March 15th, 2010
I know I’ve mentioned Gene’s Sausage Shop but I have yet to explain… the last time Juan came to visit, we ate pork! lots and lots of pork!
I had heard abut Gene’s from a number of friends and knew that it was necessary to go visit. I waited for Juan to come because he is always up for exploring a new food shop with me. It was delightful- two floors of delicious food. There was a long case of meats both cooked and uncooked- a large amount of which is made there. Cheese, breads, fruits and vegetables. Upstairs there were different imported products including jams, teas, sardines and liquor. We explored.
It did take awhile to decide though… We settled on Canadian Ham, Alpine Sausage, Head Cheese, Bread, Cheese, various jams and a Honey Tangerine (which is my new favorite citrus). The rest of the weekend, we feasted on lots and lots of pork. Overall, I was very impressed with both the quality and the price of the products. I would definitely go again especially for a special dinner.
Also that weekend, I had a romantic dinner planned… Roast Pork Tenderloin with garlic and sage, mashed potatoes and roasted beets. Everything turned out to be delicious. To make the pork tenderloin, I made a couple slits in the pork, put in some garlic and sage, seared it on the stove and then cooked it at 450 until it was cooked through. Juan made us pork sandwiches with the leftovers the next day… did I mention we ate a lot of pork!
Disclaimer: I was not paid to promote Gene’s.
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December 19th, 2009
… well, exams are finally over… I’m half-way through law school!!! yea!!! I have been hanging out with Juan all week… sleeping, relaxing and cooking… We are going to watch the “new” Harry Potter in a minute… but I wanted to give you something to drool over…Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque… absolutely delicious!
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October 27th, 2009
More than one person today has lamented that it is only Tuesday… stumbling around the law school building, groggy from lack of sleep, slurping coffee and groaning at the loads of work that await me… at least I am in good company… it has been a really rough semester. This morning I was hit with the shock that I have a little more than a month before exams…. yikes! Thankfully (or should I say unfortunately), I’ve been through the whole exam process twice now so I know what to expect… sort of… It is going to be a long month.
On top of this, I have not had much time to cook. I’ve been so busy… eating staples and be boring… A few weeks ago, M&J came over for dinner. I made Hazelnut Chicken with Butternut Squash- Sage Orzotto. Both a huge hit! Making a risotto with orzo is so easy that I definitely will do it again in the future. Recipes will be coming tomorrow… but for now Tuesday is almost over and I need my sleep…
ok, now I’m more rested… the recipes:
Hazelnut Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 egg, whisked with a fork
1 cup of hazelnuts, chopped in a food processor
1. Heat the oven to 400.
2. Dip the chicken in the egg and then the hazelnuts.
3. Bake for 30 min or until the chicken is cooked through.
Butternut Squash- Sage Orzotto
12 oz butternut squash, chopped, cooked and pureed (see Note)
2 cups orzo
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of white wine
4 cups of chicken broth (perhaps more depending on the absorption)
1/2 cup of parmesan, grated
4-5 sage leaves chopped
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Saute the garlic and shallots until the shallots are translucent.
2. Stir in the orzo and the white wine. Keep stirring until the white wine has been absorbed.
3. Then add the chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring constantly until the pasta absorbs the chicken broth.
4. Continue until the orzo is tender.
5. Mix in the butternut squash, parmesan and sage leaves.
Note about Butternut Squash: I boiled the butternut squash until it was soft and then pureed it. It was still good but I believe roasting would be a much better idea.
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