Iron

I love almost everything pertaining to cooking...

that includes looking at pots and pans, and cooking

 utensils. Recently, I have fallen for a very un-glamourous

 cooking essential...a cast iron skillet. It won't break if I drop

 it, there is no non-stick coating that will eventually peel off

and it can be used as a weapon if needed. 

Last night I decided to experiment and see if I could cook

our whole dinner just using a cast iron skillet. 

Homemade Potato Chips 

 Peanut oil, for frying

3 potatoes, thinly sliced

Sea Salt

In a large cast iron skillet, fill oil no more than halfway and heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

Add the potato slices in batches. Fry until light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Drain on paper towels, 

season with salt, and serve

Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions 

Reserve 2 tablespoons of oil from the chips and 

place mushrooms and onions into the 

skillet. Sautee until golden brown. 

Hamburgers 

1 lb of ground beef 

Salt and Pepper 

1 glove minced garlic

Mr. Mac & Cheese

I really like Macaroni and Cheese, 

even $2.00 Kraft Dinner from the box 

BUT

even better than that...

homemade macaroni and cheese. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large egg
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• Salt & black pepper

Topping

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

• Directions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf. Gently whisk in the egg. Stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
• 
• Enjoy! 
• (Recipe courtesy of:Alton Brown
• Photos by: Me:)

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Dinner's Colors

Sesame Soy Green Beans

Cook the green beans in 1 cup of water 

until tender. Add two cloves minced garlic, 

1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce. 

Cook for 1 minute. 

White Rice with Sesame Oil 

Cook white rice per instructions

Drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil over 

cooked rice. Gently toss the rice.

Grilled Lemon Salmon

Ingredients

3 Salmon Fillets

1/2 cup of mayonnaise 

1/2 squeezed lemon

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Olive Oil 

Heat stove top grill with olive

 oil on low-medium heat. 

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice and parsley 

together in a bowl, then spread on top of the 

salmon fillets. Cook fillets 5 minutes each side. 

Enjoy! 

(photos by:me)

Thank you, Bon Appetit

This afternoon when I got home from

 work I looked down at the coffee table

 and saw May's issue of Bon Appetit 

I have a love for food magazines, 

cookbooks, and pretty much anything 

pertaining to cooking delicious food. 

One of the things I love about Bon 

Appetite is, simply looking at the 

cover makes me want to cook 

something special; then laying in

 bed at night, looking through the 

recipes and pictures from all over 

the world...well it feels like my

 little

 piece 

of

 luxury. 

Note: I was inspired to cook, 

so for dinner I made:

* Rosemary & Lemon Chicken

and Pesto Fettucini 

(Thank you to Bon Appetit) 

If Ever in Denmark

I was reading an article titled: Artisanal And Authentic, The Flavors Of The New Year. Towards the end of this article the writer set aside a few paragraphs to write about a restaurant in  Copenhagen, Denmark: Noma.

"Noma was just named the best restaurant in the world by The San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants. Redzepi's staff forages in the woods, and the menu includes such things as sorrel granita, musk ox, pork skin and chicken skin, as well as accents of hay, pine, moss and juniper. For dessert? Jerusalem artichoke ice cream." 

Because I have a love for most things relating to food, I looked up Noma's website and...

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. 

(excerpt courtesy of: 

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/01/144442022/artisanal-and-authentic-the-flavors-of-the-new-year) 

At My Table

After looking through"Around My French Table" (by Dorie Greenspan)

I was inspired to prepare a simple, colorful, and flavorful meal. 

Green salad topped with

thinly sliced steak

strawberries 

radishes

Balsamic Vinaigrette

*Garnished with walnuts 

French baguette with Fontina cheese. 

(photos courtesy of: me) 

Who's coming for dinner?

Last night I had company over. 

They came at 6 o'clock and before I knew

 they were saying goodbye at the door

(where did the time go?).

 I think that's how 

it should always be when you are having 

dinner with friends: stories, laughter, 

food & wine,

 and when you close the door

you think "That was a wonderful way to spend

a Friday evening."

(Photos courtesy of: Me) 

A Unique Combination

Please let me preface this by saying "Please don't judge me" :) This past weekend I found a wonderful combination that I had heard about but never tried. Sitting on a back patio, candles lighting up the table, I tried a bottle of stout and a chocolate truffle. It was a taste I was not at all familiar with. I had tasted cheese & wine, espresso and chocolate mousse, and now stout and truffle...it was delicious.

1. stout - a strong very dark heavy-bodied ale made from pale malt and roasted unmalted barley and (often) caramel malt with hops.

2. truffle - Any of various chocolate confections, especially one made of a mixture including chopped nuts, rolled into balls and covered with cocoa powder.

(Photos courtesy of: google image)

Dinner for two (actually 3)

This evening two friends

came over for dinner.

 I love planning the menu,

picking out the food,

putting on great

music, trying a new

recipe;having

it turn out 

and most of all...

I love having company over

when it's 

friends

Menu

1. Parmesan Crisps

2. Garlic Roasted Potatoes

3. Corn on the Cob 

4. Steak 

Dessert

Carmel Pecan Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries 

(photos courtesy of: me) 

Bread & Butter

I could not stop smiling as the warm smell of baking bread filled my apartment. This recipe for Amish White Bread was a delight making and even more delightful eating! I hope you enjoy:)

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/3 cup white sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
(Recipe courtesy of: allrecipes.com)
(Photos courtesy of: Me)

Strawberries

“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.”~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Strawberry Pie
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberries & Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Sundae
Strawberry Cupcake
Strawberries in the hand of a little girl with the juices dripping down her chin...I do like strawberries very much.

A little slice

Pizza Margherita

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
Combine the tomatoes, garlice and olive oil in a blender (add a little sea salt and black pepper)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped (sprinkle on top of pizza after it is finished baking and right before serving)
1/2 pound mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional for sprinkling)

Pizza dough — by hand method:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a large bowl, combine yeast with water, olive oil, salt, sugar and stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well to thoroughly incorporate. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

Shape dough as desired and roll out to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Transfer dough to a pizza stone and let rest for 15 min.

Bake pizza for 10 min. or until the mozzarella is bubbly. Sprinkle the basil and optional Parmigiano-Reggiano.
(Photos courtesy of: Me:)

A Taste of Scandinavia (Cookbook)

It was the cover of Trina Hahnemann's cookbook that first captured my attention. It was the rest of her cookbook that captured my time. It's a cookbook you could look at over and over, one for the recipes, and two for the beautiful photos.
Her cookbook is laid out in seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter). Each season hosts different dishes and drinks. One thing this cookbook has inspired in me is to really stop and see the textures, colors and to take in the smells while I am preparing my meals; even one as simple as granola and fruit in the morning. I find the more time I give to notice my food, the more I enjoy the taste of my food.
I hope this weekend you will find that time to truly see & taste a meal with the ones you love.

An Open face

I treasure the weekends that I have time to create new recipes~This weekend I made a fresh, open face sandwich that reminded me that spring is around the corner.
Ingredients:
1 piece rustic Italian bread
2 Tlb. Olive Oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. mayonnaise
Your choice of vegetables
(I used asparagus, zucchini, tomato, and romaine lettuce)
Your choice of cheese (I used crumbled sharp cheddar)
3 leaves of Basil for garnish
Directions
Place your piece of Italian bread into a skillet with the olive oil and garlic, on low heat. Toast both sides until golden brown.
Spread a light layer of mayonnaise and then prepare your vegetables. If you want to sauté some of your vegetables (like the zucchini and asparagus) you can use the same skillet that your toasted your bread in.
Place your cheese, and vegetables in layers on top of your garlic, toasted bread (I put the tomatoes on top because they are so colorful)
Put the 3 basil leaves on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
*I did add a nice Salami to it-you can either chose another meat like Turkey or Ham or simply have it vegetarian.