NEB NEB

Chicken Breasts with Potatoes and Mashed Peas

2009-07-23T08:44:00.006-06:00

The French do it right. Two words. Pan Sauce. This is kind of a winter recipe, but Andrea and I have been eating all of this light, healthy California cuisine (sea weed, sea weed, sea weed!) that I was craving something heavy. Plus, Andrea went to the downtown farmer's market Wednesday and brought back some fancy potatoes. She couldn't remember the name of them, but apparently they are the richer, more successful cousins of the Yukon Gold. Again, this is one of those recipes where you actually feel like you are cooking instead of passively throwing together a bunch of ingredients.

Chicken Breasts with Potatoes and Mashed Peas (F&W, 2009)

Ingredients

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons chilled
Four 3/4-pound chicken breast halves on the bone
2 large thyme sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Two 10-ounce packages of frozen baby peas
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

(For the wine, we used a 2007 Austrian Grüner Veltliner.)

Preheat the oven to 425°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the halved potatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for about 35 minutes or until tender and browned. Set the potatoes aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter. Season the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down, along with the thyme sprigs. Cook over moderately low heat until the skin is well browned, about 15 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 minutes longer, basting occasionally with the pan juices.

Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Add the chicken to the potatoes and keep warm. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the melted fat from the skillet.

Pour off the remaining fat from the skillet and discard the thyme sprigs. Add 1/2 cup of the wine to the skillet and boil over moderately high heat, scraping up the browned bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped thyme and 2 tablespoons of chilled butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the green peas, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the peas, transfer half to a food processor and coarsely puree. Stir the puree back into the remaining peas. Add the reserved fat from the skillet along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of wine and the mint. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the chicken breasts and potatoes to plates. Spoon the mashed peas alongside and serve with the pan sauce.

Tandoori Chicken

2009-04-01T19:08:00.005-06:00

I acted like an adult on Monday and went to the store and got our groceries for the week. As my wife can attest, I despise going to the grocery store. She usually gets our weekly food staples. I think it is due to my general aversion to crowded places. However, in a grocery store, the crowd is pushing around large metal death baskets on wheels. Plus, I'm a very fast shopper. I usually have a list and have mentally mapped out my approach to efficiently acquire each item. You get in my way at the grocery store and you become collateral damage. This time, I went in the evening. I figured the majority of responsible people bitterly did their shopping on Sunday night. I also brought my iPod and did not make a list. I just put on my headphones and let MF Doom accompany me through the store. Then, a strange thing happened. As I looked at the food items passing before me, recipes started to pop in my head. All of the jumbled up, passive knowledge from the cookbooks and food blogs I read manifested itself as a nicely organized mental recipe box. I leisurely wandered up and down the aisles. Except the aisles weren't aisles any more. They were streaming lines of green code. I also knew kung fu. (Show me.)

Here is one of the recipes:

Tandoori Chicken (Lebovitz, 2009, with modifications)

1/8 teaspoon saffron powder, or 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (see Note)
1 tablespoon boiling water
4 skinless chicken thighs
4 skinless chicken legs
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, depending on how hot you want it
10 turns fresh ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
juice of one fresh lime
1 tablespoon finely-minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

Soak the saffron in the boiling water for five minutes. Score the chicken flesh deeply. Put the chicken in a large zip-top freezer bag. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bag, including the saffron (and the water) and let out most of the air, then seal the top. Massage the bag to mix the ingredients and coat the chicken pieces. Refrigerate the chicken overnight (or all day, the longer the better). Prepare your grill or grill pan, make sure it is piping hot. Oil it. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and grill the pieces with the thick marinade clinging to them, until dark on one side. Flip and grill until darkened on the other side. (I urge you to use a meat thermometer. It takes out the guess work.) So, at this point, the outside of your chicken is cooked, but the inside is still a little raw. Your goal is to get the internal temperature of the chicken to 180 F without burning it. The ANSWER: Indirect heat. If you are inside using a grill pan, turn on the oven to 350-400F and bake them for 10 minutes. If you are outside, turn off half (or one side) of the grill burners, place the chicken pieces on the unlit half and cook them until you reach 180 F.

Next time I make these, I'm going to do it using a grill pan inside. I felt I didn't have that much control of the heat on my grill tonight. It is still relatively chilly and it took a long time for the indirect cooking portion to finish. The flavor is outstanding and the marinade made the meat extremely tender. The chicken was accompanied by a side of kachumber and jasmine rice. Also, as you can see in the picture, my chicken wasn't red like you would typically expect to see if you ordered Tandoori chicken at a restaurant. That is because I did not have the red food coloring that is sold at Indian markets.

Chicken Hot Pot with Tofu

2008-10-19T08:14:00.009-06:00

Andrea went from zero to wicked sick in less than 24 hours. She looks and sounds like a zombified Issac Hayes. (Hmmm. Zombified. I think I just made up a word. Sounds correct though. I'm sticking with it.) To heal my sick spouse, I channeled the spirit of the old Asian lady that lives in our pantry. She told me to make Andrea a hot pot. So, I did.

Chicken Hot Pot with Tofu (F&W 2008 w/modifications)

Ingredients

12 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 container shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
One 2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
Kosher salt
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
One 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Rice noodles, cooked.
Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
Asian sesame oil, for drizzling

Directions
In a large soup pot, bring the stock, mushroom stems, ginger and garlic to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Strain the stock into a large bowl and return it to the pot. Season the broth with salt. Bring the broth to a boil; add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is white throughout, about 4 minutes. Divide the mushroom caps, tofu and scallions among eight soup bowls and serve, passing the broth and sesame oil at the table. Or serve everything family style as shown in the crappy photo. I recommend hot sesame oil (flavor not temperature).

Cooking the mushroom stems, ginger, and garlic in the chicken stock made a really easy and really good base that I think we are going to revisit frequently this winter.

Bacon Salt

2008-07-25T07:49:00.002-06:00

I cannot for the life of me remember what I was reading when I saw the Google ad that brought me to find this stupendous concoction. I do, however, remember the feeling of excitement that welled up in the pit of my stomach after seeing those two words side by side. There are three other individuals on this earth that love bacon more than me and they are my wife, her brother, and our friend Neveen (see Flag Cake post). Upon spying the website, I sent them an e-mail with the link. My brother-in-law (Nathan, for those of you playing along at home) responded with the following, "This is going to change my LIFE! I told Cat (his wife, short for Catherine) about this huge personal development, but she thought that I was leading up to telling her that Andrea was prego. I said no, this is better." He then called me the following day to inform me that he secured the bacon salt at the grocery store. I instantly became jealous as I could not find it at Hy-Vee. Just imagine the possibilities! I asked him to try it out. So, over the phone, he opened his fridge and spied the remnants of a five-day-old rotisserie chicken that was on the verge of a hostile mold takeover. Sprinkle, sprinkle....chewing sounds...."it's fantastic!" He then proceeded to try it on a banana. I think he was going to make scrambled eggs this morning and report back.

Now our friend Neveen, she is a Muslim and it is against her religion to eat bacon. (Yes, she is a torn soul.) So, I thought this would be a friendly alternative given that the bacon salt is kosher and vegetarian. However, she is fearful that her religiously-strict mother (who lives with her and her husband) will die in their kitchen upon finding it in their cupboards. (She will just have to keep it at our house.)

So, I just went to their website and discovered the Hy-Vee that I work next to carries Bacon Salt! The Hy-Vee next to my house does not. Go figure. I have to go.

The Bitten Word

2008-07-24T09:50:00.002-06:00

I have to give kudos to these guys at The Bitten Word. As Andrea can attest, I have been a long-time subscriber to several food magazines. They are piling up in our living room as we speak. Do I make any of the recipes found in them? Err...sometimes. With all of the food blogs I read (which I need to make a list and share as it is quite large), my magazines tend to get ignored. Anyway, Clay and Zach at the The Bitten Word are resolving to put their food magazines to use. And, I applaud them. Check out their BBQ Chicken post. Food porn.

Flag Cake!

2008-07-02T19:55:00.006-06:00

In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I would post this little number. Andrea and I made it for a Flag Day booze fest we attended in celebration of our homie Neveen officially attaining her US citizenship. It rocked!

Flag Cake (Barefoot Contessa, 2002)

18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

I served this cake right in the pan.

Crispy Roasted Garlic Potatoes

2008-06-08T07:37:00.004-06:00

Sorry, folks. No photo today. Forgot to take one. Besides, all of you have had roasted potatoes before and can imagine what they look like. This is the second time I have made this recipe, and after this second time, I have decided that this dish will be my new recipe for roasted potatoes replacing my other one by Ina Garten. (To be truthful, Andrea actually made this decision stating that these were far superior and I must concur.) I urge you to make these. Roasted potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to any dinner. I make roasted potatoes a lot when grilling because they allow you to be in two places at once. They can be roasting in the oven while you are tending to the grill. You can also roast them on the grill, too. Who is stopping you?

Crispy Roasted Garlic Potatoes (Cook's Country, 2008)

Serves 4

2 pounds red potatoes (baby or large) scrubbed, dried, and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, toss potatoes, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Carefully remove preheated baking sheet from oven, add oil, and tilt baking sheet to evenly coat with oil. Place potatoes, cut side down in single layer, on baking sheet. Roast until browned around edges, about 30 minutes. While potatoes roast, mix butter, garlic, parsley, and zest together in medium bowl. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using metal spatula, turn potatoes skin side down. Roast until potatoes are crisp and deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to bowl with butter and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Garlic Soba Noodles

2008-05-29T21:01:00.004-06:00

If every vegetarian recipe I made tasted this good, I would honestly consider forsaking meat. Quite possibly one of the best noodle recipes I have ever prepared. Astonishingly tasty. However, it is kind of a pain to make. Prepare it when you have higher amounts of energy.

Ingredients (101 Cookbooks, 2008)
8 ounces dried soba noodle
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan freshly grated
big pinch of salt
12 ounces extra firm organic tofu, cut into 6 rectangular slabs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
a generous splash of olive oil
1 bunch green onions, greens trimmed, thinly sliced
4 big handfuls of chard, spinach or kale - destemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
a few baby radishes, sliced paper thin

Boil a large pot of water and cook soba noodles per packet instructions or until just tender. Salt the water generously. Drain and set aside.

While the water is coming to a boil, get the tofu started by combining the bread crumbs, Parmesan and salt in a shallow plate. Dunk each piece of tofu in the egg and then press into the bread crumbs. Make sure each piece is nicely coated with crumbs. Place each piece on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces. Bake in a 375 degree oven or pan-fry in a skillet in a bit of olive oil until both sides are golden, flipping once along the way. Slice into strips and set aside.

Add the olive oil (and bit of salt) to a large skillet over med-high heat. Stir in the green onions, chard, and cook for a minute until the chard collapses. Stir in the soba noodles. Stir in the garlic powder and Parmesan. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sliced radishes. Serve family-style or on individual plates - each nest of noodles topped with some of the tofu slices. Serves 4-6.

Asparagus Risotto

2008-05-29T20:43:00.004-06:00

Have some asparagus lying at the bottom of your fridge? Set it free. You will thank me after you make sweet, sweet love to your spoonula.

Ingredients (Simply Recipes, 2008)

1 pound asparagus
3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
About 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option), can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside. In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated. While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Ham and Potato Soup

2008-05-29T19:14:00.013-06:00

Zip it. I don't wanna hear your lip. I realize that 1) I haven't posted in like a kajillion months and 2) this is a winter recipe. I don't care. The photos have been on my camera and I'm gonna post them. Get over it.

This is a two recipe entry as my Ham and Potato Soup is first prepared with a homemade ham stock. After making my first homemade stock a few years ago, I no longer throw away any carcass. It is too easy to make a soup stock. The input of effort is drastically disproportionate to the output in taste. (Did that make any sense?)

Ham Stock (Gourmet, 2004)

2 1/2 lb meaty smoked ham shanks or ham hocks
2 qt cold water
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 carrots, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
3 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Combine ham shanks and cold water in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil, skimming any foam. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, until shanks are tender, about 2 hours. Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large metal bowl, reserving shanks and discarding remaining solids.

Discard skin and bones from shanks. Trim and coarsely shred meat, then return to stock.

Ham and Potato Soup

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 ham stock
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and stock in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season wit salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Stir Fry Tofu

2008-01-07T18:18:00.002-07:00

In an effort to be more healthy, Andrea and I have, as of late, been cutting down on our consumption of meat and increasing our consumption of these things called vegetables. Yeah, I know. I'm thinking the same thing. We'll see how long this lasts. Anyway, Andrea bought some tofu on the last trip to the store. If you know anything about the contents of our refrigerator at all, you know we always have tofu. We buy it because it makes us feel less guilty about the pound of bacon sitting next to it. However, we never eat it and it usually gets thrown away during our usual purging of the fridge. We don'teven know whether tofu goes bad. We just assume it does and pitch it. I opened the fridge tonight and was greeted, yet again, by that familiar package of tofu. It sat there smugly, judging me. It knew that I had Mr. Goodcents for lunch. The little soy bean bastard even knew I had a giant chocolate chip cookie for dessert. In a moment of panic, I grabbed my recipe binder and found Jen Stastny's (old friend from Central High days) hand written instructions on how to stir fry tofu.

Ingredients

1 package of Extra Firm Tofu (not Silken, so not Mori Nu)
1 TBS olive oil
1TBS soy sauce
1TBS water

Cut the tofu into about 6-7 strips lengthwise. Lay the strips out on paper towels. Using another layer of paper towels, squeeze the water out of the strips. Do this 5 to 7 times. Cut tofu into cubes. Heat the olive oil over medium heat being sure to coat the bottom of the pan. You want the oil to be hot so that when the tofu hits the pan it starts to sizzle.

Cook them slowly. Let the buggers fry! Make them pay for their torment. Turn them frequently until lightly browned on all sides. ("Have patience!" is written in the margin.) Add the soy sauce and water and coat each piece. Add more if needed.

The flavor wasn't too bad. They had the texture of scrambled eggs. We added them to a mix of frozen corn, peas, and baby vidalia onions. It was a pretty quick and relatively satisfying meal.

Turkey Noodle Soup

2008-01-06T17:18:00.001-07:00

We had dinner at Andrea's parent's house last week and the main course was a fantastic smoked Turkey. They sent us home with some left over meat. I also snagged the turkey carcass as I had the urge to make some homemade soup stock. It is so amazingly easy. Plus, the aroma that fills your house during its creation soothes your winter aches. I used egg noodles for this recipe.

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10

*Basic Turkey Stock (Cook's Illustrated, 2000)*
1	turkey carcass from 12- to 14-pound turkey, cut into 4 or 5 rough pieces to fit into pot
1	large onion , peeled and halved
1	large carrot , peeled and chopped coarse
1	large rib celery , about 4 ounces, chopped coarse
3	medium cloves garlic , unpeeled and smashed
2	cups dry white wine
1	bay leaf
5	sprigs fresh parsley leaves
3	sprigs fresh thyme
*For Soup*
1	medium onion , diced medium
2	medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1	large rib celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1	tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
	Table salt and ground black pepper
2 - 3	cups pasta shells (medium), or other medium-sized pasta shape
2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. For Stock: Bring turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, wine, bay leaf, and 4 1/2 quarts water to boil in 12-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, skimming fat or foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, continuing to skim surface as necessary. Add parsley and thyme; continue to simmer until stock is rich and flavorful, about 2 hours longer, continuing to skim surface as necessary.

2. Strain stock through large-mesh strainer into large bowl or container; remove meat from strained solids, shred into bite-sized pieces, and set aside; discard solids in strainer. Cool stock slightly, about 20 minutes; spoon fat from surface. Use stock immediately or cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days.

3. For Soup: Bring turkey stock to simmer in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and reserved shredded turkey meat from stock; simmer until pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; serve.

French Toast Casserole

2008-01-06T16:51:00.001-07:00

Living in Nebraska, I am surprised that I have lived this long and have never been served this dish. We Nebraskans like our casseroles. We Nebraskans like our French toast. Another match made in Cornhusker heaven.

Baked French Toast Casserole (Paula Dean, 2007)

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrupSlice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Mrs. Cribbs's Chicken and Dumplings

2008-01-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Who is Mrs. Cribb's, you ask? Not sure. But, she can make some mean Chicken and Dumplings. We rocked this on Christmas Eve. It is an easy recipe, but it is pretty labor intensive. The work is worth it though. The photo is a double batch. So, you don't need a large dutch oven (in case you were wondering).

Mrs. Cribbs's Chicken and Dumplings (Food and Wine, 2000)

ingredients

3 pounds chicken legs
5 carrots--2 cut into large chunks, 3 thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 celery ribs--1 cut into large chunks, 1 thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
6 cups water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper

directions

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken legs with the large chunks of carrot and celery, half of the chopped onions and the water. Simmer over moderate heat until the chicken legs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly, then remove the meat from the bones and let cool. Strain the chicken broth and discard the vegetables.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour with 1 cup of the chicken broth, adding a little of the fat from the broth; stir to form a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Wrap the dumpling dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3.Cut the dough into quarters. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough a scant 1/4 inch thick on a very lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into 3-inch-wide strips and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Working on the paper, cut each strip crosswise into 1-inch-thick dumplings and transfer the paper to a baking sheet; do not separate the dumplings. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking each layer on the baking sheet. Freeze the dumplings until solid, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the sliced carrots and celery and the remaining chopped onion with 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and return to a boil.
Separate the frozen dumplings and add them to the simmering broth a few at a time, submerging them in the broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook until the dumplings are tender, about 15 minutes; tuck the dumplings into the broth occasionally. Spoon the chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate the broth and the chicken; keep the dumplings frozen.

French Apple Tart

2008-01-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Surprised by the semi-clear photo? I took the advice of my amigo Matt and shot the item next to a window. I really should listen to him more often. I need to work on my crust, but not bad for a first attempt.

The Holidays provided ample opportunity to try some new things. Andrea and I hosted this year. We had both sets of parents over for some type of meal. I acquired a bunch of new bakeware, including a tart pan, from Williams-Sonoma this past December. Good stuff, professional grade. It renewed my desire to expand my baking repertoire outside the usual quick breads and cookies. So, we invited Andrea's parents over a near-French dinner. I say near-French because the salad course wasn't really French. Anyway, since we were doing a near-French dinner, I thought we could end with a near-French dessert.

French Apple Tart (Gourmet, 2007)

Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.

1 recipe pastry dough, recipe follows
6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick cold butter, sliced thin
1/2 cup apricot jam, heated and strained
Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, as an accompaniment

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 13-inch round and fit it into a 10-inch tart tin with a removable fluted rim, trimming the excess. Arrange the apples decoratively on the pastry shell, overlapping them. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the apples, top with butter slices and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until the crust is cooked through and the apples are golden. Brush with the heated apricot jam while the tart is still hot. Serve each portion with a small scoop of ice cream or a small spoonful of whipped cream.

Pastry Dough
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.

To blend by hand: Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of mixture resembles coarse meal (roughly pea-size lumps). Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

To blend in a food processor: Pulse together flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until most of mixture resembles coarse meal (roughly pea-size lumps). Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times, or just until incorporated.

Test mixture: Gently squeeze a small handful: it should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring or pulsing 2 or 3 times after each addition until incorporated (keep testing). If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.

Form dough: Turn out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie crust or a 10 to 11-inch tart crust.

Parmesan Chicken

2007-09-17T19:55:00.000-06:00

Where's the chicken you say? It's hiding under a blanket of yummy herb salad goodness. Click on photo to find it.

Yesterday, I hit a couple Asian markets as I had a wicked craving for dumplings. We are lucky to have quite a few from which to choose. I had a free afternoon, so I spent a couple hours exploring the aisles and spying on what people were buying. After grabbing some fresh rice noodles and Napa cabbage, I ran into a shelf of Panko. It reminded me of this recipe. So, I cooked it tonight for Andrea. Yes, I rocked the Panko.

Parmesan Chicken (Barefoot Contessa Family Style, 2002)

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (avoid the stuff at the store, get Panko!)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Great stress reliever.

On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Can I recommend a salad mix? Try the Earthbound Farm Organic Fresh Herb Salad Mix.

Bacon, Potato and Cheddar Frittata

2007-09-16T13:48:00.000-06:00

Everybody knows about my infatuation with the frittata. It is perfect for when you have visitors at breakfast. My old standby recipe comes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style, but this morning I decided to deviate and tried a new approach from Cook's Illustrated. I love Cook's Illustrated because its authors are a bunch of closeted, science geeks who take pride in the fact that their audience can actually replicate the outcome of their recipes perfectly. Not many cookbook authors can confidently say the same.

Bacon, Potato, and Cheddar Frittata
Cook's Illustrated (May 1, 2005)

12 large eggs
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1/2 tsp Table salt
1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
8 oz bacon (about 8 slices), cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces
1 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes
4 oz cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup)
3 scallions, sliced thin on the bias (about 1/3 cup)

Use ovensafe nonstick 12-inch skillet.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element; heat broiler. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Set eggs aside.

Fry bacon in 12-inch nonstick ovensafe skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 9 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Add potatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir cheddar, scallions, and bacon into eggs; add egg mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form and spatula begins to leave wake but eggs are still very wet, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.

Slide skillet under broiler and broil until frittata has risen and surface is puffed and spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes; when cut into with paring knife, eggs should be slightly wet and runny. Remove skillet from oven and let stand 5 minutes to finish cooking; using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto platter or cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

Since I was just making this for Andrea and me, I cut the recipe in half. As you can see from the photo, I had too much filling and not enough egg. Too much potato, in fact. The potato I used was too big, but I committed to 100% of it and got burned. Because there was too much potato, the potato to bacon ratio was off which made things a little ugly in our household as nobody messes with Andrea's bacon.

From my experience, the egg is supposed to fluff up around the filling. This did not happen. It was a breakfast potato discus, more like a hash. It tasted great, but each bite was inconsistent. One would hope that each bite would contain a bit of egg, potato, bacon, scallion, and cheese. This wasn't the case. Next time I make this, I'll need to cut everything a little smaller and be sure to distribute everything evenly before it sets up.

Salsa di Pomodoro Arrostito

2007-09-16T13:11:00.000-06:00

Here's another recipe for all of those tomatoes that are about to go to tomato heaven in your pantry. Like you, Andrea and I are oozing lycopene from all of the tomatoes we have been eating.

Salsa di Pomodoro Arrostito (Roasted Tomato Sauce)
from 1,000 Italian Recipes, by Michele Scicolone

2 1/2 pounds round, plum, cherry, or grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
Salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, parsley, or other herbs

Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Oil a 13 x 9 x 2-inch nonreactive baking pan.

Coarsely chop round or plum tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut cherry or grape tomatoes into halves or quarters.

Spread the tomatoes in the pan. Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir gently. Roast 30 to 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are lightly browned. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and stir in the herbs. Serve hot or at room temperature.

As many of you are aware, I'm not a huge pasta fan. It's probably due to the thousands of spaghetti feeds I've attended. The sauce is the deal breaker for me. I know "fresh is best" is a cliché, but it rings true. Believe me, ask Andrea, I've given canned and jarred pasta sauce a try and every time it is a disappointment. People. Make the world a better place. Avoid it. Just get a can of diced tomatoes, saute some garlic in olive oil, simmer the tomatoes in the same pan, salt, pepper, fresh basil or oregano, if you have it, and you'll have a one way ticket to the pasta palace.

Random Food Shots

2007-09-16T12:59:00.001-06:00

Andrea got her grill on and made this wicked pita sandwich that was topped with a ravishing cucumber raita. Perhaps she'll blog about it.

I threw together some Husker cupcakes for the Wake Forest game. Peep my kindergarten piping skills. I've noticed that, in the food world, if a dish is prepared sloppily, like my cupcakes, it is frequently referred to as "rustic".

Guacamole

2007-09-16T12:31:00.000-06:00

Andrea and I replaced Cleveland's lack of sunshine, beauty, and friendliness with guacamole from Chipotle. It truly was a comfort food. (Probably explains why we gained so much weight.) We've been trying to find a recipe that replicates it. We've almost found it with this one. It's ever so close.

Guacamole

1 large ripe avocado, peeled,pitted
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 large serrano chilies, seeded, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mash up avocado with a fork or electric mixer. Add lime juice. Add all other ingredients and mix to your desired consistency. We like ours thick and chunky.

P.S. Does anybody else get irritated when people call it Chipolte (Chip-ol-tee)? C'mon people the "t" is placed before the "l", how is that so difficult? Hey, wanna git some guacamolee at chipoltee?

Cheese Puffs

2007-09-16T11:24:00.000-06:00

I was looking through our photos this week and found this experiment of cheese debauchery. Thought I would post. I think I made them back in July because I remember bringing them to Jazz on the Green.

Cheese Puffs (from Barefoot in Paris, 2004)

1 cup milk
1/4-pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup grated Gruyere, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.)Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

I don't use Gruyere that much as it isn't Andrea's favorite cheese, so I don't have a lot of experience with it. However, the combination of Gruyere and parmesan gave them a savory nuttiness...whatever that means. Let's just say they tasted fancy. I cross-referenced Gruyere and parmesan in Dornenburg and Page (2006) and a Zinfandel is on both lists.

Tomato Bread Soup

2007-08-29T19:17:00.000-06:00

Uh, sorry 'bout disappearing for six months. I was holed up studying for my board exams. However, the nonsense is over now. Back into the kitchen, right? I actually have Nick Schicker to thank for the motivation for this entry. He recently moved to Japan and started a new blog. You should check it out at www.extendedadventure.blogspot.com. Anyway, he's linked to mine and I would hate to embarrass him in front of his hipster Japanese friends with an outdated blog.

At work, around 5pm, my brain decided to clock out. Instead of leaving like a normal person, I turned to mindless internet surfing. I checked my RSS reader and revisited a great food blog called The Wednesday Chef. Her most recent post took us through the recipe I tried today, Tomato Bread Soup (Bill Telepan, New York Times). I'm surprised I even tried this recipe because I HATE TOMATO SOUP. However, I realized that my only real experience with tomato soup is the canned kind. I scanned the ingredients and thought what Andrea later verbalized, "One can't go wrong with this combination of ingredients." It's true. Check them out.

3 pounds plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sourdough bread, without crusts, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup grated ricotta salata
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves

I guarantee the majority of you have these ingredients at home. No trip to the store needed. Plus, we all know that it is "what the heck do we do with all these tomatoes" time and this recipe is a perfect way to burn through your garden bounty. Note the recipe calls for ricotta salata. Do you think any store in Lincoln has this stuff? No. Should I be surprised? Not really. Even Lincoln's famous Leon's Food Market didn't have it. This self-proclaimed "specialty food store" has , so far, been one disappointment after another for me, but that is for another blog entry. Back to the food. I used asiago instead of ricotta salata. (Be sure to hide the asiago from your wife, if she's part mouse.)

Play Tegan and Sara's new album The Con. Core and quarter plum tomatoes. Place tomatoes in food processor and pulse to chop. Keep it chunky. Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes and their juices. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a slow simmer and cook 45 minutes, covered, stirring from time to time. (Andrea and I went for a quick bike ride.) When the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, stir the bread cubes (less is more) into the soup and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Check the seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature, with grated cheese and minced basil strewn on each serving.

We took dinner outside. Flavor: Garlicky Sweet. Texture: Mushy, not soupy. I used too much bread. Will use less next time. It absorbed the majority of the broth. Andrea gave it two thumbs up. I will definitely make it again as it was a very easy meal with few ingredients, but a lot of flavor. We forgot to serve it with wine, but will next time. Dornenburg and Page (2006) recommend a Pinot Noir with cooked tomatoes.

Curried Noodle Patties

2007-02-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Since Andrea and I are under the weather, we needed food that 1) did not require us going to the grocery store, 2) lifted our spirits, and 3) opened our nasal passages. Upon opening our pantry, I noticed we had oodles of noodles. Upon spying said noodles, a memory was triggered that I had recently purchased the ingredients for a curried noodle patty recipe I ran across on the very first food blog I read called 101cookbooks. Go the site right now. Even a person who does not have the slightest interest in cooking can be amazed by her ability to photograph food.

On a side note, I apologize for my horrible food photos. I need to grab the two photography textbooks I own and teach myself how to make my creations appear more visually pleasing on the site. Or, somehow, just somehow, try to convince Nebraska Photographer of the Year (2x) Matt Miller (see his site, link on the right) to teach me how to do it.

Back to the noodles. Since curry was a crucial ingredient in the recipe, we deemed it the perfect meal. Here are the ingredients:

1-2 teaspoons (red) Thai curry paste
4 eggs
6 ounces tofu, diced (roughly 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups noodles, cold (I used soba noodles.)
2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
peanuts, green onions and cilantro for garnish

Smash and spread the curry paste around the bottom of a medium bowl. Add one of the eggs and stir until the curry paste is well incorporated. Whisk in the rest of the eggs. Stir in the tofu, cilantro, green onions, and salt. Add the noodles and mix by hand.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. I think sesame is the best. (Miller this is a good recipe for your cast iron.) Swirl 1/3 cup of the noodle mixture on the skillet and cook in batches for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden. Be patient when frying. Make sure each side gets crusty brown. That will ensure the noodles inside will stay within the patty. Season with salt and garnish with a sprinkling of green onion, cilantro, and peanuts. (We did not have peanuts in the pantry. Andrea took them to work. Boo.)

I loved the outcome. Crispy on the outside, warm and tofu-y on the inside. Andrea thought they were good "good and Asian-y." Make sure to season them with salt after frying them. Next time I make them, I think I'm going to make a dipping sauce.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

2007-02-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was going to make a batch of Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Biscotti this weekend. I got the recipe from Leite's Culinaria. The recipe can be found in the book "Great Cookies" by Carole Walter (Clarkson Potter, 2003). Even though her cookbook title could use some re-tooling, I thought the recipe was worth attempting. After you bake the biscotti, you finish them off by dipping one of their tips in a chocolate glaze. [Insert Homer Simpson drooling sound here.] However, Friday afternoon I found out my parents were going to stay with us Saturday night, so I thought I would focus on Saturday night dinner. The dinner was inspired by the lunch I had at Stauffers Cafe & Pie Shoppe (5600 S. 48th St, Lincoln, NE). I woke up with a sore throat Saturday morning and so I ordered a healing bowl of their homemade chicken noodle soup. The soup was perfect. It was so perfect in fact that Andrea braved infection and ate some of mine. We left wanting more. I didn't have time to make chicken noodle soup from scratch that afternoon because we had other things to do, but I did have a recipe I've made before that would fit the bill. It was an easy recipe because you essentially chop everything up, throw it in a crockpot and let it simmer all afternoon. The recipe is courtesy of Natalie Haughton.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced peeled tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 (16 oz) package frozen corn kernels, partially thawed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Seasoned Salt (I used Lawry's)

In a 5-quart electric slow cooker, mix together the broth, tomatoes with their liquid, green chiles, corn, red and green peppers, onion, chicken strips, and garlic pepper. Cover and cook on the high heat setting for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to the low setting and continue cooking 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Stir in the ground cumin and season with seasoned salt to taste. Serve immediately. (Bronson mod: I placed a bowl of chopped cilantro and a plate of lime wedges on the table and encouraged people to top off their soup with them prior to eating. I loves the cilantro.)

There was all this great fruit on sale at the grocery store. So, I got to practice my knife skills with citrus fruit, kiwi, and mangoes. Grapefruit supreme, anyone? All of this was prepared while listening to The Shanghai Restoration Project - Instrumentals. A good album to have on in the background. I tried pairing the soup with Hopluia. It was okay. Great beer, good soup. I didn't get any fireworks with the combination, however.

Welcome Back, Blogger.

2007-02-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

It has been three months since my last post. Three months! I am a horrible blogger. No doubt about it. I suck. When my wife and I had a blog, I contributed about 25% of the time and that is even stretching it. I think it comes down to the fact that, while I have an opinion about things, I don't think they are important (or interesting) enough to share with others. As a result, I avoid blogging. (I also lack in comedic delivery. If you want funny. Check out my wife's blog. She's waaaaay funnier. )

I do like to write about food, however. My interest in food may keep my interest in blogging alive. I realized this when I sent an e-mail to two friends of mine about creating an e-venue to discuss our interest in cooking. I had them over to our house the previous weekend and we got to talking about the things we like too cook/bake. So, I sent them an e-mail. Here's what I wrote:

"I am proposing that we start an amateur food dialogue of sorts. All of us are interested in cooking in some way or the other, right? And, we cook/bake somewhat frequently. I am interested in what you do and when I find things food related, I want to share them with someone. And since, I am not good at blogging, I thought e-mail would be better. Since we have talked about food recently I have chosen you two as my partners in crime. With enough exchange, and perhaps more people, we might amass our own food knowledge base. I have a kagillion food blogs on my RSS reader and this recipe crossed my way. I might try it this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes. You two interested in sharing ideas?"

This led to a brief discussion about how busy life gets and how it makes us feel like we don't cook much. However, the both of them were interested. So, I sent out my first e-mail. I shared with them the list of food blogs I read. After writing and sending it, I thought to myself, "You could have easily posted this on your blog and avoid clogging up your friends' e-mail."

So, here I am.

Lincoln, Nebraska

2006-11-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Lincoln to Omaha to Cleveland to Lincoln. That's the route I took. As an undergrad here, I had a pretty romantic view of this city. Now, as a working, tax-paying owner of a one-way ticket to middle-aged bittertown, my perspective has changed a little. Nonetheless, this city still rocks and I'm happy to be living here. There are a few quirks that need further exploring. So far I have noticed that: (1) While driving, the left lane is the slow lane. No matter where you drive in this city, if you want to get to your destination quickly, drive in the right lane; (2) This town is chock full of scary Protestant mega-churches; and (3) Pontiacs are still popular.

Rocket Man

2006-11-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

I bet you can guess the name of this death machine. Located atop the rolling hills of Kelly Park, many youngsters have spent countless hours sprinting up its spiral staircase hitting their heads on rusty metal bars along the way. As you can see, there's a little spot at the top where a kid can sit and contemplate important topics like sack lunch bartering practices, pin-pointing the cause of the bitter rivalry between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, or determining which break dance move needs a little practice. When one is finished, they can take one of two ways out...the ladder or the slide. No brainer, right? Anyway, consider this my photo opener, a little taste of McCook, Nebraska.