Comfort Food Season!

Hello again, friends!  Yes, it’s been way too long since I’ve made a post, but I promise that this one is worth your time!

August is nearly halfway in the books, and that means a couple of things to most red-blooded Americans: Fall is nearly here, and FOOTBALL is about to start!  Well, why not kick off your Fantasy Football Draft or NFL Gameday with an easy, yet mildly sophisticated, option that’s sure to please even the most discerning of palettes.  I mean wings and brats are a staple, to be sure, but why not dial it up a notch with some international flair?  Basically, what I'm trying to say is that football season also means that it's comfort food season.

In that spirit, I give you FRENCH ONION SOUP!

Wait, French onion soup?  Yep, your eyesight is fine.  French onion soup, while not a standard Gameday offering by any stretch, it certainly is a staple of Fall, comfort-foody days where you just want to curl up with something warm other that your dog or significant other.  And if your favorite team is on their bye week, then what better way to pay it back to your favorite someone than comfort food, a nice bottle of wine (aside from the one in the soup), and a movie?  You can always do wings and brats next week…

Ok, so it’s really simple and I'll break it down Barney-style for you.  You melt butter, add onions (no fancy knife work required on those hot-rods), garlic and herbs, wine, and beef stock.  Then there’s the small matter of adding heat.  Pretty simple, right?  Just nod.  I’m right.

Here’s what you’ll need:

- 4 onions, sliced
- ½ c. unsalted butter (one stick out of the package)
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh thyme, about 5 sprigs or to taste (I don’t think you can really overdo it here)
- ½ bottle of red wine (any $10 or less bottle will do, and dryer is better)
- 2 Tbs. flour
- 2 quarts (64oz.) beef stock or broth
- Salt and pepper
- Stale or day-old crusty bread (Italian, sourdough, French, etc., and it doesn’t have to be old), sliced
- about ½ to ¾ cup of grated Gruyere cheese per serving, or as you see fit

And here’s what you do, expanding on my previous explanation:

Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally to keep the onions from burning, until the onions have softened and caramelized, about 25 minutes.  Add the wine and reduce quite a bit until it doesn’t look soupy anymore and/or the onions appear to have absorbed most of it, about 10-15 minutes.  Now reduce the heat to medium-low and dust it with the flour.  2 Tbs. should just about do it, but after you stir it up, it should look just a bit pasty.  Keep the heat on medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the flour taste is gone.  Now add the beef stock/broth and stir.  Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium / medium-low and simmer for at least 10 minutes, or until ready to serve.  When ready to serve, ladle into crocks or bowls, place bread on top of the soup, and top with the cheese.  Broil on low until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.  Enjoy and make ready for compliments.

Ok, doesn’t that sound easy?  Just to recap, it really is just as simple as melting butter, adding stuff, waiting, adding more stuff, waiting, adding a little more stuff, and then adding bread and melting cheese on top.  Ker-blam.

So that’s my way of wishing you a happy Fall, and the opening of comfort-food season.  Before you know it (as long as I don’t get sidetracked for another several months), I’ll be posting some great family recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, and getting ready to kick off 2015 with something awesome…as soon as I figure out what that is.  As always, my friends, thanks for taking the time to visit my site, and please let me know if you have any questions or comments; and by all means if you improve on any of my recipes, I’m all ears!  Cheers, my friends!

Oh, and one more thing: you’re welcome J

-Aaron

New Year's Comfort Food - Beer Cheddar Soup

Hello again, friends, and Happy (almost) New Year!  2013 was a good year for the blog, and I really hope that you've enjoyed what I've offered you so far.  Of course, there could always be more, so my first big resolution for 2014 is to give you more simple and delicious recipes right here.  I guess we'll see how I do...

But let's concentrate on the here and now, and what sort of winter would be complete without your favorite comfort food?  I'll tell you what kind: no kind, wherefore I give you the ultimate in winter soul-warming awesomeness: beer-cheddar soup.  BOOM!

I like beer and I like cheese.  I like to enjoy them separately.  I like soup too.  So, what part of this is a bad idea?

So how do we do this?  Well, if you already know how to make a basic chowder, it's pretty easy.  And for those of you who don't already know how to make a basic chowder...it's pretty easy.

This recipe makes enough for 4 adults with plenty of leftovers besides.  Now while I don't include them in this post, you could serve this soup with some homemade butter and garlic croutons or fresh bread.  If you want to know how to make either of these, email me at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com

Here's what you need for the soup:

• 1½ c. diced celery
• 1½ c. diced carrot
• 1½ c. diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ c. unsalted butter
• ½ c. flour
• 4c. chicken stock
• 4 c.whole milk
• 2 c. beer (Sam Adams Boston Lager or similar)
• 1 generous tsp. of your favorite cayenne pepper hot sauce
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 lbs. shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese – about 6 c.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

And here's what you do:

Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium heat.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and sweat until just soft, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 or 2 more minutes until fragrant.  Add the hot sauce, cayenne pepper, Dijon and dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to combine.  Cook for about 2 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Add the flour and combine thoroughly to make a roux.  Cook the roux for about 3-5 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste.  Add, in order, the chicken stock, milk, and finally the beer, stirring well after each addition.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.  When ready to serve, remove from heat and stir in the cheese.  Serve immediately.

Now, it should go without saying that you should enjoy this soup with a glass of the very same beer you use to cook it.  I like amber-ish beers like Sam Adams, but you can use anything you wish.  I might even be tempted to try Killian's Irish Red.  Try a few and see what your favorites are.  And one word of advice: resist the temptation to add more beer to the soup than what's indicated above or the it won't come together as well.  If you want more beer flavor, just have a beer when you eat it.  This soup does also have a nice cayenne warmth to it, and if you want it hotter, add more cayenne pepper rather than hot sauce.

Like I mentioned before, you're going to have leftovers (unless you either eat like a bird or are feeding a small battalion).  This soup reheats really well in a saucepan over medium heat.  I didn't try microwaving it, but give it a shot and give me some feedback if you'd like.

Well, friends, I hope you enjoy this final offering of 2013, ushering you comfortably into 2014 and a happy and prosperous new year.  All the best to you and yours.  Share me with your friends and family and let's make 2014 a year to bring more food lovers into the Fear Not Your Kitchen fold.  Happy New Year!

Mama Mia! – Fresh Pasta

Hello again, friends!  I was doing some experimenting in the kitchen this weekend, and I stumbled across my Imperia pasta roller (which, incidentally I bought three years ago and never used).  Given my obsession with Italian food, and how I prefer making everything I can from scratch, I decided to give fresh pasta a whirl. 

I’ve got no fewer than 10 cookbooks of various kinds sitting around, and I figured that I would be able to get the gist of homemade pasta from at least one of them.  So, I compared some recipes, made a few notes, and came up with what I think is the 98% solution.  Of course, that’s a fancy way of saying that it’s super easy and requires only two ingredients: eggs and flour. 

Given all the fancy gadgets and doodads in the modern kitchen, it was refreshing to make something simple and without all that stuff.  So here’s the skinny: put about 2¼ cups of flour in a bowl and then reach in a make a well in the center with your fingers.  Make sure it’s big enough to hold the three eggs that you’re going to crack in the middle.  Well, get to it…I’ll wait. 

Once you’ve cracked the eggs in the middle, very carefully start to whip them up with a fork, slowly drawing in flour from the sides of the well, but NOT breaking the wall of the well. 

 

Basically, keep the eggs in the middle, and keep whipping them around, reaching into the sides of the well a little more each time until the eggs aren’t runny anymore, then just get your hands in there and mix it up.  

If you need to add a little water, do so a tablespoon at a time.  I had to add two since I had everything all bundled up and had extra flour left over. 

 

Keep kneading and folding until you get a slightly moist ball of dough that looks about like this.

Now wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. 

When it comes time to roll it out, you have a couple of options.  Whip out your pasta roller (hence the reason I’m writing this in the first place), or limber up and get out the old rolling pin.  If you use the roller, you still need to spend some time with the rolling pin. 

 

 Either way, work in batches and flatten the dough out until you have the thickness you want.  In the roller, work from the widest setting to about the middle setting.  If it’s too thin, the cutter will just make a mess of it.

Ok, from here on out, I’m just going to talk about the machine.  Like I said, roll the sheets out to a medium thickness.  Each quarter of the ball of dough will roll out to about 2 feet or more of pasta.  I rolled each one out individually and then sent them through the cutter one after the other.
 

 

 

 

Sure, it takes a little technique (which I barely have), but it worked out ok.  Now when you’re done, make sure to dust each batch with flour and then twist them into neat little nests. 

If you cook the pasta right away, it’s totally ready.  If not, wrap it in something airtight and refrigerate.  When you do cook it, realize that it only takes about 3 minutes, so get your water to a rolling boil, drop it in, and be ready to fish it out quickly.  Too long, and it’ll be mushy.  Then of course toss it with your favorite sauce and enjoy. 

Well, friends, I hope you find this as easy and rewarding as I did.  As always, let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.  Feel free to email me at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com with anything you’ve got, or send me a tweet @fearlessfoodguy. 

Until next time, friends!

On Twitter!

Hello friends!

Just thought I'd let you know that I'm up with the times now.  Social media has gotten its hooks in me.  Follow my blog on Twitter @FearlessFoodGuy

And now I cross my fingers and hope for the best...

OUTSIDE THE BOX – STRAWBERRY ROSEMARY JAM WITH PINK PEPPERCORNS



The Palette

Hello again, friends!  I’ve been on quite a roll lately, and I’m really excited to share this latest mini-adventure with you.  I’ve recently taken an interest in canning/preserving foods, and that means I get to open up a fresh box of awesome when it comes to trying something new.  I’ve mentioned before how I grew up on a farm, and how my family made everything from scratch.  Well, canning and preserving was a big part of that.  More than anything, I’m trying to ensure that this family skill doesn’t just fade away.  And as I’ve talked about before, I’m loathe to waste anything, so this method of food preparation is right up my alley.  And if you feel the same way I do about getting creative with ingredients you can’t use before they go bad, then get comfortable and pay attention.

My family took a mini-vacation to visit Grandma and Grandpa and the cousins, leaving me home alone to fend for myself.  Now, of course I miss them, but it also gives me a great deal of freedom in the kitchen to do some…experimenting [insert mad scientist diabolical laugh here].  So, given my recent leanings toward learning how to preserve food, I took a spin through the refrigerator to see what sort of palette of goodies I had to work with.  And hey, I found a quart of beautiful strawberries that looked like they were about to go south.  I also found a package of fresh rosemary in about the same situation, and the thought struck me: how good would it be to make a fresh jam from both of them?  Brilliant!

Now, I’ve never heard of a strawberry and rosemary jam, but the combination makes a lot of sense to me.  Here’s how I see it: strawberries are floral and acidic, with a very distinct, biting sweetness.  Rosemary is my go-to Italian herb of choice, and I’ve paired it with everything from tomatoes to ricotta cheese.  Something inside my brain just clicked, and I felt that it would be the perfect combination.  I’ve done some experiments with diametrically opposed flavor profiles in the past, and I’m a big fan.  Sweet/savory; hot/sweet; sweet/acid…these are all things that I’ve made work in the past.  I figured that sweet/woodsy would be just as good.

The story doesn’t end here, friends.  The more I thought about the combination, the more I thought that it would need one more thing to really tie it together, otherwise it would just be a jar of strawberry jam that tasted of rosemary.  So I took a spin through the spice cabinet, looking for just the right bridge between the sweet, floral notes of the strawberry and the piney, woodsy loveliness of the rosemary.  Something to punch you right in your flavor-maker.  Yep, I found it: PINK PEPPERCORNS!!

For those of you who may never have heard of pink peppercorns, it really is the perfect bridge between the fruit world and the herbaceous world.  It’s got the hallmark flavor of black pepper, albeit not as assertive, but it also hits you with a real aromatic note of florality (is that a word?).  It really ties the two main ingredients together without detracting from the flavor profile of the jam.

So what did I do, you might ask…well, here we go.  Let’s cut to the chase.  This isn’t going to be symposium on canning, but I will list some of the very basics.  First of all, I cleaned my jars – I bought a case of 1-pint wide-mouth mason jars – and then placed them in a simmering water bath to sterilize them.  I only used two jars for this recipe since I only had a quart of strawberries to work with.  While this was going on, I cleaned and destemmed my berries.  Basically, I just pulled the tops off and then cored out the stump with a paring knife.  Yes, you could just cut the whole top off and speed things up, but remember, I don’t like to waste anything.

Once my strawberries were cleaned and destemmed, I mashed them in a large glass measuring cup.  I started with roughly 4 cups of whole berries and ended up with 2 cups of mashed berries.  My recipe called for a great deal more, so I made the right adjustment with the sugar.  For two cups of berries, I used 3 cups of sugar.  I also used one whole 3oz. package of liquid fruit pectin.  You can get this in the canning section of any store.  Pectin helps your jam set properly; otherwise you’ll just have a really nice glaze or pancake syrup and not a nice, solid jam.  I’m sure I used way too much given the amount of mashed berries I had, but anecdotally you can’t use too much (in all fairness, I’m sure there are limits, but I’m not a food scientist).  You want it to set.  Period.

Anyhoo, I put my mashed berries in a saucepan and added the pectin.  I gently brought it to a rolling boil, stirring often.  Once it boils, add your sugar all at once and return it to a full boil for 1 full minute.  Use a bigger saucepan than you think you need because it will try very hard to boil over.

WARNING: LIQUID, BOILING SUGAR IS NASTY.  I TREAT IT LIKE LAVA. YOU DON’T WANT TO GET HOT SUGAR ON YOUR SKIN.  NO BUENO.  JUST BE CAREFUL, M’KAY.

Ok, once it boils for a minute, remove it from the heat and skim off the foam with a spoon.  I haven’t read anything that says this step has to be perfect, but do your best.  Once I got the majority of the foam out of there, I stirred in 1Tbs. of finely chopped rosemary and 1Tbs. of pink peppercorns.  Don’t be tempted to overdo the peppercorns.  I may have used a rounded Tbs. of them, and trust me…a little goes a long way.  Did I mention not to overdo it?

Once I had everyone stirred in, I filled my jars with the magma-hot liquid using a canning funnel and ladle.  This amount of material gave me one whole pint jar plus one more nearly full.  I think if I’d had 2 ½ cups of mashed berries and used 3 ½ cups of sugar, I’d have had two full pints.  Oh, BTW, fill the jars to within ¼ inch of the top.  Then add your lids and rings and process them in a boiling water bath for 5-7 minutes.  Just go to any canning website for a basic run-through.  Remove from the bath and set on a towel or rack to cool overnight.  Oh, and by the way, they’re going to be HOT for a while.  If you have kids with curious hands like I do, get the jars well out of reach.

 

 

If you end up with any jars that aren’t filled completely, don’t bother with the canning routine.  You want to enjoy it anyway.  Let those jars cool on the countertop for a couple hours and then just put them in the fridge.  I waited overnight for the jam to set, and then had some this morning on toast made from my homemade bread.  Super money!

Well, that’s it, friends.  I just wanted to share my little adventure with you, and encourage you to step outside the box and try something new every once in a while.  If you’re curious about different herb/flavor/etc. combinations, drop me a comment or send me an email to fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com and we can explore your idea.  As always, if you want to just tell me about your own cool kitchen adventure, or point out something I could do better, I’m all ears!

Until next time, friends!

RISE TO THE OCCASION - HERBY ITALIAN BREAD

Hello again, friends, and welcome to another installment of the Blog!

Today is going to be a special one, and you’ll see why in just a few minutes.  First, ask yourself what your favorite smells are.  Fresh flowers?  Pizza?  Hot cookies fresh out of the oven?  Hold that thought, and think of how those scents make you feel, and when you smell them when you’re out and about, what do they remind you of?

The reason I’m asking you those questions before getting to the heart of the matter is that this Blog post is going to hit at one of the most powerful things that I can remember growing up.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I grew up on a farm in rural Montana, and my mom and both grandmas used to make everything from scratch.  Jams, pickles, breads, and even macaroni and cheese were all homemade, as the nearest town with a decent grocery story was over 30 miles away.

Memory is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to smells.  When I think back to those simple days as a kid on the farm, I can start to smell the chicken coop, the dirt on the gravel road, the lilac bushes around Grandma’s garden that attracted the bees, and even the smell of Grandma’s house itself (a century-old farmhouse from the Homestead Act days).  Even as I’m writing these words, my mind goes back to the days before I was even 4 feet tall, and I can clearly recall – and even smell – the warm, inviting, wafting deliciousness of Mom’s kitchen on fall afternoons after school when she had decided to make homemade bread.

Now, my mom’s homemade bread isn’t the subject of this Blog, but I’m going to hit you with something equally as awesome.  I’ve been making this at home for a couple years now – more recently – and it’s one of the most amazing, quick, easy bread recipes that I know.  And when you pop the loaves in the oven, it doesn’t take long before your entire house is filled with the soothing, aromatic promise of hot, fresh bread.  I don’t know about you, but it’s enough to soothe any savage beast.  There’s just nothing quite like fresh bread right out of the oven.

Ok, let’s get to it.  This recipe makes two loaves of bread, and they’re going to be a little smaller than a “standard” loaf of sandwich bread.  But because it’s so easy, it’ll be ok that you gobble it up as fast as you can make it.  And trust me, you’re want to go get your paws on some good olive oil and some aged Balsamic vinegar.  You’ll thank me.

You’re going to need a few things before you get started.  You’ll need some sort of mixer with a dough hook (or mixing bowl and a stiff wooden spoon if you don’t have one), a glass bowl big enough for a volleyball, yeast, olive oil, butter, flour, sugar, salt, water, and fresh herbs.  For my herbs I use half rosemary and half thyme, although this bread works beautifully with either one.  Another alternative is fresh oregano.  It’s really your choice; this is a win-win-win sort of deal.

First, fill a glass measuring cup with 1c. of warm – not hot – water.  If it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast.  No Bueno.  Add 1Tbsp. of sugar and 1 packet of yeast (1/4 oz.).  If you’re using yeast out of the jar, then 1/4oz. = 2 ¼ tsp.  Let that get happy for about 5 minutes, or until it’s really frothy.  Meanwhile, melt 2Tbsp. of butter in the microwave (or you could just let it get to a nice, soft room temperature, but that’ll be awhile).  Pour the yeast mixture and the butter (make sure the butter isn’t too hot!!) into the bowl of your mixer, add 2Tbsp. of olive oil, 1tsp. of salt, and about 2-3 Tbsp. of whatever herbs you’re using.  Make sure the herbs are chopped up nice and fine.  Finally, add 2 ½ c. of flour and start the mixer on low speed with the dough hook attached.  If you’re using the bowl-and-wooden-spoon method, get your elbow grease out and start going.

As the mixer goes, you’ll start to see the dough come together.  After it starts to form into one mass, let it go for about another 5 minutes, and then turn off the mixer and see how sticky it is.  With the 2 ½ cups of flour you already added, it should be firm and a tiny bit tacky, but not overly sticky or loose.  If it is, add ½ c. flour and try again.  Once it’s the right consistency, knead in the mixer or by hand for 10 minutes.  Put about 1 Tbsp. olive oil into the glass bowl and turn the dough out into it.  Personally, I like to manhandle the dough for a few minutes before I put it in the bowl with oil.  I turn it over a few times in my hands and shape it into a ball.  What can I say?  I love handling dough J

Roll the dough over a couple times to coat evenly with oil, then cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let it rise until roughly doubled in size.  How long this takes depends on how healthy your yeast is, how much of the sugar they decided to eat, and how warm your kitchen is.  Just walk away and give it awhile.  I start with about an hour.  Once it’s doubled in size, take a cookie sheet and grease it lightly with olive oil.  Remove the towel from the dough bowl and (literally) punch the dough down.  Yes, I really do mean punch it.  You’ll notice it’s light and airy; evidence that the yeast has been working hard.  Remove the punched-down dough from the bowl and divide in half.  Shape each half of the bread into nice rounds and place them on the oiled baking sheet.  Cover again with the towel and let rise until roughly doubled.  After about 45 minutes, you should be about there, and the unbaked loaves should looking something like this: 

While the rounds are rising for the final time, preheat your oven to 375 degrees (350 if you have a convection oven) and make sure the rack is in the middle.  Once you’re satisfied that they’ve risen as much as they need, throw them in the oven for 20 minutes.  Yep, that’s it.  Once 20 minutes is up, they should be nice and golden on the top and should sound a bit hollow when tapped.  Oh, and one more thing…your whole house should smell AWESOME!!

Once the bread comes out of the oven, I like to brush the top with some melted butter.  You don’t have to, but I prefer it.  It certainly doesn’t make or break the experience, so do one of each if you want to compare.  All said and done, you’ll get two loaves that look something like this:

Now, I believe I mentioned something about oil and Balsamic vinegar…tear into this bread and get to work!

Ok, well that about does it for the Blog this time.  Try this awesome bread out and see what you think.  Feel free to leave me a comment, or send me an email at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com if you want to let me know if you tweaked anything that turned out awesome.

Until next time, friends!

WHERE'S THE BEEF? - VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Hello again, friends!  Time for yet another trip to culinary Nirvana with this installment of the Blog.  I’ve decided to do something a little bit different (at least for me), and talk about a fresh twist on a classic dish. 

I’m a HUGE fan of Italian cuisine.  I love the flavors, the herbs, the freshness, and most of all the wide variety of Italian meats that accompany many of the dishes that I like the best.  Sit me down in front of a big ol’ plate of soppressata, Calabrese salami, cappocola, or prosciutto, with a big (and I do mean BIG) glass of Chianti and there’s nothing you can do to get the smile off my face.  And one of my absolute favorite things to make from scratch is Italian sausage.  I put it in everything from pizza to marinara sauce, and it’s a staple component in my…wait for it…LASAGNA!! 

But (of course there’s a “but”) today I have to force myself to set aside my carnivorous tendencies in order to share with you a wonderful way to make classic lasagna without a lick of meat anywhere to be found.  And before you shimmy your mouse up to the red X button to get rid of this page, just wait a second.  I promise that this recipe has just as much flavor and punch as the original, and is a great way to get your lasagna fix without it being chock full of meat. 

All you really need to get started is a few of your favorite vegetables (there are a few that are must-haves), some tomatoes, and some herbs.  Obviously you’ll need something for the filling like ricotta (or you can use cottage cheese if you prefer a thicker texture) and parmesan cheese, and you’ll need a box of standard-issue lasagna noodles.  You can get as sexy with the noodles as you want, and by that I mean you can go El Cheapo and get the $1 store brand, or you can splurge for the whole-grain, hoity-toity “healthy” pasta.  It’s entirely up to you. 

Vegetable Lasagna (Lasagne di Verdure in Italian) starts with a solid base of aromatics, and then adds layers and layers of flavors on top, ending with a beautiful bath of tomatoes and every chef’s favorite ingredient: time.  So, I’m not going to give you “the” answer to the question “how do I make it,” but instead give you a basic approach so that you can literally build your own.  What follows is one general approach to getting to a good veggie lasagna.

Get yourself a large dutch oven with a healthy glug-glug-glug of good extra virgin olive oil in the bottom.  Heat that baby over medium to medium-high heat and add one diced onion (or two if you like) and about 5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced.  Stirring frequently, cook the onions and garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Don’t forget to season as you go; layers of flavor are what you’re after.  I add a pinch or three of Kosher salt and a few turns of fresh black pepper at this point.

Next, you’ll want to start adding your veggies, and a good rule of thumb is to add them in the order of their relative strength.  By that I mean if a vegetable tends to break down under heat (e.g., squash, tomatoes), then add them toward the end.  Things like bell peppers, carrots, etc. are “harder” and take longer to break down, so add them first.  At this point I like to add some diced red bell pepper and soften it up for a couple minutes.  Then, diced yellow squash and/or zucchini, mushrooms (I like to use baby bellas, but morels or chanterelles would be great as well), tomatoes, and then any fresh herbs like basil.  I use an obscene amount of fresh basil in my Italian cooking.

Remember, season as you go, but also TASTE what you’re doing.  Don’t just add salt and pepper because I say so.  Your best gauge of seasoning is your own palette, so make sure to use it.  Also, as a technique, I like to use fresh rosemary in my sauces.  I just take 3 or 4 sprigs of the stuff and drop them right in after the aromatics are soft.  You can add fresh thyme as well, and if you don’t like fishing sticks out of your sauce, tie them all together with butcher’s twine and drop the whole thing in.

A quick note on the tomatoes.  I like to use San Marzano tomatoes when I cook Italian food.  These are peeled, whole plum tomatoes packed with basil, and are a wonderful addition to good Italian cooking.  The trick, though, is to crush them by hand as you put them into the sauce.  I also add the juice they’re packed in, realizing that I have to simmer it down more in order to thicken the lasagna filling.

Once everybody’s in the pool, put your heat on medium and just let everything get happy.  Stir about every 10 minutes or so, and make sure nothing’s sticking to the bottom.  This shouldn’t happen, but it’s good to be sure.  I like to keep it at a decent simmer, making sure that excess water from the veggies cooks out and helps the sauce thicken.

 

Meanwhile, as your pool party is in full swing, you make the other part of the filling.  Take about 32oz. of ricotta (or cottage cheese).  You can use the whole milk or part skim; I don’t really care which.  Add 2 eggs, beaten, about 8oz of grated fresh parmesan (you could use Romano or Asiago if you wish), and salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly and set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to build the lasagna.

For the last step, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook your pasta to al dente.  Make sure not to skimp on the salt.  Italians believe that pasta should taste like the sea.  Make it happen.  I usually add a wicked fist full of salt to my water.

And now, friends, the payoff.  Get yourself at least a 9x13 baking dish, if not an 11x15, depending on how much filling you have and how big of a pan you want to make.  I always rub some olive oil around the inside of the dish to ensure my pasta doesn’t stick when I serve it.  Place a layer of pasta on the bottom, covering all the surface area of the dish.  Slap a few globs of your ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and spread it around.  Then sprinkle a decent amount of shredded mozzarella (or sliced buffalo mozzarella) on top.  Finally (for this layer), spoon a healthy amount of your vegetable filling in there and spread it around.  Repeat this pattern as desired, ending with the vegetable filling on top.  You can dust it with fresh parmesan if desired.

Bake on 350 for about an hour and fifteen minutes.  That’s it.  Oh yeah…make sure to enjoy it too.

Well, friends, I hope that this inspires you to try something new.  As always, feel free to post a comment or shoot me an email.  fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com

Until next time, friends!

LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!

Ok, friends, I’m well aware that Mardi Gras has come and gone, but that’s no reason not to talk about some of the best food – in my opinion – you can get in the South.  I am, of course, talking about the multifaceted, enigmatic, and myriad flavors that comprise…wait for it…CAJUN FOOD!

Make no mistake, friends, this isn’t for weak palettes.  Done correctly – again, in my opinion – the end result is a precision-guided flavor bomb that can rip your face off and leave you craving more.  The roots of Cajun food lead us back (as many foods do) to times when people used ingredients that grew or could be found near where they lived.  And in those times when people lived in cultural and ethnic pockets, they cooked communally, and the flavors and foods they produced came to define them in a culinary fashion.  That’s why when we think Cajun food, we immediately think New Orleans (or at least Louisiana), gumbo, jambalaya, etc.

When one considers the magnitude of culinary accomplishments we now enjoy – just open any cookbook of substance and flip thorough it – how we ended up with most of our gourmet cuisines is pretty amazing.  Cajun cooking is no exception.  As I mentioned before, we’re talking about small groups of people from common backgrounds making use of what they had available (and usually nothing more), and turning it into something amazing.  They didn’t set out to occupy a culinary niche in modern cookbooks, it just turned out that way.

And so, I will share what I know about getting into the Cajun spirit by providing some basic tips for how to get that huge mess of flavor all up in your business.

First, we have to get a handle on how to get to that flavor profile in the first place.  The best way to do that is to first break down the elements in what comprises Cajun seasoning.  The second thing we’ll go over is the aromatic flavor base called the Holy Trinity, which is nothing more than a “Cajun mire poix.”  And for those who don’t know what a mire poix (pronounced MEER-uh-pwah) is, it’s simply a combination of onion, celery, and carrot that form the flavor base for a lot of wonderful dishes.  In that same fashion, the Holy Trinity forms the flavor base for Cajun food.

Ok, so about that seasoning…

You can really go one of two routes with this: just buy your favorite Cajun blend and be done with it, or do what I do (which I firmly believe is dumb, but satisfying when you get it right), and that is the following:

·         Equal parts Kosher salt, cayenne pepper, paprika (not smoked), minced garlic (dry), and black pepper

·         Half the previous amount each of dried onion, dried oregano, and dried thyme

Now, not to insult anyone’s intelligence, but if you use a quarter cup of the first set, then use 2 Tbs. of the second set (1/4 cup = 4 Tbs.).  Mix thoroughly and store in a dry, airtight container until use.

Keep in mind that this is just one way to do it.  If you want more options – and I certainly encourage you to try a few to see which one you like best – just type “Cajun seasoning” into Google and start looking.

The second, and unequivocally most important, factor in making Cajun food is the Holy Trinity.  As I mentioned before, the Holy Trinity is the mire poix of Cajun food.  But instead of onions, carrots, and celery, the three components are onions, celery, and green bell pepper in equal quantities, diced and sautéed until their mystical flavor magic comes oozing out.  A technique that I personally use when sautéing is to use butter with 1-2 Tbs. of good olive oil to keep it from browning as fast.  I heat the oil/butter over medium-high heat and then toss the Holy Trinity in, stirring and tossing frequently to keep it from browning or burning.  The goal is to sweat the flavor out of the mix, not to just randomly apply heat to vegetables with no purpose in mind.

From here, you can really go a number of directions depending on which particular dish you have in mind.  Now, I could go into the culinary history of each dish (which I assure you is quite interesting), but I’ll leave that to Wikipedia since I’m already getting long-winded and in danger of climbing on the soap box.  A couple of easy ideas that come to mind are the following, all of which are delicious and will scratch that Cajun itch that you must have if you’ve read this far:

·         Gumbo

·         Jambalaya

·         Etouffee

Again, recipes abound on the Interwebs, so poke around and try a few.  I’d love your comments if you find a favorite.

And just to get you in the right frame of mind, here are a few ingredients you’ll absolutely want to have on hand for your excursion to Cajun country:

·         Good rice

·         Chicken and/or shrimp

·         Andouille sausage (pronounced “ahn-DOO-wee”) – a Cajun smoked sausage that’s out of this world!

·         Chicken stock - we make our own here at home, so just ask if you need pointers if you don’t feel like buying it

·         Onions

·         Celery

·         Green bell pepper

·         All the spices I talked about above for Cajun seasoning, or your favorite store-bought blend

·         Worcestershire sauce

·         Good Louisiana hot sauce

·         Fresh tomatoes – go the extra mile and get good ones on the vine if you can find them

·         Bay leaves

·         Fresh garlic – and don’t be afraid to use it…seriously

·         File powder (pronounced “FEE-lay”) – a thickener used in gumbo

Well, friends, that about covers the basics.  Don’t let the long bulleted lists scare you; it’s actually pretty simple when you get down to it.  The best way to do it is to just wade in and do it.  There are tons of great, authentic recipes online that can get you started, and I would love to hear about your experiences.

As always, shoot me a line at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com or post a comment if you found something you like, or if you have comments about this post.  Until next time, my friends!

Getting Back to Basics

Hello again, friends! 

It's been about a year since I added anything new to the blog, but today's topic is something that I've spent a great deal of time thinking about, and one that I think will be beneficial to folks seriously interested in getting back to what my brother calls "Heritage Food Skills." 

This is not intended to be a soapbox rant, but I'm going to devote whatever neurons I have available today to sharing with you some observations on our food, and how getting back to basics with what we eat, how we prepare it, and why it's important can all contribute to greater quality of life and better enjoyment of the foods we love and the ways we share it with our loved ones.

To be sure, the love of food and family is a deeply rich tradition in most family lines.  I know that's certainly true for my family, who spent the better part of 100 years working the land and celebrating nature's bounty.  Any time I take a look through the family recipe book or dig up an old family classic, I'm reminded that sometimes - most times - the old ways are best.

I grew up in rural Montana, and though I was a child of the 80s (read: Nintendo, MTV, etc.), my family lived in a little pocket of seclusion that kept us close to the land and close to the things that really mattered while still affording us enough contact with "real life" to not get too far removed.  I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by family, and sheltered quite a bit from the daily rigor of big-city living and high-speed lifestyles.  Sure, we had access to modern conveniences like grocery stores and gas stations, but they were locally owned.  No WalMarts, Pizza Huts, or McDonalds came into existence in my area until I was older, and as such I count myself fortunate that most everything that hit my pie-hole was homemade; not some over-processed, chemical-laden excuse for food. 

I grew up on a wheat and hog farm, with a considerable amount of chickens and turkeys thrown in for balance.  Our closest neighbor raised cattle, and we had a substantial garden full of berries and vegetables that were fertilized from the various hog leavings.  We often "horse-traded" sides of beef for butchered hog amongst ourselves, and when we got tired of pork and beef, when the season was right we'd go fill the freezer with venison or bag some grouse.  We didn't have to go to your local Uber-Mart to get these things.  And we certainly didn't have to pay through the nose for something that's considered "exotic" in the big city.  I still remember when butchering day came around, or when hunting season delivered big, we had a whole assembly-line-style operation going in one of the small shops, and we all walked out of there with more neatly wrapped and labeled packages of meat than you could fit in a deep freeze.  And nothing ever went to waste.  Some of the best times I remember as a kid were picking things from Grandma's garden and getting them ready for dinner, or to can for later.  There's another thing you can see when you look at an old family recipe book: there's one recipe or another that pretty much takes everything into account.  And what's more, you can follow the seasons by which recipes get used during which parts of the year.

Ok, so why should you care?  It's pretty simple, actually.  Pick up a box or package of something you eat regularly and turn it over.  Take a look at the ingredients.  If there's something on there that you either a) can't pronounce; or b) can't identify, then you see my point.  And if you really want to do a proper Sherlock Holmes impression, try searching for these mystery ingredients on the internet, what they're used for, where they come from, and what else they're used in besides food.  You might actually be shocked at the things you put into your body; I know I was when I first really started paying attention to it.  And if you're one of the "food aware" folks out there, you'll know what I mean when I ask people if they tailor their food choices or shopping lists based upon how many hormones, preservatives, or "fancy extras" are in a particular food item.

And so we get to the point that I am trying to make.  The best food is the simplest food.  And by simple I don't mean boring.  I simply mean that simple food is food that has not been messed with.  Garden-fresh vegetables, washed in clean water.  Fresh meat and poultry right from the animal, cut and stored properly.  Fruits that aren't dipped in wax, coated in antibiotics, or gassed; just from the tree or bush.  And the irony in all this is that these "simple" foods are the ones you pay extra money for at the supermarket.  I guess unpronounceable chemicals are cheap.

So visit your local farmer's market, check out sustainable farms, and educate yourself on how to make your own stuff.  You'd be surprised at how easy it is to make homemade bread, cheese, sausage, and even condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.  And quite honestly, it's really fulfilling to spend time with your family making homemade things, and then being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.  And the beauty part is that you know EXACTLY what's in it.

And just because I'm such a nice guy, I'll get you started.  My brother and his wife are going to start a small farm focused on heritage food skills.  I highly encourage you to follow their journey and see what kinds of things they've been up to.  It's called Fortunate Fork Farm, and you can visit their website at this link: http://fortunatefork.com  Enjoy!

That's all for now, folks.  I hope that you enjoyed this little bit of insight on your food.  As always, I welcome comments and emails.  Feel free to hit me up at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com

Until next time, my friends!

-Aaron

On a Wing and a Prayer

Hello again, friends, and welcome to another installment of the Blog!

Well, it's getting warmer (at least it's supposed to be getting warmer), and in my humble opinion it's time to start thinking about dusting off the grill and remembering those good old summer pool-party recipes.  Ah yes, nothing beats a hot summer afternoon, a dip in the pool, a cold, frosty adult beverage, and a happily smoking grill cranking out all the summer classics for friends and family.  And what does it mean when summer starts coming?  Well, that football season is just around the corner, of course...but alas, it's April.  No matter, we can still make it feel like football season with one of my favorite gridiron classics: chicken wings!!

Here's the thing about wings, folks: it could be ten below zero or 105 in the shade, and you will always find a variety of wings under the cabana in my back yard.  It's the perfect finger food, the perfect vehicle for a plethora of exciting and interesting sauces, and - like BBQ - demands the respect deserving of a closely-guarded culinary secret.  For every backyard epicurean you talk to, you'll find as many "secret recipes" for this summertime classic.

Now, I'm aware that not everyone has access to a fryer (which, arguably, makes some absolutely delicious wings), and thankfully you don't have to.  In fact, I much prefer the way of preparing wings that I'm going to describe here.  So, in case you got up from reading this post and careened headlong into a tantrum worthy of the most agitated 5-year-old, fear not...I've got a solution.  So sit back down, take a deep breath, and read on.

Thankfully, most grocery stores carry bags of frozen chicken wings for your convenience, and I personally see no earthly reason why you wouldn't go that route...unless you have some burning need to chop up chicken carcasses.  If you're that kind of cat, then more power to ya!  Quite honestly, when I've got a house (or backyard) full of company, and it's too nice outside to waste time chopping up chicken, thawing out a bag of wings and making it happen will pay dividends down the road (and prevent you from letting everyone else have all the fun).

Ok, let's get started with that bag of frozen wings.  For all of my local friends out there, just pop on by the Fresh & Easy store and grab a 4# bag of those glorious morsels and stick them right into a bath of warm - not hot - water as soon as you get home.  They will take awhile to thaw, but keep the water at that nice bathwater temperature, and recycle it when the wings chill it to the point where it's slowing down the thaw process.  Once they're thawed and ready to rock, it's time to start thinking about your basic marinade.

The basic marinade is just intended to get your wings into the right frame of mind to become little chunks of awesome.  You can go as simple or as complicated as you please, but remember this: don't add so many things so as to pigeon-hole them into one flavor profile.  For example, if you love Italian flavors, and douse your virgin wings in olive oil, basil, marjoram, and oregano, it very well may clash with any sort of BBQ or hot sauce that you would love to dress them with.  So, less is more up front.

Also, I mentioned not requiring a fryer for your wings, and that brings me to my next point with the marinade.  This preparation is for the grill, so you've got to choose an oil that's not going to smoke too much or immediately burst into flame when you get it onto that ripping hot grill.  Olive oil has a low smoke point, and isn't an ideal choice, even though it may be your go-to oil.  I would recommend canola or peanut oil, which both have higher smoke points than olive oil.  Of course, if you would like to see for yourself...go right ahead.

So, your basic marinade is...well, basic.  It's a neutral canvas for preparing your wings to be the sauce-vehicles that they'll end up being.  So, dump your wings into a large bowl, and add:

Oil of your choice - about a cup
Kosher salt - about 2 Tbs.
Freshly ground black pepper - about 2 tsp.
Sweet paprika - about 1 tsp.
Cayenne pepper (if you like to feel the heat) - about 1/2 tsp.

Mix thoroughly until the seasonings are evenly distributed, either with your hands or with a spoon.

Now don't forget about basic food safety when handling raw chicken.  Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with a good antibacterial soap before and after handling it, even if you use latex gloves.  You can't be too careful, and you don't want to ruin your experience with a nasty foodborne illness.  And don't forget to sanitize your workspace when you're finished.  You don't want to risk cross-contamination where raw chicken is concerned.  Half the speed, twice the caution, folks!

While the wings are sitting in their happy-bath, start up your grill and prepare it for about 375-400 degrees.  You want to get a good sear on the wings to seal in the moisture and not turn them immediately into chicken jerky.  Once the grill is nice and hot, place your wings evenly on the grill and cover.  Let them sear and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they start getting browned on the bottom with some nice grill marks.  Then, turn and let them cook on the other side in the same manner.  Keep monitoring and turning your wings - ensuring that if the smaller ones are getting too dark, you move them to the cooler portion of the grill - until the juices run clear, or until you've gotten rid of all the pink color.  They should be a nice golden brown color (thanks partly to the rendered chicken fat frying on their outsides).

Toss your wings in a separate bowl or bowls (please, please, please DO NOT use the same bowl as you used for the raw chicken!!!) with your favorite sauce(s), and serve with sliced celery and blue cheese dressing.  Mmmmmmmm!!

Now, sauces and garnishes will be featured at another time, but if you would like any ideas for homemade sauces, or some ideas for my favorite store-bought sauces to use, hit me up at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com

That's it for this installment, friends!  Have a blast pretending that it's football season, and if you have questions or comments, I would love to read them.  Until next time...cheers!!

Finding Your Inner 5-Year-Old

Hello again, my friends!  Thanks, as always, for taking the time to look me up; today's article will be sure to strike an old nerve (in a good way).

My wife and I just celebrated the arrival of our first son, which was a beautiful and emotional experience for us both.  So, in an attempt to honor this most special of moments with my blog, I decided to choose a topic appropriate for the occasion; something that most everyone I grew up with can relate to, and something that still brings back fond childhood memories one bite at a time.  Today we're going to explore a couple of childhood staples I grew up with, followed by some ways to cater to the more "adult" palate.  Who says you can't spoil your inner child anyway?

When I think back to summers back on our family farm in Montana, I distinctly remember getting kicked out of the house after breakfast and only being allowed back inside under the most specific of circumstances: lunchtime, dinnertime, or natural disaster.  And when the dinner bell rang, my mom always had something hot and delicious waiting for us.  In that spirit, I want to devote today's post both to the childhood favorites I remember, and to my new son, who will be enjoying them in just a few short years.  Today we'll be talking about Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Macaroni and Cheese. Oh, and one more thing...you're welcome!

In my opinion, cheese is a kid's best friend.  Put cheese on or in anything, and you're sure to have some sort of favorite on your hands.  I don't really remember the first time I ever had macaroni and cheese, or even a grilled cheese sandwich (always served with tomato soup in my house), but I know that I loved them then, and I love them even more now.  Only today, they tend to overstay their welcome on my waistline.  In my opinion these two simple dishes are the perfect cross of fun food for your kids and totally unnecessary comfort food for the adults :)  And as an adult, you probably have had a lot more exposure to different flavors and different foods during your life, so you can throw a little flair into the mix and get creative.

So, let's start with the grilled cheese sandwich.  When my mom made them, they were no more than white bread with American cheese slices (or Velveeta) toasted on both sides in a frying pan with butter.  Simple, quick, and always hit the spot.  And like I mentioned, we always served grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup for dipping.  I still do that to this day, and I'm just as happy with tomato soup out of the can as I am with a freshly made roasted tomato and basil soup (there's your first way of getting creative).

Now, depending on your preferences (and, of course, what your kids like if you're cooking for them too), you have a couple ways to doll up the classic grilled cheese.  Your options for change could include, but are not limited to: the bread, the cheese, spreads, and extra toppings.

First, you can change up your bread.  I've seen grilled cheese made with everything from pumpernickel to standard white bread, and here's the trick to finding the best one for you: try a few and see what you like.  For me, I prefer a really tangy sourdough bread.  The flavor of sourdough meshes really nicely with the types of cheeses I like to put on my sandwiches, and provides a contrast to the sweetness of the tomato soup when I start dipping the sandwich.  Also, I find that sourdough holds its shape and texture nicely when you start to smash it together and dip it in liquid.

Next, and most obviously, you can experiment with cheeses, and if you're an adult who's making some good old-fashioned comfort food for you and/or a guest or three, this is where the fun part is.  I love cheese of all shapes, sizes, and flavors, and when I make grilled cheese at home, this is the perfect opportunity to head to the local market and load up on all sorts of artisan cheeses.  And for those few that don't make the final cut for my sandwich, they have the honor of becoming part of an appetizer plate and being served with a delicious bottle of wine.  It's really a win-win for everyone involved.  My personal palate gravitates toward cheeses with robust, salty flavors.  Cheddar of all kinds, Parmesan, asiago, and gruyere are all regular attendees at my sandwich parties.  Occasionally, however, I'll choose something more mild and pair it up with a spread that imparts the robust flavors lacking in the cheese.  If you've read my blog before, you'll know that my cooking is all about balancing flavors, and not letting a whole bunch of assertive ingredients have a battle royale on your taste buds.  A good example of this would be to choose something like buffalo mozzarella and spread the inside of the sandwich with a nice, fresh pesto.  You get the gooey, delicious (and slightly salty for good, fresh mozz) flavor of the cheese, and the saltiness and punch of the Parmesan and garlic in the pesto.

Now if toppings are something that make or break your sandwich, you could apply the same sort of flavor-balancing logic as with the pesto example above.  If you weren't inclined to make a pesto, or don't want to put a messy spread on your sammy, you could consider some sort of cured meat (calabrese, soppresata, prosciutto, etc.) to add depth to the sandwich, and provide a salty or spicy counterpoint to a mild cheese.  You could even add a handful of thinly-sliced pepperoncini or other pickled pepper to the mix.  Of course, if you're not long on flavor-balancing, feel free to load it up.  Go nuts with an habanero pepper jack cheese, a spicy brown mustard, and some sliced chiles.  That would be sure to rip your face off, but as long as you're smiling, who cares :)  As long as you keep the basic spirit of the grilled cheese, it's an empty canvas for you to experiment.

So there are a few ideas for your next foray into the land of grilled cheese.  Now, let's switch gears just a little bit and talk about the other of my two childhood favorited: macaroni and cheese.

As with the grilled cheese discussion, getting sexy with your mac really boils down to the pasta you decide to use, and how you make the cheese sauce.  Add-ons and/or toppings can also be a part of the mix, but I'm not going to devote a great deal of time to them.  Try a few out (bacon, chiles, garlic, etc.) and see what you think.  Of course, you can always just get it out of the box, but what kind of fun is that, really?  When it comes to the pasta, choosing a good vehicle for maximum cheese transportation and bite-sized convenience is key.  You could always go with standard macaroni, but other acceptable options could be: cavatelli, cavatappi, fusilli, penne, ziti, or even farfalle.  Each of these types of pasta have compact, bite-sized shapes and some sort of texture on their surface to transport the maximum amount of cheese to your pie-hole with the minimum amount of effort.

Cheese and the resulting cheese sauce construction is next.  My advice is to search for a basic recipe on how to make the sauce (there are literally tons out there), and then start to remove/replace items until you find one that's a winner.  The basic sauce usually looks like butter, cheese, some sort of milk product, and a thickener.  I personally am not a fan of using a thickener (like flour), opting instead for using the type and amount of cheese to thicken the sauce.  In order to make the sauce velvety and smooth, I always use some sort of dairy.  Typically, I opt for whole milk or cream.  On occasion, if I'm constructing something really flavorful and assertive, I'll even use a little buttermilk.  Consider adding yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche for an extra tangy punch.  For the cheese, like with the grilled cheese sandwich, I personally like big, salty flavors, but also you have to think about how it melts together.  Some cheeses tend to be grainy when they melt, and require an inordinate amount of milk or cream to tame them down, and sometimes you just don't get there.  If you're just not sure, you could always just use something you're familiar with (a basic block of cheddar or monterey jack) and get that down before branching out.  This is a great opportunity to get familiar with lots of different kinds of cheese, and have a lot of fun doing it.  If you're in the mood for something way off the reservation, try a mix of Stilton and gorgonzola (if you've never heard of them, then this might be a great chance to try them!).  That's about as funky as you'd want to get with mac and cheese.  Pair it up with a big red wine, sprinkle on a generous handful of crispy bacon, and garnish with a few turns of black pepper.  Magnifico!

There are literally too many permutations of flavors and ingredients to list here, but hopefully this is a conversation-starter for your next foray into these childhood classics.  Whether you're cooking at home for your little ones, or taking a trip down memory lane with some comfort food, don't be afraid to experiment and come up with new and exciting combinations of flavor.  Your biggest guideline is your own palate.  As always, if you have some great new combinations to share, or even if you just want to make a comment on this post, I'd love to hear it.  And feel free to email me at fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com.

Until next time, my friends, I wish you happy cooking.  Take care!