This collection needs another sweet-tooth entry, and I've got the perfect one for you. Not many women can resist coming up to your bachelor pad for homemade cheesecake and coffee. Most women LOVE cheesecake, and with any luck, will love you for being able to make it.
Ingredients: (aprox $15)
40 ounces of softened cream cheese (that's 5 packages, usually)
a cup and a half of sugar
2 large eggs
Pint of Sour Cream
tablespoon of lemon juice
teaspoon of vanilla
pinch of salt
stick of butter, firm
Preheat the oven to 375° and prep a large spring form pan as follows: Place a sheet of parchment paper over the inside bottom of the spring form pan, fit the rim and lock in place. Trim excess paper from the underside of the pan. Place a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil on counter. Place the locked pan in center and raise up the foil to top rim. Crinkle around the outer top of rim. Using some firm butter, fill in the inside lower rim of pan, using your finger to form a smooth lining. (like caulking a bathtub). Place in freezer while you make the batter.
Beat cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Add sour cream, then eggs (one at a time). Add remaining ingredients. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated (about three minutes), scraping down sides of bowl several times while mixing to prevent lumps).
Remove the spring form pan from freezer. Place pan onto a dishcloth onto counter and pour batter into pan. (So it's not 'loud' when you temp it). With your palms around the outside rim of the pan, GENTLY lift and drop down pan onto the towel. Rotate an inch or so and repeat a few times to raise and release air bubbles from batter. (this will help keep your cheesecake from cracking).
Set the spring form pan into a water bath. (A water bath is a baking pan or heat proof container larger than your cake pan with about an inch or two of water above the bottom of the cake pan). This is for even cooking and to preserve moisture). Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. WITHOUT opening oven door, reduce temperature to 250°F and continue to bake for an additional two hours or until center of cake registers 150F with a digital thermometer.
Remove from oven, water bath, and outer foil. DO NOT unlock the spring form pan! Place on cooling rack for 30-60 minutes. Loosen cake from sides by going between the cake and the pan with the edge of a knife. Refrigerate for at MINIMUM of four hours but overnight is best. (NOTE: If you are using a topping, you can place it onto the cake about 2 hours after refrigerating the cake). Unlock and remove the side of pan. For easier slicing, use dental floss. Taut between your hands, press down over cake, then let go of one end, and slide out from side.
I like to top it with fresh berries at serving, but you can add chocolate, fruit or anything you like.
Suggested drink: Irish coffee.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Get Sauced Again
Though tomatoes aren't exactly in season right now, I wanted to follow up last week's COMFORT FOOD FRIDAY recipe with the alternative, fresh tomato sauce recipe.
Like when using canned, there are endless possibilities to adapt this to your tastes. I make sauce nearly every week, and never make it the same way twice. We call this particular sauce "quick sauce" in my family, and it's generally adapted to what vegetables are fresh that day. It's just about every Salamone's favorite sauce. This is my adaptation of Grandma's. She's magical and does everything to taste, without recipe, based on what's fresh from the garden. I'm getting there, and you will too. For now, here's some proportions...
Ingredients:
6-8 tomatoes, chopped (8 if they're small, 6 if they're big)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 whole onion, thinly chopped
1 whole garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms
2 red peppers, chopped
1/8 cup white wine
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
In a large pan, over medium heat, mix all ingredients, and stir for 30 minutes. Serve over Todd's fresh pasta recipe from this website, or whatever pasta is handy. Have a nice slice of garlic bread and glass of red table wine.
Like when using canned, there are endless possibilities to adapt this to your tastes. I make sauce nearly every week, and never make it the same way twice. We call this particular sauce "quick sauce" in my family, and it's generally adapted to what vegetables are fresh that day. It's just about every Salamone's favorite sauce. This is my adaptation of Grandma's. She's magical and does everything to taste, without recipe, based on what's fresh from the garden. I'm getting there, and you will too. For now, here's some proportions...
Ingredients:
6-8 tomatoes, chopped (8 if they're small, 6 if they're big)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 whole onion, thinly chopped
1 whole garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms
2 red peppers, chopped
1/8 cup white wine
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
In a large pan, over medium heat, mix all ingredients, and stir for 30 minutes. Serve over Todd's fresh pasta recipe from this website, or whatever pasta is handy. Have a nice slice of garlic bread and glass of red table wine.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Don't be a Cream Puff
One of the easiest things you can make to make your meal look more complicated than it really is, is the use of the puff pastry. Best known for use in a cream puff, it can also be a great appetizer or side dish shell.
Guys, this is why I wanted you to have the recipe: You can fill that pastry with anything. Chocolate mousse, whipped cream, chicken salad, salmon or crab mousse, ice cream or sorbet, seafood salad, vanilla pudding, flavored hummus, Baba ganoush, cream cheese and veggies, broccoli and cheese, smoked Gouda and ham, you name it. Get creative!
I've served a tuna salad filled puff over a salad as a meal and received wonderful compliments. It took me 10 minutes to throw together, because I already had made a batch of puff pastries for something else. I needed something fast, and it worked.
So, you decide what you want to put in these bad boys, but here's how you make the pastry:
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Boil the water and butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the flour, beating until you get a nice dough ball. Let that cool. Then, beat in the eggs, one at a time, until you get a smooth consistency. Use a teaspoon to drop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
After they cool, you'll have nice, little, hollow, pastries for you to do whatever your imagination leads you to. Cheers.
Guys, this is why I wanted you to have the recipe: You can fill that pastry with anything. Chocolate mousse, whipped cream, chicken salad, salmon or crab mousse, ice cream or sorbet, seafood salad, vanilla pudding, flavored hummus, Baba ganoush, cream cheese and veggies, broccoli and cheese, smoked Gouda and ham, you name it. Get creative!
I've served a tuna salad filled puff over a salad as a meal and received wonderful compliments. It took me 10 minutes to throw together, because I already had made a batch of puff pastries for something else. I needed something fast, and it worked.
So, you decide what you want to put in these bad boys, but here's how you make the pastry:
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Boil the water and butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the flour, beating until you get a nice dough ball. Let that cool. Then, beat in the eggs, one at a time, until you get a smooth consistency. Use a teaspoon to drop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
After they cool, you'll have nice, little, hollow, pastries for you to do whatever your imagination leads you to. Cheers.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What's IN that pot? Cannabis Cooking
Today's post is going to link to my favorite newspaper, Denver's Westword, for a piece they ran today on cooking with marijuana. You can make your inferences to why this might be handy for a bachelor.
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2010/01/pot_luck_creative_cooking_with.php
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Salmon by Salamone
This is an email I got today from an old friend:
Yo, Sales Money! Happen to have a good salmon recipe for me? (girlfriend's name) is coming over for dinner Friday and really likes it. I was just gonna grill it, but figured you'd have an ace up your sleeve. Thanks!"
Interestingly enough, I do have a favorite salmon recipe, and it's really easy to prepare. I'd serve it with a side of wild rice (just get a box) or fried rice and broccoli. This recipe uses minced ginger, which you can buy in a jar. Since it's not something you'll use a lot of, you may want to grate a clove of ginger, available from Whole Foods pretty easily. It also calls for sesame seeds, which are also easily obtainable at Whole Foods, and usually in the bulk section, so you don't have to buy more than you need.
Ingredients: (aprox $15)
2 of your fish monger's finest salmon steaks
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of minced ginger, or one grated clove of ginger
pinch of white pepper
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Preheat your oven to broil. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray. Mix the soy sauce, honey, pepper and ginger until one consistency. Brush with the glaze you just mixed. Broil for 10 minutes.
While your fish is broiling, in a frying pan, brown your sesame seeds. This will just take a couple of minutes. Stir well. You'll smell them and see them change color when done.
Plate your salmon, drizzle with remaining glaze, and sprinkle sesame seeds over top.
Drink suggestion: SAKE!
Yo, Sales Money! Happen to have a good salmon recipe for me? (girlfriend's name) is coming over for dinner Friday and really likes it. I was just gonna grill it, but figured you'd have an ace up your sleeve. Thanks!"
Interestingly enough, I do have a favorite salmon recipe, and it's really easy to prepare. I'd serve it with a side of wild rice (just get a box) or fried rice and broccoli. This recipe uses minced ginger, which you can buy in a jar. Since it's not something you'll use a lot of, you may want to grate a clove of ginger, available from Whole Foods pretty easily. It also calls for sesame seeds, which are also easily obtainable at Whole Foods, and usually in the bulk section, so you don't have to buy more than you need.
Ingredients: (aprox $15)
2 of your fish monger's finest salmon steaks
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of minced ginger, or one grated clove of ginger
pinch of white pepper
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Preheat your oven to broil. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray. Mix the soy sauce, honey, pepper and ginger until one consistency. Brush with the glaze you just mixed. Broil for 10 minutes.
While your fish is broiling, in a frying pan, brown your sesame seeds. This will just take a couple of minutes. Stir well. You'll smell them and see them change color when done.
Plate your salmon, drizzle with remaining glaze, and sprinkle sesame seeds over top.
Drink suggestion: SAKE!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Party Favors
One way to make sure the women in your peer group know that you can cook, is to never show up to a party empty handed. This simple ritual will make it much easier for you when you invite your lady friend over to your pad for dinner. It will also make you a popular party-goer, building value for you with every compliment you receive.
An appetizer that people always seem to love is Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Mine has always been a big hit for me, and I hope you'll find it to be a huge success as well.
Ingredients: (aprox $12)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup of Miracle Whip or like salad dressing.
(mayo will do, but the zing helps)
1 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 square package of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
2 cans of artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
Directions: Mix all of your ingredients together, (except for the pepper jack cheese) and put in a greased casserole dish. Top with the pepper jack. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Drink suggestion: cold, crisp, sweet white wine
Pro Tip: If bringing this to a party, use a casserole dish that is also microwave friendly. Zap it for 2 minutes to bring it back to temperature.
An appetizer that people always seem to love is Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Mine has always been a big hit for me, and I hope you'll find it to be a huge success as well.
Ingredients: (aprox $12)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup of Miracle Whip or like salad dressing.
(mayo will do, but the zing helps)
1 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 square package of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
2 cans of artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
Directions: Mix all of your ingredients together, (except for the pepper jack cheese) and put in a greased casserole dish. Top with the pepper jack. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Drink suggestion: cold, crisp, sweet white wine
Pro Tip: If bringing this to a party, use a casserole dish that is also microwave friendly. Zap it for 2 minutes to bring it back to temperature.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Get Sauced
This week for COMFORT FOOD FRIDAY, I'm going to explain how I make tomato sauce, which I do almost every Sunday. It's a ritual that makes me feel good, and it always results in something that tastes good. I love to share my sauce. I love watching people taste my sauce. I love making double entendres about my sauce.
Most of the time I make a vegetarian marinara. If I'm going to add meat, I'll make meatballs in the oven, or grill some Italian sausage. But I like the sauce to have a flavor of it's own. The only meat that I think helps the flavor is throwing a pork chop in the sauce while it cooks, and that's just because the women in my family always did so, and I'm superstitious like that.
I make several kinds of sauce. Some with fresh tomatoes, some with canned. The canned tomato sauce is thicker, and more like what you'd buy at the store. Except it tastes a hell of a lot better.
Anyhow... What I use...
1 gallon crushed tomatoes
16 ounces stewed tomatoes
16 ounces diced tomatoes
16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 whole yellow onion, diced
1 whole garlic clove, diced
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
In a large pot, brown the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the basil and oregano, half way in. Be prepared to add more olive oil if the veggies soak it all up. You don't want them to stick to the bottom of the pan. You can use butter if you run out.
Add the diced tomatoes, and stir the hell out of that mixture. Then add the stewed tomatoes, mix well, and reduce the heat to low. Let it come to a slow boil, before stirring in the crushed tomatoes and the rest of your basil and oregano. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let cook at least an hour, stirring throughout. You can let this cook and thicken for 3 hours if you have the time.
Stick a spoon in there and taste it. You're going to need to add salt, pepper and sugar. Stir well whenever you add any other ingredients.
You can add green or red peppers with the onion, garlic and mushrooms if you like. You can add artichoke with the crushed tomatoes. You can add meatballs or Italian sausage at the end. You can boil a pork chop in the sauce like my mom always did. No matter what, you'll have a delicious sauce you'll love to see people wipe off of their chins.
Most of the time I make a vegetarian marinara. If I'm going to add meat, I'll make meatballs in the oven, or grill some Italian sausage. But I like the sauce to have a flavor of it's own. The only meat that I think helps the flavor is throwing a pork chop in the sauce while it cooks, and that's just because the women in my family always did so, and I'm superstitious like that.
I make several kinds of sauce. Some with fresh tomatoes, some with canned. The canned tomato sauce is thicker, and more like what you'd buy at the store. Except it tastes a hell of a lot better.
Anyhow... What I use...
1 gallon crushed tomatoes
16 ounces stewed tomatoes
16 ounces diced tomatoes
16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 whole yellow onion, diced
1 whole garlic clove, diced
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
In a large pot, brown the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the basil and oregano, half way in. Be prepared to add more olive oil if the veggies soak it all up. You don't want them to stick to the bottom of the pan. You can use butter if you run out.
Add the diced tomatoes, and stir the hell out of that mixture. Then add the stewed tomatoes, mix well, and reduce the heat to low. Let it come to a slow boil, before stirring in the crushed tomatoes and the rest of your basil and oregano. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let cook at least an hour, stirring throughout. You can let this cook and thicken for 3 hours if you have the time.
Stick a spoon in there and taste it. You're going to need to add salt, pepper and sugar. Stir well whenever you add any other ingredients.
You can add green or red peppers with the onion, garlic and mushrooms if you like. You can add artichoke with the crushed tomatoes. You can add meatballs or Italian sausage at the end. You can boil a pork chop in the sauce like my mom always did. No matter what, you'll have a delicious sauce you'll love to see people wipe off of their chins.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
How a Pepper gets Stuffed
Another easy recipe I use, that's been a hit with dinner dates is my Santa Fe Stuffed Peppers. This is a highly adaptable recipe, because you can tweek the stuffing any way you want. You can add diced chicken, shredded beef, shrimp, crab, whatever. I'll give you the basics, but feel free to adapt and make it your own.
Ingredients:
4 whole red peppers
1 and half cup of rice
8oz Cheddar cheese
can of corn, drained
can of diced tomatoes, drained
half onion, diced
hot sauce of your choice, salt, pepper to taste
spring mix
sour cream and/or guacamole
Prep: (15 mins)
Boil a big pot of water, and in a separate pan, cook the rice. Cut the tops off of the peppers, and gut the insides. Cut off any usable pieces from the tops and mix with all of your other ingredients. If you want to jump the stuffing up a notch, you can't beat a few pinches of fresh cilantro.
Boil the peppers with a pinch of salt for about 4 minutes. Use a wooden spoon like item to keep the peppers under water the whole time. Set aside to cool. When cool, stuff 'em.
When your date arrives, it'll take 45 minutes at 350 degrees to bake these bad boys. Serve a pepper over a bed of spring mix, with a dollop each of sour cream and guacamole on the side of the plate. My drink suggestion is margaritas. Get a couple in both of you before dinner. A nice dessert compliment is something with dark chocolate.
Ingredients:
4 whole red peppers
1 and half cup of rice
8oz Cheddar cheese
can of corn, drained
can of diced tomatoes, drained
half onion, diced
hot sauce of your choice, salt, pepper to taste
spring mix
sour cream and/or guacamole
Prep: (15 mins)
Boil a big pot of water, and in a separate pan, cook the rice. Cut the tops off of the peppers, and gut the insides. Cut off any usable pieces from the tops and mix with all of your other ingredients. If you want to jump the stuffing up a notch, you can't beat a few pinches of fresh cilantro.
Boil the peppers with a pinch of salt for about 4 minutes. Use a wooden spoon like item to keep the peppers under water the whole time. Set aside to cool. When cool, stuff 'em.
When your date arrives, it'll take 45 minutes at 350 degrees to bake these bad boys. Serve a pepper over a bed of spring mix, with a dollop each of sour cream and guacamole on the side of the plate. My drink suggestion is margaritas. Get a couple in both of you before dinner. A nice dessert compliment is something with dark chocolate.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Late Night Carbo Load.
Before I was a Chef and before I had any game, I had only one lure in my tackle box and it was the perfect net for late night. Pasta. Nothing says I'm reasonably drunk and momentarily "off my diet" than a nice bowl of creamy, cheesy and lighty peppery pasta between midnight and well past midnight.
While in culinary school, I was in survival mode and knew one thing for certain. Pasta is cheaper than cheap! Made from scratch not only made it cheaper, it was now a survival skill and hungry, reasonably drunk friends dig survival skills - especially the creamy, cheesy and lightly peppery kind.
Have this prepared ahead of time. Mix by hand or if you have a food processor, use the blade attachment and combine in the bowl:
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon oil - any
1 Teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
Kneed into a stiff dough adding more flour if needed to obtain a good consistency.
Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate until use.
The sauce is:
Heavy Cream
Greuyere Cheese - grated
Fresh Ground Pepper
Now go party! When you return, put a pot of water on to boil.
Slice a piece of the dough and put it on you cleaned, lightly floured counter. If you have a rolling pin, use it. I didn't. I used a vermouth bottle. Roll the dough out as thinly as you prefer while maintaining a light flouring underneath and on top. Now roll up the dough sheet and slice into a skilled width. Don't try for angelhair here. Go for fettuccine. If you get Lasagna sheets, you're too drunk to cook or otherwise so pack it up and say goodnight.
Drop the strips of fresh pasta into boiling water.
Meanwhile in another pan, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and bring to a simmer. The pasta will cook quickly - perhaps 4 or 5 minutes.
Add the cooked, drained pasta and a bit of the pasta water to the cream and continue to reduce until a nice consistency is obtained. Add a nice handful of cheese, some cracked black pepper and your done.
Serve with (more) white wine and Grover Washington Jr.
Turn off the stove and clean up when they leave - tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Just Like an After School Special
First off, a quick announcement about the site: I've invited some of my favorite chefs to contribute to this blog at their leisure, and some have said yes. So, over the coming weeks, you'll see contributor credits to the right of the page, and additional posts from some great culinary minds. (Who, by the way, never suffered in the romance department either.)
OK... On to today's post. Last night I was on the phone with a friend, who made a joke to the effect of, "If there's one thing I learned from watching after school specials, it's if you feed her lobster, she has to put out." Crass, but funny, and anybody who lived through the 80s gets the reference. Anyhow, this friend confessed that he didn't know how to cook a lobster, which is such an easy thing to do.
And for the cost ($7-10 per crustacean) it's not a bad meal to make at home, especially to impress a special lady friend. Serve with oven roasted baby red potatoes and a green vegetable. Also, you'll want to serve warm butter to dip that tasty lobster meat in.
The easiest way to cook a lobster is to boil it. I like to steam them, but we'll come back to that another day when we get a bit more advanced. Some say to rub the lobster's head and belly before throwing him in the pot, to relax him for the kill. Something about his adrenaline tainting the flavor. I do that out of good measure because I'm a little superstitious, I guess.
You'll need a big pot, so that the lobsters are covered by water completely. Throw them in the water and add a tablespoon of salt per crustacean. Add the lobsters, claws first, put over medium heat, and start timing when the water comes to a boil. You'll cook them for 5 minutes per pound.
So, now you can cook a lobster, and host an after school special of your own.
Suggested drink: white wine. (again, can't go wrong with Coppola's Blanco)
OK... On to today's post. Last night I was on the phone with a friend, who made a joke to the effect of, "If there's one thing I learned from watching after school specials, it's if you feed her lobster, she has to put out." Crass, but funny, and anybody who lived through the 80s gets the reference. Anyhow, this friend confessed that he didn't know how to cook a lobster, which is such an easy thing to do.
And for the cost ($7-10 per crustacean) it's not a bad meal to make at home, especially to impress a special lady friend. Serve with oven roasted baby red potatoes and a green vegetable. Also, you'll want to serve warm butter to dip that tasty lobster meat in.
The easiest way to cook a lobster is to boil it. I like to steam them, but we'll come back to that another day when we get a bit more advanced. Some say to rub the lobster's head and belly before throwing him in the pot, to relax him for the kill. Something about his adrenaline tainting the flavor. I do that out of good measure because I'm a little superstitious, I guess.
You'll need a big pot, so that the lobsters are covered by water completely. Throw them in the water and add a tablespoon of salt per crustacean. Add the lobsters, claws first, put over medium heat, and start timing when the water comes to a boil. You'll cook them for 5 minutes per pound.
So, now you can cook a lobster, and host an after school special of your own.
Suggested drink: white wine. (again, can't go wrong with Coppola's Blanco)
Monday, January 11, 2010
Giving Her Crabs
Over the weekend a friend asked me for a recipe for Crab Cakes, because he needed to learn how to make them for his girlfriend, as they were her favorite. He reported back huge success with it today via email, so I figured this would be a good recipe to share with you all today.
Crab cakes aren't hard to make at all, and are usually quite well received. I would serve these with a nice salad: spring mix, walnuts, apple, Gorgonzola, balsamic dressing. With salad, you should be able to pull this meal off for around $25.
Drink suggestion: crisp white wine
Ingredients:
1 lb of crab meat
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 red pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 egg
dash each of salt and pepper
flour
1/2 cup oil for frying (suggested is peanut oil, but you can use others)
Prep work (5 minutes)
Mix everything in a bowl, except for the frying oil and flour.
Instructions
Shape your mixture into little crab cake patties. Dust them with flour.
Put oil in skillet over medium heat.
When pan is hot, fry your crab cakes until brown on each side. About 4 minutes each side.
Serve hot. Normally with a Remoulade sauce. My recipe for Remoulade is different each time I make it. Basically, I mix mayo, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, pickle relish and lemon juice together and throw in whatever spices appeal to me. Usually garlic powder and parsley. It's like a cold condiment soup, and I mix it to taste. You can buy it if you like as well, for around $4.
Crab cakes aren't hard to make at all, and are usually quite well received. I would serve these with a nice salad: spring mix, walnuts, apple, Gorgonzola, balsamic dressing. With salad, you should be able to pull this meal off for around $25.
Drink suggestion: crisp white wine
Ingredients:
1 lb of crab meat
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 red pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 egg
dash each of salt and pepper
flour
1/2 cup oil for frying (suggested is peanut oil, but you can use others)
Prep work (5 minutes)
Mix everything in a bowl, except for the frying oil and flour.
Instructions
Shape your mixture into little crab cake patties. Dust them with flour.
Put oil in skillet over medium heat.
When pan is hot, fry your crab cakes until brown on each side. About 4 minutes each side.
Serve hot. Normally with a Remoulade sauce. My recipe for Remoulade is different each time I make it. Basically, I mix mayo, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, pickle relish and lemon juice together and throw in whatever spices appeal to me. Usually garlic powder and parsley. It's like a cold condiment soup, and I mix it to taste. You can buy it if you like as well, for around $4.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Digs for the Bachelor Pad
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While I plan on taking weekends off for this blog, I'm doing a little redesigning at homebase, MichaelSalamone.com, and decided to revamp the Bachelor Pad Kitchen as well. I hope you crazy kids dig it.
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While I plan on taking weekends off for this blog, I'm doing a little redesigning at homebase, MichaelSalamone.com, and decided to revamp the Bachelor Pad Kitchen as well. I hope you crazy kids dig it.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
One for the ladies: Comfort Food Fridays
Last night, two lovely young women complained to me that they don't know how to cook for their men. It turns out, that guys may not be the only ones who need a little help in kitchen. One woman actually told me that she lost her last boyfriend because she couldn't cook.
First off ladies, any guy who is that shallow, isn't worth keeping. Second, it never occurred to me that women may need to cook their way into a man's pants as well. I just thought women got to pick and choose their lovers.
These women last night wanted some inexpensive, hearty, casserole type dishes, that were simple to throw together after a long day of work. Since these types of home-style, comfort food meals are among my favorites, we'll start a new tradition on this blog: Comfort Food Fridays.
We'll start with a favorite of mine, the Tuna Noodle Casserole. It's cheap, easy, delicious, and filling. Just like me. A perfect comfort food.
Ingredients: (less than $10)
1 bag of egg noodles
2 cans of Albacore Tuna
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of peas & carrots
16oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
salt & pepper to taste
Boil the noodles and drain them. Open your cans. Drain the peas & carrots and tuna. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper lightly to taste. Put in a casserole dish, bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes uncovered. Dash a little paprika on top if you have it, before baking.
And so, that's the start of our new Comfort Food Friday segment, my favorite cheap and easy meal.
Drink suggestion: Your favorite beer.
Cheers.
First off ladies, any guy who is that shallow, isn't worth keeping. Second, it never occurred to me that women may need to cook their way into a man's pants as well. I just thought women got to pick and choose their lovers.
These women last night wanted some inexpensive, hearty, casserole type dishes, that were simple to throw together after a long day of work. Since these types of home-style, comfort food meals are among my favorites, we'll start a new tradition on this blog: Comfort Food Fridays.
We'll start with a favorite of mine, the Tuna Noodle Casserole. It's cheap, easy, delicious, and filling. Just like me. A perfect comfort food.
Ingredients: (less than $10)
1 bag of egg noodles
2 cans of Albacore Tuna
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of peas & carrots
16oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
salt & pepper to taste
Boil the noodles and drain them. Open your cans. Drain the peas & carrots and tuna. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper lightly to taste. Put in a casserole dish, bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes uncovered. Dash a little paprika on top if you have it, before baking.
And so, that's the start of our new Comfort Food Friday segment, my favorite cheap and easy meal.
Drink suggestion: Your favorite beer.
Cheers.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Serving Her Just Desserts
Today we'll talk about a great dessert, and the art of turning that casual acquaintance into something more.
Inviting a woman over for just dessert and tea or coffee is a great way to turn a casual friend into something more intimate. Say you're out with a group of friends to see a show, or attend an event, and you'd really like to take things a step further with one of those friends... Invite her over for dessert.
Using our recipes is a great, disarming way to invite women over. "Are you doing anything after this? I've got a great new recipe for grilled pineapple over sorbet. You should join me for dessert and coffee." On the creepy factor of one to ten, this is a zero. Unless you make weird facial expressions while you say it. Toss in the "It's so much more fun to share when I cook," to say that you're independent, but prefer companionship, like we discussed the other day.
You'll need some supplies for this recipe, but it's easy to prepare, quick, and something you'll crave again after tasting. She will too
Grilled Pineapple on Sorbet (15 minutes)
Ingredients: (less than $10)
1 pineapple, cored and cut into slices about as thick as your thumbnail. (in rings)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice. (doesn't really matter which)
4 tablespoons of honey
dash of cinnamon
1/8 cup water
Orange sorbet (or any flavor really, I just think orange goes best)
Combine everything but the pineapple and sorbet in a bowl, and mix until one consistency. Heat up a grill, a Forman, or a skillet. Something that will leave grill marks is best.
Dip the pineapple rings into the sauce, and grill, for about 3-5 minutes a side. You want the pineapple to be hot. You know, grilled. Feel free to brush on any remaining sauce.
An easier version of this, but not as awesome, is to skip the sauce. Just grill the pineapple, and lightly drizzle with honey before serving.
Serve hot, over a scoop of sorbet. Easy. Like Sunday morning. And you.
Suggested drink: Kahlua and coffee
Inviting a woman over for just dessert and tea or coffee is a great way to turn a casual friend into something more intimate. Say you're out with a group of friends to see a show, or attend an event, and you'd really like to take things a step further with one of those friends... Invite her over for dessert.
Using our recipes is a great, disarming way to invite women over. "Are you doing anything after this? I've got a great new recipe for grilled pineapple over sorbet. You should join me for dessert and coffee." On the creepy factor of one to ten, this is a zero. Unless you make weird facial expressions while you say it. Toss in the "It's so much more fun to share when I cook," to say that you're independent, but prefer companionship, like we discussed the other day.
You'll need some supplies for this recipe, but it's easy to prepare, quick, and something you'll crave again after tasting. She will too
Grilled Pineapple on Sorbet (15 minutes)
Ingredients: (less than $10)
1 pineapple, cored and cut into slices about as thick as your thumbnail. (in rings)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice. (doesn't really matter which)
4 tablespoons of honey
dash of cinnamon
1/8 cup water
Orange sorbet (or any flavor really, I just think orange goes best)
Combine everything but the pineapple and sorbet in a bowl, and mix until one consistency. Heat up a grill, a Forman, or a skillet. Something that will leave grill marks is best.
Dip the pineapple rings into the sauce, and grill, for about 3-5 minutes a side. You want the pineapple to be hot. You know, grilled. Feel free to brush on any remaining sauce.
An easier version of this, but not as awesome, is to skip the sauce. Just grill the pineapple, and lightly drizzle with honey before serving.
Serve hot, over a scoop of sorbet. Easy. Like Sunday morning. And you.
Suggested drink: Kahlua and coffee
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Vegetarian Dinner Date
You're going to need a few good vegetarian dishes in your arsenal, because not all women you meet are going to eat meat. This recipe has done well for me in these situations.
Today's recipe will require just a bit more planning on your part, as it requires a grocery trip and an overnight marinade. Today's recipe is Vegetarian Moussaka.
Grocery list: (aprox $20)
1 eggplant
2 potatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
16oz Feta Cheese
4oz Parmesan cheese
2 bottles of greek salad dressing, your choice.
pint of milk
bag of salad mix
pita bread
From your pantry:
Olive oil
1 egg
1 onion
garlic powder
flour
butter
salt and pepper
Prep part 1: (10 mins)
Thinly slice the eggplant and marinate it in 1 bottle of the greek dressing overnight.
Prep part 2, the next day: (20 mins)
Thinly slice the potatoes. Brown in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
Dice the onions.
Fry the onions in a tablespoon of butter, add a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a 1/4 cup of the marinade that the eggplant has been resting in. When the onions brown, pour in your can of of tomatoes. Add a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. If you've got some oregano, a couple of dashes is a nice touch. Now, if for some reason she's NOT a vegetarian, a half pound of ground beef goes very nicely in this mixture. Just brown it with the onions at the start of this segment.
Put a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in the bottom of a casserole dish, and use a paper towel to coat the dish evenly.
Now, in your casserole dish, layer eggplant, then some of the onion & tomato mixture, then feta, then potatoes, then feta, and repeat until you're out of ingredients. Sort of like a lasagna, with eggplant for the noodles. You want your top layer to be eggplant.
Bake covered (aluminum foil will work if your dish doesn't have a cover) for a half hour at 350 degrees.
While that's baking, combine 2 tablespoons of butter, a cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of flour, and a tablespoon of garlic powder. Whisk or stir briskly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Now beat in one egg, stirring until it's one consistency.
Pour this sauce over your casserole, and top with the Parmesan cheese. Continue baking for another 30 minutes. Remove the cover, or foil, 15 minutes before finish.
Serve just like a lasagna, with a small salad on the side, and a piece of pita bread, cut into 4 wedges. The extra bottle of dressing is for your salad.
This meal takes over an hour with prep time, but it's delicious and sure to impress the non-meat eater you want to meet your meat. It's not hard, despite the many steps, and is pretty much impossible to screw up.
I suppose if you're having a vegetarian over, you might also want to have some marijuana and a dessert ready. Check your local laws to see if that's acceptable or not. This is a pretty heavy meal, so strawberries and whipped cream might be the ideal dessert. It's an awfully sensual one as well.
Drink suggestion: Red wine. After dinner shots of Ouzo.
Today's recipe will require just a bit more planning on your part, as it requires a grocery trip and an overnight marinade. Today's recipe is Vegetarian Moussaka.
Grocery list: (aprox $20)
1 eggplant
2 potatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
16oz Feta Cheese
4oz Parmesan cheese
2 bottles of greek salad dressing, your choice.
pint of milk
bag of salad mix
pita bread
From your pantry:
Olive oil
1 egg
1 onion
garlic powder
flour
butter
salt and pepper
Prep part 1: (10 mins)
Thinly slice the eggplant and marinate it in 1 bottle of the greek dressing overnight.
Prep part 2, the next day: (20 mins)
Thinly slice the potatoes. Brown in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
Dice the onions.
Fry the onions in a tablespoon of butter, add a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a 1/4 cup of the marinade that the eggplant has been resting in. When the onions brown, pour in your can of of tomatoes. Add a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. If you've got some oregano, a couple of dashes is a nice touch. Now, if for some reason she's NOT a vegetarian, a half pound of ground beef goes very nicely in this mixture. Just brown it with the onions at the start of this segment.
Put a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in the bottom of a casserole dish, and use a paper towel to coat the dish evenly.
Now, in your casserole dish, layer eggplant, then some of the onion & tomato mixture, then feta, then potatoes, then feta, and repeat until you're out of ingredients. Sort of like a lasagna, with eggplant for the noodles. You want your top layer to be eggplant.
Bake covered (aluminum foil will work if your dish doesn't have a cover) for a half hour at 350 degrees.
While that's baking, combine 2 tablespoons of butter, a cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of flour, and a tablespoon of garlic powder. Whisk or stir briskly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Now beat in one egg, stirring until it's one consistency.
Pour this sauce over your casserole, and top with the Parmesan cheese. Continue baking for another 30 minutes. Remove the cover, or foil, 15 minutes before finish.
Serve just like a lasagna, with a small salad on the side, and a piece of pita bread, cut into 4 wedges. The extra bottle of dressing is for your salad.
This meal takes over an hour with prep time, but it's delicious and sure to impress the non-meat eater you want to meet your meat. It's not hard, despite the many steps, and is pretty much impossible to screw up.
I suppose if you're having a vegetarian over, you might also want to have some marijuana and a dessert ready. Check your local laws to see if that's acceptable or not. This is a pretty heavy meal, so strawberries and whipped cream might be the ideal dessert. It's an awfully sensual one as well.
Drink suggestion: Red wine. After dinner shots of Ouzo.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Saved by the Pantry : the Surprise Game
Today we'll discuss why having the essential "pantry" items from my first post can work to your benefit.
Here's a true scenario:
I'd just stepped out of the shower when the doorbell rang. I quickly threw on some shorts and a t-shirt to answer the door. It was a cute bartender I had recently met, and totally forgot that I'd told her where I lived. I apologized for it taking so long to get to the door, explaining the shower, and told her it was a pleasant surprise to see her.
"I wasn't doing much today, so I thought I'd return that CD you gave me, and stop in on you," she said, smiling as she handed me a CD I didn't even remember giving her.
I thanked her, likely looking puzzled, and she started to walk away. "Have you eaten yet?" I asked her, before inviting her in. "I was just about to make something, you should join me."
I hadn't been to the grocery all week, but I always keep my basic supplies on hand, so I wasn't scared. I put the CD she brought on (I still don't think it was mine) and offered her a glass of wine.
I quickly threw a pot of water on to boil, and threw a big handful of frozen broccoli in with it. I brought her a glass of red wine, which I always try to have on hand. I said that I was just going to throw together a simple but nice pasta dish, and I was glad that she'd join me. "I hate cooking just for myself," I said, which has always been a good line for me. It says that I'm independent, but prefer companionship.
After excusing myself, because I figured the water would be boiling, I added a half box of pasta, a pinch of salt and a drop of olive oil to the pot. I then went and grabbed a CD similar to the one we were listening to, and brought it back to the living room. "I'll just be a few more minutes in the kitchen, but thought I should lend you this album next."
I expressed continuing our supposed mutual interest, that she was validated for her reasoning to stop by, and that I trust her with my property.
In five minutes, the pasta was done. I drained it, tossed it in olive oil, and seasoned it to taste with the garlic powder, salt and pepper I always have on hand.
Why do I use garlic powder? It's CHEAP, and cooking with it doesn't make my hands smell like garlic for the rest of the day. You want it to taste like you can cook, but you don't want to smell like you are a cook.
I brought the plates into the living room, and the rest of the bottle of wine, and topped off her glass before pouring myself one. As she enjoyed her meal, (which she did very much) I asked her about what sort of books interested her. Shortly after we finished eating, we were looking at my book collection, where I kissed her. Being a gentleman, I'll close the story by just saying it was good that I'd picked up some fresh fruit from a stand that day, because it was the perfect snack a few hours later to re-energize with.
The lessons I learned and am trying to share with you today? Always have a stocked pantry, and never pass by a fruit stand without at least browsing.
Cheers.
Here's a true scenario:
I'd just stepped out of the shower when the doorbell rang. I quickly threw on some shorts and a t-shirt to answer the door. It was a cute bartender I had recently met, and totally forgot that I'd told her where I lived. I apologized for it taking so long to get to the door, explaining the shower, and told her it was a pleasant surprise to see her.
"I wasn't doing much today, so I thought I'd return that CD you gave me, and stop in on you," she said, smiling as she handed me a CD I didn't even remember giving her.
I thanked her, likely looking puzzled, and she started to walk away. "Have you eaten yet?" I asked her, before inviting her in. "I was just about to make something, you should join me."
I hadn't been to the grocery all week, but I always keep my basic supplies on hand, so I wasn't scared. I put the CD she brought on (I still don't think it was mine) and offered her a glass of wine.
I quickly threw a pot of water on to boil, and threw a big handful of frozen broccoli in with it. I brought her a glass of red wine, which I always try to have on hand. I said that I was just going to throw together a simple but nice pasta dish, and I was glad that she'd join me. "I hate cooking just for myself," I said, which has always been a good line for me. It says that I'm independent, but prefer companionship.
After excusing myself, because I figured the water would be boiling, I added a half box of pasta, a pinch of salt and a drop of olive oil to the pot. I then went and grabbed a CD similar to the one we were listening to, and brought it back to the living room. "I'll just be a few more minutes in the kitchen, but thought I should lend you this album next."
I expressed continuing our supposed mutual interest, that she was validated for her reasoning to stop by, and that I trust her with my property.
In five minutes, the pasta was done. I drained it, tossed it in olive oil, and seasoned it to taste with the garlic powder, salt and pepper I always have on hand.
Why do I use garlic powder? It's CHEAP, and cooking with it doesn't make my hands smell like garlic for the rest of the day. You want it to taste like you can cook, but you don't want to smell like you are a cook.
I brought the plates into the living room, and the rest of the bottle of wine, and topped off her glass before pouring myself one. As she enjoyed her meal, (which she did very much) I asked her about what sort of books interested her. Shortly after we finished eating, we were looking at my book collection, where I kissed her. Being a gentleman, I'll close the story by just saying it was good that I'd picked up some fresh fruit from a stand that day, because it was the perfect snack a few hours later to re-energize with.
The lessons I learned and am trying to share with you today? Always have a stocked pantry, and never pass by a fruit stand without at least browsing.
Cheers.
Monday, January 4, 2010
an Afternoon Delight
Turning a lunch date into a nooner takes both skill and luck. Skill, because it takes some planning. Luck, because you have to be fortunate enough to find a woman with some free time during the day.
People aren't regimented to the old 9-5 schedule anymore, and if they are they seldom get an hour for lunch like they used to. With more and more people having random week days off instead of weekends, a seductive lunch date can often be a winner for today's modern bachelor, IF he's lucky to sync schedules with today's modern woman.
Today's recipe for an afternoon delight may not sound like much, but I promise you that it is simple and seductive. I recently received a message on Facebook from a woman I made this for 14 years ago, saying how much she loved this soup. So, we'll call it Make Her Cream for Mushrooms soup. Because I love a good dirty joke.
The great thing about this soup recipe, is that it can be adapted to whatever vegetable you want. You can replace half of the mushrooms with asparagus, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, whatever. Personally, I like the mushrooms best, and find that there's something strangely seductive about those little fungi. Mushrooms are, after all, aphrodisiacs.
Your grocery list: (about $10)
8-12 oz. package of baby bella mushrooms
a 32oz can of vegetable stock
a quart of heavy cream
a baguette of French bread from the bakery
whatever fresh fruit is on sale, preferably berries or something you can slice up.
What you should already have from your well-stocked bachelor pad pantry:
1/2 - 1 cup of butter
1/2 onion
flour
1 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper
Prep work: (5 min)
slice up the mushroom, and dice the onion
This recipe is very easy, but requires a lot of patience. Still, it really doesn't take more than a half hour to prepare. And you'll learn some skills for future recipes.
In a large soup or stock pan, combine a 1/2 cup of butter, onion, garlic powder and 1/2 the mushrooms and cook over low-medium heat until the onions are golden brown. If the butter dissolves completely, be prepared to double up on it. Sometimes onions and mushrooms soak up more than others. The key is that you get those onions golden brown, but still have plenty of butter on the bottom of that pan. You can't have too much butter in this recipe. Hey, we're cooking for seduction here, not health.
When the onions are golden brown, turn heat down to a simmer. If there's no simmer setting on your stove, that just means ultra-super-low flame.
Now briskly stir in a tablespoon of flour. What's the consistency like? We're trying to turn our butter, onion and shrooms mixture into a paste. Add a tablespoon of flour at a time, and briskly stir it in, until you have a paste-like substance. (a little thicker than a batter) This is called a "rue."
Once you have a rue, we'll skip to undoing the rue, my darlings. Pour a half cup of your vegetable stock into the rue, and whisk or stir the hell out of it until you have one consistency. Do this until all of your vegetable stock is now in your soup pan and not in the can, but only add it 1/2 cup at a time, stirring the mixture into one consistency before adding more.
Now you can turn your heat back to a medium low setting or flame, and toss in the remaining mushrooms, or another vegetable if you're branching out. If you're adding anything other than mushrooms, you will want to cook that vegetable first. Then stir the mushrooms (or other) in gently.
Now we want this pot to boil. Once it does, we'll add 1/4 of our heavy cream at a time, stirring well and bringing it back to a boil, before adding the next 1/4 of the container, until the container is empty.
After you've added the last of heavy cream, and the mixture comes to a boil again, remove it from heat, and let it sit. Give it a taste, and gently add salt and pepper to taste, stirring well as you add them. Be careful of overdoing it on either. Just reheat and stir well to serve.
Serve with a few slices off of your French baguette, and the fresh fruit you purchased.
Beverage suggestion:
Spend a few more dollars for a cheap bottle of champagne and some cranberry cocktail juice. Serve an equal mix of the two. Many mixologists would call this drink a Poinsettia, after the Christmas flower, but you can use it year round. 99% of women LOVE champagne, the flavors compliment this soup very well, and champagne most usually aids in the cause of seduction. You can't go wrong with this one.
Again, if you can't engage the woman verbally, while you tantalize her taste and smell senses, your game isn't necessarily going to close. While you're stirring up your soup, think of things to talk about. Ask her about HER. I find that asking a woman's opinions on subject matters of the day does two things. It helps me know the woman I'm spending time with, and let's her know that I'm actually interested in her. Stimulate a woman's mind, while you stimulate her senses, and soon, you'll be stimulating each other. Cheers.
People aren't regimented to the old 9-5 schedule anymore, and if they are they seldom get an hour for lunch like they used to. With more and more people having random week days off instead of weekends, a seductive lunch date can often be a winner for today's modern bachelor, IF he's lucky to sync schedules with today's modern woman.
Today's recipe for an afternoon delight may not sound like much, but I promise you that it is simple and seductive. I recently received a message on Facebook from a woman I made this for 14 years ago, saying how much she loved this soup. So, we'll call it Make Her Cream for Mushrooms soup. Because I love a good dirty joke.
The great thing about this soup recipe, is that it can be adapted to whatever vegetable you want. You can replace half of the mushrooms with asparagus, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, whatever. Personally, I like the mushrooms best, and find that there's something strangely seductive about those little fungi. Mushrooms are, after all, aphrodisiacs.
Your grocery list: (about $10)
8-12 oz. package of baby bella mushrooms
a 32oz can of vegetable stock
a quart of heavy cream
a baguette of French bread from the bakery
whatever fresh fruit is on sale, preferably berries or something you can slice up.
What you should already have from your well-stocked bachelor pad pantry:
1/2 - 1 cup of butter
1/2 onion
flour
1 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper
Prep work: (5 min)
slice up the mushroom, and dice the onion
This recipe is very easy, but requires a lot of patience. Still, it really doesn't take more than a half hour to prepare. And you'll learn some skills for future recipes.
In a large soup or stock pan, combine a 1/2 cup of butter, onion, garlic powder and 1/2 the mushrooms and cook over low-medium heat until the onions are golden brown. If the butter dissolves completely, be prepared to double up on it. Sometimes onions and mushrooms soak up more than others. The key is that you get those onions golden brown, but still have plenty of butter on the bottom of that pan. You can't have too much butter in this recipe. Hey, we're cooking for seduction here, not health.
When the onions are golden brown, turn heat down to a simmer. If there's no simmer setting on your stove, that just means ultra-super-low flame.
Now briskly stir in a tablespoon of flour. What's the consistency like? We're trying to turn our butter, onion and shrooms mixture into a paste. Add a tablespoon of flour at a time, and briskly stir it in, until you have a paste-like substance. (a little thicker than a batter) This is called a "rue."
Once you have a rue, we'll skip to undoing the rue, my darlings. Pour a half cup of your vegetable stock into the rue, and whisk or stir the hell out of it until you have one consistency. Do this until all of your vegetable stock is now in your soup pan and not in the can, but only add it 1/2 cup at a time, stirring the mixture into one consistency before adding more.
Now you can turn your heat back to a medium low setting or flame, and toss in the remaining mushrooms, or another vegetable if you're branching out. If you're adding anything other than mushrooms, you will want to cook that vegetable first. Then stir the mushrooms (or other) in gently.
Now we want this pot to boil. Once it does, we'll add 1/4 of our heavy cream at a time, stirring well and bringing it back to a boil, before adding the next 1/4 of the container, until the container is empty.
After you've added the last of heavy cream, and the mixture comes to a boil again, remove it from heat, and let it sit. Give it a taste, and gently add salt and pepper to taste, stirring well as you add them. Be careful of overdoing it on either. Just reheat and stir well to serve.
Serve with a few slices off of your French baguette, and the fresh fruit you purchased.
Beverage suggestion:
Spend a few more dollars for a cheap bottle of champagne and some cranberry cocktail juice. Serve an equal mix of the two. Many mixologists would call this drink a Poinsettia, after the Christmas flower, but you can use it year round. 99% of women LOVE champagne, the flavors compliment this soup very well, and champagne most usually aids in the cause of seduction. You can't go wrong with this one.
Again, if you can't engage the woman verbally, while you tantalize her taste and smell senses, your game isn't necessarily going to close. While you're stirring up your soup, think of things to talk about. Ask her about HER. I find that asking a woman's opinions on subject matters of the day does two things. It helps me know the woman I'm spending time with, and let's her know that I'm actually interested in her. Stimulate a woman's mind, while you stimulate her senses, and soon, you'll be stimulating each other. Cheers.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
First Date at Your Place
A primary goal of bachelor pad cooking is to be doing so for a lady friend. Why drop a hundred dollars going out to dinner, not knowing if you'll be able to get her home after? Get her in your home to start with, and save money in the process.
Our first recipe is for Poulet Enculé, which translated from the French means, "Chicken. Fucker!"
Hopefully you've already stocked up around the house with basic ingredients. For the first date, you'll stop at the grocery for the following:
2 boneless chicken breasts
bacon
a wedge of brie cheese
2 yellow pears
1 apple
2 croissants from the bakery
frozen whipped topping
Some decent crackers
You should spend about $15 to feed 2 people. (assuming your pantry is stocked)
Now, what I do is cook everything, plate the dish, then cover it with aluminum foil and place the plates in a low heat oven to stay warm. I start cooking about an hour and a half before she arrives, giving me time to cook, then clean up for her. You can adapt to your style. If you're holding the plates warm for this course, you just won't add the croissant and pears dish until right before you serve. There's a lot of ways to play this, and you'll have 35 minutes while the chicken cooks.
Prep work: (about 15 mins)
Pound the chicken breasts flat. Set aside.
Fry 6 strips of bacon. Drain. Set aside.
Slice the brie cheese. Set aside.
Thinly slice pears. Set aside.
Slice the apple. Set aside.
Beat an egg in a dish big enough to dip the chicken breasts in.
Pull the bread crumbs from the pantry.
Stuff the chicken breasts with 3 slices of bacon each, and fill with brie cheese. (save the remaining cheese to serve with the sliced apple and crackers when she arrives.) Dip the chicken in egg, then in flour and then coat with seasoned bread crumbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes at 325 degrees.
That wasn't hard, was it? And trust me, it's a great main dish. You might need some toothpicks to keep the chicken in shape when stuffed. Roll 'em if you have trouble stuffing 'em. As long as the bacon and cheese melt and cook inside the chicken, you're golden. Now we'll need a side and a dessert.
While the chicken is in the oven, you'll prepare frozen broccoli as per the directions on the package. Microwave it, or simmer in a sauce pan. We use frozen veggies so they're quick to prepare and easy. I usually microwave 2 cups frozen veg with a half cup water in a microwavable dish with a cover for 4 minutes, and they come out perfect.
Now, fry the sliced pears in a quarter cup of butter and a half cup of water, and dust with 1/8 cup of sugar, add it slowly and stir while doing so. First, melt the butter in the water, then add the pears, then the sugar. Get them good and brown, then remove from heat. Depending on how thin they're sliced, this might go quick. Just set that pan aside. You might need to reheat this mixture. Just before serving, you'll spoon warm pears and any buttery juice over the croissants, and then dollop with frozen whipped topping.
Serve with a white wine when she arrives, (again, I suggest Coppola's Blanco for around $8 a bottle) and as much of it as you can get her to drink throughout the meal. I plate it all together so she can't refuse dessert and so that the croissants serve as the starch as well. Also, the sweetness will compliment the chicken.
If you don't have a table to dine on, set up a picnic atmosphere in your nicest room, or put pillows around your coffee table. Just don't have the TV on. Use music. Thelonious Monk works well for me, but everyone has their own style. Dim the lighting. Generally I don't use candles on a first date because she knows I'm up to something. But you have to develop your own game here. I mean, if you fail at conversation over this great meal, you'll fail at the date altogether anyhow.
Still, hopefully you've conquered your first simple but sophisticated meal. Cheers.
Our first recipe is for Poulet Enculé, which translated from the French means, "Chicken. Fucker!"
Hopefully you've already stocked up around the house with basic ingredients. For the first date, you'll stop at the grocery for the following:
2 boneless chicken breasts
bacon
a wedge of brie cheese
2 yellow pears
1 apple
2 croissants from the bakery
frozen whipped topping
Some decent crackers
You should spend about $15 to feed 2 people. (assuming your pantry is stocked)
Now, what I do is cook everything, plate the dish, then cover it with aluminum foil and place the plates in a low heat oven to stay warm. I start cooking about an hour and a half before she arrives, giving me time to cook, then clean up for her. You can adapt to your style. If you're holding the plates warm for this course, you just won't add the croissant and pears dish until right before you serve. There's a lot of ways to play this, and you'll have 35 minutes while the chicken cooks.
Prep work: (about 15 mins)
Pound the chicken breasts flat. Set aside.
Fry 6 strips of bacon. Drain. Set aside.
Slice the brie cheese. Set aside.
Thinly slice pears. Set aside.
Slice the apple. Set aside.
Beat an egg in a dish big enough to dip the chicken breasts in.
Pull the bread crumbs from the pantry.
Stuff the chicken breasts with 3 slices of bacon each, and fill with brie cheese. (save the remaining cheese to serve with the sliced apple and crackers when she arrives.) Dip the chicken in egg, then in flour and then coat with seasoned bread crumbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes at 325 degrees.
That wasn't hard, was it? And trust me, it's a great main dish. You might need some toothpicks to keep the chicken in shape when stuffed. Roll 'em if you have trouble stuffing 'em. As long as the bacon and cheese melt and cook inside the chicken, you're golden. Now we'll need a side and a dessert.
While the chicken is in the oven, you'll prepare frozen broccoli as per the directions on the package. Microwave it, or simmer in a sauce pan. We use frozen veggies so they're quick to prepare and easy. I usually microwave 2 cups frozen veg with a half cup water in a microwavable dish with a cover for 4 minutes, and they come out perfect.
Now, fry the sliced pears in a quarter cup of butter and a half cup of water, and dust with 1/8 cup of sugar, add it slowly and stir while doing so. First, melt the butter in the water, then add the pears, then the sugar. Get them good and brown, then remove from heat. Depending on how thin they're sliced, this might go quick. Just set that pan aside. You might need to reheat this mixture. Just before serving, you'll spoon warm pears and any buttery juice over the croissants, and then dollop with frozen whipped topping.
Serve with a white wine when she arrives, (again, I suggest Coppola's Blanco for around $8 a bottle) and as much of it as you can get her to drink throughout the meal. I plate it all together so she can't refuse dessert and so that the croissants serve as the starch as well. Also, the sweetness will compliment the chicken.
If you don't have a table to dine on, set up a picnic atmosphere in your nicest room, or put pillows around your coffee table. Just don't have the TV on. Use music. Thelonious Monk works well for me, but everyone has their own style. Dim the lighting. Generally I don't use candles on a first date because she knows I'm up to something. But you have to develop your own game here. I mean, if you fail at conversation over this great meal, you'll fail at the date altogether anyhow.
Still, hopefully you've conquered your first simple but sophisticated meal. Cheers.
Getting Started
I've tossed around putting together a cookbook for the space-aged bachelor pad for several years now, and decided now that we're in 2010, and actually in the space age, I may as well publish it on a blog.
Most guys love to eat, but don't like to cook. That's because most guys don't know how easy it is to maintain an inexpensive pantry for relatively easy recipes, sure to feed a hungry man's stomach AND impress a date.
Face it fellas, the goal is always to get her back to your place. That's easier to do when you can offer her a meal. Women love a man who can cook.
But guys would rather spend their money on beer than groceries. And so, in my first post I'm going to list to you the bare essentials that you need to always keep stocked for our adventure. Sure, you're going to need to pick up main ingredients for some of our dishes, and occasional compliments, but if you've this stuff in your kitchen, you'll always be prepared. Spend $25 and get set up.
To start, we'll focus on evening meals. But, eventually, we'll discuss breakfast, because you'll have worked your magic and need to feed your overnight guests.
Your shopping list: (again, attainable for around $25)
Dry goods:
salt, pepper, garlic powder, seasoned bread crumbs, flour, sugar, olive oil, pasta
Refrigerated items:
butter, eggs, milk, bread, an onion
Frozen items:
broccoli, chopped spinach, peas & carrots blend
beverages: (additional cost, aprox $18)
Try to always keep 2 bottles of wine on hand, one white and one red, to serve your lady friend. I suggest Francis Ford Coppola's Rosso and Blanco. Each are delicious blends under $10. A well stocked bar never hurts either, and on occasion, I'll toss in a lady-friendly drink recipe for you too.
You'll buy fresh produce, meats and cheeses (condiments and spices too, but minimal) to plan for specific dishes, but even without anything else, we'll have some simple recipes that utilize just from our core ingredients list. My goal with this blog is to teach you minimalistic, easy, culinary delights.
Do you have pans? You need at least one good sized frying pan, one good sized sauce pan, one baking or casserole type dish, and one flat cookie sheet type pan. You'll also need forks, spoons, and dishes to serve the food on. Women hate to eat with their hands.
I'll be back after making and enjoying some dinner to share our first recipe with you.
Most guys love to eat, but don't like to cook. That's because most guys don't know how easy it is to maintain an inexpensive pantry for relatively easy recipes, sure to feed a hungry man's stomach AND impress a date.
Face it fellas, the goal is always to get her back to your place. That's easier to do when you can offer her a meal. Women love a man who can cook.
But guys would rather spend their money on beer than groceries. And so, in my first post I'm going to list to you the bare essentials that you need to always keep stocked for our adventure. Sure, you're going to need to pick up main ingredients for some of our dishes, and occasional compliments, but if you've this stuff in your kitchen, you'll always be prepared. Spend $25 and get set up.
To start, we'll focus on evening meals. But, eventually, we'll discuss breakfast, because you'll have worked your magic and need to feed your overnight guests.
Your shopping list: (again, attainable for around $25)
Dry goods:
salt, pepper, garlic powder, seasoned bread crumbs, flour, sugar, olive oil, pasta
Refrigerated items:
butter, eggs, milk, bread, an onion
Frozen items:
broccoli, chopped spinach, peas & carrots blend
beverages: (additional cost, aprox $18)
Try to always keep 2 bottles of wine on hand, one white and one red, to serve your lady friend. I suggest Francis Ford Coppola's Rosso and Blanco. Each are delicious blends under $10. A well stocked bar never hurts either, and on occasion, I'll toss in a lady-friendly drink recipe for you too.
You'll buy fresh produce, meats and cheeses (condiments and spices too, but minimal) to plan for specific dishes, but even without anything else, we'll have some simple recipes that utilize just from our core ingredients list. My goal with this blog is to teach you minimalistic, easy, culinary delights.
Do you have pans? You need at least one good sized frying pan, one good sized sauce pan, one baking or casserole type dish, and one flat cookie sheet type pan. You'll also need forks, spoons, and dishes to serve the food on. Women hate to eat with their hands.
I'll be back after making and enjoying some dinner to share our first recipe with you.
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