Wish Upon A Chef

Getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables that they don't like is always tricky business. You may try to cut the foods into minuscule pieces, hide them in with other foods they like, or resort to a reward system for eating the disliked items. I'm sure my mother probably tricked me into eating yucky foods when I was a kid, but she knew I was on to her when I'd leave nothing but peas and carrots in the bottom of my vegetable soup bowl.

These days, I do try to broaden my food horizons and try things that I haven't liked in the past because it is true that your tastes change over time. But there is one surefire way to get me to eat something previously thought as yucky ~ soak it in alcohol! 

I used to prepare this recipe for Chicken Breasts with Sherried Mushrooms in the catering kitchen and it was always a winner with clients, but I never cared for the texture of mushrooms myself.  I'm learning to like them, though, with Shiitakes being at the top of my list (and they would work well in this recipe) and button mushrooms needing quite a bit of seasoning and/or the addition of other items for me to fully enjoy.  I tried this recipe on a whim last week and was a total plate cleaner!  Even if you aren't a fan of 'shrooms either, I bet you'll love them after they're sauted in sherry wine and served atop a tender chicken breast. 

Chicken Breasts with Sherried Mushrooms
Serves 4

4 each chicken breast halves, butterflied and pounded
2 TBSP flour
kosher salt, as needed
freshly ground black pepper, as needed
3 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
2 cups fresh white mushrooms, sliced
2 TBSP shallot, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry sherry, divided
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and dredge chicken until lightly coated. Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Wipe skillet clean of drippings.

Add remaining 1 TBSP vegetable oil to pan and heat again over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots, saute until tender, about 3 minutes.

Combine 1 TBSP sherry and cornstarch and set aside. Add remaining sherry and chicken broth to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook until sauce is reduced to about 1-1/2 cups. Add cornstarch mixture, cook, stirring constantly about 1 minute or until mixture is thickened.

Return chicken to pan, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, top evenly with mushroom mixture. Garnish with parsley.

Am I the only girl in the world who thinks Valentine's Day is a total rip-off for guys?  I think it's atrocious that men have to purchase an expensive gift just to prove their love, and at the risk of speaking against my own gender, I think it's even more sad that women EXPECT that a man should do this.  (Okay, ladies...let the bashing begin.)

What happened to showing our love, adoration, respect and concern for each other EVERY. SINGLE. DAY?  Is that not enough?  Or could it be that the expensive gift given one day a year is intended to make up for the fact that maybe our men don't appreciate us on a daily basis? (It's equal opportunity bashing day, so you men can just start your line right here <----)

For me, Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate the idea of love but every day should be a day of showing love, respect and adoration.  Valentine's Day is the day you give a silly, maybe semi-naughty token of your love and adoration.  Something simple but thoughtful.  Something that made you think of your loved one and made you giggle at the thought of giving it to them.  Something from the heart.

I read an online article not long ago from Esquire Magazine about better marriage tips (maybe I should have read that article two marriages ago, but whatever) and it really stuck with me.  The premise of the article was how to have a better marriage by dedicating 270 seconds to your loved one every day. 

270 seconds. 

That's less than 5 minutes, folks, and surely you can find that small amount of time in your schedule.   I think these same tips hold true if you're in a relationship and not married and it is also a good theory for both guys and gals to practice.  See what you think...

Morning

First thing, take ninety seconds to give her the greatest good morning possible: "Good morning. I love you." And if she's asleep, you can lower your voice and whisper, "I love you. Have an awesome day." She'll hear you anyway.

After Work

Right when you get home, focus on her for a full ninety seconds. If she's happy, you go happy; if she's low, you go low, and make sure you look her in the eyes long enough to discern her eye color. This says, I value you, I need you.

Night

Sometime during the last thirty minutes before bed, take ninety seconds to engage fully with her. Do not talk about children, money, or work. Don't talk about the past at all. Look at her, stroke her hair, snuggle up to her, tell her you love her.

Ninety seconds in the morning, ninety seconds after work (or any time you've been away from her for at least two hours), and ninety seconds at night. That's how you bond. After seven to ten days, the marriage will change.

My Valentine does all of these above things and spends far more than 270 seconds doing them. I'm very conscious of the effort that my Valentine puts into making me feel special and I want to repay that favor with my own actions of adoration, kindness and respect.  My Valentine makes me a better person and that, my friends, is what it's all about.

These to-die-for rich chocolate brownies will be part of the gift to my Valentine and although they don't take much longer than 270 seconds to put together and get into the oven, the thought behind making and giving them is so much more.  Happy Valentine's Day! 

270 Seconds To Better Love Brownies

1 box Ghiradelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix
plus these ingredients that are called for on the box:
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
plus these add ins:
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix and bake according to package directions.  Be sure to use the glaze packet included in the box to finish off these decadent bites of chocolate.

An easy peasy way to say to your Valentine "I love you" or "I adore you" or "hey baby, you're da bomb!"

Just in time to try and capture the Super Bowl crowd, Domino's Pizza is advertising their Stuffed Cheesy Bread and how great it is. Their claim is that they sampled cheese bread from all the other competing pizza joints and then made theirs even cheesier.

I've got news for you Domino's....my bread is even more cheesier than the cheesiest bread you could ever dream of creating! With a whopping 1/2 pound of melted mozzarella and Havarti oozing out of this, who could argue??

This recipe hails from a 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine and claims to be a close replica of a traditional bread from the Republic of Georgia (the country, not the state) called khachapuri. The combination of Havarti and mozzarella is similar to the salted cow's milk cheese called sulguni used in the Georgian version of the bread. Of course we Americans are notorious for putting our own "traditional" spin on things and serving this warm, cheesy goodness with marinara sauce or a garlicky butter sauce would no doubt make this an over-the-top Super Bowl game snack.

This bread is best right out of the oven but the dough can be made the day before and left to rise slowly in the refrigerator, so you can have a batch of this ready to bake just before kick off or during half-time if you want to avoid another display of total narcissism.


Georgian Cheese Bread
Serves 8

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-ounce package)
7 tablespoons warm water (105-115°F)
1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 pound Havarti cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 pound salted mozzarella, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.)

Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.

Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.

Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.

Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.

Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands. Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.

Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Cooks' note: • Dough can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in bowl (for a slow rise), covered with plastic wrap. Punch down and bring to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

What truly Southern person doesn't like the combination of shrimp and cheese grits? Add some bacon into the mix and I'd almost bet that anyone within a 1,000,000,000 mile radius of the Mason-Dixon line would come running for a hefty helping of the delicious goodness.

I make a pretty awesome spicy shrimp and cheese grits casserole myself, but I'm not opposed to trying something new and different like this recipe from Food & Wine for Shrimp and Cheese-Grit Cakes with Bacon Vinaigrette. This recipe tested my true Southernness ~ let it be known right now that I cannot fry a grit cake. Frying is an inherently must-know-how-to-do Southern trait and I failed miserably. If I make this recipe again, I'll probably use a skillet instead of a grill pan and fry them in a bit of vegetable oil just like I do when I make Chicken Parmesan. My grit cakes stuck to the pan and the crust peeled right off when I tried to flip them. They weren't attractive at all and thank goodness they were smothered in vinaigrette so no one noticed.

I liked the combined flavors of the tangy balsamic vinegar, the smoky bacon, and the sweetness of the shallot in this recipe. I had a bit of the vinaigrette left over and mixed it with ziti pasta, leftover steamed broccoli and a pinch of Parmesan cheese for an awesome lunch the next day.


Shrimp with Cheese-Grit Cakes and Bacon Vinaigrette
Food & Wine, August 2009
Serves: 6

3 1/2 cups milk
5 garlic cloves -- minced
1 cup quick grits
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tabasco
2 Tbs vegetable oil -- plus more for brushing
4 oz lean bacon -- cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 small shallots -- minced
1 small celery rib -- minced
1 scallion -- finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper -- minced
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Barbecue spice mix or Cajun seasoning -- for dusting (I used Tony Chachere's)
1 lb large shrimp -- shelled and deveined

Lightly oil a 9-inch-square glass baking dish. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer with half of the garlic. Slowly whisk in the grits over moderate heat until very thick, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheddar. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour into the dish and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let stand until firm, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the bacon; cook over moderate heat until crisp. Add the shallots, celery, scallion, red pepper, parsley, thyme and the remaining garlic and cook, stirring, until the shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire and a few dashes of Tabasco. Season with salt and keep warm.

Heat a grill pan and brush with oil. Cut the grits into 12 squares and dust on both sides with barbecue spice mix. Cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Keep the grit cakes warm in a low oven; keep the grill pan hot.

Brush the shrimp with oil, season with salt and pepper and dust with barbecue spice mix. Grill the shrimp in the pan over moderately high heat until lightly charred and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Arrange the shrimp and grit cakes on plates, drizzle the bacon vinaigrette on top and serve right away.

Goat cheese excites me. 

It excites me to the point that if I see something on a restaurant menu that contains the creamy, silky, tart goodness, I look no further and order that item.  It doesn't matter if it's the first of 100 items to chose from ~ it's going on my plate.  Undoubtedly, some variety of the cheese ends up in my grocery cart each week regardless if it's priced at $50/lb.  A recipe containing goat cheese?  It's going to the top of my "To Do" list.

Crazy I know, to get so excited about cheese.

When I found a recipe for Art Smith's (who was Oprah's personal chef for awhile) Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits that are served in his Table Fifty-Two Chicago restaurant I was, well.....very excited. The combination of made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits and goat cheese was enough to send me to the moon. But as with anything we put upon a pedestal and worship, it is bound to fail at some point.

I expected these biscuits to be oozing with warm goat cheese when I tore into them. I expected to teeter on the edge of goat cheese heaven but I was sorely disappointed when I made them per Art's recipe. It was a biscuit and nothing more.  Not the least bit exciting. 

Most times I don't give a recipe a second chance ~ I am of the opinion that there are too many recipes to try and too little time.  But I couldn't give up on my beloved goat cheese.  I revamped the recipe with some add-ins and while the goat cheese still was not very prominent, the biscuits had much more flavor and became something that I would certainly make again.  They were best right out of the oven, sliced open with a pat of softened butter smooshed right in the middle. 

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
Inspired by Chef Art Smith
Makes 12-14 biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 ounces cold butter
4 ounces goat cheese
3 strips bacon, cooked and finally chopped (or prosciutto)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (or chives)
1 cup buttermilk
extra butter to grease pan and top biscuits
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Place one 10" cast iron pan into the oven while it is preheating. Place flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter and goat cheese. Add bacon (or prosciutto) and parsley (or chives).  Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of milk if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of butter into it. When the butter has melted, drop 1/4 cupsful of batter into the pan (use a muffin scoop to drop the batter if you have one).  Bake for 12-14 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from oven, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Return to the oven for about a minute to give the cheese a chance to melt.  Enjoy warm!