taste for taste

Fresh Take

2012-01-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

This recipe was simple:

Any type of your favorite pasta

Fresh cut tomatoes

frozen basil --

(a new fav find at TJ's, you pop little squares of it out into ANYTHING YOU EAT, I think it is better than fresh)

minced garlic

all tossed with a little EVVO

fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

topped with grated sheep cheese

The bread was also a delicious find, a rosemary loaf lightly sprinkled with olive oil and balsamic, topped with cheese.

Dangerously Cheesy

2011-11-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

A pasta I have been dying to try my hand at for some time, this recipe was a cinch, and quite delicious. Olive oil is heated up in a pan, a few cloves of garlic is added and sauteed until a light brown, 28 oz of pulsed italian plum tomatoes, crushed red pepper and salt to taste are added. This mixture is brought to a simmer for ten minutes-boil one pound pasta (mostaccili is preferred) simultaneously. Drain pasta, add tomato mixture and one pound of mozzarella cheese, cubed. Served with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, it's a crowd pleaser.
Bread was spread with butter, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and broiled.

Double the Mashed Potato Pleasure!

2011-11-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

It was a normal idea, that grew to full on home-cooked meal proportions.

First came the mashed potatoes, with sour cream, butter, and frozen corn (boiled, please)
Next came the sliced tomatoes and red onion (originally planned with avocado as well, but that is a sore subject) drizzled with oil and balsamic vinegar.
And last came the crown jewel of our hearty collection, the pan-seared pork loin, chosen with precision by the professionals behind the meat counter, and finished with a pan sauce made with chicken broth and reduced balsamic vinegar. Mirrored image, you ask? No, just identical plates of potato and pork perfection.

The morning rolled around, and we had made just enough mash to fill our longing stomachs with the potatoes they desired. Simply add an egg, and in our case diced red onion to the mix, dollop onto a hot pan, and serve with sour cream and apple sauce. Hot sauce or ketchup are viable options as well.

German Pancakes

2011-11-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

I don't want to beat the pancake horse to death, but I think I just did. Sorry you poor, poor pancake horse.

These were made extra delicious and thick simply by adding an extra egg. Paired with raspberries, mango, and pear, you really can't go wrong.

Halloweeeen!

2011-10-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

It happened again.

We just started throwing things into the recipe, and deliciousness was conceived into flat, round treats of pure pleasure (pancakes).

Eggs\Milk\Brown Sugar\Baking Powder\Baking Soda\Bacon Grease\Flour\Mango

Topped with lemon curd and blackberries
I call 'em, Brown Sugar Mango Pancakes

Blackberry/Lemon Curd Pancakes

2011-10-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

At the local grocery store,

planning to make some 'cakes

These blackberries caught our eye

the thought-a delicious breakfast makes

Mixed in, on top berries were everywhere!

Doused with maple syrup and lemon curd to boot

Served with milk and love,

We scored the best of morning loot.

Homemade Tomato Soup

2011-09-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine and I traveled to the local TJ, decided to make Tomato Soup, and promptly started throwing things into our baskets. The result was....so delicious it will be talked of for a lifetime, and made over and over again in all of my households. Here is the recipe:
16oz fresh diced tomatoes
1/8 cup butter
1/4 fresh diced onion
1/2 yellow pepper
generous 1/2 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
salt and pepper
taragon
sea salt
basil
thyme
all simmered over medium heat for 30 minutes.
In a smaller saucepan, near the end of the thirty minutes, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream is heated up.
Both pans are turned off, the cream is added to the larger pan, stirred together, and immediately served garnished with fresh ground pepper and cilantro.
the french bread was brushed with olive oil, peppered and salted, and broiled on low for 5 minutes.

First-Try Fall Food

2011-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Kabocha squash, halved and baked with a head of garlic for forty minutes, then pureed with chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, fresh-ground pepper, and just-squeezed lemon juice. Topped with fresh basil.

Hot Potato

2011-09-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Par-Boiled, pan fried, with an experimental sauce that included:

sour cream

hot sauce

ketchup

lemon/lime juice

salt/pepper
garlic

Fresh Fruit

2011-07-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Crepes galore!!
The gang traveled to Sauvie Island yesterday (oh just a protected wildlife area, that also doubles as a "U-Pick Farm" location, and triples as a beach on the Columbia river). I chose to gather marionberries, and the roommate scavenged for raspberries. The other members of the troupe stumbled around in a daze that the first trip to Sauvie's usually induces.
What followed next was a breakfast-fest with our berries, crepes, Nutella, honeydew and cantaloupe, as well as a green apple to top it off.

Naomi's Honeysuckle and Mint Salad with Honey Vinagrette

2011-06-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

Naomi has been eating honeysuckle from our yard like crazy, so tonight she and I decided to make a salad. She added mint and we made a dressing with strawberry lemonade and honey. It was seriously (I mean seriously) delightful, as is this photo of the chef.

Third (and Fourth) Meal

2011-06-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

I got a hankerin' to cook tonight, and one meal was just not quite enough.
First:
Fried polenta, covered in a
chunky red sauce-onions, fresh tomatoes, fresh garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (and just a sprinkle of corn starch) sauteed together
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
all drizzled in balsamic vinegar and complimented nicely with
Bosc pears.

Second:
My specialty, homemade mac and cheese.
whole wheat pasta (al dente) covered in a
white sauce-butter, flour, milk, pepper jack cheese, fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste, topped with
fresh basil and fresh grated parmesan cheese
For an extra spicy delight, add saracha to the mix.

Panna Cotta

2011-04-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

For Days.

Homemade Cream of Broccoli Soup

2011-04-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

America's Test Kitchen, maiden voyage

BBB

2011-02-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

Black Bean Burgers

My friend, Patrick, has a knack for cooking. His work has appeared earlier on this blog in the form of red curry.
Black bean burgers consist of mashed up corn and black beans, eggs, among other ingredients.
The recipe can be found here.
You toast up some buns, add onions, tomato, cheese, guacamole, and any other ingredient you want! They are DDDelicious.

Banana Germies

2011-02-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, we all love germies. I make them probably 3 times a week because they are so cheap and delicious. And, I have invented a new kind.

Just slice a banana into the two pans after the butter has melted and stick it back into the oven for a minute or two before adding the batter. It was so good, and it keeps things interesting. Think of all the possibilities..

Red Curry

2011-01-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

My friend made me dinner a couple nights ago, and it was delicious.
Apparently easy too! You just buy the Curry base from your local grocer, follow the instructions, and add anything else you like! (Make sure if you decide on peppers to put them in first, because they take the longest to soften).
Ours had: tofu, peppers, broccoli, garnished with cabbage, and piled atop rice.

This is what eating out alone looks like:

2010-11-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

Consider me Melted.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

2010-11-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Junior Ambassador's at PICA's TBA:10

2010-09-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

So Jamie, Brooke, and I were checking out the totally amazing Time-Based Arts Festival (TBA:10) hosted by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). Here's how it went down: we were in line for ice cream samples for a long time. The whole time we were debating which flavor each to get, then share, so we could taste the best three possible flavors. When we got to the front, we still couldn't decide, we (ahem) may have started to hold up the line, and the guy said, "What to try them all?" Well, heck yeah, we want to try them all. That's how we ended up eating salmon and cream cheese, coconut curry, corn, ginger basil, and "the whole world" (chocolate mixed with vanilla). Yes, those are ice cream flavors, and yes, they were delicious. Especially corn.

some silly girl who couldn't figure out my iPhone took this picture

Junior Ambassador's is currently looking for a new cart location. I said they could set up in my back yard, but no one seemed to think that was a viable option.

I took this photo, which is sad, because you can't see my smile of delight

Family Dinner!

2010-09-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

I told Leah to be coy with the kale..

and Katie to be intense with the garlic

My roommate interns at a farm in Washington, and surprised the house with a whole passel of fresh, organic vegetables! So what did we do? we geared up and made a vegan stir fry complete with blue agave, rice noodles, and gluten-free soy sauce. It was delicious. There was one tiny mistake when a cucumber was mistaken for a zucchini, but it was quickly corrected by garnishing the dish, (and the zucchini was discovered and added to the fry).

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

2010-09-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

For some reason, last night I got the urge to make something that I would have to wait for it to cook. I got out trusty ol' test kitchen and I had most of the ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas. Except the sauce. Luckily, ATK had included the recipe for a homemade version. Fast, easy, delicious.Sidenote: I think taste for taste is being neglected! I want to know what is being eaten out there. AND if you go to any great restaurants too!

2010-05-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2010-05-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here is mom's delicious sweet and sour chicken recipe. After I fed it to Matt this weekend and he told me to post it. This is SO easy to make and if you have frozen chicken, a can of pineapple and some rice, you can make it with stuff from your pantry! I don't have a picture of the chicken handy, so here's a cute one of Harrison and his cousins. We can just pretend they are anxiously awaiting a dinner of delicious chicken!

Mix together the juice from 1 can of pineapple, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch (or even a little less, depending on how thick you prefer it), 1/2 c brown sugar and 2 Tbsp soy sauce.

Cut the chicken into cubes (I usually do about a pound or a little less) salt and pepper and flour the chicken. Brown the chicken and when you think it has about five minutes left, add in cut up red peppers and red onions. When the veggies are soft enough and the chicken is cooked, add the sauce and pineapple. Continue to cook until the sauce is as thick as you would like it. Eat over rice, enjoy!!

Yummy salsa

2010-04-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

So, my passion for food has had to take a nosedive recently. I'm having some problem with my digestive track, probably the gallbladder, but we're having a tough time assessing exactly what the problem is. In the meantime, I can't eat any food that is fatty, acidic, or spicy. Sigh. BUT... I have a salsa recipe that is neither too acidic or too spicy for me right now, and even if you don't have the problems I have, it is downright delicious and E-A-S-Y to make.

You'll need:

1/4 of a medium-sized sweet onion

1 garlic clove

1 can diced tomatoes, with their juice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 limes, juiced

1/4 t. salt

10-12 sprigs of fresh cilantro

In a blender, chop the onion and garlic clove. Add the tomatoes and blend on low until all remaining pieces of onion and garlic are chopped. Add the beans, lime juice, salt and cilantro and pulse a couple of times. (You can take all the leaves off the cilantro sprigs, or I just pinch off the sprig below the lowest leaves and throw the top in.) Chill for 2-3 hours and Voila! A delectable snack that is easily digestible. :-)

Hope you enjoy it!

Three Zucchinis in three days.

2010-03-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe for spring risotto with zucchini and peas that looked pretty fast and easy, so I went to the store and bought the stuff. It wasn't as fast as I thought, since you have to be doing things including stirring for an hour, but the zucchini was so delicious I went back the next day and bought two more.

I made some rice and cooked the zucchini the same way- sauteed it in butter for about five minutes after cutting it into 1/2 inch squares- and added some blanched asparagus. Really very simlple and delicious. But the zucchini was still the most delicious part.

The day after that, I took out my zucchini and cooked it the same day- with the idea of just eating it plain (I use coarse salt after I saute it in butter- I'm not going to pretend its the healthiest way, but its the most delicious way to get a serving of vegetables) Instead after the zucchini was done I fried a tortilla in the remaining better- it takes 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons for a smaller zucchini- and while it was browning on the second side, put a little parmesan on the top- removed it, and put the cooked zucchini's on it. This was the simplest and most delicious of them all.

I might have to head over to safeway tonight for round two. Or should I say four?

Spicy Pepper Jack Mac

2010-03-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

This was so delicious.

Any kind of pasta
White sauce
Italian sausage
Red pepper flakes
Tillamok Pepper Jack
Love

Voila

Po' Boys

2010-03-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

Just leafing through my Test Kitchen cook book and came upon these sandwiches. (Thanks again, Tanya!!!) Tangy and crunchy but certainly NOT on anyone's diet plan. (Kelly says I must admit the kitchen smelled of fried shrimp for two days afterward... Thank heavens for Scentsy.)

Heavenly Orange Rolls

2010-02-23T12:14:00.001-08:00

Well, after Kim responded so enthusiastically to my last post, I had to share another great recipe. I admit, I have a thing for orange rolls, but even if you don't, these are fabulous. I've actually made them twice in less than a week. (Don't laugh. It's my comfort food while Kelly is gone. Less than two weeks to go...) Anyway, check them out on the blog "My Kitchen Cafe," here.

I've tried several of her recipes over the last few weeks. Her desserts and rolls are great. I've liked her main courses mostly, but my kids haven't been too thrilled--they appeal to more developed palates, I've decided.

Try them and let me know what you think!

Thanks, Aunt Melody!

2010-02-21T21:01:00.001-08:00

I made Melody's Potato Asparagus Soup and it was AMAZING!! I'm so glad Melody is posting and I'm SO glad she put the recipe up. I want to make the things you guys are cooking, so post your recipes!!! Also, Melody, I loved that you put up a recipe that was in season. I already had asparagus on hand, because it was such a good price.

The soup was so fast and so delicious! I put PLENTY of cheese in mine, so it was a cheesy, potato-ey, asparagus-y delight. The only thing I might change in the future is to add my asparagus a little later, because mine was a little softer than I like it. But Byron loved the texture, so to each his own!!

One other note - "two cups of potatoes" is actually only about one large potato. I was completely over-ambitious in my potato peeling before I started to measure - oops! All those years of peeling potatoes for family dinner has really skewed my perception of potato measurements, I guess!

Is there such a thing as too much food?

2010-02-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

I have been eating out lately. A lot. There are too many good places to eat in Portland. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Columbian Cafe is a little place in Astoria, Or near the coast. There are three booths and nine chairs at the bar which is really the kitchen where you can see the stove and the chef at work. He is a funny guy whom we overheard telling bar jokes about tequila.

We were lucky enough to come in right after a couple had left so we got one of the coveted booths, and people after us were turned away or asked to wait. They brought us some bread and oil and vinegar which was so delicious. The bread was dense, sweet, and moist. Different from what you would normally soak in oil and vinegar, but very tasty. We ordered and they brought us our drinks. I had honey milk, which is warm, and I have since made myself many times.
Next, the waitress brought us some texas toast style bread with an assortment of homemade jellies. Garlic, habenjero, jalapeno.There was also a very spicy pico de gio. I tried and loved them all but the garlic was so sweet and garlicy that it was the best.
When our food came they placed the dungeness crab, with lemon zest over fetticini in front of my friend Jared, and the portabella mushroom plate in front of me. With salmon. I do not like salmon and I did not order it. Almost immediately (probably at the sight of my surprised face) the waitress asked if that was wrong, and whisked it back to the kitchen, which is righ behind the bar, not four feet from us. She gave it to the chef who mumbled something about making a mistake, and set the plate on the stove. hard. it broke. I felt so bad, but his mood didn't last long, and the apologetic waitress soon brought me a brand new dish. Portabello mushrooms and garlic over hand rolled fetticini noodles. Now, I am a little newer to liking mushrooms, so I am very picky. These were the BEST I have ever had. they had been marinated and were think meaty slices. so robust! ha ha. They were excellent. I even tried the dungeness crab, which I don't like, and I loved every lemony bite! We should all head to Astoria this summer to check out the breakfast, which is supposed to be even better.

Asparagus Potato Soup

2010-02-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

With asparagus at good prices these days, it is time for my favorite asparagus potato soup. I got this recipe from Quick Cooking magazine and it is definitely worth your time. I forgot to take a pic last time I made it, so you'll just have to take this one on faith. :-) Here goes:

Asparagus Potato Soup

2 c. diced peeled potatoes

1/2 lb. asparagus, chopped

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 T. chicken boullion granules

4 c. water

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. flour

1 c. whipping cream

1/2 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

Dash of pepper

3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In large sauce pan or soup kettle, combine the potatoes, asparagus, onion, celery, boullion and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in butter.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cream, milk, salt and pepper until smooth; add to the veggie mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Garnish with cheese.

Cooking dinner

2010-02-02T10:40:00.001-08:00

I've noticed that the number of compliments I receive from my children about the dinner I make is inversely proportional to the amount of time I spend making it.

For example:

Costco ravioli's with bottled spaghetti sauce--prep time 20 minutes--compliments: loads

Homemade chicken and corn chowder --prep time 1 1/2 hours--compliments: zip. zilch. nada.

I think I give up (especially because Kelly is gone for the next month).

TRIPLE chocolate chip cookies.

2009-12-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

'nough said.

happy turkey day!

2009-11-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well, Craig's turkey was our biggest ever, a honkin' 22 pounds. It took a loooong time to cook, but in the end it was worth it.

Craig's bird is the word

Thanks to everyone who came to the Leaperville feast. I feel honored (and very full) to have so many good cooks in my family.

Not a thanksgiving dish, but Craig recently made a delicious baked squash stuffed with mushrooms and spinach. I don't know the recipe, but I do know it was tasty.

Baked stuffed squash à la Leaperville

gravedigger cupcakes

2009-11-19T21:19:00.001-08:00

Maybe it's kind of lame I'm posting these Devil's food (of course!) cupcakes waaay after Halloween, but I'm rather proud of them. And they were...scary good.

Coconut and "Awesome" Cream Pie

2009-11-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

We'll, we had a hoedown in Palo Alto, so I decided to make a pie. This recipe came out of America's Test, and it turned out great, plus is was pretty simple, holler at yo brother if you need the recipe, although I imagine most of you have it already. This first picture is the graham cracker crust, unconventional for this particular pie perhaps, but America's Test points out that it doesn't get soggy like a normal crust would. I can confidently say that this is the best one I have ever made. Perfect amount of butter ensured that the crust held together but was crumbly and not hard. Delightful.

This next picture shows my helpers, they pitched in and it turned out great. I would also like to point out that we were supposed to dress up in western wear, and most people did cowboy, but I went trucker (or white-trash if you prefer). What you can't see is the fake ponytail coming out of the back of my hat. Oh-yeah.
Finally, I think this picture speaks for itself, blue-ribbon! Now, in the interest of full-disclosure it was co-first with everyone else that made a pie, but that is only half the story. Mine was the first pie that was eaten completely, and I only had one small piece. Several people told me how delicious it was, and I was the only guy that baked a pie. So I think that ought to count for something. Seriously though, you can make this pie and crust in under an hour, it just has to chill for three hours, so make it early. Also, the only things that this pie requires that you might not already have at your house is coconut milk and heavy whipping cream, so simple and fairly inexpensive. Finally, I will be attempting chicken and dumplings for the first time this week, so wish me luck!

2009-11-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

This is to prove we still intend to cook--even though we are sometimes only 3 of us at home now. Lance came to Sunday dinner to make sure we were doing OK, and it was his idea to post this salad-beautiful and healthy. Look for colorful fruit on sale (kiwis-.15, mango-.85, blackberries-.75)). Drizzle with honey mixed with lime juice and sprinkle with almonds--or pomegranate seeds. Eat happy!

2009-11-01T09:53:00.001-08:00

Right behind my number one find at D.I., the infamous Burberry trenchcoat, comes the newest and cheapest addition to my food literature collection. Ruth Reichle's Gourmet Magazine's ultimate compendium. Coming in at an astonishing five dollars, I was pretty excited when I picked it up and realized there was no way this book has ever been used, maybe not even opened, I love D.I. A little different than the teaching basics and techniques of joy of ccoking and Mark Bittman's how to cook everything, this is just a collection from gourmet magazine which Ruth described, "Our goal was to give you a book with every recipe you would ever want." It's a little more advanced, maybe I'm in over my head, but over 1000 recipes for five bucks --I just couldn't pass it up. And, I love Ruth Reichle, read her books, you'll love food even more, but skip book number two, it's not really worth your time. Yeah, I haven't cooked anything out of it yet, I'm pretty busy, ok? But I'll try to keep you posted on my future endeavors...literally.

I can cook anything, and Everything!

2009-10-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

It is time for a new post on this site. Last year when I became an adult and started cooking for myself at the age of 26 (translation, I had to start cooking again because I no longer worked at a restaurant or lived close enough to Del Taco to bike there twice a day), my wonderful sister Nikki sent me a cookbook entitled "How to Cook Everything". This is a great book, it is really about being able to cook whatever you want. I was using it this summer to make sure I was cooking eggs properly (I wasn't, LOW heat makes them more tender), and I came across a suggestion for poached eggs. Now we all know that poached eggs are delicious but not so easy to cook, well now they are. All you have to do is put a little water in the frying pan after they have cooked a little, cover it, and viola! The top of the eggs are steamed and delish. Don't thank me, thank the folks at Leaperville. OK, thank both of us.

Dench Frip

2009-09-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

because i am the nicest sister ever, i decided to make a surprise dinner for jamie. the dinner wasn't a surprise, the food was (the best kind of surprise.) in wasn't until after all my hard planning and blood and sweat and tears went into this dinner that i learned that jamie doesn't even like french dip.
but this wasn't just french dip, no no, this was french dip supreme. you start with the basics: au jus packet, hoagie rolls, and then elaborate. only the best roast beef in the world (albertson's deli roast beef), tillamook pepper jack cheese (we only live like 40 minutes away from tillamook, it's like not a big deal) and walla walla sweet onions-all broiled to melted perfection. coupled with the rare red pear and simply limeade, what you have is the pinnacle of tastes all complimenting each other nicely.
feast with your eyes and be jealous!

Forget What You Know

2009-09-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut. Routines can get mundane and boring. I'm here to tell you all that it does not have to be that way. While necessity may be the mother of invention, hunger can also step in to father an invention or two. My roommate Steve is a testament to that fact. He loves to eat, and he loves to try new things. Here he is eating a sandwich that he made on our recent camping trip to Camp Ritchie.

Steve claims to have put everything on the table on this sandwich. Some of what I personally witnessed: mayonnaise, mustard, jelly, turkey, other sandwich meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pasta salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, and I'm sure tons of other stuff. He ate it and loved it. So don't be held back by fear and petty stereotypes, go with your gut. Pun intended.

We Love Tofu

2009-09-02T14:19:00.001-07:00

We love tofu in our family. This is Harrison eating tofu.

This is Harrison when he has finished his tofu. He's sad.

I want to get a quick poll if anyone else in the family likes tofu? I have a few recipes I make with it that are delicious, but I'm only going to share them if there are any interested parties. And more importantly, I'd like to know if anyone has any delicious recipes involving tofu?

Quick reasons why it is so delicious:
1) Tofu never has fat, gristle, tendons, bones, bloody/stretchy veins or any other disgusting thing that can often be found when working with meat. It is a joy to work with raw tofu. Seriously, a joy.
2) You can't really go wrong with cooking tofu. It is never pink or raw on the inside and it always tastes delicious (as long as you've put it in a delicious sauce).
3) It is a nice change to the cooking repertoire, and it stays good in the fridge for a long time. No defrosting!!!
4) It is cheap. Maybe I should have led with this one.

I hope I've converted you to this tasty treat or at least reminded you of a food friend you may have been neglecting. Tofu. Now give me your recipes.

Craig's Cheesesteaks

2009-08-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

If you like cheesesteaks, you like Craig! This was the most delicious cheesesteak I have ever tasted, and luckily Brooke and I were staying at Nicki and Craig's so we could be there to enjoy it! Thanks again g uys!

Lisa+ Kim+ Jamie+ Brooke+ Asher+ Ollie+Harrison+Crepes= PARTY!!

2009-08-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Lisa's famous crepes (well, mom's crepes but with Lisa's special touch; cocoa) are soooo delicious. Add nutella, strawberries, caramel, whipped cream, and yummy cream cheese spread, and you are in heaven! Funny thing is, the adults pigged out way more than the kiddies! But aren't they cute?

Bremon Bars (Brooke and Lemon)

2009-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

I zested my finger right into these Lemon Bars, but it was worth it to cook with Asher and Ollie.

For my first post...

2009-07-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Kenny and Zukes. Jamie and I had a pact never to go to the same restaurant twice while we lived here in Portland. Well, we broke it.

My First Post

2009-07-27T09:43:00.001-07:00

Short, but sweet, this looks like it is a good book and skills worth acquiring:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=107019060&sc=fb&cc=fp"

Next post: the best dressing that uses only what you should generally have on hand and it goes on everything!

summer eats

2009-07-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Summer has been quite a season for good food so far. It's been a while since i've posted
so i thought i'd give a little sampling of what's been cookin...

strawberries and spinach with pepper and balsalmic vinegar

ATC's risotto with parmesan and pepper

Risotto cakes with the leftovers, stuffed with Mexican blend cheese!

Parmesan pepper polenta with pan-seared blacked chicken,
this one really turned out awesome, and it's so easy!

I just got back from my west coast tour here are some of the food highlights:
Portland: Lisa's french toast, waffle turkey havarti sandwich, Craig's steak sandwiches,
and the creme brulee was pretty good too.
LA: Kim's chinese chicken salad and asperagus risotto, delicious Pad Thai at Natalie's.
San Fran: Pho soup at an awesome Vietnamese place, and Matt's Rice a Roni.
Thanks to everyone who made the vacation delicious!

5 meals with 10 ingredients

2009-07-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

I wish Mark Bittman would just make up a little menu and shopping list for me every week:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/the-10-ingredient-shopping-trip/

I like the part where he basically says, it's bacon, it's delicious, stop worrying about the fat.

Happy 4th of July - Watermelon Lemonade

2009-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Byron and I started a new holiday tradition of spending our holiday morning making holiday themed treats!! We had such a fun time, and thanks to our friend's tablecloth, our picture is incredibly patriotic.

We decided that we are going to try a new summer recipe for our 4th of July celebrations, and for our inaugural choice, we went with Watermelon Lemonade.

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the watermelon, the two lemons and the bunch of mint before we started making it, because those are three of the four ingredients!

Just juice the two lemons (leave lemon rinds in), add a cup of mint leaves and 1/2 cup of brown sugar and pound with a wooden spoon until the mint is bruised and the sugar is dissolved.
Food process your seedless watermelon (about 9 lbs) and run through a fine sieve until you have about 8 cups of juice (we went with only 7 cups and it was plenty watermelony) and add the juice
Optional: Add one cup of vodka. We opted out of this one, so I can't vouch for it either way.

Sounds easy and delicious, right?

The truth is, de-rinding, cutting, processing and straining a watermelon is a little more work than you would first imagine. However, I thought is was delicious. More watermelon tasting than lemonade tasting, but that would be my preference anyway. And I think making the drink is at least as much fun as drinking it.

All told, it made for a delicious and refreshing holiday drink, perfect compliment for a BBQ.

Graham Crackers: I love them

2009-06-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

and I am pretty sure they love me.

They have sustained me at many times, and in many different forms.

These include:

with chedder cheese: cold or microwaved-for any and all meals and snacks
crushed and mixed with applesauce-after school snack
with whole milk vanilla yogurt (watch for future post on whole milk and its products)- while watching little Harrison enjoy his own yogurt treat
dipped in milk- 24/7
dipped in chocolate milk- after watching Renee do this, while feeling a little sad it isn't regular milk
with cream cheese- never tried it, but apparently it tastes like cheese cake
dunked in the sauce from homemade mac and cheese- post-lunch dessert
plain- on the way to school in the car
In any shape or form- amidst constant criticism

Be careful because not all Graham Crackers are created equal. Nabisco Honey Maid are the absolute best. Let's face it: you get what you pay for.

I love Graham Crackers so much. They have been my friend for many years, and have replaced many meals. They are the perfect snack because they are sweet and delicious, but are not that bad for you. I think my body is so used to this treat that it calms my stomach when I feel sick, comforts me when I feel down, and brings me so so so much joy! I love you little buddy.

Something for the non-SLCer's

2009-06-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Firstly, Renee you are a blog-idea-stealer! Just kidding, thanks for getting this started. I know we talked about it and I had the best name ever, but I never did it, so you win.
Secondly, and most importantly, I have the recipe that all non-Utah residents have been waiting for. I wish I could take the credit, but I found it on Favorite Family Recipes and it is awesome. Cafe Rio Pork Salad. No joke. I've made it a couple of times and it always turns out great. This picture is from the site because it was so good last time I ate it before taking any pictures.

Steak and Bake (or Fry)

2009-06-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

While I feel like I will mostly be taking ideas from this blog, from time to time I hope to add my two cents worth to the great recipe conversation (I hope people are getting my philosophy joke about the great conversation). Anywho, this is just a simple recipe that most of you know, but I want to start off slow.
So New York steaks were 50% off today (which still means $5.99 lb, but a $5 New York is a great deal). I just grilled it on the George Foreman, which purists will abhor I am sure, but how you grill it is not near as important as how long and what quality of meat you buy, so it turned out great.
Note: the best part of the New York is the strip of fat up the side, if you cook it right, it will get a little caramelized and then I try to eat a little bit of the fat with each bite of steak, awesome. Also, a time honored steak trick is to put a pat of butter under the steak so it melts, that really adds some flavor.
I also sauteed some onions and mushrooms. I used normal cheap yellow onions and they were really good, I just cooked them slow so they did not burn, and the mushrooms I bought bulk so I got 4 for like 60 cents. I really fell in love with cooking with fresh mushrooms here in S.F. great flavor. Now I used quite a bit of butter to saute these, and I added the onions about a minute before the mushrooms because they take a little longer to cook and I like my mushrooms and onions really soft so they are sweet with the steak and not spicy. I also added a little beef bullion to the onions and mushrooms which Lance suggested.
Top this tasty meal off with some home fried steak fries and enjoy. Those of you without fryers could bake the fries, but then you would have to call them bakes and hate yourself. Oh well. Pics below. Great blog Nene.

i love pepper jack

2009-05-27T23:29:00.000-07:00

Let me give renee' a shout out for how awesome this blog all ready is, and how great it's going to become. Matt did do some urging for me to get my idea rolling, but nothing ever came of it, i'm very busy people, and a bit on the lackadaisical side, so thanks renee'.

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate this blog than to post one of my favorite recipes: it's super fast, super delicious, and i happened to create it myself. Now, i know i'm one of the worst cooks in this fam, so i'm open to suggestions on improving my recipes, just give it to me straight people.

I made this tonight, starting at 11:11, and was eating by 11:30, plus i wasted quite a bit of time once it was finished...so here it is:
creamy pepperjack spaghetti with peas

1/3 lbs. spaghetti
1 cup WHOLE (or whatever you have you gross blue water drinkers) milk, half n'half, or cream
peas
salt, pepper, a little rosemary, a lot of parsley, a small shake of red pepper flakes
2 slices pepperjack cheese
1-2 cloves minced garlic

I cook for myself so 1/3 lbs of pasta is what i make which is a pretty big serving, for that amount i've found just less than about a cup of sauce is perfect. I don't measure any of these ingredients so just throw it all in a pan, take out what you don't want and add what you do want in terms of spices. This recipe turns out a perfectly spicy creamy sauce. I like using half and half for the sauce, but you can use milk too, if you do use milk, start it off with 1 tablespoon butter melted and cook 1 tablespoon flour into it for a roux, then add the milk and as soon as it starts boiling it will thicken right up. Using half n' half or cream, just throw it all together and simmer it until the consistency makes you happy. Just keep tasting and smelling and basically do whatever you want, it'll turn out great. One last thing: I add the peas at the very end, warm them up in the simmering sauce, turn the heat off and add the cheese. Boiling it with the cheese in there has messed things up for me before, so don't mess with it. Save some of that pasta water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.

I love this sauce because it is so fast and so good, plus you can make it in about a thousand variations: use any cheese you want, i've used cheddar, parmesan, and pepperjack, whatever i have. Plus, i always have the ingredients because they are so basic. Sometimes i don't have pepperjack, but I always have parmesan and that is what the beloved alfredo is made with anyway. You better all make this soon...

Shout Out To Mom

2009-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you, Renee for starting this blog!! I know after Lance brought up the idea I tried to a couple of times, but I just couldn't get the name right. You picked the PERFECT name!!

So, just to get the ball rolling on additional contributors, I'd like to make a special request that Mom sign up and contribute to this blog.

First of all, she did introduce every single one of us to food (who can forget blood and guts, tuna on toast and linguine!!)

Second, the parents have given me a VERY weird taste preference (and I'd actually like to see if any other siblings are afflicted with this particular quirk). I love to eat food cold. Cold Chinese food in particular, but I like many many things cold that your average individual would find repulsive in a chilled state (or so Byron tells me). In my extensive analysis of the matter, I've decided that it is the result of years of eating Mom and Dad's leftovers after their dates. Please tell me I'm not alone. (As Tobias would say, "There are dozens of us!!" Thank you, Arrested Development)

But actually, I want mom to post a specific recipe. Her Sweet and Sour Chicken. I love how Renee's initial post defined cooking: "preparing good wholesome tasty varied meals for the ones you love." The Sweet and Sour Chicken is very simple, but Byron LOVES it. I'm not sure how wholesome it is (since he picks out all of the peppers and onions and leaves them on my plate) but it is an easy and delicious recipe and pretty much all you have to have on hand out of the ordinary is a can of pineapple. As an added bonus, I can assure you that if you have kids, they will love it (Since Byron tends towards favorite foods such as chicken fingers and grilled cheese sandwiches, he can be a pretty accurate indicator of what a young child might enjoy).

So thanks to Renee for starting the blog, thanks to mom for having such awesome kids and for the sweet and sour chicken recipe and thanks you all of you, who are going to give me delicious recipes and delightful anecdotes!!!

how have you been hiding this?

2009-05-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

I moved in with Jamie a few weeks back. Either I don't use the freezer as much as I thought, or I'm really nonobservant. But either way, just a few days ago I opened the freezer door to see a frozen, white container. 'Jamie!' I screamed, 'you have an ice cream maker?!'

Now I don't want to brag or anything, but ice cream is sort of my thing. I've cooked a lot of custards in my time. And so Jamie and I made a Bowman original, honey ice cream. It only takes two cups cream, four egg yolks and half a honeybear, but it is super rich. It would be even better with high quality, local honey instead of the WF clover I had going on. An added plus, it's soft right out of the freezer. Stop by if you want to taste it. It certainly taught Jamie not to keep culinary secrets from me.

2009-05-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Lance says that the introduction is the best part of any cookbook - their love for food and motivation to cook is hard to duplicate. Instead of attempting my own introduction, I did what any self-respecting, slightly lazy Harrison would do; I copied real intros and pasted them below. To avoid any hassle with copyright law, and any school expulsions for plagiarism, I've included the reference. enjoy

Food is a central part of our lives. It provides the body with fuel and raw materials for maintenance growth and repair. It draws together family and friends anchors celebrations and rites of passage, and sometimes soothes the soul. It has the power to heal, and also to harm. the Joy of Cooking

Baking is my favorite culinary activity because at heart, it is based on mythology. Mysterious events occur in the oven that are beyond our ability to either observe or understand. And this leads to the whole sale creation of baking folklore that attempts to explain what cannot directly be understood. ATK (america's test kitchen) Family Baking Book

"Haughty cuisine" - fancy food - is best left to restaurants. Home cooking is best when it is simple, straightforward, unpretentious and easy.

Our exposure to ultra sophisticated cooking- whether at restaurants, in cookbooks, or on television, sometimes makes us forget how wonderful simple food can be. Everyday cooking is not about striving for brilliance but about preparing good wholesome tasty varied meals for the ones you love. This is a fundamentally satisfying pleasure. Your results need not be perfect to give you this gift to which all humans are entitled. How to Cook Everything

So, have at it, and don't forget restaurants and recipes, cooking failures and favorites, anything to do with food.

anyone who wishes to be an author, shot me an email, reneelharrison@gmail.com