I have been on this new kick lately. For the past three weeks, I have been cooking a soup, stew, or chili on Sunday for the week. It has really been quite nice. It gives me a chance to enjoy cooking because I don't have to rush on a Sunday. I can make a big dish like chili and don't have to worry about waiting an hour for it to cook while we are starving. It is also nice to get everything cleaned up without having to do dishes at 9pm. There are plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week so we can have it for dinner one night or lunch throughout the week. The best part of all - soups and stews usually taste better the next day anyway.
I have made a white bean vegetarian chili, butternut squash soup, and black bean turkey chili (we're having that for dinner tonight) so far. I have two more recipes lined up - a Moroccan sweet potato stew and a red potatoes with chickpeas Middle Eastern stew. Today, I just downloaded Senegalese Peanut Stew with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes. Yum!
I am so glad I started this process. It has been so nice to cook hearty food for Bill and me. It has really brought back the joy of cooking and has encouraged me to try new things. I can see myself continuing the process for a long time. Chilled soups over the summer, anyone?
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, May 11, 2009
Iron Chef Grill Off
We were invited to a unique party this weekend - an Iron Chef Grill Off.
Our friends, C&T, have hosted this party in the past and it has become a successful annual event. It was the first year we have been invited. C even asked me if I would be a judge. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I said I would be willing to give it a try.
We showed up Saturday evening to their place. They have a magnificent home with a kick butt backyard. They have a screened in porch that leads out to a small deck. That small deck has stairs down to a large deck with a full bar, detached from the house but loaded up with outdoor speakers, a TV, lights, and, of course, all the liquor you can imagine . Further steps lead out to a nice yard. By the time we arrived, the chefs were working hard.
There were 4 chefs creating unique dishes using one key ingredient - strip steak. They could do whatever they wanted as log as it was grilled. There were four grills going, and sous chefs helping out as needed. The dished would be judged on presentation, creativity, taste, and dessert. I really thought there would be just one dish and a dessert, but I was oh so wrong.
The first chef handed us full menus for our meal. We were offered wine, then given a deviled egg appetizer. It was followed by sweet and spicy shrimp with stuffed mushrooms and grilled pineapple. There was a salad with a strawberry vinaigrette. The main course was kebabs (using the steak) with green beans ans potatoes. All of this followed a dessert of ice cream with caramel and bananas. It was tough to just eat one bite and pass it along to the non-judges, but there was still more food to come!
The second chef, thankfully, had less food. He made his strip steak inside phyllo dough and covered it with a mushroom sauce. There were sides as well, and a dessert of grilled peaches with ice cream. I really liked the phyllo dough, but it was not a hit with all of the judges.
The third chef prepared the whole meal by himself. He presented a tropical mixed grill featuring steak, shrimp, sausage, corn, grilled sweet potatoes and a fruit salsa. It was all really good. His dessert was peaches with a heavy cream and a blueberry reduction.
The final chef presented us with a limoncello cocktail before giving us a steak sandwich with crusty bread and a Gorgonzola cheese spread. It was accompanied with a pasta salad and dessert of a sweet biscuit covered with ice cream and peaches.
Everything was delicious. I was so glad that I tried a bite of everything, but I think there was more than enough food for everyone.
After careful deliberation, we came down to a tie between chef #3 and chef#4. In the end, the tropical grill won out, and chef 3 became a two time winner. I had a wonderful time, and mot even getting the finger from chef #1 dampened my evening.
I sure hope we are invited again next year, even though C told us that we could not be judged two years in a row.
Our friends, C&T, have hosted this party in the past and it has become a successful annual event. It was the first year we have been invited. C even asked me if I would be a judge. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I said I would be willing to give it a try.
We showed up Saturday evening to their place. They have a magnificent home with a kick butt backyard. They have a screened in porch that leads out to a small deck. That small deck has stairs down to a large deck with a full bar, detached from the house but loaded up with outdoor speakers, a TV, lights, and, of course, all the liquor you can imagine . Further steps lead out to a nice yard. By the time we arrived, the chefs were working hard.
There were 4 chefs creating unique dishes using one key ingredient - strip steak. They could do whatever they wanted as log as it was grilled. There were four grills going, and sous chefs helping out as needed. The dished would be judged on presentation, creativity, taste, and dessert. I really thought there would be just one dish and a dessert, but I was oh so wrong.
The first chef handed us full menus for our meal. We were offered wine, then given a deviled egg appetizer. It was followed by sweet and spicy shrimp with stuffed mushrooms and grilled pineapple. There was a salad with a strawberry vinaigrette. The main course was kebabs (using the steak) with green beans ans potatoes. All of this followed a dessert of ice cream with caramel and bananas. It was tough to just eat one bite and pass it along to the non-judges, but there was still more food to come!
The second chef, thankfully, had less food. He made his strip steak inside phyllo dough and covered it with a mushroom sauce. There were sides as well, and a dessert of grilled peaches with ice cream. I really liked the phyllo dough, but it was not a hit with all of the judges.
The third chef prepared the whole meal by himself. He presented a tropical mixed grill featuring steak, shrimp, sausage, corn, grilled sweet potatoes and a fruit salsa. It was all really good. His dessert was peaches with a heavy cream and a blueberry reduction.
The final chef presented us with a limoncello cocktail before giving us a steak sandwich with crusty bread and a Gorgonzola cheese spread. It was accompanied with a pasta salad and dessert of a sweet biscuit covered with ice cream and peaches.
Everything was delicious. I was so glad that I tried a bite of everything, but I think there was more than enough food for everyone.
After careful deliberation, we came down to a tie between chef #3 and chef#4. In the end, the tropical grill won out, and chef 3 became a two time winner. I had a wonderful time, and mot even getting the finger from chef #1 dampened my evening.
I sure hope we are invited again next year, even though C told us that we could not be judged two years in a row.
Friday, February 01, 2008
MeetIn Fun
Bill and I attended our first official Meet In event last night. We met a group of folks for dinner at a local Mongolian buffet. Mongolian barbeque has long been a favorite of mine, since the days of California. You choose your own meats, veggies, oils, and spices, then hand it over to the cooks to have it stir fried to perfection. Yummy!
Anyway, I am usually not very comfortable in a crowd, but the group that was there last night was so welcoming and warm. Of course, it probably helped that my friend Josh was there to soothe any awkwardness. There were 9 of us for dinner, and we stayed at the table for a little over 2 hours. We chatted in small groups, as a large group, and as individuals. It was fun to meet new people and learn about different places everyone had been. I am glad I joined the site and am looking forward to my next experience already.
Anyway, I am usually not very comfortable in a crowd, but the group that was there last night was so welcoming and warm. Of course, it probably helped that my friend Josh was there to soothe any awkwardness. There were 9 of us for dinner, and we stayed at the table for a little over 2 hours. We chatted in small groups, as a large group, and as individuals. It was fun to meet new people and learn about different places everyone had been. I am glad I joined the site and am looking forward to my next experience already.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Free Wings and Beer
Our local radio station, 96 Rock, is currently hosting a contest for free wings and beer. You sign up online for your company, and if you are chosen, the radio morning DJ will bring chicken wings and beer to your workplace. So, I signed up about 2 weeks ago, and put the contest out of my mind.
Yesterday, my home phone rang at about 8:30 am. It was the radio station. My entry had been selected and they wanted to bring the food out that afternoon. Well, wouldn't you know it, but we were having a catered breakfast that morning. I told them to come on out anyway. The DJ, Demitri, brought up 100 wings (our president told me to order 50 more so we would have enough and expense it) and a 12 pack of beer (Bud Light, but it was free). He recorded sound bites of about 5 employees talking about our company and/or themselves. It was funny and light (and was played this morning at 6:40 am).
We enjoyed the wings (although I think most people were still full from breakfast) and really enjoyed the beer. How many times can you drink beer at work during lunch?
Monday, October 29, 2007
A Happy Mistake
So, last night, Bill and I were going out for an early birthday celebration. He had asked me to make reservations at a restaurant called Vin Rouge. As we were getting ready to leave the house, he mentioned something about the restaurant. I told him that we were not going to either the restaurants we had discussed the previously week - he had asked me to make a reservation at a totally different restaurant. Boy, was that news to him!
As it turned out, it was a great mistake. We were a little nervous going to this French restaurant. We were afraid it would be pretentious. It was very good. The atmosphere was chic and modern - not in the least bit stuffy. The food was great (Bill had French Onion soup and trout almondine, I had a beet salad and steak au poivre with pommes frites) and the waiter didn't mind translating the menu for us. We had a lovely evening together and discovered a great new restaurant.
Sometimes mistakes are good.
As it turned out, it was a great mistake. We were a little nervous going to this French restaurant. We were afraid it would be pretentious. It was very good. The atmosphere was chic and modern - not in the least bit stuffy. The food was great (Bill had French Onion soup and trout almondine, I had a beet salad and steak au poivre with pommes frites) and the waiter didn't mind translating the menu for us. We had a lovely evening together and discovered a great new restaurant.
Sometimes mistakes are good.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Funny Pages
I was reading the comics this morning and came across a funny strip. It was called Cave Man Blog. It had 2 cavemen speaking to one another and said something like "At first I wrote about my inventions, then my thoughts, now I write about what I had for dinner." So true!
So, with that in mind...
Last night for dinner I made a quick taco soup recipe that I got from Michelle H.'s blog (see link for Shooting the Breeze on the right). It was absolutely delicious and so easy! It is really more like a chili than a soup, and definitely tastes better on day 2 (as I had it for lunch today). We had is with a little bit of cheddar cheese, some fat free sour cream, and tortilla chips crumbled on top. So yummy and low in WW points, too!! It was perfect to have during our thunderstorm. We had this freak thunderstorm last night that gave us gentle rain here, but did some pretty big damage East of us. My colleague read to me comments from people who were at the Def Leppard show last night. It had to be canceled due to the storm. The wind did a lot of damage to the amphitheater. I hope that all will be well in September when we go to see Breaking Benjamin.
Anyway, check out the tasty recipe. It's worth the click!
So, with that in mind...
Last night for dinner I made a quick taco soup recipe that I got from Michelle H.'s blog (see link for Shooting the Breeze on the right). It was absolutely delicious and so easy! It is really more like a chili than a soup, and definitely tastes better on day 2 (as I had it for lunch today). We had is with a little bit of cheddar cheese, some fat free sour cream, and tortilla chips crumbled on top. So yummy and low in WW points, too!! It was perfect to have during our thunderstorm. We had this freak thunderstorm last night that gave us gentle rain here, but did some pretty big damage East of us. My colleague read to me comments from people who were at the Def Leppard show last night. It had to be canceled due to the storm. The wind did a lot of damage to the amphitheater. I hope that all will be well in September when we go to see Breaking Benjamin.
Anyway, check out the tasty recipe. It's worth the click!
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