Yellow For A Good Cause

I haven't been participating too much in the blogging events as of late. Part of that, of course, has been my budgetary restrictions. But also, I just haven't felt inspired to be creative. This time though, I was inspired and moved. Barbara of winosandfoodies is hosting a one-off event in honor of Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong Day- which is May 16th. You can read more about her details here, but the long and short is that us bloggers were asked to make something from a yellow food to help raise awareness for cancer. That is definitely a cause I can get behind.

As luck would have it, just last week Abigail mentioned to me that we had never made a lemon pie together. And the second she said that, I knew that lemons were going to be my yellow food for A Taste of Yellow. I had planned to make a pie, but then that mail-lady left that package on my doorstep and Dorie Greenspan was beckoning. Before I even opened up the book, I knew Dorie was going to have something delightful and lemony for me to make. Sure enough, she did. How could I not try a recipe titled "The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart." I mean, come on! Just two lines into the description and Dorie was mentioning that French pastry genius Pierre Herme was responsible for this tart and well, I just had to do it.

I encountered a problem right off the bat. Even though I had all of the ingredients necessary for this tart on hand, (yes! On hand!) I lacked the one essential bit of equipment- a tart pan. So I opted to press my tart dough into a mini muffin pan and make The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tartlettes. The tart dough worked perfectly, and the lemon cream, while a bit time consuming, was very easy to put together. One recipe into this book and I adore Dorie Greenspan. She has a way of directing you that feels like your grandmother is in the kitchen guiding you. The recipes are written in a comfortable conversational tone with no detail left out. I knew exactly how the lemon cream was going to come together before I even began. After reading for months on other blogs, I can finally say that I see the obsession... Baking From my home to yours is a gem written by a gem.
I topped my tartlettes with honeyed strawberries and had a delightful dessert for company. Now normally, this is the part in my blog post where I direct you to my Recipe Trove for the recipe, but I'm not doing that this time. See, I have a personal policy that recipes from other bloggers get credit where credit is due, and since Dorie has recently joined the ranks of us bloggers, I don't quite feel right about posting this extraordinary recipe. So. If you have this book, do check out the recipe for The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart (page 331). If you don't have the book, and you beg me mercilessly, I may be persuaded to e-mail this recipe your way. In the meantime, please head over to Winosandfoodies on May 16th for a complete round-up of A Taste Of Yellow, and consider supporting other LiveStrong activities in your area.

He Did It!

After getting a slow start with the playset due to a lack of battery power, the pro's showed up to lend Andy a hand at construction. ;-)




And after just a few hours, the behemoth was ready for occupation. And wouldn't you know, the kids have spent the last hour or so playing with the box it came in...

I don't know...

It doesn't look like very much fun to me...

Do you think Andy can get it put together today? I guess we'll find out. :-)

In the meantime... I think Dorie Greenspan is calling my name. I simply have to make something out of it so I can give it a proper review...don't you think? I guess I also need to add my new cookbooks to my masterlist, and remove some that I actually purged and got rid of. (I know, amazing right?)

Happy Saturday!

I Found Plunder!!

Aargh!

When I went out to my mailbox I found a nice sized package on my porch. I knew instantly what it was, and was quite excited to open it. It really was no coincidence that the day Andy got the call to go back to work, I received an offer I couldn't refuse from The Good Cook. :-)

Now I just have to figure our which one to crack open first.

And today's pirate reference is courtesy of CBS's new reality show this summer- Pirate Master. Seriously. Go check out the preview...looks like a ton of fun, and we'll be watching. And with the final installment of Pirates of The Caribbean on the way, it looks to be a pirate filled summer ahead.

A New Product Worth Checking Out

I love Organic Valley milk. It really is the best tasting milk, and I also know that I am supporting local farmers when I buy it. Sadly, it's a bit pricey, and since we go through a lot of milk, it isn't very often that Organic Valley finds its way into our cart. Last week while shopping though, a new product caught my eye, and we just had to try it. I found single serve Organic Valley milk in shelf-stable aseptic packaging. My only experience with shelf-stable milk is that it tastes pretty bad, but this was Organic Valley! They have standards to meet, so I plucked two cartons of chocolate off the shelf and into the cart.

Later that day I placed them in front of my kids, and they instantly liked the fun packaging and expanding straw. But it was the taste that won them over. Abigail guzzled her milk down like you wouldn't believe, declaring it the best chocolate milk ever- and would I get more of it for her. Zander drank about half of his (8 oz. is a lot of milk for a little boy), so Mommy and Daddy tried his. Seriously, it was the best chocolate milk ever. It was rich and creamy and loaded with chocolate flavor. At $1.00 per serving, its on the pricey side- but it's shelf stable! It's perfect for tucking into a lunch or for taking camping or on a hike. This week I'll be picking up some of the 1% milk to see how plain milk fares in the aseptic packaging. According to their website, they also package strawberry milk, and if I can find that I'll get it for Abigail for her lunches next week.

Organic Valley states that the shelf stable milk has been Ultra-Pasteurized, and for those who think that means radiation, I thought I'd let you know that is not the case. Ultra-Pasteurization simply means that the milk has been heated to temperatures over 300ºF for a few seconds to eliminate bacteria and germs from the milk. Often times you can taste the difference, and the milks that have been ultra-pasteurized do have a "cooked milk" taste to them. But I can assure you that ultra-pasteurized milk (at least from Organic Valley) has not been irradiated with toxins. For more information on the pasteurization process, go check out the Organic Valley website- which is a neat site to check out anyway.

**Milk pictures courtesy Organic Valley website.

Asparagus and Groceries

I don't have a whole lot to post about, but thought I'd share a bit of a funny this morning. This week Andy gets a real paycheck for the first time in 4 1/2 months, and I get to go real grocery shopping. And of course, I'm super excited about being able to spend more than the tiny budget I've been working with. I'm also excited to return to my favorite grocery store after months of grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. Oddly enough though, last night when I asked Andy what he wanted for lunches, dinners, etc. he came up blank. Which is funny because I was also staring at a blank page. I'm so used to minimal grocery lists and meals that include the basics that I'm having a tough time making a list. The only thing I'm in the mood for is vegetables, and the only thing on the menu so far is a steak dinner. I plan on picking on of my Cooking Light recipes to try over the next week, but other than that... it's a different situation to be in I guess. I'm beginning to think that instead of the "big grocery shop" that I'd been planning the last few months that I will just add a few extra things to the cart over the next few weeks and do it gradually. Any new finds out there that are must haves?

Secondly this morning, I have a new article up at Kids Cuisine. Want to know how our asparagus adventure turned out? You can read about the adventure and our conclusions here. It was an interesting experience, I have to say. I am working on making a list of B vegetables for Abigail to pick from. So far I have broccoli, bok choy, brussels sprouts, beets, and butternut squash. I know she won't be picking the brussels sprouts, but thought I'd throw it in anyway. But am I overlooking something that's a B vegetable?

Company Dinner Conundrum

This past Sunday for Company Dinner, I was really having a tough time coming up with something to make. My brain just didn't want to function, and I really didn't want to think about cooking for 14- five of which are children. Then I was online chatting with a few people about catering, and I was sternly reminded that I had successfully catered a wedding for 100- surely I could pull together a Sunday Dinner for 14. Once I was in that mindset, dinner ideas came freely, and began with Teriyaki Chicken. After finding some ultra ripe pineapple and strawberries, fruit skewers were also easy to come up with, but I needed a side dish. I went back and forth on many different ideas- the only thing they all had in common was noodles.

Then I remembered a baked noodle dish from Cooking Light that I'd only ever made once, but I remembered we enjoyed it and wanted to try it again. That one won, and I picked up the necessary veggies. It begins with shiitake mushrooms and red bell pepper sauteed in sesame oil. That right there fills the house with an incredible aroma! To this, garlic and ginger are added as well as chicken broth, corn starch, and soy sauce. After it thickens nicely, thinly sliced bok choy, scallions, and sesame seeds are mixed in (hot pepper flakes too for some heat!) and then some cooked spaghetti is thrown in. This whole mixture is dumped into a baking dish and topped with a panko crumb topping before baking. The result is a wonderfully easy noodle dish, brimming with flavor. This is something that you can make it, bake it, and eat it right away, OR you can assemble and then refrigerate until you are ready to bake. I love dishes like that- especially when company is calling.

Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles were the perfect accompaniment to teriyaki chicken, and they are also excellent as leftovers, warmed in a microwave. You can make them with or without the chicken, and I suspect you could use tofu or pork as an alternative if you wanted a protein in the noodles, but they really don't need it. Oh, and as an aside, I think we discovered what our B vegetable is going to be- Bok Choy. We hardly ever use it, and I think we should more often.

White Chocolate Brownies

First of all, I can't believe that I haven't posted about these brownies in the over two years that I've been blogging. They're very good and quite different as far as a brownie goes. I developed them several years ago after being asked to make a trifle for a holiday gathering. I wanted to do something a little different, so I sought out working on a white chocolate brownie that I could pair with some lemon pudding and raspberries. I do remember the trifle being pretty good- but it's the brownie that really stood out, and I've been making it ever since.

This tastes like white chocolate- it's not even just sweet like white chocolate products tend to taste to me, it actually tastes like white chocolate. This is also my brownie for April's blogging event Brownie Babe of The Month- hosted by Once Upon A Tart. Nothing like the last minute, I know, but how could I pass up an opportunity to talk about brownies! Who doesn't love brownies!

Now, when I decided that I was going to participate with my white chocolate brownie, I thought it was going to need something, and I needed to take them a little further into decadent territory. A quick mental tour through my pantry revealed some pecans, mini chocolate chips, and a can of dulce de leche. It didn't take long to weave a ribbon of toasted pecans and dulce de leche into my white chocolate brownie which I'd studded with mini chocolate chips. And oh yeah. I found decadence.

These rose a little more than normal- I'm not sure of the reason for that, but if you prefer a brownie to be more fudgy than cakey- you can reduce the baking powder in these by about half- but you'll need to keep an eye on the baking time. I like these cakey- it pairs well with the white chocolate somehow. Either way, my White Chocolate Brownies with Dulce De Leche Filling are a decadent way to celebrate the humble brownie. Thanks to Myriam for hosting this event- it was a lot of fun to do.

Michael's Chicken

So named for the man who introduced us to his wonderful fennel spice rub- Michael Chiarello. We love watching his show, and adore his fennel spice rub. Anytime I mention roasting chicken, Andy lights up and questions me "Michael's Chicken?" And after many trials, I think I've nailed perfection with it. And while I suppose this could be called a recipe, it's more or less another procedure.

You begin with this recipe for Fennel Spice Rub. Make a lot. It keeps forever in the freezer or for a few months in the pantry.

Next, you need chicken, grey salt, olive oil, one lemon, and a handful of potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes (big cubes).

You can use a whole chicken or a chicken parts that have been cut up- but for sure, don't waste your time with the boneless skinless variety. Those mean flavor. You remove the bones and the skin and you've got a whole lotta flavorless chicken. This week it was a whole chicken, cut up. If you do leave it whole, you will need to adjust your cooking time- so plan accordingly.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Spray a half-sheet pan with cooking spray, and place your chicken parts in the center, and spread the potatoes around the perimeter of the pan. Next, sprinkle everything liberally with the grey salt, and then the fennel spice rub. Make sure you flip the chicken to sprinkle both sides. Add freshly ground black pepper if you want as well. After everything has been sprinkled, take your olive oil and give it all a healthy drizzle- use your good olive oil here- and make sure you get the potatoes. Finally, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the lemon juice all over the chicken and the potatoes (trust me- get the potatoes).

Pop it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, grab the pan with a hot pad and tilt the pan several times to get the chicken fat from the middle of the pan to the edges under the potatoes. Do this again after another 15 minutes. Finally after one hour in the oven, check the chicken- it should be done. If it's not- give it 10 minutes at a time until done. Let it rest on a rack for about 10 minutes before serving.

If you opt to use a whole chicken, you will want to adjust given the size of your bird. Give it about 15 minutes per pound. With a whole chicken, make sure you dust the cavity with salt and fennel spice rub, AND place one of the squeezed out lemon halves in the cavity for extra flavor points.

The chicken ends up crispy and packed with flavor. The potatoes get all brown and caramelized on the bottom- and they just can't get any better. The whole family enjoys this meal, and it just can't be beat. Company worthy, or everyday dinner, Michael's Chicken is one of our go-to default dinners.

The Alpha-Veggie Challenge: A for Asparagus

This is proving to be very interesting. A few days back I had made the Asparagus-Pesto lasagna. Zander really liked it, Abigail thought it was okay- and neither of them knew it had asparagus in it. But they knew that Mom and Dad had asparagus in theirs. Then the other night I had picked up two bunches of asparagus and was prepping one to grill when Abigail walked in and said "Ewww...Asparagus!" I proceeded to remind her that she actually did like asparagus. Doesn't she remember that she likes to pick it fresh out of Grandma's garden and nibble it up. "Oh yeah...I guess I like asparagus not cooked." So I left out some stalks to peel the tough bottoms and leave raw for the kids. They both gobbled them up- dunked in a bit of ranch dressing. Both giving an enthusiastic thumbs up to raw asparagus.

Last night it was soup's turn. I looked to my "Veggie Evangelist" Alanna for inspiration and found a recipe for Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup. I did make a few changes, but overall stuck with the integrity of her soup. The first change I made was to use less celery, and instead I added some chopped mushrooms to sweat with the onion and celery. I also added a pinch of dried thyme to the sweating veggies. Later on, when it came time to add the sour cream, I opted to use half & half instead because Zander doesn't like sour cream, and I wasn't sure if he would taste it. And finally, instead of the vinegar, I used a splash of lemon juice because I loooove lemon with asparagus. On the grown-ups portion of soup I also added some fresh lemon zest. I scooped it all into bowls and topped the soup with some homemade croutons for added kid appeal.

When the kids came to the table they commented on the soup- which was oddly served up as a side dish - that never happens here. So I told them I wanted to talk about my green soup on my blog and wanted to know what they thought of it. First tastes they both burst into "yum!". Zander then proceeded to gobble his up and ate most of his soup. Abigail ate a few bites and then turned her attention to her plate and the waiting goodness there. After they were finished with dinner, I confessed that it was actually asparagus soup- and they both were happy to learn that they liked asparagus soup. Abigail did tell me in all honesty that it's not her favorite, and she would eat it again, but would prefer her asparagus raw next time.

So far I have learned that if I don't come out and tell them asparagus is in something, they will at least taste it. And I guess if I want to hide veggies, I can probably get away with it for a little while, but eventually I think they'll both figure it out. I have one more asparagus preparation for them to try- and this one is going to be obvious. There will be no getting around the fact that they are going to try and eat asparagus. Will it work? Stay tuned.

Tomorrow, Michael's Chicken always puts my husband into a delirious coma. I'll share how I make it so that it is the epitome of roasted chicken perfection.

Our own little veggie challenge

We are a veggie-loving family. There are very few vegetables that I don't care for- the only two coming to the top of my mind is rutabaga and spaghetti squash. Andy pretty much likes them all, although he's not very fond of corn unless it's on the cob. And the kids... well, they are a work in progress. They love raw vegetables. Even vegetables that are normally served cooked (in my world anyway) like zucchini and asparagus- they will happily gobble them down if raw, but cook them up and they develop poison-like qualities. There are cooked vegetables that they enjoy, but there's got to be more! There has to be more for them than salad- not that salad is a bad thing.

The way I figure, there's got to be a way to prepare almost every vegetable that my kids will enjoy them. I've been meaning to get myself organized to do a vegetable challenge for them, but just haven't gotten around to it. Now that we're nearing the beginning of the growing season, I've decided that this is it. We are going to learn to eat vegetables in as many ways as possible. Our original inspiration was a book by Lois Ehlert, called Eating The Alphabet. It's a wonderful children's book, and I thought it would be a blast to go through vegetables A to Z and try some from each letter. Then a week or so ago I stumbled upon this blog, The Great Big Vegetable Challenge, and I knew this was my opportunity. And with asparagus hitting the markets now, we are beginning at the beginning. A for asparagus, and I am determined that I will find a way that my children enjoy asparagus. First up is going to be soup, and then there will be at least two other methods of preparation before we determine a winner.

I will report back with my findings. In the meantime, go check out what picky Freddie has been eating at The Great Big Vegetable Challenge. And maybe later today there will be cookies too. One can always hope.

Homemade Yogurt?

A couple of years ago I really wanted to make my own yogurt. It just seemed like one of those things that I should learn how to do. So I went on a search to find out how to do it, and stumbled across a yogurt maker. At the time, there was an awesome deal on it, and a friend of mine wanted to learn to make yogurt too, so we combined our orders and got two for the price of one. I was eager to make yogurt. My machine showed up, and I immediately went to work and was so disappointed with the results.

Homemade yogurt is not as thick as commercial yogurt that is thickened with gums and starches and things. I was also concerned about how long my homemade yogurt was good for. As it sat day after day, it did get thicker, but I wondered if there was a point where it wasn't safe to eat- we are talking about live bacteria after all. So I tucked the yogurt maker away, and have only pulled it out a few times since.

Since my yogurt making disasters, I have learned a thing or two. One is that I rather like plain yogurt. I love a scoop of plain non-flavored yogurt with a dollop of homemade jam swirled in for flavor. It has so much more character than the super sweet pre-flavored yogurt. I love the tang which I miss when I have a dish of regular fruity yogurt. I really needed to try homemade yogurt making again.

Well, yesterday I was looking at a carton of whole milk I'd purchased for the other day's meatballs, and I was trying to decide what to do with it when I thought of making ice cream. I quickly decided that was not a good idea, and then out of the corner of my eye I caught the tub of plain yogurt, and decided yogurt was what I was going to make.

It begins with milk. In this case, I used whole milk and 1% combined. To the milk, some powdered milk is added and then the two are heated to just below boiling. Then it is left to cool to around 100ºF. After it's cooled, 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with active cultures is slowly mixed in, and then the whole mixture cooks up for as many hours as you'd like in a yogurt maker. My personal preference is around 6 hours. Less time gives you less tang, and more time gives you more tang. When I pulled that yogurt out of the yogurt maker and set it in the fridge to finish firming up, I had such a sense of satisfaction. I had made yogurt from scratch. With this plain homemade yogurt, I can make more yogurt by taking out a portion as another starter. With this yogurt I can take a tour of other cuisines that feature yogurt. I can visit Greece again, Lebanon, Turkey, or India. I can take this yogurt and drain it a bit to make yogurt cheese (a distinct possibility). And I'm toying with the idea of adding a few things and plopping the whole mixture into my ice cream maker- frozen yogurt anyone?

It's wonderful. Tart and creamy, and I can add any flavorings I want. This mornings flavor is a cherry-berry jam I made myself- tomorrow's will likely be blueberry-lime. Homemade yogurt is indeed a treasure- and well worth learning how to make.

What Did I Do!!

Sometimes I can be so rash...

Welcome to yet another new look. It's fun and quirky- I like it, but it wreaked some havoc on my blog. Please let me know if you have any problems- especially with any of the links in the sidebar. I had to redo the whole thing.

Cat Cora's Kitchen

I love Greek food. It's one of my favorite cuisines- I just love the flavor combinations and the freshness of most Greek inspired food. This past Sunday for Company Dinner it was Greek night, and for me that always means a big Greek salad at the very least. I wanted something a little different to accompany, and while I originally had been thinking pork or turkey tenderloin, I decided to peruse a yet-to-be used cookbook instead.

Cat Cora's Kitchen is a gorgeous cookbook. Every single recipe looks really good and appetizing. My only problem with this book is that many of the recipes are daunting. There are several steps or long cooking processes. Overall though, it's a keeper. Especially when the first recipe out of the gate is a winner.

Aegean Meatballs are excellent. A moist and flavorful meatball that was perfect for dunking in tzatziki, or would make excellent sandwiches in some pita bread. That is actually what the recipe called for, but since I didn't feel like making pita this past weekend, we did without. (Since I learned to make it, store bought pales in comparison.) I followed Cat Cora's recipe with three changes. One change I made was to eliminate the mint. I can't stand mint in savory cooking, so instead I used oregano and parsley. The second change was that I didn't use the egg. I was out, and another run to the store didn't sound fun to me, so I just went ahead without- the meatballs still held together nicely. And the last change I made was to use far less oil than called for. Both in the meatballs and for cooking them. Instead of the 1/4 cup called for in the meatballs, I just added a healthy drizzle- maybe a tablespoon or so. And for cooking them up, I used a non-stick pan with a drizzle in the pan. Worked just fine, and I had no problems. Aegean Meatballs were excellent and will be a repeater here. You can also find my recipe for Tzatziki here as well.

Magazine Day

Every month, when the new issue of Cooking Light magazine comes out, Alysha of The Savory Notebook lists all the recipes she'd like to try from the issue. It's a good idea. Other than the occasional recipe, I haven't been cooking a whole lot from my magazines, which is a shame since I get several good ones. So today I thought I'd play along with Alysha. I am going to make a list here of Cooking Light recipes that I'd like to attempt, followed by a list of recipes from Eating Well.

Will I get around to making them? That's hard to say. Although today Andy did officially head back to work- 4 months and two days after being laid off, so in the weeks to come I will be able to allocate more to the grocery budget. That means more cooking for me- which of course means more fuel for the blog. Here is my list- and if you'd like to play along, head on over to The Savory Notebook and let Alysha know. She would love to link your list with her list.

Cooking Light Recipes:

Jerk Chicken
Indonesian Beef Curry with Coconut Rice
White Chocolate, Strawberry and Oatmeal Cookies
Lemony Chickpea Dip
Asparagus- Apple Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Hot Brown Sandwiches
Greek Wet Rub
Raisin Honey Milk Bread
Vegetarian Taquitos
Mushroom and Fontina Quesadillas
Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs
Sausage and Pepper Calzones
Chili Verde
Raspberry Phyllo Tarts
Chocolate Raspberry Tart with White Chocolate Cream
Onion Pissaladiere
Pesto Halibut Kebabs

Eating Well Recipes:

Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Pancetta, and Wilted Watercress
Tropical Cucumber Salad
Cucumber and Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Eating Well Crispy Taco Shells
Lean & Spicy Taco Meat
Thai Chicken Pizza
Rhubarb Crisp
Sugar Snap Pea & Shrimp Curry
Lebanese Potato Salad
Fattoush
Baba Ganouj
Shish Kebab with Tahini Sauce
Kusa Mihshi
Pirate Marinade
Red Wine Marinade

That's quite the list! Of particular interest to me right now is the series of Lebanese recipes from Eating Well. I would love to make that some time for Sunday Company Dinner. Not included in my list here is the handful of recipes from Vegetarian Times that I'm also interested in. Hopefully I'll get to cooking sometime soon! Coming up tomorrow- another cookbook checked off my list by a favorite Iron Chef of mine- Cat Cora. Stay tuned!

Gooey Goodness

But not from me.

I don't have much exciting to post about today. It was a gorgeous day yesterday, so Andy broke out the smoker- and I didn't do any cooking myself to post about. But I do want to direct my readers to one of the yummiest bites of gooey chocolate-goodness to cross my lips in a while.

Joe over at Culinary In The Country made these scrumptious looking bars the other day. Being the thoughtful person that I am- and having the ingredients on hand, I whipped up a batch Sunday morning. My plan was to share them with our Sunday Company. I tucked them out of site before company arrived because I wanted them for after dinner, and we all have a tendency to pick at the desserts beforehand. Anyway. Imagine my surprise when one of my guests shows up with something that looks very similar to what I'd just made! What are the odds of that! Her recipe was from Bon Appetit magazine, and was different than mine, but similar enough that I just left mine hiding away for another day. The basic recipe is a cookie or shortbread crust with a caramel layer, and then chocolate on the top. My friend's called for the addition of sea salt, which we both were shocked to find out was really good- and what totally made the bars. Joe's recipe is quite a bit different, but looks similar. Andy says this recipe reminds him of an upscale Caramel Twix bar- and I don't think he's that far off.

So having said all that, I am going to direct you to Culinary In The Country for his awesome Marbled Chocolate Bars. Because his look way better than mine ever could.

Educating Peter

by Lettie Teague

It's not every day that you see a book review on this blog. In fact, I have a whole separate blog specifically for the purpose of keeping track of what I read. But this book is different. This is a book designed to educate the masses in a completely new way.

The subtitle of this book is "How I taught a famous movie critic the difference between Cabernet and Merlot." OR "How anybody can become and (almost) instant wine expert."

In the interest of full disclosure, I will start out with saying that I was approached by the publishing company with this book. Would I like to check it out? I thought about it and decided that I am always interested in learning about wine, but wine books are so daunting, so perhaps this is the book for me. I said I was interested and I did receive the book in short time, and I wasted no time getting into it.

Educating Peter started as a very easy book to read. We were introduced to the subject Peter the movie critic, and found out right away that he was not a wine expert by any means. He knew very little about tasting, and knew almost nothing about different varieties. This was promising. We were given a list of basic terms to know, and were invited along with Peter on his adventure around the wine world. I enjoyed the banter between Peter and Lettie and was looking forward to seeing Peter's transformation. The journey around the world began with one of the most important countries in wine-making, France. I have to admit though, the chapter on France was a little daunting to me. I read it twice, because there is a lot of information within its pages. The designation system of France is still confusing to me, but I am sure with some time, I will grasp the concept of Chateaux and Grand Cru Estates. France got the most attention in this book as they discussed all the many regions in France- including the well-known Bordeaux and Burgundy regions.

After France, they made trek through Europe, discussing wines from Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Austria, and Hungary before making their way to The New World. The New World countries included Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile before settling into the United States and the many productive regions here. While discussing the U.S. winemakers, Peter and Lettie actually went on a trip to Napa to explore that region and demystify the wines there. They also discussed The Finger Lakes in New York, Washington State, and Oregon. I will admit that a bit of me was rather pleased to learn that one of my favorite wines that we've discovered- Chateau Ste. Michelle was listed in this book as a great producer.

It really was amazing to watch Peter's transformation unfold on the pages of this book. And he really did! At the beginning he knew nothing- by the end, he was bidding on a case of wine at an auction, and ordering wine to pair with food while out to dinner. He had countless conversations with winemakers and purveyors, and by the end of the book, you had a real sense that he knew what he was talking about. This book provided an excellent education on the wine industry for me in such a fun and new manner. I will say that at times the information got to be too much at one time, and I would set the book down, but then I would pick it right back up and forge ahead. My only complaint with this book was the timing for me to read it. I really wanted to head to the wine store several times to learn exactly what Peter was learning. I wanted to taste some wine. And while I have a few bottles on hand, it just wouldn't have been the same.

This book isn't quite a textbook, and it isn't quite a story. It's an expert blend of both. In fact, I fully intend to use this book until its tattered to learn all about wine and the difference between grapes, regions, and vintages. By following Peter's example, I suspect that I can use this book to learn more about wine than what I already know- and that's not much. I can imagine how much fun it would be to open a bottle of wine for company and explain how this was a good vintage for this producer and discuss the nose or finish with my guests. I can imagine how Peter felt- volatizing his esters for the first time.

Educating Peter is an excellent book. It really is. If you have any interest in learning some of the basics about wine- this is your book. It's so much more than a basic textbook or informational book. This is entertaining at the same time. And I highly suggest you purchase your own copy, because if you have any interest in wine, your book will look like mine in no time, and will be full of notations and highlighter marks.

Vegetarian Night

One of my resolutions this year was to cook more vegetarian meals for my family. Admittedly that hasn't really happened much yet other than the occasional veggie pizza. But yesterday I was flipping through older magazines looking for anything to cook for dinner that was a little different. I was in the mood to cook- but I didn't know what. It was in the April 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times that I found my inspiration. Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna caught my eye. As I recall it did a year ago when I first got this magazine. And as I read through the recipe I had almost everything I needed for this dish- including the asparagus. I also recalled that a gentleman who goes by Bob on the CLBB had made this dish and raved about it. (Some things just stick in your head- and Bob has never steered me wrong so I pay attention when he raves.)

I assembled my lasagna before lunchtime actually. I was using no-boil noodles, according to the recipe, and I wanted to make sure they absorbed the sauce and were soft, so I thought making it ahead and allowing it to sit for a few hours would be beneficial. I only made two minor changes to the recipe as it was. The first was to add a handful each of mushrooms and onions to the asparagus as it cooked, and the second change was to use less noodles. The recipe called for 16- and since no-boil noodles swell, I ended up only using 9- and it worked just fine.

The lasagna was fantastic- in a word. It wasn't heavy or cloying like I thought it might be using a milk based sauce. It was just plain delicious. The asparagus worked perfectly and really came through flavor wise. The sauce was soaked right up, and the proportions really were perfect. I could go on and on about how delicious this lasagna was- it was that good. Most definitely company worthy, that's for certain. One of the things I liked best about this lasagna was that it was good and hearty, and it definitely filled me up, but after dinner was done I didn't feel heavy. I felt full and satisfied, but not in a bad way. That's one of the reasons I want to play more with vegetarian cooking. The fullness factor is definitely different after eating a nutritious veggie meal than after a heavy protein based meal. Two thumbs up from Andy and I, Zander enjoyed it, and Abigail just said it was okay, and didn't want to eat more than a few bites. She prefers her asparagus raw. Overall Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna was an instant hit, and will be repeated here.

Default Side Dish

I guess I've been a little MIA lately. I haven't done a huge lot of new cooking- nothing exciting really. It finally warmed up a tad, so we've been running the grill a little making standard grill food- burgers, chicken breasts, hot dogs, etc. Nothing really blog-worthy. And I guess I decided that it's better to not blog than blog about nothing. Last night though as I was assembling some potatoes for the grill, it occurred to me that while not really special, foil potatoes are kind of standard fare here once grilling season starts. Being inspired by my friend Janelle's "Default Dinners" posting, I thought I could share the process for foil potatoes.

You begin with the grill on and warming up, and a few sheets of aluminum foil. Personally, the heavy duty always works best for grilling, but you can use the standard if you double it up. Next, you grab a handful of potatoes and an onion. (Gauge the potatoes as to how much your family will eat. I like to use red-skinned potatoes, as I like to leave the skin on- but feel free to use any potato you like and peel if necessary. Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, and then in half lengthwise again. Cut these pieces into thin slices, and repeat until the potatoes are sliced. Then chop half of the onion into small pieces. Spray your foil with cooking spray and pile the potatoes on. Next, sprinkle the onions all over the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes very liberally with your choice of salt (I like seasoning salt or sel gris) and plenty of freshly ground pepper. If you have herbs, this would be a great place to add a handful of fresh rosemary or chives. Then drizzle olive oil over the whole mass. If you are a butter lover, you can dollop pats of butter on the very top. I like to use olive oil if I'm using rosemary with just a few tablespoons of butter for flavor on top. Oh- chopped fresh garlic is tasty in here as well!

Then wrap the foil around the potatoes tightly- making sure it's well sealed, using additional foil sheets if necessary. Plop this package on your grill over indirect heat and let if cook- rotating as necessary to cook all sides. It takes about 45 minutes, which is plenty of time to toss a salad and prepare and grill your main course. If you let the potatoes go a little longer, they get all browned and caramelized around the edges- very tasty stuff. This works well on a grill or an open fire (in the instance of camping). I also swap out the plain potatoes for sweet potatoes at times- although then I use more butter and add cinnamon and brown sugar instead of herbs and onions. (I'm a sweet girl, I like my sweets on the sweet side.) Any way you do it, it's quick to throw together, and really cooks itself. Foil Potatoes is one of our default side dishes. The picture above here is of the potatoes ready to be wrapped up and cooked. I failed to take a finished picture-sorry!

Homemade Croutons

Sometimes you forget that you know how to make the simplest of things. And sometimes it's those simplest of things that make a difference. Last night we had a simple dinner of BBQ chicken and salad. The salad was just a green salad with cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and carrot shreds. As I assembled this, I became annoyed that I forgot to pick up croutons. Yes, I confess to buying croutons. Then, out of the corner of my eye I caught the corner of a foil wrapped package- the homemade buttermilk oatmeal bread from the other night. Ding-Ding! In no time I had little cubes of bread awaiting some seasoning.

I have no recipe, more procedure, but trust me, it works. I started with about 4 cups of bread cubes. I placed these in a bowl and added 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of canola oil. I tossed the bread thoroughly and then added some seasonings. A healthy grinding of fresh black pepper, a sprinkling of garlic powder, and a teaspoon or so of dried basil. All this was tossed until it looked evenly distributed before being spread out on a sheet pan. I heated the oven to 375ºF, and before putting the cubes in the oven, at the last minute I decided to sprinkle them with some Parmesan cheese. Total these baked for about 20 minutes, but I was checking on them and tossing them every 5 or so. And the end result was the perfect topping for an otherwise plain salad. We all gobbled them up, and these were even good enough to just snack on all by themselves. Next time I'm faced with a heel of leftover bread, I'll be making these again.