My Comfort Foods

Watching Alton Brown on comfort foods. Mine are (in no particular order):

• Orzo cooked in chicken broth, topped with butter and parmesean cheese
• Macaroni and cheese (any type mac - many different cheese combos)
• Angel hair spaghetti aioli
• Gnocchi
• Manicotti
• Tomato soup and grilled cheese
• Pastina

Jake

A friend of mine told me yesterday that his canine companion, Jake, died over the weekend. My initial reaction was sadness for him and the loss he was feeling. Then I moved right into thinking about how I wanted to cook for him -- and what I would make. What sort of comfort food might ease the sting just a little? The standards -- macaroni and cheese, or grilled cheese and tomato soup? Or something more exotic -- an orange-glazed pork loin on the grill with Asian noodles? Certainly, with their love of the cabin and a campfire, we'd finish with upscale s'mores (lightly grilled croissants oozing with dark chocolate and marshmallows).

Food won't change what is but it can ease acceptance of what is.

Cooking Class at Sotto Sopra

A great recap of the cooking class at Sotto Sopra.

Healthy Foods in a Mini Kitchen

Driven out of my home by an infestation of tiny insects, I was forced to learn how to cook in hotels and the pantry at my office.


I'm going to start a cookbook of delicious meals that require only a mini-refrigerator, an electric kettle, and a microwave. Amazing what one can come up with when challenged.

Cooking Tips from Chef DeLutis

A week or so ago, I dragged myself out of a very comfortable bed at Hotel Monaco and walked four steaming Baltimore blocks to Sotto Sopra for a cooking class with Chef Christian DeLutis.

We walked to the Farmers Market under the expressway (downhill to the market --- very UPHILL on the way back), with Chef pointing out his favorite vendors and talking about the benefits of in-season cooking.

Upon our return to Sotto Sopra, the real instruction started. I picked up a lot of tips, but most important, the heat in the kitchen gave me a profound respect for chefs. I had to keep stepping out to the dining room to catch my breath.

Tips: Smart Chicken taste best. Cold soups need more seasoning than hot ones.

Most memorable: I met several wonderful people -- a judge, two culinary students, and a writer for multiculturalcookingnetwork blog ...

More to come.

Best Manicotti I've Made

I took the recipe from Giada ...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/swiss-chard-and-sweet-pea-manicotti-winter-recipe/index.html
then made a tomato-basil sauce to top it.

First CSA Pick-up of the Season

I'm glad I went with the CSA medium share. It looks like just enough for two people. This box included: baby lettuce mix, broccoli, spinach, new red potoatoes, green onions, and strawberries.

The newsletter included this recipe and after reading it, wasn't sure if it would be wonderful or horrible. Decided to take the risk, and wonderful won. Whew. The recipe below reflects my changes, not the exact recipe I received.

Spinach Colcannon

1 bunch chopped spinach
1 cup chopped green onions
5 cloves garlic
4 bison hot Italian sausages - casing removed
8 cups potatoes - diced with skin on
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbls butter
Salt and Pepper
Mixed grated cheeses

Pre-heat oven to 350

Cook potatoes in water and salt until tender.
Drain and mash with milk, butter, salt and pepper
After mashed, mix in some of the green onion tops

Brown sausage in a pan -- do not overcook bison - stop before you think it's done because it will bake also
Add green onions and garlic - continue to cook a minute or so
Add all the spinach and cover the pan
Turn off burner and let spinach wilt

Butter a 9x13 pan
Add drained sausage and spinach from pan
Spread mashed potatoes over the sausage mix
Top with a mix of shredded cheese (I used a 4 cheese Italian mix and a Mexican mix)

Bake until cheese is melted - about 30 minutes

I like to move it to the top rack and broil on high until the cheese starts getting brown and bubbly.