I'm backkkkkk...

It's been an interesting year..new recipes coming on the anniversary of when I left last year. So keep an eye out in May 2012!

Musings on Graduating College and a Little Blogger R&R..

So I've been looking at this blog for the last few days and I have decided that I really don't like the design of it. Like seriously don't like it, there's something about it that just "isn't me" to use that cliche term, but I think that it's true. It's almost summer time now and I'm getting closer to becoming an old bitty everyday and I really need to get this cooking/writing/blogging thing on the road because let's be honest...cooking will probably be the way I earn money after college because from what I have seen from friends who have graduated over the last 3.5 years, the following is an equation for at least the first 1-2 years following college graduation:

Life After College = Trolling the streets for any scraps of jobs that we can find + Realizing that the $80000 you spent on a college education was only good enough to get a part-time receptionist/serving job + Sitting on your 4-year old broken, crusty, college futon in your one bedroom apartment scarfing down a package of 17 cent chicken flavored ramen like it was your last meal. Oh--and let's not forget that this is all taking place while you listen the 45 year-old divorced car salesman downstairs who also refuses to close his blinds while changing, sob into his can of keystone ice while listening to 'Free Bird' on repeat..

...Depressing, but unfortunately true. (Unless you have a business degree from what I've witnessed)

Now for those of you who (like myself) who aren't business minded and couldn't resist the urge to get a  degree in arts and the humanities, all is not lost. I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a least one serious hobby/trade that they could potentially make enough money to survive off of just in case that dream job doesn't quite materialize immediately after college. I really think our generation has lost a lot of patience for more time consuming things in life. I mean, if I can't use my phone to find something in 2 minutes on Wikipedia then I normally forget about it and categorize it into that "ehh..it's not so important" section of my brain. There is something seriously wrong with this people! So in order to make this the best blog you ever did see, I will be taking at least a week off from blogging because I really want to take the time to read some good food books, redesign this blog, attempt to make a steady schedule for posting here, and decide what direction I want to take this blog. So I will see you cool cats later after I practice a few recipes and work on this whole "food photography" thing that I am absolutely terrible with..(I REALLLLY hate watching my food getting cold while I'm trying to take lackluster pictures of it). And since this post was all about how potentially terrifying the "life after college shell-shock" might be. I'll leave off with a loose quotation of my favorite fictional 10-year old, Bart Simpson, for all my friends who graduated this weekend and have expressed your sense of panic of being an official "grown up" now:

"George Burns was right.. Life After College is a hideous bitch goddess." --- Bartholomew J. Simpson (just to clarify, "Life After College" was originally "Show Business", I'm not trying to get sued by FOX...)

I hope the Easter Bunny Knows how to Swim...

So tomorrow is Easter and it has literally been STORMING for 3 days straight here in New Albany. Like not drizzling, not raining, but like full blown, Dorothy's house getting picked up and landing in Oz type of storming. They even had to close down the casino and hotel, which I'm pretty sure is a sign that Hell hath frozen over because casinos are open 24/7, 365 days a year no matter what kind of national crisis we are in. I'm pretty sure there are probably some old ladies waterproofing their extra long Parliament cigarettes and strapping on the scuba gear right now so they can go and get their penny slot fix.Yes, I've only been to Horseshoe once but those old bitties go hard on the penny and nickel slots. I have also been elected to cook dinner tomorrow so this post isn't going to be very long, I just wanted to stop in and check with everyone since I hadn't posted in a while. Tomorrow I'm just making some simple stuff so I don't have to do so much work because for once in my life I don't actually feel like cooking. On the menu tomorrow:

-Cornish Hens with Herb Butter(Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Sage, Marjoram, etc.)
-Herb Stuffing with Pan Gravy (from the chickens)
-Mac n Cheese(Evaporated Milk and Velveeta)
-Cucumber & Tomato Salad
-Greens
-I'm sure there was something else I was supposed to make but I really can't remember right now...

Hopefully it shouldn't take more 2 hours to get everything prepped and cooked. So fingers crossed!

In other news....

I BAKED A CAKE! FROM SCRATCH!!!!!

This is like world breaking news here people! I hate, hate, HATE baking for the following reasons:

1. If you screw up ANY kind of measurement in baking it's ruined..RUINED I TELLS YA! There's no second chances like cooking. Like when I see that I have to bake something like dough for a recipe, I immediately start breaking out in a cold sweat with heart palpitations at the thought of hours of planning/work down the drain in like 30 seconds if you mistake a teaspoon for a tablespoon. For example:

Situation 1--Cooking--"Hmm...This soup needs more salt, let me add a little more before it's done". Simple solution right?

Situation 2--Baking--"Whoops I put too much salt in this cake"--In the trash it goes--I swear, whenever I have to throw a failed recipe attempt away, this is what I experience pretty much every single time...  (complete with the extra dramatic John Williams score playing in my head ...)

Reason #2 why I hate baking--- I just don't like sweets that much, but this cake had fruit(Strawberries) ANDDDD my favorite icing of all time--Whipped Cream that was gradually folded into some melted milk chocolate chips. Oh my Gosh---So delicious! It was like chocolate cool whip. It wasn't like the crappy super sweet icing that you find on like those grocery store cakes which begin the slippery slope to DIABEETUS in the shape of Spongebob Squarepants or Disney Princesses beginning around our 4th birthdays.

------

Well I don't really feel like posting the whole recipe because I'm pretty sleepy right now so I'll just post the pictures of my newest culinary accomplishment. Brown Butter Caramel Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Chocolate Frosting. Recipes to follow at a later date.

Look at how fluffy that freaking frosting is! -___-

Finished Product--My hands got the shakes and I accidentally dropped a couple of strawberries on awkward places on the cake..whoops

Strawberry Spinach and Baby Green Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette

Really simple, delicious, and nutritious strawberry salad:

Ingredients:

6-8 medium to large strawberries

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt, to taste

1 handful mixed greens

1 (small) handful of arugula (to taste, I personally have discovered that I don't care for arugula that much)

1 small handful of fresh spinach

1 1/2 tbsp sugar,or to taste

1 tsp poppy seeds

 I suggest that you make your vinaigrette before and taste to make sure  that it suits your own taste buds. Lightly mix a little vinaigrette into the greens and enjoy with a nice piece of baked salmon with lemon and dill.

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 lb Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
• 2-3 peeled, sliced carrots
• 2-3 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
• 1 whole large onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic mined
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp salt
• 56 oz. chicken stock
• 1(14 oz can) vegetable stock
• pepper, to taste
• 1 16 oz bag frozen egg noodles

Sauté onion, garlic, carrots, and celery on medium high until soft and fragrant for about 10 minutes in large stock pot. Next, add the chicken and vegetable stock along with basil oregano, basil and poultry stock.

Meanwhile, Season boneless chicken breasts/thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little poultry seasoning. Sauté for around 6-10 minutes in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium high heat (depending on thickness) and allow to rest for AT LEAST 3-5 minutes. After resting, cut chicken into cubes and add to broth

Bring chicken broth and spices to boil then add frozen egg noodles. Simmer for 20-30 minutes and then serve . =)  Enjoy!!!

New, Improved (and much simpler) Roasted Tomato-Basil Bisque

So I realized that almost every recipe that I post on here has been of soups. I guess I should make other foods, but I just love soup so damn much. So I guess I will keep the soups coming being that it's been raining and storming all day long so far.

When I first started this blog, I posted a tomato-basil soup that had a bunch of carrots and celery. It ended up being a little too chunky for my liking because I didn't have an immersion blender to break up the carrots. But I am happy to report that I have now found the PERFECT tomato-basil bisque. So I'm just going to get straight to the point and share all this deliciousness with you guys so you can make it.

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. can of HIGH-QUALITY Italian tomatoes (whole, peeled)--I used Muir Glen Organic Italian Tomatoes
1 large bunch basil
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c. 2% milk, scalded
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 Small Yellow Onion Sliced Lengthwise
Salt and pepper

Halved Tomatoes, Basil, Oregano, Salt and Pepper (Before the onions were added)

Preheat the Oven to 300 degrees. 


Pour the can of tomatoes into a 9x13 baking dish and cut them in half. Add onions, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil, making sure that you push the onions down into the tomato juice and make sure you a good amount of oil on the onions so they don't burn (you can always add a little more oil if needed). Roast for 90 minutes until the sauce thickens up. 


This is what it should look like after you take it out of the oven. 

Tomatoes, basil, and onions after they are finished roasting

In a food processor, add the tomato mixture. Add another small handful of torn basil to the mixture. Before you start blending, you need to scald the milk. Scalding the milk you say? Basically just bring the milk up to a hotter temperature without burning it(Very Important!) to match the hot tomatoes more closely so it doesn't cool off the tomatoes too much. After you have scalded your milk, add it into the food processor with the tomato mixture and start blending until smooth, making sure to taste and adjust seasoning along the way(i.e.--salt/pepper,basil, garlic powder, oregano, etc.).

Pre-Blended Sans Milk!

Nice, Smooth Soup! So pretty!

Now if your soup has lost some of it's heat, you can pour it into a saucepan and warm up on the stove on medium, being careful not to boil it. Garnish with a few baby basil leaves and a swirl of olive oil and serve with a nice ham, cheddar, and apple panini. It was so delicious. I highly recommend everyone try this because it's so easy and it was really cheap to make. I think the tomatoes cost somewhere around $3 and the basil was $2. I already had milk and onions lying around so I didn't have to buy those. So this recipe is VERY friendly to the normal college kid's wallet. Just think about it, most of us will spend $5 at McDonalds or Taco Bell without even thinking twice. Why leave McDonalds feeling like a giant grease stain or super bloated from Taco Bell when you can make a very delicious meal at home with very little work?

Finished Product--YUM!

The Absolute Best Roast Beef on the Planet

Herb-Crusted Roast Beef (with a bit of a movie review)

So last night I watched the most horrific, emotionally scarring movie of my life. "I Spit On Your Grave"(the 2010 remake) was the most horrendous, violent, and awful thing that I have ever laid eyes on. David looked over like 20 minutes into the movie and I had my head under the blankets sobbing--Yes, it was that intense...I just wanted to put this public service announcement out there that if you enjoy sleeping soundly at night and not being disgusted to the point of nausea, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not watch that movie. I'm still terrified. Just had to put that out there. I really think I'm done with horror movies for a while, I have accepted that I am just way too much of a punk and can't deal with it. 'Sphere' gave me nightmares, honest to God, SPHERE?! That's not even a horror movie! It has freaking Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone in it! But being in the ocean in one of the most terrifying things I can think of, let alone LIVING in the ocean next to a giant alien super intelligent spacecraft. I will tell you why this is so scary for me. I can't swim..I'm Black--yes, and  for all points and purposes the stereotype that black people are terrible swimmers is true. Have you ever seen a black person on a reality TV competition and they kick ass all season then the swimming challenge comes up and they lose? Yeah. Have you ever seen a Black person in Olympics for swimming (BESIDES Cullen Jones in Beijing?) No. Black people don't typically like to deal with precipitation in any forms willingly...case in point---Spoiler Alert!! Queen Latifah is the first person to die in Sphere, didn't mean to ruin it for you..) .

So this is a really old recipe I made a while ago, but I can't believe that I haven't posted it sooner. I know this sounds conceited, but I'm pretty sure I made the best beef in the history of the world a few months ago and it was completely by accident, so please forgive me. These measurements are rough because I was silly and this was the one time I didn't think to write down what I was doing before I did it.

The Herb Marinade...

Herb Blend in the Food Processor

• 2 1/2 lb Boneless Eye-Round Roast, tied with kitchen twine in 2 inch intervals
• 1 1/2 Cups(Packed) Curly Parsley
• 3 Whole Green Onions
• 2 Tbsp Oregano
• 1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 2 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Tsp Basil
• 1/2 Tsp Rosemary
• 1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Then while the food processor is running slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. 

Now, take your tied roast and season it VERY generously with kosher salt on all sides(including the edges, this is important because the salt with help in the tenderizing process of the meat) and all of the marinade on all sides of the roast. Wrap your roast very tightly in plastic wrap and place in a container in the fridge for at least 12 hours. I left my roast in the refrigerator for 24 hours and turned the roast over Every 8 hours or so. The flavors in the beef were excellent, but not overpowering. Your roast should look like this after the marinade is added.

Searing the Beef...

This next step is SUPER important. You have to SEAR the beef in order to lock in all the flavors and get that nice caramel color and outside crust that you typically associate with a roast.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

It's important to let the beef come up to room temperature before you start the searing/cooking process so that it doesn't take as long to cook in the oven. Therefore you should plan to take your beef out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to start cooking it.

After about an hour unwrap your roast and try to keep as much of my marinade on it as possible. You can always just scrape it off the plastic wrap and pat it back on the meat along with more salt and pepper as you see fit. Now, heat a heavy bottom skillet(like cast iron) or medium-high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with Canola or Vegetable oil. I wouldn't recommend olive oil because it has a lower smoke point and you would probably end up in the hospital for smoke inhalation after you got done trying to sear this thing. I also recommend opening your windows or turning on your stove-top fan at this point because it will most likely get extremely smoky in your kitchen anyway. Now add the beef to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on each side including the edges(you'll probably have to hold it with tongs or some other device to sear the edges).

After you sear the beef it should look like this---

This is what your roast should look like after you sear all sides of it.

Take the roast out of the oven and place on a cutting board. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil for at 15 minutes so it can rest and the juices don't run as badly out of the meat when you cut it.( I unfortunately got impatient and only waited 10 minutes so I did loose some of the juices, but not too much to make it really dry). Slice it up in thick slices and serve it up with some garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans! It was SOOOO good. David seriously couldn't believe how good it was and neither could I since it was such an experiment. I think I seriously ate at least 12 ounces of steak in one sitting and immediately fell into a food coma afterwards. So do not consume if you must operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery immediately afterwards. =)