  Before I met him, I was afraid of crockpots.  My worst fear is having my house burn down, so am I leaving an appliance on when I'm not home?  Heck no!  But, once he and I became an item, he wore me down and got me to give it a try.  Now, I look for crockpot recipes, not only because they certainly make life easier, but most of the time, I just like the idea of him coming home after a long day, opening the door and inhaling a comforting aroma that makes him happy he's home.  (Yes, I realize how sappy that sounds, but dammit! it's true.) Of course, not all comfort food has to come out of a crockpot.  Think back to walking into a house filled with the smell of a slow simmering spaghetti sauce, or soup, or a big ol' pot of chili, pot roast, homemade bread.  Well, try this on for size:  beef short ribs simmering away in a red wine reduction sauce with onions, garlic and carrots!

Finished product...short ribs, super rich gravy over mashed potatoes & green beans!

I used 2 lbs of short ribs that I found on sale at Publix.  I seasoned them, dredged them in flour and seared/browned them in olive oil over medium-high heat.  

Seared and ready to rock and roll!

Removed them from the pot and added 1 cup chopped onion.  Sauteed a minute or two and added 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf and 1 Tbs chopped garlic.  Next, I deglazed the pot with about 3/4 cup red wine (yummm!) then added 4 cups of beef broth.  Brought it up to a boil and then cut to low for a simmer of about 2 hours.  

I just want to dive into this and swim around.

As I was nearing time to serve, I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken my gravy a bit then plated it all up.  The coolest part of it all was the reactions I got.  Upon returning home from karate, the littlest gourmet walked in and said "Wow, it smells YUM in here!"  One of my favorite compliments from the Vivver!  Then, the subtle, yet excited look on Neil's face as he entered and was greeted by the YUM factor. As we made it to the table, Viv was already declaring this as one of her top favorite dinners...and she hadn't even tried a bite yet!  Comforting, indeed!

 

 

The Diner: newest to Columbia's dining scene

First, let me admit.  The Food Truck Rodeo at Crosshill Market was our original destination.  However, two hours into the event, we arrived to find lines for some trucks that (I swear) were 100 people long.  I realize that last night's event was very heavily attended, but honestly, any mobile food biz should be able to turn faster than that.  That is the nature of the food truck, by definition.  I want this trend to work in Columbia, but so far, it's not working like it does in the big cities where the concept originated. 

So, anyway, with temps in the 40's and two kids with us, it became apparent quite quickly that this wasn't going to work for us.  So, instead, we turned our sights on the new "The Diner" which was just next door.  They just opened this week, so we all went in with the clear understanding that they would surely be working through some kinks and growing pains, as any new restaurant does.  It's for that reason that I'm not even casting a vote on Urbanspoon yet because I'm a fair person; they need more time to get their groove on before I really make up my mind.

Anyway, some friends have already asked for my two cents' worth on last night's dinner, so here goes:

First, we had to wait a bit, but not overly long.  However, the vestibule of this place is quite small.  That means when people are waiting for a table, the entrance to the restaurant becomes quite congested and there's nowhere to go.  We also learned that moving us to the bar (the open area adjacent to the hostess stand) wasn't possible because kids aren't allowed "in the bar."  Not to nit-pick semantics, but why does a classic diner need a "bar?"  A place to pour beer and wine and mix up drinks, yes.  But am I going to go to my neighborhood DINER as my regular bar hangout?  Not likely.  Ok, not at all.

Once seated, we ordered the fried pickles and cheese sticks to share.  The cheese sticks were very good....cheesy, gooey, and dusted with herbs.  The pickles were also well seasoned, crispy and came with a remoulade sauce which I think had a touch of horseradish (nice touch.)  Henry's pickles are still my favorite but these were a very close 2nd.  

Kids menu:  Sarah (my god-daughter) is a grilled cheese aficionada.  She was pleased with her sandwich because it featured more than one type of cheese, was gooey and "stretchy" but she commented that the bread was greasy.  Maybe next time we can ask for light butter on the outside of the bread.  My Vivian ordered the kids cheeseburger, which received her signature "10 thumbs up" but she could only eat 1/2 of it.  

Grown-ups:  Mike chose the meatloaf.  I have to rely on him here since I am not a meatloaf eater and really know nothing about the stuff.  It was a thick slice served with mashed potatoes and green beans. He commented that the meatloaf was very nice but wasn't sure about whether the mashed potatoes were homemade.  Euge and I both ordered the "Daddy's Bleu Burger."  It was a pretty well done patty, but not cooked beyond recognition.  This burger has onion, jalapeno and bleu cheese mixed into the patty.  We both felt it was nicely flavored but while we could certainly pick up the jalapeno, neither of us could detect the bleu cheese.  The fries were flavorful but I would have liked them to be crispier.  

Finally, the girls wanted to order the hot fudge brownie for dessert.  Granted, I'm not a sweet-freak, so I'm probably not the best judge here.  It was tasty, the kids loved it, but let's be honest...what has to happen to a brownie that a kid won't love it?

The food was certainly not bad but it didn't knock my socks off either.  But, let me clear about this.  I truly believe that all new businesses, especially restaurants, have to get in the groove and work into their skin.  I am pretty confident that this place will evolve into a very nice addition to our dining scene.  I hope that the opening of The Diner and soon the Whole Foods right behind it will both be responsible for breathing new life into this area and bring more new biz with them.  Try out The Diner.  The menu looks very nice and I'm sure the entire experience will simply continue to improve with time.  It's only the first week, after all.  And P.S....we had EXCELLENT service.  That is a huge check mark!

Zucchini+Broiler=Epic Win

I love squash.  Yellow,zucchini, acorn, butternut.  Spaghetti squash kinda freaks me out though, so there's one exception.  My dad always grew squash in our garden and I know how to cook it in various ways.  So imagine my surprise, all those years ago, to meet Neil and learn that he's not crazy about squash.  What the...?  How can you not like squash?

Well, turns out, if you grow up eating squash boiled to within an inch of its life, you don't really like squash when you grow up.

 So, over the years, I've occasionally tried out different preparations on him.  Some have gone over well. But some not so much...you turn your back on it and it'll soften up and get mushy in a heartbeat.  But, I keep trying because I love it and because it's good for us.  

As I planned dinner tonight, I was thinking green beans.  But we had green beans yesterday, which could very well get the "Day 2 Rejection" by the wunderkind.  Then I remembered the zucchini in the fridge. Hmmm.  What to do, what to do?  As I contemplated how to make tasty, non-mushy zukes, a thunderbolt hit me.  THE BROILER.  Yes, it's been staring me in the face all this time.  And the idea was formulated.

So, I sliced them kind of thick (this also slows down the mush time factor).  I placed them on the broiler pan and sprayed with Pam.  Broiled for a few, then flipped and sprinkled each slice with some parmesan.  Broily, broily and voila!  They looked acceptable.  Would they pass the test?  Well, test(s) really.  They had to make it past Neil and the wunderkind, who up until this point has been 50/50 on squash.  

I always make Viv's plate first so it can start cooling.  Before I'd finished making mine and Neil's, she was asking for more zucchini. ((What!/!))  Then, completely unsolicited, she said to me, 

"Mommy, these zucchini are great. I really like them.  And I like the way you put the cheese on top; it's kinda crunchy."

Wow!  What an endorsement.  Then, to top it all off, I sat across the table from my (tomorrow) Birthday Man and watched him polish off ALL of his zucchini and he looked happy about it.  This is what success feels like, my friends.  I have uncovered the secret to squash that my husband can enjoy.  As cliche as it is, this was an "epic" win.  Oh yeah, the cubed steak, rice and homemade gravy went over well too ;-)

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Shepherd's Pie: Quick! Call Gordon Ramsay!

No, really, don't call him.  I went kinda "semi-homemade" on this one so he'd just storm around my tiny little kitchen exclaiming stuff like "F*&k me!" and "Oh, c'mon!" I don't think I could take that kind of intensity.  But, Ramsey comes to mind because I've seen him rescue so many British pubs and restaurants by going simple and adding a shepherd's pie to the menu.  

Personally, I haven't had this dish since I was a kid.  I remember my mom making it and it was always one of my favorites.  As I recall, I think hers was pretty simple:  meat and whatever vegetables we had coming in from the garden.  Hmmm, I think I'm realizing where my "throw whatever you have in the pot" philosophy came from.  Well, we've had rain the last two days and South Carolina is still just thinking about cooling off into some semblance of autumn.  At even the prospect of a temp below 60 degrees mixed with a little rain and I start wanting cold weather comfort food.  Ok, ok...I know my brother and sister in law up in Minnesota are laughing right now.  Yes, it's true.  We don't know winter here.  Or real cold.  Or snow.  (They are soooo jealous!)


So, last night the spirit moved me.  As is my usual m.o., I started with a recipe and modified it "Wanna-be style."  The wunderkind came into the meal with an "I'm not gonna like it" attitude, which was most unfortunate.  But, under duress, she managed to eat half her plate and while she'll never admit it, I think she really liked it.  And what's not to like?  I think it turned out pretty daggum awesome.  So, I share my recipe with you...

Shepherd's Pie

• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp Sofrito
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup cooked baby limas

Heat oil until shimmering (med-high), saute onion until becoming translucent.  Add garlic.  Stir to combine.  Add beef, salt & pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle meat with flour and mix in.  Cook about another minute.

Add Sofrito, broth, Worchestershire, rosemary & thyme, stir to combine.  Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover and simmer until sauce thickens slightly; about 10 minutes.  Add vegetables and mix well.

Spread in a 11X7" glass baking dish.  Cover with mashed potatoes, spreading to the edges of dish to create a seal to prevent bubbling over. Spread with a rubber spatula to cover the entire dish. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown nicely.  Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

***Disclosures***

Obviously, making homemade mashed potatoes is preferable.  In the interest of time last night, I used a mix.  Shoot me.  Also, using ground lamb rather than beef will impart a deeper flavor.  The recipe actually called for tomato paste, which I'm out of.  So, I substituted Sofrito. I added limas because I had them in the fridge leftover from the other night.  

If you try it, let me know what you think.  I was pretty darn pleased.  Have leftovers too!  Happy rustic eating, friends.