I have a little secret- I love those reusable bags that you buy at the grocery store. I have about a dozen of them. You know what kind I'm talking about- Raley's, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods-- pretty much every place sells them or gives them away. The problem is I never remember to take them to the store with me. Instead I use them for everything else- carrying food/ingredients to Mr.S' casa, transporting my laundry, returning books to the library, even throwing wet clothes in there after a day at the beach. Mr.S used to make fun of me when we first started dating because he thought the bags were pretty dorky (especially my purple one from Whole Foods with a giant eggplant on it and the enthusiastic statement of, "I Love Veggies!" but he confessed to me a few years ago that he started looking forward to those bags because it usually meant I was going to cook something delicious at his house. And last year, he even bought a few himself...now whether he actually takes them to the store or not, I have no idea...but who am I to judge?☺ Anyhow, I used the bags recently to bring the ingredients over to his house to cook Korean ground beef. Both he and Kidlet #1 gave it the thumbs up, as did my friend Michelle when I gave her some. This is a super versatile recipe and I'm pretty sure I'll be making it a lot now that I'm working. It's easy to throw together and you can use it in tacos, rice bowls (this works fantastically in bibimbap) or in lettuce wraps. You will need some gochujang sauce though- a Korean red pepper paste containing chiles, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt (and sometimes a sweetner). You can find it as most Asian supermarkets. It usually comes in a jar or a plastic tub and some brands are spicier/sweeter than others. Gochujang tastes great when used to make marinades, stir-fries or stew. Sometimes I like to mix it with peanut butter and few other condiments and use it as a dressing.



Korean Ground Beef

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 - 1.25 lbs. ground beef
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 scant cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (I just use my microplane)
1 heaping teaspoon gochujang
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat up your sesame oil over medium heat. Add your garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add your ground beef. Cook, stirring to break up the crumbles. When it's no longer pink, drain the fat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together your brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and gochujang.

3. Add the mixture to the beef. Simmer for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.


4. Sprinkle in green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Stir. Remove from heat.

5. Serve over rice, with lettuce leaves or with tortillas.

I love cooking, for me it's relaxing and enjoyable. I know not everyone feels this way. Some find it tedious, boring or even stressful. And even I'll admit, there's some nights that I find comfort in easy recipes...ones that I can slap together with minimal prep and headache. On nights like these,  I especially love "one skillet" recipes. The more unfussy they are, the more I tend to embrace them. Like this recipe for Pan Roasted Chicken and Mushrooms in a Creamy Dijon Pan Sauce. It's simple but elegant, one of those versatile dishes that's perfect for a weeknight dinner or for when you have company over. Also, it makes your kitchen smell delicious. When I made this Friday night, both Mr.S and Kidlet #1 kept wandering in and out of the kitchen murmuring about how amazing the simmering sauce smelled.


Chicken and Mushrooms in a Creamy Dijon Pan Sauce

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts (or 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs)
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
12 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
1 medium red onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1.5 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh)
2.5 tablespoons good quality, whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons butter
slices chives (optional)

Instructions

1. In a shallow baking dish mix together: flour, sea salt and black pepper. Dredge the chicken through the mixture, coating both sides. Set chicken aside.

2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat up your oil. Once it's hot, add your chicken breast. Cook each side for 4 minutes over high heat so that it gets well browned and crispy. (Make sure you don't crowd the chicken.) You may want to use your splatter guard as the oil with be crackin' and hissin'.

3. Place the cooked chicken on a plate and set aside.

4. In the same skillet (keep the pan juices in there), add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary and tarragon. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for about three minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and add in mustard. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan so that it mixes in with the wine-mushroom mixture. Add your stock, half and half and butter. Reduce heat by half and stir frequently. Allow the sauce to reduce. After a few minutes, add the chicken back to the skillet and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes in the thickened sauce, basting occasionally.

5. Remove from heat and serve chicken with the extra sauce spooned over each piece.

6. Garnish with chives (optional)

Cary's Chile Colorado (recipe reprinted with permission)

Ingredients

• 8 New Mexico Chiles  (dried)
• One bottle of beer  (what's your poison?)
• 8 pounds of beef  (Boneless Beef Chuck Roast. Preferably already cut into cubes.)
• One large yellow onion
• 2 Tbs butter
• 3 cloves of garlic  (finely minced)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Happy (Belated) New Year! I hope you all welcomed the new year healthy and vibrant; unlike me, who was laid up with the creeping crud (aka the horrendous cold that everyone seems to be getting). I started exhibiting symptoms on Christmas Eve and am just now starting to feel normal as we embark on the second week of January. I had the whole symptom shebang- major congestion, aches, fever, sinus pressure and coughing. For about a week my voice was so raspy that I probably could have passed for a phone sex operator. Thanks to loads of Afrin, Nyquil, Sudafed and several boxes of Puffs with Lotion, I'm almost back to my usual sassy self. I didn't cook much during my illness but I did crawl out of my death bed to make a terrific NYE meal. Mr. S and I had both kidlets so we opted for a night in at his house (too many amateurs out there guzzling champagne for my taste) and invited his brother to join us. To usher in the new year, I decided to break in my new red Dutch oven and make a Jamie Oliver recipe that I had been eyeballing for awhile- Chicken in Milk. This recipe is from his cookbook, "Happy Days With The Naked Chef." I know, I know...chicken in milk sounds slightly unappetizing, but trust me this recipe is wonderful! Combining milk with lemon, you would think you would end up with a rancid pot of curdled milk, right? Nope! In this case, the unusual combination creates a flavorful sauce with some dodgy looking but delicious cheese-like curds. It's toe-curling good! Not only that, but while it's cooking it will fill your house with heavenly aromas. I didn't change much from the original recipe- I did sub in boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they're easier to portion and serve. Additionally, I adjusted the amount of butter and the cooking time and I added a ton more garlic. The roasted butter makes a delectable savory spread if you're serving bread/rolls with your dinner. Seriously, this is the perfect comfort food meal when you are feeling less than stellar- quick to assemble and cook and aces in the flavor department.



Braised Chicken in Milk (adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe)
Feeds 5

Ingredients

12 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh (roughly 3 lbs.) 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked

zest from 2 lemons (I used 3 b/c mine were small Meyers)

15 garlic cloves, skins left on

1 pint whole milk (don't sub in soy, coconut almond, or ultra-pasteurized milk- it won't come out as good)

Holy moly, we're almost at the end of 2013! Can you believe it? This year went by so fast! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I spent Xmas with Mr.S.'s family. They do a big Christmas dinner at Mr.S.'s, everyone brings a few dishes and his parents make a delicious ham. This year I was in charge of lemon bars, sausage balls and green bean casserole (that last dish wasn't by my choice, it was requested). I was excited about making the sausage balls. I found the recipe last year in a magazine while at the hospital. It was a recipe submitted by the Voltaggio brothers (of Top Chef fame) for a Thanksgiving issue. It sounded intriguing so I took a photo with my phone and looked it up online later on. The recipe is quite easy to make (just a handful of ingredients), can be prepared ahead of time (just pop them in the oven right before guests arrive) and perfect for a holiday party finger food. I found that the sausage balls taste great when paired with a dipping sauce (honey-mustard, sweet chili, or even an aioli goes great with these). Also, the leftovers are fantastic when used in an egg strata the next day (just sub in the sausage balls for the bread and cook as usual). I threw in some leftover ham and cheese from the previous night's dinner when I made ours. Mr.S . and Kidlet #1 loved the sausage ball-strata.

Holiday Sausage Balls (adapted from Redbook Magazine)

Ingredients

3 cups Bisquick pancake mix
1 lb. bulk country or breakfast sausage (not in casing, crumbled)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage


Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper so that the sausage balls don't stick.

3. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and mix everything thoroughly.

4. Use your hands to form 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the parchment paper. Make sure the sausage balls are spaced out evenly.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are puffed and a golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack or platter and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Can you smell it? (Ok, maybe not smell it, right now all I can smell is the dog tooting up a storm because I made the mistake of sneaking him a few bites of chicken last night after dinner.) Anyhow...Fall is almost here! Despite the fact that Target started trotting out Halloween decorations the minute 4th of July ended, it didn't really feel like autumn was approaching to me until this week. Just within the last few days there's been a distinct change in the feeling of the seasons.


The calendar says September 22nd is the official first day of fall but already I can feel the nights are getting crisper, soups are starting to show up on restaurant menus and cardigans are starting to be taken out of the closets by all the hipsters in Midtown. I'm excited, I love fall! It's the best season (and no, it's not because Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes are being sold-- truth be told, I don't even like them.) I just love how autumn feels. It's like Goldilocks and the Three Bears- all the other seasons are too hot, too cold, too wet...fall is just perfect. It could be because I was born in the fall and an autumn baby thus biased...but c'mon who doesn't love: hot apple cider, rainbow colored leaves, The Great Pumpkin and roaring fireplaces? I can't wait! In the meantime, I'm bridging the gap between seasons with recipes like this rustic shrimp and white bean dish that I adapted from a recipe I dug up from ol' Michael Chiarello (you know that really pompous Napa chef that was on Top Chef Masters awhile back. I was seriously hoping someone would have enough of his BS and stick a BBQ fork in his testicles at some point during that season). Anyhow, I made some tweaks to the recipe to suit my palate and the dish went over very well at the dinner table (aka no kidlets whining). The heirloom tomatoes bring about a nice taste of summer freshness to the dish but the heartiness of the beans and shrimp give the plate a stick-to-your-ribs quality that make it a good choice for the fall as well.


Rustic Shrimp and White Beans with Heirloom Tomato Sauce
(based on Michael Chiarello's Tuscan Shrimp and White Beans recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups canned cannellini white beans
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. med shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 dried chiles de árbol (crushed)
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced fresh heirloom tomatoes
4 oz. Mexican chorizo (or Soyrizo)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup whole fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley-chopped

Instructions

1. Drain the cannellini beans and reserve the liquid.

2. Place the beans in a large skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of the bean liquid. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to a simmer. Set aside. Keep warm while you prepare the rest of your dish.

3. In a separate skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat. Add shrimp. Season with salt, cook for 1 minute. Remove shrimp with tongs, set aside in a bowl. Add garlic to empty skillet. Sauté until fragrant, add chiles de árbol  and chorizo (or Soyrizo), cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil. Stir. Add lemon juice and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in shrimp and cannellini beans. Mix well. Cook for another minute to reheat shrimp.

5. Spoon onto plate. Sprinkle with parsley.

Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs (adapted from a recipe by Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.5 lbs)
1 medium-sized yellow onion, sliced
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
couple of fresh thyme sprigs
2 cloves of garlic, minced (you can sub in some garlic powder in a pinch)
1.5 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 lemon, cut in wedges (optional)



Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic.

3. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until it's super hot. Gently place the thighs in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. If you have a splatter guard, now is the time to use it. It'll keep the mess to a minimum.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for about another 10 minutes. You want the chicken to get a nice crispy golden brown color. Then flip the bird(s). Toss in your chopped 'shrooms, onions and thyme sprigs. Season with a little more salt and pepper if you wish. Give them a nice nudge around the skillet so the veggies get coated with oil.

5. Place skillet in oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

6. Remove from oven, transfer to a plate. Discard thyme sprigs. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

7. Serve with lemon wedges. (optional)

Man, when did it become so incredibly HOT outside? I'm definitely not one of those people who loves the sweltering heat. What's there to like? Burning my hand on my steering wheel? Sweating like a pig? Ugh. If my little cottage didn't have CH&A, I don't know what I'd do. Seriously. I don't care if that makes me seem like an entitled brat. Whenever that thermometer starts climbing past 75 degrees, my air goes on- STAT. I would never survive in the South, where they have the double whammy of heat and humidity. I'm a total wuss. So this weekend when it reached over 100 degrees,  I tried to minimize my time spent in the kitchen. On Friday night, I convinced Mr. S. that we should go out to eat...I called it a date night but in all honestly, I just didn't want to cook. We tried the new Turkish restaurant on J Street, Istanbul Bistro. Not bad. The lamb beyti kabob was heavenly. The chicken shish plate...meh, probably wouldn't order that again. It was a bit bland and the portion was skimpy for the cost ($15).

Saturday night, I headed to the wilds of Rocklin for a wonderful get together of a few food bloggers in the area, including- Bake It With Booze, Guava Rose and Tate's Kitchen. There was such a delicious array of foods and cocktails. Man, can those ladies cook! I even got to try some tasty homemade orangecello that made my made my eyes bug out on the first sip. Those Bake with Booze girls aren't messing around with their booze. That orangecello may have put some hair on my chest, it was hardcore! I loved it though. :) Sunday was spent helping Kidlet #2 with his report (I now know more than I ever wanted to about FDR), reading  my book for book club (Home by Toni Morrison, which I'm enjoying immensely) and cooking. Yep, I said cooking. I cranked up the AC and ventured into the kitchen...and I even used the oven! I guess I just can't stay out of there. I thought a little luau food would be fun for the kidlets so I braved the heat and made Kalua pig, Hawaiian mac salad and coconut rice. The kidlets and Mr.S. loved it.  It was such an easy dish to make and pork butt is so cheap, I think we'll be making it more often. We even had enough for leftovers for the next day. Kalua pork is so versatile- you can throw the leftovers in tacos and quesadillas, stuff them into sandwiches and even toss some onto a pizza. It also freezes well. The only thing that would have made that meal better, would have been a GIANT mai tai. Um...for me (not the kidlets).

Kalua Pork

Ingredients

5 lb. pork butt, bone in
1.5 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoons of Hawaiian Alaea sea salt


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Score the pork butt on all sides.

3. Rub liquid smoke and salt onto the pork butt. Use your hands to pat it into the meat.

4. Place the pork butt on a large piece of heavy aluminum foil, fat side up. Wrap the foil tightly around the meat in a tent-like fashion. Place in a roasting pan or baking dish.

5. Cook for about 4-5 hours (about 45 minutes per pound of meat).

6. When it's done, remove the pork butt from the oven and let it sit, untouched, for another 10-15 minutes.

7. Open the foil. Remove the meat from the foil and shred the meat with two forks. It'll be really tender and will fall apart easily. You can also use some of the remaining roasting liquid to moisten the pork (optional). Serve.

The kidlets loved the crispy ranch chicken and it looks like this dish will be making some repeat appearances in our dinner rotation.


Kidlet Friendly Crispy Ranch Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 oz. plain-flavored Fage Greek Yogurt

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

2 cups smashed corn flakes (I put mine in a Ziploc and run a rolling pin over it a few times)

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons bread crumbs

Olive oil spray (or in a mister)


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack that can accomodate the 4 chicken breasts on it (this will keep the bottoms of the chicken breasts from getting soggy).

3. In a bowl, mix together your ranch mix, crushed corn flakes, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

4. Pat your chicken breasts dry, then coat all sides with the Greek yogurt (about an medium amount, don't go too skimpy or too thick).

5. Dredge your yogurt-covered chicken breasts through the dry ingredient mix and place them on the wire racks.

6. Spray the top with olive oil spray.

7. Place the sheet in the oven. Cook for approx. 25-35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breast.

8. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Happy Monday!

Can you detect my sarcastic undertone? Blech! No matter how much older I get, I still abhor Mondays. You'd think the beginning of the week would illicit feelings of unicorns and rainbows. No? Well in the very least a fresh beginning...but unfortunately, Mondays always feel like a giant buzzkill to me. It takes all my willpower not to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed. Well, maybe this week I'll find some time to start a few holiday cooking projects. Anyhow, I hope while I've been MIA, you've been having some fun. Mr.S. and I had a great date night last week. We attended a performance at The Crest put on by Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla. It was a mix of discussion and debate covering everything from politics to parenting, followed up by a Q&A session.  I found the event interesting and had a good time even though my views on politics and religion differ quite a bit from the two speakers. Mr.S. loved it, he's a a huge fan of Carolla's podcast and tends be a bit more conservative than me in his beliefs. He must not be the only one in Sac because I'm pretty sure the show was sold out...it was really packed in there! Luckily we were in the second row so we had some breathing room.



I also got new wellies (in dark red!) and got to break them in this week. I was quite excited to finally get to wear them. They're quite comfortable as well as fashionable...because you know you need to look fashionable when wading through a rainstorm. ;)


And don't worry, I did a little tinkering around in the kitchen too. I would have done more but I just couldn't get myself to go out in the foul weather to the grocery store. It's not the rain that bothers me, it's the crazy drivers! Anyhow, I was craving something rich and hearty to warm me up, so I threw together some chicken and mushrooms with a flavorful sherry sauce. If you love the taste of garlic and shallots (we do!), then you're bound to like this delicious recipe.



Chicken and Mushrooms in Sherry Sauce

Ingredients

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast- cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup fresh shimeiji mushrooms

1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

3 shallots, minced

3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 1/2 cups no salt chicken broth

1/2 cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons cornstarch

salt and fresh ground back pepper


Instructions

1.  In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).

2. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.

3. Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, saute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, stirring frequently until they soften.

4. Return chicken to skillet. Then add rosemary, thyme and white pepper. Cook for 1 more minute.

5. Add the chicken broth and sherry to the mixture.

6. Reduce heat the medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

7. Remove a 1/2 cup of sauce from skillet. Add cornstarch to the cup of sauce. Whisk, then return to skillet.

8. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.

9. Remove from heat and serve with with rice, pasta or by itself.

This past weekend I was at a party and my buddy Eric and I happened to get in a conversation about food. He mentioned that he had been making curry chicken salad fairly frequently lately. My first thought was, "Curry chicken salad...yum! But ugh, I would have to roast some chicken...what a pain in the butt. Who has time for that?"  That's when he mentioned that he was using cooked rotisserie chicken from the market and my ears perked up. Rotisserie chicken? That sounds quick! Then my second thought was, "Oh, all that mayo! I can't eat that, I'm trying to lose a few pounds!" But where there's a will there's a way and on the drive home later that night, I started thinking about perhaps using yogurt (more specifically Greek yogurt, which has a nice creamy texture) in place of the mayo. I could cut the calories but still get my curry chicken salad fix. I know several friends who love subbing Greek yogurt into their recipes so I figured,"Why the hell not?" I tinkered around with the recipe on Monday and what I ended up with is listed below. I was quite pleased with the result and ate it for dinner last night and lunch today. It was the perfect balance of sweet and savory for me.
* If you like spicy, add a pinch of cayenne, it adds a nice kick to the dish.

PS It's Nov. 6th! If you haven't already--be sure to vote!



Spicy Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup plain Greek yogurt  (I used Fage Total 2%)

1.5 tablespoons curry powder

1 medium Fuji apple, cored and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red onion

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup almonds, sliced and roasted (optional)

pinch of cayenne (optional)


Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, curry powder, lemon juice, pepper, salt and a pinch of cayenne. Stir together.

2. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, chopped apple, dried cranberries and red onion.

3. Combine the ingredients from the two bowls. Mix together well.

4. Serve chilled. Tastes great spread on some soft lavash or place a scoop atop a bed of fresh salad greens.

2500 Watt Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825. (916) 482-2175.
http://www.thehofbrau.com/
Since 1959.

"Drink for the Thirsty, Food For The Hungry," is what the colorful stained glass that hangs over the middle of Sam's dining room proclaims...and fill us up with food and drink it did. Last night Mr.S. and I decided to hit up a movie for date night. I'd been interested in seeing "Argo," for awhile, so we headed over to Century to check it out. I'm not sure if it was because it was mid-week or because a zombie apocalypse was impending but the movie theatre was practically deserted. Our movie theatre maybe had eight people in there tops. The film which dealt with the rescue of six US diplomats from Tehran, back in '79 during the Iran hostage crisis was quite intense and riveting. I would definitely recommend it. After our movie, we were starving so we tried to head over to a local eatery by Mr.S.'s home for a bite to eat and unfortunately, it was closed. It was only 9 o'clock! Ok, this is one of my major pet peeves with Sac. I love my city but why does every blasted place close early in this town? Gah! Anyhow, as Mr.S. and I were trying to decide on a Plan B, somehow we started talking about Sam's Hof Brau. Seriously, I have no idea how it came up. Eventually the conversation steered to, "Hey, let's see if it's still open!" I was curious, especially as I hadn't set foot in the place in 15+ years.





We walked in and a cloud of warmness enveloped us. There's a homey vibe imparted there with it's out-of-date chandeliers, dark crimson walls and old-timey red leather booths. The place feels comfortable from the get go. Mr.S. told me the place is usually packed to the gills when it's dinner time but it was relatively quiet when we got there. We got in line and I just had to stare for a second at the incredible array of meats being showcased at the carving station. Mr.S. ordered a pastrami Reuben and since I was a bit chilly, I opted for the French dip thinking the hot au jus might warm me up a bit. The gentleman behind the counter got to work immediately cutting us some thick slabs of juicy meat. (There was some finesse to his style and I was pretty impressed that he never once touched the meat with his fingers.) Moments later, I was presented with a nice fatly stacked French dip and I also opted for a side of German red cabbage. Mr. S. was served up a freshly toasted Reuben stuffed with sauerkraut and a side of Thousand Island. We dropped our weary butts in the closest booth and got to work eating. For the first few minutes, it was like a mini-food orgy...all you heard were a lot of, "Mmmm's" and other various happy eating noises. The roast beef on my sandwich was well cooked and paired perfectly with the au jus soaked sourdough bread. It was a mini moment of bliss. My side order of German red cabbage was also a winner, it had a nice balance of sweetness and tanginess and wasn't mushy in the least. The highlight though, was Mr.S.'s pastrami Reuben. Good god! He gave me a bite and I had a moment where I seriously contemplating just shoving it in my purse and running out the door. I didn't want to give it back! The meat was nice and salty, with the middle moist and the outside cooked just a tad more- just the way I like my pastrami. Slathered with the thick Thousand Island dressing, it made my tastebuds do a little carnivorous happy dance. Although I really liked my French dip, I definitely had sandwich envy.

By the time I finished my last bite of dinner, my jeans felt a tad tighter and my body felt a ton happier. Embarrassingly, I had to restrain myself from patting my belly in satisfaction. It was a fun date night...a bit unconventional in our movie and restaurant choices but definitely fun. Now with the colder weather here to stay awhile, I definitely foresee myself going back to Sam's for some old school charm, friendly service and a pastrami Reuben of my own! Maybe I'll see you there?

Isn't it great when you have leftovers in your fridge that you excitedly look forward to consuming? Rather than, those less-than-thrilling ones that you slowly shove further and further into the back recesses of your fridge until you find them a month later unrecognizably covered in green fuzz (and probably incubating some new strain of penicillin)? Well, a few months ago I attended a fantabulous dinner at my friend Unchu's house, you may have heard of her? She writes the food blog, Tate's Kitchen. She's hilarious to hang out with and a phenomenal cook. (Mr.S. still raves about the bulgogi we had there and that was a month ago!) Anyhow, for this particular dinner party she did a slight variation on Bon Appetit's Pork Tenderloin with Plum Chutney. Instead of wrapping the pork with prosciutto, she used bacon and she also opted to cook it in the oven rather than a grill. The end result was an amazingly moist tenderloin (admit it, you've probably kvetched about how tenderloin always seems to dry out, I know I have). I loved this recipe so much that I had to make it at home. I tore the recipe out of my August Bon Appetit issue and took it over to Mr.S.'s house. We went whole hog (excuse the pun) and made the dish with prosciutto and with the sublime plum chutney. Cooking it on the grill also made the prosciutto crisp up and infused the tenderloin with some smoky tasting goodness (not to mention it made clean up a snap). It was such an easy recipe to make- trust me, if you can tie a piece of string into a knot, then you can do this recipe. Anyhow, both of us were pleased as punch with the end results.



So last night, I decided to go for it again but this time sans the plum chutney since I didn't think the kidlets would care much for it's sweet and tangy taste. The pork tenderloin was a hit, so much so that both Mr.S. and I called dibs on the leftovers. Today I'm trying to do some cleaning (my mantra- "Clean All The Things!") but I did allow myself a small break to chow on a sandwich stuffed with the pork tenderloin and some homemade cranberry mustard. The leftovers were no slouch to last night's meal, I tell ya.



Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Pork Tenderloin (from Bon Appetit, July 2012)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

4 teaspoons herbes de Provence

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pork tenderloins (~ 2 lb.)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

10-12 thin slices of prosciutto (  I like to use Stockmeyer brand, it imparts slight smoky taste.)


Instructions

1. If using a charcoal grill, build a medium-hot fire; push coals over to 1 side of grill. If using a gas grill, heat all but 1 burner to high.

2. Stir rosemary, herbes de Provence, and oil in a small bowl. Rub all over pork; season with salt and pepper. Wrap prosciutto slices around pork and tie at 2" intervals with kitchen twine to hold together.

3. Grill tenderloins over hot part of grill, turning frequently, until a crisp brown crust forms on all sides, 8—10 minutes. Move tenderloins to cooler part of grill to gently cook through; cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of each loin registers 145°, 15—20 minutes longer.

4. Transfer tenderloins to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Yesterday, I blogged about attending the Avett Brothers concert on Sunday night and it got me thinking about how I love to listen to music while I'm cooking. Am I alone in this or do you like to have some tunes going while you bustle about in the kitchen? Oftentimes I just put my iPhone on shuffle, dock it to the speaker system and just listen to whatever comes up in the rotation but if I'm doing a lot of cooking I like to listen to my playlists...yes, I have "cooking playlists." They're just bands/songs I like to listen to while prepping, cooking and cleaning. Lately I've been listening to Mumford & Sons, We Are Augustines and Middle East while puttering in the kitchen. Pretty mellow. What have you been listening to?

These potato and chorizo empanadas, however, required me to put on some Gaslight Anthem to make the monotonous task of filling, folding and crimping go a little faster. The empanadas turned out flaky, spicy and delicious! We even had some filling leftover, so we mixed it with some egg for breakfast the next morning. 2-meals-in-one. Gotta love it!



Potato & Chorizo Empanadas (inspired by Red Shallot Kitchen)

Ingredients

3 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 pkg. (17.3 ounces each) Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (4 sheets), thawed
1 lb Mexican chorizo, casing removed (longaniza or Soyrizo can be substituted)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Thaw puff pastry.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil, chopped onion and minced garlic into the pan, cook until fragrant. Add potatoes and cook until they are tender.

4. Add chorizo. Cook for another 5 minutes, until it's well browned.

5. Reduce the heat  and add seasonings, stir well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes and then remove pan from heat.

6. The puff pastry dough should be chilly when you start. Open it up/unfold it on a lightly floured surface. Place a large piece of Saran Wrap over the dough and use your rolling pin to roll it out to.

7. Remove Saran Wrap. Using a drinking glass or biscuit cutter, cut out your 2 1/2-inch pastry rounds.

8. Place a small bit of filling on each pastry round. Enough to make a small mound but not so much that it's spilling out. Brush the edges of the pastry with water, fold the pastry over the filling and crimp with a fork to seal. 

9. In a small bowl, mix the egg with one tablespoon of water. Mix well. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. This will give the empanadas a nice golden color.

10. Slice a small vent on the top of each empanada so that the steam has a way to escape.

11. Place the empanadas on a Silpat. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden.

Aack! Ever feel as through you're going through a period of having the yips? Yeah, yeah, I know...technically "the yips" is used when referring to a sport like golf or baseball, but cooking's sort of a sport, right? ;) Anyhow, I've been dropping stuff left and right in the kitchen lately, unable to concentrate during a recipe and just overall feeling like I'm off my game. It's times like this when I really need to remember to take a breathe and step back for a bit. So while I'm waiting for my case of the yips to subside, I've been letting Mr.S. do some of the cooking. I recently ran across a recipe that sounded pretty interesting. It involved flat iron steaks (aka top blade steaks) and since neither of us had ever cooked one before, we decided to purchase a few from Corti's and give it a go. I threw together a batch of Asian marinade and tossed the whole lot into a Ziploc bag, marinated the steaks for 6 hours and then let Mr.S. work his magic on the grill. Surprisingly, the flat iron steaks turned out to be nice and thick, juicy and tender. Just what I needed for my bad case of the yips. I'd definitely buy them again.

Grilled Asian Flat Iron Steak (recipe adapted from Savory Sweet Life)

Ingredients

2 Flat Iron Steaks

This is my last (at least for a long while) David Chang recipe. I think even Mr.S. was getting a bit worried with my recent obsession with the Momofuku cookbook (although he wasn't fussing too much when he was shoving the cooked results into his mouth). Maybe it's Chang's love for all things pork, but I'm kind diggin' on him right now. Anyhow, this particular recipe is for the pulled pork that they use in their pork bo ssam dish at Momofuku. When I happened to mention to my friend Melanie that I was going to attempt this recipe, she referenced Chang's "Let's put pork in every f-----g dish," line in Treme. I hadn't seen it so of course when I got home I had to look it up...hilarious. If you haven't checked it out, you can catch a clip of it here: David Chang on Treme.

This recipe yielded the best tasting pulled pork I've ever made or tasted at any friend's house or restaurant. The pork has to sit overnight, but it's worth it. The inside is nice and tender and the outside has this amazing salty-sweet lacquer. It's like a bit of meatopia in your mouth.

Pulled Pork Momofuku-Style (Adapted from “Momofuku,” by David Chang and Peter Meehan)

Ingredients

4 lb. boneless pork shoulder

1/2 cup Kosher salt (don't sub in table salt, it'll come out way too salty)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. The night before: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, the salt and the ground pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder, making sure you get the crevices. Put it in a pan, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

2. The next day: Heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Transfer the pork out of the pan and discard the juices and any excess sugar/salt mixture. You can either place the pork in a roasting pan or a cast iron skillet. Place in the oven and cook for 5-6 hours. Baste the shoulder with the fat in the pan every hour, after the first 3 hours.

3. Remove the pork from the oven, drain off the fat. Let it rest for up to an hour.

4. Ok now, open the windows to your house because there's going to be some sizzling and smoking going on....Crank the oven up to 500 degrees F. Stir together 1/2 tablespoon of salt with 3 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Press the brown sugar into the top of the pork shoulder, make it into a nice even layer. Return the pork to the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until a nice crunchy lacquer forms. Keep an eye on it though so it doesn't burn.

5. Take the pork out and let it rest for a half hour.  Then use two forks to shred it up. You can use it in all kinds of dishes - tacos, sandwiches, pulled pork hash, pork ragù....

6. By the way, the crispy, cooked skin on this sucker is oh so heavenly!