Food: Mac and Cheese experiment

Christmas Eve is traditionally an evening of feasting at the in-laws' house every year.  This year promised to be no different, and I had the opportunity to invade my (amazing, awesome, generous, and dear) mother-in-law's kitchen to cook some kind of experiment.  Normally I operate on recipes and recipes alone for special occasions, but I had some ingredients on hand that were begging, nay, pleading for an experimental combination.

It started with dog-paw shaped pasta from Pastabilities that mommy-in-law got me as a gift.  Then I realized that we had applewood smoked cheddar and Adirondack cheddar in the house.  And onion.  And panko breadcrumbs.  Plus pantry staples like butter, seasonings, and flour.  Lo and behold, a plan for mac and cheese was born.

What I had on hand:

• about 6 ounces applewood smoked cheddar, rubbed with paprika (from the fancy cheese section of Wegman's)
• 8 ounces McAdam brand Adirondack cheddar
• 14 ounces dog-paw shaped pasta from Pastabilities
• a large white onion
• a stick of butter
• flour (I used about half a cup)
• black pepper
• mustard (spicy brown, a tablespoon)
• about 3 cups milk

What I did:

First I boiled the pasta in salted water for the 6 minutes it says to on the package and drained.  Then came time for the cheese sauce.

I melted a stick of butter in the pasta pot, added the chopped onion, and cooked on low heat until the onion was translucent and sweet-tasting, but not brown.  Then I added the flour and stirred it around until it made an onion-y roux.  Once the roux reached a golden color, I stirred in the milk and brought this all to a nice simmer on medium heat and the roux turned into a thick delicious saucey looking thing.  Added the mustard, added the black pepper, and inhaled.  Something about black pepper makes me euphoric.

Anyway: then I busted out mom-in-law's salad shooter (the only way to grate cheese, for real) and grated the cheese into the pot, stirred it up until melted, and stirred in the pasta.

The next step is obvious: pour it into a casserole dish, top with panko bread crumbs, and bake for about 30 minutes (we were close to 45) at 350, until the crumbs are golden and the cheese is bubbly and delicious.

So how was it?  Smoky.  Paprika-y (remember the paprika on the cheese).  Cheesy.  Delicious.  Oh, it was a treat indeed.

And yes, I'm eating its leftovers for lunch today, with a side of Croghan Bologna (a Northern NY delicacy) and cheese curds.  Bring on the cholesterol!

Food: Gram's English Toffee

Neither English nor toffee, Gram's cookies were always my favorite of her cookie assortment.  It's a brown sugar cookie bottom covered in chocolate and (optional) nuts.  (I don't do the nuts because I don't like them.)

You need:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour (sift it and then measure)

a whole bunch of chocolate.  For me, it was 2 10-ounce bags of bittersweet chocolate chips.  For Gram, it was 12 Hershey bars.

First, cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar, egg yolks and vanilla together.  Add the flour.  Press this dough into a jelly roll pan or small cookie sheet.  Mine was 10.5"x15" I think.  Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.

Once you remove the dough from the oven, put your chocolate on it immediately.  As the chocolate melts, spread it around with a spatula.  (For the chips, I returned it to the turned-off oven for about 2 minutes and then spread things around.)  At this point, if you want nuts, sprinkle them on top of the chocolate.  I don't.

Cool completely and cut into squares.

Food: Pan seared beef tenderloin steaks

The fanciest-sounding dish I make is a pan-seared beef tenderloin steak with a red wine reduction sauce.  What's hilarious about this is that it is incredibly easy to make if you have a basic knowledge of cooking, and it tastes amazing.  It's a little expensive if you use actual tenderloin instead of sirloin, but it's worth the expense if you want a flavorful, tender, medium-rare steak.

To make this dish you need:

• 1 beef tenderloin steak per person eating
• 2 shallots, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• about a tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 cups red wine (or thereabouts - I just pour from the bottle)
• 1 heaping teaspoon beef-flavored Better than Bouillon
• 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)

First thing's first: get your steaks out and DRY them with a paper towel.  Wet beef will not brown properly.

Warm your pan to pretty hot.  Place the dry steaks in them.  Let them sit for a few minutes, or until you can feel the steak "release" from the pan.  Then flip and do the same thing on the other side.  Usually this takes about 5 minutes per side on my steaks, but it will depend on the thickness of your steak and how well-done you like things.  Regardless, make sure your steak has a nice golden brown crust on it before you flip it to the other side.

Once the steaks are done to your liking, remove them to a plate and cover them with foil.  You might have to pop them in the oven at 300 if you like a more well-done steak to finish them off.  This is up to you, not me.  I like mine pretty bloody.

Anyway - there will be a beautiful crusty accumulation on the bottom of your pan.  Throw in your 2 tbsp of butter and scrape this up with the butter.  Then throw in the shallots and garlic and rosemary and stir constantly until barely brown.  Then add the wine.  Keep scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the Better than Bouillon.  Bring to a boil and cook until the wine mixture is reduced by at least half.

Serve over the steaks.

Sorry no photos - I never have time to photograph what's going on while I cook this.  But try it.  You'll like it.

Food: Chicken Soup

Every time I get a cold, I crave old-fashioned chicken soup.  Nothing fancy, just plain old chicken soup.  Today after teaching for a full day and straining my vocal cords with elementary-school-aged children, I looked forward to nothing more than a bowl of chicken soup.  So I stopped at the grocery for the ingredients and made it.  This is what I did.

First: chop up 1 heart of celery (leaves included), 2 medium onions, and half a pound(ish) of carrots.  Saute all these in a bit of olive oil in the bottom of your soup pot.  When the onion becomes translucent, add 5 cloves minced garlic.  Yes, 5.  Garlic is good for a cold.  Go ahead and add more if you want, but never less.

When the smell becomes almost too much for you, but before the garlic has browned, add 2 quarts chicken stock.  Since I didn't have my usual handy-dandy chicken stock boxes around, I made my own out of Reduced Sodium chicken flavored Better than Bouillon.  It worked just fine.  Add in: 2 bay leaves, about a tablespoon fresh rosemary (I just snipped off a sprig and threw it in the pot), and about 3 tablespoons of freeze-dried shallots from (you guessed it) Penzey's. 

Next: tear all the meat off a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  (My reason for not roasting my own chicken?  A whole rotisserie chicken was cheaper than a whole raw chicken by about a dollar.  And it saved me a few hours time.  And I wanted chicken soup TODAY, not tomorrow.  If I had a raw chicken, I would have made roasted chicken for dinner today.  I digress.)  Stir the meat into the soup.  Bring to a simmer.  Oh yeah - don't put the chicken skin in the soup. Ick.  Season with seasoned salt and pepper to taste.

About an hour before serving, add 1 cup uncooked white rice.  Stir occasionally until it is time to serve.

Domesticity/Random: 50 things

I just discovered this article of 50 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do, and I decided it's time for me to see just how competent at life I really am, based on those 50 things.  They all appear useful and wonderful, so I'm going on a self-examination discovery in the hopes of upping my self-esteem a bit, since I'm feeling a bit down today.  So, with blatant apologies to the original writers, here is my self-examination based on your list.

1.  Build a Fire – check.  I can do this.

2.  Operate a Computer – check.

3.  Use Google Effectively – check.

4.  Perform CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver – I have a rough idea, but no check.

5.  Drive a Manual Transmission Vehicle – epic FAIL.  My mom tried to teach me once and it ended in tears and swearing me to secrecy that I ever tried to drive my dad's car.

6.  Do Basic Cooking – I own this.  Basic cooking is my thang.

7.  Tell a Story that Captivates People’s Attention – I can totally do it for little kids, does that count?

8.  Win or Avoid a Fistfight – I'll say avoid.

9.  Deliver Bad News – If I can write it, I can do it gracefully.  If I have to speak it, I usually fumble.

10.  Change a Tire – If put to the test, I bet I could.  But I'm not giving you directions on it now.

11.  Handle a Job Interview – I was once told that I interview well, so I'm confident with this one.

12.  Manage Time – I *can* do this.  I just choose not to most of the time. ;)

13.  Speed Read – I'm told I'm a fast reader, but I don't think I can do it like that guy on Criminal Minds who turns a page every 2 seconds or so...

14.  Remember Names – Elementary teacher skill, dear Watson.

15.  Relocate Living Spaces – Living with the husband that I do, it is simple to move.  His family has it down to a science, and my job is to unpack boxes and clean.  Perfection!

16.  Travel Light – Okay, I'll admit it.  Husband and I pack like princesses.

17.  Handle the Police – I've never had to very much, but I do know the first answer is to be polite and tell the utter truth.

18.  Give Driving Directions – I have to do this to tell anyone to get to my house, as it is weirdly situated.

19.  Perform Basic First Aid – I should brush up on this.

20.  Swim – Swimming lessons since I was 10 months old until I was a teen.

21.  Parallel Park – I can do it, but like most drivers, I tend to avoid it unless I have to.

22.  Recognize Personal Alcohol Limits – I have yet to barf from drinking.  And I never will. *pride*

23.  Select Good Produce – Go to Wegman's.  The end.

24.  Handle a Hammer, Axe or Handsaw – I can do all but the axe.

25.  Make a Simple Budget – Our budget is incredibly simple: don't buy what you don't have money for.

26.  Speak at Least Two Common Languages – English? yes.  Francais? oui.

27.  Do Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Properly – *rolls on the floor laughing*

28.  Give a Compliment – Have I mentioned how beautiful your uvula is lately?  No?  Oh, well that's because that would be an improper compliment.

29.  Negotiate – I tell you what: I'll bake you brownies if you do this for me.  Oh, wait, that's bribery.

30.  Listen Carefully to Others – This is a skill that everyone who has met me says I need to work on.

31.  Recite Basic Geography – Another area for improvement.  I can only use the "I'm new to the area" excuse for so long...

32.  Paint a Room – Can do.  But hate.

33.  Make a Short, Informative Public Speech – I liken this to presenting a new concept while teaching.  So I can do it.

34.  Smile for the Camera – This is difficult for me.  I have to recite to myself, "think of something happy, look into the camera lens, and let yourself REALLY smile."

35.  Flirt Without Looking Ridiculous – For me, this should be changed to "do ANYTHING without looking ridiculous."

36. Take Useful Notes – check.

37.  Be a Respectful House Guest – check.

38.  Make a Good First Impression – I have no idea whether I do this or not, but I'll say yes because I'm told I interview well.

39.  Navigate with a Map and Compass – As long as you let me turn the map to orient it in the direction I'm going, I am totally fine with this concept.

40.  Sew a Button onto Clothing – My great-grandma would roll over in her grave if I couldn't do this.  Check.

41.  Hook Up a Basic Home Theater System – I have not done it myself unless you count the system being simply a TV and a DVD player.

42.  Type – Does 56 wpm count?

43.  Protect Personal Identity Information – I am a victim of identity theft.  I have finally picked up all the pieces, but I know one thing: you're sunk if anyone knows your SSN.

44.  Implement Basic Computer Security Best Practices – check.  Please don't test me on this.

45.  Detect a Lie – Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't.  And sometimes I get a false positive.

46.  End a Date Politely Without Making Promises – I'm married, so I proclaim this one obsolete.

47.  Remove a Stain – hairspray works GREAT on ink.  Zout is my method of choice for everything else.

48.  Keep a Clean House – I'm still learning but it's getting there.  It's just SO much work!

49.  Hold a Baby – check.

50.  Jump Start a Car – This needs a refresher course.

Uncategorized: Sick

I have a cold.  A chest cold.  A very nasty coughing-is-excruciating chest cold.  (Note: at this point, Husband will step in and say I'm a wimp and that my cold isn't that bad because my temperature is a tenth of a degree under 100 and I'm able to walk without passing out.  But I am a grumpy patient, and so I'm gonna coddle this cold today.)

All I want is Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and a fleece blanket and Mucinex DM.

Alas, I have no canned soup in my house, nor do I have chicken or fixin's to make chicken soup.

I am hideous and unwashed in fleece sweatpants and an old hoodie and a thermal underwear shirt.

I'm not venturing out.

Dinner shall be fish tonight with salad, and we'll be lucky if I can stand it.  Maybe I'll make fish for Husband and make scrambled eggs for me.

But all I really want is that darn chicken noodle soup.

Today I have eaten about 10 Christmas cookies, 8 Triscuit crackers with melted American cheese, 2 cups of coffee, and 2 liters of water.  And I'm not that hungry.

Except for chicken noodle soup.  Gimme, now.

Food: Frangelico Cheesecake

I made this for my dad's penultimate birthday cake and it turned out great.  I haven't really made it since, but it's delicious.  It's a cheesecake laced with frangelico, topped with frangelico-laced chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries.  It's  also probably the fanciest thing I've ever made.

For the crust, you need:
1.5 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (I used chocolate-flavored goldfish and crushed them - they're chocolatier than Oreos)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
a pinch of Cassia cinnamon (or just regular.  But I use the Cassia variety because it's spicier than Ceylon cinnamon.)

Do the things you need to do to turn this into a graham-cracker crust (mix it together with a fork), and press it into the bottom of a springform pan.

For the filling, you need:
32 oz cream cheese (by weight), softened
3 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Frangelico liqueur

Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer.  Pour over the crust.  Bake at 350F for 40 to 50 minutes and remove from oven.  (It's often cracked on top, but the ganache fixes this!)

For the ganache topping, you need:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp Frangelico liqueur

chop the chocolate and set in a medium bowl to the side.  Bring the cream and butter to a boil on medium heat and then pour over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Whisk together until blended.  Add the liqueur and whisk until blended again.  Pour enough of this over the cheesecake to cover it.  Eat the rest with a spoon while it's warm, or refrigerate it and roll it into balls later for impressive chocolate truffles.

While the ganache is still warm, put fresh raspberries all over the top of the cheesecake.

Voila.  YUM.