Low-Key Valentine's Dinner

As I've mentioned before, our anniversary is the 13th of February, and after our Atlanta and Cuscowilla weekend, we were so full from all of the delicious food that we decided to order a pizza when we got home on Sunday. We knew we made the right decision when we saw Papa Johns website advertising their Valentine's Special, a heart shaped pepperoni pizza. How appropriate for our anniversary? Looks like we have our next few anniversaries planned.

And so the next day was Valentine's Day, which seriously took a backseat to our anniversary. That's ok with us because we were never really into Valentine's Day to begin with so Monday came and went with almost no recognition of the day. Except, of course, dinner.

We had a true, romantic steakhouse dinner. Filet mignon topped with sautéed mushrooms, salt crusted baked potato, creamed spinach and french rolls. Pure perfection. What better way to celebrate love than with a full belly?

Creamed Spinach
Serves 2 with big appetites or 4 smaller portions

1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 1/2 tbs. sour cream
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 tbs. Parmesan cheese
Italian style breadcrumbs

Preheat the broiler. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and sauté the shallot until softened. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes until it just starts to turn light brown, stirring constantly. Add the milk, and whisk constantly until it boils. Continue whisking and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach, sour cream, nutmeg, lemon juice and salt and pepper and heat, stirring, until it is heated through. Divide creamed spinach among two buttered baking dishes. Top with Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Broil until the breadcrumbs start to brown.

Snow Day 2011

It's only January and it's already been a crazy winter. Augusta almost never gets snow. In fact, winter in Augusta sometimes means 70 degree days. But not this winter. At about 10 p.m. on January 9, much to our delight and joy, the sky opened up and let out a beautiful shower of light, fluffy snow onto our little Southern town.

On Friday, we'd received a winter weather advisory for Monday morning and to stay by our phones in case work was cancelled. My head kept telling me to "get real, how often does it snow here" but my child-like heart kept telling me to hope for the best, and for lots of snow.

As the weekend progressed, the chance of snow went from a whopping 6 inches on Friday to a mear 1-2 inches on Sunday monring. Still, there was a chance. We went to Aiken for brunch and at the last second, we thought, "what if we're snowed in tomorrow, and we don't have any libations for Auburn's chance at the National Championship on Monday?" Oh the horror! So we stocked up on beer and wine thanks to Aiken's Sunday beer and wine sales, replaced our broken flashlights at Walmart in case of power outage, and made it to the grocery store for a few last minute dinner ingredients.

What better way to (hopefully) usher in a snow storm than with good old-fashioned American comfort food? Our last meal before the winter white weather was a big, fat juicy cheeseburger and French fries. This, however, was not your regular cheeseburger and fries, but a fancy gorganzola stuffed ground sirloin burger and authentically French fried pomme frites. Not at all healthy, but oh-so satisfying on a cold January night just waiting for the sight of the first flake drop.

Gourmet Burger and French Fries
Serves 2
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
4 oz. gorganzola cheese
Burger fixings

Make four flat patties with the sirloin. Take 2 oz. cheese and place on 2 patties. Take the other patties and cover the ones with the cheese. Seal the patties to ensure no cheese escapes while they are grilling. Grill until your desired burger temperature.

3 Russet baking potatoes
Peanut oil
Kosher salt

Wash and scrub the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into thin sticks by using a mandoline or sharp kitchen knife. Drop sticks into cold water to keep from browning and to release some starch. Meanwhile, pour about 3 inches of oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Using a thermometer, heat oil to 325 degrees. Rinse potatoes until water is clean in the bowl. Dry potatoes really well with a kitchen towel. Working in 3 batches, fry potatoes for about 3-4 minutes until they are soft and have a little color. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider, and drain each batch on paper towels (I had a lot of sheet pans out and lined with paper towels). Heat the oil back up to 375. Still working in batches, drop sticks back into oil and fry for 3-5 minutes until they are a golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. Place fries on a sheet pan and place in a 250 degree oven until all the fries are browned. Serve immediately with burgers and lots of red wine.

Sissie and me in the snow

Elegant Dinner for Two

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. M.F.K. Fisher

I must admit, our New Year's dinner was spectacular, and dessert, in Adam's words, was pretty amazing. The menu, starting with the appetizer, consisted of Seared Sea Scallops with Creme Fraiche and Caviar, Filet Mingon with Gorganzola Sauce, Rosemary and Garlic Oven Roasted Fries, and Chocolate Fondue with Fresh Fruit and Croissants. Pretty fancy, I know.

Sometimes I like to go all out and create a meal that is worthy of a five star restaurant. It's having the big fancy meal without paying exorbitant prices for food and drink, dressing up after a long day at work, or making small talk with other restaurant patrons. There are nights I feel like going out and being seen, but there are also nights when I want the relaxing comforts of home, my favorite music on the Ipod, and a delicious three course dinner that can be shared with someone special...which is exactly the way we spent our New Year's eve.

I knew I wanted the meal, from the first course to dessert, to be as upscale and romantic as possible. What can be more upscale and romantic than caviar? The combination of the sweet seared scallops with the creamy creme fraiche and salty caviar made a fabulous appetizer for two. An idea for next time is to make some kind of drizzle or light sauce to add yet another layer of flavor. Too bad, I guess we'll just have to try it out again.

Filets are pretty spectacular in my book. I do enjoy a juicy, medium-rare ribeye on occasion, but I still can't get over the tenderness and lean cut of the filet. And to add a thick, rich sauce on the top, you just took a great steak and turned it into a celebration for your mouth. With such a rich appetizer and main course, the accompaniments should only blend with the dish and certainly not overpower it. Oven roasted potatoes are the perfect side because, let's face it, what man doesn't love a good old fashioned steak and potatoes dinner? Just to add a little spice and elegance, I added minced garlic, olive oil and fresh rosemary from my garden.

Now, for the "pretty amazing" dessert. As most of you know, I'm not a baker. I didn't have time to make a dessert before hand so I spent a couple of days pouring over cookbooks looking for a romantic, yet easy and fast after dinner sweet. Finally, I thought about all those cheesy movies from the 80s. There is coule decked out in their finest formal attire sensuously dipping strawberries into a rich, velvety chocolate fondue, and I remember thinking it was the classiest, most romantic way to eat chocolate ever. In truth, nothing could be easier than fondue, and yes, I can attest that it's still a very romantic way to indulge in one of lifes greatest pleasures.

Add a little red wine and a glass of bubbly at midnight, and you've got the perfect New Year's date night. There isn't a restaurant anywhere that could have provided us with such a relaxed, but yet elegant evening for the two of us. Maybe next year I can convince Adam to do it all over again, but I'm sure it won't be too difficult if I tempt him with steak and potatoes finished off with a little chocolate fondue.

Filet Mignons with Roquefort Sauce
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma French cookbook

2 filet mignon steaks, 4-6 oz. each
salt and pepper
1 tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup tawny port
1/4 heavy cream
2 tablespoons Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 tsp. chopped Italian parsley

Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and sear one side until browned, about 5 minutes. Once steaks are in the pan, don't move them around; they won't get that nice, crispy brown you're looking for. Turn the steaks and sear on the second side until well browned, about 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Add garlic and port to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Boil unitl reduced, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cream and return to a boil. Boil unitl reduced by half, about 1 minute longer. Add cheese and whisk until cheese melts and sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer steaks to individual plates and spoon sauce over them. Sprinkle parsley and serve at once.

On a Cold Winter's Night

Chili-eaters is some of your chosen people, Lord. We don't know why you're so doggone good to us. But, Lord God, don't never think we ain't grateful for this chili we are about to eat. Amen. Bones Hook, an old Texas black range cook

On the first really cold night of the season, I crave chili. Chili is one of those body and soul comforting meals that at first bite sends sensations of warmth up and down my spine. Growing up, we knew it was winter when we'd come home from school, open the back door and smell a pot of spicy chili simmering away on mom's hot stove top as soon as we stepped over the threshold. When it was time for dinner, we'd fix ourselves a heaping bowl of chili then top it with a dollop of sour cream, a generous handful of cheddar cheese, and a plateful of Fritos Scoops, perfect for dipping. To this day, I can't eat a bowl of chili without my beloved Fritos.

There are so many versions of chili and so many people who think their way is the only acceptable way to make chili and any other versions are just stew. Recipes and traditions are so sacred with cooks that it's almost become an all-out chili war between beans and no beans. In authentic Texas chili, beans are not allowed. It's just meat, chiles and broth. In my book, if you don't have beans, you don't have chili. But, then again, I've never claimed to be an authentic chili queen.

Chili is to Texas like barbecue is to Memphis. They both have their own unique style and flavors. They also lay claim to being the best at what they do. I can speak from experience that Memphis is the best at barbecue, but I can't say with conviction that Texas makes the best chili on the face of the earth. I'll just have to take their word on it. But, in my kitchen, especially on a frosty December night, a big bowl, just the way my mother fixes it, makes me think we have the right idea about chili, beans and all.

Our Favorite Chili

4 medium yellow onions
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 tbs. oil
1 tsp. oregano
2 bay leaves
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs. chili powder
2 cans chili beans, don't drain
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, 1/2 of juice drained
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 tbs. cider vinegar

Brown onions and ground beef in oil. Don't drain. Add tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, chili powder, and chili beans. Cook 1 1/2 hours or longer.

Add salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cook for 15 minutes more.

Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, Fritos scoops and a beer or ice cold milk.

Dog Days of Summer

Image

'Tis dogs' delight to bark and bite,
Thus does the adage run.
But I delight to bite the dog
When placed inside a bun.
Echoes from the Lunch Wagon

I have to admit, in the last few weeks I haven't been cooking very elaborate meals or very often for that matter because I'm kind of going through a food rut. Sometimes I get tired of food and eating. It's usually because I overload my system with such good food that I can't stand to put anything else rich, sweet, or even delcious in my body. Sometimes, I, along with my clothes, get stuck between seasons, and I'm almost certain this is the reason for this slump. It's too warm for soups and stews and too late in the season for summer vegetables. During these depressing times, food just doesn't give me that blissful, almost euphoric feeling I crave. Finally, I give in and temporarily hang up my apron and semi-retire my chef's knife.

When the slump is finally over, I come back to the world of food with a vengence. I want to go out to eat for lunch every day, cook dinner every night, and bake, and I never bake. Let's hope this happens sooner than later. I'm starting to get hungry.

Until then, I have to bore Adam with typical and simple, but comforting food. This time of year I have more after-work activities than usual, and I can't imagine spending hours in the kitchen, eating dinner at 11:30, and cleaning the kitchen until after midnight. Maybe on a Saturday night with lots of wine and hors d'oeuvers to curb the appetite, but definitely not on a Monday after a long day at work. So for this Monday, I decided to make the all American classic, hot dogs and french fries. Hot dogs have always been considered essential to baseball parks, football games, county fairs, and backyard cookouts, but they are also always a welcomed dinner option for a quiet, lazy weeknight. Whatever the toppings, one can never tire of a steaming hot dog nestled snugley in a warm, soft bun.

My dad is particularly fond of the famous Chicago dog since he grew up in the "land of the hot dog," and to him that's the only way to eat one. A Chicago dog is an all-beef dog that looks as if it got assaulted by a salad. In the South, the old favorite is slathered with a mound of chili and coleslaw. On every New York City street corner, there's a hot dog vendor pushing his own version of a kosher dog topped with mustard and sauerkraut. I've always like mine with just ketchup and relish, but please don't tell my dad because, according to to him and all Chicogoans, ketchup is never allowed on a true hot dog. Nowadays, carnivores, vegetarians, and fat and calorie counters can get into the hot dog spirit by choosing between varities such as pork, beef, turkey, and even tofu. That's the beauty of a hot dog, it teaches topping tolerance to it's fans from all walks of life. No matter how you eat a hot dog, you're never judged, that is unless, of course, you order it with ketchup.

My new favorite hot dog

1 light beef hot dog
1/4 small Vidalia onion
1 1/2 tbs. butter
sweet relish
mustard
ketchup
hot dog bun, warmed

Fill a sauce pan with about 1 inch of water and bring to boil. Add hot dog and boil for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, slice onion into half moons. Heat 1 tbs. of butter in a pan and saute on medium low for 10 minutes or until they are soft and have a caramel color. Drain water from sauce pan and add remaining 1/2 tbs. of butter and saute until hot dog develops a little color on its skin. Put hot dog in its bun and top with onions, relish, mustard and ketchup. Serve with oven fries.