November 7, 2009

Off Mendenhall – Poppers Party in Chicago

poppers3I’m happy to hear that both friends in Greensboro and Chicago made my jalapeno poppers (from this past Thursday’s post) last night! Michael and Tommy sent me pictures this morning from their Poppers Party. They also sent me a great tip that Tommy learned on Top Chef. They soaked their cut jalapenos in ice water after they seeded them to reduce the spicy kick. Who knows if it helps – but it is worth a try!

PS: If you charmed by their cute faces today – you’re in luck – next week is all about Tommy and Michael’s trip to North Carolina a couple weekends ago!

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November 6, 2009

Ice Cream Bar

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I know I’ve said it about a million times, but I’ll say it once more – dessert is not my forte. And every time Ina Garten says “no one will ever remember the main entree but they will always remember dessert,” I cringe thinking “I’ll never be Ina. ” I do my best though. Lately I’ve been stocking up on a variety of toppings that are good on vanilla ice cream. Cranberries soaked in Cognac, chocolate covered espresso beans, dark chocolate sauce, nuts, etc. Most people love the DYI set up, so I’d recommend it next time you can’t live up to Ina’s standards too.

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November 5, 2009

George’s Jalapeno Poppers

PA310166My friend George served these jalapeno poppers to me several years ago and I fell in love with them. They are the perfect appetizer to serve for a laid back evening  – and people go crazy for them (people generally go crazy for anything wrapped in bacon)! I made them for the first time last year and nearly killed myself. Instead of cutting them in half and removing the seeds, I thought that I need to keep the pepper whole and dig the seeds out through a tiny slice in the pepper. Do not try this!  I was in complete tears, coughing and sneezing and told myself I would never make them again. George got a big kick out of my story and corrected the recipe making it about 100 times easier. And, you can actually save money and time by purchasing less peppers and only seeding half!

Ingredients:

  • 15 jalapenos
  • 1 package cream cheese
  • 1 package bacon

Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut jalapenos in half and remove seeds membrane (the really hot parts). Stuff with about a tablespoon of cream cheese and wrap with a half piece of bacon. Roast for about an hour or until bacon is crispy and pepper is roasted.

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November 4, 2009

Hot & Spicy Chili

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Winston dressed up as Max from Where the Wild Things Are

I love making chili for a big crowd because it is so easy, inexpensive and it tastes even better prepared in advance. It is the perfect thing to serve for a laid back and casual night in. Along side the chili, I put together bowls of shredded cheese, chopped scallions, cilantro and sour cream. I like chips with my chili – but cornbread or rolls work too.

My Hot & Spicy Chili Recipe (serves about 10 people)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • half a container chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 28 ounce diced tomatoes with chilis
  • 1 14 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 14 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 tiny can of chipotle peppers and sauce, chopped (probably about 5 peppers total)
  • 1 bottle dark beer
  • 2 28 ounce can red kidney beans, drained
  • salt and pepper

Assembly: My advice is to season each layer with salt and pepper until you get it just right! In a large pot, saute onions, garlic and jalapeno in olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Then add chili powder, cumin, all variety of tomatoes , chipotle peppers and beer. Simmer together and taste for seasoning. At this point you may want to add more cumin or chili powder. After it simmers for about 30 minutes to an hour , add the beans. I add the beans last so they don’t get too mushy. Refrigerate over night or serve right away.

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November 3, 2009

Halloween Witches Brew

pumpkinI’m so bummed that I don’t have a picture of this cocktail. After too many of them, you will forget that you have a blog much less taking a picture for it! The Midori in the drink makes it bright green – perfect for Halloween night. And the melon flavor cools your mouth so it is a perfect accompaniment to stuffed jalapenos and spicy chili. Andrew came up with this recipe and put them together.On our way to Winston-Salem to pick up the punch bowl (yes, we drove to Winston-Salem for a punch bowl) I asked him what purpose the water served in the recipe and he said “If you don’t add the water, you will probably die.” With that, I say – Drink with Caution.

Ingredients:

  • 20 parts ginger ale
  • 8 parts vodka
  • 5 parts Midori
  • 2 parts water

Assembly: Mix and serve over a full glass of ice!

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November 2, 2009

Halloween on Mendenhall

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Fall has always been my favorite season. It is probably because I grew up without it. In Florida basically everything is green until one day it freezes and everything dies. Florida has a number of amazing qualities but it’s participation in the seasons is seriously lacking. Fall is one of the reasons I love North Carolina so much – we do Fall so well. And, I have to say my neighborhood is amazing this time of year. If you picture Fall in a story book – it’s Westerwood. One of the many great things about having a puppy is taking the time to walk the neighborhood. My appreciation for Westerwood has grown even more by taking the time to examine the details of each home and getting to know my neighbors through waves and sniffs (that’s Winston’s part).

This Halloween the last thing I wanted to do was dress up and leave the house. I invited a couple of neighbors and friends over for a casual night in. Andrew put together a witches brew and I made chili and homemade jalapeno poppers. I’ll post the recipes this week.

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October 30, 2009

Puff Pastry Part 2 – Snappy Cinnamon Rolls

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You can put these puff pastry cinnamon rolls together in a snap. I assembled them two nights before and stored them in the fridge to bake-off the morning JVS was headed off. This recipe was perfect because we both had to leave the house before 7:30 and the last things I wanted to do was 1) cook at 5am and 2) kick JVS out hungry!  I based this recipe off another Ina Garten recipe (she has gotten me hooked on how easy puff pastry is!) but I’ve made some tweaks from lessons learned.

Snappy Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans , chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 handful raisins

Assembly: Using a mixer, combine half the butter and half the sugar. Evenly distribute the mixture into the bottom of 6 muffin tins. Distribute the nuts equally on top of the butter/sugar mixture. Roll out the puff pastry and spread butter onto the dough (I think you could skip this but it is up to you). Sprinkle with remaining sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll up horizontally and cut into 6 even pieces. Squish into the muffin tins. Refrigerate until ready to go or bake-off for about 25 mins at 350 degrees.

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October 29, 2009

Puff Pastry Part 1 – Easy Breezy Apple Tart

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In an effort to keep things simple, I bought one box of frozen puff pastry and made both dessert and breakfast with the two sheets. For dessert, we easily put together an Apple Tart. I based this recipe off of Ina Garden’s but I used things I had on hand. I left the apple arrangement for Kristin to do – since she was the artist in the house.

Easy Breezy Apple Tart

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
  • 2 granny smith apples
  • 1 half lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 3 or 4 tablespoons orange preserves, melted

Assembly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peal and slice apples into thin pieces and coat with lemon juice and sugar. Roll out the puff pastry so it fits well into a large cookie sheet. Arrange the apples on the tart into a pretty pattern. Top with cubes of butter. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are brown. Brush on the preserves and return to the oven until glazed and brown.

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October 28, 2009

Beef Stroganoff

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This is one of those lessons learned posts (more Julie Powell style than my own). I used Tyler Florence’s recipe for The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff at my faux Elon Homecoming. And while it was very tasty, I think some things should probably stay traditional. I won’t lie, my Mom told me to just use her recipe (which I think includes ketchup) but I wanted to try something different. Tyler’s recipe uses roasted beef short ribs instead of the traditional round steak in my Mom’s recipe. While they were very tasty, it wasnt enough meat on the shrimpy bones at Harris Teeter and I prefer my meat to be mixed into the sauce rather than on top (thats how he calls for it). So, all in all, a good meal but lesson learned – sometimes Mom knows best.

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October 27, 2009

Salad Crisps

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I saw this trick on MarthaStewart.com and had to try it. Basically you make salad crisps out of store-bought wonton wrappers – it couldnt be easier and the presentation is just beautiful. Since it is fall, I used a leaf-shaped cookie cutter but you could use any shape you like.

Ingredients:

  • wonton wrappers
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
  • parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper

Assembly: Cut the wonton wrapper into whatever shape you prefer. Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, cheese, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes or until brown.

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