Going to the chapel and we're....

Well folks I'm off to get married!! Please cross your fingers and send a little prayer up that we will have beautiful weather. We are getting married just outside Atlanta by the gorgeous lake here (weather permitting), and will then be heading here (Mexico!) and here (Bora Bora!) to kick-off our new life of marital bliss. So there will be no posting for the next 3 weeks, but please look forward to lots of goodies when we return. I think I will have to cook/bake for hours a day to make up for all the time I will have on my hands once this celebration is complete. 

Have a wonderful end to summer - see you all in a few weeks when I return as a Mrs!

It hits home!

So after I went on and on ranting about how I could never ever give up carbs, and how I would go totally insane on one of those diets - remember that? Well, isn't life funny. No sooner had I gone off about the no-carb fad as my hubby-to-be announces that he wants to lose some weight before the wedding and that he was heading down the popular South Beach path with the rest of the skinny folk. He then threw in that, as the supportive fiancee I am, I should strictly adhere to the plan as well while in his presence. SERIOUSLY??? Two weeks before our wedding and you expect me to give up chocolate, bagels and (gasp) wine?! He really must not have realized that my sole plan on making it through these last stressful weeks revolved entirely on having glass after glass of stress melting vino.

Luckily I run a lot and used that as an excuse for why I had to have carbs in order to keep my self standing upright, let alone sane. Didn't want to quite admit that a lack of sugar could potentially cause a side of myself to come out that is probably best saved till after the vows are said. Anyways, I am trying to be supportive (that's part of the whole marriage thing, right?), so I scoured to find some recipes that fit his new no-carb requirements.

Aida to the rescue! Can I tell you guys, I love this girl. It's seriously like the Food Network made a show for me and people like me (example - she spent a whole segment explaining how to crack open an egg). The format is a little strange as she has this sidekick that acts as the tech guru and does a corny bit where he pretends to cypher through emails viewers have sent in with questions. Kinda lame, but it hasn't driven me totally crazy yet, so I'm willing to overlook it.

On to breakfast. This dish was made in little ramekins stuffed with Canadian bacon, sauteed spinach, lotsa cheese and South Beach's favorite breakfast food, eggs. The beauty of this is that you just stack it all up and pop it in the oven. I hate frying eggs for breakfast because I can never get the yolks to come out like everyone wants. But no problemo with this! I'm thinking it would be great for when you have a few people over for brunch and would rather be drinking mimosas than watching the stove.

The flavors were great and it's a nice change from you typical eggy breakfast. Hubby-to-be loved it and claims he will want it even after the diet is long gone. Aida made some cheesy bread to go with it, but I thought that was a little over the top, so I just made some toast to dip in it, while HTB got some lite sausage links. I'm still more of a pancakes for breakfast kinda girl, but if savory food is more up your alley than have at it!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Aida's Baked Eggs with Canadian Bacon, Spinach and Cheddar

Adapted from Ask Aida - Aida Mollenkamp

Bobby's Italian Meatloaf

It seems like everyone has a meatloaf recipe. Whether it's their grandmother's or even their own adaptation, meatloaf is just such a staple food and everyone has their own version they like to turn to. Well trust me when I tell you, that no matter how much you like your own meatloaf, you must make room for this Italian version in your repertoire.

This is the most moist and flavorful meatloaf I have ever tasted. It has tons of beautiful veggies, grated Parmesan and Japanese breadcrumbs inside along with a tasty balsamic crust. It's not much to look at, being meatloaf and all, but it was really tasty and made the most amazing leftovers (I swear a meatloaf sandwich the next day is enough of a reason to make this).

The only drawback I see to this amazing Italian take on an old staple is time, cause it takes a lot of it! There is a lot of chopping involved to get all the veggies prepped and then the meatloaf itself took over an hour to cook. If I hadn't still thought it was delicious the second day I might have attributed a major part of it's yumminess to the fact that I was famished by the time it was finally ready.

I will definitely be making this again, but not anytime soon. We are off to the wedding in exactly two weeks and time is the one ingredient I don't seem to have any more. Yes, Culinary Wannabe has regressed. I have a feeling the only form of cooking going on in our kitchen for the next few weeks will involve pouring cereal into bowl and fighting over who gets the last of the real milk and who is stuck with the soy (we're practicing that compromise thing people always tell me is needed to make a marriage work).

I'm going to try and experiment a bit more before the wedding and hopefully will share some good finds (or bad ones for that matter!), but in the meantime be sure to try this meatloaf - if you have the time. :)

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Bobby's Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Adapted from Throwdown with Bobby Flay - Bobby Flay

Mmm...Carbonara

I'm a sucker for pasta. Just love it. Maybe it's the runner in me that feels like my efforts are totally deserving of a big plate of carbs, but I just couldn't live a full life without it. Oh I tried once. I jumped on one of those diets that promised rapid weight loss for the small price of forsaking my beloved carbs. That lasted all of two weeks before I realized I had turned into the most cranky, tired, miserable person around. I didn't even want to be around me!

I soon decided that no amount of weight loss was worth cutting out an entire food group. Oh, and I quickly gained back all of the weight I had lost, so that even further increased my believe that the no-carb thing was not the way for me. Don't get me wrong, I totally have the utmost respect for those who have the willpower and resolve to keep with it and still remain sane. These people tempt me with their ability to wear skinny jeans without batting an eyelash or slip into a swimsuit anytime of the year. But then I look at a beautiful plate of pasta, like this one, and realize that it is mine without any kind of thought or guilt, and all no-carb temptation is quickly thrown out the window.

This pasta dish, which was the brain child of the always charming Jamie Oliver, is a carbonara with yellow and green zucchini. It was absolutely scrumptious. The sauce is rich, but not overly so, making it a perfect summer pasta. It was super simple to put together as well. The biggest problem is having a big enough pan to mix it all together in at the end. I only made half the recipe and needed every inch of my 4-qt saute pan. The only changes I made to the recipe, aside from halfing it, was to used dried thyme instead of fresh and to dump out about half the bacon grease that is produced in the pan before adding in the zucchini. Love the bacon grease, but it just seemed a bit overly glutenous. The velvety sauce, buttery pasta, and lovely veggies make this pasta an absolute keeper.

Sorry to all of my friends who can't partake. But you can rub it in my face when I'm attempting to zip up my jeans. :)

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Jamie's Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara

Adapted from Jamie at Home - Jamie Oliver

Ina's Messy-as-all-get-out Pecan Squares

These little desserts traumatized me. I mean really traumatized. As in, I must have made them months ago, and am just now feeling brave enough to tell you about them. Not to say that the end result wasn't delicious, cause it totally was, but sometimes it's more about the journey than the end result and this is a prime example.

Usually I love to bake. People are always making baking out to be more difficult than cooking savoury food, but to an extent, I would say for beginners, it's usually easier. I say that because baking is an exact science. Meaning you following directions to a "T," and there's no vague language that says things like "add salt to taste." I'm a beginner, I don't know what my taste are let alone what amount of salt would satisfy them! I can follow a recipe though, and have no problem measuring out specific amounts of salt, flour or baking soda. That being said, there's a definite line between beginner baking and full on you-must-be-a-pastry-chef-to-pull-this-off baking. I mean I'm not going to be cranking out any kind of fancy soufle any time soon, but I sure as heck thought I could make these little bites without too much of a problem. Ha - never underestimate the kind of disasters that beginners can cause in the kitchen!

To start from the beginning, I saw Ina making this and knew I had to have them. I'm obsessed with pecan pie, and that's exactly what these are, just in a convenient bar form. The recipe makes a ton, and I had a friend's birthday coming up, which gave me the perfect excuse to make a boat-load of these tasty treats. It all started out well enough. I pulled out my most prized kitchen appliance - the stand mixer - and got the dough made perfectly. Putting it into the baking sheet was a whole nother story. Ina says in the recipe it's going to be sticky and she ain't kiddin! With the use of a lot of flour (which was mainly used to get the super glue like dough off my hands) I shaped it into the baking sheet, popped it in the oven and started on the filling.

The more messy, sticky, gooey the more delicious, right? Well, after making the filling I decided the squares were setting themselves up to be the most fantastic dessert around. Nevertheless, with a little patience, I was able to get the gooey filling on top of the baked crust.

Here's where I should have had that something-ain't-right feeling. See, the filling goes all the way to the very top of the baking sheet, and this was the exact size specified in the recipe. So, I just trusted Ina and went on with sticking the pan in the oven. Big, no HUGE, mistake. That sucker boiled and spilled over so much you would have sworn there was a second erupting of Mt. St. Helens in my oven. The apartment immediately filled with smoke and poor Suki nearly had a heart attack (I think dogs have a 6th sense for knowing when you are about to burn the house down).

Somehow, I got the pan out of the oven and managed not to throw it out the window in a fit (I was stopped by the thought of being sued by some New Yorker for covering them in pecan stickiness). And guess what - these little bars were absolutely amazing. The crust was flaky and delicious and the filling was sweet without being overly-sweet and perfectly mimicked the pecan pie that we all know and love. The big bonus was that the recipe made like 30 large sized bars. And people loved them so much I am still hearing about them months later!

Yes, the end result was worth the work. That is, until I tried to use my oven cleaner and filled the apartment with so much smoke we were forced to evacuate for 3 hours. :)

Please visit the link below for the recipe (if you dare!):

Ina's Pecan Squares
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa -The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Diving In

Last night, feeling a little bit more like my old self, I decided to whip up something new and impressive for the hubby-to-be to make up for my couch potato status the last few days. Now don't get too excited. Remember that I am in fact a culinary wannabe, and therefore, new and impressive is probably old and standard to most. So, what did I decide to make with my new found motivation and courage? Fish. Yes, fish. Fish is freakin' hard to cook people! I mean, you are dealing with a scaly ewwey looking piece of meat, that gives you no indication of when it's done cooking ("what do you mean salmon is supposed to be pink in the center, it doesn't turn white like chicken?"), and then you go to bed with nightmares of the mercury and other kinds of toxins you might have just willingly put in your body and the bodies of your loved ones. SCARY!

These reasons are why I generally avoid having any kind of fish in this house unless it came from Yama. The sad part is that I even took a seafood cooking class once. We learned that you must blot scallops on paper towels before searing, fish must not actually smell like fish when you buy it, and that mussels need to have their little shells closed to qualify for my pot. Nowhere did we cover things like how to get the crazy fish smell out of your apartment or how to make sure you are feeding people cooked fish instead of something closer to shashimi.

By now you probably get the point that I'm a tad nervous to dive into the deep blue sea for my dinner. So, I decided to turn to none other than the Food Network's very own resident mom (because who else could make everything sunny and perfect but mom?), Robin Miller. Robin plays the role of the busy mom very well. Her show intro even shows her answering phone calls, bringing home groceries, playing with her kids, and signing cookbooks for fans. What, book signing isn't in the cards for your typical mom? Anyways, her dishes are generally pretty straight forward in nature with few bells and whistles, which is exactly what I was looking for.

This honey mustard glazed salmon sounded delicious, but what appealed to me most about it was that it is baked in the oven. No game of cooking time roulette. I just popped it in the oven for the specified length of time and presto, changeo - we have perfectly cooked fish! Sorry frying pan, the baking sheet is my new best friend. Really though, the flavor of the mustard topping was very good (not nearly as strong as in the previous mustard chicken) and was well liked all around. Even Suki liked it. Who knew that dogs were on the fish train? The only problem we ran into was that both pieces had quite a number of little bones in them. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that was more Whole Foods fault than my own, so I'm not going to let that deter me from my next seafood adventure.

Fish that tasted so good I might actually make it again...I might just be progressing!

P.S. - why did no one ever tell me couscous is God's gift to people who can't cook? I love this stuff!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Robin's Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon Fillets
Adapted from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller - Robin Miller

The King's Favorite

Let me start this post off with a little disclaimer - I am hurtin' today. See, my bachelorette party was this past weekend. Combine a bunch of girls who go months at a time without seeing each other, a little (or a lot) of alcohol, a crazy reason to celebrate and no sleep and you will understand why I've had trouble getting out of bed today. We had an absolutely amazing time and now we must all pay the price.

In my state I'm looking for a particular kinda something to eat - must take minimal effort to make, contain only staple items that I already have on hand and have absolutely no semblance of being "healthy." This little sandwich fits the bill. It takes no more effort than a grilled cheese and, being in this not-so-amazing state, tasted like the most delicious thing I've ever had. Peanut butter, bread, bananas, fried - 'nough said.

This fried PB & banana sandwich was apparently Elvis's favorite snack. Although I would think it would qualify more as a full on meal, I can see why he liked it so much. Paula also added her little spin on it and added a bit more sugar to the bread (leave it to Paula to make something already glutinous that much more fattening!). I don't really know much about Elvis except that he was originally from Tupelo, MS, which is the same place that one of my beloved bachelorette patrons lives. Mrs. L is the cutest thing you ever did see, and she was a major trooper this weekend. So this tasty treat is in her honor. Thanks L - enjoy! I'll be eating this in bed...

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Paula's Fried PB & Banana Sandwich
Adapted from Paula's Home Cooking - Paula Deen

Neelys Grilled Caesar Salad

This salad caught my eye mainly because it's being whipped up by the Neelys. You know the Neelys - the Memphis couple who focuses just as much on their loveydoveyness as their barbecue. I still can't figure out if I like them or if they annoy the heck out of me. They dance around the kitchen all "honey you're the best" and "help me do this, that and the other" without even an ounce of frustration at the fact that they are practically tripping all over each other. We have a small galley way style kitchen, and let me tell you, hubby-to-be knows he's not allowed anywhere near that area when I'm cooking. Maybe that's what it is - I just can't believe that 2 people can operate so lovingly (and in a major over-the-top way) while being all up in each others hair.

Either way, I've been really wanting to make something of theirs for a while, but have found it rather difficult as I don't have an outdoor grill and our whole apartment fills with smoke the moment I heat up the indoor grill pan. However, this salad has a 2 minute cooking time so I thought I might just be able to get it done without setting off all the fire alarms in the building.

It's a different take on your traditional caesar salad. First off, the romaine lettuce is slightly grilled with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. The dressing combines garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese in a blender. Totally simple side dish to make - the whole thing took a number of minutes. I liked the idea of grilling the lettuce but it just didn't materialize quite the way I would have hoped. It got a bit soggy and the olive oil on it, even though it was just a bit, seemed to keep some of the dressing from melding well with the lettuce. The dressing was also a little off. It had a unique flavor and was not at all like the traditional caesar dressings I'm used to having. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't great either. I definitely might try grilling romaine another time and just leaving off the oil to see if that makes a difference.

Since this is the first dish I've made of theirs, and it wasn't really much of a meal anyways, I'll work to try something else they have soon. So, if you are ever up on the UES and see a pile of smoke coming from a window, pay it no mind, it's just me trying to bring some Memphis lovin' to our kitchen. :)

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Neelys Grilled Caesar Salad
Adapted from Down Home with the Neelys - The Neelys

Rachel's Perfect Pre-Race Meal

I know, I know. I went on and on about being on a health kick in my last post, and here I am showing you a recipe for a very unhealthy dish. But let me explain - see, tomorrow I will be, on my own free will, running 13.1 miles. Yes, these are the kinds of things crazy people like me, i.e. runners, do for fun. Tomorrow is the NYC Half-Marathon, which is by far my favorite race of the year. It starts with a lap around Central Park, heads right through Times Square, sends you down the blessedly flat West Side Highway, then ends all the way downtown in Battery Park. An amazing race to run for New Yorkers and visitors alike.

I've been running for over 10 years now, and continue to start nearly every morning with it. It got me through the stresses of college (and helped to work off some of those late night eating sessions), provided moments of solace in trying times, and has given me the opportunity to explore an unfamiliar and intimidating city. There's something oddly comforting in knowing that, in a city as big as New York, I can always count on seeing the same faces at 6 am doing a loop in the Park.

A large number of my friends are runners as well. One in particular, J, has been my long run buddy for a few years now. Where I generally like shorter, faster races, J prefers the steady, longer runs. So I always feed off her for inspiration and to ensure my butt is out of bed and on the road early Saturday mornings. Last year I deserted her for the NYC Half since I had a wedding to go to. This year, it's my turn to suffer it out alone as she has an important family function. So, this pasta dish is my way of pouting about having to toe the line alone. No healthiness here - just good ol' carbo loading.

Onto this yummy, yummy plate of pasta goodness. Right when I saw Rachel making this I knew I had to try it myself. She deemed this a "lasagna-bowl," or an easy way of making a fairly complicated dish in minimal time. I mean everyone loves the whole cheese-pasta-sauce combo going on in lasagna, so recreating it in a 30-minute time frame just seemed genius. And let me tell you - it is. The meat sauce has an awesome flavor from the pancetta, beef broth and wine, and the cheese sauce has just enough flavor to combat any kind of dairy craving without being ridiculously heavy. The only variations I made from her recipe were to use all ground beef instead of the beef, pork, veal mix (if only FreshDirect would let me buy in smaller quantities...) and I used Conchiglie pasta instead of Campanelle. Conchiglie was just what I had on hand, but I thought it was awesome in this dish - the sauce really stuck to it and the big bites made it seem just that much more decadent.

Trust me - this dish is worth the 13.1 miles! Good-luck to anyone running tomorrow (in a race or not)!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Rachel's Two Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowl
Adapted from 30 Minute Meals - Rachel Ray

Ellie's Maple-Mustard Chicken & Orange Sweet Potatoes

As of yesterday, the soon-to-be-hubby and I are exactly 2 months away from our wedding. That means that not only is it time for me to crackdown on the last little details, but it's also time for us to switch into healthy eating mode - pronto. Neither of us are out of shape and I already run 5 days a week, but there is just something about a wedding that makes you want to look and feel your best. I think the whole few hundred people watching you, coupled with pictures that will be immortalized amongst your family for many years to to come would probably get to anyone. Plus, my first dress fitting is tomorrow and bloated is not the feeling I'm going for.

So last night we decided to start our healthy eating kick with a dish from the Food Network's very own registered dietitian, Ellie Krieger. Ellie always cooks with an eye towards health, but also makes food that looks pretty darn appetizing. I'm a pretty hard critic when it comes to "health food" though. I don't want something that just tastes good, I want something that tastes just as good as the full-fat, high-calorie, oh-so-delicious meal it's trying to replace. Girl has to have her standards. We went to Canyon Ranch once and ate nothing but healthy meals the whole time we were there. People always rave about their food, but let me tell you, by the end of 5 days you will be begging for a piece of white toast.

Due to my overwhelming fear of that big white dress I have to put on tomorrow though, I decided to give it a shot. We made maple-mustard chicken thighs with a side of mashed sweet potatoes with orange essence. The chicken thighs are really simple to make, just coat the thighs with some of the sauce and throw 'em in the oven for close to an hour. The chicken comes out of the oven super moist and almost falling off the bone. The maple-mustard sauce forms a thick coating and definitely gives the meat some flavor. Although I'm a big fan of mustard, I personally found the mustard flavor a bit overpowering. It's very intense, so if I was to make it again I might cut back on the amount of sauce I coated the thighs in. If you do not absolutely love mustard, then this probably is not the recipe for you.

Now for the potatoes -- oh what to say. These suckers were anything but fantastic. They had a really strange flavor with the combination of the buttermilk and orange juice, and I personally didn't care for it in the least. Hubby-to-be didn't eat more than one bite (and that says a lot!). All in, my advice is to steer clear of this recipe and just bake yourself a nice sweet potato with a good pat of butter.

Okay, strike one for the healthy meal ideas. We might need to wait a little while before we try that again...

Ellie's Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs (all nutritional information can be found at this link)
Adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger - Ellie Krieger

4 large bone-in chicken thighs, with the skins removed
2 tablespoons French mustard (grainy kind)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons maple syrup

• Preheat the oven to 375° F.
• After removing the skin from the chicken, rinse each thigh under water then dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, mix together the 2 mustards, chopped garlic, marjoram and syrup.
• Place the thighs in a glass baking dish and spread the maple-mustard mixture on top of each piece.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, and make a small cut in one thigh to ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through (no pink).
  

Ellie's Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange Essence
Adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger - Ellie Krieger

4 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter (for topping if desired)

• Bring a pot with a steamer attachment to a boil.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into a large dice.
• Place the potatoes inside the steamer and steam for about 8 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
• Transfer the potatoes to a medium sized bowl and stir in the buttermilk and orange juice.
• Mash the potatoes with a fork so that they are smooth but with a few chunks.
• Add in the zest, salt and nutmeg and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately and top each individual serving with a pat of butter, if desired.

Jamie's Rhubarb Fool

Most of the time, I feel like me and Jamie Oliver are on total opposite ends of the planet. Not just physically, since he is just over the pond, but mainly because his cooking style is entirely different from anything I've ever seen or imagined before. For instance, he will use some old piece of wood on his lap as a cutting board and a little fire as a portable kitchen to be used anywhere on his property. Never in my life do I think I will actually cook in this manner (I don't know how well setting a small fire in Central Park would go over), but one cannot help but be drawn in by his undeniable passion for food.

He really loves cooking and loves eating and it translates so well to the viewer. Often times, tv chefs seem almost over practiced and slightly insincere, but Jamie has none of this. He is totally raw and leaves you entertained and educated. What a combo!

This little beauty is like having dessert and breakfast all in one. It combines some simmered down rhubarb, yogurt (I used Greek) and yummy yummy yummy little cinnamon pastry bites. It is very tangy, but those perfect little pastry bites help to cut through some of that and add back in some sweetness. This was pretty easy to make and was definitely something unique. If you are in the mood for something creamy and different with a little bit of tang for breakfast, this just might be your ticket. Jamie also uses some of the leftover rhubarb to make a custardy souffle type thing. Souffles have a tendency to send a shiver down my spine, so I stuck with just this yogurt dish, but please let me know how the souffle turns out if you decide to make it!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Jamie's Rhubarb Fool

Adapted from Jamie at Home - Jamie Oliver

Potato Chips for Dinner!

Robin Roberts, from Good Morning America, was on Emeril the other day whipping up a few of her favorite southern inspired dishes. This one mimics fried chicken with a crunchy crust, but is baked not fried. Don't get too excited though, cause this sucker falls a little short of healthy. First, each piece of chicken is dunked into a pool of melted butter and then liberally coated with smashed up potato chips. The great news is that the whole dish is literally that simple. Just add a little salt, pepper, and garlic, pop in the oven, and a few minutes later you have a great chicken dinner that even the kids will eat. I'm no expert, but I bet serving your kids potato chips for dinner might just win you the "Coolest Mom in the World" title (at least until you switch and become "Bedtime Enforcer" later in the evening).

The chicken actually tasted amazing too, and I am not a chicken person. It was moist and tender and had great flavor. The recipe calls for you to use chicken breasts, but I used chicken cutlets (which Robin recommended on the show) instead. They ended up being a sort of modified chicken tender. At first I had grand ambitions of making the mashed potatoes that she makes on the show as well, but I decided one new dish was enough for a week night and settled for a bagged salad instead. The recipe includes the mashed potatoes though, so please have at it and let me know how they are!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Robin's Potato Chip Chicken
Adapted from Emeril Live - Robin Roberts

Mario's Past a la Norma

Let me start this post off by stating that I am totally and completely in awe of Mario Batali . The man is just brilliant and his food is truly inspiring. One of his restaurants here in NYC, Babbo, is nearly impossible to get into (I've only been once and the hubby-to-be had to pull some major strings to even make that happen), but oh-so-worth the 11 pm seating time that is the only option you'll have if you call in 2 minutes past the "30-day advanced reservation" time period. He also has a number of other extremely successful restaurants that are constantly packed with hungry patrons. Otto is my personal favorite - great for groups, surprisingly inexpensive and amazing food. Trust me, if you ever try any of his food you will understand why this quick-talking, orange-clog-wearing man has practically become a NYC institution.

I ventured to attempt one of his recipes the other night when we had our talented and fun friends over for dinner (the same night we made the delicious zucchini carpacio ). Although slightly intimidate to try a new recipe when we were having guests over (or even cook myself for that matter!), I took comfort in knowing that rescue delivery food was only a phone call away. No need though - the dish was surprisingly easy to cook and it seemed to be a hit with everyone at the table! Yay!! The only execution problem I had was that my saute pan was in no way big enough to accommodate all the cooked pasta and cheese that you are supposed to add while "on the heat" at the end. Instead I got a handful of the pasta in the pan and the rest just ended up mixed together in the serving bowl. I do wish I would have added more salt though, as it lacked a bit of flavor and needed some salt once it was served.

Overall, it was pretty simple to prepare and makes a great dish if you are tying to cut back on your meat. The eggplant is delicious with the tomato sauce and is a nice change from your typical meat sauce. Not only was it a hit for the guests, but it was also a healthy way for me to carbo-load before a 10-k race the next morning!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:
Mario's Pasta a la Norma
Adapted from Molto Mario - Mario Batali

Tyler's Zucchini Carpaccio

I first saw this beautiful carpaccio a while back and have been dying to make it ever since, but could never find the right occasion. I finally got my chance when the lovely L&P stopped by for dinner one weekend night. L is an amazing and truly talented singer who comes over frequently to "jam" with the soon-to-be-hubby. The two of them are even doing a performance at our wedding! Normally, we just order in when L comes over, but I thought, in the spirit of this blog, that I would give some of my "too much food for only 2 people" recipes a shot. Plus, P & I would need some serious sustenance for all the hard listening and critiquing we would have to do. ;)

This carpaccio was all I could have ever hoped for. It was refreshing and light, perfect for the sauna-like weather we have been experiencing here in NYC. The ricotta provides a beautifully smooth contrast to the crisp, thin slices of zucchini. The leeks, olive oil, herbs and lemon juice all combine to make a wonderful appetizer that is substantial feeling, even if it is just a bit of cut up veggies and cheese. Best of all, there is absolutely no cooking involved! In fact, if you own one of the fancy mandolin things, this would be an absolute breeze to put together. I actually received one as a shower present, but it's still up in Canada for a few weekends so I made do with just a regular knife and a little patience. Slicing it by hand was surprisingly simple and took no more than a handful of minutes.

This was a real crowd pleaser at my table and is a definite make for the next time you have company coming over.

Zucchini Carpaccio
Adapted from Tyler's Ultimate - Tyler Florence

2 zucchini (or enough to fill your platter), sliced into very fine rounds
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 leek, cleaned well, white and light green parts sliced into very thin rings
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used dill and chives, but could use whatever you like)
1 cup ricotta cheese
Fresh mint, small handful chopped finely

• Lay the zucchini slices out in an overlapping circular pattern around the platter.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil (enough to lightly cover all zucchini) and the lemon juice on top.
• Place platter in the fridge for about 10 minutes so that all the flavors can meld together.
• Scatter leeks and herbs on top.
• Place teaspoon size rounds of the ricotta sporadically around platter and then scatter chopped mint on top.

Giada's Stuffed Pork Chops

Every time I think of pork chops all I can picture are those tasteless, rubber-like pieces of shake 'n baked meat that I dreaded having for dinner as a kid. To this day I will never order a pork chop in a restaurant, and certainly never thought I would bring that kind of disaster into my own home. That is until my soon-to-be-hubby caught a glance of Giada making these little chops. "I want those!" he eagerly pronounced, which is one of the few times he has actually requested something for dinner rather than just being perfectly content with what I pick (we're definitely one of those couples who do the "what-do-you-want-for-dinner" fight at least a few times a week). So, being eager to please and feeling slightly tempted to tackle a few pork chop demons of my own, I caved in and agreed to make them for dinner.

Boy am I glad I did! That's right - I'm a pork convert. Not only were these totally delicious and moist, they also looked beautiful on a plate. They are stuffed with an array of wonderful flavors like sundried tomato, spinach and goat cheese. And the sauce that finishes them off gives this nice lemony taste that rounds the whole dish out. So, maybe it wasn't so much the pork I was in love with as the stuffing and sauce, but hey, it's a pork chop and I liked it. Add in the fact that they came from my very own kitchen and I think this was a pretty big accomplishment!

Even though they looked pretty complicated, they were surprisingly easy to make. Essentially you just mix some stuff together, jam it into a piece of meat, fry it up and serve it with a little bit of sauce from the same pan. I found the hardest part was attempting not to scald myself as the hot oil continuously flew out of my pan. I kept picturing Jessica Simpson in that episode of the newlyweds where she is trying to fry up some chicken and keeps screaming cause she's getting pelted with hot oil. I laughed then, but now I feel the girl's pain! It was worth the little bit of effort though, and I would definitely suggest giving it a try.

Mothers of America, put down the Shake 'N Bake!!

Stuffed Pork Chops
Adapted from Everyday Italian - Giada De Laurentiis

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
6 diced sun-dried tomatoes
1 10-ounce bag of frozen spinach, thawed
Salt & pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese
1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
4 4-ounce center-cut pork chops
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 lemon, zested
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• In a saute pan, warm about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
• While the garlic is cooking, squeeze all water out of the frozen spinach and add to the pan.
• Add sundried tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of thyme.
• Cook for a few minutes until all ingredients are warmed through and combined well.
• Remove spinach mixture from pan and place in a medium mixing bowl.
• Add the goat and cream cheeses to the bowl and combine well with the spinach mixture.
• Cut through the middle of each pork chop, just short of all the way through, so that it can fold outwards like a book.
• Stuff the spinach mixture inside each opening.
• Season the top of the pork with salt and pepper.
• In the saute pan, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Place the pork into the pan with the hot oil and season opposite side with salt and pepper.
• Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until a golden crust forms on both sides and the meat is cooked through.
• While cooking, combine the broth, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice from the half lemon in a small bowl.
• Remove pork from the pan and transfer to a plate.
• Cover plate with a loose layer of aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Add the chicken broth mixture to the pan, using a wooden spoon to scape all the pork droppings off the bottom.
• Cook the broth for around 8 minutes or until it has reduced by about half.
• Place pork on serving dish and poor reduced broth over top.