Taylor's Lemon Lime Grilled Shrimp

Taylor modified the Grilled Shrimp Cocktail recipe on Epicurious, added rosemary and substituted lime juice for lemon.  We served without the cocktail sauce and had grilled veggies from our garden and garlic couscous.  It was delicious!

 

http://www.epicurious.com

Best Ever Lamb Burger

One of my absolute favorite dishes, great for the month of August and early September because of the fresh tomatoes. I never expected mint and tomatoes to be such a great pair, but their fresh flavors complement each other well. 

2 lb. ground lamb

1/4 c. red onion 

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 T. chopped fresh mint, plus fresh sprigs for garnish

1/2 t. ground cumin

1 t. salt

1/2 t. coarsely ground pepper

24 whole cloves garlic

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil

4 - 6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

6 slices rustic country style bread

Combine the lamb, onion, minced garlic, 2 T. of the chopped mint, cumin, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper.  Mix well and form 6 patties.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.  

Bring a small saucepan 3/4 full of water to a boil. Add the garlic cloves and simmer, uncovered, until just soft, 10-15 min.  Drain, and reserve the garlic. 

In a frying pan over med. heat, warm 2 T. of the olive oil.  Add the tomatoes,the remaining 4 T. of chopped mint, the garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the juices evaporate and the sauce thickens slightly, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.  

Brush the bread slices with remaining 2 T. olive oil and place on grill.  Grill the lamb burgers at the same time, turning once, about 4-5 minutes for each side.  

To serve, place 1 slice of grilled bread on each plate and top with a lamb burger.  Spoon the warm sauce on top and garnish with the mint sprigs.  Serve immediately. 

(Williams-Sonoma kitchen library)

Home-Grown Soup and Salad

Since I live in Chicago I do everything I can to gather farm produce each time I'm home.  This last time I was home I nabbed a butternut squash out of Jordan and Christie's garden, threw it in my carry on and headed for the airport.  When the bag passed the through the x-ray the two TSA officers looked at each other and said, "thats some gourd".  I piped in with the variety as butternut, they laughed, then sent me on my way.  Traveling with food is always a good idea!

Butternut squash soup with an apple, walnut salad and muti-grain bread.
Taylor's home brew #13, the Petite Saision was the perfect beverage to round out the meal. 

Clarence's Test Kitchen, Taylor's Pathology Text Book

Our 10 month old puppy had been roaming the house for the past few weeks while we were at work.  Nothing had gone wrong until Taylor came home to this.  His Pathology Text book in shreds on the floor, the entire renal chapter was torn to shreds.  Needless to say, Clarence is back in his kennel, or as Taylor likes to refer to it, his cell.

Dirty Martini

Kettle One Martini, dirty, with blue cheese stuffed olives... Mmmmm...

Open Faced Lamb Burgers

I couldn't locate the recipe online in the William Sonoma Cookbooks, but knew my Mom would have it.  Here's the email she sent me with her typical greeting.  I love my Mom!

Hi Ruthie-dear, 

Here's the recipe: Perfect for this time of year when the tomatoes are ripe!

2 lb. ground lamb

1/4 c. red onion 

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 T. chopped fresh mint, plus fresh sprigs for garnish

1/2 t. ground cumin

1 t. salt

1/2 t. coarsely ground pepper

24 whole cloves garlic

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil

4 - 6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

6 slices rustic country style bread

Combine the lamb, oniln, minced garlic, 2 T. of the chopped mint, cumin, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper.  Mix well and form 6 patties.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.  

Bring a small saucepan 3/4 full of water to a boil. Add the garlic cloves and simmer, uncovered, until just soft, 10-15 min.  Drain, and reserve the garlic. 

In a frying pan over med. heat, warm 2 T. of the olive oil.  Add the tomatoes,the remaining 4 T. of chopped mint, the garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the juices evaporate and the sauce thickens slightly, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.  

Brush the bread slices with remaining 2 T. olive oil and place on grill.  Grill the lamb burgers at the same time, turning once, about 4-5 minutes for each side.  

To serve, place 1 slice of grilled bread on each plate and top with a lamb burger.  Spoon the warm sauce on top and garnish with the mint sprigs.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!  ( and think of home!)  :-)

(Williams-Sonoma kitchen library)

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!