You, too, can cook Risotto without burning the house down!

Today was a typical Monday here in Cleveland. It was grey, cold, and started to snow which was quite pretty as it fell in fat flakes. Anyhow, I was feeling bold, daring, and more than anything I was feeling like comfort food. Now, I know there are people out there who hate Rachael Ray. Admittedly, she isn't my favorite. But gosh darn it if she wasn't making Butternut Squash Risotto on a recent episode and it got me thinking!

I've always been intimidated by Risotto. All that stirring and waiting and whatnot. But it was warm, creamy, and delicately seasoned (if I do say so myself). Mostly, though, it was E.A.S.Y. And something you my friend can totally do. I promise it's worth it.

Winter Squash Risotto

Ingredients:
1 box of frozen Winter Squash, defrosted and drained of excess water
1/2 a medium white/yellow onion, chopped finely
2 T butter
1-1/2 C Arborio Rice
1/2 C White Wine (we used Mirassou Savignon Blanc--a new favorite)
6 C (roughly measured) Chicken Stock/Broth, heated in a pot on the stove
1/2 C Parmesan Cheese
1/2 T Chopped fresh Sage

1. Set the Chicken Stock/Broth to heat in a pot on the stove.  While that's heating, chop half the onion finely.
2. In a separate pot, melt the butter.  Add onions and a pinch of salt and sweat onions until translucent.
3. When onions are translucent, add the 1-1/2 C rice to the butter and onion mixture. Mix to coat the rice and "toast" for a minute or so on medium heat.
4. Add the wine and stir.  Let the wine absorb into the grains of rice, which are pearly and shiny in the buttery goodness.
5. Begin to ladle in the chicken stock/broth a couple of ladle fulls at a time, stirring inbetween and letting it full absorb before adding more liquid.
6. When the rice is tender, let the last of the liquid absorb. Add the thawed winter squash and stir in to warm the mixture. 
7. Add cheese and sage, mix.
8. Serve in low shallow bowls and enjoy!

I'm telling you, you will NOT be disappointed.  And it took me less than 1/2 an hour to make it. Sure, there was stirring involved, but if you were cooking a more involved meal (and why would you?) you'd be stuck in the kitchen anyhow chopping, and slicing, grating, etc.  All you have to do is stir, my friend.  Stir!

The curse of the defined palette (or Ignorance is Bliss)

Damn you good quality food!

I never thought it would come to this, but it seems that my palette has changed. For the better? You tell me.

I went through most of my years on this planet with a very limited culinary view. Orange juice comes from a can. You can add anything to ground beef, throw it on a bun, and it will be delicious. Seasoning? What seasoning? And what the hell is a Yorkshire pudding anyway? I didn't know, I didn't care, and I was fine with it. But now everything is different and it took a quick dinner fix a few weeks ago to remind me of that fact.

My little brothers are sophomores at John Carroll and since it's only half a mile away from our house, we like to have them over from time to time. This time they wanted to bring over their PS3 and play some video games with me (an activity I will never turn down), so I decided to have them over for dinner as well. Not only would I make dinner, but it would be a dinner that we all grew up with and absolutely loved...the famous Souper Burger. It is a simple recipe: brown some ground beef with onion, add a can of cream of mushroom soup, squirt in a little yellow mustard, throw it all on a bun and you are good to go.

Jeff, Jon, and I were all ridiculously excited since we hadn't eaten Souper Burger for years, but Kelly was much more suspicious. As it turns out, Kelly was right. It looked and tasted exactly like my mom's Souper Burger so why did I have such a problem with it? Probably because the taste was nothing to write home about and the texture was like I mixed a pound of ground beef with a bowl full of snot.

This actually made me really sad. It was one of those moments where you realize that sometimes the simple things just don't make you as happy as they used to; another reminder that you are an adult.

But that still didn't stop me from eating two servings.

A Very Halfway Gourmet Thanksgiving

Is there any food holiday better than Thanksgiving? I think not. In fact, I am certain that Thanksgiving was created for the sole purpose of the leftovers that it provides. There is just something about putting turkey and stuffing in between two pieces of bread that makes me happy.

But I am getting ahead of myself here. Before you have leftovers you have to have the meal...and what a meal it was. Now, I must preface this my saying that this Thanksgiving was different than any either Kelly or myself has ever had. Kim, Todd, and Hannah were supposed to drive in from PA to share in the festivities (much like they did last year), but we found out on Tuesday that Hannah had come home sick from school with a fever and a stomach ache that turned into something much worse over the course of the next three days (poor girl). Needless to say, they were unable to make the trip so it was just me and Kel for Thanksgiving. The issue is that we bought enough food to feed all of us not only for Thanksgiving, but also for Friday brunch when my folks and little brothers were coming over. So, we had LOTS and LOTS of food for just the two of us.

Despite her heartache over not seeing her sister, Kelly put her heart and soul into this meal. Seriously, it was astounding. The turkey was the most moist I have ever had (with a nice, crispy skin to boot), the asparagus were cooked to perfection and the mustard and caper sauce that covered them was bright and lovely, the cranberry and apple compote was the perfect combination of sweet and tart.

And then there was the stuffing. Oh the stuffing! The cornbread and Italian sausage stuffing (that I am still smiling about) was, in my opinion, the star of the show. This should surprise none of my family though as I am a notorious stuffing eater, but this was seriously some of the best stuffing I have ever tasted. The only miss on the day was the crockpot sweet potatoes that I was in charge of. Those will never be mentioned again.

I was planning on also telling you about the Black Friday Brunch that Kelly put together, but I've already written way too much. Another post for another day perhaps. Plus, after writing all of this I am STARVING.

Off to the fridge!

It's Butternut Squash time

...and do I have a recipe for you!

I know, I've been totally bad and you probably forgot all about you. Rest assured, I would not forget about you. It was Kevin's turn to blog but if you've been keeping up at all with the Hatgases (or Hatgai as some like to say) you know we've had our fair share of crazy lately.

But there's something about fall, and these crisp days with sun and dramatic clouds that has been getting me thinking about cooking. And with the mother of all cooking holidays within reach, it's about damn time.

Anyhow, I was feeling really fall-ish and found this recipe that I'd clipped from a magazine, but never made before. It's de.lish.us. Trust me.

Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

1 2lb butternut squash, peeled, and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1T chopped garlic (mine comes from a jar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 tsp cumin, divided
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used a mix of cherries and apricots but raisins are fine too)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 box of stock/broth (veggie or chicken is acceptable)
Salt
Pepper
1 1/2 C Couscous (or a small box)
1 1/2 C boiling water
1/8 C sliced almonds, toasted

Ok, now for the down and dirty--In a pot or dutch oven (I love mine, it's an enamel cast iron from Target...got it for $40 and have used it a ton. WELL worth it! But I digress...) heat a couple of tablespoons of Olive Oil and add the onion. Sweat the onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cayenne, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, and 1 tsp of cumin and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, squash, fruit and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes and then remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes until the squash is soft. You can use a potato masher and bash it about it a bit if you want but you want it big and chunky so don't go crazy. While all the butternut squash stuff is going, boil some water and cook some couscous (according to package directions), adding a 1 tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 a tsp of salt. Fluff with a fork and add almonds. Serve couscous as a base for the stew. Enjoy!

Top 3: Tuesday Edition

I know. I know. It's been ridiculously long. Right now, I'm noshing on ridiculous amounts of candy corn after gorging myself on sesame chicken, pork fried rice, and an egg roll. Don't judge.

Anyhow, I figured you'd probably want to know what we've been eating besides peanut butter you have to stir (oh, wonderous natural peanut butter).

Top 3 homemade meals we've eaten in the last 30 days:
1. Super-stuffed sweet potatoes with spinach, onion, and cream cheese. If you love the sides at thanksgiving, this one is for you!
2. Pot Roast in the crock pot. Season the roast and sear in screaming hot pan on all sides. Put into the the crockpot with half a bag of frozen pearl onions, some small potatoes (or larger potatoes cut up), and some baby carrots. While the pan is still hot from searing the beef, pour in a can of 98% Fat Free/Low Sodium cream of mushroom soup with another half can or so of water and whisk to "melt" the soup, incorporate the water, and get any remaining beefy bits off the bottom of the pan. Season with a little bit of grill seasoning (or whatever you like), and pour the soup over the roast. Cook low for 8 hours until the meat is super tender and falling apart.
3. Pecan Waffles. Made by the husband while I was still sleeping. Oh, and a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. Heaven.

Top 3 meals we've eaten that did not involve home cooking of any kind:
1) Curried Butternut Squash Dumpling Soup. If you are in the Cleveland area and reading this, go to Sun Luck Garden on Taylor Road. Order this soup. When you're well, order this soup. When you are sick, order this soup. You will be healed of all that ails you. Swear.
2) Chicken Noodle Soup from Whole Payche--I mean, Foods. Whole Foods. Delicious chicken broth, tender chicken, kluski noodles, chunky veggies. Also amazingly healing. With the weather cooling down, and cold season kicking up, we've been eating lots of soup lately.
3) Zucchini Fries courtesy of O'Reilly's on Cedar Road. With horseradish dipping sauce. And a hard cider. Oh.Yes.

So, here's the deal. I promise to post more as time goes on. And pictures!

But there's oil in my peanut butter

For years when I was little, my mother always bought natural peanut butter. It was gross, lacked flavor, and you had to stir in the oil before you could spread it on anything. My brothers and I begged and pleaded for "real" peanut butter and my mother finally caved and started buying Jiff. It was probably one of the greatest victories that that Hatgas boys ever won over Mom.

You see, we were the type of family that never (and I mean NEVER) had sugar cereals. We ate Wheaties and Chex and on occasion we were surprised with a box of Kix (which never lasted more than a day). More often than not my mother bought generics so we really didn't eat "Chex" it was more like "Corn Flavored Lattice Squares," but that's besides the point. What I am trying to get at was our breakfast options were pretty limited so I would usually default to peanut butter toast; but that natural stuff was just so nasty.

It's possible that my palate has matured (it's probably more possible that I am just not as lazy to think that the extra step of stirring my peanut butter was worth it), but I really love natural peanut butter now. When I opened up my cupboard this morning to look for a morning meal that natural peanut butter was staring me right in the face. It's funny how things come full circle sometimes.

Thanks Mom.

Umami? Really?

Have you seen those annoying commercials for Kikoman Soy Sauce? Umami the sexy female voice whispers. The fifth taste.

Excuse me?

Then, during some of our favorite food-related shows the so-called food experts made mention of Umami.

This dish has a wonderful Umami finish that is really nice on the palate.

This is getting a little ridiculous, don't you think? I mean, I'm ALL about the avant garde, I love hearing about haute cusine, which is pretty much elaborate preparations and presentations. But what is this damn Umami suddently everyone is talking (or whispering sexily--and yes, sexily is a word) about?

Well, first I found a wikipedia post that described Umami as something having to do with the presence of glutamic acid. Like you, I wondered exactly what glutamic acid was and why I would want it in my food. And why I would refer to it with some weird Japanese based word? I needed to dig deeper.

Did you know that there is a whole website dedicated to Umami? Yes, there is! And thanks to umamiinformationcenter.com, I was able to provide this diagram. Does this clear it up for you?



Yeah, me neither. Did someone actually spend time putting this graph together?

Finally, I found this and it helped clear things up. Apparently Umami is neither salty, sweet, sour, or bitter. It's meat. It's cheese. It's certain vegetables and combinations of flavor. Basically, umami can be translated to "yummy". Really, we need a super snooty word not only to sell soy sauce (which already has a claim on one of the 4, now 5, tastes--SALTY), but also for super snooty intellectual people who call themselves foodies to make us regular eaters feel inferior when they say things like "wonderful umami quality"?

So again, I say that I'm glad to be halfway gourmet if it means I get to say yummy instead of disecting the very act of eating into glutamic acids, glutamates, and taste receptors. As Ina would say "How fun is that?" Not fun at all, Ina. Not fun at all.

Halfway gourmet...

...but completely lazy.

Kel and I have definitely hit some sort of culinary (and otherwise) funk. Which explains why Kelly is off at the store right now looking for a frozen pizza to eat.

Things get tough for us at this time of year. Both of our jobs are at the beginning of the busy season (it never really stops, but still) and my fall classes just started up again so Kelly is on her own for two nights a week. I know we really have no excuses with no kids or anything like that, but sometimes it's just so easy to, well, want to do nothing when you get home from work. We'll get back to it soon, and we'll have more posts for ya'll to read, but tonight it's all about a frozen pizza, a little True Blood, and the Browns game.

Ciao

I have a crush...

...on Brian Boitano? I know, weird. But I'm sitting here watching his new cooking show on the food network called "What would Brian Boitano make?" and laughing my ass off. I guess if I was a full out gourmet, I wouldn't consider watching a cooking show by an ex-olympic cancer surviving figure skater. But I'm not full out gourmet, I'm only halfway. So there. So go set your DVR and watch Brian Boitano's show. You will be amused.

"Ohhhh Red Snapper. Veeery Tasty."

Up until this point in my life, my only experience with the aforementioned fish was from a hilarious bit from the too-awesome-for-words movie UHF (Wheel! Of! Fish!). And then Tuesday came.

Okay, let me back up a bit. Last weekend Kelly and I decided to take a trip to Traders Joe's. We heart TJs, but we don't so much heart the crowds that accumulate there on the weekends. However, 10 AM on Sundays is the best time for heathens likes us to shop since many folks are at church services. Anyway, I'm walking down the freezer aisle and notice that there is a variety of tasty fish. I love seafood, but haven't cooked much more than shrimp or salmon on the grill, so I decided to try something new. Hence, the Red Snapper.

More back story: early last week I was at the JCU bookstore and they had a ton of books on sale and I ended up picking up two cookbooks for a total of $4.89. One of which was a book called "Chef Interrupted" and it promised to be a book of recipes from famous chefs that have essentially been dumbed down (the recipes, not the chefs) for the home cook. There must have been some super fine print that said "but only if you have crazy expensive ingredients like truffle oil or hard to find fish like Rouget." But I was lucky enough to find a recipe for a Parmesan and herb-crusted red snapper that sounded quite tasty and not too involved.

Okay, now we are back to Tuesday. Kelly has worked late and is in route to Hatgas Compound East while I get dinner ready. So I am cutting up chive and tarragon, carefully measuring turmeric and Parmesan, and mixing it all together with some good ole panko bread crumbs (a new favorite of mine). I put it all together with some melted butter, covered the fish with it and under the broiler it went.

I know what you are thinking right now; "uh oh. What happens next? How did bumbling Kevin screw this one up?" But that is kinda the point...that never happened. I made a pretty good fish dish with ingredients that I was unfamiliar with and I didn't crack, I didn't lose confidence (though I almost ruined the rice pilaf). I guess I'm getting a little more confidence in the kitchen which is never a bad thing.

My rambling will end soon, I promise, but I do need to tell you a bit about the fish. It was okay. It wasn't stellar and it wasn't garbage, it was just kinda "eh"...nothing special. I really liked the snapper- it's firm, it's slightly sweet, it's a very nice fish to be sure- but the crust on the fish was nothing to write home about. I think it's because of that stupid tarragon, which didn't quite overpower the dish, but it was really close. If I do this again, I will substitute the tarragon for some parsley and I think this could be a keeper.

By the way, if you've never seen UHF "you're so stupid!!"

Recipe Edition of Zucchini: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Because this is a food blog, I suspect you don't just want us to write about how fun it is to eat. "For the love of God," you might cry "What on earth is a zucchini fry and how does one even go about conceptualizing such a thing?!"

So my friends, I give you the following zucchini recipes. Not Kelly originals, but carefully (and sometimes carelessly) edited and tweaked. Kevin can tell you that it takes great restraint on my part not to alter or change any recipe I come across. Some people enjoy the exhilaration and danger of skydiving. Me? I like to add a teaspoon of cinnamon or some mustard powder and see what happens. To each his own, right?

I know, I know. Quit rambling and on with the recipes already!

Zucchini Cake

ingredients:
4 large eggs
2C white sugar
1/3C canola oil
2/3C unsweetened apple sauce (This is a subsitute for oil in an attempt to make a cake that was slightly less evil)
2C all purpose flour
1tsp salt
2tsp cinnamon
2tsp baking powder
8oz canned crushed pineapple, drained
1C chopped pecans (can use walnuts too, I just had pecans on hand)
2C grated zucchini (minimum--if you have more to add, you can back off the pineapple); I do this in my food processor with the shredder blade on clean-up is a bitch, but it sure is fast!
2tsp vanilla extract

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a pan. This can be done in a bundt, tube, or 9x13 pan--just have the confidence to change it up AND check on it about 10-15 minutes before the cooking time is up to make sure it doesn't burn. You can also make cupcakes if you so desired!
2. Measure out dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk a few times to incorporate and break up any lumps, etc. You can also add the nuts to the flour and stir to coat. Coating the nuts before you add them to the batter will keep them from sinking down to the bottom of your cake as it bakes.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until pale in color. Add oil, applesauce and mix again.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix just until flour is incorporated. Add pineapple, zucchini, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined and pour into prepared pan.
5. Bake for about 80 minutes (if using bundt or tube pan) and probably about an hour for the 9x13 pan. Check after 45 minutes. A skewer or toothpick should come out clean when it is done.
6. Decorate with your favorite glaze, frosting, etc. I confess that I was too lazy to make my own, so I used a store bought whipped cream cheese frosting and it was perfectly delicious.

Result: This makes a lot of cake so great for a party or family gathering. Mine was dense because I subsituted applesauce for most of the oil but I liked it because it felt substantial and since it was covered in cream cheese frosting, I wanted every bite to feel like a big one. Ever eaten a piece of cake and it just didn't do it for you? So sad...

Oven Zucchini Fries (an awesome way to eat veggies with your burgers in the summer time)

Ingredients:
2 small/medium zucchini
1 large egg
1C panko bread crumbs
flour
salt
pepper
3/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
non-stick cooking spray

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
1. Don't peel, but trim and cut the zucchini into sticks (or I suspect you could probably do rounds if you really wanted to--then they'd be chips!) Season with salt and pepper and put into a ziplock bag. Add 1-2 Tbsp flour to the bag, seal and shake to coat the zucchini sticks with flour. Set aside.
2. In a separate low bowl, beat the egg with a Tbsp or so of water. Set aside. In another separate low bowl, mix breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder. Set aside.
3. Make an assembly line for yourself starting with the flour dredged zucchini, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Get a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray ready.
4. Roll the zucchini sticks in the egg mixture, then press in the breadcrumbs so they stick (do the best you can and know that they won't be completely coated, no matter what)
5. Lay the sticks so they do not touch (but close together so as to maximize on pan space) and give a final generous spray of non-stick spray before popping in the oven. This may also be a great time to do a sprinkling of parmesan if you so desired.
5. Bake for abot 20-25 minutes until browned and slightly tender.

Results: a delicious addition to a turkey burger (or regular burger, for that matter). I also made a delicious dipping sauce consisting of horseradish, sour cream, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch or three of ground mustard powder. I was inspired by this great horseradish dipping sauce that is served with the deep fried zucchini fries at one of our favorite pubs near our house. I felt like I was being bad, but without actually being bad. Who needs to be weighed down with badness when there's some summer enjoyment to be had?

Savory Zucchini Cakes (as in Latkes, not as in cupcakes)
ingredients:
2-1/2C grated zucchini
1 beaten egg
2Tbsp melted butter
1C breadcrumbs
1/4C onion, grated (I grated mine in the food processor along with the zucchini)
1 tsp Old Bay (I didn't have this, so I just threw in my garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and that was it since my breadcrumbs were already seasoned)
1/4C flour
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine zucchini, beaten egg, and butter. Stir in breadcrumbs, onion, and seasoning. If it is too wet, add additional breadcrumbs. You are looking for something like a meatball consistency.
2. Have the flower in a low bowl. In a non stick skillet heat a small amount of olive oil and an equally small amount of vegetable oil--enough to coat the bottom of the pan. The veg oil will keep the olive oil from burning, but the olive oil is better for you than the veg oil, so you are cutting bad stuff AND increasing the cooking ability of the good stuff. Not a horrible deal.
3. Form the zucchini mixture into patties, dredge patties in the flour. My patties were very wet, so I made very loose balls and pressed them down into the flour. Some people say I have the patience of a saint, so I was able to carefully place the falling apart patties into the pan. Much easier to deal with once one side is golden and fabulous.

Results: Crispy/crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Like a crab cake without the crab. Had these with grilled steak and potatoes. YUMMMMMY!

I highly recommend trying these recipes before you give away all of your garden's green lusciousness.

Copious indeed.

Yes, that's right. Kinda makes you weak in the knees, doesn't it?


How 'bout now? Glory be, wonderful butter!

This week was all about the flourless chocolate cake. I had not one, but two dessert obligations to fulfill, so I decided as I often do to try something I've never made before but have always been curious about--flourless chocolate cake. Kevin laughs at me quite frequently because I always try new things, rather than making things I'm good at. My argument for that is that I will never know if I'm good a something unless I try, right?

So with copius amounts of bittersweet chocolate, butter, and not much else, I set forth.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

ingredients:
1/2C water
1/4tsp salt
3/4C white sugar
18oz bittersweet chocolate (I used the Toll House 65% Cacao bittersweet bars. My temptation was to skimp due to the price. Please do not skimp. It will be worth it, I promise.)
1C (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
6 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9 or 10" round cake pan with butter. Cut a round of parchment and place in the bottom. You'll be glad you did.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, salt, and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside.
3. Break/chop chocolate into pieces and put into a glass bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl so it doesn't burn the chocolate (remember, you didn't skimp) and that no water gets into the chocolate as it melts or it will sieze up which is not fun and no good for this recipe.
4. When the chocolate has melted and you think that a.) you might die from the sight of this bowl of pure chocolate or b.) you might "accidentally" dip your whole hand in the bowl and have to go sit on the couch with Gilmore Girls reruns while you lick it clean, you know it's time to move on.
5. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment if you've got one (not the one that looks like a whisk, and not the dough hook). Cut the butter into pieces and and on med-low, beat the butter into the chocolate one piece at a time. The chocolate is still warm, so hopefully the butter is warm enough that it will melt in.
6. When all the butter has been added, keep the mixer going and beat in the still-hot-but-not-too-hot sugar water until incoporated. Be sure to scrape down sides of the bowl frequently.
7. Beat in eggs one at a time. If you've ever made brownies from scratch, you will think that this looks just like brownie batter before you add the flour. And you'd be right. Fight the urge to add flour please. 8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. This cake doesn't rise, so you can fill it nearly to the top if you so desire. Have a roasting pan or another type of deep pan ready. Put the filled cake pan in the larger pan and fill the big pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cakepan (otherwise known as a water bath)
9. Bake cake in the water bath for about 45 minutes. It will still look wet, but it will be "set" around the edges. Cool on the countertop and then chill in the fridge overnight. The next day, dip the bottom of the pan in warm water for a few seconds and invert onto a plate.

Results: I decided that this cake needed a raspberry sauce, so I bought two packages of raspberries at the local market, threw them in the same sauce pan I used for the sugar/water mixture, added about 1/4C white sugar and the juice of half a lemon and maybe a splash of water and cooked those berries for about 20 minutes or so. Then, I put the sauce through a strainer, and forced every bit of berry goodness that I could through the sieve, being sure to scrape off all the pulpy parts and mix them into the sauce. Thanks to the pectin in the fruit, it thickened quite nicely. I spooned it over top of the slices of cake before serving. The color and the fruity goodness together made this cake even more special. For future reference, I think I would add some Grand Marnier (orange) or other liquer to make this even more decadent. The possibilities are endless.


My kitchen looked like this when I was done...but it was so worth it.

Zucchini: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

In late spring, Kelly and I decided what we will be planting in our garden. This year we went out the the back yard and visualized what our little veggie patch would look like being as meticulous as possible (at least as meticulous as K&K can be). Once we decide what we ultimately wanted to grow in the garden the next step is to decide which we would be growing from seeds and which we would just buy as plants. This years' decisions were as follows:

• 2 tomatoes (plants)
• 2 zucchini (seeds)
• Dill (seeds)
• Parsley (seeds)
• 2 cucumber (plants)

Any of you who have gardened before know that sometimes when you plant seeds the little guys just don't make it. To counteract this possibility Kelly and I stuck two zucchini seeds into each hole, thinking that probably only one would make it in each. That was mistake #1. Mistake #2 happened when, after noticing that we indeed did sprout 4 zucchini plants, we didn't thin them out to just let two grow (in hindsight, one zucchini plant would suffice).

In short, what we have now is a big ol mess of zucchinis and some pretty bored palettes. I mean, how many times can you cut up zucchini with some onions and peppers and grill them? Sure necessity may be the mother of invention, but so is DESPERATION. To that end, we have been trying to think of new ways to enjoy the plethora of delicious zucchini (since we technically have 4 plants) that have been mounting up. Here are a few examples:

• millions of ways to prepare grilled zucchini (salads, grilled pizzas, etc.)
• shredded zucchini cooked on the stove with garlic and cheese (trust me, it's good)
• panko breaded zucchini fries (a good first attempt. A few changes and they would be exceptional)
• zucchini cake with apple sauce, pineapple, and pecans (low-fat...except for the cream cheese frosting)
• fried zucchini cakes (think latke but with zucchini instead of potato...simply amazing)

For those of you out there who have zucchini plants, I would love to know what you do with all of them. Even if you aren't struggling under a mound of zucchini, let us know some of your favorite recipes for these little buggers, we'd be eternally grateful.

I'm so excited!

Kevin is in charge of dinner tonight. On the menu: turkey burgers on the grill and baked zucchini fries. He even bought the buns from the bakery section of the grocery store rather than the wonder bread ones from the bread aisle. Didn't you know I was a hamburger bun snob? Another wonderful foodie trait I gained from my mother.

More to report later and recipes to share... I've been tasked with checking the oven.

The Tale of Whole Paycheck and the Stinky Cheese

I was tired (ok, lazy) tonight and had grand ideas all day long of dining alfresco with my hubby, sipping wine and enjoying the unseasonably cool summer evening. So we headed to Whole Paycheck for some tasty treats. Fresh peaches on sale! I'll take them! Look at those succulent cherries! Sign me up! Green Olive Tapenade? Why not! Chilled Mango Coconut Soup? Sure thing! Throw a baguette in the cart? Of course!

Finally, we found ourselves at the cheese case, pouring over the possibilities. We settle on two selections--a St. Andre' Triple Cream and a Le Petit Brie. With $8 of cheese in hand we headed for check out.

At home, we prepped the tray--cherries, sliced baguette, olive spread, cheese, sliced apple, etc. And then I unwrapped the cheeses...

I've had alot of experience with stinky cheese thanks to my cheese loving parents and a trip to France when I was 14. I've met lots of brie in my day too. Never, ever have I smelled cheese less appetizing. The week old scallops that I finally discovered in the fridge and left in the garbage over night last week didn't even smell that bad. Moral of the story? Forget about the Le Petit Brie and just buy a bigger hunk of the St. Andre. You won't be sad, promise.

As for the rest of the meal, the olive tapenade was good but while I love olives, I'm not fully convinced I'm an olive tapenade fan. Not by itself anyhow. Maybe I'll shmear some on the other half of the baguette with some provolone, salami, capicola, etc. Think Muffaletta, people!

That's what I love about food. If you buy an ingredient that you aren't totally jazzed about, or you have lots of crazy left overs, there's usually a way to repurpose, reconfigure, and rework the parts until it is something that satiates. I think that life is that way too but we are often to frustrated and too distracted to see the possibilites.

So what's on your menu?

The Trials & Tribulations of a Man in the Kitchen

I'm terrified of cooking.

Do I cook? Yes. Do I like to cook? Yes, I love the feeling of creating something delicious from a hodgepodge of different ingredients. So why am I scared of cooking? It's because, well, my wife is just so damn good at it. Kelly has that innate ability to look in the fridge, pick out a few things, go to the cupboard and grab some spices, mix it all together and make something phenomenal. That, my friends, is not me. If I go to the cupboard in search of a meal, I'll end up with a bowl of cereal for dinner (which has happened).

No, I'm a recipe cook. You know the kind...anxiously locked in to a recipe, carefully measuring, never (and I mean NEVER) straying from the print on the card, and dirtying most of the dishes, pots, and pans in the kitchen (if you happen to live with a recipe cook, I am sorry...truly I am). Most of what I make turns out pretty well, but we all have our failures; the worst of which landed me in the hospital with a partially reattached thumb tip (buy me a drink, set aside an hour, and I'll tell you the story).

Lately, I have grown a bit in my culinary confidence. This summer I have made my own hot sauce and cooked scallops for the first time while making (very) minor tweaks the those recipes. I'm not going to win The Next Food Network Star any time soon, but if I make something that Kelly and I truly like that's a big enough victory for me.

My journey begins here

I recall very vividly my first solo attempt in the kitchen. I was about 8 years old and had been pouring over the Peter Rabbit's Natural Food Cookbook. There was a recipe for Mrs. McGregor's Fudge Cake that I was dying to try (of course).

My mother was working on some new silk designs in her studio next door and I convinced her that I could and would be the responsible young woman she had raised and could handle making this cake "all by my self". Thinking I would stay out of her hair so she could perfect the batik she was working on, she agreed.

She advised me to read the recipe carefully so I would understand the steps and know what ingredients were necessary. Standing in the kitchen with bowls, measuring spoons, cups, and the usual suspects (flour, eggs, butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder) I was ready for the adventure set before me. I thoughtfully sifted flour. I timidly cracked open each egg. I whisked, blended, mixed and folded. Each ingredient was so carefully measured. Finally, I poured the mixture into the 8x8 pan greased just like the recipe called for. I knew this was going to be the ultimate masterpiece. The perfect book end to a delicious family dinner.

My mother helped me put the pan in the oven and set the timer. Only 35 minutes to transform the buttery batter into heaven on a fork. When the timer dinged, it was all I could do to distract myself until dinner. On the back of the stove, cooling, Mrs. McGregor and her fudgy goodness sat. Oh glorious cake! When would you be mine?

I can't to this day recall what was served for dinner that evening. But I can tell you how much I beamed when the plates were cleared and my fudge cake came to the table. Everyone was served a piece. All afternoon, I was awaiting this very moment. But I was too nervous! I paused to wait for the applause, the enraptured "mmmmm" signaling that this was the most decadent of decadent desserts. It was, afterall, Mrs. McGregor's Fudge Cake.

My eyes were on my mother as she, too, anticipated the sweet delicacy before her. She took the first bite. This was it! Her lips pursed and her eyes rolled in what I was sure was the ultimate compliment. And then she spit the cake back out into her napkin and took a huge gulp of milk from the frosty glass.

I was devastated. It looked just like I thought it should look. I read the recipe 3 times over. I did everything right. Thoughtfully, my mother went through everything step by step with me asking me to show her exactly what I had used to measure each and every ingredient. It then became clear to her (and later to me) that she and I had very different ideas about what careful measuring was. To me, careful measuring was leveling the flour in a measuring cup or making sure the liquid was just to the line. I was a precocious child so it never occured to my mother that fractions hadn't been introduced to me yet, that I was unsure of when to use a "T" or a "tsp" and definitely that I hadn't grasped how many "tsp" are in a "T" or vice versa.

Still, it's kitchen tradgedies like this that have made me who I am as a cook. I have loved to bake since I can remember and of all things I can do in the kitchen, it is one of my favorite things to do. Mistakes and success are all a part of the culinary journey. Julia Child is famous for her mistakes and I doubt Hubert Keller made a perfect omlette right out the womb either.

This blog is about halfway gourmet. Halfway because I can say without pause that I have a long way to go before anyone calls me a gourmet. Sure, I can throw in a little bit of this, a touch of that, and top it with some pine nuts and it comes out looking like something you'd pay alot more to eat someplace else. But what makes a true gourmet? White linens, fine wine and flickering candles, fancy plating with foams, essences, and reductions? Whatever it is, we don't even eat our meals at a real table, so I can't possibly be there.

This is also halfway gourmet because I will be the first to admit that there are days when I would rather (and actually have) eaten a bag of Doritos for dinner. Can you imagine Alice Waters with nacho cheese fingers?

Lastly, it is halfway gourmet because I represent one half of this project. Along with my husband and fellow contributor to this blog, we will be sharing our experiences through the food that we eat. Afterall, a dish worth serving is a dish worth sharing.