As I reflected on the past year and searched for recipes, I realized a very important thing about 2011… we didn’t cook NEARLY as much as we did the years prior (2010 best recipes here) or at least didn’t post as many recipes. And almost everything I cooked was of the dessert variety. Hmmm… Reflection is 20/20.
So without further ado… please enjoy my favorites of 2011:
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Happy Nomming!
I have been shopping with Gilt for a while. They have some great (and some not so great) deals on fashion and home goods. They used to be a bit too pricey all the time, however, they have lowered prices and now have designers making (sometimes less quality) goods right for them. You need to be smart in what you buy and do your research to make sure you’re really getting a good deal, but I have found some EXCELLENT items.
I was excited when they announced a new division: Gilt Taste. It’s goal was to focus on foodie type items. It reminds me of an upscale food market. I love browsing through it, but I can’t say that many things have caught my eye to say “I need to buy this now!” Impulse shopping for food items is not something I do in the same way that I do for, say, shoes. (I will definitely be shopping there for my next dinner party, however!) But right in the beginning, one thing caught my eye. I didn’t say anything, so imagine my surprise when Mike said he had a surprise for me and placed in my hand, this…
Artichokes and Truffles sauce! Two of my very favorite things, in one can.
We decided to make a scampi type dish with is with fresh pasta, scallops, and shrimp.
It was delicious! I was hoping for a bit more pop of truffle flavor, but it was delicious and such an easy way to make a gourmet style meal.
YUM!
If you want to sign up for Gilt Taste, check out this link. I’m currently eyeing a cured meats sampler and a gourmet sea salt!
The Number One question our friends and family ask Mike and I is “So does Sara do all the cooking?” I guess since I write about it, the assumption is that Mike doesn’t participate. What you fail to see is the side-by-side in our kitchen where he chops, sautees, preps, and melts… and then hand models, spreads sauce, and moves things around to aid the picture-taking process. Frankly, I couldn’t do half the things I do without Mike’s help. Then there are the days where he is off from work and he decides to get creative. He likes to take the time he has to prepare a great meal for the two of us.
One day, we had leftover eggplant, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and tomatoes. I came home from work to find that Mike had created “Eggplant Parm Tacos.” He lightly breaded and fried the eggplant, then folded them up like tacos and stuffed them with the other items. (I never would have thought of this!)
It was a great take on his last creation, the zucchini and eggplant parm stack.
They tasted excellent and were a fun way to eat something you could never typically pick up.
Though they were so overloaded (in a very good way) that it was mostly a knife and fork meal. (He also made a few flat versions with some dill havarti cheese. YUM!)
The great thing about anything “parm” is that it is SO easy to make. It is actually the first thing I learned how to cook, all on my own, without a recipe. You can basically take a few different items (chicken, veal, pork, eggplant, zucchini…) and dip it into egg and then into breadcrumbs (sometimes I flour it first… depends on my mood and if the breadcrumbs are sticking without it). Then you pan sear it until it’s mostly cooked through. Then you can basically throw it into a casserole pan, layer on the cheese and sauce, and stick it in the oven until it’s melty and warmed through. Easy peasy!
Then you bring in Mike who gets all gourmet on it. I love it.
