October 31, 2012
October 29, 2012
scary sandy
the wind is howling and the rain is coming down but thankfully, fanboy & i are safely inside and have power. we are much more worried about what hurricane sandy is inflicting on our friends and family that are scattered along the east coast. please be careful & stay safe, peeps!
October 28, 2012
cheeky recipe: creamy campanelle
this is a truly cheeky recipe. something i made up based on a pasta dish i had liked at nolita house a few years ago. what i really love is that this recipe is adaptable to whatever you like or happen to have on hand. tonight, i didn't have any sausage, so i used bacon. don't have shallots? use diced onion. or, throw in roasted bell peppers instead. part of being cheeky is improvising, so try this and make it your own.
cheeky's creamy campanelle
heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a deep saute pan. remove sausage from casing and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces, until no longer pink. transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving fat in skillet.
add the remaining oil to skillet. toss in the shallots and red pepper flakes then cook over medium heat until shallots are translucent. add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. for campanelle, i do 8 1/2 minutes.
return sausage to skillet along the wine to deglaze the pan then slowly stir in the cream. stir constantly over medium heat until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. add in the cheese in small amounts, continuing to stir slowly. add basil or parsley then salt and pepper to taste. combine the sauce and pasta and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve. finish with more grated parm reggiano or pecorino.
cheeky's creamy campanelle
- 1 pound of campanelle or farfalle
- 1 pound of chicken or pork sausage, casing removed
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4-6 shallots, minced
- 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 2 cups light cream or half and half
- 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romano
- 1 cup asiago fresca or fontina, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- fresh basil or flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a deep saute pan. remove sausage from casing and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces, until no longer pink. transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving fat in skillet.
add the remaining oil to skillet. toss in the shallots and red pepper flakes then cook over medium heat until shallots are translucent. add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. for campanelle, i do 8 1/2 minutes.
return sausage to skillet along the wine to deglaze the pan then slowly stir in the cream. stir constantly over medium heat until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. add in the cheese in small amounts, continuing to stir slowly. add basil or parsley then salt and pepper to taste. combine the sauce and pasta and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve. finish with more grated parm reggiano or pecorino.
42/52: danger
this jar of caramel may look harmless but it's so delicious that it's dangerous. i'm still glad i brought it home from les chocolats de chloe in montreal.
October 22, 2012
cheeky recipe: gastronomer roast chicken & potatoes
a big thanks to my friend, suzanne, for sharing this recipe. it was so, so good! i added lemon, shallots, and rosemary to the original recipe and followed suzanne's recommendation to cut the potatoes into small pieces and just chuck them in the oven. once again, fanboy & i were too busy digging in to take photos. but trust me, this is a keeper.
gastronomer roast chicken & potatoes (adapted from the washington post)
for the chicken
for the potatoes
for the chicken: If necessary, slightly lower the middle oven rack so the chicken will be situated in the middle of the oven as it roasts; preheat to 425 degrees.
rinse the chicken and dry with paper towels inside and outside. rub it with a generous amount of salt and pepper on the inside and outside, rub with the butter. add the shallots, lemon, and a few sprigs of herbs to the inside of the chicken. if you want a more attractive result, use kitchen twine to truss the legs.
rub a little butter or canola oil on a roasting rack; place the bird on it.
prepare the potatoes: season the potatoes lightly with salt and pepper and place them in an ovenproof baking dish, toss in the shallots and herbs, and coat with a little bit of canola oil.
when ready to roast, place the roasting rack with the chicken directly on the middle oven rack, with the potatoes positioned directly below to catch the chicken's juices, making sure there is enough space so the heat is not blocked from circulating under the bird.
roast for 50 to 60 minutes, looking through the oven window to make sure the chicken does not burn. test for doneness by piercing the bird where the leg is at its thickest. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. If they are still pinkish, roast for 10 minutes and check again. if the potatoes are turning dry or becoming too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before serving. carve the chicken and divide the pieces, along with the potatoes, among individual plates. if using thyme, season just before serving.
gastronomer roast chicken & potatoes (adapted from the washington post)
for the chicken
- 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken, gizzard packet removed (reserve for another use, if desired)
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs of rosemary or thyme
- 2-4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
for the potatoes
- 1 - 1 1/2 pound(s) of potatoes cut into small pieces (i used yukon gold)
- 1-2 shallots, thinly sliced
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig of rosemary or thyme
for the chicken: If necessary, slightly lower the middle oven rack so the chicken will be situated in the middle of the oven as it roasts; preheat to 425 degrees.
rinse the chicken and dry with paper towels inside and outside. rub it with a generous amount of salt and pepper on the inside and outside, rub with the butter. add the shallots, lemon, and a few sprigs of herbs to the inside of the chicken. if you want a more attractive result, use kitchen twine to truss the legs.
rub a little butter or canola oil on a roasting rack; place the bird on it.
prepare the potatoes: season the potatoes lightly with salt and pepper and place them in an ovenproof baking dish, toss in the shallots and herbs, and coat with a little bit of canola oil.
when ready to roast, place the roasting rack with the chicken directly on the middle oven rack, with the potatoes positioned directly below to catch the chicken's juices, making sure there is enough space so the heat is not blocked from circulating under the bird.
roast for 50 to 60 minutes, looking through the oven window to make sure the chicken does not burn. test for doneness by piercing the bird where the leg is at its thickest. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. If they are still pinkish, roast for 10 minutes and check again. if the potatoes are turning dry or becoming too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before serving. carve the chicken and divide the pieces, along with the potatoes, among individual plates. if using thyme, season just before serving.
October 20, 2012
October 19, 2012
October 14, 2012
weekend roundup
this was seriously awesome weekend filled with good friends and plenty of great beer. and a little wine, too. hope you had a fantastic weekend too!
October 13, 2012
snallygaster saturday
today is going to be a perfect, crisp fall day in the 202. and best of all, we'll be enjoying it by sampling many, many beers with our friends at snallygaster!
October 12, 2012
cheekydrinks: cold press iced coffee
to say that i like coffee would be a bit of an understatement. i am not sure if i am capable of functioning without my morning coffee. i love lattes but i also love a really good iced coffee. there a lot of recipes on the interwebs, some involving a huge bowls and cheesecloth. that seems overly complicated. this one just requires a french press. at some point, i will invest in a coffee grinder. for now, i just request a course grind for a french press. so far, i'm a big fan of southpaw espresso recommended by the folks at my favorite coffee shop, pound.
cold press iced coffee (adapted from the urban domestic diva)
put 5-7 tablespoons of coffee in the french press.
add cold water to about 1 1/2" from the top. give it a good stir. place the wire mesh top on but do not press down. let sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for about 6-8 hours or overnight.
in the morning, press down until all the way down. pour the concentrated cold press coffee in a larger lidded container. add ice cold water into the concentrated coffee to taste. i only add a few splashes of water and plenty of half & half.
pour over ice, and dress up as you want!
cold press iced coffee (adapted from the urban domestic diva)
put 5-7 tablespoons of coffee in the french press.
add cold water to about 1 1/2" from the top. give it a good stir. place the wire mesh top on but do not press down. let sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for about 6-8 hours or overnight.
in the morning, press down until all the way down. pour the concentrated cold press coffee in a larger lidded container. add ice cold water into the concentrated coffee to taste. i only add a few splashes of water and plenty of half & half.
pour over ice, and dress up as you want!
October 10, 2012
fall fun
new england, a set on Flickr.
there's something special about new england in the fall. we packed columbus day weekend with family, food, and a jack o'lantern spectacular into our weekend!
October 9, 2012
October 6, 2012
pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins
we are visiting the cheeky fam in new england this weekend and could not miss the jack o'lantern spectacular at roger williams park zoo. the photos don't quite capture how cool it really is!
October 2, 2012
cheeky recipe: athenian orzo
this is another recipe going in the "make this now" file chez cheeky.
athenian orzo (adapted from prevention RD)
preheat oven to 450. coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.*
toss 1 tablespoon olive oil and the white balsamic vinegar with the shrimp, set aside. put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. cook orzo in the boiling water for five minutes. drain and set aside.
heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. add wine and cook for about 1 minute. stir in half of the parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes.
place the shrimp into the pan, pour the orzo into the sauce and shrimp, stir gently to combine. sprinkle with feta and the remaining parsley. bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes. serve immediately.
*i just used my oven-safe saute pan so that there was one less dish to wash.
extra cheeky twist: use a lemon or rosemary infused olive oil.
athenian orzo (adapted from prevention RD)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2-3 shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of crushed red pepper
- salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups orzo
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
preheat oven to 450. coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.*
toss 1 tablespoon olive oil and the white balsamic vinegar with the shrimp, set aside. put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. cook orzo in the boiling water for five minutes. drain and set aside.
heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. add wine and cook for about 1 minute. stir in half of the parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes.
place the shrimp into the pan, pour the orzo into the sauce and shrimp, stir gently to combine. sprinkle with feta and the remaining parsley. bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes. serve immediately.
*i just used my oven-safe saute pan so that there was one less dish to wash.
extra cheeky twist: use a lemon or rosemary infused olive oil.
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