Young & Hungry

If this little app doesn’t scream Spring has sprung then I don’t know what will!  These cherry tomatoes, stuffed with a mixture of various green veggies, are easy to pop in your mouth and would surely be a big hit at your next picnic, shower, or BBQ! 

 

I learned how to make these in my vegetarian cooking class while studying abroad in Florence, Italy.  I’ll never forget my shock and awe at the amount of flavor packed into such a small neat package.  Those Italians really know how to work culinary magic on the simplest of foods.  We worked our way through the end of summer and all of fall, veggie by veggie as they went and came into season to catch each at its very best.  That’s how they eat in Italy, you know.  If you get produce when it’s in season you capitalize on both taste and economics!  Something we could all probably stand to pay a bit more attention to here in the states.  Alas, we crave what we crave when we crave it and very often have the means to make it happen.  That said, I hope you all take heed and try this recipe now before it’s too late! 

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Ok, so I forgot to post these last year and then again last week, so here you have it before another year flies by:

 

Awards show round 2 was nearly overruled by a second and most unfortunate basketball game against our biggest rival Duke.  Let’s be honest – nobody really likes Duke unless A – they went there or B – they went to Army.  And in the latter of the two cases, I’m pretty sure that had our honorable soldiers had the opportunity to share a state with the Dookies for four years they would feel differently.  Alas, we were able to do both and thanks to DVR were caught up with the Oscar’s by 11 aka bedtime…

 

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I actually made these while I was experimenting for the Master Chef casting call.  They seemed a unique combination of sauces and flavors and they are!  Alas, my taste test panel concluded that they are better warm so they didn’t make the cut.  Speaking of making the cut, I’m pretty sure I, like the mushrooms, did not make the cut.  While I haven’t gotten the “we didn’t choose you for Master Chef, but come try out for our new Biggest Loser Bride” rejection email I also haven’t received any positive feedback or inquiries into the cavernous depths of my past which is rumored to be part of the background check.  Wasn’t a 12 page application enough?! 

 

I’m going to chalk it up to just not meant to be, this year anyway.  I at least got to try some good recipes and meet some interesting people!  With the Academy Awards coming up this weekend, this recipe would make a great pre-show nibble and it’s just as fancy as all the glowing movie stars that will be in attendance.  We don’t all end up on the big (or small) screen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy those who do.  Life outside of the spotlight can be just as fabulous and that’s just how I intend mine to be! 

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Yet again I find myself faced with the appetizer dilemma of having nothing outstanding to make, or should I say bake…  The event is a book club meeting, which on this particular occasion is actually a ruse for a suprise wedding shower for one of our newlywed members.  The theme is cherries.  Uninspired yet again, I’m resorting to my imagination and obsession: currently with sweet potatoes, always with pumpkin, and soon to be with brussel sprouts.  I know, but I heart them. 

 

I can see Katy cringing as she reads this post; crescent dough is one of the many things she refuses to associate with.  I know this because I have failed at many attempts to woo her with the buttery goodness that comes neatly packaged in a fun twist and pop cylinder courtesy of Pillsbury.  They have even added a baking variety without the usual perforated triangle divisions.  Friends, I’m a fan of home made, but you can’t beat this kind of convenience. 

 

My mother might say my love affair with crescent rolls is rooted in Thanksgiving.  When I was younger my undeveloped taste buds were too shy for stuffing accented with Italian delicacies like livers, chestnuts, and olives.  All I wanted was an extra crescent roll or two, or three, or four.  I was in a roll eating competition with myself – the skinny fat kid.  And so I bring you my newest crescent creation:

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With both fall and a park just around the corner, what better way to take advantage of the waning daylight hours than with a picnic?  This recipe, which I modified from an old Bon Appétit recipe is a simple yet unique way to spice up your usual chicken salad.  It’s perfect for a picnic because Tahini, unlike mayo, doesn’t immediately spoil when out of the fridge.  For those that aren’t familiar with Tahini, it’s sesame seed paste (think sesame peanut butter) and is generally found in hummus.  So, if you’ve recently experimented with homemade hummus, this is a perfect way to put all that leftover Tahini to good use.  Additionally, since there isn’t any cheese or dairy in this recipe, the yogurt and feta dip is a nice compliment to the sandwiches and can be used to make avocado, sprout, and feta pitas the next day. 

 

Katy and I originally made this recipe for an anniversary party we catered.  While it made for a pretty and easily assembled appetizer, the amount of prep work involved in deboning and shredding 20 chickens was an experience I am ok never to repeat.  One chicken, however, is a breeze in comparison! 

 
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Every proper Southern girl (or semi-Southern as in my case, having been born in Upstate NY) keeps a few stellar recipes in her arsenal: New Year’s Day collard greens, year round sweet tea, and, of course, party perfect pimento cheese. This spread, most notably found in the insane pimento cheese sandwiches at The Masters in Augusta, is equally delicious spread on slices of baguette, crackers, or crudités. Here, I share with you a recipe from Katie Lee Joel’s The Comfort Table that embodies the perfect mix between sharp cheddar, sweet relish, and tangy onion. Prepare it for your next party and you’ll be sure to dazzle even the staunchest Northerner at your table.

 

Every Southern Girl's Delight

 
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I know they say that all good things take time, but hopefully there aren’t that many that take this much time!  Were the case that A – good things take time and B – time equals 6 hours, I think that one could most definitely also conclude that C – all good things do come to an end.  Because let’s face it, who has 6 hours to spend cooking on a regular basis… I, Socrates, hardly have one. 

 

That said, one weekend when time permits these are SO worth it.  Since they bake at a mere 200 degrees I think it’s perfectly acceptable to leave them on their own here and there, just don’t tell Mom.  I made these for a friend’s wedding shower and am now realizing that I first had them at another friend’s shower in DC.  The recipe itself, however, hones from my good friend from San Fran who was maid of honor for said bachelorette.  Confusing isn’t it?  Luckily, the distribution of my friends across the continental United States and sometimes Europe has resulted in a number of fabulous trips and reunions in new and always fabulous locals with even more fabulous food finds! 

 

Since you have a long 6 hours ahead of you I will stop carrying on and get to the recipe… 

 
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First of all, congratulations to the bride to be.  I am beyond elated for you and beyond grateful to you for providing me with an opportunity to FINALLY make these shrimp.  Giada made this recipe at least a year ago and it has been loitering around my recipe box ever since.  For those of you that know me, you know that once I get something in my head it is undoubtedly going to remain there haunting me and stressing me out until I finally concede.   This and timeliness (which is of course next to Godliness) are the only ways in which I am OCD, but they are surely enough to drive me and others to a supreme state of irritation.  If only I were infuriatingly clean as well…

 

I think I owe my obsession over this recipe to my larger goal of achieving the perfect polenta.  Some might disagree, insisting that such a thing does not exist.  Polenta is not the bland evil stepbrother of grits, the bastard child of an affair with a Italian import who, oozing with machismo and wooing unknowing women with their pretty accent and open conduct, swept Mrs. cornmeal away.  No.  When done right, I know in my heart that cornmeal can trump our precious Southern grits.  One day, hopefully while I still have the leftover cornmeal in my pantry, I will perfect the yellow stepchild and I will share the resulting recipe with all of you. 

 

Until then I want to share with you this recipe for polenta crusted shrimp.  I made them for my friend’s wedding shower and they were about as good as I spent the last year dreaming them to be.  Speaking of dreams, I had to endure my Mom cheering me on in a cupcake eating contest in attempt to fulfill her dream of grandbabies and marriage.  I was charged with finding the hidden wedding ring which, like the brides bouquet, would mean that I too would soon get married.  Ten cupcakes later and still sans ring I surrendered.  Perhaps my Italian prince is simply charming, but that doesn’t mean my polenta dreams can’t come true.  

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Themes are important .  Be it in a book, a menu, or a party, having a theme provides sense of congruence that sets the stage for things to come.  Not only must one have a theme, but they must have a good theme as well.  One that everyone can really get excited about and put their energy into.  My old roommates and I decided to throw a party with such a theme and everyone really got on board.  In turn, the result was another successful party.

 

 

What was the theme you ask?  Senior Trip.  Although it makes sense since I still live in my hometown, it never fails to blow my mind how many people from high school are still around and in touch.  I’d say we had at least 5-10 people in attendance who were on said senior trip, to Cancun of course, and even more pictures of said people on display.  Other party favors included a sound track right out of high school including the classic Kilo, Green Day, and Abercrombie & Fitch songs, leis, Senior Girls t-shirts, Graduation paraphernalia, Malibu and punch.  Lest you forget, drinking at 18 is legal in Mexico!

 

I, of course, was charged with food and my (in)famous drunken pineapple.  Despite the fact that we ate chicken fingers at Tony Roma’s more days than not, I went with something a tad more unique since technically we are grownups now.  That said, I’m pretty sure some fried chicken cordon bleu bites made an appearance at some point during the night…

 
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