Bear bought me these two plants a couple days ago and I named them Trevor (on the right) and Angie (on the left).
live plants are better than cut flowers, don’t you think?
cause they last longer!
oh, and some of my little cilantro seeds are sending up shoots!
Happy birthday indeed.
in the previouslies - on yeah producers! way to get one more use out of Andrew’s “culinary boner” soundbite
to counter Amuse-Biatch - proof that Stephanie may be straight! eyebrow plucking!!!
wow, Andrew’s got the loser’s edit so FAST
salad is NOT hard (oh no, don’t put the sexy back, please!) oh god they take it literally and all make “sexy” salads!
45 minutes is a long time to make a salad!
does Spike hate the top of his head?
“not great chefs and their attitudes suck” oh come ON Lisa! pot calling the kettles now girl!
Why is Sam a judge? Sure he’s hot, but come on! he didn’t even make it to the final 2! and doesn’t he work at a surf shack now? doesn’t that just sound like loads of fried foods?
NO NO NO! NO “sensual beef”!!!
Whoa, Richard’s on the bottom (which I’m guessing is NOT how he likes it)
that fast food looks GOOD
haha! calling out the baby cops on their bad eating habits!
Hey! the producers finally learned the meaning of the word “advantage”!
lucky Spike!
OK, Spike’s “strategy” is basically destined to fail
1) raw food sushi? for cops? um…. maybe Andrew deserves to lose…
2) to Stephanie - sushi ALWAYS fills me up!
I categorically refuse to comment on the “sabotage” issue
Spike’s Question of the Day is: do you like silly hats?
and my love for Spike grows ever stronger (even though he’s not that likeable…odd that)
We know, we know, Andrew is crewed, buh-bye
and he didn’t even use a whole grain! damn
this is another snoozer
i can’t stand how Padma talks sometimes
what’s different about Spike during judging? facial hair? or lack thereof?
you know if they sent Lisa home I wouldn’t miss her, but I don’t think it was so bad that she pointed out the judges’ precedent that people who don’t fulfill the rules of the challenge get sent home!
ha! Lisa is scared of getting punched?! look in a mirror girl, you’re terrifying! who would punch you?!
olives AND grapes in chicken salad does sound gross - just grapes in chicken salad i know i like, and just olives sounds potentially good, but together? um…ew….
Andrew had to go because of past precedent, but i will kind of miss him and his oompaloompa-ness!
SO EFFING GOOD!!!
they taste like Bear’s famous chili - with cumin and peppers - just awesome
Here’s the recipe straight from Bear:
1lb of ground beef (chuck)
1/2 of a Red Bell pepper
1/2 of a White Onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 Banana Pepper
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Cumin to taste
Fold in all of the ingredients into one giant mold. Place 1TBSP butter into a medium high skillet. Cut meat into 4 round balls, and drop two of them into the pan making sure to keep the round form. After 3 min. of cooking, and making sure the meat is not sticking to the pan, with a spatula flatten out burger to desired thickness. Flip burger, and repeat.
For Medium cook on both sides for 5 min each
plus i had the brilliant idea of adding american cheese and guacamole and it really pushed them over the top to amazing!!!
2 eight- or nine- inch round cake pans
1 loaf pan
1 bundt cake pan
1 muffin pan (with 12 spots)
1 mini-muffin pan (with 24 spots)
1 wire rack for cooling baked goods
1 cake slicer/server
1 bread machine
and finally the piece de resistance! the dish i made for the first time that i intend to make again and again, so many variations on this theme to be made…
Nutty Orange Coffee Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show: Paula’s Home Cooking
Episode: Mothers’ Day - I actually saw part of the episode on Saturday and watched Paula make this with her sons and i just HAD to make it myself!
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, pecans, and zest; set aside. Separate the biscuits. Place about 3/4 teaspoon cream cheese in the center of each biscuit. Fold each biscuit in half over the cheese, pressing the edges to seal. Dip the biscuits in melted butter, then dredge in the granulated sugar mixture. Place the biscuits, curved-side down, in a single layer in the hollows of a lightly greased 12-cup bundt pan, spacing them evenly (do not stack). Place any remaining biscuits around the tube, filling any gaps. Drizzle any remaining butter over the biscuits, and sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Immediately invert the cake onto a serving platter. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice, stirring well; drizzle the glaze over the warm cake. Serve warm.
in a word: SCRUMPTIOUS
seriously this was so easy and so delish and we devoured half of it between 3 people after eating almost an entire quiche because it was just that GOOD.
it was a little bit rough to make them all fit into the pan, and i missed the bit of the episode when Paula was squeezing them all in, so i just did my best, but i was worried…
i used the generic brand of biscuits and they were just fine!
and as you can see it turned out great!
it looks poofier than the image with the recipe on foodnetwork.com but i’m cool with that. and my glaze was maybe not thick enough (needed more sugar i guess?) but i’m cool with that too.
and it certainly tastes great - nutty, orange-y, buttery and sweet, with pockets of cream cheese that cuts through the sugar - YUMMY!!!
oh yeah and in an homage to Sandra Lee (who i despise) here’s my tablescape:
i set the table with the linens and napkin rings Bear and i gave mama owl last christmas, i bought her flowers and arranged them, i had the orange juice ready to have champagne poured over it for tasty mimosas, i accidentally set the table for 4 without realizing it but then left it because it looked pretty… yep, i’m pretty awesome
Tyler Florence’s Deep Dish Ham Quiche with Asparagus and Herb Salad
Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
Filling:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin-olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, sliced
3/4 pound smoked ham, cubed
8 large eggs
1 quart heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
2 bunches asparagus (about 1 pound each), stems trimmed
4 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a peeler
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, hand-torn
1 handful fresh mint, hand-torn
1 handful fresh dill, hand-torn
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the pastry: combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg yolk and ice water in a small bowl to blend, add it to the pastry. Work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch springform pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly; trim the excess dough around the rim. Place the pan on a sturdy cookie sheet so it will be easier to move in and out of the oven, this quiche is pretty heavy.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
To make the filling: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, coat the pan with oil, and add the onions. Slowly cook the onions, stirring, until they caramelize and release their natural sugars. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to help the onions break down, if needed. Toss in the ham, cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes to get some color on it. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, pour in the cream; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the caramelized onions and ham over the bottom of the crust and carefully pour in the cream and egg mixture; the filling should be about 1-inch from the top of the pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until the quiche is set, puffy, and jiggles slightly. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. In the meantime make the asparagus salad.
To make the asparagus salad: In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes, or until they are just crisp-tender. Drain the asparagus, transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Slice the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan and herbs, drizzle the herb and asparagus salad with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
Loosen the quiche from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Carefully unmold the ring, and transfer the quiche (with the bottom base) to a serving plate. Cut it into wedges, drizzle with a little olive oil, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the asparagus salad on top.
So here’s the thing - I don’t have a 9-inch springform pan and I was certainly not about to make my own pie crust, ya dig?
so instead I bought a 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust and figured i’d make it work…
the other thing is that i had bookmarked this recipe on my mom’s laptop which i didn’t realize she was taking to church with her so i had to wing it even more…
well 8 eggs and an entire QUART of heavy cream sounded like a lot, so i checked my favorite standby quiche recipe from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest (a lovely cookbook) it’s on page 131, can you believe i still had that memorized?!!!
anyway my suspicions were confirmed - the EBF recipe called for 3 eggs and 1 cup milk, or 4 eggs and 1.5 cups milk for a deep dish pan.
So I used 5 eggs and 1 cup of heavy cream. plus i wish i had thought to use just 1 onion, but i saved the rest and we had them with pork chops for dinner that night. and i used probably about 1/3 lb of ham.
THEN there was the asparagus herb salad - without the recipe this was a major improvisation.
why i thought that “blanching” the asparagus spears meant chopping them first and then boiling them for 10 minutes…i’ll never know.
but anyway the asparagus was cooked a lot more than was intended…
and i think i either used too much herbage, or it was just too much for my personal tastes (my parents devoured all the herbs on their plates so maybe it was just me…)
but the quiche, which i re-named Ham & Onion Pie, was fabulous!!! and the asparagus was tasty, and they went really well together! so i was very pleased. plus with the herbs in the salad and the herbs on the potatoes they all meshed well.
quiches are just great in general i think, i’ve always liked them and used to make them quite a bit as a youngster because you could just throw whatever meat and veg you had laying around into a frozen crust with some cheese and eggs and milk and you had dinner!
it’s really too bad that Bear doesn’t like them… punkass…
so without really intending to, I made a Mother’s Day Brunch entirely using recipes from food network chefs…
let’s start with an old favorite:
Potatoes Da Delfina
By Michael Chiarello
1 1/2 pounds (about 16) small “creamer” potatoes, preferably Yukon gold
Peanut oil
Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped garlic
Put the potatoes in a large pot of cold, well salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife slips in easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until cool.
When they are cool enough to handle, hold 1 between your hands as if you were clapping and press gently with the heel of 1 hand. You want to smash the potato to about a 1/2-inch thickness while keeping it in 1 piece. The skin will split, but the potato should not fall apart. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. You can prepare the potatoes to this point several hours ahead.
Pour 1/2-inch of peanut oil in the large skillet and heat over moderately high heat.
Combine the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest in a serving bowl and set aside.
When the oil begins to smoke, carefully put the smashed potatoes in the oil and cook on both sides until crisp and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the bowl with the parsley-lemon mixture.
When the potatoes are ready, add them to the garlic mixture and toss gently. Serve immediately. Save the leftover garlic oil and use it to dress a salad or vegetables the following day.
these are basically the BEST freakkin’ potatoes i’ve ever had! i’ve made them several times and they always get rave reviews!
I usually just throw in finely minced raw garlic instead of messing around with the garlic oil stuff, or sometimes i saute the garlic in a little bit of oil or butter and toss it in
and if you don’t want to fry them, you can drizzle the cold smushed potatoes with EVOO on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven at 450 degrees until they’re all crunchy! i got that tip from Mamster Burton over at Roots & Grubs which has been one of my favorite blogs for the last couple years!)
so this particular Sunday i used Dutch Creamers instead of Yukon Golds because the Dutch Creamers were so cute and little at the grocery store and they made the Yukon Golds look big and ugly in comparison
aren’t they precious?
and here they are after they’ve been chilled, then smashed, then fried
and here they are in the dish with the herbs and lemon zest
these are seriously the BEST!!!
ALL APPETIZERS!!!
first, a classic - pigs in blankets (crescent rolls from a can wrapped around nathan’s hot dogs - the new favorite hot dogs of the bear/owl household)
next, another classic - stuffed mushrooms (these were totally delish with hot pork sausage in the stuffing)
and bear’s crowning achievement for the evening - Fried Green Tomatoes!!!
they were REALLY damn good!
(oh yeah and then the next morning we had my version of one of my favorite measl… pancakes with strawberries!
)
I LIKE BIRDS
i can’t look at the rocket launch
the trophy wives of the astronauts
and i won’t listen to their words
’cause i like
birds
i don’t care for walking downtown
crazy auto-car gonna mow me down
look at all the people like cows in a herd
well, i like
birds
if you’re small and on a search
i’ve got a feeder for you to perch on
i can’t stand in line at the store
the mean little people are such a bore
but it’s alright if you act like a turd
’cause i like
birds
if you’re small and on a search
i’ve got a feeder for you to perch on
copyright 2000, 2007 EELStheband.com
oh…
did you think i meant the songs sung BY birds?
we’ll get to that another time, shall we?
alright fine… just one!
the little birdies pictured above are Northern Bobwhites and they go “bob…WHITE!” (long drawn out b-o-b, just like the name Bob, followed by a shrill high-pitched WHITE!)
it’s very distinctive and fun to say - give it a try!
if i had a hammer…
i’d put a bird’s nest on it!
are these geese cuddling or fighting?
reminds me of me and Bear!
every wondered what a mockingbird looks like?
well, now you know!
