Savory Memories

Shall We Try This Again?

2009-10-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, so obviously I'm not the best blogger. But I figure I'll give it another shot. I'm home all the time and sweet baby Jay usually gives me a few hours here and there I can work on things. With everything we have coming up this month and the next several months, a hobby will be a welcomed escape I'm sure! Wish me luck I suppose, and let's see if I can manage to juggle home, baby, Tom, and a cooking blog!

Noonan Trifle

2008-07-25T16:48:00.000-05:00

Tom is constantly talking about a trifle his mother makes. So I snuck around and got the recipe to make it for him. I did tweak just a little bit because I wanted to add more fruit, but other than my addition of blueberries, this recipe is thanks to his madre.

Broken-up brownie pieces
Chocolate Pudding
Whipped Cream
Raspberries and Blueberries
REPEAT

It's strictly a layer recipe. Make your brownies and pudding as usual and layer up in this order. I did two layers, but whatever will fit in your trifle bowl is probably best. Pictures will be loaded shortly....

I've been playing around with the recipe this past week and have some decent concoctions in mind. Once tested (you've been warned my precious guinea pigs) I'll post the outcome.....Until then, ENJOY !

Presents Rock!

2008-02-11T10:10:00.000-06:00

Just a heads up:

Due to amazing gifts of a culinary nature (a set of 101 cookie cutters at Xmas time, a beautiful cake stand for my bday, and many many cookbooks) I will be spending the majority of my spare time baking many a tasty good. You've been warned. Prepare for chocolatey goodness and significant weight gainage.

Steak and Potatoes

2008-01-16T11:24:00.000-06:00

Ok, couple nights ago I'd laid out some round steaks for dinner. Now, given the fact that these can have a tendency to turn out quite tough I decided to experiment (yes, experiment, scary I know) in hopes that the finished product would prevent me from knawing away at steak all night.

Here's what I did:

1/2 cup butter, melted
Montreal Steak Seasoning, couple shakes of the bottle to taste
Season salt, couple shakes of the bottle to taste
Garlic powder, couple shakes of the bottle to taste
Pepper

I shook this mixture up in a ziploc baggie then put my steaks in and shook it the bag again to coat. Put it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. After a while I pulled the steaks out and broiled them in the oven for about 5 minutes total. The finished product was quite tasty. They weren't tough and the butter marinade gave them a nice juicy flavor. Overall I was rather pleased. :)

Another experiment of the night:

3 medium potatoes, sliced to preferred size, I made them like potato string size
Season salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce

After cutting the potatoes I seasoned them then poured enough Worchestershire sauce in a bowl to mix and coat the potatoes. Fry in a skillet. Enjoy.

Spiced-Up Three Cheese Tortellini with Chicken

2007-11-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

I got the urge to experiment the other night. My mom was the guinea pig. It was overall quite the pleasant experience.

Recipe
**Please note my dry spice amounts are palm approximations. - I do not use measuring spoons, I use my hand. - You may wish to play around with the amounts to reach a personal desired flavor...**

2-4 chicken breasts
1 pkg 3-cheese tortellini, cooked as directed
1 can pasta sauce of choosing (I used Bertolli 5-Cheese)
1 tbsp butter

Chicken Marinade:
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
5 jalapeno peppers, cut into rings with seeds
~6 oz red wine vinegar
1/2 can chicken broth
1 tbsp ground red pepper
1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp season salt

Toss all the marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix throughly, then transfer to a ziplock bag. Add chicken breasts and seal. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, no more than 2 hours.

Begin boiling water for tortellini and cook as directed by box.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in skillet. Pull marinated chicken out and place in skillet. Pour in some of marinade, as if half frying, half poaching the chicken. Cook until chicken is done. Cut into bite-sized pieces to place in pasta.

When all components are finished, pour pasta, sauce, and chicken pieces in serving bowl.

Eat.

-------

I was rather pleased with this dish. I'm always nervous when I start to cook up an idea that I, well, cooked up. I used a red sauce for the pasta, even though typically white sauces go better with chicken I think. I personally don't like the cheese-y-ness of my food to overpower the other flavors, hence my choice of the red sauce with cheese flavor. The chicken had a fantastic bite to it and it held a strong flavor next to the sauce and tortellini. The sauce didn't mask the flavor of the chicken which was rewarding because the chicken was a dish all its own.

I hope anyone who tries this enjoys it as much as I did. :)

**Picture to follow**

Rosemary Chicken

2007-09-25T14:29:00.001-05:00

For Kris:

You'll need to go get dijon mustard and rosemary leaves (theyre up by the lettuces dear, dried rosemary)....Mix together a few tablespoons of the dijon with some rosemary leaves (you wont need that many, about one or two sprigs worth) then rub it on the (boneless skinless) chicken breasts (both sides) get a fairly heavy coat on them bake at 350 til the chicken's done. :) If you gots any questions you know where to find me!

They did it again....

2007-09-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

While attending IHOP yesterday my dearest friend's french toast was once again sadly violated by scrambled eggs. There is definitely something to be said about the comfort of a good friend and food. After the crazy morning I suffered through yesterday (crazy mean receptionist at the dr's office that made me cry, and then discovering that cell phones rebel and choose to no longer function when dropped in large glasses of liquid...) IHOP was the cure. Well...close to it anyway....

Past quotes

2007-09-25T10:13:00.000-05:00

11.26.07
You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.
-Julia Child

9.27.07
Men underestimate the power bread has over a women.-Me

9.26.07
My favorite animal is steak.
-Fran Lebowitz

9.25.07
There is no love sincerer than the love of food.
-George Bernard Shaw

9-20-07
Never eat more than you can lift.
-Miss Piggy

9-18-07
Health food makes me sick.
-Calvin Trillin

9-17-07
I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick--not wounded--dead.
-Woody Allen

My....lovely....friends and their take on food.....

Kris: My french toast was just violated.
Me: By your eggs?
Kris: By my eggs!

Damn I can't even burn popcorn right. (Kris)

Hellmann's makes me want to rip out my intestines and eat them---with Miracle Whip. (Kellie)

Ode to IHOP

2007-09-18T15:48:00.000-05:00

One of my constant regularities in life involves none other than my partner-in-crime and best friend Kris. It is a rare occassion when we don't make our weekly trip to IHOP. And not so rare an occassion when we make more than one. Never knowing exactly what will happen (transvestites hitting on cops after the Saturday night drag shows; our cars mysteriously locking on their own even while we are fighting them with our unlocking buttons; cops thinking we're either high or drunk when in fact we are neither; doors catching on our feet causing our clumsy asses to fall...), we're always prepared for an adventure. Of course these trips aren't always happy-go-lucky, seeing as how this is our place to meet and really talk, there are some sad occassions (or the few when we're holding hair out of the way while the other rejects the littlest amount of food she could eat because for some reason the world won't let us have some peace and happiness). BUT even with the sad there is always the happy. Because let's face it, we're best friends and we're surrounded by food. (Even when they do violate the french toast. By the eggs.)

"So You Think You Can Cook"- RR Contest

2007-09-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

So today I read an article about how Rachael Ray is searching for the "next great cook." (Article: http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=275353&GT1=7703 RR:http://rachaelray.fanrocket.com/) For those of you who don't know me, Rachael Ray is my cooking hero. She is my idol and if I say I ever want to aspire to anything it would be her talents. So here I am, contemplating the idea of entering this contest but I still can not come to a final decision. (One could say I've turned into my sister or best friend --each of whom I love tremendously ;) -- with my back-peddling wishy-washy decision making on this subject.) I'm divided into two parts. One that says "Go for it! It could be a great opportunity and if nothing else you know you'll have a blast trying." The other part is slightly more pessimistic. Or perhaps too optimistic. Either way, it's the spazzy part of me saying "What if they actually select you?" Even with the self-doubt I have that doesn't think I would be, the thought is still in my mind. And it's followed by this: "What if they actually select me? That would be horrible!" I would spazz out to such a degree. It would frantic and crazy and though I would be super excited I would be incredibly terrified. So I still have no conclusion as to a choice and with limited time (entries but be sent by September 27th) I fear by the time I do decide it will be too late.

What's an indecisive, slightly nervous aspiring cook to do?

Numero Uno

2007-09-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

I am slowly developing my kitchen skills as I head down the road to culinary greatness. At 19 I've been cooking and baking since I was 8 years. Nearly everything I know I've taught myself with a few things picked up from my father (grilling/meat expertise), mi madre (with our love for that special ingredient which actually we can't manage to keep secret) and other relative members. Known by my family as "the cookie girl" or "jessie crocker" I have met new members of my family for the first time and am already known as the famous cookie girl. After high school I contemplated culinary school but opted for a less risky route and began working on my bachelors degree in English, which I am currently still working towards with the ending goal being to gain my master's in Library sciences. However my passion for being in the kitchen is still stronger than ever and I am working harder towards improving myself at this time. Think of this as a scratch pad of my journey, my trials, my errors and maybe even a few brilliant successes. There's no telling what I'll throw up here or how it will turn out but in the end I will at least have created a few Savory Memories.