Dutch Genever Cheese Soup

I came across this recipe in an old Gourmet or Bon Appetit and thought it sounded interesting. I decided to prepare it last week and was not all that impressed with the flavor. The recipe did not call for any seasoning other than the optional chives and gin, both of which I used and I added salt and pepper to taste. That helped somewhat, but the recipe was still on the bland side, so I picked up the hot sauce and gave it a couple of good shakes and it turned out okay. I really thought that adding the beaten eggs to the boiling broth would cause them to curdle, but they actually made the soup nice and smooth. I would not make this again, but thought that I would post the recipe as printed.

Dutch Genever Cheese Soup

4 cups unsalted chicken stock
5 eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/3 cups grated Gouda cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped Dutch ham or other lean ham
3 Tbsp Dutch genever or English gin (optional)
2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives

bring stock to boil in heavy large saucepan. Beat eggs and cream in large bowl until smooth. Stir in cheese and ham. Slowly pour into boiling stock, stirring constantly. Pour in gin if desired, stirring to incorporate. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with chives if desired.

The Ultimate Mac and Cheese

I am always trying to find the best mac and cheese recipe, I just love the stuff. This is a recipe that I have come up with by trying other recipes and finding what worked best for me. I fixed this recipe last week and Dan loved it so much that he thought I should take it over to my sister's house for Easter. The entire family loved it, I just couldn't say what was in it. This can easily be doubled and serve 8 as your main meal.

The Ultimate Mac and Cheese

Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 bay leaf
3 oz. pancetta, diced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
2.5 oz. Gruyere, grated
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
8 oz. dry penne pasta
1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
6 oz. Monterey Jack, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Boil a large pot of salted water.
Heat milk in small saucepan on low heat. Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, pancetta and bay leaf; cook until soft, about five minutes; stirring often. Add flour and cook 2 minutes; stirring often. Slowly whisk in hot milk, bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, whisking often, until thick and smooth. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, nutmeg, hot sauce and pepper to taste. Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in Gruyere and blue cheese.
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain well and return to pot. Toss with lemon zest and Jack cheese. Add cheese sauce and combine. Stir in parsley and transfer to shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmigiano and breadcrumbs. Bake until bubbly and golden brown about 25 to 30 minutes.

Lemon-Lime Layer Cake

I found this recipe in the Sept. '07 Cooking Light and tried it out this past week. I'm not the worlds greatest baker, but I followed the instructions just as written and came out with a really good cake. It was surprisingly moist and the lemon-lime flavor was very nice. I used two square 8x8 cake pans instead of round to be a little different.

Lemon-Lime Layer Cake

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp. grated lime rind
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 1/24 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
Icing:
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. grated lime rind
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 (8 oz) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare the cake, coat two 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat was paper with cooking spay.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and next 3 ingredients ( through 1 tbsp. juice); beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour and buttermilk alternately with sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon into cake pans; tap pans once on counter to release air bubbles.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans. Carefully peel off wax paper. Cool completely on wire racks sprayed with cooking spray.
To prepare icing, place 1 tsp. of lemon rind and next 3 three ingredients in a medium bowl; beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until just blended, do not over beat. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Place 1 layer in a plate; spread with 1/2 of icing. Top with remaining layer and spread icing over top and sides. Chill 1 hour.

Cafe Des Artistes-- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

While on vacation in Mexico this past month, we took a trip into Puerto Vallarta. It was Larry's birthday and fortunately for the rest of us, he wanted to dine at Cafe Des Artistes. This was truly one of the top five dining experiences I have ever had. The restaurant is owned by award winning Chef Thierry Blouet and is incredible in every detail. The interior walls are adorned with fine art and the outdoor garden where we dined was spectacular. The service and the food were impeccable and truly one of a kind.

We sat outdoors in the garden which is upstairs and behind the restaurant. We dined under the branches of a tree with a great view of the rest of the beautifully lit space. The menu was varied and the prices were very good for the food we were served. I started with an incredible White Almond gazpacho with Tomato Ice Cream, very good and very inventive. The gazpacho was dressed in pine nuts and drizzled with olive oil and the tomato ice cream was very good. My dinner consisted of nice thick slices of perfectly cooked beef tenderloin, divided by thinly sliced potatoes that were baked with cheese and come out cracker thin and crispy. There was also a wonderful vegetable gratin and all was served atop a nicely spiced chipotle sauce. For dessert I had a creamy fruit custard that was topped with fresh berries.

Everyone at the table had great food and we all enjoyed it. They served delicious breads with 3 types of butter and between courses they served us a carpaccio served over a potato gratin. This place is a true jewel.

Cafe Des Artistes Bistro Gourmet is located at Gaudalupe Sanchez 740 Centro Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 322-22 232 28.

Grilled Pork tenderloin w/Blood Orange Sauce

This recipe comes from Gourmet magazine, I changed it up by using blood oranges since I had some in the fridge. The taste was sensational and the prep work and grilling were simple. I used a 1 pound tenderloin, they used two 3/4 pound ones.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin w/Blood Orange Sauce

2 blood oranges
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dry Italian seasoning blend
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Prepare grill for cooking.
Squeeze enough juice from oranges to measure 5 tablespoons. Mash garlic to paste with 1/2 tsp. salt using a pestle and mortar (or mash with a large knife), then whisk together with juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasonings.
Pat tenderloin dry and rub with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasonings.
Serve sauce over sliced grilled pork.

Baked Rice

I prepared this rice dish for my son once while staying with him in Tulsa. He really enjoyed it, as did I. It's very simple to make, but has a great flavor and is the perfect side dish for grilled meat. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, I assume it was a Southern Living magazine that belonged to his mom.

Baked Rice

3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. salt
2 dashes hot sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided

Combine the first 4 ingredients with half of the cheese. Spoon mixture into a shallow 1 qt. baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Easy Tiramisu

I've been going through all my old recipes again trying to find ones that I have prepared, ones I want to keep and ones I would like to throw away. This is a quick and tasty recipe for tiramisu that came from the March '05 Everyday Food. I added coffee liqueur to my recipe and cut down on the cold water. The Kahlua imparted a nice, subtle flavor to the recipe. Use a reduced -fat cream cheese in this recipe, not a fat-free. The reduced -fat cuts down on calories, but has a better flavor and consistency than fat-free. It's a simple, yet elegant dessert to serve company.

Easy Tiramisu

3 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
3 Tbsp. boiling water
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup coffee liqueur
1 (8oz) bar reduced-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 packages (3 oz each) soft ladyfingers
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

In a medium bowl, mix espresso powder with boiling water until dissolved. Add water and coffee liqueur, set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with cream and sugar until light and fluffy.
Spread a few tablespoons of cream cheese mixture on the bottom of a 2-qt serving dish. Separate ladyfingers One by one, dip a third of ladyfingers in espresso, then arrange on bottom of dish. Spread with a third of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat twice with remaining ladyfingers, espresso and cream cheese mixture (can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day). Dust with cocoa just before serving.

Chicken, Broccoli and Penne Casserole

I made this casserole on Sunday night and it was okay, nothing to special. The recipe comes from the April/May 2008 Cook's Country. To me the casserole was really nothing more than a glorified canned soup recipe. It wasn't bad it was just boring. The magazine's recipe called for ziti, but penne was the pasta I had on hand.

Chicken, Broccoli and Penne Casserole

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 cups grated Asiago cheese

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp. melted

Salt and pepper

1 lb. Penne Pasta

1 onion, chopped fine

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white wine

3 cups whole milk

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices

12 oz. broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces

Pulse bread, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup Asiago and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 Tbsp. salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until nearly al dente. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water until cool.

Melt remaining butter in empty pot over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine and cook until liquid is nearly evaporated, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining cheese.

Microwave broccoli, covered, in a large bowl until bright green and nearly tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir broccoli and drained pasta into pot and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 13 by 9 baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Peachtree Restaurant - Lee's Summit, MO

Yesterday, Katie and Dale took me to lunch at the new Peachtree Restaurant in Lee's Summit. I have always wanted to try their food ever since they opened at 18th and Vine, but never made it down there. They have since closed that location and are moving into the Power and Light District, which is much closer to my home. Not that it really matters after the lunch i had there yesterday. I have to say that I was very disappointed in the food and the service. I was expecting wonderful food from all that I heard and it was a very big let down.
We were seated by a very friendly hostess and our waiter was actually very friendly, too, he was just not attentive. He brought a basket of large warm rolls and these incredible sweet potato corn bread muffins, so far so good. I really wanted to order the fried chicken, but instead went with the Smothered Pork Chop which was covered in a brown gravy with sauteed onions and bell peppers. The pork chop was fork tender, but the gravy was over salted. The two sides I chose were some lackluster green beans and some candied yams that had too much clove in them. Katie ordered the Blackened Chicken Sandwich with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and crisp, but the chicken was on the tough side. Dale had the Chicken Tenders with some very good seasoned fries. He enjoyed his meal, but for the price 3 tenders was a little chintzy.
I also take issue with the fact that their iced tea is priced at $2.50 and I had to flag someone down to refill mine. I don't know if it's a sign that I'm getting old, but $2.50 for an iced tea is a bit much. Peachtree is not the only restaurant pricing this way, but if you charge that amount, then you better keep the glasses filled.
Not that I would recommend this place, but they are located at 1672 NW Chipman Road, Lee's Summit, MO 64081 816-554-8733 www.peachtreerestaurant.com .

Pasta and Bean Soup

Last night's dinner was Pasta and Bean Soup. This recipe comes from the April/May edition of Cook's Country. The soup was excellent and so much more than beans and pasta. The freah basil added at the end bightens the flavor and the Italian sausage makes the soup very hearty. I changed the recipe up some because I was making it for 2 and did not want copius leftovers. I halved the beans, the broth, the oil, the onion, the garlic and the pasta. All of the rest of the ingredients were in the full recipe as written. The magazine, however, used hot Italian sausage and I used sweet. I love hot food, but have never been a fan of hot Italian sausage. For some reason, it always seems too hot to me and overpowers the other flavors in the sausage.



Pasta and Bean Soup


1 (16 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic, cloves, minced
1 tsp. resh rosemary, chopped fine
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup star shaped or other small pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated


Puree half of beans with a 1/2 cup of broth in a food processor until smooth; set aside. Cook sausage in large pot over medium-high heat, breaking into pieces, until no longer pinik, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel lined plate.

Add oil and onion to fat in pot and cook unti softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, remaining whole beans, remainig broth, pureed beans, sausage, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes and oinions are very soft, about 15 minutes.

About 10 minutes before soup is done, bring 1 quart of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, add to soup. Stir in basil and Parmesan

Low-Fat Meatloaf

On Sunday night, I prepared this meatloaf from a recipe put of the April/May 2008 Cook's Country. I'm not the biggest meatloaf fan, but I thought this one looked pretty good and it was. It was very moist and the topping is fantastic! My picture wasn't very good so I didn't post it, but it did look really good. This is definitely a Sunday dinner type of meatloaf, because of the time to prepare it and bake it, but it is worth it.

Low-Fat Meatloaf

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato juice
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1 1/2 lbs. 90% lean ground beef
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375. Set wire rack into rimmed baking sheet and arrange an 8 by 6 inch piece of foil in center of wire rack. Poke holes in foil at 1/2 inch intervals.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion and 1/4 tsp. salt until soft, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Let mixture cool for minutes, transfer to food processor, add bread and process until smooth.
Whisk egg, soy sauce, mustard, parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper in a large bowl. Add beef and bread mixture and using hands, gently mix until combined. Shape into a loaf covering entirety of prepared foil. Bale until loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and heat broiler.
Combine ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce and brown sugar in small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread glaze over loaf and broil until glaze bubbles, about 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Mashed Potatoes

On Sunday night, I decided to make meat loaf for dinner and thought that mashed potatoes would be a good go along. I rarely ever make them, in fact I can count on one hand the times that I have made them as an adult. It's not that they are to make, I'm just a little lazy. My little sister got me a nice new ricer and I decided to try it out for this dish. My mom always made them with the old fashioned hand masher and I still prefer them with those little lumps of potato.

Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1/2 cup skim milk
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and pass through ricer along with roasted garlic. Add milk, butter, cheese, salt and pepper and parsley. Stir to combine and serve.

Frascati's - La Cruz, Mexico

On our first night in Mexico, we decided to walk down the beach into the small town of La Cruz to dine at an Italian restaurant called Frascati's. The place was packed, which seemed to be a good omen. As it turned out, omens aren't always good. I think it was packed because there wasn't much else to choose from in La Cruz.
We were seated promptly in a very nice open restaurant. Our waiter arrived and took our drink orders and we ordered this incredible bottle of Pinot Grigio called La Gioiosia. We were served bread with 3 different toppings. The bread was great and I loved the chipotle sauce. There was also a pesto and some type of grainy mustard. So far, so good.
I followed the lead of Frank and Larry and ordered the Lasagna Mamma Buitoni ($110 pesos). The waiter highly recommended it and I was definitely in the mood for some good lasagna. This was far from good, though. The pasta was overcooked and the sauce was very bland, you could get better lasagna at a grade school cafeteria. My Dan fared better with the Prosciutto Pizza ($115 pesos). The pizza had a very good sauce and crust and was covered in sliced ham (not prosciutto). Lisa enjoyed her Pasta Bolognese ($108) while Dan B.'s Pasta Aglio Olio E Peperonccino ($104) was way to hot and the pasta was undercooked and Helga had an unsatisfying salad and fish taco. I started my meal with an Insalata Caprese ($88 pesos), thinking that the tomatoes would be nice and ripe. Unfortunately they were no better than the ones you get at home this time of year.
Frascati's is located at Av. Langosta So. Esquina Coral, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico 329-295-6185.

Kansas City Wine Opener

On Friday night, Dan and I headed downtown to one of our favorite places, The Mango Room . On the table were cards advertising the Kansas City Wine Opener. This is a fundraiser benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and looks pretty good to me. For $60 a person, you get to try 120 different wines and food from The American Restaurant, The Mango Room, JJ's, Trezo Mare, Genghis Khan just to name a few. There will also be an art gallery and fine wine auction.

The event takes place on Thursday, March 6 2008 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Town Pavilion 1100 Walnut KCMO. They say that the tickets are limited and ask that you order them by March 5. You can go online to www.cff.org/chapters/heartofamerica. There should be plenty of great wine and wonderful food from some of KC's best and the money goes to a great cause.