"OK"

Plenty of things are "OK."  My commute to work.  $7 bottles of wine. The ballet.  Joe's basketball skills.

I aspire for better with my cooking.

Which is why I was disappointed with a meal I'd told myself was "fantastic," but my husband thought was "OK".  No biggie.  I'll just share it with my blog-friends, instead.  Too bad the internet can't channel smells...

In what I'd consider one of my more impressive meals to date, I seared salmon, simmered lentils, roasted cauliflower and had everything finish at the same time.  Aspiring cooks out there know that task is easier said than done.

The salmon is a recipe is one I normally reserve for myself on nights when Joe is out of town.  I love fish and he isn't a fan.  I'll take tonight's comment of, "It's better than normal," as a glowing compliment, given the subject matter.  

The other two recipes were new ones.  I'd previously had in my head that cauliflower couldn't be good.  I avoid it, at all costs, on veggie platters.  It's tasteless and has an awkward texture.  It might be tolerable with cheese.  They're even less than "OK" in my opinion.  Why eat something like that?!

Because it's amazing when the Barefoot Contessa gets a hold of it, that's why! Lentils apparently also fare well when a professional chef instructs you what to do.  The cauliflower actually had flavor (and the garlic cloves were unbelievable).  The lentils unique.  These recipes were delicious and unexpected.  Try them and be pleased.  In my opinion, they're anything but "OK."

Recipes:

Pan-seared salmon: No recipe other than sprinkling salt, pepper and dried dill over a salmon fillet (removed of the skin).  Seared in a pan filled with a tablespoon or two of olive oil on medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side.  

French Lentils

Roasted Cauliflower

Country or Chicken?

You dredge it, pan-fry it and smother it with gravy.  Is it "chicken"-fried or "country"-fried?  Does it really matter as long as it's still "fried"?! 

What I do know is that this type of fried meat is absolutely delicious.  Every time I'm in the grocery store and want a hearty, homestyle meal, I grab for the cube-steak.  A cheap and not terribly attractive option, the cube-steak is by far the best man for this job.  With just the right amount of chewiness and thickness, it cooks fast and goes well with mashed potatoes.

This meal wasn't especially interesting or unique but definitely made me warm and fuzzy on a cold January night.  And, I think there's something to be said for that.

Recipe: Dredge cube steak in seasoned flour, dip in egg, and then flour again.  Fry approximately 3 minutes per side on med-high heat.  Make a pan gravy with the drippings (fry a bit of flour for a minute in the drippings and then add milk). Serve with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  

Cake Pops: Round 2

While Christmas shopping last year, I entered a children's boutique with the most adorable kids' stuff.  The cutest clothes, accessories and toys.  Nothing an actual parent would ever buy: a high price tag and a high probability of the item being destroyed.  Just the kind of place that caters to those of us without little ones.

Following suit, I didn't leave the store without buying several items that were terribly overpriced, one of which was a book on cake pops.  If you've read my post about Bailey Dog's birthday last year, you've seen my first attempt at creating a cake pop.  Not pretty.

But, my friend, Kim, is great at cupcakes - so, she should be equally excellent at cake pops, right?!

Let's just say we were about even in the cake pop skill competition.  

Despite our relatively rudimentary cake pop skills, we had a blast rolling, dipping and decorating these cupcake cake pops.  I'd suggest always doing this with a friend and making your cake pops slightly larger than called for.  The recipe stated that it made 48 total pops and between the two of us we ended up with a combined total of 23.  Believe me.  That was plenty.

And, if I squint my eyes just right, they actually LOOK like cupcakes.  

Recipe: Cupcake Cake Pops

*Burp*

As you know, I love to create things.  Oftentimes, it's food in my kitchen, but the desire to create with my hands doesn't typically end there.  In fact, I have an entire bedroom in our home devoted to nothing more than arts and crafts - a luxury I'm sure I'll someday have to relinquish. *Sigh*

Last year, I sewed several adorable pacifier blankets for Dan & Kristen's first child, Burke.  (Check them out here.)  Unfortunately, I'm not sure they were terribly useful.  Cute presents are fun to give, but the receiver (and the giver) would always prefer it be something that's actually useful.  At least in my case.  Otherwise, the gift ends up making its way to a garage sale or a keepsake box in someone's basement - both of which mean certain death for the object itself.  

I'm hoping I've solved this issue with my newest homemade baby gift.  While watching the 'Cats lose in their bowl game this year, I noticed Kristen had the most adorable spit rag for her son.  It was trendy but still handmade.  The fabric was actually something a young mother wouldn't be embarrassed to carry.  Nowhere did it sport powder blue, a duckling or a teddy bear.  This was baby chic.  And also, super simple to replicate.  

In about an hour, I'd sewed four burp cloths of different fabrics.  They were cute, useful and easy.  At the shower, my friend loved them and so did the other guests.  Finally, something new mothers might actually use...albeit for a *burp*.

Pattern: Contoured Burp Cloths

The Year of the Duck

After having watched an especially nauseating episode of Giada at Home one afternoon, I decided I'd try my hand at Cornish hens.  They were cute.  And romantic.  At least in her perfect life.

I had all but forgotten that aspiration when I stumbled upon the frozen poultry case at the grocery store a couple of weeks later.  There they were...tiny adorable hens.  I've never eaten a cornish hen, let alone cooked one.  Do they taste like chicken?  Surely, right?!

Well, apparently, Cornish hens taste like gold because they're about the same price.  However, in exactly the same bin, right next-door was the duck.  Ducks are equally as exotic. At least in my chicken, beef and pork world.  And, equally cute with their fluffy little duck tails.  Plus, they were on sale.  

So, thus began the duck adventure.  There was none a more fitting day to serve duck than on New Year's, being an exotic treat as it was.  Might as well start the year off right, I'd thought.  I decided to supplement this unique dinner with pureed parsnips (also exotic in our broccoli, green bean and potato world).  And I think I partially succeeded, at least in exoticness...after several hours.

The technique wasn't difficult, but for some reason I had an extreme aversion to the smell of the boiling duck.  The skin also turned me off before it was roasted.  After I was finished, the duck itself wasn't bad and I think I'll try it again - and hopefully end up with a crispier duck (and additional dinner-mates).  After a week, I couldn't take the smell of the ducky leftovers anymore and threw out the last tupperware of duck leg.

The parsnips (below) were super yummy and I'd definitely make them again.  I'm surprised every time I eat one.  They smell like licorice, look like a carrot and taste like butternut squash.  Weird.

While the dinner excelled mostly in the "exotic" category, I hope that's foreshadowing of the year to come. I'd take a year full of new, different, unique and surprising.  We'll call it the Year of the Duck.

Recipes: Roasted Duck, Pureed Parsnips

Got Yolk?

So, Christmas breakfast didn't quite work out the way I'd planned...

I'll spare you the details, but the problem originated from a bunch of egg whites and an oven that cooks cooler than I ever account for.  The result: 10 egg yolks and no hollandaise on the menu.

After the festivities retreated, we settle into the leftovers.  And the eggs.

In an attempt to finally wake up and be productive prior to noon, I decided to make breakfast one morning during our 10-day staycation.  This recipe is easy, delicious and can use any easy leftovers in the house - perfect for the week after Christmas!

Just spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and line with lunchmeat.  Crack an egg (or in our case, an egg plus several egg yolks), sprinkle with cheese and a vegetable and bake for 12 minutes at 350.  I picked ham, parmesean and green onions.  I don't even have a recipe to share - it's that easy.

Finally...a breakfast that doesn't include an iron, skillet or griddle.  GOOD morning.