During high school, and for a few years after, I worked on and off at a local Italian restaurant. I was mainly a scullery maid and pizza maker, but I also did stints as a waitress and bar tender - it was a small family place, and they made sure to get their money's worth out of the help. It was also a fairly fun and relaxed atmosphere, with one of the perks being that the owners fed us at no charge, often sending me home with a free pizza at the end of the night. They also ran specials certain ... Read More about Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Courses
Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese
This time of year, I starting shifting how I cook. Cocktail hour on the porch requires a jacket and shoes, and something delectable baking in the oven is nice when we finally wander back into the house. We go from grilling and salads to something along the lines of comforting cheesy casseroles with combos of pasta, veggies and whatever protein is close to hand. This past weekend, the protein was chorizo. Chorizo is sausage, Spanish, Portuguese and Mexican in origin. There are different ... Read More about Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese
Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce
Why in the heck do we find making caramel to be such a daunting task? I suppose it might be the risk of splashing oneself with molten sugar, which will peel the skin right off you. Or the fear of burning it all and making a big mess. Or of wasting some rather pricey ingredients if you do fail to achieve caramel nirvana. Bah I say! It only seems scary until you do it a few times. First of all - you are going to be careful, right? And not let the baby stir the melting sugar, right? So, there goes ... Read More about Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
The stream of ripe tomatoes that ends in my kitchen is starting slow down now. I always have mixed feelings about that happening. On one hand, I'm heartily and truly tired of doing up tomatoes for this coming winter. I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 65 quarts of various forms of tomatoes, from sauce and stewed, to diced, to concentrated tomato paste and various soup bases. The nightmares of being chased by 5 gallon pails of tomatoes have just about ended, and my hand that was frozen in ... Read More about Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
Green Beans with Miso
Thanks to succession plantings, we keep getting a stead supply of really nice green beans. Larry plants a new row about every 2 weeks, until the early part of August. Our favorites are a variety called "Jade", which is pretty widely available in various seed catalogs. "Jade" is a really nice producer, and the beans are long, straight, and stay tender, even if they get a bit on the big side before you get them picked. Green beans will keep producing for at least a couple, weeks, so long as you ... Read More about Green Beans with Miso
Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
When you garden, you just never know. Last year we had so many jalapenos that I could not keep up with them. This year, the jalapenos are just not happy, and we have no idea why. We are getting a few here and there, but not enough to accomplish anything with them. Fortunately, there is Kevin, who is riding to work with Larry. Kevin has LOTS of jalapenos, which he doesn't even like all that much. His cucumbers haven't done well though, but that's ok - we have had LOTS of cucumbers this year. So, ... Read More about Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa