Barley?

Yeah, I'm posting two nights in a row.  Don't die from the shock.

But as I have said here before, I can only post when the mood strikes me.  Bring on the wine!

I had the great luxury of getting my hair cut and colored today.  Well, it isn't so much a luxury anymore as it is a necessity.  I am probably totally gray, but trust me, I will never, EVER know for sure.  Thanks to my wonderful friend Charlene, I can keep these long, red locks flowing.  Long, straight and sexy hair -- oh yeah!

As I sat with all of those chemicals on my head, I perused the latest copy of Bon Appetit.  Mind you, while I lamented the demise of Gourmet in an earlier post, I had not renewed my Bon Appetit subscription.  I mean, how many recipes do I need, really?

So I thumbed through the December issue.  My plan was to hit Whole Paycheck Foods afterwards and pick up something to make for dinner.  I came across their recipe for Barley and Mushroom Stew (at least I think that's what they called it - I don't really know).  I had a pad in my purse, so I scribbled down the basics. 

Fast forward to this evening.  While listening to Obama lay out his strategy for Afghanistan, I quietly put the ingredients together.  As always, I will refrain from political comment here but I guess it is safe to say that I still have a lot of mason jar cakes to send to our troops over there.  Again, no further comment.

But the barley and mushroom stew?  Oh yeah!  It was comforting, it was healthy and it was DELICIOUS! I was so happy about it that I had to share the recipe  - immediately!  It gave me great comfort on a night when I needed it.

So here it is:

Barley and Mushroom Stew (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 T. olive oil
2 leeks, sliced and washed
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup pearl barley
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat olive oil in a saute pan.  Add leeks and cook over medium-low heat until wilted.  Add mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often until mushrooms are tender.  And garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more.

Add barley and stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook until barley is tender, about 15 minutes.  Add chopped kale, cover again and simmer until kale is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add vinegar.

Season well again with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Spoon into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Yield:  6 servings

Take great joy in comfort food these days.

And this is comfort food that is guilt-free!

Braised Veal Rolls in Tomato Sauce

      

   
Braising, of course, is a fancy name for stewing a meat, that is cooking if for a fair amount of time partially submerged in some kind of liquid. Beef stew is a hearty and homey brasied meal. It brings a simple, warmness to any winter day. Interest and sophistication comes when beef stew goes to beef bourguignon, both in name and ingredients. Bacon provides a base oil to brown the meat, which is stewed in wine instead of stock or water. On top of these extra layers of flavors, I also love the variety of flavor that can be added by stuffing the meat. Many times, I think of this in the context of stuffing some kind of chop, such as veal chop, and roasting it. This recipe combines the wonderful goodness of a sophisticated stew with added layers of the ingredients in the stuffing. It remains easy to prepare and cook, and the results are to die for.  I paired it with angel hair pasta as in the picture above.  That was just my feeling for the evening, but feel free to serve the rolls by themselves, with a vegetable side, and the sauce ladeled on top.
   
The original recipe, from Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home calls for dry red wine in which to braise the meat. Instead, I used a Vaqueyras leftover from the wine I served on Thanksgiving. This southern Rhone region is near to Chateauneuf-du–Pape both in location and taste with its grenache grape base and medium- to full-bodied round and smooth taste, as opposed to a more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. The former style wine, as with a Burgundy or pinot noir based wine, I think does more to bring out this dish’s flavors, including the ingredients in its stuffing, which is why many translate beef bourguignon into beef burgundy. Anyway, enough geeky wine talk. Just make this recipe and you’ll be glad you did.  Serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 ounces sliced pancetta, diced
1 yellow onion, sliced
6 thin slices of veal
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
2 tbsp golden raisins
2 tbsp grated pecorino romano
1 1/2 ounces sliced prosciutto di parma, diced
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 large egg
1 cup red wine such as pinot noir
1 cup tomato sauce
salt/pepper

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the pine nuts, raisins, cheese, prosciutto, parsely and garlic.  Add the egg and mix well.  Season the veal slices on both sides with salt and peper and lay out flat.  Spread a portion of the stuffing mixture in a layer over each veal slice.  Starting from the narrowest end, role up each piece and pierce with a toothpick to hold in place.
In a Dutch oven or deep saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add pancetta and cook for 4 minutes.  When the pancetta starts to brown, add the onions and cook a few minutes to soften.  Remove the pancetta and onions and add the veal rolls, browning on all sides.  Remove the veal rolls and deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomato sauce and the cooked pancetta and onions and stir to combine.  Bring the sauce to a boil, return the veal rolls to the pan and spoon some of the sauce over the rolls.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.  Simmer for 1 hour, turning the rolls and spooning sauce on top periodically, and adding a little water if the sauce dries out too much.  Serve by plating the rolls and spooning the sauce over the top.
    

obesity + bloggin', dogs + exercise, and new IRL blog friend!

A new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research finds that people who spend more time on the computer have a higher risk of obesity, even among those exercising “enough” during the week.  Three categories of internet time were set: none, low (less than 3 hours per week), and high (more than 3 hours per week). People falling in the highest levels of computer use (more than 3 hours per week) were 1.5x more likely to be overweight and 2.5x more likely to be obese when compared to people who don’t use the computer at all [1].

Advice? Aim for 250.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends people spend 150 minutes per week exercising and 250 minutes per week if they want to lose weight [1].

Really? 3 hours a week is a lot? No wonder I want to lose weight! ;)

And for us dog lovers, some wonderful news!

The average dog owner gets more exercise walking their pets than someone with a gym membership. The average dog owner exercises their pet 2x a day for 24 minutes each time – 5 hours and 38 minutes a week. In addition, the average dog owner takes their pet on three long walks a week, adding on another 2 hours and 33 minutes of activity [2].

Those without dogs spend a mere 80 minutes per week at the gym or heading out for a jog. However, 47% of non-pet owners admit they do absolutely NO exercise [2].

And who’s happier? A whopping 86% of dog owners reported enjoying the time they spend walking their dogs while a mere 16% reported enjoying their time spent at the gym [2].

I almost wish I owned a more athletic breed of dog. Lily is athletic for a bulldog, but that isn't saying much...

And last night (after boot camp, no less!) I met a fellow bloggie for a beer (go check her out, her blog is pretty awesome!). And we have a freakish amount in common...

- both named "Nicole"

- she is from Tulsa, I am living in Tulsa

- both RD's!

- both have important people in our life named "Rob/Robbie"

- both 24

Crazy, huh?! It was great to talk and network with another RD! Thanks for meeting with me, Nicole!! Safe travels back to Cali!

Questions:

Have you ever met a "blog friend" IRL (in real life)? Maybe at FNCE or somewhere similar?

If you are a pet owner, how many times a week would you say you walk your dog?

How many hours a week, realistically, do you spend online blogging/Facebooking/emailing friends, etc. (non-work related, basically)? 

I would have to say I spend at least 9 hours a week online/blogging/emailing/Facebooking in a week -- most of which takes place on the weekends. Eek! 

And we walk Lily about 5 times a week for 20 minutes a pop...failing on that one, too!

[1]. Main, Emily. Overweight? Blame the Internet. MSNBC. November 29, 2009.

[2]. Average dog owner ‘gets more exercise than gym-goers’. Telegraph. November 27, 2009.

Australian Dinner Feast

Mango & Prawn Salad Medley

Hello knackers! It's Chrissy month already...

Christmas is coming and it is the best time for me to think of a dinner feast! I always love cooking dinner feast for people who are dear to me. I remember that I cooked a very special dinner for the people of Liverpool, Sydney Australia. That was two years ago. How time flies. Now with the feeling of Dinner Feast and Christmas I ended concluding something. And that is to go back to Australia come Yuletide 2010. I'd be excited to cook not just dinner feast but some cooking stints for the people of Liverpool and nearby towns. Of course I'd be back to Melbourne too since I agree now with Bourdain that it's the Food and Art Capital of OZ. I am also wishing that I can pass by Perth to visit a friend and to meet a famous Australian boxer. Another thing I also want to have a side trip to New Zealand if given the chance. Hope things will work out so I can finally go back down under next year. I want to spend my next Christmas in a place I called HOME. Australia.

Meanwhile, lemme share you some photos of the food I cooked for fellow Filipinos in Liverpool. It happened at the house of my very kind and accommodating cousin Gary. His dear wifey Yons is like a sister to me the way she treated me and accommodated me not just during my Aussie days but until now. The couple gave me so much help not just during my stay there but also in times of my emotional crisis last year. Now that I am okay, they are still here to listen to my happy stories and giggles. They still spare me some time and accommodate me whenever they can.

Clam & Basil Linguine

Chicken Curry

Indian Corn Fried Rice

Australian Bistek

Kind peeps from Liverpool, Sydney NSW

The cake was given by our guest Lucci Olmedo

I am always happy when I cook. It makes me wear a smile on my face whenever I see the people eating it and enjoying it. Most of all when I see the food almost empty, my heart will definitely smile too. I am thankful I had a brigade of helpers who helped me with the food preparation. Now this is my mindset, I also want to cook for friends in London, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy & Spain. European tour is getting near. I will apply my visa early next year. That's another story. Anyways, I will post the recipe of these foods here and at Jamie Oliver's website. Hope to do it very soon.

Excited about Christmas!

hugs,
joanie xxx

Simple Food and a couple of resto plugs

Hi Everyone!  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots to be thankful for.  We were lucky enough to have our boys home for an entire week - a wonderful gift, considering they are 27 and 25 and have their own busy lives away from Atlanta.  It was good family time.

The first thing they did was displace Henry from his "room" (the one with that ridiculously oversized TV).  Out came the XBox, off went the lights, closed went the blinds and here came the video games.  And if they weren't doing that, they were watching movies.  Or sporting events.  The "BOOM BOOM BOOM" sounds reverberated from the darkened depths of that man cave all week!

It was just like old times.  They were probably texting each other while they were in there, too.  (It's been known to happen before).  Guess there are things I am too old to understand!

And of course we ate too much.  Friends invited us up to their farm for Thanksgiving dinner and it was memorable.  It began as we gathered around the wood burning oven in their outside kitchen and feasted on roasted fois gras and freshly foraged oyster mushrooms.  I'll leave it at that so you won't know how much I really ate, but I will tell you that it just kept getting better from there... 

Here are two pictures of the beautifully decorated tables:

Friday brought the long-standing tradition of a riotous dinner here when all of their friends show up, drink a little too much (don't worry, they spend the night) and reminisce about old times.  We learned WAY too much about some of their prior escapades in high school (oy vey!) and some of their current ones (let's just say "Cubs and Cougars" - not my kids, fortunately, but double oy veh!!).  Anyway, it was a good time with too much good food.  That would be BBQ ribs, pulled pork and brisket from the recently opened Community Q BBQ here in Decatur.  If you live in Atlanta, you want to beat a path to their door as soon as you can.  It's really, really good.  Here is the link:  http://www.communityqbbq.com/

Dinner at Miller Union was Saturday's highlight.  OMG - if you live in Atlanta (or within a 50 mile radius, even) GO, GO, GO!!!  Steven Satterfield, formerly of Watershed and Float-a-Way, is the chef-owner and his business partner is the very savvy Neal McCarthy who is well-known from Sotto Sotto.  Beautiful space (industrial, yet warm and cozy - an oxymoron, I know) and beautiful, yet simple food.  The staff rocks, too.  Here is the link:  http://www.millerunion.com/

Okay, so back to the simple food concept.  Folks, I am TIRED.  I spent most of the day taking back my house.  It was a disaster after all those guys and all those kids hanging around.  I will not describe the lingering (beer and sweat) odor in the man cave.  "Disgusting" doesn't even come close.

And now it's time for dinner.  This is going to be simple beyond belief.  I have a plethora of farm-fresh eggs, courtesy of my weekly CSA.  I have some beautiful fresh arugula from the same source.  Looks to me like baked eggs and a simple salad are on the menu.  I can throw it together in no time.  And it will be really good.  No more fois gras for me in the forseeable future!

BAKED EGGS

For each serving:

2 farm fresh eggs
2 T. half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 T grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.  Carefully break eggs into a ramekin.  Add half-and-half to just cover whites.  Sprinkle over with salt, pepper, rosemary and Reggiano.

Place in oven and bake until whites are just set - 10-14 minutes.

Serves 1

If you are really a good person and not the food police like I am, you will serve this with some freshly toasted baguette.  Sorry, Henry!

Obviously, this was bread-deficient.

Trust me, he survived!