Corn Chowder

I just picked up some sweet corn at the Farmer's Market and am throwing together some corn chowder for dinner tonight. I can remember the first time I had corn chowder it was out of a can and I was probably 7 years old. My mom made it for me with some saltines, I thought it was great, little did I know how easy it was to actually make using fresh ingredients and home made stock. Here is my favorite recipe!

2 tbls unsalted butter plus 2 more for the roux
2 medium size red potatoes, skin on, 1/4 inch dice
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups corn, cut off the cob ( reserve the cob)
2 tbls flour
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp Vermont Cheddar
salt and pepper to taste
Oyster crackers to serve

In a pan, melt the 2 tbls of butter, add the shallot and cook until tender. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper vegetables and then add the vegetable stock. Place the cobs from the corn into the pan as well. This will give the broth of more corn taste and make the broth milky. Simmer until potatoes are just about done, add the corn. In a separate pan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux. Pour in the heavy cream and heat until thickened. Off the heat add the cheddar and stir into cream. Pour cream into the corn and potato pan. Taste and season as necessary. Serve with oyster crackers.

Garden Tomatoes...

Today is the perfect day to get out my big pot and make some pappa al pomodoro or tomato and bread soup. I have some tomatoes right from the garden and some day old bread sitting on the counter! I first had this soup when I started working as a line cook at Via Matta. I remember the smell of the garlic and red pepper flakes heating up in the oil. When Chef Schlow presented the dish on the table the smell of basil and sweet tomatoes made me smile and then we got to taste it! Perfect. This is a perfect recipe for late summer, when tomatoes are at their best.

2 garlic gloves, peeled and kept whole
2 tbls olive oil
pinch of red pepper flake
6 ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
3 cups vegetable stock
2 big handfuls of fresh basil, kept whole
1 1/2 cups of cubed day old bread. If you don't have day old bread, give the cubes a toast in the oven on 350 until they are toasted.
grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

In a large pot, place in the oil, then the garlic and red pepper flakes. Let the garlic flavor the oil and brown a little before removing it and discarding it. Add the tomatoes and cook them down for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and the basil and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the cubed bread and fold into the soup. The idea is that the bread will absorb some of the broth. Season to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and top with some grated Parmesan. Serve immediately. If you wanted to cook this ahead, just hold off on adding the bread until you were ready to serve the soup.

Enjoy!

Wedding day!

Today I celebrated a very special wedding day for my cousin Gene and his new bride and my new cousin Lisa! Congratulations you two!

Mac & Cheese is so delicious

Why is mac & cheese so good? I love eating it and I love making it. I wanted to share with you my favorite recipe for mac & cheese!

2 tbls of unsalted butter plus 2 for the topping
2 tbls of flour
2 cups milk, preferably whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (I use typically use a sharp Vermont cheddar)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere
pinch nutmeg
1 lb Pipette style pasta (they resemble shells)
1 1/2 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Get your water on for the Pipette. In another pan ( I like to use one with a wide bottom) melt your butter. Then add the flour to make a roux. Cook the starch out for about a minute and then pour in the milk. With a heat proof spatula stir the milk. When it begins to thicken (this will happen when the milk scalds) begin to add the cheese. Add it in stages and as it melts add more. Stir constantly as not to burn the sauce (keep burner on medium/low temp), add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta a little less than al dente and strain it when it is cooked. In a baking dish mix the pasta and the sauce together, ensure all the pasta is coated well. Using the pan that you cooked the pasta in, melt the butter, add the breadcrumbs and the parmesan cheese to it. Cook for just 30 seconds. Sprinkle the top of the mac & cheese with the breadcrumb topping and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the top is crisp and the sauce is bubbling.

Mandolin Slicer....

I just received the mandolin slicer I purchased online. I can't wait to open it up and make a shaved vegetable salad with my hazelnut vinaigrette! It really is the little kitchen gadgets that make cooking so much fun!

Thanks Flour Bakery

Phil and I had a fun day in Boston today. We did a little shopping and then headed over to the Fort Point for some lunch. Flour Bakery was bustling and we eagerly waited at the counter for our sandwiches and raspberry seltzer. I had the BLT and Phil had the Turkey, Cheddar and Cranberry chutney. Both sandwiches were delicious and satisfying, so I wanted to thank Flour for always being consistent and delicious. It is one of my favorite eating spots in the city. We finished our meal with one of Flour's oreo cookies, if you haven't tried one, run over there and get one!

It's Friday

It's Friday and you know what that means, the weekend is almost here! I think this weekend I will spend some time finalizing my menu so that I can post it by next week! What are your plans this weekend?

Pastry

I just purchased Michel Roux's book called Pastry Savory & Sweet. I love getting a new cookbook. Flipping through the recipes until one catches your eye or getting inspired by the chef's story. This book is already being out to good use. I am going to make a blueberry tart for dessert and I am going to use the Pate brisee recipe from the book and fill it with a simple pastry cream top that with my fresh blueberries and some crushed pistachios Sounds like a perfect summer dessert!

Blue Cheese Dressing

Phil wanted me to make buffalo chicken sandwiches tonight for dinner. So, I marinated my chicken in some buttermilk and then dredged them in flour. I fried them in vegetable oil until they were golden on both sides and finished cooking them in the oven. While they were baking, I threw together a simple blue cheese dressing and I wanted to share my recipe.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup Danish Blue Cheese plus 1/4 cup crumbled to finish
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp whole grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Fold in the 1/4 cup blue cheese crumble. Taste to make sure seasoned well and serve with your favorite vegetable. I like to serve mine with Heirloom tomatoes or with roasted beets. You can even keep it a little thick and use it as a dip. Tonight it cooled down our spicy sandwiches!

Enjoy!

Mom and Dad for dinner!!!

Tonight Phil and I are having my parents over. I'm making a white bean and sausage stew with Tuscan Kale I got at the farmer's market. So far, it smells pretty good in here. I am thinking that I will serve the stew over some crusty sourdough I have, to absorb all the goodness. I will let you know how it turns out.

Can't wait to start cooking....

We are back from Cider Hill Farm with three containers of blueberries, a bunch of carrots, zucchini, summer squash, swiss chard and wax beans. I can't wait to start cooking!

Blueberry picking was so much fun and what a bargain it is if you pick your own instead of buying them at the farm stand! I plan on making a blueberry lemon loaf tomorrow with some of the blueberries, some I will enjoy for snacking and I think I may freeze some so I can enjoy sweet blueberries for a little bit or maybe I will make some jam.

The veggies I bought are gorgeous and they are going to make a delicious and simple vegetable soup. I'll post recipes soon, I need to get back to my risotto I have on the stove.

I almost forgot one of the highlights of the day, Phil and I shared a bottle of farm fresh milk from a local farm in the area, glass bottle and everything.

We plan on getting another bottle when we visit again in couple weeks and do some apple and pumpkin picking.

Blueberry Picking!

Phil and I are heading to Cider Hill Farm today in Amesbury to do some blueberry and peach picking. If you haven't been to this farm before check it out. It is one of the best places to visit especially during apple picking season, which is right around the corner! I am very excited for blueberries, peaches and all the in season vegetables that Cider Hill grows and sells at their stand.

Breakfast time

I love the weekend because I can cook breakfast for Phil and I. I'm thinking this morning is a pancake kind of day with dark chocolate chips and caramelized bananas paired with a cup of coffee and we are set!
Here's how I make my caramelized bananas:

2 tbls of unsalted butter
3 firm bananas, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
pinch of kosher salt
zest from one orange to finish

melt the butter in the pan and add the bananas. Let them cook, don't move them around too much, after 2 minutes toss them so they brown on the other side. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt and let melt. To finish add the orange zest and serve with pancakes or waffles. Get creative use pineapple in place of banana or whatever fruit looks good at the market.

So simple...

Last night I met up with some of my girls and went to The Franklin Southie. I just wanted to take some time to appreciate a dish I enjoyed that was simple and delicious. I had mussels with clarified butter and they were plump, fresh and cooked perfectly.

Tonight's Dinner

So, plans changed and it turns out I am not making pizza, but I am making Croque Monsieur. I worked the corn into the meal as well. I roasted it with a little lime zest and oil and cut it from the cob. I am going to mix it with some Heirloom tomatoes I found at the market for a refreshing side dish.

Cooking with my cousin! Recipe included

Tomorrow night my cousin and I are going to cook some dinner together. I was thinking of something simple like pizza, but I just picked up some corn from the farmer's market and want to incorporate that into the dinner. So, I was thinking that we could do a white pizza with roast corn, rosemary ham and Fontina cheese!

Here's a my favorite pizza dough recipe:

1 cup luke warm water

1 pkg dry yeast

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbls olive oil, plus 1 tsp for the bowl

1/2 tsp kosher salt

In a large mixing bowl combine the water and the yeast. Allow yeast to activate for about 5-7 minutes (it will foam when it's ready). Combine flour, oil and salt in the same bowl. Using a clean hand, mix ingredients together in a circular motion, until combined. If the dough seems dry, add a little cold water and if it seems too wet add a touch of flour. As the dough comes together into a ball, drop onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes. Shape into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic and store in a warm place. Allow to rise at least one hour and until double in size.

When you are ready to use, punch down the dough and spread it out on an oiled sheet pan or a pizza peel using your hands. Allow the dough to rise again for fifteen minutes. I like to salt and pepper my dough before I top it with anything, but that is up to the cook! Hope you enjoy!