Product Review: Kuhn Rikon Paring Knife

Why I love it: This tiny, colorful steel-blade knife is heaven sent when cutting ingredients that tend to stick to your knife. Great for slicing butter, cream cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella and hard-boiled eggs. It really works. Nothing sticks to it! The knife comes with a cute blade cover so it’s protected when you store it.

Pros: Many fab colors to choose from, easy to store, many uses. Great stocking stuffers for the cooks in your fam.

Cons: Kind of pricey, but I’ve seen them at discount retailers – like HomeGoods. Yay, HomeGoods.

Where to Buy: Amazon , Sur la Table , Williams-Sonoma

Price: $9.95 each or $29.85 for a three-piece set from Williams-Sonoma.

Be Our Guest

This weekend, my in-laws came over for dinner. This may stress many of you out.

But, you need to meet my in-laws.

They are fabulous, amazing, super cool. The best people ever.

Yes, Paul and Nancy rock my world.

I’m sorry. I know this declaration sounds way braggy, and I’m not a braggy kind of gal.

But for reals, so many of my entourage have major in-law envy.

Fortunately, Mom and Dad (as I call them, so I have two Moms and Dads), welcome all with open arms. So if you want to imagine them as your in-laws, go for it.

Yay!

To dazzle them, I made a delish appie: Goat Cheese and Grape Tomato Bruschetta.

My father-in-law RAVED about it.

He also wanted to know where the recipe came from.

“My head,” I told him.

Aren’t I witty?

He wanted me to tell all y’all that the bruschetta was a big win.

If you can’t find grape tomatoes, which are tiny tomatoes shaped like grapes, you can totally rock this out with cherry tomatoes.

You can make the topping ahead, and toast the bread and assemble before your guests arrive.

I always like to have one special appie, because cheese and crackers are often the “B” word: Boring. So is music with no expression. That’s what I tell my piano students.

Goat Cheese and Grape Tomato Bruschetta

4 ounces soft, spreadable goat cheese, at room temp.
1 pint, grape tomatoes, quartered
2 cloves garlic, 1 finely chopped, 1 whole (for toasts)
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
¼ tsp. to ½ tsp. crushed red pepper.
¼ tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 French baguette, sliced

In a medium bowl, gently stir tomatoes, chopped garlic, basil, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and olive oil. Set aside.

Preheat broiler to high.

Place sliced bread on baking sheet and toast on both sides. Remove from oven.

Spread toast with goat cheese. Top with tomato mixture.

Place on serving tray. Top with lemon zest.

Enjoy with friends and wine.

Coffee Cake Tawk

Coffee cake just makes me smile.


Cinnamon swirly, brown sugar-scented, vanilla-laced, sweet powdered-sugar-glazed coffee cakes are the best variety.

Can't you just breathe it in?

I whipped one up this weekend for an event being held at the Woman’s Civic Club of Hammonton.

But, I often make coffee cake and bring its hominess to my fam. Mommom and Poppop love a coffee cake as do my in-laws. When Mark and I are staying at their Stone Harbor house for the weekends in the summer, we often arrive bearing baked goods. Great company and a fabulous house at the shore are totally worth a coffee cake.

I make this from the recipe in the good, ole’ Betty Crocker’s Cookbook

Yes, I have one of those.

In fact, I think I need to replace it because it is in shambles, dear readers. Those damn red plastic coils break and fall out. And it’s dog-eared, spattered, beaten and battered. But, Betty Crocker’s Cookbook is tried and true for me. It never misses. I love it. It completes me. Plus, I have notes penciled in all over the place in my copy. I don’t know what to do. Maybe I should store it in a Hefty zipper bag or a manilla envelope.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

I vividly recall upon my engagement to Mark, heading straight to the cookbook section of Barnes and Noble and buying my Big Red No. 9. I thought Betty Crocker was necessary to be a proper wife.

Could I be more delusional?

But, I do give props to this very basic cookbook. It taught me many, many things.

And it is a purchase that triggered my ongoing obsession with cookbooks. I collect them, dear readers. But, that’s for another post…

Today, it’s all about the coffee cake.

Please note that I omitted the nuts and used extra-large eggs.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
From Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, Ninth Edition

Prep: 30 min; Bake 1 hr.; Cool: 30 min.

Makes 16 servings

Brown sugar filling (see below)
3 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup butter or stick margarine, softened
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups sour cream
Vanilla Glaze (see below)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and side of tube pan, 10 x 4 inches, 12-cup bundt cake pan or 2 loaf pans, 9 x 5 x 3 inches, with shortening.

2. Make Brown Sugar Filling. Set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat about one-fourth of the flour mixture and sour cream at a time alternately into sugar mixture on low speed until blended.

4. For tube or bundt cake pan, spread one-third of the batter (about 2 cups) in pan, then sprinkle with one-third of the filling; repeat twice. For loaf pans, spread one-fourth of the batter, (about 1 ½ cups) in each pan, then sprinkle with one-fourth of the filling; repeat once.

5. Bake tube or bundt cake pan about 1 hour, loaf pans about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan(s) on wire rack. Remove from pan(s) to wire rack. Cool 20 minutes. Drizzle with Vanila Glaze. Serve warm or cool.

Brown Sugar Filling
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup finely chopped nuts
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients.

Vanilla Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 tsp. milk

Mix all ingredients with a spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

Product Review: Epicurean Cutting Boards

Why I love them: Lightweight, easy to store, easy to clean, variety of sizes, stylish, dishwasher safe.

The back story: When my parents-in-law bought us the Mercedes of knives – Wusthof – I realized it was high time to be out with the old and in with the new. The Epicurean cutting boards are easy on knives, so they help keep the blades sharp. An Epicurean board would be a great gift for a foodie in your family.

Cons: Expensive

Price range: $13-$130

Where to buy: Sur la Table

Kiss My Grits

I wish I could go around town saying that.

“Kiss my grits.”

I mean seriously, talk about a perfect phrase. And nobody here uses it. “How yous doin?”, “Hey, asshole, get out of the freakin’ way," “Yankees suck,” “How ‘bout them Eagles,” “We’re goin’ down the casinas or the Shore.”

These phrases – which illustrate the top-notch grammatical education we receive in my beloved Garden State - are in heavy rotation in South Jersey.

But, “Kiss my grits,” now that truly is a unique gem.

So, I shouted it out to The Husband upon serving him a fab dinner of: Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak, Sauteed Zucchini and Red Peppers, and Cheesy Grits with Scallions.

He cracked up for about five minutes.

And he loved din, so Mission Accomplished.

For some reason, I was jonesing (do people still say that?) for grits.

Random, I KNOW!

I didn’t even know what grits were until my 20s. Growing up, my mom was definitely NOT serving grits. Meatballs, lasagna, grilled steak, roast beef, roast pork, roast chicken, clams and spaghetti (or as my speech-impediment riddled self said as a child, clams and pasghetti), spinach-stuffed flounder – these things appeared weekly on the dinner table.

But cuisine from the far-reaches of the world – such as the Continental U.S. South – were not served in mi childhood casa.

Although, Mom did shake it up once in a while with taco night (yummy) and beef stroganoff when my dad was away on bizness (Dad is not a fan of shrooms) and some delish stir-fries. She even has a wok!

My parents thought I needed to be committed to an asylum when I told them I was going out for sushi with my Carnegie Mellon friends in Pittsburgh in the nineties.

They would phone me with these words of wisdom:

“You’re going to DIE from that, Susan.”

“Go get a steak. You need to eat real food. Listen to your father.”

Anyway, the first time I made grits was for a brunch I had for my best Hammonton girls – Sarah, Lauren and Jenny – a few years ago.

The grits were hella good, and I was hooked.

This week, I was inspired to make them for a side during dinner. And, so below is my concoction. I used quick-cooking grits. (Don’t judge me! I work too, damn it.)

You of course can use the slow-cooking variety. They just take longer. Duh.

Also, I urge you to embrace the flank steak aka London broil. Come to think of it, my mom rocked a London broil back in the day. I’m having major flashbacks of the eighties right now…..Bill Cosby’s sweaters are burning on my brain.

First of all, flank or round steak is super cheap and it takes minutes to cook. I used my grill pan, but you can also go the broiler route. I’m not a fan of scrubbing the broiler pan. Scrubbing broiler pans is made of evil. Anything that requires Brillo, cursing, 10 minutes of my time and elbow grease is made of evil.

Back to happier thoughts: my zuccs and peppas are awesome. Seriously, these people who claim to hate on vegetables - I just don’t know what to say. Free your mind.

I have major love for the grits. If you’re bored of potatoes or rice or pasta as a side, go for the grits. They will rock your world.

Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak
1 ½ to 2 pounds flank or round steak, aka London broil
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. McCormick Grillmates Montreal Steak seasoning
2 tsp. garlic powder
Drizzle of oil, vegetable or canola

Mix chili and garlic powders with Montreal Steak seasoning in a small bowl.

Using a pastry brush, brush a drizzle of oil all over the steak on both sides. Pat the seasoning mixture all over the steak. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes.

When ready to cook, drizzle a little oil onto your grill pan. Using a paper towel, rub the oil over the entire pan.

Preheat the pan over medium-high heat.

Grill steak for 6-7 minutes on each side.

Remove steak from pan to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Slice against the grain into thin strips when ready to serve.

Makes four servings.

Sauteed Zucchini and Red Peppers
2 zucchini, sliced
1 large red pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ red onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
¼ tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

In a large pan, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add zucchini, peppers and onion. Saute for about five minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for about five minutes more.

Serve hot.

Cheesy Grits with Scallions
2 ¼ cups water
1/8 tsp. salt
½ cup Quaker Quick Grits (NOT INSTANT)
2 ounces pepper jack cheese, chopped
3 scallions, finely sliced
¼ cup half-and-half
Salt and pepper

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.

Add salt.

Slowly pour grits into the water and stir. Lower heat to medium-low so that the mixture simmers. Cover the saucepan. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add half-and-half. Stir.

Add cheese and scallions. Stir. Add pepper to taste, and more salt if desired.

Makes four servings.

Kickin' It in Old City

My beloved and I celebrated our six years of marital bliss last weekend with a date to Old City.

I love going to Philadelphia with Mark. We go quite frequently – and not just for Phillies games. Sometimes we go shopping in Center City (yay!) or we go to South Philadelphia, where I buy 50 items for about 20 bucks at the Corner Spice Market (super yay!), pick up the best cannolis ever at Isgro's and purchase some artery-clogging goods at DiBruno Bros. Good times.

We have many fav restaurants, but we love trying new ones, too.

That’s what we did this year.

We first stopped at the Plough and the Stars for a drinky-poo. Mark had a beer; I had Stohli Vanilla and ginger ale. The bartender hooked it up with a maraschino cherry on top. Love it. I’m totally doing that Thanksgiving Eve. I hope my g’friends approve.

Anyhoo, after our drinks at the pub – which, by the way is awesome in its sparkly, cathedral, fireplace-blazing glory – Mark and I headed to Amada.

It’s a tapas restaurant headed by Chef Jose Garces, who has been on the Food Network many times. He’s currently on the “Next Iron Chef America.”

OMG, dear readers. I have so much love for Amada. It was fabulous. The service was great and there are flying pigs and hams hanging up everywhere in the joint.

And who doesn’t love a flying pig?

So yeah, if you don’t dig on swine definitely DO NOT go to Amada. But, if you love great Spanish food in really cool digs, then totally go to Amada.

The restaurant is quite big and has many secret rooms. We were seated in a back room that was quieter than the main dining area and bar. Appropriate for an anniversary, no?

Mark and I ordered eight tapas. The server recommended six to eight per two people.

The server also let Mark taste two wines before making a selection. The Husband felt this offer was, “very classy.”

He really said that.

We started with a manchego cheese with lavender honey and sliced apples. It was really very refreshing. All three ingredients complimented each other really well. The salty, the sweet the tart. OMG. Heaven.

We also enjoyed crab-stuffed peppers. There are only two in this dish. I seriously could have eaten like five more. This dish was perfection. The filling was creamy and dreamy. The peppers were like butta.

The lamb meatballs were recommended to us by a family friend. Seriously, they were to die for. The smokiness was just right.

You have to try one of the flatbreads. We noshed on the one with chorizo and shrimp. It was amazing.

We also enjoyed the grilled calamari, which is so much better than the typical breaded, deep-fried calamari found at average Italian joints. Grilled calamari is very simple in its taste. Loved it.

The spicy potatoes were amazing. They were shaped as bite-sized cylinders with a gorgeous saffron-colored cream on top. I wasn’t expecting much from this dish, but I was blown away. So good.

We also ordered two veggie dishes – grilled scallions (Mark loves scallions) and chickpeas with spinach. The portions of the vegetarian dishes were quite large. We probably would only order one if and when we go back. But seriously, they were both so yummy I don’t know how we would pick. The scallions were so unique. And the chickpeas and spinach were in a fantastic tomato sauce that was fragrant and complex.

I of course ordered dessert because it’s my anniversary and if a girl wants chocolate, a girl gets chocolate. And, another glass of wine. Mark had a glass of port that he thought was amazing.

The servers were very informed and helpful regarding my nut allergy, which is always very important to me because call me crazy, but I'd like to live through dinner.

And the seating was super comfy. I sat on the couch with tons of fluffy pillows. The Husband sat on a regular chair. Hee.

Here is contact info for our two sixth year anniversary haunts:

The Plough and the Stars
2nd Street, Old City, Philadelphia
215.733.0300

Amada
217-219 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
215.625.2450

Fiesta with Friends

Recently, the Husband and I threw a dinner party in the middle of the week.

The theme was Mexican meets Phillies lose to the Yankees in the World Series.

Thanks to the mac daddy slow cooker that my Aunt Lorraine gave me a few Christmases ago, I was able to cook a pork roast all day long while teaching my fab piano students. Then, I shredded the pork and we made awesome tacos out of them.

My friend Tom insists they were burritos.

Here’s what the reliable (sarcasm) source Wikipedia had to say about the matter:

A taco (pronounced /ˈtɑːkoʊ/) is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

A burrito (pronounced /bəˈriːdoʊ/ in the US but actually correctly pronounced /buˈriːtoʊ/), or taco de harina, is a type of food found in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans, Mexican rice, or meat are usually the only fillings and the tortilla is smaller in size. In the United States, however, fillings generally include a combination of ingredients such as Mexican rice, beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

I’m no expert. All I know is the taco/burrito concoctions were delish.

My guests made their own taco/burritos. My toppings included salsa, cheese, shredded lettuce, scallions, diced red pepper and sour cream.

And Tom needed a bottle of freakin’ taco sauce. He’s lucky I let him in the house. He’s a Yankees fan. Need I say more?

Suprisingly, I actually had a bottle of taco sauce. It’s probably from 2004 or something. Tom is still alive so I guess it was OK.

Despite the Phillies’ loss, my peeps had a great time. I think. I hope. Well, I don’t really know, but usually if you’re hangin’ at Casa di Leiser you’re having fun. It’s part of the house rules.

I do have to say I’m proud of myself for staying so chill regarding the mid-week dinner party. I usually don’t host in the middle of week, because, well my husband and I work until like 9 p.m. every night. I mean, who wants to go to a dinner party at 9 p.m.?

No one, that’s who.

In addition, I am a bit Monica Gellar when throwing a soiree. I make a lot of lists; I cook way too much food; I clean my house about 20 times; I set everything up in advance; I make sure to empty the dishwasher; I lie awake at night making mental checklists. And, then I just drink a bottle of wine and leave the fun my guests surely will have up to Fate or God or whatever you believe in.

Below are some photos as well as my recipes for fresh salsa and Mexican pulled pork. The salsa recipe is from my sister, Michele. She makes awesome salsa. It is best to make the salsa in the middle of the summer when Jersey tomatoes rock and you can lounge by a pool with a cocktail, but I made due with the tomatoes I can get in November. They’re probably from Chile or Florida or a hothouse. I’m sure the slow cooking movement is judging me right now. Oh well.

And maybe you’ll get ’em next year, Philadelphia!

Yumminess on a plate: A pulled pork burrito with black beans.

The Jersey Girl's Husband Mark took it upon himself to handle party decor.

Matt and Nancy. So cute!

Tom and Lisa. Super cute and parents-to-be. Yay!

The Husband is full of optimism, Mexican food and beer.

The Cooking and Style Goddess, moi,

with my trusty slow cooker. Do not compare me

to Sandra Lee. Shudder.

The taco fixins.

The salsa was a hit.

Charlie Manuel looking pensive. Maybe he's contemplating

what to say at the press conference.

Salsa
2 lbs. tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
½ sweet or red onion, diced
4-5 scallions, sliced
3 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 2 to 4 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with your fav tortilla chips or with meat or chicken. Salsa also tastes great with eggs or on a burger.

Mexican Pulled Pork
1 6-pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast
12 big cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
2 cups beef broth

To serve: Tortillas, shredded lettuce, scallions, red peppers, cheese, sour cream, salsa.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl to make a rub. Mix well. Once combined, rub mixture all over the roast.

Place roast in slow cooker.

Pour broth over roast. Put lid on slow cooker

Cook on high-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours.

Black Beans
1 1 lb., 13 oz. can of Goya black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, optional

In a pan over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add jalapeno, garlic and onion. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about five more minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Cook for another minute.