Grilled Cheese Bonanza!

I first have to say that I'm writing this as Daughter #1 is watching my favorite rendition of Little Women (with Winona Ryder) and Beth just died. Now, don't act like Joey on Friends--like you didn't know that was going to happen...I remember seeing this movie many years ago during a visit with my sister Kelly in Ft. Wayne when it first came out and we wept--even though we knew exactly what was going to happen. I read that book over and over as a young person and wished so much to be Jo--only I would have actually married Laurie!

OK- so onto grilled cheese. Daughter #2's birthday fell on a Friday in Lent this year. I admit, I did fix some mini corn dogs at the Birthday Girl's request, but she also asked for celery with peanut butter (which I forgot to make). We did have spinach dip (one of Daughter #1's faves), cauliflower salad with crunched up Raman noodles instead of bacon and a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches.

My vision didn't play out quite as I had hoped--I wanted to make a variety of smaller grilled cheeses so everyone could sample. When the jalapeno popper grilled cheese turned disastrous, we switched gears--thanks to Hubby-Bubs and Aunt Mary Beth who stepped in to save the day! Just a note, don't think that you can bake jalapeno poppers and then smash them into a grilled cheese sandwich (next time, I will actually slice the peppers and place them on a combo of mozzerella and cream cheese) We learn from our mistakes, don't we.

Anyhoo, (thanks again to Hubby-Bubs and Aunt Mary Beth) able to offer the following: regular mild cheddar cheese; apple slices with sharp cheddar; and caprese--mozzerella, fresh basil and tomato. All served on homemade white bread I made the night before.

All turned out well food-wise, but, more importantly, it was a lovely evening with extended family and a big hit for the birthday girl!

Cashew Chicken---sooo yummy!

While I'm waiting for my chicken to thaw, listening to sports radio talk about Peyton Manning going to the Broncos, I'm thinking about how fan-tab-u-lous my cashew chicken tasted last night. A light breading with cornstarch or flour and low-sodium soy sauce, along with sauteed shiitake mushrooms, celery, onion on a bed of lovely brown rice made for a very good dinner.

Roux!

I can make a roux like nobody's business--and I love making one. I even like saying it--"roux." Hubby-bubs will ask me what I'm doing and I can say in my I-pretend-to-be-a-chef-voice, "Oh...I'm making a roux." It's what makes chicken etouffee and pot pie so scrumptious. Do not even go there with any kind of canned soup and say that it's better--it's not!

It's a simple process, really. Any chef (and I'm not one) would laugh at me. There is something about introducing that butter to those sauteed veggies and then adding flour, oh so kindly, and taking the time to stir appropriately. Taking time to let the process happen. And then adding the liquid to create this golden-ness that is rich and flavorful. When it's done right, it sets up the dish perfectly. As crazy as it sounds, but it makes me happy.

So why is it that I can't make gravy to save my life?

The Verdict is IN!

Pesto Tortellini was a HUGE success! I think I will add roasted red peppers. Roasted pine nuts would send it into a new dimension. It was so good that I had counted on leftovers, but Hubby-Bubs finished it off last night.

So...tonight is Daughter #1's fave chicken (hand breaded and gently fried in olive oil) and an old family favorite--zucchini fritters!

Test Kitchen Open This Weekend

Back nearly a quarter century ago I moved from South Bend, IN to Indianapolis--thinking I'd stay for a couple of years and then move on to a "real" city like Chicago. 20+ years later, I'm still here and love my city. One of my first jobs was as a server at a restaurant called Rick's Cafe Americain. It was a decent waitressing job where I met some good friends, as well as Hubby-Bubs. The restaurant is no longer in existence, but my marriage is.

The menu was vast, but one particular dish was one of my faves--Pesto Tortellini. It was a creamy pesto over cheese tortellini with ham and artichoke hearts. I used to take out the art hearts until I actually tried them one day and realized what I was missing.

For some reason I thought of this dish recently and decided I want to try to recreate it this weekend. I'm sure as I'm tinkering in the kitchen, I also be wondering where all those people I knew ended up (besides Hubby-Bubs, of course - smile!)