Part-time Vegetarians: Spinach Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Hello 2012! I hope everyone made a boatload of new years resolutions and are at least attempting to follow through with them (at least finish the week people!).

Clint and I made a list of 2012 goals in lieu of a traditional resolution. I'm loving it right now, because we posted the list on the refrigerator, and every time I open the door (which is a lot), I see our list. We included small things like visiting certain restaurants we've been neglecting, and bigger things like lose 5 pounds every three months. In fact, the biggest challenge on our list of goals for 2012 is go semi-vegetarian. We both love meat (and food in general) too much to make a full-time commitment to that kind of lifestyle, but for health and sustainability reasons, we've decided to eat meatless 3 days a week.  I know that doesn't sound like a huge undertaking, but if you've never done something like this, I can tell you, it definitely takes some effort, especially because we are trying to make those nights pretty healthy, so replacing meat with a bunch of cheese and potatoes (something I normally would totally be ok with) is not our goal. Our meatless days are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, just because those days seem to work well with our schedule. I encourage everyone, especially if you're in search of a thoughtful new year's resolution, to consider undertaking a semi-vegetarian diet. Even if you only do it one day a week, I think it's important to take those steps.

I have to say though, as challenging as this will be, it's already pushed us to get creative with our recipes, instead of relying on our old standbys (boneless chicken breast anyone?). Yesterday, we make a delicious, fresh tomato basil pasta. I'm hoping to post that recipe soon, but tonight's dinner needed to be posted immediately. For one thing, I don't want to forget it, and since we made it up, that's a real possibility. Furthermore, it was absolutely delicious. Perfect for a vegetarian night, or even just a Mexican fiesta night. I promise, you will not miss the meat in this dish. Nonetheless, if you really feel like you need it, this could easily be turned into a chicken enchilada recipe with the addition of seasoned, pre-cooked shredded chicken. I'm telling you, try this. Please! I promise, you will not regret it...unless of course you have terrible taste, in which case, I don't take any responsibility for your response ;-)

The base of the enchilada comes from a filling of mushrooms, onions, and spinach, while the sauce is an guacamole inspired green sauce. Absolutely delicious!

Spinach Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh button mushrooms
1/4 dry white wine
1/2 cup cream cheese (approximately 4 oz)
1 small box frozen spinach, thawed and drained 
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Texas Seasoning Salt (previous recipe here) 
a few squirts of lemon juice
8 flour tortillas


for the sauce:
1 cup water
1 vegetable bouillon cube (or half if you use the large ones)
1 tub of Zesty Guacamole dip (I don't remember the brand--usually found with the salsas/quesos)
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (use whichever ones you have on hand--spicy, chunky, etc.)
1/2 cup finely grated Mexican blend cheese
sour cream (for topping)


The Tools
1 wooden spoon
1 9" inch saute pan
1 sauce pan
knife (for chopping onions/onions/garlic)
cutting board


The Process
1. Heat olive oil and butter in saute pan on medium

The finished product. Not the best picture, but it's from my iPhone.

heat, once melted, add chopped onions and garlic. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Season onions with salt, cumin, and seasoning salt.
3. Once the onions are translucent, (about 3-4 minutes) add the chopped mushrooms and the white wine. 
4. Cook down until mushrooms are tender and wine is absorbed. 
5. Add the spinach and the cream cheese stirring frequently until mixed through. 
6. On a microwave-safe plate, heat tortillas briefly (20 seconds) with wet paper towel placed in between every 2-3 tortillas to prevent drying out. 

The sauce before topping the enchiladas

7. Using a casserole dish in which the enchiladas will fit snugly, fill the tortillas with about 2 Tbsp of filling per enchilada. Roll the tortilla, and place them folded side down in the dish. 
8. In the sauce pan, add the bouillon cube to the water and heat on medium/high heat until incorporated. 
9. Add tub of Zesty Guacamole dip to stock (I told you it was easy!)
10. Stir quickly until the sauce is smooth. 
11. Add the Ro-tel tomatoes, along with about half of the liquid from the can.
12. Once heated through, pour sauce over enchiladas in casserole dish, and top with shredded cheese. 
13. Place in oven for approximately 15 minutes. 
14. After removing from oven, plate two enchiladas with rice (we just do boxed Spanish rice topped with leftover green sauce), beans (I don't like beans, so no beans for us). Finally, sprinkle a little extra cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top of the enchiladas and enjoy! 


Truth--this is one of the best things I've made in a long time. These are pretty hearty; even without beans, Clint was stuffed with three enchiladas and the rice.
 

Frozen Hands and Filling Soups: Zuppa Toscana (Way better than that Italian place which will remain nameless)

I know, hiatus much? I have no excuse or apology, simply my presence now.

Winter is definitely here in a big way! Sure it's a couple months late, but now that it's here, man oh man, is it cold! I kind of love cold weather for a number of reasons. For one thing, you can always put more clothes on, but at some point it gets inappropriate to take any more off. On top of that, winter foods are fabulous! Throw in the best holidays the year has to offer, and we're looking at a great time. Speaking of holidays, I know everyone looks forward to the proverbial holiday spread, the rows and rows of pies, cakes, cookies, candies, casseroles, and meats upon meats upon meats. I love all of that, but I know my butt, legs, stomach, and clothing all wish that I was a little more restrained in my affection of all things edible. Alas, that's the problem with winter foods--how do you get warm, cozy, comforting food without sacrificing that extra dress size? Well, I have absolutely no suggestions regarding holiday foodwares. I think there's something to be said for appreciating those dishes that you only get once a year. But, I do have something that may help for the weeks in between get-togethers.

Clint and I love soups, but getting a soup that's filling enough to be a stand-alone meal, while maintaining the health benefits of traditional soups is a lot harder than it sounds. I mean, who doesn't love a good potato soup, but all that cheese and dairy piles on the calories and fat. Then there's french onion (one of my favorites),but I look at it as the Chinese food of soups,  after an hour or so, I'm hungry again. We make stews and chili pretty frequently in the Winter months, but again, we've got to get something healthy, preferably something green, in our diet at some point. After much search, I found something I could finally get behind, and something I was pretty sure Clint would be open to as well--Zuppa Toscana or sausage and kale soup.

Now I'm not going to even try to pretend that this is a traditional, family recipe. We're not Italian in any discernible traditions or cooking styles. But, after making this, it feels like a traditional comfort food in our house, even though this is the first time I've ever attempted it. That may be the thing that I love more than anything else, the inherent comfort of this dish. It's clear that this soup has graced the tables and stovetops of hundreds of thousands of families, bringing smiles and warmth and love to so many people. And now, it gets to do the same for our little family as well!

I decided I wanted to try my hand at the zuppa when I came into some excellent jalapeno sausage (thanks mom and dad!). The sausage is great straight off the grill or on a sandwich with sauerkraut and mustard, but I wanted something a little less heavy. After perusing various food cites for hours, I kept wandering back to various versions of sausage and kale soup. Some were Portuguese in origin, others Italian, all looked incredibly warm, tasty, and surprisingly light. Since we had no major plans for the day, I decided it was a perfect day for soup.

I have to say, the verdict is in, and I think this may be the best soup I've made. It is delicious! If you're a fan of the version at the well known Italian chain, skip the $40 check and make a massive bowl of this for less than $20. It tastes better too! I created my recipe by merging a number of techniques that seemed consistent throughout all recipes.

Zuppa Toscana 

The Ingredients
2 bunches of fresh kale (I used curly because that's what Brookshire's had), washed, dried, stemmed, and chopped
1 white onion (chopped)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup baby carrots (halved) 
2 large potatoes (Yukon gold or California White--I used the latter)
1 pound good sausage (I removed the jalapeno sausage from the casing, but you can use loose sausage to skip the step)
1 large vegetable boillion cube
1 box chicken stock
4 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP flour
8 oz. cream
salt
black ground pepper
red pepper flakes
parsley
basil
rosemary

The Equipment
1 deep, heavy bottomed pot (I use my enameled dutch oven--the best!) 
wooden spoon 
cutting board/ chef's knife

The Process
1. Add vegetable oil to pot and put on med-high he 
2. If still in casing, remove casing from sausage by running knife vertically down sausage, splitting casing then pulling off.
3. Crumble sausage into hot oil and stir with wooden spoon.
4.Begin browning sausage as you chop the onion and 2 garlic cloves
5. As sausage cooks, add onion and garlic (keep 2 cloves whole and add to the soup as well)
6. Add a splash of white wine and about 1 tsp kosher salt
6. Slice potatoes in 1/4 inch rounds, add to the mix once most of the white wine has cooked out
7. Sprinkle 2 TBSP flour over the vegetables and sausage, stirring with wooden spoon until flour has incorporated
8. Add carrots (halved) and chopped, de-ribbed kale
9. Chop vegetable bouillon cube and add to pot
10. Add box of chicken stock (28 oz), 4 C water (or enough to mostly cover veggies, and rest of white wine.
11. Season with about 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 TBSP parsley, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp rosemary.
12. Add cream to pot then slowly bring soup up to boil.
13. Cover soup and reduce heat to simmer.
14. Cook for approximately 30 minutes (length doesn't really matter once everything incorporates).


This soup actually comes together very quickly. It's a pretty simple toss together as long as you prep along the way. Clint used our bread machine to make some dill bread, which I have to say was a perfect accompaniment. The soup also re-heats really, really well, so make plenty for leftovers. The recipe, as it stands, can easily serve 6 (or 2 for several meals!) Bon appetito!

Cornbread from Scratch--because really, is there any other way?

I know, I know! I have not been updating regularly. I'm getting back in the swing of things at school, and I'm recovering from the first-of-school fatigue, so hopefully I'll be back in the habit soon. Since this was our second full week of school, I was exhausted yesterday when I got to the high school at 7: 15; imagine my surprise then, when I walked into a pitch black building. Apparently a transformer blew at some point during the night, and three of our six wings were completely without power. No big deal, you've got windows you say! True, but we don't have air-conditioner, and by 9:00 a.m., twenty-two 10th graders sitting in 86 degree heat with no air moving do not smell of roses. School was released by 10:00 when the administration realized that there was no quick fix. Thank the Lord, I have an impromptu four-day weekend!

Since I've got so much time on my hands, I've been watching Food Network throughout the morning as I catch up on laundry, dishes, and all other neglected household chores that take a back seat to work, including resetting my table for Fall. But I felt compelled to blog today because in my viewing, I've witnessed two Food Network stars--Paula Dean and Giada DeLaurentis--use a store-bought cornbread mix! I would be willing to give Giada a pass, what with her Italian background and all, but Paula Dean? Really? I was appalled. I mean, why would anyone choose to use a mix when making it from scratch is about as easy as it gets? And then it occurred to me, some people may not know how to make it from scratch--it took a while to wrap my head around this concept, and I'm pretty sure that Mrs. Dean knows the from-scratch variety, but perhaps in making her food audience accessible, she chose a mix because people are more comfortable with that.

And so, in an effort to correct the wrongs of Food Network, I'm offering this simple, from-scratch cornbread recipe, straight from my mom to your table. (Yes, I learned this from my mom, but I do have a few changes, I'll note those throughout, so if you're going for super traditional, you can omit them). Enjoy!

From-Scratch Buttermilk Cornbread
Courtesy of Annette Clark

Ingredients
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1 egg
1 C yellow cornmeal
1/2 C flour *I use bread flour because it makes a slightly fluffier, more porous finished product
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 TBSP oil (I use Canola)
*1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
*1/3 C crispy, chopped bacon
*1/4 C chopped pickled jalapenos


Materials
Cast-Iron skillet (A must!)
2 mixing bowls
whisk


The Process
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and put the skillet with oil in it on med-high heat on the stove.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside. Don't include the bacon, cheese or jalapenos yet.
3. In the other mixing bowl, add buttermilk, egg (whisk prior to adding), and slowly whisk in dry ingredients. 
4. If you choose to use any of the add-ins (not in the original recipe) add them in once batter is mixed, stirring to evenly distribute.
5. Once oil is hot, sprinkle a light layer of cornmeal over the skillet to prevent sticking, and make a crunchier outer crust.
6. Pour the batter into the skillet and put the skillet in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. You're looking for a pretty, golden brown color. 


I think the best way to serve cornbread is with a generous helping of good butter, or (and this is how I ate it when I was a kid), slice it open sandwich style, and add butter and miracle whip. It is also delicious served along side a hearty soup, stew, or chili. ENJOY!

We're Back!

Sorry to open with an obscure dino-movie reference, but I know that it has been a long, long time since I updated anything on here. Call it a summer hiatus, but my body basically refused all activities that even remotely resembled work or productive activity. While I'm still technically on summer break, the start of school is just around the corner--I can't bring myself to utter the date--and I'm working on getting back in the habit of productivity. Baby steps guys, baby steps.

But seriously, after tonight's dinner of what I'm calling Acapulco Chicken, I felt compelled to brag, toot my own horn, gloat, bask in my brilliance, etc. I think you're allowed to do that now and again.

Clint and I actually just got back from vacationing in San Antonio/Fredericksburg, Texas. If you've never been to this area of Texas, and especially if you're from or live in the Great State, you are doing yourself a disservice. The area is in the center of Texas Hill Country and is also at the heart of the Texas wine scene. Fredericksburg especially has embraced the local vino industry featuring a main street with a number of wineries and/or wine related stores. In fact, because the area's economy is so driven by the industry, local liquor laws have adapted. Pedestrian consumption is a-ok...just as long as you don't jaywalk. The area produces a number of the typically recognizable varieties that come out of Europe or California, but they also produce a tremendous amount of fruit wines which are really great, especially when the mercury in the summer time can set up camp in the triple digits. We tasted and bought a lot of wine, but we also had a great time wandering around Fredericksburg, eating some excellent German cuisine (this whole region is heavily influenced by German immigrants who first settled many parts of it), getting lost on our way to a winery in the middle of no-where, wandering around the River Walk in San Antonio, visiting the Alamo, and floating the Guadalupe River.

While down there, we also visited one of my favorite towns in Texas, Gruene. Just a few miles outside of New Braunfels, Gruene is known for Gruene Hall, which claims to be the oldest dance hall in the state. It has a laundry list of famous names who have played or even gotten their start at the old wooden, open-air dance hall. But the town is also home to the Winery on the Gruene, which sells some of the best and most reasonably priced fruit wines in the state, and one of the most famous restaurants in the state, the Grist Mill. The Grist Mill, housed in an old cotton gin overlooking the Guadalupe River, features traditional Texas cuisine in an amazing atmosphere. I am in love with the chicken fried steak and onion rings there, and, until this trip, had never tried anything else. But on this trip, partially because I spent the entire trip overindulging, I opted for a slightly healthier alternative. 

I took a gamble on the Acapulco Chicken and loved every bite. Essentially, the dish features a grilled chicken breast topped with pico de gallo and sour cream. It sounds so simple, but it was delicious. It seemed so representative of the area, which is heavily influence by Mexican cuisine and culture.  Once we got back and settled in, I decided that I wanted to try my hand at making my own version of the dish, so that I can bring hill country to me. Considering the fact that I was going on nothing but a memory, I think it turned out fabulous and I plan to integrate it into our regular meal rotations. One of my favorite parts is the fact that it is a relatively low-calorie, healthy meal but it is packed with flavor. I didn't do any pictures this time, but I'll try to upload some next time I make it.

Acapulco Chicken (a la Ashlee ;-)

The Ingredients
4 chicken breasts 
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 
3-4 Tbsp white wine (whatever you have around) plus about 1/4 cup more for cooking
1 clove garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of salt and pepper
butter
Worcestershire sauce
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped fine (if you aren't lucky enough to find really good fresh tomatoes, try using the grape tomatoes, I find they have a much stronger, sweeter flavor)
1 medium purple onion, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, minced
large bundle chopped cilantro
lemon juice 



The tools
1 gallon-sized ziplock baggie
2 cutting boards (one for produce, one for chicken)
1 medium sized tupperware container for the pico
1 medium saute pan with lid 


The Process
1. Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1 clove garlic, white wine, paprika, salt, pepper, and a squirt of lemon juice in the zip-lock baggie. 
2. Trim the chicken of any fat/excess skin and place chicken in bag to marinate. Seal and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and up to 4 hours. 
3. While the chicken marinates, combine the minced garlic, chopped onion*, chopped tomato, and cilantro with a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir the pico de gallo well and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. When you're ready to cook, heat the saute pan on the stove over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan.
5. Once the butter melts and the pan is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the pan. 
6. Let the chicken cook about 2 minutes and then flip each breast. 
7. There should be quite a bit of liquid in the pan from the marinade, if there is, cover the pan and cook approximately 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through but not overcooked and dry. Monitor the chicken throughout to make sure that the liquid doesn't cook out. If need be, add about 1/4-1/3 cup white wine near the end of the cooking process. 
8. Remove the chicken from the pan when cooked and cover with foil while you finish the pan sauce. 
9. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce and a tablespoon of butter to the sauce and let it cook down about 2 minutes. Then, to thicken, combine a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of flour. Use a fork to work them together to form a paste, then add the paste to the sauce whisking the mix into the sauce over high heat to avoid clumps. 
10. Once the sauce is finished, remove from heat and spoon over chicken. 


I served the chicken over yellow rice (I just used a box because we had it in the cupboard). On top of the chicken, scoop a few tablespoons of the pico de gallo and a large dollop of sour cream. 


*Pico is usually made with white onions, but I love purple (technically red) onions, and they make the finished product so pretty.

I'll try to get a picture next time we make this--which will probably be soon--so you can see the finished product. Enjoy!

Tomato Garlic Focaccia Bread

For the past few months I've been obsessed with the idea of making my own bread. Wait...I need to go back a little bit. Give you some background, so that when I share this recipe, story, picture, etc, you can relish in the success with me.

Shortly after we started dating, Clint and I began to bond over our many similar interests--board games, laughing, 1/2 off margaritas, and food. Yeah, we had other stuff in common too, but finding someone who enjoys food as much as I do, probably would have been enough incentive to continue seeing him, even if that was the only thing we had in common. Thankfully it wasn't. As our relationship got more serious I started teaching him how to cook. Now, I don't claim to be an expert, but what knowledge I had, I began to share with him. Eventually, we began to learn new techniques, recipes, and flavors together. Shortly before we got engaged, we began to really fall in love with good bread. None of that nonsense that comes in a plastic sleeve, but good, fresh, specialty bread. (I blame the Brookshire's around the corner and their excellent bakery) Around that time I became enthralled with the idea of making my own bread. I think it's the ubiquitous nature of bread itself--the fact that it a constant in every major culture in the world--that made baking my own bread so compelling. I felt like I would be joining a tradition, a heritage of turning sustenance into genuine comfort using a few meager ingredients.

Well, we registered for a Cuisinart Bread Maker when we got engaged, and Clint's parents gave us that bread maker for one of our first wedding presents. Since then we've put it to good use. Seriously, I don't think we've bought sliced bread since we've been married. But over the last few months I've become increasingly intrigued with the idea of making my own, free form, hand-kneaded bread. Up until a recent trip to Birmingham to see Stephen and Jenny (Clint's bro & sis-in-law), this whole idea was still just a pipe dream. I figured there was no way that I had time to undertake learning the ins and outs of bread making while working full time, taking classes for my M.A.T., and spending time with the boy and the pup. But on that trip I found a simple, straight forward cook book called 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood. It is currently my favorite book in the world, shoving Ender's Game, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall out of the winner's circle.

While I'm sure that they'll soon find their way back into that circle, I'm loving spending time diving into this new culinary adventure. I'll admit now, my first two attempts were less than shining successes. Bread #1, a Cottage Loaf--which Clint lovingly renamed the bread tower--had some structural issues and, though it tasted good, looked a bit like it was constructed by a toddler working with building blocks.

Potato Focaccia--We had some texture issues here!

Bread #2, a Potato Focaccia Pugliese, though beautiful, had a certain toothiness (read serious crunchiness--to the point of downright hard tack) to it that didn't encourage sauce-sopping or buttering, two absolutely necessary qualities for any good bread in my book.

But, bread #3--Paul Hollywood's Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes and Garlic was an overwhelming success. As I was following the recipe, I became a bit braver and more adventurous, and thus, created my own version of his recipe, which I am sharing with you here. If you're interested in beginning to get into making your own bread, this one is a great starter. It doesn't take days to make, and you don't have to worry about it falling because it is a focaccia, so it shouldn't be that big to begin with. I am beyond excited about this and I hope you will be too!

Tomato Garlic Focaccia Bread

The Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
Scant 4 cups flour
1 TBSP salt
1 Package instant dry yeast
1/2 C warm (approaching hot) water
salt water made with 1 TBSP salt & 1/3 C warm water
1 1/2 Roma Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Fresh Basil (I didn't have fresh so I used dry, but fresh would be even better)

The Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Baking sheet--I use my Pampered Chef baking stone
Rolling Pin
Knife/Cutting board

The Process

Before baking

Hollywood's recipe calls for the garlic to be crushed, put in the oil and left to infuse overnight, I changed this up a bit because really, who has that kind of forethought?
1. Put crushed garlic in oil and heat on low (2-3) for several minutes until the oil becomes very fragrant--you're infusing the oil w/the garlic flavor.
2. Pull the oil from the heat, remove garlic carefully (saving cloves--go ahead and chop them very finely), let oil cool until warm enough to touch without burning.
3. Combine flour, salt, yeast, (when putting salt and yeast in--put yeast in one side of flour and salt on the other because salt kills the yeast) half the oil, and all water (not the salt water) in a large bowl.
4. Using your hands, try to grab the flour and bring as much of it into contact with the water as possible, mixing thoroughly with your hand for approximately four minutes. Your hand will probably be sore if you're doing this right.
5. Once the dough is well mixed and consistent, tip onto a lightly-floured counter or large cutting board and knead for 6 minutes. To knead: flatten slightly with your hand, pull one quarter of the dough out away from the center and then fold back down toward center. Use the heel of your palm to press the dough firmly back into the center. Turn the dough about a 1/4 turn, then repeat. You want the dough to be stretching without tearing before you finish.
6. Put down ball back in bowl and let rest for an hour.
7. Tip dough onto lightly-floured counter, and roll out in a rectangle to about an inch thick.
8. Use your fingers to sprinkle the salt water over the top of the dough, then brush the dough with the remaining oil.

The finished product

9. Use a sharp knife to prick the top of the dough all over, press the tomato slices firmly into the dough, sprinkle with basil, and top with the chopped garlic that has essentially been fried in the infused oil.
10. Put the dough on a lined baking sheet or bare stone and let rest for 25 minutes. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 425 degrees when you finish with the dough so that it's ready when the dough is.
11. Cook the loaf for 25 minutes, turn the sheet/stone in the oven, and cook for another 2 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and put loaf on wire rack to cool.
13. ENJOY!

Pickles approved of it too.

I really think this is the best bread--with or without the bread maker--that I've ever made. I hope you guys like it!

Hiatus...

Ok, it's not really a hiatus, but I have been super busy with the end of school approaching, a mid-term for my M.A. class, traveling to see in-laws, and everything else that's going on. I promise, more posts will be forthcoming soon, just know that I have a new obsession--homemade bread. All of you will get to benefit from my miss-steps in the kitchen (like tonight's bread tower). Once I've gotten the hang of this, I assure you, recipes and photos will return.

Kitchen Confidential: Perspectives From the Other Side

Last night, with a hot bath and a nice glass of wine, I finished reading Anthony Bourdain's industry-rocking memoir Kitchen Confidential. I have pretty much the best husband ever, because he gave me this book along with these gems for my birthday last week. Since I love food and snarky television hosts, I pretty much heart every aspect of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations. So I was pleasantly surprised when I began reading the book and realized that the same irreverent and self-depreciating tone that propels his show are captured perfectly in the book. As I began reading, I felt as if a tiny Anthony Bourdain were nestled deep within my brain telling me stories from his past indiscretions. I'm giving you fair warning now: if you have a weak stomach, if you're easily offended by strong language, if mention of heavy drug use and abuse is going to be off-putting, this is so NOT the book for you. But, if you're a true and passionate lover of food--all food--and you have a deep and abiding respect for the real people who bring that food to you, who prepare it, and love it, and dedicate their entire lives to fixing it just right for you, then this book is a must read.

Essentially, Bourdain just tells his story. He is upfront about the fact that he is far from a model student, chef, or human being. He tells you how he first fell in love with food, and how he fell into the restaurant business. But, while he tells all the nitty gritty, sometimes terrifying tidbits about the most mysterious room of a restaurant (for diners anyway)--the kitchen--the reader quickly realizes that this is a man motivated by a deep, pure love of food. A man who is passionate about what he does, why he does it, and the people he does it with. He is, as they say in his business, a chef's chef. That said, his communication is so upfront and honest, it's easy for those of us who are not in the industry to willingly follow him in this journey through 30 years of cuisine.

I think my favorite part though was his final chapter. This book was written in 1999, before his TV show, before the cult of personality that has grown to dominate American foodom. In his final chapter I got to experience Tokyo with him for the first time. Any regular viewer of his TV show sees him as a well-traveled, highly experienced globe trotter, but the last chapter tells a different story. It shows a confident, secure chef being pushed into going to Tokyo to help fashion the Japanese branch of the New York restaurant Les Halles. It shows his confidence quickly shattered by the thought of traveling half-way around the globe and stepping into a French man's kitchen to teach him French cuisine. But my favorite thing is that it shows him fall in love with Japanese and Asian culture for the first time. It was like reading your grandparent's love letters from when they began dating or watching a home video of Slash being given his first guitar--entertaining, enthralling, and so enviable.

It is the kind of book that must be read with an open mind, a hot bath, and a great glass of wine.