AMGE reader KH sends us this recipe for vegetable-cheese pie (sounds great!) ...
KH's Vegetables 'N' Cheese Pie
Ingredients
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt, if desired
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper or more, to taste
2-1/2 cups skim or low-fat milk
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (about 2-1/2 cups)
1 bunch scallions, sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1-1/2 cups shredded Jarlsberg (about 6 ounces)
2 cups sliced carrots, steamed for 7 minutes
2 cups sliced parsnips, steamed for 3 minutes
3 cups sliced zucchini, steamed for 2 minutes
Single crust for 9-inch pie
Cooking Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt, and pepper, and whisk in the milk until there are no lumps. Set the mixture aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter or margarine, and saute the mushrooms and scallions, stirring them often, for about 3 minutes.
3. Stir the reserved cornstarch mixture, and add it to the mushroom-scallion mixture. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, and boil it for 1 minute. Remove it from the heat, and stir in the cheese.
4. Add the carrots, parsnips, and zucchini to the cheese sauce, and combine everything well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
5. Place the pie crust on top of the vegetable-cheese mixture, flute the edges of the crust to form a decorative rim, and cut slits in the top of the crust to let the steam escape.
6. Bake the pie in a preheated 375 oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
How to make a great steak

The Atlantic tells us how to make a great steak ...
Argentina has a reputation for being a "steak only" type of place, a country where the cuisine doesn't really extend beyond a grilled slab of meat, with a little salt (if any) added to the mix.
Yes, on nearly every block, you'll find a steakhouse (parrilla) that uses a wood-fired grill, but next to those steaks on the grill, you'll find short ribs (a prized cut here, but the last one I would ever think of throwing on the grilll), chorizo sausage, blood sausage, kidneys, intestines, and sweetbreads.
As with the steaks, these are all prepared by grilling with just a little salt. There's no brining, marinating, or sautéing, just the grill. There's no black pepper, no option of a mushroom sauce or burgundy reduction. Things are kept simple: Meat. Fire. A Little Salt.
Read the rest here.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pour ma mère
For Mother's Day, ma mère put in a request for my patented I-talian-style sketti. I happily obliged. And here's how I did it:
Joltin' Django's I-talian-style Sketti
Ingredients
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cans Cento peeled tomatoes with basil
3-4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and course-ground black pepper (to taste)
10-12 frozen Italian meatballs (I used homemade meatballs from my freezer)
Directions
Over medium heat, brown Italian sausage in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Remove sausage to paper towels to drain.
Add olive oil to remaining drippings. When pot returns to medium heat, add onions. Cook until clear, 3-4 minutes, and then add garlic. Stir repeatedly for 1 minute.
Pour tomatoes and juice into pot, crushing tomatoes with the back of a large spoon. Return cooked sausage to pot, and add tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir, stir, and stir until sauce begins to slowly bubble (10-12 minutes).
Turn heat to low and add meatballs. Cover pot and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes (stirring every 3-4 minutes).
Serve with al dente spaghetti, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and a large glass of red wine.
Enjoy!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Good scene, fellas
I picked up Goodfellas on DVD this afternoon -- to replace a so-worn-out VHS tape of the film I've had for some 10+ years. I stayed up very late watchin' it.
I blogged about my favorite scene from Goodfellas 'bout six months ago. Now that I'm in a serious Goodfellas "mood," I'm gonna re-post what I said. Right here:
Screen Junkies has comiled a list of the nine life lessons every guy can learn from Goodfellas. One of 'em is food-related:
Don't use too many onions in the sauce.

When you learn it: When all of the guys are doing their time together, Vinnie is always putting too many onions in the sauce.
Why it's important: Balance is important when you're making a marinara. You don't want to overpower the other flavors with too much onion. And three small onions is too much when you're only using two cans of tomatoes. That's day one stuff.
Naturally, the jailhouse cooking scene is my favorite in the whole movie. Since I'm sure some folks who're reading this have never seen Goodfellas before, I won't ruin it by describing the scene. One thing I will say, however, is this: Paulie using a razor blade to slice garlic so's it will melt when cooked in a little oil ... it works. Try it sometime.
I blogged about my favorite scene from Goodfellas 'bout six months ago. Now that I'm in a serious Goodfellas "mood," I'm gonna re-post what I said. Right here:
Screen Junkies has comiled a list of the nine life lessons every guy can learn from Goodfellas. One of 'em is food-related:
Don't use too many onions in the sauce.

When you learn it: When all of the guys are doing their time together, Vinnie is always putting too many onions in the sauce.
Why it's important: Balance is important when you're making a marinara. You don't want to overpower the other flavors with too much onion. And three small onions is too much when you're only using two cans of tomatoes. That's day one stuff.
Naturally, the jailhouse cooking scene is my favorite in the whole movie. Since I'm sure some folks who're reading this have never seen Goodfellas before, I won't ruin it by describing the scene. One thing I will say, however, is this: Paulie using a razor blade to slice garlic so's it will melt when cooked in a little oil ... it works. Try it sometime.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Fiasco

Unless you were living under a rock last week, you know that KFC 'n' Oprah Winfrey offered everyone with access to a computer and printer a free "grilled" chicken meal. You also know that the promotion turned into a big KlusterFuCk, with customers near-rioting, and staging sit-ins, when they didn't get their free chicken. Hell, some folks even cried "Racism!" when over-taxed KFC outlets refused to take their coupons. (Don't even get me started on that!)
I could pontificate for days on whether or not it was wise for KFC to promote a "free meal" coupon on The Oprah Winfrey Show. I'm of the opinion that it wasn't very wise, given that KFC didn't seem very prepared for what happened after Oprah said, "Go get ya one!"
That said, KFC's new grilled chicken is very, very good. I know this because one of my co-workers was brave enough to head to KFC -- with coupon in hand -- for lunch the day after Oprah said, "Have some grilled chicken on me!" (or something to that effect). He got a breast and a wing in his free meal, and he let me have a big pinch o' meat from each of 'em.
The small portions I had were very juicy; and my co-worker, I'll call him "Skippy," said that each and every portion he consumed was not only juicy, he stated that KFC's grilled chicken tasted like something that came off his backyard grill.
I couldn't agree more. And I'll have some pics after I get my rain check.
Good gravy!
Dr. Hibbert: Well, your cholesterol level is lethally high, Homer, but I'm more concerned about your gravy level.
Homer Simpson: Now, wait a second. You doctors have been telling us to drink eight glasses of gravy a day!
-- The Simpsons, "Bart Star"
Today's Tennessean has an excellent article about Southern-style gravies -- with recipes. Check it out here.
I can make one hell of a gravy using dripping from a pork roast. To wit:
Homer Simpson: Now, wait a second. You doctors have been telling us to drink eight glasses of gravy a day!
-- The Simpsons, "Bart Star"
Today's Tennessean has an excellent article about Southern-style gravies -- with recipes. Check it out here.
I can make one hell of a gravy using dripping from a pork roast. To wit:
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Don't say I didn't warn ya!
Now blogging at A Man's Gotta Eat, Erick J.:

They tasted as good as they looked. I prepared these spare ribs on Sat the 2nd, and I must say that I am getting sooooooo good at this;-) I took 2 racks of ribs, apple juice, Grillmasters Pork rub, Salt, pepper, Onion, at least 5 Bud lites, and 5 hours of my life (in no particular order) and came out with a RACK that Ms Parton herself would be proud of. I am a pretty damn good rapper too. Django for President.
Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/6yx5izzle

They tasted as good as they looked. I prepared these spare ribs on Sat the 2nd, and I must say that I am getting sooooooo good at this;-) I took 2 racks of ribs, apple juice, Grillmasters Pork rub, Salt, pepper, Onion, at least 5 Bud lites, and 5 hours of my life (in no particular order) and came out with a RACK that Ms Parton herself would be proud of. I am a pretty damn good rapper too. Django for President.
Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/6yx5izzle
Monday, May 04, 2009
Pepperoni Bread, that's what I said ...!

I like pepperoni and I like bread ... and I love the sound of this (from The Skinny Chef):
Pepperoni Bread
Ingredients
Non-stick spray
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen pizza dough, thawed
6 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece out into a 2-inch by 12-inch log. Divide the pepperoni between the two pieces. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Starting with the longer side, roll the dough up and press the edge to seal in the ingredients. Transfer to the cookie sheet, seam side down. Tuck the ends under and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until the bread is cooked through and lightly brown on the top. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Get Thee to Uh Wool Lim!

When I find something I like, I stick with it. More specifically, I tend to return to my favorite restaurants over and over again. That's why you'll never find me doing a restaurant-a-day thing here at A Man's Gotta Eat. Hell, I'm lucky to get around to a half-dozen different restaurants a month; and with penny-pinching at a fever pitch these days, that trend is likely to continue.
One restaurant I have visited several times in the last few months is Uh Wool Lim Korean Restaurant in Antioch. Not only is the food incredible there, the service is impeccable. Indeed, the folks who own and work in the place are some of the most gracious hosts I've ever encountered in a restaurant.
A big bunch from my workplace went to Uh Wool Lim on a recent Friday night. I was the first to arrive. I told 'em that there were 12 coming, and they immediately started moving tables to accommodate our large group. As soon as we were all there, and had an adult beverage in hand, we were served two large plates of complimentary fried dumplings.
The dumplings were filled with slivers of juicy pork, and they were served with a spicy soy-sauce based dipping sauce. It took all of about six minutes for all traces of the dumplings to vanish.
When the dumplings were gone, banchan came to our table(s). If you've never been to a Korean restaurant, banchan - sometimes spelled panch'an - refers to small dishes of pickled vegetables, potato pancakes, and steamed rice which are served alongside Korean entrées. (At one point, I counted 18 banchan bowls spread out in front of my buds and me!)
At Uh Wool Lim, kimchi is the banchan dish that stands out most (see oval dish in foreground). In fact, it might very well be the best kimchi I have ever had -- and I've had kimchi in several different Korean restaurants, as well as homemade kimchi that was made by a friend's Korean grandmother.
Now, for those who've never heard of kimchi, here's what it 'tis: fermented cabbage that's been seasoned with chili peppers and salt -- and in some instances brined seafood. Uh Wool Lim's kimchi is of the non-seafood variety and is very, very spicy. Of course, that's alright by me ... and it goes a long way toward explaining why I like it so much.
When it came entrée-orderin' time, I decided I wanted me a spicy soup. I settled on the yook gae jang, which is a stew of spicy shredded beef, clear noodles, egg, bracken fern (talk about authentically Korean!) and green onions.
The soup you see in that picture is one of the best soups, ethnic or domestic, I have ever had. Ever. I asked for it to be "super spicy," and that's just how it was delivered. The heat, however, was not of the sweat-inducing variety; instead, it was the kind of heat that takes a moment to make itself known on the back of your tongue before settling in for a while. In addition, there was lots of beef in my soup, and every - and I mean every - sliver was as tender as butter. That's no lie.
Hopefully, you're now thinking about when you're gonna get out to Antioch to visit Uh Wool Lim. If you need further convincing, check out this simmering pot of squid, shrimp, mussels, tofu, mushrooms, cabbage, radishes, watercress, zucchini, green onions and hot peppers (Hae Mool Tang):
Four of my co-workers ordered the seafood soup you see pic above, and it was brought to the table in a large pot to simmer on a mini hot-plate. I sampled it, and I know what I'm by-God ordering the next time I visit Uh Wool Lim.
Who's going wit' me?!
Uh Wool Lim Korean Restaurant
940 Richards Road
Antioch, TN 37013
615.333.3308
Friday, May 01, 2009
A good day for a Parade
Yesterday evening, I bestowed upon my next-door neighbor a bottle of Parade Louisiana Hot Sauce. My neighbor'd informed me he needed "a good hot sauce" to put in some chili he was cookin'; I told him I had just the thing to spice it up. Thus, I gave him a bottle of Parade.
What's so good about Parade Hot Sauce you ask? Well, I 'splained it a few months back. To wit:
I collect hot sauces like Dean Martin collected hangovers. Whenever I see a hot sauce I've never tried before, well, I just gotta have it. Like yesterday ...
I came across Parade Louisiana Hot Sauce at a convenience store on Nolensville Road. At $.50 a bottle, the price was certainly right to give it a try. I was mighty impressed by my half-buck bottle o' sauce; indeed, I was so impressed that I went back to that little store today and bought four more bottles!
I sure am glad that my tobacco craving led me to that convenience store yesterday. Otherwise, I may have never had a chance to try Parade's fine sauce.
At this point, I guess I should tell you how the sauce in my 4 3/4 bottles of new hot sauce tastes. Well, it has a great cayenne pepper flavor with a subtle "tang" that tickles the sides of your tongue. It packs more than a little heat - a heat that kinda sneaks up on you - but the heat in no way interferes with the taste of aged cayenne peppers.
One final thought 'bout Parade's Louisiana hot sauce: A lot of "Louisiana" hot sauces are just too damn salty -- Bruce Foods' "Original" Louisiana Hot Sauce immediately comes to mind. The same can't be said about Parade-brand Louisiana hot sauce. It has salt in it, of course, but you don't feel like you need to take a blood pressure tablet after each teaspoon you consume.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Il est gratis!
I'm a sucker for the Taste of Home magazines. I can flip through one at a newstand, and it takes me about 10 seconds before I find a recipe that reminds me of a dish I sampled at a church supper when I was a yout.
If you'd like a FREE Taste of Home mag, go here.
If you'd like a FREE Taste of Home mag, go here.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Down in mud-bug land ...

If the southern-third of Louisiana wasn't home to oppresive heat and humidity nearly year 'round, I could see myself living there. (I too-vividly recall being in New Orleans in November 1999 and sweating like like I was in Tennessee in August.)
That said, I almost -- almost -- wish I was living down there when I read stuff like this:
Every foodie worth her salt knows New Orleans is a destination for eats all year 'round, but the last weekend in April and first in May are something extraordinary.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is about far more than the music. Though craftsmen display their wares all around the fairgrounds and music saturates the air, the food provided by about 70 different vendors is a huge draw. For some, it's the main draw -- so it's worth knowing that tickets to the second weekend of grub and tunes are still available.
Jazz Fest, which since its debut in 1970 has become the second most popular party in New Orleans, takes place during the beginning of the hot, sticky season in bayou country. This spell lasts about eight months, so it's no shock that good food and strong drink are so popular. Though NOLA is not technically a Cajun city, during the Fest one would be hard-pressed to find a better place for Louisiana's Cajun grub.
There's gooey, cheesy crawfish bread hailing from Marksville, classic spicy Cajun boudin (sausage) from Belle Chasse, rich crawfish etouffee from Gramercy that marries tender crawfish to a roux-based tomato sauce, and a beautiful, dark pheasant, quail and andouille gumbo from Prejean's restaurant in Lafayette.
Read the rest here.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Good ol' knaidel soup
As promised, I made a big ol' pot o' matzo ball soup last night ... about two and a half weeks late. Here 'tis:

I don't want to toot my own horn, but my latest batch of matzo ball soup was pretty damn good. I toted about 90 percent of what I cooked to work with me today, and my co-workers devoured it with smiles upon their faces (ask Eric J. if you don't believe me).
Here's my recipe for simple matzo ball soup, for those who wanna know ...
Joltin' Django's Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
4 split chicken breasts
5 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 medium white onions, large-diced
2 tablespoons kosher salt (more to taste)
1 tablespoon course black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups matzo meal
1 egg
Directions
Place chicken breasts in a deep backing pan lined with foil. Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Place cooked chicken on a plate to cool for 20-25 minutes; reserve rendered juices.
Lightly beat egg in a mixing bowl. Add matzo meal and chicken juice. Mix well and let stand for 15 minutes.
Pour water into a heavy-bottomed pot and add carrots and onions. Place pot on stove and turn to "high." While pot is heating, shred chicken (discarding skin and bones). When pot begins to boil, add salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn heat to medium-low and cover.
Meanwhile, roll matzo mixture into balls 1/2-inch in diameter. Drop balls into pot until all of the mixture is gone. Lower heat to slow-simmer.
Simmer soup for 25 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper as needed, and serve with seasoned matzo "crackers."
I don't want to toot my own horn, but my latest batch of matzo ball soup was pretty damn good. I toted about 90 percent of what I cooked to work with me today, and my co-workers devoured it with smiles upon their faces (ask Eric J. if you don't believe me).
Here's my recipe for simple matzo ball soup, for those who wanna know ...
Joltin' Django's Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
4 split chicken breasts
5 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 medium white onions, large-diced
2 tablespoons kosher salt (more to taste)
1 tablespoon course black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups matzo meal
1 egg
Directions
Place chicken breasts in a deep backing pan lined with foil. Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Place cooked chicken on a plate to cool for 20-25 minutes; reserve rendered juices.
Lightly beat egg in a mixing bowl. Add matzo meal and chicken juice. Mix well and let stand for 15 minutes.
Pour water into a heavy-bottomed pot and add carrots and onions. Place pot on stove and turn to "high." While pot is heating, shred chicken (discarding skin and bones). When pot begins to boil, add salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn heat to medium-low and cover.
Meanwhile, roll matzo mixture into balls 1/2-inch in diameter. Drop balls into pot until all of the mixture is gone. Lower heat to slow-simmer.
Simmer soup for 25 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper as needed, and serve with seasoned matzo "crackers."
Monday, April 27, 2009
So deserves repeating ...

From April of last year ...
We'll get a slawburger, fries and a bottle of Ski
Bring it on out to my baby and me
-- "Dumas Walker," The Kentucky Headhunters
When I was a young'un, my dad worked at the Tennessee Farmer's Co-op in Lavergne, TN. There was a little market next to his office that always had a big "barrel" of Double Cola - in glass bottles, of course - chilling on ice. Whenever I went to his office, he'd always take me into the market for a Double Cola and some chips or something.
I remember one day I peered over into the iced-down Double Colas and spied something in a green bottle, something called Ski. It kinda looked like Sun-Drop, which my grandparents always had on hand, so I decided to give it a try. It was sweet and tangy, but I quickly noticed that it wasn't quite as carbonated as the soda pops I was accustomed to drinking. Thus, I didn't particularly care for it.
A few years later when I was playing Little League baseball, one of my teammate's parents would bring a big cooler of cold drinks for after-practice refreshment. What did they always bring in their big cooler? Bottles of Ski and Sprite. I couldn't stand Sprite so I would drink the Ski. The more I drank it the more it grew on me. It didn't take long before I was asking my mom to pick it up at the grocery store (and since I was an only child, she usually obliged).
By the time I graduated from high school, Ski was getting harder and harder to find in Nashville-area markets and grocery stores. In the years that followed, I would find it from time to time in little markets when I was traveling 'round Tennessee - especially West Tennessee - on business. Eventually, I couldn't find it anywhere.
Imagine my surprise when I found Ski in a convenience store over the weekend ... about two miles from my house. I was toting beverages of a more adult nature toward the cashier when, out of the corner of my eye, I seen something that looked subspecialty like little bottles of Ski. I turned on my heel and returned to the soda pop cooler. Sure 'nough I had seen Ski! I probably had a smile on my face like I'd found a $100 bill.
I walked out of that store with four bottles of Ski and six bottles of ... well, that's not important. What is important is that the Ski I drank sitting in that convenience store parking lot tasted every bit as good as the ice-cold bottles I drank after baseball practice when I was 9-years-old.
Learn more about Ski here.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Turn-up the green-ee-ohs ...
The thing I hate most 'bout cooking fresh turnip greens is cleaning 'em. Now comes these clean things ...

Simmer such -- for about two hours -- with some thick-slab bacon, and you get bowls like this:

Now you know what I had for dinner ce soir. And my "dinner" was drenched in this.
Big shock, n'est-ce pas ... ?!

Simmer such -- for about two hours -- with some thick-slab bacon, and you get bowls like this:

Now you know what I had for dinner ce soir. And my "dinner" was drenched in this.
Big shock, n'est-ce pas ... ?!
Highball du nord
Take off!
To the Great White North
Take off!
It's a beauty way to go
-- Bob & Doug McKenzie
Back in 1992, I spent three weeks in Québec -- Montréal's Old City, to be specific -- learnin' how to speak good French. Ever since then, I've been particularly attuned to things that happen in the Great White North.
Like this:
In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, Canadians boosted alcohol sales by 4.3 per cent, funnelling more than $18.8-billion into the economy. Sales of red wine more than doubled and white wine experienced a 44-per-cent hike.
I'm ready to go back North. Who wants to come with?!
To the Great White North
Take off!
It's a beauty way to go
-- Bob & Doug McKenzie
Back in 1992, I spent three weeks in Québec -- Montréal's Old City, to be specific -- learnin' how to speak good French. Ever since then, I've been particularly attuned to things that happen in the Great White North.
Like this:
In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, Canadians boosted alcohol sales by 4.3 per cent, funnelling more than $18.8-billion into the economy. Sales of red wine more than doubled and white wine experienced a 44-per-cent hike.
I'm ready to go back North. Who wants to come with?!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Phở-nominal homemade soup
If you're a regular AMGE reader, you know how much I love Vietnamese phở soup. I got me a wild hair recently and purchased a couple of jars of Por Kwan Phở Vietnamese Beef Flavor Paste from an outfit in Los Angeles ...

... I decided to give it a whirl tonight.
While I was getting my broth going -- I added about half of my jar of Por Kwan Phở paste to about 8 cups of water -- I thinly sliced a small white onion; I sliced 8 Vietnamese meatballs, which I purchased at my favorite international market, in half; I chopped three green onions; and sliced-up a jalapeño pepper, seeds and all. All that went into a pot with some thin Vietnamese noodles and some bean sprouts (both of which were also procured at my favorite international market). To wit:

When the soup was done I poured me some in a bowl I specifically purchased, at the Nashville Flea Market, for homemade phở-eating purposes. I added a big dollop of my favorite Asian hot sauce, and I went to town.
This, my friends, was pretty damn good:

Come by my place if you want left-overs. I won't promise you that there'll be any left!

... I decided to give it a whirl tonight.
While I was getting my broth going -- I added about half of my jar of Por Kwan Phở paste to about 8 cups of water -- I thinly sliced a small white onion; I sliced 8 Vietnamese meatballs, which I purchased at my favorite international market, in half; I chopped three green onions; and sliced-up a jalapeño pepper, seeds and all. All that went into a pot with some thin Vietnamese noodles and some bean sprouts (both of which were also procured at my favorite international market). To wit:
When the soup was done I poured me some in a bowl I specifically purchased, at the Nashville Flea Market, for homemade phở-eating purposes. I added a big dollop of my favorite Asian hot sauce, and I went to town.
This, my friends, was pretty damn good:
Come by my place if you want left-overs. I won't promise you that there'll be any left!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
An interesting concept ...
One of my favorite things to eat is a bacon, lettuce and tomato sammich (with Duke's mayonnaise, of course). Indeed, I reckon I make a me a BLT about, oh, once every eight days or so.
On this morning's Bob & Tom Show, the B&T gang talked about a product called Baconnaise, which, apparently, is a bacon-flavored mayonnaise. They talked about how it's now possible to have a BLT sans bacon.
One of my favorite things to eat is a bacon, lettuce and tomato sammich (with Duke's mayonnaise, of course). Indeed, I reckon I make a me a BLT about, oh, once every eight days or so. Now, as much as I'm intrigued by the prospect of bacon-flavored mayo, I can't imagine why anyone would eat a "BLT" with just bread, lettuce and Baconnaise. That's just plain wrong, especially considering that a house in which bacon has been fried smells great for the next four or five hours.
Lest you think I'm not up to trying Baconnaise, hold it right there. I'm gonna get me a jar of the stuff to see how it peps up some grilled hamburgers. Stay tuned for a review.
Check out the Baconnaise Web site here.
On this morning's Bob & Tom Show, the B&T gang talked about a product called Baconnaise, which, apparently, is a bacon-flavored mayonnaise. They talked about how it's now possible to have a BLT sans bacon.
One of my favorite things to eat is a bacon, lettuce and tomato sammich (with Duke's mayonnaise, of course). Indeed, I reckon I make a me a BLT about, oh, once every eight days or so. Now, as much as I'm intrigued by the prospect of bacon-flavored mayo, I can't imagine why anyone would eat a "BLT" with just bread, lettuce and Baconnaise. That's just plain wrong, especially considering that a house in which bacon has been fried smells great for the next four or five hours.
Lest you think I'm not up to trying Baconnaise, hold it right there. I'm gonna get me a jar of the stuff to see how it peps up some grilled hamburgers. Stay tuned for a review.
Check out the Baconnaise Web site here.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Buon ristorante

The folks at Slashfood have up their list of the best Italian restaurants in the U.S.A. Knoxville's Savelli's Italian Restaurant is included in the list. To wit:
Blink and you'll drive right past the hole-in-the-wall where Mama Savelli's Chicken Surprise, bursting with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and a creamy lemon sauce, will take up permanent residence in your best food memories bank. We really amore the BYOB policy.
I've been to Knoxville many dozens of times; but this is the first I've ever heard of Savelli's Italian Restaurant. The place kinda reminds me of Nashville's Mama Mia's hole-in-the-wall Italian joint ... which is my favorite in-town Italian restaurant. (Note to Slashfooders: Mama Mia's has a strict BYOB policy, too.)
Next time I'm over near where the Tennessee River begins, I'm gonna make it a point to head to Savelli's. You'll hear about it when I do.
"Help" yourself ...
If you're a regular AMGE reader, you already know how much I, ahem, love Hamburger Helper. To wit:
I have a confession: I love Hamburger Helper. No, I freakin' love Hamburger Helper. If'n I ever decide that I would look quite smashing as a 400 lb. tub, I will go on an all-Hamburger Helper diet -- Cheeseburger Macaroni or Double Cheeseburger Macaroni, of course.
All kidding aside, let me say this:
Whenever I want something fast and simple for dinner, I'll whip up a box of Helper, open a can of peas, and drench the whole shebang in Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce. Heaven in a single skillet, indeed!
Kansas City Star columnist Jill Wendholt Silva ain't too keen on Helper; thus, she recently came up with a recipe for a one-skillet meal a la Hamburger Helper.
I'm gonna try this soon ... and I'll let you know how it turns out:
The Star’s One-Skillet Italian Meal takes a worthy concept and freshens it up: Add sliced mushrooms (buy them pre-sliced in the produce department), green pepper (buy chopped in the freezer case), fresh zucchini, canned tomatoes and fresh spinach.
Finally, substitute Italian vermicelli (ver-MIH-chell-ee) noodles, literally "little worms," for regular noodles. Vermicelli is thinner than spaghetti, and it’s easy to break up the noodles and add them to the pan. They cook through as the meal simmers on the stovetop.
•Spinach tips: Feel free to substitute alternative vegetable combinations to suit your family’s tastes. Instead of 1 cup fresh spinach, try adding an equal amount of chopped Swiss chard, small chopped broccoli florets or frozen peas. Or use frozen spinach, thawed and drained well. Be sure to adjust cooking time accordingly so the vegetables remain crisp tender.
•Cooking tips: The ground round used in this recipe was 90 percent lean.
If the kids aren’t crazy about tomatoes, use kitchen shears to snip the tomatoes (while still in the can) into small pieces that cook down and nearly disappear.
One-Skillet Italian Meal
[Ingredients]
1 pound ground round
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
4 ounces dry vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
2 1/2 cups sodium-reduced tomato juice
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
[Directions]
Spray a large (12-inch) skillet with nonstick spray coating. Cook ground round, onion and garlic in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain and set aside.
Return skillet to heat and add olive oil. Add mushrooms, green pepper and zucchini; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add dry vermicelli pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally and very gently, until pasta is golden-brown and vegetables are crisp-tender.
Spoon cooked meat into skillet over pasta and vegetables. Add seasonings, tomatoes and tomato juice. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in spinach, cover and continue to cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.
I have a confession: I love Hamburger Helper. No, I freakin' love Hamburger Helper. If'n I ever decide that I would look quite smashing as a 400 lb. tub, I will go on an all-Hamburger Helper diet -- Cheeseburger Macaroni or Double Cheeseburger Macaroni, of course.
All kidding aside, let me say this:
Whenever I want something fast and simple for dinner, I'll whip up a box of Helper, open a can of peas, and drench the whole shebang in Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce. Heaven in a single skillet, indeed!
Kansas City Star columnist Jill Wendholt Silva ain't too keen on Helper; thus, she recently came up with a recipe for a one-skillet meal a la Hamburger Helper.
I'm gonna try this soon ... and I'll let you know how it turns out:
The Star’s One-Skillet Italian Meal takes a worthy concept and freshens it up: Add sliced mushrooms (buy them pre-sliced in the produce department), green pepper (buy chopped in the freezer case), fresh zucchini, canned tomatoes and fresh spinach.
Finally, substitute Italian vermicelli (ver-MIH-chell-ee) noodles, literally "little worms," for regular noodles. Vermicelli is thinner than spaghetti, and it’s easy to break up the noodles and add them to the pan. They cook through as the meal simmers on the stovetop.
•Spinach tips: Feel free to substitute alternative vegetable combinations to suit your family’s tastes. Instead of 1 cup fresh spinach, try adding an equal amount of chopped Swiss chard, small chopped broccoli florets or frozen peas. Or use frozen spinach, thawed and drained well. Be sure to adjust cooking time accordingly so the vegetables remain crisp tender.
•Cooking tips: The ground round used in this recipe was 90 percent lean.
If the kids aren’t crazy about tomatoes, use kitchen shears to snip the tomatoes (while still in the can) into small pieces that cook down and nearly disappear.
One-Skillet Italian Meal
[Ingredients]
1 pound ground round
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
4 ounces dry vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
2 1/2 cups sodium-reduced tomato juice
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
[Directions]
Spray a large (12-inch) skillet with nonstick spray coating. Cook ground round, onion and garlic in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain and set aside.
Return skillet to heat and add olive oil. Add mushrooms, green pepper and zucchini; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add dry vermicelli pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally and very gently, until pasta is golden-brown and vegetables are crisp-tender.
Spoon cooked meat into skillet over pasta and vegetables. Add seasonings, tomatoes and tomato juice. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in spinach, cover and continue to cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.
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