Ok, I intentionally didn't do a post for Thanksgiving - taking a little time off, and wasn't planning on releasing the link until afterwards. But I feel the need to share an amazing tip.
My kids have always said I make the best mashed potatoes ever - and as long as you don't care about your heart health, I suppose I probably do - and I have my Mom to thank for that - mostly her recipe from when we were kids. It's pretty simple - you can use regular, or red bliss with the skins on. Dice the potatoes into inch and a half square pieces, put into a large pot, (at least big enough to have 2 or 3 inches above the potatoes and water) and rinse well. Portion out the potatoes so each handful or so is a portion. ( not very scientific, but it seems to work.) Add enough water to easily cover the potatoes, add a 1/2 tsp salt, and boil until just able to break apart with a fork. Time depends entirely on how many potatoes you are cooking. Drain, and return to the pan. Add about 1 tbs of butter per serving (at LEAST), about a 1/4 cup of half and half per two servings ( Not too much, don't want them watery) about a heaping TBS ( a serving table spoon, not measuring) of sour cream per serving, 4 or 5 twists of sea salt, 6 or 7 twists of fresh ground black pepper ( invest in a disposable pepper grinder - well worth it! - about 6 bucks for a pretty big one) and a 1/4 tsp of garlic powder per serving or so - go light on this unless you want them to be garlic mashed - which is totally fine in our house! Mash by hand, leaving a little lumpy - use half and half or sour cream to regulate consistency and texture. Add the liquids slowly at first, and add more as you mash to get the perfect consistency.
That is my recipe, but I have to thank Patrick, from work, and his girlfiend Dawn for suggesting adding cream cheese to the mix.... and my family says thanks too!
My initial thought was... hmm... maybe, but not convinced. Well Thanksgiving, I went all in, and threw in a whole block for about 9 servings - and all I can say is WOW!! TOTALLY amazing - very creamy, didn't make them too cheesy - just unbelievably creamy! I would say about a 1/4 block per 2 servings would be perfect.
Thanks Dawn - definately going to be totally a part of the Price family potatoes in perpetuity!!
Keep in mind - all proportions are to taste - they may be too much or too little for your taste. Feel free to experiment, and make the dish your own!
Other options: I often add some dried rosemary crumbled up if we are having a steak - about a 1/2 tsp per 2 or 3 servings - add some extra garlic too.
Gorgonzola or Bleu cheese - all I can say is YUM. Again with steak, and better with Red Bliss potatoes smashed with the skin on - I tend to go heavy - probably a 1/2 cup per 2 servings - but well worth it!
Fresh shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese, with a bit of basil.. about 1/4 cup per 2 servings, maybe a tsp of dried basil or so ( I have even added a very small pinch of crushed red peppers for a little spice)- serve with a nice steak (there seems to be a theme here with the mashed p's and a steak... what can I say - like peanut butter and jelly!) or chicken dish, fresh tomatoe, basil and mozzarella cheese salad in the summer - awsome.
Just potatoes, I know, but so much fun to play with! Thanks again, Dawn for the awsome tip!
Bon Appetit!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
A word on beer
This is the first of (hopefully) many posts by Dan's daughter. He likes to think that I'm a chip off the old block in terms of my gourmet skills, but it could be that I've just been lied to for a while-- I really just throw a bunch of random stuff into a pan. One of my favorite ingestibles, however, is beer. I love to drink it, cook with it, and make it. People think of the traditional beer-can chicken, where you crack a Bud and stick it inside a roaster and hope for the best. The cooking possibilities of beer, in reality, are endless. My favorite, for example, is to let a nice New York strip marinate in a good, thick, dark beer (think Sam Adams Cream Stout, or a Stone porter) for a few hours before cooking it. You'd be amazed at how much of a rich, earthy flavor remains that compliments the beef and gives it almost a sweet taste and a delicate texture (the alcohol helps to tenderize the meat while marinating). Serve with bleu cheese mashed potatoes and stir-fried mushrooms and onions. Try stir-frying chicken in a pale ale for a nutty flavor, or baking it in a brown ale with sage and rosemary. It's really instinct that's very similar to the "rules" for wine-- dark beer for dark meat, light beer for light meat. However, if it's a beer you like to drink with a certain dish, then chances are that meat would taste quite good cooked in that beer. A few words of caution-- unless you're marinating with beer, be careful of burning. Beer can thicken and then burn really easily in skillets, etc.
So, crack a beer, throw some on some steak, and enjoy the rest-- consider it developing your multi-tasking skills.
Bon apetit!
So, crack a beer, throw some on some steak, and enjoy the rest-- consider it developing your multi-tasking skills.
Bon apetit!
An awsome chicken recipe, and a little about grits....
A week or so ago, while defrosting a steak for dinner, my wife came across this recipe for Cinnamon Roasted Chicken with Pumkin Sage Grits in Better Homes and Garden. She showed it to me, and I thought, hmmm boy does that sound good, and, we just happened to have everything for it in the house. So the steak went into the fridge, and out came the grits....
Yup, we have grits in our house - all the time. Now I am from New England, and most - if not all - people I know from up here think they hate grits. You mention grits, and the faces you see are pretty amusing!
In reality, they don't hate them - they have just never had them cooked properly. I thought I hated grits too, until my dear friends Larry and Doris took Lynne and I to T Rays, on Amelia Island. This restaurant is actually a working gas station, with the kitchen and seating areas in what were formerly the garage bays.... and is easily one of the best restaurants for breakfast and lunch I have ever eaten in! Absolutely amazing food, friendly people, and if you are anywhere near North Florida, a must stop in!
Anyway, back to the grits.... Grits at T Rays are almost a religious experience - they are NOTHING like you can find anywhere up here. I started experimenting, and came up with what I think is a pretty good recipe for grits that even Northerners will like. First thing, even though the chicken recipe calls for instant grits - (this is a post about a chicken recipe, remember? )- use regular grits, NOT instant. This grits recipe serves 6:
Grits
The marscapone cheese is so thick and creamy - it just adds a perfect touch - but totally not required.
For the chicken recipe - add 2/3 cup of canned pumpkin, to the grits when you return the mixture to a boil, as well as 1/2 tsp ground sage to taste - a little goes a long way with sage. The sharpness of the sage offsets the sweetnes of the cinnamon rub on the chicken very nicely!
The actual recipe is as follows: I would use the above for the grits, and follow the chicken recipe below. Cook the grits while the chicken is roasting... It all takes about 20 minutes total - very easy, and VERY good!
Enjoy - I will put up my recipe for shrimp grits soon as well - a great party dish!
Yup, we have grits in our house - all the time. Now I am from New England, and most - if not all - people I know from up here think they hate grits. You mention grits, and the faces you see are pretty amusing!
In reality, they don't hate them - they have just never had them cooked properly. I thought I hated grits too, until my dear friends Larry and Doris took Lynne and I to T Rays, on Amelia Island. This restaurant is actually a working gas station, with the kitchen and seating areas in what were formerly the garage bays.... and is easily one of the best restaurants for breakfast and lunch I have ever eaten in! Absolutely amazing food, friendly people, and if you are anywhere near North Florida, a must stop in!
Anyway, back to the grits.... Grits at T Rays are almost a religious experience - they are NOTHING like you can find anywhere up here. I started experimenting, and came up with what I think is a pretty good recipe for grits that even Northerners will like. First thing, even though the chicken recipe calls for instant grits - (this is a post about a chicken recipe, remember? )- use regular grits, NOT instant. This grits recipe serves 6:
Grits
- 2 1/4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ( white)
- ½ cup marscapone cheese (optional)
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup corn grits* (such as Arrowhead Mills or Quaker Old Fashioned)
The marscapone cheese is so thick and creamy - it just adds a perfect touch - but totally not required.
For the chicken recipe - add 2/3 cup of canned pumpkin, to the grits when you return the mixture to a boil, as well as 1/2 tsp ground sage to taste - a little goes a long way with sage. The sharpness of the sage offsets the sweetnes of the cinnamon rub on the chicken very nicely!
The actual recipe is as follows: I would use the above for the grits, and follow the chicken recipe below. Cook the grits while the chicken is roasting... It all takes about 20 minutes total - very easy, and VERY good!
ØThree skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half.
Ø1 TBSP olive oil
Ø1 ½ TSP fresh ground sea salt
Ø1 TSP ground cinnamon
ؽ TSP fresh ground black pepper
Ø1 ½ cups water
Ø2/3 cups instant grits
Ø2 tbs butter
ؽ cup canned pumpkin
Ø
ؽ TSP ground sage (to taste)
Ø1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
ØFresh sage leaves ( optional)
Directions:
1.Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
2.Arrange chicken breasts on foil covered baking sheet, brush all sides with olive oil. Mix 1 tsp salt, pepper and cinnamon in small bowl. Rub the spice mix on all sides of chicken breasts.
3.Roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until juices run clear.
4.As chicken cooks, bring water to boil in medium sauce pan. Slowly whisk in grits, stirring constantly. Add butter, pumpkin, sage, remaining salt and return to boil.
5.Reduce heat to and cook uncovered 5 – 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat.
6. Add brown sugar and cheese, stir until smooth.
7.Spoon grits onto plate, and top with chicken breast halves
8.Garnish with fresh sage leaves.
9.Serves
Enjoy - I will put up my recipe for shrimp grits soon as well - a great party dish!
Monday, November 22, 2010
How little do you feel like cooking?
Ok, so you come home from a particularly stressful day at work - and the question is - pizza? Cook? Chinese?
Really dont feel like cooking a home made meal - ok, so what is easy? How about whole wheat spaggetti with an Italian Sausage, Green Pepper and Onion sauce?
Yeah, right.... forget it. Where was that Chinese menu???
Seriously, this is as easy as it gets...I made it tonight, and BELIEVE me, I did NOT feel like cooking. Ok, a glass of whine or two (sic) helped, but my wife and I like to eat well, so here is what I made:
Start with a shallot - diced, and 3 HUGE cloves of garlic - about the size of your thumb...diced very fine. ( I keep at least 3 or 4 shallots, and 2 or 3 entire heads of garlic handy at all times - if you don't like garlic, go home, because it is REALLY prevalent here!)
Add about 2 TBS of regular olive oil, NOT extra virgin, (regular has a much lower smoking point than extra virgin) to a large frying pan, and saute on med high untill garlic starts to turn dark brown, stiring constantly. (Lets talk about pans soon....)
I had 3 Italian sausage links in the freezer - about 1/2 package - Thaw, and slice open, and remove skin. Dice up with knife, and add to garlic, shallots in pan, stir constantly.
Rough dice a small onion, add to sausage mixture. Saute, and chop up with spatula as it cooks until sausage is cooked through and diced fine- about 15 minutes.
Add about 1 cup diced 3 color frozen peppers ( You REALLY need to keep a bag of these frozen gems in your freezer at all times for additions to almost everything - definately one of the most essential freezer items out there!!)
Saute for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add a jar of your favorite tomatoe sauce - it really doesn't matter what you use ( I am SO sorry to all the home cooked tomatoe sauce enthusiasts out there - this is supposed to be easy, NOT authentic....) add about a 1/2 tsp of oregano and basil , a pinch of red pepper flakes, several twists of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper to the mix ( I also add a heavy pinch of frozen fresh basil at this point - something I keep in the freezer from my summer garden) Simmer and stir fairly constantly for about 15 minutes or more - the longer it simmers, the better it tastes!
While the sauce is simmering, bring aboutr 2 qts of water, a 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp of basil to a rolling boil. Add about a 1 inch round of whole wheat spaggetti, broken in half (about 1/3 of a box). Occasionally stir for about 15 minutes. Taste, and when Al Dente ( a little crunchy) drain, rinse under cold water, add 2 tbs olive oil, a shake of garlic powder, stir and plate. Top with sauce, fresh ground Romano cheese, and serve. I would serve with a nice red wine, perhaps a Chianti, although Lynne and I had a square Pinot Grigiot with it ( box wine - ok, shoot me now, but really its ok to drink box wine..... SOME box wine should say ...more on that later)
I know it sounds like alot of steps, but it really only took me about 10 minutes of prep, and about 20 minutes to cook - and tasted like a home made meal, versus just dumping a jar of sauce over some pasta. Sometimes a littel effort goes a long way . I figure if I can make it in 20 minutes or less, it qualifies as take out. Now keep in mind, I LOVE to cook, and most days cooking settles me down from a rough day. The wine doesnt hurt either, I have to admit. I will get into some good drinking wines in the future...
This is one of those meals that is easy to make, and really taste good. Its also a great way to talk with your partner as you make it, and decompress from your day! A little blues music, some great conversation, a little chopping and dicing, and who the hell needs take out anyway?
Bon Appetit!
Really dont feel like cooking a home made meal - ok, so what is easy? How about whole wheat spaggetti with an Italian Sausage, Green Pepper and Onion sauce?
Yeah, right.... forget it. Where was that Chinese menu???
Seriously, this is as easy as it gets...I made it tonight, and BELIEVE me, I did NOT feel like cooking. Ok, a glass of whine or two (sic) helped, but my wife and I like to eat well, so here is what I made:
Start with a shallot - diced, and 3 HUGE cloves of garlic - about the size of your thumb...diced very fine. ( I keep at least 3 or 4 shallots, and 2 or 3 entire heads of garlic handy at all times - if you don't like garlic, go home, because it is REALLY prevalent here!)
Add about 2 TBS of regular olive oil, NOT extra virgin, (regular has a much lower smoking point than extra virgin) to a large frying pan, and saute on med high untill garlic starts to turn dark brown, stiring constantly. (Lets talk about pans soon....)
I had 3 Italian sausage links in the freezer - about 1/2 package - Thaw, and slice open, and remove skin. Dice up with knife, and add to garlic, shallots in pan, stir constantly.
Rough dice a small onion, add to sausage mixture. Saute, and chop up with spatula as it cooks until sausage is cooked through and diced fine- about 15 minutes.
Add about 1 cup diced 3 color frozen peppers ( You REALLY need to keep a bag of these frozen gems in your freezer at all times for additions to almost everything - definately one of the most essential freezer items out there!!)
Saute for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add a jar of your favorite tomatoe sauce - it really doesn't matter what you use ( I am SO sorry to all the home cooked tomatoe sauce enthusiasts out there - this is supposed to be easy, NOT authentic....) add about a 1/2 tsp of oregano and basil , a pinch of red pepper flakes, several twists of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper to the mix ( I also add a heavy pinch of frozen fresh basil at this point - something I keep in the freezer from my summer garden) Simmer and stir fairly constantly for about 15 minutes or more - the longer it simmers, the better it tastes!
While the sauce is simmering, bring aboutr 2 qts of water, a 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp of basil to a rolling boil. Add about a 1 inch round of whole wheat spaggetti, broken in half (about 1/3 of a box). Occasionally stir for about 15 minutes. Taste, and when Al Dente ( a little crunchy) drain, rinse under cold water, add 2 tbs olive oil, a shake of garlic powder, stir and plate. Top with sauce, fresh ground Romano cheese, and serve. I would serve with a nice red wine, perhaps a Chianti, although Lynne and I had a square Pinot Grigiot with it ( box wine - ok, shoot me now, but really its ok to drink box wine..... SOME box wine should say ...more on that later)
I know it sounds like alot of steps, but it really only took me about 10 minutes of prep, and about 20 minutes to cook - and tasted like a home made meal, versus just dumping a jar of sauce over some pasta. Sometimes a littel effort goes a long way . I figure if I can make it in 20 minutes or less, it qualifies as take out. Now keep in mind, I LOVE to cook, and most days cooking settles me down from a rough day. The wine doesnt hurt either, I have to admit. I will get into some good drinking wines in the future...
This is one of those meals that is easy to make, and really taste good. Its also a great way to talk with your partner as you make it, and decompress from your day! A little blues music, some great conversation, a little chopping and dicing, and who the hell needs take out anyway?
Bon Appetit!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Everyday Easy Gourmet - day one
Well, a food and wine blog.
Something I have been toying with for some time. I have been teaching cooking classes, and cooking for fun for years. I spent a good portion of my youth in the restaurant business - both front and back of house. I have learned that restaurant quality cooking is not rocket science - pretty much anyone can do it - they just don't know it. I have been collecting and drinking wine for many years as well - with many trips out to California's wine country under my belt. I truly enjoy finding a really great deal on a bottle of wine- there is SO much out there for 15 or 20 bucks or less - and sharing my discoveries!
This blog is for everyone from my single friends in their 40's and 50's who want to impress their dates with their newly found culinary skills, to people with fussy spouses and children who don't eat "anything", to anyone who just wants something different for dinner. I will be listing both easy, restaurant quality recipes, and wine pairing suggestions. I am sure my daughter will have some beer pairing suggestions - and recipes as well, as she is turning into quite the chip off the ole block! I will have suggestions for equipment, gadgets and pantry inventory. I will also be accepting recipe's from the great world wide web out there. This is supposed to be a forum to help people enjoy cooking and eating well- and all input is welcome!
I am hoping to do 3 posts a week food related, and two wine/beer related. But who knows, life is short, and the older I get, the more I have learned to be flexible.....
Watching the "Bucket List" as I am typing this - one thing on my list would be to publish a cook book... who knows, maybe a compilation of recipe's from here....
Bon Appetit!
Something I have been toying with for some time. I have been teaching cooking classes, and cooking for fun for years. I spent a good portion of my youth in the restaurant business - both front and back of house. I have learned that restaurant quality cooking is not rocket science - pretty much anyone can do it - they just don't know it. I have been collecting and drinking wine for many years as well - with many trips out to California's wine country under my belt. I truly enjoy finding a really great deal on a bottle of wine- there is SO much out there for 15 or 20 bucks or less - and sharing my discoveries!
This blog is for everyone from my single friends in their 40's and 50's who want to impress their dates with their newly found culinary skills, to people with fussy spouses and children who don't eat "anything", to anyone who just wants something different for dinner. I will be listing both easy, restaurant quality recipes, and wine pairing suggestions. I am sure my daughter will have some beer pairing suggestions - and recipes as well, as she is turning into quite the chip off the ole block! I will have suggestions for equipment, gadgets and pantry inventory. I will also be accepting recipe's from the great world wide web out there. This is supposed to be a forum to help people enjoy cooking and eating well- and all input is welcome!
I am hoping to do 3 posts a week food related, and two wine/beer related. But who knows, life is short, and the older I get, the more I have learned to be flexible.....
Watching the "Bucket List" as I am typing this - one thing on my list would be to publish a cook book... who knows, maybe a compilation of recipe's from here....
Bon Appetit!
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