shrimp and scallops in an artichoke tomato broth

this was so light and tasty.  easy, too.  i served it with brown rice, but a whole wheat pasta would have taken it over the top.  i also served a small whole grain roll to sop up all the broth.  there are very few ingredients in this dish.  shrimp, scallops, artichokes, diced tomatoes, shallots, garlic, fresh thyme, white wine, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.  when i cook for my clients, i leave them with a card that not only tells them what they are eating, but lists all of the ingredients that each particular dish has in it.  i want them to know what they are ingesting.  my style of cooking is very simple.  i use fresh ingredients, no preservatives or additives.  i use a lot of fresh herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper.   i have started a new website called www.paigecooks.com.  this site is where i put all of my clients' daily meals on.  it's a reference for me to use, to track when i made what.  check it out and get inspiration for a home cooked, healthy meal.  

pork tenderloin with port-fig sauce

i don't love this photo, its a bit phallic.  what?  it is.  but, i will say this is such a great fall meal.  i like pork tenderloins, they are so bland in taste, so if you add a rub, marinade, or sauce to it - it totally takes on that flavor.  since the figs are in season, i decided to make a simple sauce of figs and port wine.  the pork itself only has chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper on it.  to make the sauce coarsely cop 8 figs and add to a sauce pan.  add 2 1/2 cups of port wine, 1 1/4 cups of  low sodium chicken broth, 2 fresh rosemary springs, one cinnamon stick,  and 1tb of honey.  boil over medium high heat for about 30 minutes.  you want the mixture to thicken and reduce by half.  remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary sprigs.  transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.  add 1 tb of butter and season with salt, and pepper, if necessary.  preheat the oven to 425.  rub the pork tenderloin with the chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper.  in a large pan, heat a bit of olive oil and when hot add the tenderloin and rotate every 2 minutes.  you want to get a nice brown coating on the pork.  transfer the pan with the pork in it to the oven and continue to cook until the center of the pork reaches 155 degrees.  let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  the pork will be slightly pink and juicy.  pour as much sauce all over and enjoy!

orzo with grilled vegetables

this is such a tasty, healthy side dish.  whole wheat orzo with grilled vegetables.  when i cook whole wheat pasta i cook it about 1 minute longer than the directions on the box call for.  it makes the pasta a bit more soft.  i think whole wheat pasta can be somewhat chewy.  while the pasta is cooking grill your vegetables.  i used summer squash, zucchini, red peppers, asparagus.  prior to grilling the vegetables i made a marinade of balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and allowed the vegetables to marinate for 15 minutes.  reserve the marinade, you will use this to dress the orzo.  after the pasta has cooked, drain it and then add the marinade to the warm orzo.  add the grilled vegetables and toss.  adjust the flavor with more salt, pepper or balsamic, if necessary.  this is a great side dish with grilled chicken.  

lemon meringue pie

oh my was this good!  doesn't it look like it came right out of your grandmother's kitchen?  i have never really been a big fan of meringue pies, i don't really have a good reason for it.  i think it's because if i ever had a choice of dessert, i would lean more towards a cake or cookie.  not a pie.  a lemon meringue one at that.  but, i wanted something sweet a few weekends ago and i wanted it to be somewhat low calorie/fat.  i don't know if this fits the bill, but in my mind it did. i mean, the topping is essentially egg whites!  and egg whites are good for you. this pie was so easy to put together and i had everything in the house to make it.  to start, add 1 cup of sugar, 2 tb of flour, 3 tb of cornstarch, a pinch of salt, 1.5 cups of water, and 2 lemons juiced and zested in a saucepan.  while stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil.  add 2 tb of butter. separate 4 egg yolks and 4 egg whites.  add a little of the sugar mixture into the yolks to temper them.  add the yolks to the saucepan.  continue to cook until thick, about 3-4 minutes.  add to a baked pie crust ( i used pillsbury).  to make the meringue, beat the egg whites until foamy and add 6 tb of sugar.  continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.  spread the meringue over the pie, sealing the edges at the crust.  bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  one slice of this light, refreshing pie is 298 calories.  not bad for a dessert...

mega veggie salad

i have really been trying hard these last few weeks to drop a few lbs.  my annual trip to miami for art basel is rapidly approaching.  it always seems i need some sort of special occasion or vacation to get my butt in gear.  i recently bought a treadmill and have picked back up running.  i really love it.  it feels so good to sweat.  and walking, quite frankly doesn't do that.  i have been eating a salad almost every night (weekends excluded, of course) with some sort of lean protein.  in order for it to be filling and satisfying, i add a ton of different vegetables, beans, nuts.  this salad is full of artichokes, broccoli, asparagus, chick peas, walnuts (which, by the way, is said to help reduce breast cancer), tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, and lord knows what else.  and you know what?  it's been working.  i have lost 5 lbs so far, and actually go to bed satisfied and full.  a requirement for any meal i consume!

pasta bolognese

i made this for a group of guys who where getting together for a night of poker and wine.  it's really delicious and fun to make. quite hearty and rich, so take your pepcid ac!  it comes together so quickly with the help of a food processor.  there is a bit of tending to the dish in the beginning, but once all of that is complete, just set the dish to simmer and go run your errands.  when you come back home your house will smell incredible.  i normally would use a spaghetti with a meaty sauce like this bolognese, but being a dinner party, a shorter pasta would be easier to eat.  who wants to twirl, slop, and continually wipe pasta sauce off your chin in front of friends?  to start, add 2 large carrots, one large onion, 3 celery ribs, and 4 cloves of garlic to a food processor.  add the mixture with 2 tb of olive oil and a good amount of salt to a large, heavy pan.  i used my 8 quart le crueset. saute the vegetable for about 15-20 minutes.  next, add 3 lbs of ground chuck.  saute for another 15-20 minutes until the beef is nice and brown.  add 2 cups of tomato paste, cook for 5 minutes.  next add 3 cups of red wine.  at this point the liquid will not completely cover the meat, so add about 3 cups of water.  yes, water.  add a bunch of thyme, tied, so you can easily pull it out in the end, and 3 bay leaves.  bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  cook, uncovered for 4 hours.  you may need to add more water as you go.  taste for seasoning and adjust.  the pasta to meat ratio should be the same.  half pasta, half meat sauce.  sprinkle with some parmesan and enjoy with some garlic bread.  please, don't forget the bread.  this makes a huge batch, it's great for freezing.  the original recipe can be found here.

lyonnaise potatoes

I love potatoes. baked, stuffed, french fried, mashed, smashed, roasted. you name it. i love that they are somewhat of a blank canvas and you can add just about anything to them for a new twist. i always try to keep them simple, however. i don't add butter or full fat creams to them. i really don't think they need it. these pototoes are fantastic. when i roast potatoes, i start by par boiling them. this way, i am assured that the centers will be soft. often times if i just throw the potatoes into a high temp oven to roast them, the centers are not cooked all the way through, and the outsides are a bit more brown than i like (a.k.a. burnt). lyonnaise potatoes are french and typically made with butter - i choose to use olive oil. lyonnaise potatoes, are also made with onions. i love pototoes and onions together. these, however don't have onions in them. i guess these aren't really lyonnaise potatoes, are they? maybe these are a little more like tuscan potatoes? speaking of tuscan potatoes...if you ever head to las vegas, make sure to dine at carnevino at the pallazo hotel. they have killer tuscan fries. ok, where was i? oh yea, back to these potatoes. to make them, quarter red potatoes and put them in a pot of water with some salt. once the water comes to a boil, turn it down a bit - to a soft boil. you don't want the potatoes to break apart. boil for 12-15 minutes. in the meantime, put a baking pan in a 450 degree oven. getting the pan hot with give a nice crust to the potatoes when you put them on the tray. after you have drained the potatoes, dry them off with a paper towel. pop them on the hot baking tray and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. roast in the oven for 10 minutes, take the potatoes out and flip them. at this point i like to add minced garlic. if you add the garlic too soon it will just burn. pop the potatoes and garlic back in the oven and roast another 5-7 minutes. once the potatoes are done, sprinkle with fresh parsley. i am on a curly parsley kick right now. i just love the way it looks, tastes, and it is really easy to finely chop. try it next time you are using parsley. make sure to lightly salt the potatoes again while still hot.

profiteroles with lemon custard

good lord these are good.  and a cinch to make.  quite fun, too.  there are very few ingredients, so you probably have everything in your pantry and fridge.  to start, combine 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 stick of butter and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat and add 1/2 cup of flour and stir with a wooden spoon.  continue to cook until the mixture has formed a ball and has a slightly sweaty sheen to it and has pulled away from the pan.  it happens fast.  transfer the mixture to another bowl and let cook for a few minutes.  with an electric mixer add 2 eggs, one at a time.  don't add the second egg until the first one is fully incorporated.  add a pinch of cinnamon and beat to combine.  transfer the mixture to a pastry bag.  i use a zip lock bag that i have snipped off the corner.  you want to pipe 1 inch balls onto a sheet lined with parchment paper.  after you have added all the balls, dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each ball where the bag released the dough.  leave about 1 inch between each ball because they grow.  bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  rotate have way through so they bake evenly.  once cool, cut in half horizontally and fill with whatever you want.  i made a lemon custard and topped with melted chocolate and toasted almonds.  ice cream is fantastic in these.  they are so cute.  they have hollow insides so you can stuff them with whatever you have.  you can even make these savory by not adding cinnamon and stuff them with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, or ricotta and fresh herbs.  they make great appetizers.

baked chile relleno

so, so good!  i absolutely love poblano peppers.  especially stuffed.  i made these for my clients on cinco de mayo!  i could really give a darn about that holiday, but i sure do love a reason to eat and cook mexican food!  these peppers are so easy to put together and the flavor is to die for.  start by roasting the peppers,  i do this by placing the peppers directly over my gas flame on the stove until they get black.  once charred all over, put them in a bowl and cover with foil.  this allows the skin to peel away from the flesh.  after 10 minutes, remove the charred skin.  for the filling, i started with a rotisserie chicken.  i took the skin off and shredded the meat.  i added fresh corn kernels, sauteed onion and garlic, cumin, cilantro, monterey jack cheese, and tomatillo sauce.  to make it you simply wash and cut in half about 10 tomatillos, one onion, one jalapeno, 2 cloves of garlic.  drizzle olive oil all over.  pop in a 425 degree oven and roast for 15 minutes.  throw everything in a food processor with a little salt and pepper.  add about 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce to the chicken mixture and combine.  cut a slit down the middle of the poblanos and remove all the seeds.  stuff each pepper to the max!  top with a bit more cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and serve.  

sesame chicken

this beats any chinese takeout.  it's simple and full of flavor, and less fat.  i served it with steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice.  it was well received by my clients.  i love when they go out of the way to compliment a meal i made them.  i pretty much think all my meals i prepare are wonderful - that's the goal after all.  but, when one strikes them in a way, i love to hear about it.  i found this recipe on martha stewart.  it's called lighter sesame chicken.  give it a try, i'm sure you'll love it too!

chicken with mushroom sauce

i absolutely love mushrooms.  love, love, love them.  i made this quick and simple meal for my clients and got great reviews.  i have finally come around to realize that all chicken breasts need to be either pounded thin, or cut in half horizontally.  their just so stinkin' big.  if you don't get them uniform in size, the thin end always gets over cooked.  by pounding or halving, you get a nice even breast, and it's actually more tender. so, after you have cleaned and pounded your chicken breasts, salt and pepper.  get a skillet heated over medium high heat with some olive oil, and cook each breast for about 3-4 minutes per side.  you want a nice golden crust.  after they have cooked through, remove to a plate.  add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and through in a ton of sliced mushrooms and about 3 sliced shallots, sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. add 2 cloves of minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute. stir in 1/2 cup of white wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. cook until liquid almost evaporates. sprinkle mushroom mixture with a bit of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.  i have been using whole wheat flour lately, and really like it.  i can't detect the difference in taste, and it's healthier for you, so, why not?  add 3/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth to the pan, bring to a boil. cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. remove pan from heat and add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme.  aren't mushrooms and thyme just meant to be together?  if you like mushrooms like i do, you will love this simple dish.  i served it over polenta, but brown rice would be great, too.

chicken piccata

i'm back!  the reason i haven't posted in the last month is because i couldn't get my photos to upload.  just one day out of the blue my blog stopped accepting my photos.  i have no idea why.  and then, just out of the blue (today), my blog decided to accept my photos.  i have no idea why.  i hate technology.  it's always gotten the better of me.  i am the type of person to give electronics a try, and if i get any resistance, i walk away.  i'm a very patient person, but computers, scanners, copiers, phones, no thank you.  i like simple.  i think i am the only person without an iphone.  so, i made this last night for dinner and it was fantastic.  light and simple.  i had a nice glass of white wine that rounded the meal out.  the weather in georgia is so wonderful, this was the perfect meal to enjoy on my deck.  i have several bird boxes and i think i am becoming a bird watcher.  i never got the fascination with bird watching, but it's so incredible. i guess these are the kind of things you do when you get older?  i have one blue bird box that 2 carolina chickadees worked on for well over 2 weeks.  the would carry feathers, trash, pine straw, whatever they could get to make a nest for their babies to be. well, the blue birds came along and took over.  it sort of broke my heart.  i wanted to intervene and shoo the blue birds away, but i decided to let nature runs its course.  poor chickadees.  i wonder where they are?  i also have a cardinal in one of my leyland cypress's.  a poor choice to set up home base.  it is right at head level so if i ever walk by the nest i get squawked at.  it's a bit unsettling.  so anyway, where was i?  oh, yes, this meal.  i made chicken piccata with a simple arugula salad.  for the chicken, i halved a chicken breast in half horizontally, so they basically became cutlets.  sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour.  heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.  remove the chicken to a serving platter.  in the same skillet add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of capers.  whisk mixture together and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom the pan.  pour sauce of chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  for the salad i just shaved some fresh parmesan and dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and big squeeze of lemon juice and pepper.  so good and so easy.  

apple pound cake

toasted, buttered pound cake. stewed sugary apples. whipped cream.   good god.

veggie burger

by now you know i am a huge burger fan.  absolutely love them. one of my clients had a guest over for dinner that is a vegetarian and asked me to pick up a box of frozen veggie burgers.  when i went to purchase these veggie burgers, i couldn't believe all the crap that was in them.  stuff i couldn't even pronounce.  what gives?  it just didn't sit well with me.  so, back home i went in search of a homemade veggie burger.  the one i found was on food network.  it was guy fieri's recipe.  and it was good.  very good.  his instructions and recipe list was a bit confusing and seemed inaccurate, so i used it as a guide and made mine up as i went along.  i also made a larger batch.  his recipe calls for using 3 different types of beans and only 4 oz of each.  i didn't want to waste the rest so i made a few burgers and froze the rest.  you can see in the photo all the beans i used, black, garbanzo, and cannellini.  add in a few other vegetables, oats, and spices, and you have a great twist on a burger. 

japanese sweet potato (a.k.a. imo)

japanese sweet potatoes or satsumaimo (or imo for short) are so fantastic in many ways.  first they taste delicious, second they are very versatile, and they are incredibly good for you.  these japanese sweet potatoes have 150% more antioxidants than blueberries.  that's a lot.  i made this the other night for brian and he devoured them.  this is the version i made.  so simple.   bake the potatoes in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour.  remove the skins and add the flesh to a bowl.  with a hand masher,  roughly mash the potatoes.  keep it somewhat chunky and rustic.  add a splash of fat free milk and a pinch of salt.  chop 2-3 scallions and saute in a bit of olive oil.  top the imo's with the scallions and fresh ground black pepper.  japanese sweet potatoes are at whole foods right now.  they have a purple skin and the inside is white - much different than the typical  orange fleshed sweet potato or yam we are used to.  and personally, i like these much better. 

whole wheat flat bread

this is about the only thing i made this weekend.  it's really about the only thing i did this weekend, if we're being honest here.  i think i left my house for a total of 15 minutes over the weekend.  no grocery store's involved.  i had very little choices when it came to meal time, but this came together beautifully!  i made super thin pizzas - or flat breads, and topped them with the only few items lingering in my fridge and pantry.  i had one onion, some arugula, a block of parmesan, a limpy batch of basil, and 3 artichoke hearts.  i started by making a killer pesto - even with the limpy basil!  i put the basil in a mini food processor, with one clove of garlic, a few walnuts ( i didn't even toast them), olive oil, salt and pepper.  then, i ran into a problem.  i didn't have enough basil - i poured too much olive oil in the processor.  so, i added a few more walnuts.  that didn't work.  i added some grated parmesan.  that didn't help.  that's when i threw in the 3 artichoke hearts i had (which were going to be part of the topping) and blended away.  it made for the best tasting pesto i have ever eaten.  i love it when that happens.  so, i made some pizza dough, rolled it out super thin, and topped it with some pesto and caramelized onions.  popped it in the oven to get crisp, and when it cooled a bit, i threw some baby arugula and strips of fresh grated parmesan on top, with a drizzle of olive oil.  i also made my pizza dough with whole wheat flour - this was one delicious, impromptu dinner.

seared sea scallops

so simple and so good. well, if you like scallops, that is.  what is it with scallops that people don't like?  my sister can't stand them.  when the word scallops comes up and she is in ear shot, she without fail will grimace and shiver.  i don't get it.  i absolutely love them.  hearty and soft.  and, you don't have to do much to them at all to enhance their flavor.  just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  i think often times scallops aren't cooked correctly.  you have to get a non stick pan screaming hot, add some olive oil to the pan and once you have put the scallops in the pan, don't move them around.  cook each side for 2 minutes and they are done.  i served these with pea puree.  one bag of frozen peas, thawed, a handful of fresh mint, juice of one lemon, one glove of garlic, about 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper.  put it all in a food processor to blend.  yum.  serve this with a salad and you have a great spring meal.

shrimp fra diavolo

this is such a fantastic, tasty, light meal.  i just love it. and, it takes no time to put it together (at least after the shrimp cleaning is done).  once you have your 1 lb. of shrimp shelled and deveined, toss with a bit of olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes (about a teaspoon).  in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the shrimp in a single layer for 1 -2 minutes per side.  remove the shrimp to a plate.  saute two diced shallots for 4 minutes.  add one 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, one cup of white wine, 3 tablespoons of minced garlic, and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat.  add the shrimp back in and simmer for a minutes or so.  add 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley and basil.  salt and pepper.  you can eat this alone or with some whole wheat angel hair pasta. if you are a member of costco, they have fantastic frozen, shelled, deveined shrimp.  it's not always shrimp season!

greek stuffed chicken

i got so many compliments on this meal.  spinach, feta, garlic, panko....seriously.  how bad could that be?.  sad thing is, i never even tasted it.  this stuffing mixture would go great with a pork chop, as well.  start by heating a pan with a little olive oil.  add 1/2 of a onion, diced.  saute for 5 minutes, until soft, then add 3 gloves of minced garlic.  cook for one minute.  transfer to a bowl.  in the same pan, add 4 cups of fresh spinach and saute until wilted, about 3 minutes.  drain and squeeze out the excess water.  add to the bowl with the onions and garlic.  sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh grated nutmeg.  again, using the same pan, add 1 cup of whole wheat panko and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one small glove of minced garlic, and a teaspoon of dried oregano.  toss and set aside.  now the unpleasant part.  clean the chicken breasts.  ugh.  once clean, and i mean clean - no signs of anything but meat!  split each chicken breast across, but not all the way through, and open it like a book.  pound out  the breast carefully, you don't want to make them too thin, or create any holes in the meat.  sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stuff 1/4 of the mixture in each breast (4 total).  put the chicken breast in a baking dish and top with the panko mixture.  bake in a 425 oven for 23 minutes.  serve this with a salad and you have got a really well balanced meal.

strawberry trifle

happy valentine's everyone! i'm not big on this holiday - i feel bad for the men.  it is such an obligatory holiday.  for a day about love - i bet there are a lot of fights going on out there.  forgotten flowers, cards, chocolates, dinner reservations, etc.  i give brian a pass on this day.  don't get me wrong, we will share a bottle of wine tonight and sit down to a great meal, but there is no need for any special gifts.  however, i did want to make my clients meal a bit more special tonight, so i prepared these individual strawberry trifles.  i rarely, almost never, make a dessert.   i think these will go over well. i bought the glasses yesterday at crate and barrel.  they worked out perfectly.  i took a short cut and bought good ole' sara lee pound cake, layered it with whip cream, and strawberries.  super easy to put together and just enough to not go over board. 

sherry seared salmon

dry sherry is the secret to this delicious salmon.  i don't know what it is with me, but i feel as though salmon needs to take on asian flavors for me to like it.  i have several different marinades i use for salmon, but my favorite is this one.  i hand pour, but it goes something like this:  3 tablespoons of light soy sauce, i actually like reduced sodium tamari that i find at whole foods.  1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of mirin or rice wine vinegar, the juice of a half of an orange, 2 tablespoons of dry sherry, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  i like to marinate the salmon the morning that i am making this.  i find that marinating salmon overnight is just too much.  the texture of the fish changes.  even without the citrus, the fish tends to "harden".  so, about 6 hours of marinating works best in my opinion.  when ready to cook, i pull out a cast iron skillet, add a bit of olive oil, and let the pan get super hot.  once it starts to smoke, add the salmon, cook 3 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 minutes.  i will sometimes have to adjust the heat if i think the flesh is turning too dark.  but truth is, i really like a seared outside and a moist, pink, medium'ish  inside.  sometimes burnt tastes good.

grilled fajita nachos

i made these nachos for sunday nights super bowl.   the photo does not do them justice, they actually looked better in person - and i am not a photographer, so there.  as cheesy and decadent as they look, they really weren't over the top fatty.  seriously.  i bought this 4oz. block of queso melt at whole foods, shredded it and mixed it with some milk and got this fabulous cheese dip.  truth is, i wish i had bought two packages of cheese.  the queso didn't ooze all the way down to the bottom of the pile, like i hoped it would.  i was going to top these babies with avocado, diced tomato, jalapeno, black beans, sour cream, cilantro, etc.  but at the last minute (and because i just didn't want to go through the trouble), i decided to keep it simple.  sometimes simple is best.  (but, not in this case - they would have been over the top with the extras!).  i grilled one onion, one green pepper and at the last minute threw in some frozen corn.  put all that aside and in the smae pan grilled a sirloin, just salt and pepper.  for the chicken, however, i did marinate it overnight in a wonderful marinade.  in a food processor i added two chipotle peppers, 3 gloves of garlic, the juice of one lime and olive oil.  mixed it all together and threw everything in a zip lock bag overnight.  the flavor was outstanding.  i bought blue corn chips and topped one side with chicken and the other with beef.  there wasn't a crumb left over.

from scratch

if you love pizza - homemade pizza, you must have a pizza stone to really make a good one.  i just recently purchased one and my goodness what a difference.  i use to put the pizza on the backside of a baking sheet, and that just doesn't do the trick.  you have to have a pizza stone.  plain and simple. the pizza stone i purchased is from emile henry of france.  it's awesome.  it has handles on two sides for easy transportation from the oven to the counter.  and it looks good enough to serve off.  the pizza stone also came with instructions for homemade pizza dough.  i will never purchase pizza dough from the store again.  the dough i made was out of this world.  i'm gonna go ahead and say it - but, it could be the best pizza i have ever had .  seriously.  making dough is so easy.  3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 envelope of fast rising yeast, 1 1/4 cup of hot water, 4 tablespoons of corn meal, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt.  mix it up, knead for about 5 minutes, cover with a towel for 20 minutes, and viola!   rolling this dough out was so much easier than times past when i have bought dough at the market.  it was soft and subtle.  i was fighting with it.  i topped this pizza with marinara, mozzarella, crumbled sausage, fresh pineapple, mushrooms, fresh spinach, parmesan, and feta cheese.  there is a bit of prep work involved.  you actually need to put the pizza stone in the oven at 500 degrees for 1 hour before you plan to bake your pies.  but, turn on some music, grab a glass of wine and get all your toppings ready to go.  you will never go out for pizza again after you make your own.

double stack

i want a hamburger for dinner every friday night.  and i usually have one. i just love them.  i recently went to a burger joint and they made their burgers with two thin patties.  it was fantastic.  so, i replicated it and this is what i came up with.  i added grilled onions, pepper jack cheese, and fresh jalapenos.  it was out of this world.  i used my cast iron skillet to cook the beef, instead of my grill pan.  it acted somewhat like a griddle (i guess).  it seared the meat perfectly on the outside, and left the middle super juicy and pink.  after i took the burgers out of the skillet, i toasted the buns.  maximum flavor!  if you are ever at whole foods, make sure to pick up harris family beef (white oak pastures).  it surpasses all the others.  here is a little clip about his farm if you have not seen it.  it's worth watching.

fall salad

this salad is always a hit.  how could it not be?  toasted pecans, blue cheese...
it has great texture and all the flavors work beautifully together.  i use a mix of radicchio and endive as the base and throw in diced asian pear (with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep it from browning), toasted pecans and blue cheese.  i make a maple vinaigrette that is ridiculously good.  like all of my dressing, they have the same standard ingredients.  vinegar, dijon mustard, a sweetener (honey, agave), but for this i used maple syrup.  good maple syrup.  don't even think about using aunt jemima.  buy some grade "a" maple syrup.  i like to use whole foods 365 brand, pure, organic syrup.  i also like to use white balsamic vinegar.  it has a much more milder flavor than balsamic vinegar.  also, when i am making a salad that has light colors, i don't like to use balsamic - it colors the lettuce brown, which is unappealing, to me at least.  actually, the only time i use balsamic vinegar is with mixed greens now that i think about it.  anyway, make this salad for a special occasion - all of the ingredients are a bit expensive in terms of a salad.  but i promise, you will "fall" in love with it.