Cooking in the Mountains

The other night, my best friend from home, Emmie, and I drove up to her family's mountain house for an evening of cooking and movie-watching (and wine drinking, of course). For dinner, we whipped up this dish, adapted from a recipe by David Rocco—it was loaded with eggplant, spicy Italian sausage, mozzarella, and plum tomatoes. After finishing our meal (and polishing off a bottle...or more...of red wine :D), we sat down with a plateful of Emmie's homemade tiramisu and had ourselves a little movie marathon. It was a fantastic evening and I'm looking forward to more this winter. I'm also pumped to try out some more recipes from Rocco's cookbook, Made in Italy.

Recipe: Sweet Italian Sausage and Farfalle in a Creamy Fennel and Onion Sauce

On my way back from the airport on Tuesday, I stopped by Trader Joe's (a rare treat for me, as I live 45 minutes away) and enjoyed the joy that is really cheap, really good food. While browsing through the fresh produce section, a container of fresh fennel bulbs caught my eye. Both its thin, green fronds and pale, white bulb-like stem base have a soft, anise-like taste that works in both savory and sweet dishes, and I wanted to try it out for dinner tonight. While I normally wouldn't make two dishes with heavy cream back to back (last night's blue cheese sauce was so tasty though!), this fennel was just begging to be cooked down and blended into cream. Paired with tender pasta and sweet Italian sausage, which typically contains fennel seeds in it, this sauce is perfect and pulls the whole dish together. Oh, and on an unrelated note, for once in my life, I actually took a few pictures along the way, so enjoy.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: Approx. 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food processor or blender

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. butter
• Olive oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of a medium pan (you'll need to do this twice)
• 2-3 sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed, pulled/crumbled into small pieces
• 1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored, and roughly chopped (remove the top but keep the green fronds for garnish)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. dry white wine
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• A pinch of dried sage
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• Cornstarch-and-water mixture, as needed
• 8 oz. small pasta (farfalle, medium shells, rotini, etc.)

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp. butter and a splash of olive oil in a medium pan over medium high heat, then add the crumbled sausage and cook until lightly browned on the outside and cooked through (approx. 10 minutes). Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate (leave the leftover oil and butter in the pan). 

Return the pan to the stove over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp. butter and a little olive oil, then add the onion, fennel, and garlic. Cook for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, tender, and fragrant, then add the white wine and let it reduce a bit. 

Fennel: The top left corner is the core, below that is a quarter of the bulb, and the right is the sliced up bulb

Onions, fennel, and garlic early in the cooking process

The onions, fennel, and garlic, now soft, golden-brown, and ready for the food processor

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the pasta, then cook according to package instructions (approx. 11-13 min.). While the pasta is cooking, pour the onion and fennel mixture into the "bowl" of a food processor and pulse to blend. Add heavy cream and blend until fairly smooth. Pour the mixture into a small pot and heat over medium heat. Add the listed spices and herbs and the milk. Thicken with cornstarch-and-water as needed, then reduce to medium low heat. Reheat the sausage in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drain the finished pasta and return to the pot, then add the sausage and sauce and toss to combine. Serve with a garnish of the thin fronds from the fennel bulb. 

Fennel fronds

This sauce is really something different—the fennel taste is sweet and subtle and, combined with onions, the resulting flavor is a blend of sweet and savory; there's a buttery quality to it, with a richness that creates depth. The fennel flavor in the sauce mirrors the fennel seeds that help to flavor the sausage, and pasta creates the perfect base for the two. 

Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with a Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

I spent this past weekend with John in Memphis, a place I enjoy more and more each time I visit. The city has a great food scene and there are so many restaurants to try. Memphis is about more than just BBQ and Southern cooking—there are restaurants offering up fantastic pizzas, tantalizing ethnic foods, delectable desserts, and more. We stocked up on cupcakes from Muddy's (their mint icing is absolutely amazing), ate a homemade hot dog and pizza with Benton bacon at Hogs & Hominy, enjoyed cheesy bread at Houston's, and got to taste an assortment of dishes from a variety of restaurants at The Dixon's Art on Fire event. On Sunday night, we went to Boscos and I had a very tasty pasta dish with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and a gorgonzola sauce. Tonight, I was thinking back on that dish when I peered in the fridge and saw a container of blue cheese crumbles left over from some salads I'd been making last week. I'm a big blue cheese lover—I love the salad dressing, I love it crumbled on a steak or burger, and I really wanted to use that box of cheese to make a blue cheese cream sauce. That sauce, tossed with chicken, broccoli, and pasta, created a flavorful, filling dish that was perfect for this rainy day that Sandy sent our way today.

Serves: 4

Prep. time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes total (approx. 2 min. for broccoli, 5-10 min. for sauce and chicken, 11-13 min. for pasta)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1-2 heads broccoli, cut into florets (or approx. 2-4 cups broccoli florets)
• 8 oz. farfalle, or other small pasta (penne, medium shells, etc.)
• A pat of butter
• Olive oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of a large pan
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1/2-1 cup blue cheese (more or less, as desired)
• 1-2 tbsp. dried chives, or more as desired
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cornstarch and water mixture, as needed

Directions
In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil, then blanch the broccoli florets (i.e. cook them for about 2-3 minutes in the boiling water). Drain them, then return them to the pot with cold water and some ice cubes (this will help stop them from cooking any further—the last thing you want is mushy broccoli). Add salted water to another medium to large pot, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions (about 11-13 minutes). While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently until tender and no longer pink in the middle (about 5-10 min.)—toss the garlic in near the end of cooking. While the chicken is cooking, heat the heavy cream over medium high heat in a small pot. Once bubbling, add blue cheese crumbles and stir to combine. If desired, add a little cornstarch-and-water to thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium low. Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and return it to the pot, then drain the broccoli and add it to the pasta. Add the chicken and sauce to the mixture, season with salt and pepper, add chives, and toss in an extra handful or two of blue cheese crumbles. Serve hot, with added blue cheese crumbles, as desired.

This dish, though packed with blue cheese, is not overpowering, but rather quite light and flavorful. Broccoli is always delicious in a creamy sauce, especially one with cheese, and chicken adds some much-needed protein. A dash of chives and an extra spoonful of blue cheese crumbles completes the dish. 

Goat-Petting, Beer-Drinking, and Hurricane-Avoidance, or What I Did This October

So, October flew by so fast! As you can tell from the stunning lack of posts, I was pretty busy this month, and for once, it wasn't just because of work. Little ol' Sarah finally got her social life back! My best friend from high school is back in town, and we've been catching up after spending months and months apart. A visit to a local petting zoo, movie nights at her family's mountain house, and a couple delicious meals kept me occupied earlier this month, and we have more plans in the making.

Feeding the goats

Two weekends ago, I drove down to Greenville, SC for my second college Homecoming (sadly, without the boyfriend, as law school work kept him away). While definitely less exciting than last year's event, I got to see pretty much all of my closest friends, and that's what really matters. Our friend, Johnny, invited the whole group to his family's tailgate, smack dab in front of the stadium, so I spent the afternoon gorging on kebabs, cupcakes, and hard cider, while catching glimpses of the game. A short bar crawl, complete with the obligatory visit to Tassie's for a Tiger in the Tank (along with a variety of other boozy frozen drinks) and a trip to The Trappe Door for plates full of fancy fries and glasses of delicious Belgian ales, completed the day. I ended my lovely weekend at Soby's the following morning, enjoying their fantastic Sunday brunch with my best friend from college. This smorgasbord satisfied my craving for cheesy grits and I had the joy of eating chocolate fondue-dunked cookies for breakfast—what more could you ask for?

Furman's Belltower

This past weekend, I flew down to Memphis (and somehow missed the memo about Hurricane Sandy arriving the day I was due to fly home...oops), and spent a long weekend with John (a little longer than planned because of said hurricane, but I'm not complaining ;D). Having not seen him since July and thinking I wasn't going to see him again until December, this quickly-planned trip was a godsend. He greeted me with chilled white wine and chocolates, got me my very own Memphis Law tee shirt, surprised me with Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits a.k.a. breakfast in bed on my first morning there, and was his usual amazing self. We enjoyed a food-tasting/fire dancer/spark artist/auction/live music event at The Dixon, took a trip to the zoo, saw Argo (fantastic movie, by the way), and stuffed our faces with cupcakes from Muddy's and the most delicious hot dog I've ever eaten at Hogs & Hominy (along with other delicious dishes throughout the weekend). This weekend with the boyfriend was definitely a success and I'm already counting down the days until our trip to Greenville in December.

Om nom nom

Beautiful

So many colors!

So, October was all about having fun (I definitely sold my fair share of shoes this past month too though!), but now it's time to get back on track. Up this month: 1) Me, working on my diet and exercise routine, 2) Intensifying the job search, 3) So many more recipes!, 4) Working on my online presence (a.k.a. actually using my Twitter account and working on the blog, 5) Thanksgiving—definitely helping out more this year (and inevitably dying at work on Black Friday). So, stay tuned, because I'm back and ready to step it up.

Recipe: Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice in an Apricot Brandy Cream Sauce

Yes, yes, I know...I owe you all some more posts about my month in Scotland (because, well, it's a nice change from a slew of recipe posts, and I really do have some fun stories and pictures from my trip), but after battling jet lag, spending hours labeling and organizing over a thousand photos, and telling everyone I know and meet about it, I need a few days off before I fill up the blog with Edinburgh posts. So, for tonight, I'm just gonna post a lovely, light chicken recipe that's perfect any time of year. This chicken dish is served with a brandy cream sauce, and though I used a very old, very delicious apricot brandy for my dish, any ol' brandy will do.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• Approx. 2-3 cups broccoli florets
• 1 pat butter
• Olive oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of a large pan
• 1&1/2 to 2 cups rice
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices
• 1 small bunch (about 4 stalks) green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup (apricot) brandy
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Corn starch, as needed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the broccoli for 4 minutes, until still a little crispy. Drain and return to the pot with cold water and ice, then set aside. Cook the rice according to package instructions (the brand I use calls for water, salt, and butter and takes 20 minutes to cook). While the rice is cooking, heat a little butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Drain the broccoli and return to the pot it was in. Add the chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cook until mostly cooked through, then add the garlic, broccoli, and green onions. After about a minute, add the brandy. Cook until the brandy has reduced by at least half, then add the heavy cream and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add a little cornstarch-and-water, as needed, to thicken the sauce (I added just a little bit, just enough to slightly thicken the sauce). Season with a little salt and pepper and serve atop the rice.

This dish has very soft flavors and a light creaminess that's lovely. Tender chicken, crisp broccoli, and fluffy rice are the perfect base for this slightly sweet, creamy sauce. I highly recommend making a double batch of the sauce (1/2 cup brandy, 1 cup heavy cream), because, as is, the amount of sauce is a little on the "not quite enough" side, but either way, it's delicious and such a nice change from thicker, richer cream sauces.

Scotch Pies, Haggis, and Caboc, oh my!

A while ago, I wrote a post saying that I'd be travelling to Edinburgh, Scotland during the month of September to work with City Travel Review on a travel guide, and I said I planned to post a few updates while there. Well, I've officially been here for a week and only just now found time to post. Between trips to museums and galleries, walks up and down the Royal Mile, workshops for the travel guide, and visits to various pubs and cafes, I've barely had time to sit still, let alone publish a blog post. I'm totally smitten with this city and every day has been an activity-filled adventure. My mornings consist of a small group meeting and a workshop with a media professional (Anne; she's worked with the BBC and currently works on a youth/education magazine), and the afternoons are generally reserved for group excursions or free time in the city. We have twenty-three people working on the publication and most are German (three Americans, one or two Austrians, and a girl from Switzerland), so it's definitely a unique experience. I'm sharing a flat in the perfect location (right by the Royal Mile and Princes Street Gardens, two of the best parts of the city) with three other girls, including a girl from the Pittsburgh area (small world!), and I've been spending a majority of my time walking (you walk everywhere in this city!).

Edinburgh Castle

Work on the publication is going well. We've sent in a first round of articles and it's already shaping up to be a very different, original guide. Finalizing layout and choosing pictures is the next step, and a second round of articles will soon be sent in. Perhaps the best part of this job is that it is our job to go out and see and do things. We are essentially told to explore the city, see and do as much as we can, and then write about it. I could definitely get used to this.

True to myself, I've written a few articles about food in the city and I've been trying to remember to take pictures of some of the food I've been eating. Most people know Scotland for haggis, a savory mixture of minced sheep parts (liver, heart, and lungs), onion, oatmeal, and spices that's then encased in the sheep's stomach or in sausage casing before then being removed and served (sounds gross, but it's actually quite tasty). Scottish food is so much more than that though, and I'm really enjoying the chance to try so many new foods. I've discovered creamy porridge and sugary sweet tablet (a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth sweet made with sweetened condensed milk, butter, and sugar). I've snacked on Scotch pies (meat pies) with mash (mashed potatoes) and gravy. I've tried a variety of Scottish cheeses and I'm looking forward to trying black (blood) pudding and maybe a salmon or venison dish. There's definitely a sense that Scottish food is a bit heavier and heartier, but anyone who says food in the U.K. is bad or bland should be shot. The meat pies are meaty, salty, and some are even a wee bit Christmasy (like the traditional Scotch pie, made with minced lamb/mutton and spices like mace and black pepper). The cheeses are absolutely wonderful—Caboc is like the love child of sour cream and cream cheese (creamy and thick with a rich, slightly sour flavor) and the blue cheeses are lovely. I've tried the so-called "national" drink, Irn Bru (pronounced "iron brew")—it's a soda with a bubble gum-gummy bear-cream soda taste that you'll either love or hate, and it'll get you on a crazy sugar high after just a few sips. I've been to the Edinburgh Farmer's Market and I've popped into countless little pubs (I'm absolutely loving cider—Strongbow is particularly popular here) and cafes (love getting soup, sandwich, and tea). It's also great to be in the land of Cadbury, where I can enjoy Twirls, Crunchies, and Flakes.

Cock-a-leekie soup

English cheddar sandwich with tomato chutney

Sausage pie with gravy and mash

Porridge with white chocolate, hazelnut, and tablet

Scottish Cream Tea: Scottish Breakfast tea and a scone with clotted cream and raspberry jam

It's absolutely amazing living (and eating!) here and I'm already dreading my return home (though having my own bed and my cats will be wonderful). This has been an amazing experience so far, and I'm truly looking forward to the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll get one or two more posts up during my stay, and I'll certainly post a few more photos, so be on the lookout.

Recipe: Creamy Fontina Cheese Grits topped with Sauteed Chicken and Tomatoes

Last night, while browsing through recipes on Pinterest and TasteSpotting, I came across a shrimp and grits recipe and it stuck with me, making me think about my time in the South. I'd never heard of grits until I moved down south to start college in South Carolina in 2007. When I first came across grits, I was in our campus dining hall and passed right by, thinking that the mushy, khaki-colored mixture was some kind of strange, southern oatmeal. During fall break that year, I stayed with my suitemate and her family and we had what I call "grit sticks," or grits, chilled until semi-solid, then cut into French toast stick-style pieces and sauteed in butter, served with warm maple syrup. Now, that was pretty tasty, so I started to come around to grits, strange as they still seemed. Our dining hall served cheap, out of the box grits that were watery and relatively flavorless, but I started adding a ladle-full to my plate in the mornings and topped it with a generous lump of shredded cheddar cheese, slowly becoming a fan of this southern staple. Later, I had the chance to try the famed shrimp and grits at Soby's, this fancy little restaurant in downtown Greenville, and I was officially hooked. Not really porridge, and not quite polenta, grits are their own unique food, with a rich, creamy texture that works well in a variety of applications. Tonight, I was craving cheesy grits, and we happened to have a huge chunk of velvety fontina cheese that I knew would melt perfectly into the dish. Topped with a tomato, onion, and chicken mixture, it made for a tasty and filling meal that made my desire to move back down south that much stronger.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
For the grits

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chicken broth/stock
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup grits (I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Corn Grits/Polenta and they were excellent; make sure whatever you get is a fairly quick cooking brand but good quality as well—Bob's only took 5 minutes)
• 7 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
• Approx. 1/4 cup milk
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

*Note: Depending on what kind of grits you use and how much, it may call for slightly different ingredients. No matter what though, make sure that, if the recipe calls for all water, substitute in some chicken broth, because it adds flavor. Also be sure to add in garlic when you bring the liquids to a boil to add even more flavor.

For the chicken and tomato mixture

• Olive oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of a pan
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch thick slices or cut into small cubes
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1, 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/4-1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2-5 tbsp. red wine (cooking wine will do)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh or dried herbs, to taste

Directions

Place a large pan over medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil to it. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften slightly, then add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. While the chicken is cooking, combine the water, chicken broth, garlic, and salt for the grits in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the grits and reduce the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally to break up any lumps. To the chicken and onion mixture, add garlic, and about 30 seconds later, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and red wine. Reduce the heat to low and let cook, making sure the chicken is cooked through but still tender. To the grits, add the milk and cheese and stir thoroughly to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, as desired. Serve the tomato and chicken mixture on top of a generous helping of grits and garnish with fresh or dried herbs, as desired. 

This dish is a big ol' bowl of comfort. The cheesy grits are creamy and warm—the perfect accompaniment to tender chicken, bright tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Perfect any time of year, this dish is flavorful and so easy to make. It's even better served with a slice of crusty Italian bread, a glass of red wine, and a fresh salad. (Or, you could just eat straight spoonfuls of the grits, because they are seriously that good).

Oh! On a slightly unrelated note, I finally tried out my microplane herb mill (a.k.a. a fresh herb grinder), using it to garnish tonight's meal with a mix of fresh basil and oregano.The herbs came out finely chopped like they would be in a jar of dried herbs, and the smell as they were cut was amazing. You could just as easily chop them up by hand, but this gadget was still pretty fun to use.