I'm going to cook/blog again soon, I promise! Life has kind of gotten away from me for the moment, but with the holidays right around the corner there are myriads of recipes to be experimented with! Hooray! Keep checking in, there'll be new content soon.
-TZ
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Basic Crostini
I promise someday I'll get pictures up on this thing. I'm lazy, what can I say? Plus, Matt is definitely the better photographer of the two of us, and he's working tons lately. Boo.
At any rate, I had a half loaf of leftover, stale-ish bread. Now, normally I'd probably just toss it. But my promise to myself was that I was going to get more creative with what I had in the kitchen...so here goes my attempt to make crostini!
You need:
1 loaf sort-of-stale bread, cut into slices
1/4 cup high-quality EVOO- or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Italian, as it has a denser and nuttier quality than most Spanish oils)
1/2 cup Parmesan or any other hard cheese, finely grated
Oregano, basil, and sage to taste (you can use fresh but I prefer the dried stuff for this)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange bread slices evenly on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops liberally with olive oil, then sprinkle cheese and herbs. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden.
You can also top these with anything you'd like...more cheese, tomatoes, chicken salad, grilled veggies, you name it. It also makes a wonderful accompaniment to a hearty winter soup or stew!
I feel so incredibly accomplished right now. I totally saved an entire half loaf of 3-day-old bread! And, it tastes wonderful! Now...if only the weather was nicer this would be the perfect day...hmm...
At any rate, I had a half loaf of leftover, stale-ish bread. Now, normally I'd probably just toss it. But my promise to myself was that I was going to get more creative with what I had in the kitchen...so here goes my attempt to make crostini!
You need:
1 loaf sort-of-stale bread, cut into slices
1/4 cup high-quality EVOO- or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Italian, as it has a denser and nuttier quality than most Spanish oils)
1/2 cup Parmesan or any other hard cheese, finely grated
Oregano, basil, and sage to taste (you can use fresh but I prefer the dried stuff for this)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange bread slices evenly on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops liberally with olive oil, then sprinkle cheese and herbs. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden.
You can also top these with anything you'd like...more cheese, tomatoes, chicken salad, grilled veggies, you name it. It also makes a wonderful accompaniment to a hearty winter soup or stew!
I feel so incredibly accomplished right now. I totally saved an entire half loaf of 3-day-old bread! And, it tastes wonderful! Now...if only the weather was nicer this would be the perfect day...hmm...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Little Big Burger
So this place has been on the Portland radar for a while...Matt and I just got around to trying it last night. It's supposedly P-town's answer to In-N-Out, and having done a stint in SoCal I sometimes get that craving for the best fast food burger. I had high expectations at LBB, but sadly, was only mildly impressed. Housemade catsup, truffle fries, brioche buns...they all add a bit of high life to very tiny, very overpriced burgers. $3.75 for a cheeseburger smaller than my fist? No thanks, I can get that at Burgerville. And THEY do milkshakes! Plus side of LBB...it's within walking distance to my house, and they serve booze. Other than that, I'll drive out to Slow Bar and get a $12 burger topped with a freakin' onion ring.
Addendum: their fries are honestly really good! Not over truffle-y, just crisp and golden with the right amount of coarse sea salt. Nice size portions at a reasonable price, too!
Addendum: their fries are honestly really good! Not over truffle-y, just crisp and golden with the right amount of coarse sea salt. Nice size portions at a reasonable price, too!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pancetta Grilled Cheese and Chunky Tomato Bisque
Another quick fix night...I need to grocery shop more! My fridge is a desert wasteland lately. :)
Comfort foods just sound so good when the weather turns chilly! This is a classic childhood favorite, updated with some new flavors and a twist.
You'll need for the sandwiches:
1 loaf crusty bread (I used Grand Central's Yukon Gold Potato Bread)
1 cup Jarlsberg, Emmenthaler, or Gruyere, finely grated
4 tbsp melted butter
Coarse ground pepper, to taste
Assemble as you would for a normal grilled cheese, top with the pepper, and brush both sides liberally with melted butter. Brown on medium heat in your cast-iron or equivalent until all the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread start to turn golden.
For the soup I used Trader Joe's chunky tomato bisque (low sodium) straight out of the can, but mixed in some fire-roasted tomatoes I had in the pantry, as well as some oregano and some whole milk to thicken it up slightly. Just heat according to direction.
All in all, a 20-minute meal that will warm you up for those long winter nights ahead!
Comfort foods just sound so good when the weather turns chilly! This is a classic childhood favorite, updated with some new flavors and a twist.
You'll need for the sandwiches:
1 loaf crusty bread (I used Grand Central's Yukon Gold Potato Bread)
1 cup Jarlsberg, Emmenthaler, or Gruyere, finely grated
4 tbsp melted butter
Coarse ground pepper, to taste
Assemble as you would for a normal grilled cheese, top with the pepper, and brush both sides liberally with melted butter. Brown on medium heat in your cast-iron or equivalent until all the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread start to turn golden.
For the soup I used Trader Joe's chunky tomato bisque (low sodium) straight out of the can, but mixed in some fire-roasted tomatoes I had in the pantry, as well as some oregano and some whole milk to thicken it up slightly. Just heat according to direction.
All in all, a 20-minute meal that will warm you up for those long winter nights ahead!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Apple-Toscano Pancakes
The fridge is sadly limited on breakfast foods these days. As a dedicated retailer (sigh), Sunday mornings are usually a hurry to get to work, not a time for a leisurely homemade brunch. However, with my now curtailed schedule I found myself in no hurry to be anywhere and almost nothing to cook with...except a wedge of cinnamon-encrusted toscano cheese, a honeycrisp apple, and some instant pancake mix. Oh wow. This is where my amazing boyfriend steps in and says "Apple pancakes?" and I say "Why not?".
They started out simply, with the cheese on top, but by the end the cheese had migrated inwards. I like the cheese inside, personally.
1 honeycrisp apple
1 cup cinnamon-toscano cheese (or any cheese you have in your fridge)
Instant pancake mix (prepared according to directions), but add in the following:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg (if directions don't call for it)
1 tbsp butter (for cast iron skillet)
Mince, slice, chop, food process, or grate your apple (leave the peel, please!). We chose to mince. Finely grate your cheese, and set aside. Mix your apple (and cheese, if you want to do it that way) into the batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter into your heated and buttered cast iron (I swear by cast iron for these things, but if you have another pan you want to use, feel free). Flip when the edges start to bubble. Top with more cheese, creme fraiche if you have it, or nutella...mmmmm.
They started out simply, with the cheese on top, but by the end the cheese had migrated inwards. I like the cheese inside, personally.
1 honeycrisp apple
1 cup cinnamon-toscano cheese (or any cheese you have in your fridge)
Instant pancake mix (prepared according to directions), but add in the following:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg (if directions don't call for it)
1 tbsp butter (for cast iron skillet)
Mince, slice, chop, food process, or grate your apple (leave the peel, please!). We chose to mince. Finely grate your cheese, and set aside. Mix your apple (and cheese, if you want to do it that way) into the batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter into your heated and buttered cast iron (I swear by cast iron for these things, but if you have another pan you want to use, feel free). Flip when the edges start to bubble. Top with more cheese, creme fraiche if you have it, or nutella...mmmmm.
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