Wine and Cheese '07: Annual 'Seis' Fest!

Wine and Cheese '07......The annual "Post-Thanksgiving Feast!" As if Thanksgiving wasn't enough food to hold us over until the following year! Anyway, the get-together that the "seis" soooo excitedly anticipates was a certain success this year. The theme was to, conveniently, cook with either wine or cheese...and, plenty of cheese was present at this festivity.

The dishes featured were Jeni's Stromboli, Jax's Parmesan-cupped salads, Ally's Italian Panini, Dena's Butternut Squash Ravioli, Kaylin's Raspberry and Brie Croissants, My Three-cheese Baked Gnocchi, and Mappy's (Jax's fantastic mother) MUCH-REQUESTED Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Of course the seis always welcomes a good photo-op...as seen at the beginning of this post...and it must be done for tradition's sake as well.

To stay with the tradition, we always convene at Jax's lovely and cozy home in Port Jefferson on Long Island. Mappy, the wonderful mother, is one of the most terrific hostesses and Jax certainly follows in her mother's footsteps. Us girls always have a wonderful time at Jax's house because, when at their home, it is certain that good food will be had...not mention the even better company. Let's just say that the seis knows how to have a good time....often, TOO good of a time, but a little partying never hurt anyone right?!

If there are any particular requests for recipes, please let me know! At this point, not all of the recipes are stored in my brain and/or computer...but they can be accessed! Hope you enjoyed the after effects of what was a delicious and filling Wine and Cheese Fesitivity!

Thanksgiving

And there you have Thanksgiving! Due to technological inadequacy, some of the desserts are shown before the meal but no one said you couldn't have Aunt Kim's ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL Apple Crisp and Pumpkin Cheesecake before dinner.

Our Thanksgiving was small and quiet. We went to Boston where my mother's brother (Uncle Dave) lives. It was a wonderful, yet ephemeral, trip but as always, amazing food was created. No short overnight trip will stop this family from under-indulging on Thanksgiving.

As you can tell by the selected photos, we had a pretty traditional meal. You got your turkey, your stuffing, brussel sprouts and bacon, freshly made dinner rolls. Unfortunately we were so excited to stuff our faces that not all of the dishes were captured by photo. That's what happens when you travel for 4 hours on an empty belly. However, my aunt does a phenomenal job playing "Susie Homemaker" and satisfying the masses with her delicious cooking and baking.

I must comment, after not only Thanksgiving festivities but "Wine and Cheese" and my sister's recent engagement, that a four day food-fest was certainly had, enjoyed, and over!!! Thankfully, we will be getting back into the routine of normal-sized portions and healthier choices but it was certainly FUN while it lasted.

Photos to come featuring "Wine and Cheese!"

Holiday Food Anticipation

Annnnnnd, the holiday food daydreaming begins....rightfully so being that Thanksgiving is in T-one week! As you all might remember from so avidly checking in on my blogging, my reliable digital camera decided to unreliably not work...to my utter dismay. Therefore, personal "foodie" photos will take a backseat until sister old snaps a buxom montage over the holidays with her own camera.

Anyhow, I am taking this opportunity to rant and rave about my favorite (and I'm sure shared) foods/gatherings for the holidays! I love the turkey, but I must say (and quite obviously from my chosen photo), the sweet potato pie is SOOOO the underdog and it is SOOOO amazing. Therefore, I am dedicating my first "fave thought" towards the magnificence and simplicity behind the candied sweet potatoes which my mother makes (recipe courtesy of one of my best friend's stepfather's.....that would be Kaylin, the tall blonde on the right on the aforementioned "seis post" with respective photo op). I think sweet potatoes, while unique and not typically enjoyed universally, have received a not-so-keen reputation because they haven't been known to be doused in brown sugar, butter, and chopped pecans. Yeah, let's face it, the holidays are certainly the times when you can kiss your stellar diet goodbye. It's definitely time to FEAST!

Anyhow, while this blog post may not be in my traditional "photo/recipe/AMAZING ANECDOTE" fashion, the next few posts will surely make up for it....because....well, two things:

1. Thanksgiving----which means I will take many photos of the INCREDIBLE meal my aunt always makes in Boston....AND
2. Wine and Cheese party- (aka 'wine and chee' spoken in my friends' sweet ebonic language) Wine and Cheese is the traditional post-Thanksgiving food and drink get together that me and my best friends, the seis, create every year! Here, we usually pick a theme and all make one dish to bring to the party. We also customarily choose "Secret Santas" for the Christmas season....ahem, and Chanukkah season....(props to being the token Jew!).

As far as this post lacking, you can see that over the next week, the floodgates will open with foodie faves and splurges running the gamut from my aunt's gourmet stuffing and cranberries on Thanksgiving to Italian panini's and my much anticipated "three-cheese baked gnocchi with bacon" at our Wine and Cheese party. Worry no more!!!! Because...............there is food to be made and, therefore, food to be had.....and don't you worry, food will be had so long as my family and the seis have anything to do with it.

So, speak soon and start stretching your stomachs for the Tuuuuuuuuuuuurkey...I already have! HAHA

Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

I have a thrilling new way to even make a salad exciting. Well, Giada de Laurentiis does! Last night I made this salad as a side and I was inspired to do so because, while we didn't wish to eat something heavy like a potato dish, we wanted more than plain iceburg. So, Giada hooked us up and I will be happy to eat the rest of this in a few short hours with my dinner tonight.

This salad was definitely a little bit more time consuming than I had planned but well worth the process being that it was so well received by my family and my self. Of course, as far as the 'svelte' issue goes, frying up Parmesan coated veggies isn't perhaps the most healthful way of donning fresh spinach with other veggies, but at least they aren't beer-battered and deep-fried right? RIGHT! And, the light dressing certainly adds to the healthful factor being that it isn't a cream-saturated mess.....

So, here is the recipe for this fantastic salad....

Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad:

2 1/2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets

2 1/2 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 to 1 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves

1/2 lemon, zested

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method: Place the broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. Toss with the beaten eggs to coat evenly. Place the Parmesan in a large tray or baking dish and dredge the vegetables in the cheese, pressing to coat evenly.
Pour olive oil in a large heavy skillet until the olive oil is 1/4-inch deep, about 1/2 cup depending on the size of your skillet. Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the Parmesan-coated vegetables. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches, if necessary. Let the vegetables cook until a crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Turn the vegetables only when they easily release from the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
Place the spinach in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the spinach with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan coated vegetables. Toss and serve.

And there you have this awesome new way to enjoy spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower.

**Side note: Unfortunately my technologically reliable digital camera just randomly decided to not work anymore, so I accredit this photo from the Food Network's site! However, my salad did in fact resemble this photo near exactly! :P

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

I am dedicating this blog post to my intense, almost borderline unhealthy, love for all-things peanut butter. I was browsing the web this morning and came across "Posie's Place," a food blog in the same vain as my very own. When I saw this stack of pancakes with peanut butter oozing out, I nearly had a coronary! I knew that, while I hadn't created this recipe, it was well worth the acknowledgment and accreditation on my own page.

I know, you might be saying, "Geez Robin, this certainly is not one of your more 'svelte' recipes...," however, I plan on a very good explanation so hear me out. Like I said, every once in a while, it is absolutely necessary to give in to certain cravings. For me, it seems as if peanut butter is one that cannot be ignored for less than a few days. So, I try to incorporate the relative nutritional value of peanut butter into my diet and lifestyle. While peanut butter certainly contains an arguable amount of fat, the fat content can often (when ambitiously going out of ones way to purchase all-natural peanut butter as opposed to commercial peanut butters like "Jif," "Skippy," etc.) be beneficial in regards to satiety and "good" fats. Unfortunately the commercial brands, while scrumptuously tasty, often go through a process of converting the existing oils into saturated fat, which is certainly not the kind of fat you want to make a habit of ingesting. However, natural peanut butter will contain fat that is healthful, especially if you're an athlete.

One of the perks of eating peanut butter is its amazing ability to fill up the belly with only a small amount. One of my favorite snacks (photos to come in due time) before/after training for intense/vigorous cardiovascular workouts is my specialty of "Peanut Butter & Banana Toast." It's the absolute perfect and rewarding snack for before or after a vigorous workout such as training for marathons and/or triathlons. My sister, who inspired me to train for the marathon, has also given me some great and healthy (while still ultimately rewarding in regard to taste) ideas for snacks and meals during training. This was one of them. It's a pretty self-explanatory snack:

whole wheat toast/wrap-chopped banana-all natural peanut butter!!!!

Anyway, I absolutely adore peanut butter and can/will find any way to incorporate it into any sweet or savory dish. One of my absolute favorite, and quite possibly addictive, takes on peanut butter is frshly ground honey roasted peanut-butter. I get this sinful treat at a wonderful Italian market called Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace on Long Island, but I understand that this decadent treat can be purchased at Whole Foods (more readily accessible to metropolitan New Yorkers) as well. If so, it's a must try!!!!!!!

Well, I know that this was a short post, but sometimes the very BEST things don't need much discussing! Peanut Butter...it's a beautiful thing.

ENJOY!

Brown Rice Salad

And we meet again! However, for this week's escapades, I unite my love for 'all things rice' with 'all things bacon!' The dish I plan on sharing today, while slightly more involved, is one that I got from Alton Brown. He is superb!

However, since my anecdotes are assumingly so well-received and requested at that, I will share another brief one. Ever since I was a little kid, I have adored rice- white, fried, brown, you name it. Unfortunately... (and here comes the portion of my blog where I give a brief nutritional 411 and borderline share too much information while doing so...), rice, along with most other carbohydrates, are known to bind the gastro-intestinal tract- in other words, "sit like 'glue' in your intestines"- or, in fewer words, CONSTIPATE! yes, I said it! It's a fact of life (not the stellar television program!) people, and a very important part being that it regards one's relative comfort. Anyhow, I have digressed from my amazing story about my love for rice...so, since I was little I loved rice (particularly white rice out of convenience and accessibility) but I, more often than not, ran into the ungodly trouble of the aforementioned problema!!! So, as I became older and wiser, I learned that brown rice, which is basically white rice in it's more natural state, contains more fiber. Thus, the GI tract is given some RELIEF from influx of bagels and bread and pasta and, well you get the point....

So, in my whirwind of a journey towards more healthful food choices, I always make a conscious effort to choose brown rice when given the choice, so as not to fall into a "bound" situation.

I was pleasantly delighted to stumble upon Alton Brown's extremely tasty take on brown rice, since I usually just enjoy it plainly. So, check it out...it has bacon...it can, therefore, undeniably be great! Sorry vegetarians, sit this one out!

Brown Rice Salad:
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Baked Brown Rice, recipe follows
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

In a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Add the red onion to the pan and cook until translucent, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vinegar, chicken broth, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir to combine. Add the bacon back to the pan along with the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the dill. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Baked Brown Rice:
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately

And there you have it. I was initially turned onto this recipe (other than the bacon and rice, obviously) due to the use of dijon mustard. Now, I think it says a lot being that I am one who would NEVER (and anyone who knows my food habits can vouch for me) use mustard as a normal condiment on anything! However, this dish used just enough to 'kick it up a notch' without overpowering the overall flavor with mustard. So, don't be "scurrrrred" by the "mustuuuurd!"

Enjoy it!

Spinach Pie

For this week's recipe extravaganza, I have decided to discuss one of my favorite and oldest recipes. The recipe that I plan on sharing with you guys is one that I love so much, largely in part of its anecdotal importance and largely in part of its supreme deliciousness. It is none other than Spinach Pie, often referred to as "Spinach Squares" by my best friends and myself. So, I guess this is where I share the much desired anecdote...

Before, when I said this is one of my oldest recipes, I lied! It is definitely not a recipe reminiscent of childhood, rather the close-knit friendship I have with a group of five other girls I call my best friends...or including myself..."the seis" (meaning 'six' in Spanish...our self-proclamation so juvenile-ly mandated nine years ago). I've enclosed a photo of the six of us just to give you a more intimate look into this story...


Anyhow... one night looooooong, long ago, when the holidays were sneaking up on every high schooler in the America, the 'seis' frequented their favorite bar in Port Jefferson, Long Island. To their complete surprise, they had all drank one too many cocktails and, upon arriving home, found themselves in Jeni's (end top left) basement with insatiable hunger. Luckily, Jeni's mother was prepared for the post-Christmas/pre-NewYear's festivities and mistakenly left her famously delicious Spinach Pie uneaten. To the seis' extreme delight, they discovered this untouched gold, if you will, in the upstairs refrigerator along with all other kinds of holiday foods synonymous with late night binging (or as we 'seis' LOVE to refer to as, "drunk-eating!"). The seis was filled with all kinds of glee as they sank their teeth into Mrs. G's famous Spinach Pie. And so, that night began the many years of decadently over-the-top "drunk-eating" for the 'seis' and "Spinach Pie requests" upon Mrs. G!!!!

To this day, I can't eat/recreate this recipe without a moment's thought in the seis' direction! I love that I always think of these girls when I eat Spinach Pie and will most likely continue to do so for as long as this story remains with me. So, here is the recipe for Mrs. G's insanely good Spinach Pie...

Spinach Pie
2 Pkg. Frozen Spinach (you can use fresh spinach but the frozen honestly comes out great, too!)
1 Cup Bisquick
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
Dash of pepper
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
4 eggs slightly beaten
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese


Method: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease rectangular pan (13x9x2). Mix ALL ingredients and spread in pan. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

The relative health/nutritional value of this dish is definitely something I forgot to discuss previously. Of course, spinach is great for you with all of its iron and cheese can and should be enjoyed in moderation. However, this recipe is one that is synonymous with celebrations and holidays for me...often a time of splurging. So, if you are trying to watch your relative fat/calorie intake, this might not be one of those dishes to leave around when you return home from a night of partying with insatiable drunk hunger.

But, I say, do it up! Enjoy

Robin

Roasted Carrots

My apologies, yet again, for last week's brief interjection on that "cupcake splurge!" I think we need to return to some easier and healthier concoctions! So, I have decided to share my incredibly simple and always satisfying recipe with none other than carrots. I was, ultimately inspired to share this recipe because I feel that even if you don't "have a thing" for carrots, you will be surprisingly smitten over this dish. Plus, it's a pretty inexpensive way to eat healthy and not be staring in envy at your neighbors gargantuous plate of french fries.

I was inspired to create this recipe based off of my own personal desire to ingest some of the loving goodness of their immense health value. I was, personally, never a fan of munching on raw carrots until recently, so I thought, "Let's come up with a way to MAKE them taste good!" I immediately thought of good 'ol suppers at my best friend Jax's house and her father's (Sir Pappy) wise words of wisdom regarding vegetables: When in doubt, OVERCOOK a vegetable!!! That's a surefire way to make them tasty. (This is, of course, in regards to roasting/grilling)...

Anyway, I thought, "Thanks, Pap" and pertained that little cooking rule in regards to my little "carrot rendezvous!" I, then, thought of a way to spice up the recipe even more by incorporating one of my favorite fresh herbs, dill. Dill always reminds me of eating my grandmother's fantastic chicken soup while growing up. Plus, it emits this incredibly potent and savory flavor when incorporated to a meal.

So, here is my very own recipe for Dill Roasted Carrots:

Dill Roasted Carrots
1 large bag of carrots
1/2 cup fresh dill
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
fresh ground pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Peel and rinse each carrot. Cut each carrot into thirds. Disperse the carrots onto a baking tray. Rinse and chop the dill- sprinkle it on top of the carrots. Grind enough fresh pepper on top of the carrots until visibly coated (or add extra if you are as keen on 'zest' as I am!). Drizzle enough extra virgin olive oil to evenly coat the carrots (so as not to douse them, while adding enough to create a 'sheen'). Using your hands (washed of course) rub the oil, dill, and pepper into the carrots and place on the middle rack of your oven. Cook approximately 60 minutes or until VERY browned/blackened.

Remember, when in doubt, OVERCOOK those veggies- the crisp factor will never cease to disappoint!

This recipe is SO easy and SO de-lish that even kids would enjoy it. There's something about roasting carrots that creates a sweetness that is, quite frankly, delightful.

Plus, you get a great source of beta-carotene- Hey-o!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy it!

Cupcakes: A Necessary and Worthwhile Splurge

So, sometimes you need to splurge in life...this definitely applies to food, perhaps even more than most other situations as well. I was once instructed by my best friend Jax (recent NYU graduate from the Nutrition and Dietetics program...nice little plug for her!) that "if you're intensely craving something quite specific for more than just a few days, you should probably give into it." It most likely means that you're experiencing a deficiency of some nutrient that is essential to normal nutritional functioning. Obviously, this does not mean that one should gorge on Doritoes or french fries! If you allow yourself a normal portion of whatever this craving is, you'll probably be more than satisfied, while concurrently curbing the craving (for at least until you crave it again :P....)

Anyway, recently I was craving the decadence of a Buttercup cupcake, but to my dismay, I was approximately 75 miles away from that particular Bake Shop in Manhattan. Now, I'm not going to give a whole spiel on the absolute brilliance that is Buttercup (because any self-respecting New Yorker surely knows this pure brilliance), but I will urgently advise you to check out one of their two locations at your leisure if you are not personally familiar with the majestic Buttercup experience!

Anyhow.....off track yet again!

So, to my dismay, I was not fortunate enough to hop on the subway and grab this bundle of decadence, but I COULD create them myself. I seemingly remembered hearing that I could mimic the recipe that I found online by the "sister" bakery (and originallly made famous by its stellar appearance on "Sex and the City"), Magnolia.

Obviously, re-creating something you've already tasted and hold so high on the "scrumptulescent" pedestal is never going to be easy, but when the recipe calls for the amount of butter and sugar that it unfortunately does, it's really hard to go wrong! So, check it out....the original Buttercup Cupcakes....

Buttercup Vanilla Cupcakes

CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

DECADENCE is certainly the word that comes to mind after biting into one of these bad boys. I know I definitely "jumped" in level of relative difficulty on this blog but cravings like these tend to come out of nowhere as well, so the situation fits I suppose! Seriously though, if you follow the exact directions, the recipe proves to really only be time consuming (and leaves you with a shitload of useless confectioner's sugar, butter, and whole milk if you're me)...

These cupcakes were happily devoured by yours truly and any friend willing to take the bulk of the cupcakes that this recipe yields off of my hands. Like I mentioned before, indulge your cravings IN MODERATION...so if you make this LARGE and IN CHARGE batch of cupcakes, I suggest you give some out to friends. They'll love them!

I would also like to close this blog with a comment on the "cupcake experience" as it were. There is something about eating a cupcake that beautifully forces us to regress to childhood...and you're never too old to get down with your "juvenile" self and have a cupcake experience!

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella: A Classic Fave

We meet again.....still on the theme of "cooking without cooking," I suppose, but with a little twist. I wanted to ease my way into some more challenging recipes/ideas on here because, let's get serious, you can't go from throwing a bunch of beans into a bowl to "flambe!" Anyhow, the dish I plan on sharing today is not only one of my favorites, but it really seems to be a crowd pleaser all around.

I decided to share with you guys a recipe which I create with a little "give and take" in my own kitchen. It is none other than the famous, Italian style "Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella." Now, there are many ways to create this dish, but I am partial to one of my favorite recipes extroadinarily prepared by the adorable, Aussie Take Home Chef, Curtis.

Before I display this de-lish recipe I must just comment on how hilarious the show Take Home Chef is. I don't know how many people are familiar with this particular show, but even if you are not incredibly into cooking, the show is worth viewing merely based on how adorable Curtis is. You gotta love how he (being the gorgeous and charming Oz that he is) goes into the most "hoity-toity" market in L.A., picks up the hottest "chick" he can find (who, mind you, usually has NO IDEA what she's doing in the kitchen...and is a complete 'gold-digger'), only to lividly piss off and scare the shit out of the tired, hard-working husband when he returns home from work to see his home full of a camera crew and his now decked out wife canoodling with adorable Curtis. Exhibit A:

....phew....I'd be raging if I were that husband, too! Well, I digress....now for the scrumptuous recipe:

Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 ripe heirloom tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds/1.1 kg total), coarsely cubed

2 tablespoons/30 ml aged balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup/10 g torn fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons/30 ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces/350 g fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese

Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

Method:Gently toss the tomatoes in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon/15 ml of vinegar. Add the torn basil leaves and 1 tablespoon/15 ml of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again.Mound the tomato mixture in the center of four plates, dividing equally. Tear the mozzarella cheese into small chunks and place them over the tomato mixture, dividing equally. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml of extra virgin olive oil.Sprinkle the salads with salt and pepper. Garnish the salads with the basil sprigs. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml of vinegar around the salads and serve.

As I mentioned before, this recipe has plenty of "lee-way" in regards to following exact measurements and/or adding more of what you love. How can you go wrong with fresh mozzarella, anyway???

The only drawback to the dish is that you really want all of the ingredients to be FRESH (especially those tomatoes and mozzarella which can either make or break the "freshness" quality of this dish). In turn, it can be kind of costly for a mere "side." However, it's well worth the money and it is a healthier alternative to, let's say, a fried side dish or heavy potatoes.

I say, do it up! Anddddd, ENJOY! Let me know how it goes if you decide on whipping this one up....it's super easy...lot's of chopping, that's all....DE-LISHHHHH!

Mangia!

Cooking Without Cooking---Bean Salad Fun!

Well, hello again! I figured I'd share with you guys one of my very first (and 'scrumptulescent') recipes and attempts at "cooking." I use the term "cooking" quite loosely in that I'm not entirely sure throwing a bunch of beans and herbs into a bowl can be regarded as such but we'll roll with it!

One of the great things about putting food together into a "dish" is that, as I have already insinuated, you don't even need to boil water or use heat to create and/or make something taste phenomenal. Though it sounds ridiculously trite, you just need to use a little imagination in regards to a realistic start. With that said, I introduce you to what I refer to as a splendidly versatile "Summer Bean Salad." The recipe and instructions are as follows:

Robin's Summer Bean Salad

1 red onion
2 stalks green scallions
2 cloves garlic
3 Tablsp. fresh parsley
2 teasp. fresh thyme
2 teasp. fresh oregano
1 can Butter beans
1 can black beans
1 can lentils
1 can chick peas
1 can corn
(all canned products should be 'in water' not 'in oil')
1/2 cup Large Spanish olives
extra virgin olive oil (to taste- a drizzle to coat salad)
red wine vinegar (to taste- a drizzle so as not to saturate the salad)
1 lemon (freshly squeezed juice---No PITS!)
1/2 Tablsp. Kosher salt
Pepper (freshly ground---as much as you like)

***In a large bowl, chop the onions, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and oregano finely. Drain all of the beans, lentils, and corn well and add to chopped mixture. Quarter the olives after draining well and add to salad mixture as well. Drizzle the oil and red wine vinegar just enough to add a glistening sheen to the beans (you don't want to be drinking oil after you've served yourself a bowl). Halve the lemon and gently pit the lemon with a sharp knife- squeeze the juice on top of the mixture. Lastly, add salt and pepper. When in doubt, use more pepper than salt to taste. Enjoy!!!!

This recipe is quite easy to prepare and typically not terribly time consuming. It's a crowd pleaser minus the fact that you probably won't want to be hanging out with anyone who HASN'T been eating this divine delicacy. Garlic breath is a killer!

The greatest thing about this recipe is the versatility in switching it up in respect to beans you like, don't like, etc. Use your imaginations! If you don't like Butter beans, use kidney beans. If you don't like Spanish olives, try Kalamata olives. If you don't like beans altogether, well then you're shit out of luck! However, you get my point--it's trial and error but it's truly hard to not please the masses with this one...good source of protein for all, as well. Enjoy!

Enclosed is a photo of my very own "Summer Bean Salad," created this summer...

Hello, my name is....

...ROBIN!!!!

In an attempt to consciously diverge from my habitual cynicism, I have created this thrilling blog about all things food! As human beings, I believe that although we come from many culturally diverse backgrounds, one thing is for sure, we like to eat!! With that said, I would like to share some information about myself which has ultimately prompted me to solidify the theme of this project:

In the past 6 months of my life, I have made some "lifestyle" changes which have quite effectively and certainly altered my health for the better. I use to the term "lifestyle" quite specifically because my initial attempts at simply consuming, preparing, to actually "cooking" healthier meals/snacks has led me to become a much healthier and aware being altogether. I began this unconscious journey, if you will, with little to no kitchen skills which leads me to believe that anyone can create healthy food for themselves no matter how far the steak knife is up one's ass.

I plan on pseudo-documenting my lifestyle/food attempts beginning from mastery in "PB&J construction" to "move over Emeril, I'll show you 'bam!'" As already eagerly anticipated I'm sure, my recipes for various concoctions will be posted along with certain photographic documentation (yes, I AM that much of a LOSER and snap quickies of my creations) and "splurge alternatives" when lentils and rice cakes just don't cut it.

I, ultimately, hope to open people's hungry minds up to how easy and exciting (and yes, I'm cheezy from time to time) food can be! If nothing else, I hope you go out and have a few drinks for me if your attempts in the kitchen flop!

...and to allude the wise words of a baseball film-favorite, "If you cook it, people will come!"


Food for thought, I'd say.