Fork and The Cork

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. As you know, I've been more adventurous with my cooking over the past few months, always looking to try a new recipe , ingredient , or technique . Once in a while, I veer off the path of "this recipe looks good, there are 357 comments that it is good, I'll go for it" to "I wonder why I can't find a good taco pizza recipe? I better make one up". Um, I'm guessing I can't find one, because it's not a good idea . This is my thought while on my way to the store the other night to purchase ingredients for said pizza. So I switch gears. BBQ chicken pizza, now that sounds good . So I need to pick up chicken, BBQ sauce, green pepper, red onion, gouda, monterey jack, and fresh pizza dough. For various reasons (out of this , that's ridiculously expensive), here is what I end up with: ground beef, BBQ sauce, red pepper, red onion, a toma...

"The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the (bleep) out of a chicken. Bon appétit. " Julia Child I always knew I liked that woman. Julia has especially been on my mind today, since I am starting the I KNOW HOW TO COOK endeavor! This is a fabulous (I may be using other expletives further along in my "endeavor") cookbook that has been a  staple in French households for generations. I'll be preparing at least one recipe from the book, once a week, and sharing the experience with you. There must be at least 1,000 recipes in this book, so where does one begin? I set a few requirements for the first recipe, so that I will not get discouraged and scrap the project altogether (a.k.a dump it down the garbage disposal, polish off the bottle of wine used for the recipe, and order the $10 pizza hut special): 1. I must recognize all of the ingredients listed in the recipe. (you would think this is not difficult, but those Fren...

Ok so I've been off the blogging world radar for a couple of weeks-- and now that I've re-grouped, my Maui tan is fading fast ( yes, we went to Maui ), I am gearing up for some exciting new adventures in fork and the cork! Maui Tan There are two that I will share with you now, and the third will be revealed at a later date. Stay tuned!!!! The first is that I have joined: Mario's Weekend Cooking Contest , via facebook. Once a month, all members will cook the same recipe, compare notes, and discuss as a group. Mario is Mario Bosquez, host of Living Today on Martha Stewart Living Radio (Sirius Radio). I am so excited about this endeavor, and am hoping to learn new techniques, and work with ingredients that have scared me out of the kitchen in the past. And all of this I will document and blog about so the rest of you don't need to be scared out of the kitchen too!! The second: For Christmas this year, my sister gave me the book: I KNOW HOW TO COOK. This has ...

Salmon ? Of course ! Sushi ? The freshest available ! Italian ? Some of the finest ! Steak ? Like you've never had before ! Mexican ? Uh . Well, I think there's a taco bell down the street...... For those of you unaware, I live in SEATTLE .  We are a bit lacking in   A . Options for mexican food.   B . Authentic mexican cuisine on any level. My parents, bless their hearts, are from California. Growing up in the suburbs of SEATTLE , I did not know that "going out to dinner" meant anything other than dining at Azteca, the local mexican restaurant chain, the only south of the border eats for miles. Present day, there are a few more options, the most popular being of the southwestern tex-mex variety. But, in order to get authentic mexican cuisine, I need to either:  Cross about three state lines Brave the "taco truck" which is parked in a local gas station parking lot (and for the record, " tripe " is a little too authentic for me--) Jus...

On the First day of Christmas, Fork and the Cork gave to me: One fantastic recipe . Ok so it's like the 358th day of Christmas now, but it is the first day of the new year! Being New Years Day, you probably are working on your resolutions. Or maybe you are busy celebrating National Hangover day in bed at the moment. Either way, you have, we have, all indulged in some holiday cheer in the way of fantastic food, drinks, and good times . For the aspiring home chef, the holidays are a lot like the NFL playoffs. All year you practice ( test recipes ), you have exhibition games (trying said recipes out on your immediate family ), you have games that count ( boss is coming for dinner ), you have games that don't really matter ( cousin Eddie and family = meatloaf ), all in preparation for the Superbowl , the holidays . Of course, you are never as prepared as planned , but that's all part of the fun. Then football season ends. Now that it's all over, I'm p...

On the Second Day of Christmas, Fork and The Cork gave to me: The second dish on my Christmas Eve menu: Gratineed Mustard Cream Onions So, a couple of years ago, I decided to make a side dish of sauteed pearl onions in pomegranate juice, and cabernet.  They were delicious.  Where I went wrong was buying the little onions you need to peel by hand and I chose to wait until the day of, to peel.  This year, I bought those same little onions, but am happily writing my blog instead of peeling onions, as I peeled and peeled last night!  I don't know if substituting frozen onions would work in this dish, I just am averting possible disaster by not finding out the answer to that on Christmas eve.  I've had plenty of disasters (don't worry, there will be a blog solely devoted to THAT), and my goal this year is to pull all of it off without a hitch.  If I haven't mentioned it, we are hosting 14 tonight.  I am so proud of myself, I actu...

On the Third day of Christmas, Fork and The Cork gave to me: The Third dish on my Christmas Eve Menu: Johnny Garlic's Cedar Plank Salmon In the true spirit of the Northwest, salmon is an essential part of our holiday celebration.  I am tired of the same old salmon, and thus commenced my quest for the ultimate recipe.  When looking for this recipe, I perused my cookbook collection, and browsed my favorite websites:  http://www.marthastewart.com/ , http://www.epicurious.com/ , http://www.foodnetwork.com/ , and http://www.allrecipes.com/ .  This particular gem of a recipe I found on the foodnetwork site, courtesy of the crazy, bleached out, jacked-up, surfer dude, Guy Fieri.  Ingredients 2 tablespoons oil 2 jalapenos, cut into rings 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1/2 cup white wine 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1 cup apricot preserves 4 (4 by 4-inch) pieces parchment paper 4 cedar plank pieces, food service quality 4 (6-ounc...