citrus parfaits & whimsical bouquets

lately...

Blood Orange + Caper Relish

to spoon atop roasted fish

Rosemary & Crushed Red Pepper-Infused Olive Oil

Avocado, Grapefruit & Spinach Salad with Jalapeno Ranch

Pomegranate & Black Peppercorn Cider

Delicious Brisket Hash from The Tavern

Demonstration Prep

Individual Lemon Lime Curd & Gingersnap Parfaits

Whimsical Valentine's Bouquet from Vera Green Productions

a yellowtail praise & carrots 3 ways

One disadvantage of living solo is the perpetual problem of rotting produce that wastes away.

A few ways I stretch my dollar and elongate produce life spans:

I buy berries on sale,

bag and freeze them

to quickly add to muffins, desserts and make milk icy cold in a bowl of cereal.

I keep ginger in

a jar of inexpensive vodka
in my refrigerator (culinary school trick that preserves ginger).

Before garlic goes bad,

I roast and jar caramelized cloves

for a handy flavor enhancer to add pastas and hors d'oeuvres.

I "arrange" fresh herbs in water
like a bouquet of flowers
and chill them to keep herbs lively and green.

I will also take advantage of my very last carrot and have three diverse recipes to prove it!

Carrots Three Ways:

salad,

cake

& slaw

to appeal to one and all!

1. Shaved Carrot & Blood Orange Salad with Marcona Almonds, Almond-Scented Vinaigrette & Bite-Sized Rosemary Biscuits
d

Salads with lettuce bore me. I was never one of those,

"Oh, I'll have a salad with grilled chicken and dressing on the side" gals.

d

In fact, I envied those self controlled waifs. Much animosity, no?
d

In an effort to trick myself, I integrate as many unexpected flavors, textures and colors as I possibly can when crafting salads. I received crazy looks when adding almond extract to this vinaigrette.

Odd? Yes.
Delicious? Oh, hell yes.

Yields 4 appetizer salad portions.

Bite-Sized Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits:

1.5 c AP flour

1 T sugar

1.5 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 buttermilk plus additional to brush atop biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and rosemary. Blend in butter with hands until butter is combined and pea-shaped. Slowly add buttermilk in portions until a sticky dough is formed.

Flour hands, surface and rolling pin. Transfer dough ball to surface and form into a uniform disk with hands. Roll into a circle, approximately 1/2 inch thick. With a small circle cutter (about 1 inch in diameter), cut out biscuits and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Brush tops with buttermilk and top with a sprinkle of fresh-cracked pepper. Bake approximately 6-8 minutes then transfer to cool on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature with salad.

Carrot Orange Salad:

2 carrots, shaved with a peeler

2 blood oranges, segmented

1/2 c marcona almonds

Combine carrots, blood oranges and almonds. Toss with almond vinaigrette and serve with buttermilk biscuits.

Almond Vinaigrette:

2 t pure almond extract
juice of 1 lime
1 t lime zest
1/2 t fresh rosemary, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Combine almond extract, lime juice, lime zest, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Slowly whisk in olive oil until an emulsification develops. Season with desired salt. Toss with carrot orange salad to lightly coat.

2. Curried Banana Carrot Bread

Curry in banana bread?!

Oh yes I did.

The pumpkin-hued spice isn't completely obvious,
(back off, curry haters)

and the ending taste is subtle and soft.

Carrots are the moisture-carrier in this low-fat bread. Although I like my mashed bananas to be chunky, I didn't want to bite into coarse carrot grates.

Instead, I grated my carrot on the microplane in an attempt to "melt" the valiant vegetable into the delicate bread.

Yields 1 large loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.

2 eggs

3/4 c sugar

3 ripe bananas, coarsely smashed

1/4 c shredded carrots

1/3 c buttermilk

1 T vegetable oil

1 T vanilla bean paste

1 and 3/4 c AP flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 t curry powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a flour a loaf pan or mini loaf pans. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and curry powder. Set aside. Combine carrots, bananas, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla bean paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy- about 5 minutes. To bowl, mix in wet banana mixture then slowly fold in dry mixture until just combined.

Fill loaf pan(s) about 3/4 full and bake approximately 1 hour for a full loaf pan or 35-40 minutes for mini loaves. Cool on rack and invert to serve.

3. Radicchio, Edamame and Carrot Slaw

Talk about a 3 minute recipe! While your edamame is defrosting for several minutes, you will have plenty of time to peel carrots, slice radicchio and measure soy sauce. This slaw would be fabulous served atop fish tacos!

Serves 2.

1/2 c radicchio, julienned
1/2 c frozen shelled edamame, prepared
1/2 c carrots, shaved with a peeler
1 T soy sauce
splash of rice wine vinegar
1/8 t red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients and refrigerate to slightly break down vegetables and meld flavors. Serve cool, warm or room temperature. Let the laziness ensue!

I'm sure you've heard...

I'm a sushi snob.

I'm from Austin, ok? Home of some of the best sushi in the country and this:

creamcheesekrabjalapeno

tempurashrimpavocadomayonnaise roll

ain't gonna cut it.

Alas, my sushi experiences have been very limited the past few years here in good ole' Fort Worth.

Recently, I was left delightfully content with my sushi craving satisfied after lunch at Tokyo Cafe. I dined with my meat and 'taters lovin' boyfriend who was equally impressed.

Our late afternoon dine included:

seaweed salad
pork gyoza with warm, ginger broth
spicy beef bowl with white rice and scallions
yuzu yellowtail roll

Fresh, simple and delicious-- all I could ask for. I still miss you, Uchi. See you in my dreams...

This past whirlwind Sunday was spent in Dallas celebrating a birthday and engagement fiesta with dear friends from TCU. In a swift 12 hours, we enjoyed:

breakfast quesadillas with pepperjack, black beans and guacamole

& bottomless mimosas

at Nick and Sam's Grill

bloody mary's and white sangria

at Blackfriar Pub

sombreros, frozen margarita machine

quesadillas, queso, guacamole and flautas

at a quaint, outdoor engagement party

and finally,

a juicy relished hot dog,

sweet potato fries and pop

back in Fort Worth at Billy Miner's Saloon.

After a gluttonous, yet pleasant day,

it was off-to-bed immediately with
sweet dreams & old friends

dancing in my head.

pain perdu and an Austin adieu

My Christmas season has been full of busy work days, sparkling ornaments, luscious red wine, homemade stews, white poinsettias as well as planning an intimate, winter dinner party for my Private Chef service: Linguine and Dirty Martinis, Food for the Fabulous Life!

Within the thick of the bustling holidays, my client selected from my winter menu of offerings and settled on a hearty spread full of deep, roasting techniques, local ingredients and seasonal flair. The 5-course winter dinner party for 10 included:

Toasted Hazelnuts with Lemon Rind and Fresh Thyme

This was a Thanksgiving recipe I made a few weeks before- it couldn't be easier. My client isn't an orange fan so I substituted lemon rind for orange from the original recipe.

Curried Roasted Parsnip Carrot Soup with Pepitas

This dish is inspired from a quick soup I made "on the fly" in Culinary School. When given a mystery basket containing parsnips, I made a pureed soup with roasted parsnips, carrots, turmeric and curry. I refined this recipe a bit by adding fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, a cream finish and a pepita garnish. Not only is the soup quite pretty (a gorgeous yellow-orange) but insanely delicious and filling.

Red Cabbage Salad with Bleu Cheese, Pecans, Bosc Pears and an Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This salad sounded great in my head but I was nervous that the execution might lead to a too-bitter salad. I was pleasantly surprised with the combination of bitter, crispy cabbage, pungent Cabrales bleu, oaky, crunchy pecans, sweet pears and the vinegar-ridden presence of the dressing. Fresh ground black pepper was the perfect finish.

Maple Bourbon Marinated Pork Loin with a Cranberry Shallot Compote

To all of you "pork haters"...this is my gift to you. This pork dish was perfection! (if I do say so myself) My sous chef and I marinated the pork, crusted it with fresh woody herbs, coarse salt and pepper then gave the loin a hard sear. Right before serving, we finished it in the oven to a moist, juicy medium-well. While the pork rested, we finished it with a bit of brown sugar melted butter and serve it atop brussel sprouts with the cranberry shallot compote on the side.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Parmesan and Black Pepper

If you haven't noticed, I'm a brussel sprout nut- more specifically, a roasted brussel sprout nut. Although I don't personally fiend for bacon, I knew it was a smart choice to go with the brussels. To finish the duo, I sprinkled grated parmesan and fresh-ground cracked pepper atop. Wonderful, wonderful side dish.

Soft Polenta with Balsamic and a Tomato Basil Jam

This is an old-school dish of mine that I served as an hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party in the past. The original appetizer was a firm polenta cut into triangles with tomato jam and a shaving of fontina. This polenta was served soft with fresh herbs, cream, butter and a dash of balsamic. The tomato jam was a mixture of stewed tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic- very simple, yet comforting and familiar to guests.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Crystallized Ginger and Crispy Sage

The ginger in this dish isn't quite recognizable until you take a bite with the buttery squash. This side is quite easy too- the hardest part is getting your knife through the dense skin of the winter squash. I sliced the squash into wedges with the skin intact and roasted them at a high temperature with whole sage leaves, salt, pepper and crystallized ginger. Remind your guests of the inedible skin before serving.

Red Apple Tart with a Fresh Tarragon Vanilla Chantilly Cream

When I am cooking an entire meal from scratch, I go for simplicity either with appetizers or dessert. In this case, I used a puff pastry shortcut for this festive and elegant dessert. To make, I layered thinly-sliced gala apple slices atop defrosted puff pastry with vanilla sugar. The whipped cream had a subtle-anise additive of fresh tarragon and vanilla bean paste. The guests were crazy about this whipped cream and started adding it to their coffee.

After a tiresome, yet fulfilling evening full of holiday cheer, I met Ms. Fort Worth Foodie and Ms. Eat This Fort Worth for an evening of mussels and pommes frites at Sapristi. The fries and aioli were addicting and perfect to sop in the savory broth from the mussels. Along with dinner, I was completely blindsided when Ms. Fort Worth Foodie brought me a simply-wrapped graduation present- an autographed copy of Ad Hoc at Home by the legendary, Chef Thomas Keller with a personal message from Chef Keller to me! I was ecstatic- what a lovely gift.

On the topic of gifts, especially lovely ones, my Christmas was one to remember full of delicious food, gracious gift-giving and times with family and friends. I celebrated two Christmases and cooked dinner parties for each. The party for Mom's side of the family featured simple, comfort food with a hit of spice. Dad's side boasted an Italian flare with simple, seasonal produce.

Christmas Eve Party Menu (Mom's side):

Cheese Board with Honeycomb and Fresh Berries

Fig Jam with Cream Cheese and Black Pepper Crackers

Boiled Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce and Spicy Honey Mustard

Orange Guacamole

Caesar Salad with Garlic Oil Croutons, Anchovy and Fresh Parmesan

Roasted Poblano and Jalapeno Grits with Sharp Cheddar

Roasted Tomatoes with Rosemary, Sage and Garlic Cloves

Pork and Sweet Corn Tamales

Christmas #2 Dinner Party Menu (Dad's side):

Cheese Board with Honeycomb and Fresh Berries

Antipasto Platter
Because the main entree was a vegetarian option, I wanted to offer some cured meats alongside cheeses with salty and briny accompaniments.

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Currants, Orange Peel, Pine Nuts and a Honey Vinaigrette

The garnishes in this salad really pop against the emerald spinach. I was careful to lightly dress the salad and let the flavor-ridden garnishes speak for themselves. This is an appropriately light salad to go with the heavy pasta dish.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Crispy Capers and a Lemon Glaze
For this side, I chopped and roasted a variety of vegetables (mainly roots) including: rutabaga, sweet potatoes, celery root, turnips, butternut squash, red potatoes, red onions and brussel sprouts with a bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. While still warm, I glazed the vegetables with a lemon butter mixture and tossed them with crispy, pan-fried capers.

Pappardelle with Wild Mushrooms, Fresh Herbs and Black Truffle Butter

I chose a variety of wild mushrooms to saute and toss in this pasta dish: portabello, cremini, oyster, shiitake and hen of the woods. The mushrooms were a perfect match with the wide, buttered pappardelle, bitter rosemary and finishing black truffle aroma.

Crusty Baguette

For dessert, my cousin Catherine made delicious chocolate pies with a subtly sweet whipping cream - perfect with a coffee ending.

After eating my heart out in Austin, I returned to Fort Worth for a New Year's Eve dinner at Grace complete with tender crab cakes, spicy seared tuna, filet with truffle butter, pain perdu, champagne and cappuccinos- a decadent meal fit for a queen.

The next evening, I made a celebratory New Years Day meal for two: (complete with a good luck charm)

Ground Pork Burgers with Marjoram, Muenster, Arugula and Apple Grapefruit Compote

Black-Eyed Pea Relish with Jalapeno, Garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar

When crafting this burger, I was going for the whole "pork chops and cinnamon apples" thing and decided to make a compote. To freshen the apple flavor, I added grapefruit for sweetness and ginger and fresh nutmeg for spice. This compote is great with pork but would also be a delicious spread on toast with a side of bacon for breakfast or atop a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.

Apple Grapefruit Compote with Fresh Ginger

3/4 c dried apple rings, chopped

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

rind of one grapefruit (peel rind with a peeler and slice into thin strips)

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 T fresh ginger, grated

1/4 t fresh nutmeg, grated

1/4 t black pepper

2.5 c water

Combine all ingredients. Simmer in a saucepan on medium-low heat approximately one hour until liquid reduces by half. Serve warm with burgers or jar for later use.

Finally, how does everyone like the new look for the blog? The white background seems like a good start for the new year- please let me know.

tzatziki and chocolate ganache

Greek, Caribbean, Italian...oh my! The last few weeks I've piped, stuffed, blended, boiled, baked, creamed, chopped, fried, braised and oh yeah...eaten out incessantly. Story of my life.

People always ask me how I have enough money to eat out and drink out so much. People, that's all I do! Seldom do I go shopping (fortunately, my mother has impeccable taste), and my only other guilty pleasure is getting a pedicure.

All in all, I'd rather spend $200 on a fabulous dinner than on a fabulous dress. Agree or disagree...I'll be eating some fine foods.

A couple weekends ago, I headed to Austin for a fabulous Couples Shower in honor of my girlfriend from high school. The evening was spent with frozen margaritas, El Arroyo catered in, a mansion too fabulous for words and me trying to fit into a Bridesmaid dress that was too sizes too small...figures.

The next evening, I lounged on the patio drinking wine before I made dinner for the fam. When cooking at home, I always take advantage of the outdoor grill...most importantly, my Dad grilling my protein on the outdoor grill.

The Mediterranean-inspired menu was:

Greek Salad with Spinach, Red Onion, Black Olives, Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, Banana Peppers, Feta, English Cucumbers with a Fresh Oregano Vinaigrette

Red Potatoes with Lemon Butter and Fresh Dill

Grilled Chicken with Herbs de Provence

Grilled Pita

Tzatziki sauce

Espresso frozen yogurt (courtesy of my Aunt Becky)

I knew the meal was a success when my grandmother ate everything on her plate and took leftovers. She claims she "can't stand" fresh herbs so I sneak them in whenever possible.

Back in Fort Worth, I started my week off with Pastry class at school. This week focused on cakes- not necessarily types of cakes but methods of cake mixing to get the optimal texture, mouth feel, crumb structure, etc. Yes, there is more to cakes than just opening the Funfetti box.

In the swift 5 hours, we experimented with a creaming method, 2-step method and a dissolved sugar method on a basic white cake recipe. Although I prefer a moister cake and enjoyed the creaming method, the 2-step method was the most successful. Next, we had our choice between an assortment of cakes to make. I decided on a simple pound cake.

That weekend, culinary school friends and I had a themed dinner focusing on Caribbean food at my girlfriend's lovely house.

My contributions were:

Melon Salsa:

1/2 cantaloupe, seeded and diced finely

1/2 honeydew, seeded and diced finely

1/4 seeded yellow watermelon, diced finely

1/4 red onion, minced finely

1/2 cup cilantro, minced along with additional leaves for garnishing

2 limes, zest and juice

1 T honey

1 shaved garlic clove

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until serving. Serve with plantain or tortilla chips.

Pappardelle pasta with Shrimp and a Serrano Cashew Pesto:

Serrano Cashew Pesto:

2 serrano peppers, stem removed

1.25 cup cashews, roasted

1/3 c cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1/4 shallot

zest of 1 lemon

1 T honey

1/3 c peanut oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Stream in peanut oil until a pesto-like consistency is reached. Serve combined with pasta ingredients.

For pasta:

1.25 lbs 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb pappardelle pasta

3/4 stick butter

1/3 c shaved Parmesan

Serrano Cashew pesto

Chopped cilantro and parmesan to garnish

Prepare pasta until al dente. Store in an ice bath to stop cooking and set aside. Meanwhile, saute shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper in olive oil until opaque. Toss in pasta, butter, serrano cashew pesto and parmesan until incorporated. Check for seasonings, garnish with parmesan and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Along with my dishes, there was a smorgasbord of delicious food including:

Frozen Cuba Libres, Mango Daquiris, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Coconut Black-Eyed Peas, Coconut Corn Porridge, Plaintain Dumplings, Sweet Corn Cakes, Pulled Pork Butt, Cole Slaw with Walnuts, Tres Leches Cake with Strawberry Coulis, Coconut Cream Pie and Banana RumCream Pie.

The next few nights were spent restaurant-hopping, bar-hopping and catching up with girlfriends from my TCU days. Below is a run-down of our "feastivities".

Where: Ferre

Ordered: Crab cakes with Fuji Apple Slaw, Basil Vinaigrette, Scallion Puree

Baked Goat Cheese with Walnuts

Pizza with Carmelized Onions and Fennel Sausage

Pasta Campanelle with Tenderloin, Wild Mushrooms and Cognac Cream Sauce

Where: Lamberts

Ordered: Cheese Board with Pork Terrine, Lamb Sausage, Mustards, Gherkins, Brie, Smoked Gouda, Fruit and Walnut bread

Chicken Fried Steak

Where: Taverna

Ordered: Lump Crab Eggs Benedict

Where: Jazz Sunday at Lightcatcher Winery

Ordered: Chardonnay

Tenderloin Panino with Carmelized Onions, Mushrooms, Arugula and Horseradish Mayo

Out of all the meals, I was most impressed with our late Sunday lunch at Lightcatcher Winery. The afternoon was spent with Fort Worth Foodie Magazine's new "Table for 12" event. Although the day was rainy, the afternoon was calming and the food was impressive. The beef in my panino was extremely tender and the horseradish and arugula were perfect to cut through the rich meat and buttery bread.

After eating out to my heart's content, I vowed to cook dinner the next week.

Italian Garden Meal:

Tempura-Fried Squash Blossoms stuffed with Ricotta, Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Marjoram, Fresh Lavender, Diced Squash, Rosemary and Lemon Zest with a Lemon Aioli

Hand-stuffed Canneloni with Braised Artichokes, Fresh Mozzarella and Lemon Butter Caper Wine Sauce

I was happy with the flavors in the squash blossoms, but a little unhappy with the texture and eye appeal. Although the tempura was a light batter, it was a little too heavy for the delicate flavors in the stuffing. The Canneloni had a complex sauce and the artichokes added an unexpected freshness to a typically heavy dish.

After a delicious dinner, I prepared for pastry class the next morning: Chocolate and Icings. Within our class time, we focused on using proper techniques- mainly tempering chocolate and making the perfect Italian and French butter cream. I made chocolate ganache and Italian butter cream, practiced piping and played with making chocolate filigrees- the gorgeous chocolate designs piped with ganache and used as decorative purposes for pastry.

The next three weeks, our Pastry Class will focus on our "Finished Product" classes using basic components we have learned to create plated dishes showcasing these techniques. Below are my dessert ideas...we will see what I change on the fly once I reach the kitchen.

Components: Laminated Dough, Stirred Custard

Dish: Blitz Puff Pastry Napoleon with Lime Pastry Cream, Fresh Mango, Starfruit and Kiwi with a Passionfruit Coulis

Component: Laminated Dough

Dish: Savory Blitz Puff Pastry Tart with Heirloom Tomatoes, Carmelized Onions, Thyme, Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Component: Baked Custard

Dish: Banana Creme Brulee with Salted Caramel Sauce

Component: Pie

Dish: Plum Nectarine Crostada

Component: Pate a Choux

Dish: Cocoa Profiteroles with Chocolate Chile Ganache and Cinnamon Espresso Creme Fraiche

Component: Cake

Dish: Layered Pound Cake with Tarragon Whipped Cream, Raspberry Coulis and Sugared Sweet Cherries, Blackberries and Raspberries

the dreaded chicken and dinner for two

I have been dreading my poultry fabrication class since I started culinary school. Something about chicken really irks me. I'm very reluctant to order it in restaurants, I don't cook it much at home and I'm just not a big fan of it.

So....last night was poultry fab! Haha, it really wasn't that bad. We started off by learning how to fab the whole chicken into eight pieces...I got to break the backbone...then we used all eight pieces for our dishes of the night. We split into teams (as usual) and prepared:

Braised bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
Duchess potatoes

Poached chicken tarragon with steamed rice

Braised chicken thighs with curry vegetables, toasted almonds and steamed rice

Fried chicken wings with gravy
Salad of our choice

I was in charge of the fried chicken with gravy and the salad.

For the salad, I decided on a spinach salad with red onion, crumbled bacon, bleu cheese and candied orange peel with an orange vinaigrette (orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper)

I dredged the fried chicken in buttermilk and seasoned flour then pan-fried it. After about 10 minutes frying on both sides, I finished it in the oven. Our team did really well this week...much better than meat fabrication. Maybe chickens aren't so bad after all...

Sunday night I went on a shopping rampage at Central Market...probably due to my depression of the weekend ending and my boyfriend flying back to Nashville. I wouldn't say it was compulsive shopping, but I was definitely just picking up what looked good.

Tonight I made dinner for my roommate and I. The menu was:

Brussel sprouts sauteed in a pecan butter
Blanch the brussel sprouts in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes then transfer to an ice bath. Set aside.
Chop pecans and toast in a dry pan for a few minutes.
Add a few tablespoons of butter to the pecans and melt. Add brussel sprouts, salt and pepper if desired.
Saute to desired texture.

Roasted butternut squash with crispy sage
Half a butternut squash and scoop seeds out.
Cut inards into uniform chunks and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, sea salt and chiffonade sage.
Roast at 350, turning often, for about 20 minutes.
Garnish with leftover sage.

Grilled ginger-garlic flank steak with caramelized shallots
I seasoned my flank steak with salt and marinated it with a ginger-garlic sauce from Central Market- so easy .

Heat your grill pan at medium-high heat. When water sizzles on the pan, add some olive oil and your steak.

Cook to desired doneness rotating at 45 degrees for hatch marks. I cooked mine at medium rare, about 6 minutes on each side.
When steak is cooked, transfer to a plate and let rest. In the same pan, add olive oil, white wine and sliced shallots to create a pan sauce. When meat has rested, slice against the grain and garnish with sauteed shallots.

CM wheat rolls

The finished product is to the right. A culinary school friend of mine suggested I take pictures of everything I cook for my blog...great idea! Happy eating everyone!

meat fab and the weekend I gained 20 pounds

Last week was a perfect week- I was off work for two days, my boyfriend was coming in for the weekend and we were road tripping together to go to Austin.

I also had a week of wonderful dining out and cooking. Monday morning began it all...

After a morning of Starbucks (hot green tea), Target and the bank, I met Cat at Central Market for lunch. I love the sandwich bar- so much to choose from.

I went for smoked turkey on sunflower bread (not on the menu but ask for it) with dijonnaise, provolone, cucumber, lettuce, tomato and avocado. I grabbed a side of pineapple and grapes and I was good to go.

Mine was tasty and simple but Cat's was definitely better...so pretty I had to take a picture. She got the oven-roasted turkey on ciabatta with an olive relish, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, oil and red wine vinegar. She also opted for fresh berries and blueberry lemonade. We sat outside...too beautiful to be stuck inside- great Monday.

Last Monday night was culinary class- meat fabrication. For me, it was a complete disaster. Maybe I'm just too hard on myself, but traditional beef recipes are just not my style. Within my group of three, we made:

Meatloaf with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a horseradish, Worcestershire and ketchup glaze

Traditional beef stew with turnips, carrots and potatoes

Stuffed pork chops with a demi-glace

Pork shish kabobs with plum tomatoes, purple onions and rice pilaf

I was in charge of the beef stew, the rice pilaf for the shish kabobs and plating everything. The beef was tender, the vegetables were bright and the broth had good flavor but the stew never thickened to the right point, nor were the vegetables tender enough. The rice pilaf turned out ok. Sometimes the simplest things to cook at home are the most difficult to cook when you are in a industrial kitchen. So, in a nutshell...meat fabrication week was not my shining moment.

Thursday evening, my boyfriend Jared flew in from Nashville! By the time we got back from Love Field, most restaurants were closed so we hit up Boomer Jacks for some drinks and bar food.

Friday morning, we drove through Starbucks for a couple of hazelnut lattes, then headed to Austin to meet my Mom and my girlfriend Tyler for lunch at Blue Star Cafe. Amongst an appetizer of chicken quesadillas, we shared an Asian chicken salad, tarragon chicken salad sandwich, a maple-mustard turkey sandwich and a lemon cupcake. We returned to my parents house later for a quiet afternoon.

We had the whole family over for a Friday night cook-out. I was in charge of hors d'oeuvres, salad, sides and dessert (with my trusty sous chef, Jared) and Father James (good friend of the family) prepared the entree. The menu was:

Assorted beer and wine (La Crema chardonnay, Prosecco, Dos Equis and Shiner)


Roasted cashews with rosemary and cayenne

Roast unsalted cashews in a pan for a few minutes then toss with a few tablespoons of melted butter, minced rosemary and a few dashes of cayenne.
Garnish with a rosemary sprig in a pretty bowl.


Zucchini and shallot flat bread

Pre-made pizza dough is your best friend here- either get it raw from a pizza place or you can get the "dough in a can" stuff.
I rolled the dough into a rectangle, brushed the dough with olive oil and sprinkled fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper on top.
Top with thinly sliced zucchini and shallots.
Cook on 350 for about 15 minutes.
If the edges get too dark, cover with foil until the inside is fully cooked.
Cut into squares and serve on a rectangular tray or platter.


Arugula salad with fresh figs, crumbled asiago, toasted walnuts and a honey-garlic vinaigrette

Make the dressing...combine champagne vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper and honey and whisk in your extra virgin olive oil. I always eyeball my dressing proportions. If you do it and it tastes too much like vinegar, add oil...too oily, add an acid. Set dressing aside.
Toast your walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes, slice figs and "crumble" your asiago wedge by taking off small chunks with a kitchen knife.
Toss all ingredients together with dressing, carefully not to bruise the figs. Garnish with more figs, asiago and walnuts on top.


Roasted new potatoes with rosemary

This doesn't get any easier. Slice red potatoes into uniform chunks (1.5 in x 1.5 in).
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on an edged baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
Roast at 350 for about 45 minutes (make sure you toss the potatoes around throughout cooking time and add minced rosemary halfway through to prevent rosemary from burning).
Serve on a large platter with string beans and chicken.


Haricot verts sauteed with butter and shallots

Snap the ends off the beans and blanch beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes.
Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop residual cooking and maintain pretty green color.
In a pan, heat olive oil and butter then add sliced shallots to saute.
After the shallots have become translucent, add the beans and coat evenly with the fat.
Add salt, freshly ground pepper and more butter if desired.
Saute until the beans are at your desired crispness.



Grilled chicken (marinated in a fig-chipotle sauce) stuffed with grilled portabellos, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto and goat cheese

I didn't make this one...but it looked pretty simple to to do.
Marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in whatever sauce your desire. We used a fig-chipotle marinade.
Meanwhile, marinate two portabello mushrooms caps with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Grill both the chicken and mushrooms (only par-cook the chicken. After you stuff it, it will finish in the oven)
Butterfly each chicken breast and stuff with sliced, grilled portabello mushroom, a slice of prosciutto di parma, a pat of goat cheese, and a couple of oil-soaked sun-dried tomatoes (the oil from the tomatoes will keep the stuffing moist)
Transfer stuffed chicken to the oven until breasts are fully cooked through


Apple tart with cinnamon and lemon zest

My mom and I would always make this on the weeknights when I was in high school. It is so simple and tastes homemade.
You can either bake your own apples until softened or use frozen apples. We baked them.
After the apples are baked and cooled, combine with cinnamon, sugar and lemon zest.
Using a refrigerated pie crust, spoon in apple mixture and fold residual dough over to seal the filling in.
Top with an egg wash and turbinado sugar for crunch.
Bake at 350 until dough is golden brown.
Slice and serve warm with homemade whipped cream or vanilla-bean ice cream.

Homemade brownies (a la my grandmother, Becca)

Everything turned out delicious and disappeared within minutes. After dinner, a group of us headed to Kenichi for some sake and Sapporo.

Saturday morning, my mom and I made breakfast for the boys while they were glued to watching football.

We made really simple migas:
Cut corn tortillas into slices, saute with a bit of oil until crispy
In a separate pan, saute onions and red peppers until softened, add beaten eggs and season with salt and pepper
When eggs are cooked, fold in tortilla strips and top with shredded cheese. Cover pan to melt cheese.
Serve with salsa and fresh avocado slices.

Saturday night, Jared, Megan, David and i went to the Covey for dinner. The boys opted for beer (Texas Wheat, Weiner Bock, Amber Ale) and Megan and I split a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Once again, we were starving so we ordered way too much (and ate it all). To begin, we split a southwestern Greek salad with sweet peppers, feta and a hummus crouton. Next, we ordered the Ta-Tanka pizza (shaved bison, spicy Asian dressing, caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella and cilantro). It was SO delicious...perfect flavor combination. The pizza usually comes with roasted red peppers but I substituted them for the onions and cilantro. Try it!

Next, we ordered the blackened halibut tacos with a jalapeno cole slaw and a black bean and corn salsa. The tacos were flavorful and light with the perfect amount of heat. The corn and black bean salad was pretty worthless to me- not much flavor. Finally, we ordered the chocolate souffle served with vanilla bean ice cream. It was warm and gooey and the ice cream was addicting. Perfect dessert to share for an evening out.

Our weekend eating binge ended with Sunday morning brunch at Gloria's...huevos con papas with guacamole- too full to walk.