The following takes place between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m....

So, let's talk about last night's episode of 24.  I've been sitting in front of my computer here for a bit, trying to figure out just how to best sum up last night's action.  Because, finally there WAS action!  Plot?  Well, that was lacking.   The show is honestly becoming a cliche of itself - so much so that you can play the 24 Drinking Game and be easily soused within the first 15 minutes of the show.

Anyway, I'll try to condense this into a Cliffs Notes version.  Renee, former FBI badass agent, is pulled back into things at the insistence of the new, fairly incompetent director of CTU.  Jack Bauer thinks this is a Bad Idea, because Renee apparently was suicidal over her LAST undercover operation, infiltrating some Russian mafia type dudes.  But, Incompetent CTU Director apparently doesn't give a rat's ass about Renee's mental well-being, says that she is the only one who has "inside knowledge" about one particular Russian mafia dude who is suspected of having Nuclear Materials - every season, SOMEone has "nuclear materials" in their possession...yawn....oh, except this season, Jack Bauer channels our last president and keeps calling them "nucular."  Really, Jack? 

So as it turns out, Renee's "inside knowledge" of the Russian baddie translates to = she slept with him. And, was possibly raped by him.  Of course, Jack finds all this out a bit too LATE, since Renee's already IN the Russian dude's apartment making a fake "deal" with him that will net them millions.  Naturally, the "deal" is engineered by CTU, and Jack is Renee's "partner" in this NUCULAR Ponzi scheme, or whatever the frak it is.   Renee is apparently a lot more dedicated to her job than I am, because she ends up in bed with creepy Russian dude.  Not willingly, from the looks of it, since she grits her teeth as if she's about to do something as pleasant as changing someone's colostomy bag.   There's going above and beyond for your job, and then there's this, which is just nucking futs.   I'm just saying.  I'm also a federal employee, and enjoy my job and all that, but come ON.

Jack dons a "disguise"  - really, all he does is throw on a pair of Harry Potter glasses, and speaks horrible German - oooh, we barely knew ye, Jack!  - and heads down to make the faux deal.  

See? I hardly recognized Jack!  Ahem.

Something goes awry, Russian baddie suddenly backs off of the deal, which really pisses off Renee since she SLEPT with him, for crying out loud.   She then tells Vlad that she wasn't there for HIM, just for the deal, which really pisses him off - so he decks her.  Bad move on his part, since Renee finds a knife conveniently on the floor near where she falls, and stabs Vlad right in the old eyeball.  And the neck.  And then repeatedly in the torso, as he falls to the floor, because she stabbed him in the freaking EYE!  Dude.  Sayid Jarrah, take notice - you could learn a lot from Renee!

During the whole torso-stabbing scene, I note to Mike that it sounds like they are stabbing into a giant ham, and he agrees that they probably DID use a ham as a torso stand-in.  This thought only serves to make me hungry for a snack.  Which is sick, but...I digress.

Jack hears the Sounds of Stabbing, and quickly runs in the room to investigate.  Bad Idea, since Renee wheels around, and....stabs Jack in the gut.  Apparently it is ONLY A FLESH WOUND!, because Jack staggers a bit, then gets right back up and throws a KNIFE directly into the throat of Russian Baddie #2, who enters the room to see Vlad all dead and stuff on the floor, and goes after Renee.  Jack, having dispatched the baddies, briefly comforts Renee, who, by the way, is NUTS.   At this point, other Russian baddies show up; Renee hides, but Jack is carted off by the baddies, and they end up in the sewer.  In New York.  Seems unwise to me, to hide in the sewers like that - haven't the Russian baddies ever watched CHUD?  The show ends with backup FINALLY arriving, Renee coming out of hiding, and everyone else wondering, "Where is Jack?"

So, what actually HAPPENED, plot-wise last night?  I really have no earthly idea.  I will confess, I was distratctedly playing World of Goo on my laptop right up until all the Stabbin' Action started.  :)  

More importantly - it is now less than 12 hours until LOST.   Which is turning out to be 1,000,000,000,000 times better than 24 is this season - so far.

The Everything Bagel

It's happened before, and it has happened again - my food blog is sadly gathering internet dust of late.  And it's not because I don't LOVE food and cooking - nothing could be further from the truth!  Although, cooking is .05% LESS fun lately for me, because I'm back on Weight Watchers, and counting points. Sure, I can adapt my mad cooking skillz to reflect a lower-fat, high fiber diet.  It goes against pretty much everything I learned in culinary school - ah, hello heavy cream!  Hello butter!  Hello chocolate ganache!  *drool*

Ahem.  As I was saying....what was I saying? I'm hungry now.  Hah.   Seriously though, I've been thinking about this little blog here, and why I'm not into it except for sporadic bursts of culinary genius.  (hee)   The way I see it, is - yes, cooking, and being a foodie is a BIG part of who I am - but it's no longer what I do for a living on a full time basis.  And it hasn't been for a while.  I'm (somewhat) happily slaving away in a 9 to 5 office type job.  My interests are all over the map...kind of like the everything bagel.  So, why not blog about ALL my interests, in one handy little spot?  Call it streamlining, I guess.

Anyway, long story short - this blog content is a-changing.  You can bet I'll still post about food (and alcohol!) as the mood strikes, or as I discover new and exciting recipes.  But you'll also see me obsess over my favorite TV shows; namely, Lost.  And I'll be fretting over whether or not the new Doctor Who will be as good, if not better than David Tennant.  I'll bitch about 24 and how cliched it's become; and I'll bitch about how stupid American Idol is, even though I sit through every godforsaken minute of it every week.  Heh.

And let's not forget my other obsessions....soccer, Harry Potter, Twilight, Gerard Butler - what do you suppose he's sporting under that kilt, hmm? 

To those who've been following my blog, thanks for putting up with my lack of...posting!


P.S.     YEAH!  24 finally got good just now - looks like I'll have something to post about before you know it.  :)

Ratatouille

Although I live amongst (primarily) carnivores, I do like to prepare vegetarian entrees at least once a week.  One of my favorites is ratatouille.  It’s a very hearty comfort food – perfect for this time of year when the mercury starts to drop .  It is also very low in fat and calories, and high in fiber.  
This recipe makes a LOT of ratatouille – as Mike would say, it makes a metric ton!   It also freezes very well if you can’t exactly finish a metric ton of ratatouille. 

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups diced eggplant (about 2 1/2-3 pounds worth); salted, then blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
2  large cans (28 oz. each) of whole plum tomatoes with juice, broken up into chunks
2 sliced zucchinis (about 2 cups worth)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried sage
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggplant and bell pepper chunks; cook, stirring until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, zucchini, parsley, wine, tomato pas, sugar, basil, rosemary, thyme, and sage.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes longer.  Serve with crusty bread or rolls.  Yield:  8-10 servings

Shrimp Scampi with Risotto

Lately I’ve been craving two of my favorite dishes – shrimp scampi, and a classic risotto milanese. So I started thinking – why not combine them all into one? The risotto was a nice, flavorful change, from the usual linguine that I serve alongside shrimp scampi.   And, to add a bit of color, I steamed a bit of asparagus and added that to the shrimp once it was done cooking.  Everything came together very well, and was a nice comforting dish to have on this dreary, rainy day!

I started the risotto well before I began working on the scampi, knowing that it would take a good twenty or thirty minutes to completely cook through. The scampi takes a little bit of prep time – mostly to devein/peel the shrimp, unless you buy them already prepared.

For the risotto:

3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, kept at a simmer
Pinch of saffron
2 small shallots, diced
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated asiago or Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (if desired)

Add the pinch of saffron to the broth, and keep it at a simmer.   In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil together until it starts to foam.  Stir in the chopped shallot, and cook for 3 minutes or so, until softened.  Add the arborio rice, stir until it is completely coated with the butter and olive oil.  Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.   Begin adding the broth one cup at a time, stirring and cooking until it all the liquid is absorbed with each addition.   Risotto is done when it is tender - this could take 20 minutes or so, and you may or may not use all of the broth.   When the rice is done, stir in the grated cheese; adjust seasonings.

For the Shrimp Scampi:

8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
4 scallions, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 4 inch pieces, and steamed
Salt and pepper to taste

In a saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil until it begins to foam.  Add the garlic, and cook for a few minutes over medium heat.  Add the scallions, and the shrimp.  Stir in the wine, and cook through until the shrimp are no longer pink.   Simmer for about 10 minutes; adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper if needed.  Serve over the risotto.

The Ultimate Mac and Cheese

Forget Kraft - THIS one is truly the 'cheesiest.'

Most cheese sauces that you'll find in your typical mac and cheese casserole are bechamel based.  Bechamel is a white sauce that is typically created by whisking butter and flour together to create a roux, then whisking in milk.  For a cheese sauce, the desired amount of cheese (usually shredded) is added to the bechamel after all the milk is added, and after it thickens up a bit.

The sauce in this recipe does not use a traditional roux or a bechamel sauce, but there is a bit of flour in the sauce to thicken it up.  Barilla's corkscrew pasta - cellantani -  is my macaroni of choice for the dish, since the cheese sauce sticks very well to this grooved, corkscrew-shaped pasta.   This is the ultimate comfort food!

1 pound of corkscrew pasta
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2-3 tbsp. flour (use 3 tbsp. if a thick sauce is desired)
12 oz of your choice of cheeses, cut into small cubes (I usually use a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
Pinch of curry powder (optiona)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika or seasoning salt to garnish (I like Penzey's Old World Seasoning)

Boil the pasta, and cook according to package directions or desired doneness.  Drain, and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the broth and heavy cream.  Whisk in the flour, and continue whisking over the heat, until the mixture thickens.  Fold in the cheeses in about 3-4 additions, whisking until the cheese is fully melted with each addition.  Check for seasonings; add the salt and pepper to taste, along with the curry powder.   Pour sauce over the cooked pasta, and mix together until it is all coated.  Serve sprinkled with paprika or seasoning salt, if desired.    Yield:  8 servings.

Click on the photo above for a closeup of the EXTREME cheesiness!

Dinner at the California Grill - Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort

Recently we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary - and to really celebrate, we planned on going out for a nice sit-down meal while we were in Disney World.   So that we did, making reservations at the California Grill, which is atop Disney's Contemporary Resort.

We arrived a bit early for our 7:20 reservation on a Saturday night, and took a seat at the bar for a drink or two.  I had one of the California Grill's signature martinis, the Ray-Ray.  It contained dark rum, Licor 43, and a 'secret blend' of juices that contained passion fruit and guava juices, This drink really reminded me of being in Hawaii - where I enjoyed many such concoctions while lounging on the white sand beaches.   Neither one of us was quite finished with our drink, when the hostess alerted us that our table was ready, slightly earlier than our reservation time.

The menu presented a bit of a problem - narrowing things down to choose just ONE item, was very difficult!  Not only was there a large selection of appetizers, there were also some first course items, along with the main dish entrees.   A cheese course was also offered, to be had before the dessert course - or, in lieu of dessert altogether.  We were feeling pretty famished after spending a day walking around the park, so Mike and I both decided on a first course.  I chose the Maine lobster risotto, while Mike had a salad of field greens with caramelized pecans, and goat cheese.    My lobster risotto was served over a Meyer lemon beurre blanc, which was simultaneously rich and creamy, and tartly acidic.

For our main courses, Mike chose the seared ahi tuna, which was accompanied by a beef short-rib filled ravioli, and an oxtail au jus.   I decided on the seared ostrich filet, served over a potato puree, wild mushrooms, with a fig and honeyed port reduction.  I had not eaten - or cooked - ostrich since my culinary school days, so I was looking forward to trying it once again.  Mike was surprised that the ostrich looked and tasted exactly like a seared beef tenderloin.  The wild mushrooms were a bit oversalted, but I ate most of them anyway; and, the fig reduction was sweet and tangy.   I devoured every last bit of the ostrich - and apparently I did so a little too quickly, since I failed to get a picture of my main course!  

By this point we were becoming quite full, and even though Mike and I had discussed earlier about wanting to try the cheese course; however, dessert will always trump a cheese course, so we opted for dessert instead.  We placed our orders, and our server brought us two glasses of champagne, inviting us to go onto the observation deck adjoining the restaurant to view the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom.    What an amazing view of the fireworks, and Cinderella's castle, from fifteen floors up!

When we returned to our seats, our desserts were brought out to us shortly thereafter.  I had ordered the Varlhona chocolate cake with cherries, while Mike chose the walnut apple crumble; much like an apple crisp, and served with Calvados ice cream.   My chocolate cake was accompanied by some grilled pineapple and whipped cream, and a salted caramel ice cream.   It was one of the best desserts I've ever had at a Disney restaurant.

After finishing our dessert, it was pretty clear that we weren't going to have any room in our appetites for the cheese course - but maybe we'll get that the next time we come here.   There definitely will be a 'next time', too - perhaps next year?

At any rate, I heartily recommend the California Grill for a special occasion, romantic dinner - and probably the best view you'll ever have of the fireworks displays anywhere in Disney World!

EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, 2009 - Part 2

Our second day at EPCOT was more of a half day - we arrived at the park sometime after 5:00, having spent the morning at Magic Kingdom, then a brief afternoon respite by the pool to recharge my toddler's batteries.  Okay, so I might have recharged my batteries poolside too!

After a mad scramble to hit every attraction we wanted to see (the Future World portion of the park closes at 7:00 p.m.), we proceeded to the World Showcase to hit up the food kiosks one last time.   We began our sojourn at a booth cleverly named "The Mouse Catch", which featured cheeses and wine.  I got the cheese sampler, which featured a Dutch cheese (Dorothea); an Italian cheese (Piave); and a Spanish cheese (Mahon).

The Dorothea is a goat's milk cheese, and it was similar in texture to a Gouda, but with a stronger flavor.  The Piave is a cow's milk cheese, and was a very dry cheese - much like a Parmesan or a Pecorino Romano - but a bit sweeter, and not quite as salty as either of those cheeses.  Finally, the Mahon, another cow's milk cheese, was similar to an Asiago in texture, but with a tangy citrus flavor.  I also sampled a bit of wine with my cheese; I had a glass of Marques de Caceres Rioja, which was comparable to a good Cabernet.

Our next stop was "Cape Town, South Africa," where I sampled a seared beef tenderloin with a sweet potato puree, and mango barbeque sauce.  The mango barbeque sauce was phenomenal;  had they been selling bottles of this sauce there, I certainly would have bought one to take home!  The beef was nicely cooked, but nothing spectacular.  Honestly, the best part of this dish was the sauce, and the accompanying sweet potato puree.

Next, we decided to grab a bit of dessert in "Munich, Germany", where we sampled an apple strudel with vanilla sauce.  The strudel was decent, but the portion was not generous enough for sharing; I only got a bite and a half of this dish.  The vanilla sauce was nothing more than a simple creme anglaise that was infused with specks of vanilla bean.  I think I enjoyed the sauce more than the actual pastry here!

Following dessert, we stopped in "Bologna, Italy", to get a small piece of pizza for our picky todder.  While there, we decided to partake in some cheese cannelloni.   You could definitely tell this pasta had been freshly made that day.  It was stuffed with a ricotta-Parmesan mixture, and topped with a nicely acidic tomato sauce.  Simple, yet satisfying.

The last stop of the evening was in "Vienna, Austria", for a second dessert.   We shared a piece of Sachertorte, which is a light-textured chocolate cake, filled with a layer of apricot jam, and glazed with a chocolate ganache.  This dessert more than made up for our lackluster apple strudel; I had not had Sachertorte in many years, and thoroughly enjoyed this version.  In fact, thinking about it now, I am tempted to make my very own Sachertorte...perhaps for the holidays?

Thus ended our 2009 trip to the EPCOT Food and Wine Fest.  There were quite a few kiosks we simply didn't have time to visit, but had wanted to - I was very disappointed that we didn't have any French or Polish cuisine, but there's always next year!