Play With Ur Food, It's Pizza Night!

Okay, so I've been away from blogging for a while. And honestly, last night I was tired. I just wanted something easy and frivolous.

This, of course, made me think of my mother, 'cause you know, she was neither of those things. =D Like, I'm sure your Mom always told you to not play with your food. Meh. FORGET ALL THAT, I say! It's nonsense!

Do it! Throw caution to the wind! Unwind! Pour a glass of wine and PLAY WITH UR FOOD!

So, here's how I played with mine!

My pizza was: Tomato, Basil, Red Onion, Oregano, Pepperoncini, Goat Cheese, fresh cracked pepper and just a titch of Mozzarella. The steps:

From an artistic point of play, one must prepare one's canvas, the playground, if you will:

Then, flourishes...flourishes are a very important part of playing with ur food. It's a hard and fast rule of the game. One must always flourish:

At this point, stand back. Pause. Reflect a bit. Sip some wine. Reflect a bit more. Then, with gusto... slop some more on there!

Bake and then!

EAT IT!

Now, wasn't that fun? =D

Happy playing with ur food,

Paula

Oh! I almost forgot. Byron likes a lot of junk on his pizza. A LOT of junk. So, he gets his very OWN pizza to play with!

Life is Good!

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Lobster Crab Artichoke Pasta

Oh. My. God. This recipe, which is a collaboration between me and my friend Sarah (conducted over IM), has got to be the best pasta dish I have ever eaten. What a way to come back to blogging!

Lobster Crab Artichoke Pasta! Behold!

The recipe:

Lobster Crab Artichoke Pasta:

8 Tbs butter
1 Shallot, finely diced
1 Garlic Clove, finely diced
1 Cup Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced
1 Cup Artichoke Hearts, quartered (or 1/8th if large)
2 Tbs Dry Sherry
2 Pinch salt
1 Pinch white pepper

1 1/2 cups Lobster meat, cubed
1 1/2 cups Crab meat, cubed (I used stone crab, any will do)

2 Tbs Scallions, finely chopped
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

Remove lobster shells:


I totally had to include this shot...lack of flash made for arty farty photo:

Remove Crab shells:


Yummy meat:


Another foodie shot of ingredients:


In a skillet, melt butter. Add shallot and garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and artichokes, salt and pepper:


While this is cooking, start your pasta water (whatever pasta you want...I used bow tie, 'cause it's pretty.) Add sherry to skillet.

When your pasta is about done, add the lobster, crab and scallions to the skillet. Remove from heat after about 3 or 4 minutes and add heated cream:


Pour over pasta. Serve immediately.


This is so darned good! If I changed anything, it would be to add more tomatoes. I'll probably double them next time.

Please, please try it!

Also, dudes, I totally forgot my lame tomato rose I carved for the garnish. So, here's the little beauty on the left overs. You will notice the distinct lack of lobster and crab on this plate! :)


Haha! Yay! Food blogging! I'm baaaaack!

Paula

I also posted this original recipe here. And it is printable from this link:

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Faily McFailerson Finally Posts

Wow. I'm made of fail.

Fortunately, this simple appetizer, Blue Cheese Toasts, isn't!

Super Simple Blue Cheese Spread:

8 0unces Blue Cheese
8 ounces Cheddar Cheese
8 0unces Cream Cheese

Mix in food processor until blended. Slice baguette (of which I had none, so I used a hoagie roll).


Place slices spread with mixture on un-greased cooking sheet.


Broil until toasted. Voila.


This stuff is great on crackers and fruit too. And! It keeps forever (well, almost forever) in the refrigerator. It's the perfect thing to have handy for drop-ins. Or to be scarffed all by your lonesome.

So, yeah. Sorry I've been away so long. Life and sick puppies got in the way. Happy to be back.

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Thanksgiving Prep/My Onblog List

Progress photos as the day continues!

My progress photos (well besides the first two) were shot down by me because I got distracted. Seitan Said Dance was live streaming from her kitchen! I was having so much fun watching her slave in the kitchen, I just gave up my photographing and enjoyed her. Hope you all had a great day!

"Chief Get Shit Done" To Do List


• Assembling recipes complete: 11/22
  

1. Cheddar/Cayenne Coins To Go with the Bloody Mary's =D
   
2. Herb Roast Turkey
3. Honey Baked Ham picked up
   
4. Artisan Bread Stuffing with Herbs/Apples & Pecans
5. Oyster Casserole
6. Roast Garlic Potatoes & Gravy
7. Sherried Peas With Mushrooms
8. Roquefort/Walnut Green Beans
9. Tomato Aspic
10. Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad
11. Fresh Cranberry Relish
12. Parker House rolls/Potato Dough
    
13. Award Winning Spice Cake/Caramel Icing
14. Buttermilk Pie
    

• Make grocery list
  
• Order Bread for stuffing. (Potato/Rosemary and French Wood fired oven baked. Nom.)
• Order Honey Baked Ham. (A southern must have)
• Plan table setting (Trying to decide between my French hand painted wild bird plates as a pre-serve...or just elegant cream and gold...decisions, decisions. I suppose I could just say, "screw it..." and do paper. :D )
  
• Order flowers for centerpiece Complete 11/22
  
• Polish silver
• Iron Linens
  
• Cleaning House (Can someone please tell me why this has to be part of meal planning? Gah.)
• Clean out refrigerator. (Omg...This is not going to be a small chore, unless I get lawn bags and just pitch everything in there and then set off a clorox bomb inside of the frig.)
  
• Put up Christmas tree and decorate it. (I know, it's early, but I have a 15 foot behemoth and my sis is free to help me on Monday.)
  

I'll be adding to my list and checking things off (turning them blue to indicate completed) as the time nears.

Thanksgiving Day Progress Photos:

I stuffed the cavity of the bird with apples, lemons, shallots, celery, sage, thyme and kosher salted and peppered the inside and out.



Put it on a rack and into the roasting pan with about 2 cups of chicken stock. It's tented with foil and in a 325 degree oven. The foil will come off in the last hour of cooking and the bird will be basted with clarified butter.

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Red Wine Marinated Lamb Chops

Lamb. Lovely, luscious lamb. I haz lamb. Red wine marinated lamb chops (not with the traditional mint flavors) are paired with steamed brussel sprouts tossed with garlic butter. Thanks to The Market at Washington and High, my new home, we'll be enjoying lamb much more frequently. I hope you'll try it too.

I'm one of those very strange people who love, love, love lamb, but I really don't like mint, a traditional flavor profile for lamb. The combination of garlic and rosemary really hits the taste spot for me. I'll sometimes use the following marinade with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard in it too, but I didn't have any Dijon this night.

Red Wine Marinade:
2 cups dry red wine
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sprig of rosemary, whole
1 bay leaf, whole
1/2 tsp. salt

Pour all ingredients in a zip-lock bag along with the lamb chops and marinade for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Turn and shake several times. Remove the zip-lock bag from the refrigerator and bring the chops to room temperature before cooking.

Remove the chops from the marinade and discard (the marinade...not the chops! =D ). Chop fresh rosemary and sprinkle both sides of the lamb chops with the rosemary and salt and pepper. Place in a screaming hot skillet.



Cook on the first side until it's nicely caramelized. Turn and continue cooking on second side until rare to medium rare (Please don't overcook lamb), about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side.



While the lamb was cooking, I steamed some brussel sprouts in a double boiler. In a separate pan, I melted butter and added a crushed clove of garlic, salt and pepper. Remove the crushed garlic before serving and toss the brussel sprouts in the butter.



That's all there is to some lip smackin' goodness. Can haz lamb!

Paula

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Pan Seared Sea Bass

This week I had a couple of OMG moments. The first one occurred when I finally found the time to check out a new local market. This store made me feel like I had died and gone to heaven! The market is set in this lovely old brick building that was renovated for its new use. This post is a result of this amazing new place, The Market at Washington and High.

I live (not literally, but it has seemed like it food wise) in the middle of nowhere. The availability of fresh sea food, fabulous meats, organic produce and other incredible products to cook with was limited. This new place is relatively close, about a 20 minute drive from my house. I can't believe that I finally have access to the wonders that are offered there without a 40 minute drive!

I wandered around like a kid in a candy store. They had cobia, so fresh that it had not a single odor. They had Chilean sea bass and wonderful Italian sausages and venison, lamb, elk, duck, fresh baked breads, organic produce (Chinese eggplant! I'm going to have to cook some of that), spices and dried mushrooms and peppers and incredible condiments. I'm in love.

The second OMG moment happened when I ate this meal. Pan seared sea bass with mushroom garlic parmesan grits and fresh spinach. Wow, was it ever tasty.

Mushroom Garlic Parmesan Grits:
4 Tbs butter
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/8 tsp dry thyme leaves
1 Pint mushrooms (I used portobello)
1 cup quick grits
2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup heavy cream
salt and black pepper to taste
4Tbs parmigiano reggiano cheese, finely grated

Directions:
In a sauce pan, melt 2 Tbs of the butter, add the garlic and thyme. Saute for about 3 minutes, add the mushrooms. Saute until golden. Stir in grits, add chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer until the grits thicken. Add the heavy cream, 2 Tbs butter, salt and pepper.

Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and bubbly (About 20 minutes). This is enough time to prepare the fish and spinach.

Pan Seared Sea Bass and Spinach:
Center Cut Fillets of Sea Bass
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbs canola oil
6 ounces of fresh spinach, washed
2 Tbs butter

Directions:
Season the sea bass on both sides with salt and pepper. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the canola oil and bring it to a very slight smoke. Add the sea bass and cook for 7 minutes (Don't move it). Carefully turn the fish and cook the other side for the same time. The beautiful golden color and crispy skin is your reward. Remove the sea bass and hold in a warm location.

In the same skillet, add the spinach. To the wilted spinach add the butter and season with salt and pepper.

Layer the plate with a square of the grits, a small amount of the spinach on the grits and place the sea bass on an angle.

Heck. Just toss it on the plate. You won't be looking at how pretty it is, you'll be chowing down. This is some seriously good stuff.

Enjoy!

Paula

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Jack's Potato Salad...Not Jacked Up

Summer isn't the only time to enjoy potato salad. In my world, it's a year round favorite side dish. I'm on a side dish kick lately! ;)

I learned the secret of really excellent southern style mustard potato salad from our friend, Jack Gregory. I'll share it with you. It's not jacked up.

The secret to really excellent southern style mustard potato salad you ask? Eggs. Lots and lots of hard cooked eggs. Really, you can just consider this an egg salad recipe with a few potatoes added in.

Mustard Potato Salad:

5 pounds potatoes, cooked whole/skin on until fork tender, peel, cube
12 eggs, hard cooked, chopped
1 3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp celery seed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs yellow mustard

Jack uses pickle relish in his, but I'm not a fan so I left it out. I also added celery seed to mine. I hope he won't mind.

Being a southern girl, I can't think of a better comfort food side dish than potato salad. Except maybe macaroni and cheese.

This recipe makes a lot. This is good; it only gets better and if it's my house, it doesn't last long.

Enjoy!

Paula

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