They Have Such a Good Brunch

Even though it seems like Tumblrs are the new “Shit People from _____ Say,” I still crack up when I watch this.  Don’t even think about standing between me and brunch.  Who doesn’t love an excuse to drink mimosas and eat hash browns?

My all-time favorite way to consume hash browns is via Cracker Barrel’s hash brown casserole.  I went to a Cracker Barrel once to see what all the fuss was about and I didn’t really get it.  But I get this casserole.  It’s the perfect balance of creaminess, cheesiness, and starchiness, with some onions tossed in to wake up your morning.

There is nothing remotely nutritious about hash brown casserole.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.  Thus, it’s about the most drool-inducing casserole on the planet.  I got the recipe from a co-worker who always makes it for our staff breakfasts.  And when she does, we fight over it like it’s going to be our last meal.  I’ve been known to eat my breakfast portion, and hide another helping away for lunch.  You’d think I’d be embarrassed to admit that, right?

Ha.

To make a 9 x 13 pan of hash brown casserole, you will need:

• 2 lbs. hash browns, from the refrigerator or freezer section of your grocery store (defrosted if applicable)
• 1/2 C (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 can cream mushroom soup
• 1 pt. sour cream
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 C grated cheddar
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 2 C crushed cornflakes (which I didn’t have, so I used crushed club crackers instead)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except cornflakes in large bowl and mix till combined.  Put in a casserole dish (I use a 9 x 13 Pyrex pan), and sprinkle cornflakes on top.  Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

Bam.  Brunch just got even better.

 

A Glass of Milk Goes Kosher for Passover (Sort Of)

While celebrating Easter at Grandma Glass of Milk’s, I came across a favorite family recipe I’d completely forgotten about.  Kugel.  And it’s not kosher for Passover.  But it is a traditional Jewish dish.

I still remember the first time I had noodle kugel at Sous Chef Lauren’s.  Noodles were my very favorite things, and I had never come across them prepared in this way before.  Maybe you haven’t either dear readers.  It may be because you’re not Jewish.  Because if you’re Jewish, I’m sure you’ve had kugel.  Or at least seen it on the table at some point during your upbringing.

This particular kugel is a little different.  It’s not the sweet kugel with cream cheese and apples that you may remember.  It’s a savory, spinach and three-cheese kugel from K8.  Well, it’s from Jewish Cooking in America, but we get it by way of K8, one of our favorite family members.  She mentioned it at Sunday dinner, and I was so excited to make it, I had it on the table by Monday night.

For those of you with little to no kugel experience, let me let you in on a secret.  A kugel is just a casserole made with egg noodles.  Kugels are often served at Shabbat dinners, and gracious, are they good.  My suggestion:  find one you love and cook it for your family every year, regardless of your faith.

The recipe appears in the cookbook as I wrote it below.  But if you know your way around a good casserole, you can figure out lots of tweaks and substitutes to fit your pantry.  To make one casserole, you will need:

• 8 oz. cooked egg noodles
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 C onion, finely chopped
• 2 T fresh parsley, chopped (I didn’t have this, so left it out)
• 1, 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained of excess water, and chopped
• 3/4 C sour cream
• 1 C small-curd cottage cheese (I have no idea if what I used was small-curd)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 C swiss cheese, shredded (I had a little chunk of Colby-Jack waiting to be used up, so that’s what I used, but really, throw anything in here.)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (I used 1 tsp. fresh)
• dash of nutmeg (Hmmm, did I even remember this?)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook and drain noodles according to package directions and toss with 2 tablespoons butter.  In small saute pan, melt remaining tablespoon butter, and saute onion till soft and transparent, 5 minutes.  Fold into noodles.  Fold spinach into noodles, then add sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan, and Swiss cheeses, salt, pepper and thyme.

Pour into 2 qt. casserole dish, sprinkle with nutmeg (definitely didn’t do this), and bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and cook 15 minutes more, or until top is bubbly and crusty at the edges.  Serve hot.

On Picky Eaters

When I was a kid, I was a seriously picky eater.  If it didn’t come off of the kids’ menu I wouldn’t eat it.  I remember going to fancy (well they seemed fancy at the time) New York dinners with my mom’s side of the family and stressing over whether there would be anything on the menu I would actually eat.  And then I started to cook.  At first, I made my favorite foods.  Which means I cooked a whole lot of pasta.  You would be shocked to discover just how many ways Women’s Day can combine white wine, sausage, and rigatoni all in one skillet!  As my repertoire grew, so did my taste buds, I suppose, and before you know it I was cooking with things I wouldn’t have touched in my childhood days.

Now that I’ve worked so many new foods into my diet, I’m always excited to see my old favorites used in new ways.  I’ve always loved TheKitchn, but lately, they’ve been killing it.  And in the past week or so, I’ve seen two quick snacks that combine some of my kitchen staples in ways I never would have dreamed of.  Can’t see what that is up there?

Perhaps this will help.  Yep, that’s a potato chip in my hand, and yes, I’m dunking it in cottage cheese.  So weird, right?  But just as The Kitchn suggested, it’s also strangely addictive and good.  Trust me, dear readers, this is dangerous snacking territory.  There’s something going on between the creamy cottage cheese and the salty, crunchy potatoes.  I’d stop to figure out what it is, but that would detract from my inhaling of the two together.

And this little concoction is what happened on a whim when Sarah Kate from The Kitchn needed to serve a gluten free guest for dessert.  She scooped out vanilla ice cream, and topped it with olive oil, lemon zest, and sea salt.  So I did too.  A layer of each in between each scoop and an extra helping on top.  I was cautious with my drizzles and sprinkles because I didn’t know how this would fare, and would hate to ruin a perfectly lovely bowl (or jar) of Breyers.  I wish I could have gone back and added more, but again, I was too busy inhaling what was in front of me without looking back.  Click the link above to see a picture with a proper amount of toppings.

If you had told my 7 year-old self, or even my kitchen-experimenting 15 year-old self, that I’d be eating these foods together, I would have given you a prompt, “Whatever.”  But something’s happened after so many years in the kitchen, and there’s not much I wouldn’t try anymore.

Wooden Nickels Was Here

As evidenced by this little vignette.

That’s coffee, which she drinks by the gallon, and those are homemade nonpareils.  I made them because Wooden Nickels loves them, and also because I wanted to make my own, instead of paying too much for the Trader Joe’s ones that SCL introduced me to.  Wooden Nickels was very serious about getting all possible sprinkles onto her spoon.  She was in town because I have some time off of work, and she likes me.  We visited Grandma Glass of Milk, got our nails done, ate food at a girly French bistro, and annoyed each other.

Wooden Nickels is a vegetarian, so I always have to think carefully about what we’re going to have for dinner when she comes over.  This time around, inspiration came from the Barefoot Contessa.  Shocker.  I honestly don’t even know what to say about Ina anymore.  Her recipes are the best.  The best.  She gets the classics exactly right, every time.  And even her mushroom lasagna, which takes a bit more effort to make, is nothing a home cook can’t master.

What an elegant meal to serve vegetarians and omnivores alike.  It’s perfectly filling without being heavy, which I think comes from the *gasp* noticeable lack of cheese.  As I was putting this together, I started second guessing Ina, thinking that surely I should be adding Fontina, the cheese that pairs so well with woody mushrooms and melts into the nooks and crannies of any good casserole once it’s baking.  Jennie, you fool.  You know Ina knows what she’s doing.  Despite the bechamel sauce this is not a macaroni and cheese.  It doesn’t need a punch from something pungent, just the hint of something extra you get from Parmesan (or Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, which is what I used).

One bite into our lasagna and Wooden Nickels shouted to the heavens, “It’s like 5 pounds of salt and some cheese!”  She later added she meant it as a compliment.  “That’s what makes it so good.”  She exclaimed.  I’m inclined to believe her, as she went up for seconds, and left with two more brick-sized leftover portions.

I tweaked Ina’s recipe by cutting back on some of the richer ingredients, though I doubt anyone would ever guess.  I also tweaked the process a bit so I wouldn’t have to wash as many dishes.

To make mushroom lasagna for 8, you will need:

• 1 lb. lasagna noodles
• Kosher salt
• olive oil
• 4 C 2% milk
• 4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (I used 1 lb. cremini and 1/2 lb. portobellos), sliced
• 1/2 C Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese

Boil lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted water.  Drain and run under cold water.  This will prevent the noodles from drying out while you work on the rest of the lasagna.  You can check on the noodles every now and again and run some more water over them if they look like they’re getting crunchy.

Once the pot is empty, throw it back on the burner, and melt the butter in the bottom.  Add flour, and stir constantly 2-3 minutes, to take off that raw-flour edge.  Pour in milk, and add nutmeg, pepper, and 1 tsp. Kosher salt.  Stir till thickened, about 10 minutes.  Don’t call it done till you can run your finger along the back of a spoon and see the trail it left.  I recently learned that this is called nappe (pronounced nappay).  It sounds so pretentious and French.  Try it out on your friends.  Take the bechamel you just made (oooh, another new French word) and set it aside.

In a large saute pan, heat some olive oil and throw in as many mushrooms as will fit (I did mine in 3 batches).  Saute, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Now it’s all about assembly.  Layer some bechamel in the bottom of your favorite casserole dish (mine is pretty close to 9 x 12).  Then set a layer of noodles on top of that.  Spread more cheese on top, and sprinkle 1/3 mushrooms over.  Sprinkle with 1/4 C of one of the cheese.  Then repeat: noodles, sauce, mushrooms, 1/4 C of the other cheese.  Repeat again.  Then top with one more layer of noodles, sauce, and cheese.

At this point, you can let the casserole sit and cool off a bit, cover it with foil, and pop it in the fridge or freezer.  Alternatively, pop it in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, until sauce bubbles and the stick-out noodle edges are crunchy.

On Blogging

Adam’s recent post on whether or not food blogs have come and gone is, I’m sure, making its way to the far corners of the Internet as we speak, and probably causing a stir as it goes.

I loved it.  I didn’t agree with all of it.  But I loved it for the way it made me stop and think.

And this morning when I tasted a breakfast treat I made, I thought of his post.  I thought, “This breakfast treat is good, but it’s not great.  I could blog about it, and then I’d have a post up.  But I bet I could find a better version of this particular breakfast treat to share with my readers another time.”

And then I moved on with my life.  With my weekly meals mapped out, I went to the grocery store, filled my cart, came home, and continued my day of laundry-doing.  When the time came to make lunch, I set about prepping Truffled Orzo with Asparagus (sans Truffle butter because they didn’t have any at Whole Foods…boo!) for lunch.

I made it because I they made it at the Apartment Therapy Potluck on TheKitchn and it sounded like something I would love.  Let’s be serious, I’ve never met an orzo dish I didn’t like.

And I was blown away.

Even without the truffle butter.

In a moment of self-pity (Poor me, they didn’t have truffle butter and Williams Sonoma wasn’t open yet.) and self-indulgence, I threw some bacon on top of my bowl.

This dish goes over the top, without going overboard. None of the rich ingredients are present in any amount that would make you want to die.  Instead, modest splashes of cream, pats of butter, and spoonfuls of cheese are tucked nicely into an elegantly creamy pasta dish.

What more could you ask for?

There are plenty of tweaks you can make at any point along the way to put your personal spin on this truffled orzo.  This time, I went with bacon, but next time, I may stir in some lemon zest.  If I had any chance of winning tonight’s mega-millions jackpot (or whatever it’s called, I don’t know, I don’t even have a ticket, I’m not concerned), I would bathe not just in truffle butter, but truffles themselves, and I’d shave them right over top of this orzo.

To make enough for a hungry foursome, you will need:

• 1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into bite sized pieces
• 12 oz. orzo
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 3 T grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 T pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 T truffle butter, or the best butter you can get your hands on (I used Plugra)
• black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add asparagus, and cook for 2 minutes.  Fish asparagus out without draining, you want to reserve the water.  Add orzo to the boiling pot, and cook till al dente, 7-9 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet, and cook garlic over medium low heat till lightly browned.  Add asparagus.  Drain and add orzo, and stir.  Off the heat, add cream, butter and cheeses.  Stir in plenty of cracked black pepper and serve.

On Bridal Showers

I have been all about weddings since I was twelve.  I used to buy wedding magazines, tear out pictures, and paste them in scrapbooks from CVS.  Where was Pinterest when I needed it?  I owned the Vera Wang Weddings book when it came out.

*source

In 2001.

I was 16.

That’s not normal.  I know.

*source

My friend Ashley was the first to get engaged.  She was completely overwhelmed by all the planning at first, and told me how smart I was to buy all those magazines before any of it mattered. Ashley pulled it all together and went on to have one of the classiest weddings in town.

*source

And I went to her wedding to be there for her.  And then I went to approximately 8 million more over the course of the next 6 years.  Oh, and I had one of my own.

*source

There was a time, probably in my later years of college, when I would have killed for a bridal shower invite.  Now I get them on a pretty regular basis.  My friend Sarah’s came a while back.  I RSVP’ed, hit up the registry early enough to buy my signature gift, some nice cake pans and a Barefoot Contessa baking mix, and didn’t really think anything else of it until the date of the shower was upon me.

*source

I could attend a bridal shower with my eyes closed.  You show up promptly at the time the shower starts, never early, never late.  You munch on sandwiches, play a couple of games, and watch the bride open her gifts, and chat with ladies you’ll be tearing up the dance floor with at the wedding.  Textbook stuff.

*source

Sarah’s shower had all those things.  But something made it more than your average bridal shower.  It was just so pleasant.  It might have had something to do with how lovely Sarah is.  It might have had something to do with her dear sister and mother.  It could have been that the shower was the perfect size–not too many guests, and not too few.  And it may have had a little something to do with the four girlfriends who have become such great wedding buddies over the years. I can’t pinpoint exactly what made this particular shower so nice, but it was simply a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

I do know it had something to do with this salad.

When we got to the eating portion of the shower, I filled my plate about halfway with this spinach strawberry salad, because salads involving spinach and strawberries are my favorite.  As I worked on my lunch plate, I realized I had all the ingredients I needed to make this at home.  Thus, I decided that not only would spinach strawberry salad make up half of my lunch, it would also comprise my dinner.

I asked Sarah’s mom for the recipe, and headed off with visions of toasted almonds dancing in my head.

This is how I made it based on what I had.  It’s not quite exactly how Sarah’s mom made it, but I’ll include her version in a note at the bottom.  And you should know that you can make this (and any salad) exactly the way you want by swapping out things you like better, and changing amounts to reflect your tastes.

To make spinach strawberry salad for at least 4, you will need:

• 1 box fresh baby spinach leaves, 5 oz.
• 1/3 C sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/2 pint strawberries, sliced somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 4 strips crispy bacon (totally and completely optional)

Place spinach, almonds and strawberries in a bowl, and toss (If you wanted to do this ahead, you could just leave that mixture out for a while.)  Just before serving, mix oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in small bowl, and toss salad with as much or as little dressing as you like.  Crumble bacon over top of individual salad bowls.

Sarah’s mom’s salad dressing was utterly amazing, and is made by whisking:

• 3/4 C canola oil
• 2/3 C tarragon vinegar
• 1/4 C sugar
• salt
• pepper
• a dash of Tabasco sauce

together in a small bowl.

It’s worth mentioning that the cupcakes at the shower were pretty impressive too.  Those are homemade fondant decorations.

This Above All

To thine own self be true.

I absolutely love Ina’s green beans with crispy shallots, and find that it will complement just about anything you could dream of putting on your table.  So on a never-ending quest to eat more fruits and vegetables, I turned it into a salad, complete with pesto, toasted almonds, and quinoa. Now it’s a meal unto itself.

Now, I make a big bowl on the weekends, and finish it off for lunch throughout the week.

Know what you love, and build on it.  A simple side dish could become a meal, a salad, a casserole, and who knows what else?

Let yourself get crazy in the kitchen.

To make Green Bean Salad with Almonds, Shallots and Quinoa, for a couple days, you will need:

• 1/4 C sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 or 3 shallots, minced
• 1 lb. haricot verts, trimmed
• 1/2 C pesto
• 1 C cooked quinoa (or other leftover grain like couscous or barley)
• 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• A couple splashes of white wine vinegar, if you’re into that kind of thing

Saute the shallots in a tablespoon of olive oil till they are crispy, about 8 minutes.  Remove shallots and set aside, leaving oil in the pan.  Saute green beans till nice and hot, and as cooked through as you like them.  For me, that’s about 4 minutes.  Dump the almonds, shallots, green beans, and quinoa in a bowl and toss till mixed.  Stir in pesto and white wine vinegar, if using.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

No Peeking!

Patience is a virtue.

That I have never had.

So popping popcorn is especially hard for me.

Because you must, must, must not peek until all the kernels are finished doing their things.

But it’s so worth the wait.

Especially when you drizzle melted butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Have you ever popped your own popcorn?  All it takes is 3 minutes and a pot.  No fancy devices necessary.  And no fear, okay?  The popcorn holds no fear.

Since I never get out in time to see movies in theaters anymore, I ate this big bowl in front of the Oscars last night for dinner.  That hit the spot.

To make 3 cups of popcorn, you will need:

• 2 T canola oil (or vegetable, or peanut, or any other flavorless oil with a high smoke point)
• 1/4 C popcorn kernels
• 2 T melted butter (olive oil would work too)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt

Pour the oil in the bottom of a 3 or 4 quart sauce pan.  That’s either going to be your smallest sauce pan, or second smallest, depending on your collection.  You’re looking for something about the size of what you’d use to cook pasta.  When it’s good and hot, add three popcorn kernels, cover the pot, and listen for 3 little *pops*.  It feels like *pop* should be asterisked as such.

Anyway.

Once your three kernels have popped, pour the 1/4 C of kernels in the pan.  Cover the pan, and take off the heat for 30 seconds.  Count.  Set a timer.  Look at your watch.  Return the pan to the heat, lid ever-so-slightly askew (to let the steam out and ensure a crispier snack), and shake what your momma gave you.  Well, shake the pot.  Until you hear a plethora of popping.  Oh, I’m sorry, *popping*.  I forgot.  Unfortunately, you cannot peak, lest you and your kitchen be covered in flying kernels and sputtering oil.

When the popping stops, you’re done.

Take the pan off the heat, pour the kernels in a bowl.  Add the butter and salt, stir, and chow down.  Or take things a step further (Farther? You know I have no clue.) and mix in 1/4 C Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle in some thyme if you want.  For the past 3 weeks, my grocery store has been fresh out of fresh thyme.  Anyone else having this problem?

I digress.

Home-popped popcorn.

Never disappoints.

Start Small

If you’re new to cooking dear readers, the worst thing you can do is be intimidated by your kitchen.  It’s not there in case Better Homes and Gardens needs another photo spread in their next issue.  It’s there for you to use.  To get dirty.  And then to clean again (trust me, I know all about that last part).

Keep in mind that you don’t need to worry about making the perfect pot roast right off the bat.  Start small.  Get a couple wins under your belt before you tackle something new and different.

One of the very first recipes I made on my own were these pita chips.  I wandered my way into the kitchen before having friends over one weekend, and pulled this up on Allrecipes.  Kids, that was how we looked for recipes in the olden days before blogs.

They’re simple, toasty, crunchy, and packed with flavor.  Perfect for dipping in your favorite spread of choice.  A betcha can’t eat just one kind of dish for sure.

Kitchen rookies might wonder why anyone would bother making pita chips from scratch when Stacy would do a fine job on her own.  For one, playing in the kitchen is fun.  And for two, making these yourself ensures a complete and total lack of terrible things like trans fats, too much salt, fake ingredients, etc.  And finally, food tastes better when you make it yourself.  You’re more invested in the outcome, which practically guarantees a finger-lickin’ good time.

There are any number of ways you could make pita chips, but here’s how I make mine:

To make 16, plain and simple:

• 1 round pita bread
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt (Kosher or sea salt will make a big difference)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheet with foil.  Cut pita into eighths like a pizza pie.  Pull apart halves, so you have 16 triangles.  Place in single layer on baking sheet.  In small bowl, mix olive oil and salt.  Drizzle (or brush) a little on each chip.  Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

To dress things up:

• Add herbs to the olive oil mixture. Rosemary and thyme are my favorites.  Add either 1 tsp. total fresh herbs or 1/2 tsp. dried.
• Add some spice to that oil!  A pinch of red pepper flakes, or cayenne never hurt anyone.
• Sprinkle cheese on top of the chips right before baking.  Parmesan, cheddar, or gruyere all create great flavors.
• And of course, you can always make pita chip nachos and call it a meal.  I like mine piled high with cheese, tomatoes and guacamole.

And if you’re entertaining for a crowd, just scale the recipe up.  Each pita round yields about 16 chips after slicing and pulling apart the halves.  So for each round you use, add another 1/4 C of oil and 1/2 tsp. salt.  You can bake them ahead in the morning and have them ready to go by party time.

Fat Tuesday

Happy Mardi Gras everyone!

Though beignets are the traditional N’awlins breakfast, pancakes are a staple on dinner tables everywhere tonight.

Unfortunately, it’s not a tradition we’re continuing this year, as we’re wolfing down dinner before heading to watch our beloved Terps play ball.

But if you’re looking for pancakes dear readers, you know you’re in the right place.  Pancakes are one of the reasons I live and breathe.  They’re the reason I wake up early on Sundays.  Here are my four faves.

Buttermilk Pancakes – These are the ultimate in classic pancakes.  They’re fluffy and light, and (wait for it) are equally good with or without chocolate chips.  I don’t say that about just any pancake.  No buttermilk?  Use an equal amount of milk, and add 1 tsp. either white vinegar or lemon juice.

Pillow (Eggnog) Pancakes – Though eggnog seems a thing of the past, if it’s chilly where you are right now, this is what you need to eat for dinner.  You don’t actually need eggnog to make them.   Instead, the blend of spices mimics everyone’s favorite December drink.

Banana Pancakes – I would venture a guess that this exact recipe is the one that inspired the Jack Johnson song of the same name.  They’re the best banana pancakes in town.  Plus they contain fruit.  Healthy!

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes – If you’ve never made a smitten kitchen recipe before let me tell you two things.  One:  Get busy!  Deb’s recipes are some of the very best, and there are so many to choose from.  Two:  Start with these pancakes.  They are the epitome of what Deb does right (which is almost everything).

Smashed Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Pancakes -  There is one food blogger who will not let Deb run away with the “best pancakes ever” title, and that’s Joy the Baker.  She has a reverence for pancakes you can’t argue with, and these are no exception.

So fry up some bacon and get on it!  Happy pancake day!