Lake Yes

For those of you that are local to the Ventura County are, you should be aware of a large body of water that lies within the Ventura/Ojai area and is famous for a few things.

Lake Casitas was the site for the rowing competitions in the 1984 Olympics, the rings are still visible on the docks.

Johnny Cash used to fish and drink there....and is known for the drinking more than the fishing as he was known to pass out on the boat and get "lost". Law enforcement may have been involved once or twice.

Big mouth bass fishing, some of the largest bass in the state, are recorded at this lake.

By people who know how to fish for the darn things, of course.

For people like me and most of my friends, the lake is better known as Lake "No" or Lake "No Fish" because seriously??? For 30 something years I have fished at that lake and only recently have I been successful at catching anything other than a buzz.

Yay for besties & buzzes!

But in the last couple of years there are fewer and fewer boats on the lake due to the quarantine of boats based upon the possibility of importing the rather destructive Quagga Mussel from another body of water. Quarantining your boat is quite frankly a pain in the butt to say the least but it has one very nice advantage.

Whereas on a beautiful day four years ago there would be dozens of boats on the lake all trying to hook the big one, nowadays you are likely to find 10 or less boats on the lake on any given day. Less boats = less people on them to fish = more fish willing to jump on to the end of my worm laden hook.

So far this year I've been out twice and have cruised around the lake with my bestie and fishing buddy, picnicked in sheltered coves and caught 3 large mouth bass and one bluegill. My friends did pretty darn good too, catching 2 fish each, all of very respectable size.

Large Mouth Bass!



So Proud!

 

But fishing is very hard work....so you have to come outfitted with provisions with which to keep your energy up and your morale high (in case the fish happen not to be biting). So our standard is to hit the lake with a cooler full of beverages of an alcoholic nature (morale boosters), bottles of water (to keep hydrated) and various forms of what I consider to be picnic food (ballast).

(Because one beverage might not be enought we always bring a variety)

One day it is cheese, crackers, prosciutto and fruit, the next day it might be pita chips with assorted dips, olives and spreads. Whatever the selections it needs to fit a few criteria to be considered for a boat picnic as the space is limited, cooler space is reserved primarily for beverages and damn it, I am not eating crap food just because I am on a boat doing something outdoorsy.

This last trip I went with the pita chips and dip, but also wanted some protein in the mix. A quick inventory of the fridge and a consult online and I had a perfect "entree" for us on the boat. Light and tasty, it was perfect as a munchie on my pita chips, but would also be pretty awesome as a sandwich in between some good chewy bread.

Chicken Salad with Red Grapes and a Bleu Cheese Sherry Vinaigrette

2 Chicken Breasts, skinned & deboned

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup Red Grapes, Quartered

3 Stalks Celery, diced 1/4"

3 Green Onions, chopped

1 Egg Yolk

1 T Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese

1 T Sherry Vinegar

2 T Mayonnaise

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Poach the chicken breasts gently in the broth (not boiling), remove and cool before chopping in to 1/4-1/2 inch chunks. Mix in with the grapes, celery & onions.

In a food processor, blend the yolks, mustard, bleu cheese & vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil bit by bit until it is blended completely. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste.

Mix in with chicken and chill. This gets even better as it sits and thinks about itself.

Salt & Pepper to Taste.

Bits and pieces

I love little bites....hors d' oeuvres, appetizers and canapes, tapas and mezze and even petit fours when I am craving sweets. Nothing pleases me more than a meal made up of bunches of fun little bites where I can taste all manner of things in one meal without overeating. I also love going out to dinner with people who like to share too. Ordering four different starters, salads and entrees and then passing them around to taste pleases me to no end. Stingy diners...don't bother going out with me, I am a sharer. :)

So when asked to bring something to a friends house for dinner, I went with the appetizer course and pretty much went a little crazy in the kitchen creating a mezze platter.

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese....sweet and hot cherry peppers stuffed with prosciutto & jack cheese....garlic and oven dried tomato sauteed mushrooms....homemade hummus with oven dried tomatoes and artichoke pesto dip with smoked potato chips.

So many good little bites that it's hard to know where to start. So I will start with the bacon since it is my favorite food group. :)

The first couple recipes can be made for 2 people or 200 people, just make as many as you need. The dips make about 2 cups each....and you can make as many of the potatoes as you want.

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Gorgonzola

The bacon wrapped dates are a favorite of mine, we make them at work and everyone goes nuts over the sweet/salty/savory combination. They are heavy though and I recommend only eating one or two to save your rear end from resembling the Goodyear blimp. For every slice of bacon, you'll need 2 dates and about a teaspoon of bleu cheese. Cut the slice of bacon in half and par cook it in a pan (slowly)until it is soft. Slice the dates lengthwise and take the pit out, keeping the date intact. Stuff a slice of bleu or Gorgonzola cheese in there and smash the date shut. Wrap the bacon around it and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.

Cherry Peppers Stuffed with Cheese & Prosciutto

You can go a couple different routes on the cherry peppers...You can buy the Mezzeta brand from any old grocery store and they are a little more spicy/savory, this time I tried the brand from Trader Joe's and they are more of a spicy/sweet with the spicy kicking in at the very end. Either way they are delicious! Cut a small chunk of cheese and wrap it with a skinny slice of prosciutto and stuff it in the pepper. My mom likes to use Asiago or a saltier cheese, I happened to have Jack in the house so that's what got used! It is also nice to stuff a little sage leaf in there as well...adds an earthiness that is a great counterpart to the sharper flavors of the pepper & cheese.

Garlic & Oven Dried Tomato Sauteed Mushrooms

I used 1 container of mushrooms for this recipe, about 8 oz. Press 3 large cloves of garlic in to a pan with 1 T olive oil and saute over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add about 2 T white wine (glug glug) and 2 T minced oven or sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil (if using dried, reconstitute them in hot water and pat dry before mincing). Add 1 tsp thyme and salt to taste. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through.

Oven Dried Tomato Hummus

Hummus is one of those things that you can tweak 7 ways from Sunday in terms of flavor...your base recipe is 1 can of drained garbanzo beans, some garlic (can be raw, smoked or roasted), a squeeze of lemon juice and enough olive oil to get it to the texture you want. Just throw your ingredients in the food processor and turn it on....add goodies like oven or sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil or reconstituted-use less olive oil in the main part of the recipe if using ones in OO), drained artichokes, basil or ready made pesto. Season it to taste with salt and serve with pita crisps, crackers or fresh veggies.

Artichoke Pesto Dip
OK....this recipe stemmed from a new book Mama got me and I tweaked it just a bit and OMG did it turn out good...Seriously a keeper!

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained

3 cloves smoked garlic

2 T Pesto (from the nice lady @ Ojai Farmers Market)

1 T Olive Oil

2 oz Goats cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Blend everything in the food processor until smooth. Serve with smoked potato chips.

Yep...I said smoked potato chips.

I have told you before that one of the best gadgets I own is my cooktop smoker and I ain't lyin'. My Mom has done smoked potatoes before as a side dish, but they are thick cut, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside...I was looking for something that would serve as a vessel for my fabulous artichoke dip. And these little guys fit the bill perfectly.

So I sliced the little Dutch Yellow potatoes thin...like you would if you were doing scalloped potatoes. I tossed them with a little olive oil and a couple good shakes of kosher salt. Then I smoked them on low/med for 20 minutes with maple wood chips. Take them out and lay them on a sheet pan and bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350.

These were so good that I did it again for dinner with my parents on Monday, I am pretty sure my Pops ate about half of them in 2.5 seconds standing over the counter so that counts as a winner in my book.

An unexpected treat

One of the best things about traveling is eating new things....a trip to any spot outside my hometown requires trying everything new, unique and indigenous to wherever it is I am at. When I think of a place I have been there is always a food memory linked with it. My mom shares this trait with me, or more likely I inherited it from her.

We have a dear family friend, Rosie....who is not only fabulous beyond words, but also a travel agent and puts together the most amazing "girls trips" that involve some of the best adventures on the planet and Mom has gotten to join her multiple times to experience Heli-hiking in the Canadian Rockies, exploring Greece with the next best thing to a native and one of my moms best trips, a trip to Tuscany to stay in a 1000 year old Castello to stay with an Italian chef at a cooking school.

Unsurprisingly she brought home numerous stories and memories, and of course all of the cookbooks the school had to offer with recipes from their stay along with the Chef's own signature cookbook and memoir.

One of our absolute favorite treats that she brought home is a very unexpected combination of flavors, perfect for pairing with your first cocktail, glass of wine or even better yet, champagne or dry sparkling wine.

If you are not a "fish person" you might want to stop right here and call it a day. But if you like salt and you like fish...read on and give these a go because they are absolutely delicious and are inhaled within moments of coming out of the frying pan.

First you go pick an even number of sage leaves, make sure they somewhat pair up as you will be making a sandwich of them. The filling?

Anchovy Paste.

Correct, the fishy, salty, briny and full of the sea flavor fishes that find themselves relegated to a hidden shelf in the grocery store, kept off of pizza and snuck in to your Caesar salad.

I kid you not, this is a winner. The combo of the earthy sage pops and the salty fish is tempered by a light batter of egg and flour.

I do love these little buggers. And tonight as Mom and I are hanging out at her house while Dad is up north catching fish and a buzz with his buddies, she decided it was time for one of Giancarlo's treats to whet our appetites.

Sage Fritters

12 Sage Leaves, rinsed & patted dry, 1/2" of the stem left on (its a handle!)

Anchovy Paste

1 Egg

A little water

Flour

Canola oil for frying

Spread a thin layer of anchovy paste on 1/2 of the leaves and then press the remaining leaves on those to make a "sandwich".

Beat the egg and add a touch of water and a few tablespoons of flour. Whisk until smooth. It should be the consistency of pancake batter, add more flour or water as needed.

Heat the oil until shimmering. Dip the fritters in the egg batter and fry until golden on both sides.

Drain on a paper towel and let them cool a moment before letting people inhale them. 

Like this. :)

Smokin' hot wings, episode #1 & #2

Most of the people I know are able to go face down in platter of hot wings and call it a day. What kind of hot wings is another story....In my personal opinion (yes, I have many), the wings themselves must be good sized, the outside somewhat crispy (can be fried, grilled or baked), good seasoning with dry run or slathered and the sauce has to have the perfect balance of heat +flavor. Too much heat and I am miserable and feel like I have wasted a good meal and too much vinegar and you feel pickled.

There really is not much better than gnawing crisp & juicy morsels of meat from the bones that are doused in hot sauce with bleu cheese dressing on the side. Unless it is the salt and vinegar wings from Albertsons (have to figure out how to make those!). Or unless you are at a restaurant in North Carolina called the Wild Wing Cafe where you are offered your choice of 33 different sauces (how to choose????). But on a totally random note...don't bother trying to get hot wings in Ireland. We did once or twice based upon my BFF Clover's extreme craving and love of the wing and were served "not so hot" wings in a pool of ketchup and wings with a drizzle of pesto. Letdown city.

My newest personal food challenge is to make killer hot wings at home...from scratch...and somehow not have them be uber fattening (i.e. no deep frying allowed). My first try was a baked recipe that involved basting with sauce, dredging with flour, baking, repeat the basting dredging and more baking. It was unfortunately not our favorite, both Brock and I decided they needed to be crispier-the "batter" was a bit squishy and you lost some of the flavor of the sauce with the flour. The friend who gave this idea to me assures me it is awesome, so I am assuming it was operator error and will most likely make another attempt on another day.

Last nights wings were a take on wings that we had enjoyed at a local restaurant (now closed "sad face", hoping he will re-open at some point!) called Cookes Smokehouse. The owner/chef smoked his wings before battering & frying them and slathering in his sauce and they were terrific!

One of the best kitchen gadgets Brock has gotten for me/us is our cook top smoker (http://www.cameronsmoker.com/) . If you are anything like me in lacking patience and working full time, you will understand the very genius of this little contraption. Instead of building a fire in your Little Chief smoker and letting something smoke for hours and hours upon end (which is wonderful, but I don't always have the time for it!), you are able to pop in the food, smoke it for 20 minutes to an hour and have an incredible product in a fraction of the time. Instant gratification is gooooooood! Extra bonus is that it is portable enough to take camping/fishing (mmmmm...smoked trout!) and can be used at home on your outdoor burner or gas barbecue. Aside from meat and fish you can smoke just about anything on there and it turns out delicious. We have done pork chops, chicken thighs, ribs, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes!

Sorry, got a little excited....Back to my hot wings.

As I have mentioned before, chicken as a meat is not my favorite unless it is brined prior to cooking-infusing some flavor and moisture makes all the difference and this goes especially for something you are going to smoke as the cooking method definitely tends to dry out meat.

So first we trimmed up the wings...








Then we brine them in:
4 cups water
1/3 cup salt
2 T Cider vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup (not packed) brown sugar

Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, remove from brine, rinse and pat very dry.

Prep your smoker
Tin foil on the bottom for easy cleanup, good spray of oil on the rack to avoid sticking and 1 T Pecan (or whatever youprefer) chips under the drip tray

Brush the wings with a little olive oil, no need for salt or pepper because of the brine. I used deee-licious olive oil from Rancho Olivos from a recent jaunt up in to wine country. It has just a hint of garlic in it and a terrific flavor! They have tasting Friday through Sunday and are right across the street from Brander Winery & Tasting Room-great spot for a picnic & tasty wines! http://www.ranchoolivos.com/ Thank you to Christine for introducing us to her friends!

I also heart that they were smart enough to make a pretty little pouring spout in the bottle. Smart people and so thoughtful!









Cram as many wings in the pan as you can...20-25 is the max unless they are skinny wings (hope not!).

Smoke for about 20 minutes, longer if you want smokier (up to 35 mins) or less if you want it lighter.

You can hold them like this and do more if you need...they will stay tasty in the fridge for at about a day.

Grill on the BBQ, brushing a thin layer of your preferred wing sauce on as you heat them up and crisp the skin.

Serve with more wing sauce and bleu cheese for dipping.


We declared this method a winner and will definitely be doing it again!

On another note, you will see that I served these with mini double stuffed Yukon gold potatoes... another take on pub grub that is really quite fun! A lot of work for anything more than 2 people, but since I cook for Brock and I 90% of the time, it works for us!

Roast 8 mini Yukon gold potatoes at 350 for about 30 minutes, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. Mix in butter, milk, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon & seasoning in whatever combination you find appealing and mash until it is smooth. Refill the skins and bake again at 35 for about 15 minutes.

You may notice that my plate looks like it was meant for an 8 year old or an anorexic sorority girl...I am doing my best to lose some weight (hence the no fry method) and small portions seem to be working for me. Although I hate it, I have to admit that it works. :) And P.S. We did have a salad with this as well!

Here fishy fishy fishy....

This is my call of the wild. For last weekend.

After returning home from our annual vacation, my head is filled with visions of tuna sashimi, garlic feta tuna, ahi poke on crispy wontons, salad nicoise, fried dorado "fingers" and filets, wahoo steaks and more.

Maybe I should explain how we are in posession of a freezer chest full of fresh caught yellow fin tuna, dorado & wahoo filets. Enough fish to have to buy another cooler on the way to the airport!

My family is blessed to be friends some folks who make their home in the southern part of Baja California in a place called Rancho Leonero. North of San Jose del Cabo by about an hour or so on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja, it is a small collection of private homes with the namesake resort on the very tip of the "neighborhood". The closest town is La Ribera, a small seaside town (with a full scale marina & golf course on the way, it may not be small for long) that is lucky enough to have friends like Bruce & Jill. Every year they host a fishing tournament to benefit the East Cape Guild, (www.eastcapeguild.com) who in turn benefits the local school system and children of La Ribera. Every year, the tournament and the guild raise money by taking the funds from the entry money (a measly $100 per fisher-person) and also by selling t-shirts, caps, cookbooks, raffles and auction prizes to the folks who attend. Automatically, 1/2 of the money from the entry goes straight to the guild and traditionally, the winner of the tournament and recipient of the other 1/2 of the prize money has donated the winnings straight back to the guild to further assist the kids & schools. After the first few years of fixing the roof on the schoolhouse, adding air conditioning and purchasing school supplies such as books and computers, the guild now has taken to offering scholarships to students as education in Mexico is only offered through the 7th grade. They do an amazing service to to the community and the kids and all we have to do is go on vacation to help them. Not so hard, huh?

I'll get the bad part out of the way now....Brock and I did not win the tournament.

The good part? Oh yeah, go back up to the top of the page!!!

First you rent your boat....it comes with a captain and deckhand to assist you throughout the day. Then you hit up the bait boats for some serious sardines. Then maybe you head out a bit to bring up some giant Humboldt squid (more bait), which is similar to reeling up a 65# cinder block from 700 feet below. It really helps to have a strong boyfriend at this point. Then you head down the coast towards Cabo Pulmo or way out in to the Sea of Cortez. And then you pray. Or you sing "Here fishy fishy fishy". Or sit on your butt drinking beer. Or you wear your lucky fishing earrings. Whatever it may be, I hope it works for you. The Sea is full of beautiful fish both for sport and for the table, you are likely to get one or the other on the end of your rod.

Day one: Blown out, pulled in the docks, no one fished. :(

Day two: Gorgeous, semi-sunny skies, hit the jackpot with a serious teeming pot of dorado. There really is no way to describe these fish, boiling next to the boat, hitting every line we had, the four of us passing lines to one another, hauling up as many as we could before they figured out what we were doing! We caught 6 fish in about 5 minutes, limited at 9 and decided to call it a good day.


Day three: Fished for the squid, hauled up 3 (ouch), hit on some tuna at about 11am and in the midst of a tuna frenzy, the tropical storm decided it was time to dump on us. Laughed our asses off while hauling in the catch. Soaked and giddy, no other bites, called it a day; we had plenty of camp meat and then some!


I am pretty sure we had tuna as an appetizer 3 nights in a row in various forms, but always fresh, sliced, with soy + wasabi. Seriously, there is nothing better. My best moment though? Watching David, the brother of our deckhand, fillet the tuna for us and me, looking at the carcass and the meat still clinging to the bones going...."What is that? Why is there so much on there? You are going to waste it?????" So he sliced a bunch off for me and I got to eat it there, in the rain under the pine trees at the Rancho. I wish I had a picture. No soy, no wasabi, just fresh, raw tuna. So freaking good. If I could have had my way, I would have scraped off every available and savory morsel and made it in to something delicious for us. Maybe next time I will ask for the carcass.

Departure day: Split up the meat between all of the couples that came and hope that your cooler doesn't weigh over 50# and you have to pay $50 to get it on the plane. Nope....ours weighed 90#, which means we would have paid $100. One brand new cooler later and we were on our way home without any extra charges to the airline, love it!

Tonight: First night home and practiced 3 ways of making ahi poke in the Hawaiian fashion.

Ahi Poke is a traditional way of preparing ahi tuna in Hawaii. There are many variations, but the staple recipe is below. Brock and I tried a few variations and will most likely continue to experiment and perfect them. Our suggestions are there, but feel free to play with it and make it your own. As we said tonight over chopped onions, garlic & ginger; it is hard to mess up when the fish is that good.

Ahi Poke

2 pounds fresh tuna steaks, cubed small
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Blend everything together and chill for at least a half an hour.




Best served on crispy wontons!


Variations
Add:
1 T minced ginger
or
1T minced jalapeno + 1 T minced garlic
or
1 tsp Siracha Sauce
or
Sub Ponzu Sauce for Soy & add lemon zest (no juice!)
or
add 1 tsp mustard (can be flavored if you wish!)


Any of these can be combined or you can use your imagination.

Salud!

Good friends, good food & good fun

Oooohhhhhhh Facebook. You are my friend and daily companion. You update me on my best friends trials & tribulations (even though I saw her last night), tell me what my hippie and porn star name is, offer up such life sucking games as farmville & mafia wars, enable me to network online with my wedding and event friends and best of all....reconnect me with old friends and acquaintances such as my culinary/college friends that are scattered all over the US of A.

This last weekend was one of many future "reunions" between myself and my awesome friends/classmates from the Santa Barbara City College Hotel Restaurant & Culinary program. As mentioned in previous posts, it was an interesting college experience likened to getting a 4 year degree in 2 years...super intense, super strict (it was then at least) and a program that will either give you enemies or bond you for life. I am fortunate to get to see a few of the ones I bonded with on a regular basis and others....well, I get my fixes on Facebook and hope for the next time I am in Colorado, North Carolina, Washington that they will be available to do what I got to do this weekend because I miss you all.

One friend who was "lost" to us for 7 or so (Nic!) years found us on Facebook and then she found a weekend off (and she is a chef even!) to come back down to Santa Barbara for a girls weekend. Saturday morning we took off with Mo and headed up to Los Olivos to do a little wine tasting and visit yet another lovely lady happens to live near Brander Winery and suggested a picnic there. A little sippy sippy at Andrew Murray in the adorable town of Los Olivos and then we were off to Christine's house to walk across the street for a picnic and a little more vino at Brander. The picnic was perfect, under the trees, surrounded by grapevines, watching the forklift dump crates of grapes out for the fall harvest. Feasting on cheese, prosciutto, melon, olives & bread while enjoying a lovely dry Rose from Brander and the Tout le Jours Syrah from Andrew Murray. I think we were there for 3 hours and I could have stayed longer just catching up and hanging out.

Down the road just a bit to Roblar Olive Oil for a little olive oil tasting (and buying of course! Mmmmm garlic olive oil) and then back to the Larsons house for a some group pics & a quick zen moment on the tree swing.

First Miss Emily showed us how it was done.....

Then Nicole took her turn....

And my turn to join in the fun!

Too fun not to share!

Sunday was a full and awesome day of friends and food....we started out at the Tyminskis house for a delicious brunch. Mo's egg casserole, fresh fruit, potatoes and mimosas-then Brock got all creative and made us bacon filled croissants. This boy knows the way to my heart, oh yeah!

Mmmmmm.....bacon stuffed croissants. Such a good way to start a morning!

Dinner at our house with the same crew of 6 fabulous peeps + Clover for the cocktail hour + the 3 most adorable munchkins ever....our meal was braised short ribs & polenta (goo-ooo-ood!) with delicious pear & bleu cheese salad with candied pecans. We started out with some tasty cheese & crackers and a grape and olive compote that I found in one of the many random books I read.

After the dishes were done, leftovers put away and Nicole & I were draped on the couch I thought about how lucky I am. To have friends who are not only fun and interesting to be around, love to eat and eat well, will jump in the kitchen and cook or do dishes, share the pleasure of taking care of each others kids while mommy and daddy get a break is not something that everyone can say they have. I am blessed.

My biggest gripe of the whole weekend???? Those of you in other states (and you know who you are!) weren't there with us celebrating and catching up. Glasses were raised and stories were told and I am more hopeful and optimistic now than ever that this will occur more frequently in the future and you will be there the next time.

Grape & Olive Compote

1 bunch of red or black grapes

1 jar of Kalamata olives, pitted, drained & chopped

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

1 T thyme

Combine all in a saucepan, stir and cook over medium heat for almost an hour....stirring the whole time. If the liquid runs low before the grapes break down and get squishy, add a little water.

Should be thick and a bit syrup-y. Serve with bread rounds & goats or feta cheese to spread on the bread, spoon the compote on top.

Braised Short Ribs & Soft Polenta

This feeds a gazillion people :) Nicole, forgive me if I effed up the proportions, I was browning the ribs!

25 Short Ribs, seasoned with salt & pepper

Brown in olive oil, set aside, reserve juices

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, medium dice

3 celery stalks, medium dice

3 garlic cloves, fine dice

2 oz prosciutto or pancetta, fine dice

1/2 cup oven or sun dried tomatoes (should not be dried, if so-re-hydrate with water)

Saute all in olive oil in a large stock pot or turkey roaster

4 tomatoes, rough chopped

Add the tomatoes to the pan the ribs (minus some of the oil or fat that has probably accumulated) were sauteed in, scrape up the beefy goodness that sticks to the bottom of the pan :)

Add to the veggies and add 2 cups beef broth or stock & 1 bottle red wine.

Add ribs back in and add about 2 T salt

Cover tightly and cook in the oven or on stove top at 350 or medium until ribs are tender.

Strain off all liquid, separate fat and reduce broth to 1/2. Take all veggies from pan and puree roughly in a food processor (or not if you like it chunky). Add everything back to the ribs, cover & hold.

Make polenta according to the package directions or your taste. Th low fat version is made with water or chicken broth. In culinary school they teach you fat = flavors. So milk, butter, water & cheese are what I saw Nicole dump in to ours and d**n it was good. And THEN she had the freaking balls to tell me to add a pat of butter to the top.....just for the hell of it. So what if I have to be in a bathing suit in 2 days, I had to listen, right?

Serve polenta, ribs, top with Parmesan and enjoy.....if you have leftovers, I think they are even better the next day too. At least they were today. :)

If you are short on time at night, you can also pop the ribs in the crock pot in the morning and do a 6 hour cook too. They are even more tender and when you get home, all you have to do is make the polenta and salad.

Cheers and thank you to my friends that made this a perfect weekend! When are we doing it again?????

Labor Day food love

Holiday weekends just to me scream food...they beg for us to eat, drink & be merry amongst our friends and family. To celebrate the folks that are fallen, the fighting, the working and the fact that we are here, healthy & happy.

Having held a job in restaurants, bars, catering companies & hotels since I was 18, holidays tend to mean that you are working your rear off serving the folks that actually get the days off. This is one of the first Labor Day weekends I can remember that I have not really had to work. Sure, I went in this weekend for a few hours for a couple of sites...but no huge weddings, no events that require me to miss out on the multiple nights of family and friends gathering to celebrate the holiday.

I've been invited to Mom & Dad's house for three nights running, and beyond some kitchen wench assistance & clean up duties I have pretty much been spoiled with awesome meals all weekend long. After posting my Friday night meal on Facebook and getting responses from friends like "My invitation must have gotten lost", "If it wasn't for Chinese takeout, I'd be knocking on your door" and "Can I move in with you?" I decided to share the whole darn weekend and include a few recipes of Moms' since they are so darn awesome. :)

** means the recipe has been shared :)

Friday night-Mom, Dad, Brock & I

Fried Green Tomato Salad with Grilled Shrimp & Ancho Chile Mayo **
Grilled Ribeye Steaks
Emerald Double Stuffed Potatoes **

Saturday night-Same, + Uncle Brian, Aunt Laura & Awesome Cousin Delany

Kick a** salsa & chips
Cheetos-both crispy & puffy (family tradition, we can't not have them at a party)

Cucumber Mint Mojitos **

Bratwurst & Sauerkraut
Sweet Bi Color Corn from Underwood Family Farms
Green Salad with Dad's Tomatoes & Avocados and Hearts of Palm
Angel Food Cake, Sliced Strawberries & Whipped Cream

Sunday night-Mom, Dad, & I + "The Gang". Couples my parents have been friends with for 30+ years, considered part of the family. As you will see it is a communal effort as everyone contributes!

Cocktail Hour (or two)
Prosciutto Wrapped Melon
Balsamic Glazed Mushrooms **super easy awesome hors d' oeuvre
Terry's 50's style Spinach Dip
Ron's House Smoked Salmon

Dinner

Gourmet Burgers on the grill with ALL the fixing's (MJ & JB's Tomatoes-gorgeous!)
Potato Chips
Riki's Crunchy Asian Cole Slaw
Susans "to die for" Rocky Road Cake **No recipe included, it takes about 2 days to make so I will let her keep making it for us :)

Obviously not all the recipes are needed as they are everyday items that you will find in almost every household on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends. The ones that I am sharing are the out of the norm, fun and different and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! If there is something you want that I neglected to share, feel free to ask and I will share it with you!

Cheers, hope your weekend was as great as mine!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Grilled Shrimp & Ancho Chile Mayo
Serves 4

2 Medium-Large Unripe Green Tomatoes, sliced about 1/2” thick
(should give you about 2 slices per person)
16 Medium Shrimp
Field Greens

About 1 cup Dixie Fry
2 Eggs, beaten with some water for egg wash
Cornmeal
Vegetable Oil for frying

Dressing-mix it all together
1 C Mayo
1 T Lemon Juice
½ T Paprika
¾ tsp Ancho Chile Powder or Cayenne Pepper
¼ C Honey

Dredge tomatoes in Dixie Fry, then egg wash and then cornmeal (all on separate plates/bowls) and fry in a large nonstick skillet until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels (I recommend you keep them warm on the BBQ while you grill the shrimp). Speaking of which….season the shrimp with S&P, spray a BBQ grill rack with non stick goodness and heat on medium. Grill shrimp until perfectly pink.

Place greens on a salad plate, top with tomatoes & shrimp and then drizzle, drop or plop some of the mayo mixture over the salad.

mmmmmmmmm………Baja meets the South courtesy of my Mama!

Emerald Double Stuffed Potatoes
4 Servings

2 Large Russet Potatoes, Baked and split in half lengthwise (do I need to tell you to poke them before baking?)

Scoop out the insides to a big bowl and add:

1/4 C Milk
1 T Butter
¼ C Non Fat Sour Cream or Non Fat Yogurt
6 Slices of Bacon, Cooked & Crumbled

2 Small Zucchini, Shredded Fine and Squeezed DRY
1 Green Onion, Chopped
1/8 T Dried Dill Weed or ¼ tsp Fresh Dill
1/8 C Parsley, Chopped Fine

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Mix everything together and refill the potato skins. Sprinkle with parmesan if you wish…we do because we love cheese. Reheat in a 350 degree oven. Super tasty and a great way to get veggies in to the diet in disguise.

Cucumber Mint Mojitos
Makes 3 or 4 depending on how big your glasses are. :)

Peel & Slice ½ of a Cucumber

Muddle in a bowl and then add:
2 T Sugar or Splenda
Generous handful of fresh mint on the stem

Muddle again
Add the juice of 1 lime
Add 1 cup of Rum (white)

Let this sit in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours

Strain into a bowl or cup and the squish the cucumber/mint mixture down so as to extract maximum flavor & alcohol from it.

Fill a rocks glass 2/3 with ice. Fill a martini shaker 2/3 with crushed ice and pour Mojito mix in to it and shake until super cold. Strain in to the glass leaving about an inch from the top. Squeeze in some lime juice & top with club soda. Garnish with peeled cucumber ribbons & fresh mint springs. Sooooooo refreshing!

Balsamic Glazed Mushrooms

16oz Buttom or Crimini Mushrooms
3 T Butter
¼ C Balsamic Vinegar (may need more to deglaze)
1/8 C Brown Sugar
Salt to taste

Sauté Mushrooms in a large pan (do not “crowd the mushrooms” a la Julia Child)

When the mushrooms start to release their water, add the Balsamic and stir over medium heat until the balsamic starts to get syrup-y. Add the brown sugar and stir until mushrooms are glazed, beautiful and shiny. If you need to add more vinegar to coat, feel free, the syrup will get a little less thick as the mushrooms continue to lose their water. Salt to taste and serve with nothing more than a toothpick.