Mmmmmm... Maaaaaaarrrrrrrmalaaaaade...

Au Cheval: Roasted Bone Marrow and Beef Cheek Marmalade

There is something to be said about a great side.

My husband and I frequent a restaurant called Au Cheval in Chicago where they serve upgraded diner classics like scrambled eggs with foie gras, cheeseburgers with thick slices of pork belly, and-- my personal favorite-- roasted bone marrow with beef cheek marmalade.

I grew up in a household that ate bone marrow, so seeing it on the dining scene is no big deal to me. But there is something to be said about that beautiful beef cheek marmalade served alongside the marrow. IT IS SO GOOD! That marmalade is SO GOOD that I asked our server if they could put some in a jar so we could take it home with us (she laughed, shook her head and said no, and left me in my seat pouting).

Now I really can't have a post about the marmalade if I don't insert some rambling obsessed description touting its many glories, so here we go: the marmalade is served nice and warm and hits you first with the beautiful aroma of beef, onions, and seasonings that have been cooked and loved for a long time before making it to your plate. You absolutely have to take a nice big spoonful of the marmalade by itself (before, of course, combining it with the marrow and the toast) and let it sit and melt in your mouth. The flavors are deep, fatty, savory, sweet, rich, oniony, and caramelly. You are left with the need to close your eyes and really feel and savor the mouthful before it disappears, so delightfully, into your contented stomach. 

I think that description should do it... for now.  

Are you hungry for beef cheek marmalade yet? Because I know I am.  

Quit Yelping: The Ups and Downs of Using Mass Review Sites

I was having a conversation with one of my co-workers today:

"Have you heard of the restaurant, Jellyfish?" She asked.

"No," I responded, "If it hasn't cracked the Yelp top 25 in any category, I probably haven't heard of it or tried it."

She laughed and responded, "You need to broaden your horizons!," and then continued to talk about how she heard the place had a great ambiance, etc. and how she was looking forward to going there with her girlfriends for a girl's night...

I was a little taken aback by her response and started to think about my current restaurant habits and my growing dependency on Yelp.

Yelp.com is a website that allows millions of users to rate their restaurant experiences and takes those ratings to rank restaurants in any given city. Nowadays, I often rely on Yelp to tell me where to go for dinner and, as I mentioned before, I tend to stick within the top 25 in any given restaurant category and rarely venture out of that range.

To me this makes sense. This is reasonable. If 500-something people gave a certain restaurant 4.5/5 stars, then that restaurant has to have good food right? So far I have not been disappointed. I've relied on Yelp numerous times and have gotten some pretty amazing restaurant experiences out of using the site.

But is this preventing me from tasting some really good food? I remember the days before Yelp when I used to just enter restaurants at random and order the same way. I remember going down streets around dinner time and entering the place that seemed the most crowded. I remember even giving very empty restaurants a chance, one time leading me to the best carne asada fries I've had in my life.

I probably won't quit Yelping anytime soon but it may not hurt to venture out again into the unknown and see where that takes me.

Image: http://skipsoldmyhome.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2013/06/yelp-banner.png

Eats: Fettuccine Alfredo

As a girl who keeps her word, here is a personal picture of a recent food-made-fresh-at-home: Fettuccine Alfredo... with a twist-->I used egg noodles instead of fettuccine. Not much of a twist, but the overall effect was delicious!

The recipe comes from the "How to Cook Everything Essentials" app that I downloaded on my handy-dandy I-phone. The picture was taken with the phone as well.

I served the noodles as a quick dinner fix using my eggs my boyfriend brought back home from his family's farm. His parents raise free-range hens that produce beautiful eggs with a deep orange yolk. These eggs are also the reason the sauce for the noodles came out a lovely butter-yellow color. FANTASTIC! I hope you enjoy this fast and easy recipe as much as I did:

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Salt (to taste)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 lb. Fettuccine Noodles (or flat egg noodles)
• 1 cup feshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Meanwhile, bring the butter to room temperature (you can soften it in a microwave, but don't melt it). Put it in a warm bowl.

2. Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy (this should take about 10-15 minutes)

3. While the pasta cooks, whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 cup grated Parmesan in a warmed bowl. Sprinkle with pepper.

4. When the pasta is cooked, toss it with the cream mixture, adding a little of the cooking water if necessary to keep the mixtur moist. Drizzle with butter, toss well, and serve immediately.

Ode to Epicurious & Coq Au Vin

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/images/recipesmenus/2010/2010_october/361231.jpg

Hello All!

I know it's been a really long time. I've been cooking a lot lately and will get much better at uploading my own food pictures to the site. I've also started a new hobby: Jewelry Making! You can read more about my recent gems and various musings at BPB&LBB. I've been much better at uploading personal pics to that site.

Oh the gems of life!

Speaking of gems, I cannot get enough of Epicurious! For those of you unfamiliar with the site (as I was once upon a time, but no longer,) it has tons of fabulous, workable recipes (and I DO mean workable!) As someone who often looks ups recipes online, there is a constant worry that these online recipes will crash and burn in the kitchen. Not with Epicurious! I recently made their "Quick Coq Au Vin" recipe (with bone in Chicken Thighs, not Chicken Breasts) and it was DIVINE! SO GOOD! Coq au Vin, like most dishes involving wine or beer, is a dish that does best over a longer period of time. Epicurious managed to find a recipe that is not only fast and easy to make but does not sacrifice the flavors of this classic French dish. DO TRY IT! Let me know how it works out.

Fried Beet Chips with Goat Cheese Dip

One of my favorite restaurants of all time has let me down this summer. They have consistently been out of their scrumptious Beet Chips with Goat Cheese Dip appetizers every time I have stopped by. This is unacceptable.

So what did I do? I took matters into my own hands and made my own Beet Chips with Goat Cheese Dip and I have to tell you--they are better.

*Note: The Goat Cheese Dip recipe can be made a little more special by adding your favorite herbs and seasonings. I like dried basil and dill.

FRIED BEET CHIPS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 Bulk beets (the smaller version-easier to cut), scrubbed and peeled
• Canola/Peanut oil.
  

DIRECTIONS:
Slice beets thin.

Fill pot with oil up to 3/4 of an inch. Put on high heat until oil "cracks" when you drip a drop of water into the pot. Then decrease to med-high heat.

Fry beets in small batches to ensure crispiness. ~10 minutes per batch/ until crispy.

Place on plates lined with paper towels to soak up the extra oil. Then transfer to a serving bowl.

SERVE!

~~~~~~~~~~

GOAT CHEESE DIP (PLAIN)
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 oz. fresh goat cheese
• 2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
  

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl/ food processor, beat/mix ingredients until well-combined.

Serve!

Salmon With Lemon and Herb Butter

Ok. This blogger has been very bad about the food she has been eating. As a self-respecting foodie, I cannot forgive myself from eating nothing but frozen dinners these past few weeks. In an effort to redeem myself I made a mental promise to cook my lunch for this week. The result?

Salmon with Lemon and Herb Butter:
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lb Salmon fillet
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 lemon
8 tbsp. of butter (softened)
2 tbsp. fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. fresh finely chopped dill

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425.

Rinse off and pat dry a 1.5 lb salmon fillet (I used Sockeye) and lay in a baking dish (I used a glass Pyrex baking dish). Salt and pepper the fillet on one side. Set aside.

Slice 9-10 extra thin wheels from the lemon and arrange on top of the salmon fillet. Squeeze the rest of the lemon over the salmon fillet.

In a bowl whisk the softened butter, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper together. Take an ice cream scooper and scoop balls of the herb butter on top of the fillet.

Place baking dish in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until fillet starts to flake with a fork and the fish is cooked.

It's the Bee's Knees: Local Honey to Cure Allergies

http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID20238/images/honey300w.jpg

Spring is awful.

I may be an awful person for saying that. After all, Spring brings the Easter Bunny, warmer weather, and an abundance of lovely flowers. But! Spring also brings my worst allergy symptoms. So when an acquaintance suggested a tasty food remedy to cure my ills, I was all ears.

He suggested local honey. I had never heard of this before. Apparently, taking a tablespoon of locally produced honey provides a daily dose of allergy relief in sweet time.

Being the cautious skeptic I am, I Googled this newfound information. Several articles confirmed, but with a grain of salt. Local honey contains pollens from local flowers. Ingesting this pollen is supposed to relieve allergies and reduce inflammation. However, the different articles were undecided as to whether honey actually relieves symptoms or produces a placebo-effect. The articles also warned that eating too much local honey could worsen symptoms in some individuals.

With all this in mind, I will give it a go, but Benadryl and my local health provider's phone number will be close by just in case.

It's Like Dog Food

http://i.timeinc.net/recipes/i/recipes/sl/05/04/meatloaf-sl-1041992-l.jpg

I am not and will never be a fan of meatloaf. In an attempt to rid me of this belief, my boyfriend, who for the purposes of anonymity I shall call "Mr. A," took me to Firehaus Bar & Grill for their Meatloaf Special. The special consisted of a decent helping of Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and freshly-steamed corn kernels. Mr. A ordered the special so I could try it while I ordered their Battalion Burger and Firehaus chips for safety; the Battalion Burger is excellent, by the way, and I highly recommend it.

While waiting for our food, Mr. A asked me why I have such an aversion to meatloaf. Meatloaf and I do not get along. It is not that any of the ingredients by themselves disagree with me. I am perfectly a fan of ketchup, bread, ground beef, eggs, salt, pepper, and other seasonings in their own right. But when these items are combined together, it has the texture of bad liver in my mouth and the same unpleasant aftertaste.

Oh, and the meatloaf I grew up with had raisins in it. According to Mr. A, this is a no-no in meatloaf.

So after this little talk, I waited with anticipation. The dishes came in good time. I abstained from tasting my burger and took a swig of water to cleanse my palate. I took a fork and cut a bite sized piece. I chewed the piece and let the flavors sit for a while before finally swallowing. But then it hit me. That taste. That undeniable aftertaste that I always experience when eating was still there. Even without raisins.

I put the fork down disappointed.

Then I began eating my burger and everything was right as rain. Mr. A scarfed down his meatloaf, loving every bite of it.

A part of me wants to like meatloaf, but there has yet to be a version that sits well with my personal tastes. If anyone has a good recipe they want me to try, let me know. I want to be proven wrong.

Menu: Saturday Dinner

We had a dinner this past Saturday with a group of friends. I am not a fan of setting a theme for these events, so the menu was as diverse as it was delicious.

MIXED DRINKS
- Sangria
- Bloody Marys

STARTERS & SIDES
- Multi-grain Bread from the local grocery store
- Mushroom and Sauerkraut salad
- Mixed Baby Greens salad (with feta, cherry tomatoes, red onion slivers, and balsamic vinaigrette)
- Roasted Potatoes and Roasted Sausage Bites

MAIN DISHES
- Beef Burgundy
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Whole Roasted Chicken with rosemary, thyme, carrots, and lemon wheels

DESSERTS
- Pecan Torte

Looking back, I should have made the Sangria with a Shiraz and not a Cabernet. I think Shiraz is better suited to the citrus flavors in my particular Sangria recipe. The Cabernet rendered the drink more mellow, more dry, and less sweet than I am used to.

The mushroom and sauerkraut salad was predominately consumed by my Eastern European guests (surprise, surprise.) The mixed green salad was a familiar dish that everyone seemed to enjoy. Among the starters and sides, the definite winner were the roasted potatoes and roasted sausage bites (the sausage was filled with cheese!); this side was very addictive and could have been served on its own.

The main dishes were hits overall. The Beef Burgundy recipe (courtesy of Betty Crocker) came out beautifully; the beef was a well marbled chuck steak and the Burgundy was of low caliber drinking-wise, but suitable for cooking. As per the vegetarian request of one of the guests, the Eggplant Parmesan passed with flying colors. Nearly all of the Eggplant was consumed, leaving only one of the delectable fillets behind for packed-lunch consumption. The chicken was good, but as compared to the other dishes, it was very safe and reminiscent of store bought rotisserie chickens.

Finally, the dinner ended with a Pecan Torte-- a surprisingly light dessert to finish off an otherwise heavy meal.

I will be posting the Pecan Torte recipe in a bit. I am open to recipe requests for the other items listed above.

An Excuse to Be Tipsy -- Without Being Tipsy

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2631/3714810411_65e9b1955e.jpg

From the manufacturers of Jarritos comes Sangria Senorial!!!!

It's Sangria flavored soda sans alcohol. Oh, and it's made from wine grapes, lemon peel, and REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS SUGAR (none of this high-fructose corn syrup crap.) It's the good stuff as only the makers of Jarritos can deliver.

Stuff of Student Living: Microwave Cooking

There is only one place on earth where microwaves are considered the arsenal of culinary genius: a college campus. From Ramen Noodles to... Souffles? microwave ovens remain indispensable to the lives of college students across the nation. But many people often look over this modern box when it comes to high standards of cooking.

Enter my good friend Mr. E.C. (initials to protect identity.) Mr. E.C. uses the microwave like Hubert Keller uses MAC knives. The first time I chanced upon his secret talent, he was making sushi. Yes. Sushi. Making sushi with a microwave oven.

Before anyone becomes baffled by this (sushi is, after all, a dish best served raw,) Mr. E.C. was using the microwave to cook the rice for the sushi. After realizing what he was doing, the first thought that came to my mind was, "Why didn't I think of that?" In fact, many of the dishes Mr. E.C. makes with the microwave oven are dishes that most of us could make with a little creativity as to the utensils we use. Instead of having to bring cold soggy pasta and heating it up, why not make fresh pasta using a microwave? Instead of a fast food breakfast, why not microwave up some fresh scrambled eggs and bacon? What about fresh soup? Steamed vegetables?

Granted there are other factors to consider when undertaking microwave cooking: clean up, timing, etc. But once these are taken care of, what is stopping us from having freshly cooked food? Of course, many of us will not take it as far as Mr. E.C. (he recently managed to create a perfectly pouffe souffle) but at least the option is there.

Microwave ovens: who would have thought?

picture:http://www.maryvancenc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/microwave.png

Food for thought: Make it competitive.

A few of the dearest people I know, and I, had a cooking throwdown in the spirit of Iron Chef. The secret ingredient was corn, there were 2 teams, and each team had 2 hours to prepare an appetizer, entree, and dessert using the secret ingredient.

To legitimize this contest, we randomly selected 2 members of our rowdy bunch to act as judges. Both judges had to scrutinize each appetizer, entree, and dessert based on four criteria: Originality, Taste, Texture, and Presentation. Each criteria had a five point scale (1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest.) The team with the most points was proclaimed winner.

When the dishes were ready to be presented, there was a noticeable difference between the two teams. Team 1 chose a heavier fare (applesauce-cornbread, mini corndogs with sauces, meatballs bespeckled with corn kernels and served with mashed potatoes, Popcorn-crispies made with marshmallows and chocolate, and cornflour blinis with cream,) while Team 2 went lighter (cornbread flecked with bacon, croissants filled with creamed corn and bacon, chicken fajitas with corn salsa and crema fresca, and creamed corn vanilla ice cream.)

In addition, Team 1 prepared a "Corn Drink" (the recipe of which remains a well guarded secret) and Team 2 prepared Sangria (sorry, no corn, just Sangria.)

Finally, as if to top off the hilarity of our dishes, the table was decorated with grilled bacon-wrapped-corn centerpieces.

When judging finally began, it was obvious--from my perspective-- who the winner was. Unfortunately for Team 1, as it was summer in the blistering heat of the desert, our two lady judges favored the overall "light and refreshing" presentation and flavors of Team 2.

After prizes and bragging rights were handed out, the real fun began: eating the food. Competition can really work up an appetite.

Best Recipe: Caprese

Italy is one of my all time favorite countries. I have had the good fortune of traveling throughout this glorious region and sampling its wonderful food. The one thing that makes a great Italian dish (or any dish for that matter) is FRESHNESS of ingredients.

Italian Caprese salad, for all its simplicity, is absolutely delicious and endlessly satisfying.

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

• 8 thick round slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 8 medium round slices of ripe Roma tomatoes
• 3-4 large fresh basil leaves
• 3-4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Arange tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate. Tear basil leaves by hand and sprinkle them over the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle everything with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

My Bible: The New Best Recipe

If it weren't for my other so-called responsibilities, I'd take on this book Julie & Julia style.

Maybe I will.

Blair's After Death Sauce

"Blair's After Death Sauce"

Hellfire never tasted so good-- this is by far the best hot sauce I have ever had. Only use less than a drop for a mouthful of volcanic heat. Anymore than a drop will probably result in death, or , if you have a "high tolerance" for heat, tears of pain mixed with pleasure.

Visit ExtremeFood for more product information.

The Goatwich

Sandwiches are amazing. Hot or cold. This simple food concoction has stood the test of time and continues to be a superior source of good eating. The best part about sandwiches? Ingredient flexibility.

Bread + Stuff inside bread = Sandwich

New favorite sandwich recipe: The Goatwich. Enjoy!

The Goatwich (serves 1)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sandwich ciabatta bun, sliced in half
• 2-3 slices of goat cheese
• 1 ring slice of purple onion
• 2-3 thin slices of red bell pepper
  
• 1 tbsp. pesto sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Spread the pesto sauce onto one slice of the ciabatta bun. Add the goat cheese slices. Arrange the purple onion slices and bell pepper slices. Top the sandwich with the other slice of ciabatta. Enjoy!

Recipes on the Agenda

1. Sin-a-buns
2. Cream of Spinach Soup
3. "COOKIE"
4. Teriyaki Pork Roast

Wish me luck.

Enjoying a Cup of Tea on a Cold Day

I am getting less fond of the cold weather. Snow, while once the magical harbinger of the holidays, is now the white stuff that gets slush and water spots on my boots. The freezing weather--in addition to the fact that my favorite coffee shop has now shut down due to economic woes--makes for a depressing situation.

Tea seems to make it all better.

I found myself another coffee shop, Espresso Royale, a San Francisco chain that has made its way to the midwest and beyond. Espresso Royale has a great selection of teas. One of my new personal favorites is their "Paris Tea" blend, a fruity black tea with sweet, floral notes. After adding honey and milk, stirring, and sipping, all my worries started melting away.

Snow looks beautiful again.

Onion Rings!!!

I consider myself a pretty healthy eater: vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fresh fruits are the staples of my diet. However, this does not mean that I do not indulge in greasy, sugary, fatty foods every now and then. For the past few weeks I have been craving deep-fried onion rings and I have finally learned to make them myself. This is the first recipe I have tried, so feel free to let me know if there is a better recipe out there.

The onion ring recipe comes from AllRecipes.com (submitted by Jean Marie) and received 5/5 stars. Making the onion rings was pretty easy and straightforward overall. I do recommend double dipping the raw onions in the egg and flour mixtures (egg mixture, then flour mixture, then egg mixture, then flour mixture) to get an even coating; dipping the onions just once wasn't working. I ended up serving the onion rings with a ketchup-mayonnaise dip to complete the assault on my arteries. If you're really adventurous, you can throw in some beer.

Fry, enjoy, and indulge!

Old Fashioned Onion Rings
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk, or as needed
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
seasoned salt to taste
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish.

Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.

Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Best Recipe: Fast and Easy Ratatouille

Many of us are on the go, and it becomes quite difficult to get enough vegetables into our everyday diet. This is one of the best veggie recipes I've tried recently and comes from a book called, Without Reservations, by Joey Altman. It's quick, fast, tasty, and really fun to say: ra-ta-too-ee. Enjoy!

Fast and Easy Ratatouille (or Fresh Basil Ratatouille)

INGREDIENTS:
1 med-small globe eggplant
1 med green zucchini
1 med golden zucchini or crooked-neck squash
1 med red onion
1 med red bell pepper
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (more if needed)
Kosher salt
1 heaping tbsp. minced garlic
1, 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup roughly chopped or torn fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, pepper, and onion into 1/4 inch dice, placing each in a separate bowl.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. When oil is hot, add eggplant with 1 tsp. salt. Cook until eggplant softens and is slightly browned all over. Remove eggplant and place in a large serving bowl; set aside.

Add remaining 2 tbsp. olive ol to the pan, then add onions and garlic. When onions are softened and light golden, add the red peppers. Saute peppers until softened, then add the zucchini and 1 tsp. salt. Add more olive oil as needed. When finished cooking, vegetables should be tender, but not mushy.

Return the eggplant tot he pan and add the tomatoes with their juices. Stir and saute to heat everything through and combine the mixture well.

Stir in the torn basil and season with pepper and salt to taste before transferring to a serving bowl.