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. 

                  

We Can’t Rewind, We’ve Gone Too Far October 17, 2007

Okay, so I am looking for a new job. It’s no secret. I think I bombed my first two interviews. Some of the quesitons they asked were pretty basic and my answers were lame! Argh! Perhaps I can save grace with a stellar thank you note! Must get on that right away!

I do have to share my almost-three-year old is brilliant! Today, she made herself cinamon rolls, swept the floor and took out the garbage. All by herself and without prompting! I say all she needs is a bank account and a bus pass and she can move out on her own!

Okay, so the cinnamon rolls required my assistance with the microwave (but she did get them out of the freezer by herself and she iced them by herself) and sweeping had to be redone, but hey…the garbage??? She even put a new bag in the trash bin after she had taken out the old one! Her brother and sister can learn a thing or two….

Oh, and on the comfort food front…orange marmalade. It’s my new secret weapon. For tonight’s dinner, I seasoned a pork roast with salt and pepper, then seared it. Before I put it in the oven with the usual accoutrement (potatoes, carrots, onion and celery) I deglazed the frying pan, poured the juices over the roast, and then smeared orange marmalade on top.  MMMMMMMM. Delicioso! I am stuffed.

But don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself.

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….