...and the eggs

Tobacco Road!

2008-08-28T20:25:00.009-04:00

Tobacco Road, Miami's oldest bar, has been around since 1912. Tobacco Road is still a bar, but it's also a restaurant and concert locale. We recently had lunch there and learned that they serve a mean hamburger and fries! They have a large salad and sandwich menu, which you can find on their website here. Here are just some of the burger and fries and salads our group enjoyed there.

Classic Roadburger with fried egg.

Classic Roadburger with salad!

Caesar Salad with chicken breast strips.

We also had a classic burger with jalepeno peppers and fries and Q ordered a turkey burger. They were fresh out of turkey burgers, so she opted for a regular burger on healthier bread.

The burgers were delicious- the service was slow. You have to accept this place for what it is and not expect professional, detail-oriented service staff. It's a bar that has a decent food! Don't expect more and you will not be disappointed. There is a large section outside which would be a blast to hang out in for happy hour. I would definitely go back there to hear a band, have a drink or even for a fantastic burger and crappy service...and the eggs.

An Interesting Statistic

2008-08-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

While listening to the radio on the drive to work this morning, I heard a commercial for Publix brand paper towels, which are on sale right now for $.89 a roll with a 4 roll limit. In the commercial, the voice tells us that the average American family uses one and one half rolls of paper towels per week. I consider myself fairly average- but my family of two people, three dogs and one bird is evidently anything but. We go through at least one roll of paper towels per day. That is at least seven rolls per week! Bounty. Regular or Mega-Rolls, Select-A-Size (which TLMM loathes because she never can select the size she needs)-- it makes no difference. Where did Publix get that statistic? Could we really be that abnormal, using almost 700% more rolls of paper towels than the average family? How many rolls does your family use?? I've gotta know...and the eggs.

Miami Spice: Rosa Mexicano

2008-08-24T06:30:00.020-04:00

During the annual Miami Spice event, the restaurants considered Miami's best offer three-course meals (lunch for $23, dinner for $36) featuring signature dishes by the chefs. My first Miami Spice event was lunch at Rosa Mexicano, a restaurant in Mary Brickell Village. Rosa Mexicana has eight locations throughout the U.S. with three more being added in the next year. It's upscale Mexican food a la P.F. Chang's with food that is much more memorable.

I was happy that my new co-workers asked me to join them for lunch! At Rosa, the Miami Spice menu offers three appetizers.

Guacamole en Moicajete, which is for two or more, is made tableside. It's fun to watch and while it might be a little gimmicky, it was -- hands down -- the best guacamole I have ever tasted, and I have eaten a lot of guacamole! Fortunately, I was watching it being prepared and spotted the cilantro in time to ask that it not be included in one of the orders. It was simple as could be which might be the secret to guacamole. I think it's harder to recreate this at home only because unless that's all you are making, it has to sit for at least a few minutes, which detracts from the overall flavor. I know this serving was for two but the only thing keeping me from not eating it all myself was the other food to come. Oh, and the fact that I didn't want my new friends to think I am a hog. I can't wait to go back to Rosa one evening and enjoy drinks with guacamole and chips. Chances are they make a mean margarita! Okay- this was just the first in a trio of surprisingly good appetizers.

Sopa de Tortilla - Pasilla chile soup with grilled chicken, avocado, shredded cheese, crema and crispy tortilla chips. Ask for spicy!

Flautas de Pollo - Rolled crispy chicken tacos topped with salsa pasilla de Oaxaca, salsa verde and sour cream. Very tasty!

The main dishes were Ensalada de la Calle which is Mexico City street salad with grilled chopped chicken tossed with mango, pineapple, jicama and toasted pumpkin seeds with honey-lime vinagrette. Sounds good, but no one in our party ordered it.

Salmon en Manchamanteles- Grilled organic salmon over black beans with zucchini and roasted corn mole of ancho chilies and tropical fruits. Everything was just fresh and simple. I tasted this dish, and loved it- the flavors all complimented each other and the fruit made it even better. I love fruit in savory dishes, but I never use it in cooking at home. Maybe I should start.

Enchiladas Suizas- Two soft corn tortillas filled with pulled roasted chicken, topped with a creamy tomatillo sauce and queso fresco. A few ordered this, including me, and it was amazing. The chicken was fresh and tender, the corn tortillas gave the dish the perfect flavor and the sauce was very good. The only thing I didn't like about the dish was the gratuitous cilantro on top. None of my dining companions minded it- except for Q (she who knows everything) who said she didn't like it either.

Dessert! This is the Pastel de Queso- Rich, creamy cheesecake filled with baked apple cajeta sauce. It was amazing. I think almost everyone else asked for their dessert to go, but somehow I managed to eat all of mine. The other choice for dessert was Flan- coconut flan served with toasted pineapple-vanilla sabayon. I don't think you could go wrong with either choice.

I highly recommend Rosa Mexicano for as long as the quality of food is sustained. I hope that it lasts, but my last few trips to P.F. Chang's at the Falls were highly disappointing. I think it initially went wrong with the staff (not a big surprise for a restaurant at a mall) and the lack of quality eventually trickled down to the food. I pray Rosa Mexicano will avoid that trap. I expect it will, especially if this visit was any indication.

Is it good news or bad news that Rosa is within walking distance from my new office? Will my veins soon bleed green, filled with guacamole? That remains to be seen, but for the time being, I am happy to have found this restaurant and this group of people. Co-workers who enjoy a good restaurant now and then and who were kind enough to invite me along. I don't think they minded my picture taking- if they did, they were nice enough not to say anything about it! So thank you to them. My new job seems like the perfect fit...and the eggs.

Back to Cooking- Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms and Onions

2008-08-21T07:35:00.009-04:00

Getting back to some cooking, I thought I'd try to make something I had never made before- Risotto. Sounds easy enough and while it is an interactive recipe (labor intensive with all the stirring and watching), it was fun to watch chemistry work through cooking at its best!

Chop a container of baby portabellos and one large white onion. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Add onions and mushrooms and stir until onions are softened, 3-5 minutes.

Stir in two cups of rice and a teaspoon of salt. Add three cups of broth (I used both chicken and vegetable broth) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat so that the contents simmer until the broth is absorbed, 8-10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and stir frequently until absorbed. Add additional broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring somewhere in between frequently and constantly until absorbed. Do this until the rice is creamy but still a little firm in the center. According to the recipe, this should have taken 30-45 minutes, but it took mine longer- just over an hour to reach the perfect consistency.

After adding third 1/2 cup of broth.

Close-up of the delicious creaminess!

When the risotto has cooked, you will know it- first of all, it has tripled in volume. The rice is cooked through but has not lost its firmness. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 or more grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm! This works for a main dish or a side dish. I just go ahead and make it a main dish- and it would make a good vegetarian main dish, too. So if you have been afraid to try risotto at home, don't be- it's easy, and all that stirring gives your arms a nice workout...and the eggs.

Shirley Valentine Weekend

2008-08-19T06:56:00.016-04:00

The worst of the weather has passed and all is well! As you must already know, we planned our recent trip to Richmond to see Muffinface in her second one woman show! We had the pleasure (thank you, Gretchen) of seeing Gretchen, Harry and Allie (Harry and Allison pictured above) during one afternoon. My dad and Kitty-mom made Richmond a stopping point on their way home from North Carolina. We went to Liberty Valance, a themed steakhouse and neighborhood staple (just don't ask me which neighborhood)!

That's Allie, showing off her special talent of trapping iced tea in a straw!

Later that evening, at Hanover Tavern, we met up with Sparki and the Dean and Phil (here's Phil sans Vicki). I guess I was more preoccupied with getting photos of the food than of all the people!

Here's Sparki and behind him is the Shirley Valentine set. He looks very excited! We were all excited to see Muffinface portray the title character. As soon as the lights came up, I saw my sister for one beat and then realized we were actually watching Shirley. We weren't watching someone play her. Of all the theater I have enjoyed starring my sister-- and there has been loads of it considering she has been doing this all of her life-- this piece was, by far, my favorite. The story is that Shirley and her husband raised their children and now live a predictable day-to-day existence. A 42-year old Shirley wonders what happened to her life and realizes (as she talks to her kitchen wall) that she has wasted her potential and hasn't exactly lived her life the way she imagined she would. She escapes to Greece on a trip with a friend and finally comes into her own. I'm the same age as Shirley and a few years ago, I took stock of my life and took steps to change things. The message in Shirley Valentine is universal, timeless and I could feel the energy in the theater as every audience member took the journey with Shirley.

After the play, we met up with my sister, Steve P., my sister's BFF, and a few others. We went to Davis and Main, another restaurant, for a few drinks. Some had dessert. We had time to sit and to catch up on things with friends we hadn't seen in a few years, and my dad and Kitty-Mom who we hadn't seen since their recent trip to Russia. You know how there are people you might not see for a couple of years or even more and 5 minutes after you see them you feel that no time has passed? That's what this night was like. It was one of those treasured times when you are physically surrounded by family (whether they are blood relatives or not). I wish we could do it all over again tomorrow.

We bid our farewells and went home to my sister's house to collapse. The next day, as we made our way to the airport and back to Florida, the weekend seemed like a blur- a dream- but we had no regrets, having fit a week of visiting (and eating) into two short days...and the eggs.

Just in case...

2008-08-18T06:15:00.002-04:00

If you don't see new posts for a couple of days, it's because we lost power. Tropical Storm Fay is not forecast to deliver a direct hit to our area (not that you could tell from the satellite graphic above), but we are in the cone. High winds are enough to pull the plug in these parts. If that happens, we'll be doing some creative cooking to save the contents of our refrigerator and freezer- it might be interesting. At one point during the 2005 season, we were without power for a week. Our neighbor pulled a grill out onto the front lawn and all of the other neighbors brought their quickly thawing meat for a candle-lit cookout. Another neighbor brought ice so we cooled down our remaining stores of beer and had a good old time. It was the bright point in an otherwise very trying, hot, traumatic week. We have since moved, but hope that if the worst should happen, we will at least spend some quality time with some folks in the 'hood...and the eggs.

Hanover Tavern and The Barksdale Theater

2008-08-16T12:36:00.015-04:00

Just outside of Richmond, Virginia, is the Hanover Tavern, which was built in 1791 and has just undergone a 15 year renovation. Upstairs is Michelle's at Hanover Tavern- see the website here. Downstairs is the Barksdale Theater. The setup is perfect for dinner and a show, which is exactly what we did while we were there. As we walked from the gravel parking lot to the building, I knew it would be a magical night! First, the dinner.

On the Summer 2008 Theater Menu, there are a choice of 7 first courses, 7 second courses and 3 desserts. I think we hit just about all of the courses with our party of 8, so let's get started! We ordered a couple of bottles of Pinot Noir to start off right.

Kitty-Mom ordered Watermelon Gazpacho. An excellent take on ordinary gazpacho, making it extraordinary. If it hadn't had cilantro in it, it would have been flawless.

She Crab Soup. One of the best I have ever tasted- mellow, creamy- just crabby enough. Hot, delicious. I wish TLMM had ordered two.

The Dean ordered Caesar Salad. Looked lovely- he said it tasted great. Fresh ingredients and zingy dressing!

I couldn't resist ordering crab dip- and look at it! It is meant to be an appetizer for one person, but it was enough for everyone at our table to have some. Very good- the roasted peppers gave it a bit of a different flavor, I want to try to make this at home.

Either Phil or Vicky ordered Fried Green Tomatoes. They enjoyed them very much- I forgot to ask for a bite!

Sparki ordered the Hanover Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella, which he said was very good. The balsamic reduction definitely boosted the whole dish to another level.

Finally, my dad's Fried Chesapeake Oysters. He liked them. I didn't taste them but the plate sure looks pretty! We had every first course on our table except for the House Salad.

On to the Second Courses. Crab cakes- man, oh man they looked excellent. They were served with apple and celery root remoulade, asparagus and Carolina Plantation rice with ham and chives.

Several people ordered duck, which was served with basmati rice, sauteed mustard greens and peach butter. The general consensus was that the duck was too dry - but edible. It was the only disappointing entree.

The Filet Mignon came with port-black pepper demi-glace, truffle mashed potatoes and warm local tomato salad. Several also ordered this. I loved it- the pepper sauce was subtle yet still peppery. The mashed potatoes were creamy and wonderful. I think I ate every morsel on my plate!

Pork tenderloin with charred tomato BBQ, Napa cabbage slaw Byrd's Mill Grits. Well, that's what the menu said anyway- this is clearly not cabbage slaw. It was the mustard greens that came with the duck. Sparki didn't like them, not one little bit, but he loved everything else on his plate.

Pan Seared Salmon with Silver Queen corn succotash, roasted potatoes and lemon emulsion. I didn't have a taste of this, but I wish that I did. It looked excellent and smelled even better. As much as I love red meat, I think I would order this on my next visit.

We had every entree on the menu except for Vegetarian Risotto and Chicken Pasta. By the time we finished our entrees, we didn't think we could eat another bite. But you get free dessert so we all thought we'd give it the old college try.

Coffee for everyone, and then we had at the desserts. Chocolate Pecan Pie was so scrumptious I couldn't eat just one bite like I had planned to. So good- the perfect amount of pecans, chocolate and crust. Mmmmmmm!

Creme Brulee.

Finally, the piece de resistance for the entire evening- Strawberry Shortcake. If you have never tried this dish in the South, I highly suggest you do. The biscuits were tender and flaky, the strawberries ripe as can be and the cream was fresh. The combination was out of this world.

If you are ever in the Richmond, Virginia area and get a hankerin' for dinner and a show, this picturesque rural location is not to be missed. We spoke with several folks from the D.C. area, , so the word has already spread. In addition to the quality dining in Richmond, there is an active theater community and are always several shows open. The weekend we were there, I know of at least three- Shirley Valentine (the reason for our visit), Guys and Dolls and Little Shop of Horrors!

My hunch was right and the evening did prove to be magical. After that marvelous dinner, the eight of us walked downstairs, met up with more friends and went into the theater to enjoy a couple of hours of Shirley Valentine, starring my own little baby sister, Jill Bari Steinberg, aka Muffinface. That experience, and the hours we spent visiting afterward, are the topic of my next post...stay tuned...and the eggs.

The White Dog, Richmond, Virginia

2008-08-11T19:33:00.006-04:00

A few hours after our arrival in the capital city of Richmond, Virginia, we were off to one of our favorite restaurants, The White Dog, in the Fan neighborhood. The restaurant is named for Max, a mutt who was adopted from the SPCA in 1992 by the restaurant's owner.

The first thing you might notice upon arrival is the availability of good beer on tap! They have Boddington, Stella Artois, Blue Moon and others. You might also notice the original artwork adorning the walls. They were all painted by Roslyn Pruitt, Max's mommy and local artist. You might notice all these things. Even if you don't, there is one thing that won't go unnoticed- the quality of the food!

First, a few appetizers! I had never tried this Wilted Spinach with Walnut & Brown Sugar Crusted Chevre Cheese and Bacon Vinaigrette. It is now one of my very favorite dishes anywhere! The flavors were made for each other- and the amount of each on the plate was perfectly planned.

The Bruschetta Trio- artichoke spread, hummus and sun dried tomato pesto with feta. Mmmm. Despite my unnatural love of artichokes, my favorite was the sun dried tomato with feta.

The Captain ordered the Soup of the Day, which was seafood chowder on this day. He gave it rave reviews- by the time I thought to ask for a taste, it was gone. Maybe he'll post a comment describing it.

Max's Carnivore Special for the night was lamb glazed with mustard sauce. TLMM can't pass up lamb, and she happily reported that this might have been the best lamb she had ever had.

I ordered Black Angus New York Strip with Roasted Garlic Glaze. I chose cheddar grits for the side dish- the steak was good but the cheddar grits were stellar. Grits always taste better in Virginia. Speaking of sides, the choices for the day were mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheddar grits, herbed orzo and collard greens.

The Captain had Grilled Flank Steak in a Mongolian Marinade. I didn't forget to ask for a taste, which was advantageous since he did go on to finish every morsel on his plate. The steak was tender, well seasoned and melt in your mouth delicious!

There were so many other entrees that sound mouth-watering. One of these I had during my last visit- "Beggar's Purse" Pasta stuffed with Cheese and Pear served with Roasted Spaghetti Squash, Toasted Pine Nuts and Spinach in a White Wine Butter Sauce. How about Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon, Artichoke Hearts, Red Onion, Tomatoes, Leeks, Spinach and Garlic in a light cream sauce over Herbed Orzo? There is Bourbon Spiked BBQ Shrimp and they also have Seafood and Vegetarian specials daily.

You might be surprised at the restaurant scene in Richmond. The food is inventive and there is always something on the menu reminiscent of true Southern cooking. Our first meal in Richmond was a winner, and would be a tough act to follow...and the eggs.

The Reviews are In and We're Off!

2008-08-08T06:33:00.007-04:00

Off to Richmond, Virginia , where my very own little sister is performing in Shirley Valentine, the timeless one-woman show written by Willy Russell. For reviews see here and here.

While in Richmond, we will make sure to fit in a few dining destinations, especially one of our favorite restaurants, The White Dog- see their website here. We'll also be trying something new to us- Michelle's, the restaurant at the historic Hanover Tavern which is also where the theatre is located.

Stop back next week for the juicy details...and the eggs.

Happy First Day of Work Girl

2008-08-06T06:45:00.004-04:00

Monday I came home after the first day of my new job to TLMM putting the finishing touches on this! It was a breaded baked center cut pork chop, asparagus quick cooked in spicy spices and noodles with garlic and butter. Mmmm. It really was the best pork chop I ever tasted! I could get used to this...and the eggs!

Pierogies with Onions

2008-08-03T05:01:00.011-04:00

If you are in or around Pittsburgh, stop by Pierogies Plus in McKees Rocks for a huge variety of homemade, old school pierogies. See how they're made here. Then click on "Walk-In Menu" to see all the varieties they offer! In the rest of the country (and for those of us who don't have time to make them ourselves) frozen pierogies will do fine. We use Mrs. T's, which are so good you can barely tell that they aren't homemade. You can cook them using many different methods, including deep frying and grilling, but we like ours sauteed in butter with onions. Any type of pierogies will work with this recipe- we used ones with potato filling.

Saute one roughly chopped large onion in 1/2 stick of salted butter over medium high heat.

Meanwhile, boil water for pierogies. Cook them for only a few minutes (not more than 5) until the dough softens- they will be cooked in the butter and onions so you don't want to cook them for the full amount of time on the package.

After onion just starts to caramelize, add drained pierogies with another 1/2 stick butter.

Continue cooking, flipping after a few minutes, so both sides of the pierogie brown.

That's it. After they become dark-ish golden brown and the onions are caramelized, they're ready. We garnish ours with a dollop of sour cream. This dish is so good for many reasons- it's delicious because the flavors all melt together and simply compliment each other. It's a fast and easy weeknight dinner. You can easily adjust the quantity to fit your family's taste.

A couple of years ago I was in Pittsburgh and went to Butya's, a neighborhood bar, to watch the Philadelphia Eagles play the New Orleans Saints. The place was packed with fans watching the Steelers play Kansas City. I noticed small appetizer portions of fried pierogies in front of many of the locals, so I figured they must go well with beer and suggested we order one. A couple of plates of pierogies later, the goodness of the dough, the potato and the crunchy onions helped ease the pain of the Eagles' impending loss. They were that good...and the eggs.

Chickpea Curry

2008-07-27T10:30:00.007-04:00

This is a great, easy main dish- you might have the ingredients in your pantry already.

1 medium sweet onion
2 chorizo sausages sliced into small chunks
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (and their juices)
1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 container vegetable stock (to add 1/4 cup at a time, let reduce and repeat)

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and let it cook until it is translucent. Add curry powder and chorizo. Cook with the onions until the onions start to caramelize. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable stock to deglaze and let simmer until stock is absorbed.

Add chickpeas and tomatoes and more stock- let it simmer until the stock is absorbed. When chick peas are soft and cooked, the dish is done. It takes different amounts of time depending on the heat- but takes between 30 and 45 minutes from start to finish. Serve with bread or over rice.

This is something different for us- and we loved it. The chorizo gave it a kick and the caramelized onion adds another layer of flavor. My brother in law, JAM, makes this dish regularly without the sausage and he more or less directed me in the kitchen. There is so much you can do with chick peas, I am definitely inspired to try new proteins and new flavors...and the eggs.

Steak Fajitas

2008-07-22T06:10:00.000-04:00

At the end of a trying weekend during which my car wouldn't start and we needed an emergency plumber (among other things) there was a silver lining. TLMM had something up her sleeve that would save the day! She made these steak fajitas on the grill using a cast iron skillet to give it that sizzle reminiscent of what you might get at a Mexican restaurant.

Slice flank steak on a slant and red pepper, green pepper and onion in 1/2" slices.

Start the grill. Put a small measure of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet and add spices- garlic powder, garlic salt, cayenne pepper-- we looked at the ingredients on a package of fajita seasoning and improvised. She used the cayenne to cook the steak to spice it up and not have to use sauces and condiments after the fact. It also seasoned the vegetables to the perfect heat level. This worked because the three of us (JAM, TLMM and I) all like spice! Close the grill's lid and let the spices toast for about 2 minutes. When the spices are fragrant, add the steak.

Let it go for a couple of minutes and then flip and stir. When there is no pinkness left, remove and drain steak. This does not take long on a hot grill!

Add about a tablespoon more vegetable oil to the grill and add the vegetables. Close lid- listen for that sizzle!

After a couple of minutes, stir veggies- when they just start to brown, add beef back into the skillet. That's it! As soon as the beef gets hot again, it's ready to eat.

For flour tortillas, heat a tiny amount of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan. When it gets hot, put tortilla in the pan for up to a minute on each side until it's warm and toasty. Load up tortilla and add any desired condiments- we used shredded cheese, guacamole and a dab of sour cream.

I think I could eat this every night- it was so good, better than any I have had in a restaurant. It's easy to make. It's yummy. It put a good spin on the whole two days. Of course, the margaritas didn't hurt, either...and the eggs.

Banana Pudding

2008-07-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am feeling particularly joyful! I have been in the market for a new job for a few months and accepted an offer late yesterday afternoon. TLMM cooked up a celebratory dinner which included phenomenal grilled shrimp along with my favorite dinner, steak and artichokes! Complete with champagne! It was a fun night, I don't change jobs often so when I do I see it an an excuse to celebrate. Anyhoo, have you ever tried to make the banana pudding recipe on the Nilla Wafer box? I did it the other day and the result was rich and downright delicious.

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
45 NILLA Wafers, divided
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided
Additional NILLA Wafers for garnish

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Reserve 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving. Makes 8 rich, custard-y servings...and the eggs.

Classic Bolognese! Mange!

2008-07-16T06:00:00.005-04:00

In the heart of NYC's Little Italy is a great little eatery, Amici II. It's a little gem in a sea of Italian food- and their bolognese is the best I have ever tasted. I wanted to recreate the taste so I turned to.....you guessed it......Cook's Illustrated. This is their Classic Bolognese Sauce.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons minced onion
4 tablespoons minced carrot
4 tablespoons minced celery
1/2 pound each ground beef chuck, ground veal, and ground pork
2 cups whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
2 cans whole tomatoes (28 oz.) , packed in juice, chopped fine, with juice reserved

Heat butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, carrot, and celery and sautè until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes.

Add ground meat and 1 teaspoon salt; crumble meat with edge of spatula to break apart into tiny pieces. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.

Add milk and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 30 minutes. Add wine and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 30 minutes longer.

Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, until liquid has evaporated, about 4 hours. Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste and serve. When draining the pasta, leave some water on the noodles- and add a couple of tablespoons of butter to the draining noodles- this, in addition to some parmesan cheese on top of the sauce, will help the sauce coat the pasta noodles.

As you can see, it's easy- just time consuming. You add liquid three times and wait for it to be absorbed each time. I think the secret to the Amici's taste I was looking for was simmering the meat in milk. This isn't kosher Italian, folks. But it is wonderful- the flavors of the tender flavor infused crumbly meat do the talking. The recipe above is doubled- if you halve it, simmer each time for 10-15 minutes instead of 30, and after the tomatoes simmer for 3 hours instead of 4. You know how pasta sauce is always better after being frozen? That's precisely why I doubled it, to have even better sauce in a couple of weeks with another box of fettucine. That is if I can wait a couple of weeks for another pranzo squisito...and the eggs.

Eastern Shore Crab Cakes!

2008-07-12T06:55:00.018-04:00

My father grew up in Baltimore and he tells us that as a child he would crab the Chesapeake by dangling his toes in the water waiting for a nibble and scooping up crabs with a net. My earliest memories of him involve crabbing off of a rickety (my mother's adjective for the spot) pier in Port Aransas, Texas, tying chicken necks to strings and sitting, waiting for that good tug on the line. If we went out with one of his friends on a canoe or small boat for a few hours, we'd come back with laundry baskets brimming with live crabs. We'd take them home and he would cook them in huge pots with beer and Old Bay seasoning. Finally, when we were all sitting around a picnic table covered in newspaper, wooden mallets and small cups of melted butter, our mouths watering, I would watch my father meticulously clean at least a dozen crabs- placing all of the cleaned meat in a small pile- before he would start to eat. OCD? Perhaps. I never emulated that strange and wonderful skill (I was far too impatient), but I did inherit his love of crabmeat. This is a not-so messy way to enjoy the goodness of crab. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, a periodical and a website which I strongly recommend based on its use of a test kitchen. These crabcakes are made with ingredients which enhance the flavor of the crab without adding much filler.

1 pound lump crabmeat, meticulously cleaned
4 medium scallions, green part only, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 large egg
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cups vegetable oil

Gently mix crabmeat, scallions, herb, Old Bay, bread crumbs, and mayonnaise in medium bowl, being careful not to break up crab lumps. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Carefully fold in egg with rubber spatula until mixture just clings together.

2. Divide crab mixture into four or five portions and shape each into a fat, round cake, about 3 inches across and 1 1/2-inches high. Arrange on baking sheet lined with waxed paper; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. (Can refrigerate up to 24 hours.)

3. Put flour on plate. Lightly dredge crab cakes. Heat oil in large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently lay chilled crab cakes in skillet; pan-fry until outsides are crisp and browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.

I made a super-easy chipotle dipping sauce. It can be spicy or mild, depending on the ratio of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to mayo. Start by putting 1 cup of mayo in a food processor and add one chipotle pepper and one teaspoon of the adobo sauce. Blend and then taste. If it's not spicy enough, just do the same steps again until it is as hot as you want it.

Well, as it happened, that rickety little pier did collapse, and we were on it at the time. We managed to escape unharmed. It was one of those inexplicable times when your mother ends up being right. That evening, we headed home with the story of the adventure and, of course, a few dozen crab...and the eggs.

Arctic Char with Horseradish Cream, Sweet & Sour Beets, and Dandelion Greens

2008-07-09T06:00:00.005-04:00

This post comes to you from guest blogger (and childhood friend) Suzanne. How she found time to make this dinner with 15-month old twin boys and a 4 1/2 year old son is completely beyond me, but she did. The results sound delicious, and here they are. Thank you, Suzanne!!

My husband was recently appointed the Chair of his department at Oakland University. As such, he felt it would be nice for us to entertain a woman that was just hired to teach in the department and her husband when they were in town looking for housing. The woman is Japanese and her husband is Norwegian. So of course I chose to make fish and rice. I'm pretty fearless in the kitchen but one of my problem dishes happens to be rice. Even with a rice cooker, I always manage to screw it up. I was in the process of preparing the meal when I realized I was really setting myself up to be embarrassed by serving rice to a Japanese woman (not to mention fish to a Norwegian man). Fortunately the dinner turned out really well. The salad and main course were both beautiful and, all in all, the meal was quite healthy.

We started with some store bought appetizers - hummus, cheese, etc. I also made some delicious and potent martinis. I got the recipe from a restaurant called Kona Grille.

Berry Martinis (recipe makes one martini)
Mix the following and serve chilled
2 oz Three Olives brand Triple Berry Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/4 oz Rose's Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cranberry Juice

The salad, main course, and dessert recipes all came from Bon Appetit

Arugula, Fennel and Orange Salad
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 large oranges
7 cups arugula
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced (I used a mandoline)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (again, I used a mandoline)

Whisk the first three ingredients together to make the dressing. Season to taste with S & P.
Cut the peel and white pith from the oranges. Working over a bowl, use a small knife to cut between and release the segments.

Combine the arugula, fennel and onion in a large bowl. Toss with dressing to coat. Add orange segments and toss to combine.

Note: I added some of the juice from the oranges to the vinaigrette and adjusted the amount of oil to balance out the acid. I also added a bit of dry mustard powder. This helps the vinaigrette to emulsify and give a nice tang to it.

Note: I let the onion slices soak in ice water for several hours then patted them dry before tossing with the salad. This helps to mellow the onion flavor.

Arctic Char with Horseradish Cream, Sweet & Sour Beets, and Dandelion Greens (4 servings)

Horseradish Cream:
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes fresh peeled horseradish root (about 1 lb unpeeled root)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

To make cream, coarsely grate horseradish; transfer to medium saucepan and add cream; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Strain cream into small sauce pan through sieve extracting as much cream as possible by pressing firmly on solids. Cream can be made 2 days ahead - cover and chill.

Beets:
8 baby red beets, tops trimmed
8 baby golden beets, tops trimmed
(baby beets were not available so I used large beets and cut them to size after cooking)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 TBS sugar

Cook red and golden beets in separate medium pots of salted water until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain and cool. Beets can be prepared to this point 2 days ahead - cover and chill.

Peel red beets, cut in half and place in skillet. Peel golden beets, cut in half and place in a separate skillet. Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 TBS sugar into each skillet. Cook beets in each skillet over medium-high heat until liquid thickens to syrup and begins to coat beets, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste with S & P. Remove from heat.

Fish and Greens:
4 6-oz arctic char or salmon filets with skin
3 TBS vegetable oil, divided

1 large bunch dandelion greens, stems trimmed (you can use any other bitter greens such as arugula, watercress, endive or mustard greens; I used arugula to complement the salad).

Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle fish with S & P. Heat 1 TBS oil in large, heavy ovenproof sauce pan over high heat. Add fish, skin side down and sear until skin is crisp and brown, about 3 minutes (do not turn fish over). Place skillet with fish in oven and roast until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the horseradish cream over medium heat. Heat remaining two TBS oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens until just wilted, about 1 minute and season with S&P.

Divide greens among 4 plates. Top with fish, skin side up. Surround fish with beets. Spoon warm cream over top and drizzle with any remaining beet juices.

Note: For a more substantial portion, I would double the amount of greens as they wilt to just about nothing once cooked. And we could all use more dark leafy greens in our diets. I wouldn't hesitate to double the beet recipe, either, as I love beets. And we could all use more beets in our diets. I served simple steamed sticky rice with the main course.

Raspberry Topped Chocolate Tartlets with Pecan Crust

2 cups pecans, toasted
6 TBS packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/2-pint containers raspberries
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 325. Combine pecans, sugar, and cinnamon in food processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and process until moist clumps form. Press dough over bottom and up sides of four 4-inch diameter tartlet pans with removable bottoms (I couldn't find them with removable bottoms so I used non-stick tartlet pans and they worked just fine; I just had to carefully extract the crust from each after the ganache filling had a chance to cool).

Bake crusts until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pans.

Bring cream to simmer in heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate. (Use a very good quality chocolate - like Valhrona - since this is a simple dish and chocolate is the star). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour mixture into crusts, dividing equally. Chill until chocolate is set, about one hour. Cover and chill. Can be made 1 day ahead. If you use tartlets with bottoms that are not removeable, gently tap the tartlets out of the pans before the next step.

Arrange berries over top of tartlets. Stir jam in heavy saucepan over low heat until melted. Brush over raspberries. Refrigerate. Can be made up to 3 hours ahead.

Note: I used raspberries and blueberries. Strawberries would be great, too.

Note: Next time I think I'd make a different crust, perhaps combining nuts with graham crackers or shortbread. I found this crust to be a bit on the greasy side from the butter and oils released by the nuts.

I will certainly make all of these dishes again. You can do a lot of the work in advance which makes this a nice meal for entertaining.

Shirley Valentine, Barksdale Theater- Richmond, VA

2008-07-08T06:00:00.005-04:00

For any theater lover in the Richmond, Virginia vicinity, I urge to to take a trip to Barksdale's Hanover Tavern to catch Shirley Valentine. This show is extra, extra special because the star is my little sister, Jill Bari Steinberg! It is her second one-woman show, and if her first was any indication, this will be unforgettable. The show runs from July 11th - For specific information, click here. BREAK A LEG, JB!

Pickled Eggs and Beets

2008-07-06T07:04:00.006-04:00

I love pickled eggs and beets- and think of them as comfort food. We decided to whip some up for the 4th of July weekend this year. Using Marilyn and Jack's recipe, the flavors were perfect. This is a no fault recipe!

1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans or jars pickled beets
1 dozen eggs

Bring large pot of water to a boil and add eggs; boil for 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool and peel.

Mix other ingredients in smaller saucepan- and add the juice from the 2 jars of pickled beets but not the beets. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Put eggs and beets in a container that you can cover with a tight lid. Pour warm beet juice mixture over them and cover. Let them marinate from up to a few hours to a few days- they're ready to eat any time between. We found that they reached the perfect flavor after 24 hours.

These make a tasty side dish- they pack flavor and protein. Their festive color make them perfect for the red, white and blue color scheme, too. They keep for at least a few days, so you can put some out with every meal over the holidays, making your hosting job all that much easier! What could be better? Happy Independence Day...and the eggs.

Kentucky Chess Pie!

2008-07-02T06:00:00.006-04:00

Last week, my friend Nelo gave me a recipe for chess pie. Gert, the cook at the summer camp I went to growing up, used to make chess pie for special occasions. I remember its custardy, rich taste and was anxious to try my hand at making it. I have heard people talk about lemon chess pie or chocolate chess pie, but Gert's chess was plain, and absolutely delicious. The recipe I received is from Saveur, and was simple. I made two- one for Nelo and one for me.

The recipe includes instructions for making the pie crust. I didn't make the crust, I bought a pre-made pie crust I have used before. I didn't have the kind of time it takes to make the crust and make the filling, plus the pre-made crust is a great product. I am leaving out the crust ingredients and instructions here.

1 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg yolks plus one whole egg

Pre-made crust in 9" pan.

Heat oven to 325°. Pour water into a 4-quart saucepan to a depth of 1"; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk together sugar and salt, brown sugar, buttermilk, nutmeg, egg yolks, and egg.

Set bowl over saucepan. Add butter; cook, whisking frequently, until smooth and warm, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; let cool for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into chilled pie shell. Bake until center is just set, 45–50 minutes. Transfer pie to cooling rack; let cool completely before serving, about 2 hours. That's it! This pie is hard to describe, the flavor is subtle. It is almost like a pumpkin pie without the pumpkin. It's not heavy. With one bite, I was transported back to my summer camp, standing in the kitchen with Gert, trying a bite of something new...and the eggs.