Weekends are Wonderful

Weekends so wonderful when they can be savored without a to-do list taping you on the shoulder or without any plans whatsoever.  I finally got one of those weekends and have relished every second.  Dozing in bed without an alarm, brewing coffee in my Chemex, eating leftovers for breakfast while browsing food blogs... these simple joys make immensely happy.

Chemex coffee love.

Lima Bean Gratin with a side of crusty sourdough for a
lovely Saturday morning breakfast.  

As I have been floating from one food blog to the next (gasping from amazement at what other food enthusiasts are whipping up in their kitchens) I realize that I have been absolutely terrible about blogging my own culinary endeavors.  No excuses come to mind other than that I've been lazy. Perhaps even reluctant.  Now, on this beautiful Sunday morning, I am feeling a bit guilty thinking, How could I have let so many great meals go un-blogged?!  I mean, I've been cooking delightful spring dishes one after the other.  I guess I just craved getting swept away in the natural rhythm of cooking with spontaneity... with pure enjoyment.  Not to mention, this habit is an easy one to repeat since [cooking] - [blogging] = [less hassle].  Like trying to manipulate a camera with greasy fingers, policing all random drippings or crumbs from the rims of serving plates, making your hungry husband (or other dinner guests) wait impatiently to eat until after the cook has capered around the table snapping final photos.


To make up for a bit of lost time, I did snap some photos from a tasty weeknight dinner from this past week. I simply browned some honey-glazed pork chops in a bit of oil in a pan, then roasted them at high heat for a few minutes until juicy and tender.  They were served along side some roasted radishes, including their green tops, and a beautiful batard.  The recipes came from the food geniuses at Food & Wine (a website I am currently completely obsessed with).  Eating this meal made me think I was attending an outdoor French-country dinner party surrounded by vast rolling hills of silver-colored grasses and an amber sunset the color of our ale.  Oh, the places my mind takes me!

Menu:

Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

Roasted Whole Radishes

French Batard

"Stranger" Ale (Left Hand Brewing Co.)

These tender, blushing radishes stole the meal's spotlight.

Joe and I enjoyed this meal slowly, but as you can see from the picture below, we still finished eating before the sun had disappeared.  A sure sign that summer is on the horizon!  Soon we will be spending the precious hours of twilight at our roof-top getaway once again.

Slow food. 

Ahh... there, I feel like I've somewhat satiated my blogging responsibilities.  I shall leave you with a few other reasons as to why I love weekends.  Having time to read...

The Essential New York Times Cook Book,
by Amanda Hesser (aka my culinary idol).

Yes, I read cookbooks like they are novels. Stop that cackling!  And also, staying up late to bake whatever my sweet tooth is craving...  

Double Butterscotch Refrigerator Cookies

And saving a few for my hubby who works ridiculously nuts hours at the hospital.  Until next time (soon)!

Blizzard BBQ

Colorado is about to get hit by a massive winter storm that is predicted to tear through Vail Pass and Summit Valley over the next two days. With snow and wind gusts over 100 miles per hour (really!), I feel lucky to be in Denver where the weather will remain in the 50's and snowless. Nevertheless, Colorado has been in dire need of snow so I decided to celebrate the storm by firin' up my trusty crock pot for some winter-worthy, slow-cooked Bar-B-Que.  Steadfast cravings of my inner cowgirl... 

Witchita Falls, Texas.
Second grade (me), ready for the rodeo.

Slow-Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork,
(sandwich style).

Never before did I realize that pulled pork (a true favorite of mine) was so easy to prepare at home, and on a busy weeknight at that!  This recipe required only THREE ingredients with minimal prep. Simply place a pork roast in your handy dandy crock pot. Shake salt and pepper generously over the top and cover with the lid. Let it cook away while you are at work and when you return home from your busy day, your pork roast will be tender and falling off the bone.

Shred, shred, shred!

Pour on your favorite BBQ sauce to taste. 

My absolute favorite sauce in the world.
Must purchase within Kansas state boarders
or off of some other schmuck that's selling
bottle for profit (like me)!

Leave your spurs by the door and dish up a generous serving of pork over a few slices of white Texas Toast or Wonder Bread to soak up all of the saucy juices (we used buttered, crusty sourdough for lack of the others).  

Yeehaw!

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork 

Serves 4

3 lbs. pork roast

Salt and pepper

Your favorite BBQ sauce

Place pork roast into crock pot with fattiest side up. Season well with salt and pepper. Place lid on top and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high heat setting for 5-6 hours. Try not to remove the lid (it will release all of the heat and extend your cooking time). When meat is falling off of the bone and cooked through, shred, then mix in BBQ sauce to your liking. Serve with white bread and coleslaw. 

Slovakian Halushky Dumplings with Bryndza

Introducing Bryndza...

This little block of traditional Eastern European sheep's milk cheese traveled from Slovakia to Wisconsin to Colorado where it was finally consumed!  (I know what you're thinking and don't worry. It has been in the freezer the entire time to keep it fresh).   I cannot believe how long it has taken me to finally glorify this unique cheese. But, I have been waiting for the right time. A time when I could make a specific Slovakian dish. A dish that goes back generations. A dish called, Halushky with Bryndza.  

Halusky with Bryndza,
a Slovakian favorite!

I have eaten this dish only once before, at the dinner table of Joe's family. That was nearly five years ago, back when Joe and I were only college sweethearts. Around that time I remember thinking that Joe had this peculiar cheese shredder in his apartment kitchen that was never used. Turns out, five years later, I have finally figured out the tool's true identity. It wasn't a cheese shredder, but a European dumpling sieve!  An essential tool for making Halusky dumplings!  

I referenced my Slovakian cookbook for my Haluski recipe, but half way through my dumpling preparation I decided to call Joe's mother for a cooking consultation! I couldn't have made this dish without her, and have included her advice in the recipe below.  

This dish starts off with the making of basic Haluski dumplings made of starch, flour, egg, and salt. For this particular recipe, I used potatoes as my starch, but flour is much faster and easier to use.  My handy dandy food processor made the potato preparation very effortless... 

After the potatoes where peeled, shredded and pureed, a dough was made by adding flour, egg and salt and mixing well. A lumpy, thick dough was formed. I would say it was about the consistency of runny oatmeal. This consistency is very important. Not too thick or too runny. In other words, it should be able to easily fall through the holes in the dumpling sieve via gravity and not force. 

Once you have your starchy dough, bring some salted water to a boil. This is where the special dumpling sieve comes into play. Balance it over the top of your boiling water pot with the dough slider on top. This is what it looks like:

Now pour your dough into the sliding box and glide the box back and forth to get the dough to drop through the holes into the boiling water. Once all of the dough is added, let the dumplings boil until they float to the surface of the water. Then let them boil an additional few minutes before draining and rinsing with water. 

Plain Haluski Dumplings!

Now comes the fun part! Mix up the some Bryndza cheese with a bit of sour cream to get it smooth and creamy. Cream cheese can be substituted for Bryndza if you don't happen to know someone who makes regular trips to Slovakia (hehe).  Stir the cheese mixture into the hot dumplings. Then, fry up some bacon in a pan. Remove the bacon and crumble it. To serve, top each helping of cheesy Haluski with a hearty helping of bacon pieces and sliced green onions.  Finally, drizzle with some reserved, hot bacon grease and many shakes of salt... oh, yes, those toppings are required!   This dish is guaranteed to be the most memorable, hearty plate of European comfort food you'll ever encounter!

Haluski with Bryndza is traditionally served with
buttermilk, whole milk (shown here), or plum brandy. 

Slovakian Halushky Dumplings with Bryndza 
From "Slovak Cuisine" cookbook
Serves 8

5 russet potatoes, washed and peeled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
200 g block Bryndza cheese, or 4 oz (1/2 block) full-fat cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
5 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (grease reserved), for garnish
Green onions, sliced, for garnish
Salt to taste

Using a food processor, shred and puree potatoes. Put potatoes into a large bowl, then mix in flour, egg, and about 1 tablespoon salt. This dough should be about the consistency of runny oatmeal. Bring salted water to boil in a large pot. Using a special European dumpling colander, pour the dough into the slider to drop dumplings into the hot water to cook. Dumplings should rise to the surface of the water once they are cooked. After they begin to float, let them cook an additional 3-5 minutes before draining and rinsing under running water. Place dumplings into a large bowl.  Now, prepare the cheese mixture by mixing Bryndza (or cream cheese) and sour cream. Stir the cheese mixture into the hot dumplings. Fry up the bacon in a large frying pan until crispy. Remove the bacon and crumble, making sure to reserve the grease.  To serve, place cheesy dumplings on a plate, add crumbled bacon, green onions, and a drizzle of bacon grease. Sprinkle generously with salt. Best when eaten immediately!
Note: If you don't have this special colander, use a knife and a cutting board to toss the pieces in. 

Slovakian Schnitzel Supper

The country of Slovakia (not to be confused with Slovenia) is hardly known by most Americans.  I, myself, couldn't tell you three things about the small, Eastern European country until I met my husband, Joe, six years ago! Joe was born in Slovakia and moved with his family to the United States when he was five years old.

Shortly after the end of communism,
Czechoslovakia disbanded into two separate countries.  

One of the many things that I hold close to my heart in regards to Joe's family, is our time around the table. For me, sharing meals also means sharing tradition, history, and love. And let me tell you something... traditional Slovakian food is nothing short of delicious!  Joe's mother, the family chef, is an inspiration to me. Ever since the first time watching her buzz around the kitchen preparing recipes etched only within her memory, I knew we spoke the same language of food. From fluffy pastries to  crispy schnitzels, I have relished every Slovakian dish I've ever tasted.

Now that I am responsible for Joe's nutritional well being, I am adamantly "training" to adopt some of his family's favorite and traditional Slovakian dishes into our own eating routine. The true test, and my future goal, is to have his family sit at my table for an authentic taste of home!  I have posted my recipes below so that you, too, can prepare a memorable Slovakian dinner.

The Menu:

Pork Schnitzel

Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Slaw

Steamed Bread Dumplings

Schnitzel is more commonly served with potato salad, however,
Joe and I were both craving this cabbage slaw (also amazing).

Slovakian Pork Schnitzel

Serves 8

4 pork chops

1 cup flour

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs, slightly beaten

4 tbsp. milk

2/3 to 1 cup oil (vegetable oil or light olive oil)

Salt and pepper

Lemon for garnish (optional)

Remove membrane or any large pieces of fat from pork chops. Carefully slice the pork chops in half, lengthwise, so that you get 8 thin pieces. Pound the pieces with a mallet to tenderize and thin further. Season the pork with salt and begin to heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Combine the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls or plates. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat the cutlets with flour well, then dip in egg, and lastly by bread crumbs. Depending on the size of the pork cutlets, more flour, egg, and breadcrumbs may be needed. Fry the cutlets, a few at a time, in the heated oil until crispy and brown on both sides. Depending on the size of the pan, more oil may be needed to make sure that there is enough for frying to take place. Put the fried cutlets on paper towels to absorb excess grease. Serve the schnitzel with fresh lemon slices (optional). 

Slovakian Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Slaw

Serves 8-10

1 head green cabbage

2 medium sized onions (red or yellow)

2 carrots

200 ml (between 3/4 and 1 cup) vinegar (cider vinegar works, too)

2 tbsp. sugar

1-3 tbsp. oil

Salt and pepper

Green olives and seeded hot pepper (optional)

Rinse all vegetables. Slice the cabbage and onion into thin slices. Shred the carrots. Steam cabbage, onion and carrots to slightly soften, about 5-7 minutes. Whisk the vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. While the vegetables are still warm from steaming, mix them with the vinegar dressing and allow to cool. Once cool, stir in the oil and serve. Sliced green olives or seeded, sliced hot pepper can also be added for variety (optional).  

Steamed Slovakian Bread Dumplings

Serves 8

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

20 g dry yeast (~2.5 packages that are 7 g ea.)

1 egg

2 teaspoons salt

Water as needed

Temp the yeast by warming the milk and then mixing in the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the milk appears frothy (if not, the yeast is dead so buy new and start again). Whisk the salt into the flour in a large mixing bowl, then mix in egg to form a dough (add a small amount of water if needed). Knead on a lightly floured surface about 2 minutes. Place into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and set in a warm place to rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).  While the dough is rising, prepare the cooking pot. Do this by filling a large cooking pot ~1/3 full of salted water.  Drape a tea towel over the top of the pot and fix the towel to the pot's handles using string, so that the towel is pulled tight enough to create a "table" for the dough to rest. Locate a pot of similar size to use as a lid. After the bread dough has risen, heat the pot of water to a low boil. Turn out the dough over a lightly floured surface and separate into small handfuls of dough pieces. Roll each piece slightly to get rounded edges and place the dough balls (6-8 at a time) on top of the tight towel over the pot's boiling water. Cover with an upside-down pot (see picture below), and let cook for 20-25 minutes. Note: Steam is what is cooking the dough, so do NOT lift the lid to check on them before the cooking time is up!  Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces and serve immediately. 

Cooking pot assembly for Steamed Bread Dumplings

Italy Part 14

Feast for Your Eyes: A week in Italy


Nothing like hot weather to make this girl slow down in the afternoons and spend time in the cool kitchen preparing some refreshing Italian meals while sipping chilled pinot grigio. The following is a visual tour of are some of the foods I prepared...

Meal #1

Carciofi all romana (p. 127)

Pork chops in marsala (p. 126)

Bread and salad

These stuffed artichokes are ready for the oven
after a few splashes of white wine. 

While the artichokes were cooking, it was time to prepare the chops.
I had never tasted marsala before- delicious with citrus! 

The pork chops and artichokes were ready to be dished up
with a side of feta-tossed salad, focaccia, and white wine.

Meal #2

Fennel fritters (p. 124)

Spaghetti with garlic and chili (p. 110)

Sicilian rice fritters (p. 144)

Fried crispy in a flour, egg, and bread crumb coating.

I only used one fresh chili but two would bring some serious heat.  

A nice blend of textures and flavor.
An ice cold mojito helped to finish off some fresh mint that
was left over from the artichoke stuffing used a few days before. 

While the oil was hot from the fennel fritters,
why not throw these in for a grease bath too?
Topped with warm honey and laced with lemon and fresh vanilla bean.

Meal #3

Mozzarella in carozza (p. 89)

Marjoram salmoriglio sauce (p. 132)

Shrimp and roasted zucchini

These "mozzarella in carriages," are a savory cousin to grilled cheese.
The sourdough bread was dipped in milk, then fresh mozzarella
was sandwiched within it, dipped in seasoned eggs and then breadcrumbs
and deep fried until crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside.
Fresh lemon brings balance.

These fried sandwiches where paired with fresh,
oven-roasted zucchini from the Farmer's Market
brushed with olive oil and sea salt, as well as
pan-seared shrimp with Marjoram sauce.   

I am looking forward to trying these sandwiches again using
stronger cheeses. Perhaps a provolone-blue cheese combo?

Meal #4

Baked eggplant with tomato and mozzarella (p. 102)

Espresso granitas (p. 147)

Pasta salad

The marvelous purple squishy vegetable!
This one has been scored to help soak up the awaiting hot oil.
They underwent an initial hot oil bath to soften its flesh.
Then, its insides were scooped out and combined with tomatoes, parsley,
oregano, and fried garlic and onions for a second cooking step with more hot oil.
Finally, the empty shells were piled high with the flavorful insides, topped
with mozzarella and placed into the oven for a third and final cooking step. 

Appetizing aubergine.
Not pictured: Espresso granitas.
They were eaten before I remembered to snap a photo! I will say that
making granitas is an excellent way to make use of extra coffee. 

Forty-one recipes completed. Forty-one recipes still yet to be made... the halfway point of my journey through Italy has been reached.