You've Got To Taste This

Some days I want nothing more than to while away my weekend afternoon in the kitchen, baking one scrumptious recipe after another.  Or maybe it's the perfect weather for a cook-all-day stew.  Other times I want to get in and out of the kitchen, and it's all in the name of tasty efficiency.  It really depends on time, motivation, inspiration and how hungry everyone is! 

During the week, I tend to lean towards quick meals, because between my son's soccer and karate practices, and just plain life in general, it sometimes seems like we're moving at warp speed.  The one constant?  No matter how much time we have, we all sit down together for the meal.  House rule.

When I spied this recipe for a Potato Kielbasa Skillet in an issue of Taste of Home magazine, I knew it would be a perfect weeknight supper.  Nearly a one-pot meal, it keeps the fuss and muss out of the kitchen and is a simple enough dinner that it will please even the pickiest of eaters (no ick factor with weird sauces here).  It's also a great way to sneak in a little bit 'o green veg to boot. 

See the recipe for Potato Kielbasa Skillet here (free registration required, but it's painless, I promise!).

My CSA farm, Snow's Bend, grows great greens. Kale, Swiss chard, bok choi, turnip and radish greens, collards; they're all excellent. In the newsletter they send out each week before CSA pick-up day, they include recipes for what's coming. A couple weeks ago, they included my new favorite recipe: Greens Pie.

It's easy, fully customizable, and the greatest way to use a whole bunch of greens. Here's the recipe:

Swiss Chard Pie
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch greens (Swiss chard, kale, etc.)
3 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Pinch cayenne pepper or dash Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 blind-baked 9-inch pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown onion and garlic in oil; add greens and saute until wilted. Beat eggs in a large bowl, and stir in chard mixture, cheese, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Pour into pie crust, and bake 30-40 minutes until firm and starting to brown on top.

The egg mixture doesn't look like much, but it puffs up wonderfully to fill the crust and create a wonderful (and super-healthy) quiche. So far, I've tried it with rainbow chard and kale, and both were great. I've used smoked Cheddar and queso Chihuahua, and both were great. I've also found that adding a bit of grated nutmeg is quite welcome. Full disclosure: I add a slice of bacon with the onion and garlic, because bacon makes everything better.

You can use a store-bought pie crust for this, but it's a great opportunity to experience the ease and joy of making your own. It's easy, I promise. Just stir together 6 ounces of flour (combine white and whole-wheat flours for a nutrition boost) and a generous pinch of salt, then cut in 4 ounces (1 stick) of butter with your fingers or a pastry blender until butter pieces are pea-sized or smaller. Stir in up to 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of cold warer, a little at a time, just until the dough comes together. (No matter how much you're making, the proper ratio for pie dough is three parts flour, two parts fat, and one part water).

Knead briefly on a floured surface, then form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 15 minutes or so. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 425. Take out the dough, roll into a rough circle a bit larger than the bottom of your pie dish or tart pan, fit in the pan (this recipe makes a little bit more than is needed for a 9-inch pan), and prick all over with a fork. Cover with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (dried beans do this job admirably; you can use the same beans as weights multiple times, but don't try to cook them after using them as pie weights). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights, turn down to 350, and bake another 5 minutes. Now you're ready to go.

When my dad passed away recently, I was shocked at the outpouring of not only sympathy, love, and flowers, but also food! I'd always read in the paper the part about "In lieu of flowers, please.." but never did I see a direction to bring casseroles, hams, bagels, family packs, and sweet tea by the gallon to the grieving.

Sure, I knew people brought food when a death occurred in a family.  Casseroles, at least in the South, cure more than hunger; they convey support and care, and keep the family going during times when they couldn't make it through the Wal-Mart express line for the basics.  I knew receiving food would be wonderful, but I had no idea how helpful it would be.  Family friends rallied, organizing which group would bring dinner which night, who would provide lunch, and, most importantly, what kind of pie everyone in the family likes.

Of the food we got, and, believe you me, we had enough to feed our gathering of 30+ for an entire week, the most helpful items included a platter of chicken tenders and a tray of macaroni and cheese (to take care of the six kiddos under the age of five), a few large hams (perfect for dinner, lunch, or a snack), and the amazing number of dishes that are just as delicious cold as they are hot.

In part to pay my gratitude forward, I wanted to list a few hints and tips for preparing food for a grieving family.

1.  All food, visits, hugs, smiles, and memories are welcome.  If you need to bake your famous chocolate chip cookies to bring along on the visit to feel you aren't imposing, then by all means!  But know you're welcome, regardless.

2.  Pick dishes that reheat easily or are delicious served warm or cold.  A few of our favorites were the fresh vegetables (green beans, summer squash), cold salads, hams, sandwich meat & cheese platters, and barbecue family packs.  No one ever had to "fix" lunch-- we just set out the spread and let people eat as they wanted.

3.  Tuck a card into your food gift that gives the recipient a hint what you brought, like "I hope the kids enjoyed the nuggets and turkey sandwiches."  At one point, we received four grocery bags of food from four different friends in a matter of 15 minutes.  I know we'd love to personally thank these warm-hearted friends later, but we might have trouble remembering who brought what!

4.  Bring the basics.  We were so happy to look in the fridge and find cokes or iced tea, discover a bag of chips in the pantry, or a basket of bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice on the front porch in the morning.  Our friends became our thinking caps, always moving one step ahead of us.

5.  Think about who you're feeding.  So many friends brought kid-friendly items, including applesauce and animal crackers, which made snack time much easier.

When feeding a family that has experienced a death, simply know that whatever you bring or send will be oh-so appreciated.  Afterall, what you're really sending is love and support, and everyone could use a second helping of that.

The cupboard was bare last night, so I reached for old faithful--Spaghetti Carbanara. My DH and I fondly call this dish Poor Man's Spaghetti or Depression Spaghetti.

Here are the ingredients you need:
Spaghetti noodles
Bacon (usually have in the freezer)
Dried parsley
1 or 2 eggs
Parmesan cheese

I improvise the method depending on my mood. (Basically, more bacon and more cheese if tired and seeking comfort.)

Here's the summary: Cook your noodles and fry the bacon. Drain the noodles and quickly mix in the egg and parmesan cheese while the noodles are hot (so the egg is cooked) and while the stove top is still on. Stir in crumbled bacon, some bacon grease (gasp!), and dried parsley. Presto! You've got dinner in record time.

If you're a recipe-stickler, try Sunset's version (pictured above). It calls for a few extras--white wine, garlic, olive oil--but is pretty close to my pared-down version.

You'll be surprised at how un-pantry it tastes. Please post any favorites you have. Since I'm usually cooking for two, I love these type of non-recipe recipes (another gasp!) ....

Happy cooking.

Jennifer

When it comes to Martha Stewart's recipes, they get very mixed results.  And not just with me.  I vividly remember a Cranberry Upside Down Cake that beckoned me from the cover of her Everyday Food magazine a few years ago.  It was perfect for the holiday and I couldn't resist the call of the cranberry.  I made it.  It tanked.  Determined to have it appear on our holiday table, I made it again.  And it tanked again.  Stubborn Italian that I am, I would have just made it again, but I stopped myself.  Enough already.  It took me a long time to get over that, and I later learned I'm not alone.  Some of her recipes are flawless, some are complete failures.  And not due to operator error.

Over the last year or two, I have resumed my love/love relationship with Martha and all was forgiven.  After all, how could I stay mad at anyone who loves Halloween and glitter as much as I do?  I recently spied a recipe for her Creamy Lemon Squares and couldn't resist making them.  To me, the perfect lemon square has just enough pucker to make no mistake that it's a lemon dish, but not so much that you can't unpucker your lips before you're done eating.  You know?  I know you do.

This one was hands-down perfect.  Quite simple to make, there is just the perfect tinge of pucker and it is a failproof recipe.  The Martha lovefest continues.  My mouth is watering again just thinking of it.  Excuse me while I grab another piece...

See the recipe for Martha Stewart's Creamy Lemon Squares here.

Since our daughter just turned 6 months old, we've started offering her a few pureed foods here and there. Though canned baby food doesn't cost that much at first, when babies have just a couple of tablespoons of food a day, it can add up later on.  For a budget-friendly and fun alternative, try making your own.  Though there are all-in-one gizmos on the market that steam and puree fresh fruits and vegetables, all you really need is a basket steamer, a food processor, an ice cube tray, and Ziploc bags.   Once you've got everything pureed, simply spoon into ice cube trays, freeze, and bag for later.  I started with carrots and pears and plan to branch out into other fruits and vegetables as we go along.

Our colleagues at People magazine keep us updated on all things celebrity.  This week, to toast the Dancing with the Stars finale on May 19, they are sharing the judges' favorite drinks.

Bruno Tonioli: "I'm a very cheap date.  Two glasses of champagne and I'm Wheeeeeeee."

Carrie Ann Inaba: "A margarita brings out your inner dancer and makes you want to shimmy!"

Len Goodman: "My father told me, 'Martinis are like women; one isn't enough and three are too many'."

Who do you hope to raise a glass to this season?  Vote in the People.com Dancing with the Stars poll.

And find your favorite cocktail recipes in our collection from Southern Living, Cooking Light, Sunset, Coastal Living, and theBar.com.

(photo: Ciroc Champagne Cosmo from theBar.com)

This past weekend, my husband was telling me about a man he used to work with who often brought an onion with his lunch and just bit into it like it was an apple. My husband proclaimed that "there was no way he would ever do that!"   I feel pretty certain that the lunch box onion was a Vidalia, and if it was, I can understand the urge to just take a bite.

Vidalias are really sweet, mild onions that are grown in specific counties in the southeast part of Georgia. They say that it's the sandy, low-sulfur soil  that contributes to this amazing flavor. They're in season starting in late spring and throughout the summer.

I try not to buy any other kind of onions as I love the flavor of these so much.  I don't usually just bite into one, but I'm thinking that I will.  I like put a slice on a big juicy hamburger, and sometimes I just forget the burger and grill the onions.  When you use Vidalias for caramelized onions, you get double the sweetness and they are simply divine.  Another great way to use Vidalias is in an onion dip.   If you think this sounds strange, let me just tell you that after you take one bite of this dip, you'll be off to the store to buy a whole bag of Vidalias. Once you have a whole bag, you'll also want to make an onion pie. Really.

Now don't get just any sweet onions.  You need Vidalias.  As the saying goes,  "If it's not from Georgia, it's not a Vidalia. Trust the original sweet Onion."  Each onion will have a little sticker that says it's a Vidalia.

I do have a whole bag of onions now, so let me know if you have any favorite onion recipes I need to try. 

If you live in Alabama, you've been denied some of the world's best beers for years. Our state bans all beer with alcohol content above six percent by volume. That means most of the great beers of Belgium, as well as the products of popular microbreweries like Rogue aren't available here.

But all of that may be about to change. An organization called Free the Hops has been lobbying our state legislature to change this law, and they are very close to succeeding. A bill to effectively eliminate the alcohol limits passed the Alabama Senate yesterday, and as soon as our governor signs it, the whole beer world will be open to us.

And that's the purpose of this post. If you live in Alabama and love beer, please call or e-mail Gov. Bob Riley and urge him to sign the Free the Hops bill, HB373. You can find more information here.

And as a high-alcohol-beer newbie, I need your help, blogland. What are some of your favorite Belgian and other brews?

I was browsing through my inbox today and a delightful newsletter popped up from Williams-Sonoma, and I wanted to share a little blurb about my findings.  Like most, I usually just glance through these emails and exit out, but this particular one caught my attention primarily because the theme was grilling and I’m a fanatic.

Williams-Sonoma hosts a wine club and this summer they are featuring a Grilling Wines package. An excellent way start to your grilling season. For around $60 you can give or receive a wonderful assortment of red wines from various locations, tasting notes, and paired grilling recipes for each. My father’s birthday is coming up next month and this just might be the perfect gift. Cheers!

Don't miss our  Summer Grilling Guide