Cooking for one is a funny thing.  I love the idea of making a delicious dinner just for me.  It seems wonderfully indulgent.  Yet every time the opportunity arises, I lose motivation.  Thoughts of ingredients that need to be prepped, dirty pans, and the final clean-up leave me feeling exhausted.  As if on cue, I’m mysteriously pulled to the pantry where cereal is lurking and before I realize it, I’m seated on the couch eating breakfast.

To be fair, I’m not complaining.   When I’m alone for dinner, I tend to eat in pajamas and that cereal with a nice glass of white wine goes pretty well with some mindless TV.  I feel relaxed, I’m not dreading the clean-up, and while I wouldn’t want to make it a nightly habit, it’s a nice change from the norm if done sparingly.

Unfortunately, cereal is not the most satisfying entrée and as I slurp up the last bit of milk, I start making plans for what I’ll actually “cook” for myself the next time I find myself alone for dinner.   And then, you’ve guessed it, the cycle repeats itself.

Or it did until now.  I love flipping through food magazines for inspiration and over the past couple of months I’ve noticed a lot of recipes for baked eggs.   Brilliant yellow yolks sit framed by their whites in a pan filled of sautéed greens or a yummy tomato sauce.  It’s casual food, but also alluring.

So a couple of weeks ago, I convinced my husband that the world would not end if he ate eggs for dinner (he’s not a breakfast for dinner sort of guy)  and I made a version of this one pot pan meal.  Served with a slightly chilled glass of Beaujolais and a crisp piece of toast slathered with butter, it was comforting, simple, and yet still very special.  In short, it had the potential to be the perfect meal for one.

And it is.   The recipe that follows is for one serving.  Yes, you could make this dish for more than one person, but make it for just you first.   The ingredients take just a couple of minutes to prep, while the dish bakes (about 8 minutes) you’ll have  time to get the kitchen cleaned up, and when you sit down to eat it, I know that you’ll agree that you were worth the effort.  Bon appetit!

Baked Egg with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Leek
Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 1

Adapted from the recipe for “Eggs Baked Over Sautéed Mushrooms and Spinach” in the October 2011 Food & Wine magazine.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced leek (white and light green part only)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
½ small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry red wine
5 ounces spinach, washed, dried, stems removed (ends up being about 3.5 ounces)
1 large egg
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat.   Add the mushrooms and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes or until soft.  Stir the mushrooms as needed.  Add the leek, green onion, and garlic and stir to combine.  Cook for 2 minutes or until just soft.

Carefully add the soy sauce and dry red wine to the pan and let them reduce by about half.  Add the spinach in handfuls and stir until it wilts before adding more.   Remove the skillet from the heat and create a “nest” in the middle of the pan.  Crack the egg into the nest and place the pan in the oven.

Bake for 8 minutes or until the white of the egg has just set.  Remove the pan from the oven and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with buttered toast.  For an extra touch of decadence (which lets face it we all deserve), I like to finish this dish with some truffle-infused salt. 

You may have plans for a candlelit dinner in a swanky restaurant this Valentine’s Day.  As I write this, you’re dreaming of how you’ll woo your sweetheart through bubbling champagne in tall flutes, juicy bites of filet mignon, and the inevitable dessert that oozes dark chocolate as you and your special someone gaze into each other’s eyes.  It sounds wonderful, but I’d like to propose an alternative.  I’d like to suggest that you braise something.

Now don’t scoff in disgust at my seeming lack of romance.  Braising, while not nearly as sexy-sounding as lobster poached in vanilla butter or dark chocolate molten cakes, is a culinary technique that practically guarantees a night of love.

For the sake of honesty, I admit that braising takes some upfront work.  Not anything that is particularly demanding, but it’s going to take about 30 minutes to get things going.  Men, this is a good thing.  We women like to see a little effort.   But as soon as you slide the pot into the oven, then the waiting game begins.  Braising requires about 3 hours of uninterrupted cooking time which leaves a lot of free time on Valentine’s Day to pursue…well…other things.

As you snuggle up to your sweetheart on the couch with a glass of red wine, the oven, set to 350 degrees, takes over cooking and starts to fill your home with the glorious smells of meat slowly-cooking in a gently simmering broth.  The aroma will result in multiple compliments of what a great cook you are (as you do nothing but sit on the couch) and will make you both very hungry (now, would be a good time for a little cheese and crackers).

With braising, the meat is ready when it is fork-tender; in other words, when it easily breaks apart when prodded by a fork.  If braising short ribs, the meat will literally be following off the bone.   At this point, hopefully your sweetheart will be so impressed by your romantic efforts that he or she will help with the final preparations.  Have them cook some rice or mash some potatoes, as you skim the fat from the braising liquid and make the sauce.  Pull out a salad from the refrigerator, uncork another bottle a wine, and don’t forget to light the candles.   Take a bite, then pat yourself on the back.  It’s official, you’ve braised your way to romance.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tip for the Cook:  Since Valentine’s Day falls on a weeknight this year, you may want to make this dish ahead of time so you aren’t eating at midnight.   Fortunately, you can cook it a couple of days in advance.  Simply remove it from the oven as directed and let it cool before storing in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, remove it from the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that has risen to the top (see picture).   Proceed to make the sauce as directed in the recipe.

Braised Short Ribs - Printer Friendly Recipe
4 very generous servings

Inspiration for this dish came from Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for “Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine and Port “in her fabulous cookbook Around My French Table.  Greenspan’s use of star anise and fresh ginger to flavor the dish is genius.

8 (about 5 lbs) bone-in short ribs
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
3 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½-inch piece of ginger, skin removed and minced
1 cup ruby port
2 cups fruity red wine
2 parsley sprigs
2 Turkish bay leaves
1 whole star anise
2 tablespoons minced, fresh flat leaf parsley
3 cups homemade or store-bought less sodium beef broth
Special equipment:  aluminum foil, cheesecloth and twine

Place an oven rack about 6-inches from the top of the oven and turn the oven on broil. Place the short ribs, bone side down, on a large baking sheet.  Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.    Place the short ribs on the top rack of the oven and broil for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and turn the short ribs over using tongs.  Broil for another 5 minutes then remove the baking sheet and set aside.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Place a large Dutch oven (a large pot with a lid that is oven-safe) over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil then add the sliced celery, carrots, onions, garlic and ginger.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Add the port and red wine and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes.  While it simmers, prepare your bouquet garni.  Cut out a square of cheesecloth and place the parsley sprigs, bay leaves, and star anise atop it.  Wrap the cheesecloth around the herbs and spices to form a pouch (see image).  Tie the pouch closed with a piece of twine.   Place the bouquet garni in the braising liquid then tie the other end of the twine to the handle of your pot so that it can be easily removed later.

Add the beef broth to the pot and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot with a large piece of aluminum foil and then cover the foil with the lid.  This step prevents liquid from escaping during the cooking process.  Carefully move the Dutch oven from the stovetop to the middle rack of the oven.  Braise the short ribs, uninterrupted, at 350 degrees for 2 hours.  Carefully remove the pot from the oven and use potholders to remove the lid.  Pull up an edge of the aluminum foil to allow some of the steam to escape.  Return the pot with the hole for steam to escape to the oven (without the lid) and let the short ribs braise for 1 more hour.

Remove the pot from the oven and test the tenderness of the short ribs with a fork.  The short ribs should easily come apart when prodded with the tines of the fork.  If the short ribs aren’t tender, cover the pot completely with the aluminum foil, return the lid to the pot, and cook for another 30 minutes.  Test again.  If short ribs are tender, proceed to the next steps.

If serving immediately, remove the short ribs using tongs and set aside on a large platter.  Remove the bouquet garni and discard.  Skim off any fat (it will rise to the top) with a spoon and discard appropriately.  Working in two batches, ladle the braising liquid and the vegetables into a blender and process until smooth.   You can return the pureed sauce to the pot or if a smoother sauce is desired, send the pureed sauce through a strainer before returning to the pot.  Season the sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Return the short ribs to the pot.  Cover and gently reheat (this won’t take long as short ribs will still be hot).  Serve the short ribs topped with a spoonful of the sauce and garnished with minced parsley.

If making ahead, allow the short ribs to cool in the braising liquid and then store the short ribs and the braising liquid covered in your refrigerator (I keep them in the pot if space in my fridge permits it).  One hour before you are ready to eat, remove the short ribs from the refrigerator.  You’ll notice that the fat has risen to the top and congealed.  Pull off and discard the congealed fat with a spoon or your fingertips.  Place the short ribs and their braising liquid over medium heat and cover.  Warm the short ribs, stirring them occasionally, until they have reheated.  Continue to make the sauce as directed above.

I ♥ pastry dough. Yes, it’s a little intimidating at first, but once you master the basics it will become one of the most versatile things in your culinary repertoire. Butter, flour, salt, and ice-cold water are all you need to make an irresistible flaky crust for sweet and savory dishes.

Inspiration for this tart came from my one of my favorite summer desserts: berry tart with mascarpone filling. I wanted to make a cold weather version that could (a) satisfy a mean craving for mascarpone (a sweet Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese) and (b) satisfy an even greater craving for pastry dough. Have I mentioned that I adore the stuff?

Poaching pears couldn’t be more simple and it never fails to deliver spectacular results. The most important thing to remember: control your heat. Poaching is a gentle cooking technique that refers to cooking food in a liquid below the boiling point. In short, if you see bubbles reduce your heat.

After poaching the pears, let them cool in the poaching liquid for a really gorgeous tart. The pears will turn an even deeper burgundy and the flavor will be that much better. Also, select pears that are just firm to the touch. Ripe pears tend to get a little mushy as they poach.

Full disclosure: While my intention was to make this tart on the day I purchased the pears, life happened and tart-making got delayed a couple of days. The tart was still delicious, but the pears became a tad softer than I would have liked. If you look closely, you might be able to see the difference in the pictures. Regardless, I had no problem eating a slice several slices of this sumptuous tart.

Poached Pear Tart with Mascarpone – Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 8

1 recipe pastry dough (recipe follows)
3 firm Bosc or D’Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
2 cups fruity red wine
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry dough in the shape of a large circle (about 13-inches in diameter) and ¼-inch thick. Place the rolling pin in the center of the circle and fold one half of the pastry dough over the rolling pin. Pick up the rolling pin and transport the pastry dough to a 10-inch tart pan. Trim and adjust the pastry dough as needed so that it fits in the tart pan. Kitchen shears are great for trimming pastry dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over the tart and top it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart for 15 minutes then carefully remove it from the oven and remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, bring the red wine, granulated sugar, and cinnamon stick to a simmer. Add the pears and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and allow them to cool. Reduce the poaching liquid by half and set aside to use as a sauce for the tart. Once the pears have cooled, cut the pears into ¼-inch slices.

In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone, heavy cream, and sugar just until fluffy. Don’t overmix; mix just until the heavy cream is incorporated into the mascarpone.

To assemble the tart, spread the mascarpone filling over the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Slice the poached pears and arrange the fruit on top of the mascarpone filling as desired. Serve each slice of tart drizzled with a little of the red wine reduction sauce.

Pastry Dough
Makes enough for 1 (9-inch) pie crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4-teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
5 tablespoons ice-cold water

Making pastry dough by hand: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut the 8 tablespoons of butter into small cubes. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the fat is in small lumps. Sprinkle the ice-cold water over the flour mixture and use a fork to pull the mixture together. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of water, in teaspoonfuls, if the dough is not coming together. Turn the dough out on the counter and, working quickly, mold it into a large ball. Press the ball into a 5-inch disc. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes and up to one day. Use as directed in the recipe.

Using a food processor: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Cut the butter into small cubes. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Slowly add the water while pulsing. Continue to pulse until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out on the counter and, working quickly, mold it into a large ball. Press the ball into a 5-inch disc. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes and up to one day. Use as directed in the recipe.

I made this classic French stew back in December. My parents and grandmother were coming into town and I wanted to make a special dinner to celebrate the occasion. I also had to work the day that they were coming for dinner and as such, didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

Bouillabaisse fit the bill. I spent a little over an hour on the fish stock and broth the day before and on Saturday night, while everyone sipped cocktails, chunks of fish, jumbo scallops, tiny clams, juicy shrimp, and lobster went into the pot to cook. A memorable and delicious dinner was ready in minutes.

I’ve thought about that bowl of stew ever since, but haven’t found the time to hunt down several varieties of seafood or buy the delicate fish bones needed to make a fish stock. In short, I needed to come up with a recipe for weeknight bouillabaisse instead of the “putting on the Ritz, nothing but the best” weekend version.

I believe this recipe fits the bill. Yes, it would be that much better if you made the fish stock from scratch, but if you decide to cheat with a store-bought seafood broth don’t skip doctoring it up with the extra ingredient listed below. While adding a few more minutes to the prep time, these simple additions elevate the stew from ho-hum to praise-worthy.

Quality is important here so seek out the best seafood you can find. While traditionally bouillabaisse is a fish stew, any type of shellfish is a wonderful addition and will not elicit complaints from guests. The rouille on top is also a must. It’s a humble sauce of bread crumbs, garlic, cayenne, and olive oil, but it does big things in the bowl. Don’t omit it. And finally, if using monkfish in your stew, be sure to take off the gray membrane with a fillet knife (see pictures below). If the membrane is left on, the monkfish will become tough as it cooks. Happy cooking!

Bouillabaisse – Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4

For the broth:
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small yellow onion, chopped
½ fennel bulb, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
Juice from ½ lemon
4 cups store-bought less sodium seafood stock

For the bouillabaisse:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
½ lb red potatoes
1/3 cup chopped fennel fronds
Pinch of saffron threads
2 tablespoons minced parsley, more for garnish
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs firm white fish (e.g. grouper, red snapper, monkfish), skin removed cut into 2-inch pieces

For the rouille:
½ cup day-old breadcrumbs from a loaf of bread
1 ½ tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground red “cayenne” pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the broth:
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the yellow onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice and seafood stock and bring to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the solids. Set aside.

For the bouillabaisse: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 3 to 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the red potatoes, the fennel fronds, a pinch of saffron, and parsley. Add the broth to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes then season to taste with salt and pepper. Five minutes before you are ready to eat add the fish to the pot. Simmer gently until cooked through.

For the rouille:
Place the garlic cloves, salt and cayenne in a mortar. Pound the ingredients with the pestle until the garlic is a paste. Add the water and breadcrumbs and use the pestle to incorporate all of the ingredients. Slowly add the olive oil. Divide the soup between 4 bowls and place a dollop of rouille in the middle of each. Garnish with the minced parsley and serve immediately.

For those of you whose new year resolutions include shedding a few pounds, I apologize. Last week’s recipe for the cheesiest macaroni and cheese certainly won’t help you fit into your skinny jeans.  And I’m pretty confident I’m going to tempt you to forego those celery sticks for this hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal.  Waistlines everywhere – watch out.

But before you start pointing fingers and warning me of the risks of my Paula Deen ways, I’d ask that you allow me to indulge just for the month of January.  It’s cold outside and while I’ll gladly cook fish en papillote the rest of the year, I want something hearty and homey now.

I originally made these miniature meatloaves for my husband when I was working for Nathalie Dupree in Charleston, SC several years ago.  Every Monday morning, I’d pack up the car and head to Charleston to recipe test before heading home on Thursday evening.  It was a crazy schedule and my husband was nothing but supportive as I pursued this passion of mine.   In appreciation, I tried to make him easy meals that he could heat up while I was gone; a little something to remind him that life was better with me than without.

These little gems were just the ticket.  Perfectly portioned with a good ratio of ketchup sauce to meat, these are meatloaves that will make any spouse happy. However, it’s the blue cheese that oozes out with that first bite that will make husbands, and for that matter wives, love you forever.

Mini-Blue Cheese Meatloaves - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4

½ lb ground beef (90/10)
½ lb ground pork (90/10)
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until it just turns golden.   Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.   Remove the skillet from the heat and let the onion and garlic mixture cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, flat leaf parsley, onion-garlic mixture, and salt and pepper.  Mix everything together with your hands and then divide into four equal portions.   Shape each portion into a small loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.   Use your fingers to create a small hollow in the middle of each loaf.  Fill this hollow with 1 tablespoon of blue cheese and then seal the meatloaf so that the blue cheese is completely enclosed.

In a small bowl combine the ketchup, light brown sugar, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.  Spread the ketchup mixture over each of the meatloaves.  Bake for 22 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Let the meatloaves sit for at least five minutes before serving.

You won’t find chunks of lobster, cheeses with French names, or even bits of bacon in this macaroni & cheese.  It’s certainly not virtuous (whole milk, butter and cheese are used with abandon) and it’s far from elegant.  Yet this recipe is one of my favorites.  It’s fun to make as it takes a little finesse, it makes your home smell wonderful as it bakes, and one spoonful will bring back lots of memories.  In short, this recipe for macaroni and cheese yields good food.

It’s likely that you’ll have many of the ingredients needed in this recipe at home.  If you don’t have whole milk, I would make the trip to get it.  While this recipe can be made with 2% or skim, I find that using something other than whole milk gives the final dish a grainy texture instead of the more desirable creamy consistency.

The trickiest part of this recipe is making the sauce.  You start with a roux which is equal parts flour and fat (in this case, the fat is the butter).  Melt the butter first in a medium saucepan and get it hot before tossing in the flour.  Stir with a wooden spoon or whisk until the flour and butter are completely combined and  look like wet sand.  The mixture will bubble as you stir it and you’ll want to cook it, stirring constantly, for about 1-3 minutes.  Why do you need to let it cook?  By letting the roux simmer, you cook off some of the starch and prevent your final sauce from having a flour-like taste.  As the roux cooks, be sure to rub your spoon or whisk around the inside of the pot you are using.  Roux likes to hang out along the edge of the pot and can give your sauce a starchy taste if not incorporated.

Once you’ve cooked the roux, carefully add the heated milk.  Don’t add cold milk to the roux.  I know that heating the milk is an extra step (and an extra pot), but hot milk will help the roux disperse evenly and you’ll end up with a smoother sauce.  Continue whisking or stirring the mixture until the milk comes to  a boil.  When this happens, you should notice that the sauce is beginning to thicken.  Congratulations.  You’ve just made a béchamel which is one of the five classic French mother sauces.  Don’t you feel like Julia Child?

But we must move on.  Give yourself one last pat on the back, then get back to stirring as you let your béchamel simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and then stir in the cheese, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.  Stir the mixture until all the cheese has melted.  And just like that, you’ve mastered another classic sauce: Mornay (a béchamel with cheese added).

From here, it’s simple.  Cook your noodles if you haven’t already done so being sure not to over-cook them.  You want them to have a bit of a bite as they are going to continue to cook as you bake the macaroni and cheese.  Drain the noodles and then add them to the cheese sauce being sure to toss them well.

At this point, please don’t panic.  The mixture will look like cheese soup with a few pieces of elbow macaroni floating around in it.  This is what it should look like; you haven’t messed up.  Push the self-doubt aside and carry on.

Add the macaroni and cheese to a greased casserole dish, sprinkle with Panko breadcrumbs, and then bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the macaroni and cheese from the oven and then, if like me, you lose all self-control around baked cheese products, leave the kitchen.   You’ll need to let the macaroni and cheese sit for 5-10 minutes and it can be very difficult, if not downright impossible, to not dig in a little earlier if you stay in the same room with this cheesy temptation.   Once the mac and cheese has set, serve it up, take a bite, and then another.  Good food, right?  Bon appetit!

The Cheesiest Macaroni & Cheese - Printer-Friendly Version
Serves 6

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing casserole dish
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs
2 3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 lb grated Colby Jack or Swiss cheese
1/2 lb dry elbow macaroni

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 8 inch casserole dish with butter.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 tablespoon of butter.  Toss the breadcrumbs in the melted butter and set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium-low heat.  In another medium saucepan, melt the remaining butter (4 tablespoons) over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.   Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the heated milk.  While continuing to whisk, heat the milk mixture until it begins to bubble.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard, and the grated cheese.   Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the elbow macaroni.  Cook for about 6 minutes until the elbow macaroni are soft on the outside, but still tough on the inside.   Drain.

Toss the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce and place in the greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Let the macaroni & cheese sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

]]> http://mincedblog.com/2012/01/11/the-cheesiest-macaroni-cheese/feed/ 9 Macaroni and Cheese nikkigreer Macaroni and Cheese http://mincedblog.com/2012/01/04/digesting-2011/ http://mincedblog.com/2012/01/04/digesting-2011/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:47:23 +0000 Minced http://minced.wordpress.com/?p=2214 Continue reading →]]> 2011 went by in a blur and while the year had so many wonderful moments and meals, my one regret is that I did not get to post to Minced as much as I would have liked.   While one of my goals for 2012 is to post more regularly, I’d thought that you might enjoy a quick overview of my 2011 year in food.  I consider these things the culinary highlights of the past year although there are so many other meals, recipes, and tastes that are certainly worthy enough to be included here.

To be honest, I had plans for many of these to become blog posts and pictures were taken in preparation.  Yet when intoxicating aromas filled the house and concoctions started to bubble, I forgot about work, poured a glass a wine, and concentrated solely on the pleasures of the good life.  Bon appetit and may your 2012 be just as tasty!

Duck, Duck…GOOSE!   A week before Christmas, this article in the Wall Street
Journal upended my plans for Christmas dinner.   While traditionally my family enjoys beef tenderloin on the holiday, this roasted goose recipe filled with Armagnac-soaked prunes stuffed with foie gras seemed too good to be true.  It’s classic French, ridiculously rich and wildly fun to make.   Nothing will get you more excited for the holidays than an order of mousse de foie gras arriving from D’Artagnan.  And licking foie gras off your fingers while cooking with your husband on Christmas Eve is a treat in and of itself.

Turkey: Smoked Out.   This dish certainly doesn’t win any best of the best awards, but when Thanksgiving dinner requires your husband to stay up all night to tend to a smoker, one has to document it.  We had high hopes for this turkey that we injected with a garlic, olive oil and beer brine before cooking.   Our Weber smoker has turned out some great meals before, but alas this one was not to be.  We’ll talk about the final product for years to come.  Beautiful on the outside, but oh-so-dry inside.  We plan to try frying for next year’s dinner with the big bird.

I’ll take your order.  Over the past year, my husband and I have eaten out more and enjoyed some really delicious meals.  A home cooked meal wins out over a restaurant meal any day, but a night without dishes is a treat indeed.  While it certainly doesn’t fall under the gourmet category, this fried grouper sandwich with key lime mayonnaise at B.O.’s Fish Wagon  in Key West ranks among my favorite dishes of 2011.   Eaten on a street corner in a restaurant that might best be defined as a shack, it marked the first time I’ve ever taken a picture of my food at a restaurant.  I’m typically totally against the practice due to the simple fact that while you snap away dinner is getting cold.  However this sandwich looked so good that I threw out all my “rules” to get a picture for posterity.  Let the record state, that I also had to hold myself back from ordering seconds.

Good eats reads.  I’m an avid collector of cookbooks, but often they sit on my bookshelf for weeks before I’m able to test out the recipes.  Two of my favorite cookbooks this year were Momofuku and The Food of Morocco.  After reading David Chang and Peter Meehan’s Momofuku cookbook cover to cover, I made the pork belly buns with homemade pickles.  They were out of this world.   A Christmas gift of a tagine and Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco has resulted in many a spice hunt and lots of delicious dishes.  Her recipe for braised chicken with apricots and pine nuts will make you want to throw out all your pots and pans in deference to the mighty tagine.  Both books are evidence that you can never know everything about cooking.  Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones & Butter and Grant Achatz’s Life on the Line, while not cookbooks, were some of my favorite page-turners from the past year.

A Place to Eat.   Dining is so much more civilized when all your  guests can sit down.  My in-laws gave my husband and I our first dining room table several years ago.  Beautifully re-finished this small oval table got us through many a small dinner party, but was a little cramped if the numbers went higher than four.  This year we graduated up to a larger table when my parents gave us my great-grandmother’s dining room table and chairs.  My mother taught me how to re-upholster the chairs earlier this year and we’ve passed out more dinner invitations in the months since (with the leaves in the table it can seat 10-12!).

What’s that smell?  My husband really outdid himself and I received a truffle (make that two small ones) for Christmas this year.  For days, I acted like I had the crown jewels in my refrigerator.  We enjoyed a truffle sandwich with butter, added a few shavings to our scrambled eggs on Christmas day, and then I carefully poached the rest to be saved for a special dinner in 2012.   We also spent lots of time unscrewing the jar where the truffles were kept just to smell them.  In case you’re wondering, yes, they are worth all the fuss.

Better Briskets.  My husband hails from Texas and the man loves his meat.  His personal obsession is brisket and I have to admit I’ve caught the fever.   While I swear he’ll never be satisfied, I’m personally enjoying the journey.  He’s slowly perfecting his recipe for smoked brisket and we are branching out in our brisket cookery.  Nach Waxman’s braised brisket recipe was a big hit to close out the year.

FOOD LOVE.  My business and one of my biggest loves had a fabulous 2011.  I taught over 120 cooking classes, catered many events, and continued to enjoy working with corporations for team-building activities.  I added kids classes to my offerings and in collaboration with Cooking Uptown started the Kids Cooking Adventure and Escoffier’s Young Chefs courses for kids and teens.  I continued appearing on WCNC’s Charlotte Today show finishing out the year with recipes for pumpkin pancakes and pork chops with a cranberry-orange sauce.  FOOD LOVE  also received some great media coverage in 2011 with articles in Southpark Magazine, the Davidson Journal, and The Charlotte Observer and  the Kids’ Cooking classes got great press on local stations.

So with that I bid 2011, adieu.  As 2012 kicks off, I hope you approach it with an empty belly and a hearty appetite.  From my kitchen to yours,  happy cooking and cheers to 2012!

After a week of overcast days and dismal weather, today blue skies and a warm sun are making me want to put on shorts and eat ice cream.  A steaming bowl of belly warming, cream of broccoli soup couldn’t be further from my mind.  Unfortunately, that bowl of soup is exactly what I whipped up this morning for a segment on WCNC’s Charlotte Today show.   Let it be known that I’ve never claimed to have good timing.

Colder days are just around the corner though (this weekend Charlotte might be dipping into the 40s at night!) and when you go to make that first batch of cool weather soup I hope you’ll make this recipe.  Classic and simple, when it comes to soup, it ranks as one of my favorites.

Click on the video above to see how to make this soup and get some helpful hints on everything from using your blender to proper seasoning.   On a side note, you can make this soup ahead of time.  To prepare in advance, simply follow all the steps until you reach the part about adding the half and half.  Don’t add the half and half!  At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the soup for later use.  When ready to serve, simply reheat the soup and finish with the half and half.  Bon appetit!

Cream of Broccoli Soup - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups less-sodium vegetable broth
1 ½ lbs fresh broccoli, trimmed
½ cup half and half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about five minutes.  Add the garlic and stir until just fragrant.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute.   Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, pour in the vegetable broth.  Use a whisk to beat out any little balls of flour.

Bring the soup to a simmer.

Cut the stems from the broccoli florets and finely chop them.  Finely chop the remaining florets.

Add the chopped florets and stems to the soup and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or working in small batches with a stand blender, until smooth.  Return the soup to the stove and bring to a gentle simmer.  Stir in the half and half and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.  Serve the soup immediately garnished with the grated cheddar cheese.

What a shame that quiche is usually reserved for bridal showers and ladies lunches.  After all, it’s an economical entrée of endless variations that is equally at home on the table for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Consider that you can prepare it ahead of time and serve it hot, cold or at room temperature and your probably kicking yourself that you don’t have a quiche in the fridge now.

Before you run off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to make this quiche, stop for just a minute.  Peek inside your fridge.  I’m willing to bet that you have some milk or cream and a couple of eggs.  How about some flour and butter?   Yes?  Congratulations.  You can make a quiche.

Obviously we’ll want to dress it up a bit although by no means is this required. Check your cheese drawer for your favorite cheese and then check out your produce bin.  With a little ingenuity, little bits of this and that from your refrigerator and pantry can become an elegant and delicious meal.  Try spinach, onion, and some cheddar or swiss cheese for a classic quiche or get creative by adding roasted bell pepper strips with a spicy jack cheese.  Ham and swiss cheese make the classic Quiche Lorraine, while those leftover pieces of steamed broccoli from last night’s dinner suddenly sound mighty tasty baked in a creamy egg custard.

The most time-consuming part of making quiche (besides the baking) is the crust.  And while I’ll never endorse a store-bought crust, I’m not one to judge and certainly won’t argue with the fact that keeping store-bought crusts on hand makes this meal come together that much quicker.  If you are aiming for glory and want to make your own crust, there are a couple of things to remember.

First you’ll want to make sure your fat (butter, lard, or shortening) is very cold. Work quickly when making the dough.  You don’t need to knead it.  Rather, pull it together as quickly as possible and get it in the refrigerator to chill.  While a food processor can do this part quickly, I find that when you calculate in the time it takes to wash the food processor it really doesn’t save that much time from doing it by hand.  I prefer to make it by hand as it ensures that the dough doesn’t get overworked and stays tender.

I find that one of the most common mistakes in making pie dough comes when you are rolling out the dough.  This is the fun part and I find that most of us tend to get a little excited.  We start rolling out the dough and before long we have a pizza-sized circle sitting in front of us.  Things are looking good until we go to lift the dough to transfer it to the pan and find it stuck to the counter.  Been there?  The easiest way to avoid this problem is to brush the dough with flour as you roll it out.  After every couple of rolls, brush the dough with flour and then place your rolling-pin in the center of the dough.  Fold the dough over the rolling-pin and then use the rolling-pin to help you flip it over (see the pictures if you are a visual learner).  Brush with flour again and repeat until you’ve rolled out the dough to the proper shape.  I typically will flip my dough 3 to 5 times while I’m rolling it out.  Once you are ready to move your dough to the springform pan or pie plate, don’t try to pick it up.  Again, enthusiasm gets the best of us here.  Gently fold the dough over the rolling-pin and move it carefully to the pan.  Roll the dough over the pan and then trim it as needed. Easy enough, right?

This recipe requires that you blind bake the crust.  On a side note, “Introduction to Baking and Pastry” was my first class in culinary school and I had nightmares about blind baking.  I thought it was a test where we had to bake something without looking at it.  I have a vivid imagination and fortunately, it is not as threatening as it sounds.  Blind baking simply refers to pre-baking the crust before you add the filling.   Pie doughs have a tendency to develop air bubbles when baking so to prevent that from happening, you’ll want to lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the dough and then weigh it down with either pie weights or dried beans (if you got a little over-ambitious and bought several pounds of white beans for last week’s recipe, this might be a good use for some of them).  After you’ve weighted down the crust, simply put the pan in the oven for 20 minutes to bake.  Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil and the weights or beans and then return the crust to the oven for another 10 minutes.  Ta-da – you’ve successfully blind baked your crust.  That wasn’t so hard, was it?

And with that I leave you to bake your quiche. If you do decide to follow the recipe and make this bacon, kale, and onion quiche, I urge you to serve it with a mixed green salad of apples, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries.  It’s a perfect pairing and I’ve included a recipe at the end of this post.  Happy cooking!

Kale, Bacon and Onion Quiche - Printer Friendly Recipe
8 servings

2 cups of milk can be used in place of the 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream that are called for in the recipe.  However if you have the heavy cream, I would encourage use to it as it does make the quiche that much more luxurious.  Don’t feel guilty.   Everyone deserves a little indulgence now and then.

For the pastry dough:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons cold lard (shortening can also be used or substitute butter)
5 tablespoons ice cold water, more if needed
Special equipment: pie weights or dried beans for blind baking, aluminum foil

For the quiche:
2-3 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped into strips
2 cups chopped kale
1 medium sweet (i.e. Vidalia) or regular yellow onion, sliced
5 large eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
Special equipment:  9-inch springform pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.  Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter and lard into the flour mixture until the fat is in small lumps.   Sprinkle the ice-cold water over the flour mixture and use a fork to pull the mixture together.  Add up to 1 more tablespoon of water, in teaspoonfuls, if the dough is not coming together.

Turn the dough out on the counter and, working quickly, mold it into a large ball.  Press the ball into a 5-inch disc.  Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes and up to one day.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to a large, 1/4-inch thick circle.  Use the rolling pin to transfer the dough from the countertop to the 9-inch spring form pan.  Trim the edges of the dough as needed, but make sure the dough reaches almost to the top of the springform pan.  Excess dough can be folded over to create a thicker crust along the edges.  If the dough is thin in any place, patch that area with an excess piece of dough.  Place the pan with the dough in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking.

When ready to bake, place a piece of aluminum foil over the dough and cover with pie weights or dried beans to weigh it down.  Pre-baking the crust in this manner is called blind baking.

Place the springform pan atop a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and carefully take out the aluminum foil and pie weights/dried beans.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Render (melt the fat over low heat) the bacon in a large skillet until the bacon is crispy.  Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside.   Discard all but a thin film of bacon grease and add the onions.  Cook on medium heat until the onions soften and begin to brown.  The longer you cook the onions the better they will taste.   Remove the onions using a slotted spoon and, if needed, add a teaspoon or less of the reserved bacon grease or olive oil to the pan.  Add the kale and sauté until just soft.  Remove the kale using a slotted spoon and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Whisk in the heavy cream and milk and season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Scatter half of the onions, bacon, and kale on the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell.  Top with half of the grated Gruyere.  Pour ½ of the milk and egg mixture over the ingredients.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  Be careful not to overfill the tart.  The filling can come almost to the top of the crust, but you don’t want it to slosh out.

Return the springform pan (on top of the baking sheet) to the oven.  Cook for about 50 minutes or until the quiche sets.   It can be a little jiggly in the center, but otherwise should be pretty firm.  Do not overcook.  Overcooking the quiche can result in it taking on a greenish tint or can result in it “leaking” water (a result of the eggs being overcooked).

Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for ten minutes.  Remove the quiche from the springform pan and let cool for 10 minutes longer.   The quiche can be served warm or at room temperature.  It can also be refrigerated and served at a later date.   For a nice lunch or light dinner, serve a sliced of the quiche with a mixed green salad with apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries (recipe follows).  Bon appétit!

Serve with a Mixed Green Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries: This salad serves as a nice contrast to the richness of the quiche.  To make, combine a couple handfuls of mixed greens, one chopped red apple, some toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries in a large bowl.  Finely chop ½ a shallot and mix it in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar and a ¼ teaspoon of Dijon mustard.   Slowly whisk in 4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss the ingredients with the dressing and serve.

I was recently asked for my favorite convenience food for an article by Kathleen Purvis in The Charlotte Observer newspaper.   I immediately thought of canned beans.  To be fair, as a general rule, beans don’t usually elicit a lot of enthusiasm.  Steaks, oysters, delicious artichokes (I could go on and on) tend to get a lot more attention.   Beans, one might argue, are boring.

I disagree.  Beans are one of humanity’s oldest food sources and for good reason. While they often play a supporting role, beans paired with a grain provide all the protein that you need for a nutritionally complete meatless meal.  Take into the account the facts that beans are economical and in their dried form can be preserved for years (dried beans have been found in Egyptian tombs) and it is easy to see why beans are a staple for so many people around the world.

For most of us, canned beans are the quick and easy way of getting beans into our diet.  Unfortunately, while the convenience factor is high, canned beans pack a nutritional wallop when it comes to salt with one serving hovering around 20% of your daily recommended sodium intake.   While rinsing the beans with water can reduce the sodium content by 40%, it’s still not ideal.

Which brings me to today’s post:  a recipe for cooking dried beans.  While canned beans will always be the quick and easy solution (check out the 5-Star Shortcuts article for my delicious recipe for canned “Black Beans with Orange and Chipotle”), every cook should know how to prepare dried beans.  After all, the hands-on time is minimal, dried beans are more economical, and perhaps most importantly you control the salt!

Cooking dried beans requires a little advanced planning, but you can cook a bunch at once and they freeze beautifully.  The first step to preparing dried beans is to pick them over for any small rocks or dirt that have found their way into the bag.  While you won’t find pebbles in every bag, your teeth will thank you for at least making the effort. Once you’ve picked the beans over, rinse them under cold water and drain.

Next, soak the picked-over beans before cooking.  I prefer the overnight method which involves soaking the beans in 3 times as much water as beans in the refrigerator overnight.  This requires advanced planning, but don’t despair if procrastination is your modus operandi.  You can also quick soak the beans by covering the beans with water (about 2 inches above the beans) and bringing them to a boil.  Simmer the beans for 2 minutes then cover the beans and remove them from the heat.   Allow the beans to soak, covered, for 2 hours.  During soaking using either method, if any of the beans float to the top, discard them.

Regardless of what method you use, once the beans have soaked for the required time, you’ll want to drain and discard the soaking liquid.  From there, you just need to cook them.  The type of bean and its size will determine cooking time. Although as a general rule, I find that most beans cook in about 2 hours. (Note: The other variable is age.  The older the bean the longer it will take to soften so be sure to buy dried beans from stores with good turnover.)  You’ll want to cover the soaked beans with water (about 2 inches above the beans) and bring it to a gentle boil.  Reduce the heat and then let the beans simmer, covered, for about 2 hours.   Feel free to add garlic or herbs to the beans as they cook to give them extra flavor, but don’t add acids (i.e. citrus or tomatoes) or salt until the end as both acids and salt will prevent the beans from softening.

Once your beans have cooked, use them in any recipes that call for beans or freeze them in individual portions for later use.   While I’ve taken to eating this batch of white beans with garlic and sage straight out of the pot, I have plans to toss some of them with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs for a yummy bruschetta.  The remainder I may cook  with some tomatoes and Italian sausage for a rustic Italian dinner or toss them into a spinach salad.   Regardless of how I use them, I know they’ll be anything but boring.  Bon appetit!

White Beans with Sage and Garlic – Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes about 6 cups beans

2 cups dried Cannellini beans
1 garlic clove, top cut off
A handful of fresh sage (rosemary would also be delicious)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 hot red chili pepper (optional)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pick over the beans for pebbles and then soak them using the overnight or quick soak method (see post for a detailed description of both of these methods).

Add the soaked beans to a large pot and cover with about 2-inches of water.  Add the garlic, sage, olive oil, and hot red chili pepper if using.   Bring the water to a gentle boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the beans.  Cook the beans for approximately 2 hours or until they are soft.   Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Use the prepared beans in any recipe that calls for canned beans or freeze them for later use.