For the Love of Food

I have to say that I’ve learned quite a bit from my Project Foodblog experience:
-Step-by-step pictorial blog posts get the attention of more readers – probably because they are more helpful
-Taking time to set up a true photo shoot for a meal can produce amazing results

and

-Making a good cooking video is easier said than done

What I enjoyed most about the experience was getting to know myself and my new limits and being introduced to new recipes.

This recipe is one of those recipes. For years I had considered making it, but often decided against it because of lack of knowledge. So, when bell’allimento made a cooking video for Project Foodblog demonstrating just how simple it was, I had to get right to it.

First I dug out the bacon that we smoked with some friends last winter, then rummaged through the refrigerator for the other ingredients – which most of us would always have on hand. I used Pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan because my son is lactose intolerant and can only eat goat and sheep cheeses – Pecorino being a sheep cheese. And, I whipped this recipe up in a mater of 20 minutes. It’s quick and delicious.

Check out bell’allimento’s video recipe here.

I have been dying to try to make Chinese dumpling (in any form) for quite some time now. And, when I stumbled across Jaden’s really easy-looking recipe I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and time to start cooking!

She has a really great step-by-step tutorial on how to fold them – and it is really fool-proof! I did have some issues in making the dumplings, but this problem started at my local grocer. Where the heck do I find dumpling wrappers in my small town?? No Where. But, I never let that stop me – I was determined to make these babies. So, I grabbed a pack of wonton wrappers and made my way home. And, yes, wonton wrappers do hold up well, but you will end up with rectangular dumplings. And, I’m not sure if the flavor is any different than that of dumpling wrappers. Oh, and although I have 3 huge bouquets (or bushes) of chives growing in my garden, I somehow came home without any and ended up having to use the green onions.

We really enjoyed the dumpling, despite their rectangular coutures. The pork and cabbage filling is full of flavor and I promptly started dreaming up other dishes that I could use it in. Jaden recommend enjoying the dumpling with some hot chili sauce, but we found that the slippery consistency of the dough wasn’t able to hold much of the flavor of the sauce. Maybe this wouldn’t have been the case had I pan fried them?? On the other hand, the next day my Chinese friend stopped by the a bowl of Congee (she stops by practically twice a week with some sort of new and exciting Asian food for me to try) and we warmed it up with these dumpling inside (did I just commit a mortal sin by doing that??) and they worked wonderfully together.

Here’s the recipe, and you can find Jaden’s step-by-step tutorial on how to fold dumpling here in her Steamy Kitchen. Continue Reading »

After yesterdays very important post on Food Styling – I am almost embraced to post this picture. I rummaged through my refrigerator for quite a while before giving up – nothing green to go on top! Everything living and green was sitting in my garden a 15 minute walk away…sometimes it’s impractical to not have your herb garden in your kitchen!

Anyways, I still think the dish is worth of posting because it was so delicious.

I was recently introduced to the idea of roasting tomatoes in the oven by Naturally Ella in her recipe for Roasted Vegetable Tostadas – which I made 4 times in the last 2 weeks! I will post about those later. Anyways, it got me to thinking that if roasted tomatoes can taste so delicious in Tex Mex, they sure would taste great in an Italian dish like Spagehtti al Pomodoro (which is basically spaghetti in tomato sauce). Continue Reading »

I am always on the look-out for a good fettuccine alfredo recipe that doesn’t require me to open a canned or a bottled ingredient. Recently I came across a recipe from The Pioneer Woman and it not only looked delicious, but simple – four ingredients plus salt and pepper – so there’s not too much to mess up.

I do have to say that it was tasty, but I also have to say that I had such terrible indigestion after eating it….

It is rich, and creamy, and thick, and heavy..and good. But, if you’re like me and have a sensitive stomach to high fat/oil foods, then I recommend you stay away…because just one bite will not be enough.

The Pioneer Woman has a great pictoral depiction on how to make this recipe. For those of you who want the short version (minus step-by-step photos)…here it is: Continue Reading »

Back when I only had one child…

I used to cook nice elaborate meals. Now, I cook quick, uncomplicated meals. Sometimes they turn our a bit boring, and sometimes I am surprised how 5 simple ingredients plus a little salt and pepper can come together to make a mouth-watering dish in 15 minutes.

This is one of those dishes.

This is a recipe I found on Real Simple, and, as promised, it’s really simple to make, but very complex in taste. Continue Reading »

Well, it has been quite a while since I last blogged about food! I have to say that being a parent of 2 children is four times the work as being the parent of once child..it’s hard to believe but it’s true.

I have been cooking and documenting my meals, but have not had time to blog. I am trying to change that, but family has priority.

I am now back to hosting Taste&Create and have taken some time to blog about a delicious meal that I made from my partner’s blog Tasty Treats…. . I made Poornima’s Penne in a Creamy Pesto Sauce with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Chicken. And, it was absolutely delicious! We all had 2 helpings! And, another plus was that it was quick and easy to make.

I was really looking forward to trying something more Indian, but my baby has such a sensitive stomach that I have to avoid onions, beans, and spicy foods of all kinds. It limits what I can eat…especially since I love Tex-Mex so much, but in a year I will most likely not be breast feeding any more…or he will have out grown it.
These are some really delicious looking dishes from Poornima’s blog:
Khaman Dhokla
Chana Masala
Sev Puri
Chicken Biryani

Check out Tasty Treat’s delicious Creamy Pesto Sauce with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Chicken recipe here!

I really love throwing a party – and I never need a reason to throw one for friends and/or family. So, with Foodbuzz’s 24,24,24 monthly event, I have an even greater motivation to throw put together some sort of event centered around food.

For this month’s event I have chosen to throw a grill party for family and friends visiting from out of town. My title “Achtung! Die Grillsaison hat begonnen” (“Attention! Grill-Season has begun” translated into English) is a favorite German phrase that you will see and hear everywhere once grilling season starts – which is about mid-May. So, with my grill party I decided to showcase typical German foods that you would find at a grill party. Naturally, there are many many more dishes and meats that are grilled at a German grill party, but these are my favorite that I can get my hands on here in Bavaria.

Our menu consisted of:
Potato Salad
Tossed Salad
Bread
Tzatziki Sauce
Noodle Salad
Grilled Vegetables
Chicken legs
Bratwurst Kebabs (Bratwurstspieße)
Crunchy Kebabs (Knusperspieße)
Pork Steaks
Pork Belly
Rostocker Bratwurst
Poultry Kebabs (mixture of chicken, turkey, and duck)
Cevapcici
Vanilla Pudding with Rote Grütze (red fruit jelly dessert topping)

Let’s just say we had a lot of food and a lot of leftovers! We were expecting some more friends to come by, but after a pipe burst in their home they were busy with more important things. So, there were 9 of us. I prepared everything..well, I do have to add that most of the meats and the potato salad were all marinated/made by the butcher…and my husband grilled with help, every once in a while, from my father-in-law. The rest of our guests enjoyed themselves, relaxed in our garden, and ate until they couldn’t eat anymore.

Our guests wished not to have their photographs on my blog, so here are some pictures of my family:

me “helping” with grilling

Bellow are the dishes that I made, including recipes, and bellow that are the dishes that we didn’t prepare ourselves. On top of all this I had planned a German creamy cucumber salad, but ended up forgetting it at home. We had it the next day for lunch and it was fantastic. But, it went so quickly that I never got a photo of it! Continue Reading »

I have finally made a spaghetti sauce that’s worth talking about.  It’s easy, tasty, and done in an hour. Continue Reading »

Yesterday I cooked something slightly out of my comfort zone…and I liked it! I LOVE shrimp and garlic and herbs and butter, but together – no way! Well, I had to change my mind last night…

This month for Taste&Create I was partnered with Jessica from Cooking up memories and when I saw here Ina’s Baked Shrimp Scampi I was intrigued. I’ve never heard of a baked shrimp scampi dish that included panko bread crumbs. What convinced me to try it was the fact that it had so much lemon in it…which is my favorite way to eat shrimp – just with lemon on it. Continue Reading »