Market to Menu with Molly

Sunday: Pork Egg Rolls and Coconut Lime Cake

2011-03-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday dinners usually consist of some meat feature. What can I say it's how I was raised. Growing up we would almost always have some roasted beast, be it moo, oink or cluck, with a nice potato side (we're Irish). So coming up with Sunday dinner menus I usually follow a similar template.

Every once in a while I do shake it up. Spaghetti with Meatballs and Italian Sausage. Chicken Pot Pie. Everything Jambalaya.

But this week I opted to make one of my weeknight dishes on a Sunday.

Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry.

Since I consider Sunday dinners kind of a special occasion I decided to dress it up a bit with some homemade Egg Rolls.

My husband made them for me once years ago when we were dating, you know back when my husband cooked for me, I kid, I kid. Anyway, he made them and I remember them being pretty tasty so I dusted off my husband's one cookbook and got frying.

They are surprisingly quick to make. The biggest time eater is the chopping and grating needed to get the ingredients prepped. After that is saute, assemble and fry. Delish!

Pork Stuffed Egg Rolls

8 egg roll or won ton wraps
1/2 lb ground pork
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through press
1/2 cup cabbage or bok choy, finely chopped
1/2 carrots, shredded
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped (optional)
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt and sugar to taste

Cook ground pork, ginger and garlic together in a skillet over med/high heat until meat is no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. Drain fat. Add cabbage/bok choy, carrots, onion and water chestnuts (if using) and cook for a few minutes until veggies are fragrant. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and sugar then add to skillet. Cook and stir for about a minute more then remove from heat and cool slightly before assembling egg rolls.

Use a 1/4 cup of filling for each egg roll. Place the filling diagonally on the wrap. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold in side corners. Brush the top corner with water and then roll wrap up tightly to close.

To deep fry: Bring canola oil up to 350 degrees. Place 2 or 3 egg rolls in frying basket at a time. Fry in oil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on a towel lined plate.

To bake: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place rolls on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly brush the tops of the egg rolls with olive oil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm with Spicy Mustard or Sweet and Sour dipping sauces.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cake

2011-03-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Since St. Patrick's Day falls during the work week this year I decided to do an early Irish feast with the family this last Sunday.

I made some great stand by's Guiness Beef Stew and my Aunt Cathie's Irish Soda Bread, but I wanted to keep up with my New Year's resolution to try a new recipe weekly so I threw in a traditional Irish dish I'd never made called Colcannon ( a yummy mix of mashed potatoes with sauteed cabbage) and a recipe of my own devising for dessert, Bailey's Irish Cream Cake.

When it comes to desserts, Ireland doesn't have a ton. This isn't to say that the ones they do have aren't delicious, I love a good bowl of fresh berries and cream or a nice freckled scone. But I was looking for something a little richer. Now I don't know about most households, but ours ALWAYS seems to have a bottle of Irish Cream in the cabinet. Either purchased or gifted I can't remember which, but since I was old enough to remember my house has always had a bottle of the milky spirit on hand to offer guests, stiffen a coffee or celebrate a special occasion. It's delicious, but unlike vodka, whiskey or gin which can be mixed and matched, Bailey's is kind of a one trick pony.

So I started thinking, how about making a dessert with it.

I found a few recipes for mousses and puddings, but I didn't have any cream in the house and didn't want to make a special trip out to the store for just one ingredient when I had everything else under the sun.

Then I found a few recipes for cake, but they either started with boxed cake mix that I didn't have on hand (see above reason for elimination) or they were made with chocolate, which I gave up for Lent. Some may say what's the point of sacrifice if you aren't tempted and that's all well and good until you have to make said temptation from scratch. So for purely selfish reasons I ruled out the chocolate. But reading through all these different recipes got me thinking, "Why don't I just create my own Bailey's cake recipe?"

So I did.

I took a recipe I had for a very tasty Yellow Cake and did some modifying and this is what I came up with. It's quick and easy to make and while St. Patrick's Day is a great time to enjoy some Irish spirits, this cream cake can be great any time of the year. Enjoy!

Bailey's Irish Cream Cake
Makes 1 two layer 9" round cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour, sifted
4 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 Bailey's Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter and flour two 9" round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

In medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then set aside. Combine milk and Bailey's in measuring cup and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until lightened. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the mixing bowl occasionally.

Alternately add flour and milk mixture to cake batter, ending with flour.

Divide batter between cake pans and smooth our tops with spatula. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and the cake tester comes out with moist crumbs. Transfer cakes to wire racks to cool. After 15 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pans and then turn the cakes out onto the racks to finish cooling then frost.

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted sweet cream butter
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
5 cups powdered sugar
splash of milk

In a mixing bowl combine butter and Bailey's a cream until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Check the consistency of the frosting to make sure it is spreadable, add a splash of milk to loosen things up if it's too dry. Alternately, add more powdered sugar if the frosting seems too loose. Frost cake and serve.

A funny thing and German Chocolate

2011-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

And no the funny thing isn't the German Chocolate which I will get to in a moment.

The funny thing is I didn't think I posted my last post. By either lack of tech savvy on my part or some glitch on the part of my computer, my post was, well, posted. I had written about missing the blog, but wanted to hold off on putting it on line until I felt more confident with keeping to the commitment of blogging again. I didn't want to start all fired up only to find out that I didn't have the time to do the job properly.

Then came an email alert that a poster by the name of Our Family had commented on my recent entry. I slowly realized that I was "active" again. Soooo, here I am. Back again.

I'm excited to get talking food. I made a New Year's Resolution to try a new recipe every week and I am happy to report I've been sticking to it (unlike my plan to completely reorganize my office and read through back issues of about 50 food magazines, yikes! Well, there's always 2012.)

One of my experiments was for a recipe called German Chocolate Brownies. I came across it in Bon Appetit magazine's Reader's Favorite Restaurant Recipes section. The original recipe made about 54 brownies so I halved it and boy am I glad I did.

So delish, but soooooooo rich. I am not usually someone who believes in dessert in small quantities; it's dessert of goodness sake, live it up! But I would definitely say a little goes a long way when it comes to these brownies so have some guests to share it with.

It's a quick easy recipe that I highly recommend. The only labor intensive step is making the frosting, but I think an easy short cut would be using a can of store bought German Chocolate frosting instead.

German Chocolate Brownies

Brownies:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs

Frosting:
3/4 cup half and half (I blended equal parts whole milk and cream)
1/2 & 1/8 cups sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes, room temperature)
3 large egg yolks
12 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough extra foil for a 2" overhand on 2 sides. Butter and flour the foil.
Whisk flour and cocoa in small bowl. Using a mixer, beat sugar and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture and beat until just blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to edges using a spatula.
Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 23 minutes or so.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

To make frosting, stir half and half, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in large saucepan over medium heat until mixture thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 180 F, stirring CONSTANTLY, about 15 minutes ( do NOT allow the mixture to boil) **this is why you may want to opt for the store bought frosting as a short cut!
Fold coconut and pecans into topping. Chill 1 hour. Spread over brownies. Cut into small squares and ENJOY!!

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving, if desired.

I Miss This...A LOT!

2011-01-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

I just came across some recipe ideas from 2009 that I was working on for this blog and I thought, "Man, do I miss blogging!"
It's not so much the sharing my cooking with the world (or more realistically the few of you who were kind enough to follow my posts) that I missed, but the actual menu planning and recipe executing that I did.
I still menu plan and I still recipe tinker, but not with focus like I did when I was keeping this online record. So I think for me, in 2011, I'm going to try this again. But a little differently.
And it's because my life is a little different now, I'm a working mom. Just a little over a year ago my husband Peter and I became the proud parents to a baby boy.
So, the days of idly flipping through cookbooks and food magazines whenever the mood struck me are gone for the time being. Now when I go to the store it's in and out, no more wandering the aisles (well, maybe not "no" more, but definitely with less frequency). Thanks to a very supportive husband and patient baby I am still able to have at least one day in the kitchen just really going to work on a meal. So I will use that time as a jumping off point for this new foray into blogging.
Almost every Sunday we host a family meal. My cousins come over for dinner get together just like we would if we were back home in Omaha. When family is in from out of town they join us. Sometimes friends get included, but for the most part it's simply a weekly family meal. It's also when I usually do my recipe testing.
I use my relations as my own private guinea pigs for whatever recipe has caught my eye that week. I do take suggestions and my cousins have logged in their requests from time to time. Depending on if I already have a menu set and the shopping done, I'm happy to oblige. Birthdays are the exception, whoever is the lucky Birthday boy or girl gets to pick what they'd like for dinner and dessert, you know within reason (unless you're Peter, then it's anything goes!).
Not all of my attempts are successes; there's a particular soupy pudding cake I served up recently that comes to mind. Some weeks I'll just go with a tried and true standard or let the weekly specials decide. My kitchen resolution for 2011 was to try at least one new recipe a week. So far, I've kept my promise and with the exception of the "soup" cake I haven't been disappointed yet.
I'm going to try and post at least twice a week to get started. So I'll keep you updated on my Sunday dinner experiments and whatever new meal I'm testing driving on the husband and the boy. I'll let you know what they thought and if it lived up to my expectations.
So here we go. New year, new recipes and a new crack at blogging.

Lobster Bisque

2009-03-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

Recently it was my husband Peter's birthday and according to family tradition he got to pick the menu for his Birthday Dinner.

In addition to New York Strip Steak, Baked Potatoes, Homemade Onion Rings and Red Velvet Cake Peter asked for Lobster Bisque.

What the Birthday Boy wants the Birthday Boy gets!

So after a lot of preparation Peter got his beloved Lobster Bisque.

A word of warning...preparing the soup is rather time consuming. So unless you just have a load of free time to fill I would save it for those special occasion meals (like Birthdays) when you can share the richly flavored dish with friends and family.

Lobster Bisque
Serves 8
Total cost: $46.00 (appox. $5.75/person)

1 2lb. live lobster (or two 1 lb. lobsters), be sure to leave the claws bound
3 quarts water
1 cup white wine
3 tarragon sprigs or 1 TBSP of dried tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
2 celery ribs cut into 2" pieces
2 medium onions peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves peeled
4 TBSP unsalted butter
3 TBSP brandy
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp of lemon juice

Combine water, wine, tarragon, bay leaf and salt in an 8 quart pot and bring to a boil. Put the lobster in the boiling water head first and cook for about 10 minutes with the pot loosely covered. With tongs remove the lobster from the pot and set aside in a shallow baking dish to cool. Pour the cooking liquid into a large bowl.

Once the lobster is cool enough to handle, crack the shell and remove the meat from the tail, claws and joints. Reserve the shells, but discard the lobster body. Pour any left over juice into the bowl with the cooking liquid. Cut the lobster meat into 1/2 inch pieces, cover and refrigerate.

Wrap the claw shells in a sturdy kitchen towel and pound with either a mallet or rolling pin until they broken up into 1/2 inch pieces. With kitchen shears cut the remaining shells into 1/2 inch pieces as well.

In a food processor pulse the carrots, celery, onions and garlic until finely chopped. Melt the butter in a clean pot over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. Add the lobster shells to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add brandy and simmer until it has evaporated. Stir in tomato paste, reserved cooking liquid and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring every once in a while until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Once the soup has reduced, discard the bay leaf and then with a slotted spoon put the solids (even the lobster shells) in small batches into the food processor. Puree until as smooth as possible. Force the solids through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Pour some of the cooking liquid through the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible from the solids. Discard the solids and return soup to a clean pot.

Bring the soup to a boil. Stir together 1/2 cup of soup and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth then whisk the mixture into the pot of soup. Simmer, whisking constantly until the soup gets slightly thickened. Then add the cream, lemon juice, salt and lobster meat and heat through, do NOT boil. Serve.

**The bisque can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cool the prepared soup uncovered then cover the cooled soup and refrigerate. When reheating the bisque do so over low heat, do NOT let the soup boil.

Dirty Rice

2009-02-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

The other night I found myself faced with an interesting predicament: a pound of ground beef and no idea what to do with it.

It's seems so simple, there are SO many ground beef options out there, but none of my usual weeknight go to's were clicking.

Tacos? Out of shells.
Spaghetti? Had it last week.
Burgers? No buns.

Then I remembered a simple Cajun dish I had heard of years ago, but had never tried. Dirty rice.

On the few occasions when I've had Cajun food I have never ordered the dirty rice. It always seemed like this simpler dish that when put on a menu with Gumbo or Jambalaya gets out shined by its multi-component or roux based siblings.

So I decided to give this easy weeknight dish a try and I was NOT disappointed.

It reminded me a lot of Fried Rice...the Cajun version. The best part is it's made up of inexpensive ingredients I already had in the house. It made quite a bit and when I had some of the left overs the next day it was just as good as the night I cooked it.

Dirty Rice
Serves 6-8
Total Cost: $5.60 (appox. $.93-$.70 per person)

1lb ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups of cooked rice
1/8 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning or Louisiana Hot Sauce
Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the ground beef until completely browned. Add the vegetables and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Finally, stir in the seasoning, rice and parsley and serve.

Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Egg Strata

2009-02-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

I owe my friend Nikki full credit for this super yummy casserole recipe.

When I told her I was looking for a new egg dish to serve at my Book Club meeting, Nikki came to the rescue with one of her classic tasty go-to dishes.

You assemble all the ingredients the night before so all you have to do the morning you want to serve it is pull it out of the fridge 3o minutes before you plan on putting it in the oven and you are good to go.

As easy as it is delicious.

Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Egg Strata
Serves 8-10

18 slices firm white bread (such as English muffin bread), crusts removed
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
4 ounces provolone, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
6 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
5 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Line bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish completely with 1 layer of bread, cutting some slices to fit. Arrange half of prosciutto evenly over bread. Sprinkle half of goat cheese and half of provolone over. Sprinkle with half of green onions and half of basil. Top with second layer of bread. Layer remaining prosciutto, goat cheese, provolone, green onions, and basil atop bread. Cut remaining bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Sprinkle over top.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, and salt in bowl. Season with pepper. Pour egg mixture over strata; press down on bread with spatula. Drizzle melted butter over strata. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 6

Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover strata and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake until center is set, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Place strata under broiler until top is golden, about 30 seconds.

Cut into large squares and serve.

Regent's Punch

2009-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend I hosted the ladies of my Book Club for brunch. And what brunch worth it's weight in assorted pastries doesn't have a nice accompaniment of punch.

In this case, champagne punch.

Ever since the arrival of my December issue of Saveur magazine I have been compelled to try 2 of the recipes I found within.

One being their preparation of Filet Mignon with Bordelaise Sauce, which by the way I did make and it was D-E-licious.

The other being the recipe for Regent's Punch.

Seeing as up until this weekend I have never had occasion to whip up a champagne concoction in my household (my husband is a straight Heineken/Jameson man) I jumped at the opportunity to host a group of ladies who not only shared of my love of books, but also my fondness of champagne.

And seeing as I had decreed 2009 the Year of the Punch, I had to get my punch year rolling. So here it goes.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Drink-Recipes/Regents-Punch

Instead of using arrack or cachaca liquor I just added extra rum, in this case not dark Jamaican rum but spiced rum as it was what I had on hand. As for the use of a seville orange, I didn't use one. I couldn't find that specific variety of orange at my produce market so I just used the addition of a regular orange instead.

I'm Back!

2009-01-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a while and for that I am sorry. But I got completely run over by Thanksgiving, the Channel 94.1 Diaper Drive, holiday parties, Christmas, the flu, New Years, traveling, dinner parties, a trip to DC for the Inauguration, a sick cat, a sick dog and then some more dinner parties.

I know it sounds like a lot of excuses, but it's just the bare honest truth.

But I am back.

I've been doing a lot of cooking; some good and unfortunately for my husband, some bad. I hope to have some of my winning attempts up on the site soon.

Right now I'm menu planning for a brunch I'm hosting for my Book Club this Saturday. If all goes well, I'll have some breakfast gems come out of it. I'm going to be trying out my new favorite thing, punch.

Mark my words, 2009 is the year of the Punch.

The Chinese may claim it's the Ox's spin on the dance floor, but I'm telling you, in these economic times stretching anything especially high ticket items like alcohol will become all the rage.

So let's get ready for a new year of posts, a new year of food and a new year for punch.

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry

2008-11-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

I love stir fry, but unfortunately when I order any for our local take out places there are just never enough veggies and I'm usually worried that my sodium intake will be off the charts. So I devised my own version of stir fry based on Chinese menus' Beef and Broccoli. It's quick enough for a weekday night and healthier (and more inexpensive) alternative to delivery.

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
Serves 4
Total Cost: $11.00 (approx. $2.75/person)

Sauce:
1/4 cup oyster sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp white wine
1 Tbsp Thai style chili sauce
1 tsp hot chili paste (optional)
1 tsp corn starch
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside to add to the stir fry pan later.

Stir Fry:
3 bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green or any combination), sliced
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 lb top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into strips against the grain
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through garlic press
1 inch ginger, grated
3 Tbsp soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

In a bowl combine the steak, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, jalapeno, salt and pepper and let marinade for about 10 minutes.

In a microwave safe dish with a lid cook the broccoli florets with a couple of Tbsps of water until tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

In wok or large frying pan over high heat add a few Tbsp of olive oil and heat until very hot. Add the peppers and onion and cook until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside. Bring the pan back up to high heat and then add more oil, then the steak (add the steak in batches if it will over crowd the pan). Cook beef until browned then add the broccoli, peppers and onion into the pan along with the reserved sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.

Serve with rice or noodles.

White Bean and Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

2008-11-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

I added mini turkey meatballs to this vegetarian soup. My husband Peter also suggested adding leftover Oregano Chicken reheated and shredded up. The two flavors really meld well together. Serve this up with some shredded Parmesan cheese and crusty bread and it is a delicious guilt free meal.

White Bean and Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Serves 6
Total Cost: $12.00 (approx. $2.00/person)

1 lb escarole, tough white ribs removed and thinly sliced
2-4 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 15oz. can of white beans (cannellini, northern)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf, crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cans chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water

In a large pot over medium-high heat add 2 Tbsp olive oil and saute carrots, celery, onions and garlic until tender. Add escarole and saute until wilted. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, white beans, salt, pepper and spices to pot and saute. Add broth and water and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Turkey Meatballs

1 lb. ground turkey1 egg
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsps olive oil for sauteing

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and using your hand knead mixture together until evenly mixed. Taking Tbsp. size pieces of the turkey mixture roll into mini meatballs and set aside.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat saute the mini meatballs in 1-2 Tbsps. of olive oil until browned. Add browned meatballs to soup and allow to simmer for at least an hour so they are cooked through.

Black Pepper Crusted Roast Beef

2008-11-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

Fall is here which means it's time to start roasting some meat.

My friend Ed passed this tasty recipe on to me and now I, in turn, share it with all of you.

I made it just the other night for Sunday dinner and was impressed with how juicy and tender it came out.

*Keep an eye on any sales at your grocer's meat department. Just this week at Hy-Vee they have an assortment of beef roasts on special.

Black Pepper Crusted Roast Beef

Serves 4
Total Cost: $10.00 (appox. $2.25/person)

3 lbs. boneless rib eye beef roast
6 garlic cloves (4 minced and 2 thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3/4 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary

In a blender, combine the minced garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary and process until the consistency of paste. Make 15 one inch cuts in the top and bottom of the roast and insert a slice of garlic in each cut. Set the roast on a rack over a roasting pan and rub the herb paste all over the beef. At this point either refrigerate the roast for 2 to 4 hours to let the flavors set in. Be sure to let the meat stand at room temperature for at least an hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the beef. Roast the meat for about 10-15 minutes to allow a crust to form.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook the roast for about 1 1/4 hours longer, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of about 160 degrees for medium (about 130 degrees for rare).

Transfer the roast to a carving board and let it rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Happy Holidays, Have a Cookie!

2008-11-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

We are coming up on the holiday season and unless your AIG you've tried to be relatively frugal as of late. But, if you are anything like me you get overtaken by the holiday spirit and want to get a little something for everyone you know. The whole 'tis the season and all of that.

Unfortunately in these economic times a little something can be a little difficult when the belt has been tightened. So I've come up with an idea to help you still hand out some small somethings this time of year, but still keep it financially on the rails. Bake cookies. I'm not kidding with a little packaging razzle dazzle it can be the perfect little holiday gift.

Not long ago I used to make extra cash around the holidays baking for people. I kid you not, working women and single guys were my biggest clients. People who want the homey comfort of a holiday cookie, but either didn't have the time, patience or ability to bake it on their own. So now, why not make cookies the gift. Instead of getting co-workers a 5 dollar gift card give them a box of cookies. People stopping by the house during the holidays give them a their own plate of cookies to take home. You can even splurge and get creative with the addition of a mug and some packaged hot cocoa to really set the mood.

Who doesn't love a cookie and if you feel like sharing the recipe (some cookies are well guarded family secret) write it on a card and include it with the gift. Start looking for inexpensive boxes, containers or platters to package the cookies in. Take a look at your schedule and set aside a day as the holidays near to just bake so you can have your gifts all ready to go.

Just a little economic holiday idea from one confirmed cookie lover to the world.

It's Wednesday...

2008-11-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

Which means all those grocery store circulars will be hitting your door.

A couple of shopping recommendations as we head into the holiday season.

Take advantage of baking staples on sale. Right now a lot of grocery stores will begin having sales on basics like flour, sugar, extracts and decorations. Stock up. Flour can be sealed and put in the freezer if you aren't going to use it right away. And something like green decoration sugar if not finished over these holidays can be used to decorate cakes and cookies in the spring.

Buy wine in bulk and save. We are coming into the season for heavy entertaining and with a little foresight you can save yourself a few bucks on the booze. At Hy-Vee stores you can save 5% on 6 bottles of wine and 10% on 12 bottles. But if you head over to Baker's you can save 10% on the purchase of 6 bottles of wine, even if the wine is already on sale.

So watch those circulars and remember that on Sunday stores will put out more mid week deals. Sales coupled with coupons can start you saving even more at the checkout.

Oregano Chicken

2008-11-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

In the latest issue of Saveur magazine there is a recipe for chicken that is absolutely out of this world.

According to the article "Stretch's Chicken Savoy" is a New Jersey favorite and I can see why. My friend Liz made it for our last Book Club meeting and served it with some roasted root veggies and a mixed greens salad, clean plates all around.

Stretch's Chicken Savoy (aka Oregano Chicken)

Serves 4
Total Cost: $9.00 (appox. $2.25/person)

3-4 lbs chicken breasts, with bones and skin
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 500. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

In a small food processor finely chop garlic, cheese, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, oregano and thyme until the consistency of paste.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Turn chicken over and smear the cooked skin side with the garlic herb paste.

Transfer pan to oven and cook until well browned, 20-25 minutes. Make sure the chicken is cooked through before removing it from the oven. Remove pan from the oven and pour out fat. Add vinegar to pan and spoon over the cooked chicken.

Serve chicken with vinegar sauce.

Buttermilk Spice Cake

2008-11-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite fall cake recipe.
Cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for these light spiced treats.

Buttermilk Spice Cake
Serves 8-10
Total Cost (including frosting): $6.00 (appox. $.60-$.75/person)

2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
pinch of salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Cream sugar and butter. Slowly add oil into mixture. Add egg yolks one at a time. Sift together flour, spices, salt, baking soda and powder. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and then, in batches, fold into the batter.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake come out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together butter and cream cheese until combined. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until thoroughly incorporated. For a thicker frosting add more powdered sugar until you get your desired consistency.

This Month's Saveur Magazine

2008-09-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

I am in LOVE with the October issue of Saveur Magazine.

It is full of recipes, stories and photos of how people all over the world wake up and eat that first meal of the day.

If you've never had a chance to check out a copy of Saveur I think the best way I could describe it is as the National Geographic of food.

No food is too simple or fancy for its pages.

If you check out page 15 of this month's magazine there is a whole article on toast. The picture of a single piece of toasted bread on a plate sums up a term I like to call "Food Porn".

Toast is a not only THE morning staple to me, it's a reason to get out of bed.

Some of my favorite childhood memories include slumber parties at my grandma's house with the guarantee of peanut butter and butter toast butterflies for breakfast. Throw in some snow and you could wash it all down with a cup of hot cocoa.

To this day, one of my go-to comfort foods is peanut butter toast.

The opening line to Saveur's tribute to toast reads,

"They say man cannot live by bread alone, but they never said anything about toast."

I couldn't agree more.

Butternut Squash Soup

2008-09-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be more excited for fall.

Just the other week I picked up a pair of pumpkins at Stanley's. I want it to be October so bad I can almost taste the Halloween candy and Carmel apples.

Since summer is still holding on with tender hooks I'll have to put off menus filled with roasted meats and root vegetables. But I was able to break the seal on the first soup of the season.

It's easy and healthy, but most importantly it's great.

Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6-8
Total Cost: $5.50 (approx. $.61-$.91/person)

1 shallot, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2 TBSP olive oil
8 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat add the oil and saute the shallot and onion until translucent. Add the squash to the onion mixture and saute for about 2 minutes.

Pour the broth into the pot with the sauteed vegetables also adding the rosemary and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes until the squash is very soft. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes, if using.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

2008-08-31T04:45:00.000-07:00

On the back of every Hershey's Cocoa container is a recipe for their "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake.

It is one of the best, easiest and fool proof chocolate cake recipes I have come across. With a few simple modifications what was once a delicious cake is now a crowd favorite.

Just recently I was looking for a good Mexican Chocolate Cake recipe for a dinner party I was throwing. The simple addition of a teaspoon of cinnamon transformed this regular chocolate cake to one with a south of the border twist.

Mexican Chocolate Cake
Serves 10-12
Total Cost: $6.75 (approx. $.56-$.68/person)

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee

**Frosting Recipe to follow

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans and line with parchment paper (an important step to help remove the cakes after baking).

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a whisk or a spoon to thoroughly combine. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until all incorporated. Stir in hot coffee, at this point the batter will be very thin. Pour into pan, filling only about halfway.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove the cakes from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Cupcake Variation: Line muffin pans with paper cupcake liners. Fill each about halfway with batter. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 30 cupcakes.

Chocolate Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2/3 Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine melted butter and cocoa. Beating on medium speed, add vanilla, then alternately add powdered sugar and milk until the frosting is spreading consistency. If too stiff add more milk as needed.

I'M BACK...

2008-08-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

Summer school is over!

And now I have the time to work on Market to Menu.

I'm sorry for the gap in posting, but it has been a very crazy month.

A lot of traveling, studying and working, not a lot of time to think about food. And for me not to think about food is a busy day indeed.

I'm having a dinner party tomorrow night for my Dad who will be in town visiting. So there will be more recipes, tips and updates coming soon.

A Quick Update

2008-08-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Market to Menu Visitors!

There has been a hiatus of sorts for postings.

We will be back to regular broadcasting soon.

Due to a rather overwhelming few weeks: out of town guests, graduate school, work, travel and now later this week a long overdue vacation of sorts.

I have been spread pretty thin and unfortunately my blog has been paying the price. They say we hurt the ones we love most and this blog has been my new love.

I promise to come back from vacation, wrap up this session of school and be ready to get posting by later next week.

Please keep checking back, I have some great new recipes I've been playing with...

Sauteed Summer Vegetables with Fettuccine in a Lemon Cream Sauce

...surprisingly light and easy to prepare

Chicken Enchiladas

...for that special dinner party

and in the spirit of the Olympics...

Shrimp and Pork Egg Rolls

and

Firecracker Shrimp Stir Fry

So happy August and hope to see you back here soon!

Pantry Update...

2008-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

If you buy items in bulk for your pantry and are concerned about them keeping here are a few recommendations.

1. Sealed Glass or Plastic Containers - What you are mainly looking for is something with an airtight lid. I use glass jars for my flour, sugars and rice, then have them out on a shelf in my kitchen. My mom uses Tupperware for her sugar and keeps it in a cabinet to free up counter space. You could even use Ziploc bags.

2. Refrigerator - Some items advise that they should be refrigerated after opening, but I think it a good rule of thumb that when in doubt put it in the fridge. I live in the Midwest where the summers can get very hot and the winters can get very cold, extremes are not a friend to food. So for example if I have a bag of flour and know I won't use all of it any time soon, I'll seal it in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator. Just remember to bring it up to room temperature before using, especially if you are going to bake with it.

Kitchen Cornerstone - The Pantry

2008-07-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

What is a pantry?

In a perfect world it's a small room off the kitchen where you can store anything from dry food goods to plates and glassware to kitchen odds and ends.

Some of us know it as a cupboard above the kitchen counter. I've seen even a few spartan kitchens where it's a shelf over the stove with two items: salt and pepper.

Home cooks all over the country have some incarnation of a place they keep the items they need to make a meal. And if you don't my advice would be to get one.

The initial cost starting a pantry can be a little steep, but you will see a return on your investment and many of the items only need to be replaced or replenished every few months or in some cases once a year. And once you have all your base items, you can watch for great sales and take advantage of the special prices to stock up.

A start up pantry will mostly contain herbs, spices, canned and dry goods.

Some cookbooks, food websites and magazines will give sample lists of what the home cook should always have on hand to whip up a meal. I've gone through and put together a list of my own, things that I find helpful to have around and that as just a regular everyday home cook I actually use.

Martha Stewart may go through a lot of French green lentils and dried porchini mushrooms to warrant them making her pantry list, but I don't.

William-Sonoma recommends always keeping stone-ground polenta in house, but for me unless I'm making a specialty polenta dish, plain corn meal works for me.

So here's a quick list of things I like to keep around.

Canned Goods
Chicken Stock
Beef Stock
Vegetable Stock
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Diced Tomatoes
Black Beans

Bottles & Jars
Ketchup
Mustard
Worchestershire Sauce
Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce
Mayonnaise
Spaghetti Sauce
Steak Sauce
Pickles

Oils & Vinegars
Olive Oil
Canola or Vegetable Oil
Grape Seed Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar

Dry Goods
Pasta
Bread Crumbs
Flour
Yellow Onions
Garlic
Shallots
Potatoes
Rice
Baking Soda
Granulated Sugar

Herbs & Spices
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Cayenne Pepper
Thyme
Oregano
Basil
Sage
Bay Leaves
Rosemary
Paprika
Chili Powder
Taco Seasoning
Montreal Steak Seasoning

Baking Pantry
Flour
Sugar, granulated
Sugar, powdered
Sugar, brown
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Chips
Cinnamon, ground
Cloves, ground
Nutmeg, whole or ground
Ginger, ground
Cream of Tartar
Food Coloring
Oatmeal, old fashioned or quick

Spices can be some of the most expensive ingredients when shopping for your pantry. A couple of tips I find helpful:

1. WAIT FOR SALES. A lot of times around Thanksgiving and Christmas stores will have good deals on spices because everyone is getting ready to do their holiday baking. Use that time to stock up for the rest of the year.

2. BUY IN BULK. If you know you go through a lot of pepper, look for discount pricing at Sam's or Costco or even your own supermarket for buying larger quantities. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy more.

3. KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. Some stores have more inexpensive spice selections than others. Hy-Vee has a section in the spice aisle of smaller discount priced items. Baker's has their own Kroeger brand that can be cheaper than a name brand like McCormick's. Bag and Save and Jewel have large plastic bottles of discount spices, but they are usually just common types like Black Pepper and Paprika. Even World Market can be a good place to find deals, a bag of whole nutmeg can go for a little over a dollar.

If there is anything I've forgotten or something that you like to keep in your pantry, drop me a comment and let me know.

L.A. to Say Good-bye to Plastic

2008-07-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

There's an article in the LA Times today...the Los Angeles City Council has voted to ban plastic bags from stores and supermarkets by July 2010.

On Tuesday, the council voted that if the state fails to put in place a 25 cent fee per shopper who requests plastic that they would put a ban in effect.

Another reason to BYOB or Bring Your Own Bag.

Summer Vegetable Gratin

2008-07-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite food magazine right now is Cook's Illustrated.

When it comes to food they really mean business. They will work a recipe from every angle to streamline and perfect it.

So when I saw that they took on Summer Vegetable Gratin I was thrilled.

I remember my Aunt Kate making a wonderful Zucchini Tomato Bake in the summer, but when I attempted to recreate it's veggie glory I was a failure.

When Cook's Illustrated July & August 2008 issue arrived and had a veggie bake similar to Aunt Kate's I had to try it. It was so successful, I've already made it twice.

Summer Vegetable Gratin
Serves 6-8
Total Cost: $6.00 (aprox. $.75-$1/person)

6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb zucchini, ends trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4 thick slices
1 lb summer squash, ends trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4 thick slices
***2 lbs of only zucchini or only summer squash can be substituted***
2 tsp salt
3 large ripe tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 yellow onions, cut in half and then thinly sliced from pole to pole
black pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves minced
***1 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme can be substituted***
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 minced shallots (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400. Place the oven rack in the upper middle position. Brush a 9x13 pan with 1Tbsp of olive oil and set aside.

Combine sliced zucchini and squash with 1tsp salt in a large bowl and then transfer the salted veggies to a colander set over the bowl. Let stand for about 45 minutes, the veggies will release about 3 Tbsps of liquid.

Arrange tomato slices in a single layer over double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp salt and let stand for about 30 minutes. After that time, place a second double layer of paper towels over the tomatoes and press firmly to dry them.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and dark golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set onions aside.

Combine garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil, black pepper to taste and thyme in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix the zucchini and squash in half of the garlic oil mixture.

Pour zucchini and squash in the greased 9x13 pan. Arrange the caramelized onions in a single layer over the squash. Place the tomato slices slightly overlapping in a single layer over the onions. Spoon the remaining garlic oil mixture evenly over the tomatoes.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, tomatoes will have started to brown around the edges and the vegetables are tender.

Mix breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp oil, Parmesan and shallots in a bowl. Remove baking dish from the oven and increase heat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top of tomatoes. Bake about 5 to 10 minutes more, the gratin will be bubbling and the cheese will be lightly browned.

Sprinkle with basil and let rest for about 10 minutes are room temperature before serving.

Red Pepper Variation: Replace 3 roasted red peppers, skinned and cut into 1 inch pieces for 1 lb of the squash (do not SALT the roasted peppers). The Parmesan cheese can be substituted with one cup shredded mozzarella.

photo from Cook's Illustrated

It was the Jalapeno in Texas with the Salmonella

2008-07-22T03:28:00.000-07:00

The Food and Drug Administration is saying they found the source for the more than eleven hundred cases of salmonella poisoning, the jalapeno pepper.

A tainted pepper was found in a Texas food plan.

Officials believe the peppers came from Mexico, but can't confirm if they were contaminated there.

Mini Blackberry Cobblers

2008-07-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Stanley's on North and Elston in Chicago had blackberries priced to move, two 6oz. packages for 98 cents. So I scraped my original dessert idea and decided to go with a quick cobbler.

Something of note...

depending on the time of year berries can be on the expensive side. So when you see a deal like this take advantage and buy extra.

Then all you have to do is clean them up, put them in a sealed freezer bag and put them in the freezer for another time.

And when you go to use them later you don't even need to defrost them, you can throw them in a smoothie, stir them into muffin batter, bake them in a pie. The beauty of frozen berries is they can be worked into most recipes straight from the freezer.

And of course there is the extra added benefit of their antioxidant power. Though peaches and plums have their fair share, berries lead the disease fighting antioxidant pack.

Mini Blackberry Cobblers

Serves 4

Total cost: $2.80 (appox. $ .70/person)

Filling:

4 cups blackberries (could substitute blueberries, strawberries or combination)

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Crumble Topping:

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) COLD unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine berries, sugar and cornstarch in bowl and set aside. In a small food processor or in bowl combine the Topping ingredients. If using a food processor pulse until mixture becomes crumbly. If using a bowl, work the butter cubes into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 knives until the mixture becomes crumbly. When

Pour the berries into four 1 cup ramekins*. Press the topping mixture into clumps and crumble over filled ramekins and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crust is browned and the filling is bubbling. The cobbler can be served hot from the oven or held for later.

*If you don't have ramekins you can use a small baking dish. You could even try oven safe bowls or teacups of a similar size.

**This recipe can be doubled. Use a 9x13 glass baking pan and increase cooking times to about one hour.

An Interview with Greg Christian

2008-07-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

The first thing Greg Christian tells me before beginning our interview is that he is not responsible for the veracity of his statements after saying them, but that what he is about to tell me is true at the time of its telling. He waits for me to agree to this condition before we continue.

Greg describes chefs as "natural aggressors of food". They take these raw and natural materials and bend them to their will to create the dishes we enjoy. How the materials come to them and what becomes of the materials when they're through is of less concern to the chefs as long as the food they serve is good.

This is the chef Greg Christian used to be.

He's still an aggressor of food, his catering business makes about $4 million dollars in annual profit, but now he takes responsibility for his part in the global food system. Greg runs the only Zero Waste kitchen in Chicago and by the way he operates Greg Christian Catering and Organic School Project he is getting out the message about supporting local, organic and sustainable agriculture. But he will be quick to tell you that he doesn't know what sustainable agriculture is, that what he is doing is simply "respecting Mother Earth".

It was in April of this year that Greg's kitchen, in partnership with the Chicago Resource Center, became Zero Waste.

What does that mean, Zero Waste?

It means his kitchen doesn't create any un-recycled refuge. Every scrap, every container, every by product is recycled. The food is composted, the grease is handled by a bio-diesel company, the plastic is taken by a plastics recyclers. This is just one of the ways Greg is taking responsibility for his part in the global system. Greg doesn't consider himself an agent of change, in fact he is quite adamant that he is not a "Change Agent", but just someone trying to honor and bless the system.

But whether he means to or not he is changing things. In the case of Chicago Public Schools, one school cafeteria at a time.

The Organic School Project or OPS, came out of the experience Greg had in his own home with organic food. His daughter had been diagnosed with severe allergies and asthma and after failed attempts treating her with mainstream medicine; the family tried using more nature inspired methods and introduced organic foods into the house. According to Greg, this dietary switch did the trick; she's continued eating organic and hasn't suffered an attack in years.

This situation coupled with the cafeteria horror stories his kids brought home from school inspired him to help feed other school age kids as healthily as he was feeding his own kids. And so the idea for OPS was born. The program works to not just feed students, but also to teach them about nutrition and the part they play in the environment.

Currently OSP has a contract with the Chartwells-Thompson/Compass Group to provide all the meals and snacks for the over 400 students at Louisa May Alcott School in Lincoln Park. OSP is operating their “More Positive Food” program at 3 other public schools, the hope is that if these pilot programs can continue to prove successful that more schools will join.

Though Greg is adamant that he isn’t trying to change anything, his work getting people to eat local and organic is slowing changing several things.

It’s changing how a bride is choosing to feed her wedding guests. It’s changing how schools are feeding their students and how students are seeing their food. And finally, it’s changing how industrial kitchens can be run “green” and still earn a profit.

Greg works daily to find the balance in himself between the chef food aggressor with a business to run and the man studying to humble himself and come to peace with his part in the global food system.

This is what I know is true…at the time of my telling it.

***This is Part One in a series of interviews with Greg Christian. Stay tuned for the next installment.

65% Off at Williams-Sonoma

2008-07-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note...

I just received an email that there is a Summer Sale going on at Williams-Sonoma.

They are offering up to 65% off selected items in their stores. The email says it includes linens, housewares, electrics, cookware and more, whatever more is.

W-S can be a little on the expensive side so it's worth checking out any deals.

Additionally, if you live in Chicago, The Chopping Block is having their Summer Sale now as well. They are offering 20% off of EVERYTHING except the Big Green Egg Grill or accessories. I called their Lincoln Square location and sadly the 20% off promotion does not include their classes either.

FDA Green Lights the Red Tomato

2008-07-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

The Food and Drug Administration says fresh tomatoes are safe to eat.

The FDA Associate Commissioner for Food, Doctor David Atchison, says all types of domestic tomatoes can now be consumed without concern they may be tainted with salmonella.

What prompted the FDA to lift the advisory, a couple of things.

Farms identified through trace-backs are no longer shipping tomatoes and critical checkpoints along the supply chain have turned up no evidence of salmonella contamination.

The new villans, the jalepeno and serrano peppers. Doctor Atchison suggests the elderly, immune-compromised and young children refrain from eating jalepeno and serrano peppers while the FDA continues to investigate.

Moon Peep Bars

2008-07-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

As a tribute to my wonderful Peep-lovin' professor, I created the Moon Peep Bar.

John Mullin and DePaul Niche Reporting Summer Session One class, this one's for you. Enjoy!

Moon Peep Bars
Serves 15
Total Cost - $13.85 (appox. $.93/person)

1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups chocolate chips, melted
15 marshmallow Peeps
1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut

Line a 9x9 (or 8x8) pan with aluminum foil, have enough foil to leave about an inch overhang on each side.

In the microwave melt the butter. Stir in the peanut butter, powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Pour the mixture into the foil lined pan. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour until the crust is set.

When the crust has set, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir and pour to cover the peanut graham crust. Spread and smooth out the surface of the melted chocolate with a rubber spatula.

While the chocolate is still hot place the Peeps onto the bars. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and let the bars set, they can be put back in the refrigerator to speed it along. Cut and serve.

Photo courtesy of Michele Vaccarello of www.studyabroadtraveltips.blogspot.com

Mainstream Going Green

2008-07-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

As more and more Americans try to downsize their spending and stretch their hard earned dollar there seems to be one expense that is recession proof. Green.

The movement to buy local, shop organic and be environment friendly has the all natural business seeing some green of their own, profits. The organic industry's sales are growing at a rate of three to eight times faster than its non-organic competitor. And it's not just food.

Organically grown and produced ingredients can also be found in clothes, toys, pet foods, cleaning and personal care products. According to a recent survey put out by the Organic Trade Association:

"Organic non-food sales grew 26 percent in 2006."

The survey goes on to predict that the 2008 U.S. sales of organic food and beverages will be even stronger than previous years.

"Sales for 2008 are projected to grow by 18 percent from a $16.7 billion base in 2006, to an estimated $23.2 billion in 2008."

Estimates reach the $25 billion total U.S. organic sales for 2008 when the Organic Trade Association factors in both food and non-food products.

It's not just what people buy, but also how people shop.

More and more people are bringing their own reusable bags to the store. As awareness grows about the adverse effects of both plastic and paper grocery bags have on the environment it's become another way to shop "green".

Websites like ReusableBags.com have dedicated themselves the the advancement and education of the BYOB or Bring Your Own Bag initiative. Even mainstream outlets like Target and Jewel-Osco are catching up to more eco-centric competitors Whole Foods and Trader Joe's by selling reusable bags of their own.

But if your inner environmentalist still cries out to do more you can join the locavore movement.

The Chicago Locavore website defines a locavore as

"someone who makes every effort to get their food from sources close to where they live"
Nina Interlandi Bell founded Chicago Locavores in January of 2007 as a Yahoo Group that had about 30 members. Bell said two months ago they switched to being a full fledged website with 100 members. When asked about her reaction to recent recalls and warnings in the nation's
food supply Bell wrote,

"It's a great feeling to know that you don't have to run to your freezer or refrigerator to check if the food you have bought has come from any recalled sources, and if you ever have any specific questions or concerns you can actually call and talk to the person who grew it for you. That's a lot easier than an 800 number."

Even in the shadow of a gloomy economy shoppers are making the economic choice to go Green.

Whole Foods Closed Down

2008-07-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Whole Foods supermarket on North Avenue remains closed today due to a mouse infestation.

According to a Chicago Tribune online story, the store located 1100 W. North Avenue was initially closed on Wednesday due to a health inspection's discovery of a mouse caught in a trap under one of the coolers and droppings.

The Austin, Texas based company was planning to have the store reopen on Friday, but due to lingering public health issues remained closed as of Saturday.

A spokeswoman for Whole Foods stated that, "After reassessing our situation, it was determined that additional areas within the store need to be further worked on in order to meet the city's standards."

No word on when the North Avenue location will be reopening.

Unfortunate news to come the same week the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket announced it new "The Real Deal" program. The new initiative is Whole Foods reaction to rising food costs by creating specially priced in store items, coupons, budget recipes and on-line forums to share money saving tips.

Red Pepper Rice

2008-07-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Serves 4
Total cost - $1.50 (appox $.38/person)

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup white rice
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a garlic press
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 cups chicken stock (about 1 14.5oz can)
2 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
salt

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
Add oil and when hot, but not smoking, add rice and toast for a couple of minutes.
Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno (if using) and cook for a few minutes to begin to soften the veggies.
Add the stock and raise heat to bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 18 minutes.
Season with salt to taste.

Variations:

Asian Red Pepper Rice
Add a Tbsp. of freshly grated ginger in with the veggies and cook as usual. Add 1-2 tsps. of soy sauce with the chicken stock. If using soy sauce omit salt at the end.

Latin Red Pepper Rice
Add the jalapeno with the veggies and cook as usual. Add 1-2 tsps. of hot sauce with the chicken stock. Substitute 2 Tbsps. of finely chopped cilantro for the parsley.

Grilled Paprika Chicken

2008-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last year Martha Stewart's Living Magazine did an entire section in its June issue on grilling chicken.

Martha's recipes can be a bit hit or miss. A number of her culinary creations can be rather labor intensive and on the expensive side with spotty results.

Just recently I made Martha's Chocolate-Caramel Cream Pie from the recipe published in Living's June 2008 issue. Thankfully I was doing a test run because in addtion to the ingredients being costly and its preparation taking most of a Sunday afternoon, the final product was tasty but visually a disaster, unservable.

But what Stewart sometimes lacks in understanding the home cook, especially the home baker, is made up for with recipes like the Smoky Grilled Butterflied Chicken or what I like to call Grilled Paprika Chicken.

The recipe is simple and inexpensive. And in my experience, a crowd pleaser.

Serves 4

Total cost - $5.80 (appox. $1.45/person)

1/4 cup red wine or sherry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3-4lbs. skin-on, bone-in chicken, rinsed (I use chicken breasts, but use any combo you like)

Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, paprika, and salt in a nonreactive baking dish or large resealable plastic bag.

Add rinsed chicken to the marinade. Cover dish or seal bag, and refrigerate at least 1 - 4 hours (or overnight), turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 5 or 6 seconds.)

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Close cover, and grill 15 minutes.

Flip chicken, and close cover. Grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees, about 20 minutes more.

* You can use either sweet or hot paprika. I use the hot variety and it gives the dish quite a kick. Stores most often carry the sweet version, which contrary to the name is not sweet at all, but merely milder in heat compared to its hot counterpart.

I like to serve this chicken with Red Pepper Rice (recipe follows).

The New No-No...The Jalapeno

2008-07-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

According to a new story in USA Today, jalapenos are the latest culprits in the recent salmonella outbreak.

The USDA and the CDC have been closely monitoring our Southern borders all this week for any contaminated produce entering the United States. Their recent surveillance and testing has brought the jalapeno pepper under suspicion with the tomato as the cause of the recent saintpaul salmonella outbreak.

This particular strain of the bacteria has now infected a confirmed 1000 people.

The CDC won't go so far as to say that peppers and tomatoes are the only and definite causes of the infection, but that the are more often than not a present factor to those infected.

Booze on a Budget

2008-07-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

One of the major expenses when entertaining, alcohol.

It has a way of becoming a forgotten and sometimes hefty expense when planning a meal.

Recently I bought $111.95 worth of alcohol and wine at Jewel-Osco, but paid only $68.45.

How did I save $43.50?

By doing three things.

Watching Sales - Unless you absolutely have to have a certain type of wine or liquor, buy the sale item. In this case I had a very specific type of gin I need to buy, Hendrick's, which is usually rather expensive, but I waited for it to go on sale to buy it.
Use Coupons - Many times alcohol distributors offer in store coupons for their products. Keep an eye out for the specially marked bottles, sometimes the coupons are offered in addition to the store. For example the Hendrick's gin I purchased was not only on sale, but the manufacturer was offering a $5 off coupon with the purchase of ice and limes, which I needed for my dinner party anyway.
Buy in Bulk - At Jewel-Osco if you purchase 6 or more bottles of 750ml wine or liquor you receive 10% off your purchase. That is 10 percent off the TOTAL wine and liquor purchase. So not only did I get the Hendrick's gin on sale and get to use the $5 off coupon I also got 10% taken off the price.

I learned about the bulk savings from Susan, a Consumer Educator with Southern Wine and Spirits. Susan does tastings on weekends in the wine section of my local Jewel. Her company usually has people out educating shoppers like me at Jewels all around the Chicago area.

Susan is the lady that informed me that not only does Jewel offer a 10% savings on 6 or more bottles of 750ml wine, but that discount would also include any purchase of 750ml bottles of liquor.

Good to know for stocking up for parties or just an empty liquor cabinet.

Here's the breakdown for the gin:

$33.79 (original price)

- $4.80 (sale discount)

- $5.00 (coupon)

- $2.90 (bulk discount)

= $21.09 Total

Dining Out in Chicago on a Budget

2008-07-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Between the risings costs of gas and food and the uncertain housing market a lot of Americans are cutting back on their spending.

Expenses deemed as extras or treats are being replaced by items like necessities and savings. Just this week Starbuck’s announced that they will be closing 600 of their stores and cutting 17% of their work force.

Instead of picking it up on the road people are bringing it from home. And instead of going out people are staying in.

According to a recent study done by the research consulting firm Mintel,

“Seventy percent of those trying to cut back are saving money by going out to eat less”

Mintel goes on to report that people are opting not to go out to eat all together rather than order cheaper entrees or eat at more affordable restaurants.

“Over half (54%) of people who dine out regularly are
cutting back on restaurant spending”

Maybe this is an acceptable change in dining for other cities, but this is Chicago. A city rich with culinary options that are finally now getting the national attention they deserve.

We are home to some of the best culinary minds in the United States, some even say the world. Charlie Trotter, Rick Bayless, Gail Gand and Rick Tramonto.

And there are bright new stars coming up behind them. In its latest issue, Food and Wine magazine named two of our own as part of their “Best New Chefs” class.

Bravo’s critically acclaimed reality competition show “Top Chef” was based here and the woman that won the title of Top Chef, a Chicago girl.

So, even though the consultants and trend specialists are telling you to stay in, if smartly done you can still go out. And what meal doesn’t taste just that much better than one gotten for a deal.

Go on off nights – A lot of restaurants offer specials on nights earlier in the week. Half price wine night or specially priced entrees. Keep an eye out for restaurants that offer these off night values and take them up on it.

Eat in the bar – Sometimes a smaller more inexpensive menu is offered in a restaurant’s bar. It could be during their Happy Hour.

Prie Fixe – Chef’s will choose a specific menu and the price is set. It usually includes 3 courses, an appetizer, entrée and dessert and is priced about $25/person. It’s a great way to try out a restaurant that ordinarily could be out of your price range.

BYOB – No sweeter words were written than Bring Your Own Booze. There are a number of Chicago restaurants that don’t have liquor licenses, but are happy to serve you the wine or beer you brought in. Many establishments will open your bottles for free; some charge a nominal fee either per person, bottle or table. Great for weekend dining on a budget.

Summer Lemon Cheesecake Bars

2008-07-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Serves 8-10
Total cost - $7.50 (approx. $.75-$.95/person)

Crust:
1 cup ginger snaps, ground
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. sugar

Batter:
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, strained

Blueberry Sauce - recipe follows

Preheat oven to 325

Line a 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, with the ends of the foil hanging over the sides of the pan.

Mix crust ingredients and press into the bottom of the foil lined pan.

Bake 10 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Once well blended mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice and sour cream. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each egg just until blended.

Pour the batter over the crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until the center is almost set.

Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate the cheesecake in the pan for 4 hours.

Use the overhanging foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan before cutting to serve.

Any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.

Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup blueberries, divided
1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
juice of one lemon, strained
2-3 Tbsp. water

Combine 1/2 the blueberries and the rest of the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium flame. The blueberries will begin releasing some of their juice and once the sauce begins to thicken remove the pan from the heat.

Stir the remaining blueberries into the pan.

The sauce can either be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator for later use.

It's Wednesday!

2008-07-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to everyone that it is Wednesday, or in the bargain world...Grocery Circular Day.

Wednesday is the day that grocery stores publish their sales for the week. These deals usually start on Thursday, so it give you a day's head start on your list and menu ideas.

Friday is the Fourth of July and there will be a lot of entertaining going on this weekend.

For those of us on a budget, today is the day to get a jump start what deals we can get for feeding our crowd.

Sauteed Potatoes with Carmelized Onions

2008-07-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

Serves 4
Total Cost of Dish - $2 (appox. $.50/person)

* 1 lb small white potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
* 1 yellow onion, halved cut pole to pole into 1/4" slices
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* Salt and Pepper
* Splash of white wine
* 1-2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
* Parsley

Bring a medium sized pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add sliced potatoes to water and cook for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife. When the potatoes are cooked through, strain them from the water and set them aside in a bowl for later use.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions to the pan, salt and pepper to taste.
Saute the onions for about 15 minutes until they get a nice golden color. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine to get up all the stuck on brown bits. Remove the onions from the frying pan and set aside.

Add the remaining Tbsp of olive oil to the frying pan and then the reserved potatoes. Cook the potatoes until golden brown, adding more olive oil as needed.

Once the potatoes are browned add the reserved carmelized onions back into the frying pan along with the butter. Stir to combine the potato/onion mixture.

Cover the pan and drop the heat down to low and cook for an addtional 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Steak Dinner for Two for $20

2008-06-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

There's no reason you can't live large on a budget. It's all about picking and choosing the moments to indulge yourself.

With the help of some savvy shopping you can have
a Friday night steak dinner for two with all the fixings for $20.

Twenty dollars and only two stores.

Here's the menu:

Grilled New York Strip Steak

Sauteed Potatoes with Carmelized Onions

Steamed Broccoli Florettes with Garlic Butter

Fresh Corn on the Cob

Toasted Garlic Bread with Parsley

2007 Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir

How do you bring all that in for 20 dollars.

Here's how:

Follow the deals and know where to look. Once the Wednesday grocery circulars come out start your menu planning.

First stop was Stanley's Fruit Market at 1558 N. Elston (the SW corner of North & Elston).

Stanley's is an amazing resource for produce. Their prices are beyond reasonable, I would highly recommend a weekly visit to their store for all your veggie and fruit needs.

They also have a great bread selection. Several local bakeries sell their goods there and Stanley's gets fresh deliveries from Cuisine de France. If you show up at the right time you can get bagettes hot off the truck.

In addition to fruits, veggies and bread, Stanley's has a small grocery selection with among other things, dried herbs and spices, their own brand of olive oil, chips, nuts and organic coffee.

Coffee isn't the only organic item. Stanley's has a large area set aside for organic produce.

The next stop is Jewel-Osco for the meat and wine.

My recommendation for shopping at Jewel would be to watch the sales.

If you see they are having a killer deal on something, get it. Get two if storage and expiration dates aren't an issue.

Some things can be kept for a later date, either in dry storage, the refridgerator or freezer, i.e. steaks and olive oil.

While some things are best not to load up on unless you can use them sooner than later, i.e. eggs and lettuce.

In this case Jewel was offering a deal on New York Strip steaks. I picked up two for just under 10 dollars. The wine was also on sale and with the purchase of two bottles there was an in-store coupon for 3 dollars off, bringing the cost to just $5.50 per bottle.

The rest of the herbs, spices and dairy come from home, don't worry they are all included in the final price. No sneaky hidden extras. It's all accounted for in the twenty dollars.

Here's the price break down:

2 New York Strip Steaks - $10
1 lb. small white potatoes - $ .70
1/2 lb. broccoli - $ .45
2 ears of corn - $ .40
onion/garlic - $.15
1/2 stick of butter - $.25
1 loaf of sourdough bread - $1.95
oil/herbs/spices - $.60
1 bottle of pinot noir - $5.50

Throw some nice linens on the table. Dust off the good plates and glasses. Light a couple of candles. Heck, put on your going out clothes for a swank night in.

Pull out all the stops. Just because it only cost twenty dollars doesn't mean it has to feel like it.

Do it up, even on a buttoned down budget, we can all live it up.

Farmers' Markets...Are they worth it?

2008-06-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

What happened to farmers' markets?

That's the question my friend and I were debating last night. We weren't wondering where they went or when they are. The frequency and prevalence of the farmer's market isn't an issue. In Chicago there's one almost everyday and in almost every area of town.

What we were debating is the substance of the markets' themselves, namely the deals. It used to be they were a place to get farm fresh goods in the city at a fair price. It seems I remember a time when the market would come to town and have fruit ripe close to bursting and the vegetables, hearty and plentiful, all at a reasonable price.

Lately, it seems the farmer's market has become a place to look, but not shop. The market's selection has been limited and expensive, two things a grocery shopper does not want.

Now maybe I'm waxing poetic, remembering back to a time in youth when summer lasted forever and nothing cost more than a dollar.

Or maybe my memory is getting long. It's long enough to remember when gas was three dollars a gallon...oh wait that was just last summer.

How about long enough to remember when milk was three dollars a gallon...now wait that was just last month.

It's not hard to deduce that with all this inflation that the farmer is feeling the pinch. But a price of a bushel of corn is at an all time high. Between the flooding in the Midwest and the high demand for alternative fuels like ethanol, farmers are looking at fields of gold almost literally.

Now I realize that this new found liquidity doesn't necessarily impact the profit margin of an organic berry farmer. Smaller farms still face the economically daunting task of bringing their crops to market. Fueling the harvesting equipment and staying in the black could prove tricky in a summer where oil is expected to top one hundred and fifty dollars a barrel by Independence Day.

So what does that mean for the us, the shoppers?

Two things really...

1. It means we have to look harder than ever for a deal and the
weekly farmer's market might not be where you find it. As much
as I love my open air market, a stroll may be the only thing I take home from
it.
2. It means we have to pay more attention to what things cost, where
the deals are and what the best deal is. If you're at the farmer's market
and need a pound of green beans for dinner that night, even if they are a
little more than what they cost at Jewel, get them. The small
expense is worth the time spent for a special trip.

It helps me to think of myself as a small business owner, running my home is my business. If financially I am able to help out a fellow small business owner like the farmer at the market by all means I'll do it. In these economically uncertain times (dare I say the "R" word) we all need to rediscover good old fashion stick togetherness. I'm all for helping the little guy, but I also have a business to run.

In the end, what my friend and I concluded was that we'll still go to the farmers' markets, if for nothing else the people watching and to support local growers. But the days of a dollar buying the world may be long gone, at least for this summer.

A summer I hope, that at these prices, doesn't last forever as a younger me once thought it did.

Quick Note - City of Chicago

2008-06-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

The City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs is offering cooking classes at Gallery 37 this week.

On Thursday, June 26th in the evening from 6 to 8:30 p.m. is What In The World Is This? A class to address the question that most cooks ask themselves when faced with an unidentifiable item in the supermaket's produce section. Not only will the class explain what it is, but how to cook it.

Saturday, June 28th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. is June In A Jam which is a class aimed at making fillings, sauces and jams that can be used year round.

Both classes require pre-registration and cost $30 per person.

Reservations can be made by phone at312-742-TIXS (8497) or through Gallery 37's box office at 66 E. Randolph St. Box office hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6 pm.

This Little Piggy Goes to Market

2008-06-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

Chicago is a great town for farmer's markets.

No matter what neighborhood you live if it's summer there is an open air market somewhere near you with local farmers looking to sell their wares at competitive prices.

On Tuesdays beginning in June there is one such market on the north side, the Lincoln Square Farmer's Market.

Just yesterday when I went I got four round tomatoes for a dollar. Not only was the price right, but with locally produced tomatoes the chance of salmonella is practically zero.

Zucchini and white potatoes were going for about a dollar a pound as well. Strawberries are a little pricier at about four to five dollars a pint, but the offerings aren't just fruits and vegetables.

The markets offer fresh baked pies and quick breads, locally made soaps, flowers and herbs (both fresh cut and potted), even meat.

C & D Family Farms is from Knox, IN and they offer all natural farm raised free range pork. If you go to their booth in Lincoln Square on Tuesdays you'll most likely meet Crystal, the C in C & D Family Farms.

The pork comes vacuum packed and frozen, something to consider if you were going to pick up some pork chops for dinner that night.

Crystal offered some tips on how best to defrost the meat. If you know ahead of time, give the meat a day to thaw in the refrigerator. If it's a last minute choice, Crystal recommends you run the packaged frozen meat under hot water to thaw it quickly.

Her selection is diverse, from the usual offerings of thick cut bacon, a selection of encased meats, pork chops and roasts to the more unusual, hocks (both smoked and fresh) and organs (heart, liver and tongue).

For 20 dollars I bought four bone in chops, six hot Italian sausages and a little over a pound of bacon.

The market officially closes at 2 p.m., but my advice would be to get there earlier in the day. When I went at around noon yesterday most of the booths were pretty picked over and some were close to sold out.

Also, be flexible. For example I needed a pound each of summer squash and zucchini for a recipe I was making. Though the zucchini selection was good, it may be too early for a decent summer squash crop. I ended up going with two pounds of zucchini instead and had no problem making my dish, but some recipes don't have such simple substitutions.

My advice, come with a back up menu plan if the items you need are either unavailable or unappetizing.

Lincoln Square Farmer's Market

When: Tuesdays, June 10-October 28, 2008
7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Lincoln/Leland/Western (4700 N - 2400 W)
City Parking Lot adjacent to the Western Brown Line Station

They're Back...

2008-06-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Good news for tomato lovers, according to the Chicago Sun Times the tomato is back.

Why

2008-06-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

I love food.

I remember as a little girl playing grocery store with my sister Anne in my Grandma Cavanaugh's basement. We used a toy metal cash register that belonged to my dad and his siblings when they were little. Sometimes I'd be the cashier and sometimes the shopper. My sister and I would make up small talk while the groceries were tallied. Every once in a while the occasional curve ball would be thrown, a price check. The food was plastic, the money fake but my pleasure was real. I loved the grocery story. Whether is was a make believe one in a South Omaha basement or the genuine article. But my love for food didn't stop at paying for it.

I love to cook.

Most women of a certain age remember the Easy Bake Oven, whether they had one themselves or envied someone elses. I was lucky to be one of the former. Santa surprised me one Christmas morning with it and by the end of the day I had baked every mix included in the package. It still amazes me that a plastic encased light bulb can produce brownies. Another Christmas, Anne and I got a kitchen play set. It had a sink and a stove top that's coils were painted red so it looked hot and ready to cook. We had to make believe the fridge and usually the meals, but back then our imaginations were pretty developed even if our culinary skills weren't.

I still love the grocery store, I go everyday if I can. I like to see what's new, watch what's on sale, think about what I need, maybe treat myself to something I don't need, maybe even something I've never tried. And then when it's all rung up two of my other favorite things happen:

1) I get to see how much money I saved (I think having grown up Irish Catholic things just taste better if you got a deal) and

2) I get to cook with it.

Sometimes I have a meal in mind, a recipe I saw that I want to try and sometimes I use what I bought at the store to inspire my menu. I'm always trying new recipes and creating ones of my own and every week I have a dinner party.

I'm going to take you on this journey with me, from market to meal.

About a month ago I started keeping a food journal to keep track of all my kitchen experiments and who I had experimented on. Now I'm going to start sharing that journey online.

I'll let you know what I make, how I make it, what works for me, what problems I came across, how much it cost and in the end if my guests and I thought it was worth it. I'll let you know the sources I go to for inspiration, materials and guidance.

My hope is that through shared experiences, yours and mine, we'll find not only exciting ways to cook, but smarter ways to shop.