Sometimes we need to find inspiration in others so when I was playing a game of "words with friends" with a co-worker he mentioned that he had just bought a pasta maker. When I asked if it was the hand crank kind...he responded all offended "of course." When I saw his wife the next day at work she told me of how he was awake at 0100 making her homemade pasta on her code 7 and it was at that point that I decided his story, recipe and pictures were blog worthy. So here it is Curt Smith and his amazing homemade pasta. His story is an inspiration to us all. Thank you for sharing!






PASTA WITH SPINACH AND MELTED TOMATOES
Melted tomatoes
I began with my cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, then tossed with EVO, rosemary, and thyme.  I then "melted" them on a disposable aluminum cookie sheet (easy cleanup) in a 375 oven for about 50-60 minutes.  This brings the acids to the surface, while caramelizing the natural sugars in the tomatoes.  Yum.  I also tossed two garlic cloves in the same mix, and roasted them at the same time on the same sheet pan.  




Homemade Pasta
Prior to starting my pasta, I started 5 quarts of water and sea salt to get it to a full boil by the time my pasta was ready.
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (for the time being, because I ordered 10lbs of Italian Tipo 00 pasta flour, which has not arrived yet.  Soon, soon.)
3 eggs
15-20 seconds in my Kitchenaid food processor and rolled it out on a flour dusted counter.  I kneaded for 15-20 seconds only to prevent overworking the dough.
I then made sheet pasta, finishing with a #6 setting for thickness (about 3/16") on my Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine
I then cut my sheets to approximately 2" x 8"  strips of homemade pasta deliciousness.




Putting it all together
Just prior to boiling my pasta, we sautéed fresh spinach in EVO and butter, for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
I boiled my pasta for no more than 2 minutes to get it to "al dente", and after a quick drain, immediately added the pasta to the spinach in the skillet.
A very fine chop of the roasted garlic finished the work, and we added the garlic and tomatoes to the pasta and spinach, then lightly tossed.
We finished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (is there any other kind?) and served immediately.




Wine pairing
I also am a huge fan of Manage a Trois Red (yes, I've read your blog) however, Bogle Merlot is my "current" favorite.  But I felt that either of these choices might be a bit too much with the acids and caramelized sugars and garlic that we had going on with this dish.  So I decided go with something I hadn't tried before.  Since I'm such a fan of Manage, I'd bought a bottle of Manage a Trois Rose about a year ago as part of a "get 10%  off for a six-pack", wine run at Vons.  I'd intended to try it long ago, but never got to it.  So there it was in my wine fridge, calling out to me.  In my opinion, it was the perfect pairing with this dish.

I truly think one of the biggest benefits to living in So Cal is the warm summer nights. This year it has been a really mild summer and I have been craving an evening to sit on the patio, eat dinner and drink wine while listening to the crickets and watching the tiki torches. My dreams came true last night and although the day was a scorcher...one in which you feel like you are walking on the surface of the sun...no drama there at all. After the sun went down it was a beautiful evening so of course I had to plan a meal to match the mood. I decided on grilled fish tacos because for some reason fried fish tacos just don't usually do anything for me and I wanted something fresh and light. Ok lets be honest I love fried fish tacos but 9 times out of 10 anything fried makes me ill and for some reason it just kills the enjoyment for me. The tacos had avocado, salsa verde, chipotle cream and lettuce on them. As you all know I am a huge wine fan however on a night like this you just have to drink cold beer especially while eating tacos. It was perfect in every way!!!

Here is the fish taco recipe:

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

4 (4-5oz) fresh or frozen skinless red snapper, tilapia or sole fillets 1/2" thick
*** I used tilapia and it worked perfectly ***
Local hint: If you live in Moorpark the Albertsons by Cafe Firenze has the best fish counter. The rest of the store is a little ghetto but they have the best fish selection in town

2 T cooking oil *** I used olive oil of course ***
1 tsp ancho chile powder ***ancho chile powder is easy to find in grocery stores and it has a more smokey flavor than generic chile powder ***
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp blk pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
12 6" corn tortillas (you can also use flour )
2 cups shredded cabbage or romaine lettuce ***I used romaine lettuce ***
1 avocado-halved, sliced
1 cup salsa ***I used salsa verde from the Farmers Market ***
1 lime

1. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Brush oil evenly on both sides of fish. For rub, in a small bowl stir together chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle rub over both sides of fish and rub in with your fingers.
2. For chipotle cream, in another small bowl stir together sour cream and chipotle chili peppers and set aside. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. *** I cook my tortillas over an open flame on a gas stove. I just use tongs and cook them on both sides until they are nice and soft. Got this tip from my husband actually who got it from a girl he dated in college...Thank you random ex-girlfriend. ***
3. Grill fish and tortilla packet (If you don't want to cook them on the stove like I do) over med coals for 4-6 min or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork and tortillas are heated through. *** I cooked the fish on a grill pan covered in foil and sprayed with cooking spray just so it didn't stick or fall through the cracks. *** Turn fish and tortillas once halfway through the grilling.
4. Fill warm tortillas evenly with fish, lettuce, avocado and serve with fresh salsa, chipotle cream and lime wedges.


I also made some rice. I just cooked the rice in a rice cooker and added some avocado, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and some caramelized onions (just sauteed these in a pan with olive oil until they were good and caramelized) once the rice was done cooking.  The peppers definitely made it zesty but with the beer it was the perfect contrast.

Random thought for the night: Does anyone watch Jersey Shore? Or am I the only person who is addicted to that trashy reality TV show (ok please don't answer that question)? Anyway has anyone else noticed that they all have an Italian Sunday dinner together where usually the guys all cook? I just find it amusing that one of the most gratuitous shows on tv still has a cooking element. And I would love to say that I watch it just because I am curious as to what they will make for Sunday dinner but dang it that just isn't true. I watch it because its like watching a car accident...you always know Sammi and Ronnie are going to fight but you are always optimistic that they eventually will live happily ever after, you think "The Situation" is a douche but his abs are still beautiful to look at, you think  that every time Pauly D opens his mouth he his extremely unintelligent but you still have a trashy little crush on him, you think its cool that Vinny speaks Italian even though he has a STD, you think Snooki is a troll but she is so dumb its funny and Jwoww is probably the most normal of the bunch and that is just outright frightening.

Oreo Truffles

 

What You Need

Make It

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Gracie and Bob and their Burger Cake

So you all got the beginning of my stew story yesterday, but it got worse. So here it is 2230 (10:30pm) and I still have to add the potatoes and carrots. My eyes are heavy but now its me against the stew and I am bound and determined to win. The Olympics keeps adding lame events so next year I am voting for stew making to be submitted as a contest possibility. The timer goes off and I get my ass off the couch trying to control my heavy eye lids and I add the potatoes and carrots. I set the timer for another 30 minutes and I decide to hang out in bed and "read" for the next 30 minutes. Most of the time 30 minutes sounds like nothing, a drop in the bucket of time or whatever the hell that saying is. Well let me just tell you the 30 minutes between 2230-2300 last night felt like an eternity. I kept doing the head bob which I haven't done since I was working graveyards and at least at that point feeling the responsibility of peoples lives in your hands was greater motivation for staying awake. This time my biggest fear was dozing off and burning down the house. As many of you know I have this nemesis called the timer on the stove and for some reason I am hearing impaired when it comes to that tone so I knew that if I fell asleep the timer would DEFINITELY not wake me up.

So as I watched the minutes tick by finally the time came for me to turn off the stew. And I do have to say the pain and suffering was well worth it. This stew is definitely one of the most flavorful stew recipes I have ever had. The broth reminds me of that rich beefy flavor from like French Onion Soup and the meat was extremely tender and hearty. The potatoes and carrots I have decided were just thrown in to keep me awake a little longer and also to help you be able to say that you got your serving of vegetables for the day. Haha. All joking aside this is a great soup recipe and it will be perfect as the fall nights start to approach and the weather gets a little chilly. However, my only piece of advice is to make this on a weekend and start early so you aren't awake waiting on a stew. I do also have to give credit where credit is due so thank you Laura for giving me this recipe. She said she served it with roasted garlic bread from La Brea Bakery and that sounds like it would be a wonderful accompaniment. I would definitely drink a pinot noir or obviously a beer with this stew recipe. And I wasn't about to try and take pictures when you see the pictures that accompany this recipe on the link below

Here is the recipe if anyone is interested: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/beef-stew-with-beer-and-paprika/

Now if you are looking for the perfest easy back to school sweet treat this is it. Obviously I don't have kids but as most of you know I am a kid at heart and this made me smile so it should work on your kids...and if not just blame it on me.

Peanut Butter S'More Bars

1 (18oz) pkg refrigerated peanut butter cookies
3 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3/4 tsp oil
1 cup M&M's

1. Heat oven to 350 and spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Spoon cookie dough in bottom of pan and press evenly to form a crust.
2. Bake for 16-19 min or until golden brown
3. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake an additional 2-3 min or until they are puffy. ***Yes you can actually see them get puffy which was new to me ***
4. Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt chocolate chips and oil over low heat stirring until smooth
5. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with M&M's. Drizzle chocolate mixture over warm bars and cool for approx 45 min.

***Think this recipe is from Pillsbury but I cut it out so long ago and it doesnt say that I am not quite sure ***

I was also pretty excited when I found the recipe on the Food Network web page because the skill level said "intermediate," and it sounded like something I could do.  I took it to mean that I am definitely progressing in my baking skills...and maybe everyone at work isn't lying to me with the hopes that one day I will get better and if they keep encouraging me someday their lies will pay off. Love you guys...would love to give a shout out to the worlds best guinea pigs!

I do have to say that I don't think my glaze was spot on, however, as it seemed a little more runny and lighter in color than the picture...but it still tasted good and it stuck to the cake...ok it also stuck to the aluminum foil when I transported it to work....but free treats, right.


For some reason I find bundt pans intriguing maybe its the fact that they are reminiscent of the 1950's when women wore aprons and made dessert every night. They also wore dresses, did not have the right to vote and were kind of oppressed but lets focus on the cool designs on the pan. Or maybe its because when I make a bundt cake I don't have to worry about the multi-layered icing or heck layers of cakes too...just not there yet...I am sure if I looked at a multi-layered iced cake recipe that would be "hard" for sure. So I will stick with my bundt cakes for now...enjoying the fact that most of the time you can dump all of the ingredients into one bowl or if its "intermediate" like this recipe you may have to use two bowls. And it comes out already shaped and ready to eat. By the way this recipe also got 5 stars on the web page for whatever its all worth.

If anyone is interested in making this Root Beer Bundt Cake here is the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/root-beer-bundt-cake-recipe/index.html

And for my final thought of the night or should I say my final thought of the night via blog since I will be awake for another 2 hours waiting on this stew can I ask why some men are so inclined to wear no shirts when they shouldn't? Yesterday at 2 different locations and at 2 separate occasions I saw 2 men who were topless and it was not pretty. Do they just not look in the mirror or do they actually look in the mirror and think "damn I am a sexy bitch?" Also I am looking for a new topic to write my next Examiner article about so if anyone has any inspiration please share...I was thinking of the best Back to School Wine for Mom and Dad but I thought better of it before I started typing. Good night all....please have pleasant dreams of my stew.

• Olive oil-I am not to the point where I bathe in it but I am pretty close. I buy the extra large containers and I still usually go through them in about a 30 day period of time. I use olive oil most of the time in place of butter, vegetable oil and margarine. It is a healthy oil and its easy to cook with.
•  Parmesan cheese-This is one ingredient that I am pretty snobby about. You will not see a green Kraft can in my kitchen. I buy high quality parmesan cheese in a block and I love to grate it myself.
• Garlic-I think I put garlic in everything and when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING!!! I go between buying bulbs of garlic and peeling and chopping it myself because I think the flavor is better and more fresh and buying it already peeled and in the refrigerator section of the grocery store because convenience is a beautiful thing
•  Packaged guacamole-I have a borderline obsession with guacamole as I love chips and guacamole as a snack after work. I also love guacamole on fried eggs or omelets in the morning or on obvious things like tacos or quesadillas. I have found that Fresh and Easy sells 100 calorie guacamole snack packs and those are my new addiction because I can get my guacamole fix without eating too much in one sitting….because yes I can!
• Peanut butter-I am on a peanut butter kick. I seem to be making peanut butter desserts (the whoopee pies) and putting it in sauces (tofu with peanut sauce) and just eating it on toast. It is high in protein and seems to stick with you so you aren’t hungry like 30 seconds after putting it in your mouth. Really enjoying it right now.

So if you have been reading my blog for any period of time you would have heard me rave about my friend Jen (she is on the left because we look so much alike I thought I would help you all figure out the pic) and her amazing baking skills at some point. This is a huge compliment to her because I am not even a huge fan of baked goods and/or sugar. I could pretty much take or leave sweets as its just not my downfall...unlike wine, cheese, bread, yada, yada, yada.  However when it comes to Jen's baking I am like an addict with crack fiendin' for the next fix. Yes, I used fiendin' in my blog. I get excited by the thought of her baking and for any event in which there is a meal involved I am always begging her to bring dessert. I don't even know why she asks what she can bring anymore I only request one thing from her.....DESSERT!!!

Especially as many of you know when it comes to her blackberry cobbler I can't get enough...it is actually so amazing that I will even eat it for breakfast after eating it the night before. Not too long ago we did a girls reality tv night and Jen said she was bringing blackberry cobbler...I think I dreamt of this cobbler for a week before the actual night. And on the day of our girls night her Mom ended up in the hospital...I was extremely concerned about her Mothers health but I have to admit I was also a little despondent by the thought of no blackberry cobbler. Thankfully her Mom was ok and she found time to bake between the hospital and girls night. God that story sounds so bad but I have to be honest about the strength of my addiction.

The cobbler is not too sweet and the tart blackberries and the sugary crust are just way too close to heaven on Earth. Sure she has given me the recipe but I really have no desire to make it as I really like when she makes it for me. Haha. I am so obsessed with this dessert that even if I am dieting or completely full, the sight of this cobbler makes me super happy and I can always find room to at least get a couple of bites in my mouth. Yes, this cobble can even make me do the happy dance which I don't do very often because it is a little embarrassing and not very classy. Here is the recipe in case anyone else wants to make it for me or even if they want to make it for their family and friends and just tease me with their stories of love for it: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/the_great_cobbl/

And her amazing baking prowess does not stop at blackberry cobbler. On Thanksgiving she makes the most amazing pies...pumpkin being my personal favorite. Ah yes I crash her Thanksgiving dinners too...damn I am a good friend! She truly enjoys and excels at the activity and she is the amazing wife and mother who makes homemade muffins, danishes, cinnamon rolls, etc. I am sure she is the envy of the block. She always has some type of delectable dessert when you stop by her house and she is always creative. I live for her Xmas cookie deliveries as every year she always makes a wide array of cookies, fudge and candies and delivers them on cute Xmas plates to the houses of those she loves (ok she hasn't told me she loved me but I took creative liberties since I am writing this blog). And I am more than willing to fight people for her fudge that is just how strongly I feel about it.

 And she is even extremely amazingly talented. This is a Sweet 16 cake that she made for her niece. I was so impressed by it and it reminded me of something that you would see on Cake Boss. Yes, she decorated it as well. Who the hell can make a multi-tiered cake with decorations. Really?! Hell I am lucky if my cake isn't leaning to one side, doesn't have icing covering the entire serving platter and actually resembles a cake and not a creation from a horror film...some of you may have seen the film The Blob...that is kind of what my cakes look like.

This is a pic that Emily (the youngest) drew of her Dad Brian. I don't have a pic that she did of Jen but the opportunity to share this masterpiece was just too good to pass up. Sorry Brian! I think this pic is from when you had a sunburn.

I just have to say this is my tribute to Jen and her amazing baking skills. She is my hero and I truly admire her baking skills as well as her dedication to her family. She is an amazing Mother of 3 beautiful children and she has truly done an amazing job raising them....damn those kids can make me laugh. She is a great friend one that allows me to invite myself over for dinner without notice, beg for blackberry cobbler or just call her and tell her that I am coming over with a bottle of wine. Love you girl!

So as you all know my one bday request was to go to Red O, Rick Bayless's restaurant on Melrose in Hollywood. And last night my bday dreams came true. This restaurant even exceeded my expectations and I truly feel that I can't even do it justice with this blog. Let me start by apologizing profusely for the horrific photos. I tried to take pics of the food, but failed miserably...the mood lighting in this restaurant is great for ambience however not so great for food photography. However, I thought you would all be proud to know that the waiter compared me to a Japanese tourist as he said they always take pictures of the food too...I took that to mean that my photography has definitely gone to the next level...just not sure what that level is or means.

So for those of you who don't know Rick Bayless he won Top Chef Masters and he is known for his authentic Mexican cuisine. However, I feel that we have cheapened "Mexican cuisine" by our current understanding of the flavors and genre. So this restaurant is yes Mexican but the depth of the flavors, the complexity of the ingredients and the quality of the food far exceeds the local taco cart. Here is the web page if you are interested in going or reading the menu: http://www.redorestaurant.com/#/home
I definitely recommend reservations if you plan on going on a Friday or Saturday night.

This restaurant is well worth the trip to Hollywood as the food is fresh, intense and so amazing! We decided to primarily stick to appetizers and small bites so that we could try a wider variety of menu items. As you all know I am not a hard alcohol fan however I did have to try a strawberry jalapeno mojito that was refreshing with a kick before I switched to pinot noir for the rest of the night.

The environment was amazing as it was extremely modern with a very open ambience. It almost felt like you were eating outside yet you weren't as the entire front of the restaurant is open and really light. However, as the night wore on the lights became more mellow, more subtle and more romantic...yes I even recognized it as romantic. The waiter we had was a great personality and I know that I always make fun of L.A. waiters because they all want to be actors but this guy was great. And although I didn't ask I think he would be a great actor. All of the staff had these bright red shoes on which I loved by the way. However, our waiter knew the food and the menu exquisitely and actually selected everything we tried. His recommendations were spot on and I would let him pick my food any day. He had these quirky black framed glasses and his enthusiasm for everything was contagious.

So this is what we tried:

1. Classic guacamole with chips and salsa....you know me and avocados...love them! This guacamole came with a salsa verde and a great roasted pepper red salsa with a lot of smoky flavors. Yum!

2. Slow Cooked Sonoma Duck Taquitos-my picture of these were horrible. However, I have very little experience with duck and I expected it to be more "gamey." They were very smooth and the tomato chile sauce that was on them was terrific. It wasn't too acid based and it was smooth with a hint of spice.

3. Shredded beef short rib sopes. They were kind of the size of mini-sliders and the beef truly melted in your mouth. The sopes were definitely homemade and they were crispy on the outside but the masa was soft on the inside. Some of the best short ribs I have ever had!

4. Fresh corn and goat cheese tamales-The tangy flavors of the goat cheese were heaven with the pinot noir. They were covered in a salsa verde and these tamales are one of the items that the restaurant is known for. I was hesitant to get them as tamales are kind of common and you can get them anywhere but the flavors in these were definitely out of the ordinary.

5. Finally, we had to try the mole as that is the signature dish that won Top Chef Masters for Rick Bayless. So we ended the meal with chicken enchilada mole...and the mole was so smooth and such an outrageous mix of flavors. It was not overbearing like some moles can be and it was the perfect finish to an amazing meal. I did not include my picture of the enchiladas because it was bordering on profane it was so bad.

I do apologize as I just couldn't find room for dessert but I did talk to the woman sitting next to me who was eating the mango upside down cake with carmel ice cream and she said it was amazing and not too sweet or syrupy. They also had a goat cheese cheesecake that sounded wonderful especially with a good glass of wine but I was already afraid of being in a food coma so I just had to pass. So I have to say this restaurant was truly amazing and the prices were not too outrageous. I loved everything about it and I am so thankful that Rick opened a restaurant here in L.A. as it saved me a trip to Chicago to try his food.

We decided to make this an over night getaway just so we didn't have to worry about driving after a few cocktails and if anyone is looking for a hotel recommendation in Hollywood you should definitely try  Petit Ermitage http://www.petitermitage.com/ It is a really cute and eclectic boutique hotel between Sunset and Santa Monica. It has a great rooftop bar/restaurant and pool. The rooms were huge with a sitting area, fireplace, wet bar and balcony. It was in a great location that is primarily residential but close enough to everything that you can get anywhere. I was starving when we arrived and the restaurant had a great Mediteranean plate with hummus, roasted peppers, olives and feta. And this is definitely the best food picture of the trip so that is saying something.

Needless to say I had an amazing bday weekend and now I think I am addicted and ready to pick another random L.A. restaurant to try it. Just feeling like we live so close to so much amazing food and culture yet I just don't take advantage of it enough. So if anyone has any recommendations please send them my way. Talking to the table next to us last night they recommended a place called Fig and Olive, a Chinese restaurant called Mr. Chow and an Italian place called Angelina Osteria...so those could be my next food/wine adventures but I will definitely keep you all posted. Hope everyone had an equally amazing weekend with great food, wine and company. Cheers and back to work so I can continue to pay for my food/wine addiction.

So its 2011 and I really don't know why we as women are still concerned about the way to the heart of a man. Shouldn't they be trying to impress us, win us over and maintain us. Just saying (head tilt).  And I can definitely say that the way to my heart is definitely through food. I remember when my husband and I first started dating one of my first observations was at a French restaurant when he was repulsed by a salad that he described as "weeds." I remember being so concerned and wondering if we could even continue dating because I knew that I could NEVER be with someone who was a picky eater, food judgmental and not willing to eat/drink their way through life. I learned that he was actually pretty open minded about food and I was able to overcome my fears.

Growing up I have the fondest memories of those who loved me and those I loved cooking for me. It was ingrained in me from a young age that food and the breaking of bread is a tradition that loved ones share. Its funny because its almost as if in my memory bank each of my family members has a signature dish that I remember them for.

Even today it will be a rare occasion when I eat dinner on the couch as I believe that food is about sharing, sitting at a table and exchanging stories of the day/week/life, etc. It is social to me and even when I am eating alone I still try to bring about the tradition of eating and savoring the food/drink that goes into my body and warms my soul.

So let me just say the way to my heart is through food...sure I love a man who cooks but if he is willing to take me out to new and exotic restaurants, try new food and/or cocktails I am in. Sure flowers are great but seriously bring me food and cool food and I am yours for life. So as my birthday quickly approaches it will be no surprise to all of you that for me its all about the food as my only request was a visit to Rick Bayless's restaurant Red O....my countdown is down to 2 days. Heaven!!! I will definitely share my experience.

This week I have seemed to be on an Asian influenced kick. So the 2 recipes I would like to share both come from that genre.  The first recipe is a Tyler Florence recipe and it was that much better as it was waiting for me on a night when I got off work late and I was ready to eat my own foot. It was Tuna Burgers with Carrot Ginger Sauce. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/tuna-burgers-with-carrot-ginger-sauce-recipe/index.html These were really good and although the recipe called for spicy sprouts he used bean sprouts instead and they were great and they provided an added texture and crunch. Hell the fact that this is a man who knows what a bean sprout is...brownie points for sure. And oh yes extra credit is definitely given for an attempt at plating!!

The 2nd recipe I made tonight. I have been battling a headache all day and I wasn't even sure if I was even that hungry. However, I thought some warm comfort food might help my head. And let me just say for those of you who are tofu haters I promise this is my last tofu recipe for awhile because I think I am officially burnt out on tofu. However, this recipe is great as its colorful, has great flavors and is easy to make. And its a Cooking Light recipe so its good for you...if you care.

Spice Stir-Fried Tofu with Snow Peas, Peanut Butter and Mushrooms

1-14oz package extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes
2 tsp canola oil
3/4 lb snow peas, trimmed
1 cup red bell pepper strips
3/4 cup water, divided
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups shitake mushrooms...just so you know don't use the stems
2 T soy sauce...I used reduced sodium and it was great
2 T creamy peanut butter
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp Sriracha (hot chili sauce)...this is the red sauce with the green top and it has a rooster on it and know one knows why there is a rooster on it
1/4 tsp salt

1. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover with additional paper towel and let stand 5 min...this really does help drain all of the moisture from the tofu...I was impressed
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med high heat. Add tofu to pan; cook 7 min or until lightly browned, gently turning occasionally. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add snow peas, bell pepper, 1/4 cup water and next 3 ingredients and stir fry for 3 min. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 2 min.
3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, peanut butter, cornstarch, Sriracha sauce and salt. Add mixture and tofu back to pan and cook until thickened. Serves 4 Calories 212

Well as the say at Warner Brothers "that's all folks." So let me leave you with a summary for the men of the world start cooking and for the women sit back and let them take care of you. XOXO

So tonight I am making cookies. Coconut oatmeal chocolate cookies and they are made with Gina in mind because she is one of the only people I know that likes coconut as much as I do. However, I am happily mixing my batter and following my cookie recipe and I look at the serving size. 24 cookies the recipe says and with my amazing math skills I instantly think hmmm 2 dozen cookies...perfect!!!

I have finally started to realize that cookie recipes are way optimistic when it comes to serving sizes. Once I started thinking about it I have never made a cookie recipe that predicted an accurate cookie serving size. Do they do this so that the calorie counts are less frightening? Or do they just make up the number since they really have no idea how many cookies this recipe makes? Or do I just make GIANT cookies? So as I am baking my little heart out tonight I started contemplating the complexity of cookie serving sizes. And I have come to the conclusion that cookie recipes are just plain wrong when it comes to cookie serving sizes...the professional cookie recipe writers just make cookies that are too small and not realistic for true cookie consumers. Amen!!!

So here is a picture of my normal sized cookies...which by the way this recipe actually made 16 cookies not 24. It is a Cooking Light recipe but I am not really sure why as it still has butter, sugar, chocolate and coconut in it...oh wait it does have oatmeal so maybe since its good for cholesterol its considered light. But hell who cares they taste good!!


Here is the link if anyone wants to try and make these cookies: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-coconut-oatmeal-cookies-10000001835305/
They are super easy to make and they make the house smell way good as they bake. Its one of those easy cookie recipes where you mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients and put it all together and what do you get....cookies!!! They are also quick to make as once the batter is mixed you just roll them in balls and put them on cookie sheets and throw them in the oven for 15 minutes. So this is the perfect recipe after a 10 hour work day, a 3 mile walk and a 2100 (aka 9pm) desire to start baking.  To all my work guinea pigs (or as Gina calls them G-Force, right?) the cookies will be in your hot little hands first thing tomorrow morning.

So I had visions of wowing you all tonight with stories of my culinary prowess...amazing French pastries, homemade pastas and vegetables carved into swans. Oh wait I would have had to try making those things first. Yet alas I have been on a streak of mediocrity in the kitchen. Do you ever have those periods of time where everything you make is eh? I am in the midst of one of those periods and it just seems like everything I make is ok...not bad like oh my god what the hell were you thinking this is hideous to the palette. But not the nectar of gods either. I prefer to hear angels singing when amazing food hits my mouth and that just hasn't been occurring this week. Tonight I made bbq salmon with a corn relish and it sounded like a great summer evening recipe but it kind of all just tasted like bbq sauce. I made a haystack salad which is kind of like a taco salad earlier in the week and it was ok but the salsa was kind of just overpowering. I made chicken chili and it was just kind of bland. I think you get the picture. I am not using a new source for recipes or using ingredients that are cheap or not fresh or cooking with one hand tied behind my back but I am just not feeling it in the kitchen.

Hopefully with the start of the new week my streak of kitchen blahs will soon be over. Here I am now writing a blog and doing freelance writing about food and wine and I just can't seem to get my food act together. So this week I plan on making a tofu stir fry....yes I know I am still on a tofu kick...don't worry I think it will be ending soon. Especially since I have enough leftover tofu carrot soup to last me a lifetime and oh guess what its just ok. I also plan on making pan friend chicken with a cucumber, avocado and tomato salsa. Finally, for dessert this week I plan on making oatmeal coconut cookies. All of the recipes I am trying this week are from Cooking Light as I figure I also need to get out of my Better Homes and Gardens rut.

However, since I can't wow you with fabulous kitchen tales I can provide you with a little entertainment and a recommendation for a new wine bar.

Wades Wines in Westlake just expanded and opened a wine and beer bar. They did a great job decorating it and its very casual and enjoyable as the decor has wine crates, old wine presses and corks everywhere. I know it sounds kind of cheesy but they really did a great job. They have an amazing selection of both beers and wines to try and the staff were really helpful and knowledgeable. They also have a lot of local wines which are always fun to try. Here is the link if you want to check it out http://www.wadeswines.com/Wades/main.html Definitely recommend it!

So I was a Ventura County Fair virgin until this weekend and although I did find the people watching entertaining and the food trucks to be a great source for an article I have to say that other than the Herzog  Wine Garden they did not excel in wine selection. It was actually so limited that they did not carry wine with a name and when I say the wine has no name its not even generic enough to be Charles Shaw or "House Wine." Nope it was labeled pink, white or red. Even in Ireland the country with the crappiest wine they at least had names on them even though they usually only carried a white, pink and red. So I did learn a valuable lesson this weekend if you are on a quest for alcoholic beverages at a fairgrounds....hmm stick with beer. Happy Sunday y'all and hope my culinary rut will soon be over!

So tonight I had my workout clothes on and I was ready to head out the door for the gym. I thought I was full of motivation and enthusiasm until I saw the bottle of grenache sitting on my counter. It was open and it was almost gone...maybe enough for a glass and a half of wine. And well the rest is history...

Here I sit in my gym clothes...not sweaty at all...with my glass and a half of grenache that I have nursed...as I write my blog and make chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies. Yup I am back on the whoopie pie bandwagon and let me just say chocolate, peanut butter and red wine is pretty much as close to heaven as I think I can get right now.

So I love the chewy chocolate cookie-check. I love the peanut butter...the sweet kind...not the all natural nutty kind...check. I love the red wine...yup check. Put them all together and what do you get....OMG love affair with cookie!


And they are pretty darn easy to make as well. I know that I am on some crazy Better Homes and Gardens kick...but this is one of their recipes...some chick in the middle of nowhere like South Dakota or something submitted this recipe and won like $1,000. I would have totally given her more money but the judges were obviously sober when they awarded her this prize and the cookies were obviously not paired with grenache or zinfandel or cab to say the least.

So you make the cookies and although mine look nothing like the picture in the book...big surprise, right...they are a combination of peanut butter, mini chocolate chips and cocoa powder. You bake them and while you are doing that you mix a hell of a lot of butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar together to mix the filling. Put it all together and what do you get...whoopie pies!!!

Yes, ladies and Miguel they are coming to work with me tomorrow because if I kept 15 whoopie pies at my house that would be disastrous for my ass and my running skills. If anyone would like to make them they are seriously fun, easy and yummy and here is the link to the recipe: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/chocolate-peanut-butter-whoopie-pies/

Now for the random thought of the night...what the hell is up with people playing musical instruments while driving? I played the piano for 7 years and I never once played it while driving a car. So the other day I am working in my Comm. Center and this woman calls to complain because this guy is driving down the road playing a saxophone...well it turned out to be a clarinet...but seriously. We did not find him to give him a ticket...however I definitely had my officers looking as I wanted to offer him a job because if he can multi-task like that...that boy deserves a job as a dispatcher.

So then if that wasn't random enough as it was...yesterday I am driving on the freeway and I look over to notice an older model forest green volvo and in the drivers seat is this young college aged gentleman driving and playing the guitar. Really? All I have to say is really?

Good night ya all (read with southern accent).