tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60557043203953603372012-01-28T17:12:43.030-08:00...two cooks isn't too manyJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comBlogger2121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-63302461585358028862008-09-27T13:12:00.000-07:002008-09-27T17:34:14.015-07:00

(A daring duplication) *When I first saw this month's daring baker's challenge was lahvosh, I was a bit disappointed. I mean, I don't really so much do crackers. Then again, I should be grateful; at least it wasn't another cake. I rationalized that perhaps Amy would enjoy them with soup or something. Then I remembered one of the specialties of our favorite restaurant...I've written about our

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-78145831874575116102008-09-18T04:11:00.000-07:002008-09-19T04:35:01.808-07:00

(Or turnovers about fair play)Here's a riddle: What's the quickest way to skin a peach?Last year, about this time, we went out to the apple festival in a nearby small town. We wandered around, sampling apple wine, apple butter, and all varietals of the fruit. Amy decided to make some apple butter, so we took home about five pounds.The next day, I came home from work to find a pink bandanna

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-49049133388970106402008-09-15T05:01:00.000-07:002008-09-21T18:21:45.337-07:00

(Hold the toil and trouble, if you would)Living in the midwest, we don't see too many seafood boils. I went to my first about two years ago, on the first night of what was billed as a business trip. That one was a lobster boil, and it frankly was fairly dissapointing. However, when I saw Caviar and Codfish's Shrimp Boil a few weeks back, I was enticed by it for three reasons. First, it looked

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-57057387627308541742008-09-12T17:36:00.000-07:002008-09-13T05:18:22.867-07:00

(I've got sunshine on a cloudy day...)There's something about a runny yolk that makes us drool. We can hardly sit down to a poached or fried egg without ogling it, lusting after that silky, smooth, enrobing texture and luscious, rich flavor.Never having put a whole egg in soup before, I thought I'd make a healthy version of college dorm room ramen one night while Amy was working. As it would

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-23496790465496423602008-09-11T18:24:00.000-07:002008-09-12T03:50:27.639-07:00

(Keep that bleu box away from mis!)Well, we're officially barefoot bloggers now. This month, the first recipe is for Ina's Grown Up Mac and Cheese. Now, I know she isn't exactly known for health food, but I simply love to watch her cook anyways. We made a few modifications to the recipe to cut it down to a healthier dish, but I think we were pretty true to the flavors. We used reduced fat

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-61351787685426044952008-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:002008-08-31T04:26:36.003-07:00

(I like my sugar with coffee and cream)Finally, a daring bakers challenge without the word "cake" in the name! Unfortunately, not very daring for us though, since I made Éclairs a few months ago. We took a different spin on it this time though, using Irish Cream in the glazing chocolate and coffee steeped milk to make the filling. We had some leftover choux to fool around with, so we made a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-709265612986670212008-08-28T17:35:00.000-07:002008-09-05T04:31:59.251-07:00

This week we finally got to use the summer vundar-technique known as "beer-butt" chicken. Simply enough, a can of beer is lovingly reduced by half through consumption and placed in the cavity of a spice or herb rubbed chicken, which is then placed on the grill. Our experience was not without peril; we could not find our favorite beer in an aluminum can any longer, and had to use a can of soda

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-49216618071352264232008-08-17T10:20:00.000-07:002008-08-17T10:57:07.038-07:00

(Cake sera, sera!)This was a day of self discovery. My favorite kind of pie is pumpkin. My favorite kind of cookies are Lebkuchen. I'd be lying if I claimed that anything other than chocolate could claim the top spot in the cake category, but I've long lusted after carrot cake. It only took me twenty some years to realize that I'm a nut for nutmeg, a man for all cinnamon, and... hrm... I like

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-61015540983014712152008-08-11T17:14:00.000-07:002008-08-14T19:42:52.343-07:00

(Blathering Blatherskite!)Duck is one of my recent and most joyous discoveries in the meat department. Out of favor in most kitchens, though not altogether too difficult to find. When cooking duck, the distinctive bit everyone seems to talk about is the fattiness of the bird. While it's certainly true that the breast cut especially has a very thick layer of fat, it's best not to trim it, but

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-27372928967880058992008-08-11T04:14:00.000-07:002008-08-13T17:13:13.371-07:00

(They're GRRRRRRRATE(D)!)The majority of the zucchini that have made their way into our kitchen this summer have met the same fate: a quick shred. I think we'll have to split and roast the next one whole. None-the-less, this pasta was a fabulous way to use up a thigh from Ina's chicken. A very filling, yet crisp and inviting meal.We drank a bottle of Renwood Viognier with dinner. I'm pleased

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-57072586020387995472008-08-09T20:29:00.000-07:002008-08-10T07:50:39.612-07:00

(Someone's in the kitchen with Ina...)I've finally found a group of like-minded individuals, those who appreciate- nay, overtly worship the very same things I do. Namely, I've found the Barefoot Bloggers. I was too late last month to participate and enjoy the pesto pasta salad, but I am taking it for lunch all week this week. In addition, we made it a very Ina week by making both the chicken

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-21884080192975241122008-08-04T13:59:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:47.373-08:00

(Go meat!)Well, veggie week went by, and we've not peeped since. This week's been a busy one, both in terms of work and play. Lest ye think we've gone off to join some hippy commune to go eat beans and eggs and cheese for the rest of our days, here's a nice, red, bloody hunk of cow to bring us on back.We've actually made steak au poivre before- on Amy's lead, if I'm not mistaken. I don't

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-33748270083374918022008-07-30T20:29:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:47.788-08:00

(You say tomato, I say... )I believe it was the great poetess Paula Dean who said that the quickest way to a man's heart is through mashed potatoes. Almost universally adored, this culinary treat is also almost always contended. Even within the same household, vast divergences exist. My mother, for example, prefers hers with olive oil and garlic as the base. Some only add cream, others add

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-57717114578234925742008-07-29T14:19:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:48.023-08:00

(East meets... hey, who the heck are these guys?)For day three of our vegetarian week, we made Tofu Polenta Skillet from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. I won't post the recipe, we copied it verbatim with the exception of two minor points. Our tofu comes in 12- not 14 ounce packages, and we made our own polenta from cornmeal, vegetable broth, and a touch of nutmeg.While I wasn't overly impressed with

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-70867604825062841052008-07-28T14:48:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:48.828-08:00

(Fire in my belly!)Amy and I often kick around whole-week menu ideas. Things from roasting a chicken or other large peice of meat on Saturday and eating the leftovers all week to "let's cook all week with only things we can buy at 'The Asian Foodmart'."One of our long running to-dos was to have a totally meatless week. We don't eat meat terribly often as it is; perhaps three nights a week on

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-65353909237742372452008-07-27T12:51:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:49.003-08:00

(Just like momma said...)I was going through my cookbooks this week trying to figure out what to make for office food this week when I came across Clotilde's "Biscuits tres Chocolat" (which is essentially "Biscuits Chocolat et Feves de Cacao"). When both our Friday night grocery trip and our Saturday afternoon treat outing yielded no cacao nibs, I thought I may as well do something else rather

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-19279413601119894612008-07-26T05:07:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:49.815-08:00

(Anything you can chew, I can gnaw better...)Our favorite place to go in town is M's pub. When we first started dating, we went every Sunday night. Times changed, Amy started working Sundays, and we started going out less and saving more. Since I got my new job though, we make a point of having a bit of a night on the town every few weeks. We're now Friday nighters, usually coming straight

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-64244873430187208182008-07-23T03:53:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:49.993-08:00

(Turn-coat-about is fair play...)Amy and I had both already made up our minds that we did not like hollandaise sauce. Was this a logical decision based upon past experiences, the result of many years of trial, rooted in the most infallible taste memories? No. It just sounded gross. A sauce of such legendarily poor stability that you can't chill or reheat it? GROSS! A sauce comprised almost

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-23845556406428055462008-07-21T20:02:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:50.106-08:00

(A flatbread by any other name...)Great things about pizza:You can put anything on them.Everyone loves them.Everyone can put anything on them.It's community building, you see?We do home made pizza pretty often, but this one was particularly simple and delicious, so I thought I'd share. To start, I pureed up a half a can of white beans with a little drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, roasted

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-37637244191251890282008-07-20T14:53:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:50.404-08:00

(...a dish best served warm and gooey)I'd forgotten about Alton Brown's cookie show until I saw Joy the Baker's analysis of the New York Times' claims for cookie greatness. Personally, I use melted butter because it's faster than waiting for a stick to come up to room temperature. As for the resting, I just chill until firm, scoop, chill until firm again, and bake.I had a wonderful bar of

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-45667637047259745922008-07-14T03:58:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:50.572-08:00

(How great would that be?)I've mentioned before my devotion to Julia and Paula (who, by the way, is having fabulous hair lately), but I don't think I've mentioned my other butter toting babe before. That's right, I have a mad saturated fat crush on Ina. Lasagna and cake in the same weekend? It was meant to be!I was originally going to make Alton Brown's "The Chewy" for office food this week.

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-2648340006814606002008-07-12T19:18:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:52.867-08:00

(Or, how to feed yourself for a week)I swore I'd never make a Lasagna. I wrote that I'd never do Lasagna. Then they did Lasagna as one of those "Top Chef" dishes in the first episode this season. Damn you, Padma! We had this for pasta Sunday, and I'll be having it for lunch all week.The flavor was good, but I had consistency issues. I think in the future, I'll cut out the turkey entirely and

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-70084655783622317182008-07-07T19:11:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:53.135-08:00

(It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others)Inspired by my late night steepings of vanilla in hot milk before bed time, I wanted this chicken to be sweet and soothing. It was neither, instead being simply strange. Coupled with the fact that I dressed the salad in honey-lemon (which Amy pointed out makes milk curdle), this dish was ultimately a failure.

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-27729743770232794812008-07-06T19:11:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:53.278-08:00

(Fake it! 'Til you! Make it!)The only real thing about this dish is the asparagus and onion. I suppose the nutmeg's real too, but since I use that pretty much with the same frequency as salt and pepper since I got my handy dandy microplane, I don't count it.There's a streak of lactose intolerance in my family (which hasn't hit me yet; I'd die of stomach cramps before I'd give up my ice cream).

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-16124295961042408272008-07-04T18:58:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:53.544-08:00

(Combine 1 part breakfast with 1 part dessert...)I've been intrigued with clafouti for a while now. It seemed to me that it was basically a big 'ole pancake with more eggs (not that there's anything at all wrong with that). I've been very tempted to take my mom's pancake recipe, add an extra yolk, and give it a shot. When we went up to visit her over the forth, she'd beaten me to the punch

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-91905912647502739432008-07-01T20:03:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:53.678-08:00

Amy and I both have a long standing relationship with gnocchi, as illustrated by this blog. The first dinner we wrote about was a roasted chicken with gnocchi on the side. I think that particular pairing had more to do with Amy's preference for the dumplings than any culinary factor. Well, we've trialed and tribulated with them since that first perfect batch, before coming up with a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-81112016346036840182008-06-29T20:01:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:02:53.847-08:00

(Zest is the secret of all beauty)Ever since I was given my microplane, I've been going zest crazy. I add lemon zest to my eggs nearly every morning, orange zest to my oatmeal, I've even used zest as a condiment on sandwiches. It's a beautiful thing indeed, and so often discarded and overlooked!I've been wanting to feature limes in office food for a while, and this week they were cheap; 5 for

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-6815231969107502102008-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:08.324-08:00

Amy couldn't be here on this one. Her new job as a Batman Villain (PANHANDLER) keeps her out on Sundays.First, we'll examine the evidence: yeast, milk, vanilla extract, juice and zest of 1 orange, sugar, cardamom, vanilla bean shaving, flour and salt. Better throw in a stick of butter and a wee bit more flour just in case.Combine everything but the flour, salt, and butter in... whatever your

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-16088073718415736702008-06-23T17:06:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:09.045-08:00

(Today's post brought to you by the letter "c")I have two problems with most crab cakes. First, they usually have mayonnaise. Being a little dutch boy, I should go crazy for them. Unfortunately, my genetics aside, I can't stand the stuff. I find it revolting; gag-reflex triggeringly so. Second, they're usually filled out with quite a bit of- well- filler. I'm talking about bread crumbs

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-20094496162142495982008-06-22T20:08:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:09.338-08:00

(Vegetables are a must on a diet!)I planned to make Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini's namesake cake this weekend. At the time, it didn't occur to me that making a CZ cake the day after you give a diamond might be bad form (they're both real, I swear). No recipe re-print here, as I followed the one linked. I did use pecans and powdered sugar for the topping because hazelnuts were only

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-39704649523254080932008-06-22T10:15:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:09.561-08:00

Now it's official(Serves 2)1 ring2 monkeysRemove ring from box.Place on finger.

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-30129368041626142772008-06-20T05:34:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:09.891-08:00

(Lemon-scented brine-'s'all)To be honest, this is the last of the top-chef back-to-basics-challenge dishes that I'm excited about making. We've got Duck a'la Orange and Steak au Poivre, which I'm excited about eating, but not about buying, Lasagne, which just for some irrational reason scares me, and Eggs Benedict, which has hollandaise. I don't know that I've ever had hollandaise, but it

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-84376106316183907592008-06-15T10:11:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:10.150-08:00

(No disguise for that double vision)Biscotti are unique cookies, because they're double baked; once before they're cut and once after. But that's not the only double thing about making them...Technically, I baked these off with the eclairs last week for office food as a result of my increasingly scattered brain's inability to make a simple decision (I'm getting old). But...These cookies tend to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-8538211717429937252008-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:10.540-08:00

(Sweet, sweet indecision)Originally I was planning on making biscotti this weekend for office food. However, Friday's morning set of sit ups had me watching the episode of Good Eats on pâte à choux. Choux has many applications, but the principle is always the same: water-logged cooked flour releases steam to provide leavening when baked. In addition, choux has the special quality of making

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-12765294735415747322008-06-08T10:08:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:10.963-08:00

(Just a wee bit of garlic garlic...)In the first episode of top chef this season, the contestants each made a dish which was supposed to be iconic, classic, a dish every chef should be able to pull off blind folded. Most failed miserably. Having wanted a list of classics to work at for a while, I thought we might try our hand at some of these. We'd already knocked out souflee (and without all

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-69312257375237747422008-05-28T19:36:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:11.933-08:00

(Fine. I liked it. And I'm not ashamed.)For the first time in a while, the Memorial Day holiday gave us both the opportunity to spend a whole weekend together. They even through in an extra bonus day for good measure. We were supposed to join some of my former co-workers for a BBQ on Sunday, but a threatening sky way-laid those plans. We stayed in, ate hotdogs, beans, and slaw, and watched

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-85714042814004316602008-05-28T16:38:00.000-07:002008-05-28T16:44:46.405-07:00

To our fabulous baking friends.....We are daring bakers. We promise. It's not that we've abandoned you, we know we've missed our allotted two challenges a year- unfortunately, they both were in a row. We won't do it again. We can't…. we are daring baker monkeys! We wanna stay that way!There are several reasons that the foodmonkeys decided not to take a trip to the theatre for the Opera(cake).

amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420259503417117087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-85963004483310916702008-05-24T05:14:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:13.180-08:00

(Welcome to the gun show (tickets, please))One of the problems with planning out a weekly menu in advance is that you sometimes miss out on the specials at the store. This is no small matter as it is, with the rising cost of food I've been reading about (and taking note of). However, when you see a deal like this, sometimes you just have to work in a bit of flexibility. We were supposed to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-66669194996194182362008-05-18T19:05:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:13.359-08:00

(Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?)Last week Amy's sister came to town on a stopover to the Renissance Fair in Lincoln, about an hour west of here. We all gathered at her dad's house and had a wonderful meal; fillet mignon with roasted new potatoes and asparagus. For dessert, a light cake was dressed with strawberries and cream. The cake reminded us of Angel Food cake, and a craving was

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-90366745996198344702008-05-17T10:40:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:13.574-08:00

(Too crabby for crabs...)We've settled into a routine of cooking new dishes only during the first few days of a new week, and doing familiar dishes for the rest. This cuts back on spending and stress, and basically lets us spend more time being us, which is a good thing. Saturday, then, is our most adventurous kitchen day. We've got a long list of things to cook, and this week we decided to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-71518520845691071932008-05-11T17:54:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:13.704-08:00

(I feel like fermented bean curd tonight!)My youngest sister recently decided to become a vegetarian, for health reasons from what I understand. While we don't have meat every night by any means, I don't think I could do without. However, it did get me thinking about some of my favorite dishes from childhood, and how to de-meat them. Clearly baby back ribs wouldn't quite work. However, Cajun

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-68084896439200394652008-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:13.897-08:00

(That's no moon...)These muffins look nice enough, but even to the casual observer, flecks of black pepper bespeak a more sinister interior. Luckily even their spicy sinew holds a heart of gold... er... strawberry, rather.Double Surprise Orange Muffins(Adapted from Muffins in The Joy of Cooking)(Makes 12)2 cups all purpose flour1 tbsp baking powder1/2 tsp saltpinch of ground nutmeg2 eggs1 cup

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-6248272923815115572008-05-06T22:02:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:14.734-08:00

Hi everyone.... this is Amy.Long time, no post, I know, but I usually leave the posting up to Joel because I fear my lackadaisical writing style, sad photography skills, and un-eventful late night dinner preparations are not post-worthy, but tonight, my friends.... another more different story.I've been on days at work for awhile now, as the only training I'm doing is uptraining during the day.

amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420259503417117087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-51054558477669970702008-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:14.983-08:00

(A torte for re-forming)It's an odd thing, starting in a new job. Not only do the roles and responsibilities change, so do the personalities and the interactions. I already miss the people at the old place; that was a given the moment I stepped out the door. It makes me very sad to know that eventually, no matter the effort, I will have seen some of them for the very last time. But this is a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-28506461936337723432008-05-03T10:30:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:15.132-08:00

(Much ado about nothing)Actually, this was a pretty fantastic salad for being composed on the fly of leftovers (see Pam, I'm prepared this month!) Not only were the flavors good, but it was significant in a couple other ways. First of all, the smoked salmon; it's probably our most expensive bit of leftovers to date at just under $2 per ounce. Looking at it that way kinda makes you want to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-65806953501223537482008-04-30T04:29:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:15.360-08:00

(Bubble, Coil, Boil and Cuddle)I had been wanting to make bagels for a while now, partly because I saw someone else (I forget who) do them months ago. This sparked my interest, but what really fueled the fire was my ongoing quest to rid our apartment-hold of any store-bought baked goods. I've got the French bread and rolls down, pancake mix has nothing on home made or crepes. Soda bread is

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-49480001159664071052008-04-29T09:51:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:15.637-08:00

(Everyone knows that Sloppy Joe is the real American Hero)We occasionally get on "kicks" around here. Something about a desire to extend and explore pleasurable dining experiences in memorable ways I guess. We're on a big rice kick lately, and we've been going for a lot of Asian food too (which dovetails nicely, doesn't it). In fact, I'm half thinking about planning a menu for next week wholly

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-2154541301924240302008-04-27T05:12:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:15.935-08:00

(It's not right, but it's ok...)We're sorry. We done messed up this month. As you can see, we haven't really been posting a whole lot; basically we haven't really been coming up with a whole lot of new dishes. I'm in the middle of a transition in the workplace, holding down the old job while they train my replacement and cutting my teeth at the new job. Amy caught strep at the beginning of

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-79627115649947571302008-04-22T21:00:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:16.094-08:00

(Happy Birthday, Earth. Did you bring cupcakes?)What a messed up earth day we had. I started off by doing my lifting instead of my cardio in the morning, then I scrambled my omelette (not on purpose), grabbed the wrong seasoning for my hash, and, well, it was like that all day. It wasn't just me either, Amy and I went back and forth about the weirdness happening to us and those around us all

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-79446435713206742782008-04-14T20:58:00.000-07:002008-04-17T05:38:46.967-07:00

(...makes mouths happy, or why I never throw anything away)I'm a pack rat. I admit it, and I accept that. It's alright though, because every once and again, I get so fed up with myself that I pull a massive cleaning and everything works out. So, I guess I'm more like toothpaste; don't bother squeezing from the bottom, just work it all towards the top end once you can't get anything more.But I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-33359922023332557642008-04-12T11:31:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:16.594-08:00

(Poaching for a bit of green)I thought spring had sprung. I really did! I wore short sleeves two or three days last week. Heck, I even cast aside my bathrobe when getting the paper. I really, really did! I planned out a week of springy, hello warm weather, would you like some lemon with that type meals. I really, really, really did! Boy was I made a fool of.When I woke up this Saturday

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-64572186123387006912008-04-08T20:03:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:17.283-08:00

(Dirty but happy, digging and scratching,Losing your shoe and a button or two.He's poor but honest, sad but true)I had never really thought about it before, but I suppose I should have known it had to come from somewhere. Cafeteria food is at the same time repulsive and comforting; each bite full of gritty delicate shame, exploding with flavors of blandness and simplicity, mass produced and

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-34780093613755615382008-04-05T06:47:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:18.120-08:00

(...I can feel it, comin' in the air tonight (oh Lord)...)You know, up until a few years ago, the site of a tomato in the store in April wouldn't have seemed out of place to me at all, but this would have shocked and disturbed me (as it did during our Friday grocery run).Be that as it may, we decided that a beautiful sunny Saturday after a week of rain was a good enough excuse for a picnic. We

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-15970339472631147252008-03-31T05:55:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:18.434-08:00

(An excuse, an apology, or a bribe?)Amy and I are lucky in that we have overlapping tastes in food in many respects. Unfortunately, we're also both very opinionated. When one of us doesn't like something- like, say, mushrooms or perhaps peanuts- we very much do not like it, thank you very much.Chicken and dumplings is a decidedly Amy dish. While there are parts that I do enjoy also such as the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-6195524992634045502008-03-30T19:41:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:19.152-08:00

(Don't look, mother. I've done something bad.)...but it felt so right! Somehow though, I still feel guilty for not just eating straight leftover teriyaki flank steak for the rest of the week. It is pasta Sunday though! If it's any consolation, I still love the original flank steak dish about a million billion times more.On another note, I've heard it said before that ethnic food markets are

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-21555621871289934932008-03-30T10:21:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:20.336-08:00

(oh dear me, oh dear my... I'll need a moment or so)This is one of my all time, hands down, nothing else even has a chance of coming close favorite foods. Once, I was so sick I couldn't eat for a week. My mom promised to cook whatever I wanted for a week to make me feel better. Bingo! Teriyaki Flank Steak. I love this dish so much I can remember saying at one point with my mouth full of the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-65779220094502482422008-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:21.289-08:00

(From the lips of Amy... (I'm in parenthesis))...we do not like cake (speak for yourself, hon)! We are not cake people (wha?)! We are not people who eat four sticks of butter (yeah, ok, but sometimes I sneak a bit into your French bread). Joel hates coconut, and I don't like raspberries.Daring bakers, we have a problem.We decided that since we both are picky about our cake-age, we would each

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-49096941974401757882008-03-26T10:53:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:21.749-08:00

(Do they make browned butter light?)I have a new favorite sauce. It's a dangerous one. It's one part brown butter to two parts balsamic vinegar. My arteries will be made to cry.This simple dish was motivated by a desire to get rid of some leftover ham and inspired by two from Mark Bittman's show "How to cook everything." As I've noted, I watch this while I do sit ups before work on Mondays

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-17932097773762235762008-03-24T07:33:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:22.163-08:00

(A glimmer of hope and lightitude in an otherwise "we're stuck in winter" week)It's been a heck of a whirlwind week. We cooked massively for our little apartment, and relished every dish. When I was planning the menu, I wedged this salad in between ham (big giant meat) and "dinner out." Dinner out translated roughly to positively delicious Vietnamese food- you know, the kind that can only be

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-27689512418560175662008-03-23T15:44:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:22.990-08:00

(Big eats and good folks)I hope you all had a lovely Easter. In my house, our feast was always mostly the chocolate and sugar kind. I don't know how my parents stood up to first two, then three children all jazzed up on confections. Their only hope was our built in frugality; we wanted to eat the candy, but more than that, we wanted to eat the candy tomorrow too! I think it must be a Catholic

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-77559484642460839712008-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:002008-04-15T09:22:22.568-07:00

(Look ma, no gagging!)I'm sure my mom must get a kick out of every asparagus recipe I make. I used to literally sit at the table for hours refusing to eat a single spear because it triggered my gag reflex. Now, I can't get enough! Here's a preparation we used along side our Easter dinner. It was a bit heavy on the parmesan, but who's to complain of too much cheese, really? Easy to prep ahead

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-16104432173168065432008-03-23T07:48:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:23.336-08:00

(Hamming around)I had a fantastic time cooking with Amy this Easter. We had her father over, so we actually got to cook more than two portions! More on that later, but for now the other end of the spectrum; really small portions. I took the opportunity to play around and do an amuse-bouche.Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Amuse-bouche(Serves 4)For the soup:1/4 cup Campbell's condensed tomato

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-61121411927603929192008-03-18T06:01:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:24.202-08:00

(A boil of a different sort)It's been one of those odd, eerie, busy, speedy weeks around here. I suppose then that it's serendipitous that we chose to do mostly repeats. We had Pad Thai with tofu for Pasta Sunday, and secured an easy transition to the weekend by doing all the prep for Winter Provencal Wild Rice, Salmon en Papillote, and Hobo packs while this next dish cooked.Of course, on

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-65593173350926757842008-03-16T20:17:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:25.501-08:00

(Cream. Chocolate. Beer. Give in.)When a holiday falls on a Monday, I tend to get a bit excited. The opportunity to create a unique and festive treat for the office just sets me spinning with possibilities. St. Patrick's Day is no exception, but what to make? When I think of Ireland and food, I go two ways. Oatmeal, corned beef, and lamb round out the edibles while stout, whiskey, and

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-42913841420503077492008-03-11T20:41:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:25.986-08:00

(The things that matter most)The theme song playing in my head lately has been that "...just can't seem to get right today..." song from the Kia commercial. I've been wearing a bit thin lately between work and chores. It didn't help that I had a pretty crummy birthday last week; no one's fault, I'm just getting old, I guess. Then there's the fact that Amy's back to working nights for the next

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-60941824083767481012008-03-10T06:03:00.000-07:002008-11-12T22:03:26.359-08:00

(Have you Pasta Sunday'd?)Amy actually came up with this dish in some form a while ago when she was craving something with creamy goodness but without the cream. I believe we actually had purchased the cheese for a quiche and wound up with some leftovers. The protein varies; I think the original was prepared with pre-cooked shrimp. It's made with Laughing Cow light swiss, hence the "Funny"

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-57975319153465374812008-03-03T05:22:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:26.527-08:00

(I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)I've been trying to think up a clever little introduction to this recipe all week. I was going to talk about how all the ingredients were sourced from our local super market, or about how I'm hankering for fresh summer produce, or a food memory from my grade school cafeteria (canned green beans and hot dogs still give me the willies, especially

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-89711946893981275272008-03-02T21:52:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:26.843-08:00

(An experiment in leftoverism)When we cleaned the chicken for our Garlic and Rosemary Roast Chicken, I pulled out a nice surprise; a whole, intact liver. Everyone seems to have a horror story about this organ. Amy even has one! She's warned me several times about her grandmother's treatment. She even had a liver club, documented in the local news paper!Not me though. I've never had liver.

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-37772896366595889632008-03-02T19:05:00.001-08:002008-11-12T22:03:26.988-08:00

(I swear, it's safe to go in the kitchen)These little guys couldn't be easier to make! Little by little, I'm trying to let go of my unnatural fear of any recipe which contains the phrase "until stiff peaks." My mom made some almond meringues for Christmas, and we've been picking up a package every visit since sampling them at whole foods. In fact, I had just bitten into one of these treats as

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-60216268935572836222008-03-01T17:07:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:27.477-08:00

(Sticky fingers make for sticky sauce (and vice versa))We've had an inexplicable craving for Chinese food for a while now, but we just haven't gotten around to it. In my studying of chefs and cuisine lately, I've been reading about composing dishes, and how one of the sources of inspiration is a craving. When I saw Allen of Eating Out Loud's Sesame Chicken, I sent it to Amy straight away with

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-50222011063481610462008-02-29T05:19:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:28.832-08:00

(Other? What on earth do you mean, other?)Woah, poor pork. Much maligned, banned by entire cultures, and written off as unhealthy by association with bacon. Know what I have to say to that? Whoa! Pork! Not only is it cheap ($1.99 / lb - boneless) and healthy (qualifying as a lean protein), it's also pretty darned tasty if you treat it right. After growing up on baby back ribs and stuffed

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-86205807767103497572008-02-29T00:00:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:31.957-08:00

(Where monkeys dare...)I've heard many times that one can cook well or one can bake well, but one can't do both. In my case, I'll have to split the difference. As I've said before, I love baking because of the fluid nature between the baker and the ingredients. You really have to pay attention to what you're bringing together. If you're cooking and you over season or miss an ingredient,

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-24092308799701380182008-02-20T06:19:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:33.653-08:00

(My monkey got sauce (your monkey can't make gravy like mine))Roasting a chicken is a big deal for us. On the one hand, a relatively simple bit of preparation and very little attention during cooking will provide a delicious dinner for us. On the other, a chicken is much too much food for two monkey tummies to take down in one sitting.Cooking anything with over a half pound of meat involved

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-39311168205275868092008-02-16T09:45:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:33.924-08:00

(You had me at "three cheese")I've been playing around with polenta for a while now. In fact, it's become a regular part of my beer-box lunch crew (though it's never as good made in the microwave). When I saw Joe's Three Cheese Polenta Pie on TasteSpotting, it caught my attention. I hadn't thought of using the ingredient as anything more than a side dish before. Now I'm up for exploring all

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-76674897076249883932008-02-14T13:16:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:34.108-08:00

Shh! Can you keep a secret?Amy and I decided on a not-getting-anything Valentine's day.So I made something instead.Inspired by one of her favorite snacks: A peanut-butter bacon truffle.Happy Valentines Day!

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-44878801720040557952008-02-12T08:44:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:35.174-08:00

(Calling it pot roast should be a crime)There's not much I can say about this dish from a personal history point of view. We've decided that Julia's work is worth trying to do once a week or so, and I was still hankering for beef, I guess. Actually, I've kind of wanted to make this for a while, just based on the name.Our adaptations are pretty much the same as for the Carbonnades. The dish was

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-40057230303042343172008-02-10T21:46:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:35.454-08:00

(I want a (pasta) Sunday kind'a love)When Amy and I are introduced as a couple, inevitably one of the first questions people ask us is how we met. This is especially true it seems of parents. I would love to have a great story to tell, honestly. The fact of the matter is that we know we met sometime during our college careers, and that's about it.We ran with the same circle of friends for the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-14572841784349882222008-02-10T20:50:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:36.405-08:00

(Warning: Product may contain Girl Scouts)As you've probably noticed, Amy and I try to eat pretty healthfully. Now, that doesn' mean we don't indulge in something sweet, no sir! We do try and maintain a certain level of moderation in most things though. Even without our intent though, we seem to be surrounded by more goodies than we can eat! The constant barrage of holidays, freebies from

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-24496271785680947692008-02-04T22:00:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:36.919-08:00

(Something fishy with my sole)Continuing our adventure through "Mastering... volume 1", we went for a fish recipe. One of only two in the book, in fact! There are a flurry of different sauces and accompaniments to this dish though, so I guess that makes up for it. As for us, we just wanted some nice, simple fish; we skipped the sauce(s).The other recipe by contrast has only itself: Thon a la

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-51418971964872368112008-02-04T21:44:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:37.202-08:00

By the time I came across the "Monthly Mingle" for January, I'd already finished planning out the menu for this week. I sighed disappointedly as I realized nothing we were making really qualified. We have two new dishes; Shrimp Wontons and the fish recipe from "Mastering..." by Julia Child. Some of the rest of our dinners are comforty, but already blogged; Turkey Bechamel Crepes and Winter

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-86711380703327281702008-02-03T16:38:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:37.599-08:00

(Further adventures in pasta)I think it was on "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain that we first saw Chinese Soup Dumplings. Soup? Inside a dumpling? This was something we surely must try. Well, it's been months now and every week something keeps coming up that steals the spot from those dumplings. Well, this week we're one step closer with the purchase of a package of wonton wrappers to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-60626839796270056652008-02-03T10:06:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:38.093-08:00

(Welcome to the dark side. Well, really the GBD side...)For Monday office treats, I had originally thought King Cake Cupcakes might be a swell idea. I've only actually had King Cake once; someone brought it in in grade school, I think. However, I was feeling especially festive, and Amy jumped at the idea of putting a little baby Jesus trinket inside a baked good. As I trolled for recipes, I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-45236058869613677882008-02-03T03:50:00.001-08:002008-11-12T22:03:38.585-08:00

(I'd like to thank you, Mr. Brown, for introducing us...)[EDIT]You know, it occurred to me today that this stew pretty much couldn't get any better as an entry for Heart of the Matter. Lucky for me it fits this month's theme, which I had completely written off. "I probably won't be making a stew for dinner... Amy won't like it" said I. Well, from my recycled beer case lunchbox to you, here's

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-28886959819863388272008-01-27T19:50:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:39.449-08:00

Don't worry, we haven't abandoned pasta Sunday! Last week, Amy made home made udon noodles. We stir-fried them with vegetables and shrimp and topped the whole thing with a nice garlicky sauce. Unfortunately, she handled most of the cooking, but has been too busy to write about it. I guess you'll just have to wait until the next time we make it next time so I can pay closer attention to the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-32321473552696848082008-01-26T06:06:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:40.258-08:00

(Toasty)I had a very original day (at least, to me) culinarily speaking. For lunch (which on weekends is really just breakfast round II), I made an herbed omelet with parsley and chives filled with Laughing Cow Swiss (awesome cheese, by the way). I've been in an egg-funk lately, mostly just tossing chili powder or cayenne in them and calling it good. The herbs were a nice change.Then, for

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-10890653125942253682008-01-25T05:12:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:40.504-08:00

(Poor baby cake)No, this isn't a cheer-me-up cake. I had a particularly not-so-bad week. It's unusual for me to have much energy at all on a Friday, but there it is. I even went to the gym for an extra run! I also had an oddly high craving for chocolate cake. I had something very specific in mind...I wanted the torte from one of the restaurants Amy and I used to frequent. It is thick, firm,

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-88724357247049601882008-01-20T08:08:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:40.764-08:00

I could do the typical thing, and talk about how weird it is to have fresh citrus this time of year.Or I could talk about how much it livens up the January blues.But you know that already, don't you?So why aren't you making these muffins? NOW!Lemon Poppyseed Glazed Muffins(Makes 24 muffins)Muffins3 1/2 cups all purpose flour2/3 cups sugar1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt2 eggs1 1/2 cups

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-57233461106447551932008-01-19T08:16:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:49.380-08:00

(Beef and Onions Braised in Beer)"Adapted from 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck." Oh how I've waited for those words! And they're every bit as satisfying to express as I thought. My first exposure to Mrs. Child's cooking was no doubt through my mother, but I gained a renewed interest when I read "My Life in France" earlier this fall. I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-2606425166706931452008-01-16T12:39:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:49.755-08:00

(I am not a real man anyways (though, I do play one from time to time))Growing up, I was exposed to quiche at a very early age. I can remember hearing "real men don't eat quiche" at the dinner table and believing that my indulgence in the eggy delight was something I would have to hide from the guys, lest I be humiliated. If given the choice, I'd go for the quiche anyways.We had a sheet of pie

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-12936059062508896182008-01-15T21:39:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:49.955-08:00

I've been neglectful of my office treat tradition since Christmas break. I have an excuse though! I got a promotion and moved offices, so there's been quite a bit of settling in and busy work to do. Last night though, I had the time and the urge to bake. I thought about using some of the cans of pumpkin I bought and never used in a muffin type application, but I was kind of in more of a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-74319715764849316332008-01-13T19:56:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:50.205-08:00

(a craving, an obsession, bonus shrimp and a stolen recipe)We've been trying to pinch pennies here and there for a while now. Before we went our separate family Christmas ways, we did one last round of grocery shopping '07. Amy was craving shrimp for our New Years Eve dinner, so we placed bets on the total bill for that trip, and she won. The grand prize? A cocktail shrimp tray, of course!

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-41055168479117307072008-01-08T20:36:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:50.426-08:00

There wasn't going to be an entry tonight. We did a repeat, making our Herb-crusted Pork Chops, taking our previous experience into account. We switched the side to cranberries though, and we remembered to add the most important ingredient:

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-67114888039495588882008-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:50.769-08:00

(...or because-I-said-so pasta)Well it's pasta Sunday alright, but I made crepes! They're almost the same, right? Flour and eggs... sure the crepes have milk, but what's a little milk between friends? Certainly nothing to cry over, that's what. I'm glad we're all together on this. Moving on then...Alright, so here's the deal. I was originally going to make some sort of pierogi type

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-18377425135699694642007-12-30T07:05:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:51.302-08:00

(Or "The creature from the tin can... for peace!")One of our favorite weekend activities now that the farming has slowed to a crawl is going out to the ritzy neighborhood thrift stores. Tacky? Maybe. But no one's complaining when I'm wearing my Christian Dior ties about the office, least of all me. Why should I? I only paid $0.99 for them. A few weekends ago, Amy spotted "Cooking with Soup:

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-86424882294457518812007-12-28T16:01:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:51.521-08:00

I love making new (new to me anyways) taste discoveries by accident! This dish was originally supposed to be made with lentils and no eggs, and simmered on the stove top. However, come dinner time yesterday, I wasn't feeling the legumes at all. I skipped 'em, boiled the rice away until almost done, tossed in everything else, and let it slow-roast until the carrots were tenderI had a glass of

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-46603279256645496082007-12-25T08:50:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:52.505-08:00

As far as I can recall, we've never really done a big Christmas dinner around my family's house. I think we were all pretty much tuckered or too busy enjoying our new lego sets to need anything more than some good snackies and some good egg nog. That could be my selective memory though.That's why I was a bit surprised when my mom suggested we each prepare a roasted chicken this year. She was

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-11003560155155294992007-12-24T11:33:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:53.231-08:00

We were always a Christmas Eve family. Heck, I didn't even realize there was any other way of opening presents until I was in college. Even in that experimental environment, I don't think I'd care to break with tradition one bit.Our ritual usually started with Christmas Eve mass. We'd all pile into the car and back out of the drive way. It seemed that my parents were particularly

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-4371641526033605552007-12-23T10:54:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:53.557-08:00

I put Amy on a plane today (MONKEYS ON A PLANE) to Florida for Christmas with her Mom's family. Tired, and in no mood to cook after baking all morning and preparing some Pasta e Fagioli for later in the week all afternoon, I still wasn't ready to give up on Pasta Sunday! (New rule: an exclamation point must always follow Pasta Sunday! No matter the context). Of course, the title of this

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-2697346914217224052007-12-22T22:35:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:54.470-08:00

...or our second day of ChristmasWe had our first day of Christmas on Friday at Amy's Dad's house. Deb cooked up a delicious pistachio encrusted beef tenderloin with a red wine and mushroom reduction, and served it along with a casserole of green beans (no, not the one you're thinking of) with water chestnuts, red peppers, and onions in cream of celery soup and herbed new potatoes. The beef was

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6055704320395360337.post-74021959082508667662007-12-18T22:02:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:03:54.860-08:00

Amy and I have very different opinions when it comes to meat. For starters, she likes it well done- doesn't really matter what the breed or cut, it's gotta be fully cooked. I prefer mine a touch on the rare side of medium-rare. She's also not a very big fan of pork, which I love. I mean, come on hon! It's lean, it's cheap, and it actually has flava!In any event, this is a great application

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07156756336692133717noreply@blogger.com