Fried Pickles

Okay, I'm a little scattered going from fresh mozzarella cheese to fried pickles a decidedly southern treat, but what the hell.

I've eaten fried pickles in restaurants, but have never tried to make them. Until this week. My daughter wanted to try them, so off I went to the grocery store to pick up pickles.  I followed a recipe I found online at Moore Babies Blog

They tasted great - there was a salty, sour and spicy mix that was great with the dipping sauce.  I also like how they were oven baked instead of fried.

A few things I would do differently - use larger dill pickles, mine were too small. Also, since the recipe calls for Panko bread crumbs, I would grind then a little finer. Some people use corn meal which works nicely, as well.

Overall, those who were adventurous enough to try them, liked them!

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

The first time I tasted fresh mozzarella was in Ovindoli, Italy. My father-in-law's home town just north of Rome. Never had I tasted something so refreshing and delicious. A thick slice of cheese on a slice of freshly baked Italian bread-heaven.

I've seen a few post on Pinterest that discuss making cheese and I was curious. So this weekend, I'm going to venture into the world of cheese making. While I've made ricotta cheese (simple and wonderful), the idea of kneading and pulling cheese seems very foreign.

But we love fresh mozzarella and use it frequently.  I replace regular mozzarella for chicken parm. I use it on pizza, bread, in pasta salads and there is a great bean salad with fresh mozzarella.

I'll keep you posted (pun intended) with pictures and how the adventure went.

Here are some recipes to try:

Pioneer Woman Fresh Mozzarella

Heart, Hands, Home Blog - I'm using this recipe

Delectable Musings

Gardening

There is nothing better than veggies fresh from the garden.  Our garden is quite the accidental garden, necessary because of my daughter's AP Biology summer homework. She needed to grow something, anything, and document the process all summer.

Well, we haven't had a garden since the playset went up and I really missed it. I grew herbs, lettuces, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  I loved cutting fresh lettuce to make a salad each night, so good.  The only problem was the cucumbers and tomatoes all ripened at the same time and I would pass them out to neighbors.

Here's an image of my fresh lettuce that we had for a late lunch today. Tender and fresh, what a great salad.

Happy Birthday Julia Child!

Julia Child would have been 100 years old today.  What an amazing cook, person, and contributor to the culinary movement.  Even with all of the current chefs whom are popular today, Julia Child has made a lasting impression on cooking as we know it.  Also, she was one of the first culinary stars on television.

I personally love the book Julie and Julia and how we got to know Julia Child and her husband.  Cute, cute movie.

Happy Birthday, Julia! And Bon Appetit!

National S'mores Day

Who knew there was a National S'mores Day! August 10th is the official day.  We love s'mores in our family.  Lately, I've seen various combinations that look fun.

Picture one is from A Wedding Story Blog picture two Classic Chaos and picture three from Homestead Survival

Quick Breads!

My father-in-law dropped off some veggies from his garden and there was a couple of zucchinis.  In my opinion the best recipe for zucchinis is zucchini bread.  So I whipped up the recipe I found here - Southern Cooking at About.com after looking through all of my cookbooks.  Even my Betty Crocker didn't have a recipe, which I was surprised.

Anyway, I reduced the sugar just a bit, about 1/4 cup because 1 3/4 cups of sugar is a lot.  They turned out great and since I had to borrow 3 eggs from a neighbor for my last minute baking expedition and I'd made omelets for breakfast, I'll send one of the mini loaves over to them.

I love the rich cinnamony flavor and the moist texture.  I'm hoping the zucchini makes these loaves healthier. Maybe part of the vegetable group.

Pampered Chef Mini Loaf Pan

I used my Pampered Chef mini loaf stoneware. Stoneware is one of my favorite baking ware. Cleans easily, makes a nice crust and only gets better with age. 

My pizza baking stone is nearly black from use, but that just makes it better and nothing sticks.

Friday Dinner

Photo from Living Light Blog

I love cooking on the weekend. Starting Friday a good dinner and then a relaxed Saturday and a big Sunday morning breakfast or brunch. Usually on Sundays we a big breakfast of eggs & toast, pancakes (love Pioneer Woman's recipe), sour cream waffles, dutch babies, or something I cooked up from one recipe or another.

Then for dinner, which we usually eat around 3pm, and usually a big pasta dish, pot roast, chicken pot pie, the list is long.

This Friday, I'm going to try Rachael Ray's Southwestern Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake.  Looks like an interesting tweak on traditional pasta bakes that I'll pair with salad and fruit. The recipe was posted on Pinterest by a blogger. Here's the link and I'll let you know how it taste! Recipe Link

Crockpot/Frozen Meals

I've been wanting to do this for a while, cook up a storm for a day and create enough frozen meals to feed my family. I've scoured several crock pot sites and a few of my own recipes and I'm ready to do it. I'll keep you posted to when I embark on this adventure and I'll provide a shopping list as well.

Here's what I plan to cook and freeze:
Vegetable Lasagna - my recipe
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta with Chicken - Happy Little Elephant's blog
Teriyaki Chicken - The Test Kitchen of Melissa Fallis blog
Pork Sirloin Roast with Spicy Peanut Sauce - Kalyn's Kitchen blog
Hamburger Soup - my recipe
Chicken Pot Pie - my recipe
Giada's Pot Roast - Everyday Italian
Chicken Tortilla Soup - Pioneer Woman
And - seasoned beef for tacos, nachos, and tortillas - shredded chicken, and steaks for my carnivore son.

There are freeze staples that are always in my freezer.  Frozen blueberries, Cubes of frozen herbs such as parsley and basil (basil is mixed with olive oil or made into pesto), raviolis, sausage, bread, butter (yes, you can freeze butter), steaks (both thin and thick), and hamburger patties that I make up myself.

Italian Bread

After eating bread in Italy, it is hard to find something comparable in the US.  Where I live there are numerous Italians and some great Italian bakeries, but it is hard to mimic the crusty shell with a soft chewy inside. So, I've tested so many different types and found a great loaf at my local grocery store - Wegmans in which fresh bread is made daily.

Today I grilled some Italian bread brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. So delicious! Then we slathered it with homemade ricotta cheese and chopped fresh basil.

A meal in itself and one that is so fresh for a hot summer day.

Summer Grillin'

I went out to start the grill last night and it was out of gas! That is the worst when you have a plate filled with marinated chicken and some fresh corn to grill. So, I used the George Foreman, but it wasn't the same.

I use a gas grill.  I know a lot of chefs like the traditional charcoal, but using it usually takes more time and it is messy.  When grilling, it is usually a mad dash home from work, throw some ingredients together, and plop them on.

So, today is another day. After some errands (I'm in desperate need of a manicure) and a soccer game, I'm going to stop by and switch out the old canister for a new FULL one to grill tonight's dinner.

What am I cooking? Well, I was watching Barefoot Contessa and saw a wonderful grill veggie and bread recipe that had my mouth watering--Grilled Panzanella.

Here's Ina Garten's Recipe

Grilled Panzenella

Ingredients

• Good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 10 large basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
• 1/2 small ficelle, cut into 1-inch thick slices

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. I'm using a gas grill. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside. When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.
Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.