Valentine’s Dinner Menu

Love is in the air! Because V-day falls on a Monday, we are taking advantage of not having to work today and making Valentine’s Day Dinner tonight instead of tomorrow. We have ample time to prepare everything, so it just makes sense. On the menu…

Filet Mignon with Creamy Horseradish

Jumbo shrimp skewers with white wine, lemon and garlic

Sauteed broccolini and shallots

Broasted redskin potatoes

Chocolate lava cakes (I wanted to do something different than we’ve done in the past, but how could I say ‘no’ to Mr. Tote)

For beverages, a glass of 2008 Legado Muñoz Garnacha with dinner and some Young’s Double Chocolate Stout with dessert.

St. Patrick's Day 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We had our 4th Annual St. Patrick's Day Party this past weekend with aro17 of our family and friends (+ 2 adorable bebes). I made over 13 lbs of corned beef with all of the fixin's. The fun part was that we purchased a home in the last year and our house is conveniently located on Shamrock Trail, which is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Below are some photos from the event.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

St. Patricks's Day 2006

Mr. Tote sporting a green 'stache

I'll be posting pics later today from this past weekend's 4th Annual St. Patrick's Day party with family and friends, but to hold you over, here's a link to last year's party, menu and recipes.

Our good friends, Anne and Matt

Apps and Wine Party Wrap Up

The weekend before Christmas, we hosted an Appetizers and Wine party. It all stemmed after Mr. Tote and I attended a client appreciation event where they served us shrimp cocktail shooters in shot glasses. Now, I've seen this done many times before, but I had put the idea in the back of my mind. Seeing these beauties at the party reminded me that I never did make those darn things. Hence, the reason for the holiday get together. So we had 11 of our friends over, along with three children under the age of 2. We asked everyone to bring a bottle of wine, while we supplied the food goodies. Below is the menu we served...

Roast Beef and Sharp Cheddar Sandwiches
Ham and Aged White Cheddar Sandwiches

Stone Ground Honey Mustard - recipe follows

Creamy Horseradish - recipe follows

Shrimp Cocktail Shooters with a salt and pepper rim - recipe follows

Pesto Pinwheels from Ellie at Vintage Victuals

Buffalo Chicken Dip, aka Chicken Shit

Baked brie with walnuts and apricot preserves inspired from Vintage Victuals

Veggie tray with ranch dip

For desserts we had:

Rocky Road Fudge

Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies from Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

Hershey Pretzel Bites

I added some fun DIY touches to our "counterscape." To avoid having to use regular old plates for serving, I grabbed a few spare tiles and used other items around the house to raise them up. This worked great for the shrimp cocktail shooters because I hid a big bowl of ice in the shadow box frame to keep the shrimp cold.

I also picked up some holiday colored paint swatches from Lowe's and used a white pen to put signs up for all of the food. This really came in handy for when folks were wondering what the heck was wrapped up in dough (the brie with walnuts and apricot preserves).

Mr. Tote was so helpful!

The sandwich platter took a reeeaaaallllly long time to make. I purchased rolls that had to be baked and sliced in half. Then I had to slice the cheese thinly off the blocks I bought. It was really time consuming, but they turned out so cute.
With the sandwiches, I served some stone ground honey mustard and creamy horseradish.

Stone Ground Honey Mustard
1/2 C stone ground mustard
2 Tbsp honey

In a small bowl, microwave the honey for 20-30 seconds, or until thin. Mix in the mustard with a fork until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until serving.

Creamy Horseradish
1/3 C mayonnaise
1/3 C sour cream
1/3 C horseradish

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.

As I mentioned earlier, the inspiration for this party came from some cocktail shrimp shooters I had at a client appreciation party. Their shrimp were served in a tall glass shotglass with WAAAAAY too much cocktail sauce for one little shrimpy. So I headed to Party City to pick up some 1.5 oz. clear plastic shot glasses.

I wet the rims of the cups with a sponge and dipped them into a mixture coarse kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper in a shallow dish. Now I know how bartenders feel when they have to rim margarita and daquiri glasses with sugar or salt.

I made the cocktail sauce with about a cup of ketchup, a third of a cup of horseradish and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Here are some additional pictures of the food.
The rocky road fuuuuuuuuuuuudge...

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I feel so blessed that I was able to spend lots of time with my family and friends.

Roma Bakery Treats

These little pastries pack a sweet punch! We had these after our Fresh Pasta with Morels and Carmelized Vidalia Onion Cream Sauce. On the left is a mini Chantilly Horn, on the right is a mini chocolate chip cannoli and in the background is a teacup, made out of chocolate and filled with chocolate mousse on top and a rum-soaked lady finger on the bottom. I am thinking of getting a torte from them for our anniversary at the end of this month. Just one more reason to go there again and again!

Fresh Pasta with Morels and Carmelized Vidalia Onion Cream Sauce - The Roma Bakery Story

First, the story of how this fantastic dish came to fruition...

Some friends of ours visited last weekend from Ann Arbor (booooo, hisssss!!!). Charlie, one of Matt's ushers at our wedding, brought over a large bag of Morel mushrooms that his uncle had given to him. My jaw dropped when I saw how many he had. When he left, he gave us a bag of them, saying he wouldn't be able to eat them all before they went bad. And so they've been sitting in our fridge, burning a hole all week, until I had time to properly prepare them.

So yesterday, on our 11-month anniversary, I knew I was going to cook up the Morels for dinner. I had done some research on the internet and wanted to make a cream sauce to go with pasta. I had gotten off work a little early and had the brilliant idea to stop by Roma Bakery, in hopes of finding some fresh pasta.

One of the staff there pointed me in the direction of their freezer case to find fresh pasta. Much to my dismay, all they had was stuffed ravioli, tortellini, gnocchi and other stuffed pasta varieties (I am DEFINITELY going back to get some of this in the future).

A short gentleman in a white hat walked up and asked if he could help me find anything. I told him about my Morels and that I wanted to have some fresh pasta with them. He shared that they used to carry fresh pasta but stopped making it because no one was buying it. Having my mind set on the fresh pasta, I asked if he knew of anywhere I could pick some up. He gave me the names of a couple shops, I thanked him and walked over to the bakery to admire their delectable-looking treats. I picked out a few dessert treats and a sourdough baguette. While the woman was packaging them in a box for me, the man in the white hat came by and said "I'll tell you what. Come back in half an hour and I'll have some fresh fettucine waiting for you." What what what?!?!!? I couldn't believe my ears. Someone was going to make ME some fresh pasta... just for me?!?!?!? I thanked him profusely, asked the woman at the bakery to hold onto my things for a bit and then drove around for half an hour until it was time to go back.

When I got back to the bakery, out came the man in the white hat with a white box. He opened it up and showed me the pasta he had made special for me.




I thanked him again and then he looked at me and said "There's no charge for this." I almost started crying. What a kind and generous man to be giving me something he had just made with his own hands. He walked back towards the kitchen, whispered something in the bakery woman's ear and then was gone. I was all ready to be rung up for my pastries and bread, still in shock about the pasta, when the woman crossed out my total on the pastry box and said "there's no charge for this." At this point, I think I just stood there with my mouth hanging open and shaking my head. I couldn't believe the kindness shown at this local institution. So I proceeded to the front counter and handed the cashier $2.09 for my baguette. I asked for the name of the man in the white hat. His name is Sostine Castriciano. He and his wife, Mena, own the Roma Bakery.

What Sostine gave to me yesterday embodies the kindness and generosity of the human spirit. If we can all stop focusing on the negative (i.e. the economy, etc.) and embrace each other, I think we can get out of the funk that seems to have settled over our great nation.

More Articles on Roma Bakery:
Roma Bakery Shares Old World Flavor
Roma Brings a Taste of Italy to Mid-Michigan
Lansing Traditions Worth a Taste
Ethnic Groceries Anchor New Economy Neighborhoods

Oh, wait, you want the recipe for the Morels and Carmelized Vidalia Onion Cream Sauce? :-) Recipe follows. I'll also blog about the yummy salad dressing I made and our desserts. Both are worthy of their own post.

8-10 fresh Morel mushrooms
Half of a large Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp butter
3 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 C half and half

Cut the Morels in half lengthwise and dunk in a cold water bath for 5-10 minutes, agitating the water to help remove any dirt on the 'shrooms.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, bring 2 Tbsp butter to a bubble over medium high heat. Add the Vidalia onions and sautee for 15-20 minutes, or until caramelized.

Pat the mushrooms dry and roughly chop. Once the onions are done, remove them from the skillet, add 1 Tbsp butter and the mushrooms. Let sautee for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

Reduce the heat to low and add in the cream cheese. When the cheese had started melting, slowly start adding in the half and half until the sauce reaches a soupy texture. Pour over fresh pasta and serve with some fresh grated parmigiano reggiano.

Gourmet Memorial Day Picnic

For Memorial Day, I planned a gourmet picnic for Matt and I at one of our favorite spots... on the banks of the Red Cedar River on the campus of Michigan State University. For the menu I prepared:

Prosciutto and Sharp Provolone Sandwiches with Grill-Roasted Orange Peppers and Kalamata Olive Mayo
Low-fat Pesto pasta salad with walnuts (made with low fat ricotta cheese and only a teeny bit of olive oil)
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Reeses Pieces
Fresh Grapes
And of course, a bottle of wine

We took all of the stale bread I've been saving up all winter to feed the ducks and geese. Matt had fun "baiting" the geese and then chucking wads of bread at them... love my husband! It was a nice, sunny, romantic afternoon, just the two of us and Ozzy.

Mother's Day Wrap Up

We had a fantastic Mother's Day at our new house. My parents drove in from Detroit area to spend the afternoon with us. And we had a visit from one of Matt's groomsmen and his fiance, Jen and Jeremy, who were in town from Indianapolis for the weekend.


For the menu, I prepared (with help from my mommy!) Sicilian Grilled Cornish Hens with Basil Aioli, Risotto with Grilled Eggplant and Artichokes and a Creamy Cucumber Salad. Matt's mom brought her famous cookies for dessert (Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chip, this time). We all went for a nice walk around the pond after dinner and then gave our moms plants for their gardens as gifts. All in all, it was a wonderful day. To top it off, the Red Wings won 4-1 against Anaheim.
Sicilian Grilled Cornish Hens (recipe adapted from epicurious.com)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 rock cornish hens, defrosted

Whisk lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Place 2 cornish hens in each of 2 resealable plastic bags. Divide lemon marinade between bags. Seal bags, releasing excess air. Turn to coat hens with marinade. Chill overnight if possible, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare barbecue on medium heat.Remove the cornish hens from the marinade. On a cutting board, with the breast side up, gently push on the breastbone of the bird to slightly flatten it, creating a larger surface area for grilling.

Place hens, breast side down, on the grill. Cover for 4 minutes. Turn the chickens, cover and grill for an additional 4 minutes. Turn hens again and reduce heat to medium-low. After 10 minutes, turn again. Grill until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F (per the instructions on the package of the cornish hens).

Transfer chickens to work surface; let rest 10 minutes. We cut the hens into four pieces. First down the breastbone and then again in half, leaving half of the breast and the leg as one portion and the other half of the breast and the wing as another portion.

Basil Aioli

3/4 C lite mayonnaise
1/3 C finely chopped basil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow flavors to develop. Can be made up to two days in advance.

Risotto with Grilled Eggplant and Artichokes (using Mary Ellen's perfected risotto recipe)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 C arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
8 cups chicken broth, heated
1 eggplant, grilled and diced
1 can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1/2 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan. Add shallots and garlic; stir until tender, about 2 minutes.

Add arborio rice and stir until coated. Add the white wine and stir until absorbed.

Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This process of adding broth takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes. Taste as you go along so you don't over or under cook the rice. When you add your final ladle of broth, add the eggplant, artichoke and cheese, and stir until broth is completely absorbed. Serve immediately.

Creamy Cucumber Salad (adapted from cdkitchen.com)
4 seedless cucumbers
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 C lite Miracle Whip

1/4 C half and half cream
4 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. dried dill weed

Peel the cucumbers and then use the vegetable peeler to slice the whole cucumber very thin. Basically, discard the peels and then "peel" the whole cucumbers until you havea bunch of cucumber ribbons. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers with the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Chill or at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to combine.

Everyone said they enjoyed everything. Here's our parents, eating at our makeshift dinner table (aka inlaws' card table) while our real table gets refinished. Happy Mother's Day!!