killer chili

i consider this the best chili recipe ever. it's hearty, spicy, easy to cook and great to pack for lunch for the work week. that is, if there is any left. there are rarely "leftovers".

2 lbs ground chuck

1 medium onion, chopped
A few cloves of garlic, minced

1 can of diced tomatoes (15 oz)

1 can of tomato sauce (the smaller can, i think 6 or 8 oz)

1 can of Joan of Arc Spicy Chili Beans (15 oz)

1 packet of Buena Vida Chili Powder (it's a green and white label, Kroger usually has it)

about 6 Aunt Jane Mexican Peppers, diced
*you can use Kroger brand pepper too, just make sure you get "hot mexican peppers" not pepperoncini.

in a large sauce pan, brown the meat with the onion and garlic. drain off the fat, (i use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat into the pot. then i pour the fat into a glass container to throw away later.) in a large stock pot, add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cover. cook slowly for about an hour.

if you like your chili hot (and why wouldn't you?) add a few tablespoons of the juice from the mexican peppers when you add the rest of the ingredients.

jared and i like to top our chili with chopped scallions, sour cream and shredded cheese. growing up, it was standard in my family to eat chili along with torn off pieces of flour tortilla. yum! of course you can also serve the chili over spaghetti noodles and top with shredded cheese, "cincinnati style". the truth of the matter is, you can eat this chili as is, no toppings necessary. it's that good. try it! definitely let me know if you like it as much as i do.

red, white, and green

one of my all-time favorite summer dishes is caprese salad; basically, a combination of 3 ingredients: tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella, drizzled with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and seasoned with a little salt and pepper.

it goes without saying how easy this is to assemble. there's really no rules. chop and toss everything together in a bowl; slice and stack on a plate; whatever. but another great thing about this is that the quality of the ingredients makes a dramatic difference to the finished product with very little extra effort. sure, you can get by on grocery store tomatoes and packaged basil, but swap those for vine ripened, farm fresh tomatoes and fresh picked basil and your at a whole different level.

new favorites

although we haven't been blogging, we've definitely been cooking! a few weeks ago i bought 3 new cookbooks:
Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
Moosewood Restayrant New Classics
The Food You Want To Eat by Ted Allen

so far we've made 4 recipes from the Ted Allen book:
cucumber yogurt dip
spicy cajun "pigs" in puff pastry
basic tomato sauce
butternut squash pie

the only one that i wasn't thrilled with was the cucumber yogurt dip. it was light, fresh and yummy but i don't think i used enough salt on the cucumber as it drained. the recipe isn't bad i just thought it needed more flavor. i'll probably take another shot at it before i rule it out. we used some homemade greek yogurt from the Mediterranean store at Findlay Market. actually we picked up almost all of the ingredients at Findlay. we've been going there almost every weekend now that it's warm (unbearably humid) outside.

we picked up the andouille sausage for the "pigs" in puff pastry at Mike's Meat's. those are delicious! what a fun appetizer, everybody loved them. i could have eaten the whole plate. the recipe includes a killer chutney mustard as a dipping sauce. i can't wait to make those again. actually i can't wait until Jared makes them again (he was in charge of that dish and it was pretty labor intensive due to the filo dough.) :)

the basic tomato sauce was not what i consider basic. not because it was difficult but because it had a classic, comforting richness without being too buttery or oily. it's a solid tomato sauce recipe for sure. it calls for lots of fresh herbs which makes all the difference. we poured it over some penne and enjoyed it with crusty french bread warm from the oven. mmmmm.

i LOVED the butternut squash pie. it's probably my favorite out of many recipes (not just Ted Allen's) that we've tried recently. i would recommend it to everyone. don't pass it up just because it happens to be vegan. it is SO good. red onion, red bell pepper, raisins, walnuts, spinach and of course butternut squash, are joined with fresh cilantro, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil to form colorful layers under a golden crust of filo dough. serve a slice over the basic tomato sauce (see above, or any store bought tomato sauce, Jared and I like Rao's) and you'll be in heaven. i certainly was.

more to come from the cookbooks...
we've made quite a few moosewood recipes that i'll definitely have to share.

in the meanwhile, got any cookbook recommendations? i still have some $ on my amazon gift certificate that i'm itching to spend...

where does the time go?

it's been several days since our last post but the delay, i assure you, won't be the norm and it's definitely NOT due to waning interest in food on Sierra's or my part. i'm sure I speak for both of us when i tell you that everyday our love and interest for food intensifies. but, like everyone else trying to get someplace in this world, free time is hard to come by. not that I plan on using this as an excuse for the delay, but rather as a segue. it seems like a good point to talk about some of our favorite recipes when time is limited.

so when I think of a quick meal, I'm thinking of the entire process, that is, not just the time it takes to prepare the food, but the time that goes into shopping (assuming I have none of the ingredients on hand, which I try to avoid), prepping, assembly, and cleanup. it doesn't really save much time if I have to spend an hour gathering 15 different ingredients before (Rachel Ray?) or an hour after cleaning pots and pans. also, it needs to be pretty healthy; I want to feel good about what I'm eating or else why not grab a double cheeseburger? lastly, one of my pet peeves when i'm thumbing through "quick meal" recipes in cooking magazines or on the internet is when they list out 3 ingredients for a 10 minute meal and one of the ingredients is something like grilled chicken or an ingredient that, in itself, is another whole recipe. with that in mind: here are 2 of my favs:

"Greek Salad" (Sierra got this from a co-worker)
1 can black beans, drained
1 package cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber peeled and chopped
black olives, chopped, as much as you like
chopped green onions, as much as you like
crumbled feta cheese, as much as you like
1 tsp Cavendar's Greek Seasoning (not too much)
Toss together in a bowl.


Sierra got some garlic hummus, spread that inside of some pita pockets, and then filled it with the salad for lunch one day. Very tasty and very satisfying.

Cilantro Pesto (from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, a favorite cookbook of ours)
leaves from 1 bunch of cilantro
1 tomato, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
1 T toasted pine nuts
little bit of salt

toasting the pine nuts is pretty simple, you just put them in on a sheet in an oven/toaster oven set at 350 for 3-4 minutes or until they start to turn slightly deeper in color. put all the ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth. then what i do is toast some french bread, put on the spread, and top with a slice of tomato. you could also spread on pasta, a potato, chicken, fish, or just about anything. surprising that something could be so good without oil or butter.

new york, new york

being in new york, the culinary hotbed that it is, presents an interesting dilemma for a wannabe foodie like myself: too many choices. now, i realize its better to have too many options than not enough of them but what do you when you just had thomas keller's version of a nutter butter (peanut butter mousse sandwiched between two fresh baked peanut butter cookies) at Bouchon Bakery, which nearly killed you it was so good, and you see Doughnut Plant up ahead? i'll tell you what you do; you get a donut. because it may be several months before you come across a jelly donut as light and delicious as this again. and that's the problem you face, or at least i face: as soon as i give into the donut, i see the bagels, the pizza, the hotdogs; i want 'em all. i will get them all. at least, thats what i tell myself before reason finally starts knocking around up there to remind me: everything in moderation (or heart failure is imminent).

sadly, there's only so much of you to go around. a line needs to be drawn on how much foodie heaven one can experience in a 5 day span. interestingly enough, thats exactly what i'm looking for to help narrow down my choices: a line. not just any line, but one forming out the door, around the corner, and down the block; preferably midday in the middle of the week when the forming of such a line would seem unreasonable. furthermore, when i get in line, and still can't see the end, i want to hear people making comments like "this is nothing compared to last week" or "this isn't bad at all."



jill (my sister) led me to two such places last week. Magnolia Bakery, famous for their cupcakes, and danny meyer's Shake Shack for burgers. both places had long lines for any other joint for 2 pm but apparently shorter than usual. worth every second of the wait. unbelievable. especially good was this double stack burger - a cheeseburger and mushroom burger stacked with "shack sauce". notice the mushroom burger in this picture. a "crisp-fried portobello filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses. fried mushrooms and cheese...on a burger. oh God.

vegas uncorked: a bon appetit epicurean affair

jared and i had already booked our flight to las vegas when we came across an advertisement for Bon Appetit magazine's Vegas Uncorked event. we were delighted when we saw that we would be in town during the event and quickly bought 2 tickets to the Masters' Series Dinner at Rao's in Caesar's Palace. one on evening, a total of 5 Masters' Series Dinners take place at various different restaurants on the strip. a few factors played a part in our decision to go to Rao's. the hosts caught our attention because we recognized some names: Lorraine Bracco of the Sopranos, and Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appetit's restaurant editor. the executive chefs were Frank and Carla Pellegrino. to be honest, neither of us were familiar with the Pellegrino's prior to the event but, one look at the menu and we were sold. we felt really good about our choice when Paul Jowdy, the vice president & publisher of Bon Appetit appeared at the event. he started things off by explaining that he chose this event over the others because of his admiration for the chef and his respect for the original Rao's restaurant in NY.

we arrived at the restaurant early and had a glass of wine at the bar. i was so excited while i watched the staff setup and pleasantly surprised that there were only a few tables designated for the special event. not knowing what to expect, i was worried that it would be really big with hundreds of guests and we'd feel disconnected. it turned out being a rather intimate setting, there were about 5 or 6 tables with 10 or 12 place settings at each. we were seated next to 2 couples that were very fun and friendly and who shared our love of food and cooking. surrounded by other foodies, we were in heaven.

ok so, let's get to the good stuff. the meal was truly unbelievable. 6 courses that included 14 different dishes. no i'm serious, 14 different dishes. it was served family style and there was plenty to go around. the food was complimented by wine pairings from Lorraine Bracco's winery. we weren't sure if the ticket price ($150 each) included wine and even if it hadn't, i still feel like it would have been well worth every dollar. so, the wine was another unexpected detail that added to the experience. i took pictures throughout, none i'm afraid that will do the dishes any justice. i'll post the ones that aren't completely awful.

my favorite dish was the Vongole Oreganate - baked, stuffed, little neck clams. it was my first experience with clams and now i fear i'll forever be seeking a dish that will compare. they were perfectly cooked, tender not chewy (i had reservations about the consistency) and exploding with flavor, seasoned with parmesan and oregano. i could have eaten the entire plate.

i also enjoyed the Penne alla Vodka - San Marzano tomato, diced prosciutto di Parma, vodka and a touch of cream. the pasta was the definition of al dente, the sauce was a rich, creamy, comforting blanket that i wanted to wrap myself in. do you ever have that thought when you experience good food? that desire to be a part of it? maybe that's just me and i'm just weird. probably so.

the dessert included 3 dishes, one of which was a Molten lava cake, served with creme anglaise and shaved chocolate. f@*#@! unFREAKINGbelievable. i mean, c'mon, give me a break. it was the most decadent dessert ever. it was warm, chocolaty guilt in a souffle cup. the perfect ending to a rich italian dinner.


so, aside from the delicious food and wine we savored at the event, one of the coolest things about the experience was being surrounded by other people who were just as excited, appreciative and curious about food as we are. on more than one occasion the chef, Carla Pellegrino, approached our table. her warm, bubbly personality, perfectly straight teeth and sparkly eyes were enchanting. our whole table was smitten. she asked what we thought about the meal and thanked us for coming. thanked us!!?!?! she even shared one of her techniques - explaining that she never leaves any garlic in her dishes but simply uses it to infuse flavor into the food while cooking. she said that garlic is what leaves us feeling bloated after most italian meals which is why she likes to remove from dishes before serving them. now, i guess if i had studied nutrition or gone to culinary school i may have known that, but, since i didn't and i haven't, i found that terribly enlightening.

the highlight of the evening for me was meeting Andrew Knowlton. i'm a big fan and i really wanted to have my picture taken with him. i know, i'm silly. but really, he's gorgeous and so talented, i couldn't resist. i finally approached his table when things were winding down and everyone was finished eating. when he saw me coming, he stood up, very graciously shook my hand and introduced himself. i made every effort to avoid coming across as a fumbling, glaze-eyed stalker during the interaction. i'm sure i failed. :) he was so polite and every bit as interesting and articulate as his articles. he was genuine, relatable, and yes, even better looking in person than on TV.

so, i'm afraid i've written way too much for a blog post. oh well. my goal was selfish really. i just wanted to document as much about the experience that i could so that jared and i can relive it over and over. it was truly magical. we've decided that we'll definitely attend Vegas Uncorked again next year. and this time we'll attend more than one event. if Bon Appetit brings Uncorked anywhere near your area, i urge you to attend. whether you're a foodie or not, i think it's something that anyone could enjoy.

read more about Rao's Las Vegas and the Pellegrino's here

hot bubbling cheese

the first "original dish" i ever "cooked" was melted cheddar cheese in a cup. pretty gourmet, i know. when i was 7 or 8 years old it occurred to me that melting cheese on crackers made the crackers soggy, so i thought, lets leave the crackers out. innovation. my parents immediately gave me credit for the dish to boost my confidence and i, up until about my 10th birthday, claimed to have invented it.

i admit, it was not then nor will it be my finest culinary achievement. but i was onto something. there is something so addictive and comforting about melted cheese. its simple and wonderful. everyone seems to love it. jazz it up just a little bit, use some different cheeses, maybe add an ingredient or two, and one can very easily elevate the dish to even greater heights. take for example this goat cheese "queso fundido" we tried at Mesa Grill, Las Vegas. dressed up with some roasted peppers and the goat cheese it was still bubbling in its cast iron pan when it came to the table. pretty basic but so good. a slightly fancier version of my original "melted cheese in cup". i'd like to take credit, but no...