Where the Blazes Have I Been?

So, what's in a year?

Some stuff has happened lately that has given me a renewed interest in resuming this food blog. I won't go back over the whole year, only that as of last summer, I had pretty well abandoned this food writing idea. Food had become something I made as simply as possible, while still trying to remain healthy. I wasn't really inspired, as I feel I had been in the last ten years. I felt that I was over it. There are so many food blogs out there now - and so many of them do this so much better than I do. I don't own a Mac, and my pictures look decidedly less fancy compared to others with each passing year.

I feel that God places things in our path at times, and we can either continue to walk around them and ignore the signposts, or we can stop and pay attention. Suffice to say, my signposts had begun to accumulate. A voice was needling me from somewhere in the back of my mind.

In September, I had a wonderful time at my older daughter's birthday party. I made her a Rapunzel cake; my first fondant cake with homemade fondant. It was incredibly fun, and I plan to do it again, possibly this summer when my younger daughter most likely has the Cinderella-themed party that she's been insisting on for months. They seldom let go of things, my kids.

Anyway, my mother-in-law made some shredded pork sandwiches for the party, which I ate and enjoyed very much. The next day, I promptly became a vegan, and have not looked back. I am in love with it.

(Then, I also turned the remnants of our herb garden into a large batch of Nonno's seasoning.)

Was this a shockingly sudden move on my part? Well, I'm sure it seems that way to most people. But I've been led to this point by the convergence of several others. First of all, I'm not so much an animal rights activist, but well, meat has just started to seem... Yucky. I watched an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" (a program I still enjoy, owing to the habit I have of watching cook shows that feature food I would never cook or eat), and they showed an entire pig being brought up out of a crank-turned smoker on a grate. It had been gutted, and laid open. It had smoked so long it was just holding its form together in a near-gelatin state. The diner's cook thrust his hand between the skin and the ribs, unceremoniously ripping out various cuts of meat ("there's your tenderloin") and throwing pig liquid all over the room. I thought, "Yeah, I'm done."

On top of this, I always enjoy vegetarian food. I know I may be a freak, but I already knew I loved tofu, seitan and tempeh. I just usually used cheese liberally in my vegetarian dishes. Did I want to give that up? Until recently, I also couldn't picture life without eggs. I'd been heard to say that I felt vegetarianism was logical, but veganism was something I viewed as a type of eating disorder. But back to that in a moment.

The second influence on me was a couple articles I'd read by vegan athletes. I was eating more lean meat than ever (note the post, "Diet Plate,") based on the advice of periodicals like "Runner's World," which pushes a lot of lean meat, telling you that as a runner, you need 30% more protein, printing meaty recipes, etc. I was exhausted almost all the time (which I actually blamed on my children). So when I read about Scott Jurek (which I also have to credit to "Runner's World," though you'll notice that the tone of the article treats him like quite the novelty), another component slid into place. He talks about coming to this decision a little at a time, over a period of years, which is how I feel my journey has been. I was eating meat, but my tastes have been evolving in the last ten years, from someone who really enjoyed her Cheez Whiz, into someone who really enjoys broccoli rabe. Anyway, I had read another couple articles in the same week, seemingly placed into my path somehow.

I decided to try it out for a couple of weeks, just to see what happened. As my brother says, "I figure if I ever change my mind, the meat is still there." So without pressuring myself, or expecting much either, I decided to try it out. I needed a new adventure, and I figured maybe I'd lose two pounds or so for my efforts.

My first vegan meal was acorn squash, stuffed with black rice, dried fruit and chopped nuts, apples, and topped with lots of cinnamon, margarine, and brown sugar.

(It was very good, but I decided I had over-sweetened it.) The next week, I went out to dinner with my friends Brooke, Kim, and Brooke's incredible family (still waiting for them to sign my adoption papers) at Vapiano's in the city. I ordered an entire pizza without cheese, ate the entire thing, and then the next morning I got up and ran my first marathon.

(My knees started killing me at about mile 18, but I attribute that to too many weekday miles, not the vegan diet.**) Anyway, after two weeks, I felt better than I ever have in my life. Like, WAY better. Incredibly alert, energetic, strong and beautiful. And I still do. Then I watched "Forks Over Knives," and the infamous China Study solidified my views on things. Sealed the deal, I guess.

(**I will say this, and apologize. If you go vegan, expect a certain side-effect to go on for a couple weeks until your body adjusts to the whole foods and fiber. Find a quiet corner at work, crop-dust, and get through it. I got better, and I still have some friends.)

I continued things all the way through Thanksgiving, when I kept everything vegan, except the turkey roll I made for the family. I served roasted brussel sprouts with chestnuts, mom's rolls (veganized version), stuffing, baked sweet potatoes, and a Tofurkey roast, which apparently only I didn't like. It reminded me that I had cut out most of the processed food in my life for a reason.

I love the food I am eating, and I look forward to sharing. My family is not vegan, though they often eat what I make, so if I adapt a recipe for them, I will share this also. If we go to a burger joint together, you're going to see that also. Cooking vegan has been a true adventure, as well as a learning process, both in culinary technique, and in integrating the cuisine into my family's life. Thanks for your support!

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken and Rice

Okay, my posts have gotten a bit shorter. But there's a good reason for that. My time has gotten shorter, too! And I figure if my time is shorter, then other people are probably short on time, too. Since, you know, I only have the one kid, and/or I don't work full time. So hopefully other people will be interested in dinners that are as fast as I'd like them to be. And if not, have you read dooce.com lately?



Oh, and sorry about the lousy picture. Again: time crunch.

First you drop four to six chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Or hell, just use two, I don't care. Sometimes you get through those giant Costco packages of chicken and all you have are two left over. Or maybe you just bought two, and that's a little bit sad and lonely for you, but I'm not here to make you feel worse. (But really, you should make more and plan for leftovers. I'm not your mother but I'm just sayin'.) I was about to add "then lightly season the chicken," but who am I kidding? I didn't do that.

Then you drop a can or two of cream of mushroom (or cream of anything) soup on top. Also add wild or brown rice, and enough liquid to cook the rice (I like to use chicken broth). Cook it for six hours or so, and the chicken will break apart easily with two forks, so you can s-to-the-hred it. Then add a liberal amount of hot sauce (I like Red Hot), and some salsa, and stir it again.

This can be eaten with a salad or veggie on the side, but it's also really good inside tortillas with taco fixings.



The best part about this dinner is this: not only did you barely cook today, but you don't have to cook tomorrow, either!

Easy Galumpki Bake

Recently, I was at my friend Beata's baby shower. She and her husband are Polish, and they had lots of Polish friends, who brought quite a bit of Polish food. And when I say, "they brought quite a bit," I mean in the way that Sitting Bull brought quite a bit of Cheyenne to a small party with Custer. It was astounding. After we all ate our fill, Beata announced, "And now, we eat dinner!" Holy crap. That's when the meat really came out. Dear lord, the meat! If meat makes for a healthy baby (and I think I'm a testament to that), then this kid is gonna be Herculean.

One of the many tasty, meaty items was galumpki, which I think most people have had at one time or another. They're also called cabbage rolls, and that's just what they are: rolled cabbage leaves with rice and pork in the center, and tomato sauce on top. All through my childhood, my father made them, and mistakenly called them "pigs in a blanket," which they are not.

They're great, but not so easy to make. The cabbage leaves have to be blanched, and the rice pre-cooked, and then of course there's all the rolling. I made a sort of "deconstructed" galumpki in the slow cooker, which is also a bit healthier because it uses turkey. It tastes great (much like the original), and utilizes a much simpler "open package, dump contents" sort of technique.



Ingredients:
1 carrot, peeled and broken up
1 celery stick with leaves
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
(if you made the Turkey Chili Mac, then you already have these in your fridge)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 bag of cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup water
1 29 oz. can tomato sauce (puree)
salt and pepper

In layers, place half the bag of cabbage mix, then half the mix of the first four veggies, which you've pulsed to a fine chop in the food processor. Add half the rice, then tear half the turkey up into chunks to complete the first layer. Make sure you season the meat. Then repeat each layer once more, and season again. Add the sauce to the top, and the water. Cook on low for six to eight hours.



Serve with crusty bread, with parmesan cheese on top. Mm!

Salad Dressing for Dinner

Why is blogging so difficult? Seriously, I'm going to try not to bore you with the details, but I am slowly trying to get one chunk done at a time on my current project: making it so I can easily blog from UPSTAIRS on the laptop. See, the big ol' computer is downstairs in Chris' office, and I don't like sitting in the basement. But until recently all the networked files couldn't be accessed until I turned on that computer. Now I don't have to, but there are still some bugs to work out! Shih.

Anyway, one of the tastiest things I'm stuck on lately is a new way to do a chicken cutlet around here. I've been taking a package of the Perdue Fit 'N Tasty thin-sliced chicken breasts (you could pound them yourself if you're so inclined), putting them in a large Ziploc with salad dressing and olive oil, and letting them marinate in the fridge. I like honey mustard or ranch dressing. It works great with leftover dressing -- you know, the large containers you get with other stuff? I had a couple of containers of honey mustard from some "big salads" I got at some places, and some ranch dressing at another time from our new favorite pizza place, Wayne's. We get the ranch dressing with the cauliflower bites that they have. Yum. Too good to waste!



You just mix up the dressing and the olive oil by hand after you seal the bag. When you open it, you dredge the chicken in a little Italian breadcrumb, and lightly fry it in a little oil, then drain it on paper towels. "Winner winner, chicken dinner!" It is so moist and delicious, I've been making it once a week.



I serve it with brown rice and a veggie. I cooked up the brown rice, and I happened to also have some Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing also on hand. I mixed some of that into the rice, and hey presto! An asian side dish.

Anyhoo, sorry about the kinks in the system. I'm working them out, and if not, I'll try and get over my fear of the basement and post more often!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Everyone has to have a few go-to recipes to bring to a party, or feed a large crowd. Mine is the old sweet-n-sour meatballs. Or, if you prefer, "sweet 'n sour."



I first fell in love with these at an opening night at a Kankakee Valley Theater show... Someone's mom brought them, and she couldn't believe I'd never had them. They're the sort of thing everyone who grows up in an organized small-town church has at everyone's house at any function. I think I must have had six pounds of the tasty suckers the first time I had them. I'd had Italian meatballs, and Swedish meatballs, but dang. Those protestant ones sure hit the spot.

Any time you need something to bring to a baby shower or a tailgate party, this here's your huckleberry. You can make most of it the night before (raw meat right in the sauce) and put the Crockpot in the fridge, then the next day cook them at your event. Or, you could cook them overnight, then bring them cooked and warm to your destination early in the morning, and even reheat them later in the slow cooker. I've done both. Just be prepared to skim some grease off the top (if you use beef, not really so much with the turkey) before serving.

I think I originally got this recipe on About.com... but I've changed it a bit (and this version reflects that). Despite the Asian-sounding name to the dish, they're nothing of the kind... Just the delightful "meat candy" I'm always on about.

1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup milk
a couple shots of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (REALLY fine)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, or ground turkey
1/ pound lean ground pork, optional (I generally do just 2 lbs. turkey, or sometimes beef if I'm going cheap. Hey, sometimes you got a whole other party budget to plan out.)
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
about 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup finely diced parsley (if you have it)
2 (12-ounce) bottles of chili sauce -- generic is fine
1/2 cup water (beef stock or beer is also nice, and yes, alcohol evaporates when heated)
1 jar (10 oz.) grape jelly (again, go generic)
hot cooked rice or noodles (when feeding a crowd, I just bring toothpicks, a large serving spoon, and skip the noodles)

Combine the bread crumbs, milk, diced onion, ground meat, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. Mix (don't overmix) the mixture and shape into 1-inch balls. What I do is put the rest of the ingredients (the sauce) into the cool slow cooker and whisk the liquid. Then I just add the meatballs as I form them, right into the sauce. I don't worry about them touching or anything. Now, you can refrigerate them like this, or cook them right away.

I cook them for about 6 hours on low. Don't reach in and stir them for about 3 hours (until the meat has begun to cook). Then you can re-distribute them, and they won't mush up or break apart.

I have never, ever brought these anywhere and not had every single one eaten. And I've been making these for years now... So I always take some out for Chris and I before I go to the party. You can freeze them raw in sauce and cook them later, or just freeze the cooked meatballs and warm them later. Always a hit (except with the vegetarian crowd I guess... But if they say they aren't tempted, they're lying.)

Coconut Chili and Bean Medley

Here's something I experimented with the other night that came out quite good. It has a sweet and spicy, vaguely eastern flavor due to the light coconut milk and seasonings. I've been playing with coconut milk a lot since tasting Thai curry a few years ago, and this is another of my variations.

• Sauté half of a yellow onion (diced) and four minced cloves of garlic with a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan.


• Add 1/2 bag golden raisins, and four cooked and diced Yukon gold potatoes.


• Add 1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans, one can rinsed and drained chick peas, and 1/2 bag steamed or prepared lentils (about one cup).


• Add 1 can light coconut milk, three-quarters of a jar of Trader Joe's roasted red pepper and eggplant dip***, 1/3 bag of cashews, and 1/3 bag frozen peas.


• Season with salt, pepper, a little cumin and coriander, and a more generous amount of chili powder to taste. Heat through and combine until peas are thawed, and the dish is warm.


• Serve over brown rice, and garnish with red bell pepper or scallions.

I think this dish is easy to prepare, even if you don't really cook. It looks like a lot, but it is all "pantry" ingredients, and it is my favorite style of cooking (just combining things in a pan.) Don't be scared if it looks a little strange... The raisins give it a burst of sweetness, and the nuts give it a nice crunch. The leftovers (and there will be a lot), reheated very well, and it may have even tasted better after a couple of days in the fridge.

*** You could make your own by processing oil-packed red peppers (with the oil), garlic, and grilled eggplant until smooth.

Caribbean Bratwurst

Okay, y'all are gonna think I'm crazy after this one. I mean, if you didn't already.



Sometimes pulling together everything in the fridge into a coherent... something is a challenge, even for me (only because I think I have my Dad's gift for that.) And when turkey bratwurst is buy one, get one free, that's a lot of brats if there aren't any cookouts on your calendar. And no buns in the fridge.

But I was up for it. I had an idea for a spicy, fruit-based Caribbean-style bean dish kicking around in my head, and adding brats to that didn't seem too crazy. They're a spicy meat, after all... So I chopped the brats and sautéed them with diced onion and garlic. Then I added chopped green apples (which was also something I needed to use.) I always keep the skin on, because there's a lot of nutrients there, and flavor, too. When those had softened just the tiniest bit, I added:

1 can of kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
¼ - ½ jar of Trader Joe's Mango purée (peach sauce or apple sauce would work, too)
a generous dusting of mexican seasoning
extra spice -- some extra cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
a handful of cashews
a handful of golden raisins

I topped it with a dollop of low fat sour cream (or yogurt is also nice), and put it on brown rice. I really, really liked it. It was like spicy meat candy, in a phrase that sounds like something my brother might say. Mmmmm. Meat candy...

But it was also low fat and high in nutrients and fiber. It had lots of textures and flavors... what's not to like?

Bacon Fried Rice

I know, I know, it sounds sinful... But it wasn't, really. I had some of that wonderful turkey bacon from Trader Joe's, some leftover brown rice and some veggies (like shredded carrots), so I diced the bacon, diced garlic, and some red onions in just a little olive oil, and tossed in the rice and some slivered almonds. Lastly, I drizzled in a couple of beaten eggs until they scrambled (takes a few seconds).

If I'd had some eggplant and some fresh basil, I might have added that for a sort of thai flavor. Sounds naughty, actually very nice... tastes great!

Arancini (Leftover Risotto)

It's the sequel you've been waiting for... arancini!

I posted about these things once before, when we went to eat at L'Appetito in Glenview. They are so named because they look like little oranges, which is the literal translation of the word in Italian or Sicilian. But appearances aside, it ain't health food.



Personally, though, I don't think they're so bad now and then. Because of the size, one is really a meal. We had ours with a green salad (which always takes the curse off a little). And veggies and cheese are good for you! Mangiare!

They were really easy to make. I had the prepared risotto in the fridge overnight. Then I shaped them into smallish orange-sizes in my hands. I had the beloved Siciliano egg-wash set up: one bowl with a couple beaten eggs, one with white flour, and one with Japanese (panko) breadcrumb -- though you can use regular (I just thought this might give a finer, crunchier consistency). I'd do it again. (It was crunch-arrific).

Before rolling, I poked a nice hunk of mozzarella cheese into the center of each ball and re-covered it. I used the shrink-wrapped cheese for this, because the fresh buffalo mozzarella in water tends to be too watery for this kind of thing... Then I rolled it in white flour, then egg, then breadcrumb. Then I dropped each into a few inches of olive oil that was plenty hot. I just turned them until they were golden brown on all sides. When we cut into them, the fork crunched through the center, and the cheese gooshed out.



Oh man. Look at that mesmerizing, hot puddle of cheese. Tell the truth -- if I told you to go slap your momma right now, you'd do it, wouldn't you?

When I was done with all the risotto I had, I was left with this hot oil and egg-wash setup, all willing and able. So I cut the rest of the cheese that I had into long strips, and breaded and fried that, too. When it came out and was draining on a paper towel, I salted it and seasoned it with a little Adobo seasoning and Italian seasoning mix. Oh lord. We may have enjoyed the cheese sticks most of all. And with the panko, you could hear the crunch next door, probably.



Just don't leave them in the oil too long -- the cheese gets very melty and may come right out of the breading.

All of this reheated very nicely in the oven the next day, too, although the arancini fared better than the cheese sticks at retaining their outer crunch and flavor. I would recommend making a pig of yourself on those the very first day when they are freshly fried. (Have some salad for a couple of days afterwards, and you'll be able to suppress those voices of regret pretty darn easily, I promise). I think the arancini may even freeze well, which I'll try the next time.

For any male in the house, of course fried balls provide an endless source of puns and comedy. I'm just warning you so that you're prepared for a lot of crassness and mugging.

Vegetable Risotto

One day not long ago I found myself with a great deal of mozzarella and fresh produce on hand, which not the worst position in which to find oneself. This risotto is a great way to get rid of a whole bunch of produce at once, if you're concerned about using it all before it goes bad... I diced up everything I had in the fridge: some garlic, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and red and yellow bell peppers. I sauteed the diced veggies in some olive oil with salt and pepper, in smaller chunks than I usually might have done, because I already had plans for the leftovers. (Wouldn't you like to know).

I then added all of the risotto that I had in the house, and stirred it all around until just toasty -- when the arborio rice starts to look a little translucent. Then you begin adding the liquid that is recommended on the box a bit at a time (if you are a box-reading sissy, that is), letting it cook down a bit before adding some more. Add, stir, add, stir. I used chicken stock, but you could use water or vegetable stock, too. Personally, I didn't measure anything. The best part about arborio rice is that it "tells" you when you are done adding liquid. You can taste it, and it should have a cooked rice texture instead of a crunch. Here it is before it is quite cooked:



When it is all said and done (maybe 20 minutes or so), I put the veggie risotto into individual crocks and broiled some good mozzarella cheese on top of each. Oh man. What's better than that? And it was so easy.



Chris and I each got our own little private casserole, which was cute. I think this would be a great way to get some veggies into veggie-proof kids, too, because it was all chopped fine and hidden beneath that blanket of mozzarella. If you think they'd pull the cheese off the top, then you could mix it up a little before giving it to them. That way, when they grow up, you can laugh and tell them how much smarter than them you used to be. It might make you feel better about the fact that they never call or write.



Stay tuned for the fate of the leftover risotto and mozzarella cheese...

Bobazzi Curry

I'm baaaack! Sorry I've been away so long... The good news is, it seems like more people than ever are reading the blog, and having nice things to say about it. The bad news is, I've taken this particular opportunity to post not so often. Nice, right? Well, I graduate in two months, and I think I'll get my life back somewhat after that. It will be on to part-time work for me (as dad used to say, "Lord willing and the waters don't rise.")

I'm stealing my brother's descriptor again to title this chicken curry. My parents used to make chicken curry pretty often when I was a kid, and serve it over rice. They made it with a milk-and-flour-base, yellow curry powder, onion, apples, peas and chicken. I have tried it a few times, and I varied it a little for this recipe... I've patterned it more after the creamy coconut milk curry you get in Thai restaurants. The curry really became a whole "nother thing," and it's just as easy, or easier to make than the other type.



I started by pan-searing chicken breasts with Thai curry powder (plenty of it), and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I cooked them just about through, but I don't worry about it too much. They'll be going into the curry sauce, and will finish cooking pretty quickly. So you just remove it from the pan, let is sit a bit, and then chop the breasts into chunks.



Back in the pan, I added a little oil more oil than usual, (about a quarter cup or less), garlic, chopped onion, and several tablespoons of Trader Joe's macadamia nut and cashew butter. I wanted to use this as a thickener, in place of the flour. If that isn't available to you, I think peanut butter would work just as well -- though you'd probably have a more distinctive peanut flavor.

When that was stirred in together and nicely melty, I added the chicken, and two cans of light coconut milk. I brought the heat up through everything, and let it all thicken.

Taking a little more help from Trader Joe's, I chopped the microwavable fingerling potatoes and added those in (I've since made this with Yukon potatoes I cooked first). I added salt and more curry powder, coriander and a little cayenne to taste. I dropped some green peas in at the last moment (frozen, Market Day, natch) and served it over brown rice.



I have since garnished the curry with diced red bell pepper and scallions, and some toasted slivered almonds. Next time, I think I will try adding some green apples to the sautee (something that will hold up to the heat) as my folks used to do. Doesn't match the Thai "pattern" so much, but for me, it'd be nostalgic. Probably would be good with some golden raisins, too!

Sushi is Better Fried

Two more posts about Cali... Whoops, three. And then it's back to my own cooking! I'm having problems with the internet connection, but Lord willing and the waters don't rise, I'll post them all today.

We went out for sushi at a place near Dave called Miyako (you can even view the whole menu online at this site. Will revisit this page later...) It was really delicious. This post features more of Dave's camera phone photos. I gots ta git me one of those.

We started off with an appetizer of tempura-fried jalepe?os with cream cheese and tuna in them. They had a delicious, creamy and spicy sauce on top. I could have eaten an order by myself.



I'm not crazy about sashimi, but I do love the photos of it. I'm always tempted by the new craft stuff online in the shape of it -- jewelry and pillows and stuff -- although I don't really eat it.



The sushi rolls we got are lined up in the photo in the order I liked them best (just by coincidence -- even my OCD knows certain limits.)



The first was either the Aloha or the Caterpillar roll... It had mango around the outside, which may have been pickled or treated in some way, because it wasn't as juicy or as citrus-y as we would have liked. The middle was the Philadelphia roll, with smoked salmon and Philly cream cheese, and it was very good. The Tempura Shrimp rolls on the right were my fave, because how can you beat anything fried? The sauce on it was also delicious.

It was a great meal, and we all left feeling full for not too much money... But not bursting at the seams. Mmmm, sushi. Meat without the regret!

Red Beans and Brown Rice

Long ago and far away, I was a vegetarian for four whole years. During this time (now nearly ten years ago when I began) I was not a great cook. I don't even know if I was a good cook, really. Rather than turning to, you know, vegetables -- I subsisted mostly on Cheetos and other non-food items that I wouldn't go near today. Why did I start eating meat again? I often say this can be summed up in one word. And that word is "Cheddarwurst." Surprisingly however, I ended up with a healthier diet as a meat eater than I ever had before.

Back to my original point -- I probably wouldn't have lasted nearly so long in this veggie endeavor without Curtis Aikens' red beans and rice recipe. It has a complex, hearty flavor that keeps even meatitarians interested, and piling it up on the plate. Back in the day, it may have been the one thing I did right.



1 pound dried red beans (soaked overnight)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup olive oil
3 to 4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups cooked rice
I add plenty of Red Hot at the end, as well

Drain the beans, discarding the water, and set them aside in a pot. Place the onion, celery, garlic and bay leaves in a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over them and let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Don't skip it!

Pour the oil and veggie mixture over the beans and let that mix sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes. Add enough of the water to cover the beans and bring to a boil. (Here, you could also place the mix in a slow cooker.) Lower the temp to a simmer, add S & P, cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the bay leaves and add final seasonings to taste. Serve the hot beans over the rice.

I also serve this with greens with Trader Joe's turkey bacon, because it has a thick cut that seems like a ham-hock texture (hey, I still try to cut out the pork and the beef whenever possible) and biscuits (these were from a mix.)

Tomorrow, a quick post about what to do with your leftover greens!

Eggplant Risotto

Risotto (arborio rice) is another Italian dish that I have no qualms in saying that I did not grow up eating. For one thing, the differences in Italian cooking vary widely not just region-to-region, but also from kitchen-to-kitchen that you can easily spend a lifetime exploring all of the possibilities. No single Italian grows up with every Italian dish. It is also important to note that my greatest influence in cooking was my father -- who was not just an Italian, but a long-term bachelor before (and after) his marriage. He was a great, and passionate cook, but he was also Mr. Mom. While he aspired to the delicate and complex cooking of Julia Child, his own cooking was often centered mostly around cuts of various meats, frying things, coldcuts, and (with the exception of his tomato-gravy, and corned beef on St. Patrick's Day) those things which could be made quickly and easily: utilizing only a 24-year-old spatula, and a skillet that looked as though it had shielded him throughout a war and several hostage crises. His cooking was born of his ethnicity, his necessity, and his resources. And consistently, it was damn good. I see these things with a clearer eye now.

(As a side note, when David and I moved out of the old house, we could not wait to chuck the crummy old cooking supplies and buy new ones. Now, when I think of the history the old man's skillet had, I wouldn't focus on its long lack of a non-stick surface: I would mount it on my kitchen wall as an historical artifact.)

Still, my tastes (and my husband's) run just a bit more to the veggie side now and again. My inexperience with the medium of risotto, however, made me rather timid about trying it out. But over the years, She Whom I Love to Taunt (but actually rely on, and worship somewhat) has emphasized the ease of making risotto so many times that I actually started to believe it. And Rachael? "Easy-peasy" it is.

I started the rice with onion and mushroom. Then I began to add the chicken stock according to the package directions. While I slow-cooked the risotto, I grilled eggplant on the side. It was very simple to continue adding chicken broth as the risotto cooked, thickened, cooked, thickened... Lather, rinse, repeat. I added fresh basil at the end, and served it with some ovoline (buffalo mozzarella the size of eggs) that I got at my new favorite grocery store. Just because it was there.

Chris has not yet completely developed an appreciation for eggplant, but I will continue to make it because I love it so much. I will temper it, for his sake, with the occasional serving of coldcuts and corned beef. I know what boys like.

L'Appetito

Chris and I recently went to a place he's been wanting to try: L'Appetito in Glenview, IL. They sell all kinds of Italian food and sandwiches. I've also read that they are starting other locations, but they are still family-owned. When we got there, I stood inside for a good 10 minutes trying to decide what to have... We decided, first and foremost, to try the arrancini. Those are balls of risotto, stuffed with meat sauce or mozzarella, and breaded and fried. We had them passed as an appetizer at our wedding reception at Monastero's in Chicago, but I was so busy with the chatting and whatnot I never got to try one:



Chris said he preferred the ones at Monastero's, because he thought they were a little spicier. Well, I couldn't compare, but I thought these were crispy, mild and delicious. They had meat sauce, mozzarella and even peas and carrots in the center.

Chris got a sandwich with prosciutto and mozzarella:



Mine was called the "melanzana," and had eggplant in it. It was delicious!



For dessert, I had straciatelli (chocolate chip) gelato, and Chris had a mixed-berry sorbet (he so loves those fruity flavors. (And yes, he is "all man"):



I definitely want to go back and try everything! Next time, I will have a cannoli, and try their cappucino...