Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

I was looking through my fridge and pantry tonight to see what meal I could work up for tomorrow night when Carlos comes over. (Tonight, I'm eating leftovers; Carlos is at his parent's house.)

I have carrots, celery, chicken stock, egg noodles, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, among other things. Pretending I was on an episode of Chopped...



...I came up with Chicken Noodle Soup.

 After a quick search through the Food Network's site, I found this recipe...

Chicken Noodle Soup

by Paula Deen

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Here's the link to the original recipe.

Recipe: Potato Salad

This is the dish I am bring to Christmas Day dinner - the BEST Potato Salad I have ever eaten. I have made it a few times and gotten rave reviews each time.


The Best Potato Salad

The recipe is originally from All Recipes.


Ingredients:
  

6 eggs

10 red potatoes

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/3 cup dill pickle relish

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup pepperoncini (optional)

1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)

Directions:

 

Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water; cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the cooled eggs.

Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and refrigerate until cold. Peel and cube once cold.

Stir together the mayonnaise, ranch dressing, relish, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, and celery seed in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, potatoes, onion, pepperoncini, and olives; stir until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

My Notes: 

I do not peal the potatoes, but leave the skins on.

I don't add the pepperoncini, but do add the black olives. Since I'm in New Orleans, I use Creole Mustard instead of Yellow Mustard.

Recipe: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

For quite a few years, I have been making Red Beans and Rice every Sunday. Here in New Orleans, it's tradition to cook Red Beans on Mondays - something about wash day - but I have a large block of free time on Sundays. Each week, I tweak the recipe a bit until now I think I have it perfected. Cooking a good pot of Red Beans and Rice is a deceptively complex endeavor. I don't have my current (final?) recipe worked out on paper yet, but I'll post it here once I do.

In the last few months, I have been rotating into my Sundays cooking Chicken and Sausage Gumbo in place of Red Beans and Rice - and have been getting really good compliments on the results each time. I thought I'd share my recipe here.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
(adapted from a recipe by Karlie, my sister Christine's girlfriend)


Ingredients:

½ cup butter
½ cup flour
2-3 lb. chicken
3 large onions – diced
2 green bell peppers – diced
4 stalks celery – diced
1-2 lb. Andouille or smoked sausage
1 bay leaf
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Rotel Tomatoes
Salt
1 lb. okra – cut
3 tbsp. Parsley
Kitchen Bouquet®


Directions:

In large pot, cover whole chicken with water. Bring to a boil and then cook about 45 minutes. While chicken is cooking, make a roux in a large Dutch oven. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add sausage.

Set chicken aside to cool. Add chicken stock to mix. Once chicken cools, peel and discard skin. De-bone chicken and add to mix.*

Add bay leaf, parsley, seasoning (Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning works best), Worcestershire sauce, Rotel Tomatoes, and salt to taste. Cook for two hours on medium, stirring occasionally.

Add okra. Simmer for three hours, adding more seasoning as needed. Add Kitchen Bouquet® to taste.

Serve over rice.

*Alternate: Add entire cooked chicken with stock. As chicken separates from bone, remove bones and discard.

A Great Meal

A couple of times per week, Carlos and I put together an elaborate meal to eat.


Last night, I was sitting outside on my side porch, listening to the radio, drinking a Blue Moon beer when he showed up with marked pages in two cookbooks - Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the one he uses the most these days, and Taste of Home: Most Requested Recipes. The recipes that he picked were some of the most delicious we have had in awhile - so I wanted to share them with you. We altered each recipe a bit, which is reflected in our listings.


Champignons Sautés à la Crème
[Creamed Mushrooms]

Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Mushrooms
2 Tb Butter
1 Tb Olive Oil
2 Tb minced Green Onions or Shallots
1 tsp Flour
1 cup Whipping Cream
3 Tb White Wine*
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tb Softened Butter

* The original recipe called for Madeira, but Carlos wanted to use white instead of red wine. I think he sees red wine as an ingredient in French meat dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, which he loves to cook - and is quite good at cooking.


Directions:
Sauté the mushrooms in hot butter and oil for 5 to 6 minutes, but do not allow them to brown any more than necessary. Add the shallots or onions and toss over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook slowly for 2 minutes more, stirring.

Off heat, blend in the cream and seasonings. Then boil down rapidly until the cream has reduced and thickened. Add the wine, and boil for a moment to evaporate its alcohol. Correct seasoning. May be set aside and reheated later.

Off heat and just before serving, fold in the last 2 Tb butter.



Tasty Onion Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 Tb Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Ground Mustard
1 can (2.8 oz) French-Fried Onions, Crushed
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves


Directions:
In a shallow bowl, combine the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Place the onions in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in butter mixture, then coat with onions.

Place in a greased 11" x 7" baking dish. Drizzle with remaining butter mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

Bon Appétit!

Recipe: Shrimp Mushroom Casserole

I made this dish for Carlos last week and we both loved it. Carlos hated mushrooms before we started dating. He’s come a long way. (He’s still not really a fan of them raw in salads – yet.)

½ onion, finely chopped
½ sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1 ½ cups light cream
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
Slight pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ lb mushrooms, sliced
2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp, cooked in salted water
Seasoned bread crumbs

Sauté the onion, pepper, and shallots in the butter over low heat until tender. (Do not brown.) Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the bread crumbs. Stir together and pour into a well-buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, and bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.

Serves six to eight people.


The recipe is from this book. This is the first recipe that I have made from this book. Once I use it more, I’ll let you know if it’s worth buying.

Bon Appétit!

Monthly Family Dinner - February 2009

The first Monday of each month, our family gets together. We rotate hosting duties so Carlos and I host every third month. We are hosting in February – right in Mardi Gras season. Here is the menu we are planning.


Salad (Marshall) - Mardi Gras Salad

Toss together -
6 cups sliced/chopped purple cabbage
2 cups sliced shallots (green onions)
4 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
1 packet Ramen noodles

Dressing -
6 tbsp. vinegar
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 Ramen chicken flavor packet

Mix dressing together until sugar dissolves. Pour over salad, and mix.



Soup (Carlos) - Soupe a l'ail aux pommes de terre

Ingredients –
1 head of garlic
2 quarts water
2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cloves
1/4 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cups diced potatoes
Pinch of Saffron
French bread
Parmesan cheese

Directions –
Separate a head of garlic so that you have about 16 cloves. Drop them into boiling water for 30 seconds, rinse with cold water, and peel.

Drop them into your soup pot, along with all the ingredients listed above up to but not including the potatoes.

Boil slowly for 30 minutes. Strain it, and return to the saucepan. Add about 3 cups of diced "boiling potatoes" (I used Yukon Gold) and a good pinch of saffron to the broth and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve with French bread and grated Parmesan cheese.


Main Dish (Marshall) - Aurora’s Chicken Pepperoni
Yes, from this movie

Ingredients -
4 (6-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 ounces pepperoni, sliced in thin rounds (8 slices)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions –
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pound the chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/2-inch thickness. In a shallow skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the oregano and garlic powder. Season the mixture with salt and freshly ground pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with the bread crumbs.

Saute in the olive oil until browned, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the chicken cutlets to a baking dish. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the tomato, sugar, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking pan. Place the slices of pepperoni on top of each cutlet. Sprinkle the tops with cheese.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until the cheese melts and just begins to brown. Serves 8.


Dessert (Marshall & Carlos, actually store bought) – King Cake

Recipes for the Season

Continuing what I started with my Cooking Challenge idea, I have been stretching my cooking skills during the holidays. I thought I’d pass on the recipes I made.


Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
For our Holiday Meeting (AKA our office Christmas party)
This recipe is originally from my sister Claudia.

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker or chocolate pie crust
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk (you can use low fat or fat free)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

For chocolate glaze:
½ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup whipping cream


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well.

Arrange raspberries in bottom of pie crust. Slowly pour cheese mixture over fruit. Some may rise, but that’s ok. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with whipping cream; cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Spread over cooled pie, then chill pie for a little while.

I used icing to create our university's logo - here blurred for my privacy - on the top.


Layered Dessert (I actually don’t know what it’s called.)
For Christmas Day

Ingredients:
Box of devil’s food cake mix
Eggs as needed for above
2 boxes (5.1 oz per box) of instant vanilla pudding
Milk as needed for above
1 container (12 oz) Cool Whip



Directions:
Make the devil’s food cake according to the package directions. Cool completely.

In a huge bowl, place 1/3 of the cake into the bottom, compacting with a spatula.

Make one box of the instant vanilla pudding according to the package directions. Immediately pour over the cake base, slowly so the pudding won’t disturb the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and add 1/3 of the Cool Whip. Gently place the remaining 2/3 of the cake over the Cool Whip. Then make and slowly add the second box of the instant vanilla pudding over the devil’s food cake layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and add the remaining Cool Whip. Add crushed chocolate or small amounts of icing to the top.

Cool covered from 30 minutes up to 24 hours, then serve.

--------------------------------

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Follow Up: Monthly Family Dinner - November 2009

Our Monthly Family Dinner went really well. Mom, Dad, Christine, and Karlie (for a bit - until the Saints game started) joined Carlos and me.

Carlos took care of course #1 and #4. I handled #2 and #3. We had so much fun cooking and chatting. In January, Carlos and I will start having Cooking Challenge dinners again.


Here are the recipes we used.


Course #1 - Asparagus Fans with Mustard Sauce
(Picture from Food Network. Actual picture of Carlos's food to come.)

1 cup crustless 1-inch bread cubes, cut from thickly sliced, firm-textured country
bread
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
16 fat asparagus, tough ends snapped off,stalks peeled
4 large eggs
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
Cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a pie plate, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely. Transfer the bread cubes to a sturdy plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin until coarse crumbs form. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.

Meanwhile, bring a large, deep skillet of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus. Transfer the asparagus to a large gratin dish.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the eggs and boil over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Pour off the water and gently shake the saucepan to crack the egg shells. Fill the saucepan with ice water and let the eggs cool for 5 minutes, then drain. Carefully shell the eggs and transfer them to a plate.

In a small saucepan, cook the butter over moderate heat until it smells like roasted hazelnuts and the milk solids are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the brown butter cool slightly.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a simmer over moderate heat. In a blender, combine the egg yolks and the 11/2 tablespoons of hot water; blend for 2 seconds. With the blender on medium speed, gradually add the hot brown butter, a few drops at a time at first and then in a thin stream, until fully incorporated. Add any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the lemon juice. Season the hollandaise with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Reheat the asparagus in the oven. One by one, carefully lower the peeled whole eggs into the hot water in the medium saucepan and warm just until heated through, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, arrange 4 of the asparagus spears on each of 4 plates. Pat the eggs dry and set one on top of each plate of asparagus. Spoon the hollandaise over the eggs and asparagus, sprinkle with the crushed croutons and serve right away.


Course #2 - Scallops Grenobloise

2 slices white bread
2 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil -- or canola oil (divided use)
1 medium lemon
16 large sea scallops, whole -- rinsed under cold water to remove any sand
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons capers -- drained
6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (3/4 stick)
1/4 cup mushrooms -- (about 3) diced (1/2-inch); white mushrooms
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- coarsely chopped, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch dice and toss the bread with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Spread the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned. Set aside.

Peel the lemon, removing the skin and the white pith underneath. Cut between the membranes to remove totally clean segments of lemon flesh. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces until you have about 2 tablespoons diced lemon flesh.

Remove any adductor muscles still attached to the scallops. Sprinkle the scallops with the salt, pepper and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot, then add the scallops. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. They should be nicely browned. Arrange 4 scallops on each of 4 serving plates and sprinkle on the lemon pieces, capers and bread cubes.

Heat the butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the butter browns lightly (this is called noisette butter). Add the vinegar. Spoon the sauce over the scallops, sprinkle the parsley on top and serve.


Course #3 - Potato Gratin with Cream

8 lg. potatoes, cooked & shredded
1 pt. whipping cream
1 lg. pkg. cheddar cheese, grated
1 lg. onion, diced
Parsley, dried or chopped
Paprika, salt & pepper

In casserole alternate layers of potatoes, cheese, onion and parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Pour whipping cream over the top. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 12.


Course #4 - Jam Tartines with Fruit Sherbet

Pound cake cut into pieces with assorted jams on top, served with fruit sherbet




---------------

Tonight, Carlos and I are having a light dinner at Le Madeleine with Debbie and Bart. The restaurant has one of the best French Onion Soup in the city.

Monthly Family Dinner - November 2009

The first Monday of each month, our immediate family gets together for dinner - alternating houses.

This month Carlos and I are hosting at my house.

Carlos is heavily involved with Jacques Pepin and his cooking show right now, so we have decided to cook everything from Episode 208 of his cooking show.

The description:
Jacques loves all eggs, all ways! Cooking them correctly is an important technique, and who better to demonstrate the perfect hard-cooked egg than a master of technique! Jacques begins this menu with hard-cooked eggs used as a garnish for his Asparagus Fans with Mustard Sauce. Simply seared in moments, Scallops Grenobloise is the ultimate fast dish and when served with Potato Gratin with Cream, it makes a rich main course. Jam Tartines with Fruit Sherbet conclude the menu.

Carlos is making the asparagus and the dessert. I am making the scallops and the potato dishes.

This should be fun; we haven't tried French food yet in our Cooking Challenges.


Here is Jacques Pepin's video, complete with all the recipes:


After our dinner, we'll publish the recipes we used.

Until then, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Six Revisited

Carlos is off watching the US Open (the Tennis one not the Golf one) so I have some extra time. I thought I'd post the Poulet mettre en pot la tarte recipe that I didn't post in my last Cooking Challenge entry.


Poulet mettre en pot la tarte
(also known as Chicken Pot Pie)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts and thighs (I bought a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)
2 to 3 cups canned chicken broth
3/4 stick butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 cups half-and-half or milk (I used half-and-half)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup diced celery, including some of the inner yellow leaves
3 medium carrots, diced
1 cup frozen tiny peas, thawed
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, separated (See Figure 1)



Instructions:

Put the chicken in a microwave-safe dish and pour the chicken broth over it. Cover with plastic wrap and poach in the microwave on high for 12 minutes or until the juices run clean when you pierce the chicken with the tip of a knife. If you are making the chicken ahead, take it off the bone, discard the skin, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap before refrigerating. Strain and reserve the chicken broth.

To make the sauce, keep the broth hot in a small pan on the back of the stove. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt all but a tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and, when it is sizzling, add the flour, whisking well to make a smooth golden paste. Still whisking, gradually add 2 cups of the stock and the thyme. When it is smooth, increase the heat slightly and cook the sauce until it thickens. Add the half-and-half, whisking again, and cook until the sauce is smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more stock or water if needed. If you are making the sauce ahead, cool it and refrigerate it, then reheat it just before you put the pie together.


To assemble the pie (see Figure 2), melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large skillet and add the onions, mushrooms, celery, and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut the chicken into large cubes.

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large ovenproof casserole or 6 individual ones, mix the chicken and vegetables, including the peas. Pour the warm sauce over and mix everything together well. Fit a sheet of puff pastry (see Figure 3) over the casserole, sealing it well around the edges with a little beaten egg white. Paint the top with beaten egg yolk. Cut slits on top in a decorative pattern for the steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden.




Until Week Seven, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Five and Week Six

Cooking Challenge Week Five was Italian food. See this blog entry for the details on the food.

Looking at that past entry, I said that “The meal will be a bit calmer. The crowd from the first four weeks is ‘rotating out’ and my parents are joining Carlos and me for dinner.” That night’s crowd was one of the loudest yet – even with only four people. Both of my parents can get quite boisterous.

Carlos’s fresh basil plant was almost dead by the time Wednesday’s dinner came around. See the picture on the left. He bought it on Saturday. We need to figure out how not to kill a plant in five days!


Looking further at that past entry, I said, “After this meal, I am going to take a couple of weeks off, and then invite over some friends for dinner.” That didn’t happen either. Carlos and I decided to invite some of our friends over for Cooking Challenge Week Six, which we held last night. Our theme was French food.


Jason, Jason, and Julie came over. Here was our menu:

A salad (Arugula, tomatoes, and shredded cheese)

French Onion Soup – Carlos’s contribution. Go to his blog for his pictures and description. (As of 9/11/09 - He hasn't blogged about it yet.)

Poulet mettre en pot la tarte – My contribution. In English, that translates to Chicken Pot Pie, which I have wanted to make for awhile. Translating to French, I was able to shoehorn my dish into our French food night.

The recipe is taken from the cookbook Classic American Food Without Fuss. The recipe is quite long so I am not going to reproduce it here.

I can show you a picture of what I made though!



Julie and Jason S. brought over wine. Jason K. brought over some delicious bread. We finished with four types of Sorbet, left over from the Italian Cooking Challenge night.

I think everyone left full.

We had such fun last night that Carlos and I are going to go at least one more week, inviting the same crew over – plus Debbie and Bart, who both had to work last night. Then we may take a break. Eventually, we want to invite my old friends Steve (and his wife), Morgan, and Lloyd.

Carlos wants to make his Caprese Salad again. I am going to pick from page 67, 167, or 267 of this cookbook, one that Carlos gave me for my birthday this year. More details after next week’s dinner. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for those who both read my blog and are coming to dinner.

Until then…

Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Four

This past Wednesday was Week Four of my Cooking Challenge. I decided that a Tapas menu was too much of an undertaking for me – for now.

Carlos and I were in Lafayette a couple of years back for some festival. During our trip, I bought a cookbook called Cajun Men Cook: Recipes, Stories & Food Experiences from Louisiana Cajun Country - and had it signed by six member of the Beaver Club of Lafayette, the authors of the book.

Again this week, page 67 had an appetizer, whereas I was looking for a main dish. Page 167 yielded Beef Stroganoff. I’ve been meaning to cook that for years. After a bit of research, I found a version of the recipe by Paula Deen that I liked a bit better.

The same crew from last week came this week, bringing wine and watermelon for dessert. We’re really getting to know each other after four weeks of this. (Or maybe that’s re-know since most of these people are family.)

Carlos brought the salad – and describes it in detail on his blog.



Week Five is Italian (like Week Three), but this time from Rocco Dispirito’s cookbook Rocco’s Italian American: More Than 150 Recipes from Rocco and Mama. Page 67 has a picture of Rocco at a dinner table; page 167 a recipe for “Veal Parmigiana”. I’m not ready for veal yet, so I am cheating a bit: I found a wonderful recipe for “Farfalle [bow tie pasta] with Grilled Sausage, Fennel, and Baby Artichokes” that I will use as a base and adapt a bit, adding three different colored bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. I’ll post my recipe next week.

As our appetizer, I found a recipe for “Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese” from the August 2009 issue of Food & Wine magazine. Here’s a link to the recipe on the Food & Wine magazine web site.

I used to subscribe to Bon Appetite magazine, but since I started watching the TV show Top Chef, with one of the judges the editor of the former magazine, I let my subscription lapse to Bon Appetite. I was thinking about getting both magazines, but that just seems a little obsessive.





Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese
12 servings

12 medium tomatoes
1 2/3 pounds fresh goat cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 425°. Slice off the top 1/2 inch of each tomato and reserve the tops. Scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. Cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

2. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese with the egg, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spoon the goat cheese mixture into the tomatoes, mounding the filling 1/2 inch above the rim. Cover with the tomato tops and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Bake the tomatoes for 35 minutes, until tender and browned in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


The meal will be a bit calmer. The crowd from the first four weeks is “rotating out” and my parents are joining Carlos and me for dinner.

We’re doing a batch of the appetizer tonight to test out the recipe. Carlos just called. He found a basil plant. We’re going to use it for tonight – and start growing our own basil for future meals. I was going to use dried basil (at least for tonight’s test run). Carlos was appalled and went off to the store to find fresh. I really have him sucked into this Cooking Challenge.

After this meal, I am going to take a couple of weeks off, and then invite over some friends for dinner.

Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Three

We have now made it through Week Three of my Cooking Challenge.

Last night, I cooked from page 67 of Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver.

The recipe was Minestrone D’inizio Autunno (Early Autumn Minestrone). Click the link to see the recipe.

I think I am getting better at this cooking thing: The recipe was a bit complicated – and took almost three hours to accomplish – but for once, my finished product looked like the picture in the book.

Here is the picture from the book.



We had seven for dinner – Carlos, Christine, Karlie, Pam, Curt, little Karley, and me – so I decided to make an additional dish from that same cook book. Our main dish was Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula).

I ended up cooking the Minestrone on Tuesday night and the main dish Wednesday night. Then slowly warming up the Minestrone on Wednesday evening. I followed the main dish recipe very closely, only substituting fettuccini for the spaghetti.

I didn’t find the recipe online so I have retyped it below, with the small changes I made.


Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula)

This dish was on the menu in a little restaurant called La Gondola in one of the roughest parts of Palermo. I thought the combination of flavors was great, and very accessible to us back home in Britain. You can buy very high-quality frozen shrimp in supermarkets these days, so it’s a win-win situation, but if you can get hold of some super-fresh ones and peel them yourself, this can all of a sudden become very luxurious in flavor. A real crowd-pleaser. Finish off with good-quality olive oil and wild Arugula full of flavor and you’ll be laughing. PS, if using frozen shrimp, make sure they’re thawed out.

1 lb. dried fettuccini
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 dried red chilies, crumbled
1 lb. peeled raw large shrimp
1 small wineglass of white wine
2 heaping tablespoons sun-dried tomato purée, or 6 sun-dried tomatoes blitzed in a blender
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls of Arugula, roughly chopped

Cook your fettuccini in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 good gulgs of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and toss in the garlic and chili. As the garlic begins to color, add the shrimp and sauté them for a minute. Add the white wine and the tomato purée and simmer for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the fettuccini with the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice, and add half the chopped Arugula, using a little of the reserved cooking water if you want to loosen the sauce a bit, and correct the seasoning. Divide between four plates and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the rest of the Arugula leaves.


The pasta dish was really good, but the minestrone was definitely better – and a huge hit. Carlos said I should have led with the pasta dish and finished with the minestrone, but I went the traditional soup, then main course way.

I also set up a Parmesan cheese taste test station. Without marking any of the selections, I put out small bowls of:
1) Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese (from the familiar green/clear cylindrical bottle) - $.69/ounce,
2) pre-shredded Boar’s Head Parmesan Cheese - $1.16 per ounce, and
3) a block of top quality Parmesan Cheese ($1.96 per ounce) that I shredded directly before the taste test.

Predictably, the top quality Parmesan Cheese was the clear favorite. The #1 and #2 choices, however, were virtually indistinguishable. Our Top Panel of Taste Testers determined that the Kraft was fine for blending with dishes and with most other applications, and to use the block for special occasions. There was no need to spend the extra money for the Boar’s Head.


In keeping with our Italian theme, Karlie brought a beautiful and tasty appetizer: a small green item (olives), white item (I don’t remember), and red item (small tomatoes) – skewered on a toothpick. This was placed around a bowl of (I think) melted chocolate. I was rushing around cooking and really should have paid more attention to the details of her dish. It was delicious!



Pam came through this week with the dessert, bringing Italian gelato, sherbet and two kinds of ice cream. Yum!

We also drank at least three bottles of wine, but we may have had four. Everything was a bit hazy by the end of the night.

We discussed “rotating out” this crowd next week and expanding the Challenge to include first my parents and then my friends in the coming weeks, but decided that, since we had such fun last night, we should burn it out and keep the same crowd one more week.

Week Four of Cooking Challenge will be the most challenging yet: I am going to attempt a Tapas menu – 5 or 6 appetizer-sized Spanish dishes, both hot and cold, served in succession.

After next week, I may take a break. We’ll see.

Until then, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Two

Last night was Week Two of my Cooking Challenge.

Page 67 of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen had a recipe for "Essentially Garlicky Achiote Seasoning Paste". Seeing that I really couldn't serve that as a main course, no matter how many times I doubled the recipe, I bent my rule a bit and went to page 167, which yielded better results.


Here is the recipe I used, complete with my comments in italics.


Herby Ricotta-Poblano Tacos

Makes a generous cup of filling, enough for 8 tacos
8 tacos? That didn’t sound like a lot so I doubled the recipe. Turns out, we had plenty left over.


Ingredients -

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled - I had a huge ass can of minced garlic. I dumped in 8 scoops of minced garlic. That still didn’t seem to be enough though.

2 fresh poblano chiles - Apparently my local Rouses, Super Wal-Mart or Whole Foods have never heard of this item so I bought a can of Original Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles.

1 cup ricotta cheese ("the freshest you can find") - "the freshest I can find" was in the dairy section of Rouses. I did search Whole Foods for “fresh” ricotta. It just doesn’t exist – at least in New Orleans.

4 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (such as cilantro, epazote, thyme, marjoram) - I found a spice jar of cilantro and I already had a spice jar full of thyme and marjoram. I think the marjoram is from the late 1990's when I was going through my Ethiopian food phase. (I can still smell the Doro Wat cooking on my stove!)

I asked the nice man stocking the fresh fruit/vegetables at Rouses if they carried fresh epazote, but I think I stumped him. Maybe I mispronounced the word. On my later trip to Whole Foods I stumbled upon some epazote.

Wikipedia says, “Epazote is used as a leaf vegetable and herb for its pungent flavor. Raw, it has a resinous, medicinal pungency, similar to the liquorice taste of anise, fennel, or even tarragon, but stronger. Epazote's fragrance is strong, but difficult to describe. It has been compared to citrus, petroleum, savory, mint and putty. Although it is traditionally used with black beans for flavor and its carminative properties, it is also sometimes used to flavor other traditional Mexican dishes as well: it can be used to season quesadillas and sopes (especially those containing huitlacoche), soups, mole de olla, tamales with cheese and chile, chilaquiles, eggs and potatoes and enchiladas.”

Since I am doubling the recipe, I used 2 teaspoons each of cilantro, epazote, thyme, and marjoram. That gave this dish an interesting flavor! In a good way.

Salt, about 1/4 teaspoon - Finally, something that I already have in my kitchen.

About 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground - Thanks to a present Lloyd gave me a few years ago, I actually had freshly ground pepper.

8 corn tortillas (plus a few extra, in case some break) - Break? The ones I bought are soft. Hell. Did I buy the wrong thing?

1 1/4 cups Tomatillo-Green Guacamole - After searching Rouses and Super Wal-Mart for poblano chiles, fresh ricotta cheese, and epazote, I was worn out. I did a cursory search for this item and then picked up some Pico de Gallo style Guacamole from the refrigerated vegetables section.

3 or 4 radishes, thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks – I totally skipped this ingredient. I don’t believe in garnishes.

A few tablespoons chopped white onion, for garnish – Another garnish? Another skip.

Big, beautiful sprigs of cilantro, for garnish - How about sprinkling some from the spice jar that I have? Done.


Directions -

Rick Bayless: 1. The filling. On an ungreased griddle or small, heavy skillet set over medium heat, roast the garlic, turning frequently, until blackened in spots and soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool, peel off the papery skins, then finely chop.

Me: 1. The filling. Pour some pre-chopped garlic from my can into a skillet. Push it around until it starts to burn a bit.


Rick Bayless: 2. Roast the chiles directly over a gas flame or 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on all sides, about 5 minutes for open flame, about 10 minutes for broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand 5 minutes. Peel, pull out the stem and seed pod, then rinse briefly to remove bits of seeds and stray bits of skin. Chop the chiles into 1/4-inch bits.

Me: 2. Add the small can of Original Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles to the garlic. If I remember correctly, green chiles are not that hot. I had a can of Chipotle Chiles left over from another recipe so I added one of those too.


Rick Bayless: 3. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the garlic, ricotta, fresh herbs and half the chopped chiles. Taste and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Me: 3. Medium-size bowl. Check. Mix together the garlic, ricotta, herbs and half the chopped chiles. Check. Taste and season with the salt and pepper. Check. Cover and set aside. Check. Finally, a step I can complete.


Rick Bayless: 4. The tortillas. Set up a steamer (a vegetable steamer in a large saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of water works well); heat to a boil. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, lay in the steamer and cover with a tight lid. Boil 1 minute, turn off the heat and let stand without opening the steamer for 15 minutes.

Me: 4. The tortillas. Read Rick Bayless's instructions and disregard. Open the package of corn tortillas. Place them attractively on a large plate.


Rick Bayless: 5. Finishing the dish. Just before serving, mix the remaining half of the chopped chiles into the guacamole (plus enough water to make it easily spoonable), and spoon a portion of it onto each of the 4 serving plates. One at a time, spread a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling over each of 8 hot tortillas, roll up and divide among your individual serving plates. Sprinkle with the radishes and onion, lay on a sprig of cilantro and you're ready for some light, zesty flavors.

Me: 5. Finishing the dish. Just before serving, mix the remaining half of the chopped chiles into the guacamole (plus enough water to make it easily spoonable). Check. Spoon a portion of it onto each of the 4 serving plates. Wait, what 4 serving plates? One at a time, spread a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling over each of 8 hot tortillas, roll up and divide among your individual serving plates. Oh, I get it now: There are two different items going on here - the guacamole and the ricotta stuff. I was thinking this was one big dish. Sprinkle with the radishes and onion, lay on a sprig of cilantro and you're ready for some light, zesty flavors. Check.



Christine, Karlie, Pam and little Karley (yes, spelled differently) joined Carlos and me. Carlos supplied the – very classy – chips and three types of dip. Pam offered to bring a homemade Mexican Apple Tart, but ran out of time and pick up some cookies from Subway.

We all sat around, eating and drinking wine. It was especially nice to hang out with Pam. Since she has moved back to New Orleans (about six months ago, after living in Minneapolis for 10 years), we haven’t had a real chance to talk with her.



We are having the same crowd over next Wednesday. I will be cooking from page 67 of Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver – picked out by Pam, though no one opened the book.

After next week, Carlos and I will add some of our friends to the Wednesday rotation.

Carlos thinks my attention span for this project will hold until December. I’m not sure I’ll make it that far.

Until next time…Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week One

Carlos recently finished reading the book Julie & Julia. For those not familiar with the book (or the upcoming movie): a housewife (Julie) decides to make all 500+ recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook – in one year.

Inspired by that, Carlos and I are trying to accomplish something similar. I have 70+ cookbooks.

Here are my actual bookshelves. (Click to enlarge. You can actually read the titles)…




Every Wednesday night - until we are tired of this latest idea - I will cook whatever is on page 67 of one of my cookbooks. Why page 67? Since I was born in 1967, I thought it would be easy to remember.

Carlos wants to be surprised by each meal so I can’t tell you exactly what we will be having until after the meal. Since we have now had our first meal (last night), I can reveal that this week I cooked out of a cookbook called Cajun Cuisine. Page 67 contained a recipe for Crab Soup.



Here is the recipe:

Crab Soup

1 ½ cups of butter
4 small onions, grated
1 bay leaf
¼ cup of chopped celery leaves
Pinch of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
½ cup of flour
2 quarts of water
2 pounds of fresh crab meat
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
½ cup of chopped parsley
Lemon slices (garnish)

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan; add onions and cook until onions are transparent.
2. Add bay leaf, celery leaves, thyme and garlic and mix well; add tomato sauce and mix again.
3. Stir in flour and mix until well blended; slowly add water, stirring, until mixture is well blended; add crab meat, salt and pepper, bring to a boil and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Serve in soup bowls, sprinkled with parsley and topped with lemon slices.
Yield: 8 servings

I bought imitation crab meat, which is much less expensive, but it tasted fine.

Christine invited us over to her house last night so we provided the soup course. We also had delicious bread, a main course of pork loin, birthday cake in honor of Pam’s birthday, and lots of flowing wine. All the food was really, really good.

Carlos and I arrived around 6:30 pm and left around 9:15 pm. We had a great time.

In addition to expanding my cooking skills, we are using Cooking Challenge to reconnect with our family and friends. We have invited Christine, Karlie, Pam, Kurt (Pam’s husband) and their daughter over for week two’s dinner. It’ll be a full house! For future dinners, we will be inviting other family and friends.

Week two of Cooking Challenge will be taken from page 67 of Rick Bayliss’s Mexican Kitchen cookbook. I’ll post the dish and details on the dinner next Thursday.



Bon Appétit!