a million thanks

Tonight, my mom's best friends put on a bridal shower that was fit for Downton Abbey. The evening began when Mom and I walked into her friend's kitchen and met our personal chef for the evening (Mary Katherine Wyeth out of Greenville, SC), who would teach us all how to make fresh ravioli stuffed with lemon ricotta filling, farro with swiss chard, chicken taquitos, and real pie crust for apple tart. The wine glasses were filled and we put on our aprons and had an absolute ball. I was handed the special white bride-to-be apron! 

Before dessert was ready, the girls showed me into the living room where I found this beautiful table fit for a Pottery Barn catalogue. The dinnerware is from the Pearl Collection at Sur La Table, and is absolutely stunning in real life. The flower centerpiece was gorgeous and full to the brim with lovely blossoms. There were wine glasses and candles and linens and napkin rings and my mom's framed artwork and homemade macaroons and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful women in my life, who truly rolled out the red carpet for me tonight. I am going to sleep with a big smile on my face. 

The Pearl Collection from Sur La Table

The Perfect Bloody Mary

In our house, the endeavour to perfect the Bloody Mary was a project which took a few years.  After hundreds of trials and tastings, Joshua officially now makes the best bloody in the valley. He has selflessly dedicated hours to tweaking the recipe, and so many of my girlfriends have endured the hardship of being official "tasters". Tough job, right? One of my new favorite gifts is a "Bloody Basket", which includes a bottle of Absolut Peppar, Zing Zang mix, habanero tabasco, and jalapeno stuffed olives. 

Let me tell you a secret.  It's not just about the booze; it's about the snacks. It's an appetizer, and when necessary a meal. The options are endless. There are no rules. If we don't have Peppar, we use Smirnoff or Russian Standard. If we don't have Cabot cheddar cheese, we use the Dubliner or string cheese. If we don't have olives or a pickle, well tough luck. If we don't have vodka in the house, well that just does not ever happen. 

Joshua's Perfect Bloody

3 oz Absolut Peppar
8 oz Zing Zang bloody mary mix
1/4 teaspoon horseradish
Splash of olive brine
3-4 drops Tabasco Sauce (we love the spicy habanero Tabasco)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 jalapeno stuffed olives

SNACKS: must choose a minimum of two

     - pickled spicy okra

     - kosher dill pickle sandwich slice

     - Cabot extra sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese (2 thick slices)

     - celery stalk

DIRECTIONS

Combine above ingredients in a Boston shaker. Add ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Pour into glass, and add snacks (pickled okra, cheese) and straw. Enjoy! 

photo of the week

I came home from work on Tuesday, and these flowers were sitting on the island with a sweet note. Just because. The light in the solarium today was perfect, and I wanted to remember how special it was to be treated to a beautiful bouquet of tulips on an ordinary day, for no special reason other than Just Because. Let us be grateful for the amazing people we have in our lives, and for the little things that bring so much joy. 

Cast Iron Skillet Pan-Seared Filet Mignon

In writing this recipe, I feel like I am sharing my best kept secret. This is the first meal I made for Joshua (after many not so edible casseroles, including one that involved an entire bag of Doritos) where he actually thought to himself, WOW, maybe there is hope for her after all! There is absolutely no reason to drop hundreds of dollars on a fancy steak dinner at Frankie Rowland's when you can make this restaurant worthy filet mignon in your own home in under 30 minutes!

Do I have your attention? Good. The key to this recipe is a cast iron skillet and a really good steak. The Lodge makes a great skillet for around 40 dollars, and I have seen them for sale in Kroger. I always buy our filets from the Fresh Market and serve mashed potatoes and oven roasted asparagus on the side. 

I must share that my great friend, Taryn (nickname Martha as she is a house decorating and cooking goddess) , introduced me to the idea of searing and baking a filet instead of grilling it. May I also suggest splurging on a nice bottle of California Cabernet Sauvingnon while at the Fresh Market, which makes this meal worthy of the president of the United States, or in my case just the people you love dearly and want to spoil to death.

Cast Iron Skillet Pan-Seared Filet Mignon 

inspired from Ina Garten's Steakhouse Steaks recipe

2 (1o ounce) filet mignon

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

1 Tbsp fleur de sel or kosher salt

1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot (5-7 minutes).
3. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel, and brush them lightly with oil. Combine the salt and pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to coat both sides.
4. When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides, for 2 minutes per side. Will take total of 10 minutes. 
5. Top each steak with 1T butter, and place skillet in the oven. For medium rare (125 degrees) cook for 7-10 minutes, testing with meat thermometer. 
6. Once you've achieved desired doneness, transfer the steaks to platter and cover tightly in aluminum foil. Allow steaks to rest for 5-10 minutes. This really makes all the difference in the world!

The secret is out, BON APPETIT!!

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

1 Bunch Asparagus

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Optional - freshly grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Wash and trim asparagus (cut an inch or so off the bottom)
3. Spread asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus, and shake baking sheet to coat each piece.
4. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast the asparagus for 10 minutes. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired, serve immediately. 

The Best Mashed Potatoes

I am partial to yukon gold potatoes, lots of butter, and half and half. 

1 and 1/2 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup warm half and half 

1/4 cup butter

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add 1/2 tsp salt. Add water until potatoes are covered, bring to a boil, and then cover pan and reduce heat to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (until a fork can easily pass through them). Drain potatoes and place in kitchen aid mixer with paddle attachment. 

Warm half and half and melt butter together, add to potatoes. Add salt and pepper, and mix until desired consistency is reached. 

photo of the week

If you had known any of the three of us in college or PA school, you would have probably laughed at the idea of us running 13.1 miles for FUN. A 5K was exceptional. Especially if the reward did not involve Bojangles, sweet tea, or a bloody mary. 

Fast forward a few years, and we are all seasoned half-marathoners! I did not say fast. I am so proud that we have evolved into DISTANCE runners...AKA an excuse to get together on St Patty's Day weekend and run a race together. We had a BLAST. In case you are wondering, YES we are all wearing sparkly green sweaty bands, Lucky t-shirts with a clover, and temporary 13.1 mile theme tattoos! 

Quick Sesame Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are a Food With Benefit (FWB). If you have no clue what I'm referring to, head over to Candice Kumai's webside (the stiletto chef) or Amazon and purchase her cookbook, Pretty Delicious.

I love this cookbook, and read the forward every month or so. She believes in FWBs: foods with benefits. Instead of eating foods that are devoid of nutrition (potato chips, french fries, candy, etc.) she believes in choosing foods that taste good AND are nutritious (sweet potatoes, avocado, greek yogurt, SOBA NOODLES!) She is inspiring, gorgeous, and motivating. 

I purchased an entire 12-pack case of soba noodles from Amazon, and am excited to feature a soba recipe. This one is from Eat, Live, Run, and was a tasty weeknight dinner. 

Quick Sesame Soba Noodles
from Eat, Live, Run

Ingredients for sauce - 
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup hot water (depending how thick you like your sauce)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp freshly minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic

Ingredients for noodles - 
sliced raw sugar snap peas
thinly sliced green onions
sesame seeds
8 oz soba noodles

Directions:

1. Cook soba noodles according to package instructions. When done, drain and rinse noodles in cold water. Set aside.
2. To make sauce, combine all ingredients (tahini through garlic) in a food processor and process until very smooth. Add the hot water last, while the motor is running. You may need less, just add enough until desired consistency is reached.
3. To serve, pour sauce over noodles and top with snap peas, green onions, and sesame seeds. 

* I topped our noodles with cayenne roasted shrimp, as follows:

Cayenne Roasted Shrimp: 

1 lb frozen shrimp, peeled and de-veined (thawed)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

Mix all ingredients in bowl, then spread on a baking sheet, and roast at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. 

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Low Country Boil

I have been enviously listening to my parents chatter about doing all sorts of fun things with their 50-quart bayou stockpot, including deep-fry turkey, and host many a friendly neighborhood oyster roast and low country boil. 

Joshua and I adore steamed oysters and seafood. Thus, when birthday season rolled around, I batted my lids and asked Josh for my own big bayou stockpot and the accessories to go with it. 

Allow me to introduce my newest kitchen item, along with my very own "Cajun Stir Paddle". It's so big I have to wash it in the bath tub! Last weekend, we decided to turn on the propane and cook up a small version of a low country boil for 2 (recipe would easily feed 4, we had lots of leftovers). 

Low Country Boil
adapted from a few different recipes, including Dave's low country boil on allrecipes

Ingredients:
2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package kielbasa sausage sliced into chunks
1 package of frozen corn on the cob niblets 
3 lbs red potatoes
1 lb crab legs, thawed
4 lemons, halved
2 onions, quartered and unpeeled
1 package Louisiana crawfish crab and shrimp boil (can substitute Old Bay)
Drawn butter and cocktail sauce for dipping (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill stockpot full of water (about 3/4), bring to boil over propane heater
2. Add lemons, onions, and seasoning packet and allow to dissolve for a couple of minutes. 
3. Add potatoes, cook for 10 minutes
4. Add kielbasa sausage, cook for 10 minutes
5. Add crab and corn, cook for 5 mins
6. Add shrimp, cook for 3 mins
7. Drain off the water and pour the contents onto a table covered with newspaper. Serve with lots of cold beer!