I know, I know… it’s been a while

I know, I know… it’s been a while.  I’ve been sick – damn sinuses.  I’ve been depressed – damn Hurricane Sandy.  I’ve been extremely busy – damn job.

I can never seem to just sit down and write anymore.

My husband is needy.  I have 3 of the neediest cats on the planet – with all their meowing, and following me around incessantly – you would think I had kids!

Well, tonight is my attempt to get back into the swing of things – a.k.a. BLOGGING.

I’m on yet another diet – or should I say… healthy eating regime… and all I can think about is food.  Healthy and unhealthy.  I lost 16 pounds so far and I started January 15th but I have a bit to go.

Yesterday, I was driving by the diner and had a sudden urge for French Fries and Gravy – known as “Disco Fries” sans fromage to some.  It was hard to keep driving, but I did.

Then I thought about the meal I made Saturday night.  It was so yummy!  So good that my husband and I ate an entire pound of spaghetti.  Yes, you heard that right.  The whole pound!

That was a cheat if I do say.

So since that damn Pasta al Pomodoro taunted me with its goodness, I figured I would share the Bon Appétit recipe with all of you – hoping my weight loss group will read this, cook it and gain weight so I will win the challenge yet again!  LOL!

 

PHOTOGRAPH BY Romulo Yanes

Pasta al Pomodoro – via Bon Appétit

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, puréed in a food processor
• Kosher salt
• 3 large fresh basil sprigs
• 12 oz. bucatini or spaghetti
• 2 Tbsp. cubed unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino

Preparation

• Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-low heat. Add minced onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-4 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute more. Increase heat to medium, add puréed tomatoes and season lightly with kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in basil sprigs, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add spaghetti or bucatini and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
• Discard basil and heat skillet over high heat. Stir in reserved pasta water to loosen sauce; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add butter and cheese; toss until cheese melts. Transfer to warm bowls; serve with more cheese, if desired.

serves 4

• Nutritional Information

  One serving contains: 
  Calories (kcal) 560.4 
  %Calories from Fat 34.5 
  Fat (g) 21.5 
  Saturated Fat (g) 5.8 
  Cholesterol (mg) 15.0 
  Carbohydrates (g) 76.2 
  Dietary Fiber (g) 6.2 
  Total Sugars (g) 8.3 
  Net Carbs (g) 70.0 
  Protein (g) 14.1 
  Sodium (mg) 426.8

By the way, I made a pound of macaroni.  Screw that 12 oz crap!

 

© 2013 J. H-M and CultureChoc2010

A New Year… A New Pork Roll, Egg & Cheese!

Living in New Jersey, a pork roll egg and cheese is a necessary evil.  Evil – because of its deliciousness and high calorie content and necessary because… well it’s just “Jersey”.

People in North Jersey call it Taylor Ham (the best brand) and people in South Jersey call it Pork Roll.  The fight is almost as passionate as “sauce” vs. “gravy”.  Gravy wins hands down – but that’s another blog.

After having one of the shittiest years and the shittiest New Year’s Eves (yet another blog), I decided to treat myself to a twist on the normal, well-known PEG.  Maybe I’d feel better about “stuff” – and I do!

My original blog about the wonderful PEG can be found HERE – and nothing can mess with perfection.

I don’t want to mess with the crème de la crème of NJ breakfast sandwiches, but I do want to offer you a gourmet alternative.

My Gourmet Pork Roll, Egg & Cheese – Is There such a thing?

2 slices of long-sliced Italian bread (I used Paramount sliced semolina)
1 tbsp apricot fruit spread
3-4 slices of cooked pork roll  (you can use pancetta instead)
1 egg – fried (I like my yolk cooked)
1/4 c crumbled Gorgonzola
3 tbsp butter
salt & pepper

Tools needed:  a panini press or something heavy to weigh down the bread (I used the latter)

Cook pork roll in some Pam until browned and cooked through.  Set aside.

Cook egg in the same pan to desired doneness.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  The flavor of the pork roll will permeate the egg – yum!

Assemble sandwich:  Spread fruit spread on bottom half of the bread.  Add pork roll, egg and crumbled Gorgonzola.  Melt butter in a clean pan and add sandwich – presentation side down. Press with something heavy.  Cook until golden brown, flip and do the same to the other side.

Cheese with be melted and the sandwich with be delish!

Serves 1.

Try it out and let me know if you like it.  It mixes the saltiness of the Taylor Ham and the sweetness of the fruit.

And for all you Jersey guys and gals – let me know how it compares to the original!

© 2013 J. H-M and CultureChoc2010

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 8,500 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 14 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

 

My Manhattan Clam Chowder

With the advent of the cold weather, soup is always a good idea.

It warms you up from the inside out and makes you feel all cozy and content.

After Thanksgiving was over I thought I’d make some turkey soup – but alas – Tom Turkey had none to give so I opted for a giant can of clams from Costco and made some Manhattan Clam Chowder.

I love the New England version I make, but since my dad was over, and hates the creamy version, I whipped up my spicy version of Manhattan.

Now I never write down recipes – but I’m making a valiant effort to recreate it!

• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• a few good shakes of Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 giant 3 lb can of clams from Costco
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 link chorizo, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds – optional – I only use it if I have it in the fridge
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 handfuls of potatoes – cut into small cubes
• 1 lg can diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 – 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Directions

Drain clams through strainer and reserve broth.

In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the meat beginning to crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot and reserve.

Melt the butter in olive oil in a the same pot over a medium flame. Add the onion, celery, garlic, 1/2 to 1 tbsp red pepper flakes and chorizo (optional) and cook until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the flour into the pot. Cook the onion and flour mixture for several minutes then add the potatoes and add the wine and stir.  Add clam broth and bring to a simmer, stirring until smooth. Add the tomatoes and sugar, stir well to incorporate, then toss in the pepper flakes, thyme, and parsley. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook at a low simmer until the broth is flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add clams.  Stir well, season again, if needed, with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve immediately

ENJOY!

© 2012 J. H-M and CultureChoc2010.

Hurricane Sandy’s Lost Pets

Please share this Facebook page.

LOST PETS

The east coast needs you!

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Shoes Shock 166!

http://culturechoc2010.wordpress.com/shoe-shock/

FALL Back into Healthy Eating Habits

 

When I think of Fall, I think about 1.  Back to School (back to work for me), 2.  the Fall collections and how I can integrate the new trends into my wardrobe without draining my bank account and 3. going back on my damn diet!

I’ve eaten to excesses this summer with no exercise, except for an occasional tennis game, and I know I gained weight.

Now it’s time to buckle down so I can get into my single-digit sizes again and Clean Eating Magazine is one of my favorites to get me motivated.  It has great recipes that will put you on the right eating path and make you stay there.

Last night I made Spicy Red Quinoa Jambalaya from Clean Eating’s March 2012 issue.  I’ve made it before and it was delicious.  This time I made a few modifications because I didn’t want to go to the store yet again – and it was still delicious!

Spicy Red Quinoa Jambalaya

• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 lb low-fat spicy turkey sausage, cut into half-inch pieces, casings removed  I used 3 links of smoked chorizo
• 2 plum tomatoes cut into large chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch strips  I subbed some Italian peppers and a jalapeno from the garden
• 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add sausage and saute stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and bell peppers and saute for 2 minutes.

Stir in broth and pepper flakes and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Distribute shrimp evenly over the top of sausage-pepper mixture.  Cover and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, until shrimp are firm and pink.

Season quinoa with salt and pepper, transfer to a large serving dish and top with sausage mixture.

Serves 4.       1  3/4 cups of sausage mix and 1/2 cup quinoa.  Calories 335.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

© 2012 J. H-M and CultureChoc2010. Recipe courtesy of Clean Eating Magazine.

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Pop Art: Raspberry Icebox Cake

Pop Art: Raspberry Icebox Cake.

Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Beer Sauce

I’m always looking for new recipes.  Whether they are my own creation, a tweak on someone else’s creation or just a recipe straight-up.

I wasn’t feeling well today so I decided to make one of my comfort foods – pasta.

I found this great recipe for Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Beer Sauce at saveur.com last week and decided to try it today.

It was delicious!  The perfect combination of flavors and spicy, spicy, spicy.  It takes a while to cook, so start early.

Here’s the recipe from Saveur Magazine.  I tweaked it a tad because it’s what I had on-hand – fabulous!  Bravo Saveur!

Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Beer Sauce

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
8 cloves garlic, smashed
6 oil-packed anchovy filets, chopped
4 red Fresno chiles, seeded and chopped – I used 2 long hot Italian peppers and a good dose of red pepper flakes
4 gherkins, chopped – I used 6 cornichons
2 red onions, chopped
1  28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained – I used crushed tomatoes
12 oz. bock beer, preferably Birrificio Italiano Bibock – I used a white beer
3⁄4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 lb. pasta, such as scialatielli or linguine – I used penne rigate
8 caper berries, for garnish
2 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add capers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, chiles, gherkins, and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until ingredients are browned, about 20 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and beer; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Purée sauce in a blender; return sauce to pan over low heat. Stir in olives and season with salt and pepper.

2. Bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer pasta to sauce; toss to combine. Stir in a little pasta water to loosen the sauce, if you like. Serve pasta garnished with caper berries and parsley.

SERVES 4

© 2012 J. H-M and CultureChoc2010. Recipe courtesy of Saveur Magazine.

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My Autobiography – from 6th grade?

Recently I have been redecorating my home office/craft room – looking for painting ideas on the Internet and basically overhauling the whole damn thing.

I have been wanting to change the decor in that room for 12 years!  Twelve years!

Finally, it seems like a reality – but I’m not quite there yet.

Scouring every inch of shit I’ve accumulated has been a real chore but maybe finally I’ll get my ass organized.  I’ve come across bill from 1993 and other crap that I promptly burned in my chiminea – because that damn shredder keeps crapping out!

Anyway, I cam across a lot of sentimental items as well:  pictures, mementos and my 6th grade autobiography.

It’s so funny to see what I thought of the world at 12.  That was 33 years ago!  I can’t believe I’m that old!  Damn!

So I thought I’d share some excerpts with you.  Now keep in mind that after I graduated college I became a translator in New York, the 6 years later a French & Spanish teacher.  Here we go:

Table of Contents (including page numbers of course!)

First Born
Kindergarten to Third
Fourth to Sixth Grade
My Future Plans
My Thanks
To Get This Information
Pictures

A full 14 pages!!!!!  Remember that this was pre-computer – 1979.  This is not the complete “work”….

… At two years I was potty trained and at four months I used to climb out out of my playpen by putting my toes and fingers in the holes and climbing out.  I couldn’t stand my pacifier or playpen.  I used to climb out of my crib and my parents couldn’t figure out how I did it.

I swam at two years and stopped my bottle at two years old, when my mother threw it in the garbage.  I walked at eight months and was a pain in the foot.

I cried a lot, my mother said I was born with my mouth open.  I never slept, my mother had to play country music mostly “Tiger By The Tail” by George Jones and dance me to sleep, but I still wouldn’t go to sleep…

…When I used to do something wrong I used to hide under my Aunt Mary’s bed.

My mother said I was always quiet and good, and never touched anything when I went out.  I used to sit by my mother all the while, I was very shy like my father…

…I was promoted to first grade when I had Mrs. Romano.  We had a play and I was a sunflower.  For Halloween I was a flower girl with a pink gown.  Mrs. Romano left to have a baby, and that’s when Mrs. Tobie took over.

When I was in second grade I had Mrs. Forstenhausler.  She was a very good teacher.  We had a play and I was an Arabian belly dancer.  I looked exactly like Jeannie on T.V., even my hair and shoes…

…When I was eight years old I made my First Holy Communion…

…I was in Brownies from second to third grade.

When I was eight and a half I started twirling at the Masonic Temple in Bloomfield… But then she transferred the Bloomfield girls to Nutley to the Elks Club and we became the “Elkettes”.  Then I was asked to take private lessons…

…Fourth to Sixth Grade.  I went to Mrs. Little’s class and developed many nicknames but one still sticks called “Apollo Creed” because I always put up my fists…

…At nine years of age I started competitive twirling, modeling, strutting, etc…

…I’ll soon be going to North Junior High and I’m a little bit scared about the whole new thing.

My hobbies are:  twirling, swimming, crafts, ceramics, ice and roller skating, biking, modeling, diving, dancing and many more…

…I have been in numerous twirling contests and beauty contests…  All together I have about ninety trophies and medals…

…I will certainly try to get into Miss America when I grow up.

My Future Plans.  For my future I would like to be a Psychiatrist.  I have thought about being an actress but with a hundred to one chance I won’t get to be famous….

It’s so weird to read this.  Lemme see…  I did want to be a doctor but when I realized that I couldn’t stand the sight of blood – that was out.

Miss America?  After Essex County Junior Miss (which I did for MY MOTHER) I was DONE.  D – O – N – E, done.  Pageants weren’t for me.

I can still twirl, and I still consider my hobbies to be crafts, roller skating, swimming and if I was younger and still clubbing my nights away – dancing!

Some things have changed, some haven’t, but I’m still Jacqui.

How different or alike are you all these years later?

© 2012 J. H-M and CultureChoc2010.