Photos....

 
Yes, working again on trying to figure out layouts...but adding the photos of the hot Shrimp and Pasta and the Bstilla...well found out how to make them smaller...but not side by side..next the shrimp...

Okay!  side by side!  I can cook...I can shoot when I take the time and remember....but I would just rather cook...tonight is going to be marinating two cornish hens..made my mother's Shrimp Creole last night but just prep the dish..the peas are added and the shrimp but not cooked...that will happen at service time.  Also it can be thawed as is after being frozen and then gently heated...love good food...hate to cook at night..and only cooking for one in a pain.  Probably will send what I don't eat at one meal across the street.  I did have mac, cheese and cauliflower for dinner last night.

Mac, Cheese, Cauliflower:  Yes, make a white sauce..add the cheese...pour over the pasta..I like the 'screwy ones with the hole in the center', and the cauliflower which I have had in the pot of boiling water for about three minutes...don't want it 'cooked and really tender'....I did put it in the oven frozen, lid on for about 40 minutes and then lid off for about 20...I usually make enough for one pound of pasta...toss it all up and put in aluminum container, freeze...this is great to make ahead...I use cheese that is in the fridge...usually a couple of different types...if you have some for the top or crumbs...great...you don't need a recipe to cook everything.....

Also, same photos here but better layout than whoshotthechef.blogspot.com

Stuffed Artichokes

What am doing? Went to the Buford Highway Market to pick up some fresh veggies for this week. I also picked up two items from the meat department...Mohammed's ground lamb meat on a skewer and his pieces of marinated lamb on a skewer. The seasoned ground lamb was good..had it with left over risotto..and tonight had the lovely seasoned lamb chunks...with it only being myself and not wanting to turn on the grill...just cut the pieces smaller and panfried and put on a piece of wonderful French baguett which I had pulled from the freezer. Being in a hurry, just used good old Kraft mayo...using a light touch. Then that stuffed artichoke that I had thawed and turned the oven on to heat....would have been too much...so tomorrow will heat that up again.

Day before yesterday I did the risotto bit. I do not follow a recipe...just know what I am doing...for me..part of the liquid was a little white wine and cream...then cooled the risotto, added a couple of eggs which I had beat up..and then folded in gently by hand one pound of lump crab. Then I made individual patties and wrapped each in plastic wrap. These will be taken out of the freezer and generally panfried as the occasion arises....

I had also make a couple of quiches using be basic quiche recipe from Julia Child added a little more cheese..onion..and bacon. These were cut up and frozen in individual servings. This is great for that breakfast on the go or when you want something but don't have the time or patience to cook.

Oh, yup, out of the freezer again the night before...the most wonderful....yum, mac and cheese. And again..I just don't know what is wrong with writing down a recipe as I make it up...the mac was the hollow spirals....the sauce, who knows what cheese...a little lighter than velvetta..smooth, oh so smooth, then I had added blanched cauliflower and pieces of cured chorizo...I had been to a checkup..of sorts and wanted something that would soothe my soul as well as the body...well that was it! I ate the WHOLE thing...yup..maybe left one piece of pasta...how much did I eat...wellllll...it was packed in a 2.25 pound container...and I heated another one last night and could only eat half..almost half...so how did I eat the whole thing? heaven only knows...

Tiramisu Recipe

First I went to the store to buy the pound cake...didn't have it so had to make it..but did find them ready made a couple of days later...marked 'butter pound cake'...that makes the whole system faster.

And how did I make the tiramisu you ask?? from the old Gourmet recipe..Our favorite...
I made the pound cakes...not that I like to bake
1# flour
1# sugar
1# butter
1# eggs in the shell
2T vanilla
This from The Settlement Cook Book..mine from 1941...was my mother's

The recipe for the theTiramisu...well..can't seem to make the link work...so go to http://www.epicurious.com/ and search for Our Favorite Tiramisu. It is not your standard...but really great. The changes that I made:
instead of the 1.25cup water use: 1 pk gelatin (bloom)in 1/4 c water, add 3/4c water and heat, add 1/4 cup Kaluha and add the espresso powder to that.
I also cut my pound bread in slices about 1/4-1/2" slices, and make two layers of cake ending with the cream/cheese mix topped with chocolate. **also used Davison pasturized eggs....

If you have ready made pound cake that is good it can go faster..but allow for the two hours of cooling time during the prep...and yes, forgot to take pix after putting it all together or even along the way..but easy...and it also gets the rave reviews..and it freezes well..key point..make ahead for the holidays.

Fried Shallots and it's Cold in Dixie

The pilot light went out and it's cold..Sassy the cat is out on the prowl...I can't decide what to cook...so, just a note for those who need to know. There is something in the oriental markets/grocer that you might like to have in your cabinet...

Fried Shallots! What a wonderful jar to have to pull out and garnish so many foods...where does the bottle come from..mine comes from Vietnam..in fact I have two bottles..one smaller, 3.5 oz and one larger. The smaller jar even comes with its own little red measuring spoon..you can put them on your salad..your fried/or any other rice...oh, breakfast congee...garnish your stew..vegetables...potato salad...just so many uses..

Crispy little goodies..

Mac and Cheese..added these fried shallots as well as bacon to one of the containers of mac and cheese I made..froze..then defrost overnight..and heat in oven, 350*, til hot...really, really good