A Girl's Gotta Eat!

So, to anyone who was reading this with any regularity, it seemed as though I fell off the face of the earth. Or quit cooking. Or quit eating. I can assure you none of these scenarios is true. Mike and I still cook together all the time, and now it's even better because we moved last summer, and our new kitchen is far and way better than our old one. We've also still been traveling quite a bit — most frequently to Asheville — where the most frequent question that comes up is, "Where are we eating tonight/in the morning/next?" Along those same lines, for our last several birthdays and anniversaries, we've opted to celebrate by dining out at a restaurant (preferably one we haven't tried yet) instead of exchanging gifts. So I figured to help me get back in the swing of things, I'd share our most recent celebration dinner: my birthday dinner earlier this month. If you're not from Nashville, you may not know, but the food scene here has EXPLODED...

If you're on any social media at all, you won't be surprised to know that after months of planning, building, and red tape, a locally owned steakhouse open in Nashville late last month. Woodfire MJ officially opened July 29. Tonight, Mike and I joined my parents to try it out and to belatedly celebrate my mom's birthday. I've been reading reviews all week to get an idea of what to expect. I'm happy to report that my experience was nothing but positive. A few concerns I had read: parking lot filled up quickly; dining room was too hot; dining room was too loud; tables were too close together/not enough privacy; sides were cold; steaks were fatty or not not cooked to requested temp; and service was slow. We had no such experience. We met Mom there, and neither of us had any problem parking in the paved area. The temperature was very comfortable inside (and I usually run hot, so this is saying something). I didn't find the dining room to be any louder or cr...

One more today, and then I'm taking a break. I don't know that I've ever made bread pudding for dessert, much less as a side dish. But when we saw Ina Garten's Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding recently (you guessed it, in FNM), we knew we needed to add it to our mini Thanksgiving menu. We did make a few variations, but nothing major. We used about 3 leeks, but all of it instead of just the white and light green parts. Next time I'd leave the dark green bits out like the recipe said. The flavor was good, but the texture of the dark green leeks wasn't as good as the rest...it stayed tougher instead of getting soft. Also, we used jarred artichokes instead of frozen, and they worked just fine in our opinion. We had the deli cut a big chunk of fresh Swiss cheese as we didn't see one labeled as Emmentaler. I doubt it made a difference at all. Oh my goodness. I don't think I can go back to sweet bread puddings. This was amazing. Rich, filling, but oh so...

I've tried a ton of new recipes recently, but have been remiss in sharing them. This cheesecake caught my eye in the November issue of Food Network Magazine , and I decided right away to try it. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded, so I decided to go for broke and bought ingredients to make it both for the Thanksgiving potluck at work and for dinner at my parents house later that week. It does seem like a lot of ingredients, but it was so well worth it that I would happily make it again. I went home from the work feast with only crumbs in my pan, so I'd say it was a success. You can find the recipe on Food Network website , or I've posted it below. No changes, so have at it! For the crust: 1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers) ¾ cup walnut pieces (preferably black walnuts) 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of kosher salt For the fill...

Recently, I needed an item for a bake sale at work. I was tired of making the same old thing: cookies, brownies, etc. I wanted something out of the norm, something delicious … something with bacon. I've seen recipes similar to this one before, but always talked myself out of making them. It seemed t o o complicated, too  precise,  too  sticky. This time, however, I made the mistake of mentioning to co-workers that I was thinking about trying something new. Once I told them what it was (Bacon Bourbon Popcorn), it was all over. I was committed. Honestly, this was not as tricky as I thought it might be. I popped my corn using the stovetop method. (HINT: scoop out as many of the  unpopped  kernels as possible once the popcorn has cooled off. It's so much easier that after they're swimming in caramel sauce.) Also, I opted to cook the bacon in the oven. I've been cooking it this way for a while, and it's the best way to cook large amounts at a time and drain ...

As usual, we were watching The Pioneer Woman on a Saturday morning over coffee and breakfast. It was an episode where they're celebrating a birthday, and the cake she was making called our names loud and clear: Strawberry Shortcake Cake .  Easter was coming up, after all, and we had volunteered to bring dessert, so what better timing can there be? This is definitely a keeper. It looks more complicated than it is, and was delicious, full of fresh flavor from the strawberries. I wouldn't change a thing; Ree Drummond knows what she's doing! I didn't use quite all of the icing, but that's just personal preference. Hope you enjoy it! First, the shortcake: 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing 1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups plus two tablespoons sugar 3 whole large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pound strawbe...

Mike and I enjoy sweet potatoes, and in the farm box we subscribe to, we often get some fresh ones just in time for fall. It seems though, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, that most if not all of the recipes we have copious amounts of one or more of the following: brown sugar, marshmallows, bourbon, maple syrup/molasses/sorghum, etc. We wanted savory sweet potatoes. With our sage plant still producing in the garage under a grow lamp, the recipe I found for Sweet Potato and Sage Butter Casserole was just what were looking for! This was easy to put together and very tasty. So tasty, in fact, that I forgot to take any photos. Ours looked just the original, so check out this link for a visual: Sweet Potato Sage Casserole 2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces ...

Burek (aka Beef Pie ) I have been meaning to write about this place forever. I keep thinking I've already posted about it, then we eat there again and I realize I haven't. For those of you not in the Mt. Juliet/Nashville area..I apologize. You're missing out on an excellent eatery—Cafe Bosna. For those of you in the area who have never heard of it, or who have heard of it and never tried it...what are you waiting for?!  Mike first heard of this place about two years ago via Urbanspoon or Yelp or some such site. It didn't have a ton of ratings yet, but all the ones that were posted were positive. When we finally tried it for the first time, we were instantly in love. It's nothing special to look at, just a little cafe/diner in the bottom level of a corner strip mall. There are maybe 8 tables in the entire place. But the food...oh, the food. Don't come if you aren't hungry...the portions are meant for hungry people. It was difficult to decide what w...

I could have sworn I posted this recipe when I first started my blog, but it seems that it somehow fell through the cracks. I first made it when I needed to use some fresh peaches before they went bad, and Mike was in the mood for a cobbler, All the recipes I was finding used milk, which I currently did not have handy. Instead, I found this Simple Blackberry Cobbler Recipe from Tables of Content . Excellent…no milk required! And even though the title says blackberries, the cookbook has a note that states the cobbler is also excellent with blueberries, raspberries, or peaches. This is now my favorite, go-to cobbler recipe. I’ve only ever made it with peaches, but imagine it would be good with blackberries (like the original recipe calls for), or even a combo of the two fruits. I don’t seem to have a photo of this particular dessert, so I guess I’ll just have to make it again so I have proof of how delicious it looks. It’s best enjoyed warm, but not super hot, with a small scoop...

It’s that time of year again: Mike’s birthday! A few weeks ago, we were looking at German recipes to try in honor of Oktoberfest while we were renting a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains . We found Oktoberfest Strudel , a delightful savory pastry dish that called our names immediately. We decided it might be a bit much to transport all that we would need to make it there, so we opted to wait and try it as Mike’s birthday dinner. We invited Mike’s family over and decided to go ahead and double the recipe, making two strudels. I will admit, I was a little hesitant about using phyllo pastry, having tried it to make empanadas with disastrous results. Still, pastry stuffed with apples, sauerkraut, bratwurst, and mustard was too tempting not to take the chance. I had much better luck with the phyllo this time. Be sure you brush it well with butter as directed, and don’t forget a damp towel over the sheets you’re not working with. Also, a few of my sheets stuck together, so I left them toge...

Today's treat is in honor of Shayla's birthday. I was in the mood to try something new, and I knew she loved coconut. Hence, this Almond Joy Cake. I did everything exactly as directed by the recipe, but I will share one word of warning: The cake pan gets very full. As in, when I was adding the chocolate topping, chocolate started oozing off the sides of the pan and all over my table. You should probably set it on a cookie sheet first unless you have a super-deep cake pan (in which case, I'd like to know where you found it.) Oh! I also used dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet because I was just certain Almond Joy candy bars were made with dark chocolate. I was later informed I was incorrect, but I thought the cake was delicious nonetheless. I would say to go with your personal preference. Almond Joy Cake 1 (2-layer) package devil’s food cake mix 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk 1½ cups sugar 25 large marshmallows 1 (14-ounce) package flaked coconut 1 cup sugar ½...

 Dad's cupcakes (The tray looks like a glove.)   Last Tuesday Dad turned 60...a momentous occasion indeed. We wanted to do something special for him, so my sisters, Mom, and I decided to throw a surprise party! (My sisters and I also surprised both parents by flying Tony in for the weekend...very exciting indeed.) Rest assured...food was plentiful. We had pork and chicken barbecue, salsa ranch dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Green Goddess Dip, chips, veggies, cupcakes, German Chocolate Cake, and who knows what all else. We also had beer, margaritas, and today's recipe, Sippin' Sangria. I have made this before, and knew it was both tasty and easy to double. Hope you enjoy it as much as our partygoers did :) Sippin' Sangria 1 (1.5-liter) bottle cabernet sauvignon or merlot (I used 1 (750-mL) bottle of each) 1 cup vodka 1 cup orange juice 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (to taste) 1 teaspoon (about) ground cinnamon 1 apple, chopped 1 each orange and lemon, thinly sliced a...

Last night was our Christmas celebration with Mike's family. His mom and brother make two pots of chili (one spicy, one not so spicy), and we have snacks and something sweet to round out the celebration. This year I made Tiramisu Layer Cake. I first made it for his mom's birthday a year or so ago, and it was a HUGE hit. It's not terribly hard to make, but it does take a little extra time and isn't something I'm whipping up every weekend. In the spirit of giving and the holidays, I went for it. I especially like this recipe because it starts with a cake mix, but transforms into something much more decadent. Instead of retyping the recipe, here's a link: Tiramisu Layer Cake . Enjoy! I didn't even out the layers before stacking, but you can so it will sit straighter. There's always more than enough whipped cream to frost the whole thing. I usually pile up the extra on top.  Yumm...

You may have noticed a theme on recent food magazine covers: Thanksgiving is near, and pie recipes are abundant! All the pie photography gave one of my co-workers an idea. Why not have a pie potluck, with everyone bringing something different. We even decided for some people to bring savory pies so we could have an entire lunch of pies! For my part, I decided to try a new recipe out of one of the magazines that inspired us in the first place: Martha Stewart Living . It was my first-ever Martha recipe, but her recipe for Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust called my name from the beginning. Having never made a Martha Stewart recipe before this, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was expecting something that tasty, but a headache to make. I am happy to report I was pleasantly surprised. The recipe was simple enough; the part I usually consider the hardest part of homemade pie (the crust) was made in the food processor, and you don't have to worry about a lattice top or pretty cru...