Sunday Suppers--From Frozen to Fabulous In One Afternoon

One of the things I learned from my grandmother was to keep a stocked pantry/freezer. I'll go into what I consider essentials in another post but suffice it to say that it was her principal of always being able to make a good meal that led to my having a 6.8 pound frozen solid turkey breast available for making supper on Sunday.

That's right--frozen solid. I started thawing this around 12:15 PM. We were eating about 5:40 cause I had to watch Jimmie Johnson make an awesome pass to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season.

That's a 'gravy' packet that looks permanently embedded in the cavity. I used the microwave on an auto defrost program for a bit but I realized it was going to cook spots too soon. So a hot water bath did the trick. I kept changing it until I could get the packet of goo out, throw it away and give the breast a good rinse. It took about an hour all told to get it thawed enough to put in the oven.

To my favorite chef's pan I added a generous drizzle of olive oil, @ 1/2 c. sliced sweet onion, @1/3 c. chopped celery, 21 cloves garlic, unpeeled, @ 3 TB fresh ginger, @ 1/2 tsp ground coriander, thyme & sage and freshly ground pepper blend plus three lemon slices.

To help with the moistness and add flavor I slid a few pats of butter under the skin on each side of the breast.

Because I was certain that there was still a good deal of frozen down in there I decided I needed a liquid --I used 1 cups of chicken stock plus about 1 1/2 white wine ( I used some extra dry sparkling wine)---and a steamy slow cooking method to start.

I pre-heated the oven to 375 degrees. However I also wanted to get the temperature of the liquid up in a hurry so I started the pan on the stove on high heat until the liquids began to boil. I then covered the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for one hour.

I increased the temperature to 450 degrees and removed the foil. I turned the breast upside down and spooned the veg and juices into the cavity. I set the timer for 30 minutes.

I flipped the breast again and propped it up so that it would be up in the pan to roast. I gave it a nice little baste with pan juices and some more butter. I gave it another 30 minutes.

The result was this lusciously browned crispy skinned breast. I covered it and let it rest so we lost a little of the crispness but it really held up well. Both Brad and I love the extra flavor and texture that good browning produces.

While the turkey was in the oven I sorted the side dishes. Since I was making a 'pantry' supper I had to make do with what I had on hand. I had 1 medium russet potato and 5 new potatoes of various sizes. I could have smashed up just that --it would have been a very small side and a good way to go if you don't like leftovers---but I remembered I had 4 lovely parsnips in the veggie bin.

I make this recipe all the time with new potatoes. Brad would have balked at parsnips had I told him but he liked it just fine once it was on the fork. I thought this up a couple of years ago when looking for a way to incorporate garlic into creamed potatoes. It's a huge favorite.

Creamed New Potatoes with Shallots and Garlic

@ 4 cups potatoes, 2 inch dice, quartered if small ( as you can see in the photo you can improvise a bit here--I used what I had hence the parsnips)
1/2 cup shallots, sliced very thinly
6 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
heavy cream
butter
freshly ground pepper blend
sea salt

Saute the shallots and garlic until translucent over medium high heat in a good drizzle of olive oil. Be careful not to let them burn. Add the potatoes and stir until coated. Add just enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cook until just tender.

Drain. To the warm pan add 4 TB butter. Return the potatoes to the pan, add about 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir over low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heaven.

I made a pan gravy with the drippings ---they were just so nice. I added very plain green beans.

A simple yet fabulous Sunday supper good enough for company straight out of my freezer and pantry.

There are leftovers of course. Brad's lunch today is roast turkey with mayo, sea salt, freshly ground pepper bland and pepper jack cheese on marble rye. That's a tasty bit of business right there.

If you need more specifics on any step or on any of the ingredients just let me know.

Foodie Does Not Equal Food Snob

This has been rolling around in my head for a bit.

One of my goals in writing this food blog is to talk about the fact that being a 'foodie' does not mean being a snob.

In fact I believe it is the opposite.

A snob is " a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field"

A foodie* is "a person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking."
(dictionary.com)

I think a foodie--the diminutive of foodophile if you will--is someone ever inquisitive about eating, cooking, ingredients, methods and finding the best food in general.

Now that does not mean I'm going to eat 'junk' food and pretend it's 'gourmet' fare. But I will tell you that McDonald's French fries, when piping hot and perfectly salted, are quite delicious and satisfying. Not as good as when they fried them in beef fat but darn good nonetheless.

But I seek out memorable dining experiences such as the perfectly seared sashimi grade tuna in a foie gras broth that I still remember when a friend and I ate at Bluewater Grill in Chicago and that was two years ago.

I'll always keep searching for the best, the most delicious and the freshest. And I'll share my thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly*smile*

An open mind, an adventurous palate and the bounties of a region that flat out loves its food----seems like a fine recipe to me.

*The term 'foodie' is generally credited with being coined circa 1981 by Ann Barr and Paul Levy. They titled their 1984 tongue in cheek tome "The Official Foodie Handbook". The funny thing about Paul Levy is that the Harvard educated, self proclaimed journalist, writer, broadcaster and long time English resident was born right here in Lexington, Kentucky.

Adventures In Eating

I have never been a picky, finicky or timid eater. The only food I did not like growing up, the only food my mother and I ever got into a “food battle’ over---was the then dreaded beet. I thought they tasted like dirt—probably because all I’d ever had were gross canned beets. She made me hold a mouthful until I choked down one bite—tears streaming down my face—and I vowed never to eat them again. I was eight. I did not eat beets again until I was in law school and the “gorgeous Fletcher” (lol—ladies THAT is a story for another day) ordered a veggie plate for us at A La Lucie. Not wanting to be silly I took a deep breath and tasted the baby beets—thinly sliced and sautéed in butter—they were heavenly!


I will almost always choose the unusual on a menu. Now don’t get me wrong—I love pretty much everything and down home cooking gets me every time. But I like adventure too. As a cook I like to see what others are doing combining flavors, textures and techniques. Ordering this way can sometimes be wonderful, mediocre or awful but it is never boring.


For me, especially when I need to take off the pounds, the food has to be worth the calories. It’s not that I won’t eat ‘junk food’ lol—it just has to be GOOD junk ---like a Rally’s ‘Big Buford’ –a double cheeseburger to die for. YUM

My most memorable adventurous eating experience taught me a lesson but it won’t stop me from being adventurous---it’s just that I won’t ever eat Triggerfish or its relatives (Mahi Mahi is one) ever again.

The Ex and I had a good recommendation for a lovely restaurant called Marley’s on Hilton Head. This was the fall of 2006. The atmosphere was very cool Caribbean. I saw that the special was ‘pan seared local triggerfish’. Anytime I can get local seafood I will have it. I’d already had fantastic local shrimp. The fish was napped in a butter sauce with Mandarin orange sections and macadamia nuts. It was SO GOOD!! However—I soon was not.


I had already been feeling odd---for some reason I had been having abdominal cramps—I thought it was just gas. LOL So we left the restaurant with half of my meal in the box. (My Ex had the mussels al mojo de ajo (garlic/winebutter---oh my---should have had those too it turns out) Back at the hotel room I continued suffering some cramps but no nausea. Tried to just chill for a little while with a heating pad. At about 11 p.m. I became violently ill and began to sweat and the cramps became unbearable and suddenly I could not breathe. So it’s out to the car with me hyperventilating and unable to breathe and us careening in the dark trying to find the hospital. (Hilton Head does not have streetlights) As an aside—if you do not know where you are going fast surging of auto does not really help!

Despite everything I spot the hospital and ER signs and we go flying up. I can barely walk and am still hyperventilating and about to pass out from it. I keep saying ‘Please help me” and nurse Ratchet walks up and gives me a verbal slap--"we will but you have to slow your breathing" (32 respirations a minute is quite a lot apparently) They get enough history out of me and Ex to figure out the triggerfish thing and I get IV benadryl. I have to say my male nurse was so good I never had the slightest bruise from my IV. IV benadryl will float your boat—or would have if I was not having severe abdominal cramps still. Doc finally realizes other half of the story and does x-rays and CT scan of my abdomen. When I went to x-ray I was shaking so bad I could not stand up. The x-ray tech was SO SWEET and good to me. When x rays did not show enough to Doc he sends me back for the CT—of course you have to drink the barium and wait an hour. Got to CT at about 2:30 a.m. CT shows some fluid that doc thinks is from ruptured ovarian cyst---just a happy coincidence that these happened at the same time LOL. Got IV Toradol (similar to motrin) . Released about 4:30 a.m. with minimal pain and Benadryl kicking my ass but doing it’s job. We get back to the villa to see two extremely happy pugs who cannot understand why we want to sleep instead of play with them.


Three and one half hours later I am up and at it walking on the beach. I am nothing if not resilient. And stubborn.


So my lesson in adventurous eating had a very good side benefit --- I know that I am one of the folks who can have this reaction and I know I’ll never eat Triggerfish or Mahi-Mahi again.

But there is still a whole world of unexplored food out there and I am still just as ready to be adventurous as I ever was---especially if it is napped in butter with macadamia nuts.

Cooking For Two--Swine Pasta

I know that title may sound odd but I do have a recipe for you. It's based on linguine carbonara but I used cream instead of egg to thicken the sauce. We tend to get 'creative' around here and that includes what we call things sometimes. Thanks to my fiance ,Brad, this particular dish will forever be known as 'Swine Pasta' .

You can make this with pretty much any type of pasta. There are some that would be less successful. I doubt angel hair would work well but in a pinch--why not? Linguine is my favorite 'long' pasta and is perfect for this.

As always my measurements are approximate---this makes enough for a nice satisfying supper for two. It's one of my favorite 'pantry' suppers because it's simple, quick and I always have the ingredients.

Swine Pasta

5-6 oz. linguine
1/2 c. frozen peas
6-8 strips of bacon
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
@1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Black pepper

Boil about one third of a 16 oz package of linguine in salted water. Add about 1/2 cup of frozen peas to the pasta just as the water comes back to a boil after adding the pasta. Cook to just al dente.

Slice about 6 to 8 strips of bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Saute the bacon in a chef's pan over medium low heat until crisp. Add about 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and scrape the pan as it reduces a bit. Add the well drained pasta and peas along with a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese (NOT the green can stuff--come on people;-)) and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to coat the pasta and serve immediately. Top with some additional cheese.


Brad raved about this dish and gave it it's official new moniker--but you already knew that*grin*

While this is a great fall/winter dish it's also excellent on a chilly spring evening.

I hope you make it and come back to let me know how you liked it.

It Just Takes Two

I am enjoying the reception this blog is receiving. It's so fun to finally have one place to share this passion of mine.

Last night, while attending our monthly gathering of lovely law ladies, I was given what I consider an excellent suggestion--providing recipes to help those who need to cook for just two.

It's difficult I know.

I learned to cook for a crowd and I still have to retrain myself when thinking up recipes. I always think big. Luckily we love leftovers and I am the self proclaimed queen of making food over. For instance I made meat sauce on Sunday--there is no way I can make a two person amount of meat sauce--we had that with spaghetti and garlic bread.

On Monday I cooked some cavatappi ( a double hollow spiral pasta that is about my favorite) and mixed it with some leftover sauce and some grated Italian Cheese blend and some Monterrey jack. I put it in a baking dish and topped it with more sauce and more cheese. That baked in a hot convection oven (400) until it was heated through and the cheese was golden brown and bubbly. It was delicious and different enough from what we had the night before to be very satisfying.

However a lot of folks just do not like leftovers. So I've decided to tackle this.

I'll feature from time to time recipes focusing on two portions but not lacking in imagination. Anyone can grill a couple of plain chicken breasts but why be ordinary?

So to inaugurate the series I give you an easy Chicken Marsala recipe. Two things you should know about this one. One-you can use cooking wine you get in the grocery--just do not use salt. Of course if you want to make it special and have some Marsala by all means do so. Two-don't be afraid to substitute boneless chicken thighs or boneless country style pork ribs for the meat. You will have a richer dish with either of those.

Chicken Marsala for Two

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. Marsala wine
1 c. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped

@ 1/2 cup all purpose flour
a dash of ground black pepper
a dash of sea salt (if not using cooking wine)

Olive oil
2 TB butter

Cut each chicken breast into two pieces and pound to about 1/3 inch thickness. Mix pepper and salt into flour then dredge chicken pieces through it to coat. Shake off the excess.

Cook chicken cutlets in olive oil and butter over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Add the mushrooms and the wine and reduce heat to low-medium low so that it just simmers. Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken breasts and reduce sauce to thicken over medium high heat --you want it to just separate as you run the spoon across the pan. Toss in the parsley and stir a couple of times.

Serve the two cutlets per plate and spoon the sauce over. This is excellent with boiled new potatoes---my rule of thumb for keeping that to two portions is to never cook more potatoes than I can hold in my two hands.

But I have small hands.

Try it. Tell me what you think.

I believe I have adjusted the comment box so that you can just click where it says 'name/url' and you can just leave your name to make a comment.

Thanks so much for all the kind words.

Dirty, Dirty Rice

A few friends have been after me to share a dirty rice recipe. I've made it a few times this winter, the latest favorite being the version made with ground bison. I'm fully aware that dirty rice is traditionally made with chicken giblets--gizzards and livers-- but like all good dishes of humble origin it's flexible enough to suit the ingredients you have on hand.

I don't use a recipe to make this. All measurements are approximate except for the rice and liquid and the dish likely will not suffer from a little adjustment to taste.

Dirty Rice

1 lb. ground bison (you can use ground chuck, sirloin, round)

2 c. sweet onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. red bell pepper (I use red because I like it better than green--you can use green)
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
@1/2 tsp. dried thyme
@1/2 tsp dried basil
@1/2 tsp cayenne
@1/2 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
olive oil
cooking sherry
2 c. jasmine rice
4 c. chicken stock



Drizzle olive oil in 4.5 quart chef's pan and brown the ground bison over medium heat, adding the thyme and basil. Remove. (try to keep from eating it as you are cooking--it's that good)

Give the pan another drizzle and then add your onions, celery, pepper and garlic. Cook until they begin to soften, adding the bay leaves, cayenne and paprika and using some cooking sherry to keep things going (allow it to reduce before seeing if you'll need more).


Push the veggie mix to the sides of the pan and add a little oil to the center. Pour your rice into the middle and let it begin to saute then add back the cooked ground bison and mix everything together, allowing the rice to cook just a little. Add the stock and stir well. Let it come to a bubble then reduce the heat to low and put the lid on it.

Set a timer for 20 minutes. Check to see if the stock has absorbed and the rice is done. If not put the lid back on and let it go until it is done.

This recipe makes a fair amount of dirty rice. The number of portions really depends on your portion size and appetite but I am estimating 6-8 portions if you were eating this for supper as an entree.

Let me know if you try it. EDIT: This freezes really well and you can easily halve this recipe.

And if you got the music reference in the title you so get bonus points!

Bacon Grease

I'm often quite lazy about making bacon--it goes into the microwave on paper plates lined with paper towels. I know that's a poor substitute for bacon fried in a seasoned iron skillet but I don't always want to put up with the mess and clean up.

Last night I opted for the second best method of cooking bacon--on a cookie sheet in a hot oven. The convection works very well for this. I set the cookie sheet aside to cool and tilted it a bit so that the grease would collect in one end.

This morning I harvested that luscious fat. This grease was lovely, silken , the color of whipped honey. Brad couldn't quite believe that I was keeping it. He was raised up North. There was no way I was throwing that treasure out.

I evaluated my 'old' grease before adding this beautiful new bit. I follow my grandmother's tradition of keeping bacon grease in a container near the stove. Mine is in a cabinet under my cooktop. No one I knew ever refrigerated bacon grease. Bacon grease will tell you if it is rancid.

I decided the old grease should go. So I'm starting fresh and I think I'll make sure to do bacon the right way a little more often so that I can use the grease in a few more dishes. I use it judiciously but it makes a difference in flavor that cannot be replicated using other fats.

You can strain the grease or not. To me the little bits just add more flavor and texture. You can keep it in the fridge if you like--it also freezes well.

I know bacon isn't all that 'healthy' but it's worth it--every calorie, every gram of artery hardening saturated nitrite laced fat. And the rendered grease is just another way of carrying on my grandmother's cooking traditions.

And making good food extraordinary.

Easy Sunday Brunch --Tortilla Espanola

I love to cook on Sunday.

It's usually my slow, easy day. I can take my time and invent things or cook favorites like coq au vin that have a few steps to them.

However it's always good to be able to come up with something delicious on a lazy Sunday when time has crept past the early morning but is not quite lunch. That was the case today when I slipped downstairs at 9:47 to 'fix a little something'. I mention the time because I wanted you to know how easy and quick this recipe is--I was nestled back in the big bed eating this by 10:30 and that included all prep work and photography.

Tortilla Espanola is widely renowned as Spain's most commonly served dish. It's usually served room temperature but warm is very satisfying on a rainy gray Sunday, let me tell you. There are probably as many versions of it as there are families in Spain and its thickness and ingredients vary by region.

I came up with the idea to do this as I was already thinking I'd do an omelet. It crossed my mind to do this dish instead because I like different and I wanted to see if I could do a version of it that was quick and very easy. I have a friend who is not eating meat right now and looking for supper ideas. I sent her the traditional Tortilla Espanola recipe which involves frying the potatoes and onions in a lot of oil at low temperature, draining the whole thing, putting it back in a pan with the eggs and then flipping the entire deal. The flipping part can be very intimidating so my goal was to get the potatoes done and to eliminate the flip.

Tortilla Espanola--the really easy version
(serves 2-3)

One large Russet potato, skin on (washed and pricked with fork)
@ 1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced very thin
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
Olive oil
Seasonings to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (I used convection--you might want to go to 425 in a regular oven)

Microwave(shocking I know!) the potato until it is just starting to get done. It should still be slightly firm. This took three minutes for me. I sliced up the onion while it was cooking. Slice the potato in thin, even slices.

Heat the oil over medium heat in an oven safe saute pan. Place potato slices in a layer on the bottom --they should barely sizzle. Place the onion in a layer then the rest of the potato. You can add some seasoning here. I used a generous sprinkling of Uncle Lou's Corruption seasoning blend. I also threw on about 1/3 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack/Cheddar cheese.

Let that cook as you beat the eggs and cream with a whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes making sure it spreads over the whole pan. Shake the pan to distribute it through. Let it stay on the burner a couple of minutes--it will start to bubble. Put the pan on the middle rack in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Here is the tortilla still in the pan.




Run a spatula around the edges and shake the pan and flip the tortilla out onto a plate so that it very much looks like it has been made in the traditional way.




I cooked bacon while the tortilla was in the oven.




It's simply delicious. I just tasted it at room temperature and all I can say is it only gets better.

I hope you try it.

I'd love to hear about your versions.

scHoOl Is In Session--A Review

Restaurant: scHoOl
Location: 162 Todds Road #110, Lexington KY 40509 (just off Richmond Road near Lowe's)
Contact: (859) 269-0677

Service: Lunch
Date: March 11, 2009

Based on a recommendation from Eddy Thompson, a fellow Lexington lawyer and foodie, I chose scHoOl for the inaugural restaurant review by Bluegrass Foodie.

scHoOl is a very interesting mix of iconic East with iconic West--sushi and sashimi cohabit with duck and foie gras. The reason ---a Japanese born chef with French culinary training. The result---fresh, vibrant, luscious and satisfying choices.

The interior is sleek and modern yet inviting.

We believe that this is Lexington's first Kaiten-zushi location. In a Kaiten-zushi restaurant the plates with the sushi/sashimi are placed on a rotating conveyor belt that winds past every table . At scHoOl the coneyor wraps around the sushi/sashimi making station. You are billed based on the color of the plates you choose. The Kaiten sushi menu is provided at your table. It's hard to pick because they all look so darn good. Prices for Kaiten sushi range from $2.25 to $6.00 per plate.

Three of us went to lunch--myself, Eddy and devout foodie who shall remain nameless (for now). Our anonymous companion chose a couple of items that are found on the Kaiten menu but are also made to order.

On the left we have the Fire Scallop Roll( $5)--seared scallops, crab and cucumber with roe. This was delicious--the different elements burst into a sublime blend in the mouth. On the right we have the Derby Roll($5)--lobster tail in the roll with a crab 'salad hat' and a topper of peppery sprouts and threads of a subtly hot red pepper. The topping was a bright accent to the lush lobster and crab.

From the lunch menu Eddy chose the Oyako Don($8)--described as "a Japanese style omelet with chicken" over a deep bowl of perfectly cooked sushi rice. The combination of the almost custard- textured egg and the juicy chicken with green onion was satisfying without being heavy--a perfect lunch on a late winter day.

I chose the Tekka Don($10)---Konbu marinated tuna over a bowl of , again, perfectly cooked sushi rice. Since it is essentially a huge sashimi the tuna needs to be excellent for this to work. And it was. What I really liked was that the dish included regular sashimi cut tuna plus minced tuna and the garnish of Japanese egg and daikon. We ate it all.

Service was nice----there, but not overly so. The food came out quickly because it came separately. This is not a problem at all when dishes are so suited to sharing and there is a conveyor belt of food constantly wending its way past you. It was not crowded the day we went but the conveyor sushi is designed to accommodate a crowd so that should not be a problem.

In addition to the Japanese menu, which includes Japanese style fried chicken and a Japanese curry, scHoOl also has two lunch sandwich choices (mozzarella pesto chicken ($12) and prime steak($14) and two pasta choices (shrimp and ohba penne ($14) and fettuccine alfredo with prosciutto($12)) and three salads($12) that all come with a cup of soup. There is also a soup de jour($4).

Our bill without tax or tip was around $39 dollars. At first glance the prices may skew a bit high for lunch but, considering the quality of the ingredients and the amount of food ,they are quite reasonable. In addition, because of the large variety of sushi available, it is easy to have a satisfying lunch without paying any more than you would for a routine lunch at a yawn inducing chain restaurant.

I'm psyched about going back for the dinner service. Eddy has been and swears that the steak is the best he's had in Lexington--and that is saying something. There are two menus for dinner--Japanese and French. The French features the aforementioned steak plus veal, duck (duck breast with foie gras served with a blueberry wine sauce--Eddy says it's amazing) fish and veal. The Japanese menu includes tempura and soba, Japanese curry with rice and a Japanese style hamburger steak.

I hope you'll go and give this new eatery a try. It's an excellent place for sushi lovers to get their fix with plenty to make the non-sushi eaters in the group happy.

It's definitely one time you won't mind staying after scHoOl.

U-Scan Etitquette 101

I am an avid U-Scan user. Brad loves to go through the checkout lanes so he can interact (translate --mess with ) the clerks but I'd much rather do the self serve thing.

I like being in control of how things go in the bags and it gives me another look at what I might have missed. It's fast and easy to use. Our Kroger has both express (15 items or less) and the full cart carousel kind. I buy a LOT of produce so I know the codes and ours has a feature that just lets you type in the name of the produce if you need to. Everything gets bagged correctly, I just swipe my card and boom I'm gone.

I was thrilled when they put in the U-Scan machines. I'd had enough of being ignored as my thoughtfully sorted items were checked through and piled into a mess, the carefully picked produce dumped in with the cans, the bread scrunched in the middle, the ice cream stuck in with the hot deli chicken. Sigh.

And this was all the while listening to the endless drama of who stole whose boyfriend and who was being screwed over at work and when was break and who was 'zoomin' who .... blah blah blah.

So I revel in being able to use the U-Scan in peace--that is until someone displays outright rudeness or stupidity or both and gums up the works. After my last bout with the rudeness this Sunday I thought I'd run down some U-Scan etiquette.

• If you don't know how to use it please don't try to learn when the store is full and lines are long.



• If you have small children it is NOT CUTE when you allow them to essentially play with the scanning when the store is full and the lines are long. Seriously people, this is incredibly rude.



• If it says 15 items or less then don't get in that line unless you have 15 items or less! This is particularly annoying with U-Scan because the stations for the express are not set up to handle much.



• Allow the person using the U-Scan to FINISH before you step up and try to use it. It will not work for you until I've gotten my bags off of the carousel. ( This one goes out to the rude woman who tried this when I was checking out Sunday).



• Do NOT use a check. If you absolutely must--please do your bookkeeping once you have cleared the lanes.



• Have your shopper's card/coupons ready .



• Remember that the attendant is taking care of as many as six scanners at a time. They are not your 'personal shopper'.

This is definitely not a definitive list. What would you suggest to help others learn to make the U-Scan experience better for us all?

It's Never Too Early To Grill

It's supposed to be in the 70s this weekend so I thought I'd share an easy but very delicious reason to slip the cover off the grill and initiate the 2009 grilling season in earnest.

I say 'in earnest' because I know that a lot of folks here grill year round despite snow and cold. I didn't this year but that was just a fluke--my plan for cooking supper for the two of us on Christmas Eve included grilling the perfect filet mignon--it rained pretty much all day so --no. Normally I'll fix several meals on the outdoor grill over the course of any given winter.

This lovely meal was sometime in October I think--boneless pork country style ribs with a Japanese influenced marinade and a Mexican inspired veggie packet. Oh the fusion!!

I love doing veggies in a packet on the grill. Not only does cooking them in the packet meld the flavors wonderfully you also have no waste and no clean up. I use two sheets of heavy duty Reynold's aluminum foil to make the packet.

For this one I drizzled the bottom side with olive oil then laid down about a cup of chopped sweet onion, then about a cup of corn kernels (this was fresh off the cob but you can use frozen--no need to thaw), five cloves of garlic, minced, about a cup of diced red bell pepper, a can of black beans, rinsed and drained, a nice sized jalapeno, diced, topped with about a quarter cup of cilantro, chopped, another drizzle of olive oil and and the juice of half a lime. Seal up the packet and throw it on the grill as it is pre-heating for the meat. When you go to put the meat on shake the packet with tongs and move it off direct heat. It can then hang out on the grill until your meat is done.

Boneless pork country style ribs are my go to cut of pork. They are cheap, luscious and can be used for just about anything. Because it is a cut that contains some fat it stays moist. I wanted filets to grill so I simply made cuts lengthwise and flattened the rib portions out.

It takes a marinade well and this one was pretty simple--Ponzu shoyu, (a Japanese staple that contains naturally brewed soy sauce as well as vinegar, bonito, and citrus, plus sugar so it's ideal for a marinade/baste for grilling--look for it next to the soy sauce), a dust of ground corriander and olive oil.

Grill time was about 15 minutes after the grill had been pre-heated to high. I like a good sear on the meat.




Voila--a delicious and satisfying meal that is easy and quick--the two 'influences' were tied together by citrus so they worked well together.


So what are you planning to grill this weekend?

Pizza and a Giggle

So we are late getting to supper and I call our local Donato's and order a delicious pizza--Donato's generally gets the call when we are in the mood for a pie. They have a wonderful crust and just the perfect amount of rich pizza sauce. We are particularly fond of the Founder's Favorite pictured above--pepperoni, ham, sausage and banana peppers. What happened was....

Donato's Dude: So what is your order?

Me: I'd like a medium Founder's Favorite with extra cheese on the thicker crust.

Donato's Dude: Stromboli?

Me: (stifling a laugh) No. I'd like a medium Founder's Favorite with extra cheese on the thicker crust.

Donato's Dude: OK that's a Founder's Favorite--medium. Do you want the thick crust?

Me: Yes!


Who knew Jeff Spicoli's son was working in Lexington?

Thirteen Things I Love About Cooking

I love to cook. I learned to cook early on from my grandmother Pan. She was a good old fashioned country/Southern cook but would also explore and experiment with food. She loved 'hot' food and I think I inherited or maybe at least acquired my love of spicy things from her. The food in her house ran the gamut from an ever present pot of bean soup and plate of corncakes on the stove to the jasmine tea and rye bread toast she'd fix for my breakfast. No one ever left her house hungry. She gave me my start and I keep practicing the art, because cooking is an ever evolving pleasure to me. Here are thirteen reasons why.


1. Shopping for the Ingredients--I love to do this. I like searching for just the right red pepper or tuna filet or decadently marbled steak. I love the feel of a fat head of garlic and the lush smell of summer tomatoes. I love our farmer's market in the summer and shopping in interesting food shops when I am out of town for unique sauces. The only thing that's bad about finding a really good one is finding something truly wonderful and not being able to get more.

2. The Prep Work---When I first started cooking I was lazy about the prep. I'd start up thinking I'd just chop things as I went. It would actually be stressful sometimes as I tried to get the right things in a dish in the way they needed to be. Then I learned the beauty of the mise en place. ([MEEZ ahn plahs]a French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking). The eternal chores are pleasurable to me. I love chopping the sweet onion, the garlic, grating fresh ginger, cutting thin strips of crisp, sweet red pepper. Creating my mise also allows me to think through how I am going to prepare whatever it is I am cooking. I most often do mine on cheap uncoated white paper plates--you don't have to wash up, they hold a lot and they can usually go into the recycler.

3. Using My Stuff---I have all sorts of cooking untensils and pots and pans. Of course I have my favorites and thoroughly enjoy using them. I love my Wusthoff Santoku Chef's Knife

and my Belgique chef's pan. I've found that it is better to have knives and pots and pans of decent quality that you like than to buy a "name". I don't own anything coated in Teflon. Two items I find nearly indispensable are a set of Oxo tongs and a simple wooden spatula.

4. The Sights, the Sounds, the Smells---I love to watch the olive oil shimmer as it reaches just the right temperature, hear the onions sizzle as they hit the pan, smell the incredible aromas as the ingredients combine and transform into something totally new at my hand.

5. The Taste---Well it has to taste good, right? If I am cooking for only me it's always done precisely to my taste. If I am cooking for others I'll make adjustments, as in not making the chili as hot as I'd like. And I love tasting as I go, monitoring the evolution of the dish at various stages.

6. Being Creative----I like to make stuff up. I keep a pretty well stocked larder and there's often nothing more exciting than searching the cupboards and fridge to craft a dish from what's on hand. Sometimes they are just 'okay' but sometimes I get inspired and they are superb. I used to never measure anything. Now that I am writing and sharing recipes I'm taking note of the amounts and proportions I am using. I really don't have 'names' for a lot of the things I'll make. but that obviously will change. If I write it down immediately after I usually can get it mostly right.

7. Cooking Small---I love to cook just for me sometimes. I can make exactly what I want and take as long as I want and cook it precisely as I like it. I invented a fabulous pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and red peppers this way one of the few times my Ex was out of town. I spent probably an hour and a half making this food just for me. Yum.

8. Cooking Big---This is actually my normal mode of cooking--how my grandmother taught me. We always had a gang to feed. I have reined it in over the years but I rarely cook less than six portions of anything. We are very good about eating leftovers and I like to have things on hand in the freezer for a quick supper or lunch. Right now I have homemade chicken soup and beef Bourguignon on hand.

9. Cooking REALLY Big---I love cooking for a party or the holidays. Thinking of the different dishes I want to serve and the timing of making and serving each dish is fun. Once when I hosted a Texas Hold Em night our theme was Japanese. It was fun researching different dishes --how boring it would have been to serve sushi and call it a day. It caused me to venture into the Japanese market on Redding Road where I found just what I needed (miso--and a lot of it). I love making all of the traditional holiday dishes we serve in our family. I am the 'keeper of the flame' of our family's cornbread stuffing recipe. Guess I should teach one of the nieces to make it.

10. Eating--Yeah, shockingly, I LOVE to eat. When I cook I use only 'real' ingredients---no fake fats or sugars. I like to make sure that the food is worth the calories. I love to eat what I have just made and enjoy the final pleasure of it.

11. The Accomplishment---It's so enjoyable to me to see a creative idea that I generate come to fruition. This is especially good when it turns out perfectly but it doesn't bother me too much if it's less than perfect unless I am serving it to someone else. Then I have to 'fix' it somehow.

12. Food Media---I love the Food Network--it's foodie junk food! ( and Tyler Florence --purrrrrrrrr). The original Iron Chef is a hoot. I love reading Bon Appetit for ideas and recipes. Although a recent blurb in Bon Appetit got my dander up when they decribed Louisville as a 'foodie' city because of its "proximity to the Bluegrass region and Bourbon County(?) and love of all things pork." Puhleese.

13. Serving and Watching People Enjoy----I get so much satisfaction watching others eat my food and enjoy it. One of the coolest things about cooking for Brad is watching him try something new and seeing him revel in the pleasure of eating it. That makes me happy in so many ways.

I could go on---I love cooking supper on Sunday afternoon...a little music..sipping a little wine...just taking my time mmmmmmmm. You may have noticed there's nothing in here about cleaning up...I make him do that *wink* hehehe

Welcome To Bluegrass Foodie

For some time I've been toying with the idea of setting up a space for doing recipes, reviews and photographs of food. I've finally taken the plunge.

While admittedly an amateur I do manage to turn out some damn fine fare. I enjoy sharing food and recipes and cooking tips.

So I plan posts with step by step recipes where I'll show you how to take this


and correctly combine it with this



so that you have this luscious batter



that results in Molten Chocolate Winter Spice Cakes---(this was our dessert on Christmas Eve)

I'll show you simple things that I throw together---sometimes just seeing an idea can spark a delicious surprise. This sandwich was inspired by a yummy sandwich photo Poppy posted. It's bacon and White Stilton with crystalized mango and ginger on toasted pugliese bread with real mayo--heavenly.

I also want to post about new food finds and how to use new ingredients in simple ways. For instance our Kroger --the one on Tates Creek--just started carrying ground Bison. If you've never had it I highly recommend you find some and give it a try. The meat is lean and oh so flavorful. I gave it a couple of shakes of Worcestershire and a little dried thyme per the suggestions on the package--it really didn't need anything though.

I seared the patties then finished them in the oven. The steak fries are simply russet potatoes sliced up then thrown into a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and tossed to coat. Pre-heat a heavy cookie sheet and then lay the fries down in a single layer. Let that go for about 15 minutes at 400 then turn them. Cook about 10 minutes more.

I'll be doing reviews of all sorts of places we eat, not just the sit down restaurants. Lexington and the surrounding Bluegrass region are blessed with an amazing variety of food choices that you may never hear of unless you are lucky.

It's fitting that this is launching on a Sunday because it's my favorite day to cook.

Bye y'all