Buttermilk Buscuits

A friend is having us for dinner tonight.  When I asked her what I could bring she politely offered the idea of bread.  While I love french or rustic breads I've felt an overwhelming desire for home-made biscuits.   I'm excited for the flaky layers and the golden tops.  I think I'm going to add some fresh thyme and rosemary from our herb garden to the Gourmet recipe I found on Epicurious.com earlier this morning. 

I'll let you know how they turn out.

Clothes Line!

When we moved into our condo last July one of the first things on my wish list I was a clothes line, now a year late I finally have one. When I was little our neighbors the Quirks hung the clothes for a family of six outside.  I was friends with the Quirk girls and we spent lots of time in their back yard playing while their Mom hang and removed clothes from spring until fall.

I always admired the quality that a full clothes line brought to their back yard.  Clean clothes drying in the sun, it was such a simple childhood memory.  I admired that instead of heading into the dark basement, Mary was able to spend time outside while getting her chores done.  I look forward to our next load of laundry and the time I'll get to spend outside hanging and folding our clothes.  Our new line is right outside the kitchen, Taylor rigged up some rope, metal loops and hooks; it's set up, take down at our convenience.

Grilled Open Faced Portobella Sandwich

A quick meal with great ingredients

Grill a baguette that you've brushed with olive oil over medium high heat, 2-3 minutes
Add the mushrooms that have been drizzled with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh pepper, 2-3 minutes

Cut the mushrooms into 1/2 in. strips 
Assemble the mushrooms on the grilled baguette
Top with Provolone cheese and tomatoes
Drizzle with a balsamic garlic reduction
Top with fresh basil

Taylor made the balsamic reduction...he'll have to weigh in here, the reductions are all him!

The Ultimate Comfort Food: Baked Chicken Parmesan

After a long Monday at work with a few too many client issues that took up more energy than normal, all I wanted was a comforting meal, a glass of wine, and an evening out on our deck.  When looking for comfort, what better place to go than a classic family recipe.

Grandma Ruth's Baked Chicken Parmesan: recipe coming soon, red potatoes with pan gravy and peas: Another BIG comfort food!

The Garden Salad (literally, I picked the greens and mint out of the garden) with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mint, Feta and Cucumber was a nice light accompaniment

Taylor's Test Kitchen/Brewery

I got Taylor a brew kit for Christmas with all the equipment for brewing his own beer.  Since January he has crafted 13 with the Bourbon Barrel Porter as his most treasured brew.  

The 1st brew, inspired by our trip out to Big Sky, MT Scottish Ale, wort

Chilling the wort before pitching the yeast

Seth and Meredith, being the faithful friends that they are came in February to assist with bottling day. 

Seth is now well on his way to become a brew master with his own equipment, even turning his fridge into a Logger friendly aging environment while Meredith is in Baltimore.  

We're heading to the Goose Island Brewery this weekend for a tour and some inspiration for these young brewers. 

My Mom was on the way down to the Farm when I called her for the recipe she's used over the years, so I searched the web for this one.  It wasn't exactly the same, but it came pretty close.  Mini Chocolate Chips are key, although I'd recommend using more chocolate chips in the batter than a 1/2 cup.  

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust: 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (about 18 cookies) Filling: 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened 1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand) 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup mini chocolate chips 1 teaspoon flour
Directions:
Crust: Combine butter and Oreo cookie crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Filling: In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with the 1 teaspoon flour. Toss to coat. Stir into the cheese mixture. Pour over crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over top. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees F, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool to room temperature and then chill until serving.

Baby back ribs with my babe

Taylor threw a side of baby back ribs in our cart while shopping last week.  I had never done ribs, but after reading a recipe in Real Simple, I thought we'd give it a try, how hard could it be?  I seasoned the ribs with a spice rub the night before, then had Taylor precook them in the oven as soon as he got home from the lab, almost 3 hours at 275.  I made my own sauce based off a few good recipes, and Taylor did the final touch by grilling them over charcoals.  

Clarence was all about the smells coming from the grill and got in on the action a few days later when he found the tongs Taylor had used and forgotten to wash or put away.  Despite a little dirt and a few wood chips, he really enjoyed his little taste of our ribs.

To balance the rich ribs I made a fresh salad with cucumber, tomatoes, corn off the cob, and avocados.

Eating outside is a must if you have good weather.

A happy boon

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 15mTotal Time: 3hr 30m

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 tablespoon ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 6 pounds spareribs (2 racks), trimmed of excess fat

Mix the spices and rub into the meat, I allowed the meat to sit covered in the fridge for a night with the spice rub before pre-baking them.  Preheat the oven to 275 and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Finish on the grill, basting with your favorite sauce.  I didn't care for the one on the original recipe so I made my own based off of it, adding: Worcestershire sauce, honey, and maybe a little lime. 2-3 minutes per side. 

The best ribs I've ever had!

A Soup with a mind of it's own

The weather this week was almost cool and called for soup.  I intended to make a black bean soup with lime and cilantro, but without two cans of black bean I added garbanzo beans, a lot more vegetables, (because I had them) and tons of thyme.  The result was a warm pot of savory soup that fed me for dinner, Taylor for a late night snack, and both of us for a few days of lunches.  I'm not sure what I'd call it since it's a soup all its own.  Isn't that the beauty of soup, it's a unique creation every time. I love a good soup!

A Vegetarian Feast

Wild Mushroom Quesadillas adapted from the following Epicurious.com link

Melt 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup chopped onion

Add:
12 ounces fresh wild mushroom, I used Cremini aka baby bella
and stir until tender

Add:
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped
4 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat through for anther 3 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.Assemble the filling inbetween two tortillas.  Grill on each side over medium high heat 2 minutes or until brown.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-mushroom-Enchiladas-with-Ancho-Chili-Cream-Sauce-4097#ixzz0sFeykTSd

Served with my guacamole and home made salsa

Garbanzo bean salad with corn, raisins, green onion, roasted red peppers, feta and olives, marinated in olive oil and red wine vinegar 

 Matthew Pechanio brought his first ever Peach Pie.  When I called him earlier that afternoon to discuss what to bring he and Kris were blanching peaches.  The result...delicious! 

Stawberrie Rhubarb Pie with Grandma Donna's Buttermilk Pie Crust

Combine 1 1/2 c. sugar

3T. Quick cooking tapioca

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Add: 3 c. rhubarb cut in 1/2 in. peices

1 c. sliced fresh strawberries

Mix to coat fruit and allow to stand for 20 minutes

Prepare pastry for a 9' pie and prebake

Fill crust with fruit and dot with 1 T. butter

Top with top crust or lattice crust

Bake @ 400 for 35-40 minutes

Grandma's pie crust coming soon...

Farewell to Mere: Wine Club, Sunday Supper and Hookah, could we have a more random evening?!?

It started with Wine Club, noting taste profiles in our food journal.  The nights of drinking wine soon morphed into elaborate meals accompanied by wine and great conversation.  In the last few years we shared a good number of our best meals and bottles of wine with our great friends Seth and Meredith Maddox.  The following entry was made by Meredith when they brought us dinner, one of our first nights in our new place.

"First meal at the dinning room table on Cuyler Ave. Eclectic meal brought by the Maddoxs: Cashew Chili spiced chicken sate with peanut sauce, spinach salad with basil, tomato and peppers, and chocolate pudding brownies with espresso.  

Wine: Caro Dorum & Goldeneye both received a rating of 90.5

'They excel at different things'

A wonderful night!"

-Meredith 7/31/2009

         

While I don't have pictures of all our meals, the following pics are from our farewell meal together before Meredith left to train in Baltimore.  

Baguette, grilled vegetables, lamb shank, and beef fillet, mashed potatoes, Lemon Caesar Salad, Strawberry Rhubarb Pudding Cake.

To top off our last night before Meredith's departure for training we celebrated with Hookah on the UIC campus.  I think we had Pink and Fruit, how I wish we had pictures of the "after party"!

Peanut Butter Kisses "Krinkles"

A recipe from the kitchen of Linda Erickson, a close family friend.  These cookies have traditionally been made at Christmas in the Calvin/Beahrs households, but Sous Chef Catherine requested the recipe...so cheers to Peanut Butter Kisses in June!

Preheat the oven to 350

Cream below ingredients in a large bowl:

1 c. butter

1c. peanut butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

Sift and stir into creamed mixture:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. soda

1 t. salt

Form the dough into 1 in. diameter balls, roll balls in a shallow plate of granular sugar to cover each ball

Bake 2 in. apart for 12-15 minutes remove from the oven and place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie.  Allow to cool before transporting.

My First Vegetable Garden

Our back yard has enough space and just enough sun for a vegetable garden.  I planted by seed two weeks ago accept for these heirloom tomatoes my Dad started in March.  If all goes according to plan I'll have Green Zebra, Red and Yellow varieties. 

Tomatoes

Row by row

Spring Greens

Dinner with Mama Simpson

Italian Stuffed Meatballs

Kitchen of Cindy Calvin

Care of William Sonoma

1.5 lb.. ground lamb

1.5 lb. ground beef or veal

1 c fresh bread crumbs

1/4 c milk

1/4 c fresh chopped parsley

3 eggs, slightly beaten

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t. pepper

Mix meat with the below ingredients and shape into 2-3 in. diameter balls

Encase a 1/2 in cube of fresh mozzarella into the center of each meatball 

Heat 1/2 in olive oil in a large saute pan until almost smoking over medium high heat 

Rotate the meatballs until well browned on all sides, remove and allow to drain on a paper towel

Transfer to tomato sauce and simmer for 30 minutes covered

Uncover and cook 10 minutes more, serve with spaghetti. 

Dinner date with a dear friend, we cook well together, Jess offering clean up support and any task I can through her way.  She made the meatballs and salad while I tackled the sauce and bread.  We rocked out to Oldies and caught up on life, such a therapeutic evening! 

Perfect Sunday Lunch, save the big meal for dinner

Nothing says Sunday afternoon lunch to me more than grilled cheese.  I seem to remember coming home from church with the breakfast dishes still on the counter, dad and mom teaming up, dad on the griddle and mom sorting the dishes, the comics still spread wide with ads from the Sunday paper strewn everywhere.  In no time at all we'd have buttery sandwiches, sharp cheddar cheese of course.  Mmmmm, such a comfort food! 

Beth, a friend of mind introduced the idea of dipping grilled cheese in balsamic vinegar.  I enjoyed it, topped off with sugar snap peas for crunch and freshness the meal is perfect. 

Poached Sole with Julienne Vegetables

My first attempt at a full meal from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

 This type of meal was a stretch for me, a true test kitchen endeavor.  I have rarely cooked with white sauces, I'm much more comfortable with tomatoes, but it turned out beautifully! The fish was another experiment since I'd never poached anything in the oven.  I feared the parchment paper would catch on fire, but with a close eye on my step-by-step instructions things turned out just fine.

Success!

Very tomato based wife

Last night Taylor and I enjoyed our fist at home dinner since I left him over Valentine's Day. With feelings of remorse for leaving My Boon over the weekend I felt compelled to tackle the lasagna I've been planning for for the last few weeks.

My remorse quickly turned into mouth-watering anticipation as I assembled the meaty home made tomato sauce with al'dente (sp?) pasta, layers of beautiful cheeses, ricotta, spinach and sauteed eggplant. Taylor's presence in the kitchen quickly transitioned to the couch where he was able to study and I was able to focus. While I love him in the kitchen I also love uninterrupted time to focus. 

When sitting down to dinner with a rich glass of Cabernet and a simply dressed, red wine vinaigrette arugula and spinach salad we were in heaven.

Taylor frequently comments on my love of tomatoes. He calls me his tomato based wife and I don't disagree, they are wonderful bases and with the Pasture Direct lean ground beef I connected to the meal more than most. How I love the gifts of our farm!

Birthday Dinner

Taylor took me to NoMI at the Park Hyatt in Chicago.  Great Sushi, one of our favorite meals, topped it off with a Kettle One martini, dirty with blue cheese olives and I was a happy camper.  

Smörgåsbord

Around Christmas time my family makes lefse and when we realized we wouldn't make it home in time to help we decided to make our own. I spent some time rifling through Great Grandma Johnson's recipe cards and found her recipe, then called Grandma Donna and my Mom to be sure I wouldn't mess anything up.  

My boon and top Sous chef

 Taylor was a master on the grill serving up a beautiful stack of the yummy lefse.

Showing off some of my favorite Scandinavian kitchen treasures

The lefse was actually a part of a larger Norwegian meal that we made for our small group Christmas feast. We made Torske (broiled cod) and Swedish Meatballs with lingonberry jam.  Everyone else brought a traditional family Christmas food to share.  It was a great night.

Christmas Village Ginger Bread House Assembly

Full Service Christmas Village Coordinators hard at work...

As the refreshment coordinator for Church of the Resurrection's Christmas Village I recruited Meredith, the visual affects coordinator to help assemble a ginger bread house to decorate at our refreshments area.

I used cotton candy for snow, cut out ginger cookies coated in frosting and sprinkles for trees, made ginger bread men and a moose and topped it all off with gobs of sugar coated dots.

With Meredith's help my first attempt at a Ginger Bread house turned out pretty well.

Thank you Mere!