The Best Italian Dish

         I watched Tyler Florence’s show on the Cooking Channel one afternoon. The meal he was making looked absolutely mouth-watering, “The Ultimate Meatballs al Forno with Creamy Polenta.” I decided to fire up the printer, and I was off to the grocery store with the list of ingredients in hand. I decided to prepare dinner while I still had that delicious image in mind.

       After the meatballs were out of the oven, and the Polenta was cooked to creamy perfection, we savored the wonderful Italian flavors. This dish had a spectacular flavor. The creamy Polenta really enabled this dish to come alive. The mixture of herbs and the pine nuts, really made this cuisine have one of the best harmonies of flavors I had not experienced in ages.

The baguette the recipe calls for however, I found to be completely unnecessary. I found it to be somewhat wasteful because you are only using the inside of the baguette, leaving the rest to go to waste. I would replace the bread form the baguette with regular italian breadcrumbs. I’ll also note (in my cook book), to keep an air blender on hand. I don’t know if they are really called air blenders; that’s just what I call them because they push are into the mixture to get the pockets out. It is very difficult to get Polenta to achieve that creamy texture without one of these bad boys. 

I really enjoyed this dish. I give it 4 stars out of 5. I had to make a few alterations to the recipe, but the overall flavor––exceptional. This recipe will definitely go into my cookbook. 

As always i have provided the link to the recipe on the Cooking Channel website. Happy cooking!

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-meatballs-al-forno-with-creamy-polenta-recipe/index.html

Italian Dinner and a Western Movie

                                                   

         My boyfriend and I, had yet another date night where we ate dinner and watched a movie. I’m happy to report that both the meal and the movie were fantastic. Next time, I should try to create a themed dinner and a movie night. We ate an italian dish and watched a recreation of an old western movie- True Grit. If I had thought of it before, I would have made a dish from the American west, and paired it with the movie. I also could have paired the italian dish with a movie like The Godfather; I guess I’ll have to try out a theme night next time.

The dish I made is called Bucatini All’Amatriciana with Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs. This recipe comes from Food Network’s website. The recipe is created by Glada De Laurentiis. I have to say, I thought this meal was wonderful. My boyfriend said “it has a lot of flavors,” and I have to say I agree. This dish is very flavorful. If bland food is what you would rather have, this recipe would not be right for you.

There are only a few alterations I would make to this recipe. I found that some of the ingredients were a little too expensive. I thought that the recipe called for one too many cheeses. Don’t get me wrong, I love cheese, but the Pecorino Romano was incredibly difficult to find. It also was another expense that I didn’t think really added significantly to the dish. In fact, it could have been omitted completely. The other thing I found difficult to find, was the bucantini. I looked through every box of pasta at the grocery store searching for it. I decided to just use regular spaghetti because I could not locate the bucantini anywhere. I think the spaghetti made a great alternative. 

Overall, I give this recipe 4 stars out of 5. I thought the flavors were amazing; my stomach and taste buds were very full by the time we finished eating. My boyfriend and I enjoyed this meal immensely. This dish will definitely go into my cookbook for future use. I’ll be sure to make the alterations to the recipe that make it less expensive. This was a great meal that didn’t take to long to make, and wasn’t difficult to prepare. I think this meal makes a great alternative to waiting for a table at a restaurant on a Friday night. I’ve posted the link below so you can check it out for yourself. If you like Italian cuisine, you should try this recipe out.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/bucatini-allamatriciana-with-spicy-smoked-mozzarella-meatballs-recipe/index.html

The 4th With A Bang

                                                    
                                                        

There was more than just beautiful fire- works in the sky on the 4^th of July. A great American appetizer also provided a terrific explosion of flavor.  Loaded Deviled Eggs….mmmm.  The recipe, which I retrieved from Paula Dean’s magazine, had this beautiful gem nestled in its pages. This recipe was incredibly easy to make. The combination of the bacon and green onions provided an explosion of flavor equal to the occasion of the holiday celebration. The recipe also calls for the use of cream cheese. This is an ingredient I never thought to use; however, it was absolutely perfect for enhancing the flavors within this appetizer. My family could not get enough of these little devils!  When I put these out on the table; they seemed to vanish instantly. The ingredients cause the flavors to complement themselves very nicely. There was nothing about the recipe that seemed wasteful; all the ingredients were used. This version of deviled eggs is a wonderful summer time surprise, and perfect for the 4^th of July. My family gave them a five star rating, and I must agree. This recipe gets a five star rating, and is definitely going into my cookbook.

Dinner & A Movie

        On Friday night, I cooked dinner for my boyfriend at his house. I made “ Uptown Pork Chops and Apple Sauce: Roast Pork Tenderloins with Escalloped Apples” and “Cheesy Potato and Sharp Cheddar Hash.”This recipe was provided by Rachael Ray on the Food Network website. Of course, the bachelor pad prevented me from following the recipe exactly how it was specified, due to lack of materials. However, I managed to pull through. I improvised slightly when it came to the lemon zest and cheese grating. Although overall, I would say it turned out to be a pretty great meal.

The pork tenderloins had wonderful flavor. The word bland is the antithesis of the spectacular flavor of the pork tenderloins. The pork was also very succulent, which was good because I had a fear it would be dry. But, the pork was flavorful and juicy and defiantly far from dry. The apples also enhanced the flavor of the tenderloins. The apples were a perfect combination. The only bit of criticism I have, is that Rachael Ray made this dish on her show 30 Minute Meals, and on the recipe it states that the total cook and preparation time is 55 minutes. They should change the name of the show to 30-ish Minute Meals. 

                                                           
          As a side dish, I made the “Cheesy Potato and Sharp Cheddar Hash.” The was a delightful side dish that was a wonderful pair for the pork tenderloin. I love the cheese and potatoes, I especially love them together. However, the white sharp cheddar that the recipe called for, was incredibly hard to find at the grocery store. It was also on the expensive side. Overall, I really enjoyed this meal, and so did my boyfriend. I wish we could have said the same for the movie we rented. Now that was a total bust! Anyway, back to the recipes. I would have to give this recipe 4 stars. I thought the flavors were fantastic and everything went really well together. I didn’t like how it was advertised as a 30 minute meal, when the actual time it takes to make the pork tenderloin is 55 minutes. I also didn’t like that the white sharp cheddar was difficult to find and expensive. I’m going to make an alteration to this recipe and use a different cheese. However, this was an easy meal to make, and I think it deserves a spot in my personal cookbook. Below are the links to the recipes as always.    

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cheesy-potato-and-sharp-cheddar-hash-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/uptown-pork-chops-and-apple-sauce-roast-pork-tenderloins-with-escalloped-apples-recipe/index.html                                                

Father's Day Feast

                      The Friday before Father’s Day, my family and I got together for the holiday celebration. My mother prepared the main course, it was my father’s favorite dish, lobster rolls. She made this delectable cuisine just the way my father likes it. I was not about to try a new recipe for the lobster rolls due to the fear that it might not turn out well. Maybe one day I’ll try a new recipe for this dish, but not on Father’s Day. Instead, I made a side dish and dessert. The side dish was a macaroni salad recipe I had saved to my online recipe box on the Food Network website. 

                                                              American Macaroni Salad

                   This was a stupendous side dish. The “American Macaroni Salad” had a delightfully light flavor that I determined perfect for summer time, and perfect in conjunction with the cool, buttery flavor of the lobster rolls. The cider vinegar is the ingredient that gives this side dish a boost of flavor. The flavors of the parsley herb, red onion, and celery are brought to life by that splash of vinegar. To be honest, I was little apprehensive about using the vinegar, but it turned out to be the ingredient that really makes this dish pop. My palate and my family were delighted. My sisters began asking me for the recipe, and naturally I told them to follow my food blog. “American Macaroni Salad” is a must this summer. This recipe is definitely going into my recipe book for future use. The flavors were wonderful, it was easy to make, and all the ingredients were used, and I would not make any alterations. I give this recipe 5 stars. I put a link for this recipe below.

                                                                Strawberry Shortcake

                      I was completely unimpressed with this recipe. I got this recipe from the Food Network website. It was provided by Mary Nolan who hosts the show Chic & Easy. The Strawberries were wonderful of course. I do love strawberries. The whipped cream recipe was very delightful. The lemon zest really gave the whipped cream a light fruity flavor. However, the directions in the recipe do not disclose the necessity of using a metal mixing bowl when mixing the whipped cream. A plastic or glass bowl cannot be used because the heavy cream will not fluff unless it is in a cold metal bowl. The whipped cream and the strawberries were the only good part about this dessert. The shortcake recipe was absolutely awful. It had a bland flavor and as my mother put it “a strange texture.” The shortcake recipe ruined the dessert. I think I’ll keep the whipped cream recipe and trash the recipe for the shortcake. It was that terrible. I give this recipe 2 stars, and I think even that is being generous. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/american-macaroni-salad-recipe/index.html

I didn't add the Strawberry Shortcake recipe because its not worth it.

The Raider of the Lost Art

          One evening, my mother and I were standing in the kitchen discussing various cuisines and the art of cooking. She told me that in the old days women would find a recipe, make the dish, note alterations they desired to apply to the recipe, and incorporate tips and tricks to better fit their fancy of a perfect meal. Many grandmothers and great grandmothers contrived their own cookbooks that they formulated for decades. My mother and I agreed that this has become a lost art. 

It is difficult to plan meals when balancing a career, spouse, and children. After getting to the office early and leaving late, and then picking up the kids from soccer practice, devising a personal cookbook seems tedious and almost impossible. Many men and women alike lack the time to try new recipes and build their own cookbooks. It is no wonder that the tradition of building personal cookbooks to adhere to the desires of the families palate is in decline. It is much easier to open up a box than to plan a meal for the family. It is also easier to make microwave dinners and eat family dinner in front of the T.V. However, the most important time is family time. Creating a beautiful meal for the family to share together at the dinner table is worth more than convenience. This is why creating my personal cookbook is a journey I cannot wait to experience. Sharing the wonderful eats and time with my family is invaluable. 

I think it is important to note that the only cooking skills I have, I learned from my mother. I never attended culinary school. I never traveled to Europe to learn how to make amazing pastries or pasta sauces with truffles (I’m pretty sure they don’t even sell truffles at my local grocery store). I’m armed only with the cooking techniques my mother taught me and a dash of instinct. I am going to take recipes from different sources such as The Food Network, Cooking Channel, and those "impulse buy" food magazines seen at the grocery store check-out. Then, I am going to follow the recipes to determine if they will be an entry in my personal cookbook. I will be making recipes I have never tried before. Therefore, I am the virgin cook. I do not have any culinary training other than what I have learned from my mother. I am also only preparing dishes from recipes I have never previously attempted. I am a virgin to these recipes.

I have a rating system that will enable me to decide which recipes make it into the book, and which will be tossed vehemently into the trash. I will use a five star rating system that will be based on the following criteria. 1) The clarity of the directions in the recipe 2) How well the flavors please the palate 3) the difficulty of the recipe 4) The recipe’s use of ingredients (are all ingredients used efficiently or is the recipe wasteful?) 5) Are there alterations that must be made to the recipe to make a better dining experience? This criteria will enable me to build a cookbook that I can use for decades. A3 five star rating means a recipe is absolutely amazing as it stands. In other words, it’s perfect for the palate. A four star rating means it needs a few alterations to either directions or ingredients, but over all a great recipe that will go in the book. 3 star recipe is a recipe that may or may not go into the book. It needs alterations or does not adhere positively to other criteria. 2 stars means it is not going into the book, it was just plain terrible. 1 star means the recipe needs to be thrown in the trash and never ever thought of again! I am very excited about this journey and the recipes. I know I will learn (and enjoy the eats) along the way. Here is the first recipe venture. 

                             Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

The first dish I made came from the Food Network Magazine. I accessed this recipe through the Food Network website. I have posted the link below for this recipe. This wonderful cuisine simply named Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits was truly delightful. This recipe was very quick and easy. The most time consuming preparation process was shelling the shrimp. The fresh lemon juice accented the garlic and parsley flavors wonderfully. I love garlic so there were no discrepancies there. The parsley is a great touch of herb that adds a delightful earthy note to the dish. The cayenne pepper is an optional ingredient and I am thrilled I used it. The cayenne pepper added just the right amount of kick to really bring out the flavors. Mixing the shredded parmesan into the grits was something I never considered before. I learned that there is a whole new marvelous realm to the world of grits. The parmesan cheese transforms the grits from an average breakfast food to a delectable dinner cuisine. The hardiness of the grits paired with the light, fresh flavors of the shrimp and sauce, produces a divine dinner experience perfect for summer. 

The directions for this recipe were easy to follow. The meal was not time consuming to make. The ingredients were not wasted in anyway, and I would not make any alterations to the recipe. The recipe really pleases my palate. The flavors are spectacular! This recipe is perfect as it stands. It is definitely going into my recipe book. This charming southern cuisine is dressed to impress. I have been seduced by this delightful dish. I am no longer a virgin when it comes to Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits. I give this recipe 5 stars!

I hope you will try out this recipe with your family. If your family loves seafood as mine does, this dish will surely be an instant sensation. Happy cooking!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/lemon-garlic-shrimp-and-grits-recipe/index.html