Breakfast

This was inspired by a photo I saved a long time ago from some unknown web source. The one in the picture also had ham in it, but alas we had none. This was a great way to turn nothing into something though as we had very little ingredients in the house that day. We kept the crusts on (unlike the picture) cause that's how we do, and topped them off with honey and red pepper flakes. We decided to turn it into a sort of English breakfast by serving our "egg cups" with sauteed tomatoes and baked beans.

- Jackie & Chris

Tortilla Soup

Ok, so this one's a real oldy but goody. I believe it began with something I saw Bobby Flay do on Foodnetwork years ago. I have no recollection of the original recipe, but I've been making it this way for 6 years now. You start by tossing some olive oil, chopped garlic and jalopeno slices in the bottom of your soup pot. Once the garlic browns pour in the chicken broth. The next part is one of my favorite things to do in cooking, and that is you have to tear a bunch of tomatoes apart by hand. I don't know why, but squeezing tomatoes makes me happy. Then you add cooked and shredded chicken, avacado and cilantro. After all the ingredients simmer togeather for a while you can taste test and add more jalopenos if necessary.

After the soup is done you can focus on the tortillas. They burn easily and multitasking usually results in a screeching smoke alarm. Simply cut into strips and fry. This time I had my sous chef take control of the tortillas, Good job Chris!

When ready to serve drop a couple tortilla strips in your bowl and enjoy. You can also add cheese or sour cream if your heart desires.

- Jackie & Chris

Curried Lentils

This dish has become an old standby of mine. It is hearty comfort food, good for warming your bones in the winter, and easy to make. As with all dried legumes you should soak them prior to cooking to restore their softness. I never plan ahead enough so boiling them always tests my patients. When the lentils are almost done I create a sauce with tomatoes, curry, cumin, red pepper flakes and cream. Then I add the lentils and cook them in the sauce for a bit so they can absorb the flavor. Jasmin or basmati rice both make tastey beds for the lentils.
- Jackie

Autumn FYI

Apple cider is the secret ingredient to perfect butternut squash soup, Ssshhh.
-Jackie

Note to Self;

Do not eat lentils with quinoa, stick to jasmine rice.
-Jackie

Spinach Quiche

- Jackie & Chris

Winter Stew

This is an adaptation of something Pam invented. It consists of cabbage, lentils, chickpeas and carrots. Pam makes it as a brothy soup, while I prefer a heartier version. We both combine two different cabbages to add interest and for a more complex taste. The usual choice is regular green cabbage and napa. This time around I tried it with napa and red cabbage. While the red was beautiful (especially together in the pot with carrots) in the end it gave a muddier color to the soup. It did have great texture though, as it is sturdier it remained more al dente. The thing that makes this soup uniquely delicious is that it's seasoned with plenty of cumin, yum!

- Jackie

Green Eggs

Chris took me to breakfast at this place after a late night out, when a good breakfast was highly in order. It was very chic looking especially for the non-fancy prices, and the food was impressive. It was only a few blocks away from our house so we had a pleasant strole there. It was slammed when we arrived so we opted for immediate outdoor seating. There was a brisk breeze but it was sunny, we were comfortable in light jackets and sunglasses. I was especially enjoying this because my recent move has me excited about jacket weather. The service was great and our hot coffee came quickly. Drinking hot beverages outside added to the autumn sentiment. The sugar they supplied was pure cane sugar, which looked like it'd been chizeled off a large block and came in a lovely white ceramic jar with wodden lid.

The menu at Green Eggs has a good variety and interesting variations on the classics. Chris knew what she wanted immediately, a specialty called the kitchen sink. This consists of potatoes and peppers topped with a biscuit and sausage gravy. I chose the veggie benedict; mushrooms peppers and spinach on a biscuit with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. This came with a side of rosemarry potatoes, I also orderd a side of chorizo. The potatoes with both of our dishes were perfectly cooked, not dry in the least bit. Also the real proof of great culinary practice was that neither of us had the desire to salt or pepper any of our food, it was perfectly seasoned. I Definately plan on returning to Green Eggs after such a pleasant experience.

- Jackie

Homemade Pasta and Simple Salad

This is the first post from my new home in Philadelphia! The choice of meal is most fitting for this occasion, since pasta and salad is Pam's and my favorite dinner option. This variation was simply delicious. Because of flour shortage I used baking flour to make the pasta, which actually turned out awsome! It made for a quite springy noodle. I sprawlled them out on tension rods to dry for a bit while I was making bread, which looked "cute," as mark put it. Once cooked to a delightful al dente I tossed them with butter and salt. I sateed mushrooms for my topping and zucchini for Chris. The Salad was an herb mix drizzled with that amazing balsamic (which I'm almost out of and will need to make a trip to Pasquelinas soon, whos in?).

- Jackie

Muffins!

So I am definately not a baker and cheated by using boxed cornbread mix. Jiffy cornbread is the bomb and dirt cheap. Pam, Chris and I buy it frequently and have been known to throw in little twists like honey and sage. These have fresh vanilla beans and blackberries! I had them for brunch with half a peach (fresh and southern).

- Jackie

Mushroom Soup

- Jackie

Foxy Fungi

Cremini, oyster and woodear; quite beautiful.
- Jackie

Chorizo and Potatoes with Fried Peppers and a Poached Egg

I Saw this recipe in Everyday Food but as always recipes are simply inspiration for me. I usually never read the instruction because I know i'll be adjusting everything to my liking anyway. For this dish I used baby red potatoes from the farmers market, ground chorizo, sweet mini peppers and a poached egg. This is certainly one of my new favorite breakfast recipes. I had it with iced coffee and imagined I was in a cafe in Spain.

- Jackie

Stolen Eggplant

So I went to the Botanical garden in Savannah for the first time this weekend, not expecting much, but it was pleasantly surprizing.

Though your not supposed to pick anything from the gardens, this perfectly ripe eggplant had fallen from the plant and I figured if I didn't use it, it would just go to waste right? So I smuggled it into my tote bag and took the little guy home.

I marinated it in that delicious balsamic from Pasquelinas and paired it with roasted garlic on homemade pita chips.

- Jackie

Lasagna

Home grown tomatoes from Sarah's dad's garden become... delicious lasagna!

- Jackie

Honey

- Jackie

Peak Season Map

Epicurous has this great map on their website that tells you what is in season, when and where. It also links you to recipes using those ingredients.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap

- Jackie

Figs!!!

Figs are officially in season!!! I can not tell you how excited I am. I actually got on the phone and called a place that sells local organic produce and asked them when they'd be getting some figs in. What should I make?!? better start brainstorming. any suggestions?

- Jackie

Pineapple Brulee

Tried to replicate a bruleed pinapple dish which I saw probalby on diary of a foodie. The Bruleeing was unsuccessful because of limited resources but it still tasted delicious. Firstly I did not have pure cane sugar so I had to use regular granulated sugar, and secondly I did not have fuel for my brulee torch so I tried to use the broiler. This would probably be even more delicious if done properly; producing a delicous sugary crust and also the pineapple would remain uncooked and indstead be crisp and refreshing. But let me tell you, warm pineapple and cold icecream is a delight, and my last minute addition of sliced almonds was a great decision.
- Jackie

Chocolat dinner scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evZBRsaMAIo


Dear Pam,
Can we please have a dinner party designed after this scene the next time I come home?
We have to try to make a good mole sauce, and make that cake with the almonds on it from scratch, and play 20's style music, and have a white tent with candles outside.
-Jackie

My First Poached Egg

I don't know why I've never done this before! It just never happened. There is something elagant about poaching an egg that made me believe it was something that required technique and skill, but this was so easy; water, vinegar, egg, voila! I checked out the ingredients I had in the fridge and ended up making somewhat of a huevos rancheros. Tomatoes, avacado and spicy pickled peppers (which were grown and pickled by the roommates dad) made an excellent salsa.

- Jackie

Homemade Wheat Pasta with Tomato Butter

I highly recommend tomato butter if you can get your hands on some good tomato jam. This was delicious, and of corse homemade pasta is never a let down.

-Jackie

Online resources

If you havn't watched Diary of a Foodie yet your missing out. This series by Gourmet inspires me every time. http://www.gourmet.com/diaryofafoodie
And in one of the episodes I found this great blog
http://www.chezpim.com

It's the Little Things in Life

Watched Seven Years in Tibet tonight, couldn't sleep, woke up and had a midnight snack of plain rice in a small ceramic bowl
...with my good chopsticks :)
- Jackie