Wednesday, February 17, 2010

R. Hirt Jr. Co Recipes of the Month (Feb 2010)

A local "general store" in Eastern Market has monthly recipes that they have available and since we're trying to buy more of our food stuffs locally I grabbed this months recipes. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try my hand at fixing them. If not, them maybe y'all can try!

LINGUINE WITH BACON & ONIONS

1 lb. linguine pasta
3/4 lb bacon, chopped
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 large egg yolks
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

In boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until al dente; reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat, then add onions to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until softened. Add the pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Stir in the linguine and remove from the heat. Stir in egg yolks one at a time. Add the bacon, season with pepper and sprinkle with Parmesan.

CRUSTY MAC'N'CHEESE

1 lb elbow macaroni
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
freshly ground white pepper
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Monterery Jack, shredded
1/2 cup American Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and reserve. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9"x13" baking dish. In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, and black pepper to taste, stirring until it is a paste-like consistency. Pour in milk and stir continually until mixture starts to thicken; slowly stir in cheese 1 cup at a time until all cheese is melted. Stir cheese into the macaroni and mix well, scrape into baking dish. Melt remaining butter, add breadcrumbs, season with sea salt and pepper and stir to blend. Sprinkle on top of macaroni mixture. Bake 25 to 30 mintues or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy....Sunday!

Hello all! I apologize for my (once again) LONG absence. It's been a little busy. Just wanted to say that yes, I am still alive. Working and singing lots and trying to plan a voice recital hopefully for later this spring. Today is Sunday so I'm at home relaxing and cleaning after church this morning and an SAI meeting that I hosted. It's my day to be home and just because I'm home and Dean is home does not mean we're doing some ridiculous to celebrate Valentine's Day. Yes, today is the Feast of St. Valentine who was a 3rd century martyr who was persecuted and killed for marrying Christians and, yes, today is the day that a multiple massacres have occurred possibly in the name of St. Valentine. So, no, I see no reason to celebrate the people that I love just today because I celebrate the people I love every day. You shouldn't need a designated day out of the year to make sure that you tell those you love that you love them.