Date Night at Home in Four Dishes

 Now that we've passed the weekend of love, I feel enough time has passed to talk about two of my loves. 1) Cooking multi-course sophisticated meals at home as opposed to going out to eat on one of the busier restaurant date days (see: Valentine's Day); and 2) Achieving amazing time management skills in the kitchen.

When you're cooking multiple courses, time management can be extremely difficult. One key factor is having a partner in the kitchen to help execute multiple dishes at the same time. I'm happy to report that our date night at home effort was very successful in the area of time management. Not only did we execute a starter salad, a main dish with side, and a dessert in under 2 hours (when you count the time it takes to cook the sweet potatoes in the oven) we did so without any major disasters and little time wasted. We even had the dessert ready to go in the oven when we started the meal so once we were done eating 20 minutes later, dessert was ready.

In short, here is what we made and how we got it done. Our menu was as follows:

1) Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad (courtesy of Epicurious, see recipe below)

2) Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin - a gem I've made multiple times.

3) Sweet Potato Puree with Smoked Paprika (also courtesy of Epicurious)

4) Maple Bacon Bread Pudding - I learned to make this during a cooking with bacon class last year

In order to execute this four course meal, I suggest starting by cooking the sweet potatoes in the oven as this will taken the most time to execute (1 hour). While those are cooking, I suggest opening a bottle of red wine. Because I said so. 

About halfway through the cooking time, and once you've enjoyed some wine, make the salad dressing and set aside. Then mix the herb topping for the pork tenderloin so that once the potatoes are removed from the oven, the meat is ready to cook. I also suggest cubing the bread for the bread pudding. Once you place the pork tenderloin in the oven,, you can also toast the bread cubes needed to make the bread pudding. I suggest assembling the bread pudding at the same time as when the meat is cooking so once that is done, you can place the ramekins filled with maple bacon bread pudding goodness in the oven so they'll be ready when you're done eating.

I know this sounds a bit complicated, but if you take a few minutes to plan your prep strategy for any multi-course meal, it can be done. Wine also helps.

Here's the kale salad recipe. It's awesome and I'll be making this again. The dressing also works well with arugula.

Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 to 1 lb. lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale) or tender regular kale, stems and center ribs discarded 
• 2 TB finely chopped shallot 
• 1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
• 4 1/2 TB extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 oz. coarsely grated ricotta salata (1 cup)

Directions:

Working in batches, cut kale crosswise into very thin slices.

Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Toss kale and ricotta salata in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat well, then season with salt and pepper.

Food Porn: Texas Edition

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to "get out of town" in some capacity each quarter. It didn't need to be a big trip, but it would require an overnight stay somewhere that was not my home base of Washington, DC. My first quarterly trip for 2014 took me to Austin, TX, to visit my cousins and visit a warmer climate, having been stuck in what seemed like an endless DC winter. I was cutting it close in getting to my first quarterly destination, reaching Austin during the last week of March. My cousins had asked me in advance what I wanted to do during my trip and my requirements were quite simple. I wanted to eat good BBQ and hear some good live music. We accomplished both of these tasks during my 3-day trip, but for the purposes of this blog, I'll talk about
the BBQ. Because it was definitely the Boss.

I had received a lot of recommendations of where to go in Austin and the surrounding area to get BBQ. Everyone has their opinion, but after consulting with friends and my family there, we decided to hit the road to Lockhart, TX, about a 45-minute drive north of Austin. But during the previous night's planning and preparation for the BBQ excursion, I realized that between the three of us, we couldn't decide on where to go. So we elected to do a BBQ crawl of the three main BBQ joints in Lockhart. We were on a tight time frame, needing to complete this crawl in about 3 1/2 hours since we needed to get back to Austin, to watch my Dayton Flyers play in the Elite 8. Challenge accepted.

Our first stop was to Smitty's with the giant fire pits (shown above). There was a bit of a wait here so I got to inhale that smoky meaty goodness for a solid 30 minutes before having the opportunity to purchase our BBQ. Recognizing that this was going to be a marathon, not a sprint, we devised a plan to divide and conquer, tasting 2-3 types of meat in each location, but definitely brisket in each place. For this first stop, we elected for 1/3 pound of brisket, hot sausages, and beef ribs. We didn't bother with sides, save for the bread and
pickles, but we did decided to try the National Beer of Texas: Lone Star. Here I got to channel my inner True Detective, attempt to solve the riddles on the bottlecap, and wash down this tasty BBQ. Amazing. But I'll leave my formal BBQ ranking for the end of this post!

Next stop was Black's, one of the BBQ institutions in the town, and from what I understand, one of the originals. Fortunately the line wasn't too long, but just long enough for us to digest a bit from the first place. For some reason, I felt like I needed more than just meat here, opting to grab some mac and cheese as well to wash it all down. Here we elected for another 1/3 pound of brisket as well as some baby back ribs. There were some FrankenRibs that we elected not to purchase (pictured here) because again, we knew that we still had one more place to visit. A marathon, not a sprint, boys. At this point we started joking about the meat cramps and feeling like we permanently had a rib wedged near our ribs. But we were 2/3 of the way through our crawl. Not the time to cramp up!

Our last stop was Kreuz Market, home to what my cousin has deemed "the best damn pork chop" he's ever tasted. So clearly we needed to order that in addition to more brisket. Because we needed to try brisket in each location in order to come up with formal rankings. My cousin wasn't joking about the pork chop. Un-freaking-believable. The rub was solid and the meat cooked to tender perfection. Between the three of us, we managed to eat about 2/3 of the pork chop as well as all the brisket, but we sure were full!

And we did this all with time to spare! We were able to drive back to Austin, drop off the small amount of leftovers at the house, and then head to the bar to watch my basketball team. Sadly, the Flyers did not win, but all-in-all the day was a win.

And now for the formal rankings.

This was extremely difficult because even though we elected to get brisket at each location, the first was a lean brisket (the horror, I know!) while the other two were fatty to medium-fatty. Having said that, I felt that best cooked part of the brisket we had at Kreuz (one end was a bit over done) was the most flavorful. As for the ribs, I loved the rub on the ribs we had at Smitty's. My cousin Joe preferred the baby back ribs at Black's, and don't get me wrong, they were great. But there was just something about the smokiness of the Smitty rib.

I could go on and on about this BBQ for another few paragraphs, or talk about all the awesome breakfast tacos I had while I was there, but my stomach may just burst. So I'm going to go for a run now in solidarity. Because God knows I can't eat like that every weekend. Truly an awesome time with two awesome cousins in a very awesome city. Thanks, boys!

Food Porn: Montreal

Two weeks ago I traveled to Canada for my yearly international trip. The pact I made with myself a few years ago to take one international trip year has taken me to some amazing places, most recently Thailand. Food always plays a big role in my travels and I'm not afraid to admit that I look to what the food will be like (as well as the other sights and attractions of a country...but let's be real, food is a driving force).

This year, I opted to take a short trip to our neighbor to the north: Canada. My visit to the United States' hat was filled with food and I was provided a checklist of sorts for things I needed to eat while I was there. From smoked meat sandwiches to poutine to raw cheese...I hit them all.

Much like the city of Montreal itself, which is a bachelor party dream from the peep shows to sex shops to late bar hours, the food in the city is incredible sexy. It's French. It's rich. It's meaty. Food-gasms abound. Enjoy the recap.

While in Montreal, I had the pleasure of going to two foodie staple restaurants: The Liverpool House and Au Pied de Cochon. The former is a sister restaurant to Joe Beef, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the city. They're known for their meat dishes (including a foie gras double down...no joke). But I elected to go to their more fish heavy restaurant. This is where I probably ate my favorite dish of the trip. This scallop and pork belly dish (pictured on the right) was cooked to perfection and I loved the combination of flavors.

The visit to Au Pied de Cochon was a bit more on the rich side. While there, my dining companion and I indulged on meat products, namely something referred to as the "melting pot." Essentially, this was every type of sausage and pork cut you can imagine, placed in a bowl over mashed potatoes. Good God. The blood sausage put it over the top. Get a load of that bowl of sausage. Hot, isn't it?

I also had yet to have poutine during the trip, so here is where I tried my first Canadian poutine. And it was covered in foie gras. I had to be rolled out of this place. But a girl's gotta eat.  But we elected not to get the Pig's Head for two. You have to draw the line somewhere...

I'm not usually much of a rich food eater, but there are two areas that I do like to regularly indulge in: cheese and craft beer. I got to do both while in Montreal, enjoying a hibiscus beer (wonderful on a hot day) and visiting Atwater Market, home to what I'm told is the best fromagerie in Montreal.

I can't even begin to describe how amazing the cheese was, in particular the non-pasteurized variety. Raw cheese is wonderful, and I stocked up on the good stuff before spending a day at the botanical gardens. I also had a great black rind cheddar cheese that was salty and velvety. This particular cheese came at the recommendation of the foodie tour host, who I talked to at great length the previous day of where to go and what to eat in the city.

Something highly amusing happened while I was at the fromagerie. Amidst all these amazing cheeses, raw and non-raw, every type of specialty cheese you can imagine, the cheesemonger was faced with a very tough question by one of the counter visitors.

The question was not of the technical variety, like "how is cheese made?" or of the sympathetic to goats variety like "were the goats in a happy environment when their milk was taken for use in this cheese?" (though I would love to hear the answer to that one!)

No, the question was this: "Excuse me, do you have Kraft cheese?"

The below photo was taken at the botanical garden and pretty much sums up my reaction to this question.

 

'Merica.

Crockpot Ropa Vieja

I know a few people who follow a Paleo diet. I've been told of its merits and one thing I think it definitely does right is pushes people to eat more protein and vegetables. I think there are a number of great Paleo recipes out there, and some awesome blogs for those who are interested. One that a coworker of mine had suggested I look at recipes on is http://paleomg.com/. She encouraged me to try this crockpot recipe for ropa vieja and swore I wouldn't be disappointed.

Alas, I was disappointed. BUT, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RECIPE. The flavors in this recipe are awesome. I unfortunately got the one piece of meat at my Giant that remained a bit too tough, even after 10 hours of crockpot cooking. I'm sure with a better cut of meat, this would have turned out perfectly. It was not really easily shredded like the traditional dish, so I had to settle for meat chunks. But the flavors were great and highly recommend you trying this. I elected to make black beans and rice for a side.

Her original post is here: http://paleomg.com/crockpot-ropa-vieja-cuban-style-rice/

Crockpot Ropa Vieja (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2lbs chuck roast
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3 TB capers, drained
• 1 TB cumin
• 1 TB dried thyme
• 1 TB dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Chop onions and peppers and place in a crockpot. Place your chuck roast on top and cut 4 deep slices into the chuck roast and push your garlic cloves into the roast. Add the cumin, thyme and oregano to the pot, as well as the salt and pepper. Then add your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, capers, and bay leaf to the rest of the crockpot.

Place on low for 6-8 hours or high for 5-7 hours.When your ropa vieja is almost done, it’s time to cook your rice.

Once your ropa vieja is done cooking, use a  fork to shred your beef in the crockpot. Serve ropa vieja on top of  rice.

I'll admit, this was even more flavorful the next day and makes great leftovers.

Cooking Through My Freezer

Last week I faced a big problem in my kitchen: a faulty refrigerator. The temperature in the fridge area raised into the 60s but the freezer continued to keep everything frozen. It seems to be working now, but the freezer has been problematic for a while now and I'll likely replace it in the coming weeks.

Until then, I moved some of my meat items from my freezer to a neighbors. Some items are a bit freezer burned so I'm worried that the quality may suffer when I cook these items, but I need to relieve my neighbors of the burden of holding my meat. (that's what she said?)

I have several types of frozen meat available for my use, but I'm asking YOU, my faithful following to help me decide what to cook first.

My options are as follows:

• 1 pound of pork tenderloin
• 2 bison burger patties
• 8 oz ground turkey
• 8 oz skirt/flank steak

Either comment below or on my Facebook wall to let me know what I should cook for next week. Also, if you have a particular recipe in mind, send it along!

Homemade Marinara Sauce with Meatballs

There are some recipes that you've had for years and it doesn't turn out the same way each time. This is one of those recipes. I acquired this from my aunt who married into an Italian family. The ingredient list only sparingly includes measurements (i.e., it indicates "three cans of tomatoes," but doesn't specify size) and omits certain seasonings in the ingredients list, but mentions them in the body of the directions. In any case, it's easy to experiment with this recipe and it still turns out fabulous. I had a few friends over to watch the season premiere of Mad Men and this traditional, Italian meal was a hit. Even if I made it up as I went along. Be sure to allow some time for this, because I think it's best for the sauce to simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours. And invite friends,  because it makes a ton (but lucky for me...freezes very well!) My apologies for the bad photo...I was too busy drinking wine and ogling over Jon Hamm to remember to take a decent photo.

Homemade Marinara Sauce with Meatballs (serves 8 hungry people)

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• fresh chopped parsley (guesstimate, I have no idea how much I ended up using)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TB oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Fresh basil (approximately 1/4 cup)
• 3 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes (plum, preferably) in sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
• 2 carrots (cut up)
• 1 TB salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3 sweet Italian sausage links (optional, but I think add great flavor)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Put olive oil in lagre cooking pot, put enough in to cover the bottom of the pan. Put the chopped garlic and chopped onions in and simmer until light brown color.

Add the 3 cans of tomatoes in sauce. Also add tomato sauce and mix. Add the cut up carrots, which help cut the acidity in the sauce.

Next add the salt and chopped parsley. Add basil leaves and oregano to the sauce. Add bay leaves and 1/2 tsp sugar in the gravy. Simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Meanwhile,  in a large bowl combine the ground beef, eggs, parsley, bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp salt and a little pepper. Sprinkly in the garlic and onion powders. Mix up and make into meatballs. Put the meatballs into a frying pan (coated in olive oil and brown each side. Then add meatballs to the sauce.

Brown sausage if desire and then add to the sauce. The meat can probably sit in the sauce for up to 1 1/2 hours as it simmers. Enjoy over your favorite pasta. I like to serve with fresh shredded parmesean.