February 2007

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Ah, if only I were younger! I’m not sure if the spirit of this meme is to ask “what would I do if I could roll back the clock?” or if it is addressing things I no longer feel I can do since I’m older… Interestingly, this exercise became more the former than the latter for me…

  1. Race sports cars
  2. Be a chef in a professional kitchen
  3. Begin & finish a few more degrees
  4. Start SCUBA diving a lot earlier
  5. Chuck it all and move somewhere — total change of scenery
  6. Travel, travel, and travel! See the whole damned world!
  7. Learn to manage my money earlier
  8. Spend more time with my grandparents, all of whom are gone now
  9. I would have jumped out of that plane!
  10. Be more courageous

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                      -= Exported from BigOven =-

                           Spinach Arancini

Recipe By: Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello. Episode #MO1B03
Serving Size: 7
Cuisine: Italian
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Appetizers

-= Ingredients =-
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ea Onion ; Finely Minced
3 cloves Garlic ; Finely Minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
1 cup White Wine
to taste Sea Salt
to taste Freshly-Ground Black Pepper
4 cups Chicken Broth ; or Vegetable Broth Heated
2 cups Fresh Spinach ; Chopped
2 tablespoon Butter
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese ; Grated
1 cup Mozzarella ; Cut Into Small Cubes
2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 ea Eggs ; Lightly Beaten
2 cups Seasoned Breadcrumbs
for frying Vegetable Oil

-= Instructions =-
In large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onions and saute for about 1 minute. Add the garlic. Stir. After another 5 minutes, add the rice and white wine and a pinch of salt stir and allow to cook down for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2 (8-ounce) ladles of broth. Allow to absorb into rice for about 10 minutes, stirring, then add another 2 (8-ounce ladles) of broth and allow that to absorb for about 10 minutes.

Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Add spinach to broth and rice and stir in with sweet butter. Add 1 cup of the Parmigiano. When all ingredients are hot and mixed, pour and spread onto a parchment lined cookie sheet to cool. Once cool, cover with a layer of plastic wrap to avoid skin forming and refrigerate until completely cooled and firm. Refrigerate overnight if necessary.

When completely cooled, cover rice and spinach with remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano. With hands, roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. With fingers, make a small hole in the rice ball’s center and insert 1 small cube of mozzarella, and cover with more rice.

Place flour, beaten eggs, and seasoned bread crumbs in separate bowls. Coat each ball with flour, then with whisked egg, then with seasoned breadcrumbs. Repeat with all rice balls and lay the coated balls on a cookie tray and refrigerate until ready to fry.

In a heavy large pan, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.

Fry the balls, in batches, until golden brown. Remove each ball with a slotted spoon and place on parchment paper or paper towel lined cookie sheet to dry. Serve hot.
** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.     **
** Easy recipe software.  Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com    **
 

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The Iron Horse Inn Restaurant & Vintner Select presents:
Frog’s Leap Winery

This evening, we dined at the Iron Horse Inn for their monthly “third-Tuesday” wine dinner, this one focusing on wines from Frog’s Leap Winery.

First Course
Fried Spicy Salmon Roll, Plum Sauce & Sweet Soy
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
I thought this course was very successful. The salmon roll was large, well-prepared, and very tasty.

Second Course
Tuna Tartare 3 Ways
2005 Chardonnay
I love tuna. I love tartare. This was a very nice dish — LOTS of tuna on each plate. I enjoyed more than my fair share because one of our fellow diners (hi Doug!) doesn’t love seafood and was ready to share.

Third Course
Duck Rillette
2003 Merlot
Rillette! Who does rillettes on a menu anymore? This was a wonderful throwback dish that was very enjoyable. Most folks at my table didn’t know what rillettes are and had never tasted it. Everyone enjoyed it.

Fourth Course
Strip Au Poivre, Cigar Smoked Grape Tomatoes
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oh, those tomatoes were awesome!

Dessert
Blackberry “Death By Chocolate”
2004 Zinfandel

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This is a difficult meme since as a foodie, I tend to like almost everything, and I wouldn’t say that I hate any of these (dislike is a better word), but here goes in no particular order:

  1. Green peppers (especially raw)
  2. Red peppers (especially raw)
  3. Celery (especially raw)
  4. Okra
  5. Natto (well, I’ve only had it once and would probably try it again)
  6. Raw tomato slices, especially if they’re not ripe
  7. Pickle relish
  8. Salmon roe — it’s a texture thing, though I like other roe
  9. Vegetables *when they are overcooked*, especially green beans and asparagus
  10. Pepperoni

PHEW!

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                      -= Exported from BigOven =-

                         Butter Rum Caramels

Recipe By: GOURMET magazine, October 2005, page 268
Serving Size: 64
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Candy, Gourmet Magazine, Easy, Desserts

-= Ingredients =-
Vegetable Oil ; For Greasing
2 cups (14 oun Light Brown Sugar ; Packed
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 stick (1/4 c Unsalted Butter
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup + 1 ts Dark Rum
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

-= Instructions =-
1. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and oil parchment.

2. Bring brown sugar, cream, butter, salt, and 1/4 cup rum to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until butter is melted, then boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 248 degrees (firm-ball stage), about 15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and remaining teaspoon rum.

4. Pour into baking pan and cool completely until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

5. Invert caramel onto a cutting board, then discard parchment and turn caramel glossy side up. Cut into 1-inch squares.
** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.     **
** Easy recipe software.  Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com    **
 

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A couple friends and I are working our way through House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. This is the predecessor of ONLY REVOLUTIONS, which I attempted to read a couple books back and failed to finish. House of Leaves is, itself, a difficult book, but it is an engrossing story very deftly told.

 

House of Leaves: The Remastered Full-Color Edition
  

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