Grazing in the Grass

Dear Bloggers,

         Sorry I have been away for over 3 months. I truly am sorry. I have returned with a possibly delicious meal, if it soothes your savory tooth. A pulled slow-cooked beef with a mound of garlic mashed potatoes. There is nothing complicated about this dish, except the plating.

        To begin, take your pound of beef stew and dry rub it with salt and pepper. Leave it in the fridge to marinate over night. Then, wake up the next morning and toss it in the slow cooker with a bag of frozen pearl onions. Add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Cook it on low until you get home from work or you can do this step over-night. In a separate pot, boil some yellow potatoes with 2 bay leaves and a generous tablespoon of salt. Let that cook until they are fork tender, then mash them with 2 teaspoons of freshly grate garlic. Once the beef is cooked, simply pull it apart. It should fall apart once cooked, so there really isn't that much work to do. Plate however you'd like, but top with fresh green onion. Until next week, stay healthy and happy cooking!

A Girl Scout's Temptation

Dear Bloggers,
           Can I just being this entry by gently, ok maybe forcefully admitting, I ATE A WHOLE BOX OF GIRL SCOUT PEANUT BUTTER TAGALONGS... Yes, shamefully, and then the next day finished another. There is no excuse. Yea, sure I workout five days a week, but does that give me permission to binge eat cookies. NO! But, man, they sure tasted awfully creamy going down. Wrong, wrong, wrong, on so many levels. To get back on topic though, I am currently enjoying "Spring" break as the ground outside is covered in snow. I have been pumping out homework, started watching Breaking Bad, which is strangely addictive, and of course, cooking up too many recipes.

           I began the week with a deliciously healthy, almost "Paleo" meal. I was not intending on that, but was curious to see what would happen. I worked with a classic, simple Finocchiaro Family Sunday Sauce sauce beginning by sautéing 1 chopped onion, with 2 cloves of diced garlic in olive oil. I added the ground pork until slightly browned. I then added 2 diced Roma tomatoes and deglazed the pan with a 1/2 cup of red. I added in 1 can of tomato sauce that I made by just blending a can of San Marzano tomatoes. I added 1/2 cup of whole milk, a pinch of salt, pepper, oregano, and basil and let it cook on low for 2 hours. Once the sauce was ready, I took this spiralizer tool and cut up two zucchinis. I boiled some water with salt in a pot and added the spiraled zucchini for 3 minutes. Don't cook them too long, as you want them to be crisp. I added the sauce right over the zucchini and grated some fresh Pecorino Romano.

        This morning I woke up to serve some Crab Toast. I followed Corianda Dimes in her recipe here  it was glorious. Sadly, my crab toast did not come out as beautiful as hers, but I can guarantee it was still as delicious and satisfying. I think I did them incorrectly though, because I added the cheesy, crab mixture to the inside of the muffins. Maybe that's what I did wrong. I'm sorry, Corianda, but I gave it my best hand. Next time I make these, because the smile that it put on my man's face was just too big to not bring it back, I will be sure to cut the English muffins properly.

        Well, thirteen more recipes to go and don't worry, I've got a few more packed into this week! Don't hesitate to give these recipes a go! You'll be happy, I promise.

A Spicy Valentines Day

Dear bloggers,
       What a wonderful week it has been. Snow hit our town and well, the University extended our weekend by an extra two days. I'd say it's been a pretty wonderful two days. Last weekend I had my dear friend over and we made some of Mama Phan's delicious egg rolls. I felt so happy, as I was in a sedated state of over indulgence. I served the egg rolls with some Japanese Miso Pork Noodle Soup and it was divine. On Valentines day, I wanted to give my dear a bit of a bite that he wasn't expecting so I made West Indian Curried Chicken. Both of these recipes can be found through the fabulous cookbook of Bullfrog and Baum, Cooking with Frogs.
       My friend Kara and I began our egg rolls by mixing all of the meats together in a bowl and adding some seasoning. We then grabbed our egg rolls and began rolling. She was such a natural and grasped how to make the egg rolls perfectly; I slightly stepped away and worked on our soup instead. If you are interested in this soup it can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7fZjiLV36c  . I can guarantee that Cooking with Dog does not disappoint any audience!
       Then for our Valentines day lunch I made a meal from Eastern Asia. The original recipe called for West Indian curry powder and in all honesty, I could not find this ingredient due to the snow and the inability to escape our barricade of apartment. I used some simple Trader Joe's curry powder and I felt that it did an equally wonderful job. I let my meat marinate for only 2 hours as suggested and it was SO flavorful. I truly was not anticipating that it would absorb so many flavors, but it was so beautifully bodied. Served on a plate of Spanish Saffron rice, the two flavors coincided so smoothly. The rice was slightly sweet which gave comfort to slight spice of the chicken. It was utterly delicious. Thank you Adri, for this excellent recipe!
     Take a stab at these recipes and let me know if you find the West Indian curry powder. Well, only 15 more recipes to go! Keep yourselves warm with some fuzzy socks and a fire, and as always, stay

healthy and happy cooking!

A Sail to the Caribbean

Dear Bloggers,
    Good evening. I tried my hand at making yogurt, making doughnuts, making Mandel bread and all three did not turn out right. However I also tried making  coconut rice with pigeon peas and that turned out beautifully accompanied by my grilled dolphin with mango chutney. Both of these recipes come once again from Cooking With Frogs. At this time, I have cooked 8 recipes from this book, with only 17 to go.
     Tonight was a night in the Caribbean and man, was it good! Let me begin with the delicious meal of grilled dolphin. The coconut rice with pigeon peas started by sautéing celery with1 red pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, cilantro and olives in some olive oil. I then added the pigeon peas until sizzling. I added the rice to let it slightly brown and then added in the coconut milk and water. I let it cook for about 50 minutes until it was moist and topped it with cilantro. While the rice was cooking, I began by salting and peppering my Mahi Mahi, threw some oil on the grill, and let it cook for about 4 minutes each side until tender. It took about 10 minutes total. Then I worked on the mango chutney. I combined olive oil, mango chunks, salt, pepper, and orange juice in a food processor until smooth. I plated the fish with the mango chutney and a side of the coconut rice. It was divine. The creaminess of the coconut milk gave such a  nice consistency to the rice. It was so delicious. The fish was perfectly flaky with the sweet and slightly soured mango chutney. Overall, it was probably one of the best meals I have made in a while. I also decided to whip up some quick strawberry margaritas. Can you say yum?

I made some mandel bread as well, however this was not what it was supposed to be. I accidentally overlooked the 1 cup of butter and thought it was actually 1/2 cup. So, you can see how things got messed up there. My Mother's Mandel Bread turned out more so like a bread than it did a hardened cookie. Oh well, thank you Brooke, your photograph looks far superior and more delicious than mine turned out... I tried.





P.S. this is what my yogurt turned out like, but next time I make it, I will be sure not to have the temperature so high when I was letting the milk culture. I think I burned the milk because it is not as smooth as I had hoped. Anyways, until the next blog, stay healthy, don't make the same mistakes I did when cooking these recipes, and happy cooking!

A Delightful Day for Cream

Dear Bloggers,
      Today I embarked on a journey that I thought was a simple snap in between my fingers, making cottage cheese. I had my rennet, my milk, I thought I was set.... until I looked at the recipe, 6 tablespoons of cream it read... I didn't have a drop of cream and thought it probably wouldn't cause much of an effect if I omitted the cream. It's the coagulating process of whey separating from the fat in the milk. I was using 1% milk, I thought that would be enough. Well, to my four hours of patient waiting I came to find nothing had happened. Well, cottage cheese, we must meet again, but I better not waste a half gallon of organic milk again, or else!

     Nonetheless, I also tackled two more recipes from Cooking With Frogs. I managed to have my boyfriend pick up some cream, since I yet again failed to have what I really needed. Firstly, I cracked open those pistachios and damaged my fingers severely and added them to the melted butter in the pan along with the cream, chicken stock, and mascarpone. By the way, Anna, I love mascarpone cheese, it has been there for me through some dark times with a slice of fresh bread. I wish Americans realized the true quality difference between cheeses. Cream cheese has been banned from my refrigerator. I chose to use whole wheat pasta in exchange and tossed it in with the creamy sauce and plated it. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. The smoothness that the mascarpone brings with the nutty, sweet flavors from the pistachios. It was an 10, hands down. I will opt to cook this recipe when I am feeling the need for some serious comfort food.

     I served the pasta with some beautiful bread I brought back from San Francisco, the one and only with lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. That tangy, sour, magnificently glutenous bread was topped with some freshly roasted garlic, Stonehouse olive oil. If you haven't checked them out, please do so here. They have one of the largest selections of olive oils that are so well bodied with the most fragrant, olive flavor. I topped the roasted garlic with some oregano, basil, and chili flakes. Bread always pleases.
    To end the evening, I opted for Ava's banana bread and was yet again happy. I am not a huge fan of banana bread, to be honest, but this bread was so simple that I forgot how good banana bread is. I loved the soured milk idea, although I wasn't sure scientifically how that would change the bread. Have any thoughts Taylor? Anyways, the banana bread might just have to reserve a place in my heart as being one of the most moist, flavorful breads I have tried. I hope you have the opportunity to appreciate and create some of these decadent dishes. Until next week, or maybe the week after, stay healthy and happy cooking!

Christmas Feast

Dear Bloggers,
      The prep for this meal started yesterday. I wanted to have a mixture of countries incorporated into this years feast. It really wasn't quite as extravagant as I had hoped, although my departure for Florida on Friday morning was the primary cause. I combined my boyfriend's Russian heritage, with my Italian heritage, and our favorite cuisine, Middle Eastern to create a multicultural meal.

      Breakfast was a treat for dear sweetheart, blini. These are very similar to crepes, however once they are stuffed, they are grilled to perfection. Simply start by combining 3 eggs, with 2 cups of milk, and 3/4 cup flour. Whisk until smooth. Add in 1/4 cup vegetable oil. If necessary add more flour, or water if mixture is too thick. Heat a shallow pan to medium high and pour the battery to completely cover the pan with a thin layer. Turn then pancake once its edges look dry. Butter each one. Then, choose a filling. I used the spinach artichoke dip I made and closed them up and grilled them for about 3-4 minutes each side. Serve them with caviar or sour cream if desired. These can also be made sweet with chocolate, any fresh fruit or simply whipped cream.

      I started the meal by preparing the two dips. A spinach artichoke dip that had garlic, dill, parsley, and Pecorino Romano, served cold. I also served a Turksih carrot salad that had greek yogurt, garlic, paprika, and cumin. Each were accompanied by freshly heated pita bread.

      Next was Belyash. Belyash is a small fried pastry filled with any combination of ingredients, however, traditionally, it is made with ground beef. To prepare these, I combined 1/2 tsp yeast, with 1/4 cup of heated water (between 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit), 1 tsp of sugar, and a dash of salt. Once foamy, I combined 1 cup of warm milk (same temperature), with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. I incorporated 3 cups of flour, no more, or the dough won't be as fluffy. I drizzled in some olive oil into the stand mixture to bring the mixture into a ball. I then covered it and put it in a warm place to raise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. I then formed the dough, by oiling my hands into gold sized balls, covered them with a tea towel and let them rise for another hour. The mixture is simply sautéed onions, with 1 green bell pepper. Pulse these in the food processor until they are a fine chop. Add them to a sautée pan and cooked until tender. Drain them over a strainer to release all the liquid. Then add the ground beef to the same pan and cook until lightly pink. It is important not to overcook this mixture. Add it to the onion and pepper mixture. Form small disks about 4-6 inches in shape, add a thin layer of beef and fold in an envelope style. Pan fry them in oil heated to 375 degrees for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until dark golden brown. They go best with sour cream.

       Moving forward was a Cooking With Frogs recipe, The Lindsay Roast with Apple Cider. It was stupendous. One that will be added to our menu as a specialty item. Although I couldn't afford to buy prime beef roast, I opted for the cheaper buy (shameful and sad, but my only option) a chuck eye round roast. Nonetheless, I dry rubbed it with 2 parts pepper to one part salt and let it sit overnight in the fridge. I then added it to my pyrex dish and chose cipollini onions and garlic as the complimentary vegetables. I cooked it at 300 for about 1 1/2 hours to an internal temperature of 150 degrees and it was superb. Absolutely perfect! Thank you Kay Lindsay, this recipe is outstanding.

   


 I also served some delicious struffoli. My Italian heritage took over me and decided, yes, it is Natale, and yes, I must serve struffoli. I followed yet again the recipe from Cooking With Frogs and out came these beauts.  Although they came out a little larger than intended, they still yielded that wonderful crunchy, soft, sweet texture I remember from the past Christmas' spent in Napoli. Four recipes down, 21 to go. Until next time readers, have a Merry Christmas, enjoy family, but most importantly, stay healthy and happy cooking!

A Bequest for the Future Bullfrog

Dear Bloggers,

       I have embarked on a journey to complete all of the recipes included in Bullfrog and Baum's "Cooking With Frogs" which can be found here. It is a collection of recipes from all of the talented, appreciative foodies that work at the firm. I decided to begin my journey with chili and stuffed button mushrooms. I am currently staying home with my mother in California with her newly adopted nephew which is why I had to choose the simplest recipe to cook with staying here. I was expecting a good two hours of cooking, but the food was easy to prepare and quick cooking. 

I started by feeding my hunger with some creamy guacamole served with the one and only, TJ pita chips. Smashed avocados, lime, fresh cilantro, red onion. There is really nothing quite as smooth and soothing. I truly adored the chili as it was as simplistic as a snap with a dash of chopping. A classic chili dish, so to spruce it up I added a splash of red wine, a pinch of cayenne, and a few teaspoons of fresh cilantro. I served it with some mild New Zealand cheddar cheese and fresh crumbled corn bread. I let it simmer for about an hour to get the flavors more deeply infused, although for someone who is in a rush, this is the perfect meal for a Wednesday night.

Moving on to the stuffed button mushrooms. I showed my mother the recipe and she was extremely hesitant about the anchovies. As was I, but while shopping in Trader Joe's, a woman talked with us about how they are a key ingredient and well, my mom was sold. After sautéing the onion, I added in stems with the anchovies and the parsley. The binding of the egg added a nice flavor to somewhat mute any overly earthy flavors that the mushrooms emitted. I am not a huge fan of mushrooms. Something about the texture sets me slightly off, but these, were so flavorful, I really was impressed. 

Overall, each of the two dishes were quick, simple and ultimately fulfilling. Thank you bullfrogs. Two dishes out of twenty-five. Twenty-three more to go. Cheers. Until I return to Virginia, stay healthy, and happy cooking!

Pepper Cheese Fried Wontons Please

Dear Bloggers,
     The weather is slowly cooling down and the evenings fly in so quickly. We had some lovely friends join us this weekend and I decided to try something new. I had always heard of jalapeño poppers, but I wanted to take my own spin on them. I decided to make Pepper Cheese Fried Wontons and they were so creamy and had such a nice warmth from the peppers. I started by combining cream cheese, diced red pepper, diced poblano peppers, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper into a bowl. I combined all of the ingredients until well combined. I picked up some wonton skins and stuffed them, just as I had in my previous blog, closed them with some egg wash then fried them. Those were vegetarian and I also used the same ingredients and added ground beef that I sautéed and added to the pepper cheese mixture. They both had very different tastes but were equally delicious. If you wanted to take the heat up you could use fresh jalapeño or serano peppers instead. I wanted to make sure that my friends could handle the heat so I chose the poblano. These wontons are pretty forgiving. You can substitute anything you'd like, such as spinach and cream cheese. Well, give them a try, and stay warm this Thanksgiving. Embrace your family and forget not to get caught up in the materialism of the seasons and enjoy what's most important. To me that's family and food. Until the next blog, stay healthy and happy cooking!

A Taste of Asia

Dear Bloggers,
      I never thought I would possess such a profound passion for Asian food, particularly Chinese. Yes, don't we all turn to a takeout box of greasy chicken lo mien on a lonely Friday night? I occasionally turn to Chinese food as it is near and dear to my heart. After going through a year of detesting Chinese, I came around to the dark side and returned my heart. I have always loved eating wanton soup with sliced green onion, spinach leaves, chili paste and some crispy fried wanton strips. The soup brings my heart to a euphoric phase of peace and pleasure. I decided to take a spin at making my own wantons and they were fairly easy. I began by combining 1 cup of ground turkey, with 2 tbsp of green onion, 2 tbsp of carrot, 2 tbsp of spinach, 2 tbsp of parsley, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tsp of fresh ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce. I added all of the ingredients except the turkey to the food processor until well blended. The consistency should be a very fine chop. I combined all of the ingredients adding salt and pepper to taste and let it sit in the fridge for two hours before working with it. I picked up a package of wanton skins at the local Asian market and tried with both circular and square skins to come up with two different looks.

     When time for stuffing the wantons arrived, I beat 1 egg with 1 tsp of water in a bowl and placed 1 tsp of the filling or less, added a ring of egg wash around the filing then folded them. You can get creative with this step to achieve any desired look. The best idea is to fold the wanton in half then to pinch the bottom end of the stuffed portion and then twist the other two ends around to touch each other. After they are all prepared the simply need to be boiled or fried. I choose to make soup with them and generally they take 6-8 minutes to cook, or until they float for 2 minutes. Careful not to overcook them, or they become mushy. I like to top the soup with fresh spinach leaves, slightly cooked cabbage, fresh green onion, parsley, and chili paste. It is quite a delicious day time snack. Eat up kids and until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

Charcuterie At It's Finest

Dear Bloggers,

Happy Saturday evening! I'm hard at work writing a debate for my argumentation class in favor of expanding the DC public transit from its current 17 mile radius to a 40 mile radius. I can't help but want to write about my true love, salame and today I am here to do so. I thought that it would be wise to take the art of charcuterie or salumi as it is in Italian, into my own hands. I figured, why spend $30 on a 2 lb cut of coppa piccante from Colombus when I have the capabilities to make it myself. Thus, I researched several blogs and youtube videos, providing multiple insights to compare which products turned out best. I came to find my own way, in which I hope will turn out fine. I have yet to complete the product, but I wanted to start this blog to show you my journey through this process.
I began by first purchasing a cut of pork shoulder with the fat and skin attached. After cutting four inches from the bone, I mixed 1 part himalayan pink salt with 1 part kosher salt and began rubbing the meat generously, working it into every crevice of the tissue. I placed the shoulder on a cookie rack on a pan, covered it in plastic wrap and came back to it two days later. It lost a significant amount of moisture and most of the salt was gone, so I again mixed up the pink and kosher salt, liberally applied it, and turned the meat over. I repeated this process until day seven.

At day seven, I knew the meat was ready as it shrunk slightly and reached the firmness of pancetta. I rinsed the meat off in cold water, then created a bath of red wine to rinse the meat and let it absorb some of the flavors. I chose to use a Spanish wine I picked up at Trader Joe's, La Granja, a nice dry flat wine. I didn't want the meat to absorb too much flavor from the wine, so I thought it would be appropriate to use a subtle flavor.

Following the wine soaking that lasted about 10 minutes, turning it halfway through, I patted it dry with a paper towel. I mixed 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cumin together. I then dry rubbed the shoulder in the same fashion as I did with the salt, getting it into ever flip and flap. After, I grabbed my beef bung, yes, that's the end of the large intestine of a cow, and stuffed my pork shoulder carefully into the casing. I picked up some butchers twine and tied it however made sense and it looks like it came out pretty well. I proceeded to rinse off my beef bungy hands and hang the coppa in the corner of my fridge. 

After three weeks, this is how it is looking. It's sitting in my fridge where the temperature is approximately 45 degrees. It is supposed to be in a curing chamber where the temperature can be perfectly regulated at 55 degrees fahrenheit, but I had to settle on the good ol' fridge. I read through another blogger's experience with homemade coppa and he cured it in his bathroom at room temperature 70-75 degrees fahrenheit and from his results, it worked out just fine. I didn't want to take any unusual chances with my first coppa, so I played it safe and decided the fridge would be a good alternative. Now it's just a waiting game. Based off of what I read and from professional charcuterie websites, you must wait for the meet to decrease by 2/3 it's original size. This can take anywhere from three weeks to 6 months and it is also a matter of preference. Do you want a really hard texture or do you prefer a softer, meatier texture. With coppa, it is a medium between rock and bacon. Thus, I will get back to you, my bloggers. Thank you for keeping up with me and I'm sorry about the magnificent delay in entries, but consistency will improve because it's getting closer to the holidays and that can only mean one thing, indulgence. Until tomorrow, stay healthy and as usual, happy cooking! 

The Most Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dear Bloggers,
         It's been a little while since I have entered, well not too long, but I felt that it was necessary to post about this too good to be true chocolate chip cookie. From the outside it may just appear to be your classic chocolate chip cookie and I of all people love to experiment and create amazingly yummy new cookies with exotic ingredients. When it comes to the chocolate chip cookie, you have to keep it simple, clean, and straight to the point. These cookies are just the traditional chocolate chip cookie with brown sugar, cane sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, butter, egg, vanilla extract, and the secret ingredient, OREOS. Yes, you most definitely just read that word. Oreos. Girl raise your hands to the roof because you thought that you'd never find quite an splendid desert! Well, I have it for you. All you are going to do is proceed in making your chocolate chip cookies the size of golf balls, flatten them out, place an Oreo between it and another flattened cookie, then form the cookie dough to the Oreo. This, ladies is quite the desert to pamper you on your period. Pop them in the oven at 375 for 10-12 minutes and you will be the most satisfied cookie in the house. No pun intended. Now I know what you're thinking, that has more calories that I have consumed all week. Yes ma'am, you are correct, but just take it like a woman and enjoy that sucker. It is quite the tasty fella. Well, until next time continue to try and stay healthy (minus these cookies) and happy cooking!

The Merry Christmas

Dear Bloggers,
        The Christmas the was a lonely one this year. Christmas Eve was wonderful spending time with all of my family and getting to make this delicious fried chicken. However the following day I took my parents to the airport to leave for Italy on Christmas day and was very saddened. This blog is fixing to be short and sweet to get to the point. My family had waited all year to have this fried chicken and I finally made it for Christmas Eve and they said they loved it. It is quite a simple dish and I plated it with asparagus, salad and oven baked potatoes with a honey mustard dressing that I made. The evening went quickly after opening up presents and reminiscing on childhood memories. Although the Christmas tree was small and not close to a real one, it still made me feel like there was some Christmas presence in the air. This fried chicken I must say is unbeatable. Not even KFC can come close to it. It's so crispy and so perfectly seasoned that makes no other fried chicken quite as delicious. Well, I'm off to go sew, but until next time stay healthy and happy cooking!

Asparagus Spaghetti Squash Orzo Salad

Dear Bloggers,
      So, is there a rule that I can only blog once per day? I've got one more blog for today before I show y'all the awesome fried chicken tomorrow! I began by boiling some water with red lentils in a pan, I then added a touch of Louisiana Hot Sauce. In a separate pot I boiled the orzo with salt. In the oven I carved out my spaghetti squash to remove the seeds, added 1/2 onions, salt, pepper, and full parsley leaves. It roasted on 375 for 30 minutes. It was cooked slightly through but not to the soggy point. I then added chopped asparagus to the lentils, chopped parsley, 1 fresh onion, 4 cloves of garlic, and the forked spaghetti squash. I lastly added in the orzo and a touch more of the Louisiana Hot Sauce. The hot sauce added the most perfect flavor that packed some heat but did not take over the dish. I then added some diced green onion to the top of the dish. This meal was not only surprisingly delicious, but it always was nutritious packing at least 8 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. So, tomorrow I'll see you again but happy cooking and stay healthy!

Fennel & Zucchini Pasta al Forno

Dear Bloggers,
         Let me give you the low-down. Recently, I have cooked 2 meals over the four days that I have been here. Tonight I believe I will be making another awesome fried chicken dish which I am pumped about. So, on Thursday night I decided to make some fennel zucchini pasta al forno. Quite easy and so delicious. I began by marinating some ground beef in some garlic, olive oil, 1 head of chopped fennel, thyme, and basil for 3 hours. I cut up 1 yellow and green zucchini into 1/8" rounds. I then let those marinate in olive oil, salt, and pepper for an equal amount of time. After I sauteed the ground beef/fennel mixture in a pan until fully cooked then I formed a roux with flour, cream, and a touch of butter. I then added some cooked bow tie pasta. Off of the heat, I added in the rounded zucchini and put it in an 8x12 dish, added some bread crumbs and butter to the top and cooked it on 350 for 30 minutes then broiled it for 3 minutes for a golden finish. Virtually, you could've added any vegetables to this dish and you also could've taken out the ground beef but the fennel is quite an added bonus of flavor. Hopefully you'll try this awesome dish. Until tomorrow, happy cooking and stay healthy!

2 Weeks of Freshly Cooked Love: Take 2

Dear Bloggers,
         As you may or may not know (since I have no followers), I started this blog for fun last year when I came home for Christmas to my family to cook 2 weeks of delicious food. This year I am back to do just that again. I will not be staying with my family the entire time because they will be flying to Italy. That's fine though, because I am still delighted to cook for myself and my dog. A few things have been flying in and out this year and one of them has been music. Whether or not I should pursue my true passion. If I do, do I go to school to do it or do I simply just go out there? It's been a struggle. I know that is best to do for my stability: get a job as a dietician and settle. Although I know that I will not be happy doing so because I do enjoy eating healthily, but not enough to dedicate my entire life to doing so. Anyways, I'll be home tomorrow which means that the blogs will begin shortly after that. Thank you for listening once again (if you really are reading this, thank you). Once more, happy cooking and stay healthy!

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead: An Analytical Approach

Dear Bloggers,
        I recently have acquired a great deal of knowledge from a particular food documentary titled, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. This movie was very inspiring and also very informative about a new solution to weight loss and cleansing the body. A man from Australia speaks of the hardships he experiences with serious health risks and how he overcomes losing more than 100 pounds just by juicing. It was a miraculous film to see and not only did it inspire me, it got me thinking what that would do for me and how it could help my body. I'm not sure if you all know about my digestive problems that I have been having for the past 8-10 months, but it has been a struggle trying to find what triggers these issues and what will bring improvements. Thus far, I am still learning about what I can and cannot eat.
    After further research upon juice fasting, I began comprehending more and more about it and what I commonly thought, just as everyone, that fasting is bad for the body. In no way is it harmful for the body. In fact, it does much good for the gastrointestinal track and helping the colon clean itself out. Every American in their life will have some colon problem and have some type of colon work done in their lifetime based off of the diets we have in America. After recognizing that, I came to a comprehension that juicing and fasting, is a way to let my body realign and help my colon clean all of backed up materials out.
     Also, I recently came to find today a man that is very inspiring and talks about taking initiative to becoming healthier and taking care of your body. If you would visit his youtube channel and see all of the lovely advice he has to offer, it will do you very well. I hope that you are having a wonderful day and look into juicing, as it has changed my perspective on health. http://www.youtube.com/user/2ultramax?feature=watch Stay healthy and happy cooking!

150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

Dear Bloggers,
      I am unsure if I have informed all of you readers about my recent change in education. I have decided to pursue dietetics in hopes that somehow I can incorporate food and health into educating and helping the general American public. Currently, I have been reading so much of a particular book, 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth and the amount of unbiased information in this book is astounding. I have learned so much about vegetables, fruits, grains, fats, sugars, you name it. The main components that make up a human diet are omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and the glycemic index (or primarily the glycemic load). I also learned from this book how nearly all foods work together to provide a well-ballanced nutrient rich diet. There is no miracle food out there that is going to provide everything you need in your diet. For example, when people are looking at weight loss, they approach it with the view that they must go on a diet until they lose the desired/recommended weight. However, the realistic approach that doesn't seem as painful is to simply make a permanent lifestyle change where they view it as adding more healthy foods, not taking away their preferred meal choices. Slowly, after incorporating more and more diverse foods with more nutrient density, the other foods with begin to dwindle down in their current diet.

If I may be honest, I of all people, do enjoy a good fried chicken (Chik Fil A) and french fries every once in a while. I have come to the point where I understand that by treating my body with respect and giving it the real fuel that it needs, it will perform better. From workouts, to studying in classes, to being in a better mood, to having more energy to do things that make me happy, eating healthy has allowed all of those things to happen. I would encourage all of you readers to purchase a copy of this book because it has honestly changed my entire perspective on healthy eating.

In fact, in one section of the book it quotes, "Let's put it this way: If you ate a great balance of foods from the 150 that make up the list of the healthiest foods on the planet, and you never touched a grain for the rest of your life, you wouldn't be missing anything nutritionally. The same cannot be said of the fruits, vegetables, eggs, oils, spics, meat, fish, and poultry" (Bowden 75). Who would've known that after all that talk of whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, all of it, simply has no use in our diet. Compare jicama, with 1 cup you receive 70 calories and 7 grams of fiber to once slice of whole wheat bread, 140 calories for 4 grams of fiber. It's hard to completely understand the best choices, but after reading this book, it has become a lot clearer for me. You can purchase this book anywhere online, I would suggest amazon where I found it for $12 including shipping. If you are interested in learning anymore about the author, Jonny Bowden, visit his website here: http://www.jonnybowden.com/. Until next time stay healthy and happy cooking!

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Dear Bloggers,
       It has been quite some while since I blogged and wrote about my wonderful cooking adventures. Recently, this past Saturday, I cooked up some mean pita bread. It was delicious and much, much different than the dry, flavorless pita bread you buy at your local supermarket. This pita bread was hearty and full of fresh flavor. I began by combining the frothy yeast with 3 cups of flour in a mixer, I then added 1 1/4 cups of additional water, until the mixer form a beautiful dough. I rolled the dough in a little flour and put it in a bowl to rise for 2 hours. After two hours, I split the dough into 8-9 medium size balls. I rolled them again in flour, thoroughly. I set them aside to proof for 15 minutes. I preheated my oven to 500 degrees. Yes, that is not a mistake, 500 degrees. In order to cook a pita and create that pocket, you have to have your oven at an incredibly high temperature to zap the dough with a bunch of steam that forms in the middle of the pocket to instantly cook it in 5-6 minutes. In Greece, the originally cook pita bread in brick ovens with 800+ degrees and they take about 2 minutes to cook up. Quite delicious. Anyhow, once you let the dough balls proof, you can roll them out in your pita size about 6x6 inches. Then place them, well floured onto a baking pan and bake for 5-6 minutes. Do not open the oven during this process, as you will ruin the steaming process that occurs for pita to be cooked. Once the pitas have reached a full round peak, remove them immediately and let cool before cutting. You can add whatever spices you desire to your pita bread, i added parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. I also cut my pitas up into slices, added some coconut oil, and grape-seed oil to a bowl and brushed them over my pita slices. I then cooked them for 25-30 minutes on 250 degrees to make delicious, hearty pita chips. I most certainly enjoy eating my chips with some freshly made guacamole with lime. I hope you try making your own pita bread too, as it is easy, delicious, healthy, and fun! Until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

Gnocchi di Patate

Dear Bloggers,
     It was quite a lovely meal that I made last evening. Yes, I am posting this late and hopefully my apology is accepted. I made potato gnocchi with fresh focaccia bread. These gnocchi were super easy to make and honestly didn't take much time, just patience and care. The focaccia of course took hours, but that's because it's bread and we all know what goes into good bread. So I began with 3 pounds of cold, peeled, mashed russet potatoes, 2 cups of white flour (preferably 00 because it is finer and allows for a smoothers gnocchi), 1 cup of parmigiano reggiano (or 1/2 parmigiano and 1/2 peccorino romano), 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Once you combined the dry ingredients together in a mixer, add the potato and wait until it forms a smooth dough. At first, they will resist combining and then they will form a dough. Have patience and do not add water! Once the dough is done, roll the gnocchi into cigar shapes and cut strait down to form 1/2 inch pieces. Boil them in salted water & wait until the first one floats. Then, in a saucepan add olive oil, chili flakes, garlic, and basil and add the gnocchi straight from the boiling water with just a little starch water. Cook until golden brown, then serve with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and basil. Super easy! Although, I wasn't impressed with the consistency that these gnocchi produced, they were not smooth, they were almost too rubbery. Next time I will add 1 egg and mix the dough much more carefully. That is key to making a perfect dough; loving it and kneading it until perfection. I hope that you are all having a wonderful summer and whatever it is you may be doing is bringing you peace and happiness. Until next time, from my new apartment, stay healthy and happy cooking!

The Last Before The Beginning

Dear Bloggers,
      I am writing you today with some exciting, yet sad news. Today I made my last meal in an actual beautiful kitchen, and in about 4 days, I will be cooking in my new apartment. Well, my home, but it will be hard because the kitchen is so small and I've been so spoiled working in a beautiful environment with granite counter tops, now I will be down-grading, but that certainly does not mean that any of the food will taste any lesser. So today, I made something so simple because I spent all day packing up Shelly (my car) and washing her, getting her all ready to travel to Tennessee tomorrow. Wow, I can't believe that it's actually tomorrow. Anyways, I quickly threw together something delicious and light because I little time. I cooked some orchiette then added 1 teaspoon of butter along with fresh basil. Light and simple and oh so delicious. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that taste the best, Well, as for the blogging, you guys will not be blessed with my writing for a few days. Seeing as I have no followers, this will not seem to affect anyone, haha. Wish me luck though & pray that nothing dangerous happens. I hope that we will arrive safely and happily. Well, until next time continue to stay healthy and happy cooking!