Happy 4th of July everyone!
Bow-ties with Roasted Cauliflower, Arugula, and Prosciutto
An amazing dish, we utilize roasting here to concentrate the flavors of the cauliflower and tomatoes and combine it with the richness of prosciutto. Bold flavors make this relatively light meal taste indulgent even though it could be frozen and called a Lean Cuisine.
If you haven't had roasted cauliflower lately, you have been missing out; it becomes sweet and nutty. The sage rounds out the dish by adding a counterpoint to the saltiness of the prosciutto and the earthiness of the vegetables.
Although this is an easy dish to make, preparation takes about an hour so make enough for leftovers because they warm great in the microwave.
Ingredients:
- One head of cauliflower with the stem removed, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes
- 12 leaves of fresh sage
- 4-5 large cloves of garlic, peeled
- 6 slices of prosciutto, about 4 ounces
- 1 pound of dried pasta bow-ties
- 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces of baby arugula
- olive oil
- salt & black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, blend the sage and garlic together for 6-7 pulses. Add the prosciutto and blend a few more times until the mixture is uniformly chopped. Set aside.
Toss the cauliflower in 3 tablespoons of olive oil on a sheet pan along with with salt and pepper, and place in the hot oven. After the cauliflower has been roasting for 5 minutes, removed from the oven, add the tomatoes to the sheet pan, stir well, and place back into oven.
After another 5 minutes in the oven, remove the cauliflower and tomatoes and toss them with the sage, garlic, and prosciutto mix. Place the cauliflower and tomatoes back into the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Once the cauliflower and tomatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Place the pasta back into the pot and add the vegetable and prosciutto mixture.
Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the arugula, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, stir to combine. Add additional pasta water if too dry. Check for salt and pepper, add as needed.
Spoon into bowls and top with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.
Serves 4
We made some "Joe's Specials" a la Joe Jost. Joe Jost's is the likely the oldest and definitely the most iconic bar in Long Beach California. The place has been around since 1924 and about they only thing they serve besides beer are peanuts, pickled eggs, and Joe's Specials - A Polish Sausage, a slice of Swiss cheese a pickle, and mustard on rye bread.
We also made a trip to Stone Brewery, one day we'll do the tour, but this time we just ate and Amy did a tasting flight. Their duck tacos are pretty good.
A trip to the farmer's market yielded some fresh vegetables especially some amazing red bell peppers. We made a curry and we put some turnip greens in with the rice. This is a technique I will be sticking with, they came out magnificent.
I was tipped off to Antonelli's Deli in El Cajon where I fell in love with an Italian sandwich, the #1. I also caved once and got a McMuffin at McDonalds, although I could have easily eaten two.
Brunch Sausage Casserole
As a working mom with a stay at home dad hubby, I don't get to cook too often... I know, I know, I have it pretty good BUT I like to cook...
...sometimes, on the weekends.
So, for father's day, because our daughter is two years old, and because I had no idea what else to get him, I thought I'd make Steve (hubby) some great meals.
I have been wanting to make this casserole but did not have an occasion...until now! We had bought the Jimmy Dean sausage tube a while ago and then threw it in the freezer for a while longer. In recent weeks, it had been moved to a precarious spot where it would fall out everytime you opened the freezer - the universe was telling me to cook it.
The menu took shape based on what we had in our freezer and fridge as well as flipping through all the magazine pages I've torn out and saved. For breakfast, a Brunch Sausage Casserole and a Fruit Salad with Candied Ginger.
This recipe can be prepared the night before so that you don't have to spend your morning cooking. You can enjoy the company of your family. So Saturday night I made the casserole:
Brunch Sausage Casserole (Serves 4-6)
- 1 16oz Jimmy Dean Sausage (cooked, crumbled, and drained on a paper towel)
- 4 cups cubed day old bread
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 10 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 2 12oz cans evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard (the dry seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
Place bread in the bottom of a greased cake pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the bread. Combine in a bowl the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion powder and pour the mixture over the cheese.
Sprinkle the sausage, sliced mushrooms and chopped tomatoes on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, uncover and bake the casserole for 55-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Keep the foil cover and place back on the casserole the top starts to brown too quickly.
The next time I make this recipe, I may try to "skinny" it up by using less eggs or sausage. Or to "mex" it up by adding diced chiles and using pepper jack cheese. You could also spinach or diced zucchini for a bit more of veg. It is yummy regardless so I may not mess with it...depends on my mood.
I like that you can make this the night before and then just toss it into the oven in the morning. The only catch I have found is when we have company over for a weekend and this type of dish would be ideal, we're always busy the night before either going places or making a big dinner so I never actually end up making anything the night before...I usually just make a big scramble the next morning or hope that someone suggests going out :)
I like that you can make this the night before and then just toss it into the oven in the morning. The only catch I have found is when we have company over for a weekend and this type of dish would be ideal, we're always busy the night before either going places or making a big dinner so I never actually end up making anything the night before...I usually just make a big scramble the next morning or hope that someone suggests going out :)
Fruit Salad with Candied Ginger
I threw in what we had: 2 peaches, 2 mangoes, 2 kiwis, the rest of the strawberries and 1.5 bananas. The key is to dice up about a tablespoon of crystalized ginger (ours is from Trader Joe's) and then simmer that in 1/4 water for a few minutes then blend it and toss with the fruit. I also added a squeeze a lime when I cut the bananas to keep them from browning.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Highlights of the week included a fun-filled trip to Vancouver. Many thanks to Eric and Anderson for putting everything together. There some great meals there where, unfortunately, camera-phone pictures didn't turn out so well in the dimly lit restaurants.
I may have filled up my memory card taking pictures of all the beers we drank; I just hope we put some bar owner's daughter through college. And, after a long weekend with the boys, there's nothing like a carton of chocolate milk to settle the stomach for an airplane ride home.
There were also some oysters to spice things up and some amazing halibut tacos at a not-so-secret spot in Carlsbad. There was Salmon Jerky, heaps of berries, Crunchy Snack Mix with 46 ingredients, and another batch of Potica.
This week was brought to you by the phenomenal Stone Brewery, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Curtis Winery, and Pannikin Coffee Roasters.
Chicken Taco with Cabbage, Sour Cream, and Avocado
Everything with Cucumbers
- Zinfandel and its Alternative History
- Top 100 Twitter Feeds for Food Lovers
- Guide to Eating and Ordering Sushi
- beer holster from RedEnvelope.com
- Lottie + Doof » Ginger Beer
- Weird Meat - a food and travel blog: More Cock and Balls
- The Unvegan | American Meat Institute to the Rescue!
Burritos, coffee, some Russian food, and a triathlon of sorts where the biking has been replaced by drinking beer. Perfect for me because I don't even own a road bike but even if I did, I'm not a big fan of road bike seats. The event was hosted by a Navy Seal, god bless 'em, those boys sure know how to host a BBQ.
We grilled a whole turkey, compliments of Honeysuckle White, after brining it for several hours in a Chelada brine (recipe to come) - and it came out fantastic. I had my doubts about grilling turkey but now I think that's the way to go.
I made some homemade Seasoned Salt with paprika and a couple of odd spices I don't run into often, sumac and filé. Sumac is most comonly used on salads and kabob; filé is generally associated with gumbo. This mixture makes for a close relative to a Lawry's-style seasoned salt but with a je ne sais quoi.
Fueling up for the big race
This week was brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Tekate.
pasta dish
I attended the Gallo Salame Old World Workshop, on Thursday 06-10-10, and had a great time. The people from Gallo were warm and inviting. The workshop was lead by Chef Catherine “Cat” DeOrio, and she was fantastic.
She demonstrated to our little group of foodies, food bloggers, and food writers ways to add excitement to everyday meals by adding Gallo Salame. Each participant received a tray of ingredients and Cat led us in combining them into a delicious pasta salad, made all the more delicious with the addition of strips of Gallo Salame.
Cat also instructed us in making a ham, turkey, and Gallo Salame sandwich which could be easily turned into a panni with a little butter or oil brushed on the outside of the bread and then grilled with a weight on top.
Gallo Salame Tasting
All yummy things to do with Gallo Salame, but these were just the show pieces, or stunt dishes if you will because the period dressed wait staff whisked our creations away from us once we were done. “Wait, no take food away,” I heard my stomach say. But all was not lost.
Our hungry little gathering soon learned that the people at Gallo Salame were ready to fill our gullets with whatever we wanted from their Trattoria 1910 menu. I must say the antipasti and the primo entrée selections looked intriguing, but being from the planet Bake, I was on the edge of my seat at the prospect of tasting a Salame macaroon, and if I was exceedingly charming I might even get them to offer me the Trattoria 1910 Cheesecake.
Antipasti and Primo Menu
I was, and they did, and it was delicious and it had only a hint of Salame flavor, and the rest was all rich and creamy cheesecake. The salame macaroon tasted like a cross between a French macaron and a salty, spicy bite of salame.
Think of it as sitting on your couch and eating bag full of French macarons will watching TV (no judgments, and sadly, yes, I have done this) and then you take a bite of a salame rich panni, and your taste buds start to quiver with confusion, unsure if it wants more sugar, salt or spice to determine if it likes the combination or not.
It’s not bacon drenched in chocolate or anything, but salame macaroon could be a hit one day.
Gallo Salame Workshop
After Gallo fed us we all had a chance to sit around and talk food. I met the lovely Aihui Ong who runs the website Love with Food. Aihui says she wants to bring food lovers and food makers together without all the red tape and bureaucracy. I am all for that.
Aihui was sitting with a very pretty food blogger whose name begins with an L, and I did not get her card. It’s not like me to forget the names of pretty women. I apologize for that. I also met TerriAnn van Gosliga who runs Cookies and Clogs a food blog for budget minded moms, and she gave me ideas on where to find bargains, and I am not even a mom.
Delicious pasta dish
I also talked to Chef Cat about traveling in Italy and Italian food. Cat, Aihui, the pretty "L" named girl, and I then sat around and did what foodies do, talked food, restaurants, and food gadgets. That was a lot of fun.
It was a great event and I thank the people at Gallo Salame (Alex Bie and his colleagues) for inviting Papawow.com to participate. And if you have time, visit the Gallo Trattoria 1910 (90 Natoma Street, San Francisco). The food is free!
picnic at Leadbetter Beach
- Food Blogga: What do Hello Kitty, Plasma TVs, and Broccolini Have in Common?
- Orangette: Peas without apology
- Wasabi Prime: Mixed Plate: Radishes and Gettin' My Root Down
- Pickled Cucumber & Fennel Make a Turkish Style Meze | Sippity Sup
- ADVENTURES OF A FATASS: Salami Wars and Little Brother
- Oyster Mushroom Goulash, a Slovenian recipe from the Worldwide Gourmet
- Mrs. D Loves to Eat!: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- Simplify Your Stuff: Choose the Classics
We are still moving in to our new place, and have still been eating a lot of take-out. There have been a ton of berries in season lately and we've been taking full advantage. Raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and even the biggest blackberries I've ever seen.
We found a little bagel shop run by a Japanese family that not only makes amazing bagels (when they say "Everything bagel", they mean "Everything"), but they also make some amazing bread and some Japanese-style pastries. We picked a half loaf of their raisen loaf and a Croquette sandwich.
Some highlights of the week included a little half-price sushi (my favorite kind), lunch at George's at the Cove in La Jolla, a fish burrito from Wahoo's, and some homemade borscht - made from the biggest beet I've ever seen.
It feels like a long week. How about you? What's that? A baby is crying, gotta run...
This week was brought to you by Curtis Winery, $1.99 Quail Oak Chardonnay, Orion Beer from Okinawa, a Chelada, Samuel Adams, Hinano Beer from Tahiti, Modelo Beer from Mexico, and Cristal Beer from Peru. Many thanks goes out to all of our international sponsors.
The music in the video is by Chi McClean - you can buy his album on iTunes.
Russian Cookbook
Pizza Slice from Eatalian, Gardena CA
- How to be a food snob - Food Advice - Salon.com
- Summer Reading: Great Food and Writing Books (and some fluff)
- Sushi Popper
- A Quick Way to Make Crème Brulee Without an Oven - Stepcase Lifehack
- Geek Gardening: A Wired Guide to Domestic Terraforming | Magazine | Wired.com
- 2,010 Calorie Cold Stone Shake Named Worst Drink In America - The Consumerist
- "Shojin Ryori: Buddhist Cuisine in a Japanese Temple"
- Making Cheetos: It Ain’t Easy Being Cheesy | Magazine
Oh boy. I've been slacking on Papawow but I have some good excuses; moving to Carlsbad, having a one month old baby, and most recently, spending the long Memorial Day weekend at a most amazing wedding in Santa Barbara.
I have; however, been keeping up with the photographs - I just haven't had time to post anything, cook anything, read much, or eat many fun things besides picking up take-out.
Some of the highlights this last (long) week included discovering a legit Italian restaurant in an industrial warehouse in a commercial district of Gardena, CA. You would never know it from the outside but they make a fantastic thin-crust pizza, their own gelato, and they have maybe $50,000 of Parmesan cheese lining one wall.
The drive to Santa Barbara and back consisted of a stop at our favorite Del Taco in Camarillo, a Montecito at Jack's Bistro (Bagel with Lox, Cream Cheese, onions, and Capers), a lunch of oysters, clams, and ceviche at Brophy Brothers, and breakfast at the last remaining Sambo's.
If you are under the age of 40, you may not know that Sambo's was a chain of more than 1,200 restaurants throughout the US. It was started in 1957 by Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett who embraced the story "The Little Black Sambo" which was about an east Indian boy who turned a tiger into butter to put on his pancakes.
They had no idea that in the 1970's the term Sambo would become such a charged racial slur.
Although they tried renaming many of the restaurants to, "The Jolly Tiger," "No Place Like Sam's," and "Seasons," they all ended up failing but the very first one, the one in Santa Barbara. Someone in the early 2000's even climbed the sign and painted over "Cracka's."
Learn the history, get over the name, order the Huevos Rancheros, and have a mimosa.
I had my first cerveza preparada in the form of Budweiser's Chelada; Bud, salt, lime, and Clamato. I was hesitant at first because the thought of clam juice in a can, in a truck, coming from Anheuser-Busch from lord-knows-where kind of scares me.
But then I saw the color. It's this fluorescent pink-orange that seems to call you like a siren. It tastes like cheap salty beer but it is quite refreshing on a hot day. I think I would prefer it over ice (as a man, can I say that?).
Bud's CheladaThere's a penumbra about how much I'm going going to like these but I'm still planning a Chelada tasting, more to come...
This week was brought to you by Tecate, Anheuser-Busch, Hoppy Brewing Company, Sapporo, Modelo, and the wineries of: Gato Negro (?), Veuve de Vernay, Bridlewood, and Roshambo.
What began as an absurdly busy week at work, parlayed into moving 60.7 miles into a new home. I had quite a few sandwiches and I'm tired. There were a few nice lunches, one buffet where I ate way too much, and a new toaster oven that came with a staunch warning, "Caution: This oven gets hot."
Thanks for that.
I invented a homemade Redeye (normally a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso in it) when there isn't time to wait for the barista. You just drop a stick of Starbuck's VIA instant in your coffee and Whamo! You're going to get to the meeting in time now.
You're welcome.
This week was brought to you by Folie a Deux Menage a Trois, "J" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Screw Kappa Napa Sauvignon Blanc, and of course, Sam Adams.
With the baby my caffeine intake has been upped by about 50%. One tablespoon has turned into two tablespoons, medium coffees have turned into larges, large coffees have turned into red eyes.
I had a work dinner at Buca di Beppo, in the Pope's Room no less, and I liked the food. I didn't think I would, but I did - and I liked the cake too! I don't like cake, so, good job BDB. Dinner for 22 was $1400 but telling dirty jokes in front of a bust of Pope John Paul II was priceless.
I scored some amazing waves at a secret spot near some train tracks in South Orange County. My friend Rick keeps a plastic sword, a sombrero, and a 1980s briefcase in his truck just in case there is a photo shoot. Bravo Rick. Bravo.
I was tempted to buy some malanga but I didn't, some haupia pudding but I didn't, and some Sparks but I didn't. If anyone has any suggestions on how to prepare malanga, let me know. They're not supposed to be squishy, are they? If anyone has any suggestions on drinking Sparks, keep them to yourself.
This week was brought to you by Samuel Adams, Coors Light, Kirkland Signature "Winery" (don't scoff, you snob), Bridlewood Winery, and Ridge Winery.
I'm not a big flower person but I can easily say that I like tulips. Mother's Day warranted a brunch of ham, potato salad, fruit, and cole slaw. My mother in-law makes some good cole slaw and I'm a total slaw snob, so there's something to be said about that.
I attempted to improvise a Watergate Salad with pistachio pudding. I ran out of ideas and ended up just putting pistachios in the pistachio pudding. Nothing really to write home about. It came out such a freakish green however, that I will attempt this again.
My black Starbucks Gold Card was transitioned to the gold Starbucks Gold Card and I'm not happy with the changes at this point. They won't let me accrue free crap if I don't pay with the card itself.
I realize how futile my argument is and that there are likely only 45 other people out there who agree with me, but I might write a letter anyways.
This week was brought to you by Samuel Adams, Kirin, and Amstel Light.
Starbuck's black Gold Card and Starbuck's gold Gold Card
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Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond by Peter Minakis: Kakavia (Κακαβια)
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Janet Is Hungry: Pistachio, Blue Cheese and Apricot Canapes
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Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe : Ina Garten : Food Network
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Lick My Spoon» Salmon with Creamy Mustard Sauce
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Alice Waters Taught Me All I Need To Know About Green Garlic Soup (with Sorrel) | Sippity Sup
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Garlic confit « food & style
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Food0grafia En: Honey Filled Orata Baked in Foil
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KFC's Double Down Healthier Than Salad - Fast Food - Gawker
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Tomato And Basil Soup – Video Recipe recipe, Soup Recipes
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Reader Inspiration: Grilled Pizza! | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn
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Tagliatelle with White Truffle Oil, Parmesan, and a Poached Egg - Spork or Foon?
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Spaghetti with Baby Artichokes and Caper-Mint Sauce | Noodle Fever
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Soyburgers laced with neurotoxins -- UPDATED AGAIN - Boing Boing
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Lambic plus kombucha equals a whole new beer « La Vita Cucinare: Life Lived to Cook
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My Essential Kitchen Tools | Michael Ruhlman
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Midday Brews: Low(er) Alcohol Beers to Have with Lunch Beer Sessions | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn
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Making Sriracha Chile Sauce from Scratch | Serious Eats
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Best Chocolate Muffins Recipe | Chocolate Blood Orange Muffins | White on Rice Couple
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Leg of Lamb with Moroccan Spice Rub — Blue Kitchen
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Science of Meat: The Great American Pastime: BBQ
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How to Take Photos of Food - Diner's Journal Blog - NYTimes.com
Another 1000 miles and a 6 foot burrito. Among assorted snacks and road food, the stand-outs included a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili. Not the packets of Gold Star, but the real deal from scratch. A luxury most Midwesterners likely have even indulged in. The leftovers became Cincinnati Chili Dogs, how appropriate.
I had another eye-opening trip to Peet's, the location in North Irvine may be an anomaly but Tim and Wes there REALLY know their coffee. I picked up a gold filter, because A) I'm tired of buying paper filters all the time, and B) trying to save the Earth you know, one paper filter at a time.
I ate McDonald's for the first time in months and... it was good. I know, I know. There's something about their Cheeseburger that reminds me of innocence. The most unusual thing on the menu? -> Why does the Double Cheeseburger cost less than the Cheeseburger?
Shortly after my trip became aware of The Elusive Mc10:35. Only available in that fast food limbo between McDonalds' breakfast and lunch, it is the amalgamation of a McMuffin and a McDouble. I tried once this week but was told they were out of McMuffins. I must have come at 10:36.
If anyone gets one, SEND ME A PICTURE! These are the things legends are made of.
At home and in the kitchen we made some Almond Avocado Cookies, some Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Crepes, Strawberry Shortcake, a Pork Loin with Sauerkraut, an Ice Cream Cake and Oat Bran Banana Nut Muffins (recipes will follow).
Lastly, I found an incredible Italian sandwich shop by asking the locals. I could have driven by Agrusa's Submarine Sandwiches in Escondito, CA a thousand times and never stopped in but I asked a local and they sent me in. The "Classic" is killer.
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Chocolate Wontons Recipe - Recipes Steamy Kitchen
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International House of Pancakes! South Indian Adai | Sippity Sup
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Guava Bread, Recipes from Deb's Test Kitchen - Rick Bayless | Frontera
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America's Test Kitchen TV OnDemand Chicken and Dumplings
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Cocktails Cops Can't Resist - Reason Magazine
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Is Grass-Fed Beef Better For You Than Corn-Fed Beef? : NPR
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Recipe: Waffled soft pretzels - Waffleizer
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Iron Chef Your Leftovers and Stop Throwing Away Perfectly Good Food - Food - Lifehacker
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Check Out The Secret McMenu Item That's Sweeping SF, The Mc10:35 - The Consumerist
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A Disturbance In The Force - burger joints mapped colorfully using the inverse-square law « Weather Sealed
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New York regulators ban mom’s banana bread, but not Pop-Tarts / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com
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KFC's Bacon Sandwich On Fried Chicken "Bread" Starts Killing People Nationwide April 12 - The Consumerist
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Emergency Breakfast-cake (savoury or sweet)
Another week, another 1000 miles, another box of wine. I found myself trying to eat less meat and in doing so getting an amazing sandwich and a sub-par burrito. Easter rolled around and we made some little bunnies out of deviled eggs and had a blast doing them.
We also made some of Cooks Illustrated's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, scored some tasty waves in San Diego, and found some houses in Enicinitas made from boats.
We made a trip to Stone Brewery, quite possibly my favorite brewery in the whole-wide-world, and if you like beer and come within 50 miles of the place, I highly suggest going. Not only did I have an Oaked Arrogant Bastard, I found an Arrogant Bastard Onesie, had a soft pretzel and a salad - but we also got their triple Crème brûlée . It came in citrus, green tea, and chocolate ginger.
Easter brunch came with a side of 7.2 on the Richter Scale, right in the middle of my second mimosa. We made an amazing Spiced Rum Banana Bread (recipe to come). We also had a ham which we doctored up with a tangerine glaze, potato and cucumber salads, and a lemon meringue pie.
I finally managed to finish off the Tagalongs Ice Cream after we made the leftover ham into an au gratin and served it with Brussels Sprouts. We've been loving these, "Just Mango Slices" from Trader Joes recently; that's exactly what they are, no salt, no sugar, just dried mango. We wrapped up with a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili (recipe to come).
Auf.