I'm fascinated by the impressive marketing turnaround the chocolate industry has pulled on dark chocolate. I'm 42 years old and for my entire life, the "special dark" Hershey's miniatures have always remained in the bag. And getting stuck with those in your trick of treat bag? What a rip-off! Who ever thought kids wanted to eat dark chocolate? Call it "special" all day long, it doesn't change things. Those rejects tasted about as special as when you managed to get your sister to (once again) let her guard down and fall for the classic and timeless trick of all time. You know, it goes like this...
"Hey Katherine, would you like a 'Chunky'? I bought some with my allowance." She eagerly accepts and pops that big ol' hunk of unsweetened baking chocolate into her mouth. Ahhh, the rest is history! That pays her back for all the times she's gotten me to chug an ice cold glass of hunky milk. Yes, she's gotten me to fall for that one mulitple times over the years, I'm sorry to say.
Anyway, I digress. So, here we are in the 2000's. That little French woman declares that all you have to do is eat dark chocolate and you'll be thin, and America fell hook, line and sinker. Dark chocolate exploded on our chocolate scene. And, it pretty much still sucked. But, I'll be the first to admit if I'm wrong or if I've learned something new. So, here goes.
I noticed before Halloween that Reese's peanut butter cups had introduced a dark one. Once again, I thought, "Who are these people who think candy lovers like this crap?" And especially at Halloween, I thought of all those kids who'd end up with those at the bottom of the trick or treat bag. What a rip-off! But, I've tried one and lo and behold, they're actually good! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe I actually like the dark one better than the original. (Blasphemy!) It's not as sweet, which is what I like I think.
Peut-etre, si je mange du chocolats noir avec du vin rouge, je serai petits comme les femmes francaises!
So, this morning, I posted on FB about the Keystone Kops in my town. The fine capital city, Columbia, has the most idiotic police force on the planet. After dropping Viv off at school, I turned onto Harden Street. Now, for those of you who aren't from around here, it's a major artery through our college bar & restaurant district called 5 Points. Here are THREE cop cars stopped in the right lane with blue lights a-plenty. As I approach, I see that (whew! much to my relief) these fine officers are gathered together on the sidewalk to stare at a dead raccoon. Thank God that little menace has been stopped once and for all! And, it took 3 cops to bring him down. Alert the media, divert traffic, summon the Mayor. We can all sleep tonight knowing that there will be NO masked bandits in our trashcans as we count our Z's. (btw: THIS NEVER, EVER FRIGGIN' HAPPENS AROUND HERE UNLESS YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL DUMPSTER FULL OF OLD FISH).
So, anyway, after my post, my buddy Trudie replied not only with some comments, but bless her ever-lovin' heart, actually took it upon herself to research and locate a recipe for STUFFED, BAKED RACCOON. Don't believe me, do you? Click here, if you dare.
Of course the holidays are around the corner and we're in a tough economy...I'm just sayin'.
Next Sunday, our church has a covered dish luncheon planned. I have had my mind going all day trying to decide on my contribution. It's difficult. My Deep-South raised mind immediately goes to the "classics" like green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, or broccoli casserole. Even though I know there will several of these from various people of the congregation, it's hard not to want to dive into a big ol' creamy casserole. If anyone out there is trying to pretend that they don't agree, well, all I can say is "shame on you!"
The classics are classics because everyone loves them. Some will proclaim it from the mountain-tops, others will covertly admit their casserole love to a trusted friend, some will flat out lie and rebuke the casserole, knowing in their heart that they'd scarf one down in a heartbeat if they could do so undetected, and some (sadly) really don't actually like them. Those poor souls with the mixed up taste buds! My late mother-in-law Mimi once told me, "Every good Southern dish begins with a can of Cream of Mushroom." I told her then and I'll say it now, "Rock on Mimi!"
Ok, having said all that, there's the other side of my brain that starts imagining all the different, creative, maybe even off the wall dishes that I could present to my fellow church-goers and see how adventurous they are (but not too off the wall-it's church with room temperature fried chicken you know) . After all, we are all good Southern, enlightened and progressive people. So, I wonder, what would they think of my tarragon/pecan/grape chicken salad in phyllo cups as a little appetizer? Or that old crazy casserole that my Aunt Dianne used to make every now and then that had carrots and asparagus in it? Or, what about that sour cream/bacon/green onion potato salad that my father-in-law loves? Or, what about the brussels sprouts/candied pecan and blue cheese salad? I took that to Orangeburg for Thanksgiving one year and my Uncle John said to his wife, "Look honey, brussels sprouts! Around here, that's like a foreign food!"
So, I'm looking for opinions and suggestions. If you were on Death Row and you had a covered dish luncheon to go to for your last meal, what would you want to see on the table? Ok, maybe that's a bit macabre, but you get my drift. Speak up!
When the weather (finally) gets cooler here in the South, there's a mad dash to create some homey, autumny food. Especially since we've just endured about 5 months straight of blistering, hot, steamy, humid bliss that we like to call "Splummer". I wonder if Spring and Summer will ever be two distinct seasons again? Anyway, it's just not fathomable to consume warm, toasty, brown, orange, red, stewy and homey food until the sweat beads on one's brow have officially retreated for the year.
Enter the cranberry...Neil loves cranberry juice. So, I had a pork loin roast in the freezer and decided it was time to create a Fall supper. I found this recipe online.
My pork loin was only about 2 pounds, so I cooked it for 30 minutes, basting every 10. Let it rest and it was perfectly cooked. Paired with wild rice & steamed green beans (as you can see) and I think it was a great cool night supper. Even though she helped me cook, Vivian proclaimed "I don't care for it," so she ended up with leftover ribeye from the fridge.
Lately, I keep hearing about lasagna. It's kind of weird, because in everyday life, you might hear about a celebrity, politics, events, etc on a regular basis, but rarely various people you know bringing up lasagna. Most notably, I keep hearing about "Crockpot Lasagna." What the hell is this stuff? I can't even imagine how it looks, or how you serve it? But, I'm always willing to learn new tricks...
The first time I heard about it was a month or so ago, some of us were volunteering to make a lunch for the Youth Group at church. My friend Cindy stepped up with the Crockpot Lasagna. I was curious, but got preoccupied and forgot to inquire. Well, fast forward and I saw it come up on Facebook. Then again. Then, just the other day, my friend Kathryn posted that she was making it. So, I had to ask. Apparently, the recipe is right there on Oprah's website. And, thankfully for me, a photo.
All this brings me to my own latest lasagna experience. I was looking around the kitchen for what I had on hand and what I could do with it. I know the Vivver likes lasagna, so I decided to "guinea pig" her with a vegetable version. I'm pleased to report that my sweet little veggie lovin' pumpkin pie loved it. She ate a good dinner and asked to take some the next day in her stylish Hello Kitty lunchbox. This is why I cook!
Here's how I did it this time:
- 9 lasagna noodles (cooked, rinsed & placed back in pot covered w/cold water)
- 3 large carrots
- 3 medium yellow squash
- 1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach (thawed & squeezed dry)
- 1 container ricotta
- 1/4 cup parmesan
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup warmed milk
- mozzarella
- sauce
I'm not the most rigid measurer, so use your judgment! Ok, so, I used my mandolin to slice the carrots & squash at 1/4". I tossed the squash with salt, pepper & a little olive oil, spread on a cookie sheet and baked at 350 for about 10 minutes just to pre-cook them. Similarly, I steamed the carrots for about 5 minutes to soften a bit.
Sauteed the garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil with the crushed red pepper. Then, slowly mixed in the flour (basically making a roux). Gradually whisk in the warm milk. Remove from heat and add in the ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan & spinach; mix well. Set aside.
For convenience's sake, I used a jarred sauce that I had in the pantry. Spread a little on the bottom of your lasagna pan. Place 3 noodles on top. Spread with about 1/2 of the spinach mixture, layer of squash, some mozzarella, layer of sauce. Then, 3 more noodles, the rest of the spinach mixture, carrots, mozzarella, layer of sauce. Finally, 3 more noodles, layer of sauce, mozzarella and parmesan on top.
Cover tightly with foil, and bake at 350 or 375 for about 30 minutes. Uncover & bake about 10 minutes or so until cheese is bubbly & just starting to get golden. Basically, until it looks good to you! I always let mine sit for about 15 minutes to "set up" before trying to cut into it. You'll get better looking pieces that hold together better.
I have to admit, I'm curious now about this crockpot recipe. The photo convinced me! So, until next time, Mangiare, bere e divertirsi! (If you want to know what this says, go here)
Making fried rice at home is the most efficient, and delicious, way to use leftover meats or vegetables that need to be used up before the rot monster gets them. Plus, it's always so much better when you make it yourself. I tend to make what we'll call Kitchen Sink rice because I'll throw in whatever I have that sounds good to me. Which leads me to this evening...
Our dinner tonight was fried rice with shrimp, scallion-scrambled egg, baby corn, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots and a chiffonade of spinach added at the last minute. It's kind of like pizza (see "The World's Most Perfect Food"). All the food groups (can) be represented. In tonight's version, we had grain, dairy protein, lean seafood protein and vegetables. Sounds pretty perfect to me. And, when a 4 year old says, "Mommy, it smells like Chinese food" and then later "I love it! You're the best cooker in the world!" then you know you're on to something.
Make a pot of rice in advance (2 cups of water, 1 cup of rice, 20 minutes, you know). If you can make it a day ahead, it's even better. If you need to make it same day, cook it as early as possible. Fluff it up with a fork to get some air moving around and stick it in the fridge. You want it to dry out and let the grains become separate. Have all your ingredients cut and ready to go, then...let the games begin!
I first scrambled one egg (and some egg beaters that I needed to use up) with scallions. Now, y'all know scallions are green onions, which are not the same as shallots! Remove from the wok & set aside. Next, I stir fried the onion and carrots. As the carrots began to soften, I added minced garlic and all the other vegetables, except the spinach. Remove from wok & set aside.
I took a handful of shrimp (how ever much you want) and cut them in half lengthwise. I stir fried them next. Remove and set aside. I added a little vegetable oil here and when it was hot, I stir fried the rice. Again, try to get it cooked and dried out a little. Keep an eye on it and do it until it looks right. Then, add all your stuff back in. Drizzle soy sauce over (as much as you like) and sprinkle with ground ginger...oh, that smells heavenly! Lastly, I stirred in the sliced spinach and mixed in, just to wilt it. Then, we ate the heck out of it!
The other extremely cool thing about making your own fried rice is how ridiculously easy it is. Make a pot of rice tonight, stick it in the fridge, & whip it up tomorrow when you get home from work. The possibilities are endless and don't forget, if you're really in a pinch, use frozen or canned peas and carrots or asparagus, or broccoli...you see where I'm going with this.
BTW-As you know, I am a cookbook junkie. If you enjoy rice, you may want to seek this one out. It covers Asia, India, Middle East, Italy, America...the whole planet as it relates to rice. Risotto is not to be feared! It's crazy easy. Indian Biryani at home? Absolutely! If you can read, you can cook.
