Eighth Post - Marinated Lamb Tenderloins with Zesty Asparagus

Ah, here's to celebrating the approach of the holiday weekend! Well, let's be honest... since when have I needed an excuse to celebrate by cooking?
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Tonight's dinner: marinated lamb tenderloins with asparagus. Here's what you'll need. Seeing as it's Thursday night, you probably want something easy to cook. I know I did...
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~Lamb tenderloins
~Herb marinade (see, I told you this was easy...)
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For the veggie - I chose asparagus because it's one of my favorites. I always take a few out of the bundles in the produce department. Why should I buy more than I'm going to eat? Five stalks for $0.54. Who can beat that?
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~Asparagus (as much as you want to break the bank for)
~Olive oil
~Chives
~Lemon juice
~Salt and pepper to taste
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And you thought the tricky part would be the lamb!
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So: Tonight is Thursday, and I have office hours and teach a course after (public speaking). I knew I'd be hungry, but very tempted to go the bowl-of-cereal route that has often tempted the late-night diner. Not so. I had a plan.
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I thawed out the three lamb tenderloins and placed them in a shallow dish. I poured on a bit of a herbed marinade. I used one I got from Meg - Two Sisters Gourmet balsamic Mediterranean herb dipping and grilling oil. Only I didn't use it for dipping or grilling. Hm. I would suspect any balsamic vinaigrette or marinade would do. I covered it with plastic wrap (to prevent my entire fridge from being marinade-scented) and stuck it in the fridge before I walked out the door.
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I ran to the store after class and grabbed some asparagus. Then straight home I went and took the lamb out of the fridge and let it get a little less chilled while I checked email and fed Ginny (Chef Michael's Pate for doggies, naturally).
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I got out my non-stick frying pan as mentioned earlier, and my smaller pan that used to be non-stick but is now so badly scarred from knives and forks that it's really not non-stick any more. In the larger pan, I placed about a tablespoon of olive oil and the asparagus. Out of nowhere came the thought of squeezing a little lemon juice onto them. In addition, I snipped up some remaining chives and salted and peppered them. In the other pan, I placed the lamb and the marinade from the dish.
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~~~PAUSE~~~
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I love lamb. And that would seem a silly thing to pause you for except for the fact that I feel the need to emphasize the fact that I've never had particularly good luck with cooking it. Chops come out dry. Shanks are unrecognizeable when I'm through with them. My mom makes a fabulous ground lamb patty in candied orange sauce, but ground lamb is not easy to find. So I decided to try my luck with tenderloins.
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Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: Lamb tenderloins are the way to go. Small strips of lamb richness that barely shrink when you cook them... juicey, flavorful - MMM!
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~~~UNPAUSE~~~
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So start up your two burners. Don't be shocked when the asparagus starts hopping about in the oil like I was. Turn the flame down and toss it around a bit. The marinade with the lamb will start sizzling nicely. Let it simmer and turn the chops every so often. Slice into your thickest one to make sure it's done to your preference. I prefer a little dark pink in the center, so my lamb and veggies were done around the same time.
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The lamb was tender and packed with flavor. The asparagus was perfectly yummy and the lemon, I think, added a little extra zest.
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I paired tonight's dinner with a Californian Pinot Noir (Arroyo del Sol by Arroyo Seco vineyards, 2005) - normally $24.00/bottle, I got it on sale at Premier for half-price. A little bit of a splurge, but I've been saving it for a special occasion. And getting lamb right IS a special occasion. Being New World, it's fruit forward, but with enough earthiness to balance out the herbs and lamb. It's one of the few wines out there that pairs well with asparagus, and so all-in-all, the whole thing came together nicely.
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And I have now found my favorite cut of lamb for cooking!
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Yours in the love of good food and wine (especially lamb and pinot),
AL
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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.

Seventh Post: Scallops in Roquefort Cream Sauce with Pasta in Herbed Butter

Scallops are a food that I've loved since I was a child. Yes, I was a foodie since Day One. This is actually one of the dishes I cooked immediately after moving into my new place. At the time, I had thought about posting it, but I inhaled it before I could photograph it. Honestly. It was a knee-jerk response; I couldn't help it.

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So, due to you, my loyal readers, I have attempted to replicate the meal for the sole purpose of posting about it.

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And since I have about 3 loyal readers, we all know the real reason I cooked this again is because I LOVE SCALLOPS.

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This is a pretty easy and quick meal to cook. I'd say 15-20 minutes total. Here's what you'll need:

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~Scallops - since they vary greatly in size, I'll leave the number up to you. I purchased these monster scallops from Wegmans - given the size, four was more than plenty.

~Heavy cream

~Roquefort (or any bleu; gorgonzola would be nice as well)

~Parmesan

~White wine

~Olive oil

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For the pasta:

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~Pasta (whatever kind you fancy. As previously mentioned, I heart rainbow rotini)

~Butter

~Herbs (I am growing quite fond of fresh basil)

~Chives

~Salt/pepper to taste

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Start your water boiling for the pasta. In the mean time, get everything out. I'm learning, as I grow more serious about culinary hedonism as a hobby, that prep bowls really serve more of a purpose than just making people in cooking shows look fancy. Having everything measured, cut, ready, and at your fingertips cuts time and mess down considerably when cooking. I bought a really cute nesting set of 5 orange prep bowls (at Wegmans, naturally) the other day and have been enjoying them tremendously. Here's a pic of my counter set for cooking:

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So you've got your water boiling (salted to taste), now add your pasta. Keep an eye on the clock; pasta will be done in 10 minutes. Remember your wooden spoon so it won't boil over.

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In the mean time, get your herbs prepared. If you're using fresh, snip them into a small prep bowl. As previously mentioned, I'm falling in love with chives - all the zest of garlic and onion without the mess! I snipped about three of them into little pieces into a bowl. If you're using fresh basil, snip an appropriate amount into the same bowl. You can use dried basil if you don't have any fresh; I have for years!

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Once that's done, start about a tablespoon of olive oil sizzlin' in your non-stick pan. I bought a really cute Italian non-stick pan (from TOPS! HA!) that has really been a life-saver. I highly reccommend a non-stick. Toss your scallops onto the pan and just brown the outsides of them. Put them into a prep bowl.

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Let the pan cool a little bit; toss in some roquefort (I used some from the same flight I mentioned in the last post). Add some heavy cream and some white wine. (I used some of Victorian Chautauqua from Vetter Vineyards that I've been enjoying throughout this week. It's light, fruity and sweet. It really is a great companion to the roquefort, whether you're eating and drinking them separately or cooking them together.) Stir around a bit and tilt the pan so that the sauce is not spread too thin over the hot surface of the pan; you don't want it to scald. Once it starts sizzling, add some grated parmesan. You want the sauce blended and creamy before you place the scallops back in the pan.

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Put the scallops back in the pan and allow them to cook in the creamy cheese sauce. Occasionally, tip the pan so that the sauce flows around the scallops. Turn them occasionally. If you're cooking on a large pan, keep them toward the middle over the direct heat of the flame.

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While your scallops are cooking, melt some butter in a medium sauce pan or skillet. As soon as it start sizzling, add the fresh (or dried) herbs and turn off the heat. Drain your pasta and dump it into the skillet. Toss it around the herbed butter and let it sit there until your scallops are done. Watch for them to be completely opaque in the middle.

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When the scallops have turned golden brown around the edges, serve with the pasta. I paired tonight's dinner with a Chardonnay (my most favorite wine of all). I went on the "similarities" pairing principle - scallops are rich and buttery and so is Chardonnay. I uncorked an organic Chilean chard by 35° South of San Pedro vineyards. It has a sweet, vanilla aroma, and is quite heavy in body. It paired beautifully with the scallops and their sauce, never allowing the meal to get too rich. It's oaky enough to let you taste earthiness, which I think is the perfect compliment to this seafood dish.

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All in all, it's a lovely dinner!

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Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

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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.

Sixth Post - Spiced Pear with Cheese Flight Appetizer

Ah, girl talk... nothing beats it. So when my friend Meg called, we made plans for a full-fledged evening of chatting and food. She'd bring the beverage and dessert (wine and chocolate, of course!) and I would cook dinner. I decided to start things off with an appetizer that actually originated as a sneaky plan of my mom's to get everyone in our family to the table for dinner.

See, during family dinners, we always get carried away with the visiting part, and no matter how many times or how loudly you ask everyone to get to the table, no one will listen. My mom solved that problem by wafting the smell of this appetizer through the air, and magically, everyone turned up at the table to eat it. She could then get the last-minute dinner things prepped while everyone was in one place - eating the appetizer.

Here's what you'll need. Note the flexibility of ingredients - that's what makes this such a nice easy app!

~1 can half pears in heavy syrup

~Brown sugar

~Extract - vanilla, almond, even cherry brandy works

~Dried fruit - cherries, cranberries, raisens, apricots, anything goes

~Small bowls/dessert dishes

~The capacity to not scald yourself with extremely hot liquid

Place a pear half in a dessert dish with a bit of its own syrup. Add brown sugar (a good tablespoon or so) and then add a bit of extract. Place a piece of dried fruit on top. You can even garnish that with a clove or a sweetened nut. Put the dishes on a plate (because they will boil over) and put them in the microwave for about 3 minutes. When they're about the temperature of molten rock, take them out of the microwave. This produces the effect of an intoxicating aroma that will be sure to get everyone to the table. Don't worry - if your dinner guests move as slowly as my family, the pears will cool enough to an edible temperature in no time.

~~~PAUSE~~~

No matter how simple a recipe, there is ALWAYS something that can throw a speedbump into the leisurely road that was your dinner. The trick to this, I've learned from observation and experience, is not to panic, but rather, to take stock of what you have on hand and use it. Creativity as a last-minute fix can lead to some pretty fun inventions.

~~~UNPAUSE~~~

So I prepared to make this appetizer for Meg tonight, and upon surveying my pear supply, forgot that I had eaten most of the can the other day on my way out the door... leaving the two smallest halves in the can. Well this just won't do. I supplimented the lack of pear by adding two dried apricots and ample almond extract, but still wasn't satisfied. This was supposed to be a dessert dish brimming with fruitful goodness. It just looked scant.

Thankfully, WEGMANS came to the rescue! I had one of their cheese flights for one in my fridge (don't I always?) so I cut a slice of bread (Wegman's hearty potato, naturally) into six small squares (3 for each of us) and toasted them in my toaster oven. I then placed a slice of each kind of cheese on them. The effect was an appetizer consisting of the spiced pear and apricots and three squares of toast with cheese. The cheese in this week's flight was strawberry cheddar, St. Andre (a sheep's milk cheese with a taste that's a cross between brie and chevre) and roqueforte.

So what you'll need for the second part:

~1 slice of bread for every 2 guests

~An assortment of cheeses

Meg brought over the most lovely pinot noir called Gala Rouge by Bon Vivant vineyards. It was the perfect wine for our evening! It paired wonderfully with the pear appetizer and cheese, and then it continued to pair well with the parmesan chicken, tortellini in herbed butter and green beans... and it even went delightfully with the Cadbury dark and milk chocolate bars she brought with the wine!

Dinner with a good friend, wine and chocolate... the triumvirate of companionship!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

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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.

Finally taking a breath of air...

Well, my friends... the move is over. Ginny is (nearly) housebroken. My final papers are written, and I'm taking my first real breath of air since... well, you can check the date.

As you can see by the pictures, my kitchen is now ready for Accidental-Chef-style cooking! Actually, truth be told, it was ready a few weeks ago, but with all the school work I had to catch up on after the move, my posts would have been something like:

There once was an herbed lamb chop served with basil green beans and a snappy Spanish red.

The End.

And it'd be accompanied by a picture of stripped-clean lamb bones and an empty wine glass.

So I took a little haitus, and now, I'm back! So stay tuned in the weeks to come for summer cooking fun, including:

~Quick, last-minute food for entertaining that will make it seem you slaved for hours

~Simple desserts for one with whatever you've got lying around

~How to dress up a Wegman's gourmet pizza

~And of course, there will be lots of wine pairing, including tips for tricky summer foods, like sushi!

Stay tuned and stay cool - the summer is a-comin' in!

Fifth Post - On biting off a little more than one can chew by oneself...

Hello all,
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I thank everyone for the comments, and I'm looking forward to reading more... If you notice that I've taken a little break from posting for a week or so, it's due to the two biggest changes in my life...

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I've gotten a new puppy - Ginny (short for Ginger) is a 11-week old Maltese-Yorkie mix. She's my baby, full of energy, and in need of a little attention right now. She (and I) are staying with my parents for a few weeks so she can get 24/7 care and love while I'm at classes (she's already a big fan of her grandma and grandpa!). Once she gets older she'll be able to handle a little time alone, but right now... not so much. She's adorable, as evidenced by the photo!

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Second big change - a new place. It's the top-half of a turn-of-the-century house that needs a little more love, paint, and elbow-grease than I had initially expected, but it's going to be a dream when it's done. I've posted a pic of the kitchen in its current state - it's going to be completely repainted and we'll be installing shelving units to make it in to an Accidental Chef's cooking palace!

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And heres' where I want to take a moment to say: I thank God for the help and support from my loving family and devoted friends... seriously, I could not be making any of these big, exciting life changes if it weren't for them!

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The long and the short of it is that this poor culinary fan is going to be living off of takeout and Bartles & Jaymes for a little bit. Do watch for new posts soon, though!

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Yours in the love of good food and wine (and of the dream of cooking to come),

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AL

Fourth Post - Egg: Perfectly Poached, Paired with Parmesan and Parsley (and Premier of Pictoral Posts!)

First of all, give me a big gold star for alliteration.

Second of all, I'm slaving away at my midterm paper (if you're reading this, J. P. Guilford - CALL ME!) and my stomach is distracting me. I've miles to go before I can even think of dinner or of sleeping, for that matter, but I need a snack. I need brain food. I need - wait for it - AN EGG!

I love eating poached eggs because it gives you all the joy of an egg without the added guilt of butter and oil.

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They're pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it - but as I've learned with eggs: you MUST LISTEN TO THEM. This is one of those cases. Everything will be alright if you just do EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.

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What you'll need:

1 egg

toast (you can figure that out)

shredded cheese

parsley

vinegar

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Start water boiling in a larger-than-you-would-think-necessary pot. Put a little salt in.

While water is heating, get out an egg and crack it into a prep bowl. Do this unless you're some kind of expert at cracking eggs and never pierce the yolk. You cannot poach an egg if the yolk's been pierced.

Pay the egg a compliment to make it cooperate later. Try "My, you look sunny today!"

While the water's heating, brew a pot of coffee. This is brain food, after all. No wine - wait for dinner to celebrate having written your paper.

Get out some shredded cheese. I like shredded parmesan.

Get out some parsley flakes, 'cause parsley pairs prettily with parmesan for pictures.

Once your water's boiling, put a piece of toast down. I like potato bread.

This is key: add a splash of vinegar to the water, then turn it down so it's lightly bubbling.

Next, start stirring the water around so that it forms a vortex.

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PAUSE

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The vortex is key. It's how the egg is going to cook evenly, effectively and prettily. Make a nice, solid vortex. No reason to hurry, here. Pretend you're in Potions class and Professor Snape is peering over your shoulder.

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UNPAUSE

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Softly dump the egg into the vortex.

Time it for EXACTLY 90 SECONDS.

That should be time for you to pour your coffee and put your piece of toast on a plate.

Remove the egg carefully with a slotted spoon. Rest the egg against the pot side for a moment to get the excess water off.

Set it on the toast and garnish with a sprinkle of parm and parsley.

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10 points for Gryffindor! Bon appetite! Back to the books!

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Yours in the love of food, and for this meal, organic Guatemalan coffee with sugar and a touch of heavy cream,

AL

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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.

Third Post: Savory Steak

Ahh... Spring Break. I never was one for the whole Cancun party scene - honestly, I, as an academic, get my joy from having completely unoccupied days in which to study at my leisure, get ahead, and relax a little. And by relaxing, I mean cooking celebratory dinners. Tonight's dinner was purely experimental. From the wine choice to the seasoning, I just cooked with what the spirit moved me to cook with.

Tonight: Steak. I'm not a huge aficionado of red meat inasmuch as I seldom crave it like some people do. However, this afternoon as I walked past the Butcher Block at Wegmans (I swear, I am not affiliated with Wegmans, I'm just a really really big fan) I saw a petit sirloin that started jumping up and down and tapping on the glass as I passed by. When it finally held up a little sign saying "I'M DINNER!" I decided to buy it.

I love steak with mushrooms. To me, it's just blasphemous to not serve them together. Here's what you'll need if you want to make steak the way I just did:

One petit sirloin (mine was just under 1/3 lb.)
Baby bella mushrooms (I chose the pre-washed, pre-sliced variety, because I'd rather spend my free time getting one more article read)
Olive oil
Garlic
Terragon (or any other spices you're fond of)
Red wine
A veggie for your side (I grew up in a Meat-Starch-Veggie household, so I feel compelled to include this. I chose green beans with almonds)

Start toaster oven (or whatever steak-cooking apparatus you might have) preheating. I used a toaster oven set on 325 on broil 'cause, well, it's cheaper to heat then the actual broiler on my oven.
Start your olive oil heating up in a small sauce pan on the stove.
Crush two cloves of garlic in a small prep bowl.
Dump your mushrooms in the sauce pan and stir to evenly heat.
Pour some red wine over the mushrooms

PAUSE

As the saying goes, "I love to cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food." I really enjoy wine. I do not drink wine to get drunk. I do not drink wine because I'm posh (okay, well, maybe a little). I drink wine because honestly, I don't think there's any better companion for a good meal. Paired correctly, it can open up culinary doors that never existed with water, soda or juice. Any sommelier I've ever met has said the same thing: "After the second glass, you're no longer tasting or appreciating the wine - so why bother?" Being single and drinking wine by this philosophy, I sometimes have a bit of wine left in the bottle that is not suitable for drinking, but that still packs some flavor. Save this for cooking. While cooking wines are available, there's a certain depth that you can get by cooking with a good table wine.

For tonight's mushrooms and the steak marinade, I used the leftover wine that I talked about in last week's post - the Tempranillo from Berberana vineyards. It was starting to taste a little dry, and I didn't want to ruin my past memories by drinking it past its prime. For the actual meal accompaniment, I bought a bottle of Cab - more on that later.

UNPAUSE

So add a good amount of red wine to the mushrooms. Pepper them a bit.
Add about half of your crushed garlic to the mushrooms. Stir.
Reduce heat to very low.

Put a tiny bit of olive oil in with the crushed garlic in your prep bowl.
Pour in some red wine.
Add some terragon.
Mix around with a fork, and spoon it over the steak - for best results, make a little tin foil "boat" for your steak, which will allow the marinade to flow around the steak rather than away from it.
Place steak in heating apparatus.
I like my steak rare to medium rare, so I went five minutes on one side, and about eight on the other.
While the steak is cooking, add some terragon, salt, and additional pepper to taste to your mushrooms. I let them simmer with the heat turned down really low. I love the earthy smell of mushrooms cooking. I think the terragon compliments it, and the wine adds such a nice zip.
When you turn the steak half-way through, dump the rest of the marinade in your prep bowl over the steak.
Microwave or heat your veggie side dish: No wine or TV if you don't eat your veggies. Manda says.
Watch your steak so it doesn't get too done. Mind the mushrooms, too.
When it's all ready, serve it up.

I served tonight's dinner with a 2006 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from Haras Estate that I got as the last bottle in a reduced cart - I hope it's not because it's being discontinued from the store I go to, because I think it's a lovely Cab. It's rich and earthy, but with super bright berry overtones. It's tannic enough for the steak so that the whole meal is never too rich. It compliments the red wine that the food was cooked with. It becomes delightfully fruity in the face of the spices and garlic. In my opinion, a really terrific match.

Well, now it's time to clean up the dishes and settle in for the last half-hour of TV before bed! A great way to end the first day of Spring Break.

Yours in the love of good food and good wine and the beautiful friendship they share,
AL

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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.

Second Post - Flavorful Pasta: Packs a punch like a meal

Hey! So tonight is one of those nights where I'd be really tempted to pour myself a bowl of cereal and chow down, but I'm low on milk, and I'd cry if I didn't have enough for my breakfast tomorrow. My quiet breakfasts of coffee, cereal and a good book are kind of my kick-start for my day. But I digress.

This is one of those meals that I save up for nights like these. It's a mock-alfredo that can be made with minimal effort.

Set water to boiling in a moderately sized pot. Sprinkle salt in the water if that's your thing. I'm German, so salt and butter are kinda like foodgroups for us.

While your water is heating up, get out the other things you'll need:
~1 cup pasta (any kind. Really. I like pasta primavera because it seems like it would have more nutrients in it than your average pasta, and because it's pretty. But that's just me.)
~Parmesan/Romano/Grated Cheese
~One egg
~Spices: I like oregano and basil
~Olive oil
~1 clove garlic

Any time left, wash your face, lay out your clothes for the next day, surf FaceBook, whatever.
When the water is rolling, dump in the pasta. Stir around, leave a wooden spoon in the pot with it so it won't boil over. This just works. Trust me. Now go back to YouTube or whatever you were doing. Kill time for 10 minutes, because that's how long the pasta will take. Peel your eyes off the latest puppy video every so often to stir your pasta so it doesn't stick.

After the pasta is done to the doneness you prefer, drain it (I like to drain the water directly into the bowl I'm going to serve it in. It heats the bowl for you. Just please don't burn yourself or break your dish with the temperature change. I warn, because I'm good at injuring myself during inocuous household tasks).

Stir in a bit of olive oil to keep it from congealing, and spice it up with oregano and basil. I love pulverizing the spices in my hands before putting them in. I think it makes them more aromatic.

PAUSE

About garlic. I recently discovered that garlic's spiciness varies based on how you cook it. Some of you might find this to be a duh-ism, but this is news to me, coming from a family that didn't cook much with garlic. I was recently at a Cuban restaurant in New San Juan, and we were served the most delicious garlic bread. It was extremely hot (as in spicey). I asked the waiter what the bread was seasoned with. "Ajo," I was told. "Y..." I prompted. "Ajo. Solamente ajo." Got it. Just garlic. Turns out, it was fairly raw garlic, which made the bread really hot. I experimented with garlic in this pasta to see if I could garner the same effect. It is so. If you want your garlic to spice up your pasta, wait and add it right at the very end. If you want it cooked some to sweeten it, mix it in with the oil as mentioned above.

UNPAUSE

So whether or not you've added garlic at this point is up to you, but let's move on to the egg, shall we? Put the pot back on the heat for a moment or so to get the oil hot. Take it off the heat, and crack the egg into the pasta. Directly in. Mix it around with your spoon a bit. Now, add copious amounts of cheese. It should mix with the egg and make a nice creamy sauce. If you want, put it back on the stove for a moment, stirring it around, savoring the aromas, letting it all meld.

Pour in the pre-heated bowl, and serve with a glass of wine. The nice thing about this recipe is that a lot of wines go beautifully with it.

I'm eating mine tonight with a Spanish shiraz-tempranillo (Berberana vineyards). After a blind-taste, I'd say this: The old-world earthiness comes through as velvety and rich. It has ripe strawberry undertones. It pairs well with the pasta, and heats up the spice of the garlic wonderfully. It's just tannic enough, also, to cut the richness of the faux-alfredo. The salt in the pasta (should you choose to add more, as I do) brings out the berry flavors of the wine. All in all, a happy pair.

And that, my friends, beats a bowl of cereal.

Yours in the love of relaxing with good food and wine in one's tummy,
AL

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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.

First Post: Mediterranean Supper

So this is my first ever blog, and my first ever post, so I guess I could say I'm new at this. I don't think that a decade-plus of "lurking" makes me any kind of expert, but here goes.

I've decided to start a blog for anyone who is interested, and my topic is food and wine. I'm a novice, by the way - hence the name "Accidental Chef" - but I am taking both cooking and wine as a serious set of hobbies, ones that I can say I thoroughly enjoy researching and studying!

Up until about a year ago, I thought that gourmet cooking was a sort of witchcraft that took place over double boilers and open flames, with incantations muttered in French, and thoroughly secretive to the outside world.

Then I discovered my own magic spell. Repeat after me: GOOGLE.

Right. I take the viable ingredients in my fridge (as a 20-something singleton, that can vary greatly) and Google them. I see what other people have done with the ingredients, and then I "make it my own." And by that I mean substitute anything that I don't have on hand, and muddle up the methods, and basically create my own dish out of a semblance of order that some might call a recipe.

Take tonight for instance. It's nearing 11:00, I haven't had dinner yet, I'm two-thirds of the way though analysing Stevenson & Greenberg, and I decide that I need to use up the Wegman's cheese flight in my fridge. (For those of you who don't know, Wegmans offers a "Cheese Flight" of small servings of 3-4 cheeses for singletons with a taste for dairy to enjoy). I quickly learned (via Google) that goat cheese, red peppers, eggs and oregano can be combined. So I do the following:

Heat olive oil in a small pan.
Sprinkle oregano into oil.
Throw some sliced veggies (anything from a previous meal or take out would do) into the oil. I had sliced bell peppers and yellow squash on hand, so I started that sizzlin'.
In a bowl, beat three eggs with a little milk.
Pepper the veggies in the pan, 'cause that seems like a good thing to do
Assuming that you're a slow egg-beating-person, your veggies are sizzling merrily by now. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Let sizzle for a bit, then crumble Wegman's herbed goat cheese on top. Use as much as you like. Lick your fingers off when you're done.

~PAUSE~

Here's the thing. This was supposed to be a special dish that was like an omelet, minus the pesky flipping part. It was served on an ocean liner in the 1940s and was said to be rather glamourous. Here's where things went wrong.

Know this, brave reader: I have a history of miscommunicating with eggs. My over-easies tend to turn out over-violent. This was supposed to turn into a flat, sizzling, Mediterranean specialty. Mine turned into a perfect version of that, but with a frustratingly undercooking middle. So I attempted the pesky omlet flip. The whole thing split down the seam. So I decided that the eggs were attempting to communicate to me that they wanted to be scrambled, so I decided to listen.

~UNPAUSE~

Scramble the eggs. It's what they want.
Hack them up a bit in the pan. Savor the smell of the cheese, oregano and peppers.

When it looks like it's cooked (it is by now, trust me) transfer the whole thing into a bowl. Instead of a Mediterannean specialty served on a plate with a garnish of parsley, you have a bowl full of Mediterranean goodness.

I paired this meal with a glass of Catawba and Concord Rose (Vetter Vineyards makes Cracker Ridge Rose - I'm a long-time fan). It's what I had on hand, and I thought the salt from the goat cheese would complement it. It did. The herbs and salt brought out the fruity sweetness of the wine, making it jammy, but not cloyingly sweet. Think strawberry jam on toast, mopping up egg yolk.

All in all, it was a good dinner. Not the prettiest in terms of presentation, but hey - it sure was delicious. And it gave me the energy and motivation to decide to start this blog. Hope you enjoy it, and that the posts to come bring you culinary enjoyment.

Yours in the love of food and wine,
AL

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* 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.