Fon-Do’s: How To Make Your Fondue Party A Success! November 6, 2007

1) Screw the skewers! Civilized utensils are the way to go. And with an electric grill (see tip #2), use a spatula!

2) Using an electric grill, as opposed to sterno flamed grill, is a much better option when feeding ravished masses.

3) Don’t come hungry to a fondue party; the tiny morsels won’t fill you up! Eat a steak before you leave your house! Think of fondue as appetizers or nibbles to go along with your wine!

4) Make sure your sterno is the right size for your fondue pan. An oversized sterno will burn your molten mixture of cheese, chocolate or whatever…Nothing like the smell of scolded cheese permeating your home! MMMMmmm.

Okay, I do jest. Slightly. Fondue is fun. I much rather prefer fondue at home as opposed to going out and spending over $100 on a meal I could have easily (and cheaply!) prepared in no time at all. What’s it take? Broccoli and cheese? Torn up pieces of angel food cake and chocolate? Lots of wine! The point is to get creative and to enjoy your company.

We celebrated Wendi’s and Anne’s birthdays with a fondue party. These tips come from experience. With seating for everyone spread between two tables, it became a race to see who could finish first. At table one, they cheated with an electric grill and Anne actually got up to get a spatula! We at table two had to wait for a very, very, very long time fot the sterno-powered grill to cook our scallops and steak.

A good time was had, though, by all as evidenced by the photos. 

                  

Seeking Comfort, The Sequel September 25, 2007

Last night’s dinner was a cornicopia of comfort foods. Is it the weather; my circadian rhythms adjusting to the seasons; the primordial desire to build up fat stores before the onset of bitter cold? At any rate, the food was delicious and is all I can think about today, as I have been chained to my desk unable to take a lunch break in Jeff’s absence.

The recipes:

Slow simmered pork loin: 2 lbs pork loin, 1 c. molasses, 1 c. brown sugar, 1 roughly chopped yellow onion. Simmer for two hours.

Mac & Cheese: cooked rigatoni, 1 c. shredded swiss cheese, 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 c. white wine, 2 tsp. dijon, 1 1/2 c. milk. Salt, pepper to taste. In sauce pan, combine wine and dijon. Slowly add milk and cheese until all cheese is melted. Mix over the noodles in a caserole dish, top with extra cheese, bake for 10 mins at 400.

Yummmmmmm…. 

Seeking Comfort, a collection. Part I. September 17, 2007

Wow! I just ate the best chicken pot pie I have ever had in my life (and it involved more than simply opening a box and throwing it in the oven!) The weather took a short nose dive today, which put me in the mood for some comfort food, so I just started cooking what I had… a few carrots, a few celery stalks, some chicken broth and heavy cream… Mmmm….delicioso! 

It makes me think of the old saying, do the very best you can with what you have and you’ll be a success. Or, keep it simple, sweetheart.

 So, here’s the recipe (of sorts): in olive oil, brown some chicken (I used thighs and cut them into small pieces.) add half onion, three chopped carrots, two chopped celery stalks and half can of chicken broth. Cover and let simmer. Add 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, small pat of butter and one teaspoon flour (to make a roux). As the sauce thickens, slowly add the rest of the chicken broth. Finally, add about a handfull or two of frozen peas. Oh yeah, I used salt, pepper, oregano and a dash of nutmeg for to season it. Transfer the mixture to a souffle dish and top with biscuit mix. Bake at 450 for about 20 to 25 minutes. Mmmm….enjoy.

Have Cutting Board, Will Cook… July 23, 2007

Okay, I think it’s serious. Barry told me this morning he passed up watching Beckham’s debut with L.A. Galaxy last night, to go with me to my neighbor’s party. Ooo, how romantic…
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Now, what is my problem? I haven’t been serious about cooking in about four months. My culinary skills are atrophying! I made spaghetti the other night for dinner and it was so bland. I used pork instead of hamburger and I guess I should have browned it with sage and oregano, but I didn’t. The pork tasted like it was a tantrum throwing toddler, competing with the marinara sauce for attention instead of being the backbone that held it up. Oh well, next time I will take care to season the meat properly before I go at it.

I never used to have to think about cooking. I liked to say I was channeling my French ancestors in the kitchen. I don’t know if any of them were phenomenal cook, I just played into the stereotype. Seriously, have you ever started a pot of chicken noodle soup using bacon? Where would I have gotten that spark of inspiration if not from them?) I would start with one ingredient and just feel the flavors in my bones and start cooking. I could come up with some mean dishes…eggplant parmigiana (made with a cornmeal breading), zucchini succotash, fresh baked herbed chicken, hush puppies…all using what I had on hand.

I am thinking about making halibut again for dinner tonight, but the last time I made it with rice and leeks, there was no color to the dish and it looked like it was in serious need of a suntan. Completely unappealing. Oh, why is this suddenly so hard? Why have my ancestors left me? Argh. I think I’ll go look up some good recipes.

P.S. Thanks for the post, Kerri! I love icanhazcheezberger!