Can I please Play Sleeping Beauty and Sleep for 200 years?

Its the week before finals at Rogers State University. A time when complexions go to hell and all of the students transform from semi-sensible adults into sleep deprived Zombies. Myself I find that I  am joining the ranks of the stressed out train wrecks when comfort and security become so desperately needed and the only hope that are able to be found is in the bliss that is food.
Now I am not talking about just any kind of food I am talking about comfort food. You know things like Macaroni & Cheese, Chocolate chip cookies and yes Chicken Noodle soup. That said for all my fellow college students who are suffering the Nightmare of finals week here is a Super easy, filling and delicious recipe that though won't make finals disappear will make them temporarily livable . My 5 cheese Mac & Cheese.



Five Cheese Macaroni and Cheese.

1     cup Cream Cheese
1     cup Grated Swiss
1/2  cup Parmesan
1     cup Cheddar
1     cup mozzarella
1     cup heavy Cream
1     tsp minced garlic
1/2  stick of butter
2    large eggs
2  cups elbow macaroni
1 cup Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 F.
In sauce pan melt cheese, heavy cream minced garlic and 1/2 of the 1/2 of the stick of butter over medium low heat
until completely melted. Set aside with lid to keep warm.
then boil noodles till they are al dente about 10 minutes depending on your range.
drain noodles and stir remaining butter into them pour noodles into a casserole dish.
Beat eggs till completely mixed and pour egg and Cheese sauce over the noodles stir till all noodles are coated.
Sprinkle an even layer of bread crumbs over the mixture and cover with with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. The bread crumbs will be toasted and the cheese will be bubbling slightly.

This dish is like walking into grandmas house on Christmas morning, its creamy , delicious and makes even the most hellish finals week seem like a bad dream.
As always Everything is better with Butter.

Challenge to readers.

Swedish Chef Muppets (Jim Henson)

If there is a recipe you would really like to see done then please post whatever it is, I will do my best to make them all at least once. If the ingredients are expensive then I will one day a month make one expensive dish and will take a poll over what you all want me to try.
If you only know the name then feel free to post the name and I will do the leg work.
I will do my best to attempt them and no matter what the results it will be my honor to give you all a great laugh at my expense and promise to laugh at myself as well.
No matter what Butter makes all Mistakes better.

The French , Butter and Boeuf Bourguignon

The French over the centuries have been one of the main dominators of the culinary world and for good reason any country that gave the world delicacies such as Creme brulee, crepes and all things that are covered in butter is a great place in my book.
So last night , after feeling in a rather french mood ( damn genetics) I decided that it was the perfect day to make Boeuf Bourguignon the recipe that one of my culinary heros Julia Childs made famous.
So there we were (my husband and I) out and about at 7pm trying to hunt down the needed ingredients to make this fantastically wonderful stew whose meat litterally melts like butter in your mouth . And yes for the fact that he was willing to go with me to the store I had no trouble enduring every joke about the french imaginable.
For instance did you know there are talks about the French changing their flag, yeah they are going to make it all white.
Or do you know why the French have so many Trees planted along their streets? SO the Germans could march in the shade. ( my husband isnt politically correct) I should have been offended considering I have french blood but as I said before he came with and carried the bags so I would have let him say almost anything.
So I get home and pull up the recipe and the moment I started browning the meat it was like being transported from claremore Oklahoma and being placed in a euphoric high of onions, garlic and yes Butter lots and lots of butter I realize that the recipe called for olive oil but butter just makes everything better so I decided to substitue for  equal parts of Butter (ok maybe a bit more than equal) and excluded the bacon when the stew was done well what am I saying?!! It was not stew, it was Boeuf Bourguignon it was nothing short of heavenly( huge appologies to my Vegetarian Friends )
So here it is Julia Childs Boeuf Bourguignon.

For the Stew

• 6 ounces bacon, solid chunk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
• 2 -3 cups beef stock (Simple Beef stock is posted on the site, unsalted and defatted)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed (you may choose to add more)
• 1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dred thyme)
• 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

For the braised onions

• 18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley

For the Sauteed Mushrooms

• 1 lb mushroom, quartered
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. 1
   First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve.
2. 2
   Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" long.
3. 3
   Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.
4. 4
   Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.
5. 5
   Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
6. 6
   Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9" - 10" wide, 3" deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
7. 7
   Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
8. 8
   Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
9. 9
   Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.
10. 10
    Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
11. 11
    In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.
12. 12
    Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
13. 13
    Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
14. 14
    Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
15. 15
    Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
16. 16
    Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven.
17. 17
    Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
18. 18
    Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind.
19. 19
    Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove
20. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.
21. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
22. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.
23. For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
24. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
25. Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
26. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
27. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
28. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
29. For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
30. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
31. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
32. To Finish the Stew:.
33. When the meat is tender, remover the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.
34. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).
35. Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.
36. Skim the fat off the sauce and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
37. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
38. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.
39. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.
40. Taste for seasoning
41. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
42. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
43. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley.
44. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator.
45. 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
 
This recipe was so good even though my Carnivorous husband would have liked nothing more than if I had left out all the Vegetables it was fantastic.
I hope you all enjoy remember Everything is blissful with butter

Empress Nala and the dogs that she is forced to endure

When I first met my husband the first thing he did after our first date was to take me home to meet his family and the Royal that had deemed them worthy to live with her.
Little did I know when I walked in the door and met his parents that the one I had to sell my worthiness to date Christopher would be the Empress who sat cleaning herself while perched on a chair. Now no one owns a cat a cat owns you .
And Nala from the day I became a part of My husbands life has viewed me as yet another one of her servants placed to grant her whims. Unlike the dogs who are there for us.
Frankie our Pug follows me around when I cook hoping I will drop crumbs for him to glean from and my little white schnauzer well she is my baby whose boundless energy is a constant source of disdain for Nala who would love it if we would keep her bowl full and give her pets when she demands them alas its so Hard to train humans these days.
My first impression of Nala was here was a big Fluffy fat cat an adorable grey fluff with the biggest green eyes and a silky coat. That day when I sat down in the family room I had been there maybe 5minutes when she jumped into my arms and started cleaning my hands. Its worth noting that Nala had not approved of Christophers other Girlfriends and made that know. If you ask my husband when he knew I was "the One" it was the day that Nala gave her approval.


Empress Nala  and the Dogs
 



Me and Miracle
 



Life, Love & The Pursuit Of Butter

Life it would seem is a crazy thing where we are constantly being bustled about whether its because of work or the disaster that is the University scene. There are days that I feel the pressure more than others for instance today.  

My husband who I adore is one of the most kind, thoughtful , caring and at times the most neurotic person I know. He is also applying to grad-school the question is not when he gets in rather it is where he gets in. I think that is what drives me the craziest, not knowing where we will be or if there is a culinary school there. 

I am not worried about leaving I mean truly I can not do what I want too here. There is not a food scene beyond what is fried, frozen or guarenteed to give heart burn for the most part with a few exceptions.Example the most brilliant culinary treasure in claremore being the Belvedere  Mansion whos food is quaint, but roast duck with wine sauce is not on the menu as often as salads containing fruits depending on the season.  Now I am not against junk food I actually love it from time to time and I look forward to some of our weird little things we do here like the Universities Chili cook off where for $5.00 you could sample, vote and suffer gastrointestinal distress  from 19 different versions of chili.
Now I am not saying that all of the chilis were bad because well to be honest they weren't, as a matter of fact 8 of them were edible and of those, 5 were so fantastically divine that I was willing to overlook (almost) the other 11 that were in fact so bad that within 10 minutes of consuming them I was running to the bathroom.
However regardless of that there were 2 which I found so wonderful that I had to mention them  and their makers here Dr. Frank Grabowski whose divine polish chili that inspite of being cold I would have ate the whole darn thing even if it had come out of a freezer and I had to break it in chunks and though not as much my favorite Dr. Juliet Evusa came in a firm second place in my book at least with her African Chili (her name) that had a beautiful and refreshing hint of curry that made the tummy irritating nightmares seem to fade in its elegance. Yes imagine that me calling a chili elegant. 

I guess it comes as no surprise what I want to do. I want to cook. To me there is nothing more blissful than standing in a kitchen or so relaxing as watching butter melt. For me cooking is zen and the kitchen is my own cozy cocoon where nothing can touch me and even when something doesn't come out in the kitchen there are always do-overs I mean if you burn caramel you wash the dish and start again life never gives you these guarentees.Though my Mother in law Teases me because I can not master boxed Jello Whether making Brie Souffle, Ratatoullie, crisp air light Meringues ,(my Husband and Aunts Favorite) Creme Brulee (another one of hubbys fav.), or a batch of wonderful Cream Scones that seem like a Mommy hug on a bad day. 

 Like today, today is a cooking day a day when everything seems to suck and I know I can cook and everything will go away. I guess thats why I am starting this not just for myself but for all my friends and family who have asked me for recipes or how I made something so for all my friends here is my much coveted recipe for Cream Scones.

Cream Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs Baking powder
3 Tbs Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
5  Tbs Butter
1 Cup dried fruit ( I preffer Cran/cher myself)
1 Cup Heavy Cream 

Directions.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into  wedges  Bake until light golden brown and enjoy your mommy hug on a plate.

And to all my friends, I will meet you in the OMA with a batch of scones for our Food therapy .

Life is one of those complicated things and cooking is an act of love that embraces the heart

Remember just add Butter.