Spring Equinox Dinner, March 20, 2017

Eons ago, I read an article, or perhaps in some book, that the author made salmon cakes, new potatoes, and asparagus every year on the first day of spring. That sounded like a fine and delicious tradition to me. When I was growing up, I always hated asparagus. In fact, it rather horrified me. I couldn't understand why my mom liked it so much. It wasn't until my friend, Ben, invited me over for dinner one night when I was about 18 that I began to like it. I can't recall what the meat was, but his mom put plates holding not only asparagus, but squash, in front of us. I thought, "Oh, my lord! I'm going to have to choke this stuff down and pretend to like it." I was astonished to find that I quite liked both vegetables. I've been an asparagus fan ever since! My favorite way to eat is simply steamed, so it's just tender, and then plunged into an ice bath to retain the brightness and keep it from becoming overcooked. Sometimes, though, I get lazy and skip the ice bath. I am always disappointed in myself when that happens.

Fish cakes, on the other hand, have always been something I really liked. My grandmom made both tuna & salmon patties when I was a kid and I happily gobbled them up. So, when I decided to make salmon cakes every year for the spring equinox, I did what my grandmom did. I start by sorting the bones and skin out from a (drained) large can of salmon (about 15 ounces). You don't even have to do that, actually. The skin and bones are both perfectly okay to eat. They just really skeeve me out. My cat's birthday is the first day of spring, so he always gets the parts I don't like, along with some of the legit meat, as a birthday treat. I flake the salmon, then mix it with a lightly beaten egg, about half a sleeve of saltine crackers, salt, pepper, and a dash of worcestershire sauce. I heat some oil in a skillet and form the salmon mixture into 4 cakes. When the oil is properly hot, I add the salmon cakes and cook them until they're browned on each side and heated through.

As for the potatoes, I boil them whole, for the most part, with the skin on. If there are a few larger ones, I will halve those. When they are tender, I drain them and stir in butter, salt, pepper, and snipped dill. When I was in middle school, my friend, Charisma, had me to supper and her mom served us potatoes made that way. They seemed very fancy to me!

I always have the impulse to make some sort of lemony dessert---a layer cake, meringues served with lemon curd, lemon meringue pie. That seems like the perfect spring treat, to me. My wife, however, hates all things tart. So, this year, I cut up some organic strawberries before dinner, added a smidge of sugar, stirred them up, and let them macerate during supper. After the main course, I dished them up into our pretty new pastel bowls and set out a can of whipped cream. My wife proceeded to show our wee boy how to eat whipped cream from the can. He just wasn't at all sure what to think of that, but it did make him giggle.

Happy Spring!

Grilled Goat Cheese Mini-Sandwiches, December 6, 2016

The other night, we had a salad and sandwich supper. But what a salad! And what sandwiches! I made mini-sandwiches by putting goat cheese and apple butter on baguette slices, then cooking them like you do a regular grilled cheese sandwich. They were terrific! The salad was endive, separated and arranged on a salad plate with some roquefort, pear slices, and walnuts. I topped the salad with a dressing made of 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt, a good grinding of pepper, and 1/2 c. olive oil, whisked until it emulsified. To make the meal more hearty, I added a side of Yukon Gold potatoes fried in olive oil with oregano, salt, & pepper.

Playing Catch-Up, April 28-May 8, 2016

We went on a whirlwind visiting tour last week, spending time in the West Virginia woods with my mom, stepdad, almost grandma, fairy godmama, & friends of my mom's before heading to Edinboro, PA, for Boot's Army commissioning ceremony. Here's what we ate:

April 28: I ceded all dinner responsibilities to my darling dear for the last week Pie & Bubbles were in town before moving to Alaska. The 28th was their very last night here and we had cheeseburgers and chips for supper. I supplemented with baby carrots.

April 29: The kids' drop-off time at the Alaska Airlines kiosk was late enough that we ended up having "linner" (lunch plus dinner in one meal) on the way home. We were both starving and were delighted when a Rusty Bucket turned up on our way home. We shared fried pickle spears, then I ordered a Buffalo chicken sandwich (they use panko for the batter, which is wonderful---and seems to reheat better than other battered chicken sandwiches I've taken home) & Jeannene had a burger.

April 30: We were en route to West Virginia for our monthiversary dinner out. Jeannene really wanted Cracker Barrel, but we didn't find one when it was dinner time, so we stopped at A&A truck stop in Jackson, Ohio. It's also a Valero station and I've stopped there plenty of times for gas, water, potty breaks, but never for food. I've been missing out! I had delicious white beans & a corn muffin, with a piece of blackberry pie for dessert. The pie was very clearly made from scratch, with a wonderfully flaky crust and terrific filling. I can't recall what Jeannene had for dinner, but she had a great piece of chocolate cream pie for dessert!

May 1: My folks' wonderful neighbors and friends, Patty and Tom, invited us for supper on Sunday. Their house sits perched on a hill, with a beautiful vista of 2 counties spread below. The house is completely charming, filled with cool antiques and with a porch that wraps completely around all the sides. It was a bit chilly and a storm came up, our wee boy's very first thunderstorm, but we were able to eat outside. The rain on the metal roof was magical---the whole evening was magical. The food was exemplary, a marvelous vichyssoise, served hot in deference to the weather. Patty provided fresh chives, flower buds and all, to snip into our soup. She also made a beautiful salad, with a plate of stunning veggies to add to the greens as we pleased. We were also treated to fresh-baked rolls, all yeasty and cozy, piled up in their towel-lined basket. We had brought along a store-bought angel food cake, to which Patty added cherry pie topping. A truly splendid gathering.

May 2: After spending the day antique shopping in Nitro, we headed to my 95-year-old almost-grandma's for dinner. Usually, we have dinner at her place the Saturdays of our visits, but since we got in too late this visit, we bumped our dinner together to Monday. We almost always have some yummy vegetarian meal, as my folks are vegetarians and have been since the 1970s. My mom makes scrumptious lasagnas and quiches and bean dishes. However, on this occasion, we had meatloaf. Yes, with real ground beef. I was surprised to hear my mom say that's what we were having and even more astonished at how great her meatloaf is! She did individual meatloaves, in tins given to her by my aunt, Miyoko. The round tins, for me, Jeannene, and my almost-grandma, had beef meatloaf, while the loaf tins held veggiecrumbleloaves. To go with the meatloaf, my mom made mashed potatoes and green beans. Her green beans were cooked perfectly. I asked her how long she had done them, as mine always end up either too crisp or too soft. Her frustrating response was "until they're done." To go with the supper, I made a rhubarb dump cake, one of my favorite desserts.

Rhubarb Dump Cake

1 lb. rhubarb, sliced about 1/4" thick

1 c. sugar

3 oz. package strawberry Jell-o (we used Strawberry Crush Jell-o; feel free to play around with flavors)

1 box white cake mix (yellow is fine, too, and I've been thinking it would be fun to try lemon or orange sometime---you could probably do a mandarin orange one with orange cake mix and orange Jell-o, too)

1 c. water

1/4 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rhubarb in an even layer on the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with sugar, Jell-o, then cake mix. Pour water evenly over the top, followed by butter. Do not mix! I know it sounds nuts, but trust me. Just make sure your water and butter are poured evenly on the other ingredients and go all the way out to the sides. Bake 45 minutes. Cool a few minutes before cutting. 

May 3: We went up to Ravenswood for a visit to my fairy godmama Kay's Enchanted Forest. Enchanted it is, almost as magical as Kay herself. After a marvelous visit and reluctant leave-taking, we found ourselves hungry in Cross Lanes and not interested in being on the road any longer. So, we defaulted to TGI Friday's for dinner. My mom's able to get some good veggie dishes there---this time, she chose the veggie burger with broccoli, which came cooked just right. I am always reluctant to order broccoli in restaurants because it is so often overcooked. We also ordered some fried green beans for an appetizer she could eat and potstickers for us meat-eaters. Jeannene ordered salmon and proclaimed it great. I had a lovely romaine & kale Caesar and boneless wings that came out in two rounds, as they ran out halfway through filling my order. The first round were lukewarm and scantily sauced. By the time the second round came, I was done eating. Sadly, that round was piping hot and nicely saucy---and it ended up staying in the room fridge when we left town. I hope the hotel maid found it and likes wings and isn't creeped out by eating leftovers from someone else. If I were a hotel maid and found cool food in the fridges, I would take it home---as long as I was allowed to. I wonder what the protocol is on that. I know there are a lot of people who would never eat something left in a hotel room fridge, but I would. After all, I ate food my granddaddy scavenged from dumpsters when I was a kid. It's not that it was all we had to eat, by any means. It was the adventure of it! He brought us entire bags of potatoes, sometimes, that were perfectly fine. I always thought it was so amazing, the perfectly good things that had been thrown away. I'm glad my granddad and his best friend were dumpster divers. My mom and I tried it a couple of times, but I'm afraid we're both too rule-abidey to have gotten into it very much, even though we made some good finds. I digress. For dessert, we three dug into some sort of gooey, warm brownie & ice cream concoction. Jeannene was very surprised and pleased at my mom, who she thinks eats healthfully at all times, quite happily nomming on the rich dessert. I will have to remind her that my mom once ate an ice cream sundae for dinner. She does eat healthfully most of the time---and passes on some really good recipes to me---but she is certainly not averse to the occasional dessert!

May 4: After spending the day visiting at my folks' home, Hickory Hill, way back in the woods, and the evening swimming in the hotel pool, we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Jeannene finally got her wish and very cheerfully tucked into their dinner of the day, a sort of combination between baked chicken and broccoli cheese casserole, with hash brown casserole that seemed a bit past its prime and corn. I loved my mom's meatloaf so much that I planned to get some there, but they had run out. It's probably just as well. I'm sure it wouldn't have been as good as hers. I ended up with a mediocre country fried steak, mashed potatoes with scant gravy, and corn. Apparently, going in 40 minutes before closing is not the best idea. My mom's baked potato looked very good, though, and, really, Jeannene's chicken was quite tasty. Our waitress was very nice, too, if quite tired. 

May 5: On our wee boy's 6 month birthday, we hit the road for Edinboro, PA, and his oldest brother's Army commissioning. Boot and his buddies had been in the habit of going to Compadres for cheap tacos on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We had dinner there---not bad at all, if not the most authentic. Boot went for quesadillas, while I had chicken chimichangas (much smaller than I usually find, which was good, as Boot had to eat my second one) and my darling had a big burrito. The only thing that wasn't good was the frozen margaritas. The waitress had warned us that they would be kind of watery, as their machine was worn out from Cinco de Mayo revelers. We gave the go-ahead, but probably should have ordered them on the rocks. Ah, well.

May 6: We let the graduate & new 2nd Lieutenant choose dinner on our last night in Edinboro. He was in the mood for wings and said the best ones were to be found at The Empty Keg. By going early, before all the other revelers arrived, we were able to get a table easily. We started with popcorn chicken in cool buffalo sauce (buffalo mixed with ranch) and waffle fries with cheese dip, Boot's recommendation. I ordered a tasty Philly cheese steak sandwich (which was very light on the cheese and didn't actually need it) and steak fries. I only tried one of Jeannene's wings, a standard buffalo that was anything but standard---so delicious I wished I'd ordered them. She also got garlic butter wings. Boot ordered Hawaiian and another kind. It was a nice early dinner. I'll definitely miss eating in Edinboro, especially at Flip. We didn't make it there this trip. 

May 7: We arrived home right around dinner time on Saturday. Jeannene didn't feel like cooking and said she'd either pick up some food or order pizza. I nixed the pizza, reminding her that she orders pizza every single time Boot's visiting. As a college kid, he probably eats pizza all the time and he didn't seem terribly excited about getting pizza last time he was here. My commentary was also motivated by my lack of excitement over pizza. When given the option, Boot also nixed pizza. We ends dup all going out together, to Sullivan's Public House. Boot had never had Irish food and seemed a bit skeptical, but he dug right into his bangers and mash and pronounced it good. I finally got the chicken toastie, grilled chicken on sourdough with extra-sharp cheddar and pink sauce. I'd been eying it for months, but had never ordered it---I will definitely order it again! Jeannene had the same thing she had last time, "true Irish bacon" with cabbage and mashed potatoes. It's a wonderfully juicy pork roast. The waitress last time subbed asparagus, but man, the cabbage is awesome! We stopped by Eva's for ice cream afterward, our first visit this season. Boot loves ice cream. He had some kind of blizzard-ish drink and Jeannene chose a Mississippi Mud version of the same for me. It had good, strong coffee flavor! I couldn't finish the medium, though. Next time, I will instruct her to get me a small. She had a plain vanilla cone, which was fab.

May 8: We'd planned to be in Edinboro & eating at Flip for Mother's Day, but since Boot skipped the graduation ceremony, we were actually home. We tried Camp Ticonderoga and King's Court for Mother's Day brunch options, but both were booked. I'd spotted a sign for Red Knapp's brunch, so suggested we call there. They did have an opening, at 3:30, so we booked it. Now, normally, I like the food there. However, I was pretty much completely unimpressed with the buffet. I'm not a big fan of buffets in the first place and this one made no effort to be stellar. The scrambled eggs were cold, as were some of the other items, and nothing stood out as particularly tasty except the turkey, which was surprisingly juicy and flavorful. Ah, well, they offered pieces of Bumpy Cake as a dessert option, so all was not lost---and the company was terrific! I think we'll stick to burgers and pizza and that kind of thing, though, when we go to Red Knapp's. 

May 9: My dear wife flew out to NJ for work yesterday. Boot went to bed right after our Mother's Day meal and has been there pretty much ever since, recovering from a bad cold and, probably, exhaustion from excelling so tremendously for the last 4 years of ROTC, undergrad, and the start of his grad work. He got his undergrad degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude and receiving a number of other awards and honors, with only 21 hours to go on a Masters'. He was a Distinguished Military Graduate in ROTC, as well. So, I decided to let him rest in this week between college and arrival at his first post. About 10:30, I realized I should probably feed myself and, if he was hungry, Boot. He was not, but I greatly enjoyed some potato & onion hash with fried eggs. I meant to have salad, as well, with pineapple for dessert. However, I got full on just the eggs & hash. For the hash, I just diced some potatoes (not peeled) and fried them up in olive oil with onion half-moons, a little salt, and a bit more cayenne than I'd intended. I got the idea from Nigella Lawson, who ends her version of the recipe, "Carry to sofa or bed and eat in perfect solitude." I ate at the table, but appreciated the directions, nonetheless. 

Fried Eggs on Dandelion Greens, April 4, 2016

I'd never eaten dandelion greens, unless you count munching them straight from the lawn as a kid. I read a Rachael Ray recipe suggesting frying them up with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and anchovy paste, then serving them with fried eggs. So, I decided to try it. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat them again, but they were pretty good. A bit bitter. Poor Jeannene made a terrible face when she tasted hers, but, then, she has absolutely no tolerance for anything bitter or tart. We had toast with them. I also did some fried potatoes with herbs and snow peas with mint, both adaptations of Madhur Jaffrey recipes from her marvelous World Vegetarian cookbook.

Crispy Herbed Potatoes

7 potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Thyme

Rosemary

Oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large, ovenproof skillet, heat some olive oil. Create a layer of potato slices, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and pinches of the herbs. Drizzle with olive oil. Create another layer and top with seasonings and oil, as before. Bake 35-40 minutes, until tender. Serves 6.

Snow Peas with Mint

Sauté snow peas in a little olive oil and butter. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and dried mint, stirring until tender. 

Potato Leek Soup, March 9, 2016

Last night was our monthly Red Tent gathering, for which I usually make soup and some kind of sweet. When I was growing up, my mom and I made potato soup every year on St. Patrick's Day, so I chose potato leek soup for the March Red Tent gathering this year. It was heavenly! I added some rosemary olive oil bread from the grocery, some Pecan Thins for gluten-free eaters, chocolate chip cookies, and plain old Hershey minis. If I were serving this for dinner at home, I might add a green salad.

Potato Leek Soup

4 potatoes, peeled & sliced (I used russets)

3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and sliced

64 oz. vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

1 c. milk or cream (you could omit this for a yummy vegan soup)

Put potatoes, leeks, veggie stock, salt, & pepper in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 40 minutes. Mash the veggies with a potato masher (or use an immersion blender, for a smoother soup---I like this one a little rustic). Add milk/cream and heat through. Serves 6-8. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. shortening (I use Crisco)

1/2 c. butter

2 1/2 c. flour

1 c. dark brown sugar (if you only have light, that's fine)

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

12 oz. (2 c.) chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli when I can, but even store-brand is going to taste good, honestly)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the shortening & butter on medium-high speed until softened, about 30 seconds. Add half the flour and beat well. Add sugars, eggs, vanilla, soda, & salt. Beat well, scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the remaining flour. When well-combined, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, about 2" apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Hot Chicken Salad, December 19, 2015

We'd planned to have dinner out last night, but my poor sweetheart appears to have a touch of the flu and only wanted toast for dinner, so I drove through McDonald's. I should have had toast, actually, and cocoa. So, I was glad tonight to have a home-cooked dinner. It was a very retro sort of dinner, with the main course, hot chicken salad, coming from my mother-in-law's West Point Hostess cookbook. I'd planned to serve green salad with the casserole & potato soufflé, but we had already eaten it, so I just served some pineapple on the side. Not a very healthy dinner, at all, but really delicious and pretty easy to throw together. Boot is visiting for Christmas and he and Jeannene really liked it, especially the potatoes. He put his third serving of potatoes on a tortilla. He can eat like y'all would not believe, probably because he works out 4 or 5 hours a day.

Hot Chicken Salad

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1 1/2 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. chopped pecans

3 tbsp. dried minced onion

3 tbsp. lemon juice

Salt & pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup (the original recipe calls for cream of chicken, but I used what I had on hand and it worked out great)

3/4 c. mayonnaise (I use the olive oil mayo)

Potato chips to crumble on top (I used plain Lay's, but I think perhaps sour cream and onion or BBQ might be interesting)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything but the mayonnaise, soup, and potato chips. Put in 2-quart casserole. Mix the soup and mayonnaise and pour over the top of the chicken mixture. Do not mix it into the chicken. Top with an even layer of crushed potato chips. Bake about half an hour. Serves 6-8. 

Potato Soufflé

About 6 c. mashed potatoes (I just used a package of Bob Evans pre-made mashed potatoes)

8 oz. chive cream cheese (the sort in the tub)

2 eggs

1/4 c. sour cream

A pinch of salt

4 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix well and place in greased (I use cooking spray) 1 1/2-2 qt. casserole or soufflé dish. Bake 45 minutes. Serves 6-8. 

Potato, Pea, & Onion Frittata, August 18, 2015

I'd planned to make vaca frita, a traditional Cuban dish that requires hours of cooking time, for last night's supper. However, I unexpectedly got to meet my friend, Kerry, and her 11-year-old daughter at the Toledo Zoo, a couple hours from home. Luckily, I had the ingredients to make a frittata, which I paired with a bagged Caesar salad, peaches, and a batch of truly scrumptious s'mores bars (Betty Crocker Hershey's S'mores Bars). Frittatas are great life-saver meals because I almost always have some veggies, some eggs, and some cheese on-hand and they are so quick.

Potato, Pea, and Onion Frittata

4 or 5 smallish new potatoes, finely diced

1/3 c. frozen peas, thawed

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

8 eggs

Salt & pepper

A handful grated parmesan

A handful grated cheddar

Preheat broiler. Cover potatoes with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Heat oil in 10" oven-safe skillet (I like my cast iron skillet for frittatas). Cook the onion translucent, then add potatoes and cook another 7 minutes or so. Make sure the potatoes don't get browned and crispy. Add peas and cook a minute. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Add cheeses. Pour into skillet with veggies. Cook until the bottom is set, 5-7 minutes. Broil until the top is set and golden-brown. Loosen the edges gently and invert onto a large plate. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 6.

Asian-Style Catfish Wraps, July 29, 2015

When I finished making dinner last night, I thought, "Oh, boy, this could be a terrible flop." By the time my darling got home, I had already decided just to make quesadillas if she hated the food I had made. The meal of Asian-style catfish wraps, sweet & sour potato shreds, and a spring mix salad was pretty outside-the-box for me. I was fairly certain it was going to be too weird for Jeannene. But, she picked up the wooden spoon perched on the side of the skillet containing the filling for the wraps, nibbled a bite, and made yummy noises. Whew! "Now," I wondered, "is it going to be too weird for me?" I'm not big on wraps, except for Mexican food, and I am not a huge seafood fan. However, I do tend to like catfish, although my favorite way to eat it is either fried or blackened. I'd had some amazing Vietnamese catfish nuggets at The Winds Cafe, but this was nothing like those. However, when I bit into it, I thought, "Okay, that's pretty good!" I was skeptical about the potatoes, as well, especially since I don't tend to like sweet not-dessert dishes and since I hadn't followed Madhur Jaffrey's recipe, passed on to me by my mom, who was very enthusiastic about the dish. The potatoes I thought I had had gone bad on me, so I was left with the option to use already mostly baked potatoes left over from Sunday. I want to try it again using raw potatoes, to see what the difference is. I suspect I will like them better done the way they were intended to be made, but they were certainly edible as it was. The catfish wraps are based on a Cooking Light recipe from April 2005.

Asian-Style Catfish Wraps

1 tsp. dark sesame oil

1/2 lb. catfish, cut into chunks

1 1/2 c. thinly sliced Napa cabbage

1 carrot, shredded

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 tbsp. minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 c. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. Asian chili garlic sauce

4 small flour tortillas

Heat half the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add catfish and stir-fry to cook through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Add the rest of the oil. Once heated, add vegetables and stir-fry until carrots are crisp-tender, a couple of minutes. Return catfish to pan, add sauces, and heat through. Warm tortillas and fill with catfish mixture. Serves 2-4. 

Sweet & Sour Potato Shreds

1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into fine julienne strips

2 tbsp. peanut or canola oil

2 scallions, sliced

1 slice ginger, peeled and minced

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Large pinch salt

1/2 tbsp. sugar

2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife & peeled

1 tsp. sesame oil

Place potatoes in cold water to cover. Shake the bowl to release the starch. Pour out water & repeat process several times. Drain well. Heat oil in large skillet or wok. Stir fry ginger and scallions about 30 seconds. Add potatoes and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, and garlic. Stir fry 2-5 minutes, until potatoes are browned. Add sesame oil and stir to mix. Remove garlic cloves to serve. Serves 2-4. 

BBQ Chicken, July 8, 2015

Yesterday was a perfect cozy dinner day, a good day to have the crockpot filling the house with good smells. I made bbq chicken breasts in the crockpot, then added some oven fries and broccoli to round out the meal. I am still not used to making broccoli without a steamer, so I ended up overcooking it. I guess that's better than undercooking it, as I am willing (if not thrilled about) to eat it mushy, while my darling wife will not eat it too crisp. The fries were perfect. I made them by cutting some potatoes into thin wedges, with the skin on, then tossing them with a smidge of olive oil and some seasoning mix I keep on hand that has salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, I put them on a baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for about 40 minutes. The chicken was beautifully tender, but I was not a fan of the sauce, as it turned out to taste too boozy for me. That said, I would very cheerfully give it another try, with half the Jack Daniels. Jeannene really liked it.

Slow BBQ Chicken

3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (skin-on, bone-in is fine, too)

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

15 oz. tomato sauce

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. Jack Daniels (or similar)

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. hot sauce (or more, to taste)

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Mix everything else well and pour over chicken. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Serves 3-4.

Tostadas, May 5, 2015

I am not a huge fan of the way Cinco de Mayo is often celebrated in the United States. For one thing, most of the people who are celebrating have no idea what it is they're celebrating. They tend to assume they're celebrating Mexican Independence Day. 

Well, that isn't actually until September. Cinco de Mayo is in remembrance and celebration of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It wasn't the battle that finally threw off the French occupiers, but it gave the Mexican troops a huge morale boost. Anyway, in Mexico, it tends to be celebrated mostly in Puebla. 

It's unfortunate that this holiday seems to have devolved, in the U.S. at least, into an excuse to go get wasted on margaritas and Mexican beer. Mind you, I have nothing against either margaritas or Mexican beer, but it's a shame to "celebrate" a cultural holiday this way when you could be learning about Mexican history, reading Mexican novels, listening to music by Mexican artists, going to an exhibit of Mexican art (Yo, Detroiters! Get thee to the Frida & Diego exhibit!), learning about issues around immigration justice, preparing authentic Mexican dishes. 

I celebrated this year by making tostadas, Frida Kahlo's potatoes in green sauce, and a Southwest salad I picked up pre-prepped at the grocery. I had guacamole (mash an avocado with some lime juice and garlic salt) & chips waiting for Jeannene when she came home from work. The potatoes come from a cookbook called Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo, which I got at the Detroit Institute of Art's special, temporary Frida & Diego gift shop. It's by Frida's stepdaughter, Guadalupe Rivera, and Marie-Pierre Colle. This collection of Frida's recipes and Lupe's stories is a delight to read for any Kahlo aficionado, even non-cooks. For us cooks, it's great fun to try our hands at food Frida loved.

I am a lazy cook, for sure, and I am also a bit of a squeamish eater, in that I tend to shy away from things like offal and feet. Thus, while I took inspiration from Frida's tostadas, I did not use the pig's feet called for in the recipe and I took a number of shortcuts and liberties I suspect most Mexican chefs would disdain. They were, however, very good.

Tostadas Perezosos (Lazy Tostadas)

Tostadas, pre-made from the grocery

Refried beans, from a can

Green sauce, from a jar or from the potatoes, if you're making those

Shredded romaine

Cooked, shredded, sliced, or chunked chicken breast

Chorizo, crumbled and browned

Sliced tomato

Sliced avocado

Sour cream

Crumbled queso fresco

Pickled or fresh sliced jalapeños, if you like them

Top tostadas with the rest of the ingredients & eat. I like mine either chicken or chorizo. My wife likes both at once. If you put the beans on first, they help to hold everything else on the tostadas. 

My food squeamishness extends to hot peppers and cilantro and my laziness means I'd just as soon sub olive oil for lard in most recipes. So, this potato recipe is not really authentically Frida's, but it is tasty. The potatoes themselves turned out to be a lot sweeter than I'd expected, which made for some interesting taste contrast, but I definitely recommend giving this recipe a whirl. 

Papas en Salsa Verde (Potatoes in Green Sauce)

1 lb. baby new potatoes, peeled

1 lb. tomatillos, peeled

1/2 c. water

1 serrano chile, minced (I remove the membranes & seeds to reduce the heat; leave them & add more chiles, if you like it hot)

Salt and pepper

3/4 c. ch. cilantro (if you like it; sub parsley or omit, if not)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lg. onion, finely chopped

Parboil the potatoes for a couple minutes. Drain and set aside. Simmer tomatillos, water, chile, salt, and pepper until tomatillos are tender. Cool slightly, then add cilantro and puree. I actually used an immersion blender, to good effect. Heat the oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add to tomatillos and cook another 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Serves 4. 

Sour Cream Potato Soup, April 17, 2015

Last week, I made two very mediocre soups. In Jeannene's opinion, I made two inedible soups. This potato soup was the second one. For me, this was the worse of the two. I didn't like the tanginess of the sour cream or the texture, which seemed too silky. Jeannene says it would have been great, but for the caraway. In case any of y'all might actually love it, I am including the recipe. But be warned that it's 2-thumbs-down from our household. I've adapted the recipe from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, which is actually full of some really yummy soups, too. I got the idea for the avocado and goat cheese salad I made with this from his salad cookbook. Jeannene loved that and I would have, too, had it not been for the goat cheese, which seemed too heavy for the delicate greens for me. For dessert, I made a raspberry tart, which was the favorite part of the meal for both of us.

Sour Cream Potato Soup

3 potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 c. chicken or veggie broth

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. caraway seeds (or to taste)

Salt & pepper

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 c. milk

8 oz. sour cream

Bring potatoes, broth, bay leaves, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper to a gentle boil. Turn down heat and cook until potatoes are tender. Stir the flour into the milk until completely dissolved. Add to soup, stirring constantly. Add the sour cream, still stirring. Bring to a boil again and simmer gently about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serves 2-3. 

Avocado & Goat Cheese Salad

Tear 3-4 leaves Bibb or Boston lettuce per person into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a salad plate. Cut a log of goat cheese into thick medallions, 1-2 oz. per person, and warm in oven or microwave just until they begin to melt. Toss 1/2 diced avocado per person on the greens. For every 2 people, whisk together 3 tbsp. olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, salt, and pepper to make dressing. Put goat cheese on salads. Drizzle with dressing. 

Raspberry Tart

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp. sugar

1 pint raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place puff pastry on parchment-lined baking sheet. Press the tines of a fork along the edges to form a border. Bake about 15 minutes, until browned and puffed. Cool completely. Meanwhile, beat the cream & sugar to stiff peaks. Top with berries. Serves 6-8. 

Sausage & Potato Stew, January 26, 2015

Jeannene decided she'd like to come to the gym with me in the evening to check it out, so I made a simple meal that was easy to get ready by the time she got home from work, just a pot of sausage & potato stew and some Pugliese bread. We like to swim and we're wimps about the cold, so it seemed like a good idea to have something that would warm our bellies, too. This stew fit the bill perfectly!

Sausage & Potato Stew

1 lb. breakfast sausage (turkey sausage would be great, as would veggie crumbles, but I would add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, if you use those)

1 tbsp. flour

4 medium red potatoes, diced (peels left on)

1 onion, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

32 oz. chicken broth (I like the low-sodium variety)

Salt & pepper

Thyme (a generous pinch or two)

Cook the sausage in a stock pot until browned. Drain off the fat and toss the sausage with the flour, stirring to coat well. Add the rest and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium heat, cover, and cook about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10 minutes or so. Serves 4-6. 

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney, or The Dinner That Was Too Terrible To Eat, January 7, 2015

Occasionally, I make a dinner that is inedible. Last night was one of those occasions. I was already leery of the meal because of my food rules, as my friend Sue has dubbed them. First, as i have mentioned here before, I don't like sweet and meat together. I can think of zero exceptions. But, I am cooking through this dang thing, like it or not (mostly, I do like it). Besides, Jeannene usually does like sweet and meat & doesn't ever get to have it. Second, I don't like cooked carrots. Well, I do if they are roasted in a pot roast or cooked in a stew. Otherwise, forget it. So, I knew going in that I would likely only want the pork without the chutney and the roasted rosemary potatoes I was going to make. 

However, I ran out of time for the potatoes and ended up just boiling them. Except I over boiled them and they dissolved into mashed as soon as I tipped a little Smart Balance spread into them & tried to stir it in. So be it. They were fine, anyway. If you want to make roasted rosemary potatoes, though, you cube them (peels still on is my preference & you can use whatever potatoes you like, including a mix---throw some sweet potato in there, if you like!), toss them with a little olive oil, several cloves of garlic, a few sprigs of rosemary, a little salt, and a healthy grinding of pepper. Roast them about half an hour in a preheated 425 degree oven. 

The pork's badness was most likely my fault, although Jeannene blames the particular blend of spices.  I decided to be smart (cheap?) and just use the pork chops in the freezer (we got a big pack of them on sale and Jeannene divided them into packets of 2, 3, or 4) instead of buying a couple pork tenderloins. I figured I could just rub the spices on one side of the chop that I would have rubbed on the outside of the pork loin. This, in retrospect, was a bad idea. I should have just seasoned them the way I usually do chops. Further, the chops themselves weren't terribly nice in the first place. Perhaps that's why the sale? I think the spice blend would be nice on pork tenderloin, probably, but is a bit overwhelming for the chops. It's garlic, 3 parts ginger, 3 parts mustard seed, 3 parts red pepper flakes, 1 part allspice, 1 part fennel, 1 part thyme, all whizzed in the blender.

The apple chutney was delicious, but I would prefer it on crackers or over a block of cream cheese or on an English muffin, perhaps. Here's my rendering:

Gingered Apple Chutney

1 apple, peeled & chopped (I used a Honeycrisp)

1 bulb fennel, chopped

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. ch. pecans

1/3 c. golden raisins

1 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped

1/4 tbsp. salt

1/3 c. cider vinegar

Mix everything together and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15 minutes. Remove cover and cook another 15-20 minutes. 

I thought the carrots au gratin were revolting. In fact, my stomach turned at the smell of the dish as I pulled it from the oven. However, Jeannene really liked it (in fact, it turned out to be her entire dinner---me, I had a bowl of Cheerios), so you might, too. If you like cooked carrots, give it a whirl:

Carrots au Gratin

3 c. carrot slices (5-7 carrots)

1 can cream of celery soup (I used the Healthy Request sort)

1 c. shredded cheddar (I used 2% fat cheese)

1/4 c. roasted garlic breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. butter, melted (I am sure olive oil would work just as well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover carrots with water and cook until just tender. Drain and mix with soup and cheese. Place in greased (I used cooking spray) casserole. Mix crumbs & butter. Sprinkle on carrot mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 6-8.

My Year in Food + La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch: Steak, Potato Skins, Chopped Kale Salad, December 5, 2014

Jeannene's mouth was recovered enough from her dental work by Friday night for her to feel like eating steak, so we had a nice evening in. I'd picked up a New York strip steak for her and a ribeye for me. I rubbed them with a seasoning mixture I keep on hand (about half a cup of salt, mixed with a tbsp. of pepper, a heaping tbsp. of garlic powder, and a pinch or two of cayenne), then melted a little bit of butter in a skillet and panfried the steaks to medium-rare, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 on the other.

To accompany the steak, I made Stuffed Potato Skins from the Gooseberry Patch Fall, Family, & Friends cookbook I making my way through. To be honest, I've actually been avoiding making these for weeks now. They're the very first appetizer in the book, so this reluctance to try making them means I haven't made much appetizer progress at all in the book! I was afraid they would be too hard or too fiddly or not worth the trouble. I've never made potato skins before, even though I really like good ones. They always seem more like something to order in a restaurant, to me.

Even as I was making these, I was deeply skeptical about how they might turn out. The potatoes, cut into 8ths & sitting on the baking sheet all rubbed with olive oil, just didn't look right to me. I worried the insides would be a pain in the neck to scoop out and I worried the outsides wouldn't be substantial enough to hold the stuffing. I was also aggravated to discover that I was out of scallions, but I subbed some chopped leeks and dried chives, so that was fine. The rest, it turned out, was fine, too, and the potato skins were terrific! They'd be a nice appetizer, too, and the recipe seems easily adaptable to whatever number of people you have.

The Taylor Farms bagged kale salad, on the other hand, wasn't so delicious. I ate my salad out of obligation to have something healthy with my steak & potatoes. It had looked so good in the grocery, with not only kale, but also slices of brussels sprouts, radicchio, and a lemony vinaigrette. I think Jeannene's objection was the tartness of the dressing and the bitterness of the salad, but for me, I suspect it was the sweetness of the dressing. Ah, well, the rest of the meal was great!

La Luna Cooks Mrs. Yoder: Back on the Horse with Red Ribbon Punch & Barbecued Hamburgers

I almost called this post "Bloodied, but Unbowed." That lemony peanut butter pie knocked the wind from my sails, for sure, and last Wednesday over coffee, friends tried to talk me into dropping the project. I was just about to cave, too, but my wife begged me to continue. It's a good thing I'm not being paid for this project, because I am completely unable to talk myself into making 18 different sauerkraut recipes. But, I gave myself permission to skip anything too repetitious (the 42 "taco salad" recipes that vary only slightly, perhaps) and permission to revise recipes, rather than cooking them as written, if something sounds quite wrong.

After skipping the entire week last week, I talked myself into jumping back into the game over the weekend. I made Red Ribbon Punch for my annual Fall Harvest Game Night (along with hot mulled cider for folks who just couldn't bring themselves to consume all that sugar and artificial coloring). The punch is not at all what I would expect the Amish to serve as punch. I would think their punch would consist largely of real fruit juices, mixed together, not a punch brimming with artificiality. But no. What I served was very reminiscent of the sort of punch I encountered regularly (albeit somewhat watered down) at church as a child in the 1970s, gussied up for partying. We never had the sherbet sort of punch at Vacation Bible School, but the vibrant color and super-sweet flavor of this punch was right on. I have to admit, I do like that sort of punch on occasion. My favorite punch, though, will always be the punch they served at coffee hour when I was a kid & now serve only for special receptions. It has become my go-to punch for my birthday & is our traditional Christmas tree decking beverage, as well. I call it Westminster Punch because that was the name of my childhood church.

Westminster Punch

1 12-oz. can frozen lemonade (preferably pink)

1 12-oz. can frozen limeade

2 qt. pineapple juice

2 liters ginger ale

Small box sweetened, frozen strawberries (more, if you like)

Mix everything together and stir to melt the frozen juices.

Getting back to the Red Ribbon Punch, let me just say right now that it would probably not be allowed in most churches now. For one, most churches ban anything bright red because it will likely stain the carpet. Secondly, more parents are vocal about their children not being fed so much sugar or artificial anything. However, it's a fun retro drink to serve, if impossible to find the exact ingredients. I'm not entirely sure Hawaiian Punch still exists. I haven't seen it in years. Honestly, though, I haven't looked for it in years. When I was a little kid, I loved the red kind and I especially thought the opening of the can with a puncture in either side was cool. I was a weird little kid. Red Kool Aid, though, seems to be essentially the same thing. Because I couldn't find Faygo orange pineapple soda, I subbed pineapple orange juice for the pineapple juice called for and used plain old orange soda. It was fun to do a punch, not least because I got to use my mother-in-law's beautiful vintage punch bowl with polka dots etched into bowl & cups. it looked festive indeed! I must also tell you that it paired pretty nicely with vodka. Ahem. Probably not what Miss Troyer intended when she included the recipe. But, perhaps okay during the rumspringa. 

I had planned to make a caramelized onion meatloaf for Sunday dinner with the kids. However, my Wild Mango Queens bookstore outing was a success and we stayed far too long over appetizers and drinks at Bar Louie. So, short on time, I turned to the Amish for a good alternative. I'd planned to have scallion mashed potatoes and corn with our meatloaf, so I went ahead with those to go with the barbecued hamburgers from the Amish cookbook. I wasn't sure how the oven-baked burgers, with their strong, ketchup-y, vinegar-y sauce would go over. I was especially worried that my wife would object to them. However, she and I both really liked them. Bubbles isn't much for red meat, but she ate half of hers, and Pie isn't usually much of a sauce guy, but he cheerfully ate his with half the sauce scraped off. I only made 2 modifications. One was to use 96% lean burger, which I am fairly certain is not part of the Amish repertoire (I could be wrong). The other was to sub a tablespoon of brown sugar for half the white sugar the recipe called for. Next time, I think I will make it with all brown sugar. It probably doesn't matter that much, but I think it would add a little more depth to the flavor.  There will definitely be a next time! Oh, and those scallion mashed potatoes were heaven.

Scallion Mashed Potatoes

1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered

2 tbsp. butter (you can use less, certainly---the original recipe called for a whole stick!)

1/4 c. heavy cream (or more, as needed---you can sub skim milk)

1 bunch scallions, sliced 

Salt & pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling water (salted, if you like) until fork-tender. Drain. Meanwhile, heat butter and cream together. Mash into the cooked potatoes, adding more cream/milk, as needed, for desired consistency. Stir in scallions and seasonings. Serves 6-8.

Mashed Potato Soup & Beer Bread

My sweetie has been felled by a migraine all weekend, so comfort food seemed perfect. This meal is so easy that even if you're the one who's sick, you can pull it together for yourself. Throw in some fruit for dessert & call it done.

Mashed Potato Soup

2 1/2 c. mashed potatoes (leftover, store-bought, whatever)

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. olive oil

14 oz. chicken stock (I used low sodium canned)

1/2 c. sour cream (I used reduced-fat)

Shredded cheese & sliced scallions for garnish, if desired (bacon crumbles would be good, too)

Sauté the onion in the oil until softened. Add mashed potatoes & broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring and pressing out any lumps with a wooden spoon. Add sour cream and gently heat through. Serves 4-6.

Beer Bread

12 oz. beer (our 21 y.o. left some PBR behind after his last visit & that worked fine. I would not use light beer.)

2 2/3 c. self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix beer & flour well, but not overmuch. Put into a greased loaf pan and bake 50-55 minutes, until loaf begins to pull away from pan. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing. This is great with honey, for a special treat.

Thanksgiving in January

More comfort food! Turkey and mashed potatoes aren't just for November. In fact, I was once invited to a Thanksgiving dinner right around Easter. It was delicious. Here are a couple twists on the stars of That Meal in November.

Thyme & Garlic Turkey Breast

                 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme                  2 garlic cloves, crushed

                 1 tsp. lemon pepper                            1 (approx 2 lb) turkey breast half

                 1/8 tsp. salt                                         Sprigs of thyme for garnish

        Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix thyme, lemon pepper, salt, and garlic. Loosen the turkey skin, rub the thyme mixture on the meat beneath, and press the skin to secure. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray and place the breast, skin side up, on it. Insert meat thermometer and bake about an hour and a half, until thermometer registers 180 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices and garnish with thyme sprigs. 

Lemon Mashed Potatoes

Boil & drain about 5 peeled, diced potatoes. Mash with 1/2-1 c. Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper until smooth & the consistency you like. I like to use a manual potato masher, but if you like an electric mixer or potato ricer, by all means, use that!