Roses are red, violets are blue, i love french toast, how about you??

My mom got me some of the MOST AMAZING Italian Panettone (a type of bread) from Eataly, which is a delicious Italian cafe with a true Italian market in the back (quite expansive, actually).  Anyway, she had it shipped to me in Chapel Hill all the way from NYC for Valentine's Day!

House-made bread is a specialty at Eataly.

The Panettone was more than Miss A and I could handle and mom recommended making French Toast with it -- so we did.

It came beautifully wrapped!

And looks like this when you unwrap it... ours was HUGE!

This is honestly the simplest breakfast recipe I've ever followed - besides just popping something in the microwave.  I had always been intimidated by the thought of making french toast (mainly because I had no idea how you made it), but I recommend this to even the most basic of cooks!

EASY EATALY BAKED FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients:

The Eataly Panettone... mmmmm

6 1/2in-thick slices of toast of your choice (French bread is great, or sunflower seed bread)
1/2 cup skim milk
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of ground nutmeg
brown sugar and maple syrup (to taste)

Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
- Combine milk, egg whites, vanilla, and nutmeg in a shallow bowl and beat.
- Dip the bread in the mixture, coating both sides.
- Spray a baking sheet/dish with vegetable cooking spray and place bread in a single layer
- Sprinkle brown sugar on top
- Bake for 10-12 minutes (or until lightly browned)
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar on top for a diner-worthy look!

Yum yum eat-em-up!

Next time I want to try variations, including: bananas, berries, pecans, etc!

...all images borrowed from the Eataly website, unless otherwise noted

101 Thursday: How to roast a fish

I check The New York Times website every morning (in addition to waking up to The Today Show and listening to NPR on my commute) to have at least some idea as to what's going on in the world.  Every now and then, the NY Times will grab my attention with some photos, giant header text, videos, etc.  This week, they posted a video perfect for a FAFK 101 Thursday

HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE FISH

Wheel of Baking...

Dinner Tonight...

A classic K and A Fave...

Strawberry Spinach Salad!

(Click here to see the original post and recipe!)

But we're mixing up the dressing this time and using the dressing we made for our 

Super Bowl Salad!!

(Click here for the dressing recipe!)

We'll let you know how it goes...

xoxo

K & A

Cow Fail

So I found a whole series of photos online of what they call "Cow Fails."  Cows are funny to begin with, but when they do silly/stupid things, they're even more entertaining.  

I'll post a few of my favorites from time to time, and hopefully put a smile on your face too!

Thursday 101: Egg-ceptional Tips

We all know that eggs are good for you: they're a great source of protein and good cholesterol.  But when buying eggs at the grocery store, I get so overwhelmed by all the choices of eggs: organic vs. not; medium, large, or extra large; grade A; brown vs. white; and then there are egg substitutes... you get the idea.  

Well how do you make a choice?  A recent Cooking Light article answered just that - and just in time for a little 101 lesson on eggs.

The Incredible, Edible Egg: 

Save money and buy the best eggs.

1. Real eggs vs. Egg substitutes

Winner: Real eggs

Apparently, egg substitutes are basically egg whites with added food color.  Egg subs are more expensive than whites from whole eggs (nearly 2x the price!).  Plus, once you open the container, you better be ready to use them quickly because they'll spoil quickly.  But a dozen eggs can last up to 1 1/2 months in the fridge!

2. Brown eggs vs. White eggs

Winner: Tie

Brown eggs typically cost about 40% more than white eggs, but brown eggs are identical to white eggs in terms of taste and nutrition.  So what makes a brown egg, well, brown?  Brown hens lay brown eggs--simple as that!  Hens that lay brown eggs are bigger, which means they have to eat more--therefore it costs the farmer more to produce brown eggs and the cost is passed down to the consumer.

3. Store brand vs. Name brand

Winner: Store brand

Once again, store brands win out.  Store brand eggs have the same quality as name brand eggs, but they're almost always less expensive.  Go figure.

photo from here

4. Famer's market vs. Supermarket

Winner: Supermarket

Many consumers assume that farmer's market eggs are fresher, and they sometimes are.  But farmer's market eggs aren't subject to the same regulations as commercially-produced eggs.  Translation: you don't know where those farmer's market eggs have been--have they been washed and cleaned?  Have they been refrigerated?  Eggs sold at the grocery store have to be inspected and certified by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)--meaning they're inspected, washed, transported in refrigerated trucks, and shipped to the supermarket within 36-48 hours of being laid.  

all images are from Cooking Light unless otherwise noted

The Incredible, Edible Egg

http://bit.ly/hv7K1H

I Like Their Style

Apparently anything and everything can be celebrated with cupcakes.  Published by Zagat Buzz, (click here to read the Zagat Survey's blog), the photo was apparently tweeted yesterday by a correspondent for Al Jazeera (the international news network headquartered in Quatar).

Even the Egyptian Freedom Movement can be celebrated with cupcakes.  I like their style.

**Notice the little hearts in the upper left corner - maybe celebrating Valentine's Day too??

The Return of Mac Monday... on a Tuesday!

In Galway, Ireland 

MAC MONDAY

Kissing the Blarney Stone

I’ve been in Ireland for almost 2 months now.  I’ve tried several traditional recipes and had some traditional irish meals out at restaurants.  The lamb stew I had at the café above the English market was probably the best meal I have had at a restaurant.  I also made a true version of the Sheppard’s pie that I posted a few months ago.  But tonight I am going on a whole new adventure in the culinary world:  Irish Tripe Stew!!!  

For those of you who don’t know what tripe is you probably don’t want to know, but for the sake of honesty I will enlighten you.   Tripe is the stomach lining of an animal, and in this case I used tripe from a cow.  I do most of my grocery shopping at a place called the English Market here in Cork.  As you walk in there is a butcher that specializes in Tripe and blood sausage.  So every time I have gone to buy food I see the tripe there.  This weekend I finally got up the nerve to try it. 

MAC'S GAELIC TRIPE STEW

Ingredients:

2-2½ pounds honeycomb tripe, diced

1 quart milk

3-4 medium onions, sliced

3-4 medium potatoes, diced

Salt

Pepper 

Fresh parsley to taste, chopped 

Preparation:

- Wash the tripe and then cut it into small bite sized pieces.  

- Then place the tripe into a large pot and cover it with water.  

- Then simmer the tripe for 2 hours.  

- Tripe can be very chewy if you don’t prepare it properly.  

- Cooking it this long helps to improve the texture of the tripe. 

- After 2 hours of simmering drain the tripe of the water and return it to the pot.  

- Then add the potatoes, onions and milk.  

- Simmer again for an additional hour or until the vegetables are tender.  

- After the hour add the salt, pepper and parsley to taste.  

- Then serve and enjoy. 

I hope some of you muster the courage to try this recipe.  It is a very traditional, yet simple Irish dish.  

Remember, cook what you love, love what you eat.  

Cooking for Two

buy on Amazon for your favorite couple, or for you and yours.  (It's also great for those of you that live by yourself or with a roommate.)

"...Tea for two. That's what it's all about, right? So how come every recipe you pick up says "serves 4 to 6"? Or more! What do you do when you want macaroni and cheese, but don't want to be reheating it for three nights? Or a couple of cookies, but don't want to be tempted by two dozen sitting on the counter all week?

Brimming with 120 smaller-serving, big-taste recipes, Cooking for Two offers cooks familiar favorites such as Pasta Bolognese, Chicken Pot Pie, and Mushroom Barley Soup, as well as new dishes for today's tastes like Pork Satay Salad and Snapper Fillets Sautéed with Orange and Pecans.

Simply cutting down larger recipes leads to wasted ingredients. But Bruce and Mark have developed each recipe so you buy only what you need, and use all of what you buy. Instead of opening a can of vegetable stock only to use three tablespoons, use the liquid the dried mushrooms have soaked in. If an onion is too large for a recipe, chop a shallot instead.

The dessert chapters are filled with cookies, puddings, and cakes, all designed for two servings. Small-batch baking requires strict attention to detail. A regular egg can be too big for a small batch of six cookies, so they suggest quail eggs or the easy-to-find pasteurized egg substitutes, which you can measure out in tablespoons.

Truly a cookbook for everyday use, each recipe is labeled as quick (ready in minutes with minimal cooking), moderate (requires a bit more preparation or cooking), or leisurely (perfect for quiet celebrations or weekend meals) to help you decide which dish best fits into your day.
With ingredient and equipment guides, as well as tips on how to stock your pantry to avoid those there's-nothing-in-the-house-so-let's-go-out moments, Cooking for Two will surely become the cookbook you reach for every night of the week.

It's just two perfect..."

Single or Taken -- Valentine's Day is a Good Day for Wine

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that people love when they're involved and hate when they're not. One of my favorite anti-Valentine's day events I've heard about is Atlanta's "Bitter Ball" -- entertaining to say the least.

borrowed from http://bit.ly/frjrTa

But regardless if you're celebrating Valentine's Day with your love, roommate, friend, or mom - it's a great excuse to enjoy some good wine.  Wines can quickly get expensive and for anyone on a budget, that can be a big deterrent from enjoying a nice glass of vino.

Lately I've been on a hunt for fantastic wines under $15, but my mom found a great article in Country Living about some of the best red wines under $10!  To find anything under $10 is practically a miracle these days, so finding good (emphasis on good) wines under $10 is equally miraculous.

Here are their recommendations:

1. Alto Almanzora Este, 2006 ($8.99)
 With flavors of blueberry, plum, fruitcake, and chocolate, this Spanish six-grape blend is delish at $8.99. (garnetwine.com)

2. Alamos, 2008 ($9.99)
I love Malbec wines and they're quite the popular choice of red right now.  This is an Argentinian Malbec with a hint of sweet spice, making it a fabulous companion for a well-cooked steak, especially at such a reasonable price. (wine.com)

3. Sagelands, 2005 ($9.89)
This Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is said to get better with time, so store some extras of this for a great party wine. (drinkthegrapes.com)

4. Penfolds Koonunga Hill, 2007 ($7.97)
This is a new favorite of my parents.  This remarkably well-priced Australian mix of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon is incredibly drinkable, but goes exceptionally well with roasted root vegetables and lamb. (crownwineandspirits.com)

5. Vinos Pinol Ludovicus, 2007 ($8.99)
This was the favorite choice of the author of the article.  It's a combo of four Spanish wines and was described as an, "eye-opener."  It tastes expensive, making it a great inexpensive gifting wine that doesn't need to taste like a gifting wine. (bassins.com)

6. Borsao Campo de Borja, 2008 ($7.99)
This is one of my favorite reds and I was so excited to see that it's appreciated by others too!  This is another Spanish wine, a mix of Grenache and Tempranillo, and its dark fruity flavor is great with everything from a rich chicken to cheese and crackers to a hearty steak. (thewinecountry.com)

7.  Domaine Andre Brunel, 2005 ($7.00)
This French Grenache is enjoyable in its simplest form by the glass, but it's also great for an elegant dinner. (winespecialist.com)

8. Nine North Ten Mile, 2006 ($9.99)
This is a four-grape California red is often recommended as wonderful accompaniment to duck. (ultimatewineshop.com)

9. Redtree, 2008 ($6.99)
Wine bloggers are crazy for this light-bodied California Pinot Noir, with flavors of clove and summer berries. (klwines.com)

(all photographs are from Country Living)

Happy Valentine's Day... and bottoms up!

Dinner Tonight Was...

Pasta Carbonara with Spicy Sausage
from Real Simple, March 2011

Chocolate Chocolate Make It Melt: Double Chocolate Cookies

Do you ever wake up in the morning and just crave chocolate?  Well, this morning was one of those mornings for me.  For Miss A's birthday in December, a friend had baked the most amazing chocolate chocolate chip cookies.  I normally am not a huge chocolate chocolate person, but when I crave chocolate, I CRAVE chocolate.  These cookies aren't overly sweet and have just the right amount of chocolate to satisfy.  The mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate keep them from being too heavy on the chocolate.  There's really nothing else to say about these cookies except that you MUST try them if you're even remotely a chocolate person. 

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

from Real Simple

makes 3 dozen cookies

hands-on time: 15 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

creaming the butter and sugars

Preparation:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed.

- Lower to medium speed and add the egg and vanilla extract.

- Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

- Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture on low speed; beat until fully incorporated.

- Form the dough into small balls using a small spoon (about 1 1/2 inch balls).  Place on a non-stick baking sheet (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil).

- Bake for about 12 minutes (until the centers are just set).  Let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

 **I made exactly 30 cookies with this recipe - generously sized, but not too big.  If I were making this recipe again to share with others, I'd probably double the recipe so there'd be enough for me to indulge and to share with others!


Happy Sunday! 

Super Fast and Impressive Finger Food!

Party food is always a challenge for me.  I like to have lots of selection to please everyone's taste buds, but I also want to find easy ones.  Usually before hosting a party, I'm running around my apartment with Miss A frantically cleaning, sweeping, and vacuuming then hopping in the shower and getting ready as fast as possible since it's already 20minutes past when we told people to arrive.

To rectify this, I've been on the hunt for impressive but EASY appetizers.  I LOVE crostini (those little toasted baguette slices with delicious tastes on top.  I discovered this Artichoke and Olive Crostini recipe online and was so excited!  Miss A and I love artichokes and hadn't had any in a long time.  I'd suggested steamed artichokes for dinner earlier this week and was depressed to find out THEY'RE NOT IN SEASON!  Bummer!  So after all this hunting for delicious artichoke recipes to satisfy my craving, I was out of luck.  But then I realized this recipe called for artichoke hearts - A HA! - and you can get these canned all year long!

ARTICHOKE AND OLIVE CROSTINI

Thanks to Real Simple for a better

pic than any of mine!

Ingredients:

24 thin slices of baguette (from 1 small loaf)

5 bsp olive oil

1 14oz can artichoke hearts (rinsed and chopped)

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

kosher salt and pepper

fresh shaved parmesan

Preparation:

- Heat oven to 400 degrees.

- Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy clean up) and brush both sides of the bread with 2 tbsp of olive oil.

- Bake until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes each side).

-In a small bowl, toss together the artichoke hearts, olives, and parsley with the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil.

- Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

- Top the baguette slices with the artichoke heart mixture and top with freshly shaved parmesan.

Happy Friday!!!

How tempting is a piece of cheese?

Zucchini Soup - with a KICK!

With the dreary, bleary, and downright miserable weather most of the country has been getting (including lovely Chapel Hill), I've been inspired by all foods warm!  My latest kick has been soups - whether it's buying the homemade soups at The Fresh Market for lunch or making my own, I've been getting my fill of soups lately.

Soup at home - a la Mom!

I was home in NYC 2 weeks ago on a work/play trip.  I had dinner at home with my family that Sunday before I flew back down South and requested a homemade dinner; when asked what specifically I wanted, I replied "anything delicious."  We ended up enjoying a perfectly cooked sirloin by my dad with some roasted root veggies; but the HIT of the dinner (for me, at least) was the Zucchini Soup my mom made!


I inhaled 2 bowls before I even started on my steak and immediately requested the recipe.  Turns out - it's the easiest soup EVER!  Dinner will be ready in 25 minutes and only a little clean up!  PERFECT!

ZUCCHINI SOUP

(Adapted from Fran's Recipe)

A little footnote on this recipe: I used absolutely no measurements and did a major trial-and-error experiment with this recipe.  Luckily, it was a success.  Sadly, I can't share exact measurements with you.  This is just one of those recipes you need to wing it, taste it, and add more of whatever you think it needs.  I promise it's pretty hard to mess up!

Cut the zucchini in large chunks
(since you'll puree it later)

Ingredients:

4 large zucchini

1 large white onion, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp butter

Chicken stock (light or low sodium)

Coriander

Curry powder

Cayenne pepper

EVOO

Salt

Pepper

Preparation:

- Saute chunks of zucchini and onion in butter and oil over medium-high heat until the zucchini begins to soften.

Saute the zucchini with onions, oil, & butter until soft.

- Add enough chicken stock to cover the veggies and cook until they're fully softened.

- Use a food processor, stick blender (the coolest kitchen gadget), or a blender to puree (I used a blender).

- Add some coriander and puree until smooth.

- Flavor with salt, curry powder, and cayenne pepper to taste.  

Besides being easy, this soup is incredibly versatile.  It can be served hot (I prefer this), room temperature, or chilled.  And you can mix up the veggies used--try asparagus, broccoli, spinach, green beans, or whatever green veggies you have.  I used only zucchini on this first attempt, but next time I'll try some others.  

Our little mishap... We used a blender and the lid didn't
exactly work too well... SOUP EVERYWHERE! Ha

We ended up not having cayenne pepper (although I could've sworn we did) and we chose to leave out the coriander; we really only added the curry powder, salt, and pepper.  The soup ended up having a thai-like flavor with all the curry, but it was DELISH!  You really can't mess this up!

Sprinkle some scallions on top for a pretty finish!

BEST. THING. EVER.

http://www.icantfindmyphone.com/

This is the best idea ever.  How many times have you lost your cell phone in your own house and couldn't find it?  

Well Miss A found this little diddie in Real Simple mag (a K & A fave) and it has solved one of our most annoying problems in our apt!


Plus - it could be great for prank calls!

The Most Amazing Chicken Parm You'll Ever Have

Miss A and I made the most AMAZING chicken parm for dinner tonight.  It was so good I couldn't wait to share the recipe!  We "roughly" followed a Weight Watchers Recipe for Chicken Parmigiana, but pretty much fudged our way through it -- and it worked!


This is a super quick recipe - we sauteed the chicken for 4 minutes on each side and then baked it for 25 minutes.  TOTALLY worth it!

FANTABULOUS CHICKEN PARM

Ingredients:

For Sauce:

1 jar (23oz) of tomato sauce (we used Prego 100% Natural Marinara Sauce)

1 can diced tomatoes (we used Italian flavored)

1 large white onion, roughly chopped

2 tbsp garlic (finely diced)

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

For Chicken:
4-5 thinly sliced chicken breasts (approx. 4oz each)
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup Plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or grated, if you prefer)

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Fresh basil

EVOO

Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the Sauce:
- Saute onion and garlic in oil; cook until the onions become translucent.
- In a large bowl, combine the sauce, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.


For the Chicken:
- Place egg whites in a shallow bowl, beat lightly.  Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp salt in a separate bowl.
- Dip the chicken in the egg whites and turn to coat; then dip the chicken in the bread crumb mixture and turn to cover completely.

Check to see if the underside is cooked by looking to see
if the edges have curled and browned.

- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with EVOO and bring to medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot and sizzling, add the chicken and cook until lightly browned--about 4 minutes on each side.  (HINT: You can tell when to flip the chicken when the edges start to curl and brown.)

- Cover the bottom of 13"x 9" casserole dish with the sauce.  Place the cooked chicken on top and then cover with sauce.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top (you can add a little extra Parmesan too if you'd like).

- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (make sure the cheese is completely melted).

Remove from oven, uncover, and tear fresh basil over the top.  Let sit for 5 minutes to cool.
THEN ENJOY!

Healthy Salad for that Post-Super Bowl Binge: Strawberry & Cashew

Miss A and I spent the weekend in Atlanta bridesmaid dress shopping with the bride-to-be Miss L (and Miss A's twinnie!).  We found the perfect dress (yay!) and extended our trip a little longer to enjoy the Super Bowl with my Southern Family.  Well needless to say, I ate a lot and now Miss A and I have to start thinking about being healthy in the pre-wedding prep.
Enter this delicous and healthy salad.  What really makes this special is the dressing: a sweet dressing packed with a punch of tangy flavor to create the perfect light vinaigrette for this treat!  Miss A and I made this salad under the direction of Mama Ritt and kudos to her for sharing it with us!

Strawberry and Cashew Light Salad

Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup MINUS 2 tbsp sugar (we went a little light on the sugar and it was still delish)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium white onion, chopped (doesn't need to be perfect)
2 cloves diced garlic
1 tsp celery seed (optional--we left it out)

Dressing Preparation:In a food processor (or blender if you don't have one), combine all of the ingredients and blend until it resembles a dressing consistency.  We started with the onions, since they needed the most slicing and dicing, and then added everything else.

Salad Ingredients:
1 bag (wash it!) spinach (I'd love to add arugula next time I make it; or you can substitute the spinach for mixed greens)
1 carton fresh strawberries, sliced thinly
1/2 cup cashews (preferably unsalted, halved)

Salad Preparation: 
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Add dressing and toss to mix the ingredients.  The dressing makes almost double what you'll want for the salad, so go light at first on the dressing because you can always add more.  Save the rest of the dressing in a tupperware and keep refrigerated.
Save a few strawberry slices and cashews to sprinkle on top for a beautiful finished look!