Shaking up dining in

So, for November's Dining In, I wanted to try something different. We have routinely had only about 8-12 show for a Dining In, so I thought we could do something like this (If we have more interest, we'll add another main dish and a little more of everything):

Fall Food is the theme

Assignments:

Drinks (1 person):

• BRu - Blueberry Limeade

Appetizers (2 spots left):

• ALDyer - Fire Roasted Tomato Vegetable Soup

Salads (1 spot left)

• Zahra - Apple, Pomegranate goodness

Sides (2 spots left)

• TRu - Garlic Bread

Main Dish (1 spot left)

• Lindy - Lasangna

Dessert (1 spot left)

• Julianne - Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

We'll meet at the Jumanji House at 7pm on Saturday, November 14th. Please let me know what you will bring in the comments, and I will update the post as we get more people. Please also bring your recipe, and we will post it here. Please RSVP by Friday, November 13. We can always add more items, but I want to make sure we have all the first bases covered.

If you would be willing to host one of these dinner groups, please let me know, and we will start a rotating schedule of themes and dishes. Thanks!

ETA: Thanks to all who came! I thought dinner was perfect! I cannot wait for the recipes.

A true Carolina Shrimp Boil

For my birthday this year, my cousin came to visit. Part of showing her the true North Carolina experience, we decided a Shrimp Boil (pronounced Shrimp Boll) was in order. Mixing potatoes, corn, and sausage from Saturday's Farmers' Market and fresh from the coast shrimp from Fishmongers (and newspapers pilfered from my work recycle bin), we truly made a heavenly night of it.

To have a great shrimp boil you will need:

• Newspaper (they make clean up shockingly easy)
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Lemon (lots!)
• An instructional on deveining shrimp (optional)

And the following:

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

Ingredients

• 4 quarts water (16 cups)
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer (optional)
• 1/2 cup OLD BAY® Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 2 large onions, cut into wedges
• 2 pounds lean smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise
• 4 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count)

Directions

1. Bring water, beer, OLD BAY Seasoning and salt to boil in 12-quart stockpot on high heat. Add potatoes and onions. Cook 8 minutes. Add smoked sausage. Cook 5 minutes. Add corn. Cook 7 minutes.

2. Stir in shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

3. Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into large serving bowl or platter. Or, mound on paper-covered table. Sprinkle with additional OLD BAY Seasoning, if desired.

Ashley's Special Cocktail Sauce

Spoon full’s of:

• Cocktail sauce
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Horseradish sauce
• Ketchup

More cocktail and horseradish than the others. But just taste it and add more of

what you want as you go along. Enjoy--and so will your guests, people raved!

If you want to be daring, feel free to add another take on the shrimp boil, by getting a little steamy.

Old Bay Steamed Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar or beer (again, I did the cider vinegar)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons OLD BAY® Seasoning
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving tails on
• 1 cup OLD BAY® Cocktail Sauce (or make your own).

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix vinegar, water and OLD BAY. Bring to boil on medium heat. Gently stir in shrimp, then cover.

2. Steam 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Drain well.

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until hungry guests arrive. Best served with punchy cocktail sauce and lively conversation.

Garlic Butter

For a delicious shrimp dip, just serve up this delight. It is incredibly easy. Microwave one stick of butter for 14-30 second (or until melted). Mix in 1/4 tsp garlic powder until dissolved. Dip away.

If you want a fancy option as well (or if you know people who don't go for old bay), you can try these:

Olive Oil Poached Shrimp

Take your shrimp and lay them in a lipped baking sheet (a jelly roll pan will work). Drizzle with olive oil and a little parsley. Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Toss shrimp at the 15 minute mark to coat one more time. Bake 10 more minutes, or until they look right.

Lemon-Basil Aioli

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes. Notes: If you are concerned about salmonella or bacteria in raw eggs, use 1/2 cup pasteurized whole eggs (available at some grocery stores) in place of the egg yolks. Yield: Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 egg yolks (I used egg-beaters)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dunk basil leaves into the boilin

g water for 20 seconds. Drain and squeeze out as

much excess water as possible.

2. In a blender, whirl blanched basil leaves with olive and canola oils. Empty into a measuring cup or small pitcher and reserve.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

4. Whisk in a drop of the basil oil; continue adding drops of oil, whisking until mixture thickens to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Continuing to whisk, pour in remaining basil oil in a very thin stream. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

If you are an overachiever, you do all three. Dump on the newspapers and go to town. Laugh, chat, eat, dip, savor, and sit back with a full heart and belly at the end. Enjoy your true Carolina Experience.

Around the web in foodie posts: Halloween

Oh so fabulous foodie posts about All Hallows Eve. . .

• Some creepy treats. Shudder
• Pumpkin bread pudding? Oh yes!
• 30 minute Apple Turnovers. . .
• Using Halloween Candy--Smart(ies)!
• Vegan Marshmallows (Ghosts, people, ghosts!)--watch the short at the end, cute!
• A cake-wrecks Halloween
• What fall looks like
• Recipe Zaar's list of Halloween snacks.
• B found these gorgeous Fall Leaf Tortilla chips--perfect with a ghoulish guacamole!

Have an eerie, entertaining, edible evening, my fellow ghouls and goblins!

Around the Web in Foodie Posts: September & October

Here is the long list of foodie posts I've enjoyed lately--

September:

• That fabulous salad j.bradley borrowed from Sitti
• A beautiful end of summer treat
• A Ravioli Thells will love
• Debating the Food Police--with possible upsetting consequences for foodies
• It's all about the presentation
• Basic Kitchen Tools
• Gorgeous Lemony Pastries that I haven't gotten up the courage to ruin (I struggle with pastry patience)
• A Top Chef Rundown (They are pretty on with their top four--those are mine)
• A feature on Vegetarian recipes (really just a glorified recipe list)
• CFM's market recipes page always tickles my fancy. . .

October:

• In honor of dining in: a crepe post
• A cool look at solar powered kitchens
• A fun twist on a birthday favorite
• Feminist Food-storage
• A plum tart (Kel is a friend and former-roommate who was a guinea pig in many of my college food experiments--she is very brave, and a great cook!)
• A 50-cent interview to prep you for the fair
• Halloween Party Food
• A way to prep your kitchen for the holiday season
• And though not a blog, it is very nice to mention that Guglehupf is now serving dinner on the weekends (I loved the Schnitzel and the Beef short ribs with potato dumplings, though the desserts were also amazing--try the apple tart--wow!)

Any posts that changed your world or helped you set new food goals? Tell us more!

Chicken Soup & Apples for K

Every so often my friend K will need a recipe, and I will get an email that allows me to be a superhero sans tights. But hey, why wouldn't you love a friend who puffs up your ego just a bit?

In September it was Chicken Soup (she loved the Mexican Lime Chicken Soup):

• http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickensoupsandstews/Chicken_Soups_and_Stews_Recipes.htm
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/cheesy-chicken-soup/
• http://www.busymommy.us/cooking/chicken/715-crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/stew-that-chicken-slow/
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/oriental-noodle-chicken-soup/
• http://diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com/2009/08/mexican-lime-chicken-soup-adapted-for.html
• http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diabetes/diabeticrecipes3.cfm

Today it was apples:

• Betty's Apple Crisp (I will admit that ever since I got my first red Betty my sophomore year of college, I hate being without her--she is my most consistent cooking instructor/buddy): http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/apple-crisp
• I know, don't look at the wallpaper, but it really is amazing for something from a chain restaurant: http://recipecircus.com/recipes/gijane/DESSERTS/Maggiano39s_Warm_Apple_Crostata.html
• I love a good apple pie that you don't need a pie plate for--have it with cinnamon or dulce de leche ice cream and you are set! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/apple-crostata-recipe/index.html
• Southern Apple Pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/paula-deen-savannah-high-apple-pie-recipe/index.html
• This is a bread, but boy is it tasty: http://www.fostersmarket.com/recipes.php?recipe_id=47
• How can you go wrong with apple dumplings? http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Old-Fashioned-Apple-Dumplings/Detail.aspx
• Or, see what you like (the apple salsa looks cool): http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/fruits/apples/top.aspx

What have you been dying for a recipe for? Should we have a "Dear Prudie"-like post that answers everyone's food dilemmas or recipe needs every month? It is definitely something to think about.

Foodie Favorites: Mashed Seasoned Cauliflower

I adore Jim's Famous BBQ in Chapel Hill. No one in the area has better ribs. Since I tracked them down when I first moved here; whenever I am in the mood for baby-back or St. Louis (pronounced Louie) cut ribs, succulent sides, and mouth-watering cobbler; I will make a few calls then make my (or our) way to Jim's. I have had everything from dry rub to Sweet and Saucy (just like me), and it is all fall-off-the-bone tender and smokey-barbecue goodness. Yum!

That being said, their best feature has always been their mashed seasoned cauliflower. Sadly, it has recently been a casualty of the recession. As my heart broke thinking of this lost treasure, I decided I had to send an email begging for the recipe.

I was blessed with the restaurant quantity recipe below. I am pretty sure I'll have to experiment to make sure a smaller portioned recipe works well, but I cannot wait!

Jim's Famous BBQ's to-die-for Mashed Seasoned Cauliflower

Ingredients

-5 Pounds of Cauliflower
-3 Tablespoons of Liquid Butter
-1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
-1 Teaspoon of Salt
-3 Tablespoons of Vegetable Broth
-Choice of Cheese (Optional)

Instruction
-Bring water to a boil.
-Rough chop the cauliflower.
-Put in the pot basket.
-Place basket in boiling water.
-Boil for 12 to 15 minutes (Or until it is soft).
-Remove from pot and place in hotel pan.
-Mash and add the remaining ingredients.
-Transfer to sheet pan and let cool.

Add a little cheddar on the top, and you have a beautifully luscious, but seemingly simple side for any meal--an easy non-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking of it!

Telling your food story

I finally got around to watching the finale of Top Chef Masters last night. Out of 24 Chefs who have been in the industry for a long time and who have James Beard Awards, Michelin Stars, and have owned restaurants for years, it was down to three. Their final challenge, to create a four course meal that told their food story.

Course 1: Their first food memory.

Course 2: The first time they cooked something, and they knew they wanted to be a chef.

Course 3: The first restaurant they opened.

Course 4: Where they are now and where they are heading.

From making gnocchi with an Italian mother, to living over a Pastry shop in France, to taking 20 years to get the perfect black mole sauce, every moment was exquisite. My mouth watered the entire time. I would have killed to be at that table taking that journey with them. I loved the true artistry and passion each chef had for food.

So, now I have a challenge for you--write a post about it, post in the comments, send me an email as a guest post--whatever, but I want to know! You do not have to answer all of them.

Course 1: Your first food memory.

Course 2: The first time you cooked something and knew you loved to cook (or ate something and knew you loved food).

Course 3: The first time you had to cook something all by yourself (whether it turned out well or not).

Course 4: What you wish you could cook if you had the chance.

This may just be a dream menu, or maybe we'll have a dining in and you bring one of the above mentioned dishes. I just love the idea of food telling a story, starting relationships, and bringing people together who are passionate about life, love, and everything around them. What will your story be?

Nigella's Brownies

This weekend I became a domestic goddess when I bought a cookbook by British baker Nigella Lawson and made these brownies for my party, to smashing success:

Brownies

1 2/3 c. soft unsalted butter (I used salted butter though, because I like things to be saltier than not)
13 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 8 oz. generic baking chocolate, a 3.5 oz. Ghirardelli 60% cacao bar, and a handful of milk chocolate chips)
6 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. chopped walnuts

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy-based pan. In another bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla and sugar. When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a little and add the eggs and sugar, then sift in the flour and salt, and add the nuts last. Mix well, then scrape the batter into a 13 x 9 x 2 pan lined with foil (I put mine into individual cupcake papers in a muffin tin). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (20 for the muffin tin method) until the top is dry and pale but the inside is still gooey.

Nigella says you can try it with dried cherries instead of nuts, or with nothing at all. And normally I don't like nuts in my brownies, but these were divine. It's also heavenly to top them with chopped strawberries and some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Really, the possibilities are endless, and the recipe is so easy I might not even bother with brownie mixes ever again.

White Lasagna

For some reason the idea of a white lasagna came to my mind one day, and I decided to make it. I'm not sure if it's my blood type diet which says that I'm supposed to avoid tomatoes or my recent desires to try making creative dinners that sparked my interest in this lasagna, but I think it turned out pretty good. I've never even eaten a white lasagna before let alone made one, but I definitely enjoyed both making and eating this one.


Disclaimer: When cooking, I don't really follow any recipes, so the measurements used here are all approximated.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• seasoned salt (or just plain salt is fine)
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup chopped spinach

• 1 egg
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp basil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
  

• 1 zucchini
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 pound mixed Italian cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  
• 1 package lasagna noodles (9 or 12 noodles)
  

Directions:

1. Make a roux with the butter and flour. Here's how: Melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour. Stir over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
2. Slowly add the milk and water. Stir constantly with whisk until thick (this may take awhile).
• Note: I never precook my lasagna noodles, so I add water to the sauce which will cook the noodles while the lasagna cooks in the oven.
3. Add salt to taste. Add green onions and spinach to white sauce.
   
4. In a small bowl, mix the egg, ricotta cheese (I didn't use the whole container.), 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, and basil
• Note: I usually make a 4 layer lasagna with 12 noodles, but for some reason, the box I bought came with 10 1/2 noodles, so I just made a 3-layer lasagna this time. This recipe will explain the 3-layer version.
  
5. In a 13x9 pan, pour a little bit of the white sauce mixture to coat the bottom of the pan. Place 3 noodles on the bottom. Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto the 3 noodles.
6. Slice the zucchini into thin slices. Place one layer of zucchini in the pan. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese over the zucchini. Top with a small layer of the sauce.
• Note: Be careful not to use too much sauce. You want to make sure you have plenty of sauce for the top layer! If you think you won't have enough sauce consider thinning the sauce with a little bit of water.
7. Make another noodle-ricotta mixture-zucchini(use the rest)-mozzarella cheese-white sauce layer.
8. Place the last three noodles on top and cover with the last of the white sauce. Top with 1/4 pound of the mixed Italian cheese mixture (you can substitute this with mozzarella if you prefer) and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until the cheese on top is slightly golden.
10. Enjoy!

Side note:

• I recommend trying more vegetables: broccoli, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, whatever sounds good to you.

Poor Girl's Pizza

Since I'd procrastinated my grocery shopping as usual, on Sunday afternoon I opened the fridge to find nothing but a lonely tomato and a chunk of old feta cheese. What's a girl to do? Make pizza! There's always flour in my cupboard, usually a packet of yeast too, and some olive oil, and that's all you really need to make a good crust. Top your pizza with any old thing you have in the fridge (well, maybe not anything) and you've got an easy, cheap meal. My pizza recipe:

Combine 2 teaspoons dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 cup water in a bowl and set it aside for about ten minutes. Then, when it looks all bubbly, mix in 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, forming a ball of dough. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead it for about five minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Coat it with a little oil or cooking spray and put it back in the bowl, covered, to rise until doubled in size (about a half hour).

When the dough has risen, stretch it out nice and round and flat onto a pizza pan coated with a small handful of cornmeal. Rub some olive oil all over it, then add your toppings. I used dried basil flakes (fresh basil would have been even better), tomato slices, and crumbled feta cheese. Salt and pepper it too, if desired. I like to salt the crust nice and good for sure.

Bake it for about 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven, or until the crust and the edges of the topping look toasty brown. Depends on how crunchy you like your pizza to be. Anyway, right when you take it out of the oven, rub butter onto the crust. Then slice it up and enjoy!