The Meal that Saved France

As part of our trip, considering how close to the border we would be, we decided to spend a few days in the South of France. Having just fallen in love with Barcelona, Perpignan was going to have some stiff competition as Barcelona had just become my most favorite place ever...in the world!

When we first arrived in Perpignan, it was cold and windy and raining. Not a good start. On top of that, the streets are insane, which is particularly difficult when you don't speak, understand, or know a glimmer of the language. Riddled with anxiety about not knowing the language, assuming that all French people would hate us, nerves a little frazzled from being completely lost, our first few hours in Perpignan weren't good ones.

After a few hours of isolation in our room due to embarrassment at our complete lack of understanding and knowledge of the French language besides "soup du juor" and "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" (gotta love Lady Marmalade), we finally ventured out in Perpignan. Where it was dead. The place was a ghost town. It was like they announced tasteless Americans had arrived and everyone boarded up their windows to await our celebrated departure. Which I guess is what happens when the only question you know is "Would you like to sleep with me?" It would certainly make us popular in New York!

However, the more we wandered, the more Perpignan grew on us. Maybe this place was cute, despite the wind....and rain....and French people?

Pictures taken our first night

 

Then dinner happened. Ah, food cures all, doesn't it? 

After wandering around a bit, there was a row of restaurants right outside our hotel that seemed to be the only ones opened. Luckily, our waiter spoke English, so we didn't have to resort to grunting and pointing as our primary way of communicating. He was also very pleasant and friendly as were most people we met.

We ordered a bottle of wine, started with a cheese plate, and welcomed France with open arms.

You had me fromage!

Which means "cheese". See how much French I picked up! :)

One of the best cheese plates I ever had.

Duck

Shrimp

Vacationing

This week starts the first of several (much needed) summer vacations. Yay! Oh yes, my friends, several.

Excuse me for rubbing your nose in it, but...are you jealous? Oh, just you wait! It gets better. 

We have several mini-vacations that culminate into a big, huge, awesome vacation to Spain in August. What better way to kick off a vacation season that ends in the Sangria Capital of the World then to make our sangria with a $5 bottle of wine?! I'm sure it's very authentic to what we'll get in Barcelona.

Until then, a glass of sangria in Cape Cod will do.

White Peach Sangria

by Bonnie Graham

6027517

Ingredients (1 pitcher)

• 2 ripe white peaches
• 5 ripe plums
• 1 nectarine
• 1 cup triple sec
• 1 bottle white wine
• Optional: fruit juice, sweetener, mint leaves, basil leaves, etc.

Instructions

1. Slice fruit and add to a pitcher.

2. Add triple sec and white wine.

3. Let sangria sit for an hour up to several hours. Enjoy!

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Cooking for a Crowd

Maybe it's the Italian in me, but whenever a large group of people get together, I feel a need...nay, a duty to bring food with me! I have to feed people! It's a compulsion, really! Whether its cupcakes or another diabetic-friendly dish (because, you know, cupcakes are so diabetic-friendly), you can be sure I'll have a plate covered in saran wrap in my hands.

This duty intensifies if I've had a hand in organizing said large grouping. This past weekend was no exception.

Friends and I are headed upstate to attend the annual New York TAP Festival. TAP Fest is a two-day beer festival on Hunter Mountain, where you get plenty of samples from local breweries and usually some deep-fried grossness. And corn dogs. I can't forget the corn dogs! People have almost lost limbs trying to get those corn dogs! Or at least wasted 30 minutes stalking the wait staff as they left the kitchen with them. Ahem, Jerry.

This was our second year renting a house for 20 people! Yes, 20 people! Since the planning for TAP Fest started in February, I have been devising what recipes I wanted to make this year! When cooking for a group of 20, your recipes need to be two things: good and cheap!

I wanted something that would feed a crowd, excite me more then just regular hamburgers and hot dogs (two things that are not part of my usual food repertoire), and help me clean out my pantry in preparation for my upcoming move. I decided to make a Vegetarian Three Bean Chipotle Chili. Recipe to follow.

And you can't have chili without cornbread! Look for this recipe in an upcoming post.

I decided I needed to contribute to breakfast as well. I made steel cut oats in the slower cooker. Yes, I am a dork and brought my slow cooker with me.

This isn't the actual oatmeal that was served, but you get the idea!

Lastly, it wouldn't be full weekend of fun without cupcakes! There's nothing particularly special about these Red Velvet cupcakes. Except for the obvious! That they're cupcakes!!! Which is pretty damn special. Oh, and I replaced the water called for in the recipe with buttermilk. It gives them a slightly more authentic feel.

Here's a shout out to my friend, Lilia, who made some kickass 'shrooms and onions to top our burgers with. Maybe she'll be so kind as to do a guest post and tell you how they were made.

Three Bean Chipotle Chili - vegetarian
Obviously, this recipe makes a crapload of chili; feel free to adjust to your needs. It also went really well as a hotdog topping. Which we would defeat the whole vegetarian thing, but just sayin'.

Ingredients
1 large red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large green peppers, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup TVP
3 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp oregano
4 - 5+ chipotle peppers in adobe, chopped
2 tbsp adobe sauce from peppers
2 tbsp liquid smoke
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans black beans
1 can black-eyed peas
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste

2 - 3 cups vegetable broth, depending on how thick your mix is
salt and pepper, to taste

Method
1. Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
2. Add the peppers, carrots, and onions. Saute for about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper.
3. Add TVP, cumin, and oregano. Saute a few minutes longer.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotles, adobe sauce, and liquid smoke.
5. Add can of tomato paste and pour veggie broth over it to help break it up. Mix into the chili well.
6. Let chili simmer on stove top for about an hour to an hour half, stirring often to prevent the bottom of the chili from scorching.

Alternately, you could also complete through step 3 and then add everything to a slow cooker. Set on the low setting for about 3 - 4 hours.

Halloween, Baby!

Ugh! Never. Drinking. Again.

But I will certainly make this menu again!

This past weekend, Heather and I decided to have a pre-party costuming party. Friends came over to enjoy cocktails and munchies before heading out into a blizzard for Halloween festivities. Uh, hello, Mother Earth, it's still fucking October! This ridiculous weather sort of fucked up the party theme since it was based on the fall season and not the Christmas season, but whatever. Food was still eaten. (Too many) drinks were still consumed. Costume contests were won! Bags were puked in! Dancing was enjoyed by all. Wahoo!

Note to self: Black lipstick further accentuates your chompers!



Occupy Halloween


Fall-Inspired Halloween Menu

Dips & Snacks
Rosemary-White Bean Dip
Thai Peanut Dip with mixed veggies
Roasted Pear, Blue Cheese and Walnut Bruschetta (recipe below)
Curried Pumpkin Seeds

Apps
Spicy Deviled Eggs
Winter Squash Mac & Cheese
BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders

Desserts
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
CANDY!

Booze - Just writing out these names makes me feel queezy.
The Dirty Bloody Martini
GINger Tonics (recipe below)

Here's a couple of recipes to hold you over.

Roasted Pear, Blue Cheese and Walnut Bruschetta

Ingredients
2 pears, diced
1 wedge of blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 c walnuts, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Place diced pears onto to tray and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pears are slightly caramelized.
3. Let pears cool before adding the blue cheese, walnuts, oil and salt & pepper.
4. Toss to combine. Enjoy with toasted bread or crackers.


GINger Tonics - This is actually so simple it doesn't even deserve a whole recipe.

1 (or 3 depending on how sloppy you'd like to get) part gin
2 - 3 parts tonic
fresh ginger grated (to taste) into the glass.

Mix all together and enjoy!

Jerry and his Booze: A Pictorial Essay

Meet Jerry. 

Jerry loves his booze. 

So happy!

Sometimes, his booze makes him feel happy. 

Don't cry, Jerry. 

Sometimes, his booze makes him feel sad. 

That girl is gorgeous!

Sometimes, his booze makes him feel downright FRISKY!

 

But, usually, his booze just makes him take lots of pictures with his mouth open. 

Dirty Pickle Martini

Ingredients
1 - 2 parts vodka (depending on how strong you like your drinks)
1 part pickle brine (bought from a homemade pickle stand, the jar just won't do).
sliced pickles for garnish

Method
1. Pour into martini shaker with ice. Shake and serve!

 

The Dirty Bloody Martini - variation courtesy of Jerry*

A mix of a dirty pickle martini and a bloody mary

Ingredients

1 - 2 parts vodka

1 part pickle brine

All the following ingredients are to taste:

tomato juice

worcestershire

olive juice

green olives

srichacha

black pepper

whole grain mustard

Method

1. Pour into martini shaker with ice. Shake and serve!

*Jerry is the king of kitchen sink cooking!

How Should a Diabetic Start Off Her Christmas Holiday?

With booze and pizza, of course!

Here's the menu:

Orange Carrot Ginger Mimosas

Ingredients
2 - 3 oranges

1 lb of carrots

2 inch piece of ginger

1 bottle champagne - we bought the cheap stuff. Andre is good enough for me!

Juicer

Method

1. Put carrots, ginger, and peeled oranges* in the juicer. 

2. Add 1 part juice to 2 parts champagne. Or whatever your taste is.

*Make sure to peel the oranges no matter what your juicer says! They're liars and the peels make the juice taste like citrus floor cleaner!

Breakfast Pizza #1 (with Eggs, Prosciutto and Potatoes)

Ingredients
2 eggs

3 - 4 slices of prosciutto

1/2 thinly sliced red potato

1 chopped garlic clove

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (always homemade!)
1 tbsp olive oil

whole wheat pizza dough (store bought or homemade)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Thinly slice potato using a mandoline or very sharp knife (if you're that skilled). Chop up garlic into small pieces
3. Roll out pizza dough onto a cookie sheet and coat with olive oil. Using parchment paper is also helpful when baking. 
4. Layer on tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and scatter slices of red potato and chopped garlic around the pizza. 
5. Place pizza in oven and bake about 15 - 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the crust is browned. 
6. Remove pizza from oven and crack two eggs on the pizza. Bake for 5 more minutes and then add the prosciutto. Bake until eggs appear to be done and prosciutto is slightly crispy.

Breakfast Pizza #2 (with Eggs, Potatoes, Smoked Salmon, & Capers)

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 thinly sliced red potato
1 chopped garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 - 2 tbsp capers
6 oz smoked salmon
whole wheat pizza dough (store bought or homemade)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Thinly slice potato using a mandoline or very sharp knife (if you're that skilled). Chop up garlic into small pieces
3. Roll out pizza dough onto a cookie sheet and coat with olive oil. Using parchment paper is also helpful when baking. 
4. Layer potatoes in a single layer with slightly overlapping pieces. Sprinkle potatoes with dried dill. Add the mozzarella cheese and scatter chopped garlic around the pizza.
5. Place pizza in oven and bake about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the potatoes are slightly browned. 
6. Remove pizza from oven and crack two eggs on the pizza. Bake for 5 - 7 more minutes, or until eggs appear to be done. 

7. After removing the pizza from the oven, add smoked salmon slices and capers.  

Then enjoy your mimosas and pizza while watching Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer! Yay!