cheese please

I was shopping in Highland Park Village and I decided to stop into Molto Formaggio, a local cheese shop. I wish I had my camera because I had so much fun looking at everything. I even left with some cheese and olive oil. I already let them know that I'll be back with my camera.



Besides carrying a plethora of cheese, they have an olive oil buffet. I picked up a bottle of filtered EVOO that's good for cooking. They have plenty of condiments to compliment your cheese purchase. They have crackers, flatbreads, breadsticks, and biscotti. They also have a ton of tools and accessories including a girolle (which is something I really want because of LuxiRare).

Look forward to a future post with pictures.

the magic bullet

Last summer, my family had a reunion in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. For the last few days of the trip, I stayed with one of my aunts in a timeshare. They packed a crazy amount of stuff including food and appliances for the kitchen- rice cooker and the Magic Bullet. During the whole time, my aunt would use the Magic Bullet to make all kinds of drinks- margaritas, piña coladas, etc. I wanted to watch every time she used it. It would quickly crush ice and make drinks. I also love the idea of making a drink just the right size for me (and pulling out my heavy blender is just no fun... it either stays out on the counter forever or in the cabinets forever).

When I was finally back home, I looked up this miracle appliance but forgot about it as soon as I thought about it. Well... recently I was in Macy's picking up some sheets and I saw the Magic Bullet. Suddenly, I remembered the days in Mexico and my need for the Magic Bullet. It got me looking it up again. The reviews are mixed. People either love it or hate it. Knowing that it's a mere $60, I don't expect it to do everything in the kitchen or that it will last forever. I do expect it to make a quick smoothie. I know it's been around for awhile but I've never been one to be sold on "As Seen on TV" products.

What are your thoughts? Am I dork for wanting one? If you have one, what do you love about it? Is it a guilty pleasure?

stir fried scallops

I feel like this is 30 Minute Meals by Rachael Ray, the Asian Edition. This meal is so simple and easy yet very tasty. It's reminiscent of meals my mom would make as a child. She would often stir fry with shrimp, baby bok choy, and garlic. I'm stepping it up with scallops.

You will need about 10 oz scallops (or shrimp), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3-5 cloves garlic, about 10 oz. baby bok choy, and 1 tablespoon oyster sauce.



In a wok, heat up the oil in medium heat. Add the garlic and allow to slightly brown. Notice I like a lot of garlic.



Add the scallops and stir fry for two minutes.



Add the baby bok choy and oyster sauce and stir fry for another three minutes.



I accompanied it with a Vietnamese style omelette (eggs, fish sauce, sliced onions (I used a yellow onion but it also works with green onion), and pepper) and rice. I think the stir fry and the omelette would also be great would some heat.

making tea can be fun

I picked up this kettle about two weeks ago but didn't start using it until this week. It's pretty awesome. It has 5 different temperature settings so you can brew the ideal temperature for various teas or French press coffee. It came with two different kinds of tea so I tried out the jasmine white tea by Rishi. Accustomed to the jasmine tea that you can find at the Asian grocery store, I never realized that jasmine tea could taste so good. So... now I'm hooked on two new things- the kettle and the tea.

I still have love my traditional kettle by Le Creuset but I think it's going to become kitchen decor. If you enjoy all kinds of tea, then this electric kettle is a kitchen must have.

Breville variable temperature kettle $150

fancy mac and cheese

If you like pasta, cheese, garlic, and basil as much as I do, you need to try this mac and cheese. Your mouth will be so delighted but don't make any plans to get up close and personal with anyone.

I call this fancy mac and cheese because you need two different cheeses that cost at least $12 and $16 a pound. I went for the middle of the road variety so you're welcome to spend more if you wish.

To serve 2 (pictures show servings for 4), you will need 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped; a sprig of basil, thinly sliced; 3 tablespoons of oil; 6 ounces of green and yellow tagliatelle; 1-2 ounces of freshly grated of dry Jack cheese, and 4 ounces of Manchego cheese, shaved.



Before cooking the pasta, prep all the ingredients. Once everything is chopped, grated, and sliced, start to cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. While the pasta cooks, combine the garlic, basil and olive oil in a large bowl.



When the pasta is ready, drain and reserve some of the water. (You can toss in some of the water later if the pasta seems dry.) Then toss the hot pasta with the garlic, basil, olive oil, and dry Jack (save some to top off before serving). Finally, toss in the Manchego.



Enjoy!



adapted from Macaroni & Cheese by Marlena Spieler

shrimp bisque

I LOVE soup. I could eat it everyday (with bread, cheese, salad, and french fries). In particular, I LOVE bisque- crab bisque, lobster bisque, you name it! Every time I go out to eat and I see that there is some kind of bisque on the menu, I ALWAYS order it.

I decided it was about time I try to make it on my own. I am so glad I did because it was DELICIOUS! The only downside is all the prep. I wish I did it all a bit earlier because the whole experience would have gone much smoother. I ended up using a second pair of hands so it would be finished within dinner time.



Here's what you need (and prep it before you plan on actually cooking it): 3 tablespoons butter, 1 yellow onion (thinly sliced), 1 carrot (peeled and thinly sliced), 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced), 2 pounds of shrimp (shelled and deveined; save the shells intact as much as possible; save 24 shrimp and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces), 4 Roma tomatoes (coarsely chopped), 4 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, salt, cayenne pepper, and Italian parsley for garnish (finely chopped).



In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.



Add the shrimp shells and continue to saute for about 5 minutes. The shells will turn bright pink and the vegetables will continue to soften.



Add the tomatoes and stock. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Remove the shrimp shells and throw them away. (Notice I changed pots; I kept switching between two different pots.)



In a blender, process the mixture in batches until finely chopped. Pass the mixture through a sieve or food mill. Discard the solids.



When all done, you are left with a smooth mixture.



With the 24 shrimp set aside, add the rest of the shrimp and the bread crumbs to the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and, with the blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth.



Return the soup to medium heat and add the cream, sherry, salt to taste, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook for about 2-5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt if necessary.





When the soup is ready, add the 24 cut shrimp and cook for a couple minutes more. Before serving, garnish with the parsley. Oh, so good...

who is claire robinson

source: www.commercialappeal.com

I woke up early this morning (to my dismay), made my necessary coffee, and turned on the TV. As I flipped through my favorite channels, I decided to stop at the Food Network. The title "5 Ingredient Fix" caught my attention. This Claire Robinson was making french toast, maple candied bacon, a fruit smoothie, and asparagus topped with scrambled eggs. The whole time, I kept thinking:

• Does this really taste good?
• Who is this person?
• What are her credentials?

It became necessary to know more so I go to the Food Network site. I learn this is her third episode, she's worked in media, she really wanted to pursue her interest in food, and she's produced other Food Network shows. I started to check out her other recipes and their reviews. They were actually interesting read- people reviewing the food before even cooking it, someone named Aggie raving about the food but making some serious alterations to the ingredients, and someone named Marsha who ripped Aggie for her comments and who ripped the recipes for getting high marks for doing not much.

I'll keep watching this show out of mere curiosity. Maybe, I'll even try some of the things she made. Claire, just stop getting excited about everything you've cooked after you have a bite but it's just a bit annoying. Really... the mini orgasms that these people get after trying their food is much.