Salmon Florentine

Pin It Now! Despite the many fun, damn-your-diet-type recipes you see on this blog, for the majority of the time, we Malloys eat very healthy dinners. We do! I swear. You don't believe me, do you?! Check out that French Fry post again, now you look at that picture. Yeah, mmhmmm.. there was a big ole SALAD on my plate with those fries.

Moving on...

Out of all the things that I make, DapperDan's favorite is fish. He and I envision meat recipes very differently. I adore marinading my steak before cooking it, whereas DapperDan doesn't even really want salt or pepper near his steak. He likes it as is! He'll still eat what I prepare, of course, mostly because I make him sit at the table until he finishes everything on his plate. Okay, so I'm kidding about that last part. But I am completely serious about our differences about steak.. oh, and also about pork. I cannot imagine eating a pork chop without baked apples, whereas DapperDan can't abide them.

We have our differences in all things except for fish. Ah, now with fish, we are on the same page. This is how we make our marriage work. Alright, so I'm not serious about that part either..

Continuing on... Salmon Florentine! I swear I am trying to get to the point!

When DapperDan sees that I'm cooking dinner, he'll often ask what it is that I'm making. Now, when I say that it is something meat related, I always get a follow-up question as to how I am preparing it, which I usually when I try my best to chameleonize myself and blend into the kitchen, dodging the question. Okay, so that's not anatomically possible. But, I usually say "none of your business nosey-pants" and he walks away. Shew. Close one. However, when it's fish, I never get the follow-up questioning! I have earned his trust in this department. And I really had to earn it. Sheesh.

After I cooked this Salmon Florentine, DapperDan and I reminisced about the first meal I cooked for us after we returned from our honeymoon. It was Salmon! What point am I getting to? He was able to remember the first thing I cooked for us as a little-newlywed-lady-person. Henceforth, Salmon will be my go-to dish.

Sweet, thanks for rambling, woman... What does this have to do with you? It means that perhaps it should be a go-to dish for you, too! I mean, heck, if I can do it, third graders can do it.

This recipe? A keeper.


Salmon Florentine
Adapted from: Self Magazine
Yields: 2 servings


Ingredients
2 salmon fillets
10 oz. fresh spinach, rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper your salmon and place on top of a greased baking sheet.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.
4. Add spinach, tomatoes, and season with some salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook for about another 2 to 3 minutes. After cooked, remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
5. After the spinach mixture has cooled, add the Greek yogurt and cheese, stirring well to combine.
6. Place about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture on top of the salmon. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Homemade French Fries

Pin It Now! Heavens to Betsy. There aren't many things that I love in this world.

Sure, I love DapperDan and our rotten, yet cute hounddog Daisy Mae, but I love potatoes. It's a love that I have had long before I knew who Mr. Malloy was!

I mean, I love potatoes.

I'd be a size 0 if it weren't for potatoes.

I crave potatoes in all forms. My husband teases me and calls me Bubba, as in Bubba Gump.

When we were on our honeymoon in the Virgin Islands, I dragged him out, late at night, to go get French Fries with me. When I want them, I have to have them. After we ate a big plate of French Fries (while at a very nice restaurant, mind you... yes, we were "those" people who got dressed up to go to a fancy place on the resort and eat French Fries... you do that, too, right?!), I went on a long dissertation as to how I have an infinite and deep love for potatoes. I proceeded to name all of my favorite ways to eat potatoes.

(Also, DapperDan is so good to remind me that I "talk funny" and say potatuhs... instead of the normal potatooohs, all the more helping the Bubba Gumpness of my love for the spud).

I mean... c'mahn there's French Fries, Baked Potatuhs, Chips, Mashed Potatuhs, Sweet Potatuhs, Sweet Potatuh Fries, Scalloped Potatuhs, Potatuhs au Gratin, Potatuh Salad, Roasted Potatuhs, Potatuh Pancakes....


The best? The French Fry. I've made steak fries tons of times, sure, but never quite made myself some real authentic fries. All in all, it took about an hour and a half to two hours to do the fries. I double fried them, which is the most authentic way of doing it.

The result? Goooood. If I had more time, I'd make these fries all the time. And make 'em again while I'm waitin'...


I don't eat fries often, I wish I could! My waistline won't let me. Heck, I have to run after I eat a TicTac.

French Fries
Adapted from: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
Yields: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients
2 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled
Canola Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Slice your potatoes down to your desired width and length of French Fry (I went for the Gold and sliced 'em real thin and authentic-like.. I was channeling McDonald's!)
2. Heat oil in a pan to approximately 325 degrees.
3. Drop the fries in smaller batches, so as to not overcrowd, but evenly cook the potatoes.
4. Cook for about 5 minutes per batch, until they just start to turn a light tanish color. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
5. Once all of the fries have gone through their first fry, and are all on the paper towel, turn off the heat, remove the pan with the oil from the warm burner and let the fries sit for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Reheat the oil again to about 350 degrees and fry the fries for a second time approximately 3 minutes per batch. When they nicely brown, remove and keep warm in an oven until the rest of the fries are finished!
7. Top with salt and pepper and serve immediately!

See?! Aren't fries just the best?!

Open Face Cod Sandwiches with Ariosto Italian Seasonings

Pin It Now! A little bit ago, I was contacted by a great guy named Saverio from Ariosto Seasonings about the potential of reviewing their array of Italian spices. Naturally, I was overjoyed to do such a task!

I anxiously awaited to receive the spices, unsure of what I was about to receive.

What came to me all the way from Italy was this lovely "Book of Herbs":


Here is the view of the inside of the abundance of herbs of all varieties, packaged for the type of dish it would accompany!


I had decided of all of these spices, to try the one for the "pesce" or fish! I wanted to make a light dinner and had decided to go with an open face sandwich with cod, spinach, and cherry tomatoes!

It was light, yet filling. The seasoning was absolutely perfect for the fish! It enhanced the fish, without getting in the way. The ingredients for this seasoning are: salt, rosemary, laurel, juniper, sage, parsley, oregano, garlic. The combination of spices was absolutely delightful!

Go on and get yourself some of this seasoning. Now, I command you!

Emily, you crazy lady, they're in Italy, and I live in America/Canada/UK/Holland. Don't you dare worry, you can order it online!

I highly recommend that you try Ariosto's seasonings!

Stay tuned, the next one I am going to try out is their seasonings for tomato sauces. Oh yes, I can ONLY IMAGINE how freakin' awesome that will be. My mouth is watering at the thought!

Open Face Cod Sandwich with Spinach and Tomatoes
Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients
2 cod fillets, halved
2 garlic cloves, roasted
10 oz. fresh spinach
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
4 slices bread (I used my homemade whole wheat quinoa bread, **recipe following)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place fillets on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add spinach and tomatoes and cook for approximately 3 minutes.
3. Toast your slices of bread and spread roasted garlic onto bread (1/2 clove per slice of bread)
4. Place 1/4 cup of the spinach on top of the bread, top with cod, and place tomatoes on top.
5. Serve immediately!

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**Quinoa Bread
Courtesy: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Yields: One 1lb loaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup raw quinoa
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 TBS vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Directions:
1. Whisk together dry ingredients, slowly add the water with either wooden spoon, spatula or mixer with dough attachment.
2. After the dough is well combined and pulling away from the bowl, cover (not airtight) and allow it to rise for 2 hours.
3. After the dough has finished raising, dust the top of the dough with flour, and using a bread knife, remove a grapefruit sized amount of dough. Pull the sides of the dough from the front to the back, forming a ball, rotating along the way.
4. Allow it to rest on either a cornmealed pizza peel or a nonstick baking mat for 40 minutes when using fresh dough, or 90 minutes when using refrigerated dough.
5. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees with a baking stone and roasting pan (on a rack directly beneath the stone) in the oven during the time of preheating.
6. Place the dough onto the baking stone, pour one cup of hot water into the roasting pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees when taken with a meat thermometer.

Best Tastes of Fall October Challenge

Pin It Now! I just looked at my calendar and realized that this time next week will be November. I mean, for serious, where is all of the time going?! I would like to know.

Hey! You! Memo on my desk in 5 minutes detailing with a pie chart where the time has gone. Pronto.

Today is the 25th and therefore the day to submit some fabulous Fall recipes once again!

What I am submitting is a real treat! Pumpkin scones with a bourbon caramel icing! After I made them, I think they lasted a full 2 hours before they were all eaten! They were a hit I tell ya (well, a hit with the four people that I presented them to, present company included. Hehe)!

Especially with the bourbon caramel icing on top. Yummmmmmmmmm.....

I'm making these again tonight, doubling the recipe, and then hiding it all from DapperDan :-)

...Especially the bourbon.


......And let's not talk Phillies right now. I am in mourning. It's 1993 all over again for this lady.

How do you submit your recipe?! Just post it in the comment section of course! ...And check back later this week and I will feature everyone's photos and recipes!


Pumpkin Scones with Bourbon Caramel Icing
Yields 8 to 10 scones


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground Saigon cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp bourbon vanilla
*Bourbon Caramel Icing Recipe follows

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. Combine all of the wet ingredients.
4. Cut in the butter into the flour mixture until well combined and crumbly.
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stirring until dough no longer sticks to bowl. Knead on lightly floured surface for about a minute or two, at most.
6. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Make two smaller ball shapes, smushing (I apologize for the overly technical baking term) the dough into a patty shape. Divide the dough into 4 triangular pieces.
6. Place onto a baking sheet that is either greased or lined with parchment paper, each scone about 3 inches apart.
7. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
8. Top with *Bourbon Caramel Icing and run for the hills with your scones before anybody else can get to them!


*Bourbon Caramel Icing
Courtesy Jim Beam
Yields: More icing than one could ever need

Ingredients
4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons bourbon

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, stir sugar, butter and cream until sugar is dissolved. Boil the ingredients to the soft ball stage (238 degrees).
2. Remove from heat and beat with electric mixer until cool.
3. Then add vanilla and bourbon. If it needs to be thicker, add sifted powdered sugar, gradually.

October Best Tastes of Fall Challenge

Pin It Now! Where has my head been people?!? Obviously up in the clouds.

Next Monday (the 25th), we'll do another round of your submissions for the Best Tastes of Fall Challenge.

In case you've forgotten what this is, on the 25th, I will make a post of my submission to the recipe, in the comment section, you will send a link to your super awesome Autumnal recipe for the month. After a few days, I will have a post sharing with everyone your amazing recipes!

Now I'm off to go brainstorm something extra yummy....

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with again! September's Challenge had such fabulous results! Let's do it again!

Parmesan Apple and Bacon Turnovers

Pin It Now! Boy oh boy, I have come to fall in love with the combination of bacon, apple, and onions. It is really a match made from heaven. If you were to throw in some butternut squash into that mix, sheesh, send an ambulance for me... I will have died and gone to heaven.

DapperDan isn't a fan of butternut squash, nor is he a fan of cooked apples. Last night, I sought out a way to put together my favorite flavors, in a way that he would be able to stand eating the result. Therefore, much to my chagrin, I threw out the butternut squash, as I could not see a way to make that work. I was bound and determined to keep apples in the mix! I was unsure of how to go about toning down the cooked apple-ness of the dish. I resigned to peel and grate the apple. Though it is much more work than simply chopping, it was completely worth it to me to rid of any ammunition DapperDan may acquire with his disapproval of the consistency of a baked apple. Also, it helped to not bulk up the turnover filling in the process!

Hey, people! Guess what?! Grating the apple worked! He loved this dish! It was SO GOOD.

I snuck back at about 10:00PM, while we watched a movie, and ate the leftovers! Eek! It was too good to let sit in the fridge unattended!!

I mean, c'mon people, bacon, apples, Parmesan cheese, ROSEMARY (loooove rosemary), and onions.... all while beneath a wonderfully flaky crust. Ah! Life doesn't get much better than that!

Make this for dinner tonight. Make enough for leftovers that you can sneak into the kitchen at 10:00PM to eat while watching an excellent Henry Fonda movie.

...alright, so you don't have to do the latter. But definitely make this.

I command you dagnabbit!

*I must note, although the way I went about organizing how you cook and assemble the turnovers appears to be confusing, it's really no trouble. I was trying to separate each part in a way so that it is the least confusing*

Parmesan Apple and Bacon Turnovers
Dough recipe: Courtesy Martha Stewart
Yields: 4 servings


A. Ingredients (for the dough):
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup ice water

B. Directions for the dough:
1. Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and process, until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, until the dough just holds together (do not process for more than 30 seconds).
2. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten each to form a disk. Wrap, and refrigerate for about a half an hour, or up to 1 day before using.

C. Ingredients for filling:
6 pieces of bacon
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and shredded
1.5 TBS rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

D. Directions for filling:
1. In a saute pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is nearing crispiness (approximately 5 minutes). Remove bacon from pan. Chop the bacon and keep to the side.
2. Using bacon fat in the pan, cook the onions until they are translucent (approximately 3 minutes). Add the rosemary!
3. Add the shredded apple and cook for about a minute or two, then add the bacon.
4. Saute for another minute or two.
5. Add the Parmesan cheese and remove from heat, stir until well combined.

E. Assembling the Turnovers:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide each disc into 3 pieces.
3. Roll the dough out into a circular shape, making it as thin as you can without it tearing.
4. On half of the dough, place about 1/4 cup of the filling onto the dough. Fold over the other half of the dough, making a half moon shape, and pinch together the edges.
5. Place some egg wash on top.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Eat and ENJOY!

Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Cornbread Crust Mexican Pizza with Pace Picante Sauce

Pin It Now! You know those moments in your life when you are fairly certain you have come up with a ground breaking thing? Something so incredibly amazing that you're bound to go down into the history books? Something so completely fantastic, uhh.. until you find out that people it has been done for ages. Well, for me this was one of those moments.

I was positive that I had to have been the first person to think of making a cornmeal crust for a Mexican pizza. Oh yeah, already thought of. Well, crud!

A while back, I applied for the chance to get a bottle of Pace's new Picante Sauce sent to me to try out through Foodbuzz. To my great surprise, I came home from work on Monday, to a box with two bottles inside! Woohoo! Free food. My favorite.


Friday, I set out to do my ingenious- should have thought of first and patented it right away, that way I could retire now, even though I'm 23 years old- idea.

The result? Super yummy... and super Mexican, hombre!

Ooh and you have to consume this while cooking this meal, it's a requirement. It "enhances" your experience!

:o)


Cornbread Crust Mexican Pizza
Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1/2 cup whole kernel corn, cooked
1/2 cup black beans, cooked and rinsed
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of water and 1 TBS of olive oil to the mixture. Stir until well combined, then add the remaining water and olive oil.
3. Once all of the cornbread ingredients are together, knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes. Dough will be on the sticky side, but shouldn't stick to you.
4. In another bowl, combine the corn and black beans. Top with the chili powder and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.
5. Roll out the dough until it is in the shape of a pizza crust. (I placed mine onto a pizza pan to bake, in lieu of my pizza stone, seeing as cornbread is much different than a normal pizza crust)
6. Top the dough with Pace Picante Sauce. Evenly distribute the black bean and corn mixture.
7. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on the cornbread crust, to determine whether the pizza is done.
8. Grab another Corona and enjoy!

Eat-In Kitchen

Pin It Now! DapperDan and I live in a traditional Philadelphian row home. It's brick. It's beautiful. It has all of the integrity that you would expect an 80+ year old home to have. The one thing that it doesn't have?! Enough space to make it an eat-in kitchen. My sister and her husband have an adorable drop leaf table in their kitchen. It makes it so charming and cozy. I wish that I could have that, too! Or I would love to have a large island or peninsula with benches or stools.

We do have a make-shift island. It's actually quite neat! My mother gave it to me. It was an antique from an old farm house kitchen, used as a peninsula, but had since been broken down into pieces. As it is an antique, it is not tall enough to place chairs underneath. Darnit! But, I do keep my handy Boos cutting board (which weighs about 60lbs) on top of it. It is excellent working space! I do love that, don't get me wrong!

But how cute would this be?!

Doubling as an island, with some working space?

Hmm.. Maybe I'll just have to visit peruse CSN Stores' website and see what kind of great things I should get for the kitchen!

Do you have any ideas?? What should I go buy at CSN Stores? I have been drooling over a pizzelle machine. Although, Paula Deen's Snowman mold is ridiculously cute, and Christmas is quickly approaching.

....or maybe I want a meat grinder.. that'd be pretty cool.


......or perhaps..... a Crème Brûlée Torch. Nah, no one in their right minds would allow me to get something that dangerous. I mean, I'm the kid that spills coffee on herself daily.

I'm stuck! What do you think I should buy?!

Irish Colcannon

Pin It Now! Ahh, there is nothing better than having a fried egg over toast, stopped with some deliciously-almost-spicy salsa. Well, I suppose there is one thing better: Beer. That does not make a very good breakfast (....after you're out of college, that is). This breakfast is the breakfast of all breakfasts.

...Why are you talking about salsa topped fried egg over toast, again?! For several reasons, firstly: because it's the breakfast of champions. It made me actually want to finish my run this morning, despite my looming head cold. Secondly: because it has given me the effort to blog, despite my looming head cold. Thirdly: because I just want to blab to you about my awesome breakfast and deep down I think you care, kinda, and are my friends, despite my looming head cold. Did I mention I'm getting a head cold?!

...What does this have to do with Irish Colcannon?! Nothing. Nothing at all. Just wanted to blab about my yummy breakfast, to my friends who care, kinda, while almost having a head cold.

I'd share the recipe with you, but it's downright insulting. You toast some bread. Fry an egg. Top with salsa. Voila. Vous êtes fait!

I can't quite leave you with just that, though. I like you too much, and you're kind enough to stop by and listen to me blab about what is seemingly a boring breakfast (but it's really not boring, try it out.. I even gave you the dern recipe for Pete's sake!)

Since I love you, and because I have had probably one too many cups of coffee, and since you're my friends who care about my toast recipe, kinda, I will post TWO recipes in one shot. K! Aren't you lucky?!?!?

In my best effort to make a more authentic Irish dinner for DapperDan (unlike the meal inspired by the Quiet Man), I set out to make a fabulously authentic dish. Perusing several Irish recipes, I found that I kept coming back to Colcannon. It's ridiculously authentic and involves my two favorite things. Potatoes and cabbage. Yummm. It is very much along the lines of a comfort food.

The best part of this dish- other than the fact that it's incredibly easy to make??- it tastes good. And it has like -5 ingredients. (Okay, so that's not actually possible to have negative ingredients, but you catch my drift). Another awesome part? DapperDan had never eaten this dish before, so if I had screwed it up, he'd never know the difference!! Don'tcha just love that?!??! I know I do!

Don't worry I did all of the metric conversions for you already! Sheesh. Too much math in the morning. My head hurts... or could it be because of the looming head cold?! :o)


Irish Colcannon
Courtesy: Donal Skehan of the Good Mood Food Blog
Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup savoy cabbage, finely sliced
1 bunch of green onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons of butter
1/3 cup milk
A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Add the already peeled and diced potato to a pot of cold and lightly salted water, place over high heat and cover, bringing it to a boil. After it boils, lessen the heat to have it simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until soft.
2. Steam your sliced cabbage in another pot, until it is tender.
3. Remove the potatoes, after cooked, and drain. Place it back into the pot and add your butter and milk.
4. Using a masher, smash those potatoes. Yumm! Don't eat any quite yet. Ya gotta wait.
5. Add the onion, cabbage, salt and pepper, and stir until well combined.
6. Top with a bit of extra butter and sea salt.

New York City Wine & Food Festival Part 2

Pin It Now! Part 2?!?! Why on Earth are you posting this first??

Well, this is for several reasons. Part 1 consisted of strung together clips of videos using the Flip Cam given to me by Shoprite! Blogger seems to be greatly malfunctioning and isn't uploading videos at the moment. I'm crossing my fingers that this will soon be resolved. Therefore, in the meantime, I will alternate posts, and post some photos from the festival!

Since Part 1 has already been written, but not yet published, I must, therefore, go forth and do Part Deux. I know, I'm a freak.



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Surreal.

That is probably the only way I can conceivably begin to describe this weekend. I have never felt more at home and/or more excited to be in one place than I was this weekend at the New York City Wine and Food Festival.

It was loud. It was full of food and foodies, wine and winos! I was STUFFED full of fabulous food and incredible wine, cocktails, and beers. I was in heaven. It was as if I were in a dream and still am existing within this dream. Believe me, friends, I do not want to be waking up.

When I began this blog over a year ago, I never thought much would come of it. It was a way to learn how to cook before getting hitched with some accountability. I mean, if I am posting what I am making, I am not going to be settling for making dismal food that most people would feed to their poodles. It has turned into quite the hobby. An indescribably meaningful hobby. I am overly excited that people read the jibberish I throw out into the massive void of cyberspace.

And then Shoprite asked me to join about a half of a dozen other bloggers, all of whom are so talented, making me look like a mere Kindergartener, has marked the beginning of this dream. I get to do what it is that I have come to love the most (cooking and jibber-jabbering)... [[husband and smelly hounddog aside, of course!]] while getting WONDERFUL Shoprite products to try out and report about them to you guys... all the while going to incredible events like the New York City Wine & Food Festival! ...Longest run-on sentence in history, English teachers everywhere are cringing.


Stay tuned, hopefully Blogger will be back and running normally again, so that I can post the video I had worked so hard to put together!

Here are a myriad of photos taken from the trip!








They put FRENCH ONION SOUP on a burger. Who woulda thunk it? It is GENIUS and DELICIOUS












Delicious Cosmos, Bloody Marys, and Martinis!




Holy Moses, what creature is that?!


They make some rockin' wines! And are trying to do business in Pennsylvania!


Hopefully it works out!


I will very soon be posting my thoughts on these wafers and Panettone that you see here. UNBELIEVABLE.


Getting ready for Shoprite's Chef and Culinary Educator, Faith Alahverdian's demonstration. I have parts on video, but Blogger's malfunction is KILLING me right now.









There's a bit of a glimpse of the 10 billion photos I took. Now you can see why I wanted to post the video first. Oh well, hopefully this glitch will be fixed soon before I go bonkers. (and yes, normal human adults say the word 'bonkers').

Stay tuned, friends, for the video. Cross your fingers we can get it figured out on here!

New York City Wine & Food Festival Part 1

Pin It Now! Okay, now that I have confused you all COMPLETELY. I present to you by posting Part 2 first and Part 1 as second in the sequence of posts regarding my visit to the Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival this weekend.

Blogger isn't quite working, yet, but I seem to have found a way of posting a video onto Youtube and then sharing from Youtube onto my post. Shew. Confusing. Hopin' Blogger's glitch gets figured out for the future!

I am hoping to justly illustrate the festival by way of video. I know, now you are wishing that I hadn't been brought forth into the 21st century... you liked my blog 20x's more when you didn't know the sound of my voice. Don't worry, it'll be like that terrible, awful movie that grows on you each time you watch it. :-)

It's a hodgepodge of clips strung together into a video, including a fabulous demonstration done during the festival by Shoprite's Chef and Culinary Educator, Faith Alahverdian and a tidbit from our subway ride on our way to dinner!

I suppose I should quickly fill you in with important information from the little gap within the video. Keeley Powell of My Life on a Plate and I decided to stick around at the Festival for a few extra minutes while everyone was heading back to the Tribeca Grand Hotel before the Tyler Florence book signing and our wonderful dinner at Abe & Arthur's. When it was finally time to leave, Keeley and I tried to hail a cab back to our hotel to meet our respective husbands and head to the restaurant. Welp, we got denied. Taxi driver after taxi driver. They all wanted to go Uptown while we were tryin' to hitch a ride Downtown. Never quite happened to me before, Keeley either! We, therefore, walked from Pier 54 all the way to the Tribeca Grand Hotel, which would have normally been fine, had we not been wearing boots and/or pointed toe shoes. Oh, and I might add that we were so stuck on getting a cab, down to the last 5 blocks, that we completely forgot that we could take the subway.



Shoprite, I cannot begin to thank you AGAIN for this amazing opportunity.

Butternut Squash and Apple Tortellini

Pin It Now! Don't you just LOVE this time of year?! I know, I sure do! I mean, did you get a load of those Phightin Phils last night?! I mean Roy Halladay and the no-hitter?! It's a great time to live in Philadelphia! The air in this City is simply electrified!

Aside from Red October, this time of year is FABULOUS for all of what is in season!

With this dish, I tried to combine my favorite flavors of the fall, and I'm pretty certain I was able to do just that!

The best half of this dish?! How inexpensive it really is. The other best half?! The awesome flavors inside!!! So really, two best halves?....

This will be my last post of the week before I go to New York City! Wish me luck!!!!

Woohoooo Shoprite!

Thank you AGAIN, for the fabulous opportunity! I'm packing my best boots and curling iron and hittin' the road bright and early tomorrow!


Butternut Squash and Apple Tortellini
Yields: 4 Servings


Ingredients
1 honeycrisp apple, cored and diced
1 TBS nutmeg
1 package of Tortellini, cooked
2 cups butternut squash, diced and boiled
3 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
Parmesan Sauce:
Olive Oil
½ cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups skim milk
3 TBS AP flour
Cilantro
Sage

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the peeled and diced squash. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and put aside.
2. In another pot, cook your tortellini. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large sauce pan, and over medium heat, saute the onion in olive oil until translucent.
4. Add garlic, cilantro, and sage, and cook for approximately 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the flour.
6. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to allow it to simmer and thicken.
7. Meanwhile, in a saute pan, and over medium heat, cook the bacon. Add the apple, and nutmeg, cook for approximately 2 minutes. Then, add the squash to nicely brown it.
8. Combine all ingredients to cooked tortellini and serve immediately!!

Flippin' Excited

Pin It Now! Today is my last day of work before going to the New York City Wine & Food Festival preview tomorrow.

Ahh. So excited. It's as if it is Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is comin' to town!!

I came home to a little package from Shoprite. What was in said package?

THIS:

Yeup! You guessed it Shoprite sent me a Flip Video Camera to document some highlights of the trip tomorrow and for use of blog posts! Oh man, this girl's coming into the 21st Century, now!

The cutest part of the "Flip Cam"? It's backside... get that mind out of the gutter!

It's adorned with a cute little Shoprite logo! Stinkin' cute.

You've guessed it, now I am Flippin' excited for this weekend. I'm going to film some highlights and put together a video for you guys to see when I get home!

I even made a mini-video of our rotten hound dog last night.

Oh she's so rotten!! Be careful, hide your children... this video is so scary!!! :-)


Okay, so she's not rotten at all. She's pretty darn cute. Okay, so she's the cutest hound dog ever. (Don't tell her though, it's bound to go right to her head!)


Stay tuned! I'll be posting a fabulously Fall inspired pasta that we ate for dinner last night!

White Wine and Parmesan Risotto

Pin It Now! I am so incredibly excited that in T minus 2 days, DapperDan and I will be in New York City. I will be at the Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival sneak preview and DapperDan will be running around the streets of New York on a quest for the best slice of pizza! We'll both be in our respective heavens! (It's cute, he has it all mapped out! The man with a plan, people! Watch out!!)

In that wonderful little package that came from Shoprite, which gave me those absolutely wonderful cherry tomatoes, came this box of risotto.

Look at that, a floating box!

On the side of this risotto box is a pleasant recipe that I was curious to try because often times, the best recipes come from the sides of packages. Something I'm sure your grandmother and mother are fully aware of.... Always, always, always cut out the recipes and hold onto them. I will guarantee that they are always gems!

Boy was this one a complete gem! It was GOOOOOD.

It was so full of flavor... creamy and delicious!

I beg of you to try this recipe. It was fabulous and unlike any risotto I have ever had.

This is another dish courtesy Shoprite! Woohoo! Thanks again, Shoprite!

...Shoprite, did I ever mention that I love you?!

White Wine and Parmesan Risotto
Courtesy: Shoprite
Yields: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients
1 TBS butter
1/2 cup vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 cups risotto, dry
1 tsp salt
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth and white wine. Cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in another larger saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion, Italian seasoning, and salt. Cooking until translucent.
3. Add the risotto to the onion and butter mixture.
4. Slowly add the broth/white wine mixture- 1/2 cup at a time- to the risotto, stirring constantly.
5. When risotto has absorbed some of the wine and broth and is creamy, add the cheese, stir until well combined.
6. Serve immediately!