Turkey? What Turkey?

Yes, so in a moment of good naturedness and into about my sixth glass of a fabulous vintage cabernet, I offered to be this year's host of Thanksgiving. Mm-hmm. Good job. First of all, I am the baby of the family and thought my only requirement for the holidays was to show up everywhere already a little fizzy and then leave early with friends to do more partying. Ok...well, I have grown up.....a little. So far in preparation for what is certainly an epic exercise in organization and preparedness, I have a set of 8 napkins. That my sister bought. Who lives 2 hours away. I'll keep you posted.

Not Safe For PETA

Hunting season is upon us for those of you who don't know. Somehow, some venison wound up in my icebox yesterday morning. I think the venison fairy visited us because certainly no one in this household would wash their hair with Scent Killer, sport camo and venture into the woods to kill a few unsuspecting deer. So to honor the buck that has given my family food for the month, I marinated some loin medallions in burgundy wine, fresh garlic, fresh ground pepper, bay leaves and fresh rosemary. Mmmm. So that is what we are having for dinner along with some creamy, cheesy, melty, buttery potatoes. For all of you potato rights activists, don't worry, they didn't feel a thing.

Look out Joe Mack!!

This one is for you Joe. Spoke to Marge and this is what she gave me:

Mrs. Brita's Pizza Gravy
Can of whole plum tomatoes
Put in blender or processor to chop[
Put it in pot
Add a little bit of oil
Add raw chopped garlic
Oregano

In that order! Make sure you rub the oregano in your fingertips to release the oils and extract the most flavor if you are using dried.

P.S. She wanted to know if you were making your own pizza dough. I said you absolutely did! Got a little nervous and I never said anything about the previous concoction you were using. You would be disowned from the family!

Try The Penne

For the two people who actually read this blog, and you know who you are, I'm sorry I haven't posted since October 15th. But I haven't eaten since October 15th so I didn't have anything to write about. But today that changed. I started out with a big bag of wasabi peas and a coke.
And then, the big bowl of Halloween candy started talking to me about how lonely it was and noone came to see him and yada, yada, yada. So, what could I do? Well, 12 Reese's Sticks later I was so sick of peanut butter, I had to have a piece of brownie and a cold glass of milk just to get the taste out of my mouth. Around my 22'nd cup of coffee, my girlfriend finally showed up so we could go shopping, but not before I ate a big bowl of penne rigate with butter, cheese, black pepper, squish of lemon, salt and fresh ground pepper....and a glass of pinot. We had to hit the art supply store, the shoe store, that one other store and then the mother of all stores.....(angels singing)..the FOOD STORE!!!!! Yes, I am excited about the new market. THEY HAVE FRESH COCONUTS AND LEMONGRASS!!!! (I live in south, south, way south Jersey). At any rate I picked up some green curry paste, some Vietnamese chili sauce and a fresh freakin' coconut! What I will do with it, I have no idea. But you can bet that first I will roll it across the floor pretending it is some kind of weird furry animal going "Wha'sat!? Wha'sat Hunter?...Git it! " I think I get on that dog's nerves sometimes. Anyway, I was beat up by the time I got home and so dinner was some fresh ground beef simmered with taco seasoning, a jar of Tostitos Conqueso Cheese sauce, jalapenos and a bag of Tostito Lime chips. Yes, I had another glass of wine, but I can assure you, I had no candy.

The only thing I love more than taking in a hot and flavorful bowl of soup is making a large pot of it. This is the White Bean and Kale that I made the other day during a weeklong stretch of dampness and rain. This version has ham but you can certainly omit it and substitute the chicken broth for vegetable stock. I always say that cooking is an art and I have to declare that I am not a big fan of actual "recipes". I think winging it allows for a lot more creativity and lets you learn to be able to construct dishes just off the top of your head. So if you are craving a certain dish, you start to learn how to put it together simply by following your taste buds and of course, a little brain power. Obviously soups are one of the easiest dishes to put together and yet you can add whatever you like and they become complex, nutritional, and comforting.

Easy:

Large soup pot. Cover the bottom with a generous layer of olive oil. Add two smashed cloves of garlic, one medium chopped onion, two peeled and chopped carrots, and two stalks of rinsed celery, chopped. Saute in the olive oil until they become slightly translucent....add a dash of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and a few bay leaves. (Be sure to remove them after simmering.) Add your pre-soaked beans and mix everything together. Add cold water till about one inch from the top of your stock pot and bring to a roiling boil for about a good 15 min..take your heat down and then let simmer. Keep checking your beans for tenderness. At some point during the simmer is when I add chicken base and fresh rosemary. And I keep adding until I get the right flavor. When I feel that the soup is pretty much done, that is when I add my greens and ham in this instance. I did use kale for this particular soup, but you can add spinach, escarole, collard greens, etc. Adding fresh greens at the last stage keeps the soup tasting fresh and looking beautiful.

It's is not a lot of work. They most you are doing is chopping the 3 vegetables. I used a pre-cooked ham and diced a few slices. And for a little bit of work, you have a warm and wonderful meal for a few days ahead. I served this with a toasted buttered baguette and it was simply delicious.

Hoagies 101

Well, yesterday was spent puttering around the house and being relatively non-productive. I managed to boil water for some pasta, but that was it. Really off my game. At any rate, in conversing with friends about the good old hoagie (as it is known regionally here in the Northeast), I developed a woo-lee (Italian slang for craving), for what else? An Italian hoagie. So of course tomorrow, I’ll be making hoagies. So…my shopping list will be as follows:

• Portuguese rolls…(donna gimme a harda time…I liva here a longa and nogooda Italian bread, no Cacias bakery here!)


• Genoa salami


• Imported capicolla (gabagool)


• Parma prosciutto (brahzhoot)


• Green leaf or baby romaine lettuce


• Fresh basil


• Elise's marinated tomatoes


• Thick good slices of fresh red onion


• Imported sliced provolone or a hunk of BelGiosio


• Extra-virgin olive oil and oregano….fresh if I can find it!


• Pepperoncini or good cherry hots packed in oil…..mmmmmmmm.

I don’t think I have to explain how to put a hoagie together. I might not even make it that far….spread everything out on your kitchen table, crack open a bottle of cheap ass chianti, tell everybody to talk over one another and put the Soprano’s on. Hell, you might feel like a real Italian for a day!! And you might not want to go back!!
Ti amo tutti,
Elise

I'll Also Be Drinking.

Tomorrow evening I am presiding over a dinner party for two friends who are moving to South Carolina. It's 1:00 in the morning and I have no bloody idea what is on the menu. Usually I would cook something Thai or Asian but not for tomorrow. So I think I'll stick with some warm grilled veg, a killer risotto, and thin sliced sauteed chicken breast with melted provolone and fresh marinated tomatoes. Doesn't that sound good? A perfect mix of late summer and a tinge of fall. See how easy it is? I just gave you a great idea for some good food!

You have any red wine over there? C'mon over..it's late and I want to hang out a little bit.

Hot...And I Mean Really Hot!

Ok…this is why I love the internet, specifically blogging. Just quit my job, (it really was non-profit) the Jeep is getting repaired, winter is coming and I live in the middle of nowhere. Well, not really. But, this scenario gives me the perfect reason to just sit on my smart little bum all day with my laptop and write. And get up every so often to cook. And then get back to writing about what culinary creation I just designed. For a brief moment, I can believe that I am a successful writer living on the coast crafting the most beautiful and mesmerizing words ever. Yea. Anyway, I was checking out other blogs and came across Dispatches From The Sprewell Yacht. To my utter happiness, the author Andrew had posted about how restaurants never get tuna right and I gotta tell you, ….I could love this man. Andrew, do you hear me??? Wait until you see my recipe for Curried Chicken Salad!!!! Andrew?..Hello?

http://acdispatch.blogspot.com/

I'm Back

Ok.  So I took a little hiatus from writing.  Sometimes, you have to step away from a project so you can get a little fresh air flowing and spark up some new creativity.  So, the whole time that I haven’t spent writing, I have been cooking.  Lucky for you.  Obviously the better scenario would be that I could actually have all of you over for dinner and of course, cocktails, but until then, you’ll just have to read about what I have been doing in the kitchen.  As of right now, we caught a few striped bass and the filets are sitting in the refrigerator now with a light marinade of lemon, garlic, and parsley.  
I took about ¼ of one of the filets tonight and just tried something very simple.  I melted butter in a bowl and then I added some seasoned bread crumbs and a pinch of salt.  I just spooned this mixture right onto the fish and then I broiled it for about 12-15 minutes.  Unbelievable.  Real simple.  Real good. So that will be on the menu for tonight, along with a green salad and maybe some rice.  As I sit here and write, it occurs to me how incredibly boring and stupid this blog might actually be.  But then, I know you should always just do what you love.  And, it’ll get better.  Cold weather is coming and the best place to be is where the heat is.

A Moment

With what has happened in New Orleans, I don’t feel inspired today to write about simple comforts when others are struggling with chaos and tragedy.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

Killer Quickie Caesar

Went to the posh Pelican Club a few weeks ago when my mom and sister were down for the weekend. The place has thee best Caesar salad ever and whenever I go I order it and then crave it for days afterward. It's accompanied by fresh anchovies and an oversized crispy, crunchy crouton.
Although I could never do it justice this is a pretty good version of the fabulous original. And its pretty simple too. Grab a dollop of mayo, throw some super fresh minced garlic* in there, (NO..not the kind in the jar) and mix. Add to freshly washed and gently dried greens and toss. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon, a big handful of shredded Locatelli cheese, and a few good twists of fresh ground pepper. Goes great a with a big ol' red and a hunk of good bread.

*Make it on the weekends so you don't kill your co-workers.

Meatballs and Spaghetti

Yep. I miss the Sunday dinners of my childhood in an Italian family. They were full fledged events. From the minute I woke up to the smell of gravy to the end of the night with the tinkling of the coffee cups and cake plates, with everyone sitting around talking endlessly. So, I made meatballs tonight and they were great. You need veal, pork, and beef to start. You need good Locatelli cheese and an egg. Fresh parsley, bread crumbs and fresh garlic. A touch of salt. Take off your pinky rings and your Movado watches pretty boys and start mixing. Keep your pan medium hot with some veg oil and gently place each meatball in slightly apart from one another. Uncork your bottle of red wine, or rather, unscrew the cap off the jug of chianti and pour yourself a small glass. I’m not going to tell you how to cook the spaghetti, and whatever you do, DON’T MAKE SPAGHETTI. A bag of Anna linguine fini or even better, Colavita pappardelle. (I’m hooked on it right now!) Make sure its chewy to the tooth and don’t forget to add salt to the water. I’m also not going to tell you how to make the gravy. You can email me for a recipe. But be sure you make a salad. Whatever kind of greens you want. A bit of olive oil, a splash of vino, some oregano, salt, pepper and some crusty bread.

And no bad imitations of Rocky please. Thanks.

Fresh Tuna

Fresh tuna. Premium soy sauce. Good wasabi. Cold beer. Great night.