28 February 2011

Sausage + Bacon = Healthy Dish?

I know, you’re trying to figure out how it is possible that one could eat sausage and bacon in the same meal and not have a heart attack immediately? Oh my friends, you can absolutely have your (pork flavored?) cake and eat it too! This recipe was inspired by a meal I ate last winter at an Italian café down the street from my office. I know it was a long time ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday (plus I took notes)! That dish contained both Italian sausage and prosciutto, but had a lot more calories and other ingredients (like croutons). So for my at-home recreation I tried to lighten it up where I could, without sacrificing a hearty dish that is both filling and full of flavor.
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18 February 2011

Nibble on Dates on Your Next Date

So, I hosted a party recently, you know, like you do. Perhaps you read about it the other day? Hmm? Well, you’ll be shocked to know that I made more than one thing for the party. I know, crazy talk.

So here’s another delicious (and time-friendly) appetizer you can serve at your next party, dinner gathering, hot date, picnic… Yes, picnic. Because after weeks of sub-zero temps in Denver, mother nature has magically bestowed 60-degree days upon the Queen City of the Plains. And if you have dates(the fruit), and it’s warm where you are, you could be eating these on your porch or in the park twenty minutes from now.

Also, did you know that many believe that dates (the fruit) are an aphrodisiac? So if you want something to nibble on for your next date (not the fruit) maybe try a date (the fruit). Read More »

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16 February 2011

Party Hardy Rock n’ Roll

I would like to take you all into the way-back machine. You’ll be shocked to know (yeah right) that I come from a long line of ladies who can boss around a kitchen and are famous for their mad party-throwing skills. Imagine, if you will, the tiny future bacon princess (that’s me!) running underfoot, dragging a chair to the counter so I can watch my mama, hard at work making one of her famous party dishes. For a time, my parents even ran their own catering company. Cookin’ and eatin’ you see is in my DNA!

One of the staples that kitchen boss Mom would make was her crab-stuffed mushrooms. She would stuff hundreds of little fungi caps and send them out to the starving masses only to have the plate return, empty, moments later. So, clearly, it’s one of my go-to party platters as well.

Recently I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for my former partner, Kathryn. In the spirit of a divide-and-conquer approach, each of us opened our arsenal of crowd-pleasers (because people, you never ever argue with a pregnant woman with knife skills when she says she wants to cook things too!). So here you go, Mom’s famous crab stuffed mushrooms, just for you! Read More »
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13 February 2011

Mom Always Said "Eat Your Veggies"

Cauliflower, as it turns out, is amazingly good for you. Like kale, broccoli, and other veggies known as cruciferous, cauliflower contains tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Pregnant? Cauliflower has 15% of recommended daily folate intake and 90% of your vitamin C. Magic! But, again, like other cruciferous veggies, cauliflower can be tricky to eat regularly. My solution? Add bacon of course!

Eating healthy does not have to mean eating boring. To dress up my cauliflower I created a pasta with bacon, curry, tomatoes, and sage for a powerful taste and maximum benefit. Hello Cleveland, we are Maximum Benefit! Read More »
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10 February 2011

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I’m thinking of starting a garden. Now that I’m out of my little townhouse (which only had a small porch and an HOA-manicured front walkway) and into a big girl house with a yard, I feel like it’s time to dig in some dirt. But what to plant?

Photo courtesy of Flickr user wwworks
With a garden I feel like one should plant foods that will be eaten (duh) but also as a newbie I want things that are easy to grow and without too long of a growing cycle. So potatoes, you’re out. I just don’t have the patience to wait 100+ days before eating you. I see tomatoes everywhere in Colorado gardens, so that seems like a logical choice. But I don’t want an entire garden of tomatoes (too boring!). Zucchini grows like a weed so maybe only one of you, zucchini. I can only eat so much! Mmm, I like leeks. And peppers. Those are things that will grow where I live. What else what else what else? Read More »
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06 February 2011

Smoky, Leeky, and of Course, Corny

I love leeks. But unlike their cousins, garlic and onions, I’m never quite sure what to do with leeks. But if I’m eating out and the menu item says “…blah blah leeks…” you bet I’m ordering it! So I decided to do a little experimentation by adding leeks to the corn chowder I was making. If only I was a little more up on my French cuisine… However, experiment’s results? Win!

This chowder gets it’s smoky flavor (and name) from the bacon, sure. But the real trick to the smoky layered flavors is the blistered bell pepper. If it’s old outside (like the subzero temps we’ve had in the past few weeks) you can use the broiler on your oven to roast peppers, chiles, and the like to beautiful smoky glory. It will add an additional oomph of flavor to any dishes you would be using these babies in (especially chili, soups, and stews!). Read More »

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24 January 2011

Mac N’ Cheese Minus the Macaroni

Well hello delicious, my but aren’t you pretty. It’s perfectly okay to talk to your food–especially if it’s totally and completely something you shouldn’t be eating. Case in point, my recent genius decision to make a mac n’ cheese dish. What’s so bad about it? Oh honey, it’s soooo bad it’s good. The good: (A) It is delicious, and, (B) It is made almost entirely of cheese. The bad: (A) It has a bajillion calories, and, (B) It is made almost entirely of cheese (and I think I am allergic to cheese).

When I was eating dairy regularly I was a pretty big fan of cheese and made a mean Lobster Mac N’ Cheese that people would ask me to make pretty much whenever we had dinner. Sigh. The good ole days. But a treat every now and again is what makes life worth living, right? So here we are. I was craving something home-y and comforting and there aren’t many other comfort foods that come close to beating macaroni and cheese. But I wanted something more pillowy than macaroni so I made my mac sans macaroni and substituted gnocchi. (Note to self: Best decision ever). Read More »

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21 January 2011

Sustainability: Is Going Green Where It’s At?

Sustainability. Slow food. Carbon footprints. Local food. Fair trade. These are hot topics currently in the culture at large and the buzzwords du jour of the food community. And with good reason.

People care more and more about where their food is coming from. In 2009, Merriam-Webster added the word “locavore” to their dictionaries, thus solidifying the farmer-fed movement that cuisine pioneer Alice Waters has been advocating since 1971 (when she opened the quintessential sustainable restaurant, Chez Panisse).
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11 January 2011

Spice Up Your Life

Note to self: Self, when friends say they are sick, find out what kind of sick. End note.

Telling me “I’m sick,” is like telling me “I haven’t eaten in years, please help.” (I will feed you. Like it’s my job. Because it sort of is. At least that’s what I tell myself.) So when the headmistress of The Donnybrook Writing Academy mentioned off-handedly that she was a bit under the weather, I gathered up some ingredients and went to town. You see, what I heard was, “I have a cold-flu-pneumonia-bronchitis sort of plague and would like to breathe again at some point in the near future.” So I went with spice, fire, and zest.

What she meant was, “I don’t want to see food much less smell it or eat it so stay away from me Devil Woman.” So I ate it instead and let her starve it out. But it’s the thought that counts, right?

So, Miss Angora Holly Polo, here was the soup that your stomach would have immediately rebelled against eating. I’m glad you are feeling better now…

xoxo,
Devil Woman who accidentally tried to kill you but failed

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07 January 2011

Someone Else Makes Dinner For Me!

Even as someone who loves to cook, it is always a pleasant treat when a friend offers to make dinner for me (and smart thinking on the part of the friend as it means I will return the favor soon enough). When I’ve had a particularly stressful day, or a long week, or we just need an excuse to get together, I can always count on my friend, Pamalicious, to cook up something delicious. A fan of ethnic cuisines, Pamalicious has shown me the ways to making arroz con pollo (y mojo, delicioso!) and also carnitas and recently made this delightful Moroccan style dish for me from a recipe she found in Gourmet Magazine (also known to some as “Food Porn Magazine”).

Awesomely, she made the dish from memory–a testament to not only how easy it is, but how delicious it is too! “I made some adaptations. I didn’t use the almonds, and I also use more ginger and cinnamon, as I like mine more highly spiced. Adding a 1/2 tsp of cloves gives it a nice flavor, too,” she explained to me when I asked for the recipe later. The recipe below is how it was prepared for me but you can click the link aboveto see the original recipe.
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