Cooking For Axl | What I would do for Axl Rose. In the kitchen, I mean.

May 14, 2013
by deborah
4 Comments

Desperate Measures

I've reached the end of my rope. I joined a gym, submitted myself to the humiliation that is zumba, walked miles around my neighborhood, swam, did my own yard and housework and didn't veg in front of the television. I cut all sugar out of my diet and cut down my wine consumption. I didn't eat processed foods, searched out organics and cooked like a fiend with fresh ingredients. I avoided fried chicken, wouldn't even look at a fast food joint, limited my fat intake, gave up baked goods and my favorite sugar raised donuts. I DON'T EVEN EAT CHOCOLATE, FOR CRAPS SAKE!

All this and for what? I'm gaining weight like a bear ready to hibernate. Why? Because the one truly necessary medication I take is a combined anti-anxiety and migraine inhibitor that also has a notorious reputation for adding pounds. Given the above diet and exercise regime I've maintained for years, this was shocking. Nothing I've done to combat the gain has worked, so I finally broke down and consulted a medical weight loss center. After a lot of research and discussion I opted for the HCG diet. This is the one where you take a hormone twice daily and consume 500 calories per day for 28 days, consisting of vegetables, some fruits and lean proteins. No fats, oils, sugars or carbs in any form. My justification list for something this drastic is long but the bottom line is… I really don't like the way I look. I'm not accustomed to seeing my tummy bulging over my pants. I'm as thick as I am wide around my midsection. I simply do not approve of my mirror image. Not to mention my entire wardrobe is now pushed aside for the few 'new' outfits that fit me. So, before this extra 20 pounds becomes 40, I'm jump starting my weight loss with a pretty drastic diet.

My first week on HCG was more difficult than it should have been because I didn't 'load' properly. Loading is another word for eat like you always eat, except don't feel bad about it. For me though, it was more like this: for 2 days stuff yourself stupid with foods you haven't touched in 10 years.' I couldn't do it. I tried, but the added carbs and sugars made me lethargic and gave me an upset stomach. So I went into the diet at a disadvantage. On my first 500 calery day I was ravenous and dizzy. On my second day I was headachey as well. I couldn't control my hunger and ate the fruits and vegetables raw. My 6oz servings of protein per day were taco leftovers eaten cold right out of the fridge. It was not a pretty sight.

By the fourth day, though, I was feeling kind of all right. I went to the grocery store and bought every single item on the allowed foods list. I also looked through my pantry for herbs and spices, vinegars and other condiments. I layed it all out and surveyed my choices.

I decided that instead of looking at this from the viewpoint of "this is all I can have", I'd look at it like a cooking challenge. Sort of like when you get home from work on Friday and have to try and make a meal out of what's left in the fridge. First thing I did was dress up my water since I have to drink a gallon a day. Ugh. I sliced up some myers lemons, a lime and added a few sprigs of fresh mint. Delish. (Don't let the lime steep to long as it will make the water bitter.)

Next, I set about making some fresh condiments that I could use to dress up meats and salads. A pico de gallo with only approved vegetables was quick, easy and versatile.

A cucumber and radish salad with red onions, fresh oregano and red wine vinegar for lunch along with a small piece of plain grilled chicken.

For a snack I made an orange and fenell salad with sliced myers lemons (which are edible, peel and all.)

Dinner last night was a pan seared rib eye steak with a balsamic and shallot glaze and pan braised asparagus with garlic. (The balsamic glaze started life as a Walden's Farms Salad Dressing. An 'allowed' food.)

This morning, even though I was going to a breakfast meeting, I brought my own, a sliced apple sauteed in vanilla and nutmeg. (I used some stevia but didn't care for the weird numbness on my tongue. I am allergic to it.)

I'm getting the hang of this, and I think it's going to work out well for me. I'm thinking I'll post weekly, and share my experiences with you so that if you ever want to go on this kind of program, you'll have both real-life information to draw from as well as some recipes that will work for you.

May 11, 2013
by deborah
2 Comments

Cinco de Mayo

In Arizona it's tradition for all the Gringos to commemorate a minor day of interest in Mexico by going bat-shit crazy drinking tequila and eating tacos. In our house, that's a normal weekend. For this year's Cinco de Mayo extravaganza we started out by inviting a girlfriend over for a Mexican dinner to celebrate her birthday. We asked her to invite a friend or two, and we'd have a little party for her since we skipped over her actual birthday date. From the time the invite was extended to the evening of the dinner our little gathering turned into a 15 person free-for-all. Again, nothing unusual for us.

The night before I tried my hand at baking. I am not a good baker. But, since I had most of the ingredients for the recipe on the very darling website http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/05/05/margarita-cupcakes-cinco-de-mayo/ , and I was bored, I decided to give it a go. Here's a picture. (sorry, you have to click ON the picture to see it. I'm having trouble with WP. Again.)

Notice the cupcakes don't actually fill out the bottom of the cups. For some unknown reason, they didn't rise in the oven but instead came out like flat little moon pies. Undaunted, I popped them into some plastic sample cups, decorated them anyway and proudly displayed my baking efforts.

As our guest list multiplied I started to seriously reconsider using actual plates and utensils. In the past, when I've had people over for a Sunday dinner the work week looms ahead and everyone, including myself, is anxious to get to bed in a reasonable time frame. That means heartfelt but hasty goodbyes at the door and a load of dishes, pots, pans and linens in the kitchen. It takes me the better part of the following week to clean and put everything away. This time, since tacos are so casual, I went with plastic plates and utensils. I also used colorful unbreakable glasses, but those were going to have to be washed since they are our pool-side beverage containers. It was ok but I still felt like I cheated my guests a little. The good news was I had a lot of them, so as more and more people arrived from the bar up the street I just kept adding place settings and more chairs.

As for my man Axl, I get the impression he'd be pretty happy with a taco in one hand and a shot of tequila in the other. Nothing fancy, just lots of good food and ~~crazy~~ ~~drunk~~ good friends for a low down Cinco de Mayo party.

Shredded Mexican Beef

(This recipe made more than enough beef for 15 guests with leftovers)

4 to 5 lbs chuck roast, untied

4 tbs vegetable oil

6 fresh poblano chili peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 fresh hot chili like fresno or jalapeno, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 white onion, sliced pole to pole

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

2 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes, diced

tortillas

Season the beef. In a deep frying pan, heat 4 tbs of vegetable oil over medium high heat until shimmering and very hot. Sear the beef on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Do this in batches if necessary.) Remove from pan and place in the crock pot. Add the onions, adjusting the heat to medium. Cook until the onions are a uniform brown color. Add the garlic and the chili peppers. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic is soft. Add the wine, simmer until the wine is reduced by half and turns a darker red color. Add both cans of tomatoes, stir and bring to a boil. /remove from heat and pour all the tomato and pepper mixture over the meat and cook 6 hours or until the meat can be easily pulled apart.

Remove the beef from the crock pot. Begin separating the beef into shreds with two forks. Strain out the solids from the liquids in the crock pot and place in a food processor. Process until completely smooth. Return the beef to a pot and add the processed peppers. Mix together and heat through. (If it's a little dry, add some of the liquid from the crock pot.) Serve with heated corn tortillas.

To heat corn tortillas up fast for a crowd lay them out on baking sheets, spray one side with a vegetable oil cooking spray and heat in a 375 degree oven. This will only take a few minutes, so watch carefully. Remove from the baking sheets to a dish, wrap with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Top with any or all of the following: Shredded lettuce, chopped tomotoes, sliced black olives, guacamole, pico de gallo, chopped white onions, sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese.

For the really Mexican way to serve tacos top with the white onions, cilantro and pico de gallo. Thin the guacamole with a bit of sour cream and pour that on like a sauce. Serve sliced radishes and cucumbers too.

April 21, 2013
by deborah
0 comments

Stuffed Artichokes

I love artichokes. It was one of the only fresh vegetables we ever ate when I was growing up, which is weird because artichokes are not very mainstream, have a short growing season and are relatively expensive. Yet, my mom, and my grandma before her, would make and serve them every Sunday in the spring. Most of the time we would only get a half of one; as I mentioned, they were expensive so they had to stretch a long way in our family. A whole artichoke all to myself was a real treat!

The appeal of having an entire artichoke to myself is so ingrained in me that when I vacationed alone in Mexico last year I brought two fresh out of season (and ridiculously expensive) artichokes with me to savor all alone in the timeshare resort I borrowed from my folks. The whole trip was a first for me; I’d never gone anywhere alone and had never traveled to Mexico without a full complement of friends and vehicles. Crossing the border is usually not a problem entering Mexico (and hardly ever an issue leaving, either) but on this, my solo trip entering the country, my car was flagged for a random search. As the Mexican border guards searched my trunk they found the artichokes. To my horror, this discovery caused a flurry of excitement around my car. The border guard held up the two green globes and asked “Que? Que?” I couldn’t even imagine what they thought they were (grenades? Bombs?) First I said “artichoke”, and was met with blank faces. Comida? (Mexican for food.) still didn’t change their expressions and I realized if I didn’t come up with a good explanation I was going to lose my precious artichokes! I blurted out “carciofi!”, the Italian word for artichoke. Miraculously, the guards understood what that was and started to chuckle as they passed them around for inspection. Eventually the artichokes were returned to my food bag and I was allowed to pass into the country! They were that much more delicious knowing how close I came to losing them and I savored every green leaf during my week on the beach.

Recently I was given an enormous bag of artichokes recently and have been enjoying the great globes for several days now and served them alongside some homemade ravioli for our guests last night. Below is my grandma’s recipe.

Stuffed Artichokes

4 small or 2 large artichokes
2 cups seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Cut the stem from the artichoke
About 1/4 down from the top, carefully slice off the tips of the leaves, exposing the purplish choke in the center. A serrated knife is best to use here. Gently pry back the leaves so that the artichoke is opened up slightly. You can turn it upside down on the counter and gently press on the stem end to force the leaves open as well.
Mix all but the olive oil together in a bowl. Using a teaspoon, ‘stuff’ each leaf with about 1/2 teaspoon of the breadcrumb mixture. Work the spoon all around the artichoke until there is stuffing inbetween all the dark green leaves. As you reach the center and the leaves turn a lighter green, yellow or purple they will be difficult to open and will be discarded later, so no need to stuff them.

Place the artichokes in a pot large enough to hold the globes level. (Smaller artichokes may fit in the top of a steamer.) Fill the pot with water up to about 1/4 of the way up the artichoke. Drizzle the olive oil all around the tops of the artichoke. cover, heat to boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the artichokes at least 40 minutes, watching that the water does not evaporate and add more if needed so the artichokes don’t burn to the bottom of the pan. The artichokes are done when an outside leaf can be pulled from the globe without resistance. Serve hot or at room temperature.

April 11, 2013
by deborah
1 Comment

Reviving Twice-Killed Meat

What? What is Twice-Killed Meat, you ask? That's the cow or pig that gave his life to feed you but made sure you weren't going to enjoy it, that's what. It's the tough, stringy, over-cooked, grilled-into-oblivion chop, roast or steak that you paid dearly for. (Though not as dearly as above mentioned cow or pig, for that I am certain.) It's the meat you killed again by forgetting it in the oven. We've all had a crappy piece of meat that either arrived that way or was cooked that way. Today, I'm going to give you a few suggestions on how to fix it instead of scraping it into the dog dish or trash pail. Nobody likes throwing away expensive food (and if you're eating fresh meats and vegetables like I've taught you, then yeah – it's expensive.) First of all, there's not much you can do with a tough piece of meat the day-of. You need time, patience and luck to fix that mess, so just send the offending roast/steak/chop to the fridge and load up on potatoes or veggies or whatever else you were serving. The next day, preferrably in the morning, take the meat out of the fridge and place it in the crock pot. (You can do this with any cut of meat of any size.) Survey your pantry/fridge for any of the following:

Canned tomatoes (diced, whole or stewed)

Canned tomato sauce

Beef or Vegetable Broth

Canned diced chilis

Beer

vinegar

Orange Juice

Whole oranges. quartered

Mexican Adobo Seasoning in a jar

green or red bell peppers

onions, sliced or quarters

assorted seasonings to compliment the ingredients

Based on what you find in your pantry, you can make any of the following:

Italian Style Beef or Pork: Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion and broth (or water) to the crockpot (additional ingredients: Garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes)

Mexican Style Beef or Pork: Add the tomatoes, broth, chilis, adobo and onions to the crockpot (additional ingredients: garlic, mexican oregano, chili powder, paprika)

Mexican Style Pork: Add the chilis, vinegar, orange juice, quartered oranges and onions to the crockpot (additional ingredients: garlic, thyme)

Chinese Style Beef or Pork: Add the broth, vinegar (rice vinegar if you have it), red and green bell peppers, cut into chunks, and onions. (additional ingredients: Ginger, chili paste, red pepper flakes)

Beef & Beer: Add the beer & onions to the crock pot (additional ingredients: Garlic, worstershire sauce)

Set the crock pot for 8 or 10 hours and leave it alone. Pull the meat out and it should, literally, be falling apart. Strain out the solids and tranfer the remaining liquids to a sauce pan. Boil gently until reduced and thickened. You may add a little bit of cornstarch mixed with water if needed for consistency. For the beef & beer method just put the meat & onions on buns and serve it like a french dip. Serve your newly revived meat over rice, polenta or mashed potatoes.

April 7, 2013
by deborah
0 comments

Shrimp, Pesto and Pasta

One of my favorite quick dinners is sauteed shrimp scampi, pesto and spaghetti. It's fast, tasty and relatively cheap. While Axl is resting up from his Australian tour and preparing for the summer festivals I thought I'd make something just for me. Unfortunately, while filming I managed to erase the section of the video where I make the pesto. Not that you are missing much – the entire process for making pesto is to dump everything into the food processor and puree the crap out of it. But, still. Having to tell everybody what a moron I am when it comes to electronics is embarassing. The shrimp and pasta came out great though, and Paul liked it so much he ate his second helping right out of the pan!

Basil Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3 cloves fresh garlic

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup or more olive oil

Basil, 2 cups fresh or a combination of basil and fresh parsley

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Start with the cloves and nuts in the food processor. Grind until it becomes a paste. Add the lemon juice and process. With the machine running, use the feeding tube and stuff the basil leaves into the processor, alternating with the olive oil. Add the cheese, salt and pepper and process everything until very smooth. It will be thick, almost peanut buttery consistency. Use a few tablespoons in the shrimp recipe and freeze the rest. Other uses: Add some to soups, mix with mayonaisse and use as a spread, season sauces with it, mix it with olive oil as a dipping sauce.

Shrimp Scampi

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and thawed if frozen

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

1 clove chopped garlic

1/4 cup white wine

juice of 1/2 lemon

pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup pesto sauce, reserving 4 teaspoons

grated parmesan cheese

1/2 lb spaghetti

Put the water on to boil. When boiling, add the spaghetti. Meanwhile, In a large saute pan, heat the butter and oil over medium high heat until melted. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute, until soft and frangrant. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Simmer until reduced slighly, add the lemon juice. Bring to steady simmer and add the shrimp. Cook and stir the shrimp until all are evenly pink and firm. Add the pesto sauce and stir to coat the shrimp. When the pasta is cooked to al dente, remove from the boiling water and without draining add to the shrimp pan. Stir until the pasta is coated, adding more pesto and/or boiling water to create the sauce. Serve in bowls with a teaspoon of the pesto garnishing the center. Top with grated cheese.

April 1, 2013
by deborah
3 Comments

Late like Axl

I'm late with my post. Like, two weeks late. A phenomenon that simply does not happen in my world as I am an obsessively punctual person. For me to be late, something quite out of the ordinary had happened in my life that prevented me from reaching a deadline. An unmet committment, deadline or arrival time actually stresses me out, so I simply don't do it. I try NOT to make it worse by over extending my time or energy, but sometimes I do it without realizing. And then, I end up with something undone. I hate that as much as I hate wasting food. So, here I am, two weeks since I filmed my video and many weeks since Axl was in Australia, and I don't have any acceptable excuse like my computer/camera/stove broke. No extenuating circumstances, nothing holding me hostage. I just haven't gotten motivated to edit the video and get it posted.

Frankly, I didn't think anyone would even notice or care. It wasn't until I received a little nudge on Twitter from a fellow blogger who asked if I was ok that I had to take a look at why I was procrastinating on this one video. I got all the others up within days of filming. Why didn't I do this one? It was simple and the results were great, so what's the deal? Was I being lazy? Did I lose interest? Am I drinking too much and unable to type a coherent sentence? What? What?

After a few minutes of soul searching and another glass of wine, I decided that right now I'm just living on Axl time. Oh, there's definitely been some family drama that has sucked up some of my attention. And yes, there's also been some work-related events I've had to focus on, but once I got past all that, I deliberately took it down a few notches. The wheels of my life are turning a bit slower lately. It's a good thing, and I think Axl will understand and maybe even approve. He does things on his own schedule and doesn't worry or even apologize for it. So, I'm going with that. It's the new me – slower, more easy going, less stressed. I think I'm going to like it. Hell, I may even be late for work tomorrow.

Fish, Chips and Coleslaw – serves 2 to 3

4 potatoes, skin on or off, sliced into 1/4 inch sticks

Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup for the potatoes and at least 4 cups for frying

1/4 head of green cabbage

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

salt

1/4 cup mayonaisse

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

black pepper

2 tsp sugar

2 tbs rice vinegar

6 fillets of firm white fish (cod, pollock, etc.) about 1 1/2 lbs

1 1/2 cups all purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 cup Cornstarch

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

Black Pepper

Salt

1 bottle (12 oz) beer, chilled

Place the sliced potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and stir in 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Microwave for 6 minutes or until the potatoes are translucent but still offer resistance when pierced with a fork. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water. Allow to drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep heavy saucepan over medium high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a thermometer.

Fry the potatoes until crisp and golden, approximately 6 minutes per batch. Set aside to cool on paper towels.

Return the potatoes to the fryer after the fish has been cooked for a final crisping just before serving. Fry about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain, sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

Chop the cabbage and place in a colander over a bowl or dish. Add the shredded carrots and salt. Allow the cabbage and carrots to wilt and soften, at least 10 minutes up to one hour. The cabbage should release its liquid to the bowl and begin to wilt slightly. Stir in the onion, fennel, black pepper and mayonaisse. Chill until ready to serve.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees, adding more oil if needed. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Remove 1 cup of the flour mixture and place on a plate or pie pan. To the remaining flour in the bowl add the beer until the batter is thin enough to coat the fish but not so thick that it doesn't drip off slightly. (From 1 and 1/2 cup to all 12 ozs may be needed.) Dry the fish fillets thoroughly, then dredge the fish fillets in the flour, dip in the batter and dredge again in the flour. Add more flour if needed. Fry two or three fillets at a time until a deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil, testing occasionally, to maintain a steady 375. Increase or lower the heat as needed. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

February 26, 2013
by deborah
0 comments

Pork Al Pastor

Paul loves Mexican food. As he has mentioned many times, when he grew up Mexican food was just 'food' in his house. He didn't know there was a difference. On the other hand, up until recently, my exposure to Mexican food was the standard taco/enchilada/tostada combo that you can get on practically every street corner in Phoenix. Add a tamale or two at Christmas and you have most of what I – and a lot of other people in the Southwest – know as Mexican food. And that, my good people, is a shame. Not because there's anything wrong with them. On the contrary – there's nothing better than a blistering hot plate of bubbling beans, cheese and sauce-covered tortillas on nights when you're too ~~hungover~~ tired to even think, much less prepare a meal. No, it's a shame because there's soooo much more out there. So. Much. More. Like pork Al Pastor. This sublime combination of pork, pineapple and peppers is the kind of food that, once tasted, makes you look at every Mexican joint in town with suspicion. "Do they KNOW about this?" And then, "Are they holding out on us?" If it wasn't a secret then I was clearly not on the telephone tree when word got out.

After trying pork Al Pastor at a little taco stand close to our house I did some research and developed the recipe below. It's adapted from (some website I can't recall or find. Hope it doesn't bite me in the ass later) using regular ingredients you can find in a grocery and an inexpensive cut of pork. In my research I found a restaurant on Hollywood Blvd that serves these lovely gems. I tried to see if the place was there when Axl was still more or less sleeping on the streets around there, but couldn't find any info on that. I can only surmise that if the place was around back then, Axl was sure to have eaten a lot of them. I hope he liked them, and I hope someday if I get to cook for him he'll ask for a little bit of nostalgia in taco form. Until then, I'll let you in on a little secret…….

Pork Al Pastor

1 Anaheim chili, broiled and peeled

4 dried Mexican Chili pods, soaked in boiling water for up to 15 minutes, seeded and scraped

1 fresh pineapple,peeled and cored

4 cloves garlic

1/2 large white onion, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning (if you can find a jar or can with a chili inside, use the chili as well as the seasoning)

1 teaspoon New Mexico Chili Seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Mexican or regular oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

4 to 6 boneless pork ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper

Verde Salsa

4-5 Fresh Tomatillo, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper,seeded and chopped fine

1 white onion, diced (reserve 1/2 for topping the tacos)

1/2 red pepper, chopped (optional)

Juice of 1 lime

2 cloves of garlic, minced fine

Small white corn tortillas

cilantro, chopped

For the pork marinade: In a food processor or blender, process all ingredients except cinnamon stick and pork ribs, until very smooth. Put the ribs in a covered casserole dish or oven safe saucepan, pour the marinade over the ribs (move the meat around until it's all coated), bury the cinnamon stick in the marinade and pop the whole mess in the oven. Cook for 2 hours at 325 degrees or until the meat is very tender but not yet falling apart. Remove the ribs from the marinade. (I put the marinade in the freezer to use for other pork dishes.) Grill the ribs until all sides are chared and smoky. Cut into cubes as best you can – by this time the meat will be falling apart. While grilling the ribs also grill spears of fresh pineapple until the edges are charred. Chop into small cubes for serving with the pork.

For the salsa: Combine all ingredients into a medium saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the tomatillos and onions are soft. Cool and serve with the pork.

To assemble: Heat the corn tortillas by dipping in warm water and browning slighly in a skillet. Wrap in a kitchen towel to 'steam' and soften them. Using one or two stacked corn tortillas, fill them with a tablespoon of meat, some grilled pineapple, the salsa and top with fresh diced white onion, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

February 22, 2013
by deborah
0 comments

Scallops and Mushrooms in Cream Sauce (Coquilles St. Jacques)

I like seafood, but I rarely cook it because Paul declared, about six years into our seafood rich relationship, that he didn’t like it and wasn’t going to eat it. Ever. Like, ever. Suddenly, an entire protein category was eliminated from my rotating list of choices. (In case anyone wonders – in any given week I make sure there’s a chicken, beef, pork, fish and vegetarian meal for variety.) I like seafood and fish and it saddens me that I don’t get to cook much of it at home. Every once in a while though, I will pull rank (I’m the cook, therefore the Commander of the kitchen) and declare a temporary truce on the fish embargo. This past weekend I invited some friends over, made a lovely scallop and mushroom sauce, and Paul choked down his meal. Or, perhaps he washed it down with a large quantity of wine. Whatever. I thought the dish was delicious if a bit sloppy looking, our friends had fun and our conversation took several interesting turns. All in all, a delightful way to indulge in a treat and show Paul who’s boss in the kitchen. Score!

Scallops and Mushrooms in Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
juice from 1/4 fresh lemon
1 lb bay scallops
black pepper
cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sherry or brandy
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 1 cup of grated parmesan or romano or pecorino cheese
sprigs of fresh thyme and/or oregano and/or parsley
hot cooked linguini or spaghetti

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saute pan until bubbling. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until soft but not brown. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly until the breadcrumbs become a uniform golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown. Add the mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft. Deglaze the pan with the wine and let it simmer until reduced by 1/2. Add the lemon juice and cook for a minute or two longer. Season the scallops with the peppers and add to the pan. When the scallops are just cooked (and they won’t take long) reduce the heat to low and slowly add the cream. When the cream is hot add the grated cheese, reserving a tablespoon for garnish. Mix thoroughly and pour over hot, cooked pasta. Garnish with the reserved cheese and sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top.

February 20, 2013
by deborah
0 comments

Pizza Sauce

We made pizzas on the grill for Axl's 51st Birthday. I made a video of the sauce, but not one picture of the final product! You'll have to take my word for it – the sauce was really good and it was enough to make almost 30 individual sized pizzas. To see the post for the dough, go here: http://cookingforaxl.com/?p=504

This recipe makes a quantity, so use what you need and freeze the rest!

Pizza Sauce

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fennel

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

2 15 oz cans tomato paste

2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper

Mince the onion and garlic very fine – use a food processor, blendor or the bullet if you have one. Heat the oil in a large saucepot and add the onion/garlic mixture. Cook and stir until the onion is soft. Add the fennel, red pepper, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix all together. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook everything for an hour over medium heat. Adjust the tartness of the tomatoes with a teaspoon of sugar if needed. Allow to cool. This will make a good quantity of pizza sauce – use what you need and freeze the rest!

February 9, 2013
by deborah
3 Comments

Pizza on the Grill for Axl’s Birthday Celebration

Axl turned 51 a few days ago and I decided we should mark this event by having a party. Since Axl once was quoted as saying "I'm not God, but if I were, three quarters of you would be girls and the rest would be pizza and beer" I thought a pizza party would be the best way to have a casual get together AND do a little instructional video as well. My expectations were that a handful of our friends would drop by, we'd make a few pizzas and have a low key get together over a few beers. By the Wednesday before the party we had 25 people respond they would be coming, three who would need a place to sleep and one who actually cancelled a prior engagement in order to attend. Clearly, I underestimated the power of free beer. My friend Kristy, who owns Cucina Tagliani, an Italian food restaurant, offered to bring her dough processor and help me make the pizza dough beforehand. Everyone else was asked to bring side dishes and toppings for the pizzas. Paul had a custom stone made for our barbeque and I presented him with a wooden pizza peel as a gift (might as well give a gift to my actual husband since Axl wasn't going to be there!)

Kristy arrived early and we set about making 30 individual balls of dough. The recipe I was using should have worked, it was from one of my most reliable cookbooks, but even after a test run the night before and another full batch the day of, it was clear that the quantities of water to flour were off. I was optomistic that our first batch would eventually 'rise' to the occasion but Kristy was convinced we'd have to throw it out. In the end, we were both right. The first batch rose up fine, but remained stifff and unyeilding when we tried to stretch it into a pie. We made five batches of dough altogether.

For the toppings I made a quantity of pizza sauce (recipe can be found on the next post) and left the rest up to our guests to supply. The variety of meats and vegetables was impressive and we ended up with pepperoni, grilled and sliced italian sausages, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, assorted pepper rings, onions, fresh tomatoes, sliced black olives, halved kalmata olives and some anchovies which were a hit with those who like them. By the end of the evening there was not a scrap of dough left, the topping platters looked as if they had been trampled and everyone had a great time 'making' pizza. Surprisingly, few of the guests brought any side dishes. We had one garden salad and two trays of hot wings plus a few random desserts. (Including a dozen meticulously decorated cupcakes that started out as two dozen right before I had to stop short before hitting a stray dog.) The pizzas were really the star of the show. And Axl, of course. You can see the video of just us wishing him birthday greetings here: http://www.cookingforaxl.com/?p=497

Pizza Dough

4 cups all purpose flour

1 package (2 1/4 tsp) rapid rise yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 to 2 cups water, heated to 110 degrees

corn meal

Pulse the flour, yest and salt in a food processor for 3 or 4 pulses. Add the olive oil and slowly add 1 and 1/2 cups of the water. Pulse until the water is incorporated and the dough begins to cling together. Add more water if needed, one tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the processor and knead until smooth. If the dough is very tough or breaks apart, put it back in the processor and a bit more water until it is soft and pliable. Work the dough until is becomes a smooth, elastic ball. Separate into 5 or 6 balls or leave whole (for one large pizza.) Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at least one hour.

Using a pizza peel or an unrimmed baking sheet, sprinkle some corn meal over the surface and begin stretching your dough to the desired size and thickness. Brush olive oil over the surface of the dough to the edge and top as desired, making sure to leave at least 1/2 inch of uncovered dough around the edge. Place on a pizza stone that has been set on the grill (we raised ours up about an inch above the grate) that has been heated to 500 degrees. The pizza will only need about 10 minutes to cook.