Michele's Dinner Journal

2008-02-29T06:35:00.005-07:00

Last night I led a cooking dinner party for 10 and I thought it only fitting that I include a picture of Suzanne, my trusty assistant who helps with most of my dinners. This is her slaving over the large pots as she does every event, and they wouldn't run smoothly without her! I made the Italian menu again, and ate the leftover pasta carbonara at midnight while catching up with my husband after we both got home.

Today marks the final post in my dinner journal blog - I made a commitment to chronicle what I eat for dinner for a full year, and unbelievably, I've done that! Most people probably don't give much thought to what they've eaten in a year, but here's a snapshot for my year:

I ate out 86 times during the year which averages to once or twice each week. By far my most popular dishes to cook are pasta, which I made 71 times. I also use alot of cheese (70), made salad for dinner a fair number of times (57), ate leftovers about 3 times each month (37), and about twice a month (23) I just snacked my way through the evening, usually on a hefty serving of those Cape Cod Reduced Fat Potato Chips. I chronicled what I ate during my travels (33) on my travel journal blog (including some great photos if I do say so myself). By protein, here's what I cooked this past year:

Beef 66 (45 of those were steak)
Chicken 55
Fish 32
Seafood 25
Buffalo 6
Lamb 4
Pork 4
Turkey 3
Kielbasa 2
Ham 1

My goal for the next year will be to eat more fish and seafood than beef!

Starting in March I will launch Tips from The Kitchen Coach, my new blog, which will be full of tips, techniques, recipes, cookbook reviews, sources, and other useful culinary information. Be sure to check it out.

Thanks for sharing my year with me!

2008-02-28T06:58:00.005-07:00

Well, it wasn't fancy or elegant, but I managed to make a meal and my husband and I sat down at the dining room table to eat and talk about what's going on with his work and our new house. Since we're moving in 3 months I don't want to buy new food, but rather eat up as much from the pantry as I can so I don't have to move it. Here's what I came up with:

Wild Rice Pilaf
I cooked long grain wild rice in some chicken stock with cumin, coriander and chili powder, dice green chiles, and a diced carrot. When it was almost cooked I added a can of drained chickpeas and a little butter.

White Sweet Corn
It was like a blast from last summer - I cooked some of the sweet corn I had frozen from last season and it was delicious!

Pan Fried Tilapia
I simply seasoned the fish filets with salt, pepper and some freshly grated lemon zest, them pan fried them in a little butter and extra virgin olive oil.

2008-02-27T05:47:00.001-07:00

I was busy last night getting our house in shape to be photographed in order to list it for sale and barely had time to throw together a quick pasta dish for my poor husband who has been wondering why I never cook for him anymore. I think I'll surprise him with something spectacular tonight.

Orzo with Beef Sauce
I sauteed a diced red onion in extra virgin olive oil with some ground beef until is was browned, then added chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, canned mushrooms (I keep them for when I'm in a pinch even though their texture is rubbery), chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper. I tossed this sauce with cooked garlic parsley orzo and topped the dish with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

2008-02-26T06:57:00.004-07:00

I spent 3 hours yesterday walking through the new house we are buying with our builder and his wife the interior designer to review features, tweak layout, agree on lighting and fixtures, and, most importantly, review the complete kitchen design. I've never built or remodeled a house, so this was the first chance I had to think about kitchen layout (like including a full counter lined with a long appliance garage for all my heavy work tools), to specify appliances (Wolf and Subzero), and to pick cabinetry (like the very cool floor to ceiling bookshelves for my 500 cookbooks that will include a library ladder to reach the upper shelves). It was a great experience and I can't wait to settle in our new digs.

I also taught a private cooking lesson yesterday where we focused on appetizers plus made a dinner. Here's what we made:

Pan Seared Lemon & Garlic Shrimp
Cannellini Bean Dip with Pita Crisps
Tuna Tartare in Wonton Cups
Mushroom Palmiers
Prosciutto and Fontina Wagon Wheels
Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks on a Bed of Couscous

I was tired and not hungry when I got home and didn't eat any dinner, but did manage to nibble a couple of my healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies before bed.

2008-02-25T04:39:00.003-07:00

It was not an easy trip home from Park City yesterday with my daughter on crutches and me hauling all the bags and her snowboard in the sleet and snow, but we made it home in one piece on time and the airport personnel could not have been nicer or more helpful to us. I was exhausted by dinner time and made a simple Sunday supper for the three of us to eat while watching the Academy Awards.

Roast Chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley and stuffed with onion and lemon for flavor.
Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes, served with butter

2008-02-24T07:19:00.002-07:00

Well, it was inevitable. Anyone who snowboards 100+ days a year and spends all her time in the terrain park riding rails and boxes, doing jumps and tricks, is bound to get hurt eventually. Although my daughter was thrilled to be teamed with professional snowboarder Erin Comstock yesterday in the Queen's Cup in Park City, she "cased it" (hit the jump wrong) on the first jump because "the setup was gay" (too short between the jumps) and blew out her knee. She tore her ACL, needs surgery and is out for 6-9 months.

We laid low after that and hung out in a hotel room last night with a few of the other athletes and another mom, watching "Dan in Real Life" and eating pizza for dinner while my daughter iced her knee and moped.

2008-02-23T15:33:00.003-07:00

Last night was the charity rail jam in Park City and I stood in the freezing heavy snow for 3 hours watching the kids - not my idea of fun. To make it even less appealing, the had set up the rails right on Main Street and between the short course and the heavy snow, it was so slow nobody could even hit a trick. Needless to say, I was psyched to head to dinner at 8:30 at La Casita, a great little Mexican joint right in Park City. My daughter and I shared two different meals:

Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Chili Verde

The Corona with a lime was a perfect accompaniment to the meal!

2008-02-22T12:44:00.003-07:00

I'm in Park City with my daughter for the Queens Cup snowboarding and skiing competition. She'll be in the rail jam later today and will compete in the downhill slopestyle tomorrow, and the proceeds from the event benefit breast cancer research.

Last night we had dinner at Grappa, and highly rated Italian spot on Main Street, and dinner was fabulous!

Calamari
Caesar Salad
Pesto Crusted Sea Bass on Risotto with Crispy Pancetta

2008-02-21T06:08:00.003-07:00

We went to dinner with a group of friends from my husband's company last night to celebrat a deal they had closed and thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Steakhouse 10 in Englewood. The restaurant is owned by three Greek brothers who recently opened their 11th restaurant, an Italian spot aptly named Undici which means "eleven" in Italian. If you go to Steakhouse 10, try to go with a group so you can actually try all of the appetizers and desserts like we did - I didn't eat all of this, but I certainly had at least a bite of everything!

Ouzo-flamed Greek cheese
Crab Cakes
Escargot
Caesar Salad
Filet Mignon
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Asparagus Spears
Chocolate Cake
Creme Brulee

Laurent Perrier BV Champagne
2003 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Ouzo - Hopa!

2008-02-20T07:00:00.003-07:00

After spending much of the day running around and doing lots of little things on the house to get it ready to sell I found myself at 7pm with nothing for dinner and a hungry husband. I also am out of many staples because of my trip to Mexico and I leave for Park City tomorrow with mu daughter, so I had to improvise.

Beef Tips and Mushrooms with Pasta
I thawed and sauteed some chunks of beef tenderloin (I always save the "scraps" when I trim a whole tenderloin) with a diced onion. While that was cooking I soaked some large dried shitake mushrooms in hot water until they rehydrated and then chopped them up and added them, along with a small can of button mushrooms, some beef stock, and the mushroom liquid. I seasoned the dish with fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and thickened the liquid with a beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour conbined into a paste and whisked into a sauce). Finally I tossed it all with some cooked garofola pasta and served it with a little shredded mozzarella on top. Fair...you have to love shitake mushrooms as they tended to overpower the flavor.

2008-02-19T09:30:00.002-07:00

My husband's favorite type of meal is anything with pasta, preferably with sausage, and usually with red sauce. He's been feeling so badly lately I humored him with a dish right up his alley - and the bonus was I used some of my frozen sauce from this summer and the leftover sausage from Sunday.

Baked Rotini with Peppers, Onions, and Sausage
I tossed half-cooked rotini pasta with sauce I made last summer with peppers and onions, added some diced fresh red pepper and cooked sausage slices, then tossed in some shredded mozzarella cheese. I poured the whole thing into a baking dish and topped it with more mozzarella and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and baked it until bubbly. Yum...

2008-02-18T07:10:00.003-07:00

Despite the wintery weather yesterday, my husband and I headed to Cherry Creek for lunch before driving through the neighborhood we think we want to move to in order to check out houses for sale and new homes being built. I had a great lunch at Cucina Colore.

Insalata Caprese
Classic tomatoe and buffalo mozzarella salad with pesto, balsamic, and huge fresh basil leaves.

Linguine with Mussels
Linguine in a spicy tomato sauce with plump mussels and freshly wilted spinach topped with some Parmigiano cheese.

Parma Pizza (my husband's, but I helped myself to a slice)
Thin crust pizza with prosciutto, arugula and some cheese.

Orvieto Classico wine by the quattro litro

When we returned home I was stuffed and not in the mood to cook, so just ate some of the leftover butternut squash risotto with sliced sausage for dinner.

2008-02-17T07:06:00.003-07:00

The great thing about winter squash is their hard shells allow them to be kept for as long as a month or two before they spoil. As a result, my farm distribution has left my kitchen piled high with butternut, acorn, long neck and spaghetti squash and I decided yesterday it was time to start cooking them up.

Acorn Squash Bread
I baked two of the acorn squash then pureed the flesh to use in a quick bread recipe that I made up based on my zucchini bread recipe (a reduced sugar recipe using Splenda). I added dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts for some interest and it's delicious. Let me know if you want the recipe (you could substitute any pureed squash for the acorn squash and could even use canned pumpkin).

Butternut Squash Risotta with Sausage
I chopped half a red onion and sauteed it briefly in extra virgin olive oil before adding the rice to toast. Next I deglazed the pan with prosecco (it's what was in my glass!) and then began adding chicken stock a little at a time, stirring until it became creamy and all the stock was absorbed. I had diced the butternut squash and microwaved it until just barely tender, then added it to the risotto near the end of cooking to let it soften just a bit more and flavor the rice. I finished the dish with a handful of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Italian Sausage
I had received some mild Italian sausage from Sun Prairie Beef in the fall and served this sliced with the risotto. I just browned the entire two foot link of sausage in a skillet, then added a little water, covered the dish, and let it simmer to render out some of the fat and finish cooking the meat.

2008-02-16T07:23:00.004-07:00

I worked at the Food Bank of the Rockies yesterday, and joked to my husband that I got a promotion from wiping down cans to the sorting and boxing stations. The warehouse was full of young kids who are AmeriCorps volunteers, and I got a big kick out of listening to their conversations and a warm heart thinking these kids have given a year of their young lives to volunteer. I picked up my farm share on the way home, and with more potatoes than I know what to do with, I decided to make soup. Pureed vegetable soups are among the easiest things to make, so don't hesitate to try this one - with or without the decadent bacon!

Potato Leek Soup with Bacon
I sliced and cleaned the leeks before sauteeing them in some butter in a saucepan. I then added some minced garlic and chicken stock along with diced peeled potatoes, and let the whole thing simmer until the potatoes were soft. While that was cooking I fried up some lardons of bacon until crispy and drained them. I added a small amount of the bacon to the soup and pureed the whole thing with the stick blender, adjusted the salt and pepper, then served the soup with some bacon lardons on top.

2008-02-15T07:19:00.007-07:00

Only two weeks remain for me to post to this dinner blog ! I promised to share what I ate for dinner for one year, and I'm amazed that a full year has flown by so quickly. I'll be launching my new blog on March 1st and will be providing recipes, cooking tips, cookbook and equipment reviews, sources for Colorado ingredients, links to other blogs, and ideas for quick weeknight meals. Drop me a note if there's anything you'd like to see!

I was moving as slow as molasses yesterday, dealing with my typical post-vacation depression - the longer I'm away, the worse it is - but managed to put together a dinner for my husband for Valentine's Day. (The photograph is a bit lame, but it tasted good!)

Salmon with Mustard-Leek Sauce
I sprinkled the salmon with salt and pepper and covered it tightly with foil to bake while I prepared the sauce. I sauteed leeks in some butter and extra virgin olive oil, then added a little flour for thickening, half-and-half, whole grain mustard, and salt and pepper. This dish is VERY rich and was probably more than my post-Mexico stomach could handle.

Wild Rice
My newest love in the rice family isn't actually a rice at all, but rather a type of grass that grows in the lakes of Minnesota and Canada. It's jet black and I simmered it in chicken stock for about an hour until the grains opened up. I love the nutty flavor and chewy texture.

Roasted Chioggia Beets
I slice these lovely beets (from my farm) that look like candy canes and roasted them in the oven with some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, intending to serve them on a spinach salad with a strawberry vinaigrette, but I was too lazy to make the dressing and the salad, so just served them as a side dish.

Steamed Spinach
I love the fact that you can quickly wilt spinach in the microwave without the addition of any water - or anything for that matter. A little butter at the end was all it needed.

2008-02-14T08:38:00.002-07:00

We arrived home about 8pm last night from Mexico, tired from travelling all day, bummed about the forecast for snow, and up to our eyeballs in things to do at home. Thankfully, we still had some frozen lasagna leftover that my friend Stephanie had made for us on the day of the funeral, so we dug in then hit the sack.

2008-02-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

I made one final sweep through the refrigerator last night to use up whatever was on hand before we leave for Mexico today. My husband had purchased and cooked half of a ribeye steak the night before when I was out at the caucus, so I needed to use that up in the process.

Steak, Fajita Style
I sliced up the last two onions from the farm and sauteed them with some sliced red peppers I found in the fridge until tender and caramelized, then removed them to a pan. I sliced the steak into thin strips and sauteed them just until browned, the mixed the peppers and onions back in and cooked another minute or so. I served the mixture with some whole wheat tortillas and shredded cheddar cheese.

Orange Sherbet
I made up this simple recipe but it's incredibly delicious. I mixed 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (Nake Juice) with a cup of sugar on the stove just until the sugar dissolved, then added 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup half-and-half to it. I let it cool in the refrigerator then froze it in the ice cream maker. I was concerned that when I added the half-and-half it curdled a bit because of the citrus juice, but I found it turned into a fabulously creamy dessert in the ice cream maker. This is one recipe I'll definitely repeat!

2008-02-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

Did you attend your caucus last night? If you are like me - and many other Coloradans - you may not have even understood the caucus process let alone have attended one in the past, but record numbers turned out this year with interest fueled by the close race for our next president. I found the process fascinating and was elected a delegate to attend the County Assembly on March 8th. I wolfed down a quick dinner before the event:

Chicken Wrap
I spread some mayonnaise on a whole wheat tortilla, then add sliced chicken, some cooked and crumbled pancetta, lettuce, salt and pepper.

2008-02-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to both use up food in the refrigerator before we leave for Mexico as well as cook a few things my daughter can eat when she returns home from school late at night, and last night's dinner accomplished both.

Roast Chicken
I still have a few of the all natural chicken breasts that I purchased from a farmer this summer so I quickly seasoned them with Red Robin Seasoned Salt and roasted them until crispy. Yum...

Pasta with Spinach and Artichoke Dip
It may sound strange, but I mixed cooked hot pasta with the leftover dip from the funeral this weekend and some halved cherry tomatoes, thinned it a little with some half and half and pasta water, and sprinkled it lightly with Parmigiano cheese. Not half bad!

2008-02-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Was that a football game or what?!?!?! I'm not really much of a football fan, but I must say that was one of the best Super Bowl games I've ever seen in my life and we found the entire group we were with cheering on the underdogs and jumping for joy with Eli Manning when they scored at the end. We were at our friends for the game where they served some great food, and yes, I ate almost everything on this list.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
BBQ Smokies
Cheese and Crackers
Queso Dip with Sausage
Vegetable Platter with Pesto Dip
Baked Ziti (my friend Susan's recipe with a few extras)
Tossed Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Garlic Bread
Brownies
Spice Cake

2008-02-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

After a 15 month battle with pancreatic cancer, we laid my father in law to rest yesterday. The service was exactly what he had wanted with the addition of a slide show of pictures with him with his family through the years, and everything went beautifully. Although I had cooked heavy appetizers for the family reception at my house afterwards, really very little was eaten, so we snacked on that for dinner and enjoyed the lasagna made by my friend Stephanie.

2008-02-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our out of town family arrived last night for my father in law's funeral today. Something about the anticipation of that made us all a little lethargic and cranky, so after attempting to get into CB Potts for dinner ( no luck - one hour wait) we grabbed Chinese takeout for dinner and ate in the kitchen with our kids. (Bev, if you're reading, those are Lynn's hands which she wanted to make famous in the blog...)

Almond Chicken
Beef with Snow Peas
Egg Rolls
White Rice
Fortune Cookies

2008-02-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

For all you faithful blog readers, we've just entered the last month of my dinner journal blog! I made a commitment to chronicle what I ate for dinner every night for one year, and that year is up at the end of February. I keep thinking I should go out with a bang, cooking some exotic dish every night this month, but since I was home alone again last night and had spent the day readying things for my father in law's funeral this weekend, I just searched the freezer for leftovers.

Spinach Lasagna
I was a bit nervous to eat this as the date on the package said Nov of 2006, but I heated it up anyway, added a bit of fresh Parmigiano cheese and dug in. Most people would have added a green salad as a side dish, but I nixed that in favor of some Cape Cod Reduced Fat potato chips and a glass of 2006 Wine Chick White Wine (from Boulder).

2008-01-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's the last day of January - it seems like only yesterday I was preparing for that 8-course New Year's Eve dinner and now the month is gone in a flash. What is it about getting older that speeds up time? Do we overcommit our time such that we just don't notice how quickly it flies by? Or do we become increasingly more aware of our own mortality (my kids certainly don't think about their mortality or they wouldn't take some of the risks they do), causing us to focus on how quickly we are aging? Regardless, it's February tomorrow and will be spring before we know it!

My husband is away so I made a simple Steak Caesar Salad out of leftovers for dinner and heated up a Corn Muffin from the freezer to go with it.

2008-01-30T07:45:00.001-07:00

I taught a Thai dinner cooking class in my kitchen last night, one of my favorites because of how surprisingly easy it is to make Thai food. Many people are intimidated by ethnic cuisines, not understanding that by using just a few of the key ingredients the typify that cuisine, you can achieve a relatively simple approximation of a classic dish. In the case of Thai food, those ingredients includes coconut, garlic, ginger, chiles, basil, lemongrass and curry - all of which are available at most grocery stores. Here's the dinner we made:

Coconut Soup with Chicken and Shitake Mushrooms
Thai Green Curry Chicken with Basil
Jasmine Rice
Sesame Stir Fried Sugar Snap Peas with Garlic, Ginger and Cashews
Mango Sorbet with Caramelized Pineapple

2008-01-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

The most abundant crop in the winter harvest share from my farm, understandably, is the humble potato. At this point they threaten to overtake my laundry room and garage! During the warm months I rarely eat potatoes, and I have to work my way back into them in the winter. Last night it was the perfect comfort food to accompany our dinner.

Roast Chicken
Although I usually roast my own chickens, I was in a hurry and bought this one from Whole Foods for my daughter to eat before she went to her night class. She forgot and ate something else so my husband and I each ate a breast.

Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
When I'm making a creamy mashed potato, I use a potato ricer to get that fine creamy texture without making the potatoes gluey. But I wanted a more rustic dish last night, so cooked the cubed potatoes with skins on then gently smashed them with a potato masher along with some butter, buttermilk, salt and pepper. They were so yummy I'm going to have them for breakfast today!

Sugar Snap Peas
We ate up the sugar snap peas from the photo shoot on Sunday.

2008-01-28T07:09:00.001-07:00

I surrendered to my bed yesterday. Yes me, the one who usually never slows down, the person a few of my friends have dubbed "the one most likely to get things done". After a great Mexican lunch with some friends on the patio and enjoying the sunshine and 60 degree weather and returning home to do a quick photo shoot of some Asian stir fry sugar snap peas with cashews (above), I tucked myself in, and did nothing else except watch one home improvement or home buying show after another on HGTV.

Dinner consisted of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and Hot Cranberry Herbal Tea along with Delsym for my cough and Mucinex for my congestion that my husband had gone to the store to purchase for me. Let's hope that was the peak of the cold because I have too much to do this week!

2008-01-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

I am battling a nasty cold - at least I hope it's just a cold - and haven't been able to sleep for the past couple of nights. I've tried laying low and avoiding alcohol, but I think today maybe I should try working out and drinking wine since the other approach isn't working! I cooked - barely - last night.

Steak Caesar Salad
I grilled two of the new Safeway Organics NY strip steaks - even though I have local beef I wanted to try them to see how they taste. Although they had great flavor and texture, I'm still unsure how the cattle were raised (free range, grass-fed versus confined feeding operation) so I would need to research their supply more before endorsing it. I sliced the steak and served it over a bed of Romaine tossed with Caesar dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano, and garlic croutons.

2008-01-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

I started my new volunteer job at the Food Bank of the Rockies yesterday. The assignment consists of wearing rubber gloves, standing on a conveyor belt line, and inspecting and sanitizing packaged foods to then be shipped out to various organizations to feed the hungry. It's great mindless work that allows me to ponder my own thoughts while I help out those less fortunate than I.

Between the stress of my husband's father dying yesterday and being sick, neither my husband and I had energy for dinner. I cooked a frozen pizza to which I added a little pesto, roasted red peppers and Parmigiano, then we watched 4 reruns of The King of Queens in a row and went to bed at 8:45.

2008-01-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

I cooked for a photo shoot for an upcoming online article and the dish made a fabulous dinner last night.

Saffron Paella

I sauteed onions and red peppers then added garlic, chorizo, rice and saffron infused chicken stock and let it cook until nearly finished before adding mussels and shrimp to cook. A little parsley on top added some freshness.

2008-01-24T11:23:00.001-07:00

Did anyone happen to see the large moon setting over the mountains while the pink morning sun was rising yesterday? Although my photo (shot from our upper back deck) doesn't fully capture how spectacular it looked, I've included it for your viewing pleasure!

Last night I created a dinner that I typically call "What's for Dinner?" in classes. I went through the refrigerator grabbing what I could find that might go together and here's the result:

Asian Chicken Stir Fry
I diced a half of a red pepper I found, 3 small carrots, 3 scallions, and a stalk of celery and sauteed them in some olive oil and sesame oil until slightly softened. Then I added minced garlic, diced leftover roast chicken, some minced ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a little ketchup. For some reason (probably way to much soy sauce) it was too salty to eat, so I quickly rinsed some of the sauce off, then returned it to the pan to heat up, sprinkled it with sesame seeds and served it over leftover white rice I had reheated. It was a 10 minute meal that hit the spot.

2008-01-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

I taught an Italian dinner cooking class for a blended family of eight last night and enjoyed every minute of it. All six of the kids (five boys and one girl ranging from twin 10 year olds to an 18 year old) were polite, interested, and fun to cook with. The parents' strategy is to cook with the kids regularly so that when they head off to college they know how to cook food and aren't trapped into a fast food mentality, which I fully endorse! Here's the menu we made:

Garlic Bread
Caesar Salad
Rotini with Three Sauces
Marinara Sauce
Vodka Sauce (simple tweak on the marinara sauce)
Alfredo Sauce
Baked Ziti (using the marinara sauce; this dish was put away for a later night in the week)
Baked Meatballs (an easy way to cook them and have them out of the way while you are using the stove for other things)
Soft Chocolate Pudding Cakes

When I arrived home I ate leftovers from the Opus dinner:

Shredded Lamb and Braised Beets on top of some of Herbed Cannellini Bean Puree

2008-01-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

My husband and I attended a multi course dinner last night at Opus in Littleton, sponsored by the Colorado Slow Food group. In honor of the Slow Food theme, Chef Michael Long prepared a meal of dishes that were all slow cooked...and yummy I might add!

Forever Braised Short Ribs

Boneless Colorado grass-fed beef short ribs braised in Michael's new Devout Stout beer for 8 hours and served over savoy cabbage with some stout jus, parsley sauce and a small piece of strong Gubeen Irish Cheese melted over the top. Paired with a glass of Devout Stout.

Thai Seafood Hotpot

Shrimp, clams, baby whole fish and yellowfin tuna belly simmered in coconut broth with Kaffir lime leaves, Thai curry, mint and jalapeno slices. Paired with Taz Pinto Gris.

Slow Roasted Bosc Pear with Gorgonzola Nero

Gorgonzola made from the milk of the cows with black hides, served with arugula and a warm pancetta walnut dressing, topped with an overnight tomato half. Paired with Alan Scott Sauvignon Blanc.

Colorado Lamb and Organic Beet Braise

Seared whole shoulder with the fat cap on and slow braised, then shredded meat was composed and served over mashed parsnips with a Rocky Mountain mead sauce. Paired with Cold Climate Syrah.

Granny Smith Apple Crisp

Served in a mini tartlet shell with cinnamon ice cream and butterscotch.

2008-01-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

We had some friends over to watch football and have dinner last night and I was on a mission to both use up ingredients I had on hand as well as to get some food photos done for upcoming articles I'm writing. Turned out to be a really fun evening with a tasty dinner!

Appetizers
I cooked up shrimp that I found in the freezer and served them with some Romesco sauce I also found in the freezer. I also served the leftover Rosemary Roasted Marcona Almonds from Thursday's dinner.

Buffalo Chili
I sauteed a chopped onion in some extra virgin olive oil then added 2 pounds of ground buffalo meat and browned it. Next I added chopped tomatoes (I used the ones I froze last summer and drained off the water before adding them), chili sauce (a jar from some gift basket of food we were sent), chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper as well as some diced poblano peppers (frozen from the farmers' market this fall). I let it simmer for a couple of hours and added dark kidney beans to heat up before serving the chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, some creme fraiche/mascarpone mixture (left from the dinner I did Thursday night) and diced avocado.

Mexican Caesar Salad
I tossed Romaine lettuce with a dressing made from olive oil, lime juice, an egg, salt and pepper and added some crumbled queso fresco and garlic croutons.

Corn Muffins
I used Jiffy muffin mix but made the muffins with buttermilk instead of regular milk and added some diced jalapenos and chili powder.

Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with Strawberries
I needed to photograph these for an upcoming Gaiam Valentine's piece so I went ahead and made them for our dessert.

2008-01-20T08:32:00.001-07:00

Today marks my 300th post to this blog and I wish I had something more interesting to reveal. My husband and I made the trek down to the National Western Stock Show yesterday which took hours and was a complete gaggle of people, and we were tired and not that starving when we returned. I have a refrigerator full of leftovers, so in an attempt not to waste food I used up a few things.

Tuna on Cannellini Bean Puree
I took the tuna from the Thursday dinner event and quickly reheated it in a pan with some pear balsamic vinegar that my sister gave me for Christmas (killer flavor BTW) and served that sliced over reheated cannellini bean puree.

Rice
I reheated some seasoned long grain and wild rice (a Safeway brand packaged rice I was given at the media tour of the new store at Mineral and Broadway).

Brownies
I ate the last two brownies before calling it a night.

2008-01-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last night my husband and I returned to our Friday night routine of catching up with each other over a drink and snacks at the Old Blinking Light. For whatever reason neither my husband nor I were that hungry so we just split an appetizer and were home listening to Hall & Oates oldies by 7:30 pm.

Ceviche Tostadas
King crab and shrimp, diced cucumber and onion, and avocado slices on top of three small crispy tortillas drizzled with Mexican crema and served with Mexican rice and lime wedges.

2008-01-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

I did a cooking dinner party last night - same Italian menu as I did for the event in December - but after working all day to restore my crashed computer, I didn't have a ton of energy and I forgot to take my camera to photograph anything which I keep saying I'm going to do. At any rate, I arrived home at about 10:00pm after a long day and ate the leftover spaghetti carbonara while walking around the house putting away my food and cookware. Even cold out of the container it was delicious!

Spaghetti Carbonara
First saute diced pancetta until crispy and golden brown, then blot up a little of the fat with a paper towel (easier than draining the pan). Add some butter and minced garlic and saute for a minute, then add heavy cream and pepper and stir until bubbly. Add grate Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and let melt into the sauce, then toss with cooked spaghetti and quickly stir in egg yolks and minced parsley. Serve immediately - or eat cold before bed!

2008-01-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

What's one of the worst things that can happen to a one-person, small business owner? In two words, computer crash, and it happened to me last night. Thanks to that mysterious "corrupt registry file" error message from Windows, I had to restore my computer to my factory settings, and although I had backed up files, I had neglected to back up my calendar or my contacts. So...if you have an appointment scheduled with me send me a note so I don't forget! And if you have time, just send me an email with your email, phone and other contact info so I can rebuild my contact file.

As you can imagine, I wasn't into cooking last night, so I heated up leftover meat and eggplant lasagna and then ate too many iced Christmas cookies that I had forgotten about in the cookie jar and washed it all down with some Silver Oak Twomey wine that my husband had opened to celebrate his year end results. I felt sick when I went to bed, both from the events of the evening and the food!

2008-01-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were all set to bake up one of those thin crust pizzas from Costco last night when I discovered we were out of them. Instead, I dug through the refrigerator to see what was on hand to make a chicken and pasta dish. Here's what I came up with!

Rotini with Chicken and Pancetta
I diced up some pancetta and browned it in a skillet. When most of the fat had rendered I added slivered onions and chopped baby zucchini and cooked until both were just barely soft. I tossed in some chopped cooked chicken from the night before and deglazed the pan with some white wine, added the cooked rotini pasta, then finished the dish off with salt and pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and some high quality extra virgin olive oil. Quite tasty and quite easy!

2008-01-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

My nephew is in town for some training with Comcast, so he joined us for dinner last night. It's really fun to see someone at nearly 27 who was an adorable little guy at my wedding 23 years ago. I had been previously adamant that I would have no kids at my wedding, but he was too adorable, as you can see, to leave at home. (Plus he told me I was beautiful when I came down the stairs in my wedding dress!)
We had a simple family dinner last night and caught up on his life.

Roast Chicken
Stuffed with shallots and lemon and dusted with garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper and roasted until succulent with crispy skin
Rice
Plain white and boring, but made better with butter
Roasted Acorn Squash
With cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper
Caesar Salad
Brownies

2008-01-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Between the meat I purchased from local producers last year and gifts from Omaha Steaks, my meat freezer is still quite full and I'm trying to work my way through cooking with what's on hand before buying anything new. Although my husband isn't a big fan of pork, I figured dressing it up a little would make it appealing to him.

Pan Seared Pork Chops
I seasoned the chops with salt and pepper and seared them just until barely browned in a skillet, then transferred them to the oven to finish cooking for a few minutes while I worked on the sauce.

Apples, Pears and Onions
I had an apple and a pear on the counter from a holiday fruit basket, so I peeled and sliced those along with a large yellow onion and sauteed them all in the skillet from the pork, making sure to pick up the nice browned bits. I added a pinch of fennel seed and a little cumin to the mixture and finished it with some salt and pepper.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
I cubed some Yukon Gold potatoes from the farm and roasted them with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary (from the plant that is on my porch and amazingly still seems alive through all of the snow and cold weather), salt and pepper.

2008-01-13T07:27:00.001-07:00

My husband and I had lunch at Il Fornaio yesterday after visiting his ailing father and we both enjoyed the Cannelloni al Pollo - chicken, spinach and ricotta filling, topped with marinara and bechamel sauces along with some sauteed mushrooms. Since we had a late lunch I wasn't very hungry for dinner and ate my husband's leftover food from Mel's the night before while he ate the leftover cannelloni.

Roast Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Sauteed Baby Spinach

2008-01-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

My husband and I decided to make our Friday night dinner out a little more special so went to Mel's in Greenwood Village instead of our little local place where we hang out at the bar to eat. Mel's food is always great, and it's nice to have one located in the 'burbs instead of having to drive to Cherry Creek.

Cheese Platter
An assortment of three cheeses with green olives, quince, figs and toast

Caesar Salad

Seared Rare Ahi Tuna
Rubbed with cumin and coriander, with sake braised mushrooms, tangerine-ginger sauce, and a coconut rice cake

Apple Crisp
Served warm with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

We shared a bottle of 2005 Duckhorn Merlot with the meal which was fruity and smooth and paired nicely with everything except the quince and fig.

2008-01-11T10:31:00.001-07:00

Do you find that the more you have scheduled to do the more you get done? And the less on the schedule the less you accomplish? Well I had virtually nothing pressing yesterday, and consequently spent the day almost entirely on myself. I went to see P.S. I Love You which I totally adored (like my friend Gail says, I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me!), then came home and watched Hairspray on DVD. I finished the night up by watching a new episode of Grey's Anatomy while eating leftovers from one of the sandwich shoots.

Open Faced Steak Sandwich

Sourdough toast, mustard/mayo spread, sliced buffalo tenderloin, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese - baked until hot and bubbly and washed down with a glass of Garnacha, a red wine varietal from Spain.

2008-01-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

I had dinner last night at the Imperial Chinese Restaurant in Denver with some friends from an old networking group that I used to be part of. Our reunion was great fun, and the food was terrific - all eaten family style, aided by the large "lazy susan" in the center of the table.

Edamame
Shrimp Dumplings
Shanghai Braised Boneless Duck
Blackened half duck braised in a soy base sauce, served on steamed Shanghai bok choy, zucchini, snow peas, yellow squash and shiitake mushroom.
Grilled Salmon with Lemon Grass
Marinated filet of Atlantic salmon grilled to perfection with a hint of lemon grass.
Hunan Shrimp
Jumbo shrimp sauteed in a red hot Hunan sauce with peppers. Served with green Shanghai Bok Choy.
Chicken with Broccoli
Sliced chicken breast sauteed with broccoli in a light sauce.
Snow Peas and Water Chestnuts
Fortune Cookies (of course!)

I paired the 2006 Chateau St Michelle Riesling with the Chinese dishes which seemed to work very nicely!

2008-01-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

I made a killer sandwich for an upcoming piece yesterday - a Cobb Salad Sandwich inspired by a Bobby Flay show I once saw. Looks gorgeous but I'm not sure how you fit it in your mouth!

Did you ever work hard to create a special meal only to have it unappreciated? I had some special lamb shanks from Foxfire Farms in Colorado that I braised for dinner last night, and although they were spectacular, my husband announced that he really doesn't like lamb. Oh well, more leftovers for me.

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
I browned the shanks in some bacon fat (only because it was in the pan after I cooked bacon for the photo shoot), then put them into my Dutch oven along with some chopped carrots, celery and onion, some sprigs of fresh thyme, a cup or 2 of red wine, and several cups of chicken stock. I let them cook on a low temperature (250) in the oven for 3 hours or more. When the meat was falling off the bones, I removed the lamb, strained the braising liquid, then thickened it on the stove with some flour to make a nice gravy. I served the lamb over a bed of couscous with the gravy poured over, and if you like lamb, this was a great dish!

2008-01-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

I was back in the kitchen yesterday cooking for my photo shoot for an upcoming article about sandwiches. Given my hectic schedule yesterday of running errands and caring for parents, I was thrilled to have this Italian BLT to wolf down on my way out the door.

I had planned to make lamb shanks for dinner but didn't arrive home until after 6pm, so settled with something simple from the freezer.

Caesar Salad with Romaine and Arugula
Baked Potato with Butter, Salt and Pepper
Pan Seared and Oven-Finished Buffalo Tenderloin (which I never ate because I was so full from the salad and the potato)

2008-01-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I continue to experiment with the heritage breed chickens I bought from Eastern Plains Natural Foods last fall in an effort to find the best way to both infuse flavor and make them tender. Yesterday I decided to braise them at a low temperature in a Dutch oven for a few hours while I went to see Atonement - great movie but I didn't like the ending which I think is the point.

Asian Spiced Braised Chicken

I combined 4 cups chicken stock, a cup of soy sauce, some garlic, ginger, star anise and coriander with a sliced lemon in a Dutch oven. Then I added the chicken legs and breasts making sure they were submerged. I cooked the chicken for over 3 hours at 25o degrees, then removed the chicken, patted it dry, and finished it by frying it in hot canola oil to crisp up the skin (Peking duck style finish).

Zucchini Sauteed with Garlic

I chopped a few cloves of garlic and sliced some zucchini and sauteed them together in a little extra virgin olive oil. The garlic pieces were almost like garlic chips and the zucchini was nicely flavored.

2008-01-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Juno yet? It's funny, touching and quirky and I had the pleasure of seeing it at the new Landmark theater in Greenwood Village last night where we requested VIP seating (only $2 more) which entitled us to free popcorn, special seating, and a server who brought us cocktails. Now that's my kind of movie house!

After the show two couples had dinner at Jing in Greenwood Village - it features upscale light Asian and new Chinese fare and the service was horribly slow. They seemed to have the new restaurant jitters and I could just picture Gordon Ramsey from Kitchen Nightmares on Fox ripping them apart for their mistakes which included a waiter dripping with sweat - gross! The food, however, was outstanding. We shared everything and there wasn't a dish I didn't like!

Fried calamari (very lightly battered and tender) with a plum dipping sauce
New style ahi and salmon sashimi with jalapeno slices
Shrimp and vegetable tempura which was very lightly fried
Miso glazed sea bass that melted in your mouth
Sesame chicken (very light and delicate which was a welcomed change for that classic dish)
Lamb chops (from Colorado) with miso, hoisin, ginger served with rice pilaf with edamame
Beef stir fry with red peppers and hot peppers
Brown rice to accompany everything
Fried spring rolls with bananas and strawberries served with chocolate sauce

2008-01-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

I had a dinner event last night and the group made a Thai themed dinner in honor of the host's wife's birthday. Fun group and tasty meal!

Vegetable Summer Rolls with Soy-Orange-Ginger Dipping Sauce
Coconut Soup with Shitake Mushrooms, Chicken and Basil
Green Curry Vegetables and Halibut over Jasmine Rice
Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

When I arrived home I made a summer roll out of the remaining vegetables and chatted with my husband over a glass of wine.

2008-01-04T07:23:00.001-07:00

I must have been on a roll yesterday as my attempts to use leftovers in the refrigerator continued with last night's dinner. I grabbed some boneless chicken breasts from the freezer and while they were thawing I rummaged through the refrigerator for vegetables to make some sort of pasta dish. Here's what I came up with.

Creamy Rotini with Chicken, Mushrooms and Spinach
I diced the chicken and sauteed it in some extra virgin olive oil, then added some diced onion I found in the fridge along with sliced baby portobello mushrooms (that I bought for New Year's Eve but didn't need). When the onions and mushrooms had cooked down a bit, I added the leftover sauteed spinach from the party, along with some heavy cream, and let it bubble to thicken slightly. I tossed in the cooked pasta and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and called it dinner!

2008-01-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

I taught a private cooking lesson to a young mom yesterday - she's new to the cooking world and we started with basics like herb roasted chicken, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, and a creamy mushroom sauce. I think she got a little inspiration when her three year old tasted the mashed potatoes and then asked for more.

When I arrived home I made creative use of leftovers last night by making a pasta dish with the leftover Mushroom Demiglace from our party.

Beef Stroganoff
I sauteed some chunks of tenderloin (scraps trimmed from the whole tenderloin for the party that are absolutely delicious) with a diced onion, then added some sherry to deglaze the pan. Next I added the remaining mushroom demiglace, some sour cream and a touch of heavy cream, and tossed it all with some cooked rotini pasta. Very nice winter comfort food!

2008-01-02T07:57:00.001-07:00

New Year's Day - that one day of the year when I never seem to get enough sleep (party the night before, son calling from the hospital getting stitches at 4am, overnight guests) and this year I only slept 4 hours. On top of that, I'm neurotic about getting ALL of the holiday decorations down and stored so that I have that fresh, new year feeling. Mission accomplished yesterday, as hard as it was to keep moving, and I just grazed on leftovers all day - beef and pork tenderloin, salmon, beet napolean, spaghetti and meatballs, grapefruit sorbet, and a few of those chocolate mint sandwich cookies that I forgot to put out on Christmas.

2008-01-01T09:04:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year! I hope 2008 brings all of you many culinary adventures! I think I might have outdone myself last night. I hosted an 8 course dinner (to ring in 2008) for 16 friends and everything turned out really great but unfortunately I forgot to photograph anything! I had each couple bring a specific wine paired to a course, and we had fun tasting the wines on their own, and then with the food. Here's the complete menu and wine selection - we finished eating at 8 minutes til midnight, just in time to count down with Carson Daly!

Amuse Bouche of Yellowtail Crudo
marinated in Meyer lemon and extra virgin olive oil, served with basil oil, black sea salt and micro greens
Moët & Chandon White Star

Vegetable Pistou Soup
with zucchini, carrot, fennel, mussels and pesto
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2005

Beet Napoleon
red beets layered with goat cheese and chives, topped with watercress dressed in shallot vinaigrette
Chateau de Sancerre 2005

Oven Poached Salmon
served over Wisconsin wild rice with mustard, shallot and tarragon beurre blanc sauce
Chappellet Chardonnay 2005

Intermezzo of Grapefruit Sorbet

Roasted Pork Tenderloin
with a garlic, fennel and mustard rub, served on a bed of sautéed fennel and leeks with macaroni and cheese
Van Duzer Pinot Noir 2005

Roast Tenderloin of Beef
with a porcini dry rub and served on a bed of wilted spinach topped with mushroom demi glace sauce
Sartori Amarone 2003

Merlot Poached Pears
with chocolate ganache and shaved chocolate
Quady Elysium Black Muscat 2005

2007-12-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

I cooked for seven hours straight yesterday (literally didn't sit down once) to prepare for our New Year's Eve dinner tonight. When doing large events like this, I find it much easier to work hard the day before, get a good night's sleep, then on the day of the event I have only to finish up dishes. I feel more rested this way and I can enjoy myself with my guests. When I cook I don't seem to have much appetite, which I think comes from the small tastes of everything as I cook, so I just snacked throughout the process:

Slice of chicken pesto pizza
Small piece of leftover steak
Generous tastings of grapefruit sorbet (for tonight - which turned out to be great!)
Piece of cheese
Some blue corn tortilla chips
Glass of Chardonnay

2007-12-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

I started preparations last night for our New Year's Eve party. I'll be cooking a gourmet tasting menu - 8 courses to ring in 2008! - for 18 people, so I began by setting the tables last night. Today I'll began food prep, tomorrow I'll finish up cooking, and amazingly I'll pull off a dinner like that with very little work at the end which will allow me to sit down to dinner with my guests. It's all about planning and timing, and if you ever want advice on that aspect of cooking, give me a call. One tip, hire assistants to plate, serve, fill wine glasses, clear and wash up.

After setting the tables I made a quick dinner trying to use up some of the food we received as gifts for the holidays.

Omaha Steaks Filet Mignon
For some reason these grilled much more quickly than other beef, so if you ever get some as a gift, start with less time.

Omaha Steaks Double Stuffed Potatoes
Thankfully these are decadently little spuds are small because they are loaded with butter, cheese, and bacon.

Salad
I had some salad left from the kids' class yesterday so just added a little more dressing to the lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage. The croutons soften up in a leftover salad making it taste a bit like the Italian bread salad called panzanella.

2007-12-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

I taught a cooking lesson for a group of young boys and girls yesterday - it was the first time I've had boys in the class and given their ages (9-12) I was shocked at how attentive and productive they were. We moved so quickly through the planned recipes (lasagna, Stromboli, cupcakes) that I had to add a tour of my homemade vinegar production in the basement, a vinaigrette and salad, and home made egg fettuccine to the lesson!

My cold had not improved much and I was happy to eat Chinese that my husband ordered in:

Egg rolls
Orange Chicken
Beef with Broccoli

2007-12-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

My cold reached new heights of uncomfortable last night, and after trudging around in the miserable snow yesterday (my opinion - I know some of you love this time of year!), I again wasn't much into making dinner last night. I defrosted some meatballs in sauce for my son and made him spaghetti and my husband cooked two bone-in ribeye steaks on an indoor grill pan. I had a few bites of one of them and a small piece of baked potato that he didn't finish. I'm doing a kids' cooking class this morning, so hope that I can rally!

2007-12-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

I managed to come down with quite a cold yesterday and by dinnertime I had no appetite whatsoever. I always forget is it "feed a cold, starve a fever" or vice versa? At any rate, I had the last glass of fresh squeezed juice from Christmas brunch and went to bed at 6:30.

2007-12-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

I hosted Christmas brunch at our house yesterday for most of our family - I find events like this always hectic, but fun, and yesterday was no exception. We traded gifts, watched the snow fall, drank mimosas, and enjoyed the feast. I ate so much I was still full by dinner time so skipped it!

Green Tomato Bread
Linguine and Prosciutto Fritatta
Scrambled Eggs
Parmesan-Potato Pancakes
Thick Slab Bacon
Fruit Salad
Fresh Squeezed Orange and Grapefruit Juices
Coffee and Tea
Mimosas

2007-12-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last night was the perfect Christmas Eve at our house. By design, only our immediate family was here, and it was so nice to have the three kids together again - now as young adults. Before dinner we watched Ratatouille and played pool, and after dinner we opened our Christmas gifts. In between it all, the kids continued to delight us!

Lasagna (made with ground turkey because my daughter gave up beef after doing a report on global warming)
Caesar Salad
Garlic Breadsticks (something we had just about every Sunday night when the kids were little)

2007-12-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was holiday central for me. I rushed around yesterday morning with all of the other lunatics (Costco's parking lot was full at 10 am when they opened and it was grid lock inside the store) finishing up Christmas and food shopping, then took my mother-in-law to a holiday tea in the afternoon. As soon as we returned I changed clothes and drove to Golden with my husband to attend a holiday open house of our friends. After an hour there of watching the swarm of 1-4 year olds (adorable I might add, especially the little guy who announced to the group "Who wants me to kick them first?!"), we headed back to Highlands Ranch and stopped at OBL ("our new favorite place") for dinner. Problem was, I was kind of full by then from snacking all through the day at parties. Here's my holiday run-down yesterday:

Cucumber Finger Sandwich
Chicken Salad on a Mini Croissant
Christmas Cookies
Curry Cream Cheese Dip on a Cracker
Potato Chips
Citrus Garlic Shrimp (she said it was my recipe)
Cheese Dip with Crunchy Topping (very different but slightly addicting)
Tuna Sashimi with Avocado and Cucumber
Pesto Pizza with Sundried Tomatoes, Chicken and Asiago Cheese
Truffled French Fries

I feel sick just reading all this - no wonder I couldn't sleep well last night! Merry Christmas to all!

2007-12-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

The party season is in full swing! We went to a caroling party last night and it was great fun to see the adult children show up - whether home from college or getting ready for a wedding, they all were delightful to catch up with. One thing the hostess realized is that those 19 year old boys can eat a ton! I ate my fair share too:

Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Pigs in a Blanket (I'm a sucker for any hot dog sort of food)
Mandarin Orange Salad
Honey Baked Ham
Lasagna

2007-12-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

It took me two hours to get home from the DTC area yesterday thanks to icy roads and a ridiculous amount of traffic. I was not a happy camper when I arrived at 6:00, but my husband suggested the perfect dinner. He found a Christmas pasta soup mix in the cabinet (I shudder to think how old it actually was) and a hearty soup seemed just right for a snowy winter night.

Chicken and Pasta Soup
I heated up some chicken stock with the seasoning package while I browned some chopped chicken breasts with diced onions and carrots. When the stock came to a boil I added the pasta from the package, cooked it to al dente, then added the cooked chicken, onions, carrots and some leftover chopped spinach I saw in the refrigerator. With a slice of cranberry nut bread from Panera Bread (thanks Sharon!) it hit the spot!

2007-12-21T08:14:00.001-07:00

I had two butternut squash that were beginning to spoil, so I decided to cook them up and put them to use yesterday. I peeled and cubed them (it's easy to cut off any bad spots) and then baked them for about an hour on a roasting sheet covered tightly with foil to keep in the moisture. I mashed the cooked squash and used part of it to make ravioli (equal parts squash and ricotta mixed with some Parmigiano, salt, pepper and nutmeg) and froze the rest to use later. I had more ravioli filling than I could use so tossed cooked penne with some of it for lunch and put the rest in a jar to give as a holiday gift.

Last night we went to a holiday party and the spread of food was fabulous - here's what I had, which was only about 1/4 of what was offered:

Mini Duck Egg Rolls
Mini Chicken Enchiladas
Spanakopita
Pasta with Mushrooms and Shaved Black Truffles
Jerked Chicken

2007-12-20T09:11:00.001-07:00

I moved one of my rosemary plants indoors when winter arrived, and was shocked to notice last night the tremendous amount of new growth and the small purple flowers on it. I guess I've always used up the rosemary so fast it never went to bloom, but it's quite pretty in my kitchen!

I watched the movie "Waitress" last night since I was home alone - I had heard how fantastic it was, but frankly I found it incredibly depressing until the last 5 minutes, which I won't relate here in case you'd like to watch it yourself. I ate leftovers and made soup from my farm pickup which included at least 10 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes and 2 pounds of carrots, along with leeks, red/white/yellow onions, red cabbage, and a variety of squash.

Chili
I found some leftover bison chili in the freezer which was quite delicious heated up and topped with some cheddar cheese.

Cream of Leek Soup
Creamy vegetable soups are the easiest thing to make - I simply sauteed chopped and cleaned leeks in some extra virgin olive oil until softened, then added chicken stock and simmered for 15 minutes. I pureed the soup with my immersion blender then added a touch of heavy cream and salt. Very soothing on a cold winter evening!

2007-12-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

My middle child returned from CSU last night for the holidays and promptly took off to meet friends in Denver and to go skiing for a couple of days. Were it not for the 4 loads of dirty clothes he dumped in the laundry I might have missed him entirely! I didn't feel like cooking anything and so my husband ate leftover short ribs with roasted potatoes and I grazed while I watched the movie "Knocked Up". If you haven't seen it, it's totally stupid but gut-busting funny.

Short Ribs with Pan Gravy
Potato Chips and Tortilla Chips (ate the dregs out of those two bags)
Soy Cheese on Flax Crackers (Safeway brand crackers - these are great tasting even though they are a "health food")
Gingersnaps

2007-12-18T08:32:00.001-07:00

I taught a cooking lesson for a friend yesterday afternoon, but before I left I put some short ribs into a Dutch oven to cook while I was away. They cooked slowly for 4 or more hours and couldn't have been better when we had them!

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
I seared the ribs in the oven for about 20 minutes while I sauteed onion, celery and carrots in the Dutch oven. I deglazed the pan with red wine, added the ribs, a bay leaf, thyme and then enough chicken stock to cover it all. I braised them at 275 until they were fork tender.

Creamy Polenta
I cooked polenta in chicken stock and added just a touch of heavy cream at the end - a perfect bed for the short ribs!

Mushroom Gravy
I sauteed some mushrooms in a skilled, then added flour and butter to make a roux before pouring in a cup or two of the braising liquid (from which I had skimmed most of the fat). I simmered this just long enough to reduce slightly and thicken then poured this over the short ribs and polenta. As Rachel Ray would say, Yum-O!

2007-12-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

My husband was preparing for a medical procedure today and wasn't allowed to eat anything yesterday. I had already spent the afternoon baking and decorating 5 dozen chocolate-mint sandwich cookies for my daughter's high school which I felt was torture to do in front of him, so I didn't eat an elaborate dinner. My daughter arrived home exhausted from 3 days of snowboarding and we both ate at the kitchen counter.

Roasted Chicken Breasts
Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

2007-12-16T08:14:00.001-07:00

We had dinner last night at Ristorante San Lorenzo in Greenwood Village with friends of ours who will travel to Italy with us next year. I think we must have been warming up for Italian dining, because we didn't skip a course last night!

Calamari Frito - fried calamari and shrimp with marinara sauce
Carpacio di Bue - beef carpacio with shaved Parmigiano and arugula
Insalata Caesar - prepared traditionally
Penne Toscana - penne pasta with tomatoes, white beans, sage and pancetta
Orange Roughy - served with pesto, artichokes and pine nuts alongside carrots, green beans, and roasted potatoes

We enjoyed two great wines with the meal:
Santa Margherita Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
Luigi Righetti Amarone

2007-12-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

We braved the wintry weather last night to have dinner at our now not really new "new favorite place", The Old Blinking Light in Highlands Ranch. We're not very creative when we go there, but we like our Friday night routine of having a drink and dinner at the community bar table and catching up with each other on events from the week.

Ceviche Tostada • King Crab • Shrimp • Mexican Crema

Pepperoni Pizza • Mushrooms • Onions • Tomato Sauce

2007-12-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

After cooking for other events all week, I really wanted to cook something creative for my husband and myself last night, and I had fish on my mind. The result was elegant, delicious, and actually cooked in less than 30 minutes. Try this one when you are in a hurry!

Salmon with Tarragon Sauce
I sprinkled the salmon with salt, pepper, a little extra virgin olive oil, and some inced tarragon, then baked it, covered, until it was just done. While it was cooking, I sauteed two slice shallots in some olive oil, then deglazed the pan with champagne (I use champagne just like white wine when cooking and it was what I had open). I let the pan simmer to burn off the alcohol, then added heavy cream, a big dollop of grainy mustard, and minced tarragon. After the whole thing simmered a minute or two I finished the sauce off with a tab of butter. This simple sauce was delicious with the salmon.

Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
I keep trying to eat up the potatoes from the farm before the next batch comes in and the fingerlings were getting a bit past their prime, so I cubed them, boiled them, then smashed them with a little butter, cream, salt and pepper.

I know we could have used a vegetable with the meal, but I had eaten a ton of leftover salad late in the afternoon while cooking, so didn't bother with a vegetable. Sauteed spinach would have been great with this dish, as would just about any green vegetable.

2007-12-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

I taught another lesson for my group of budding 10-11 year old chefs yesterday and enjoyed myself immensely. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and their personalities still sweet for the most part. We made a Mexican Fiesta plus Christmas cookies.

Guacamole
Queso Fundido
Chicken Fajitas
Mexican Caesar Salad
Gingerbread Cookies
Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies

After the lesson I quickly changed and our family went out to dinner to celebrate my son's 21st birthday - now I truly feel old! It unsettles you just a little to see your child order an adult beverage in front of you at a restaurant, but he was very civilized. My dinner was really tasty and I washed it down with the only appropriate celebratory drink, champagne.

Caesar Salad
Frenched Chicken Chardonnay with a Buerre Blanc Sauce
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Tomato Roasted Cauliflower

2007-12-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've recently added dinner party or event prep services to my offerings - while I don't want to become a full time caterer, I find it easy to prep the meal for someone else to finish off and I think they find it enormously helpful. Last night I prepared a dinner for six for a friend and I hope they enjoyed it!

Shrimp Ceviche with Tortilla Chips
Romaine Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Orange Segments, Parmigiano and Pine Nuts with an Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Red Wine Marinated Tenderloin of Beef
Gourmet Mac & Cheese (with 5 cheese, tomatoes, basil)
Spinach Sauteed with Garlic
Pumpkin Mousse Tart with a Ginger Snap Cookie Crust

On my way home in the snow at 7pm I picked up Chinese takeout which hit the spot on a cold winter night.

Egg Rolls
Almond Chicken mixed with Steamed Chicken and Vegetables
Rice
Fortune Cookies

2007-12-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

I prepped yesterday for a dinner for a friend tonight, which left me with a nice red-wine marinated rump end of a beef tenderloin. I roasted it until medium rare and served it with some of the leftover Bearnaise sauce from the dinner party on Friday - that's the kind of dinner my husband raves about!

Tenderloin of Beef with Bearnaise Sauce
Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes
Sweet Corn

2007-12-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

After a few days of being very physical and (unintentionally) losing a few pounds, I decided to indulge myself yesterday. I had some leftover cooked bacon from my event on Friday, so I made a quick pasta:

Penne Carbonara
I heated up the bacon bits until they were sizzling, then added some heavy cream and let it come to a quick simmer. I added the cooked pasta to the cream and bacon, cooked it for another minute, then turned off the heat and quickly stirred in two egg yolks, some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and some chopped parsley. This classic Roman pasta dish (except they use pancetta instead of American bacon) is very rich and filling.

Mango Sorbet
Disappointed that we were out of vanilla ice cream and dulce de leche sauce, I settled on some mango sorbet I had made for a photo shoot a couple of months ago. It did the trick!

2007-12-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

We attended my husband's company holiday party last night at the Colorado History Museum downtown. Three Tomatoes Catering handled the event, and watching the ups and downs of the evening just reminded me why I don't want to offer full catering!

We chatted so long that by the time we made it through the buffet line they were out of some of the food. Here's what I recall eating:

Tossed Green Salad
Mussels (served cold which wasn't that appealing to me)
Herb Baked Chicken Breast
Pasta Shells Stuffed with Butternut Squash

2007-12-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

I did a cooking dinner party for ten people for a friend's husband's birthday last night and by the clean plates returned to the kitchen, I think they enjoyed the food!

Pesto-Pine Nut-Parmigiano Goat Cheese Spread with Crackers
Kalamata Olives

Lobster Bisque
Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms and Red Onions
Red Wine Marinated Tenderloin of Beef with Bearnaise Sauce
Rosemary Roasted Winter Vegetables

Pumpkin Mousse with Bananas, Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Ginger Snaps

I served Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay (because beef is one of the few dishes I'll serve chardonnay with) and Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007-12-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

I led a group for a cooking dinner party last night and didn't get home until 10:30, so never actually had dinner myself (not by choice, but that does help keep my waistline in check during the holidays). Here's what the group made:

Tomato Pancetta Soup
Pasta Carbonara
Seared Yellowfin Tuna on Cannelini Bean Puree topped with Watercress dressed in Basil Oil & Lemon Juice
Ricotta Tart with Pine Nuts and Rum Raisins

I served two Italian wines with the meal:

2003 Mastroberardino, Fiano di Avellino Radici (white)
2003 Saldini Piediprato Rosso Piceno (red)

2007-12-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

I was busy last night preparing for some upcoming events - grocery shopping, measuring out ingredients, baking pumpkins, and frying pancetta - before I rushed out to pick up my produce from the farm. This week brought another large bag of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions, and baby lettuce. After that I was at home alone for dinner again, so I just pulled together leftovers.

Thai Green Curry Vegetables on Jasmine Rice

Vanilla Ice Cream with Dulce de Leche Sauce
My husband arrived home by the time I got to this and I declared that this was one delicacy I would never get tired of eating, but thankfully the ice cream is now gone!

2007-12-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

I tested a new cooking technique last night to use the free range heritage breed chickens I purchased this year from a farm out east. Because they are free range and heritage breeds, they lack much body fat and the meat is much tougher. The last time I tried roasting them in a covered dish but the meat was still tough, so this time I completed butchered the bird then braised it -voila! A tender and delicious dish!

Peach BBQ Braised Chicken
I sauteed peaches with onions, ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, poblano peppers, cilantro and lime juice then pureed the mixture to create a peach BBQ sauce glaze. I put the chicken pieces into a Dutch oven and covered them with the sauce and braised them, covered, for 3 1/2 hours at 275 degrees. Yum...

Rice Pilaf
I combined cooked white rice with sweet yellow corn kernels and black beans - a great complement to the peach chicken dish.

2007-12-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

I taught a cooking lesson yesterday and we made what I call a weeknight pasta dish. In preparation for the lesson, I went through my blog for the past 9 months and was a bit surprised to find that second only to dining out, pasta dishes are the top meal that I cook for dinner. They are mostly pasta dishes that use whatever vegetables I have on hand and include either chicken or shrimp as the protein; the sauces vary - pink sauce, cream sauce, marinara sauce, white wine sauce, etc. I compiled a listing of all of those dishes that I've made in the past year and if you are interested in a copy, just let me know.

When I arrived home I made a simple dinner for the three of us:

Buffalo Ribeyes & Filets
I haven't yet told my daughter that she was eating buffalo as I wanted to see if she noticed any difference, but she seemed to eat it up as quickly as she does a good beef steak!

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
I've found that I rarely make potatoes during the spring and summer months, but since I get so many from the farm during the fall and because they just taste good when it's cold outside, I'm eating more of them this time of year.

Caesar Salad
I mixed some romaine lettuce with some of the mixed baby greens from the farm and tossed it with dressing, then topped the salads with diced tomatoes and croutons.

Ice Cream
I'm now hooked on a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with dulce de leche sauce and I can tell I'll be having this every night until the ice cream or the topping runs out!

2007-12-03T08:28:00.001-07:00

Our daughter asked if we could go to Red Robin after she arrived home from 3 days of snowboarding (a typical weekend for her...) so we obliged. I'm a sucker for their fries and we ate a basket of them along with some chips and guacamole (not the best at Red Robin) before our entrees even arrived. Not to be deterred, I continued the gluttony by ordering chicken fajitas which I usually eat without the tortillas. However, I guess my stress level was high or my body is trying to put on fat for the winter because I ate 3 of them with the tortillas! When I arrived home I finished off the feast with some vanilla ice cream drizzled with dulce de leche from Argentina that I found in the cabinet.

2007-12-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked the start of the holiday party season for us, and we managed to fit in two fun parties in one evening. We first went to the YPO holiday party at a member's home in Greenwood Village, then on to a Fuller friend's house for their annual get together. Here's what I remember eating through the evening:

Champagne - Nicolas Feuillatte Rose and Rotari Brut
Cheese - Cheddar, Pepper Jack
Steak Foccacia Pizza
Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Roasted Beet Salad
Mixed Greens with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Confetti Rice
Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto
Bananas Foster
Brie Baked with Corn Salsa

2007-12-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today marks my 250th post to this blog! I set out with the intent of posting daily for one year to give my clients a glimpse into what I make for dinner each night, but I can see looking back that as a byproduct I've given readers a glimpse into how I live my life. I'll keep at it through February to wrap up the full year, then look for something new from me. :-)

Last night we had old friends over for a holiday dinner - we haven't been together with just the 6 of us in ages, and it was a laid back, enjoyable evening. One of the women loves Thai, so I made a Thai dinner:

Thai Basil Green Curry
I sauteed onions, red peppers, garlic, ginger and bok choy together, then made a sauce with coconut milk, green curry paste, brown sugar, and fish sauce and finished the dish with basil and minced jalapeno peppers for some heat. I laid tilapia on top of the curried vegetables, covered the pan, and let the fish steam.

Jasmine Rice
Just steamed with a little salt in the water.

Butternut Squash
I tossed the cubed squash with olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cloves, ginger, salt and pepper, covered them, and let them bake until tender.

Chocolate Mousse
For some reason the mousse I made yesterday after being refrigerated was quite firm and not mousse-like. This recipe will be in an upcoming Buzz issue, so we decided it should be renamed Chocolate Chewy Mousse.

2007-11-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Comfort food to me is something made in a single skillet that has some spice and warmth to it. After attending a friend's funeral yesterday, I needed something comforting, so went to an old classic of mine.

Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage
I browned sliced smoked turkey sausage in a skillet, then removed it while I sauteed onions and garlic. I returned the sausage to the skillet and added rice, canned tomatoes, water, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and simmered it until the water was fully absorbed and the rice was cooked. Mmmm...

2007-11-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

We went to the Avalanche game last night, and there's something about a sporting event that makes me want to just eat junk food. Last night was no different!

Bratwurst with Spicy Brown Mustard
French Fries
Dippin' Dots Ice Cream (perhaps one of the earliest molecular gastronomy experiments!)

2007-11-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

I was home alone (again) last night and I can see a theme emerging here. It used to be when my husband had an event in the evening I barely noticed because I was so busy taking care of three kids, but now I find myself more often than not alone in an empty house with only the dogs to talk to. I don't mind being alone and actually find I get alot done, like decorating the Christmas tree last night. But I find my eating habits are horrible when I'm home alone, and last night was no exception.

Steak and Mashed Potatoes
I know this sounds like an actual meal, but really I ate a few slices of leftover rib eye steak out of the plastic bag in the refrigerator, then heated up an enormous container of leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, added even more butter and salt, and watched two hours of Food TV while eating them. I finished off my meal with some bite-sized Hershey candy bars that frankly added up to well over a full-sized candy bar.

I think I'm going to add something to my goals for 2008 (I always do them in December) about eating healthy and still cooking even when I'm alone at home. It can't hurt!

2007-11-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

I taught a cooking lesson yesterday for a friend of mine and I'm hoping her meal for her guests turned out great. We made:

Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets & Garlic, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, & Pine Nuts in a Sherry Vinaigrette

Roasted Tenderloin of Beef with a Porcini Mushroom Rub and Salsa Verde Topping

Eggplant Stuffed with Mascarpone & Pesto, baked with Marinara and Parmigiano Reggiano

Red Wine Poached Pears with Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

When I arrived home I was all cooked out and we ate leftover Eggplant Lasagna and a Tossed Salad with Carrots and Tomatoes in a Balsamic Vinaigrette.

2007-11-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

I went to see a touching movie yesterday afternoon that I highly recommend: Bella. If you decide to check it out, bring your tissues! Afterwards we had a quick dinner trying to use up some Thanksgiving leftovers.

Steak
Bone in ribeyes from Sun Prairie Beef grilled to medium rare

Mashed Potatoes and Stuffing
Along with gravy left from Thanksgiving

Corn

2007-11-25T09:32:00.001-07:00

We went to watch our daughter in a rail jam at Echo Mountain yesterday (that's her on the left in the blue hat and helmet) - for the spectators it's an awful lot of sitting around and waiting, but she had a blast despite coming home with multiple bruises and a swollen shin and knee.

When we returned home, my husband and I went to see the movie American Gangster, and I found it absolutely terrifying and overwhelming to understand the depths of drug trade and corruption that have gone on in our country. I was comforted somewhat by the trailer messages about the numbers of people who were jailed as a result of the investigation, but know the problems continue to this day. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Macaroni Grill afterwards, where we haven't eaten since our kids were little.

Caesar Salad
Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Broccoli, Mushrooms, Sundried Tomatoes and Chicken in a Spicy Arrabiatta Sauce

2007-11-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to eat leftovers after Thanksgiving, particularly this year when I've cooked about three Thanksgiving dinners in one week. Instead, we went to Tula in Cherry Creek for dinner after putting up Christmas decorations all day. Great Latin food and well worth a visit if you haven't been there!

Short Rib Tacos
Braised short ribs in crisp mini tortilla shells with pico de gallo, queso fresco, and guacamole

House Salad (me)
Mixed baby greens with sliced avocado, crisp bacon, and roasted tomato vinaigrette

Grilled Orange Salad (my husband)
Baby greens with grilled orange, grilled scallion and slightly spicy blood orange habanero vinaigrette

Blackened Tilapia (me)
Blackened with Mexican chiles and served over goat cheese-whipped potatoes, with fire-roasted tomato consomme and gazpacho vegetable salsa

Tampiquena (my husband)
Grilled and sliced flank steak, served with short rib enchilada with (really good) mole sauce, guacamole, black beans and rice

Trio of Homemade Ice Creams
We had banana, chocolate, and port wine/blue cheese which was frankly gross and seemed like a concoction you'd get served on The Iron Chef if blue cheese were the secret ingredient. Since we obviously didn't like it the waitress brought us a serving of the caramelized goat's milk which was delicious and tasted a lot like a dulce de leche ice cream.

2007-11-23T08:40:00.001-07:00

WOW! All that cooking and dinner is over in an hour on Thanksgiving. We had a really nice family time together with 16 of us here, but it did go by in a blur. My husband tried taking some photos, but since the flash wasn't on they all came out blurry - it seems the perfect metaphor for how the dinner went! That's me at the dinner table with a reflection of the family in the mirror. Here was our menu:

Apple Cider Brined Blue Slate Turkeys with Pan Gravy
Apple, Mushroom and Sage Dressing
Sweet Potato Gratin
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Cornbread Muffins with Sundried Tomatoes
Cranberry Sauce with Pears - sister
Cranberry Fruit Jello Mold - sister in law
Chocolate Cake - mother in law
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie - mom

2007-11-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

I didn't really cook any dinner last night because I was so busy preparing for the 16 people who will be at my house for Thanksgiving today. Here are my suggestions for making ahead of time and a picture of my garage refrigerator lined up with the preparations:

Mushroom, Sage and Apple Dressing
I made the dressing, put it in the baking dishes, covered it, and refrigerated it. I'll uncover it and add a little turkey drippings to it before baking it today.

Sweet Potato Gratin
I made the gratin in the baking dish ready to bake and covered it in the refrigerator. I'll let it come to room temp before baking it for an hour today.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
I peeled the potatoes and put them in a large pot of water in the refrigerator ready to cook - I'll add peeled garlic to the pot while it's cooking to satisfy my kids.

Cornbread Muffins with Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
I baked them and wrapped them up when they were cool to refrigerate them until today when I'll gently reheat them before serving.

Turkey
I purchased two heritage breed Blue Slate turkeys (the ones I had visited in late September - they processed them for Maverick Ranch meats) from Marczyk's and I put them in an apple cider brine on Monday.

So after doing that all day (as well as squeezing in a much needed facial) I ate my son's leftover Caesar Salad and heated up some leftover Pasta with Chicken, Broccoli, Kale and Leeks for dinner.

2007-11-21T07:57:00.001-07:00

I just managed to get Christmas lights strung outside yesterday before the cold weather blew in and when I woke to see the snow this morning I was glad I did it! It was also my biweekly pickup from the farm yesterday (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, Yukon Gold potatoes, red onions, yellow onions, beets, celery herb, butternut squash, pumpkin, and gourds), and in an effort to eat what's in season, I cooked two of the things from the farm for dinner.

Steak
I cooked some of the filet mignons from Sun Prairie Beef - just a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper and cooked to medium rare, they were really tender and flavorful.

Potatoes
I quartered some purple Peruvian potatoes and tossed them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary and roasted them until soft.

Cauliflower
I made a quick Bechamel sauce, added some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and tossed in the cauliflower florets, then baked the gratin until bubbly and golden brown on top.

2007-11-20T07:04:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have attended one of my "What's For Dinner?" classes, last night was a perfect example of what I try to teach. When I asked my husband what he felt like for dinner, he asked me to make some kind of chicken and pasta dish. Knowing that today I'd be picking up more from the farm, I decided to start with the vegetables to see what I could use up. Here's what I came up with:

Leek, Kale, Broccoli & Chicken Pasta
I started by slicing and cleaning the leeks and removing the tough stems from the kale and chopping it roughly. I sauteed the leeks in some extra virgin olive oil while I blanched the kale in a little water to remove the bitterness. The I added the kale and broccoli florets to the leeks along with a diced cooked chicken breast and a little chicken stock, covering the pan to let the broccoli steam while I cooked up lemon garlic orzo (from Pappardelle's at the Littleton Farmers' Market). I finished the dish with some cream and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken before adding a good sized handful of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the cooked orzo. Delicious and I used up a bunch of the vegetables in my refrigerator!

2007-11-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I taught a cooking lesson for fifteen 10 and 11 year old girls yesterday for a combined birthday party. I love teaching kids of this age group because they are busting with enthusiasm for cooking. We made an Italian feast:

Garlic Bread
Romaine Salad with Vinaigrette
Chicken & Cheese Calzone
Marinara Sauce, Pesto and Alfredo Sauce
Farfalle Pasta
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

When I got home I was in the mood for Italian myself, so we ate some leftover meatballs in the marinara sauce from the lesson tossed with linguine.

2007-11-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

A friend and I saw the movie Dan in Real Life last night - why is it that I always love the ones that the critics rate poorly? Maybe it was just my stage of life with 3 teenagers / young adults, but I found his interaction with his daughters both touching and hilarious. See it if you haven't!

After the movie we had dinner at Sushi Terrace in Littleton:

House Salad with Ginger Dressing
Edamame
Sashimi - yellowtail, tuna, salmon, and white tuna
Caterpillar Roll - inside out with freshwater eel

A glass of Pinot Grigio paired wonderfully with the fish.

2007-11-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day for me. I went to a friend's children's preschool in the morning to show 2-5 year olds how to make butter by shaking cream. They were adorable and I want to go on the circuit to preschools and kindergartens doing this! The best part was watching their little faces when it "magically" turned to butter - I'll post a couple of pictures after my friend sends them to me.

In the afternoon I went to the Highlands Wineseller to serve my Thanksgiving dishes (Apple Cider Brined Turkey with Pan Gravy, Sweet Potato Gratin, and Apple, Mushroom and Sage Dressing) paired with the Thanksgiving wines that Firestone was pouring for a tasting. Lots of fun and I dished up about 120 plates of food over three hours.

After coming home and quickly cleaning up, my husband and I headed to Venice for dinner. I had eaten virtually nothing all day while cooking, so I wolfed down dinner:

Beef Carpaccio with Truffle Oil and Arugula Salad
Pappardelle with Cinghiale (Wild Boar) in a Tomato and Sangiovese Sauce
Pistachio and Chocolate Gelato (brought it home and ate it in bed)

2007-11-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

I led a cooking dinner party last night - I won't bore you with the menu - just look back to the last few Mexican Fiesta menus I did for YPO with sea bass.

I got home at 10pm, exhausted but still hyped up from the event, and ate soy cheese on Rye Krisp crackers with a glass of champagne, then miniature Reese's for dessert.