[65] Classic Lasagne, Italian-American Style

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

So, the last lasagne in the freezer had all been eaten, and it wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind when I first envisioned a pile o’ lasagne in the freezer anyway. Given all of that, I decided to try again with Bittman’s “Classic Italian-American” version of lasagne.

h2. Ingredients

Salt (Assuming you boil your noodles.)
Lasagne noodles, fresh or dried (Dried is about a pound.)

~1 c ricotta cheese

~1 c mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp softened butter or extra virgin olive oil

~3 cups, Meat Sauce, Bolognese Style

1.5 c freshly ground Parmesan Cheese (We used 12 month aged Manchego)

h2. Instructions

This is a lot like the last lasagne, so the directions are going to be almost exactly the same. You might get a sense of déjà vu.… Continue reading →

[44] Classic Lasagne, Bolognese Style

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

This wasn’t at all the lasagne I had in mind when I decided I wanted to make some lasagne for dinner, with an eye toward freezing the leftovers for lunches. I had in mind the more common (at least in the States) noodle dish with ricotta and mozzarella and a thick tomato-based sauce. However, when I “asked Bittman” for a lasagne recipe (a.k.a. looked in the index), this was the first one that popped up. It was so intriguing and different that I just had to go for it, even if 1) it wasn’t my original vision and 2) he had a recipe for what was my original thought right there.

As the previous two posts indicate, it was kind of a lot of work, and this is the end all of that.… Continue reading →

[22] Skillet Pork Chops, variation 1

Cover of How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

As you might expect, given the “About”, many times this blog is about forcing ourselves (Bill & I) to go look in the cabinets, fridge & freezer, and see what we have and what we can make.

Of course, to make it a little more crazy, I try to throw moving and house-guests into the mix. Without really planning ahead for the guests. I won’t say this is the BEST plan, but it’s working out for me better than you might expect. I anticipate a kitchen disaster any day now, but up until this point (including last night, which will be another entry later on).

Of course, in this instance, the guest was just Jessie. She’s seen us at all kinds of chaotic times, and had plenty of recipes tested on her.… Continue reading →

Bayless’s recipe this week.

Cover of Fiesta at Rick's by Rick Bayless

“Proc 4 grlc,6T ancho,4t sugr&peppr,5t salt,1t oreg,½t cumin.Rub 4 slb ribs;ovrnite.Bake 300 75 min.Blend:7oz chiptles&3/4c honey.Grill;glaze”

Okay, if you count what’s between the quotation marks, you’ll find that it’s 140 characters long. Obviously, there’s enough there to get a sense of what is supposed to be going on, but is there actually enough there for a total beginner at grilling and ribs to make dinner? And, given the quantity of baby back ribs there, is there enough going on that a total beginner can make it for dinner WITH COMPANY?

Somehow, I suspect that wasn’t entirely Rick Bayless’s intent, but I do hope he gives some points for optimism. However, given the cookbook giveaway is for “Fiesta at Rick’s”, maybe it was his intent, and I played right into his sneaky hands!… Continue reading →

[9] Pork Tacos with Roasted Green Onions

Cook Once Eat Twice Recipes

Since we made the Barbecued Pulled Pork from this cookbook yesterday, today was the day to see how good the premise of the book holds up. Thus, pork tacos!

I won’t say I was blown away with this recipe. However, it was super easy to make, so I’ll accept that this wasn’t really cooking (to make the “Cook Once, Eat Twice” name stick). It kind of reminds me of those nights that you want to eat what’s in the house, but you’ve just got a bunch of leftovers around. “Man, I don’t want another pork sandwich. How about… putting it in a tortilla and calling it a taco?”

Ingredients

8 green onions, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt

8 soft corn tortillas

2 c pork from Barbecued Pulled Pork, reheated

Directions

# Preheat oven (toaster oven in our case) to 425°F.… Continue reading →