Orzo Risotto with Seared Scallops and Tomatoes.

... "With James and the dogs out of town again until Wednesday night - the house was cold and empty. I needed to cook for someone. So, I asked my neighbor, Pat Morelli's mom, Fran ... what she wanted for dinner. She said scallops ... so I rushed to the international supermarket to get the ingredients for ...

Orzo Risotto with Seared Scallops and Tomatoes: Sea Scallops. S & P. OO. Garlic. Cherry Tomatoes. Capers. Orzo. Shallot. Oregano. Chardonnay. Water. US Butter. Parsley.

It's so hard to cook for two. My parents always taught me to cook for a party of eight with leftovers ... well, I succeeded. As I presented a plate to Fran, her eyes lit up and smiled. She grabbed a vintage and chilled bottle chardonnay and graciously opened it. We both sat down to dinner and conversed about the 'good old times.' As we both raised our glasses to toast to celebrate life ... I did my usual 'side-look' and and grinned. Food always brings friends together. Too bad that James is in SJC (San Jose, CA) not enjoying himself. Too bad, too sad ... more food for me." /closes my eyes and enjoys the finer things in life in a simplistic way

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Camp Brisket 2015.

Before I went to Camp Brisket 2015, I didn't know much about BBQ - yet alone BBQ brisket. This two day event was packed with a great panel of BBQ and meat masters from Texas A&M University, Ohio State University, and Certified Angus Beef, BBQ brisket taste testings, beer and wine pairings from Lagunitas Brewing Company and Jim Beam, and much more.

There was a taste testing of BBQ brisket that was prepared earlier in the day and guests judged the grade/quality of brisket and what wood was used. I chose the all four woods and the four quality of brisket correctly! YAY! The grade/quality were USDA Choice, USDA, Select, USDA Prime, and Wagyu. The choices of woods were: apple, pecan, oak, and mesquite.

The only thing I knew about BBQ brisket was just to eat it. The BBQ knowledge from the panel was overwhelming. They know their meat. They know brisket. They showed us everything - from 'The Science of Brisket' to setting up a Weber Smokey Mountain Barbeque Smoker at the end of the first night.

The next morning, was jam-packed one. When I arrived at Weber Grill, the smells were heavenly. I followed my nose to the front door and I was already salivating! The morning consisted of four breakout sessions: a) wrapped/unwrapped BBQ, b) accessories and knife selection, c) brisket fabrication, and d) alcohol/beer pairings with BBQ with Lagunitas Brewing Company and Jim Beam.

After the the breakout sessions, the briskets that were made from the previous night were sliced and taste tested by all the guests ... then, lunch was served ...

I have to say that I ate so much brisket that I had the meat sweats and fell into a deep food coma afterwards! I thought I had some good brisket in my travels throughout the United States, but the brisket I had during this event nullifies everything I had in my past. The flavor and juiciness of the brisket was overwhelming. IT. WAS. SO. GOOD!

There was one thing I need to mention, the Jalapeno and Cheese Beef Sausage from Southside Market & Barbeque was DELICIOUS. I haven't had sausage with peppers in it before and these sausages make my taste buds sing!

In summary, I learned a lot and tasted a lot of from Camp Brisket at Weber Grill Restaurant. I met some great pioneers in the BBQ industry met some new foodies. If you ever get the chance to attend this event or any other Weber Grill event - you won't be disappointed!

For more information about Camp Brisket - contact me directly. /wants more brisket ...

Chicken Parmesan.

... "A lot of people know that I don't like Italian food (generally speaking). I decided to make a staple of any Italian kitchen to step up my "culinary game"...

Chicken Parmesan: EVOO. Garlic. KS & P. Oregano. Red Pepper Flakes. Crushed Tomatoes. Sugar. Basil. Chicken Breast. Mozzarella. Fontina. Egg. AP Flour. Parmesan. Panko. Garlic Powder. VO. Tarragon.

I gotta say, I think should cook more Italian and I think I might have to go to Tuscany soon to learn and master the art of making the perfect marinara sauce ..." /wishing I was leaning against the Leaning Tower of Pisa

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Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Apricots. Couscous with Lemon and Herbs.

... "With James out traveling for last week for work in SFO and the dogs were with his family ... James wanted something different for dinner and he proposed Moroccan food tonight ... he wanted to go out for dinner, but I insisted for us to stay home.

Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Apricots: Paprika. Ground Cumin. Ground Ginger. Cayenne Pepper. Ground Coriander. Ground Cinnamon. Lemon Zest. Lemon Juice. Garlic. Whole Chicken. S & P. OO. Onion. LS Chicken Broth. Honey. Carrot. Chickpeas. Dried Apricots. Cilantro.

Couscous with Lemon and Herbs: EVOO. Shallot. Garlic. LS Chicken Broth. Lemon Zest. Lemon Juice. Couscous. Parsley. S & P.

I dug keep into my cookbook library and found these two recipes from Cook's Illustrated. I thought I needed a tangine to make this, but one doesn't need a tagine to make Moroccan food. James actually searched YouTube and played some Rai music to get into the spirit. There's nothing better to have exotic dinner at home with the one you love most ... especially, not seeing him all week." /puts down my fork and gets James up from the table, pull him close and slows dances with him to the upbeat Rai music

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Littleneck Clams with Israeli Couscous, Hunter's Sausage, and Fennel.

... "I needed some lighter fare food for dinner. With it being partly cloudy and cold here in ORD/MDW (damn you, Mother Nature), I was inspired by Mediterranean cuisine - hence, shellfish and mollusks. Also, I went to the doctor today and he told me I had a major sinus infection and told me ... yeah, I'm fat. BLAST. He encouraged me to lose weight again. To ease my mind - I went to my 'happy place' - the international supermarket. I went walking down the aisles and thought ... 'How can I make Mediterranean cuisine meet European cuisine?"

Littleneck Clams with Israeli Couscous, Hunter's Sausage, and Fennel: Israeli Couscous. US Butter. Onion. Fennel. Hunter's Sausage. Garlic. Vermouth. Littleneck Clams. Cherry Tomatoes. Parsley. S & P.

The cold ORD/MDW weather and this major sinus infection are going to keep me indoors probably all weekend ... but I need the rest. There are plenty of leftovers which James can splurge over which I'm not planning to cook all weekend. James, Wally, and Eva will also be back and keep me company while I try to get better." /attempts to take this nasty flavored codeine syrup and knock out on our sectional

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Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce. Parsnip Purée. Skillet Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic.

... "So, the tables have turned ... my husband, James, is in SFO attending some conference and left me all alone at home. Our dogs are with James' family while he's traveling.The quiet within the house was getting to me. I'm glad that I have good friends, like Maxwell, to keep my 'alcohol' spirits up while he's gone. I'm working in MKE this week and I really need to cook for one. I was thinking of James' favorite vegetable - the parsnip ... and people know that I got to have a "two drink minimum" at dinner (it's a mandatory requirement). I didn't want to eat out alone so - I made ...

Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce: Rack of Lamb. S & P. VO. Shallot. Rosemary. Garlic. AP Flour. ‪#‎Glenlivet‬ Scotch Whisky. Chicken Broth. Parsley. US Butter. Lemon Juice. S & P.

Parsnip Purée: Parsnip. S & P. Heavy Cream. Thyme. Garlic. US Buttter. EVOO.

Skillet Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic: OO. Garlic. Thyme. Broccoli. S & P. Water.

Cooking for one is really hard. I'm not used to cooking for myself ... I made a plate for James, but I'm going to devour it anyway ... I'm a pig. Too bad, too sad." /washes this dual-sided dinner with a Whiskey Sour
 
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One-Pan Roast Chicken. Sautéed Garlin-Lemon Spinach.

... "It's a cold Monday night for being "officially summer" here in Chicago. May is come and gone and I was hoping for warmer temperatures, but living in Chicago - one has to be ready for the elements. I wanted comfort food, not fast food tonight. Also, there was discussion about potatoes ... so, I opted not making parnsip purée, which is James​' favorite.

One-Pan Roast Chicken: OO. Thyme. Paprika. Lemon Zest. S & P. Chicken. Yukon Gold Potatoes.

Sautéed Garlic-Lemon Spinach: EVOO. Garlic. Spinach. Salt. Red Pepper Flakes. Lemon Zest. Lemon Juice.

Another chicken dish in the pan ... (book?). For a weeknight meal - I was pleased - I'm glad I'm cooking again. I. NEED. THIS. There is a sense of peace and humility when I'm the kitchen. Home. Sweet. Kitchen." /heads out with James to get some ice cream even though it's 50 degrees outside

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