The Case of the Incorrect Order

I looked across the table as the waitress gently slid the plate in front of my friend, and I knew immediately that I had ordered incorrectly. While my falafel was quite tasty and beautifully plated, it paled in comparison to the angular authority that was the fried polenta cake, staring at me from across the table. So simple, so elegant, and so not mine. Thanks to the generous nature of my friend, I was able to enjoy a taste of the fluffy fried wonder and bask in it's goat cheese splendor. Lighter than you would imagine, this dish was edible perfection. For a minute, I actually considered stealing her plate by using some sort of Three Stooges-esque diversion tactic. Instead, I ate my falafel, begrudgingly. When we finally had the chance to return to this restaurant, I was ready to order before we sat down. Make no mistake, I was there for the polenta. It was everything I remembered and more, this time it was all mine! Who knew polenta could be so memorable? In a hopeless effort to capture that tasty magic at home, I tried to recreate the meal. Needless to say, it was like taking a picture of a sunset... beautiful, but not quite the same.

Check out the real deal: The Cafe - 509 Southard Street - Key West, FL

My Attempt (as seen above):

4 oz goat cheese

1 C fine corn meal

3 1/2 C water

salt to taste

2 C Italian breadcrumbs

Bring salted water to a boil. Slowly add in the polenta and whisk until fully incorporated. Go slow, you don't want chunks. Once all the polenta is uniform in texture, stir in the goat cheese. Remove from heat and continue stirring until all the cheese has incorporated into the polenta. Pour warm polenta into an 8x8 baking dish, lined with plastic wrap. Top with another sheet of plastic wrap and chill until polenta sets up. (about 1 1/2 hours in fridge) Cut into triangles and toss in Italian breadcrumbs. Pan fry in olive oil until golden brown on each side. Serve with wilted spinach and cold marinara... a few pine nuts don't hurt either!

The Star Of Breakfast

The best gifts show someone how much you love, not how much you spend.

Love is in the details.

Merry Christmas!

The Star of Breakfast:

Using cookie cutter, cut star shape out of center of bread. Toast the cut out star. Place bread slice into a well buttered skillet on medium heat. Once one side is golden, flip over toast and crack egg into center of star. Cover and cook until egg white is firm. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with toasted star.

5 Minute Fritter

Today I was in the mood for a little gluttony, a little soul comforting goodness that would cure me of my winter blues. This 5 minute fritter fit the bill. I peeled, cored and sliced one small fuji apple, yielding 4 perfect rings. A quick dip in a light batter and into the oil they dropped. Almost as quickly as they went in, they began to turn a gorgeous golden brown. A minute or two on each side was all they required to achieve that crispy fried exterior. The batter puffed like a pillow surrounding the apple and the fruit inside was warm and juicy. The taste was somewhere between a donut and an apple dumpling, two of my childhood favorites. With each bite, that warm feeling of nostalgia poured over me. Topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, these sinful little devils were the perfect dose of guilty pleasure I was looking for. Oh, sweet sweet joy!

Fritter Batter:

1/2 C flour

1/2 C almond milk

2 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP butter - melted

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

In a mixing bowl, beat egg. Mix in milk and butter. Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour and stir to create batter. Peel, core and slice apple into rings. Dip each apple ring into batter and then drop into hot canola oil. Fry until golden brown on each side... about 2 minutes each side. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

My Baking Confession...

I would love to say that I bake everything from scratch, but that is not even remotely true. Scratch baking intimidates me. I am a person who likes to "wing it" in the kitchen and that does not fly in the world of edible chemistry. Baking requires discipline. Measuring is important, recipes are important, exact temperatures are important. If something is off by even half a teaspoon, the whole thing could flop. I personally can not succeed within those parameters, therefore, I cheat. When I get the urge to bake, I bust out the store bought pie crusts, the puff pastry sheets, or a boxed cake mix and improvise from there. At least I know my limitations. My favorite example of how to church up a cheap store bought item is this twist on Jiffy cornbread. With a few simple additions, the inexpensive boxed mix is transformed into a spicy, delicious treat. Imagine this tasty little number snuggled up next to a steaming bowl of chili on a cold winter's day. We can't all be professional chefs, but we all gotta eat.

Spicy Cheddar Corn Muffins:

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 C half and half (box calls for milk, I used half and half)

1/4 C diced red pepper

1/4 C diced poblano pepper

1/2 C grated sharp cheddar

1/2 C white sweet corn

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix contents of box with 1 egg and the half and half. Add in all the peppers, corn, pepper flakes and cheese and mix thoroughly. Scoop into greased muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes.

Pass the Time, Please...

I woke up Sunday morning with those flittery butterflies in my stomach. Like a kid on Christmas day, I was too excited to sleep in. After eight long weeks, my husband was finally coming home. Unfortunately, I needed to kill several hours before I could start my journey to the airport to pick him up. After a leisurely breakfast with friends, which included countless cups of coffee, I was jacked up on caffeine and anticipation. The countdown was ticking away but at a painfully slow pace. This signaled the time to break out the pots and pans, rummage through the fridge, and get sucked into some culinary zen. Not only would the time fly, but I would be left with something delicious... a win-win situation. Raiding the refrigerator, I found parmesan, gruyere, and mozzarella as well as a jar of homemade arugula pesto. With the addition of some whole wheat pasta, mac and cheese was the obvious choice. I quickly got a pot of salted water going on the burner and started shredding cheese. Once the noodles were tender and the cheese sauce was finished, I mixed the two together, swirled in the arugula pesto and topped it with chopped almonds. While this tasty mixture was baking to a nice golden brown, I washed the remaining dishes, set a plate out for my lunch, and made one last time check. After enjoying my creation and taking a few quick snaps with the camera, it was, indeed, time to go. I love it when a plan comes together.

Onion and Apple Soup

It starts with that annoying tickle in the back of your throat. Next, it's the sniffles and fatigue. Before you know it, you have a full blown cold and you're down for the count. Welcome to the story of my weekend. I've been on a steady rotation of hot soup, hot tea, and hot showers and have spent the majority of the last two days curled up on the couch under a blanket. Today around 3pm, I finally mustered enough energy to drag myself into the kitchen and start a big batch of vegetable stock... throwing everything from ginger to jalapenos into the pot. The aroma of onions, garlic, peppercorns and herbs permeated the house as well as my sinuses. As I looked aimlessly around the kitchen, I noticed that my counter was littered with apples and onions, which happen to be my favorite flavor combo of the week, so I started slicing. I caramelized the pair in a skillet with a healthy dollop of butter. Once they were sufficiently softened and sweet, I added them to the stock which I thickened with flour and almond milk. Hearty enough to accommodate a crusty slice of toast and a thick chunk of Gruyere, this soup was exactly what the doctor ordered. I think there was also a glass of red wine on that order, let me check my prescription....

Halloween Gold

This candy is super simple to make and absolutely addictive to eat. Originally introduced to me as a Christmas treat with red and green M&Ms, a slight switch of color has instantly transformed it into an All Hallows Eve classic. Dubbed "Halloween Gold" by one of my neighbors, it's as easy as spooning a dollop of melted chocolate onto a bite-sized pretzel and dropping an M&M on top. Once the chocolate has cooled, it's ready to be packed up and handed out to the special little goblins and ghouls in your life. There's nothing better than free gold, so share the wealth!

Happy Halloween, everyone!