Friday Night Dinner Crew - Eggplant Rollups, Shrimp and Grits, and Pumpkin Cheesecake

I've always loved Friday nights more than any other time of the week.  Totally weird that Friday nights win over Monday mornings, right?  I know.  Anyway, even though I still love them dearly, my Friday nights have evolved throughout the the years.  In high school, Fridays were fun because it was football or basketball night (remember that I was cool in high school.  I WAS COOL, I TELL YOU!!!!).  In college, Fridays mattered slightly less because, well, by the time I was a senior, we treated every night like Friday.  And then once I graduated and moved to a new city for my job, Fridays were Tobacco Company night.  Tobacco Company is a fairly high end restaurant downtown with a VERY low-end basement.  Their claim to fame was a $1 rail drink happy hour and the fact that they would serve you as many at once as you wanted, state booze laws be darned.  People (and my "people", I mean my friends and me) would wait in line for like an hour to get in first so you could secure a table with a waitress.  We'd stay for an hour or so and then go across the street to a multi-purpose bar where you could play pool, practice your pickup lines, or dance.  Or all three!  I'm pretty sure we rarely if ever ate dinner.

These days, Friday nights are a little tamer (usually), but still a whole lot of fun.  Actually, even more fun than high school or college, and especially more fun than Tobacco Company and the multi-purpose bar across the street.  For starters, there is always amazing food involved, and the drinks are far more delicious, albeit more expensive.  Almost every Friday night, we get together for dinner with my husband's brother and his girlfriend, Lauren.  They live 2 blocks from us and are not only family but great friends....the four of us have so much fun together.  Sometimes too much.  There are times that we go out - either to a dive bar or somewhere fancy, and times we stay in and cook.  Lauren is an amazing cook and I've learned a lot of cool tricks and recipes from her.  She bakes stuff that I'll probably always be too intimidated to try.  But that's why we keep her around, right?  To bake stuff that I can't!  I kid.

This past Friday we decided to stay in and have a sophisticated martini and card game night.  I had been wanting to try the eggplant rollup appetizer that I learned in Italy and Lauren had gotten a request for shrimp and grits.  And pumpkin cheesecake just sounded good.  Sure, they're completely different cuisines, but that didn't stop us.  Because martinis go with everything!  The meal was amazing and the card game was a heated battle that eventually ended up in a loss for the hubs and I, but I'm pretty sure the other team cheated.  I'm just saying.

I'll disclaim this post to say that I didn't make the shrimp and grits OR the pumpkin cheesecake.  I did the rollups and the salad (recipe can be found here), and Lauren did the rest.  I also have to disclaim the pictures because taking pictures inside when its dark outside without a speedlight is HARD.  Which is why I'm going to purchase a speedlight online right after I'm done with this post.  I'm sure the 2 glasses of wine I've just consumed haven't influenced my decision in the slightest.

Enjoy!

Mamma Agata's Eggplant Rolls
Source: Mamma Agata - Cooking School on the Amalfi Coast!

2 eggplants (they MUST be the long, thin, firm kind, such as Japanese eggplant)
1 3/4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 oz smoked provolone or Gouda cheese (thinly sliced and trimmed to match width of eggplant)
few pieces of salami, thinly sliced and trimmed to match width of eggplant
20-30 arugula leaves
6 strips roasted red peppers (make sure they are sliced thinly)
sea salt, as needed
1 quart peanut vegetable oil for frying
1 cup very fine white flour or pastry flour
wooden toothpicks

Wash the eggplant and remove the top and end of each.  Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin of the eggplant lengthwise in stripes, like a zebra, keeping some of the skin on the eggplant.  Once peeled, slice the eggplant lengthwise into long pieces, about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.  Don't slice too thin....it will reduce in size during cooking.

Layer the eggplant slices around the edge of a colander and sprinkle each slice with a pinch of sea salt.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes to assist in draining out the excess water and removing the bitter taste from the eggplant.

After 30 minutes, gently squeeze out excess water from the eggplant slices, starting from the top of the slices to the bottom.  Do not rinse off the salt - eggplant is like a sponge and will absorb the water. 

Place the flour on a plate.  Dip each slice of eggplant into he flour to cover both sides.  Work quickly, as you do not want the eggplant to absorb too much flour.

Heat oil in a large cast iron frying pan or dutch oven (oil should be 2 inches deep).  Make sure it gets to at least 350 degrees Fahrenheit before frying.  Add eggplant slices to oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Remove the eggplant and place them onto paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

While the eggplant is still very hot, begin assembling the rolls.  Place the slices on a hard work surface, with a paper towel underneath.  Sprinkle each slice with grated Parmesan cheese, provolone, and whatever else you like (I used salami, arugula, and roasted red peppers).  Carefully roll each slice of eggplant, making sure to keep the ingredients intact as you roll.  Place a wooden toothpick through the middle of each eggplant roll to hold the ingredients in place.

Once the rolls have cooled a bit, slice the individual rolls into two pieces to create your own little Italian eggplant sushi rolls!  Serve immediately.

Shrimp and Grits
Source: Bon Appetit

Grits
1 cup yellow grits

1 cup grated sharp white cheddar (we used provolone)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 jalapeño, seeded, diced

1/4 cup heavy cream (we used half and half to make it a little healthier)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Shrimp

1/2 cup 1/3" cubes tasso, andouille sausage, or bacon (we used andouille and also used about 2 times the amount of sausage since who doesn't love sausage!)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided

20 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined 

1/4 cup (or more) beer

1/4 cup low-salt chicken stock

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Bring 3 cups water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits. Turn heat to low; gently simmer until grits begin to thicken. Continue cooking, stirring often and adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick, until tender, about 1 hour. Stir in cheese, butter, and jalapeño, then cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add tasso; sauté until fat begins to render, about 5 minutes (if tasso is very lean, add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet). Add garlic and 1 tablespoon butter; stir until butter melts. Add shrimp. When garlic begins to brown, add beer and chicken stock. Simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet; swirl to melt and cover bottom of pan. Crack eggs into pan and cook until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Divide grits among bowls, forming a well in center. Spoon shrimp mixture into center of grits. Top with egg.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Spiced Cream
Source: Food Network

For the cheesecake:

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 crushed wafers)

1 cup pecans, ground

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 pounds cream cheese, cubed and softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

6 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups canned pure pumpkin

For the topping:

2 cups sweetened whipped cream

dash of bourbon

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (1 1/3 cups)

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Prepare the cheesecake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the wafer crumbs, ground pecans and melted butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom of a 12-inch springform pan. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the brown sugar and process until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, processing until fully incorporated, then blend in the heavy cream. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin and blend until smooth.

Pour the filling over the crust in the pan. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until the cheesecake is just set. Remove from the oven. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the side of the pan; this will prevent it from splitting down the center. Let cool completely before slicing.

Meanwhile, make the toppings: Combine the whipped cream and bourbon in a bowl and mix until blended. For the chocolate sauce, combine the half-and-half and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat until a thin, paper-like skin appears on top; do not boil. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Remove the side of the springform pan and slice the cheesecake. Top each piece with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and some bourbon whipped cream.

Pioneer Woman's Braised Short Ribs and Goat Cheese Polenta

Uhhh, have you ever had short ribs?  I....kind of even don't know what to say about these beauties because they were so danged amazing.  I mean, I submerged them in like almost a whole bottle of red wine and put them in a nice warm place for hours while they got nice and happy.  That's pretty much my dream day...I want to be submerged in a whole bunch of wine and get all warm and snuggly somewhere.  Why doesn't that ever happen to ME?  Oh wait, it kind of does.  With a fairly decent frequency.
Anyway!  Enough about me. 

I'm not sure what made me decide that I wanted to try cooking short ribs, but once I had the idea in my head, there was no stopping me.  I spent an inappropriate amount of time scouring the internet for the perfect recipe.  I also spent an inappropriate amount of money at Home Goods on a new Le Creuset dutch oven.  Because short ribs need their red wine bath in a FANCY pot.  Anyway, once I had the pot, I finally settled on Pioneer Woman's short rib recipe, because, well, she's the Pioneer Woman.  And everything she makes is pretty amazing. 

I know they say that when you have company over, you should make something you've made before so you know it won't suck.  But that's not how I roll, so we invited my in-laws over for dinner as my short rib guinea pigs.  I went in hoping for the best and had a backup plan of feeding them a whole lot of wine if the short ribs were terrible.  Its always best to plan ahead.

Anyway, my wine collection made it through the night fairly intact because those bad boys were awesome!  The meat literally fell off the bone and the sauce was rich and juicy and the whole thing went perfectly with the creamy goat cheese polenta (I mean, really, what DOESN'T go perfectly with creamy goat cheese polenta?).  Everyone was super impressed!  And the best part was that it was really easy...braising sounds really fancy, but really its just putting a bunch of stuff in a pot and putting it in the oven.  Easy peasy.

I still kind of dream about them.  I think I would like to have short ribs at least once a week.  I'm sure my butcher's cash register would like that, too.

Anyway, enjoy!  Try these bad boys immediately!

Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta
Source: Pioneer Woman

8 whole Beef Short Ribs 

Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste

1/4 cup All-purpose Flour

6 pieces Pancetta, Diced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 whole Medium Onion, Diced

3 whole Carrots, Diced

2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced

2 cups Red Or White Wine

2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)

2 sprigs Thyme

2 sprigs Rosemary

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone.

Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top

Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta
Source: Pioneer Woman

1 cup Yellow Cornmeal

1 teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Butter

4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese

Bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil.

Add cornmeal to the water in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, adding salt and extra tablespoons of water as needed.

When polenta is done, stir in butter and goat cheese. Check seasonings, and add salt to taste.

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken and Back to the Grind

Uh wow....I've been a bit of a bad blogger lately.  Its hard to blog when you're living in hotel rooms and not cooking a damn thing (somehow I've managed to EAT lots and lots of things, though).  I've been home for less than 10 days in the last month and if it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not (or at least not THAT much).  I've been to Texas for Austin City Limits, Italy for Italian food and wine adventures, and Philly, Boston, and Tampa for business trips with co-workers that I quite like and have a lot of fun with.  But, its a bit exhausting.  The other day I woke up in a Hyatt somewhere and couldn't remember what city I was in, and when I went to get in my rental car in the garage, I was looking for the Ford Escape I'd had in the last city instead of the Chevy Malibu I should have been looking for.  I was craving sleeping in my own bed and driving my own car (not a Chevy Malibu) and cooking my own food.  I've got a million recipes that I've bookmarked to try (I've been spending a lot of time reading food blogs on airplanes when I should be working).  I promise not to abandon this here blog again...I'm here to stay whether you like it or not.

I made this chicken on one of the few nights that I was actually at home and not too tired to cook.  I've convinced myself that breading something with an ingredient besides actual bread automatically makes it healthier, because, well.... its not breaded and fried, its coated and baked!  This applies even when that "other" ingredient happens to be a calorie-heavy nut.  Coating chicken with crushed pistachios is a fantastic idea and you should try it.  This was super easy and can be adapted to use pretty much any nut if you don't have pistachios on hand or don't have the stomach to pay one million dollars for a can of shelled pistachios.  Why are those little boogers so dang expensive?

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken

Source: Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

1 cup pistachios, shelled

Salt (if pistachios are unsalted)

Ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of paprika

Pinch of chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness

Preheat oven to 425.

Run pistachios through the food processor for 15-20 seconds, until coarsely ground into small and medium-sized pieces.

Pour nuts into a large baggie and season with salt, pepper and spices.

Drop chicken breasts into the baggie, seal, and shake until coated.

Place on a rack set in a baking sheet and bake until center temperature reaches 170 degrees (15-18 minutes ).

Mamma Agata's Cooking Heaven

We booked our trip to Italy like a year before we actually went.  This was partly because we thought we'd get better prices on airfare (IS there such a thing as a good price on airfare?  Not really), and partly because it was easier to convince my husband that the trip was a bargain.  See, if you buy the tickets a year in advance, then by the time you actually GO, the cost of the plane tickets is a sunk cost and therefore doesn't count towards the total bill.  See how I did that? 

Anyway, after I bought the plane tickets (suck cost), I started doing research on things to do in Italy and came across Mamma Agata's Cooking School in Ravello, Amalfi Coast.  It was basically rated the best thing to do in all of Italy by TripAdvisor.  The more I read, the more obsessed I came with going, despite the fact that it was logistically damn near impossible to get to, and that it was a bit pricey.  Oh, and that my husband may not think a day of cooking is the most amount of fun one can have in Italy.  But if you know me at all, you'd know that once I have my mind made up about something, there is no stopping me.  I worked with a travel agent to find a private driver to take us to class, an hour away from where we were staying (on narrow, winding roads with hairpin turns, 200 feet above the sea with no guardrails).  I ignored the crappy exchange rate and paid the entrance fee in Euros and told my husband that there was unlimited food, wine, and limoncello at the cooking class (all true), and that I was sure there would be other dudes there with their irrational wives that he could hang out with.

Let me tell you....it was worth every penny, every hairpin turn, and the 5 pounds we each gained that day.  Chiara (Mamma Agata's daughter and English-speaking translator) was the most gracious host in the world...she was so sweet and funny and I never wanted to leave.

The class is held at Mamma Agata's home, where she lives with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.  The house is built high on the hillside of Ravello, a small down on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, and overlooks the sea.  All of the ingredients they use, from the sausage to the basil, to the lemons, to the grapes and the wine, are all grown on their property and made at their home.  The view is breathtaking, and the food is downright amazing.  It exceeded even my wildest expectations....it was my favorite day in Italy.

You arrive at this amazing house, and come down these steps:

And then you see this straight ahead of you:

And this to your right:

And inside the house was this lady:

The class was 6 hours long....we ate the most amazing lemon cake I've ever had....we learned how to make the perfect homemade tomato sauce...we were told how to make eggplant sweet and perfectly textured instead of watery and bitter.  We sampled olives and hot pepper sauce and organic wine and homemade limoncello.  We learned how to make the perfect eggplant parmesan and how to properly fry something.  I was fascinated by the whole thing...Mamma Agata cooked and her daughter Chiara narrated.  And then we all sat down (there were 10 of us there....a few young couples and then one old couple who didn't seem to like each other very much) to the best meal ever.  It looked a bit like this:

I'm going to post the recipes as I make them here at home.  And believe me, I will.  Those who get invited over to dinner on these nights will know we like them better than our other friends.  Just sayin'.

Italy - 10 Days, 10 Pounds, 10 Pictures.

Of course we took more than 10 pictures in Italy (I think it was well over 2000), but I'm going to pick my 10 favorite for a quick little Italia recap.  I debated on how to blog about the trip because I could seriously devote several posts to my rants and raves about this beautiful country, but I decided to narrow it down to just two.  The first will be a general "Why Italy is Awesome" post, and the second will be a "Why You Should Take Mamma Agata's Cooking Class in Italy" post.  More on the cooking class later, but it was the one part of the trip that I was the most excited about, and it didn't disappoint.  It was the highlight of the trip for me.

Anywho, we've been home for about 24 hours now and I'm just starting to feel my food baby begin to recede.  The Italians do not mess around when it comes to food and drink.  Salami is a snack.  Pasta is a appetizer, and drinking at lunch is encouraged.  Gelato is a daily occurrence.  Vegetables?  Didn't see one.  At least you walk everywhere there.  And its quite hilly in many areas, thank goodness.  I think I managed to burn off at least a gelato and a shot (or three) of limoncello each day.  Too bad gelato and copious amounts of limoncello were just the tip of the iceberg.

We actually did do more than just eat and drink.  At least I hope we did....let me think.  Yes!  There were a couple of things I can remember doing that didn't involve food and booze.  At least two.

We arrived in Florence and spent 2 days in an awesome river-front hotel with amazing views (including views of the famous Duomo that you could see from our bed).  We took a walking food tour through the city where the guide took us to all the "insider" places that the locals frequent and we ate and drank our way through Florence from a non-touristy point of view.  We sampled pastries, delicious beef, 5 kinds of gelato combinations, numerous local wines, cheese, 25 year old balsamic vinegar, truffle honey, the works.  It was worth every penny!

From Florence, we headed to Orvieto, a small city in Tuscany.  We stayed at a small bed and breakfast which is part of the growing Agritourism business in Italy.  It is owned by a jolly fellow named Giampiero, who is the best host in the entire world.  He even drove us into town one day when we wanted to go exploring (at breakneck speed around hairpin turns, no less).  Every night, all of the hotel guests gathered in the dining room and ate a 5-course dinner, family style.  They served some amazing dishes....fresh fig and prosciutto on foccacia, pasta with fresh truffles, roasted sausages, various kinds of bruschetta, apple cake, and copious amounts of organic wine.  Oh, and unlimited limoncello and grappa.  Danger. 

After Tuscany, it was off to Positano, a town on the Amalfi Coast.  I seriously could have stayed there forever...I did not want to leave.  The town is built into the mountainside, which makes for breathtaking views, and a rare chance for at least some semblance of exercise.  Our hotel was about halfway up the mountain, so if you wanted to go anywhere, that was great.  Until it was time to go home, which meant that you either climbed 300 stairs, or walked 45 minutes through town and around a winding road, all uphill.  Doing this made me feel better, but I'm pretty sure it never really put a dent in the calories we were consuming.  Thus, the 10 pound food baby.

During our time on the coast, we traveled to Ravello, another small coastal town.  It is home to Mamma Agata Cooking School, and honestly, there are no words to describe how amazing it was.  I'll try to do it justice in tomorrow's post, but honestly, you just have to go.  Its not easy to get to, and Lord knows it ain't cheap, but it was well worth it.  It was my favorite day of the trip, and that's saying quite a bit since, well, what's NOT a good day when you're in Italy?

Anyway, after Positano, we headed to Rome.  And...I know this is probably blasphemy to a lot of people, but I was underwhelmed.  Don't get me wrong...it was beautiful and has a ton of history, but I found it to be crowded and impersonal and just didn't feel like Italy to me.  There were SO MANY TOURISTS.  I guess I just didn't find it to be as unique and authentic as the other places we visited.  Maybe it was because it was last and we were tired, but I wasn't wowed.  We did have a wonderful meal, though, which added pounds 9 and 10 to round out the food baby.  So at least there's that.


It was a wonderful trip...a trip of a lifetime for sure.  I'm happy to be back, though.  I missed Lola and my comfy little home.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip...they certainly don't do the country justice, but we tried.  And its actually more than 10.  Sorry!

There's No Place Like Home.

I'm back!  Italy was wonderful....delicious and beautiful and everything else I had dreamed of and more.  And I'm exhausted.  Creating a food baby the size of a basketball is hard work, let me tell you.

So I'm off to bed to sleep it off and I'll be back tomorrow to post pictures and tell you all about it!

Ciao for now!

Adventures in Italy!

A few weeks ago I was in New York and crashed at my sister-in-law's sister's house.  We cracked open some red and watched Jersey Shore on DVR and realized that the Jersey cast is based in Florence, Italy this season.  Well, GUESS WHAT?  I'm going to Florence, Italy tomorrow!!  And then Orvieto, Italy, and then Positano, Italy, and then Rome (Italy).  I have a feeling the hubs and I will keep it (slightly) classier in Italy than the Jersey Shore folks do. 

Anyway, back to the Jersey Shore episode we watched...during said episode we discovered that the cast works in a pizzeria in downtown Florence.  And after 2 bottles of wine, we (my sister-in-law's sister and I) decided it was a necessary stop during my 10 days in Italy.  No matter that its probably the grossest, most American-ized pizza shop in the whole country...I bet it gets really crowded with American tourists who think the cast of Jersey Shore knows whats up when its comes to authentic Italian cuisine.  At the time, I was so convinced that this was a good idea that I made her rewind the DVR and then pause it during one of their taped shifts so I could see the name of the restaurant on the back of Snooki's (if you don't know who Snooki is, you're not cool) T-shirt.  I even made a note in my iPhone so I wouldn't forget the name.  But then, a couple of weeks later, I noticed the note and thought to myself, "this is stupid, we're not going to this awful restaurant", and deleted it.  So, I guess that's the end of THAT story.  I think it was the wine. 
ANYWAY, I leave for Italy tomorrow.  We'll be gone 10 days.  And then I travel for work for the next 3.  So this blog is going to be HURTING as far as updates and recipes go for the next 2 weeks.  I will, however, return with amazing photos and recipes and stories from the land that is home to many of my favorite things (wine, cheese, pasta, olive oil, and beautiful scenery. Oh, and limoncello). 

We've been planning this trip for a year.  If by "planning", you mean we bought our plane tickets a year ago.  As far as planning in my head goes....I've been dreaming of this trip for what feels like my entire adult existence.  I feel that I was BORN to travel to Italy with the love of my life before said life starts getting too hectic for us.  I can't wait....in 24 hours we'll be on a plane over the Atlantic, holding hands and dreaming of beautiful Italian countryside and the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean.  And we'll also have had some Ambien and maybe a cocktail or three.  So, that'll help some, too.

Football Finger Foods and "Voting" - Ann Style

So, I wouldn't consider myself particularly "sporty".  I did play basketball through middle and high school and even played on a club team in college for awhile (until Saturday morning practices interfered with my Friday evening frat parties trips to the library).  I was actually pretty decent, if I do say so myself.  But that is not because I'm a natural athlete...it was mostly because I'm very competitive and I hate to lose so I worked really hard to be good.  Plus, at my high school, jocks were the cool kids and got dibs on the Spades tables at lunch.  So it was important to play a sport and be good at it so I could partake in Spades at lunch.  And Study Hall.  So basically, when it comes down to it, I spent my high school years sweating my butt off at two-a-day practices and cried plenty of tears of blood in the weight room because I worked so hard I literally thought I couldn't go on living.  And for what?  So I could play Spades.  Logical, yes?  I think so too.

Anywho, despite my badass days on the basketball team, I'm still not very athletic.  I like shoes and makeup and my idea of something fun to watch on TV is The Real Housewives of Orange County and What Not To Wear.  My idea of something fun to watch in person is a Sommelier pouring wine tastings in my glass at a vineyard, while telling me about the deep flavor with hints of blackberry.  And then its fun to watch myself drink the wine and buy a case for later. 

Needless to say, football season wasn't something that got me very excited.  Until last year.  When my husband clued me in to the fact that you can BET on football.  Or VOTE on football, if you want to use Ann lingo. This means that even if you couldn't care less about either team that was playing, you can still win!  This is a whole new ballgame, if you will!  There is a world of internet madness out there that lets you pick which team you think will win or decide if they will score more or less of a certain number of points.  And you can do things like vote for two teams at once but they both have to win.  These things in sports speak are called "over/under, and parlay", but to me, its just more ways to win. 

So now, every Sunday morning, Andrew gets on his computer and asks me what I think about each of the games occurring that day.  Then I cast my "vote" for a team, usually based on if I like the quarterback or not, or if the coach is funny looking.  And I refer to a team not by its actual name, but by the name of a player I particularly like or hate.  Like this:

Andrew: "Okay honey, the night game is the Jets vs. the Cowboys.  Its Cowboys plus seven.  What do you think?"
Me: "Ohhhh, the Dirty Sanchez's (otherwise known as the New York Jets, with quarterback Mark Sanchez) against the Tony Romos (also knows as the Dallas Cowboys, led by quarterback Tony Romo)?!?!  Is Tony Romo still dating Jessica Simpson?"
Andrew: "What??? No.  The spread means that the Jets have to win by at least 7 points.  Do you think they can do that?"
Me: "Totally.  I like their coach because he's hilarious.  I saw it on that show you used to make me watch.  Let's vote for the Dirty Sanchez's."
Andrew: "I think the Cowboys have it.  We're betting $4 on them."
Me: "But Tony Romo is such a TOOL!!!!!"

During football season, this happens a few times every weekend.  But its a win/win!  I win because I feel involved in the process (sometimes my husband actually does what I say), and he wins because I'll watch football without complaining.  And we both win because we have bloody Mary's and delicious finger foods.

Speaking of finger foods, I actually have some recipes to share.  Made both of these little gems this past Sunday and they were delish.  I even tried to make them healthy, and I don't think anyone noticed!

Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Tortilla Rollups
Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats (If you haven't checked out Annie's blog, DO IT!  She's amazing.)

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (I used low fat cream cheese)
1 1/3 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (I used 2% cheese)
1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced (I used 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
cayenne pepper to taste

1 teaspoon chipotle powder
salt to taste
1 cooked chicken breast, skinned and shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes (I used about half a can)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 package jalapeno cheddar tortillas

Mix cheeses together until well blended.  Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Place one heaping spoonful onto tortilla.  Spread to edges using a metal spatula.  Roll and cut into slices.

Sausage/Pepperoni/Green Pepper Pizza Cups

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Cooking spray

1 tube of refrigerator biscuits (I used reduced fat Grands)

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded (I used 2%)

Turkey pepperoni slices

1/2 package pre-packaged turkey sausage crumbles (can be found at the grocery store with the rest of the bacon and sausage)

Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Dried Basil

Garlic powder to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Cut each biscuit in half then press the dough into of the bottom and sides of the muffin tin. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon sauce into each cup. Place some diced (or shredded) mozzarella cheese into the cups followed by a few slices of pepperoni. Finally add a bit more mozzarella if desired then sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano.

Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately with a bit of heated pizza sauce for dipping.

A Day to Remember

Today, no recipes or silly stories.  Just a little reflection on how lucky we are to have what we have.  And a lot of love and prayers for those that lost their lives on September 11th all those years ago as well as those who know and loved someone who did.  I can't believe its been 10 years.

Edited to Add

Remember how like 5 minutes ago, I was trying to decide where to eat dinner tonight?  Well, that's been decided.  Because I've been sitting in my home airport for 4 hours now.  FOUR!  And I can't leave to go home, because US Airways tells me that its "probable" that I'll get to Boston "sometime tonight".  Or "early tomorrow morning, worst case".  Well.  I don't know about you, but I'm psyched.

Especially because my home airport has exactly 3 places to eat/drink.  They are: Sam Adams Pub (that serves cold sandwiches and chips in a bag.  And....Sam Adams), Applebee's (you KNOW how I feel about that), and the new Club Level Grill (that serves chicken fingers, but at least the wine comes from a bottle and not a box).  Its been a long, long afternoon.

I started writing this post 30 minutes ago.  In that 30 minutes, I have left my terminal, gone through security again, and promptly been told that my new flight is delayed.  If it takes off at the time they told me, I'll have been in this here airport for 6 hours.  Please try not to be jealous. 

Also, try not to be jealous of the dinner I was forced to decide on.  Its not downtown Boston Italian food.  Its not even Applebee's chicken fingers in the Boston burbs.  Its worse.  It was $9 and the cheese wasn't even melted. 

At least the wine came from a bottle.