Homemade Pumpkin Bread

About a year ago, I started this very fun, stressful, fulfilling and time-consuming thing--my blog. It's been a great year...I mean, no book deals or movies with Meryl Streep, but I've definitely learned a lot about cooking and even more about myself. Cheesy, I know. Anyway, I decided to celebrate my anniversary by paying homage to my very first blog post--those decadent Pumpkin Pie Waffles. But instead of waffles, I would venture into baking my first ever homemade Pumpkin Bread. We all know how great I am at baking (insert sarcastic comment here), but something about the cool, fall weather inspired me. Or maybe it was the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, I can't be sure...

Anyway. I found this easy (idiot-proof) recipe at RecipeZaar and decided to give it a whirl. The bread was moist, delicious and full of my favorite pumpkin flavor. This will definitely be one to share over the holidays!

Pumpkin Bread
adapted from RecipeZaar, recipe #264721

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup olive oil (can sub with canola or vegetable)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Sift together flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.
3.In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices.
4.Combine pumpkin mixture with dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix (this will make the bread tough).
5.Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Serving: One 9x5 loaf

Baby Shower

Well I think the hard work paid off. I successfully schlepped (almost) every entertaining piece that I owned to Atlanta for my dear friend Anna's baby shower (or as Husband liked to refer to it, "the thing that took over my life and my dining room). Husband looked at the pile on the living room floor as he was about to load the car and said, "Ok, how about we leave half of this stuff here." I ignored him. Of course, as soon as we arrived Anna's sweet mom saw our stash and said, "I have dishes, you know." I might have gotten a glare from Husband at that point, but I can't be sure.

Anyway, our resident photographer (aka my mom) got some great shots of the food, table and of course, beautiful parents-to-be. It was an incredibly special day and we were so happy to be a part of it!

My pride and glory--the diaper cake. I decided that instead of flowers, I would make this the "centerpiece" of the table.I mean, flowers are beautiful, but diapers are useful. I followed the instructions on this helpful site...it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be! Don't you love it when that happens?

After I put it together, I decorated with some cute ribbon that coordinated with the invitations, plates and napkins that I picked out (because I'm a big nerd). I topped the "cake" with some fresh hydrangea and used an ivory cake stand (one of my favorite wedding gifts) to display it. I was really excited about these adorable socks I found at Swoozie's. Anna and Jeremy have decided to wait until the baby is born to tell us his name (believe me, I have tried to get it out of them) so they affectionately call him "Little Buddy." Imagine my delight when I found little baby socks embroidered with (you guessed it)... Little Buddy! Perfection!

Oh, the food. My favorite part of any gathering. I have to give a HUGE thank you to Anna's amazing father, Mr. Yanni, who slow-cooked his own BBQ pork for us to make mini BBQ sliders with. It was incredible. I filled out the table with Warm Swiss and Bacon Dip, Artichoke Dip with Pita Chips, Mini Roast Beef and Havarti Sliders, Red Potato Salad and some fresh veggies.

Dessert included Brownie Bites, Petit Fours (with blue baby booties--adorable!) and Anna's favorite pregnancy craving--Oatmeal Cream Sandwiches. It was actually the only thing she could eat for about three months.

As another gift to Anna and Jeremy, we asked the guests to write down some words of encouragement or blessings for the parents-to-be. I added their baby pictures to the table in some adorable frames that they can use for the nursery. Note: Given the number of swine flu cases that had been diagnosed at the time of the shower, we asked guests to sanitize their hands. Anna thinks of everything.

Congratulations Anna and Jeremy! We can't wait to meet Little Buddy!

BB Birthday Sheet Cake

So I'm off to a great start. It's my first ever Barefoot Bloggers post, and I'm late. =( The cookout that Husband and I went to ended up lasting past midnight (which is really impressive, actually, considering that I'm usually in the bed by 10pm and trying to count how many hours of sleep I'll get). Anyway, I was too tired to post when we got home so I'm doing it before work. Forgive me, I will do better next time!

I was actually kind of terrified to make this recipe (what with this being my BB debut and all). I don't really bake, I don't have a standing mixer (which seemed pretty necessary for this task) and the recipe had gotten some iffy reviews on the Food Network. Nonetheless, I rolled up my sleeves and got started.

I followed the recipe almost exactly--I omitted the lemon zest, used almond extract instead of vanilla (which is what I had on hand), and lessened the amount of baking soda (following the lead of other reviewers). For the icing (after reading more reviews), I decided to use half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate chips. I also did not have the correct size sheet pan, so I used a 9x13 inch baking pan. The cake took forever to cook, and never really set in the middle. Finally, I just got annoyed (and was already 30 minutes late to the cookout), so I took it out and hoped it would continue to cook a little during the car ride. I don't know enough about baking to know why that happened or what I might have done wrong, so any advice is greatly appreciated!

When we got to our friend's house, I proceeded to pour (that's right, pour) the icing over the cake. It was nowhere near thick enough, but I was anxious to finish the cake and take some pictures before everybody got a piece. Our friend, Chris, wanted to know what the "sauce" on my cake was. Nice. Also, it sunk in the middle (because it had not finished cooking) so it looked like I had a little chocolate pond in the center of the cake. Sigh.....apparently cakes aren't my thing (remember Husband's birthday incident last month?).

All that to say....the cake was actually delicious! I was really pleasantly surprised. It was moist, had a nice texture and the hint of almond gave it a wonderful flavor (I also added some Reese's Pieces to the top of the cake because I wanted it to look "fall-ish"). Here's the kicker--as we were leaving the cookout 5 hours later, I noticed that my frosting had thickened and had the perfect consistency. Of course.

Oh well. My new motto is, "It tastes good no matter what it looks like". I'm posting the recipe with my minor changes below, but you can find the original here. Enjoy!

Barefoot Contessa's Birthday Sheet Cake

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten)

Ingredients

For the cake:
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

12 ounces milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Chocolate candies for decorating

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well mixed. Pour evenly into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan to room temperature.

For the frosting, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it's thickened.

Spread the frosting evenly on the cake. Decorate with candies.

Barefoot Bloggers

One of the things I love about blogging is the community. No matter what topic you blog about, chances are you can find several (or several hundred) people who LOVE to blog about the same thing! For me (obviously) it's cooking, so imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Barefoot Bloggers--a group of bloggers that love all things Ina (aka the Barefoot Contessa). Finally, people who will understand me when I begin a sentence with, "Well Ina says..". Husband just looks at me like I have three heads.

Anyway, here's how it works. Each month, two of Ina's recipes are chosen for members to cook or bake (members get to choose the featured recipes in an order determined by the date they join the site). Those recipes will be posted on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, and then everyone gets to compare notes and talk about how the recipes turned out. Fun, right?

The first recipe for September is Ina's Birthday Sheet Cake. As it happens, Husband and I are cooking out with some friends tonight so now I can bring dessert! I'll post the pics and update later today.

Happy Cooking!

Roasted Red Pepper and Turkey Wrap

Sometimes Husband and I like to play a game called, "Let's cook everything in our pantry/fridge before we go to the store again." It didn't actually work today because I had to get toilet paper...nonetheless, it did get me searching through the fridge to see what random items I could make lunch out of. I ended up with a new turkey wrap that I was actually quite proud of. Its very rare that my first attempt at a new recipe or dish turns out any good. Usually, I'm disappointed and hem and haw over what I missed and did wrong. This time I can honestly say it didn't need a thing (except maybe a better photo). Granted, this isn't super gourmet--(as such, I barely have an actual recipe to share). But its not just any ol' turkey sandwich, either. Somewhere in between...I think I can handle "in between" for now.

Ingredients

1 flour tortilla
1 Tbsp. chive and onion cream cheese
2 Tbsp. sliced roasted red peppers
5 slices oven roasted turkey breast
2 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese


Spread chive and onion cream cheese in a smooth layer over flour tortilla. Top with turkey slices, red peppers and mozzarella. Starting with one end, roll tortilla over mixture and place seam-side down on baking sheet. Place under broiler in oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly brown.

Penne a La Vodka Casserole

For Husband's birthday dinner, I referred to an old favorite--Emeril's Penne a La Vodka casserole. It's hearty, delicious, feeds 12 people (which is perfect for a crowd OR when you're trying to stretch your groceries) AND it gave me an excuse to use another goody from my Foodbuzz Tastemaker package--Emeril's Original Essence seasoning. Sometimes I cheat a little (such as using Vodka Sauce from a jar instead of making it from scratch) but you really can't tell the difference. This time I added roasted red peppers for a little extra kick, and I loved the flavor they added. Bonus: It tastes even better the next day--our leftovers lasted us almost a week!


Penne a La Vodka Casserole
adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
1 pound hot Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
2 large onions, diced
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jar Vodka sauce
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, sliced into strips
1 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence
1 pound penne pasta
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
11/2 cups grated mozzarella

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the sausages and cook, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just soft, about 4 minutes. Add the red peppers, basil and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the Vodka sauce and Essence; stir to mix, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Heat about 4 quarts of water with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Combine half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano in a large mixing bowl. Add the pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add the sausage mixture and mix well. Add the remaining ricotta cheese and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Almost Homemade Chocolate Mousse

After Husband's cake disaster, I needed to think of another dessert for his actual birthday. Preferably, something that wouldn't fall apart and/or leave me in tears. This one came about from the following conversation:

Me: So what do you want for your birthday dessert?

Husband: Pudding.

Me: Like....banana pudding?

H: No, like just regular pudding.

Me: Um...

H: Chocolate pudding.

Me: Are you just saying that because we have a box of chocolate pudding in the pantry?

H: No.

Me: Right. How about chocolate mousse?

H: Whatever...

Me: (Sigh)......

So I remembered this delicious Amaretto Chocolate Mousse that my mom used to make when we had company, and I decided to give it a whirl. It's one of those that made guests think she'd been slaving in the kitchen for hours when really it only took about 15 minutes.My version was more like what I like to call a "progressive recipe". I just kept adding stuff to it until I felt like it was ready. The result? Well, let's just say...I won't tell about the boxed pudding if you won't.

Amaretto Chocolate Mousse

1 pkg Chocolate Pudding Mix (Instant)

1 pkg Cool Whip, thawed

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1/4 cup Amaretto

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Mix chocolate pudding mix and milk according to the directions on the package. Fold in thawed Cool Whip. Pour in Amaretto, mixing well. In a small bowl, beat whipping cream with a hand mixer until stiffened, about 2-3 minutes. Fold into pudding mixture. Stir in cocoa powder and mix well. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour. Pour into martini glasses or tea cups and serve.

Serves 4.

Panzanella

It's hard to believe, but sometimes we let bread go stale in my house. You see, Husband is not a carb-fiend like I am, so sometimes I'm left to finish an entire loaf of rustic Italian something-or-other on my own. Normally, this would not be a problem but I'm trying to practice a little restraint (and not be wasteful).

So what's a girl to do when the bread goes stale? Make panzanella! This recipe is loosely based on Giada's version in Everyday Italian (I do love Giada). I would have followed it exactly, but I didn't have all of the ingredients so I decided to improvise a little. In fact, now that I am re-reading my scibbbled notes, I barely followed it all. Oh well. The inspiration is authentic, even if the dish is not...

Panzanella
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

6 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
8-10 oz. Italian loaf (or some other kind of good, crusty bread), 2-3 days old, cubed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup basil, thinly sliced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 Tbsp. each oil and vinegar




In a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk until blended. Add bread, tomatoes and sliced basil; toss well to combine. Let bread mixture sit about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. each of oil and vinegar. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Garnish with fresh basil and shaved parmesan, and serve.

Serves 4.

Limeades for Learning

Limeades for Learning

Posted using ShareThis

Happy Birthday, Husband!

Husband's birthday is next week and at my insistence, we are having a little birthday cook-out with some of our nearest and dearest. I think Husband is a tad bit grumpy about turning 32 (he didn't even want a party!) but I happen to love birthdays, so I put my foot down (and by that, I mean pitched a little fit) and voila! A cook-out it is.

For the occasion, I decided to attempt making one of Husband's favorite desserts--German Chocolate Cake. My morning went something like this:

Step 1. Googled every recipe for German Chocolate Cake ever published.
Step 2. Became enamored with Annie's Eats GCC post. Vowed to make my cake look half as good as hers (she is adorable, by the way. If ya'll don't already read her blog, you need to).
Step 3. Played around on at least 20 different blogs that I love but have not read in awhile.
Step 4. Scolded myself for not keeping my blog up-to-date.
Step 5. Made a resolution to keep my blog up-to-date.
Step 6. Got distracted by the beautiful weather and made plans to lay out at the pool with some friends.
Step 7. Went to the store to buy ingredients where I got further distracted by Betty Crocker's boxed cake and coconut/pecan icing.
Step 8. Convinced myself that Husband would never know the difference.

Successful, huh. In my defense, I planned to make homemade chocolate ganache to pour over the cake. I know that traditional German Chocolate Cake is iced with coconut/pecan gooey yummy-ness, but I had a brilliant idea for a cake topper that needed a smoother (and darker) surface. Husband's wedding cake was poker-themed, with white chocolate playing cards sitting on top and chocolate "suits" scattered around the outside of the cake. I thought they were adorable, so I wrapped them up and stuck them in the fridge to save for another use. A year and a half later, I had my opportunity!! Also, Husband would no longer have to threaten to throw them out.

Now I would like to say that my cake turned out exactly like Annie's masterpiece, and that our friends oohed and aahhed and marveled at my ingenuity. But that would be a lie. It didn't even survive the 12-minute car ride. I'm not entirely sure what happened, all I know is that at one point I heard Husband say "Oh crap", and when I got out of the car to go take the cake from him, the entire thing collapsed in my hands. Needless to say, I cried. Hard. For 20 minutes.

Lucky for me, I am married to a man who is unfailingly encouraging and supportive. Or maybe he just can't stand to see a woman cry...who knows. Either way, he calmed me down and we entered the party---me with black mascara under my eyes and Husband holding what was left of his birthday cake. At the end of the meal, I did what any refined hostess would have done--I stuck the cake in the middle of the table, handed out forks and said, "Dig in."

Oklahoma, OK!!!

I hope I'm not the only one who understands the reference of my blog title...ya'll have seen the musical Oklahoma, right? Anyone?

Anyway, I just returned from a business trip to OK City, completely exhausted and probably 5 pounds heavier. My boss and I were meeting with the marketing folks at the Sonic headquarters (which is awesome, by the way--though I found myself craving tater tots throughout the entire meeting). Our day started with a 6am flight (why did we think that was a good idea?) and we were in meetings until 5pm. We were a little tired, but looking forward to a nice, relaxing dinner. We did our research before we arrived and chose the Red Prime Steakhouse in downtown Oklahoma City. Oh. My. Word. Where do I even begin...

It has a very trendy atmosphere…the lights are dim and everyone is bathed in a red glow. The bar is obviously a hot spot (highlighted by a floor-to-ceiling metal "cage", for lack of a better word, that houses I don't even know how many bottles of wine). Everything from the white square plates down to the cutlery and stemware was impressive. Although the floor was a little slick---ladies in heels, beware.

To say the wine list is extensive is an understatement….my boss (we'll call her "M", like in the James Bond movies. I could be the James Bond of marketing. You don't know.) took the reigns on that. I mean, I like to think that I know a little bit about wine, but when M started talking about how Napa produced a really lovely Cab in '95 I knew I was WAY out of my league...I'm thinking this job will be a learning opportunity in more ways then one. Anyway, M chose the Turnbull Cabernet, '95 from Napa. I'm still learning how to distinguish between "notes" and "flavors" and whatnot, but this was smooth and delicious and I gladly would have drank the entire bottle by myself.

Moving on to my next favorite food group--the bread. This was not just any ol' roll--these were warm and freshly baked with black and green peppercorns scattered throughout the dough. Being the proud, carb-craving girl that I am, I ate 6 or 7.

We couldn't pass up the Prix Fixe menu, which at $35 for 3 courses was an absolute steal! I chose the RP Tomatoes as my appetizer--fried green and hot house tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt. Absolutely delicious. My main course was the 7oz. petite filet, cooked to perfection. This was my favorite part-after you choose your cut of steak, you get to choose from 6 crusts and 6 sauces to accompany it. I wish I could have tried every single one, but I settled on the freshly cracked pepper crust and creamy horseradish sauce. Always a sucker for great french fries, I chose the Idaho fries as my side. My boss chose seared green beans, which looked delicious, and some sauted mushrooms for us to share (also delicious). And last but not least--dessert. Chocolate spoon cake with walnuts and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Absolute heaven—but the real gem was the tiny dish of salted caramel served next to the cake. I all but licked the plate clean. Finished off with some wonderful coffee, I can absolutely say that it was one of the best meals I have ever enjoyed. I think I'm going to like this new job....

The Pleasure is All Mine

I'm standing in one of my happy places (the cooking section at the Barnes and Noble), sipping my White Chocolate Mocha, eyes slightly glazed over, when something catches my attention. A book cover with a gorgeous brunette in a stunning white dress and fabulous black heels, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a plate of steak and fries in the other, laughing delightedly at some inside joke that immediately makes me wish I were in on the secret. Dang. If I ever have a cookbook one day, THAT'S what I want the cover to look like.

Meet Suzanne Pirret, Harvard-trained actor, extremely successful voice over artist and a oh yeah--a kick-a%$ chef, thank you very much (she's also a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu).

Her highly entertaining and impressive cookbook reads like a novel. Each chapter starts with a story from her cooking/living experiences in Paris, London, New York and LA--whether it be from her stint as a pastry chef for Jamie Oliver or a nasty run-in with some Chinese take-out.

The opening recipe is Steak au Poivre with Frites. A girl after my own heart, this one. If I have neglected to mention my slightly unhealthy obsession with french fries before, let me do so now. I went through a phase last month where I was eating french fries at least three times a week. Great comfort food, in my opinion--not so good for the waistline.

Anyway, this clever, decadent and "naughty" (her words) cookbook will either have you curled up on the couch with a good glass of wine to indulge in some late-night reading (did I mention she also includes fabulous wine pairings?) or heading straight to the kitchen to whip up General Tso's Chicken. Or both.

Strawberry Amaretto Skillet Cake

So it's time for another cooking experiment. While I'd like to think that my passion for cooking is enough to have me whipping up gourmet delicacies every evening, I know better. I'm pretty sure that I have not cooked ONCE since we got back in town and I started my new job (both good excuses, right?). And although I have a continuous stack of recipes and ideas that I want to try, sometimes I need a little motivation. That motivation comes in the form of another contest (but thankfully, no video).

This time the contest is for the Simple and Delicious magazine, part of the Taste of Home publications. They have great contests every few months and after my first contest experience, I decided it was time to give another one a shot.

The theme is Berry Bonanza, featuring strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. My first attempt features strawberries along with one of my favorite coffee cake recipes given to me by my grandmother--I call it Strawberry Amaretto Skillet Cake. My recipe will use the same cake ingredients, but with a different topping. Instead of using the full amount of almond extract in the batter that the original recipe calls for, I'm going to half it and make up the difference in the topping with...you guessed it, amaretto liquor. I do adore amaretto. And after all, what's a great brunch without a little booze?

(Kidding, Mom).

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks of margarine
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. flour, sifted
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Topping Mix
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 tbsp. amaretto liquor, divided
1/3 C. sliced almonds, crushed
1/4 C. sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Melt butter and stir in sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour, salt and almond flavoring; mix well. Line a cast iron skillet with aluminum foil, letting the foil extend up over sides. Pour batter into lined skillet.

Cook 30-40 minutes, until top is firm. Let cool about 20 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes throughout the cake. Pour 1 tbsp. amaretto evenly over entire top of cake, so that it drips through the holes. Toss strawberries with remaining 1 tbsp. liquor and pour over cake, spreading evenly so that it covers entire surface. Sprinkle crushed almonds and sugar over top of strawberries.

It still needs a little tweaking (I'll update this recipe/post as needed), but I think the first attempt turned out pretty well! The cake itself has such a delicious flavor and moist texture, which contrasts nicely with the crunchy almonds. The strawberries add beautiful color and the amaretto...well, if you don't like amaretto then I'm afraid my blog just won't do anything for you! ;)

I'll be back soon with more berry-inspired recipes. Happy cooking!

Highlight of the Day

So Husband just emailed me to say that I received something in the mail from Columbia Crest Winery and wanted permission to open it. It was a thank-you note for entering the Flay-vors of Washington contest AND Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook!! Cool, huh? I was actually going to eat at Mesa Grill while we were in Vegas (he has a location in Caesar's Palace, and others in NY and the Bahamas) but the line was long and I was starving so I went elsewhere (sorry, Bobby!). I take that to mean that the restaurant is awesome! I'll be sure to check it out and review next time we're there. Also, I have yet to try out any of Bobby's recipes (I'm lucky to make mac 'n' cheese these days), so this gives me a great excuse to start. Cheers!

Celebri-Stalking Alert

I was just THISCLOSE to Ben Affleck at the Ante Up for Africa Tournament at the Rio. Also, Matt Damon, Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle and Nelly are here. I just thought everyone should know. Pics posted soon!

P.S. I realize that none of my recent posts have anything to do with food, but I promise that will change soon (when I'm back in town and focused on something other than Matt Damon).

The Good Life

It's about noon in Vegas and Husband and I are enjoying the Champagne Brunch at the MGM Grand. Well, I'm enjoying champagne...Husband is enjoying Diet Coke. And lots of Prime Rib.

We arrived at 10:30am, tired and starving, but excited for the week ahead. We checked into the hotel at the airport (EVERY hotel should have this option. At every airport. Everywhere), boarded a shuttle and 5 minutes later we were strolling through the monstrous casino/hotel, sans bags, which would be sent up to our room when ready. We got a little lost on the way to the Grand Buffet (easy to do), but pretty soon we were piling up our plates with everything from sushi to ravioli, and sipping some bubbly.

I could get used to this....

Vegas, Baby!

It's 1:30am and I just finished packing for our trip to Vegas (wahoo!!!!). Its not that I wasn't prepared. I was. I had a List (I like to make lists). I had everything checked off, except for the necessary toiletries that I would need pre-flight. The problem was the shoes...its always the shoes. Husband said AT MOST I should only have 3 pairs. I laughed at him. And proceeded to sit on my suitcase to stuff everything in.

Anyway, our flight leaves in 5 hours so I'm thinking of just staying up all night. I mean, what's the point? I can sleep on the plane. I hope.

Meanwhile, we'll be back in a week with hopefully some great restaurant reviews, recipe ideas and maybe a good story or two. Here's to hoping our trip is half as fun as the movie The Hangover (without the tiger in the bathroom...but maybe the baby in the closet). If you don't know what I'm talking about, go see the movie. Totally worth it.

Peace out!

No Luck

Well dear readers, no Top 20 for me. It's ok. Really, it is (Mom, are you reading??). As I mentioned in my last posts, there were some truly fantastic entries out there--lots of inspiration. I wish them all the best! Be sure to check them out and vote for your favorites!

Meanwhile, I've discovered three more contests that I'm going to enter this summer (one rejection just wasn't enough!) so I'll be sure to keep you posted on those ideas, experiments and disasters.

Happy cooking!

Flayvors of Washington Update: And The Winner Is....

Ok, I haven't won yet. I'll be lucky to make it to the Top 20 (there are some AMAZING entries out there), BUT I am pleased to say that this recipe is definitely the winner among all other attempts, experiments and disasters. I know this because as soon as Husband tried it, his first response was "WOW". From a man whose most enthusiastic response is "That's good", this was high praise. All that to say, this is the recipe that I am MOST proud of since I started this blogging adventure less than a year ago (amidst delusions of grandeur, I must admit).

So now its all up to the powers-that-be at the Food Network. But in the meantime, feel free to try it out. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Asiago Encrusted Halibut over Sweet Onion and Chardonnay Cheese Grits
with Fresh Asparagus
Wine Pairing: Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay

INGREDIENTS

Grits:
3/4 cup Quick-cooking grits
3 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup aged Asiago cheese
1/4 cup half & half
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup Columbia Crest Chardonnay
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Halibut:
2 6oz. Halibut fillets
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup aged Asiago cheese
2 Tbsp. flour
1 large egg white, beaten
1/2 of a large lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Asparagus:
1 bunch of Asparagus tips, washed and trimmed to 1-2 inches
2 cups water
Splash of Columbia Crest Chardonnay
Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Grits:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute chopped sweet onions, until tender (about 15 minutes).
2. While onions are cooking, bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir grits and 1/4 tsp. salt into rapidly boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
3. Once grits are thickened, stir in 3/4 cup Asiago cheese and 4 Tbsp. butter; blend well.
4. Add the sweet onions, 1/4 cup half & half, 1/4 cup Chardonnay, freshly ground black pepper and additional salt (to taste, if necessary).
5. Pour grits into small baking dish (8x8) and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, until thick and creamy.
Yield: 2 large servings or 4 small servings

Halibut:
1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Mix panko breadcrumbs and Asiago cheese together and place in another shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish.
2. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over both sides of the halibut to bring out the flavor of the fish. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge fillet in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg wash, allowing excess to drip off. Coat fish with panko/Asiago mixture, pressing lightly to adhere. Set aside and repeat with remaining fillet, in the same order.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add fillet to pan; reduce heat to medium and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until the crust is a nice golden brown and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Repeat with additional fillet.
Yield: 2 servings

Asparagus:
1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sprinkle of salt and splash of Chardonnay.
2. Boil asparagus until they turn bright green, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, drain, and immediately plunge into ice bath to stop cooking process while retaining the bright color and crisp texture.
Yield: 2 servings

To serve:
Place two heaping spoonfuls of the grits onto a plate and sprinkle with fresh asparagus tips. Top the grits with one piece of halibut. Finish with a glass of Columbia Crest Chardonnay.

Enjoy!

Seriously??

So, apparently you cannot buy Dungeness Crab in Birmingham. I know, I know...I probably should have done some research before I wasted time/gas driving to every fish market and gourmet grocery store in town, only to be met with looks of amusement and/or pity when I presented my request ("Where does she think she lives, the west coast?").

Back to square one. AGAIN.

After poring over the contest's ingredient list for what would hopefully be the last time, I decided that I really wanted to keep grits in my recipe (I'm hoping a little southern flair will help me stand out), and I think that some sort of seafood will be the best pairing for the grits. Turns out, Halibut is about the only Washington-state seafood item that I can actually get in Birmingham. So there you have it. I've got six days to come up with a brand new recipe, test it, perfect it, video it, and submit it.

Remind me why I thought this was a good idea?