man mac

In a previous life, I was the sweetheart of a fraternity (Ben’s fraternity to be exact). This privilege was a responsibility in disguise, somewhat like I would imagine motherhood to be like.  My basic responsibilities seemed easy: feed hungry boys, find dates for members, sew on a few buttons here and there. Once I even rode in the Baylor homecoming parade as their representative (a hilarity in itself and the closest to pageantry I will ever willingly taste). Looking back, I really wish I had expended more effort in this role, as who often gets the chance to weekly meet with 40 some odd boys and share a few words or establish a few memories?

I suppose I married the most important frat boy in that bunch (who is hardly frat at all) and he still seems to remember this “man mac” that I would occasionally bring to their meetings…

oh so cheesy

crunchy meaty topping

HusBen, dinner's ready!

Man Mac

Ingredients

2 shallots, peeled

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

6 pieces bacon (reserve bacon fat)

1 ½ cups chopped brisket

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

2 cups shredded chedder cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound penne pasta cooked

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

3 tbsp. melted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy in a large pot. Remove bacon, chop, and reserve bacon fat. Add roasted shallot and garlic into pot with bacon fat and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream, milk and thyme. Reduce by a third (simmer on medium heat for 10’ish minutes). Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 glass dish (casserole type). In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon and brisket, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

pumpkin pie

Well hello folks. I apologize for my absence, but let me explain. I am on my surgery rotation and these people work an absurd amount of hours every single day. Sunday to Sunday, at all hours of the day and night. My favorite question to ask this rare breed in the OR is "what would you be if you were not a surgeon?" Generally, normal people answer pretty quickly when I pose this question, because surely we have all thought of what we might be if we were not on our current trajectory...but the surgeons I have been around lately pause an uncomfortably long time before answering. It is like they have never thought any other career could possibly supplant their current one. They LOVE what they do. 

Guess what dear readers? I kind of love it too I think.  

Despite the long hours and sometimes tedious call schedule, I think I love surgery. I am still somewhat hesitant to say I have found my calling in life, but it seems like it is all I want to talk about when I open my mouth lately. I feel a serious passion brewing and it is rather exciting! We will see....

On a less consequential note: Thanksgiving finally gave me two days off in a row and an opportunity to cook a little. Mrs. Patti assigned me the pumpkin pie. Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) recently came out with a new cookbook so I knew exactly which recipe I wanted to try. The crust is tender. The filling is so well spiced. And the whipped cream is dammmn good (yes, that expletive is a necessary modifier here, just so you know I am serious). 

Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Pie

Filling

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pie filling)

½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup whole milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

Rum Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line an 11-inch pie pan with the unbaked pie crust and place it on a sheet pan. Line the crust with parchment paper. Fill the paper threequarters full with the beans and bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Remove the beans and paper (save the beans for another time), prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork, and bake for another 5 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, eggs, cream, milk, and rum. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the filling is just set in the middle and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely. Serve with the rum whipped cream.

Rum Whipped Cream

Serves 8 to 10

A dollop of mascarpone or crème fraîche in whipped cream stabilizes it so you can make it in advance and store it in the fridge without it separating.

1 cup cold heavy cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon mascarpone

1 tablespoon good dark rum

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar, mascarpone, rum, and vanilla and beat on medium-high until it forms soft peaks. Serve with the pumpkin pie.

NOTE: If you overwhip the cream and it looks curdled, just add a little more cream and whip it until it forms soft peaks.

Perfect Pie Crust

Makes two (9- to 11-inch ) crusts

There are a few tricks to making perfect pie crust. First, the butter, shortening, and water need to be ice cold. When you roll out the dough, you want to see bits of butter throughout. Second, allow the dough to relax in the fridge for at least thirty minutes before rolling it out. And third, don’t stretch the dough at all when you ease it into the pan. Perfect pie crust every time!

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¹⁄³ cup very cold Crisco

½ cup ice water

Cut the butter in --inch dice and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle at least 1 inch larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesn’t stick to the board. (You should see bits of butter in the dough.) Fold the dough in half, ease it into the pie pan without stretching at all, and unfold to fit the pan. With a small sharp paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around than the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.

traditions

When we first got married, husBen and I used to go every Sunday night for ice cream (or frozen yogurt). That first summer of marriage was full of free time, so we would walk Quimby to the ice cream shop in our neighborhood. Then we both started school and we switched to driving there instead. Somewhere in between our 3rd year of school starting back up and moving to this new house, that Sunday night tradition was lost. I used to really appreciate that date time, that intentionality, and obviously that sweet treat. I think it is important for married kids (since that is what we are after all) to have traditions. For me, that routine seemed to bring each week full circle and allow me to reflect both on how quickly the time passed in between Sunday nights and how fortunate I was that life was in order enough that I could indulge in those few happy moments with Ben. 

coffee ice cream with dark chocolate toffee crunch

5 eggs, well beaten

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup strong coffee, cooled

2 tablespoons espresso powder

2 cups whole milk

2 bars dark chocolate, chopped (I used dark chocolate with toffee bits in it, but you can use whatever mix-in sounds good to you!)

ice cream maker

Stir together the coffee and espresso powder until dissolved. Next combine all ingredients except the whole milk in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth and well blended. Stir in the whole milk. Pour the mixture into the canister of your ice cream maker, add the chocolate chunks, and freeze according the manufacturer's instructions.

high hopes

One day I will be a natural at dinner parties. I will be capable of a beautiful spread in under 30 minutes. I will make my kids fetch the table cloths from a linen closet and set a proper table. I will effortlessly have a photograph-worthy meal on the table when Ben calls on his way home from his adult job to tell me he invited a coworker over for dinner. I will have candles burned low because of all the hours spent at the dinner table in good conversation. I will be so confident that I will be no more flustered by hosting a party of two than a party of ten. One day. 

But these days, dinner parties are a gem to me. They are my favorite challenge and one of my most rewarding joys. I lovelovelove to sit around a table with Ben and our friends or family. I know I can get food on the table and I know Ben can carry the conversation (he is, after all, the coolest person I know).  I know that these moments are to be cherished because I do not always get the time off or inspiration to cook and cook well. For now, I am grateful for each opportunity. "One day" will come. 

Last Sunday we had some friends over for dinner and they brought their two handsome boys. Quimby dog was on his worst behavior that night, too enticed by the food always so precariously poached on the end of the youngest boy's fork. Quimby's head is level with the table so he was taking every opportunity to help clean up any food dropped onto the tablecloth (what a good host?). After admonishing Quimby for nearly licking directly onto our little friend's plate, I look over just in time to see our little friend bend his adorable head down to lick the table cloth himself, clearly following Quimby's good example. This is my type of dinner party!

I served chicken with herb roasted tomatoes and pan sauce over goat cheese polenta and roasted asparagus as a side. I also made some coffee ice cream with chopped dark chocolate toffee bits (recipe later). Here is the chicken recipe if anyone is interested: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-with-Herb-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Pan-Sauce-51108240

Cheers!

blondies... like brownies but more fun

These little treats carry a punch...consider yourself fairly warned!

Browned Butter & Bourbon Blondies

½ cup walnuts

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned and cooled

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons bourbon

½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In a small pan, melt the butter (stir occasionally and watch it!) until browned and golden brown.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Spread the walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast (at 350 degrees) until golden brown and fragrant (8ish min). Allow to cool and lightly chop.

Cut a length of parchment paper to fit a 8x8 baking dish allowing the paper to come up to the top of the pan on both sides.  Cut another sheet to fit in the opposite direction also trimming at the top of the pan.  Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine well.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the browned butter and brown sugar until blended.  Add the egg and beat until incorporated.  Add in the bourbon and vanilla and again mix just until incorporated.  Add in the dry ingredients and beat until just barely combined (don’t over mix).

Add the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts to the batter.  Fold in gently.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  

Bake until the top is golden brown and shiny, about 22-24 minutes.  

Cool the Blondies in the pan then lift out using the parchment paper. Slice into bite sized pieces, as these little treats are rich!

(slightly adapted from http://www.savingdessert.com/2012/09/browned-butter-bourbon-blondies.html )

whats your story?

Last week at our bible study, I had to give my life story. In preparation for this epic personal narrative, I drew a timeline of my life thus far, consisting of a simple line with several ups and downs, sharp turns and gradual slopes. In my own mind, I was aware of all the events that comprised these turning points, but when I initially showed the picture to Ben, he (who knows me best of all) even inquired about some of the ascents and descents. After sharing this story of why I am who I am today with the others in our group, I felt bared but content, like I had just related not a story of myself, but more importantly (hopefully) painted a depiction of how awesome God is, of how well He has written my book.

When I got home that night, I chatted with a friend on the phone and casually mentioned that I had to tell my life story earlier. He replied that he would like to hear that sometime, a comment that has really kept me thinking over the past few days. You see, I grew up with this guy and as a close friend, he has really been present for most of the important points on my timeline. He saw my high school self party then change allegiance over a summer, he saw me go off to college and fall in love with Ben, and he even now goes to my same medical school. Since I have not discussed in depth with him how God was using these occurrences along the way to change me, to love me more wholly and bless me so completely, this friend has probably not really been aware of these super integral, but all important (to me) parts of my story. Those more reflective truths or my personal perception of what the actual events in my life stand for, are what make my story, or your story, or anyone’s story. That is God’s story. And that deserves to be told.

I found myself wanting to ask people I know, even know really well, to tell me their life story. These conversations probably need to be had around a table or over a glass of wine, but I truly know that I could learn more about my God by hearing these depictions of His work. 

1% embarrassing

HusBen and I caught a little something on Halloween. He had been feverish the night before, then I woke up on Wednesday feeling nearly intoxicated. I tried to distract myself from the nausea at work by staying busy, and then even thought it wise to step into the operating room. Let’s just say I had to politely excuse myself from the table while quickly passing off my tools before allowing myself to feint (sitting on the floor helped me circumnavigate that embarrassment….sort of). By the time I finally drove home, I could already see the little tricker-treaters starting to hit up the neighborhood. Ben and I could not bring ourselves to get into the spirit, even to the point of having to tell the first kids that knocked on our door that we had no candy. Yes, we are that terrible, and our bodies felt just as bad. We discussed our options at that point: A) go to the store and buy some candy (errrr, wrong answer) or B) turn off all our lights and pretend we were not home (why did that sound so appealing at the time?).

We indeed turned off all the lights, put a sticky note on the door that said “Out trick or treating, sorry!” and snuggled our viral selves into the couch with our dinner. This seemed like a good plan at first….until the relentless little people kept coming up to our door despite our best efforts to stave them off! Each time we heard them traipsing up, we had to jump off the couch and hide behind the furniture before they would be able to see us through the glass-windowed front door. We had a good laugh, all the while affirming each other that we really are not this terrible in real life…we were just sick.

Salmon with Pepita Cilantro pesto

I made this for dinner as my one and only effort to celebrate Halloween (it has pumpkin seeds in it!).

Salmon with Pepita Cilantro Pesto, over goat cheese polenta

extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 cup (firmly packed) cilantro leaves and stems

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (or 4 because you will have plenty of pesto) 6-ounce salmon fillets

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin seeds; sauté until beginning to brown and pop, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Pulse the cooled pumpkin seeds, cilantro, coriander seeds, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. With machine running, gradually add 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, then 1/4 cup water, blending until coarse purée forms. Season pesto to taste with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired.

Heat oven to 475. Make each piece of salmon a pouch out of foil by first putting olive oil in the center of a large piece of foil, then laying your salmon on top (drizzle some olive oil over the salmon, 1 good squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper), then crimping up the edges of the foil together to seal the pouch. Put the pouches directly in your oven and cook for 12 minutes. When they are done, place salmon on plate and spoon pesto over. Serve with lime wedges.  

Adapted from Bon Appétit , November 2011