A Day in the Life

The truth is the days and nights at Chez Leiser are pretty uneventful.

The husband goes to work and returns in the wee hours of the night. Sometimes, he’s home for dinner. Yay!

The wife cooks, cleans (No, this isn’t 1950), blogs and teaches her amazingly fantastic piano students. Telephone calls, e-mail and Facebook are also in that mix sometimes. (OK, all the time.)

On the nights when the stars align and husband and wife can sit down and have a proper dinner together, this is likely to be on the menu:

Chicken with Prosciutto, Cheesy Orzo and Sauteed Spinach.

I was reluctant to share this with you, because well, I find it kind of dull. But, I don’t know, maybe you won’t. It tastes super delish, so that’s a plus.

And really, how many of us are going gourmet in the middle of the workweek? Most people order takeout. So, maybe you can shake up your daily dinner rotation with my menu.

The Cheesy Orzo is a Rachael Ray recipe. Here's the link. I know Rachael Ray is a polarizing figure. Some love her; some hate her with the intensity of a 1,000 suns. I do think some of her recipes are ridiculous, but this Cheesy Orzo is AWESOME. I highly recommend it. I cut the recipe in half, because Rachael Ray recipes are always gihugic.

Chicken with Prosciutto
5 or 6 thin cut chicken breasts, just over a pound
½ cup flour
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup white wine
1/8 pound thin-cut prosciutto
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place flour into a wide dish.

Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour so that both sides are covered. Tap off excess.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook three flour-coated chicken breasts for four minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken breasts.

Remove chicken. Place on a baking sheet. Return pan to heat. Carefully pour wine into pan. Using a wooden spoon with a flat edge, scrape off the brown bits on the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles and reduces for a minute to make a wine sauce.

Using a spoon, pour the wine sauce over each chicken breast until you use all of the sauce.

Place a piece of prosciutto onto each piece of chicken. Top the prosciutto with a teaspoon or so of grated parmesan cheese.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until cheese has melted and prosciutto has crisped up. Serve immediately.

Note: You may prepare this dish ahead of time. After topping the chicken with prosciutto and cheese, cover baking sheet with aluminum. When ready to eat, bake for 7 to 8 minutes.

Sauteed Spinach
1 lb. fresh spinach, washed
¾ cup water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Place spinach and water in a large saucepan. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cover until spinach is wilted. Remove pan from heat. Using the lid carefully drain most of the water from the spinach. You may also ladle the water from the pan.

Push the spinach to one side of the pan, and add olive oil to the cleared portion of the pan. Heat over medium-low heat. Add garlic and for a minute or two. Mix into the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes and serve.

Happy Anniversary, Mark!

Pop the bubbly. Today is Mark and Susan's sixth anniversary.

OMG. Today is MAJOR.

November 1, 2009, marks our sixth anniversary of wedded bliss.

Yes, six years ago today my beloved and I said our vows that we would be one for now and always through the good times and the bad. (Translation: Phillies’ wins and Phillies’ losses.)

I’m just shocked that Mark agreed to our wedding date considering it’s always right smack in the middle of post season. Of course, six years ago the Phillies were lucky if they entered September over .500. So, I guess I was a fool.

A fool for love.

Because, now dear readers, my wedding anniversary revolves around baseball games and baseball tickets and baseball parades and baseball commentary and baseball TV programs and baseball scheduling and baseball rain delays.

How the hell did I end up here?

Anyway, my insomniac self tossed and turned last night, unable to adjust to Daylight Savings and worrying that my angered and soaking wet Phillie Phanatic husband was driving like a maniac in the pouring rain at 2:30 in the morning on the way home from a dismal World Series Game 3 in which Cole Hamels was a disaster and the Phillies’ bats went silent. Not to mention it’s Halloween night when drunken fools are most definitely out on the roads and what if the Yankees fans take him hostage or what if there are riots over Cole Hamels being so diva….or, God maybe I should write fiction. So, as these thoughts are going on, I get to thinking happier thoughts such as our many years together and my many cooking mishaps.

My cooking dilemmas always make me laugh. Mark’s reaction to my culinary tomfoolery really makes me laugh.

Don’t worry, my successes greatly outnumber the flops. Natch.

Mark and I met more than 10 years ago.

Straight out of college, I finally got my first “real” newspaper job at The Daily Journal in Vineland as a copy editor. I was pretty much in charge of the obits for two months. Glamorous, I know.

Around that time, Mark was hired as a reporter. His beat was the Board of Education. Again, more glamour and intrigue.

Mark decided to take a chance on a spazzy girl from Hammonton who wears a ton of jewelry, obsesses about crazy shoes, chews a lot of gum, plays a ton of Chopin and maybe curses and laughs way too much. His polo and loafer wearing, soft-spoken calm Clark Kent self just couldn’t get on without me. So, he asked me on a date.

When he came to the door, my mom told me I would marry him. My mom has majorly psychic abilities.

After three first dates over the span of two years (Look, I was a head case, drama queen, stupid 20-something), Mark totally popped the question.

During our days of courtship, I took matters into my own hands and realized I needed to woo my future husband-to-be with amazing feats of the culinary kind because as Poppop Sacco always advised me: “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” My Poppop and Mommom have been married for 66 years, so I guess he knows what he’s talking about.

I bestowed upon him – and the rest of the newsroom hangers-on – a bundle of cakes, cookies, pepperoni bread and other baked goods.

In no time, Mark was entranced by my cookery, wit and bewitching good looks.

I’m kidding.

Of course with the hits have come plenty of misses – before and after the vows.

I’m sure my loving husband has tried to forget the shrimp scampi – with the shrimp shells still on.

Or, my strawberry pie that was more like a soup.

Or, the pork roast that resembled abstract road kill. (As if I knew that you cut the cooking twine AFTER you cook the roast.)

And then there is the shrimp and fennel incident of 2004. Thinking I would WOW the hubs with a fabulous Lidia Bastianich recipe, I ended up completely clogging the garbage disposal since I had to throw out an entire pound of uneaten pasta that my husband still will not admit that he hated five years after the fact. That was an AWESOME night.

He’s sensitive that husband. He doesn’t want to wound my soul.

Of course my motto in all of life – especially with music and cooking – is that we learn from our mistakes.

So, I have no worries about my kitchen mishaps. I just jump up and try again.

And I’m truly appreciative of the nights I get to hang with Mark and we have dinner together. It’s just the best. There’s no other place I want to be. And usually when we’re there in the moment, I’ll say to my husband, “OMG. I don’t want it to be over.”

And he’ll say, “Would you just relax, doll. You’re going to wish it away.”

I say these words whether we’re at some fancy pants restaurant in Philadelphia or a bistro in Paris or right in my little, six-year-old kitchen. And I know he’s right so I try to just chill.

It’s silly, isn’t it? Of all the amazing things we do together, one of my favorites is just sharing the food I make for Mark and the wine that he picks out. Because he’s the sommelier of this relationship. I'm clearly the brains and the beauty.

Again, kidding.

For reals, the only way I know how to show Mark how much I love him more than anything in the entire universe is with my food and my words and my kisses.

And ironing his damn shirts.

So happy anniversary, Mark!!! Please come home soon so that we can eat dinner and watch the Phillies!

Smooches and much love,

Susan

Game Day Eats

Turkey burgers are ready to be served.

World Series Game 1.

Phillies beat down Yankies, natch.

To help my main man Mark stay calm, I feed him my magical Spicy Turkey Burgers and Broccoli Soup.

Broccoli is known to help those with high blood pressure. My calm-on-the-outside but bursting-with-emotion-on-the-inside husband totally has the high blood pressure.

And, my medical guess is it goes sky high during these World Series games. For a person who LOVES baseball with all of his being, I don’t comprehend the anxiety he feels at every waking moment during the post season. But, I guess his jaw clenching, pursed brow and nervous energy are all part of his passion.

I of course, with glass of wine in hand, declare to the husband the Phillies are totally going to kick New York’s ass minutes before the first pitch is thrown. This boastful moment, I assure you, was most likely interspersed with various words not suitable for publication because I am part-trucker. But at least, I got the husband to crack a smile. Even Utley’s two homeruns and Lee's behind-the-back catch didn’t soothe Mark’s nerves.

Now, for those of you who are haters of broccoli and would rather eat the beef burger as opposed to a leaner turkey burger: All I’m saying is give the menu a chance.

My husband is no fan of broccoli. No sir.

But he totally loves the broccoli soup. He houses it. Which is awesome because it’s pretty much just a big bowl of pureed vegetables. There is some butter and a teeny bit of half-half in the mix, but whatevs. The soup is uber yummy.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a health nut who's all anti-this and against that. If you want butter, eat some damn butter.

My turkey burgers are way spicy. That’s how we roll here. Fresh jalapeno and hot sauce are a big part of my burger. And, I top it with pepper jack cheese. But you certainly can cut back on the hot factor if you can’t handle it. The burger is loaded up with fresh red bell pepper, garlic, parsley and thyme so that it has lots of taste. You don’t need ketchup to jazz up this burger.

It’s definitely not boring.

Just like the World Series.

Go Phils!

Broccoli Soup is on the table.

Broccoli Soup
Broccoli florets from 4 to 5 big stalks, chopped
Two carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
4 cups chicken broth, I like Swanson
1 cup water
¼ half-and-half
Salt and pepper
Grated cheddar cheese, to serve

The vegetables cook up.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add broccoli, carrots and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are tender, add flour. Stir and cook for a minute.

Add chicken broth and water. Bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes. Add half and half. Stir.

Pureeing soup is easy with

an immersion blender. You can

use a standard blender if that's what you have.

To puree: Place an immersion blender into the pot until the mixture is smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can ladle the mixture into a standard blender and pulse until smooth.

To serve, top with fresh black pepper and your favorite grated cheddar cheese.

Spicy Turkey Burgers
(Makes four)

1 pound ground turkey
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ red onion, finely chopped
½ small red pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
2 to 3 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
4 slices pepper jack cheese
4 crusty Kaiser rolls
Olive oil

Mix the first nine ingredients in a bowl. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. You can do this several hours ahead and cover with plastic wrap.

Form four burgers by dividing the meat mixture and shaping into round patties. Brush each burger with olive oil.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place burgers on hot pan and cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Once both sides are cooked, place a piece of cheese on each burger for the last minute of cooking.

Serve on rolls.

Bearing Baked Ziti

A dish of baked ziti before being baked. This is a great dish

to make ahead of time.

It’s been a big week for my fam.

My sister Michele had a baby. Lucia joins sisters Chiara, Mia and Sophia.

Yes, dear readers, four girls.

My family is full of GIRL POWER.

So, the event totally calls for the cooking prowess of me and the fellow familia cooking goddesses – Mom and Aunt Lorraine – since my sister is kind of busy welcoming her beautiful bundle of joy into her bustling home and being Super Mom to all the girls.

So, baked ziti it is.

“That is SO Carmella Soprano of you.”

Of course those are the words of my sister Monica. I hadn’t yet had my coffee when she exclaimed this on Monday morning before our weekly panel discussion of “Mad Men.”

“Really?!? I don’t remember Carmella always whipping up ziti,” I say, fumbling for the Krups.

Heavy gold jewelry, striking bitch face (Tony deserved it, OK), gossiping with the wimmins, and the ability to drop a bundle of coin on a fabulously gaudy New Jersey home. These facets of Carmella I CLEARLY remember.

I could try to confirm Monica’s ziti claims by rewatching past epis on Comcast On Demand, or as my mom says, In Demand, but chances are I won’t.

Love “The Sopranos,” but that show gave me major anxiety. Especially when Little Steven put a million bullets through the heart of Adriana in the woods off the Turnpike. May she rest in peace. I’m still bitter about her death. And it’s been how many years?

Anyway, they say that new moms welcome home-cooked food with open arms.

And my niece Chiara totally digs on baked ziti.

Baked ziti totally stands the test of time. Plus it travels well. Plus it can feed a whole bunch of people, especially a house full of Little Women and my brother-in-law Bob.

What’s not to love?!

The recipe is from the side of a box. Aren’t those the best recipes? I have to admit though, it’s from San Giorgio, and for this batch I used Barilla. But make it with your fav brand. Also, I prefer penne to ziti. Penne has the lines. You could also use rigatoni or shells.

Baked Ziti
Recipe from the side of a box of San Giorgio brand ziti

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups (16 oz.) ziti or your favorite short-cut pasta, uncooked
3 cups marinara sauce, divided
1-3/4 cups (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 egg
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oven to 375°F.

Cook pasta according to package directions for 9 minutes; drain.

In large bowl, stir together hot pasta, 1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

In 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, spoon pasta mixture; top with remaining 1-1/2 cups sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 10 servings (1 cup each).

MAKE-AHEAD DIRECTIONS: Prepare recipe as directed, but do not bake. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw frozen version in refrigerator overnight. Remove plastic wrap; replace foil. Bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes to baking time.

Gourmet, You Will Be Missed

I’m in mourning, dear readers.

Actually, I’m kind of ticked off.

I’ve recently learned that this will be the first Christmas since being hitched that I will not receive a copy of Gourmet magazine’s amazing cookie edition.

In case you haven’t heard, the suits at Conde Nast have kicked Gourmet to the curb.

Curses!!!!!!!!

Being the news junkie that I am, I learned of the demise of Gourmet as soon as it was announced earlier this month.

But I thought to myself, “At least there’s the holiday issue. They can’t take the holiday issue from me.”

But, they did.

Bastards.

This also means that I received my last Gourmet magazine just last week. The Thanksgiving turkey mocked me from the cover.

I know what you’re thinking: “Who reads magazines anymore?”

I do, dear readers. I DO!!

Books, too. Lots and lots and lots of books and the newspaper. And I use…..a dictionary when I need to know the meaning of a word. I use the ones that are bound and have a hard cover and have that awesome old-book smell that I breathe in when I visit the library.

I’m also very anti-text, and I rarely answer my cell when I remember to turn it on.

GASP!

I know, right? It’s not like I look and/or act like I’m 100 years old. Hello, I just got carded last week. Honest. Ask the husband.

I guess there’s a bit of old-fashioned inside of me.

Or I’m just fabulous and stuck in the wrong time period. Although, watching the women do their thang on “Mad Men” makes me appreciate all gals of a certain age.

Anyway, Gourmet’s been around for 70 years.

Not too shabby.

But my delusional self always thought I’d be reading Gourmet for 70 years. Whenever I make something from the mag I feel so accomplished. And I so enjoyed reading the articles about food trends, politics, techniques, ingredients while blocking out Comcast SportsNet and enjoying a bottle of wine. The photography was gorgeous. The tips were fantastic.

Le sigh. Fortunately, many recipes will live on at Epicurious.com.

One of my favorite recipes, Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Icing , has a fond place in my Jersey Girl heart. I made this for my inlaws for Thanksgiving 2005. It was AWESOME. I hope you are able to give it a try.

And fortunately, I saved the Christmas editions of Gourmet from years past. So, I guess I’ll be digging into my archives for this year’s baking.

My Current Wishlist

I often imagine what my Dream Kitchen would look like. Six-burner stove in an amazing shade of red. A walk-in pantry. Two ovens. Two refrigerators. Copper pots. Le Creuset everything. Many wooden implements.

Le sigh.

A girl can dream, can't she?

So, feeding my dreams is this month's Williams-Sonoma catalogue.

On my wishlist:

Le Creuset Heritage Oval Cocotte, 4-Qt. This had me at hello when I opened my mailbox. Love it! I don't own any Le Creuset in Flame, so I think I'm about due.  This item is so fabulous, I think it's about all I want.

Product Review: Le Creuset Silicone Spatulas

Why I love them: These colorful cooking tools are made of awesome. They come in a variety of colors: red, green, yellow, white, sparkly (my fav) and sizes. They are very durable and clean up beautifully.

The back story: After ditching my el cheapo spatulas that I received from my bridal shower and/or purchased as a newlywed, I started doling out bigger bucks for a fabulous Le Creuset spatula. My original spatulas were fraying and bending. Ick Nast! As an avid baker, I knew it was high time to up the ante on this important tool for awesome treats. Unfortunately, the cheap spatulas lasted about a year or so. My Le Creuset spatulas are five years strong and still going.

Uses: Depending on your size and shape, the spatulas are great for folding and stirring ingredients, removing batter from bowls, getting condiments out of jars and bottles, smoothing batter out in a pan.

Pros: Durable, heat resistant, colorful, many different shapes and sizes for different needs, versatile, pretty.

Cons: Pricey.

Cost: $9-$14

Where to buy: Sur la Table