Presidential Menu

Obama will be eating more than a sandwich next week. Holy Cow does this menu sound amazing for the Inauguration Lunch:

First Course
Seafood Stew

Second Course
Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney
Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing
Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Winter Vegetables

Third Course
Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

I never knew they posted the menu with recipes. Can you image creating a meal for this event. How amazing would that be. I'm going to try the winter veggies next Tuesday:

Asparagus: preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Carrots: bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Deviled Eggs Search

I am on the search to make the perfect deviled egg this month. I have tried it a few times but haven't gotten to the perfect mix. First ones had way to much flavor, second ones were to salty, third were boring, and the last ones one the left had too much onion. I am thinking about trying some with jalapenos. I know Easter is still kinda far away, but this year I'm going to get it right. Let me know if you have any tips.

Kosher Salt

I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I had fun cooking up new creations. So, let me start off with virus day. One day our computer was slammed with viruses. Luckily we have Norton so it didn't do much. I wanted them off my pc just in case so I brought it up to work and reloaded windows. Well I got home and the Internet wasn't working. So, turns out you need a driver for that. Needless to say I have been offline way to long. I didn't realize how much I use it to look up stuff while I'm cooking.

So, one night I had my parent and Matt's parents over for a Venison Chili. It was my first time cooking venison (deer). Everything was going great. Then Matt says make sure you put enough salt in there. So when it came to that part I read 4 tablespoons Kosher Salt. This is where I usually google it, but with out that I thought must be the same. Plus Matt said make sure there is enough salt. Boy was I wrong. It turns out that Kosher Salt is the salt most chefs use which is half as strong as table salt. It was so bad. What made it worse was that you could tell it would have been fabulous. I tried putting a potato in there to make it better but it was beyond help.

We also had Christmas Eve at our house this year. I finally got to take out the china from our wedding. It was so much fun. The ham turned out amazing. We had mac, potato junk, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes! I had left overs the entire week. I got one of those iPod Touch. Which is pretty cool b/c there are all these cooking apps you can upload. Let me know if you use any you like.

Happy New Year!

Food and Family Magazine/Website

Kraft Foods has an amazing website to get ideas and techniques for snacks. If you are entertaining this holiday season check out their holiday how-to center. It is full of videos from roasting a turkey to the perfect gravy to candy cane cookies. About a year ago I signed up for their free magazine. Just simply sign-up on the top right and fill in your address/check that you want recipes by mail and you are all set. It is full of ideas, coupons, and recipes. You can see all the archive ones online.

More Movie Theme Ideas

I was surfing the web and came across this article on The Nest. It has some great ideas on pairing up movies with a meal. Here are some of my favorites:

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2

Quentin Tarantino’s gruesome tale of a once-pregnant bride avenging the deaths of her fiance and friends doesn’t exactly lend itself to eating. But if one had to pair a meal with this movie, we recommend a Japanese-style tuna dish -- since a large portion of the film occurs in Tokyo (feel free to wield your knives like a ninja or dine wearing masks) -- and a nice blood orange martini as an homage to the film’s gore.

· Blood Orange Martini
· Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna With Wasabi Cream Sauce

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

The passive-aggressive dinner took on a whole new meaning when John and Jane Smith dine for the first time after becoming aware of each other’s profession. Both are on high alert, with John suspecting Jane slipped something deadly in his martini and poisoned the roast, and Jane wielding a carving knife like a professional. And who can forget the favorite “Did you do something different?”/“I added peas”/“Ah, peas” exchange? Dine like the Smiths, but leave the passive-aggression to Brad and Angelina.

· Roast Beef

Wedding Crashers

One of The Nest editors’ favorite movies, this one’s a no-brainer. Quoth crazy touch football player guy: “Crab cakes and football. That’s what Maryland does!” Make some crab-and-corn chowder and accompany it with a nice baba ghanoush and pitas. Why the odd combination, you ask? Owen Wilson’s character, John, lovingly refers to Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) as “baba ghanoush” throughout the film.

· Crab-and-Corn Chowder
· Baba Ghanoush
· Champagne

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Ah, the touching tale of two friends on a daring adventure to score drugs and dine at a fast food establishment shaped like a castle. It’s almost straight out of Hans Christian Andersen! Or, you know, not at all. Either way, dine like Harold and Kumar on sliders (duh), fries, and a huge fountain soda (Mountain Dew is their beverage of choice in the movie). The best part is that you already have the recipes, so there’s no need to wander through New Jersey all night to eat what you desire.

· Sliders
· Fries

The Godfather (Parts I & II)

Time for some of our Italian favorites thanks to Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia epic. But leave the gun; eat a cannoli.

· Minestrone
· Veal Scallops in Cream Sauce
· Spaghetti
· Pick up some cannolis and red wine on your way home.

Movie Theme Night

Make you movie night extra special with a theme. For example, for a night with Finding Nemo you can make Fish Tacos. Just buy some fish sticks, heat them up and stuff them in a shell. Try to get inspired by the movie. Look at the location if it is filmed in NYC make Ruben Sandwiches and Cheesecake. If most of it takes place in a pizza parlor (like Mystic Pizza) make some pizza. Bite size is always fun during a movie b/c you can just snack on them the whole time.

Potato Ricer

All the magazines right now are showing the potato ricer as the best way to make mashed potatoes. So, I did some research to find out just what they were talking about. It is really just another technique to make them. Instead of using a hand mixer or masher you place the potato instead and squeeze the potatoes out. Kinda a cool idea. I remember seeing them in antique store not knowing what they were. So, I thought it was a lost art but boy was I wrong. Some sites say you can make hash browns with them as well. That made me start thinking what else I can make and my potato soup came to mind. They run about $20. If you are super bored at work check out this article from LA Times. It is pretty good. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-tool19dec19,1,2860635.story?coll=la-headlines-food

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Make your table extra special with place cards this year. The ideas above come from Stampin'Up. I have just fallin in love with their site. I never knew you could do so many cool things with stamps and die cuts. Super easy too. All you need to do is print names on business cards, make a stand with thick paper, and cut out some paper. So cute!

Bread Bowl - Potato Soup

It is finally cold in Texas. Soup is an all-time favorite comfort food in my house. I like to put it in a bread bowl for an extra touch. All you do is buy a small artisan bread for each person, cut out a circle on top take out the insides, and there you go. This technique is also great for dips. McAllister's makes a really good one if you aren't in the mood to go out. One of my all time favorite soups is potato soup. I really like this recipe b/c of all its flavors.

What you need
1 tbsp butter, unsalted
1½ quart chicken stock
2 large peeled potatoes, sliced evenly in ¼ inch slices
salt , to taste
2 spigs fresh thyme
1½ C heavy cream
½ C mexi cheese, grated
¼ C bacon, cooked and diced


How to do it
1. Add chicken stock, potatoes, salt, butter and fresh thyme to a dutch oven.
2. Cook for 40 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
3. Add cream, bring to a boil and serve hot.
4. Garnish with Cheddar cheese and diced bacon.

Fleur de lis Pumpkin

Hurray! Pumpkin carving time. Last weekend Matt and I finally carved our pumpkins. It was so much fun. This year I decided to do my favorite symbol the fleur de lis. It is really easy to do. I just googled it, printed it out, and traced it. Matt did all the carving. The grocery store had this amazing carving kit. One of the tools in it was this saw like thing that traced the outline. It is one of the best inventions ever. Very easy to use. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Pie Slicer

Last Friday my brother was in town and we went to to our favorite restaurant Babe's. My mom pointed out this really cool slicer they had to cut their pies. I just feel in love with it. You can buy your own at chefcentral.com for $24.99. Try making a "poison" apple pie this Halloween. To add a cute little touch buy a cookie cutter shaped as an apple to make a design on the top crust. Another idea is so make it with the regular crust but with your leftover dough cut out apples and add to the top.

Four Cheese Pasta

I just adore this recipe because it is a one dish wonder. I like to add grilled chicken but it is just as filling without. Since it is first boiled then baked be careful not to over cook but don't worry about it too much penne is really easy plus you just pop it in the oven for a little bit to melt the cheese. When switching out noodle types on recipes try to stay close to the family like penne and bowtie are pretty easy to switch as is spaghetti and fettuccine. To keep your pasta warm heat your serving bowl in the oven. I like to eat my pasta in a bowl that way you can use the sides to turn the noodles on my fork.

6 slices of bacon

½ small onion, chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

3 C chicken broth

1 C heavy cream

1 lbs penne

salt

ground black pepper

½ C grated Parmesan cheese

1 C can peas

1 C shredded Italian 4-cheese blend
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cook bacon in a dutch oven. Once crispy remove and place on paper towels. Add onion and garlic to the bacon grease and cook until the onion is soft.

2. Break the bacon into pieces. Add broth, bacon, cream, pasta, and ½ teaspoon of salt; cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stir frequently.

3. Once pasta is tender about 15 minutes take off heat. Stir in Parmesan, shredded cheese, and peas. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 5 minutes.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Ok, I was pretty bored one night and came across this hard boiled egg mold. I thought it was too funny. Perfect for if your kids that won't eat their eggs. You can find them on ichibankanusa.com.

So, when I first started making hard boiled eggs I would get a green layer around the yolk, but if done properly you can get the perfect egg. Some things I love to do with hard boiled eggs are egg salad sandwich, deviled eggs, and cobb salad. Here are some tips/steps to follow to get the perfect egg:

1. Check the eggs for any visible cracks; if so toss.

2. In a pan filled with water gently place the eggs in a single layer. Make sure the water covers eggs completely.

3. Over high heat, bring water just to a rapid boil. As soon as the water reaches a rapid boil, remove pan from heat and cover egg pan with a lid for 17-20 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and drain water. Add ice cubes and cold water to the pan with the eggs.

5. Check to make sure they are done by the spin test. (If it can stay up and spinning then it is ready)

6. Let eggs cool at least 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.

7. Now they are ready to peel. I gently crack it where the air pocket is normally on the larger end. Then peel under cold water.

Art of Frying

1. One trick I like to use when frying is to smell it. When the aroma first hits the room it is time to flip and when you really start to smell the goodness of grease it is ready.

2. When I fry meat like chicken I like to put it to the bounce test to see if it is done. You take your tongs and poke it gently to see if it is still bouncy. If so it is still underdone and needs more time.

3. Have you ever noticed the first batch is always the best when frying in a pan. Well turn your heat down a little on the second and that should help you from burning it.

4. Overcrowding the deep fryer can result in greasy food. The more you add to the fryer the lower the oil temperature gets. Lower temperatures causes the food to absorb too much oil and become greasy. So, try small batches.

5. Try not to touch, flip, etc to much it might cause your batter to come off. Practice, practice, practice. It takes time to get it down. If it doesn't turn out the first time learn from that and try again.

Bobbing Apples

Martha Stewart had a cute idea for some mood lighting. Every apple will float differently, so see how they balance in water before marking their topsides with a dot. Place the tea light over the dot, and trace around its circumference with a utility knife, inserting the knife vertically as deep as the tea light is tall. Set aside the light, cut the circle into sections, and scoop them out with a spoon. Squeeze lemon juice onto the cut surface to keep the apple from turning brown, and insert a tea light.

Jalapenos

How spicy do you like your peppers? Did you know you can prepare your pepper to be hotter or mild? It is really simple. When you cut it open you will see seeds in the middle. Most people think the heat comes from those but really it is the veins. Leave them for more heat...Strip them for less. Don't forget to stay away from your eyes after touching. Boy does that hurt.

Opening a Bottle of Wine

So, if you are anything like me you love a nice bottle of wine by the fire on a cold rainy day. With April showers just around the corner I thought I'd share with yall some wine techniques. To open a bottle of wine place an X on the top where the foil is. This will help you peel all the foil off. You need to especially take all the foil off with vintage wines; they could contain lead. To check the freshness of your wine feel the cork side that was facing the wine. If the cork is dry it might be a sign your wine has spoiled. My favorite vineyard is by far Chateau St. Michelle. I love their blended wines like Ethos Chardonnay, great for pastas, and Red Blend Orphelin. These wines are kinda hard to find. The best way is in online. I must admit am slowly going to the red side.

French Wine Listen 101.
They served wine at the celebration dinner. Ils ont servi du vin au dîner de gala.

Cookies

This website has some pretty good techniques for baking cookies:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Cookie/CookieTips.htm

My fav tip: "A baking or cookie sheet should be either cool or at room temperature when the cookie dough is placed on it; otherwise, the dough will start to melt, adversely affecting the cookies' shape and texture." I have found that if you just wait for the pan to cool down before the next batch then the cookies won't flatten out.

Pretty Plate

Who says you meal can't be a piece of art? On special nights like date night make your plates special. For dessert make a cheesecake like aways but when it goes on the plate add raspberry syrup on top in a cool design. Also, for a plate of pasta simply adding fresh parsley will bring it to a new eye candy level. you online and look at some fancy restaurants to get an idea. I found the one above from a cute resturant in San Francisco.

Hate Onions?

I don't know anyone that likes cutting onions. Instead we cut them in about 4-8 chucks and through them in a food processor. Simply cut the ends, then down the middle in both directions. Place them in the processor and pulse until the are the consistency you want. I promise you won't cry doing them this way.