Easter Spirit = Chocolate Bunnies!

Although the extent of my Easter celebration typically consists of overloading on cadbury eggs, I thought I might do something cutely delicious this year that involves other people eating, too. And I'm not talking about an entire dinner shabang, but just something small and sweet. As I was perusing at Williams-Sonoma.com, I came across the cutest little nugget of Easter festivity, note the photo. It inspired me to step outside the box and do something "cute." It is a "robin's nest" complete with truffle-filled "eggs". In other words, candy-coated, white chocolate-covered truffle goodness! And I thought, 'hey buds, instead of spending $39.95 plus shipping for these bad boys, why not make 'em yourself?' And if I can do it, you're one step ahead of me. I'm not going to do that whole nest thingamajigger; I'd rather not go fetch twigs and berries. The truffles alone will be festive enough for my standards. And my eggs may not look as pretty as Williams-Sonoma's either, but I kind of prefer the homemade appearance. If you disagree, then NO EGGS FOR YOU! If you don't appreciate what I'm cookin', then get out of my kitchen (ultimately, my life). Here is a recipe for truffles:

Truffle-Fluffles:

1 pound of chocolate (have your pick)

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon good vanilla extract

Chop the chocolate medium-finely and place into a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream until just before it has come to a boil. Pour into the bowl with the chocolate and stir constantly with a whisk until the chocolate has completely melted. Then whisk in the vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool for one hour. Then, with a melon-baller or a teaspoon, scoop the hardened mixture and form it into little oval-shaped balls (just like eggies). Place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

At this point, it is up to you whether you are almost done or not. You can, at this point, roll your egg-shaped truffles into powdered sugar as the finishing touch (it helps with the stickiness and it gives them the white color) and be done with them. Or you can go the extra mile by dipping your hardened truffles into melted white chocolate--of which you can dye blue if you want to be as festive as Williams-Sonoma with a drop or two of blue food coloring. Plain melted chocolate (no heavy cream or vanilla) will not be moist and sticky like the truffle mixture; it will harden like a normal chocolate bar. Thus, you can enclose your truffles by draping them in melted chocolate and allowing them to harden on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, or you can roll them in powdered sugar (or cocoa powder if you don't mind a brown egg!) It is really up to you how festive (a.k.a. effortful) you want to be. I am going to start with a mixture of milk/bittersweet truffle. Then dip them in white chocolate dyed blue. I may even finish them with a toss in powdered sugar when they are almost hardened to give them that air-brushed robin-egg look. The bottom line is: experiment. Do whatever sounds froofy-cutesy to you, even if froofy-cute isn't necessarily your thang. Get in the chocolate-bunny spirit! I guarantee whoever shares them with you will be very appreciative because no matter how they look, there's no way you can screw up the taste!

Moral of the story? Get creative with something adorably delicious this Easter. Don't worry, my fellow Jews, Passover will have its day!

*Photo is from the Williams-Sonoma website

Chicken Simplicity

Cooking whole chicken often seems daunting, I know. But you can't avoid it forever... So I am going to provide you with one single roasted chicken recipe that will urge you to give it a shot and allow you to do so from multiple angles. What you stuff it with, coat it with, and roast it with, is all up to you. Thus, there's like 9,758,347 combinations (approximately). The recipe is simple, delicious, and it will make for some beautiful din-dins.  You'll be wondering where the bird has been all your life. 

To start, here are some common-knowledge rules that you should always follow when cooking whole chicken. First, rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Second, after you stuff the chicken with whatever flavorings you are using, such as onions, lemons, or fresh herbs, tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body. This ensures that the chicken will cook evenly (if the legs and wing tips were further away from the body they would cook faster). Third, the chicken is done when the juices run clear! Be safe, yo.  Lastly, and most importantly, have fun with your chicken! If you know what flavors you prefer, integrate those into the recipes; mix and match, substitute certain ingredients with ones you know will knock your socks off, and make the bird your own! Spread your wings and fly! I feel awful saying that... I am a vegetarian at heart. Bad pun, Kara, BAD!

Here is an example of a relatively basic roasted chicken that leaves a lot up to the imagination. This recipe provides you with a perfect roasted-chicken foundation while giving you enough ammunition to have your way with it. I'll show you along the way where and how you can get creative.

Garlic-Lemon Chicken (inspired by Ina Garten):

1 5 pound (ish) chicken

salt and pep

2 heads garlic, cut in half lengthwise

1 lemon, cut in half

4 tablespoons butter, melted

(Be sure to follow the rules above) Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the garlic and lemon inside the chicken. ***Here is your chance to get creative... you can stuff it with thyme, shallots, zucchini, mushrooms, bubble gum (don't!); you can add anything at all! Invent your own recipe.***  Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under. Place the chicken in a roasting pan (if adding veggies to the pan, make sure the pan is large enough). Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter (or you can use olive oil) and sprinkle with salt and pep.  ***Here is another chance to express your creativity: you can baste the chicken with a mixture of butter and: orange juice (and grand marnier!) or lemon juice, for example, and you can also sprinkle other seasonings on top such as paprika, chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary, etc. but see the "word to the wise" below beforehand.*** Roast the chicken at 425 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours (internal temperature of 170 degrees). Enjoy!

Word to the wise: When roasting the chicken, baste with butter occasionally during the first hour. If using orange or lemon juice, don't baste/coat the chicken with it until after it has cooked for one hour. 

Remember, YOU are the chef. Add veggies to the pan and you have the main course and side dish all in one step. Ina Garten added 1/2 of a spanish onion (thickly sliced), 4 carrots (cut into chunks), and 2 large yukon gold potatoes (cut into chunks). Onion, carrot, and potato are staples to the roasted vegetable world. Give them a try; you can't fail. But zucchini, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, squash, etc. would all be mouth-watering. 

Moral of the story? Chicken is yours for the roasting. Get cluckin'! Or I'll just have to keep writing more terrible puns. 

*Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com. It is of Giada's Garlic and Citrus Chicken.

Martini Maven

I recently received a request to blog about martinis. And what better time to do it than when I'm drunk off a couple??? Jokes, people. Twelve hours ago, maybe. But it's noon right now, and I have an Advanced Neuroscience Seminar to attend to in about two hours. The last thing I want to is attend a neuroscience class with a fried brain. Anywho, martinis! Here are a couple of my fave cocktails:

French Martini (Ina Garten's):

 *makes 6 servings

2 cups pineapple juice

2 1/2 cups vodka

1/4 cup Vermouth

2 teaspoons raspberry liqueur (Chambord is recommended)

Combine (shake, shake, shake!) all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into glasses and sip like a lady.

Pomegranate Cosmos (Ina Garten's):

*makes 6 servings

2 cups vodka (good vodka people, don't skimp)

1 cup orange liqueur (Cointreau is recommended)

1 cup pomegranate juice (Pom)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)

Lime peel strips, to garnish

Combine the vodka, orange liqueur, pomegranate juice, and lime juice in a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to use. Pour the mixture into frozen martini glasses with a lime peel twist and serve.  

Juicy Juice Tini:

*makes 4-5 servings

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup pink grapefruit juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup vodka (again, no crap)

Combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher. In a cocktail mixture filled with ice, pour the mixture, in batches, into the shaker and shake, shake, shake. Use those muscles, ladies! (The beach is that way...) Fill into martini glasses and slurp away. For an extra special twist, dip the rim of the glasses in a shallow dish with one of the juices in it, and then in sugar. 

Word to the wise: I love to splash a little champagne on the top of this martini once it's already in the glasses. It gives it lovely bubbles and a little extra umph, as you can imagine.

Home alone? Want to shake things up? Try this tini for one:

Zingertini (Bobby Flay's):

1 tangerine-orange flavored tea bag (such as Celestial Seasonings Tangerine Orange Zinger tea)

3 ounces vodka (Do you like yourself? Then give yourself good vodka...)

1 ounce orange liqueur

1 orange or tangerine for garnish (optional--don't get carried away; who ya trying to impress??)

Steep the tea bag in the vodka for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag and squeeze. In a shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka mixture and orange liqueur. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange or tangerine slice if you want to make yourself feel extra special. 

Word to the wise: You can also pour the martini mixture over ice, but for the sake of a good-looking martini, I ixnay the ice-ay. 

Word to the wise x2: In any cocktail that calls for juice, freshly squeezed is always best. Good orange and grapefruit juices can be found in the grocery store, but freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice is essential.. 

Moral of the story? I'm no match-maker, but if you're looking for a way to swoon a lady- and/or man- friend, these martini masterpieces are sure to help. Because of how impressive they are; not because of their alcohol content, weirdo.

*photo courtesy of foodnetwork.com--Bobby Flay's Zingertini

Giada on the Brain

I just returned from my beachy vacation, which means I need to stop eating as if I am still on vacation.  Isn't it funny how you work so hard to look good in a bikini before your trip, but when you get to your destination you consume at least 5 frozen pizzas in one week? Or maybe that's just me... But now that I am home from my vacation I should aim to makeup for what I ate there. But before I do that, I have to talk about Giada. Screw gettin' skinny; Giada's food is sexier than me in a bikini! I missed her dearly, when I was away. But don't you worry, Giada, you're back on the tube 24/7. And I caught the most amazing episode when I arrived home called Art House. She turned her house into an art museum in honor of her artist friend Darren Quinn. The art and food were equally scrumptious. She made fried, stuffed olives, and skewered greek salads. And I freakin' LOVE olives and greek salads so these recipes really hit my culinary spot. And, lucky for you, here they are!

Italian Fried Olives:

1 ounce gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup ricotta cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

20 pitted green olives, rinsed and dried thoroughly

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

vegetable oil for frying

In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, thyme and lemon zest. Place the mixture into a pastry bag with a 1/4 inch opening or a re-sealable plastic bag of which you made a small cut at one corner. Pipe the cheese mixture into the olives. Place the flour, the beaten egg, and the bread crumbs into three separate, small bowls. Dredge the olives in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the olives into the egg bowl. After coating them in the egg, transfer the olives to the bread crumbs. Coat the olives in the bread crumbs. Fill a saucepan with oil (enough to fill the pan about 1/3 of the way). Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches about 350 degrees. Fry the olives in batches, for just 30 to 45 seconds until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel, cool for 5 minutes, and pop these bad boys in your mouth like there's no tomorrow! (the recipe does not actually say that, but do it anyway)

Skewered Greek Salad:

-for the Skewers:

24 grape or small cherry tomatoes

3 ounces feta cheese, cut into 12 (1/2 inch) cubes

12 pitted kalamata olives

1/2 small red onion, cut into 12 (1/2 inch) pieces

12 (6 inch) bamboo or wood skewers

-for the Vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

salt and pepper

Thread each skewer with a tomato, a piece of feta, an olive, a piece of onion, and lastly, another tomato. Repeat with all the skewers and remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and oregano. Whisk in the olive oil until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pep.

Arrange the skewers on a serving platter and drizzle the vinaigrette over the skewers. Garnish with chopped oregano. 

The red tomatoes, purple onions, green oregano, and yellow vinaigrette make this appetizer super eye-pleasing. 

Moral of the story? Watching Giada, and therefore being madly enticed to make and eat her amazing food, is infinitely more fun than dwelling on what you ate over your vacation.

*photo is courtesy of foodnetwork.com

Home From the Festival... Sad Buds

I returned home from Charleston today. My buds haven't been their normal selves since; nothing tastes good anymore! That may be a slight exaggeration, but they are very spoiled. Consequently, I must tell you why, again. I already "blogged" about the BEST MEAL EVERRR, so now it's time to tell you about the second best.  It was a "Here's to Beer" dinner, thusly, I drank lots-o-beer. And I don't even like beer very much! That is probably why it is ranked second, because the BEST MEAL EVERRR was a wine dinner, and I would choose wine over beer any day of the week. Even Murnsday---my made up weekly holiday. That's irrelevant. Anyway. Although beer ain't my thing, the food was pretty damn good. So I'm going to tell you about it! Course by course, of course...

First course:

Sliced beef tenderloin atop garlic crostini with blue cheese sauce. I am definitely going to make this bad boy! The crisp crostini and the tender beef together have the perfect texture combination.  The blue cheese adds another element of flavor that carries the hors d'oeuvre sky high. The second hors d'oeuvre was barely seared tuna served on a thin cucumber slice topped with preserved lemon creme fraiche. It was quite delicious as well... As you can imagine.

Second course:

Pan-seared (perfectly freakin' cooked) scallops served with an arugula salad and pink grapefruit segments. The pepper-flavor of the arugula added nice seasoning to the scallops, and the citrus from the grapefruit rounded out the dish. The couple across from me did not eat seafood, and I cannot explain how much it killed me to see those perfect scallops go to waste. You do not leave something so wonderful on a plate; you just don't. 

Third course:

Fried oysters!! Yum-yum! Along with them were fried pepper rings. The fried jalapenos were awesome. They contributed just the right amount of heat; a jalapeno ring with an oyster was the perfect bite!  

Fourth course:

Lacquered pork belly with spinach puree and petite heirloom carrots. This dish was utterly divine, but it's no wonder why considering the fat content. My pork belly happened to be incredibly fatty, which is good in the sense that it melts in your mouth like heaven, and bad in that I could have about a teaspoonful before I felt sick. As delicious as it may have been, this was the only dish I didn't completely devour all weekend!

Dessert course:

Espresso creme brulee garnished with freshly made caramel corn, and double chocolate gelato served with black currant sauce. Wow O Wow, you won't be surprised to learn that instead of walking, I rolled home like bubble boy. It was fabulous.

Gosh I need to stop writing about this. I'm salivating and I can't be because I have a whitening strip on my teeth. No more tantalizing descriptions! I must go!

Moral of the story? It's good to roll home every once in a while...

Best Meal of My Life

Last night, I went to a restaurant called Trattoria Lucca in Charleston. I have never had a meal so wonderful in my entire life (sorry mom). I didn't want it to end, despite the fact that I was insanely stuffed.  Chef Ken Vedrinski was accompanied by Chef Fortunato Nicotra, from the restaurant Felidia in New York. Chef Nicotra has battled Iron Chef Morimoto on the Food Network's Iron Chef. I can't wait to watch it, by the way! Anyway, I am going to talk you through the menu; you may want to have a seat because you might get weak in the knees.

First course:

Raw blue fin tuna wrapped in a thin sheet of raw swordfish served with extremely fine diced (brunoise) red and yellow peppers, jalapenos, and pine nuts. It was SPECTACULAR.

Second course:

Quinoa asparagus "risotto" served with shrimp. The best risotto I've ever had, to say the least. I am definitely going to try to recreate the recipe. I'll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck...

Third course:

Perfectly seasoned sea-bass, cooked whole, served with wild mushrooms and celery root.  This was probably my favorite dish of the night, though the first course was right up there with it. I am not even going to try to recreate this dish, for that would be culinary suicide.

Fourth course:

Sauteed duck breast with sauteed red cabbage and golden raisins, caramelized pearl onions, a red wine reduction, garnished with fried duck skin, and served with creamy polenta. By this time, I had become a bottomless pit. There was no way I wasn't going to finish and savor every last bite.

Dessert course:

Gorgonzola gelato atop a filo-dough apple pie, served with a cherry reduction. The gorgonzola gelato was a little too rich for my buds; there was too pungent of a gorgonzola flavor for my liking. However, the apple pie was out of this world and the cherry reduction was perfect. 

Moral of the story? The only way to end this meal was with a cigarette and a naked nap. Too bad I don't smoke...

P.S. I took pictures of a few of the courses. Some of them did not turn out well. When I upload them I will post the best one.  The lady across from me said, "Oh my God, you're taking pictures of the food?? You really need a boyfriend!" I replied, "Listen bitch, I have a boyfriend!" Just kidding... I said, "Listen bitch, I'm a lesbian."

*Update: The 2 photos are the duck and dessert dishes.

Food & Wine Festival

Hi people! I am currently in Charleston at the Food and Wine Festival treating my buds extremely well. SO well that I have yet to take the time to write about all the Food and Wine that I'm consuming. I will be sure to write soon. Don't forget about me!

P.S. My buds say Hi and want to know if you are jealous of them. 

Ravin' Ravioli

For dinner last night, I did something I have never done before. But now I'm going to do it a whole lot more often! It was greatly successful. I made "homemade" ravioli. I say homemade, but that's kind of lying. Because I took a shortcut that is absolutely brilliant! I did NOT make homemade, fresh pasta dough.  Instead, I used wonton wrappers. They worked marvelously. It is such a good idea and it's really easy; anyone can do it. All you have to do is make a delicious filling to stuff inside the wonton wrappers. There are countless flavor variations. The recipe I whipped together, aside from the package of wonton wrappers, was:

15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

2 cups frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese

Little salt, little pep

and that's all!

Cook them in boiling water for just 4-5 minutes.

I served the spinach and cheese ravioli with vodka sauce, and literally, my man-friend couldn't stop moaning... It was borderline weird, but I got over it because it was quite flattering. He was raving for hours after eating. On another note, the ravioli were also very pretty.  The emerald spinach was visible through the tender wonton wrapper, and the vibrant red vodka sauce made the dish look like a christmas tree in flowery summer (in a good way). I did not take a picture of it and I am so mad about it now. I seriously scarfed it so fast that I didn't want to take the time to go get my camera... I couldn't wait to dig in. And I'm paying for it now since I don't have a beautiful picture to post. Don't cry. Make it yourself, then you'll see how pretty it is!

Make your winning combination, put about a tablespoon in the center of the wonton wrappers, wet the outter edges of the wonton with a watery finger, fold the edges over, and pinch to seal them closed. You'll be hearing the sound of strange yet delightful moans as soon as they hit the plate... if you can wait that long. 

Moral of the story? These ravioli are moanin' good.

Countdown to the Food & Wine Festival Continues

Two days ago I discussed my upcoming culinary dream come true: the Charleston Food and Wine Festival.  In an effort to be as selfless as utterly possible, I suggested that You have a little Food & Wine Festival of your own.  I don't want to be the only one experiencing food heaven.  Because... well, if that were the case, poor you! In honor of my direction to create a unique meal paired with complementary wine, I will provide you with a little help. But only if you promise to listen. Kapeesh? Deal. Shmooze a man- or lady-friend with this bad boy and you're pretty much set for life.  Well, you're set for dinner at least. (I know your dating history... take what you can get!) So I recently purchased the book Entertaining: Inspired Menus for Cooking with Family and Friends (Williams-Sonoma), and it describes what to look for when pairing wine and food. Here's the scoop (from the book---I'm not this good). 

Select wines or other beverages to complement the food.  Keep in mind that food and wine are most complementary when their qualities are similar (a full-bodied red served with a slow-cooked meat dish) or contrasting (a sweet, light white matched with a spicy dish). Note that wines are better appreciated when they progress from light to heavy over the course of the meal (whites served before reds, dry wines before sweet ones). 

Matching Food and Wine

Salty snack foods: Sparkling wines (Champagne, Prosecco, California sparkling wine)

Spicy, salty, or smoked dishes: Fruity, low-alcohol wines (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir)

Rich or fatty dishes: Full-bodied wines (Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah)

Highly acidic dishes: High-acid wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Chianti)

Desserts: Sweet wines, with the wine at least as sweet as the dish (Sauternes, Vin Santo, Muscat)

Goat's-milk cheeses: High-acid white wines (California Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre)

Double- or triple-creme cheeses: Fruity or sweet red wines (Young Pinot Noir, tawny Port)

Blue cheeses: Sweet white wines (Sauternes, late-harvest wines)

Word to the wise: If you're trying to impress your lady, don't memorize and spit these lines like an eminem song. The subtle gesture of having perfectly paired, delicious wine and food is infinitely more impressive.

Moral of the story? So now that you know how to match food and wine, let's move on to your wardrobe...

Let's Get Juicy

So, I received a request from an avid blog reader, and by avid blog reader I mean friend, inquiring about fresh juice. Earlier this year I purchased a juicer, the Juiceman Salton Elite, to be precise.  Best of all, I got it half-off at Tuesday Morning. Honestly, Tuesday Morning has to be my favorite store in the frickin' world. As obsessed with all-things-kitchen as I am, I go there for every kitchen appliance my heart desires.  The price of everything is slashed by at least 50%--being a penny-pinchin' college student, Tuesday Morning is pretty much the equivalent of winning the lottery. (To find one near you, go to www.tuesdaymorning.com) Oops, tangent. Anyway, back to juicy juice! Having a juicer is seriously a great luxury. There is nothing like a refreshing glass of fruity sweetness to wake up to in the morning (comparatively speaking, not even David Beckham or Edward Cullen suffice, meowww).  I always (pretty much always) sneak a carrot in my juice; it adds a subtle sweetness but more importantly it adds a lot of nutrients, such as beta carotene. Another key to absolutely amazing juice is pineapple (of course, you must like it in the first place). I personally LOVE pineapple, and if it's in season it makes for an insanely delicious juice just by itself, or with strawberries, blueberries, apples, etc. Here are some other fresh juice recipes, some of which came with the Juiceman and some I created to please my own buds. I am not going to include carrot or pineapple in the following recipes--because you can really add whatever fruits or veggies sound good to you. Just know that those are great tricks.

  Sunshine Cocktail: 2 apples,  5 strawberries

  Grapefruit Sugga Mama (sans sugar): 1 grapefruit (the whole thing!--white part included),  1 apple (the sweetness from the apple supplements the bitterness of the white parts of the grapefruit)

  Citrus Cocktail (white parts of all fruits included):  1/2 grapefruit,  2 oranges,  and 1/4 lemon 

  Fluorescent Sunrise: 1 mango (flesh only),  1 orange,  and 3 strawberries

  Hap-pee-pee: 3/4 cup cranberries,  2 apples

Now for some not-so-tasty but good-for-you combinations!  I make "shots" of these to boost my health, vitamin intake and immune system function. Although they're not the greatest taste-wise, they put veggies in my tummy that normally would be absent from my diet--so I appreciate them and all they do for me!

  Mean Greeny:  Handful of spinach spinach leaves,  1/2 carrot

  Energizer Bunny:  Handful of parsley,  1/2 carrot,  and 1/2 beet

  Hidden Immunity Idol (Survivor fans...):  1/4 celery stalk,  4 sprigs parsley,  1/4 carrot,  and 1/2 tomato

While you're at it, throw in anything that's good for you and chug, chug, chug! Some SO delicious, some not so much, either way, your bod with thank you!

Moral of the story? These recipes will have you feeling juicy, and looking even juicier (meowww). 

*photo is from the Juiceman website (www.juiceman.com)

Food and Wine City

Quess where I'm going on Thursday? The Charleston Food and Wine Festival! Say it with me...: "AHHHHH!!!" I'm so bleeping excited. Ya know that super-fly aunt I was telling you about? Well, being super-fly and all, she lives in Charleston, SC. Her and I are going to go to wonderful dinners hosted by Charleston's finest restaurants and wineries, watch Bobby Flay perform a burger-cookin' extravaganza, and experience a gospel barbeque brunch like no other ('cause I go to those regularly...). Here is the website if you want to see everything that's going down at the festival: http://www.charlestonfoodandwine.com/2009/

Even if you cannot partake, the events described on the site may provide you with a little inspiration for an extra-ordinary night on the town with your peoples. Do something spectacularly spontaneous with someone you love to eat with! Cause eating ain't no fun without--not only someone you love--but someone you love to share the pleasure of food with as well, am I right? Organize your own Food and Wine festival; buy some unique beer that you have yet to try, or unusual wines, and pair it with a meal that you would never think to make on a normal basis. And you don't have to spend a bajillion dollars to do so either; if you have a Trader Joes near you, you are one lucky son of a B. I have found some product there for mindblowingly cheap--although it may not be super refined in theory, it tasted super fine in my mouth! Allow the food and wine to compliment each other so that the end result is a bud-pleasing trip to Happy Town flavor explosion. Do some research and find unusual yet celebrated combinations and celebrate them yourselves! 'Cause this is a SPECIAL occasion and I would feel terrible if I were the only one having a culinary dream come true. You will find that although you're in your normal living space (not in Charleston, suckers!), there is no reason you can't have as much fun as me. Live out your culinary fantasy. Maybe hot twin sisters in invisible lingerie who just finished pillow fighting will bring your food to you. Maybe...
Moral of the story? I'm smiling. Are you?

*Image is from the Charleston Food and Wine festival website

Praise Your Pets

Eating the same beef-flavored pebbles every day can't be all that great... Instead, treat your pet(s) to a special meal today. My aunt's doggies are the most blessed dogs on the face of the planet. Each and every day they have fresh meals prepared for them: either runny eggs and sausage, bacon, ground beef and veggies, or left over prime rib from a five star restaurant. Today, make your dog so lucky. Or kitty cat, of course, with some tuna that never fails to tantalize their senses.  You eat whatever you want everyday; give your beloved animals the same luxury. Make today a special day for them--give them an extra cuddly nuzzle, too! 

Moral of the story? "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man."-Mark Twain

HEALTHY Bomb 'Balls

Last week I wrote about some bomb meatballs--lusciously stuffed with mozzarella cheese.  But since it is crunch time for muffin-top-/blub-/love-handle- (whatever you want to call it!) busting, a slimmed-down version of bomb 'balls is definitely called for.  As you know, substituting beef with turkey is a key component in making the old switcharoo from full-fat to lean.  So, although these balls are not filled with oozing fresh mozzarella, they are incredible nonetheless. And you can actually feel good about eating them! 

  Bomb Turkey Meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey (light and/or dark meat)

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs

zest of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2-2 jars of the tomato sauce of your choice

Cook the onions in 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let the onion mixture cool. Once it has cooled, in a large bowl combine the onion mixture with the ground turkey, egg, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, basil and parsley with your hands.  Form into golf-ball sized balls. Brown the meatballs in the remaining olive oil (in batches, if necessary, not to overcrowd the pan) which should take about 5 minutes. Once they have all been browned, put the meatballs into the simmering tomato sauce and cook for 30 minutes shaking the pot occasionally to toss the balls around. Serve by themselves in the sauce or with pasta. 

All of the fresh herbs make these balls delectably tasty. What they lack in fat, they make up for in flavor, and that makes me so happy! Seriously, they are so pleasing that you will have no idea you're actually eating really well. This dish will fill you UP in all the right ways without filling you OUT!

Moral of the story? These balls are fit for a speedo.

Snub the Blub-- Continued

In 2 weeks and 3 days, I'm going to be soakin' up the sunshine in beautiful Florida with the wind in my hair, a powder-white zinc oxide covered nose (NOT), and most importantly, I'm going to be in a teeny bikini. SO, it's crunch time--crunch time big time! To continue with the healthy streak (I have previously posted healthful turkey burger and salmon recipes), today I did prep-work for healthful meals to last me through the week. I cooked 3 rather large chicken breasts, seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, under the broiler for about 12-15 minutes turning once. Once they were done and somewhat cool, I cut 1/4 of the chicken into slices and cubed the other 3/4. I didn't even put any olive oil on the breasts prior to broiling them--it's calorie/fat cutting season so I'm trying to be as bikini-friendly as possible in my cooking. Plus, I left the breasts rather plain so that when I make meals with them later in the week I can turn up the flavor in any direction that I want.

So here are some of my game-plan recipes for my 2-week 3-day long quest to snub the blub!

Keep in mind that these recipes are meant for hearty individual servings. You can double them if you are cooking for 2+, and you can always prepare more than 3 breasts to start. They'll keep in the fridge for about one week.

Chicken Chili:

1 cup cubed chicken (1/2 inch cubes)

1 15 ounce can of tomatoes (whole, diced, or crushed)

1 yellow bell pepper (I think they're the prettiest), cored, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 a small yellow onion, chopped

1/2 a garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Saute the onion in the oil for about 7-10 minutes on medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic, chopped pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for one minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in a food processor (the juice/puree too) if not crushed already and add to the pot. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken when you're ready to eat, leaving it on the heat just long enough to heat the chicken through. Enjoy this delicious and super, super healthy and hearty meal! Think about it, there's hardly any fat in the entire thing! Be sure to save the leftovers--it gets better and better.

Healthy Chicken Quesadillas:

1 spinach or whole wheat tortilla

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded (can use more; it's up to you)

1/4 cup yellow onion, sliced

sliced chicken, however much fits flat across half of the tortilla

1/2 teaspoon olive oil, or PAM cooking spray

Condiments and dipping is up to you!

Saute the onion in the olive oil or PAM in large pan (large enough to fit the tortilla round) on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove onion and set aside. Spray the pan with cooking spray and place tortilla in pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese on half of the tortilla (you're going to fold the other half over later). Add the onions and the sliced chicken on top of the cheese, leaving some cheese showing. Cover the chicken and onions with the remaining cheese and fold the other half of the tortilla over to make a half-moon shaped quesadilla. Allow cheese to melt slightly before flipping. Flip to toast the other side of tortilla. Once melted and toasty, slice into triangles and serve with the condiments of your choice, such as sliced cool, avocado and chunky salsa. The pepper jack cheese and sauteed onions really pump up the flavor; serving with salsa and refreshing avocado slices will turn up the volume even more.

Loaded (not bloated) Baked Potato:

1 potato

3/4 cup broccoli florets

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (can use more if you like it very cheesy)

1 cup cubed chicken

1 piece turkey bacon

salt and pepper to taste

Microwave the potato for 5 minutes to speed up the cooking process, then place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. While the potato is in its final stretch in the oven, cook the broccoli in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Chop the turkey bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in pan over medium heat for about 4-7 minutes depending on the texture you desire. Blot any excess grease. Chop the broccoli, and in a bowl combine the broccoli, chicken, bacon, and cheese, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Slice the potato lengthwise and loosen the flesh with a fork. Season the potato with salt and pepper. Place the chicken mixture in the potato while the potato is still hot and cover with foil (or place it back in the oven for a minute or 2) to melt the cheese. Then, all done! This is a different kind of loaded baked potato--and it's loaded with nutrition and flavor instead of butter and cream! Bye-bye love-handles!

Snack on this--Spicy Chicken Wrap:

1 spinach tortilla

1/8 cup cheddar cheese (or any kind)

3/4 cup cubed chicken

Hot sauce to taste

Place the cheese and chicken in the center of tortilla. Sprinkle with the hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot), as much as you want and as spicy as you like it. Roll the tortilla up like a buritto--roll the bottom half over the meat, then fold in both sides, and continue rolling. This is a substantial and protein-rich snack that will tickle your buds.

Moral of the story? Eating this well will allow you to kiss the blub goodbye as you prepare to be sun-kissed.

*photo courtesy of www.puppiesandflowers.com

'Tis the Season to Get Shkinny

In honor of muffin-top-losing season (if you don't know what a muffin-top is, see post below), here is another recipe that is super delicious and really healthful.  And since it was invented by Goddess Giada, you know it's good. She is both an outstanding chef and a "looker!" My sister always says not to trust a skinny chef, but Giada is one that I believe in. In watching her shows embarrassingly often, I see both her amazing culinary ability and her ungodly attractiveness.  Therefore, I have faith in her and want to know her secrets, which her healthful recipes are surely a part of. I have made this salmon recipe a couple of times and it is really delicious.  Here it is:

4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

8 lemon slices--about 2 lemons

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice--about 1 lemon

1/2 cup marsala (or white) wine

4 teaspoons capers

4 squares of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the fillets

Brush the top and bottom of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place each fillet on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. Top each fillet with 2 lemon slices, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of wine, and 1 teaspoon of capers. Wrap and fold the foil around the fish, making cute little foil packages. Place the packages on a medium-high heat grill pan or charcoal grill and cook for 10 minutes (for about 1-inch thick pieces of salmon).  Serve the salmon directly from the foil packets, so everyone gets their own individual package.  

All the flavors from the wine, lemon and capers infuse into the salmon and make it so moist and flavorful.  The lemon slices on top and the cute little package make for a lovely presentation. But best of all, this recipe makes eating healthy easy-breezy! 

Moral of the story? Cooking like Giada would be a dream come true; LOOKING like her wouldn't be so bad either...

*Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Get Rid of the Muffin-Top: Slim-Down Tips & Recipes

**For those of you who are unaware of what I mean by "muffin-top," I'm going to help you out or else this post won't make any sense... Ya know the  junk spilling over a person in pants that are 3 sizes too small? Just imagine the belly of a sumo wrestler in a pair of Madonna's hot pants... That's a muffin-top.**
With Spring vacation on its way, we better get cracking. Nobody likes the look of an overstuffed bikini... An easy way to cut down on the flab is by switching up and slimming down recipes to cut the calories and fat. All it takes is the will to make the right decisions, and more often than not, you'll need to cook your meals yourself. If you want to know exactly what is in your food, and ultimately in your tum-tum, you need to prepare it firsthand. It comes down to these few questions: french fries or a baked potato; fried chicken or grilled/broiled chicken; creamy soup or broth-based soup? (P.S... chicken broth only has 10 calories per serving!---Think of all the possibilities!)

You just have to get over that hump and make the commitment to eat well! And trust me, I'm not about eating like a rabbit, but replacing certain foods with healthier ones can be easy. Some ideas are turkey bacon (instead of pork), cutting down on the yolks (I use 3 whites for breakfast but only 1 yolk), and replacing pizza night with a nice fish or chicken dinner.

One recipe that is incredibly easy to slim down is the burger. Replacing beef with turkey is the quickest way to omit the majority of fat. In fact, turkey is about 99% fat free. Here is the foundation for delicious turkey burgers that are so fantastically simple and incredibly delicious... Now it is your turn to get creative.

Season 1 1/3 lb ground turkey (average weight of one package) with salt and pepper, and whatever seasonings or dried herbs that you like (such as garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or parsley). Then add whatever chopped veggies you want (such as onion, roasted red peppers, or mushrooms). Because turkey is so lean, a common theme is to add some sort of fat for moisture, such as extra virgin olive oil. But I do not usually do this--my opinion is that it's lean for a reason! You can however, moisten it up with tomato paste or worcestershire sauce. Cook the burgers in a pan for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Then comes the cheese! (if you're being really good, add a low-fat or part skim cheese, or omit it all together). Top the burger with your favorite toppings, like grilled or raw onions, lettuce, tomato, you know the drill... Whatever combination you choose will be delicious. And with all the different combo possibilities, you could eat a different turkey burger every day of the week (just an idea...).

One recipe that I love involves mixing salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chopped roasted red peppers into the meat. Then I stuff the burger with colby jack or pepper jack cheese (to stuff, wrap two smaller patties around the cheese and seal the edges). I top it with grilled onions, lettuce, ketchup and mustard and dig in with a fork and a knife! It is so good even without the bun. Plus, you can give yourself a little larger of a portion that way!

Word to the wise: The key to a delicious turkey burger is flavoring them really well with whatever herbs and veggies you love. Ground turkey is a blank canvas.

Moral of the story? Do YOU want to be the muffin-top lady? I don't think so!

My Favorite Cookies

In a world where billions are spent on perfumes, there is no scent quite as perfect, or as simply sensual as a batch of freshly baked cookies.  And I mean NOTHIN'. It's like being wrapped up in a blanket comprised of angels' whispers and exotic flowers; or sugar and chocolate.  Same difference.  Anyway, that is what I'm smelling right now, and I feel so sorry for everyone who is smelling, well, anything else. But you don't have to be missing out... Here is my absolute favorite cookie recipe.  Not only is it soul-rockingly delicious, it is quite different from the average chocolate chip cookie. This extraordinary cookie has chocolate dough and white chocolate chunks.  Woah, I know, be careful! It has the potential to turn your entire world upside down! Especially if you're a white chocolate lover...

Ina Garten is the creator of this marvelous recipe.  The only adjustment I make is cutting the amount of white chocolate. The recipe calls for an abundant 1.5 lbs, but I use about half.  You can be certain that they will be delicious either way. The power lies within YOU! 

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

24-32 ounces of good white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use Ghirardelli.  You can use white chocolate chips if you wish to take a short-cut, but I like the comforting, rustic look of a coarse chop)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time. Mix well.  Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift the flour, soda and salt together and add to the wet mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (even if they appear underdone). Let cool on baking sheet temporarily, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Word to the wise: This recipe makes a lot of cookies! Multiple (2-3) baking sheets will likely be a must. Halving the recipe is always an option.

Moral of the story? Get you some. 

Epiphany: Stinky Fingers = Sex Appeal

After I cook with garlic and onions, which is about always, my fingers carry the smell with them for days later. Anyone who cooks out there knows what I'm talking about. I have always hated it; I'll be sleeping and wake up to the smell of garlic as my hand nuzzles under my chin. But then I realized... It's frickin' sexy. Okay, okay... It may be hard to comprehend at first, but think about it. If Goddesses like Giada and Nigella Lawson have stinky fingers, then I am honored to have them too! I am proud to share that lovely trait with such stunning, gorgeous women. Maybe stinky fingers are a sign that you're a Rockstar in the kitchen. And I am more than alright with that. So no more hiding the smell of garlic and onions; rather, embrace it! For stinky fingers are fingers that know how--and more importantly LOVE--to cook, and that is sexy in itself.
Moral of the story? Screw the dark chocolate and snails, garlic and onions are the new aphrodisiacs.
*Photo courtesy of the Herald Times

Bomb Meatballs

So I am recuperating after a fantastic dinner. Sitting on the couch with some kitties, chocolate, white wine, and lap top.  Thus, it's the perfect time to blog.  I made some killer meatballs for din-din and I've been thinking about sharing the recipe ever since I bit into one of those bomb 'balls.  I had the idea of stuffing the meatballs with a cube of fresh mozzarella cheese, and in searching for more recipe ideas, I came across one by queen Giada that actually did just that.  So I used her recipe but made a few changes to make the balls my own (balls balls balls).  Here is the recipe: 

1 lb-ish ground beef (I used 80/20--meaning 80% lean, 20% fat)

1 small onion, grated--creating an onion pulp

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, beaten

2 tbs ketchup

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup italian style bread crumbs

Season with salt and pepper

About 4-6 ounces of fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Mix the beef, onion, garlic, egg, ketchup, parmesan, and bread crumbs together. Roll into golfball size balls, and place a cube of mozzarella in the center and reform around the cheese.  This recipe should yield approximately 20 balls, depending on the size you choose.  Place them onto a baking sheet that is covered with parchment paper.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes exactly.  

The mozzarella oozes out of the balls slightly and makes for a delectable presentation.  I serve them with a hearty pasta and marinara sauce (I use Newman's Own marinara, its the closest to homemade I've ever found). You have to try these!

Moral of the story? Dump the man; no balls will make you happier than these.

Chocoholics: You'll Either Love Me, or Hate Me

I could eat chocolate every hour of every day forever and be incredibly happy. I would look awesome, too. NOT. But I would need a way to spice chocolate up a bit.

Want to impress your peoples and make some delicious chocolate clusters? It is so simple; as long as you have parchment paper, chocolate, and nuts, dried fruit, cereal, or whatever you want to mix it with. Begin by melting chocolate in a pot over low heat. Stir in your favorite munchies. Some ideas are almonds, chex cereal, broken pretzels, peanuts, and dried fruit. I think the chex cereal, pretzel, and peanut combination is AMAZING with milk or white chocolate, or BOTH! You can even chop up some Oreo cookies in a food processor (or by hand) and mix them into the melted chocolate. Then just dollop little spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You could also spread the entire mixture on the parchment paper and break it up later. Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened. And Ta-da! You'll have perfect little chocolate clusters with all of your favorite things inside!

Word the the wise: Drizzling them with a different chocolate will make your clusters look like you paid $10/lb for them.

Moral of the story? Your personal chocolate factory is in your own kitchen.