Don't You Forget About Me - Brunch Club May

I thought of a new excuse for not posting in a while.



Brunch club nearly disappeared after the last one that was sometime last year! Sue heroically revived it, and the newlyweds, Robily, graciously hosted at their new cool apartment in Pasadena. It was delightful to meet back up again. It had certainly been a while. With the return of brunch club, I am inspired to make a return to blogging after, well let's call it a sabbatical.

The club-goers (the brunch club goers that is) depend on us to bring the hearty egg-type dishes to the event so I made this little breakfast calzone I have been meaning to try from my recipe binder.

I made two, one with sausage/jack cheese/egg/peppers/onions



...and the other with feta/sun-dried tomato/egg/spinach/mushroom/onion.



The former was from the recipe, the latter was a creation of mine not only to accommodate the vegetarians in the group, but also to experiment with the concept to see if it would work with other ingredients. The feta/spinach one was actually better in my opinion.

It is almost unnecessary to bore you with a recipe for this because you can do whatever you want with these things. I used Pillsbury pizza dough which comes in one of those scary pop-open cans (doyouknowwhatimean?...one of those cans where you slowly peel away the wrapping on the outside until the can bursts open like BLAM!)
You can stuff the thing up with anything you want. I will definitely use more eggs next time. You can almost just make scrambled eggs with anything you like to add and then roll it up in that dough, and bake for about 15 minutes.

Instead of a traditional recipe, I will simply give you some tips for this:

*Cook or saute whatever meat or vegetables you will be using until the meat is brown or the vegetables are slightly tender.
*Mix together about 4-5 eggs, and scramble them with whatever filling (meat/veggies/cheese) you are using
*Roll out your pizza dough into more of a long rectangle so once the filling is added and folded it, you will have a log-shaped calzone that you can cut across.
*Add the egg filling down the center of the dough rectangle.
*You can fold the edges it and pinch them together at the top.
*Brush the dough with an egg white wash OR just use some cooking spray to lightly coat the dough (I used olive oil spray)
*Use the timing/temperature on whatever pizza dough package you use. Just make surethe dough is cooked all the way through. I believe I did about 20 minutes at 350 F.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into the calzone.

Italian-Style Feast for All

It happened about 5 years ago.



I was a student at the University of Florida. One of my best friends in the whole world, Amanda, had an uncle and aunt who lived in Gainesville. They would occasionally invite me and a couple other friends over to their lovely home for amazing home-cooked dinners and some wonderful company. Amanda's Uncle Rich and Aunt Lindy are basically just very cool. They are welcoming, warm and friendly people, and those dinners were always something we looked forward to. I am pretty sure Lindy was the one to introduce me to the idea of the garlic cheddar biscuits that everyone seems to love so much.

There was one dinner I will never forget. Lindy's friend, Karen, was visiting from Michigan. She was going to make her famous Italian-style spread for some hungry college students, craving a home-cooked meal. I don't know that I was prepared for what happened that night. I don't think I have ever feasted the way we did on the plethora of pure indigence that was before us on that table. There were full casserole-sized dishes of several different meats in a rich and savory tomato sauce. There were mounds of pasta to be fork-twirled or just shoveled, depending on your eating pasta-rategy. There were meatballs, sausages and other meats...as you can tell I simply cannot recall specifics.

I don't think I realized the extent of pleasure I associated with that meal until I saw a picture in my "Food Network Magazine" in the November 2009 Issue:


Photo from Food Network Magazine, November 2009 Issue

It was one of the first recipes I ripped out of a magazine which ultimately inspired me to make my HUGE recipe binder that I carry around everywhere now (seriously, you can ask my friend, Allison, who spotted me at the dog park, HUGE recipe binder in hand). The picture just reminded me of that glorious spread and how I wanted so badly to recreate it.



I have been holding off making this for a while because #1 I was intimidated by all the work that goes into it and #2 I needed more than 2 mouths to feed to make something so large and labor-intensive. I have to admit that I was ultimately inspired to go through with this Italian feast after watching the episode of "Jersey Shore" where Vinny's mom flies to Miami just to cook for everyone in the house. The meal she made them was just epic, and it really put me in the mood for some hard kitchen work. Feel free to just ignore the previous two sentences if you are either offended, disgusted or both that I watch "The Jersey Shore".I took the opportunity to try it out this weekend as some lovely lovely people were accompanying Zach and me for Sunday night dinner.

Good deal. Love it. You will to if you have an entire day for cooking on your hands.



I do feel I have a responsibility to state that while I was over the moon for the meaty mound of goodness this recipe turned out to be, nothing I ever make will compare with what was on the table that night at Rich and Lindy's house.

Mighty Meaty Italian-Style Feast

(Recipe from Food Network Magazine, November 2009 Issue - recipe serves 6 generously)

3 slices white bread, toasted and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup milk
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish (optional)
10 cloves garlic; 2 minced, 8 smashed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds bone-in beef shin (I could not find this anywhere so I used a stewing beef that turned out just fine)
2 pounds Italian sausage (half sweet, half hot), halved (casing removed)
1 medium onion, quartered
3 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes
1 12-ounce can tomato paste
6 bay leaves
1 pound orecchiette pasta (I bought fresh shell-like pasta from Bay Cities Italian Deli) I honestly think it is more important to have fresh pasta than it is to have the orecchiette pasta so do what-cha-gotta do).

*You will need a large pot...a 10 quart pot at least.


Soak the bread in the milk until the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the ground beef and pork in a bowl with the egg, cheese, minced garlic, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Add the soaked bread and mix with your hands until combined. Form into 16 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the beef shin and sausage to the pot and cook until browned, turning, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meats to a large bowl.

Add the onion and smashed garlic to the pot and fry until soft, about

4 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pot with your hands and pour in the juices. Stir in the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.

Add 5 cups water (I would use about 2-3 next time instead of 5) and the bay leaves, then return the meatballs, beef shin and sausage to the pot, stirring carefully. Bring to a low boil, stir, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 2 hours, or until the shin meat is very tender. Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens and the shin meat is falling off the bone, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer all the meats with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cover with foil. Simmer the sauce to thicken, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and toss with enough sauce to coat lightly, then top with more sauce and the meat. Garnish with parmesan, if desired.

Take it Easy

Life is tough.



Cooking doesn't have to be. Sure, creating my own dishes seems overwhelming as I sit here and watch an episode of "Top Chef." But the reality is, no one, not even these contestants or judges, eat the kind of food they make on the show when they get home from a long day at work each night. I think the bread and butter of cooking are quick weeknight meals...the kind of meal you can put together in a half hour from start to finish and still sit down and enjoy afterwards.

This recipe was born out of my inexperience and need for convenience during my first year in LA. My apartment did not have an oven or a stove so I really had to put some thought into how I was going to make my own meals. I had a single plug-in burner so I couldn't ever have 2 pots that needed to be on the stove at the same time. My oven was smaller than the size of a microwave so I constantly needed to figure out half of recipes I would follow so they could fit into my mini-casserole dish.

This recipe can be altered so many different ways. I used to leave the potato out when I was watching my carb-intake. You could substitute the potato for a sweet potato. You could add a jalepeno for some added heat. You could use italian sausage and throw in some oregano, tomato paste or sauce and fresh tomatoes to give it an italian twist. Leave out the potatoes and put it over rice. Chop everything up ahead of time to cut your cooking time in half! Zach and I found this great little spice store in Santa Monica so I experimented with seasoning this dish with some smoked chili powder and smoked seas salt. Sausage is so flavorful so as long as you give the vegetables a chance to marry with the rich flavors of the sausage, you really cannot go wrong. Enjoy!

Skillet Sausage and Veggie Hash

(serves 4)



1 Package fully cooked chicken sausage such (4 links in a package, 12 -14 oz total), sliced across into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large head of broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper, cubed
3/4 lb potatoes, cubed
1 white onion, cubed
4-5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
sea salt (to taste)
Olive oil for sautéing
fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

In a large pot, submerge potatoes in cold water and add a pinch of salt.
Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
Boil potatoes uncovered until just tender throughout (about 10 minutes).
Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

While potatoes are boiling, add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet over med-high heat.
Add the sliced sausage to the skillet, and saute until slightly browned.
Remove sausage from skillet, and set aside.
Add another tbsp olive oil to the skillet with the juices from the sausage, saute the boiled potatoes until they start to brown slightly.
Add the onions to the potatoes and continue to saute until onions are almost tender (about 4 minutes)
Add the rest of the vegetables to the skillet and continue cooking over medium-high heat until just tender (about 8 minutes).
Add the sausage back into the skillet, and mix well with the vegetables.
Turn heat down to medium-low, add the smoked paprika and continue mixing sausage around with the vegetables, giving the flavors a chance to meld.
Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste, and serve in a big ole' bowl!

Easter Feaster: Brunch Club April

This was not just brunch.



It was Easter brunch, and the day was right. The sun was out, and the food was plentiful. Natalie’s new apartment was particularly inviting, inspiring me to get going on setting up my own new apartment. She even had some indoor gardening started including strawberries, a small lemon tree, an artichoke, fresh herbs, eggplant and quite possibly more.



It was definitely the biggest brunch we’ve had which only means more ridiculously good food for all.

There was just too much food to picture all of it this time around, but some highlights to me included Emily’s fresh fruit salad which involved a heavy blackberry influence, Elliot’s savory spinach dip in a huge bread bowl and Natalie’s hot fresh waffles with raspberry and fruit compote.

Emily’s fresh fruit salad.



Natalie's hot fresh waffles.



Almond bark.



Blueberry Scones.



BreAnna's deep dish cookie.



Eggs (this is really all about my pretty new plate)



Cheese Stix.



Lindzachary's Sausage Quarter Biscuits.



This was a Paula Dean recipe, using canned biscuit dough. I really think this could have been much better with a homemade biscuit dough, but the canned dough sure was convenient. This took about 15 minutes total to make, and these little things can be saved for to-go breakfast throughout the week.

(a Paula Dean recipe)

1 (10-biscuit) can buttermilk biscuit dough (or your favorite biscuit recipe)
1/2 lb ground breakfast sausage (you may like the spicy kind)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Form the sausage meat into 20 quarter-sized (but about 1/4 inch thick) medallions
In a large pan, cook the sausage medallions until just cooked through.
Cut each biscuit in half, and roll into balls so you have 20 small balls of dough.
Place the biscuit balls into muffin tins
Press one sausage patty into each dough ball in the muffin tin. The edges of the dough should come up around the sausage.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the biscuits are cooked thoroughly.

Simple, y'all!

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic

It always seems like people who take a particular interest in magic are weird. As soon as the first secret to a card trick is revealed, the magic is gone and you learn it is all an illusion. Magic tricks become a way for people to annoy each other by performing them and not saying how they are done. Even though both parties know it is not really magic at all, the magician pretends that it is.

This is not to say I do not enjoy watching people perform magic tricks; I just prefer to know how it is done afterward. I think most of us can share some fond memories about performing card tricks with friends as children. It is always fun to watch the illusion, but I was always the kid pleading with friends to reveal their secrets long after they were finished. I remember getting angry at the television when those long magic specials would air on NBC once a year.

This could be linked to my aversion to surprises.

There are some types of magic I am partial to: the Orlando Magic and real magic. What is real magic you ask? Real magic is when you discover what a slow cooker is capable of for the first time.



I have used my crock pot to make some of the best meals I have ever put together with the least amount of effort. I love to spend time making an involved meal with several ingredients and cooking styles, but the only day of the week I have the time to do something like that is for a Sunday night dinner. During the week, the crock pot is the best way to go. I can usually throw all the ingredients together in the morning (usually within 5 - 10 minutes) and turn it on a low setting to cook all day long. When I walk in the door at night, the whole apartment smells of goodness.

It has been a little over a year since I used my crock pot for the first time. Zach's parents bought it for us when they were visiting town last summer. This recipe was the first one I tried and has become one of my favorites. It is from my Better Homes Cookbook that my sister-in-law's mother, affectionately known as Mama Jake, gave to me for college graduation. The book calls it "paella" even though I am sure the Spaniards would beg to differ. It is more of a thick chicken and sausage stew. Either way, you will not be disappointed.

Magic Trick Secret Revealed: Crock Pot Chicken and Sausage Paella

Makes 6 servings (recipe from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook)

2 1/2 to 3 lbs chicken pieces (breast, thigh, drumstick) skinned
1 tbsp cooking oil
8 oz cooked, smoked turkey sausage (halved lengthwise and sliced)
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried crushed thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp thread saffron or 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 14oz can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 C water
2 C chopped tomatoes
2 medium yellow or green sweet peppers, sliced
1 C frozen peas
1 C frozen yellow corn (optional - not included in the original recipe...I just like it)

In a large skillet, brown the chicken pieces in the hot oil. This seals the juices inside the chicken to retain the moisture during the slow cooking process. To be honest, I usually skip this step. Oops!

Place chicken in a 4 quart slow cooker and add sausage, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme (if using dry thyme only), black pepper and saffron (or turmeric). Pour chicken broth and water over all.

Cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or on high heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I always cook on low heat, and I usually have to leave the cooker on for about 11 hours since that is how long I am out of the apartment. Oops again!

Add the tomatoes, peppers, peas, corn and fresh thyme (if using). Cover and let sit with the vegetable for about 5 minutes. The meat will just fall off the bone as your scoop it out of the pot.



Serve over saffron rice. Or for a healthier option, eat it without rice...it just fine on its own. It is also just as good or even better the next day. This is true of many slow cooker dishes.