What became a PB and J Night...

Over the past few years I have had some real flops in the kitchen where Papa John’s has ended up with a late night delivery to our house. There was the infamous night where the beer cheese soup never thickened, tasted terrible, and then I severely burned microwave popcorn… and there was the night where I very unsuccessfully attempted to make crepes… or the eggplant pasta sauce that was inedible (ended up at Surin that night)… well you get the picture. Tonight will get added to the list as a dinner that just didn’t turn out. Now this one is a little different from the others in that in hindsight I should have know from reading the recipe that it just wasn’t going to be very tasty. I made Cooking Light’s Sesame Shrimp Salad and as everyone (except my Mother who eats salad dry – no dressing) the salad dressing plays a fairly key role in the overall taste. Well, the main ingredient in the salad dressing for this salad is fish sauce. Now, I do eat and like fish sauce when it is a minor ingredient in a larger more complex sauce that is hot, but cold fish sauce as the main ingredient… just not my thing. Just the pungent smell is really enough to turn me off from the entire salad. Now, some people may think the salad is great and it did have redeeming qualities like the use of mint in the greens. As a whole though this just didn’t do it for us and I blame the dressing. We had PB and Js and they were tasty and didn’t smell like fish. Russ rates the salad a 5.

A Better Bachelor Night for Us

Tonight is Bachelor Night and since Russ and I have not had great results with our food the last couple times the pressure is on... Emily and Dowe are hosting and serving steaks, so Russ and I are in charge of the sides. Since the apple bar disaster I have been thinking about what kind of sides we could do. We still have some of the apples from the orchard and I love including fruit in salads, so I knew that I wanted to do a salad with apples for tonight. However, I wasn’t sure what else… until I stopped by my sweet sister’s house to pick up some goodies she got us from the farmer’s market this weekend. I was super excited to get a bunch of zucchini, butternut squash, eggplant, tomatoes, pattypan squash (a new to me veggie!), and onions! Russ is still learning to love zucchini, so I decided to do it for tonight so that Russ can eat just a little bit of it and hopefully the others will love the rest of it with me. Since I know he doesn’t love zucchini I decided to do mashed red potatoes too.

Since I have been eyeing apple recipes for a while now I decided to go back to the September CL and make the Spinach-Apple Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette. Russ' Mom invited his sisters and me to meet for a pedicure after work, so I called Russ to tell him that was in charge of getting our food started. He was a little nervous, but up for the challenge. I told him to start with the salad dressing, but he started with a beer and then the dressing. I called on my way home and Russ said he finished the dressing and it was really thick. Ends up he left out the olive oil, but once added the dressing was perfect. He did really well with it and I have cute painted toes!

For the salad dressing you start by combining the mustard, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar. Next you mix the olive oil in while whisking it. Last you add the chopped chives and bacon (or turkey bacon). For the salad you combine sliced red onion and apple slices to fresh spinach. We waited to dress it until we served it.

The salad was really good. I loved the mix of apples, red onion and spinach and the dressing had a wonderful sweet, tangy flavor. We did end up doubling the liquid portions of the salad dressing and next time I think we’ll just double the whole thing. It really needed all of it and would have been a little dry if we hadn’t added to it. Russ rates the salad a 9.

For the zucchini I decided to try a recipe of Ina Garten’s for Zucchini with Parmesan. You start by sautéing chopped onion in olive oil. You then add the zucchini and sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper. At the very last you add grated parmesan cheese to the zucchini and then serve.

The zucchini was delicious! Russ even ate a few pieces. The only problem was that I didn’t head her warning about overloading the pan with the zucchini, so it ended up steaming more than sautéing it. Even though it steamed a little bit I think it still turned out tasty. I’ll definitely repeat this and next time keep the batches smaller and get it to sauté instead of steam. Russ rates the zucchini a 8. I think the zucchini is growing on him...

I also made mashed potatoes with small red potatoes and added a little sour cream, buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper to them. Emily and Dowe grilled beautiful steaks that were very tasty! Seth and Elizabeth each brought their own appetizer tonight. Elizabeth brought a bruschetta with sliced baguette that is brushed with garlic and olive oil and topped with fresh tomatoes and feta. Seth made the classic ants on a log (which were apparently exhausting to make). Both were yummy! Russ and I feel some relief now as everyone seemed to enjoy our sides. We'll still have some pressure next time we host after the not so great shish kebabs, but overall this was our best Bachelor performance on the food side this season. As always it was a fun night and a very entertaining episode!

Russ and I still have lots of yummy vegetables left from Jess and Scott’s farmer’s market run. I am excited to find some new recipes to try with them! Right now I torn between two totally different recipes for the butternut squash, I have one idea for the eggplant so far, and I am still perplexed on what to do with the pattypan squash. So, I’ll be doing some major recipe searching and decision making over the next few days.

Early Fall Weekend in Mentone

This weekend Russ, Cash, and I went up to Mentone with Sumner and John. We had a very fun relaxing time! While the boys watched the football games Sumner and I had fun cooking and catching up. For dinner we decided to grill out steaks and serve them with a spinach salad and mushroom risotto.

The spinach salad is a new recipe that Jane made up at the beach over Labor Day. Russ and I really liked it and I have wanted to try it ever since. I decided to make the dressing, candied walnuts, and cook the bacon prior to heading up to Mentone. To make the walnuts you whisk an egg white and then add a little water to it. The walnuts get mixed in the egg white mixture and then get coated in a sugar mixture. The sugar mixture has granulated sugar, brown sugar, a pinch of cayenne, cinnamon, and salt. They then bake at 300 F for 15 minutes. Then you stir them around and let them continue baking for about 15 minutes more. Once cooled then put them in an airtight container. To make the dressing you whisk the mustard with the vinegar and then slowly add the oil whisking as you add it. Lastly you whisk the reserved bacon fat in and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Russ cooked the bacon (we used turkey bacon) for me and then crumbled it. Once in Mentone Sumner and I seasoned the tomatoes and broiled them. We then added part of the bacon and dressing to the spinach and then layered the tomatoes, walnuts, and rest of the bacon on top. I brought basil up with us, but forgot to include it in the spinach mixture. Neither Sumner nor I felt like we missed out on anything by not including it.

This is a great spinach salad that is worth the extra effort to make it. It is wonderful mixture of textures and flavors. You could easily serve this as a main course and serve it with grilled sliced steak or chicken on top. Russ rates the salad a 9.

I have made Giada’s mushroom risotto before and while we liked it I wanted to try a different recipe this time. I found Tyler Florence’s recipe for Mushroom Risotto online that looked like a tasty one to try. To make the risotto you sauté the garlic and part of the onion in one pot and then sauté the rest of the onion in a sauté pan. To the sauté pan you will add the herbs and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked. To the pot you will add the rice and let it become opaque before adding the white wine. Risotto is a slow cooking process (which I love doing when I have the time) where you add warm broth (chicken broth here) to the risotto as it slow cooks and absorbs the liquid. You continue adding the broth ladle by ladle until the rice is fully cooked and not crunchy. Then you add the mushroom mixture to the rice and mix them all together. Lastly you mix in the grated parmesan cheese.

This was a wonderful hearty mushroom risotto that really let the mushrooms and herbs take center stage. I like the overall flavor better than Giada’s and think that this recipe may be my go to recipe for mushroom risotto. It also worked well with the steaks and salad. Russ rates the risotto a 9.

Spinach and Basil Salad with Tomatoes, Candied Walnuts and Warm Bacon Dressing
Fine Cooking Fresh, Fall 2007

Serves four.

½ lb. baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
6 slices bacon
2 Tbs. white-wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and dried
1 and ½ dried herbes de Provence
½ tsp. dehydrated minced or granulated garlic
Candied Walnuts (see recipe below)

In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach and the basil.

Cut each slice of bacon into thirds. Cook in a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp; drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat. Crumble the bacon into pieces.

In a medium metal bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup of the oil and then whisk in the 1 Tbs. bacon fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm place.

Position an oven rack as close as possible to the broiler element. Put a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet on the rack and heat the broiler to high. Toss the tomatoes with the remaining 2 tsp. olive oil, the herbes de Provence, dehydrated garlic, and ½ tsp of salt. Pour the tomatoes onto the hot pan and broil, stirring occasionally, until the skins are cracked and blistered and the flesh is warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the broiler. Transfer the tomatoes with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the salad dressing. Stir to coat and mix the seasonings into the dressing. Put the bowl in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Just before serving, transfer the tomatoes from the dressing into another bowl with a slotted spoon. Whisk the dressing to recombine. Add half the bacon to the greens. Drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the dressing and toss lightly to coat. Add more dressing only if needed; don’t overdress the salad. Mound the greens on four salad plates. Garnish with the tomatoes, the remaining bacon, and some of the candied walnuts (you’ll have leftovers for snacking). Serve immediately.

Candied Walnuts
Yields about 3 cups.

1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 and ½ Tbs. brown sugar
½ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne
1 large egg white, at room temperature
½ lb. walnut halves

Heat the oven to 300 F. In a small bowl, mix both sugars with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy; whisk in 1 Tbs. water until combined. Add the walnuts and stir to coat. Sprinkle on the sugar mixture and stir to distribute evenly.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a non-stick baking mat or parchment. Spread the sugared nuts in a single layer on the sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir the nuts, and continue baking until the nuts smell toasted and the sugar coating is caramelized, about another 15 minutes.

Let the nuts cool on the pan, separating them as they cool. When completely cool, transfer them to an airtight container. They’ll keep for two weeks.

Chicken Taco Salads

Russ and I went and played golf this afternoon (well, Russ played and I attempted to play), so I knew we would be getting home late and would want a quick, easy, and light dinner for tonight. I decided to repeat a meal that we did a month or so ago when we had some leftover chicken, Chicken Taco Salads.

For the chicken I boil a boneless, skinless chicken breast in water (1 breast is plenty for 2 people). When it is cooked I shred it and toss it in a skillet with taco seasoning and water. Last time we didn’t have any taco seasoning packets around, so I created the spice blend. This time I had the packet and used a little over half of it. Let this cook over low heat until the water is gone and the chicken absorbs the seasoning. While it cooks I chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. I toss all of this together and add shredded cheese to it. When the chicken is done I toss it with the salad and top it with sour cream and salsa. We serve it with tortilla chips.

This is a super easy dinner that is both yummy and filling. These salads have joined our list of meals that we go to when we don’t have lots of time, but want to eat at home and have a healthy meal. I also like that you can add whatever you like and have around to them (such as avocado, green onions, fresh cilantro, black beans, pinto beans, guacamole, jalapenos, pico de gallo etc.) Russ rates the salads a 9.

Two Salads and Brownies for the Lake!

Sumner (now Sumner and John) has done a lake weekend with Birmingham and Atlanta friends for several years now. I have been lucky enough to be included in these and for the past few years Russ has been a part of them too. Sumner’s parents have a great lake house that lends to lots of fun times in the water and on the porch! Everyone always brings some food and some drinks and we eat, drink and be merry all weekend! There are a few dishes that have become traditions for the annual lake weekend including Sumner’s Lime Daiquiris, Erin’s Rotel Cheese Dip, and Sumner’s Broccoli Salad. This year I am tasked with bringing the Broccoli Salad, a potato salad, and a dessert.

Don’t be fooled by other Broccoli Salad’s out there as this one is the best! I might be a little biased as it always reminds me of fun weekends at the lake, but I have tried other broccoli salads and have yet to find one I like as much. It is very simple to make too. You start by washing the broccoli, cutting the stem off, and separating / cutting it into bite size pieces. You then add golden raisins, toasted chopped pecans, chopped red onion, and crumbled bacon or taken (turkey bacon). For the dressing you mix mayonnaise, sugar, and apple cider vinegar together. The dressing is made and left in a separate container until you are ready to eat.

The broccoli salad has the perfect mix of ingredients that give great flavor and lot of texture. The dressing is light, sweet, and tangy and complements the salad perfectly. This is a real crowd pleaser that everyone loves. It is a great dish for picnics, tail gates, lake weekends, or any other time. I don’t think it is as good the next day as it looses some of it great crunchy texture, so if you are making it for just a couple people you might just dress half of it to start with and keep the rest of the dressing and dry salad for another day. Russ rates the broccoli salad a 9.

I don’t have a tried and true potato salad. On top of that I don’t even have a particular favorite kind of potato salad as I like the ones with mayo and mustard, the white ones with no mustard, the vinegary ones…. The only thing I don’t like is when they are too saucy and it overtakes the potatoes and other ingredients. So, I went on a search for a recipe and talked to a couple co-workers and ended up going with a co-worker’s tried and true recipe for Sour Cream Potato Salad.

To make the salad you boil the potatoes whole, let them cool, and cut them into large chunks. You also hard boil four eggs, let them cool, and give them a rough chop. You then chop the celery and onion (my addition) and toss all of these ingredients together. You then make the dressing in a separate bowl. You combine mayonnaise, sour cream, Italian dressing, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. This is then gently tossed with the potato mixture. Shortly before serving you add the chopped pimientos, and pickle relish.

While I really like the use of sour cream in this potato salad I found it a little to saucy for my tastes. I think it is a good recipe, but I think I'll keep searching for my tried and true potato salad recipe. Russ rates the potato salad a 7.

My last item was any type of dessert. I knew I wanted one that I could make ahead and that most everyone would like. I decided to try a brownie recipe that I found earlier this summer and had wanted to try. It is for Classic Brownies that can be made with or with out nuts. I made them without as that is how Russ’ prefers them.

It is a fairly simple recipe; however, I managed to make it more complicated by not reading the ingredients list very well before hand. I start making them only to realize the bar of unsweetened chocolate I have is 4 oz and not 6 oz. I then do a pantry search and find exactly 2 oz of unsweetened chocolate! So, I think I am good to go only to get a little further and realize that I don’t have cake flour like I thought I did. Allen and Russ were hanging out on the porch, so they sweetly offered to go get cake flour. Two grocery stores later and with a little help from someone in the flour aisle and they find it. Finally I am ready to get started.

To make the brownies you melt the chocolate and butter slowly in a double boiler. You then mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Once the chocolate and butter are melted you remove them from the heat and whisk in the sugar little by little and then stir in the vanilla extract. You then fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture in thirds. The batter is then poured into a baking pan that is covered in foil and sprayed with Pam. The brownies bake for about 35 minutes at 325 F. If you like you brownies cakey then be sure that the cook through and that a tooth pick comes out clean. If you like them a little more chewy then cook them until the toothpick comes out with just a little batter on it.

I made these on Thursday night and let them cool over night wrapped in foil. I went ahead and cut them Friday morning and Russ helped me out by sampling them. He said that he would like to start having brownies for breakfast more often! The brownies are rich, dense, and just little chewy. Russ rates the brownies a 9.

The lake weekend was lots of fun! Russ and I enjoyed being with good friends and good eats! (Russ and I forgot to take pictures of the Broccoli and Potato Salads. Sorry!)

Broccoli Salad, Recipe from Sumner

Salad Ingredients:
2 heads of broccoli (wash, cut most of the stem off and separate)
½ cup of golden raisins
½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
½ cup red onion, chopped (plus a little extra)
1 pack (12 slices) turkey bacon

Dressing Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of mayo
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

To prepare the salad wash the broccoli and cut off the bulk of the stem and separate it into bite size pieces. Chop the pecans and onion. Cook the bacon according to package directions. Crumble the bacon once it is cooked. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl.

To make the dressing mix the mayo, sugar, and vinegar together and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. Keep the dressing separate until you are ready to serve the salad and then dress it. The dressing makes a lot more than you need, so add it as you go and use enough to give it a good, light coat.

Sour Cream Potato Salad, Old Southern Living Recipe Collection

6 medium red potatoes
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
½ cup sliced celery
2/3 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup Italian dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
1 (2 oz) jar diced pimiento, drained

Wash potatoes, and cook in boiling salted water to cover 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool completely. Peel and cube potatoes (I didn’t peel them). Combine potatoes, eggs, and celery in a large bowl; toss gently.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, Italian dressing, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir well. Pour over potato mixture tossing gently. Cover and chill thoroughly. Just before serving, add the relish and pimiento; toss gently. Yield: 8 cups.

Classic Brownies, Cook’s Illustrated

1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped medium (optional)
1¼ cups (5 ounces) cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six 1-inch pieces
2¼ cups (15¾ ounces) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhand pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. If using nuts, spread nuts evenly on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs on at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, and then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days.)

Another night of 10s!

July 1st and we are already cooking and blogging. After a slow June for cooking we started July off with a bang – two new recipes that were both hits! Russ and I went to the farmer’s market yesterday, so many of the yummy fruits and veggies we got there will be showing up in this week’s meals. Tonight we had some of the corn we got there – fixed a new way. To go with the corn we had steaks and a salad that have wanted to try for some time.

The corn and salad are both Ina Garten’s recipes. I was looking through her cookbooks to find the salad recipe and thought I would browse to see if she had a creamed corn recipe. Ends up that I found a yummy recipe for Sautéed Fresh Corn instead of creamed corn. The recipe is very simple and takes less time than boiling water for corn on the cob. You cut the kernels off the cobs as close to the cob as possible. Then you melt butter and add the corn, salt, and pepper to the pan. I used my cast iron skillet for this which I think worked really well and only enhanced the flavor. You simply sauté the corn for about 10 minutes until it is done. The corn tasted fantastic! It was so easy and very flavorful. I think I may prefer it to boiled corn on the cob. This may be my new go to method for cooking fresh corn. Russ loved it too and rated it a 10!

The salad we had tonight is one that I have wanted to try for a while as it incorporates several of my favorite foods and flavors. I love onions and love them raw, cooked, roasted, sautéed etc. For Ina’s Red Lettuce with Balsamic Onions you roast the onions in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper for about 15 minutes. While they are cooking you mix together the vinaigrette and toss it with the lettuce. The vinaigrette has red wine vinegar, minced shallots, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil and blue cheese. Once the onions have cooked and cooled you plate the lettuce and add the onions and additional blue cheese crumbles on top. I love onions, balsamic vinegar, blue cheese… so I thought this salad was a wonderful mix of great flavors! Ina’s vinaigrette didn’t wow me though, so I think I will make it a little differently next time to have it more to my taste. I’ll probably use Creole mustard instead of Dijon, more vinegar, less olive oil, and a pinch more salt and pepper. Russ also loved this salad and he is not as obsessed with onions as I am. The salad was a perfect complement to the steaks with the onions and blue cheese. We will certainly be making this salad again. Russ rates the salad a 10 too!

Tonight’s dinner was a wonderful surprise. While I was excited about trying the salad and Russ and I both love fresh, summer corn I don’t think either of us expected such great results. Russ grilled the steaks on the Egg using a new seasoning blend we picked up this weekend at a local butcher shop (Mr. P's Original Bold and Spicy Seasoning). It had great flavor with a nice kick to it and Russ, as always, grilled the steaks perfectly.

Red Lettuce with Balsamic Onions, Ina Garten

3 small red onions
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
1 cup good olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons minced shallots (2 large)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup good red wine vinegar
3/4 to 1 lb Maytag blue cheese, or other crumbly blue
2 heads red-leaf, washed, spun dry and torn into pieces

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut onions in 1/2 and slice 1/4-inch thick, place on a baking sheet and toss with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until onions are tender. Remove from oven and toss with 2 more tablespoons balsamic vinegar and cool to room temperature.

Whisk together shallots, mustard, red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in small bowl. While whisking, add 3/4 cup olive oil until emulsified. Mash 1/4 pound blue cheese with a fork and add it to the dressing.

To assemble, toss enough lettuce for 6 people with dressing, to taste. Place the lettuce on 6 plates and arrange onions on top. Coarsely crumble the rest of the blue cheese on top. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and crumbled and serve.

Sautéed Fresh Corn, Ina Garten

8 to 10 ears of corn on the cob (yellow or white corn)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Remove the husks and the silk from the corn and cut the kernels off as close to the husk as possible without removing any of the husk. You should have about 7 cups of kernels.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy sauté pan. Add the corn, salt, and pepper and sauté uncovered on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the starchiness in the corn is gone. Taste, for salt and pepper, and serve.

Bachelor Night!

Yes, tonight was Bachelor Night! When Elizabeth and I lived together a couple years ago we started watching the Bachelor with Emily each week. We have watched it every season since and now include the husbands and eat dinner together. The new season started tonight and Russ and I brought the side dishes. Elizabeth and Seth served steaks with Bearnaise sauce which were wonderful. I made scalloped potatoes and a salad to accompany the steaks. Emily and Dowe made a yummy appetizer of several cheeses and crackers. They also brought a Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby and brownies for dessert!

As for my sides... I have been wanting to make scalloped potatoes for some time now mainly so I can use my mandoline. It is fancy slicer that we got as a wedding gift that I just love. It makes slicing so much fun and keeps the slices consistent in thickness. I didn't have a scalloped potato recipe, so I looked online for one. I ended up not having a lot of time to look for one and picked Tyler Florence's Scalloped Potato Gratin. I thought that overall they turned out well, however, the color of the potatoes changed a little sitting over night. I loved the size of the potato slices thanks to the mandoline. I think the texture from the slices really made the dish (and the heavy cream didn't hurt the flavor!). While I overall liked the dish I think there are probably better recipes out there. Next time I'll try a new recipe and make them the day I am going to serve them.

For the salad I did a simple salad of romaine hearts, sliced apple, crumbled goat cheese, pecans, and my balsamic dressing. This is one of my favorite salads and I change it up using different fruits (such as pears), different nuts (like walnuts) and different cheeses (such as feta). It is really easy and tasty!

We had a wonderful time with everyone and this season's Bachelor looks like it is going to be very entertaining! Next Monday Russ and I are bringing the appetizer and bread to Emily and Dowe's house. I did just get a new appetizer cookbook from our trip to Colorado.... so I may be checking it out this weekend!

There are no pictures yet because Russ and I forgot our camera. However, Seth saved the day and took pictures for us. So, once we get them from him we'll post them.

All American Night

Tonight we had my parents and Dr. James (a close family friend) over for dinner. Dr. James is an incredible cook who treats my family to the best Christmas Eve dinner every year. His cooking is amazing and usually involves gourmet recipes. So, what do Russ and I serve my parents and him.... hamburgers!

We decided to go casual and since the weather has been so nice we wanted to grill out. We decided to do burgers with goat cheese, a salad, and Ina Garten's baked fries. Russ did the burgers and they were wonderful (like always!). We added a little goat cheese (from the local farmer's market) in the middle and it really made a nice twist on the burger. For the salad I did chopped romaine with sliced pears, toasted pecans, crumbled feta, and a homemade balsamic dressing (my mother-in-law's recipe). As for the fries... I have tried baked fries in the past and have only thought they turned out okay. Everyone always eats them, but they just don't have the texture that I am wanting. Since I am a BC fan I thought I would give her recipe a try. It is the best I have had, but it still didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. I think with a few minor changes though that I could get the baked fries I am wanting. Next time I will spray the pan with Pam prior to baking and I will lightly brush the oil on the fries and then toss them with the other ingredients. The recipe has you toss them with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, minced garlic and fresh rosemary. The rosemary really did add good flavor and I hoping that next time with the technical changes that they will turn out even better.

Unfortunately we forgot to take pictures of the meal tonight, but we did get one of Cash playing with (aka destroying) his new hamburger toy. Russ rates tonight's All American meal a 9.

Baked 'Chips'*
(Ina Garten, "Barefoot Contessa Family Style")

4 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Yield: 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have 6 long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with one cut side down.
Bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are lightly browned, crisp outside and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

*She calls them chips instead of fries as they are a part of her recipe for Fish and Chips.