Salami and Blue Cheese Biscuits: Perfect for leftover odds and ends

For those of you who are hosting a party over the holidays, you may find yourself with a few odds and ends that you're not really sure where they belong. I often have parties where I put out some salami and crackers and a salad - and then I'm left with some salami and also some gorgonzola or other blue cheese. Such was the case in point after Thanksgiving - I had made some salad with the apples and gorgonzola cheese and was left with half a container. No one finished off the salami I had made either so there I was, long some ingredients.

Then I saw Giada de Laurentiss make these biscuits and DING - I knew I had to make them as I had ALL the ingredients. They come together really easily and taste great. Eating them warm with a bit of butter and strawberry jam - it's like the ultimate delicious breakfast.

It is easiest if you have a food processor, but feel free to make them using two forks and cutting up the butter in the flour, or use a traditional pastry cutter to make it happen. I also just rolled it out and cut some cute squares out of the dough as I didn't want to fuss with a cookie cutter. I think they look even more cute this way anyways. (Or so I tell myself.)

So if you've got some leftovers - just throw it into some biscuits. I think these would be equally delicious with some parmesan and prosciutto, some ham and cheddar, or some pepper jack and ham. All great combinations...and all goes to show you that leftover ingredients can be absolutely SPECTACULAR.

Salami and Blue Cheese Biscuits (adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis)
(Makes about 40 2-inch biscuits)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely diced salami
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (Gorgonzola or whatever you have)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse 2 to 3 times until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If you do not have a food processor, in a large mixing bowl, add the butter and then using a two forks work the butter into the flour until you have a nice crumbly mixture.

Transfer the biscuit mixture to a medium bowl. Add the buttermilk, salami, and Gorgonzola. Stir until the mixture forms a ball. Turn the mixture out on a floured surface. Roll to 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 2 inch squares. Place onto baking sheets with enough space in between.

Bake until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with strawberry or raspberry jam.

Printable recipe

A little biscuit for you Sir and Madam? (feeling polite all of a sudden)

Pecan Rolo Pretzels: That is just what they are

To JY who taught me how to make these.

I should just be able to write the name of these little goodies and be done with this post. Because the name - Pecan Rolo Pretzels - that's what they are. A mini pretzel topped with a Rolo candy, lightly melted in the oven, then a pecan squished on top. Chill until firm. There - recipe done.

But I also need to talk about how I ate so many of these...as I was making them. These are HIGHLY addicting - I mean - I ate one, and suddenly one became seven. Like that. Quick. Lickety split.

Make these when you have a lot of people around - and make sure THEY eat them all before you do. Otherwise you may be spending a lot more of your holiday worrying about what the numbers on the scale say.

These are perfect for gifting, super duper easy to make, and really fun for a relaxed dinner dessert. Knock yourself out - knock out a couple of dozen of these (I made 30 in less than 10 minutes). The most difficult part of this was peeling the darn Rolo candies.

Pecan Rolo Pretzels
Makes as many as you want (or until you run out of one or more ingredients. A bag of Rolos has about 56 of them in there.)

1 bag of mini pretzels (I used Snyders - super yummy and crisp)
12 oz bag of Rolo chocolates
1 bag of pecan halves

Preheat oven to 250. On a cookie sheet, neatly lay out pretzels, single layer. On top of each pretzel place an unwrapped rolo on top. Carefully place in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove. Immediately take pecan halves and squish them into the rolo, squishing the caramel out and making the pecan stick.

Cool for 15 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, until the caramel hardens.

Pack up and give these away before you eat them all.

Printable recipe

Packed up and ready to give, because I cannot have these around me. EVER.

In case you don't know what a Rolo is...here. This is a fair price - but you'll get 4 bags. (I got a single bag on sale for $3 - but the normal price is $3.50)

Pasta with Creamed Leek, Spinach, and Sausages

There is something about the cold outside that draws me to cream based sauces. Today was windy and blustery, and after walking in the wind to go Christmas shopping with Daughters, I craved a creamy pasta dish. Fortunately for me, I had some cream and all the other necessary accoutrements to construct the pasta dish I made last week - the Pasta with Creamed Leeks, Spinach, and Ham. Only I decided I want to do things a little bit differently, and use up some sausage I had lying around. So I just tweaked the recipe some more and added some sausages. It was so yummy -rich, satisfying, and truly delicious.

I love this dish because it is fast, easy, and uses up ingredients you may have lying around. So go and make this one - you simply will not regret it.

Pasta with Creamed Leek, Spinach, and Sausages

(adapted from Food and Wine | January 2010)
Serves 4

3/4 pound pasta like bowtie, fusilli, gemelli - something that can hold sauce (I favor the mini bowties because they cook so quickly - 7 minutes)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
4-6 sausages, your choice (I like the chicken apple sausages I get at Costco)
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups packed baby spinach (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional - for sprinkling on top)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package diretions, until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leek and sausages and cook over moderate heat until leeks are softened and sausages cooked, about 12 minutes. Add the cream and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss over moderately low heat until coated with the leek sauce, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the chopped basil and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pasta into bowls and serve. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese if desired.

Printable recipe

A perfect bite of food

Hot Crab Dip: There is never any leftover

Uh...what's with the picture of the empty plate Joanne?

My answer - I can never got a SHOT of this dip because it gets eaten up even before I take a picture. I mean just straight up gobbled up like there is no tomorrow. The last time I made it, over Thanksgiving, there was a crowd of people around the dip who refused to move and they tore that dip up. And left me with what you see to the right - a cleaned out dish. Not a lick left. Nothing, nada zilch.

Which is a pretty nice compliment - it says, "This dip is so good we don't dare leave this dish in case it all disappears and we can't have anymore." It is warm, creamy, slightly spicy, with a wonderfully rich flavor from crab. The better part? It's so darn easy to make you look like a superstar with no time to lose.

Hot Crab Dip (adapted from a recipe by Paula Deen)
serves 8-10

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, free of shells (I get the one from costco, as it's all cleaned up and ready to go...good price as well.)
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (because I don't like grating cheese, I use slice pepper jack and cut it with a knife - about 4 oz)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup green onions, minced
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole and gently stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot with crackers or toast points.

Printable recipe

Sambal Oelek - a good price, but you need to get 6 jars of the stuff. This is my favorite brand.

My Christmas Day Dinner Menu

I know, I'm really late getting this out this year. This holiday season has really been kicking my butt as I've had to read a number of college application essays, do stuff for Daughters' school, and deal with the church commitments. Don't even get me started on Christmas cards either...phew...it seems as if it is all over, and now I can begin concentrating on Christmas dinner.

Although our Thanksgiving has always been about friends and family, our Christmas is strictly family. Husband's family will come over and we will allow the kids to open presents and we will have a nice dinner. I have done a prime rib two years in a row, and this year will be no different. I like prime rib for its WOW factor, its deliciousness, and its ease of preparation. (You basically rub it with some stuff and stick it in the oven.) Unlike Thanksgiving where I generally try and outdo myself by doing as many dishes as possible, at Christmas I like to do a few great dishes and knock them out of the ballpark. This way I enjoy time with Daughters, Son, and Husband - especially after gifts are opened and all anyone wants to do is play around.

This is most likely going to be my meal.

Appetizer
Hot Crab Dip OR Hot Artichoke Dip
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Main
Horseradish Garlic Crusted Prime Rib

Sides
Scalloped Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Caramelized Apples and Pears (normally I wouldn't do this AND scalloped potatoes, except Sister in Law LOVES this thing)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon OR Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
Kimchee Chigae (for Son and other folks who love a bit of Korean in their meals)

Dessert
Korean Sweet Potato Pie
The Velvet Cupcake

Food as Gifts: Making sure it tastes good

For my mom, who taught me the importance of good tasting food

The big joke around Christmas is making fun of how many things one can do with a fruit cake. None of them are around eating - most involve using them as paperweights, as a stick for your dog to fetch, provided he isn't a chihuahua, or even as lead weights. The message? Fruitcake tastes really bad and no one wants to receive one as a gift.

However, growing up, every Christmastime, Mom would bust out and make pounds and pounds of fruitcake. She would buy tons of those candied fruits, nuts, corn syrup, butter and egg and crank out a variety of different sizes. The house always smelled really yummy and delicious with the rich smell of toasted nuts and butter. Mom would make 20-30 loaves of the stuff to give as gifts. I would say to my mom, "Mom - no one likes fruit cake. People make fun of it all the time. Why are you making it to give to people?"

She responded, "People like my fruit cake. They say it tastes really good."

Which is the moral of the story. Too many people gave too many not-so-tasty fruitcakes which pretty much ruined the fruitcake's reputation. My mom's is excellent, but I do remember at Christmas, when I presented it to some of my teachers in high school, they sort of made a funny face when I told them it was a homemade fruitcake. Later they would thank me for it, but the initial reaction was sort of, "Uh - thanks but no thanks." If it tastes good - people will appreciate it, but if it tastes bad, it's just a source of frustration.

Blog reader JY once commented, "Only give food to people as a gift if you know it tastes good." Which at the time I thought was sort of limiting, but after recently being given some not-so-tasty food treats, I'll have to say I agree.

So what do you give? I have a few fool proof cookies and nuts on the blog that I think are always winners and no one will EVER say anything bad about them. This year I did my Spiced Nuts and Caramel Pecan Bars as gifts and all were wonderfully received and truly appreciated.

Here are a list of surefire winners - ones that you can make to give as gifts, and you can't go wrong.

Crispy Chewy Toffee Chip Cookie - I know a few people who have made these as gifts, and are always amazed at how many they eat themselves before they can give them away.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookie - studded with cranberries and chocolate, these I promise will make you famous in your state, and the states surrounding you.

Oatmeal Toffee Pecan Cookie - those of you who have nut lovin' friends, these are really yummy.

Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts - these make pretty little bags, and most people cannot eat just one.

Spiced Nuts - also makes cute bags, but these have a little kick to them.

Caramel Pecan Bars - these are amazingly good, but are a bit tricky to execute as you need both some practice making the dough (it can be a bit finicky) as well as a candy thermometer to prepare the caramel filling.

Velvet Cupcakes - cupcakes are simple enough to make and these are special with the cake texture and cream cheese frosting.

Don't be afraid...there are some great tasty gifts to be given..

Here are some packaging ideas.

I did the nuts in these Wiltons' candy boxes (from Michaels)

Tied with some pretty ribbon

You can also do them in these cellophane bags and tie them up with a bit of ribbon

I love these Martha Stewart Boxes (bought 50% off at Michaels) as they are so neat to use, nicely packaged and all set up for you.

Other packaging options...

I've seen this cheaper at Michaels - but in case you can't get there


I thought these super cute...again - I got mine 50% off at Michaels


This is a super cute option as well - again you may be able to find them at your local Michaels store

Asian Pulled Pork Sandwich: originally from the south...

To my CH girls...who would humor me and speak "southern" with me and BB who helped me figure out how to roast the pork

For some reason, my FAVORITE speaking accent to do, has always been the southern accent. I take on the demeanor of Paula Deen along with her two sons, and speak as if I have been born and bred a southerner. For me, the accent evokes images of a time gone past - sort of Gone with the Wind (not that the slave thing is what I desire) and a whole different life and gentility. My normally strident agitated voice becomes a bit softer, more refined, and I attempt to sound like a gently-bred southern woman. Back in the old days of living with my roommates, I would start speaking Southern, and eventually the rest of them would find themselves falling in line speaking southern with me. (try it some time - you'll find it colors up your day quite a bit.)

When I decided to do this pulled pork - that Southern accent, one that I haven't fooled around with for a long time, came popping out. While the pork shoulder was roasting in the oven (for 8 hours mind you), with Daughters, I spoke with my soft southern accent. Gfriend BF was over, and she suddenly jumped into the game "speaking southern" as well. Something about that pulled pork drew out that drawl in me...only the pork wasn't going to be all that southern - it was going to be Asian. I guess if one was going to be technical, one could say it was SOUTH Asian, but not southern in terms of the geographic United States.

I did a dry rub - one with more Asian flavors, slow roasted it in the oven for 8 hours, and then poured on an Asian flavored sauce. I took all 13 lbs of pulled pork to a church Christmas party, along with the different condiments - and I am happy to say that people all really enjoyed it. It was fun seeing people put together their sandwich and have their face light up with the mix of flavors. It is a bit unexpected perhaps, but that's what makes it tastes so good.

The only thing difficult about this recipe - TIME. You need to plan ahead. You don't think one hour before dinner you're having pulled pork. You need to really think about it. My 13 lbs of pork shoulder took 8 hours in the oven and an additional 30 minutes of time before the oven to help bring it up to temperature. The sauce is a basic quick saute and mix and that is easy enough. Pulling the pork (Thanks SK for doing this for me last week) is not that hard either - it's just that you need an investment of time.

I definitely will be making this again as my house church has said they want it...for them I do anything. I've cut the recipe in half here - for about 6-7 lbs of pork shoulder instead of the 13 lbs I did, but feel free to double it if you've got a big party coming up and you want to serve a lot of people something yummy (and relatively cheaply!)

Asian Pulled Pork Sandwich
Serves 10-12 people

6-7lbs pork shoulder (I bought 14 lbs of this at costco but it does come in two parts, so feel free to buy the huge thing and then freeze half and use half)

Dry Rub
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

In bowl, mix all dry rub ingredients together. Pat dry your pork shoulder, and with dry hands, sprinkle and rub in the dry rub mixture over the entire surface of the pork shoulder. It can be ready to slow roast now, or can be covered and refrigerated until the next day.

Preheat oven to 275. Cover pork with aluminum foil and place in oven. 6-7 lbs should take anywhere between 5.5-7 hours. 4.5 hours into roasting, remove aluminum foil and continue to roast. The pork is ready when it is fork tender - you poke a fork into it and the pork just starts shredding apart. If it isn't at this stage, cook it longer.

When pork is ready, take it out of the oven. Allow to cool briefly. Then take a fork and your hands, and begin pulling the pork apart into little bite size pieces. You can leave out the overly crispy pieces if you have any (I thought they tasted really yummy personally). Place in a large bowl and pour warm Asian sauce over.

Asian BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use safflower or canola)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian has no artificial colors and no MSG)
1 scallion minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, minced

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant - about 2 minutes. Add sake, sambal oelek, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 2 minutes until very fragrant. Add hoisin sauce and bring to simmer. Add scallions and cilantro. Set aside until needed. Warm before pouring over pulled pork. (Can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate after it is room temperature. Reheat before pouring over pulled pork.)

Pickled Shallots
5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a container with a tight fitting lid, mix all the ingredients together. Place in refrigerator and allow to pickle at least 24 hours.

Pickled Jalapenos
4 jalapenos, thinly sliced
3/4 cup of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a container with a tight fitting lid, mix all the ingredients together. Place in refrigerator and allow to pickle at least 24 hours.

Putting the sandwich together
1 bunch of cilantro, carefully washed, tough stems trimmed, and then edible sprigs left.
2 mini cucumbers, sliced thinly
Pickled shallots
Pickled jalapenos
Pulled pork with Asian sauce on top
soft sandwich rolls

Printable recipe

Roll, pulled pork, jalapenos, shallots, cucumbers, cilantro - become a yummy sandwich! Dig in y'all.

Pasta with Creamed Leek, Spinach, and Ham

For JJ who commented that she only cooks the old stuff on my blog and not the new and TR who says she never cooks with cream

Normally I tend not to move towards cream based sauces because of health and diet reasons. During the warmer months cream just seems heavy and overly rich - but on cold, wet, miserable days as we have been having in the Bay Area, there is just something so wonderfully satisfying about the idea of a cream sauce. It sounds comforting, rich, soothing, lightly coating the pasta in that special way that only cream can - and shoot - I need some calcium anyways!

When I saw this recipe in my latest addition of Food and Wine (January 2010), I said to no one in particular, "I HAVE to make this." Today, while walking Daughter #1 to school in the rain, I decided that today was the perfect day for this pasta. I had everything I needed at home, except for some leeks so I went out and bought that and threw the dish together very quickly.

I did add ham and more leeks to this recipe, because I LOVE leeks and I love a pasta dish that can be a meal on its own - meaning it has green vegetables, some protein and some carbohydrate. With the ham addition, this dish meets that requirement and it was absolutely yummy for lunch. Both Daughters decided that one plate wasn't enough and had two. I had stopped myself after two plates, but probably could have done a few more. Without the ham, this would be a great side dish to some Costco rotisserie chicken or some grilled shrimp. Easy for lunch and elegant as a side for dinner.

Pasta with Creamed Leek, Spinach, and Ham (adapted from Food and Wine | January 2010)
Serves 4

3/4 pound pasta like bowtie, fusilli, gemelli - something that can hold sauce (I favor the mini bowties because they cook so quickly - 7 minutes)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups packed baby spinach (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves, finely chopped
4-6 slices of good ham, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional - for sprinkling on top)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package diretions, until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leek and ham and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss over moderately low heat until coated with the leek sauce, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the chopped basil and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pasta into bowls and serve. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese if desired.

Printable recipe

one bowl is definitely not enough

The vanilla beans I order and use...great price.

The Velvet Cupcake: Testing my limits

For JEL, who gave me the challenge, and for all my g-friends who love red velvet (even if I don't understand why)

I am not a lover of the Red Velvet Cupcake. I've never been intrigued by it, interested it or in any way have found it appealing. It is, however, a great favorite among a number of my girlfriends, and I have just not been able to understand why. I DO NOT like the color - it scares me, as I try to avoid artificial colors and flavors, as a general rule. I think they make Daughters a bit bonkers, and on top of it, older Daughter has eczema flare-ups when she consumes artificial colors and flavors (like in commercial candies and processed foods.) So I avoid it. But even then, the bright red color never appealed.

But when best friend JEL tells me to do something , I generally ask, "How high?" She particularly enjoys giving me random challenges like, "I want you to try and come up with a red velvet cupcake recipe or find one."

"NO. I don't do artificial colors," I said adamantly.

"But it's my favorite, and you don't have to put the colors in there," she countered.

So I found myself doing a bit of research, asking my g-friends who adore the cupcake. What about it is so appealing? Why do you like it so much? Texture of cake? Color? I even went as far to ask the question, "Does a red velvet cupcake need to be red?"

Then one friend said, "Just make a NOT Red Velvet Cupcake" and I was immediately struck by the notion. I liked it. Have the light cocoa background flavor in the cake, a great cake texture, BUT - just don't make it red. SO I went with it. Then another friend suggested that instead of calling it the Not Red Velvet, that I should call it "The Velvet Cupcake." I loved it...so here I am with Velvet Cupcake in my repertoire.

I'll confess - the first batch of these didn't come out that well because my baking technique. I didn't follow my gut in terms of how I would execute a normal cupcake so the first attempt was less than wonderful. The frosting, however, was great. My second round was perfect, lightly chocolate, moist, and the perfect foil to vanilla cream cheese frosting.

The Velvet Cupcake
Makes 12

3/4 stick of butter (6 tablespoons), room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
1 egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. In the large bowl of a mixer, cream butter. Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, and beat well. Scrape down the sides and make sure the egg is well incorporated.

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In bowl, or large measuring cup, mix vanilla extract, white vinegar, and buttermilk. Set aside.

To your butter sugar mixture, add half of the flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat again until just combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat, and then add the rest of the buttermilk. Beat until just combined.

Scoop cupcake batter into pans. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until centers spring back lightly when pushed. Remover from oven, and allow to cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Enough for 12 cupcakes
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz (half a stick of butter) unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the vanilla extract DOES color the frosting so it loses it's pure white color, while the vanilla bean will just fleck the frosting with beautiful black dots...the vanilla bean is my preference.)

In bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter, until uniformly combined. Add vanilla extract/vanilla bean and mix. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until desired pipeable or spreadable texture is met.

Printable recipe

I am ready to eat these

My next cupcake carrier...saw these at Costco as well and loved the design. (holds 36 cupcakes)


My choice of vanilla bean. Excellent service from the company and usually free shipping.

A Cook's and Hostess' Wish List: Fun for the Holidays

I've received a few emails from people asking me what they should get for the ultimate hostess, friend, or someone who likes to cook, is learning to cook, or wants to cook. I decided to make a list of really wonderful-to-have items here, to perhaps inspire people to get a nice hostess gift for someone or just as a holiday gift...

Microplane Grater: I still absolutely love this grater...can't get enough of it.


Waffle Iron: Great Bang for the buck...and people absolutely love it. (I know I do.)


Reidel Stemless Wine Glasses - I love these because there is no stem to break. (which I have done.) Wonderful quality and a great price!


Reidel Tyrol Glass (comes in different wine shapes) - I think the stem on these are pretty, and sturdy enough so that I won't be breaking them



Emile Henry Pie Dish: (comes in lots of colors and makes wonderful pie crusts)


Japanese Mandolin (sometimes called Benriner) - lightweight, quick and easy to use for extensive slicing or julienne jobs


Silpat - great for baking and preventing things from sticking.


#20 Disher - The one I use to scoop my cupcake batter


#70 Disher - my preferred size for making perfect cookies


Paring Knives - these are sharp, cute in different colors and great stocking stuffers


Vanilla Beans - as these are so pricey, giving some tells that person you want some CUPCAKES!


Skimmer - If you are making soups, and want to get scum, foam, and fat off the broth, this is the perfect tool.


Hand Blender - Perfect for pureeing...


Furi Knife Sharpener - the quickest easiest way to get a nice edge on your knife. (love this...have two.)

Stir Fried Noodles With Beef and Cabbage: Like fried rice...but with noodles

For JEL, who told me that I had moved away from simple dishes.

In the aftermath of Son's birthday party, I found myself stuck with a fridge full of unused ingredients like shredded cabbage (was supposed to be for ginger slaw), sliced red onions (also for ginger slaw), chopped fried kimchee, and upon surveying the fridge, made a commitment to EAT THROUGH (I also call it cooking down) the fridge. I decided not to go to the grocery store for the entire week and instead cook what I had at home.

Which meant I got pretty creative. One day upon evaluating my ingredients, I thought it would be nice to make some sort of beef noodle dish using the onions and the cabbage. Which is exactly what I made. The great thing was that I used Thai rice noodles, which mean allergic Son could also partake and it was only one dish preparation for the entire family. I used some frozen meat I had, chopping it up fairly small, the shredded cabbage and the sliced onions.

Daughters and Son clobbered it and ate it like there was no tomorrow. For Daughters, after stir frying, I drizzled some soy sauce on top, as they love it but Son cannot eat. I did it for dinner one night, and the following day for lunch. Both times it was devoured, both times polished off.

It is super quick, fast, and easy. It's also really flexible in terms of ingredients, so don't be afriad to mix up what you're putting in. This is a great dish to add to your repertoire.

Stir Fried Noodles with Beef and Cabbage
Serves 4 (my family of four anyways)

1 13-15 oz package of rice noodles (mine are from Trader Joe's - 13.2 oz)
1-1.5 lbs of meat (ground meat would work, but nicer cuts are also good. I used some bulgogi meat that had not been marinated and just cut it up)
3 cups of shredded cabbage (or any other green veggie like green beans, spinach, or broccoli)
1 cup of sliced red onions (or green onions, brown onions, or white onions)
3 tablespoons oil (I use safflower)
Salt and pepper

Optional toppings
1/4 cup of cilantro
1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons sambal oelek

Cook noodles according to package directions. Usually cooked in boling water for 7-8 minutes. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

In a large fry pan/saute pan/wok, heat oil and add meat and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Add cabbage and cook until cabbage is wilted and cooked. Add cooked noodles, and season with salt and pepper. Toss and mix well together.

Serve immediately. Offer to drizzle soy sauce, sprinkle cilantro, or top with sambal oelek.

Printable recipe

My picture story of ingredients...

Thai Rice Noodles from Trader Joe's

Tub of shredded cabbage leftover from Son's Birthday

Sliced onions leftover from Son's Birthday

Bulgogi meat, which I had frozen in the fridge

Become this yummy, satisfying dish.

Kimchee Themed Party: Son's Second Birthday

For my 2 year old...

My son is allergic to many many things. To list a few - dairy, soy, eggs, wheat, oat, barley, buckwheat, avocados, pineapple...the list is very long and that's just some on the hit parade. Incredibly however, he can eat kimchee ... shrimp or fish is not on his list of allergies so he is able to eat the stuf. And eat it he does. He LOVES kimchee. His first time eating it, Husband gave him an unwashed piece, he chewed it and turned to Dad and said, "More."

Even now, if I am cooking something with kimchee, like kimchee fried rice, chigae or just have some kimchee in a bowl, he can walk into the room, smell it and KNOW it's kimchee. (Mind you, he was doing this from about 19 months.) He'll walk in, and say "KIMCHEE!" He just likes kimchee that much.

While planning his birthday, I got the idea to do a kimchee themed party - all the different foods I could make with kimchee and just have fun. As I do love a good food party, we invited our house group from church and close friends and their kids. Which ended up being a lot more people than we had expected. Ummm....50. 23 kids and 27 adults.

But then I was challenged and excited...and decided to go all out and really cook for our party guests and have fun doing it. Mom and Dad came up to enjoy the party and try my kimchee dishes, and Mom helped a lot with the prep work. She chopped through three huge bottles of kimchee brought up from LA, and much of the time watched me work, muttering under her breath, "You're working too hard. You're working too hard. You're going to get sick. You're working too hard."

But I LOVE it. I love hosting and having people come and enjoy food, laugh a lot and have fun. It's such a privilege to feed others...I still get a high off of it. We had people come enjoy themselves and it was a total blast. The icing on the cake was singing happy birthday to Son. He sat alone in a chair, surrounded by 50 people, who sang to him. He clapped along, totally loving and enjoying the moment, and as I watched that I thought, this is totally worth it...seeing that joy in his eyes.

Menu

Appetizers
Kimchee Quesadillas
Hot Artichoke Dip

Sides
Potato Salad
Ginger Slaw
Sesame Noodles with Cilantro

Mains
Kimchee Hot Dogs
Kimchee Burgers

Dessert
Race Car Fruit Mosaic (made by friend JEL)
Pecan Caramel Bars (not a SINGLE one left)
Korean Sweet Potato Pie
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream cheese Frosting

Some photos...

Kmchee burgers., ready to be put in some buns

Sesame Noodles

Condiments...pickled jalapenos, pickled onion, pickled cucumbers
Race Car Fruit Mosaic (by JEL)



Cupcakes and Pecan Caramel Bars and beautiful floral arrangement by friend YK

Kimchee Hot Dogs: Trying to convince my dad

For my dad, who can't stand hot dogs.

My father is truly a gourmet. His ideal food is prepared by my super chef mom, his super chef mom, or his super chef mom in law...my food is passable (he does like my kimchee chigae). Eating out for my father is mostly filled with disappointments or not quite to his standards of food.

This past weekend I had people over for Son's 2nd Birthday; kimchee hotdogs was one of the things on my menu. Only it was a total experiment and I had no idea how it would turn out...so the night before, I sat in my kitchen and tried it out, with all the components to see how it would taste...and I was SO pleased with the flavors, I called Brother #1 on the telephone.

Me: I just made the kimchee hotdog, and man, does it taste good.
Brother: Did you make it with a sausage or did you make it with a dog?
Me: With a hotdog - Ballpark!
Brother: Yeah - I think you need to make it with a sausage, and not a hotdog to go with the kimchee
Me: No, trust me it tastes really good.
Brother: Well, if you get Dad to say it tastes good, then I'll believe you.

The final comment from Brother pretty much shut down any response I had and suddenly I was unsure of the hotdog flavors. I gave a bite to my mom who also really liked it but I had this nagging doubt in the back of my head about whether Dad would like it.

At the party, Dad had one, and although he admitted it was better than a regular hotdog, it wasn't something that he HAD to eat. Others however had lots of wonderful things to say about it, so I was very happy. It is a great party food, different and oh so delicious. Try it out!

Incidentally - Kogi has been doing these for a while now but this is my version.

Kimchee Hot Dogs
Serves 8

"Kimchee"kraut
1 1/2 cups kimchee, chopped, including the juice
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a fry pan over medium heat, add oil, ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add kimchee and cook until the kimchee has a slight translucent quality, about 10 minutes.

Sesame Soy Mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
crushed pepper

Cabbage Romaine mix
3/4 cups of shredded cabbage
3/4 cups shredded romaine

In a bowl, toss the two together.

Pickled Onions
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cups of vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a container, mix all the ingredients together. Allow to pickle for 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Additional Ingredients
8 hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
1 cup of cheddar cheese

1. In a large pot fill with water and add hot dogs. Bring to a boil. (I like boiling hot dogs because it definitely washes away some of the sodium and also makes it very warm.) Turn off heat, and prepare to assemble hot dog.

2. Toast buns.

3. In a toasted bun, add hot dog. Top with kimchee, cheddar cheese, cabbage romaine mix, and drizzle with a bit of sesame mayonnaise. Eat up!

Printable recipe

Don't you just want to bite into it?

Sharpening Knives: Preparing for the New Year

I am very excited. I just got my knives sharpened. I liken it to getting a haircut or your eyebrows waxed because you just feel so differently about yourself. Sharpening a knife makes you feel so differently about preparing food and cooking. Suddenly your knife goes easily through an onion and your cuts become straighter and neater. No longer are you hacking at something that really shouldn't be cut with a piece of dull steel. A sharp knife is really a wonderful thing to hold and use.

Most people have some sort of "at home" knife sharpener they use, but most at home sharpeners can only partially straighten out the blade of your knife - they cannot resharpen the actual blade itself. They are great for touch ups between sharpening your knife, but for a real sharp knife, you should take your knife to a professional.

Now - this is for your average home cook - not for professional chefs alone. EVERYONE should get their knives sharpened - it will reduce your chance of injury and also it just makes cooking that much more fun.

I get my knives cut at Perfect Edge in San Mateo. Sur La Table at times offers free knife sharpening services, but as I do not know WHO exactly is sharpening my knife (much in the same way you like to go to the same hairdresser) I prefer to go to my guys at Perfect Edge. But look up a knife sharpening on either Yelp or your local yellow pages, and definitely have your knives sharpened.

Much in the same way you deserve a haircut, you definitely deserve a great knife.


My absolute favorite all purpose knife, now newly sharpened.


My favorite paring knife, also newly sharpened