Meatballs

I make this recipe all the time. Its kind of a combination of a few recipes I found online. Enjoy!

Pork Meatballs

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 pound ground pork (or mix of 1/2 lean ground beef and 1/2 pork)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup skim milk or 1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk or egg, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.


*Note: You can also use ground turkey or chicken just use 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and egg rather than milk.

Great Grapes

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to attend Baltimore county's Great Grapes Food and Wine Festival. Being from Cali (where ALL wine doth flow), I was more than pleasantly surprised by the amount of wineries, winecellars, and vineyards from around Maryland showcased at the event. I tasted some wonderful wines and champagne. I am usually a white wine drinker but I was introduced to some tantalizing reds. My favorite at the event was from Linganore Winecellars, Indulgence. The name says it all; Its a sweet red with a perfect hint of chocolate.

Linganore was the best overall. I enjoyed every wine they offered and I'm willing to travel the three hours to get to it for more wine ;) Basignani and Boordy among the other favs!

Check the link below to see all the pics from the event:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.565101082125.2034504.138400110&type=1

Shrimp Creole (From Mom)

This may be one of the most deliciously simple preparations for shrimp!

Ingredients

8 small cans tomato sauce
5 stalks chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1/2 small chopped bell pepper
3 cloves chopped garlic

4 bay leaves
Parsley
Salt & pepper
1 roll of smoked sausage
3 lbs med shrimp

Prep

Sauté veggies until soft but not brown. Add tomato sauce over medium heat for 20-30 minutes. Add bay leaves and seasoning and bring to boil for 15-20 minutes. Add sausage then lastly add shrimp. Boil until shrimp is cooked. Serve over rice.

White Chili

Since fall is right around the corner I wanted to share a fall favorite of mine, white chili. This recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray's Lazy Turkey Jerky Chili.

My Jerk Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3 medium sized ones)
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped (I used ground ginger not fresh)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 scant palmful sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
Fresh cracked pepper and seasoning salt (very little salt)
1 can chicken stock (14.5 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes (depends on how much you like tomatoes, but I used the large I think its 28 ounces)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of your fav jerk marinade (anything made in the Caribbean is good)
2 cans of canelli, great northern, and navy beans (6 cans altogether)
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Sour cream for topping

Preparation

Marinate your chicken (no more than 24hrs). Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or small stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until done, remove from pot and allow to cool before cutting (you can also cut it before but its easier to get smaller pieces once its cooked). Add all the beans (drain first for thicker chili), the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir in the thyme, paprika, seasoning salt and cracked pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, brown sugar. Drop the chicken back in and simmer to combine the flavors, about 30 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with sour cream and scallions.

Rachael's Lazy Turkey Jerky

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds ground turkey or turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
2 Scotch Bonnet chili peppers, finely chopped (for a milder jerk, use 1 chili pepper, seeds and ribs removed; for a very mild jerk, use a red Fresno chili pepper)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 scant palmful sweet smoked paprika or sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground allspice (about 1/2 palmful)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
About 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (14.5 ounces)
1 bottle lager beer (12 ounces) or omit the dark brown sugar and add 1 cup cola
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili peppers. Stir in the thyme, paprika, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, beer, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and vinegar; simmer to combine the flavors, about 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with the scallions.

*Note: This freezes very well!

Recipe Writing . . . First Attempt (Chili Lime)

Chili Lime Grilled Chicken Breast with warm Pico de Gallo

Ok so I have been trying for over a week to write out recipes . . . fail! The biggest struggle is coming up with measurements, mainly for seasoning. I mean who really knows how much salt and pepper they sprinkle on chicken or throw into a pot? Hats off to the people that write entire cookbooks; its so hard! I was a lot less discouraged when I came across a Rachael Ray recipe, while browsing Food Network recipes, that used terms like "palmful" and "eyeball it" lol! That's my kind of recipe!

Chili lime chicken has become a summer fav for me mainly because limes are in season and on sale. I actually just made the recipe on Monday night. Below is my first attempt at writing a recipe and I will say that its not for beginners because its not exact. Good luck and enjoy!

Ingredients

Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Lime
Chili powder

Prep

I used 1-2 teaspoons of each. Season the meat with the spices; you can use chicken breast, chicken thighs, chicken wings, or fish. Add the juice of one lime and rub the meat (don't be afraid to get your hands dirty). Let the chicken marinade over night. If you use fish just rub the spices on and cook. If you let is sit more than 10-15 minutes you'll have ceviche! If you use chicken breast the best preparation is grilling. Wings and thighs can be baked in a single layer, uncovered on 400 for an hour. Flaky fish like tilapia can be baked or pan seared while thicker fish like mahi or sword can be grilled as well.

If you want a sweeter taste and a glaze add orange juice and honey. For spicier palettes add more cayenne or fresh diced peppers.

Baked Chili Lime Wings with Spanish Rice

A Gem on Greenspring

Joey Chiu

I'm a huge fan of brunch buffets, but really who isn't? I found a quaint little spot on Greenspring Ave. They had a spread of breakfast pastries, donuts and breads, fruits and veggies, salads, shrimp and smoked fish. Omelette and crepe stations with all the fixings Breakfast options of eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and French toast. A plethora of Chinese food lunch options including beef and broccoli, fried rice, and chow mein. Endless mimosas and bloody Marys to quench the thirst and tasty dessert selections topped off the afternoon. For $28 (including tax but excluding tip) this a steal for sure!

I Get it From my Dad . . .

Not really but my dad likes to think I get a lot of things from him including my passion for and ability to cooking.  I can say it runs in the family though. Both sides of my family are from Mississippi so it would be a crime and a shame if I didn't know how to cook lol! My father's side is from Meridian, MS nearest the Alabama state line outside of Tuscaloosa so their cuisine is traditionally southern with fried foods, gravies, and fat back. My mother's side of the family is from Picayune, MS closest to the Louisiana state line near New Orleans so their cuisine is cajun and creole with seafood, rice, soups, and stews.

I grew up cooking with my mom and maternal grandmother so I tend to enjoy the cajun and creole foods. I love to eat gumbo, shrimp creole, jambalaya, oysters, soft shell crab, etc. While I can fry chicken (which is not easy as it sounds) and can make a rue, you won't find gravy or anything smothered in my kitchen; I don't like pork chops, I can't clean or cook greens, and I hate dressing (shhhh don't tell my dad those are some of his favorite things)! Growing up in southern California with a city, not country mom (she's from San Fran) who loved to try new things, along with living in Atlanta has provided me with a different culinary point of view. I love Latin and Asian cuisine but I'll try anything once, not Andrew Zimmerman anything, but different flavor profiles and complex combinations!

With all that being said I will now shamelessly plug my father's restaurant. If you're ever in the south The Rib Shack is the best smoke house in Mississippi. 

    

Baltimore Restaurant Week 2012: Blah

Waterstone Bar and Grille

I went here with a friend for my first Baltimore restaurant week experience in January. The service and atmosphere is great! The wine list is nice. The food was flavorful but my salmon and baklava were overcooked and the mashed potatoes were instant/powdered mix. It seems like a good date night spot but I doubt I'll go back. - Updated but previously written for OpenTable

New York Restaurant Week 2012: Dinner Before A Show

The service was first and foremost excellent! We had a 6pm reservation and were seated immediately. We informed our waitress we had a show to attend and she said she would have us well taken care and on our way in time. We came for restaurant week so we had three courses. The food was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and plentiful. Great value, great atmosphere! Ill be back next time I'm in the city. - Previously written for OpenTable

Restaurant Week 2012: Layers of Flavor

Its Baltimore Restaurant Week . . . again (its semi-annual). Each participating restaurant has has a two course lunch for $15.12 and/or three course dinner for $20.12 or $30.12. City Cafe had intriguing menu selections so I made a reservation. I ride by City Cafe all the time going downtown. I've read good reviews on Google, Yelp, and Urbanspoon but hadn't made it inside until today. Let me tell you, TOTALLY worth the wait.

I started with ceviche with shrimp, halibut, mahi mahi, avocado, and mango with home tortilla chips. It was perfectly seasoned, just the right amount salt and acidity and the mango balanced the whole dish.

For the main course I chose the wild Alaskan halibut which had layer upon layer of flavor.The halibut was a very lightly breaded in a tempura like batter sauteed and drizzled with a roasted red pepper butter sauce served atop creamy, buttery mashed fingerling potatoes along side a fresh green salad with roasted sweet white corn, mini heirloom tomatoes tossed in Old Bay vinaigrette.

The final course I had strawberry short cake. Simple, classic, delicious, and easily ruined by dry shortcake or  just trying to make it more complex then it is. NO complaint with this one though. The shortcake was moist with a hint of something possibly lemon topped with fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

Hats off to Chef Jared who created the restaurant week menu!