KITHCHEN THOUGHTS - The "Go To" Room

Kitchen tools

The other day I caught a glimpse of the movie "Panic Room" and thought, gee...I don't exactly have one of those....I have something better. 

That "something better" can be summed up in two words...my kitchen.  It may not be equipped with the latest weapons or have sensors and cameras going to every opening, but what it offers in comfort far outweighs the latest techno-security gadgets.  At least in my books anyway.

This world's going to do what it's going to do, regardless of my defenses - or lack thereof.  I refuse to live my life in fear, refuse flatly to allow the misbehavior of a few loons to interfere with my pursuits.

That's not to say I won't stand up for a good cause.  Quite the contrary.  I can be a tiger when necessary.

There is a lot of anger in the streets.  People are occupying city parks, protesting in front of banks and stock exchanges. Some of me thinks I should be out there, like the old days, marching with my peers. But a lot of me is confused.  What am I fighting against?  What am I fighting for?  Those questions don't seem to have answers that are as clearly defined as in the'60s. Remember?  That's when we got our heads and backs beaten for the causes of Civil Rights and ending the "War" in Vietnam.

My "go to" room

I believe in change.  Change is part of life. I know we're a young country and we're bound to go through a number of changes...but I say we need to tread carefully.   We need to learn from our past as well as dream for our future.  We can't give up those unique traits that make us who we are.

We do need to change things...we need a better business ethic. We need to make sure people are investing in our nation instead of just milking it dry.  But we also need to encourage business to do business with and in our country.  That's not gonna happen if we tax 'em to death.  

Everybody is screaming things like "eat the rich."  Okay, then what?  After a while there won't be anybody left but each other.  Will we turn on one another then?  When and where will it end?

These are the thoughts I have at two-thirty in the morning, baking a carrot cake and sipping coffee. Does it matter what I think?  Who knows. But so long as I'm thinking...I'm alive, so there ya go. 

Thanks as always for reading the blog.  Please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, recipes, pictures and so on.  Enjoy!

End of the Month Souffe'

Well, here it is....getting near the end of the month and our pantry is looking somewhat ravaged.  And why not?  Since stocking up 30 days ago, we've been cooking (and eating) our way through its contents.  But we still have enough left to get us through, providing we use our larder wisely.


Of course it helps to have planned for this eventuality. 


Every time I go to the store, I pick up a few "extra" things.  Call it insurance. I'd rather do that than be panic-stricken, wondering how to make a meal out of crackers and capers! (Although I might try doing something with that some time....stay tuned! :) )


Looking around  the pantry today, I spotted the ingredients for one of my favorite things to cook....believe it or not, souffle. In this case, Tuna Souffle'-because that's what we had on hand.   

Some people are intimidated by it...all the whisking and beating and thissing and thatting; so much to do!  And so many things to worry about!  White sauce, eggs, egg whites....ugh!  The first time I ever attempted one, it looked like....well, let's just say it didn't look like a souffle!  The thing didn't rise and it was raw in the middle. Thankfully, mine was not the only dud. 


Our Home Economics teacher (shout out to Mrs. Schlosser) was there with patience and sympathy.

As she walked around the room examining each dish, the teacher pointed out what might have gone wrong.  In many cases we simply hadn't done the eggs right.  Either the yellows had started to cook when added to the white sauce creating "scrambled egg islands," or the egg whites weren't beaten enough to help make the dish rise to the occasion.  The other problems were oven not hot enough, cooking time, oven doors slamming and not keeping the oven door closed until cooking time was done.  Picky! Picky! Picky!


When she got to my dish, the instructor nodded.  "What do you think went wrong?"  I looked at her squarely and said "I did."  Naturally.  

Home Ec and I weren't exactly getting along to that point. I mean, wasn't I the kid who just about sewed their hand to the skirt they were supposed to be making for a class project?  The one who sewed the skirt pleats inside out once their hand was liberated from the sewing machine's death grip? And wasn't I the one who was transferred over to cooking to save myself from myself?


Now this....this....puffy cakey thing, for lack of a better term, was about to be my undoing!  Ugh!  


The teacher, a true saint, smiled.  "Looks like you didn't do the roux correctly. Probably not enough flour."  If cooking ever needed a CSI, she'd have been perfect for the job!


The next day we tried it again....and voila!  It worked!  The thing puffed up like it should and was done clear through!   All it took was a bit of patience and a lot of attention to details. 

Those two things still hold true.  Patience and attention to details. You can't rush through making a souffle'...but you can use short cuts.  We'll get to those in a few moments.  But first things first.


BASIC 4 EGG CHEESE SOUFFLE'

Pre-heat oven to 350°
4 eggs (white and yolks separated)
    1 cup milk,warmed
    1/4 cup flour
    1/4 cup butter
    1 1/2 cup cheese grated
    1/4 tsp creme of tartar (optional)
    FOR TUNA SOUFFLE', add 2 cans of drained tuna, 2 diced green onions

Butter the bottom and sides of a large, tall walled bowl. It should be deep enough to allow your souffle' to expand and rise to almost double its size.
Sometimes I coat this with a bit of fine seasoned bread crumbs or a mixture of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Set it aside.


Beat the egg yellows until they are smooth. They'll probably even get a little lighter in color and stream evenly when you raise the whisk out of the bowl.  Set these aside.
The egg whites will be handled a little later...for now just make sure there are no bits of egg yellow floating in them.
Egg whites are finicky...they won't whip up if there are any impurities hanging around, even if those impurities are other egg parts. Sheesh!

Anyway....
Prepare your roux by melting about 1/4 cup of butter in a deep pan, as it's melting add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk, whisk whisk or stir, stir, stir while this cooks.  The flour/butter mixture should thicken and turn light brown.  (If you're using whole wheat flour it'll get darker than with regular flour). Turn off the heat but keep pan on the burner.

Add a small amount of the roux to the milk and mix. Set the burner on low,then add this milk/roux mixture back to the remaining roux while stirring. Stir until fully blended.  The roux will thicken the milk, which is a good thing.  If you go no further, you have made a white sauce.  Gee!  But we're not done yet.

Tempering egg with a little roux

Reduce the heat. Add a bit of this roux stuff to the egg yellows while whisking. This is how you "temper" the eggs-that is, add them to a hot ingredient without partially cooking them first. Once you see that the eggs and roux have incorporated, add it all back to the remaining roux/milk mixture in the pan...continuing to whisk over a low flame.

Once this is all mixed together, you can add the cheese. Stir constantly while the cheese melts.  If you go no further, you'll have mastered a basic cheese sauce.  Yay! But we're still not done.  Turn off the flame and let this rest while you handle the egg whites.

This is a make or break situation.  Done right, your souffle will be light, airy, soft and moist.  Done wrong, you'll have a dry, hard, springy thing that may or may not be edible.  Maybe as a bread? Hmmmm.

Beating egg whites

Eggs softly peaked

Watch carefully as your egg whites develop.  Some people use cream of tartar to help with this process, but its not necessary.  Sometimes it even makes them too stiff, but what ever is your preference so be it.
Personally I don't use cream of tartar in souffle', preferring it in meringue.

Folding egg white into batter

Now comes the next important step....folding the egg whites into the batter.  Notice I said "fold" not "stir" or "mix" or even "incorporate."

Batter and prepared bowl

You want the egg whites to still be and act like egg whites, so the batter is going to look wrong.
Our Home Ec teacher gave us a hint that still rings true today...when it comes to souffle' the wronger it looks the righter it is!

Next, pour the batter into the prepared bowl and put it in the oven to cook for 30-35 minutes.
While that happens, and if you want, you can make a nice simple sauce utilizing some of the steps we worked on at the start of this recipe. Of course, you'd use a lot less flour!  White sauce, cheese sauce, you name it.  Although not necessary, such a thing would add an extra dimension of flavor to the dish

WHITE SAUCE FOR SOUFFLE'
 1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Tablespoons butter or margerine

Put butter in pan, add flour and whisk over heat until butter and flour thicken.
Add milk and continue to whisk while this mixture thickens more.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can add other seasonings too. Some folk even add a bit of nutmeg.


The finished product, Cheese Souffle' with White Sauce will be an unexpected surprise for end of month dining. You don't have to stick to just cheese, either.  Add some tuna, chicken, ham or beef...veggies like diced onion, artichoke hearts, shaved carrots, peas...the sky's the limit!


Thanks to my Home Economics teacher, I learned that cooking is more than a chore and that making a souffle' can be a lot of fun.

Experiment! Enjoy!

Souffle' with white sauce and salad

SHORT CUT!          SHORT CUT!         SHORT CUT!
 
Sometimes there just isn't time to make a conventional white sauces. That's why God made condensed cream of whatever soups! They come in lots of different flavors and sure cut down on the preparations!
Of course you'll still have to make the roux, no way around that. The roux contains the flour that helps to hold the whole thing together. 
I learned that the hard way in Home Ec class.

Fundamentals of Chicken Stew

When trying to decide what to do about needing a week's worth of food with a slim budget, I look for elasticity....that is, things that stretch.


A roast is great for first night meal and produces some great left overs, not the least of which is stew.  Of course, these days such a purchase may require taking out a loan. So what to do, what to do?

The mark-down section of our grocery store is my usual haunt. It's there I've been able to find items to sustain us...providing the booty is used up right away.

The other day I found some marked-down odd chunks of chicken.  It had been a while, so I made some stew with it.  Yummy!

The way it's usually done is just to lightly brown off the meat then dump everything else into the pot and let it simmer.  That's perfectly fine, only don't let the chicken get dried out.

I like to layer the flavors.....even going so far a seasoning the stew pot.  Put a low flame under the pan and clean an onion.  after adding a small bit of olive oil or butter, add the onion's "caps" (top and bottom) flat side down to the pan and let them brown.   Then turn your attention to the rest of the veggie prep.

Cut onion, celery and garlic into bite-sized pieces.While you're at it, slice the other veggies so that they're ready for adding to the foray. Add the veggie ends and cast offs to the pot and let them brown too. Don't forget to stir everything once in a while....browning is okay, scorching isn't!

When all the odds and ends are brown enough, remove them from the pan.  They can be tossed at this point...all their flavor and nutrition has been rendered.
Do not....repeat...DO NOT rinse the pan!  All that brown stuff and those little bits of flotsam are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!  They are the difference between bland and bravo....the backbone of your dish....the Flavor.

Brown off the chicken (use other meat if you prefer....or just use veggies) in that same pan -do not over cook it...the REAL cooking will come a bit later.  For now you just want to sear in the juices.  Then remove it and add stock or water.  Stock is better.

Stir the liquid 'round...scraping the sides and bottom of your pan to incorporate the little specks and smooshes.  See how the liquid picks up the color?  It's also picking up flavor....that's something you wouldn't get with just adding water to meat and setting it to simmer!

Next add the veggies that will take the most time to cook....potatoes, carrots...that sort of thing.  Some people steam these items part way before adding to the stew pot, and that's fine-only remember to use the liquid from the steaming as part of the stock/liquid added for cooking the stew!

Once these ingredients have cooked most of the way, add the ones that don't take too long....corn, peas.....the last things to add would be items like zucchini and mushrooms, then finally the meat. Let all that simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until everything is done.  You may have to thicken the gravy...if so, it's approximately two tablespoons of cornstarch to about equal measure of cold water, stirred 'til cornstarch is incorporated, then add to the stew.  Let it all simmer some more...you'll notice it thickening.   When it's done, remove stew from the heat and let it rest after a final stir.

Some folks use flour and water as a thickener and others don't bother thickening it at all....personal preference wins out here.

Serve with biscuits, bread and butter or rice.  Egg noodles make an interesting alternative, especially when tossed with a bit of garlic, herbs and butter before service.

Learning to make stew taught me a great deal about cooking....how to layer flavors.....how to create a gravy out of vegetable odds and ends and how not to over-cook the chicken. But mostly, it taught me that there are always possibilities....even when odds and ends are all ya got.

Of terrorists and comfort food

So much going on in the world!  Where to begin? Everybody's been talking about Usama bin Laden's death....some see it as the end of a terrorist.  Others think it was wrong.  How do I feel?  Not sure.  I'm glad he's gone....I don't know why it took so long to get him; ten years is a long, long time!
I don't believe in murder, but then again....karma is karma.

How does a recipe come out of this discussion?  Hmmmm.
On the one hand, there's the fact that UbL's gone....but on the other there's the fact that there's so much hatred in the world.

Times like these call for something familiar....favorite blanket familiar.

Think comfort food....homey and warm, like when it's winter and there's Macaroni and Cheese finishing up in the kitchen.  You can smell that tangy richness....made that special way, not too stringy or gloopy...but cheesy enough to wrap around and through each noodle like velvet.

With dishes like this, I don't do much actual measuring...it's more of a look, see, smell, taste kind of thing.  But that's what cooking's all about, eh?


The macaroni's fairly simple....although instead of just boiling your pasta in water, try adding a bit of broth or maybe a spice or two....some folks add a cube of bullion (chicken, veg or beef, what ever accent you want to play with).  Broth can have a two-fold benefit...spiking a bit more protein nutrient into the starch. Be careful of the sodium content though, some of that stuff is completely loaded with it!
Remember not to add any more salt to the water if you do that!

Let the water come to a boil before adding the noodles....this will help to avoid sogginess.  Follow package directions for your elbow macaroni....usually between 8 to 12 minutes of rapid boiling.  Check for done-ness.
You want a firm noodle...firm but not chewy.


While the pasta's on the boil, take the opportunity to shred cheese and get all your other ingredients in order.
Service for four usually needs about 1/4 to 1/2 cup or so of milk . Of course eyeballs are the best judge here....because some of that depends on the type of cheese or cheeses used.  On the cheese, up to about 1 lb, shredded not cubed if you want an even texture.  Of course we're talking meaningful mac and cheese here, so be generous on ingredients. And if you shred too much, any left-overs can be used on other things. Just store it in a tight plastic bag.

What kind of cheese depends on you, too!  Pepper Jack can be an interesting turn of phrase. Some folk might want to tone it down a bit with some regular Jack or other cheese.  Asiago is a nice flavor to introduce, especially when accompanied by Provolone...Cheddar and Colby are great too!  The list goes on! 

Drain but do not rinse the noodles.  They can sit in the strainer over a bowl for a few moments while the cheesiness takes place!

Using the same pan (because it's deep enough and already warm enough), begin the cheese sauce with a few tablespoons of butter or margarine.  Try to find a margarine that's good for cooking. Some will even say so on the packaging.  These products will not scorch or break down under the heat of cooking, unlike "spreads," which are intended only for schmeering on toast.

There's a point of contention as to whether adding the milk first or the cheese first is appropriate.  I say put the flame on low and add the milk, stirring while you add the cheese....continue stirring.  It will thicken.  If it gets too thick, add more milk, a little at a time.  When all is in readiness, add the noodles back and fold them into the sauce.  It should enrobe them.

Some people like to put this into the oven for about 15 minutes to develop a nice, golden crust on top.
Other variations include adding everything from peeled, diced tomatoes to bacon bits....sauteed mushrooms, garlic and onions....jalapeno peppers and black beans....hot dog slices....ground meat....diced chicken or turkey and mixed vegetables....tuna and peas....the possibilities are astounding!  Just make sure to drain extra liquids, remove seeds or what-have-you and fold not stir when including ingredients.  There's nothing worse than a macaroni with a broken elbow!

Well anyway, as long as there's comfort food like Macaroni and Cheese around, I think we're gonna be okay.

Confessions of a Cereal Killer

WARNING: The story you are about to read is true.  No names have been changed to protect the innocent.
              

Yours Truly...Confessed Cereal Killer

It all began when I was a mere child.

Back then, we were taught to not waste things. My folks were Depression Era kids, so passed on their frugality to their young-uns.

So to this day, no matter how hard I've tried, it's always the same. Nope....can't do it!  Just can't bring myself to waste things that still have usefulness.

That includes bread ends, leavings from previous cooking ventures (like extra egg whites) and left overs.  Why not?  It's all food, it's all still good and it all cost money.

I actually make a little fuss over the whole thing, pulling what I call a Left Over Luau once or twice a week.
It's where I get to clean out the fridge and we all get to re-visit some of our favorite dishes before they fade into memory, or invent new things out of the combination of ingredients.

But there is one area of the kitchen that usually gets only scant attention.  You know the place; its where the boxes stand in rows like buildings on Wall Street, awaiting the morning's feeding frenzy.   Where Puffed Wheat, Rice Krispies, Oatmeal, Cheerios and Corn Flakes hold court.

It's the pantry....
It's where I hunt down innocent remnants of morning favorites and bring them to their end.
It's where I do my thing. 

I'm a Cereal Killer....no use hiding anymore.
I use up left over bits of flakes, ohs, krisps, puffs and so on....be it quiche or quick breads, entrees or entertaining snacks, I find a way to bring those mostly empty boxes to their demise.

I've used Oatmeal for breadcrumbs in meatballs, Raisin Bran in cakes and mixed in with brown sugar, butter and a little flour for topping peach cobbler, and even Rice Krispies (or their low-budget alternative) as coating for chicken, chops, veggies and-with added sweetening-confections.

I confess to it all...the endless rolling pin poundings, food processor crunching and even mortar-and-pestle torture of those innocent grains. It's me ! It's me! It's me!
And you know what? Given the chance I'd do it again!
Especially these days, when cereal prices are going through the roof! (providing you still have a roof left for them to go through!)

Chicken awaiting its fate

My most recent victim was a box of Crispy Rice that had seen fresher days.  (See...I don't often go after the newbies).
Oh, it still had a few snaps, crackles and pops left....albeit the bargain variety....so I knew there'd be some crunchiness.

And then there were those chicken thighs...just laying there, freshly washed and dried, skinned and boned....waiting for something to happen.

I confess to the killing of that box of Crispy Rice....and this is what I did.
You can check the forensics, they'll confirm my story. 

CRISPY RICE FRIED CHICKEN

Jack had been asking for fried chicken lately, but I didn't want the usual breaded variety. So I went to my usual haunt....the one place I knew where I could troll for something just right. 
There it was! My hunt was over!
Crispy Rice!  The cereal would be perfect for the job!  
So with rolling pin and ZipLock bag at the ready, I began my dastardly deed by pounding that semi-stale stuff into submission (for lack of better terms) so I could have my way with it....and produced what is now called Crispy Rice Fried Chicken. 

12 - 14 chicken thighs-skinned, boned, rinsed and towel dried
dash of salt/low-salt, pepper, garlic for chicken
2 cups milk (butter milk is better but regular is okay too)* for soaking
2 tsp (or more if you like) Worcestershire sauce
3 - 4 cups powdered Crispy Rice (Rice Krispies or which ever brand)
    (At this stage, I call it Crispy Rice powder for lack of better term)
1/2 to 3/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 large or 2 small eggs beaten
oil for deep frying

Get a heavy, deep skillet or wok and put enough oil into it for deep frying.

Have all your tools handy-slotted spoon for working with chicken in the oil, something for draining the raw, milk soaked chicken, something separate for draining the cooked chicken, paper towels, bowls, the whole bit.
Set up your "stations."   (prep over here....cooking over there....cooling yonder)  Having everything ready ahead of time really helps!  Take it from an experienced Cereal Killer.


Then turn your attention to the chicken.
Sprinkle both sides with the dashes of salt/low-salt, pepper, garlic and even what ever other seasonings you want under the coating.
Add the Worcestershire sauce to the milk. Put Chicken into the milk mix to soak for about 15 minutes.

Crispy Rice powder

Next, take the Crispy Rice powder and put it in a bowl.  Add the dried seasonings, flour and baking powder and stir around with a spoon until fully blended. If you like more spice, add more! If you like less, don't use so much.  Spices are like religion....a very personal thing.
Seasonings for Crispy Rice powder -
to taste, but assume about 1 to 2 TBS
dried thyme, dried sage, dried sweet basil, dried marjoram, garlic powder, dried celery leaves.
  The following seasonings also for Crispy Rice powder are to taste and dietary considerations.
         No measured assumptions given here!  Salt or low-salt, pepper,dash of cayenne and/or lemon pepper

When the chicken has soaked for 15 minutes or so (longer is okay too), remove it and let it drain.

Turn on the flame under the oil to medium so that the oil's temperature "comes up" rather than heats up too fast. Best oil temp for this task is between 350 and 375 degrees.
We don't want it to start smoking!

Take the milk mixture and add the beaten eggs. Whisk until everything is mixed up thoroughly.
 Dip the chicken into this milk mixture, then coat it with the Crispy Rice powder.  Shake or tap off any excess. You can coat several pieces at a time, but only put one or two pieces in the oil together for frying!
Crowding will cause the coating to crumble off the meat and burn, uselessly, in the oil.

Make sure the oil is hot enough by testing it with a bread cube.  If the cube starts cooking instantly and browns quickly, it's ready.  Remove the bread cube and have at it!

Put the coated chicken piece(s) into the oil -remember NO CROWDING! 

Wok as deep fryer

Fry for 5 to 7 minutes for side one,  5 minutes for side two.  Times may vary, of course, depending on a number of things...size of food, strength of flame-that sort of thing.  My best advice would be to start with one piece and see how it goes.  That should give you a timing benchmark.

Remember to allow the oil to come back up to temperature between frying. A kitchen thermometer is great for this! But if not, a couple of minutes should do the trick.

Draining the chicken

Put the cooked pieces of chicken aside to drain.

When done, allow the oil to cool COMPLETELY before doing anything to it. 
Some people strain the oil and use it a second time-for deep frying only-others put it in a coffee can and dispose it in the usual manner.

You may want to sprinkle some final seasonings over the finished pieces....it's up to you.
I'd suggest putting them in a warming oven for about 5 minutes while you get the rest of your meal together. Salad is a good thing.  I like baked, buttered yams too.  But it's a personal thing.

Fried Crispy Rice Chicken, Yams & Slaw

So there you have it...my full confession, given freely and of my own accord.  I am a Cereal Killer.
And I will strike again!

KITCHEN THOUGHTS - Sam's On The Life Path

Sam's...great for burgers

I'm sitting here in the kitchen with a cup of tea. 
Didn't do any cooking last night....got a couple of burgers at Sam's - one of our favorite places.
It's just a good, honest burger done over a flaming grill just the way we like it.  Sam's has been around since forever and though it's just a hole in the wall everybody seems to go there.  The famous, infamous, non-famous and wannabes.

Everybody has a life path.  Sometimes we recognize it, sometimes we don't....but it's still there none the less.

Painting in tower at Grand Canyon

I know some people who've known what they wanted to do since birth and others who never seem to "do" anything. What does it mean?

Is one following their path and the other not?  Hmmmmm.  Gee....isn't this a cooking blog? Well, yes...but it's also a life blog - hence the title.  Regardless, there's always a little room for esoteric with the escargot.  Or at least there should be.  Otherwise, what is all this food business, anyway?

Think about it. 

Painting in tower at Grand Canyon

We started out just needing to eat....shoving anything in our mouths that didn't poison us or eat us first. Look at where we are today.   From cave fires to convection ovens in a blip of time.  Just by following our life path. And a lot of that following was stumbling....come to think of it, we're still stumbling about. 

Today is a non-recipe recipe...a four letter word that won't get your mouth washed out with soap.

LIVE

First Page and Green Chili Cheesy Casserole

The first page is the hardest, at least according to one of my Creative Writing teachers years ago.  That being said, the first sentence of the first page is particularly dicey.

But pretty or mean, it all boils down to first steps.....and for this blog, this entry is it.

I've blogged for over a year on the subject of "Fifty Five Is The New....," and some readers are wondering why I don't continue on the same vein. No longer being fifty-five has a lot to do with it. And I felt it was time to change things up a bit.

Randi's Recipe Box

Anybody who has read "Fifty Five.." knows that I love, love, love to cook, especially when it comes to creating recipes....learning new methods.....trying new recipes from others.....even watching the cookies rise in the oven.

With this blog I will be sharing recipes and thoughts; hoping to bring a little zest to the resultant reading experience.  Please feel free to try the recipes, comment on them and the rest of the site, and share some of your own recipes and thoughts, too!  Anything from the truly simple to the wildly complex....why not?  And if I try it, I'll chronicle the effort on this blog, along with pictures.

In some calendars, today is Easter Sunday.  Now there's a food holiday that's settling down into a tradition.
Ham is the usual fare, although many families are branching out into other cultures.

Jack's family is making Paella this year and they've asked everyone to bring a side-dish.  Paella is considered  a one-dish meal, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be supportive members at the table. So I kept with the theme and came up with a sort-of souffle using cheeses, eggs, diced chillies and other ingredients that should accompany the main dish without overpowering it. I call this dish Green Chili Casserole, and hope you enjoy it.

RANDI'S GREEN CHILI CHEESY CASSEROLE
Preheat oven 350               Serves 6
Ingredients
6 eggs    1 cup milk      1 tsp  salt        1 lb  Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated      1cup (8 oz) Cottage Cheese
3 oz Cream Cheese in small cubes      4 TBS butter, melted       11/2  tsp baking powder    1.2 cup cornmeal
1 TBS chopped pepperoni (optional)   8 oz roasted, diced green chilies or one 8oz can of diced green chilies, drained
Method
Grease 9" square baking dish. Set aside.  In large bowl mix egg, milk, salt, Jack Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Cream Cheese, pepperoni, butter, baking powder, cornmeal and green chili together until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes until the center is set. Serve hot or warm.
Note
If you want to double the recipe, use two cooking vessels rather than one large pan, this will insure even cooking.   Enjoy!

Launching the New Blog

Greetings and Welcome to Cooking and Life, my second blog.

Last project, Fifty Five Is The New...completed upon my fifty-sixth birthday on April 14, 2011 after a bit over a year of entries.  It included memories, thoughts, prayers, hopes, dreams, artwork, music and videos and became for me more than blogging; it was an adventure in self-discovery.

With this blog I'm incorporating two of my passions on one plate, so to speak.  I've been an absolute Cooking Enthusiast since knee high to a butcher block, and for years harbored a not-too-secret desire for a certified culinary education.

This "education" included not only Public Television, the Food Network and the many culinary themed t.v. shows, but remembering the many things taught me by my Mother, Aunt, Sister and Mrs. Schlosser, my home economics teacher.
Cordon Blu was my dream, but a severe lack of math skills and other things set my path on a different course...however food seemed to be part of that path....So I always took the opportunity to explore new flavors, try new recipes, cook with others.

Places like Original Joe's of San Francisco were the bees' knees to me because they had seats at the counter where I could watch the action in the kitchen.  I learned to recognize a few things...the Expediter, the Head Chef, Sou Chef and what each did....fascinating, maddening.....magical. I watched, hypnotized, as the just flamed garlic and wine sauce was drizzled over the fresh pasta, then finished with a sprinkle of cheese, cracked pepper and basil sprig.

To think of it now still makes my heart skip a beat.

With that sensation in mind, I christen this blog Cooking and Life.  Feel free to enjoy, share your recipes and stories.  Dig In!