Love Is Where my Stomach is....

 Happy (late) Valentine's Day everyone! ]. I'm not a personal fan of going out on the big Vday so I had my Baby attempt to cook me a fancy meal at home. This is our second Valentine's day together so we decided to kick it up a notch. This means I dress up and put on fancy perfume and we enjoy a quiet and private dinner complete with appetizers, main course, good wine and of course, a phenomenal dessert....

Valentine's Day Dinner for Two

February 14, 2011

Main Chef: Jerry 

Dessert Chef: Patricia

First course

Insulata Caprese

A Fresh Combination of Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Basil

Second course

Cream of Potato Soup 

garnished with crispy bacon and sharp cheddar

Main Course

Garlic and Rosemary Roast Lamb Chops

Dessert

White Chocolate and Raspberry Souffle 

Best souffle I've had. Must try for the Chocolate Lover - sink your teeth into a crunchy yet fluffy white chocolate topping to find a hidden tart raspberry dark chocolate molten center in the middle 

Wine pairing

Pirot Syrah 2009 California

Whole Foods 

- smooth, plum flavors perfectly paired with the hearty lamb we had

White Chocolate Souffle with Raspberry Chocolate Sauce

Courtesy of the Fumbling Foodie

Raspberry Chocolate Sauce:
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
3 oz Ghirardelli 60% cocoa semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons European unsalted butter

Souffle:
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 tablespoon iodized salt. (don't use kosher salt, the granuals are too big)
3/4 cup whole milk
6 oz Ghirardelli white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Additional butter and sugar for the ramekins

Put a pie pan in the freezer for several hours to chill. You are going to be pouring hot liquid into it so metal or pyrex are preferred.

lightly butter six 4.5 oz ramekins. Mine are 3 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches deep. Coat the inside of each buttered ramekin with granulated sugar. Invert and pour out the excess.

Puree the raspberries in a blender. Pour the pureed raspberries through a sieve into a small bowl, using a spatula to squeegee the liquid through and leave the seeds behind (discard the seeds).

In a double-boiler or small saucepan set in a larger pan of simmering water, combine the raspberry puree, semisweet chocolate chips, butter, and sugar. Stir frequently until melted together and smooth. Grab the ice cold pie pan out of the freezer and pour this mixture into it. Tilt the pan as needed to get the mixture spread evenly over the bottom surface of the pie pan. Return the pie pan to the freezer. When the mixture has set up, divide it into six equal portions and use your hands to form each portion into a little ball. Put the balls back into the pie pan and put the pan in the refrigerator.

Seperate the egg yolks from the whites (you will need both). The whites should go into a large clean bowl big enough to be used with your hand mixer (or put them in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer).

Combine the flour and salt in a saucepan. Add a small amount of milk and combine. You want a smooth paste. Then add the rest of the milk, combine, and place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture has thickened a bit (like a cream sauce, about 4 minutes), remove a bit of it from the saucepan, add it to the egg yolk,s and whisk gently. (This allows the yolks to warm up without cooking them). Add the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. When it is about the consistency of mayonnaise, remove it from the heat, place it into another bowl along with the white chocolate chips. Stir or whisk until the white chocolate chips are fully melted and combined. Add the vanilla. Set aside

Beat the egg whites in their own bowl( mentioned above). Add the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue meating until medium-firm peaks form.

Gently fold a heaping spatula load of egg whites into the white chocolate mixture, then add the remaining egg whites. Fold gently to preserve the air in the egg whites.

Take the chocolate balls out of the refridgerator. Place one in the center of the bottom of each ramekin. Fill each ramekin with the white chocolate/egg white mixture until it is no higher than level with the top of the ramekin. (1/8 inch below the top of the ramekin works well for me.)

At this point you can cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and put it in the refridgerator, awaiting dinner time.

When it is time for dessert, preheat the oven to 375F, remove the plastic wrap and pop them into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until portions of the top have turned a light golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Feeling the love of friendship, romance and family all together these last two weeks. I feel so blessed to be surrounded with people who are so down to earth and so supportive <3. 

Thank you...

Worst Cooks in America : Pork Milanese w/ Warm Autumn Salad & Poached Eggs

Imagine being voted as one of the worst cooks by your friends and having to go through a 10 day boot camp with renowned chefs and representing them in a panel of food critics.. The thought can let anyone weak in the knees. After a grudging 2 weeks, I was fully impressed with the new skills and knowledge the two finalists had come to master. I mean, I consider myself a pretty good cook and even I haven't had the guts to make fresh pasta!

In the finale, Rachel's main course was Pork Milanese served with a Warm Autumn Salad and Poached egg on top. The dish stood out to me (I'm a big fan of runny eggs) and I was intrigued. What is Pork Milanese??? After some research it turns out Pork Milanese is the American version of the Japanese Katsu (Panko-covered pork chops fried in hot oil). I decided to make it for dinner.

 

Truth is, it is a simple recipe with a fancy name. Then again, who can resist runny yolks over a deep fried savory piece of pork chops? The salad was warm and easy to make. The combination of oyster mushrooms, apples and red onions over a red vinegar dressing balanced out the richness of the pork. Overall, definitely something I will remake on a cold snowy day.

I can't wait for the next season of Worst Cooks in America to come!!! Do you have anyone to nominate????

Everyday Italian with SweetP

I might not be the next Food Network chef but I sure know how to adapt a good recipe when I see one. I was lazing in front of channel 62 the other day while thinking of a healthy but yummy meal for dinner when Everyday Italian came on with Giada De Laurentiis in her usual cleavage baring top and glistening smile. She had just returned from a spa in AZ and introduced two healthy dishes with a touch of Italian: Pork chops stuffed with sundried tomatoes, spinach and goat cheese as well as an Italian traditional 'bread' salad called Panzanella with artichokes and fresh tomatoes. I hurried to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients home.

Dinner was as scumptious as I imagined it to be. The flavors were new and refreshing, with a hint of Greek with the added olives and basil to the salad. I substituted the goat cheese for a less offending feta cheese and the result of the pork chops were amazing. I just can't get over how good it tastes! Giada proves shes right once again!


Pork Chops w/ SunDried Tomatoes and Spinach Recipe (adapted from Food Network)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme ( I used Italian seasoning)
  
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) feta cheese
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 4 (4-ounce) center-cut pork chops/pork loin
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400F.

Warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the feta cheese and the cream cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.

Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the pork chop. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture and close the pork around the stuffing. Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard.

Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the pork. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to the oven (400F) and bake for 10 more min. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth simmers. Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Spoon some sauce over the pork before serving.

Recipe for the Artichoke and Tomato Panzanella can be found here.

I leave you with a picture of Mr. Binky. He is a true glutton.