Beautiful, Dirty, Rich.

It's been a while since I've had time to blog, work and AP classes and Training take up 90% of my time. >.> I mean I cook everyday, but I just don't get to blog about it. So sad. However today I found some time on my hands to discuss an important matter. Pasta

It's come to my attention that people don't know how to make pasta right. They tend to over kill and over cook the pasta till its mush because they've been tricked by boxed mac-n-cheese into thinking that's good pasta. It's not. The box is a lie. I'm bringing this up because these three girls made mac n cheese for the whole class...It was a drab mush. It was over cooked and the only flavor it had was the cheddar cheese. No onions. No garlic. Nothing. They probably only melted the cheese in instead of making a proper sauce by creating a roux then adding in onions and garlic and then scalding milk with seasonings then melting in the cheese to stir into an ALDENTE pasta. Not over killed mush. AH I'm just really critical when it comes to pasta because I love it so freggin much. Most pasta should only be cooked 10 to 13 mins. Not 15 or 20. blahblahblah I digress. Just please, cook your pasta properly, that's all i ask.

So of course I wanted to make pasta when i got home so I could make it properly, I just wasn't really in the mood for mac-n-cheese sooo i made a tomato sauce to put over some aldente Farfalle.The sauce was nice because I have this handy dandy little garden with basil, thyme, rosemary, and golden sage.

mmm I love fresh herbs! So much more aromatic and flavorful. If you use fresh herbs you'll notice a huge difference in excellency. Also adding a pinch or two of nutmeg really brings out this amazing flavor with the tomato. Try it, you will love it.

While i was boiling my pasta in salty water with olive oil, I noticed some potatoes laying around my counter. I figured these spuds needed to go to use. I crafted a nice little dish of Potatoes Anna, sort of like scalloped potatoes. Tender potato thins, with a creamy cheesy sauce in between the layers and a nice crusty of bubbly melted golden brown cheese on top.

Potatoes Anna:
-2 large russet potatoes,washed and peeled
-1/2 c. milk
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 tsp paprika
-3/4c. shredded cheese [colby jack, cheddar, mozzarella, etc. etc.]

Preheat the hotbox to 400F

Once the potatoes are peeled grab a mandolin, or a four sided cheese grater [use the side with the half circle smiley face looking slicers.] Slice as many slices from the potatoes. set aside.

Combine milk, pepper, and paprika. Set Aside.

Grease an oval ceramic pan. Create a layer of the potatoes, then pour 1-2 tablespoon of the milk on top, cover with cheese. Keep making layers the same way until the pan is full. Pop in the oven for an hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the top crust of cheese is a melted golden brown

Spoon some onto your plate with your pasta or with steak, because you cant go wrong with meat and potatoes.

Enjoy, Goodnight! <3

Oh Snap!

It has been a long week. I've been sick and tired and working and dealing with school. I crashed and burned. Yesterday I had to miss an AP History timed essay, passed out at my Dad's apartment, and then went to work for 5 hours, two of which I had to be outside in a full body--including huge skull mask--jester costume. when i came back in my braids were completely soaked with sweat. Having said that I worked the hell out of that corner. I didnt go to school today, meaning i missed Tech Center. Oh well, I still cooked delicious food tonight anyway.

Random, non food related Shenanigans: My older cousin Sydney came over for my mama to take her senior portrait, and were ended up playing Tatsunoko vs Capcom, which is an epic fighting game with characters from both Tatsunoko and Capcom games [DUH!] Its like the game Tekken, except on drugs. After that Mama, Syddy, and I met up with my Aunt Jo, Uncle Stachy, and younger cousin Alyssa at a mexican restraunt. Syd took it upon herself to make a napkin mustache and beard for herself.

One of the many reason I love my family. That's my little side anecdote for the day.

Okay back to food, where was I? Mars perhaps? Ah yes now i recall, I prepared a cheesy orzo.

It tasted pretty good, I mean cheese can make any kind of pasta even better. It was quite simple too, all i did was cook the orzo till it was aldente, reserved two tablespoons of the hot pasta wtaer, melted in 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and about a cup, more or less, of a mixture of shredded asiago, cheddar, and colby jack cheeses. I also added in a tsp of paprika, salt, pepper, and then finely chopped some fresh rosemary . I served it with cherry tomatoes and some parsley for herbal freshness.

Blahblahblah, what I really want to talk about is the plum tart i made. utterly fabulous. The tender crust had a light hint of vanilla that just flirted just enough on my tongue to cause it to swoon. The caramelized golden-orangeish flesh of the plums melted in my mouth like a pool of a sweet yet tart, warmly spiced, heavenly-ness.

Plum Tart
Dough-
-1 1/3 c. flour
-1 tsp. salt
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 c. brown sugar
-4 tbs. butter
-1 tsp vanilla
-5-8 tbs water

Topping-
-4-5 plums, sliced into about 1/2" slices
-1/2 c. brown sugar
-3 tsp. cornstarch, more if the plums are juicier
-1-2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
-1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375F

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 knives, cut in the butter in a criss-cross direction. Do this until the butter is absorbed into the flour in pea size balls. Stir in the vanilla, then stir in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just combines. Use your hands to form a ball of dough. Keep in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

Meanwhile, toss the plum spices in a bowl with the remaining ingredients; make sure the slices are evenly coated.

In a greased spring form pan, press the dough into the shape of the pan, don't make high edges.
Use a fork to press some holes in the dough, brush with an egg-wash or melted butter. Bake with nothing on it for 10 mins.

Take the crust out of the oven and arrange the plum slices in a circle by laying them on one another.Bake for a final 20-30 mins, or until the flesh of the plums becomes a radiant orange, and the crust in golden and tender.

Take out and enjoy the fruit of you labor. [pun intended.]

Goodnight.

"The Fennnel Is Beyond Every Other Vegetable"

After a wonderful work shift at Party City, i went back to my dads crashed on the futon and turned on the tube to The Food Network, The Next Iron Chef re-runs were on. As my father and I watched something caught my interest, ratatouille that had fennel in it. Just then my Papa mentioned something about cooking lasagna for my sister. It hit me like a broadside of a barn. Lasagna with fennel. I told my dad we had to go to the store, i wanted to cook this so badly.

There is something about fennel that i enjoy quite a lot. It's most likely because of its licorice smell and flavor, It entices and invites my palate into a delicious wonderland. Fennel is also extremely versatile and can be crafted into deserts such as fennel ice cream, or added to savory dishes as I did this evening.

Dum dum duh dum

Supreme Lasagna:

-1 lb. lasagna noodles, not oven ready

-1 tbs. olive oil

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 medium fennel bulb, around 2 cups thinly sliced.

-1 large red onion, julienned

-58 oz. tomato sauce

-1 tbs. dried crushed basil

-1 tbs ground crushed oregano

-1 lb. ground beef

-1 lb. ground pork

-1 lb. ground hot pork Italian sausage

-2 tsp. honey, preferable of the golden variety

-2 tsp paprika

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. pepper

-15 oz. ricotta cheese

-1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

-1 c. shredded Parmesan

-8 oz. fresh mozzarella

Preheat hot box to 350 F

Fill a large tall pot with lots of water, around 5 or 6 quarts, salt and add in 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil.Bring to a boil. Add in pasta and cook until aldente, around 8 to 10 mins.Drain. Set aside.

In a dutch oven heat the oil. Toss in the garlic, fennel, and onion, sweat for 5 mins. Pour in the tomato sauce, basil, and oregano; bring to a simmer. Reduce for 30 to 40 mins.

Meanwhile begin to brown the ground meats. While it is still slighlty pink, season with the honey, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook until no more pink is visible. Drain and add to the sauce.

Now the layering proccess begins. the proper order is:

1. sauce

2. noodles
3. cheese

repeat. repeat. repeat until your at the top of your pan.

The only specifics are use the fresh mozzerella on the top layer only and cover the top with sauce as well.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 mins. Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly, 5 to 10 mins.

Take out, cut a slice. Serve with bread and butter. DEVOUR.

kbai.

[Thomas Jefferson Quote For Title]

Kiss My Couscous

It has been a long day. Woke up way to early, Great Grandma went to the hospital, painted a picture for my sister, couldn't find half of my t-shirts. Stared at The Kite Runner for a few minutes. It has been an off day. But however, i took the edge off with some yummy food. Today is the first day of my 80 days of culinary "travel", and the first country is Algeria! I studied up a bit on the flavors and food of this land, and found it to be promising. [most food is (: ]

Algeria; a country comfortably nestled between The Mediterranean Sea and The Sahara deserted. Steep mountains, rolling valleys, majestic plateaus; one of the biggest countries in Africa. The Fertile Northern coastline is home to olive, fig, agave, date and other palm trees. Salt Marshes are found on top of the plateaus in the central area, ad the Sahara stretches across the South. Algeria is known for its wheat cultivation, the early Berber tribesmen were the first to make couscous,the national dish, which is usually served warm with lamb or beef on top with something like tomatoes, chickpeas and carrots.

Algeria is a melting pot of Berber, Turkish, French, and Arab flavors, ginger, saffron, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, parsley, and mint are pantry staples in the Algerian kitchen. Dates, raisins, and other dry fruits are also extremely popular in their cuisine. Lamb is also one of the most popular meats in Algeria, a traditional way of preparing it, Mechoui, is when they roast lamd on an outdoor spit and season it with herb butter so the outside is nice a crispy, while the inside remains moist and succulent.

[Picture Credit to,http://moroccancooking.blogspot.com/ ]

No meal is complete here without bread [My kind of country!!!], usually a long french baguette style loaf, or sometimes flat wheat bread.

They also enjoy mint tea, I was a happy camper when i found this out, because quite frankly, i really like tea. I Have a bazillion tea cups, an array of different teas, and a fucking tea pot in the shape of Henry The VIII's head. However, that's a different story for another post.

Since it's the national dish, i decided to make couscous! I've never made couscous before, i think i had it once before tonight at my cousins down in Florida a few years back, but my palate doesn't seem to specifically recall this temptress. YAY FOR ADVENTURE AND LEARNING HOW TO MAKE NEW THINGS. Thankfully, this is super easy to make! Basically you just boil water, dump in the pasta [yes its pasta, not a grain,] and let it sit. Simple enough.Hahaha wrong.

My first batch came out a little to dry; i called for a redo. [What? I'm a perfectionist when it comes to culinary.] Not to mention me trying to find couscous in Food Lion, is like trying to find a needle in a fuck stack. Pardon my err French [picked that phrase from some movie i watched a few weeks ago tehehe] I tried asking someone and the two workers in the pasta isle with me didn't even know what it was. I need a map. Mama ended up having to find it for me on her way back from work, i thanked her for being such a Pro.

So after i got all the ingredients together: plain couscous, raisins, fresh mint, oil, salt, cumin, I got to cooking!
Spiced Mint Raisin Couscous:
-1 1/4 Cup water
-1 tsp cumin, saffron, turmeric, or cardamon [pick your poison, but only use one]
-1 cup couscous
-1/4 cup raisins
-1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
-2-3 tbs fresh mint, chopped

In a small pot, bring the water to just a gentle boil and remove from heat. Add in the 1tsp of the spice of your choice, allow to steep for 10 mins. Bring the infused water back to a boil, remove from heat yet again. Stir in the remaining ingredients and let it rest for however long the box tells you too, or if you're using actually couscous and not couscous mix boxed crap, let sit for 15 to 30 minutes until desired texture is reached. Fluff with a fork. Serve with fresh mint.

After tasting this, I can now say I'm a fan of couscous. Mama also liked it, she loved the flavor combo, but unlike me she's been a fan of the pasta for a long time.

When i took my first spoonful, i taste the coolness of the mint co-exist with the spice of the cumin, while sweetness burst-ed from the swollen raisins. I took a fancy to the texture of the dish immediately. Also the taste of it makes me think of something I've had before that isn't it and now IT'S REALLY FREGGIN BUGGING ME. I'll quit geeking out and learn to deal, because I'll probably figure it out when im trying to sleep.

I hope you enjoyed the flavors of Algeria, i did, minus the geeking out part. Adios!

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

Tonight, i was graced with the honor of feeding my best friend Maggie, after she had a long day of managing football. Someone got sent to the hospital and being the kinda girl she is she got nervous and wanted to do anything to help and stressed out. She deserved a nice meal at my house to take the edge off. I cut up some cherry tomatoes, grabbed some fresh basil from the garden, diced some onion and garlic and whipped up a sauce to put a-top perfect aldente fetticine.

Mags came in and said, "I'm so glad i have a foodie friend." We dined together in my living room enjoying family guy and then after we ate we enjoyed peppermint patties.

Thats Amore Tomato Sauce:

-3 tbs unsalted butter

-1/4 large onion, finely chopped

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

-1/2 tsp. nutmeg

-1 tsp. paprika

-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

-1 tsp. salt

-1 handful fresh basil, about 1/2 cup of leaves

In a large skillet heat butter on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 5 mins. Toss in the tomatoes and sprinkle on the nutmeg and paprika; stir. Saute for about 10 mins, or until the tomatoes are slightly squishy. Stir in the salt, pepper, and basil, cook for an additional minute.

Viola, pour on top of some yummy pasta and enjoy with a friend !

"Grub First, Then Ethics"

When I got back to my Mama's today, I found her doing a million different things, painting the living room, cooking, talking on the phone, giving my sister directions to her classes. It was pretty intense, I walked into the kitchen to find chicken stock boiling on the stove nothing in it, but it had the aroma of cinnamon. Confusion at its finest, I decided not to question and let my Mama do her thing. When i waltzed down later after an intense session of Dig Dug II, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, I came across this Rigatoni in a cream sauce with spinach and sweet peas. I took a bite expecting it to be Alfredo or something, but it was this tangy, creamy, spiced, cream sauce. A perplexed expression arose on my face, and i called for Mama and asked what she made this out of. She was just like," I don't really know, Chicken stock, cinnamon, flour, sour cream, salt, pepper, spinach, peas, Parmesan." The two of us talked in the living room about it and finally figured out a general recipe for her creation.

Mama's Rigatoni With Sour Cream Sauce? :

-1 lb. Rigatoni, cooked al dente [means "to the teeth"]

-1 c. water

-3 c. chicken stock

-1/2 c. spinach

-1/2 c. sweet peas

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-1 tsp vanilla

-2 bay leaves

-2 tsp. each of salt, pepper, and paprika

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1/2 c. flour [May need more/less to thicken, this recipe is a guesstimation]

-16 oz. sour cream

- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano

In a large saucepan, pour in the chicken stock and water with the cinnamon, vanilla, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, simmer for 20 mins. Turn down the heat, and throw in the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and flour. Whisk Vigorously till the flour dissolves. Add in the sour cream and Parmesan-Regiano, and Whisk until well combined. Remove from heat and let thicken, whisking occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, add in the spinach and peas, with just enough water to cook with, around 1/4 c. cook until the spinach is wilted and the peas are tender.

Add the vegetables to the sauce. Stir the sauce into the cooked Rigatoni. Serve; enjoy.

[Bertolt Brecht Quote For Title]