SATC is Back!!

Like many people, I can't wait for the new SATC movie coming out May 28th. So until that glorious day comes, I have to make do with the new extended trailer that just came out. It looks fabulous!! I'm a little worried, though. Aidan is back, and it looks like it may cause some issues for Carrie and Big. As a huge "Team Big" supporter, I'm crossing my fingers that Carrie won't get into any trouble.

And as always, I'm looking forward to some wonderful fashion...

Welcome Home Dinner: The Next Generation

So once again, my husband had to travel to L.A. for training. Since he was subjected to fast food and hotel meals for two weeks, I wanted to give him a top-notch welcome home dinner. The last time I did this, I selected Ina's Steakhouse Steaks as the main course. To keep with tradition, and because we are both huge fans of steak, I decided to keep steak as the main course, but I wanted a different way to do it.

While taste, and ease of preparation were integral to my final recipe choice (aren't they always?), my main goal was a meal that would not mess up my kitchen. I wanted my husband to come home to a nice, clean house so he could relax. Plus, I needed to compete with two weeks of hotel maid service! So, I decided to go back to a recipe we had tried once, but had not had in some time: Ina's Truffled Filet of Beef Sandwiches. Taste: phenomenal. Ease: super easy. Cleanliness: very few dishes and no prep. chopping. We had a winner!

While a little on the expensive side because of the large piece of filet mignon and truffle butter, this recipe is well worth it. Paired with a homemade Caesar salad (recipe in a previous post), and this was a great welcome home dinner that was quick and easy, and allowed us to catch up after two weeks apart.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillet of beef, trimmed and tied
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 French baguettes, 18 to 20 inches long
• 3 ounces black truffle butter, at room temperature
• 1 (2-ounce) chunk good Parmesan cheese
• Fresh baby arugula

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean!)

Place the beef on a sheet pan and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Spread the butter all over the beef with your hands. Sprinkle the beef evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Roast for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the fillet about 1/4-inch thick.

Open the baguettes lengthwise but not all the way through. Spread the bottom halves generously with the truffle butter. Top with a layer of sliced beef and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into thin shards and scatter the shards over the sliced beef on each sandwich. Finish with a sprinkling of arugula leaves. Fold the tops of the sandwiches over, cut each baguette diagonally in 3 or 4 sandwiches, and serve right away.

Food Network

My Recipe Notes:

• Don't skimp on the truffle butter! It makes all the difference. (Mine was from Williams-Sonoma. dartagnan.com also sells it)
  
• Filet of Beef is Filet Mignon. I have tried it once tied like the recipe says, and once not tied. I didn't notice a difference.
• My grocery store has horrible baguettes, so I use their Rustic Country Loaf (Safeway) and it's perfect for these. Anything with a crunchy texture on the outside is great.
• Really take your time and slice the meat as thinly as possible. The first time we cut it a little thick and they were hard to eat. I slowed down this time and got it thin enough so the meat wouldn't fall out.
  

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait...

It finally happened. The shirt I've been watching forever at Anthropologie finally went on sale! Eureka!

Doesn't this remind you of eating petit-fours at a lovely afternoon garden tea? Pure bliss...

The Nectar of Life

"What garlic is to food, insanity is to art." - Augustus Saint-Gaudens

The Age

Are You Ready for Some Action?

Bread, Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, 'Nuff Said

On the newest episode of The Barefoot Contessa this past weekend, Ina cooked up something straight after my own heart. We went out, got the ingredients, and made it that very same evening. I'm talking about Scalloped Tomatoes. Easy to make, and scrumptious to eat. What more could you want?

Unfortunately, the recipe did not appear on The Food Network site until today, but that didn't stop us!! We went off what we could remember from the show. Personally, I don't think you can really ever go wrong in quantities when dealing with bread, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Those things were made for each other. Our finished product was not quite as beautiful as Ina's version, but the flavor was great.

It's like a caprese salad, or margherita pizza in a casserole. We definitely plan on making this again, and I'm sure it will be even better with the actual recipe in hand. What can I say? I'm an Italian girl, which means I'm a sucker for dishes like this.

Ingredients

Good olive oil

2 cups (1/2-inch diced) bread from a French boule, crusts removed

16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

Culinary Confession

ehow.com

Well, there it is. The object of my desire. My sweet temptation. All that is good and pure in life. I'm talking about garlic.

Because this blog is a journey in growth and self-discovery through food and cooking, I feel I must be honest here, and confront my addiction head-on.

So, let me put myself out there. When I tell people I don't have a garlic press, I usually cite the more socially acceptable reason: "I'm a food purist." Not so. I don't have one because I love touching and peeling garlic by hand. Just the opportunity to hold it makes my day. I could spend hours peeling garlic, and be totally content.

When I read the various home remedies for removing the smell of garlic from hands, I nod along as if I am really quite vexed by the issue. Behind closed doors, though, I ask myself why anyone would be crazy enough to wash away the smell of garlic. The smell of garlic on my hands is like the first day of Spring. I am like the Mary Katherine Gallagher of garlic.

Even cleaning my cutting board is a treat, because the scent of garlic and onions is released from the inner depths of the block.

My devotion to garlic is so deep, I put it in almost everything I cook-even cheese quesadillas. The joy of garlic is endless.

Hopefully I haven't scared anyone too much, but I had to be open and honest about this. It feels good to get it off my chest. Now I feel that I can move forward into the next phase of my garlic-flavored future.