TWD - Perfect Party Cake

The best I can give you is just a cake.

To call mine a "Perfect Party Cake" would be a little like calling Dinara Safina the best tennis player in the world.  Just not true.

Dinara's pretty good and all, but there's no way she's beating Venus on Thursday.  

Just like my cake isn't anywhere close to the Perfect Party Cake that Dorie wanted me to make.

I wasn't in the mood to make buttercream frosting.  Feeling a little lazy yesterday, plus it's still 137 degrees outside and I wanted to keep it light.  So, I substituted Amaretto whipped cream for all of the buttercream.  Mr. B said it could have used the buttercream.  It was too light.

I also substituted peach preserves for the raspberry suggested by Dorie.  That part worked out and I would do that again, but next time I'll put whipped cream between the layers and buttercream on the outside.  Then it might just be "perfect"

Thanks to Carol of Mix, Mix.....Stir, Stir for this weeks selection.  If I'm ever looking for a nice white cake in the future I'll return to this recipe.  I also bet that these would make great cupcakes (which I'm sure at least a couple of the other TWD bakers tried).   Make sure you check them out.

And look for an all Williams sister final on Saturday.   

 

Barefoot Bloggers (rewind) - California Grilled Pizza

This week's BB recipe is actually Gazpacho, but I don't like Gazpacho all that much.  I've even made Ina's recipe before and it's a nice recipe and all, but I didn't like it.  Sue me.

So I chose to do a "rewind" which is a past BB recipe that I have yet to try.  

I rewound to California Grilled Pizza.   This is soooo good.  And really easy.

I think one of the biggest keys is getting the grill to the right temperature before you throw on the dough.  I didn't have mine quite hot enough....it was at about 350 degrees and I think it needed to be about 400.  Not too hot so that it burns, but hot enough that it crisps up a little more quickly.  Nothing tragic happened and it didn't stick, but I think it just needed to be a little hotter.

As you can see, I kept mine simple.....just some grated provolone on the bottom, some sliced heirloom tomatoes and a little more cheese on top.  A small drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Delish.

But pizza is a personal thing.  Put whatever you like on it.  

This is a great recipe and is a really fun thing to do for a party.  Make the dough, offer a large variety of toppings and let everyone have some fun. 

Here's the recipe:

Grilled California Pizzas

Copyright, 2004, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Grilling/Hasta La Pizza Baby

Ingredients

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110 degrees F) water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the toppings (select 8):
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, grated
1/2 pound Italian Fontina, grated
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned
1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried
6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 pork or turkey sausages, cooked and sliced
1 bunch basil leaves, cleaned and dried
4 garlic cloves, roasted
Crushed red pepper flakes

For prep:
1/2 cup good olive oil
Cornmeal

Directions

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.)

Light your grill and wait until it's hot.

Place the pizzas directly onto the grill and cook on 1 side for 1 minute. Turn the pizzas over and brush with olive oil or garlic oil.

Top the pizzas with any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lid on your grill and cook for 5 minutes more, until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked.

If you're interested in the Gazpacho, you can check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers have to say and get the recipe here.

CEiMB - Vegetable Cheese Strata

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe is Vegetable Cheese Strata and was chosen by Jenn at A Mid-Life Culinary Adventure.  The generic title of this recipe is so appropriate because it's basically a "clean out your fridge" type of dish.  Throw in any random veggies and cheese you need to get rid of and you've got yourself a strata!

I'm so proud of myself for not adding anything fattening this time....like spicy sausage (but that would have been really good!)  I did substitute roasted asparagus because I'm not a fan of broccoli and since I didn't have any mozzarella in the house, I used goat cheese.  Like I said, throw in anything that suits your fancy.

This is one of those make-ahead dishes that needs to sit in the fridge for at least eight hours, so plan accordingly.  I can see making this for brunch when the family is all visiting.  So easy to throw together the night before and pop in the oven in the morning.  

I was the only one here to try this today but I'll definitely make this again.  I think Mr. B would really like it.

Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Cheese Strata

The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
Cooking spray
1 whole wheat baguette, crusts removed, cubed (about 5 cups)
8 eggs and 8 egg whites (I used the egg whites from the carton so I didn't have to figure out what to do with eight yolks!)
2 cups lowfat milk (I used fat free)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10 ounces broccoli, steamed, cooled and chopped (or frozen, thawed) (I substituted roasted asparagus)
1-ounce (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan
4-ounce (1 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used goat cheese)
1/2 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 1 minute. Transfer the onion mixture to a medium bowl and allow to cool. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the skillet and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their water, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Spray an oval baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the bread cubes in the dish. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites, milk and mustard until incorporated. Add mushrooms, onion-garlic mixture, broccoli, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and salt and pepper and stir to incorporate. Pour mixture over bread, making sure liquid saturates bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from strata and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until top forms a light brown crust.

Happy Father's Day, Pop

Have a great day!

Ummmmm.....I got you the same present I got you last year!!

You always told me it's the thought that counts.

Holla!

We're in the finals tomorrow morning.  We have to play a bunch of diaper dandies.  We're going to try to school them in "old lady" tennis!!

Wish us luck!

(A few pics of my team in action)

Tennis in Hell Update

Greetings from Hades.  We need ice water.

Bad news first.  We lost a match yesterday.

Good news.  We won in the afternoon yesterday and we won this morning which means we earned the wild card spot into the semi-finals which we play at 2:00pm this afternoon when it will be 1000 degrees.  Seriously.

We play another good Birmingham team with which we are very familiar.  That could end up being good......or bad.

I'll let you know.  Send some good tennis vibes our way.  Oh, and some cooler temperatures if you have some control over that.

Ellie (CEiMB) and some brutally HOT tennis

I'm going to try to make this a somewhat coherent post, but tennis in 110 degree heat is literally frying my brain.  The good news is that we won our morning match 4-1 and our afternoon match 5-0 so we're off to a REALLY good start.  The morning win was huge, because it was over another Birmingham team that had beaten us three times during local league play.  The afternoon match was against a pretty good Dothan team, so we're feeling really good about ourselves at this point, but we have to do it all over again tomorrow.  I think this is my sixth year to come to Mobile for the state tournament and I don't ever remember it being this brutally hot.

Anywho....this post is supposed to be about Ellie's Jambalaya as chosen by Anonymous New York.  

(Jambalaya is not very photogenic)

This is my first Ellie post and I was excited to try the recipe.  Unfortunately I made some changes that probably added a few extra calories.  Not exactly the point, eh?

Whatevs.

After reading the reviews of the recipe on the Food Network site, I decided to make some changes to add a bit more flavor.  I'm not a ham lover so I substituted Chorizo.  I started by browning the chorizo in the olive oil, removing it from the pan but leaving in the rendered fat and sauteeing the onions, bell peppers and garlic.

I also substituted some of the spices as noted below.

I have to say that I really liked this and would probably make it again.  I'm going to have to work harder at keeping the recipe as written and not adding additional calories.  I'm not saying I will, but I'm gonna try!!

Here's the recipe and my changes:

Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network

1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
1 teaspoon paprika (I used hot pimenton, a Spanish smoked paprika)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I used fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (I used fresh)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 tsp)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 ounces diced, smoked ham (I substituted chorizo)
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes (Mine had added chipotle)
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
Hot pepper sauce

Directions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in the next 11 ingredients, salt through the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook, covered, for 5 minutes more, or until shrimp is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with hot pepper sauce.

TWD - Honey Peach Ice Cream

If it's Father's Day weekend, it can only mean a few things in my life.

#1.  I'll once again have NO IDEA what to get my dad, which means he'll probably get exactly the same thing he got last year.  Sorry, Pop, but we all know you're impossible to buy for.  I could send you a tie, but I doubt you remember how to tie one.  Which means he'll get a phone call.

#2  That phone call will come on my way home for LA.  Yep every Father's Day weekend for the past several years I head to LA with my girlfriends.  Sounds like fun, you say?  A weekend in LA with the girls.  Ummmm, not exactly.  We're headed to Lower Alabama....Mobile to be exact.....to sweat our asses off playing two tennis matches a day in 100+ degree heat.  Yup.  And we're so stupid we REALLY look forward to it.

#3  But on the way home from LA, we all stop in Clanton, Alabama for the BEST peaches you've evah had.  I don't care what they say in Georgia.  Chilton County, Alabama peaches kick Georgia peach butt.

And they are exactly the peaches I used to make this week's TWD selection...Honey Peach Ice Cream as chosen by Tommi of Brown Interior.

I also used some Pure Alabama Honey.  Of course I did.

This just might be the best ice cream I've ever tasted.  I can't wait to get home with those peaches and make about 50 gallons of this.  Well I have to have some in the freezer the next time my Dad comes to visit!!

PS.  If you're at all interested in how my team fares this weekend, I'll be posting results here.  Wish us luck!!

Oh and make sure you head over to Tommi's site for the recipe.  It's the perfect summer treat!

It's Light, It's summery, It's delish and It's my new favorite

Can you tell by looking at the picture what it is?

Tomatoes and basil?  That's a great summer salad.  Mr. B's current favorite.

You'd be wrong.  How about watermelon, feta and mint?  Surprised?  Me too.  I saw this recipe in the new Food and Wine Magazine and knew that I was going to have to make this.  It sounded odd enough that I just might love it.

And I did.  This is just a great summer salad suprise.  I'm not sure how to describe it, but the watermelon, feta and mint along with the vinaigrette are just a perfect combination.  Make this salad.

Mr. B's gonna have a new favorite.

Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

Jacques Pepin for Food and Wine Magazine

(I halved the recipe and it could have served 4 people as an pre-dinner salad)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon Tobasco

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

one 8 lb seedless watermelon scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (10 cups) chilled

1/2 lb feta cheese crumbled (2 cups)

1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)  (I omitted these)

1 small sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (I omitted these, too)

1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt.  Tobasco and pepper.  Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently.  Garnish with the mint and serve.

Barefoot Bloggers - Ina's Outrageous Brownies

We've been having some highly irritating storms in Birmingham for the past few days.  So bad, that my satellite has been out for over 48 hours and my trusty "TV Guy" is ignoring my calls.  Dude better get his self up here today.....Next Food Network Star is on tonight.

Today marks day three of this view.

Plus, Rafter is scared to death of storms and proceeds to try to permanently attach himself to any human that's close.  Makes it hard to get much done.

But since I was in charge of a dessert for a 40th birthday party last night (Happy birthday, Chad) I had brownies to make.  The other Barefoot Bloggers made these brownies a couple of weeks ago but if you remember we had just made Dorie's brownies the same week and I wasn't in the mood for more chocolate.

I have probably made Ina's brownies at least 20 times over the years.  They just don't get any better and are always a hit.  I've also taken some liberties with the recipe on several occasions.....added peanut butter, different types of nuts, no nuts, thrown in a shot of amaretto, etc., etc., etc.  This time I left out the coffee because I knew there would be some kids eating them.  No matter how little espresso I put in, if a kid tastes them they detect the coffee EVERY TIME.  Totally slips by the adults, but not the youngins.  I also added in a cup of toffee bits with the chocolate chips.  They add a nice little surprise, plus toffee chips and bacon (not together....although now that I think about it......nah) make everything better!

Mr. B likes his served with a scoop of white chocolate ice cream, Hershey's syrup and some peanuts!

Here's the recipe:

Outrageous Brownies

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder  (I eliminated it this time, but I prefer them with the coffee)
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces (I left these out but added 1 cup of toffee bits)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Craving Ellie in my Belly (CEimB) but first some of Martha's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes!

Let's get the business part of the post out of the way first.  I joined another cooking group.....Craving Ellie in my Belly.  If you're not familiar with Ellie Krieger, she is a renowned registered dietician and the host of The Food Network's "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger".  The group prepares recipes from her book "The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life".

I love Ellie's show and felt like I needed to be cooking something healthy to try to counteract all of the calories consumed from Tuesdays with Dorie!  I'll be jumping in with this week's recipe, "Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham" so check back on Thursday!

But before we get all healthy check out these awesome Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes from Martha Stewart's new "Cupcakes" book.  I'm loving this book.  So many great ideas, but this one got me the most excited!

Who doesn't love Oreos???

Mr. B lurves Oreos.  Early in our marriage, it was not uncommon for him to sit down at night with a tall glass of milk and polish of an entire sleeve.  Mr. B does not, however, lurve cheesecake, but I was hoping these might change his mind.

Well, I can't say that I totally converted him, but he did manage to force down about 30 of them!  Not really, but he definitely went back for seconds.  Everyone else who tried them thought they were fabulous.

These are really simple.  The crust is made but dropping an Oreo into the bottom of a paper muffin liner.  How easy is that?  

Here's the rest of the recipe:

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

(I halved the recipe and still got 24 cupcakes)

42 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo's), 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Place 1 whole sandwich cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Gradually add sugar and beat until combined  Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a but at a time beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in sour cream and salt.  Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely.  Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or up to overnight).  Remove from tins just before serving.

I really recommend you pick up this book.  There are so many fun ideas, and really, does Martha ever disappoint?

Barefoot Bloggers - Curried Couscous

Curry.  Don't like it.  Don't hate it.  But, don't like it.

So I was a little worried about this weeks choice.  But, since I love couscous, I was willing to give this a try.  And I'll have to say....didn't hate it.....but, didn't really love it either.  I really liked the texture.  The crunch of the carrots and almonds worked really well with the couscous.

I omitted the raisins but next time I might add some dried cranberries or dried cherries.  Something to tone down the red onion taste.  

Thanks to Ellyn of Recipe Collector and Tester for this weeks pick.  If you're a fan of curry, I'd recommend this.  I think if I could substitute something for the curry, I'd be willing to try it again.  Any suggestions?

Here's the recipe:

Curried Couscous

 (The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 Tbl unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated (or small diced) carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small diced red onion

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions; mix well and taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6.

TWD - Parisian Apple (Peach) Tartlets.....So Easy a Caveman Can Do It....

I know.  I hate those commercials, too.  But, suriously....these really are so easy a caveman can do it.

Jessica from My Baking Heart picked this week's recipe.  Thanks, Jessica.  This just became my "go to" impromptu dinner party dessert. 

It's made with frozen puff pastry and just about any fruit you can think of.  Dorie recommends this all butter puff pastry, but Pepperidge Farms works just fine.  I wouldn't have thought twice about using PF but a fellow blogger that lives in my home town said she found Dories recommendation at Whole Foods and I was there today, so I picked them up.  I'll have to say....they're really good.  If you can find them, give em a try, otherwise, don't sweat it.

I happen to be home alone but made six tartlets anyhoo.  Oh, just shut up.  I didn't eat them all.  I just had half of one of the peach ones....with a little white chocolate ice cream on top.  Really...shut up.  I worked out today.

As you can see, I made two with a white peach and four with a granny smith apple.  Like I said, I only tried the peach one.  I can't wait for about another week or so when Chilton County peaches are at their best to try these again.  But even the California white peach was pretty darn tasty.

I imagine the apple was just as good.  Oh...and pears would be really good....and maybe plum.....or even mango......or.....

You can check out Jessica's blog for the recipe, but this one's pretty self explanatory.  Cut yourself about a 4" circle of puff pastry, put some fruit in the middle, sprinkle some brown sugar on top along with a couple of dots of butter and pop them into a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.  If you're feeling frisky sprinkle on some oats for a little texture and maybe a little cinnamon.  The possibilities are endless.

That's it.  Easiest.  Thing.  Evah.

Bottega Cafe's Macaroni and Cheese

In case you weren't aware, I'm a Damn Yankee.

Fifteen years ago, when Mr. B and I moved south, I was told by a native Southerner that you're a Yankee if you come south for a visit, but if you stay, you're a Damn Yankee!  Well so be it, but I'm not leaving anytime soon.  

One of the first things I learned soon after I got here was that everyone had their own macaroni and cheese recipe that had most likely been around since the Civil War (which the Damn Yankees won, by the way).

Well, I didn't get handed down a Mac and Cheese recipe.  The only time I had "homemade" Mac and Cheese was when my friend, Lisa, would boil some elbow macaroni and throw in some Velveeta and a little milk.  Compared to the Kraft box variety served in my house, that was pretty gourmet.  (No offense, Mama, but M&C wasn't your strong suit.  I'd put your fried chicken up against any Southerner any day, however!)

For that reason, I will say that M&C has never been high on my list of "must have" dishes.  That is until shortly after we moved to Birmingham.  Someone had recommended Bottega Cafe to Mr. B and I and we tried it out one Saturday for lunch.  He ordered their M&C and I had a bite.  I moaned and proceeded to keep poking my fork into his lunch.

That wasn't the last time I've had it in the restaurant, but I've always wanted to make it at home.  So imagine how happy I was when "Bottega Favorita" was published!

This is a bechamel based version and baked in Bottega's wood fired oven.  I won't have one of those until later this Fall when the pool house is finished (more on that later) but this came out delicious anyway!

Here's the recipe:

Bottega Cafe' Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 8

from "Bottega Favorita.....A Southern Chef's Love Affair with Italian Food"

by Chef Frank Stitt

4 cups whole milk

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco sauce to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (about 6 ounces)

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (about 6 ounces)

1/4 cup grated grana padano (I used grated Parmesan)

1 pound penne, cooked, drained, and tossed with a little olive oil to prevent sticking

1/4 cup shredded provolone

Place an oven rack in the top position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Combine the milk, onion, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and bring just to a simmer over low heat.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by one-quarter, about 15 minutes.  Strain the milk and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Add the Worcestershire and Tabasco, then gradually add the cheddar cheeses, whisking until the cheese is melted.  Remove from the heat and stir in the grana padano.

Place the pasta in a large bowl and fold in the cheese sauce until incorporated.  Transfer to a buttered gratin dish and top with the shredded provolone.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top.  If necessary, give the dish a good blast under the broiler to get the cheese on top a crusty golden brown.

Buck

Meet Buck.  As in "Buckeye".  

He's Charlotte's new puppy and he came for a visit today.

I mean really.  Who doesn't love a puppy?

They're so soft.....and sweet.....

And cute.

Lordy are they cute.

But busy.

They'll wear you out chasing after them.

Look at that nose.  I love puppy noses.  Can't you smell the puppy breath?  Someone should bottle that smell.

And butts.......little round puppy butts.

Oh....and fat puppy bellies.

Yes, Buck is one cute fella.

Seriously cute.

But no matter how cute he is......

This guy will always be my favorite.