Wish Upon A Chef

My dear readers, I'm so pleased to finally announce that after much stress, many delays and writing a really, really BIG check, I am once again a proud home owner!

My little house here in the Queen City is just perfect and now that my furniture has been collected from across three states and I'm starting to unpack boxes and get settled in, it makes the whole stressful ordeal worthwhile. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to live and die in this house because I'm not too eager to have to go through the process of buying a new home again! Without boring you with the details and reliving the whole nightmare once again, let me just give you a word (or two) of advice.....if you haven't reviewed your credit report in a while, DO IT NOW! You are entitled to a free report once a year and it can be accessed at FreeCreditReport.com. You should review your report for any errors and mistakes and follow up on any reporting issues that you are concerned about.

Enough with the Public Service Announcements...on to the good stuff!

A few posts ago, I talked about how some good ole' home cooking was medicine for the soul and how I found myself turning to it during times of stress. There are some days when nothing sets the world back on track like a big plate of carbohydrates smothered in cream sauce and that's exactly what today's dish is all about. I actually prepared this a few weeks ago while I was still in my temporary living quarters and just haven't had a chance to share it with you - I've been a little busy folks....cut me some slack! :)
See the current state of my kitchen??

This dish pushes me to the boundaries of what I enjoy in a meal and what I mean by that is, I typically do not enjoy cream based sauces and I don't particularly care for mushrooms and this is full of both items. As I was flipping through my recipe repertoire one evening, I came across this and it screamed my name. Well, actually it just whispered my name but it was enough to get my attention. I used shiitake mushrooms in place of your regular, garden variety shrooms because I've found that my taste buds have matured enough to be convinced that shiitakes aren't all that bad. I think next time I'll add a bit of roasted red bell pepper or pimentos just to liven it up with a little color.

Be prepared - this recipe makes enough to feed an army, so save it for when you've had a really, really, really stressful day or when you feel like inviting the whole neighborhood over for dinner. Enjoy!

















* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp Tetrazzini

Serving Size : 6
Categories : Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup green onions -- thinly sliced
5 Tablespoons flour
2 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1/2 Cup clam juice
1/2 Cup dry white wine
1/2 Cup heavy cream
3 Teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese -- shredded
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 Pound shiitake mushrooms -- sliced
8 Ounces spaghetti
4 Cups shrimp -- shelled & deveined
pepper -- to taste

Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a pan; add onions, mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp and cook just until pink, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove shrimp and vegetables from the pan and set aside. Stir flour into pan and gradually blend in chicken broth, clam juice, wine, cream, and oregano. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes after sauce begins to simmer. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese.

While sauce is cooking, bring to a boil a quantity of salted water; add the noodles and cook them until they are al dente; then drain.

Combine sauce, noodles, shrimp and vegetables, and season with pepper to taste. Pour into a large shallow casserole or individual casseroles. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375F until bubbling, about 15 minutes for large casserole or 8 minutes for small ones. Broil top until lightly browned.

Source:
"adapted from personal chef recipe from Candy Wallace"

'Tis the season that most of my fellow food bloggers are talking about their holiday dinners, cookie baking, candy making, and tree trimmings. But not me. No sir. My blog will not be filled with holiday musings nor will my kitchen smell of gingerbread this year. There will be no cookie swaps and no cocktail parties. Nope. None of the above. Just call me The Grinch.

Now, don't go seriously thinking I've gone all Ebeneezer on you as I am very much a conformist when it comes to participating in the holiday hub-bub and there's nothing I'd like more than to tell you all about the party invitations I have and about all the Christmas goodies I've baked and consumed. But sadly, it's just not going to happen this year. At the very moment that I type this, every single item that I possess in this world is crammed stacked neatly from floor to ceiling in a 26' Penske truck and if the weather cooperates over these next two days, my belongings will complete the final leg of the 900+ mile journey and be unloaded into my new home in Charlotte, NC.

My transition has been a smooth one for the most part and I am so excited that I will be settled once and for all but it hasn't been without a lot stress and a few bumps along the way. I'm so thankful that my friends and family have circled the wagons around me and given so unselfishly of themselves to help me. But even with their sympathy and support, there comes a time when you feel yourself giving under all the pressure and you know what's coming next.....the inevitable crack in your calm, cool exterior facade. And that's exactly what happened last week while planning a cross-country move and dealing with mortgage brokers and attorneys. I spent a few hours wallowing in salty tears and misery and when I finally pulled myself up by my bootstraps, I decided it was time to soothe the soul with some good ole' home cooking.

Nothing cures the mental melt-down blues like this Pork Chop and Potato Bake...thick, juicy pork chops nestled in warm cheesy hashbrown potatoes. Throw in a handful of french fried onions for the topping and you've got an instant remedy for whatever ails you. The world will be right once again.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Pork Chop & Potato Bake

Serving Size : 6
Categories : Casseroles/ Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 each pork chops
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
24 ounces hashed brown potatoes -- thawed
1 cup cheese -- shredded
1 cup french fried onions

Brown pork chops in greased skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine soup, milk, sour cream, more pepper & salt, to taste. Stir in potatoes, cheese and diced onions. Spoon mixture into a 9x13 pan. Arrange pork chops over potatoes. Bake, covered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Remove cover and top with french fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes, uncovered.

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Alot of you faithful friends and readers already know that a few months ago I ended a nine year chapter of my life with Captain Sturm and have set about to start a new and exciting novel of my own. And as much as I'd like to think that I was irreplaceable in that life, the truth of the matter - as painful as it may be - is that it was only a matter of about 2 days before my replacement was brought into the limelight. I think it's great that Captain Sturm has the ability to put the past behind him and speed right along on the path of life, but it has taken a bit longer for me to want to dip my toe into the dating pool again.

But have no fear, dear readers! I am finally able to put my commitment phobias behind me and make the profound announcement.....I AM IN LOVE!!

After careful consideration of how to approach my new single life, I decided it might be best to "shop around" a bit...you know, explore a variety of new people and things before making a final, permanent selection. Alot of things have changed since I was last in the dating world, so I want to be sure I learn the rules of the game and possibly bend them just a bit :) and get the broad picture of what's going on these days. At the ripe old age of 37, I'm not getting any younger, so this next round of decisions I make in life will most likely be very important ones and will need to be carefully thought out.

So, without further a dieu, I'd like to introduce the love(s) of my life at the moment.......





This is my friend Blood Orange Mimosa. I met him at one of my favorite hangouts, Harris Teeter. I was perusing the wine section when I laid eyes on this handsome specimen at a sampling table set up by a wine vendor. I was awe struck by his flashy color, his cool exterior, and with one taste I was hooked. Mr. Blood Orange Mimosa was going home with me that night! Seriously, folks. This was some good stuff. I bought 2 bottles - one for my own personal enjoyment and one for a gift. If you plan on attending or hosting any brunches this holiday season, this is a definite must for the menu or as a hostess gift.



And just when I had decided Blood Orange Mimosa was "Mr. Right", along comes someone new into the picture.

I was first introduced to Trader Joe's Cranberry Walnut Tart while visiting family in San Francisco last month. He was nice enough, for sure, but you know how those vacation romances can be - fun while they last but soon become just a fleeting thought. But not in this case...I couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Cranberry Tart's delicate, flaky, buttery crust. How he had just the right amount of sweet and tart. He just seemed to be the perfect pre-made dessert delight. So when I ran into him again at my Trader Joe's here in Charlotte, I knew it was destiny! I hope we will never be apart again but, alas, I have come to realize that he will soon have to leave because he's a seasonal item. So hurry up folks and pick up your own "Mr.-Right-While-He-Lasts" Cranberry Tart!

After Mr. Trader Joe's Cranberry Tart leaves town, I'm sure I'll be heart broken but not for long. Everyone knows that right after a break up, the next "Mr. Right" is always a rebound. We try to find someone similar to fit the bill and ease the pain of being alone again.

And while I'd never admit it to my friend Cranberry Walnut Bread's face, a rebound is exactly what he is. I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. He's similar in alot of ways, what with the cranberries and walnuts and all, but just not as sweet. I think of him as my "Bad Boy" of dating. Good in his own right for the makings of a turkey sandwich or as an accompaniment to a cheese platter, but oh, so bad for me with all his carbs and calories. I picked him up at Harris Teeter as well. He normally hangs out in the La Brea bread bakery if your store is lucky enough to have one.

Even with the love I feel for these "Mr. Right Now" friends, I'm still not ready to crown one of them as THE "Mr. Right" just yet so I suppose I'll continue to fish around in the dating pool and see what other great catches I can come up with!

Welcome back to the kitchen fellow readers! And let me just start by saying that I'm so, so, so happy to be back - I feel refreshed, revitalized, and anxious to begin this new chapter of my life. I'm quite sure that this blog will also start to take on a new life of its own as I start exploring and rediscovering all the things that I once loved about the Queen City. I'm hoping that there are still a few of you loyal Someone's In The Kitchen readers out there who are willing to stick around for just awhile longer while the dust continues to settle on my move.

I rolled into town early Monday and had a few hours to kill before my appointment with the staffing/recruiting agency that my lovely friend A. owns so I decided to have brunch in my old neighborhood. I'm not a stranger to dining out alone but it is one of those things that I don't think anyone particularly enjoys doing. I always try to keep a magazine in the car for such an occasion but I couldn't seem to dig one out of the heap of cra...er, stuff that I was hauling in the back of my car so as I went into the restaurant I picked up some literature to thumb through. You know what I'm talking about - the freebie, mindless publications that serve the purpose of giving you something to look through while trying not to look like the lonely table-for-one-please person that you really are. One of them, called Skirt, was actually worth reading and I brought it home with me to look at again later. It's published in various cities and is geared specifically toward women. I ran across a quote in one of the articles that pretty much sums up how I feel at this point in my life and I think I will adopt as my new mantra:

Nice, eh?

After a 2 hour round of interviews and testing with the recruiter, I finally get settled into the awesome condo that I'm renting from my friend C. It's fully furnished and move-in ready but only has very basic items in the kitchen. That wouldn't be a problem for most people but I'm finding it to be a bit of a challenge because I'm so used to having any and every kind of kitchen gadget, appliance and ingredient readily available. I'm having to go back to the basics and be creative with my menus. I'm trying to avoid, too, having to purchase alot of ingredients and pantry staples because very soon my personal effects will arrive from Arkansas and I don't want to have alot of duplicate stuff. So, I leave you today with a simple and delicious recipe that can be prepared using basic ingredients and basic kitchen tools. I served this over angel hair pasta with a side of sauteed green beans.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp Scampi

Serving Size : 4
Categories : Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds large shrimp -- peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
6 cloves garlic -- minced
3 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons parsley -- minced

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil & butter. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add white wine and raise heat to high. Add shrimp and saute for 3 minutes until shrimp turns pink. Add parsley. Serve immediately.

They say you should never run from your problems, but what do they know? And who the heck are they anyway? Sometimes you just need time to get away, to reflect on the past and the present, and figure out what comes next.

And that's exactly what I did last week. I've had a tremendous amount of stress and turmoil in my life these last few months and in anticipation of everything coming to a close and being finalized around the same time, I decided to give myself something fun to look forward to by planning a trip to the San Francisco area. My aunt and her husband live just east of SF and invited me and my parents out for a week and in particular to see Jimmy Buffet in concert on Tuesday. About the time I started packing my bags to leave, I received an email invitation from Heather at Project Foodie to participate in the Foodie Road Trip event which invites you to talk about your most memorable road trip as it relates to food. What perfect timing!!

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm in the process of relocating back to Charlotte, NC and I'm so excited about having access to a more diverse variety and selection of food. For me, the art of enjoying food isn't just about eating it but the entire process from beginning to end - planning, shopping, preparation, anticipation of the meal to come, and finally the consumption. Since being involved in the food industry on a professional level, I will admit that I've been burned out on the whole process of food for my personal enjoyment for a very long time and I wanted to get that part of myself back. My trip to San Francisco went a long way toward the journey of finding that passion again.

I arrived in SF on Saturday and was greeted by Aunt P, Uncle G and a huge pot of homemade minestrone soup. Nothing says, "Welcome Home!" like a simmering pot of homemade soup and when topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and paired with a chilled glass of wine, I say, "I'm gonna move in with you!"

After a good night's sleep, Uncle G and I hit one of the local farmer's markets early in the morning to pick up ingredients for the next few days' worth of meals. Uncle G is quite the foodie himself so it was nice to swap stories with someone who actually felt the same level of excitement upon seeing 72 varieties of tomatoes in one place, not to mention knowing the difference between Japanese, Italian, Thai and Indian eggplant and seeing sweet, sun ripened strawberries in October. After taste testing almost everything at the market, we selected our bounty of fresh fruits and veggies. We made our way to several other markets for fresh fish and a few staples, and finally we had the makings for the first meal of the week.




This little guy was begging to go home with me but we chose to go with halibut instead and that evening Uncle G served up halibut with fresh mango salsa served with black eyed pea salad and sauteed baby bok choy. Seriously folks, I've heard of baby bok choy - even seen it in the stores - but this bok choy was some serious preemie bok choy. Tender and flavorful.
Our appetizer was steamed mussels with a wine reduction....YUM-O! There's something about the taste of food in California - it just tastes better. Maybe it's because it's about as fresh as you can get it, not having been trucked from one end of the Earth to another and radiated along the way.

The rest of the week was busy with sight-seeing in the city, the Jimmy Buffet concert, and an added bonus of seeing Tina Turner in concert. Ms. Turner certainly still has the HOT factor going on. I hope I look that good when I'm 68...wait a minute...I don't even look half that good now!!!! All of these activities kept us from eating meals at home, but never fear...my foodie road adventure doesn't end there. No sir! The family and I took the ferry into the city and spent the afternoon wondering through yet another farmer's market and a really neat marketplace on the pier that housed bunches of specialty, artisan food markets and restaurants. I had an awesome photo of my lunch - a bento box from a little Japanese joint but when we sat down to eat, what happened next trumped any photograph of food that I could have taken. Just as we sat down, Uncle G casually said, "Oh look...there's Jacques Pepin eating at that table." If you want to see someone (aka me) act a fool by trying to sneak a photo op of a celebrity chef as he tries to enjoy his chips and salsa and tries really hard to ignore the silly girl (again, aka me) peeping around the corner at him, just say those exact words. I finally decided that it would be quite rude to take his photo without his permission and I mustered up the courage to approach him and politely ask. I was rewarded with his pleasant smile and his offer to sit next to him for a fabulous photo. And lookie there...I do believe that's his hand on my shoulder!!!


After the celebrity sighting, I can't even tell you what I did for the rest of the day but I can tell you that later in the week our trip concluded with a tour of the wine country and a stop at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone. I bought a salt pig very similar to this one as my souvenir.


My family and I enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of Rutherford Hill winery and a tasting at Beringer Vineyards.

It was a fabulous trip, chock full of foodie adventures. I'd like to thank Heather for inviting me to participate in her Project Foodie event and most of all, I'd like to thank Aunt P and Uncle G for hosting me this past week. Make sure you view the rest of my trip photos at my flickr account. I had over 300 photos to choose from for this blogpost and obviously and fortunately (for you) couldn't post them all! The kitchen will be closed for a few more days as I complete my move to Charlotte, but I'm sooooooo looking forward to sharing my new and exciting food adventures with you.