Ninety-Eighth Post ~ "Mandie's Fancy" Steak!

Today was a red-letter day.  Not just because it's a full moon, or because it's the anniversary of the October Storm, but because today I met with my awesome adviser and awesome committee and defended my dissertation proposal.  Ten years of higher education have led me to this moment, and after today, I can see that I'm that much closer of reaching my goal of achieving a Ph.D.  Mind you, I still have to collect data, analyze said data, and do a heck of a lot of writing between now and May...

But today felt good.

So I decided to celebrate with food and wine.

: : PAUSE : :

This summer, I was a "party aid" for a dear friend, Vivian, whose mother-in-law was celebrating a milestone birthday.  There were many amazing dishes and terrific people at that party, but to be honest, the one thing that really stood out to me was the fact that I never realized what a turophile Vivian is.  That's "cheese lover/expert" to those of you who didn't realize that there's actually a word for this sort of thing.

Yancey's Fancy Steakhouse Onion Aged Cheddar Cheese.  That became my new love at this party.  I confess that as I prepared the cheese plate, this block of cheddary goodness was divided in a "one piece me, one piece plate" kind of way.  Being the fabulous person that Vivian is, she bought me some the last time she was at Yancey's Fancy.  It sat in my fridge for a perfect moment.

And I decided that NOW was that moment.

: : UNPAUSE : :

So after a successful defense, I drove to Wegmans and bought a petite sirloin and some other things:

~ 1 petite sirloin
~ Good handful crimini mushrooms
~ 2 shallots
~ EVOO
~ fresh thyme

You'll also need:
~ Yancey's Fancy Steakhouse Onion Aged Cheddar
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ White wine

I also stopped by Premier and bought an "unadvertised special" bottle of Codici Primitivo Salento.

: : PAUSE AGAIN : :

My most observant readers may have noticed that there's been a lack of black pepper in my posts of late.  I have learned over the past months that what I've been euphemistically considering a food "sensitivity" is, in reality, a food allergy.  I, the Accidental Chef, am confessing to you now: I am allergic to black pepper.  Not allergic in the "keel over and die" kind of way - more in the "carry Benadryl and request restaurants not to use it in my food" kind of way.  So I've cut black pepper from my cooking, but there are certain dishes that, if I weren't such an oddball, I'd be sprinkling liberally with the stuff.  Coarse ground.  Mmmmmm....  So, assuming you're not as sensitive as I, feel free to add black pepper to this meal.

(I secretly think that the "Accidental Chef Who's Allergic to Black Pepper" belongs on the Island of Misfit Toys... But anyway...)

: : UNPAUSE AGAIN : :

After answering some emails and playing with Ginny, I decided to have an early dinner.


I learned about using repeat ingredients (cooked different ways) to create an overall harmony in a dish while providing textural variety on ABC's The Chew.   Over a few episodes, I've seen chefs Mario Batali and Michael Symon use this concept to marry a few ingredients into a really interesting dish or two.  I decided to try this idea with thyme, crimini mushrooms, shallots and olive oil.

After starting the toaster oven heating (broil, 350) I sliced the mushrooms and set them aside.  Next, I finely minced one of the shallots, two slices of mushroom and some thyme and added it to about 1 tbps olive oil to make a coarse pesto of sorts.  I added some salt and some dry white wine.

In a stick-free pan, I added the other shallot (coarsely chopped) to some olive oil and dry white wine with some thyme and sea salt.

I put the steak on a piece of parchment and topped it with a good spoonful of the mixture.  I put it in and set the timer for five minutes.  In the mean time, I grated some cheese into a bowl.  This cheese is a little on the soft side, but I was still able to grate it.  Immediately after grating it, I put it in the fridge.

When the five-minute timer went off, I started the oil, wine, thyme and coarse-chopped shallots simmering in the pan.  I turned the steak and topped the other side with the pesto mixture.  Back in it went for another five minutes.

In the mean time, I started the mushrooms sauteing away merrily with the already-simmering ingredients.  When the timer went off, I topped the steak with the shredded cheese (about 2 tbsp in all) and popped it back in for the remaining 3 minutes.  In that time, I finished the mushrooms and readied the plate.

I'm including a photo to show what the 5+8 minute scheme amounts to with a tenderloin of this cut.  I realize, after seeing the photo, that I like my steaks pretty rare.  Adjust the time to your liking, but remember that it only takes about three minutes under a broiler for the cheese to toast perfectly.

The pairing of the food to the wine was perfect.  Using shallots rather than garlic gave the meal a nice sweet onion overtone without ever being too pungent.  The shallots that were mixed with the mushrooms were sweet and well-cooked, while the ones that went under the broiler maintained a crispiness that was a nice pairing to the rare meat.  The topping of Yancey's Fancy Steakhouse Onion gave the whole meal a certain richness without ever being "overboard."  And as the tasting notes suggest, the Codici Pimitivo Salento was a rich, earthy wine that both complimented the meal's flavors and cleansed the palate between bites.

All in all, a great meal, and a fun return to blogging after a few weeks away!

Yours in the love of great food, wine AND cheese,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-sixth Post ~ Bruschetta-topped breaded tilapia

This was a really simple meal.  So simple, in fact, I considered not blogging about it.  But then, after thinking about my post labels such as "quick dinner," I thought, perhaps I should blog about it for just that reason.

So here you go.

Here's what you'll need:
~ 1 tilapia fillet (I used frozen, and recommend going fresh.  However, this method of preparation will be so flavorful, you won't even notice the difference)
~ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
~ Premade bruschetta
~ Coarse-ground sea-salt
~ EVOO and/or butter

For the side I made the always-delectable roasted brussels sprouts.  See this post for easy-to-follow instructions to for preparing one of my favorite veggies in an oh-so-sweet way.  The only change I made was to exchange fresh thyme for garlic.

Start the brussels sprouts roasting.  Sprinkle ample breadcrumbs on a plate.  Generously coat both sides (including the little nook and cranny) of the tilapia fillet.  Start some EVOO heating in a pan.

: : PAUSE : :

Today something unimaginable happened.  I ran out of EVOO.  Somehow, I thought there was more in the bottle than there was, but sure enough, I tipped it into the pan, and about a teaspoon-full came out.  I thought it might be enough to sautee the tilapia, but unfortunately, it wasn't.  So I added about a tablespoon of butter (not too bad, calorie-wise, right?) and that gave the fillet the most delicately, deliciously browned edges.  Definite accidental win.

: : UNPAUSE : :

So after the tilapia is breaded, set it into the oil or butter or both.  Let it sizzle away while you stir the brussels sprouts.  Salt the upturned side of the tilapia, then flip it.  When it's done, top it with the bruschetta (remaining juice and all).  It doesn't take a lot (I saved about a tablespoon of bruschetta for this meal from when I cooked the lamb and tortellini earlier this week).

I enjoyed tonight's meal with another fabulous chilled glass of the Vinho Verde by Gazele.  Absolutely divine on such a hot summer's night!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-fifth Post ~ Prep Ahead Mussels with White Wine, Garlic, Herbs & Tomato

After I get done lecturing, I feel emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted, in a really rewarding kind of way.  Typically, I do call-ahead take-out from Panera, where I can grab my healthy, foodie meal to go, drive back to my apartment, and collapse in front of my TV to dine on panini, salad and a nice glass of wine.

But I'm trying to think outside the lunchbox for some easy alternatives.

Enter mussels.

You all know my love affair with these mollusks - easy, inexpensive, quick and oh-so-yummy.  What's not to love?  It's a quick meal in and of itself, but I thought I'd do some prep to make it even quicker.  My efforts paid off.

Here's what you'll need for tonight's meal:

~ Mussels (1 lb does it for me - unfortunately, Wegmans misplaced the special order I had called in early this morning, and I ended up having to wait for a while with two exceptionally apologetic and friendly seafood staffers while they painstakingly looked for the code to ring up a single pound of mussels, which is not a usual purchase.  Hence the call-ahead.  But we found it - #6755.  Immortalized herein)
~ White wine (tonight's was a lively Portuguese Gazela vinho verde - as clear and effervescent as sparkling water - but with a great deal more citrussy, fresh character!
~ Garlic (1 clove)
~ Fresh herbs on hand (savory, thyme and oregano for me!)
~ 10 or so pieces of oven-roasted tomatoes from the Mediterranean bar.  Super yummy.
~ 2 tbs. butter
~ Coarse-ground salt to taste

In the afternoon, I prepped the broth.  Into my pan went some white wine, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, two pats of butter and salt.  I slapped a lid on and put it into the fridge.

End of story.

I came home this evening with my pound of mussels and a baguette, let the pot come to temp while I greeted my puppy and set my bags down, and then started it simmering, rinsed the mussels and plopped them in.  They cooked covered for 3 minutes while I poured myself a glass of chilled wine and sliced the baguette.

Not 10 minutes in the door, I was sitting down to one heck of a savory meal.

Panera, you know I love you - and I'll probably see you Thursday.  But this was a great way to kick off my week!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-first Post ~ More Mussels (with a citrussy flair!)

If you're sick of reading about the many virtues of a dinner of mussels...

...Then skip this post.

I wasn't going to blog about this, because it is rather similar to some of my past posts, but I feel like this batch was TRULY the perfect combination of herbs and other flavors.  Here's what you'll need:

~ Mussels, of course.  I make a pound per serving.
~ White wine (I used a "melange" of sorts of some leftover dry Riesling and Pinot Grigio)
~ Salted butter.  Lots o' butter.
~ Herbs: Fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, fresh, fresh, fresh.
~ Chives to top
~ Two crushed garlic cloves
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ One slice lemon

In a pan, add a generous bit of wine.  I'd say a little over a cup.  Start the butter melting.  When all is said and done, probably about three or four tablespoons.  Add the fresh herbs, and don't skimp on the parsley.  Add the slice of lemon and the garlic.  By now, your nose should be telling you that you're doing something right.  Add the course-ground sea salt.

Wash and dump in the mussels.  Slap a lid on and walk away for 3-4 minutes as you slice your baguette.  Come back, take off the lid, and SAVOR the aroma!

Top with lots of snipped chives and enjoy with the bread and a glass of dry riesling.  It is a perfect, perfect meal.

Yours in the love of food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eighty-seventh Post ~ Lemon Thyme Sea Bass with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Tonight's meal was simple to prepare, easy on clean-up, cooked in one pan, and was delicious.  What's not to love?

Here's what you'll need:
~ One small fillet of sea bass.  Mine checked in at a quarter pound.
~ EVOO
~ One smallish lemon
~ One sprig thyme
~ One pearl onion (per fillet)
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Surprise spice

: : PAUSE : :
I have two locations for my spices.  One is a 1970s era spice cabinet, where pretty spice bottles stand proudly on display and are used on a regular basis.  Then I have my "spice drawer" which might be a cousin of the "junk drawer."  It contains all of the lesser-used spices - the cayenne powder, the marjoram, the white pepper.  I reached in and grabbed what I thought was paprika.  The handwritten label (I inherited this bottle, so who knows...) was badly worn.  I popped it open and sprinkled a little what I thought was paprika over the fillet... and then wondered why I was having strong memories of Christmas... Peering closer at the label, I saw it said "nutmeg."

Oh well.  A little nutmeg never hurt anything, I say.

: : UNPAUSE : :

...And here's what you'll need for the Brussels sprouts:

~ Tiniest Brussels sprouts you can find, cut in quarters
~ EVOO
~ Sea salt
~ Jarred or crushed garlic

Preheat your toaster oven broiler to 400.  Spread some foil over one pan.  Make a wrinkle in the middle so you have a nice divider.  In a bowl, toss the quartered Brussels sprouts with the EVOO, salt and garlic.  Toss them into one of the divided halves and start broiling them for about 5 minutes.  In the mean time, prepare the fish.

Lay the fillet on a plate or cutting board.  Squeeze lemon over it and then lay a sprig of thyme on top.  Mince the pearl onion and scatter over it, and drizzle on some EVOO.  Grind on some salt and lay a slice of lemon on top.  Sprinkle on some paprika, nutmeg, or whatever other spice you have lying around badly labelled.

By now, your Brussels sprouts have probably started sizzling, so open the oven and put the fish in your other divided spot.  Broil for roughly 10-15 more minutes until the Brussels sprouts are fork-tender and the fish is cooked through to your liking.  If the veggies finish early, take them out and put them in a bowl and continue to cook the fish.

Once on the plate, I squeezed a little more lemon juice over the sea bass, because I love lemon on seafood.  Speaking of citrus, I served the meal with a Pinot Grigio by Vetter Vineyards - which had a wonderful citrus overtone of pineapple and lemon, which complimented the fish beautifully!

...And the nutmeg?  It ended up complimenting the warm, roasted nutty flavors in the veggies and the fish!  Who knew?

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and a little accidental experimentation),
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-eighth Post ~ Mussels in White Wine and Herb Butter Broth

Blame the dreary weather.  Blame flu season.  Blame the November tendency to burn the candle at both ends.  Whatever the source of blame, I found myself craving the simple, energy-packed joy of a dinner of mussels.

I took my inspiration for parting from my usual wine-and-tomato based sauce from recipes and memoirs from Mireille Guiliano's fantastic books and site.  Seeing as this was a month that ends in "-er" and therefore mussel season, I thought I'd seize the opportunity to revel in this dish cooked with her recommended white wine, butter and herbs.

Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Mussels (I find 15 is a perfect meal for me)
~ White wine (I got a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc by Terra Andina)
~ Garlic (crushed or jarred - I was in a hurry tonight, so jarred it was)
~ Fresh parsley
~ Fresh thyme
~ Scallions (about one full one, from bulb to tips)
~ Butter.  Salted.  Lots of it.  I'm German, not French, anyway.
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Crispy baguette (sliced)

In a shallow pan with a well-fitted lid, slosh in about a half inch of white wine and several tabs of butter.  Add all but about 4 inches of scallion and a small handful of chopped parsley with a sprig of thyme.  Add a bit of garlic.  Let it simmer as you wash the mussels.  Add a bit more wine if it starts looking like it's simmering into nonexistence.

Add the mussels and another tab of butter over all.  Slap on the lid and walk away for 4-5 minutes.  In the mean time, slice the baguette and pour your wine.

When the time is up, spoon them out into a bowl with the luscious broth and snip the remaining scallion over the dish.  Grind on some salt.  Savor every last mussel and every last drop of "liqueur."

: : PAUSE : :

I may have gone a little overboard with the scallions.  It made the dish quite oniony.  I LOVED it!!!  It was fresh and zesty and bursting with green flavor.

: : UNPAUSE : :

The wine was a perfect companion.  It was grassy and crisp, but mellow enough to compliment rather than fight the buttery broth.  It tamed the taste of the scallions and brought out the "fresh from the sea" taste of the mussels.

All in all, a very fulfilling, satisfying dish!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-seventh Post ~ Garlic Peach Salmon with Sweet "Dumpling" Squash

It's very hard to resist a friendly Wegman's staff member handing out yummy tempting treats.  I wasn't dressed up, but I felt a bit like I was trick-or-treating as I meandered from sample station to sample station.  I ended up with a loaf of apple cider bread with brie to spread over it for lunch tomorrow, and for dinner tonight, I got a great idea for squash.

Here's what you'll need for this fix-and-work meal (what I'd like to start calling the meals that you prep, stick in the oven, go back to work, and then return 30-45 minutes later to enjoy).

For the main dish:
~ Salmon fillet
~ Slice of peach
~ Brown sugar
~ Garlic clove (crushed)
~ Coarse-ground salt
~ EVOO
~ Herb of choice (thyme, naturally)

For the most autumnal side:
~ Squash of choice (I chose a "sweet dumpling" squash, which looked very much like a pumpkin if it were to shrink and cover itself with green and white stripes and speckles)
~ EVOO
~ Garlic clove (coarsely chopped)
~ Slice of onion (coarsely chopped)
~ Coarse-ground salt
~ Brown sugar (noticing a theme?)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Chop the squash (a process which is made worlds easier by piercing the gourd and microwaving for around 30 seconds) into bite-sized morsels.  I learned today from the friendly lady at the veggie sample stand that you can leave the skin on squash.  Extra nutrients = good to me.  Drizzle it with EVOO and grind a bit of salt over it.  Coarsely chop the garlic clove and onion.  Mix it all in and scatter some brown sugar and thyme over it.  Pop it in the oven.  It will take about 45 minutes to cook through.

In the mean time, prep the salmon so it can sit and soak in all the goodness.  It requires about 15 minutes to cook to my liking; add minutes if you like it done more.

In a foil "boat", place the salmon.  In a prep bowl, crush one clove of garlic and "mush" a piece of peach into it.  I say "mush" because I'm really not sure what the proper term is, here.  Squeeze it in your hand until all the juice runs into the bowl and the leftover fruit is kinda "preserve-y".  Into that, mix ample brown sugar.  Spoon it over the salmon fillet, press a sprig of thyme into it, and pop it in the oven at the appropriate time.

Savor the aromas!!!

In between, finish a paper, send emails, get your work lined up for the next day.

When you return, a luscious autumnal meal will be waiting for you!  I paired this meal with a Robert Mondavi Private Selection pinot noir.  My intent was to have a wine that was full-bodied enough to stand up to the salmon (hence a red) but fruity enought to not go too dry in the face of the brown sugar and sweet squash (hence a new world vintage).  My goal was realized.  This wine offered a palate-cleansing finish without ever being too dry, a fruitiness that accompanied rather than fought the sweet, savory meal (think cranberries next to a Thanksgiving turkey and yams) and an oakiness that gave the whole meal a decidedly rustic overtone.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-sixth Post ~ A new spin on pork florentine

I meant to thaw out a portion of pork tenderloin, but instead accidentally thawed one that I had already cut into medallions.  It had occurred to me earlier that day that I had all the ingredients that I typically find in a pork florentine - namely, spinach, cheese and mustard - so I decided not to allow my initial plan to be thwarted by my attempt at making my life easier (by pre-slicing most of the tenderloins I bought last week).

So I punted.  And, as testimony to the name of this blog, The "Accidental" Chef - I think that a lot of good things are the direct results of wrinkles in plans.

Here's what you'll need to create these miniature versions of pork florentine (which could become an elegant appetizer if ever an occasion called for it!)

~ Pork tenderloin (cut into medallions)
~ Spinach (I thawed some frozen spinach)
~ Mustard (I use country-style Grey Poupon)
~ Cheese (I had extra brie, so that's what I used.  I have a professor who once told me, "You could bake brie on my shoe and I'd probably eat it."  In my world, this is just proof-positive that he's a genius.)
~ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
~ Fresh herb of choice (for me, thyme, naturally)

For the side, I tossed some green beans with some garlic and EVOO.  I made them ahead of time, and then just fired them up again before I was ready to eat.

Thaw the spinach ahead.  Preheat your toaster oven or other heating apparatus to 350.  Lay the medallions out on a foil-lined pan.  Spread a dab of course-ground mustard on each one.  Put a bit of spinach on each.  Over that, lay a slice of brie and dust breadcrumbs over all.  Pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until juices from the pork run clear.

They came out beautifully golden and full of flavor.  I paired this meal with the remaining chardonnay I had from Vetter Vineyard.  It paired perfectly with the melted brie and the fruit-forward nature of this wine complimented the savory, rich flavors in the pork florentine.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-fourth Post ~ Cheesy, Savory Spaghetti with Mushrooms

This meal is so simple and yet sooooo satisfying... And this post contains a confession from The Accidental Chef.

Here goes.

You know I have a soft spot for my imported goat cheese buttons from Portugal. You know I love my shredded Parmesan from Italy. You know all about my love affair with Dutch vintage gouda, and you know I'm a sucker for the snowy, white rind of a French brie.

But here's something you may not know about me. For melting into gooey, cheesy, soul-pleasing bliss between two slices of grilled buttered bread, or swirling beautifully into savory, delectable spaghetti, I really think that nothing beats...

Velveeta.

You heard it here first. Way back in my cheese drawer, behind the intense brie and the herb-crusted chevre, sits a happy orange block of this processed American cheese. It waits in there for rainy afternoons when I'm craving grilled cheese and tomato soup. And it sits in there for nights like tonight - when I'm in need of some cheesy spaghetti.

So here's what you'll need for this wonderful dish:

~ Spaghetti (cooked as per usual in salted water)

~ Ready-made spaghetti sauce (I have some tomato basil by Wegmans in my freezer at the ready)

~ Mushrooms (chopped)

~ Fresh herb of choice (I heart thyme)

~ EVOO

~ Splash of wine

~ And... Velveeta

Make your pasta and while it's cooking, chop up some mushrooms. Start them sautéing in a pan with some EVOO and salt. Add the fresh thyme and a splash of wine. Once they're done, add some spaghetti sauce and ample slices of Velveeta. Watch as the color fades from bright red to a soft, autumnal orange. Add another splash of wine.

When the pasta is cooked, strain it then toss it right into the pan of sauce and turn the heat off almost immediately. Stir it around, then twirl and serve right onto a plate.

I paired tonight's dinner with a French red table wine by Vieux Papes. It is fruity enough to contrast beautifully to the salty sauce on this pasta, and was dry enough to cut the richness so that my palate felt cleansed between bites, keeping the meal from ever being overwhelming. Well - I was overwhelmed - by the wonderful cheesiness of it all, but that's not a bad thing.

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and guilty pleasures),

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-first Post ~ Herb Marinated Sirloin with Goat Cheese and Sage Mashed Potatoes

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this sirloin. It was one of those "looks smaller in the store" moments, I think. It's enormous.

In any case, I decided to slice and marinate it for three reasons: 1.) slicing it up would enable me to easily eat some and store the rest of it, 2.) marinade would infuse slices far easier than a whole sirloin which means more flavor and 3.) I had some thinking to do, and nothing relaxes me like the aromatic process of carefully chopping fresh herbs.

So here's what you'll need for the marinade, which you'll want to prepare ahead of time:

~ Splash of whatever wine you have laying around (I had an Italian red)

~ Bit of olive oil

~ Ground sea salt

~ Fresh herbs (I chose rosemary, sage and thyme)

So this afternoon I poured a little olive oil and a splash of red wine into a bowl and chopped up some sage and rosemary and then added a few sprigs of thyme to the mix. Something about the scent of these fragrant plants coupled with the methodical motion of chopping is very relaxing. My paper was finished in no time following this task.

Mix the chopped herbs with the wine and oil. Slice the sirloin and then dip each side into the marinade, finally layering each slice in the bowl so it's well-coated. Seal tightly and refrigerate until you're ready for dinner.

I decided to use some more of the fresh sage I had by making some mashed potatoes, because I had fingerlings on hand and mashed potatoes is something I frequently crave but seldom make or order.

Here's what you'll need to satisfy this craving:

~ Six or so fingerlings, thinly sliced

~ Ground sea salt

~ Fresh (or dried) sage

~ Heavy cream

~ Butter

~ Goat cheese

Boil some salted water, slice the potatoes, and boil them until fork-tender. Mash them in a bowl with some cream, salt, a dash of butter, good amount of goat cheese (okay, now I'm seeing why it's a good idea for me to not make these too regularly...) and chopped sage. Cover them with plastic wrap so you can heat them up once in the microwave before serving them.

Coat a pan with some butter then start it heating (see this post to read about the sneaky ways I give in to my English heritage and butter my steak) and set the steak slices in the pan. They'll cook fast, so if you like your steak on the border between rare and medium-rare like I do, you'll be turning them quickly. When you turn them, pour on the rest of the marinade. Revel in the marinade's aroma as it hits the pan and remind yourself that this is why you adore buying bunches of fresh herbs and chopping them up when you need to de-stress.

Heat up the potatoes and garnish them with an optional sprig of rosemary and some pepper. Serve a few slices of the steak and save the rest for later (lunch, atop buttered toast? Perhaps...). I enjoyed this meal with some Bella Rosa, a lumbrusco-style red from New York State's Merritt Estate Winery. I normally would have anticipated wanting a fuller-bodied red for this meal, what with the goat cheese, herbs and red meat and all, but the fruitiness of this slightly sweet red made the herbal notes sparkle and mellowed out the richness at the same time. In my opinion, a wonderful pairing, and a satisfying dinner!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventieth Post ~ Goat Cheese Canapés

I was in the mood for a munchie this afternoon before grading, and so I made these, which were so simple I really wondered if it was worth blogging about them. But then I thought - simple is good! So here we are.

I was first introduced to the word (and concept) of canapés on board my first Celebrity cruise. My mom and I jokingly mispronounce them as "cuh-NAP-ees" because they always arrive in the cabin around nap time.

Well, today's "nap time" is going to be in the form of a cup of Starbuck's French roast, so I thought canapés would be fitting.

Here's what you'll need for these bite-sized snacks:

~ Baguette slices

~ Goat cheese

~ Fruit preserve (I chose apricot)

~ Fresh herb (thyme is my favorite!)

Preheat the toaster oven. Slice the baguette and dab a little goat cheese on each slice. Drop about a table knife-tip's worth of preserves on top, and scatter a little thyme over the whole deal. Bake for about as long as it takes for your 4-cup coffee maker to brew 2 cups.

Enjoy! Then back to work!

Yours in the love of good food and its re-energizing properties,

AL

Sixty-ninth Post ~ Pork Tenderloins with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Tortellini

This post is something of a continuation of the theme of "Ode to Wegmans Classic Italian" from this post a short time ago. These ingredients are always in my cupboard and freezer. I'm not sure if there's ever been a day that tortellini hasn't sounded good to me for dinner, and, well, you know my thoughts on pork tenderloins being the most perfect, versatile cut of meat out there and Italian breadcrumbs being just about the best stuff ever.

So tonight's dinner was, in my opinion, something of a culinary no-brainer.

~ Pork tenderloins (cut into medallions - the thinner they are, the faster they'll cook)

~ Italian breadcrumb

~ (optional) fresh or dried thyme

~ EVOO

~ Tortellini (I'm a fan of Barilla's three-cheese)

~ Salt

~ Wegman's sun-dried tomato pesto (which has been sitting patiently in my freezer since I opened it)

Start your salted water boiling. In the mean time, slice the pork and pour some breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Add some thyme if you wish. By now, the water is rolling, so pour in some tortellini and set the timer for 10 minutes.

Don't put a shellacked bamboo spoon on the edge of the pot with the tortellini, though. You'll spend the first five minutes wondering what that deliciously sweet smell is, and the next five minutes obsessing over the giant blackened spot on the handle of your beautiful spoon.

Coat the tenderloin medallions generously in the breadcrumbs. Get some EVOO smoking in a stick-free pan. Drop in the breaded tenderloins and cook until golden.

Transfer the pork to a plate. In the same pan, dump the strained tortellini and a spoonful of pesto. Turn off the flame and toss the pasta until it's well-coated.

I served tonight's meal with the remaining 2004 Italian red by Saladini Pilastri. It was starting to dry out, so enjoying it with tonight's meal was a wise decision. It was still fruity and oaky, and paired as well with this meal as it had with the lamb.

All in all, a satisfying, quickly-prepared meal!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

Sixty-seventh Post ~ Steamer Pot

I know that summer technically goes until the middle of September somewhere, but to me, the end of August always signaled the end of it. This meal was meant to be a celebration of the dog days of summer - and believe me - cooking it in my 90-degree third floor apartment kitchen really enabled me to welcome in the prospect of autumn and its crisp days.

This dinner was inspired by the steamer pots that my dad and I have shared at Joe's Crab Shack, a care-free restaurant chain that we have visited in Maryland and California. I really think that the act of slamming one pot down on a table and announcing, "Dinner is served!" sets a certain casual, laid-back sort of mood...

So here's what you'll need for tonight's meal (cook this for two - grab a friend, a S.O., a family member, a neighbor - honestly, it's just more fun!):

~ one 2-pound bag of mussels

~ any other kind of mollusk you want to add to the mix - I chose 10 steamer clams

~ one (or two) sausages

~ a good handful of fingerling potatoes

~ three or so ears of corn

~ EVOO

~ onion

~ half teaspoon of sugar

~ scallions or chives

~ garlic (I used three cloves)

~ coarse-ground sea salt

~ seasonings (I used dried thyme, cayenne, white pepper, curry powder and bay leaves)

~ one big ol' pot to cook and serve it in!

Start a large pot about half-filled with water boiling on your stove. Grind in an embarrassing amount of salt.

Chop some onion and start to sauté it in a small pan with some EVOO. My goal was to caramelize the onion and I've learned that there's a fine line between burning and caramelizing. Once they're browning nicely, toss in some sugar and grind on some salt and keep them going, tossing them occasionally. I made the mistake of crushing in the garlic with the onions at this point - all it does is splash hot oil back onto your hand as you crush it in, and then the garlic burns a bit. Injury + Insult. I would recommend waiting until the onions are done caramelizing, turn them off, and crush in the garlic and let it meld.

Once you've turned off the heat under the onions, cut the sausage in half and just set it in the pan with a lid over all so the aroma of the caramelized onions and garlic infuses the sausage.

Now that your water is rolling nicely in your pot, add three bay leaves, a dash of cayenne, curry powder, white pepper, dried thyme, and the pierced fingerling potatoes to the pot. Savor the aroma as you add each spice to the water! Set your timer for 10 minutes. During this time, rinse off your clams and mussels. Also, prep some spices that you'll want to sprinkle over the whole pot before you set it to steam. I mixed a dash of all of the spices listed above into a prep bowl so they were blended and ready for when I needed them.

Cut the ears of corn in half. As soon as the timer goes off, add the corn and reset the timer for 8 minutes. Get your table ready. I recommend large placemats and smallish plates - you're mostly eating out of the pot, anyway! Get some beverages and a large empty bowl for shells and corn cobs. Put some butter on a plate so you can use it on the corn and potatoes if you wish.

When the timer goes off, pour out all but about two inches of water from the pot. Put the caramelized onions, garlic and sausage in. Keep the burner going and put in your clams and mussels. Sprinkle with your spice mix and slap on the lid for 4 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let it sit for another minute. Then, unveil the steamer pot! Transfer it from stove to table (a trivet or strategically-placed place mat is helpful here). Snip in some fresh scallions or chives for a little fresh, crispy onion taste. Try not to burn your fingers, dig in and enjoy!

I served tonight's meal with a chardonnay by Casillero del Diablo - it was a perfect pairing for the mixture of spices and tastes in tonight's meal. It was refreshing with notes of citrus and vanilla.

All in all, a fun meal and a worthy send-off to summer!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-fourth Post ~ Cheater's Duck à l'Orange

Duck à l'Orange has always been one of my favorite dishes. Pair it with a good oaky chardonnay, and it will make me swoon. I decided to try an easy take on this classic French recipe by using marmalade as my base. Here's what you'll need:

~ Duck breast (prepackaged ones by Maple Tree Farms from Wegmans are consistently delicious)

~ Marmalade

~ Heavy cream

~ Splash dry white wine (I used some leftover Brut)

~ One orange

For the sides, I made two dishes that are fail-safe and can be pretty much left on their own while I focused my energies on the duck:

~ Fingerling potatoes

~ Olive oil

~ Fresh (or dried) thyme

~ Coarse-ground sea salt

~ French-cut green beans (the bags from the freezer always come out crisp!)

~ Olive oil

~ One clove garlic

~ Coarse-ground sea salt

Beforehand, rinse and pierce the fingerling potatoes, drizzle them generously with EVOO, sprinkle some thyme on them and salt to taste. Pop them in a toaster oven on 350. They are best if they bake for about 45 minutes. I love fingerlings because A.) they're multicolored, which just makes me happy - especially the purple ones and B.) They are tiny, so 45 minutes of baking makes them taste just like those baked potatoes that have been in the oven forever absorbing all sorts of good flavors and getting all sweet.

Put the beans on the stove with some water and start boiling on low. I don't like beans cooked too long, so I just shut off the heat after they had boiled a bit. While I was prepping everything, I crushed a clove of garlic into some oil in a separate pan - but didn't turn it on until the very end when the duck was nearly done. At that point, I sautéed the garlic and tossed the beans around in it just before serving.

So back to the duck. Even though these particular duck breasts come pre-scored, I still scored them a little deeper to make sure I had a crispy skin. Place them skin side down in the pan and let them cook there for a bit, checking them every so often so they don't get too toasty. You may wish to drain out a little of the fat as they cook. Eventually, flip them over a few times to even out the cooking process and start making the sauce around them.

Dump in a few generous tablespoons of marmalade with a little bit of EVOO. Add a dash of salt and a splash or two of white wine. Cut off two slices of orange for a garnish, and squeeze the juice from the remaining fruit into the sauce. Stir it around a bit and allow it to begin simmering. After a bit, begin adding tiny amounts of cream, stirring it in immediately as you add it.

Now comes the easy part - just let the whole thing go for a bit! Turn the duck a few times and spoon some of the sauce over it as it's cooking, and insert a meat thermometer and turn off the heat when it reaches 160. Let the duck sit in the pan while you serve the potatoes with a dab of butter and the beans. Then serve the duck with a generous amount of sauce over the top!

I paired this meal with a chardonnay from Beachaven Vineyards Winery from Tennessee (a gift from JJ from a backpacking trip through the Smokeys). This chard is oaky enough to pair swoonably with the duck, with subtle vanilla and citrus notes that are a wonderful compliment to the orange sauce!

All in all, a successful first attempt at one of my favorite meals of all time!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Fifty-ninth Post ~ Breaded Pork Tenderloins with Herb Pasta

Tonight's dinner was a snap to prepare and filled my apartment with the wonderful aroma of fresh herbs - perfect for a stormy spring night!

Here's what you'll need for this quick and easy meal:

~ Pork tenderloin cut into 1" thick medallions

~ Italian breadcrumbs

~ Grated Parmesan cheese

~ Fresh herbs of your choice (I chose parsley, rosemary, thyme and basil)

~ Olive oil

~ Pasta of your choice

~ Ground sea salt

~ Tomato

Get your water boiling (with salt and olive oil, if you wish).

Chop up some fresh herbs. I am becoming incredibly attached to the fresh herb section in Wegmans. You can buy the prettily packaged ones for $1.99 or a massive rubber-banded bunch for $1.29. I usually go the route of the massive bunch, because if you wrap them in plastic and store them in the veggie keeper of your fridge, they last for weeks. I have far better success with that route than I do with potted plants. I am a plant serial killer. But that's another story for another time...

So I chopped up some rosemary, thyme, parsley and basil. Mmmm, the aroma! Positively intoxicating. Dice up a bit of tomato and set that to the side. Next, slice the pork into medallions. By now, your water should be well on its way to boiling, so dump in your pasta and set the timer for 10 minutes.

Start a good dash of olive oil heating in a skillet. Mix one part Italian breadcrumbs and one part grated parm in a prep bowl. Coat the pork medallions in this heavenly mixture and set them into the hot oil. Turn the burner on low and let them cook until they are done halfway up. Carefully turn them.

Drain the pasta and mix in the herbs and tomato. You may wish to heat it again for just a moment to let all the flavors meld. The tenderloin medallions should be done by now; serve it on a plate garnished with some extra parm (and extra sea salt, if you want!).

I enjoyed tonight's meal with the rest of my Negroamaro Rosato. It paired beautifully with the meal, complimenting the fresh herbs and turning fruity in the face of the salt and parmesan. A delightful pairing made even more delightful by the fact that I drank it out of one of my new Riedel glasses - a splurge from a recent cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. My wine appreciation has reached new heights!

Yours in the love of food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Fifty-eighth Post ~ Rosemary Garlic Pork Tenderloins en Papillote

It's crested above eighty degrees here in Buffalo, and as someone who never wills the winter to leave nor the days to become hot, I feel that I have the right to complain, if only for a moment. The humidity is at 60%, and when you couple that with 84 degrees, and then couple THAT with a third-floor apartment dwelling, you end up having a real issue about what to make for dinner.

Yes, it all comes down to that: Dinner.

So tonight I opted to cook "en papillote" for three reasons:

1.) It's quick - when it's this hot out, I don't have a whole lot of energy.

2.) It's light - the en papillote method cooks your food entirely through steam - no heavy oils or butters.

3.) It's convenient - prep your raw ingredients and stick it in the toaster oven - no need to stand over a hot stove!

So here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Pork tenderloin (cut into a little less than a one-inch medallions)

~ Mushrooms

~ White wine

~ Garlic (fresh or jarred - I went jarred because it amounted in less to wash later on over a hot sink)

~ Fresh herbs of choice (I used rosemary and thyme, because they're my perennial favorites)

~ Coarse ground sea salt

~ Dijon mustard (optional)

Cut out your parchment paper heart and set your pork medallions in one half. Over this, place your herbs. Sauté some mushroom slices in a pan with a little water, a dash of olive oil and some salt. Place them on top of the fresh herbs. Over this scatter a bit of crushed garlic.

Fold the "heart" and crimp the edges. Into the naturally-formed "spout" at the heart's bottom, pour about a tablespoon of white wine.

Seal it up and cook it for about 13 minutes in a pre-heated 375-degree oven.

I went into the other room and enjoyed the breeze from a fan while I worked for a bit. When the timer went off, I transferred the parchment package to a plate and paired the meal with an Italian Rosato from Negroamaro by Cantele. It was delightfully bright with a nose of sun-ripened raspberries and unexpected notes of anise.

Upon tasting the pork and mushrooms, I found them to be flavorful, yet lacking just a bit. I put a small amount of dijon mustard onto the pork and found that it married the flavors of the rosemary and garlic beautifully - however, as a caveat to oenophiles everywhere, I have to mention that it did kill some of the subtle beauty of the wine.

I think that if I had it to do over again (which of course, I do; that's the beauty of cooking!) I would enjoy the meal with this wine as mentioned without the mustard, and for an alternate taste, I would place a bit of dijon en papillote prior to cooking, and then pair the meal with a little heavier of a wine, such as a pinot noir or a merlot.

All in all, a good meal (and I intend to take another tasting of the Rosata in a little while after my palette clears a bit) and all the more satisfying for its hot-weather-friendly nature!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Fifty-seventh Post ~ Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms with Stilton Cream Sauce

Yes - it's as you suspected. I've got all this stilton left over from yesterday's Blueberry Chambourcin Port Fest and I'm just itching to cook with it. That and I want to have a meal worthy of the final glass of port!

Here's what you'll need to make tonight's 10-minute meal:

~ Chicken tenderloin

~ Mushrooms

~ Garlic (jarred or fresh)

~ Balsamic vinegar

~ Sea salt

~ Olive oil

~ Pasta of your choice

~ Stilton (or similar blue)

~ Cream

~ Fresh (or dried) thyme

Start a pot of water boiling. Slice up some mushrooms and start them sautéing with some garlic, salt and olive oil. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar. At this point your water should be boiling, so add your pasta and start watching the clock.

Cut the tenderloins into bite-sized pieces. Your mushrooms should be moving right along at this point, so add the chicken, another dash of salt, olive oil and balsamic. As soon as the chicken and mushrooms are cooked through, set them to the side in a prep bowl.

In the same pan (d0n't worry about rinsing) add about a tablespoon of stilton and some cream. You don't need too much of this sauce. What I made for my meal was enough to just coat the bottom of my stick-free skillet. So not much.

Once the sauce is nicely melded and your pasta is done, drain the pasta and put it on a plate. Top with the chicken and mushrooms from the prep bowl. Top that with a bit of fresh thyme.

The food paired beautifully with the blueberry chambourcin port and the meal itself came together nicely, too. The flavors held their own - the chicken and mushrooms were flavorful in their own right, but also were accented by the bit of stilton. The thyme added a nice fresh note to it, and it has become my all-time (all-thyme?) favorite herb to keep on hand!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Fifty-fourth Post ~ Easy Sirloin Steak with Mushrooms and Fingerling Potatoes

Maybe it's the fact that I'm halfway through the week. Maybe it's the sunshine. Whatever the reason, today just feels like a day that should be celebrated. And I like to celebrate with a good dinner.

I ran to Wegmans after class and picked up two organic sirloin steaks, a bag of fingerlings, and a package of pre-washed and sliced baby bellas mushrooms, for a change of pace from the buttons.

Home I went. Given that it was already pushing 10:30, I needed to get this dinner in order and on the table post haste. Here's what you'll need to make tonight's dinner, and here's how you can get it all on the table within a half hour or under:

~ One small sirloin steak (I've never bought organic steak before, but these were mismarked, I think, and therefore within the realm of what I like to pay for a small steak: $3 a pop)

~ Ground salt

~ Herb of choice for use on the whole meal (I relied heavily on thyme, 'cause that's what I have a bag of in my fridge, but I also had a little rosemary left, so I used some of that, too)

~ White wine

~ One clove garlic

~ Olive oil

~ Mushrooms

~ Fingerling potatoes

As soon as you walk in the door (after greeting a puppy, if applicable) start your toaster oven on conventional bake 350. Wash and pierce the fingerlings. Rub some olive oil on them and place them on a piece of foil on the same pan you plan to cook the steak on later on. Scatter some thyme and grind ample salt over them. Pop 'em in the oven.

In a pan, start some olive oil and white wine simmering. Add the mushrooms as soon as you get the package open, grind some sea salt over them, crush a clove of garlic into the mix, and add some thyme (assuming that's the fresh herb you're using) and add more wine and oil as it boils down.

As soon as the mushrooms are going, salt the steak and add some olive oil over the top. Place a sprig of rosemary on the top of it and place it next to the potatoes in your toaster oven. I usually go by the rule of 5 minutes on one side, 8 on the other. This was a bit smaller of a steak, so I went less.

Serve the steak topped with the mushrooms alongside your yummy fingerling potatoes (after about 30 minutes, they're perfect!). I enjoyed tonight's mid-week celebration meal with my last glass of Sangre de Toro Tempranillo. I cannot say enough good things about this wine. I think it will be one of those wines that I'll just always plan on having in my wine rack. Besides being really affordable, it's smooth and earthy with bright overtones of cherry and blackberry that deepen over time. It's a perfect match for a dinner like this!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Fifty-second Post ~ "Nest Egg" à la Accidental Chef

I got my Food Network magazine in the mail yesterday, and was thrilled to see that it features 50 recipes for eggs. Eggs are pretty much my mainstay for one of those middle-of-the-day "I need to wolf something down quickly before I leave" kinds of meals. So I was psyched.

On the cover is something called a "nest egg" and it looked yummy and easy enough to do - toast a piece of bread, cut out a hole, crack an egg into the hole, cover and cook - but I was wondering... where's the punched out hole? And couldn't we add SOMETHING else for a little flavor?

So I offer you the Nest Egg à la Accidental Chef - well, actually, two of them...

Here's what you'll need for this afternoon's pre-class snack.

~ One piece of bread

~ Butter

~ One egg

~ Fresh thyme (I imagine many other fresh herbs would be just as yummy, but thyme is my favorite for this kind of thing - fresh, lovely taste, no chopping...)

~ Coarse-ground salt

~ Persistence

After I made this the first time, I was surprised at how much resistance the spatula gave me as I tried to get it out of the pan. Then I finally succeeded in lifting it up, only to see that the underside was black. No scraping in the WORLD would have saved it. It was black half-way up the bread. I'm lucky I didn't burn down my kitchen.

Well, not really, but you can indulge me in my fears.

So I took another stab at it, and was successful, although the bread was still a bit crisp on the bottom. The method I thought of half-way through probably would have been best implemented earlier on...

Butter both sides of a piece of bread (potato bread for me, naturally). Get everything ready: prep the thyme (1-2 sprigs) and crack the egg into a prep bowl.

Start the bread grilling in a stick-free pan. Watch it like a hawk. Only grill it so that it is JUST starting to look golden. Take it off the pan and use a cookie cutter to cut a pretty hole out of the middle. I used a flower. It's actually the only cookie cutter I own, so that's the reason for that.

Set the flower aside and put the bread back into the pan. Carefully drop the egg right into the hole. Scatter the thyme over it and grind on some salt. Cover. Wait until the egg sets. And wait. And wait. And pray your bread doesn't burn.

:: PAUSE ::

When I was little, my mom had this neat technique for making bagels so that they were crispy yet not dry. She would slice and butter them, grill them on a griddle, then just as they were nearly done, she'd drop about a tablespoon or two of water into the griddle and slap on a lid. It would hiss like crazy, and it always intimidated me a little. But the steam would cook the bagels while the grilled side remained crispy and perfect. It was a neat little technique, and the hissing pan made me remember it. So I dropped in a little water and slapped the cover back on.

:: UNPAUSE ::

Eureka! The steam set the egg in seconds, and the toast remained unburnt. As I said, I'd go ahead and do that right off the bat before putting the lid on.

Third time's the charm, right?

I had this with my mandatory pre-class cup of coffee.

Here's to the love of good food and learning new (and recalling old!) techniques!

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Forty-first Post ~ A Word on Mussels

So I've taken a little cooking hiatus, since I've spent the better part of the holidays at home with my family. And I think nearly all of my readers would agree that when you're given the opportunity to enjoy home-cooked meals from your mama's kitchen every day of the week, you seize that opportunity and you don't let it go. While staying at home, I did learn some valuable recipes from my mom, which I'll be detailing in later posts, including:

~ Perfect hamburgers, every time

~ New Year's Lobster Tails

~ Luscious Cranberry Torte

~ Melt-in-your-mouth Pork Tenderloin...

And many more. But tonight, I'd like to focus on a particular mollusk that I'm a big fan of.

Tonight was one of my first nights back in my apartment, so I thought it apropos that I cook one of the first meals that started me on this interesting journey: mussels in a tomato and wine sauce. I know I featured this recipe when I blogged a few months back about clams, but to be honest, I think that the little-recognized mussel deserves its day in the sun.

Mussels, to begin with, are a heck of a lot cheaper than clams. Clams ring in at $14.99 for a bag of 50 while a 2 lb bag of mussels runs you $4.99. I paid just under $2 for my usual boat of 15 mussels. As previously stated, they're not called "famine food" for nothing.

Call me crazy, but I also just think that mussels taste better than clams. As soon as they hit the sauce this evening, my kitchen filled with the fresh smell of the sea. And by that I don't mean "of seafood," I mean "of the sea" - fresh, clean, pure.

I crave mussels every so often, and maybe for good reason: one pound of mussels contains over 450% of your daily value of vitamin B12. Not to mention a good helping of iron, phosphorus and potassium.

So here's the recipe, in case you didn't catch it the first time around. Don't forget a nice crusty baguette (Paneras or Wegmans fit the bill on this one!) to soak up the sauce.

Here's what you'll need if you're cooking for one:

~ Mussels (about 15-20)

~ 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

~ 1/2 white wine

~ clove (or teaspoon jarred) garlic

~ 1-2 bay leaves

~ Dash of dried thyme

~ Depending on wine used, a splash of lemon juice for some added acidity

Combine sauce, wine, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan with a well-fitting lid. As the sauce starts to simmer, add the mussels after cleaning them under running water.

Slap the lid on and walk away for 3-4 minutes. Pour your wine (I highly recommend Pinot Grigio; tonight's was by Pepperwood Grove) and lay a towel down over your tablecloth. Seriously. You may think I'm joking, but I need it, and I was the child that had my grandfather install a bench at the corner of my sandbox so I could play in the sand but not get myself dirty.

Discard any mussels that don't open. Transfer the open mussels into a bowl and enjoy with the bread and wine. A fine, nutritious, inexpensive, easy meal! What's not to love?

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.