Sweet Basil! I loved this book~class!

Everyone once in a while I go to a training class at work that I think that was worth every minute of time not spent in the "office". This past week, I had the opportunity to go through 2 days of Fierce training. No, there wasn't anything physical to it. It was about having conversations and about how they are the relationship. Have you ever said, "I just don't know how to talk to him/her about it."? It also goes into the concept that relationships steadily disintegrate, one failed or missing conversation at a time, which really resonated with me. Think about college friends that are no more or even failed marriages of friends..."all of a sudden it was like we weren't married anymore". The book I believe was originally intended for personal relationships but has crossed over into the business world, particulary as it relates to coaching and dealing with conflict.

For the love of bread....and summer

I mentioned the other day that I go to a local market near my home, Clintonville Community Market. One of the reasons I venture over there is that they have fabulous bread from Eleni Christina Bakery...sometimes at half price if it's a day or two old. Anyway, today I found some basil foccacia and was thinking about how much I miss summer! So...I went back to a summer staple...grilled bread with garlic and olive oil topped with some grilled tomatoes and blue cheese. Yes, the tomatoes were a bit winter like, but it still reminded me of SUMMER! Most importantly, I fired up the gas grill...yes, gas grill not charcoal...but that even entailed replacing the starter...which I did sans husband! How about those "apples"? Peace and pray for summer. :)

Valentine's Day Quiche

Quiche is a really easy dish and something that I often have ingredients for on a regular basis. Also, you can "mix and match" cheese, veggies, meats etc. Tonight I used swiss and cheddar along with some ham and green onions. I also don't make my own crust, but I prefer to use Marie Callender's crust which is made with vegetable shortening.

Ham and Green Onion Quiche
(Adaptation from Paula Deen)
5 large eggs, beaten

1 cup heavy cream or half and half

Salt and pepper
1/4 cups chopped green onions

1 cup diced ham

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate ~ prick pie crust a few times with fork

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Layer the ham and onions, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set.

I think I will leave the Fried Chicken to the Colonel

Supercrispy Pan-Fried Chicken

(Adaptation from Food and Wine Magazine)
~I cut the recipe in half.

16 pieces of chicken --drumsticks and thighs

6 cups buttermilk
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
directions
In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the buttermilk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chicken for at least 8 hours or overnight.
In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper and cayenne. Set 2 large racks over rimmed baking sheets. Working in batches, drain the chicken, scraping off most of the buttermilk against the side of the bowl. Add the chicken to the bag, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat completely. Transfer the chicken to the racks, pressing the flour to help it adhere as you remove the chicken from the bag.
Pour 1 inch of oil into each of 2 large cast-iron skillets and heat to 350°. Add about half of the chicken pieces to the hot oil, being sure not to crowd the skillet. Fry over moderate heat until the chicken is golden, crisp and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes; an instant-read thermometer should register 165° for thighs or drumsticks and 160° for breasts. Line the racks with paper towels and drain the chicken. Continue frying the chicken in batches, being sure the oil temperature stays at 325° during frying. Serve warm or at room temperature.

So, here's where I didn't do so well. 1. I didn't have the proper thermometer. Meat themometers only go to about 200 degrees and I didn't have a candy thermometer -- don't know if there are thermometers for frying??? Hence, we ended up with Blackened Fried Chicken...didn't look so "buttermilk". I guess when they emphasize oil temperature that is for a reason! Would I try it again with the right thermometer...maybe, but KFC is sometimes too easy and a lot less mess!

Poblano Corn Chowder for a Snowy Day

It was a pretty, snowy day in Ohio. I spent a few hours in the office and then beat rush hour. I couldn't wait to get home and make some soup. This is the first time I have made chowder with a poblano. I liked the flavor. I also thought about blending the soup so it was smooth, but decided to go with the hearty version instead. This is an adaptation from Martha Stewart.
(Picture from Ezra Jack Keats - Snowy Day)

Poblano Corn Chowder
Ingredients
4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
2 ribs celery, strings removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice (3/4 cup)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
2 1/2 cups of corn (fresh or frozen)
5 ounces small potatoes - white or fingerling, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 poblano chile, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups half-and-half



Directions
Place bacon in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until it is deep golden brown and all the fat has been rendered, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, then transfer to paper towels to drain, and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat.
Add diced onion, celery, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste to stockpot; cook over medium-low heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes.
Add corn, potato slices, and poblano chile; cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard thyme. Add half-and-half, and simmer until soup is hot. (Martha did not do this, but I took about 1 1/2 cups of the soup and blended it smooth in the blender and then added it back to the chunky soup. I thought it improved the flavors a bit.)
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into soup bowls, and garnish with bacon and a little hot sauce if desired.

The love of my mornings....Brown Cow Yogurt

My mornings during the week have to run like a well-oiled machine if I am going to make it into the office at a decent time. Not having a lot of time to prepare anything for breakfast, I have definitely become a morning yogurt person. My favorite yogurt is Brown Cow especially Cherry Vanilla or Blueberry. It's not the super low fat stuff, but what's a few calories??? This yogurt is super creamy and reminds me a little bit of eating frozen custard. I have to buy it at a place like Whole Foods or Clintonville Community Market, one of the gems of my neighborhood. This little organic market is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood so I can walk there to pick up fresh ingredients, wine, beer, ice cream and of course, brown cow yogurt. The other cool thing about the market it is member-owned natural foods grocery store, so it's definitely not your typical grocery store experience!

Buzzy's Chicken

Okay, this isn't really Buzzy's Chicken, but she recommended the recipe to me so I am renaming it! (This is an adaptation from Food Network/Amy Finley)

I also served this with some good bread with a little bit of Wegmans Tapenade...and of course, a glass or 2 of white wine.
Goat Cheese & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts for 2
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoons butter
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 ounces softened goat cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Special equipment: A food processor, kitchen twine
Place the chicken breasts, 1 by 1, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick. Set aside.
Stem the mushrooms and place the caps and stems separately in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saute pan over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, and saute until all the liquid has evaporated. (This is called a duxelle.) Season well with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
Smear each chicken breast with some of the goat cheese and top with some of the duxelle. Roll the breast up and tie with the kitchen twine. Season with the salt and pepper. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and sear the chicken on all sides. Once seared, place the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing the kitchen twine and slicing each rolled breast into 4 to 5 slices. Top with some of the remaining duxelle and several spoonfuls of the Mushroom Wine Sauce.

Mushroom Wine Sauce
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Place the shiitakes in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water. Allow to sit undisturbed 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is richly fragrant and has taken on the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Strain and reserve the liquid. Discard the mushrooms or reserve for another use. In a small saute pan over medium-high heat, bring the mushroom liquid to a strong boil and reduce by half. Add the wine and chicken stock, reduce by 1/2 again. Remove from heat and add the butter, swirling the pan until the butter is incorporated and the sauce is glossy and shiny. Season with the salt and pepper.