Top 10 of '11

It's that time of year again - time to review everything I've eaten or sipped in 2011 and determine which of the 1000 or so dishes (3 meals/day + beverages + treats - reheated repeats = ???) rose to the top of the food chain (ha!) and will make my Top Ten list.

Decisions are difficult enough for me when I merely have to sort through the myriad varieties of orange juice. Truly, these types of endeavors make my brain hurt because of all the permutations!

So imagine how overwhelming this annual project is, narrowing everything down to only ten selections while simultaneously remembering a couple of disappointingly bad meals (which I'm too nice to talk about publicly) and lingering deliriously over the particularly stellar ones ... well, I nearly become catatonic.

But enough of the meandering preamble! You want to know what made the cut, don't you? (Some of you may already have scrolled down without even bothering to read the introduction!) You want to reject my choices or cheer along with them.

Without further babbling and in no particular order - with the exception of the #1 spot, which I knew would be the winner the very moment I tasted it this summer (even announcing this to my dining companion, who heartily agreed) - here is my Top 10 list for 2011:

10. I was only permitted one taste of the Chocolate Hazelnut French toast at the Bomber, with thanks to Jeremy for treading that fine line between wanting to share the joy and wanting to hoard the goodies all for himself! But that one taste was enough to know that this was an absolutely luscious and decadent treat. Of course, how can you go wrong with divine Nutella, warm and gooey as it oozes out of golden toasted, battered bread? I'm not even sure I would put syrup on my own serving - I might treat it as the dessert-like creation that it is and douse it with whipped cream instead. Either way, this was a fabulous breakfast!

9. The Garlic Parmesan Fries at Chicago Reds are amazing! Here's what I wrote about them in my original post: "These were as close to perfection as fries might possibly come - golden, crisp, hot, salty, garlicky, cheesy, but none of these attributes was overdone. The consistency was ideal, and the flavorings were exceptional." And I wouldn't change a word of it.

8. My Curried Rhubarb Chicken is one of the very best dishes I've made. I debated whether to include any of my own recipes here; but I'm very proud of this, so why not? I also received some lovely compliments from those who tried the dish after it was posted: "I made this tonight and it was awesome! The brown sugar caramelized on top of the chicken and the rhubarb dissolved into a super-yummy sauce." "(We) had your Curried Rhubarb Chicken. I felt like it was a dish from a fancy restaurant .... We loved it!" I'll look forward to spring not only for the warmer weather, the flowers, and finally seeing grass once more when the filthy remnants of snow melt, but also because rhubarb will be in season and I can make this dish again.

7. Whether using Flip Flop Wines Moscato to glaze a cake, enjoying it with a light dinner, or sipping it after a meal, I think it's just lovely. And I'm not alone: Wine Enthusiast magazine has named Flip Flop Moscato one of its "Best Buys." I originally tried the Moscato because it was sent to me for marketing purposes, with no promise of a review but assurances that it would be mentioned whenever I used the wine in a recipe. (I never want anyone to think I'm endorsing an item only because I've received a freebie, so I refuse to do product reviews.) But I like this wine so much that I now buy it for myself ... how 'bout that?

6. I attended a fabulous wine tasting sponsored by The Produce Station and hosted by the Alley Bar. Some wonderful foods were provided to accompany the wines and to help cleanse our palates between tastings. At my table, the charming offering was a plate of sliced baguettes from Detroit's Avalon International Breads and a really lovely cheese. In my post about the event, I described the Pyramid Pointe goat's milk cheese from Evergreen Lane Farm & Creamery as "slightly tart and creamier than butter." The creamery's website gives further detail: "Pyramid Pointe is a soft-ripened cheese made from pasteurized goat's milk. It has a pyramid shape with a natural grey/white rind which is blackened with ash .... The flavor is mild with a sharp lemony finish." It was wonderful!

5. I spoke at Temple Beth Emeth's annual Sisterhood DAMES Dinner, and had a fabulous time! I made new friends, and ate an extraordinary meal prepared by chefs Burt Steinberg and Ron Philipp. The Asian cole slaw, with a light cilantro-lime dressing, was lovely; the brownies were rich and decadent. But the Chicken Franchese - a lightly breaded chicken breast topped with a sauce comprised of beurre blanc and Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, red peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms - shone beyond any of the other delicious dishes. The flavors were explosive and vibrant, some more prominent while others added depth; the sauce was slightly tart, creamy, and an exceptional enhancement to the fork-tender chicken. I wish I could simply send you to a restaurant and tell you to order this dish; instead, you'll just have to hire Burt and Ron to cater a party for you!

4. I haven't written about this one yet, because Jeremy and I visited just 3 days before the place closed for the season (it will reopen on February 1). But the root beer at Bill's Drive-In, on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, was exceptional and simply had to be included here! The soda is homemade, and is reminiscent of previous incarnations you may have enjoyed; but it is so far beyond any others in taste that you'll hardly believe that they can all be called "root beer." There's not too much fuzz or fizz, and the flavor is incredibly rich. Jeremy's initial reaction says it all: "Holy s---! This is, like, the best root beer I've ever had in my life! It's amazing!" (With many thanks to the wonderful Mary Catherine Smith of WEMU for the recommendation.)

3. The chocolate-glazed orange cake that I adapted from a recipe on the back of a note card I'd bought at The Andy Warhol Museum was just exceptional! It was unbelievably moist, the flavor was bright and vibrant, and the rich chocolate glaze was utterly decadent. It would be an ideal dessert to serve in winter, when oranges are plentiful as we wait for the return of berries and other summer fruits. And how perfect would it be with a cup of cocoa, particularly on a cold, snowy day? I absolutely loved this cake!

2. The pierogi at my BFF Wendy's family Easter feast represented a 3-day labor of love, and were truly extraordinary! There was an enormous pile of the beautiful, golden treats which were filled with either sauerkraut, cheese, or prunes. And I can personally vouch for each variety, although the prune pierogi were my absolute favorites with their sweetness and a hint of spice. Not one of those measly 3" pierogi that you find in the grocery store was anywhere in sight ... pfffft! Each of these was at least twice that size, and the fillings were all homemade in addition to the dough having been mixed and rolled and formed by hand. I have already invited myself back for next year's holiday celebration, and would love to join in the pierogi-making party, too!

And who won the top spot?

What is the very best dish I've eaten all year long, the one that makes me smile and sigh with longing just to think of it???

1. The Churro Sundae at Frita Batidos, the Cuban-influenced eatery run by Eve Aronoff.


I can still conjure the fragrance of the beautiful fried pastries - slightly citrus, mingled with warm spices. I vividly remember the contrast between the slight crunch of the churros' exterior, coarse with a coating of sugar crystals, vs. the tender softness of the interior. The churros themselves were extraordinary, and yet they were remarkably enhanced when dipped into the creaminess of melting ice cream. The aromas, the textures, the flavors ... truly, this dish was superlative.

So, that's it for 2011. On Sunday, a brand new year of eating begins!

Italian Beef Sandwiches for the Northwestern Game

When people think of Chicago foods, they immediately think of deep-dish pizza and hot dogs "dragged through the garden."

But Chicago is equally famous for Italian beef sandwiches, and so that's what I'm serving in honor of the Northwestern-Michigan game on Saturday. Northwestern is in Evanston, after all, which is just outside Chicago. You know those kids hop on the train and commute in to the city all the time!

According to Wikipedia:

"Origins of the sandwich are disputed, but one early vendor, Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, opened its first stand in 1938.

One story has it that the Italian Beef sandwich was started by Italian immigrants who worked for the old Union Stock Yards. They often would bring home some of the tougher, less desirable cuts of beef sold by the company. To make the meat more palatable, it was slow-roasted to make it more tender, then slow-simmered in a spicy broth for flavor. Both the roasting and the broth used Italian-style spices and herbs. The meat was then thinly sliced across the grain and stuffed into fresh Italian bread.

According to Scala's Original Beef and Sausage Company (formed in 1925), this meal was originally introduced at weddings and banquets where the meat was sliced thinly so there would be enough to feed all the guests. It rapidly grew in popularity and eventually became Chicago's most famous ethnic food: the original Italian beef sandwich."

Now, I didn't have time to roast an entire hunk of beef; so I cheated and bought some pre-roasted and pre-sliced meat at the grocery store's deli counter.

But I did marinate the beef in the requisite seasoned broth, added both hot and sweet peppers, and made sure to soak the bun in all those tasty juices, too, before piling up ingredients in the sandwich. Shortcuts, not dishonor!

This is a hearty, substantial sandwich - it's perfect for the game!

University of Michigan at Northwestern University
Saturday, October 8 at 5 p.m. EDT
GO BLUE!!!

Italian Beef Sandwich

2 cups red wine (Flip Flop Wines Merlot - a fabulous marketing gift!)
2 cups beef stock
2 .6-ounce packets zesty Italian salad dressing seasoning
1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
1 large red pepper, sliced
4 sub buns
1 cup hot banana peppers, drained

Bring wine, stock and salad dressing seasoning to a boil in a medium saucepan; add beef, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, then refrigerate overnight.

Reheat the beef in the saucepan with the marinade.

Saute the pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes, until softened.

Slice each of the sub buns not quite all the way through, lengthwise. Spoon some of the marinade onto the sub buns. Add roast beef, making sure it drips onto the bread when you remove it from the saucepan. Top with another drizzle of marinade, and finish the sandwich with both types of peppers.

Serves 4.

Brown Sugar Tea Cake with Moscato Glaze

I do a lot of baking, particularly in the fall. Cool weather and dreary, rainy days make me want to go into the kitchen, turn on some lively tunes, dance a little bit while I stir batter, and produce something fabulously fragrant and flavorful. Fresh, homemade baked goods can counter even the gloomiest, chilliest of days.

Recently, I wanted to make something simple - not laden with chips and nuts and streusel and such, but just fairly basic. A cake, perhaps, to serve with afternoon tea ... but dressed up just a little bit, maybe with a glaze. So I baked a lovely pound cake, substituting brown sugar for the white to give more depth of flavor.

And then, instead of drizzling a standard milk-based glaze over the top, I decided to use some lovely sweet white wine instead to flavor the icing. Remember that small changes can often have a big impact. If a recipe calls for water or milk, for example, there's no reason you can't substitute coffee or a flavored liqueur, after all. Experiment! Try new things!

This cake makes a lovely snack or breakfast, or even a treat "just because." Served with tea, cocoa, coffee, milk, or a glass of wine, it is simply perfect for any time of day.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Moscato Glaze

Cake (slightly modified from this recipe):
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8"x4" glass loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the eggs and the vanilla until well combined.

Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt just until combined.

Spread batter in the prepared pan, and bake for 40-45 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan; let cool on a rack.

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons Moscato (a very generous marketing gift from Flip Flop Wines)

Whisk together the glaze ingredients, then drizzle over the pound cake. Let the glaze set completely before cutting and serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Kale and Peppers in Red Wine Sauce

Sometimes you want something rich and decadent to eat; other times, you feel a bit ascetic and long for something more noble. And when your cells are calling to you, telling you that they're desperate for food that's good for them, you've just got to listen to them. They know what they're talking about.

Too many long hours and stressful days tend to make even the most conscientious of us eat poorly - quick meals on the run, snacks, chips and/or cookies.

So when I woke up one morning craving vegetables - truly, nothing else sounded at all appetizing! - I knew I needed to give in. I chopped up some peppers and some beautiful red kale, full of color and nutrients, and sauteed them briefly in some good green olive oil. I made a quick sauce of pesto thinned a bit with red wine. And I served it all over a microwaveable package of whole grains and rice.

You'd think that a pile of vegetables on a mix of brown rice and quinoa would be a less-than-stellar meal, but you'd be wrong. Light, fragrant and richly flavored, this was just what my overstressed system needed, and a perfect nutritious dish for any time you need a bit of restoration.

Kale and Peppers in Red Wine Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small orange pepper, chopped
6 stalks red kale, stems trimmed, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons pesto
1/2 cup red wine (Flip Flop Wines Merlot - a fabulous marketing gift!)
2 8.5-ounce packages Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Medley - Roasted Garlic flavor

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions and peppers for 5 minutes, until softening. Add the kale and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the salt and the red pepper flakes.

Combine the pesto and the wine; pour into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Prepare rice/grain medley according to package directions, then serve the vegetables over the rice.

Serves 4.

Peach 'n' Pecan Parfaits

It's the end of summer, and there is tremendous bounty at the various farmers' markets - fruits and vegetables abound! Before the cold weather sets in - and sadly, we all know it will - we must relish this opportunity to indulge in fresh produce.

There is little in life as sensual as biting into a juicy peach, fragrant and luscious. But sometimes you just want to glam things up a bit, make them a bit more special or elegant.

And that's precisely what today's recipe is about. These parfaits, featuring gorgeous ripe peaches, showcase the fruit's sweetness but also offer flavors and textures to complement that, as well.

These treats are ridiculously easy to make, yet seem special enough for any occasion ... even just the end of a lovely summer day.

Peach 'n' Pecan Parfaits

4 peaches, pitted, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 apricot, pitted, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine (I used Flip Flop Wines Riesling, a most generous marketing gift!)
8 pecan shortbread cookies
whipped cream, for serving

Place the peaches, apricot, sugar and wine into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until the sauce is pink-tinged and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Crush the cookies - not too fine, but no huge chunks either. Set out two wine glasses. Place 1/4 of the cookie crumbs into the bottom of each glass, and top with 1/4 of the peach mixture in each, spreading carefully. Place half of the remaining cookie crumbs in a layer over the peaches in each glass, then top that with the remaining peaches. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 2 generously.

Garlic Scape Season Has Arrived!

It's garlic scape season! I've been waiting all year for this precious 2-3 week period, and it's finally arrived!

And what, exactly, is a garlic scape? According to WiseGeek.com:

"The garlic scape serves as the stem from which the seed head of the garlic bulb is formed. As the bulb begins to grow and mature, garlic stalks also begin to lengthen. During the growth period, the garlic scape begins to curve. Contained within the garlic scape is a great deal of flavor, although the stalk never does reach the level of the pungent garlic bulb itself."

My friend and fellow Michigan Lady Food Blogger, the charming and radiant Diana Dyer, and her sweetheart of a husband are garlic farmers; and they're my sole trusted source of the precious scapes at the various farmers' markets in the area, with many varieties to offer and a wealth of information to generously share.

Here are just three of the many options available, each with its own distinctive bite or lack thereof:




The Dyers tend to their garlic farm with wholehearted devotion: Diana told me that if they were to count each time the garlic is cared for in one way or another, it would probably total 20-25 separate events, from planting to harvesting.

And so, the garlic which will be available later this summer is amazingly wonderful, with each bulb offering its own strengths and colors and virtues.

But to me, the scapes are the most prized -- not only for their flavor and versatility, but also because one must respect and accommodate their moment of glory. Scapes represent seasonal eating, as they are only available for a short while. Then they become a happy memory and something to long for and anticipate through the rest of the year, with late Spring bringing their joyous return.

Diana asked me how I prefer to prepare the scapes because, of course, she would recommend different varieties depending upon my plans.

As much as I adore her justly famous scape pesto recipe, my favorite thing to do is saute them in butter ... a simple, flavorful preparation that showcases the scapes' flavor with little intrusion from other ingredients.

This time I added some white wine (I used Flip Flop Wines Riesling, a most generous marketing gift!) and a touch of cream, to infuse the sauce with more depth and richness.

Then I tossed some pasta and peas into the sauce, for a luxuriously sophisticated yet ridiculously easy dinner. And it was just perfection, after waiting an entire year for the opportunity to eat this luscious meal again ....



Pasta and Peas with Garlic Scapes

6 ounces whole wheat pasta shells
1 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes
pinch of kosher salt
4 garlic scapes, minced
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons cream
parmesan, for serving

Prepare the pasta according to package directions, adding the peas for the last minute of cooking.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and oil together over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper flakes, salt and garlic scapes; saute for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Stir in the cream.

When the pasta is ready, pour the sauce over it and stir to combine. Place onto a serving platter and top with parmesan.

Serves 2-4.

Tomato Salad with Pepperoni and Sweet Pepper

This is an odd little dish -- a little cold, a little hot, very colorful and immensely flavorful. It just sorta came to me, so I put it together and ate it for lunch one day. It's been in the 90s here all week, so something light was definitely needed!

I debated whether to cook the tomato or whether to leave the pepper raw, so that each would match the other; but somehow sautéeing the pepper with some bits of pepperoni, then serving it over the sliced tomato, just struck my fancy.

And sometimes, that's all it takes ....

Tomato Salad with Sautéed Yellow Pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup finely diced pepperoni
2 tablespoons pesto
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add the onion and pepper; cook until vegetables are softening, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until it is absorbed. Add the pepperoni and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the pesto.

Place the tomato wedges in a dish or on a plate, and top with the vegetable mixture.

Serves 2.

Note: I used Flip Flop Wines Riesling, which had been sent to me for tasting/cooking purposes.

Berries in Cranberry-Wine Gelatin

This is one of the easiest recipes I'll ever give you. Just because it's homemade gelatin, without resorting to a box of neon-colored Jell-O, doesn't mean it's difficult at all!

These lovely little fruit desserts will impress those you have dinner with -- family and/or guests -- with almost no effort and at very little cost, too.

My local grocery store had blueberries on sale for $2/pint, and strawberries were $1.58/quart. Gelatin is very inexpensive, and water is free. And the wine (Flip Flop Wines Riesling) and one of the juices (Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry Juice) had both been sent for me to taste them and cook with them.

So I put all of these simple ingredients together ... et voilà!

Berries in Cranberry-Wine Gelatin

1/2 cup white wine
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
8 ounces sparkling cranberry juice
1/2 cup white grape juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup blueberries
2 large strawberries, cut into 1/2" pieces

Place the wine into a medium mixing bowl; sprinkle the gelatin on top and set aside.

Bring the juices and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over the gelatin and stir 'til dissolved. Skim the foam from the top of the gelatin.

Divide the berries among 4 decorative glasses. Divide the gelatin among the glasses and refrigerate for several hours until set.

Makes 4 servings.

Curried Rhubarb Chicken

I love this chicken dish! Truly, it is one of my all-time favorites. It's ideal for Spring, with its abundance of seasonal rhubarb. And it's got curry, one of my most beloved flavors. What more can I say???

Well, let's see:

This is a great family dinner, though it's special enough for an event.

The house smells amazing while it cooks!

You get both protein and fruit in this meal, livened up by the rich flavor of the spices.

It's simple to make, requiring no special equipment or prolonged time frame.

Hmmm ... to paraphrase a line in the fabulous and extraordinary movie "Amadeus": I am passionate. Do I persuade???

I tried making a variation on this with pork one time, and it didn't work at all: the pork was tough, rather than meltingly tender as I'd expected it to be. Odd, but that's what happened. I haven't tried this with chicken breasts, though I imagine that using a different part of the same beast would still result in a luscious dish.

So, go ahead -- try this! And if you can't find all of the spices, just use some extra curry powder. It'll be fine, and your dinner will still be delicious ... :)


Please note that I am NOT ignoring all of my beloved blogging buddies, both new and old!!! Every time I've tried to post a comment, Blogger asks me to pick an identity; I choose "Google Account." I'm then asked to sign in, even though I'm perpetually signed in; then my comment comes back up, it claims to be from someone named "Anonymous" rather than from Yenta Mary, and then when I try to post it anyway I get taken right back to the sign-in page ... oy. Quite the Sisyphean frustration! So if I can ever manage to be myself again, I'll go back to letting all of you know how much I love what you write ....


Curried Rhubarb Chicken

2 tablespoons + 3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon + 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup white wine (I used Flip Flop Wines Riesling)
1/2 pound rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2” pieces
4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, ginger and curry powder; saute 1 minute. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion softens a bit. Add wine and rhubarb; bring to a boil, then cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir, then re-cover and cook 10 more minutes until rhubarb has broken down into a sauce.



In a 10” skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and the black pepper. Place chicken into the skillet skin-side down; cook 5 minutes until well-browned, then turn chicken over and cook 5 more minutes. Place chicken skin-side up into a greased 9”x13” baking dish, and pour rhubarb sauce over it; sprinkle with brown sugar.

Place baking dish into the oven and bake chicken for 40-45 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

I Gar-on-TEE, You'll Love This Cajun Sausage Dish!

I used to watch Justin Wilson -- the Louisiana cook and humorist -- on PBS decades ago, and always loved him. He's quite the character, but he's also a good cook! (Aside: You can well imagine how thrilled I was to win one of his cookbooks awhile ago from my blogging buddy Debbie at The Culinary Cellar!)

For those of you who don't know him, here's a clip to watch:



When I was essentially teaching myself to cook (my mother had taught me the most basic basics, but I'm pretty much self-taught beyond that), I would watch cooking shows -- ah, Julia, The Galloping Gourmet, all the pre-Food Network ones that show my age! I would also take cookbooks out of the library, and just try new things that sounded good or easy or both.

Justin had demonstrated an easy sausage and rice dish one time, something simple to make if one is new to cooking but also delicious and substantial. It's also something that is just such a good recipe that any- and everyone should make it even if they could call themselves a gourmet chef!

Now that I can cook meat in my kitchen, and also have the lovely contribution to this cause of FlipFlop Wines Riesling that was sent so that I could put it to good use in recipes, there is a sufficient confluence that it was time to bring out Justin's recipe again. I haven't made it in years and years, and am working from memory here since I can't find the original recipe anywhere (even online).

I started with the essential basis of Cajun cooking, "The Trinity": onion, celery and peppers. (If you add garlic, then it's referred to as "The Pope.") One is supposed to use green peppers, but I can't stand them so I substituted some lovely orange and yellow ones instead. I sauteed the vegetables, browned the sausage, cooked down a wine-mustard mixture, and enjoyed my dinner immensely ... :)

On his show (as you saw from the clip, if you watched it), Justin would finish cooking his food, tell a story as he sat down to eat, and then tell everyone how fabulous it was by offering a guarantee of how much you'd like it if you cooked it ... or, with his accent, he'd say "I gar-on-TEE"!

Well, I gar-on-TEE that you will love this as much as I do!

Cajun Sausage and Rice

1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 small orange pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
generous sprinklings of freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, sliced (or substitute kielbasa and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes)
1/4 cup Creole mustard
1 cup white wine
rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the onion, the peppers, salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softening. Add the sausage and brown it. Combine the mustard and the wine, and pour over the sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce is reduced and thickened.

Serve over rice.

Serves 2.

Mushroom Spinach Pita Sandwiches

Well, I told you that I wouldn't entirely do away with vegetarian dinner options! And I also told you that I was planning to make use of sale items and Manager's Specials (those items on the verge of passing their "sell by" date which are still good but are deeply discounted) now that I don't have to worry about kosher symbols.

When I went shopping to stock my new kitchen, I was thrilled to find a pound of white buttom mushrooms practically begging me to buy them as they wore their orange "Manager's Special" sticker. $1.50 ... yup, in perfect condition at less than half-price! I also bought a 10-ounce tub -- truly, it's huge! -- of fresh baby spinach that shone with the tell-tale sticker: $3 for what would normally cost $6.

I had bought Dijon mustard on a whim at the dollar store, and I'd received a gift of wine a few weeks ago (see recipe for details). Complete the meal with nutritious whole wheat pita breads that cost $1 for 6, and I feasted for virtually no money!

Mushroom Spinach Pita Sandwiches

1 tablespoon butter
4 large mushrooms, halved, sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
2 cups baby spinach leaves
pinch of kosher salt
Dijon mustard
1 whole wheat pita, halved
1 large slice Swiss cheese

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the mushrooms; saute until softening, then add the wine (I used FlipFlop Wines Riesling, from the very generous package I'd been sent to taste and to cook with), and continue sauteing until the liquid has been absorbed.

Add the spinach and the salt to the skillet, and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Schmear some of the mustard onto the pita bread; place half of the cheese into each pita half. Divide the spinach mixture among the pita halves, and serve immediately.

Serves 1 if you can't be bothered gathering up anything else; serves 2 if you supplement the sandwich with carrot sticks or chips or something on the side.

Custard with Strawberry Sauce and Macaroons

I received a very nice email a couple of weeks ago from a gentleman named Stephen, asking me if I were at all interested in doing a product review of a new line of wines called flipflop:

The flipflop collection includes Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. To learn more about the wines, you may visit the website at flipflopwines.com.

Well, we all know that I don't do product reviews. So I wrote back to Stephen and explained my policy: I'll happily try the wines, and even mention them when I write up a recipe that I've used them in, but I don't offer opinions in exchange for gifts because I don't ever want anyone to doubt my sincerity and think that I may have been swayed.

And he was so tickled that I would not only sample the wines and mention them, but also cook with them -- his best friend, it turned out upon continuing to email back-and-forth, is famed Las Vegas and San Francisco restauranteur/chef Hubert Keller, whose restaurants I've longed to visit -- that he offered to send me 4 bottles instead of the usual 2.

What's most entertaining is that I was communicating with Stephen at the very same time that I learned I'd won tickets to the (un)Corked wine tasting -- it was as though the universe was trying to tell me that I needed to learn more about wine, and provided the means to do so!

I had promised Stephen that I would cook with the wines, and that's precisely what I did -- for my special Passover dinner, no less. I made a main course with a wine-cheese sauce that will be tomorrow's post; and I put together a simple but elegant dessert with a hint of Pinot Grigio -- a light, fruity white wine -- in both the custard and the strawberry sauce.

I also topped the dessert off with a guilty pleasure that I can only get at Passover: Manischewitz almond macaroons.

Now, eating these is like eating M&Ms instead of Valrhona chocolate, for example -- I know this! They are not the light, airy, meringue-y macaroons that have been all the rage recently. Nope -- they are heavy and dense, and yet I love them. (Only the almond ones, though; the other flavors are all too dry.) I hang my head in shame as I type this, but I have been known to open and devour a can in one sitting, without sharing.

So, I took my sophisticated homemade custard and sauce and topped them with the crumbled store-bought cookies ... yes, I did. And you know what?

My dessert was fabulous! It was a perfect combination of simple, wholesome ingredients with a little bit of sweet sinfulness. It was also incredibly easy to make, only requiring planning to make it a day ahead. It was "lick the bowl" good, though I won't admit publicly whether I actually engaged in such boorish behavior!

The custard was luxurious and light, the strawberry sauce the perfect touch of Spring on an April day that brought a little bit of snow -- snow!!! -- to Ann Arbor. And the macaroons provided just the right texture in the midst of the creaminess.

Thank you, Stephen, for your generous contribution to my holiday dinner. I'll be doing more cooking with that wine, so stay tuned!

P.S.: If you haven't already fed my narcissistic ego, let me just remind you that Saveur is seeking nominees for the 2011 Best Food Blog Awards and the deadline is Friday! Any love you can show me by clicking on this link and nudging them in my direction would be most gratefully appreciated ... :)

Custard with Strawberry Sauce and Macaroons

Custard

2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white wine
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
pinch of salt

In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and wine. Whisk in 3/4 cup half-and-half.

Turn heat to medium-high and heat 1" water in the bottom of the double boiler. Whisk the egg mixture constantly, until it starts to thicken and you can see traces of the whisk left in the custard (about 8-10 minutes); add the rest of the half-and-half and continue cooking and whisking for another 8-10 minutes.

When the custard is done, you'll be able to dip a spoon into it, run your finger down the middle of the coating, and the line will remain intact instead of having the sides bleed back together.


Place custard into a bowl, press plastic wrap against it to prevent it forming a skin, and refrigerate overnight.

Strawberry Sauce

6 large strawberries, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white wine

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat; press on the strawberries to help mash them. Cook the sauce until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate until needed.

To complete the dessert

2 Manischewitz almond macaroons

Divide the custard among 4 dessert dishes or wine glasses; top each with a dollop of the strawberry sauce. Crumble half of a macaroon over each serving.

Serves 4.