Rosemary-Infused Oil

We love Rosemary-infused olive oil for drizzling on lamb, white beans and for dipping with good Italian bread. As I was trimming our rosemary this morning, I realized that we are out of our favorite oil, so I decided to try my hand at making some at home. My kitchen now smells like a Tuscan cucina!

½ cup rosemary leaves
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Start by wiping down fresh rosemary with a damp towel, and removing the leaves from the woody branches. Place rosemary and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to cut up leaves and release their natural oil. Place the olive oil mixture in a sauté pan on the lowest heat setting on your stovetop. Allow rosemary olive oil mixture to heat slowly and simmer for 5-7 minutes, then remove from the heat. Do not let rosemary brown in the oil else it will taste bitter. Allow the oil to cool and then pour oil through a sieve lined with cheese cloth or a paper coffee filter. Transfer the rosemary oil to a clean bottle and refrigerate. The oil may get cloudy in the refrigerator, but it will become clear again at room temperature. The full flavor and fragrance of the oil is at its peak at room temperature.
 

Red Beans & Rice - It must be Monday!

Monday is laundry day at our house, so following Creole tradition; I usually make red beans and rice. Because red beans usually take several hours to cook, I let the beans slowly cook all day, stirring and adjusting flavors between loads of wash. The rice and pan-seared sausage take only a few minutes and dinner is ready with little extra effort.

1 (16 ounce) bag of dried red kidney beans
6 cups of water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 carrots, grated
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
pinch of thyme
pepper to taste
1 cup scallions, chopped

Soak beans overnight in 6-8 cups of water. Drain water and replace before cooking.

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan. Add garlic and sauté until golden (do not let garlic burn or it will taste very bitter.) Add beans, water, and other ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are soft; about 2 hours. This can all be loaded into a crockpot and cooked low and slow while you are at work too.

Stir occasionally and check water level. You may need to add water if the beans get to dry.  In their final form they should form a gravy and not be too soupy or too gloppy. Serve with rice and top with chopped scallions. Polska kielbasa, (we cut the sausage lengthwise and brown in a frying pan,) is served along side with Louisiana Hot Sauce (of course!)

Pounding Paillard

The term “paillard” is an older French culinary term referring to thinly-sliced or pounded cutlets of meat which has been largely replaced by the word escalope. Paillard describes cuts of meat that are thinly sliced or lightly pounded into flattened pieces that are then grilled or sautéed very quickly. Today the term more commonly used to describe this thin cut is cutlet. Paillards are made from boneless slices of chicken, turkey, veal, beef, and pork. The thin slices are generally cut from larger pieces of meat but supermarkets now have a variety of thinly sliced meats that can be used for paillards, eliminating the need to cut the thin slice before pounding. This not only shortens the cooking times considerably, but also tenderizes the meat and prevents moisture lost in cooking.

Many of the recipes we love and cook regularly call for thinly sliced or pounded meats: pork saltimbocca, veal scallopini, chicken fried steak, and braciole. Over the years, we have tried a variety of meat mallets: aluminum, wood, stainless steel, flat, round, ribbed, and waffled.

The BEST meat mallet we have ever used is a plain white rubber mallet from Home Depot. It works perfectly on all types of meat, is gentle on our cutting boards and only costs $5!! Hard to go wrong with this kitchen "tool"!

Little Bay Tree

For the last seven or eight years, we had a bay tree growing on our back deck. Sadly, it did not survive the harsher than usual winter we had in Atlanta last year. Recently, we found a gorgeous replacement at Pike Nursery. After potting and watering the little tree, my husband promptly went out and picked one of the leaves for the fish stock he had on the stove. We quickly realized how much we had missed having ready access to fresh bay leaves!

Bay laurel (sometimes known as Sweet bay) is a small, evergreen shrub or tree that is the source of bay leaves used in cooking. Bay leaves are best known as a member of the classic herb combination called “Bouquet Garni,” along with parsley and thyme. Traditionally, these herbs are tied together when fresh, and added to soups, stews, and meat dishes. After simmering, the bouquet is removed.

These shrubs are native to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Bay laurel grows best in soils that retain moisture and are well drained. It prefers exposure to full sunlight but can also grow well in sites with light shade. Bay laurel plants need protection from the cold during severe winter weather!

The early Greeks and Romans admired the bay laurel for its beauty and used the aromatic leaves in many different ways. Bay was a symbol of the Greco-Roman gods Apollo and Aesculapius, who were gods responsible for healing and medicine. Medications made from the bay laurel were believed to have extremely potent protective and healing effects. Legend says that Apollo was madly in love with a nymph named Daphne, but Daphne wanted no part of his affections so she turned herself into a bay tree to hide from him. When Apollo realized this, he declared the bay tree sacred and wore a wreath of its leaves on his head in her memory. Thus a wreath of bay laurels was given as the prize at the Pythian Games and prompted the expression “resting on one's laurels." It is also the source of the word baccalaureate and poet laureate.

Why Do We Blog?

All week I struggled with what to write for the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog Challenge. Finally, my son reminded me why I started the blog. Several years ago, I started writing down all the recipes and tricks we use in our kitchen for our boys to have as they grow up, and for the  when they want to learn how to cook in hopes that eventually they would have their own kitchens and families and traditions. When I began the project, I wrote a letter to my sons:

“To My Sweet Boys:

Our lives revolve around the kitchen. This is not by necessity but by choice. In fact, the very first weekend I met Dom (my husband,) he cooked Chicken Marsala for me. We have had many wonderful times in our kitchen including Sunday dinners with family, cookouts with friends, birthdays, dancing & singing, and Chef’s Table.

Other families have bigger, fancier kitchens and yet they still eat out in restaurants most evenings. We actually cook in our kitchen. We use the recipes our grandmothers have handed down. We take recipes from cookbooks and make them ours by adding our own special flair. We have had a blast experimenting with new ingredients: cardoons, oxtails, and stuffed squash blossoms for example. We have made homemade pasta and sausage, have lots of “secret ingredients," and have even waltzed on the kitchen tiles on Fat Tuesday.

This [blog] has recipes, tips, traditions and even some of the family “secrets” that we have cooked and tried as a family. We want you (and our readers) to take them and make them your own to share with your family into the future. Buon Appetito! ~Mom”

I believe the above fully describes me as a food blogger and the reason I take time to take pictures and type the recipes. The recipes may not always be “foolproof,” but they are real, made with love and shared with my three favorite men!

XC Banana Bread

During Cross Country season there is no shortage of bananas in our house! Occasionally, one or two get overripe before they are eaten, so they become banana bread. This recipe makes one very moist loaf. Try substituting chocolate chips for the nuts and make a batch of mini muffins for a team snack after your next meet!

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a rack to cool. For mini muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes.

A Steak for All Seasons

Whenever we go to Chicago, we try to get to Gibson’s Steakhouse on Rush Street. The service wonderful and the food is always perfect, especially the steaks. When Chef Mike Clark took over the kitchen of Gibson’s, he introduced the use of his “secret” seasoning salt on his steaks before they are cooked. Last Christmas, we brought home a jar of the magical steak salt which (unfortunately) we have completely consumed. After much research and experimentation, we have concocted what we think is a delicious facsimile to use until our next trip to the windy city!

½ cup coarse Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves, crushed
2 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
2 ¼ teaspoons onion powder
2 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground

Combine all ingredients and pulse in a food processor for 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean jar and store in a cool dry place with other spices. Dom coats the steaks with olive oil and sprinkles about 1/2 teaspoon on each side of the steak before placing them on the grill.

Finest Foodie Friday!

"We Like To Cook" is a featured blog on Foodie Blogroll's weekly Finest Foodies Friday! We started writing the blog to record family recipes and information for our friends and family and as a record of our hijinx! It is exciting to know that others are enjoying what we are cooking, tasting and doing! Keep checking back for more recipes, reviews, and ramblings!

Funny Little Funnel

The funnel is a very useful kitchen tool with a wide, conical mouth that tapers down to a narrow stem which is used to channel liquid or fine substances into containers with a small opening. It is a well-used and noble member of the Romeo infrastructure. My recent favorite melted when hot frying oil was poured through it. The funnel before that was made of aluminum and was rendered useless when it was dented beyond repair in a drawer closing incident.

So, with some trepidation, I went shopping for a new funnel knowing that any replacement must be durable at best to survive the rigors of our kitchen. Imagine my excitement when I found a flexible, collapsible, little funnel made from heat resistant silicone! The even better surprise was the price of my new little treasure which was only 99 cents at World Market. Anyone can use a funnel to refill a pepper grinder with peppercorns, but when was the last time you used a funnel to transfer thick cookie dough into a cookie press? The flexible silicone allows you to squeeze thicker foods right through it. I am enjoying putting this funnel to the test. I only wish I had bought two!

Potluck-Perfect Pasta Salad

To many Americans, Labor Day is the last vestige of the summer, a day off from work and school, and one last chance to relax. Thousands will celebrate the three-day weekend with cookouts, picnics and potluck dinners.

But Labor Day is actually a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. Peter McGuire, a New York City carpenter, is often called the "father" of Labor Day. He spent a decade fighting for worker's rights. In 1882, he proposed the idea to create a special holiday for workers. On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade. Two years later the celebration was moved to the first Monday in September. And in 1894, Congress passed a law making Labor Day a national holiday.

This was the favorite dish at our Labor Day cookout. It may sound a bit plain, but it is a tangy complement to barbecued ribs or chicken. The added bonus is how easy it is to make! This is my sister's absolute favorite salad and is our go-to recipe for all family cookouts.

1 pound orzo pasta, cooked and rinsed
1 cup mayonnaise (Duke’s preferred)
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
½ cup capers
½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
Salt to taste

Cook orzo pasta following the instructions on the package, rinse in cool water and drain. Place pasta in a large bowl with mayonnaise, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar and pepper, and then fold together without breaking up the pasta. Add the capers and stir until evenly distributed. Add salt to taste. Add additional amounts of ingredients to taste.

Note: You can other ingredients such as green onions, shallot, celery, or even shrimp. Black olives such as Calamata will discolor the pasta.

Roasted Elephant Garlic

Watercolor by Sonny Romeo

Yesterday, Dekalb Farmer's Market had the freshest, nicest looking elephant garlic we had seen in a while. Many people buy elephant garlic simply because of its size. The bulbs are very large and a single bulb can weigh over a pound with a single clove often as large as a whole bulb of ordinary garlic. Interestingly, elephant garlic is not true garlic, but a cousin of the garden leek. The flavor, which is much more similar to garlic than to leeks, is milder than garlic, but not exactly like garlic.

When roasted, elephant garlic is so smooth and mild, you can use as a spread with good crusty bread. Roasting garlic is so easy and so tasty, it makes a simple yet impressive appetizer. I love the way it smells as it is cooking especially on a cold wet day. This is one of Sonny's favorite too!

1-2 heads of garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

With a very sharp knife, remove just enough of the root end of the garlic bulb to flatten it enough to sit upright. From the more tapered, flower end of the bulb, slice 1/4 to 1/2-inch off the top to reveal the garlic cloves within. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic bulbs upright in a baking dish, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil over the top of the exposed cloves. Season with a touch of salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil, and roast 30 to 35 minutes, until the garlic cloves take on a rich golden color and the papery covering has begun to brown but has not blackened. Remove from the oven and cool several minutes before serving.