Spring is Coming!

We have had beautiful weather.  Sunny with blue skies.  I love it!  Had a great weekend even though I really didn't get to be outside much.

I made a good, basic dinner Friday night of Chicken Francese, mashed potatoes and spinach.  I am happy to say that my frozen spinach stash in the freezer is gone!  I am also down to only 1 kind of potatoes.  When I shop for clients, sometimes it's less expensive to buy a bag of potatoes instead of 4 or 6 or what I need, so I have potatoes left over.  I love potatoes but it was getting kind of ridiculous at my house.  I now only have some yukon gold.

Saturday morning I cooked with the over 10 year olds and we made Breads of All Kinds.  The class was fun and tasty and the breads were gorgeous.  I'd would like to have taken some pictures but we were pretty busy and then were hungry.

We made Asiago Cheese Bread, Apple Ginger Bread, Almond Chip Scones and Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels.  In the process of all of this we got to make a yeast bread, a quick bread, and two different biscuit type breads.  I don't know which was my favorite, they were all pretty good. 

Asiago Cheese Bread from Family Circle magazine February 2003

3 1/2 cups bread flour (3 1/2 to 3 3/4)
1 envelope yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
5 ounces asiago Cheese, shredded
1 large egg

1.    In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the bread flour, the yeast, salt and pepper.
2.    In small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted and temperature is 120° to 130°.
3.    Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the Asiago cheese. Gradually stir in about 2 cups of the flour to make a soft dough.
4.    Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
5.    Oil large bowl; add dough and turn to coat. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let rise in warm place 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
6.    Coat an 8 x 2-inch round cake pan with nonstick vegetable-oil cooking spray. Punch down dough. Form dough into a 6-inch round; place in prepared cake pan. Cover with towel. Let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, about 45 minutes or until doubled in volume.
7.    Heat oven to 425°.
8.    In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork. Brush top of dough with beaten egg. Sprinkle top with the remaining 1/4 cup of the Asiago cheese.
9.    Bake in 425° oven for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped with fingertips. Transfer the bread from the pan to a wire rack; let cool. Serve warm or completely cooled.

Sunday we slept in a little too long and missed church.  I made a Southwestern kind of breakfast using some sausage, half a red bell pepper, 4 green onions, some green salsa, some cheddar and some eggs.  Once that was all scrambled I wrapped it in flour tortillas and had some roasted red potatoes with the wraps.  Great breakfast!   I also used up some things in the vegetable drawer. 

We had errands to run - new cat scratching post, bird food, new towels, groceries and then home to relax, knit, read, just a generally peaceful day. 

Now it's back to work.  I have a Y class tonight, have to take The Bad Cat to the vet, need to do some laundry, need to get some menus done.  The day is sunny, I've been to Jazzercise and I'm ready to go!

Great First Week of March

The sun is shining and we have blue skies again.  So pretty.  Still a little cold but it's sunny and that makes it all better. 

I've had a good week after the snow day.  I got some knitting done and finished the first baby clothes.  My niece also officially announced to everyone that she is having a baby so now I can send her the clothes.  My sister had told me earlier because she was too excited to keep it secret.  I think they turned out well and are pretty in the green, yellow and white since we don't know what the baby will be yet.  I mailed them yesterday and she should receive the package Monday.





On Wednesday I met with a customer that wanted some help with meal planning.  We talked about how to start and planned a strategy.  We also toured the refrigerator and freezer and planned meals that used what was there to avoid waste.  I had a great time and she was happy to have some help. 

I also met with some people from an apartment complex that want to offer monthly cooking classes for entertainment to their residents.  I wanted to see the kitchen to make sure I could cook and entertain.  The kitchen is good.  It's big, good range, ovens and large refrigerator.  We'll see what happens with that. 

Yesterday was the errand day that I avoided on the snow day.  I went to the bread store and the Natural Foods Warehouse.  I forgot the bank and post office so that will be on today's list. 

I also met with a couple who received a gift certificate for Christmas.  The husband's mom purchased it so her son, his wife and their daughter could have a cooking class.  We got some ideas for the menu, they're going to invite 3 friends and after their cooking class they'll eat the meal with their friends.  That will be fun. 

I made lots of pasta dishes last week, I must have been having pasta cravings when I menu planned, so this week feels like some lighter meals.  I love pasta but do also crave some great salads and soups and that looks like this week's plan. 

Off to the post office, bank, then personal meal planning.  A chef has to eat too!

Happy March 2010

This year is flying by!  I can't believe it's March already but since it's the best month in the year, I'm ready!  It looks like it might be coming in like a lion, there is a potential for snow here again tomorrow.

Today it is sunny with blue skies.  It was cold this morning on the way to 7:15 Jazzercise, but it was pretty early too. 

We had a bunch of changes with menu planning last week and ended up with chicken almost all week from what I roasted last Monday.  I had on the menu plan to go out for dinner on Friday and we stuck with that and moved the other days out. 

We headed to The Art Institute for dinner which has always been good, but there are some changes now.  Good changes.  They've added to the menu many small plates and they all sound good.  I had the seared scallop and it was perfect!  We had a good, relaxing dinner, different from chicken all week.

Saturday I taught at The Cook's Warehouse and had a fun time as I always do.  This time I had the 3 to 5 year olds, a full class, and the theme was Warm Up Winter.  We had Chicken Tomato Chowder, Corn Oatmeal Muffins and Warm Cider.  The kids did a good job as always and were ready to sit down and rest and eat at the end of class.  The class is 2 hours long and the kids are great. 

After class I needed to pick up some yarn at Knitch and did that on the way home.  Once home I admit I took a pretty long nap.  I woke up refreshed, did some knitting and made us a good dinner of pasta with sausage.  No chicken. 

Sunday was a normal day of church, grocery shopping and dinner that took a little more time.  I did a timeline so we could eat around 6.  Generally we eat a  late breakfast and then dinner on the weekends. 

I wanted to try Thai Chicken Pizza.  It had been on the menu for the previous Wednesday, but my husband and I decided to take a class at church Wednesday night and pizza was not a good plan for that night.  I actually started the dough on Saturday by making a starter.  On Sunday I used the starter and made the dough beginning about 2:30.  I had to turn the dough every 30 minutes but I spent the afternoon knitting.

The pizza turned out perfectly.  Well worth the time.  It wasn't hard, just needed some time.  The recipe is from King Arthur flour and I followed it exactly.  The recipe made 2 pizzas so I baked them both and I'll wrap and freeze one today for a quick meal later on. 


Thai Chicken Pizza from King Arthur Flour

Overnight Starter

  • 1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
  • small pinch of instant yeast
  • 1/2 cup cool tap water

Dough

  • all of the overnight starter
  • 1 1/4 cups cool water
  • 2 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Thai Chicken Topping

  • 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/3 cup Thai Fish Sauce (available in the international food section of your grocery store)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Thai chili garlic paste
  • 1/2 cup Thai spicy peanut sauce
  • 1 small bunch scallions, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese, or pizza cheese blend
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions

The evening before you want to make the pizza, you are going to make an overnight starter. In a medium bowl mix the flour and yeast. Stir in the cold water until all is well blended. The mixture will be slightly sticky. If it seems too thick or dry add another tablespoon of water to adjust the consistency. If it seems soupy, add another tablespoon of flour.
Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 12-15 hours. It will puff slightly and develop flavor and structure.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, place all of the overnight starter. Add the cool water and stir to break up the starter. Add the remaining flour, salt and yeast. Mix the dough on Speed 2 for 5 minutes. This dough is a wet dough, don't be tempted to add more flour.

Remove the dough hook, loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to rise.
This dough will need folds to help develop structure. Every 30 minutes for 2 hours (a total of 3 folds), you will be folding the dough over on itself in the bowl.
1) Dip your hands in a bowl of cool water. This will help prevent the dough from sticking to you. 2) Grasp the dough on one side and lift it slightly, pulling to fold it over the rest of the dough. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the fold. Turn the bowl and repeat again. Re-cover the bowl and set aside for another 30 minutes.
Remember, you will fold the dough a total of 3 times over the course of the 2 hour rise, plus the final turn out for shaping.

Cut the chicken breast into large chunks. Place in a medium non-reactive bowl and add the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and chili garlic paste. Mix well and refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. This can be done at the same time as the overnight starter, if desired.

To cook the chicken for topping, heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and about half of the marinade. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the liquid has reduced and coats the chicken. The chicken should still be quite moist at this point. Set aside to cool slightly, then chop into small bite sized pieces.
Why chop after cooking? Larger pieces keep the chicken moist during cooking, so it doesn't dry out on the pizza.

Preheat the oven to 450°F for 30-45 minutes. Remove half of the dough to a sheet of parchment or to a well floured surface. Wet you hands with cool water and gently press the dough into a circle, about 10 inches in diameter. If the dough resists stretching, let it rest for a few minutes, then shape again. Keep your fingertips wet to prevent sticking and tearing of the dough.

For each pizza top with half of the Thai peanut sauce, half of the chopped scallions, half of the chicken and half of the pizza cheese. Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven, top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve. Ice cold Singha Thai beer is a plus!

Chocolate Tasting

Busy and fun day yesterday.  In the morning I took a friend to her follow-up doctor's appointment.  She's on crutches and not able to put pressure on her foot, so needed a ride.  She was a little worried when I told her I always get lost in hospitals, usually get lost in Decatur and occasionally misplace my car in hospital parking lots.  Luckily she knew exactly where we were going. 

Once home I needed to chop up chocolate into tasting size pieces.  Last night was a joint meeting of The Culinary Historians of Atlanta (CHA) and Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) and the topic was chocolate.   A friend from WCR sent me some chocolate that her company makes.

She works for Guittard in California and they make some delicious chocolate.  She sent 5 different types for the tasting.  Very exciting.  All of the chocolate was 65% cacao to make the comparison more even.



We are fortunate in the Atlanta area that Deb Duchon started the CHA group.  For those of you who watch the show Good Eats, you've probably seen her on the show.  She is the culinary anthropologist.  She's a great speaker, fun and knowledgeable.  She started the meeting with a talk about the history of chocolate.



We learned about Columbus, the Mayans, the Aztecs and then some about Europe once the chocolate was taken back.  For a long time it was consumed in liquid form only.  One slide that I found interesting is the next one.  Yes it is blurry since I shot while seated in the audience. 



In case it's too blurry to read, it says that chocolate was consumed mainly by noblewomen, it was considered healthy and it was a good vehicle for poisoning someone.  How multi purpose!

Once the talk was over and questions were answered it was time to taste.  We had volunteers to serve the chocolate and a tasting wheel courtesy of Guittard.  All chocolate was labeled and attendees had forms to write their comments on the chocolate.  We had a total of 10 types. 





So go, buy some chocolate, have a tasting.  You can order the Guittard from the company,  www.eguittard.com.  It's a fun thing to do on a Friday night.  Maybe make a pot of soup, invite some friends, taste chocolate, have a casual meal.  My personal favorites were from Peru and Venezuela. 

Software Trauma

Some catching up to do although not much exciting has been happening.  I had a good cook day on Friday with new customers and came home to a house empty of humans.  My husband was on a retreat until Sunday!  I love to be by myself and had no classes scheduled for Saturday.

I took a short nap on Friday afternoon, did some knitting and some reading.  I was asleep early and awake at 5:30.  The cats tried to wake me at 3 by running over my head in some kind of race across the bed but I went back to sleep.

I decided on no Jazzercise for Saturday and to have a day in the house.  I did my devotion reading, my journaling, had some tea, got some laundry in and cleaned and washed the refrigerator.  I'm not very exciting on my days in!

I have been knitting and I have a baby hat finished, sewed the sweater together on Saturday and have one bootie done.  I'll take a picture of the ensemble when all are complete.

I tried to blog on Saturday but got an error when I tried to get to the page to enter info.  Since my tech support is my husband and he was on a retreat and would not be using a phone, I decided I needed a computer free weekend too.  I did talk with a couple friends on the phone but didn't do much in the way of email or facebook.

Saturday night I had a great dinner of seared tuna.  Sunday I got up early, went to church, the grocery store, made a meal for a family at church who had a new baby, delivered the meal and got ready to go to a meeting.  I knew when my husband did get home that as soon as he sat down he would be asleep so I didn't feel bad about leaving him Sunday night.

I attended a staff meeting at Cook's Warehouse where we learned about new products from vendors and found something that I love! I've mentioned before that I like to organize and found spice containers that I love.  The website is www.tablefare.com and you can buy them at The Cook's Warehouse. 

The vendor gave out starter sets so now I'm hooked on the containers. 

Today is looking kind of grey.  I need to take a friend to a follow up doctor visit this morning, break up some chocolate to be used at a chocolate tasting tonight and maybe make the other baby bootie.

My tech support fixed the blog issue last night.  Something about the blog looking for a date of 2009 and the browser giving a date of 2010 and the blog refused to accept that.  I don't know, but it's fixed and I can get back to the computer.

Perfect Pizza!

Since yesterday was a holiday, I had a little more time to spend making dinner.  That and I did not go to Jazzercise in the morning or evening.  I get lots of emails from various places that send recipes and just recently received one from King Arthur flour that had recipes for pizzas.

Both looked good, one was Thai, but the deep dish was the one I wanted to try.  I lived in the Chicago area two different times in my life and occasionally need some deep dish pizza.  I've tried recipes before, but the crust was soggy, or tasteless or just not right.  I continued to search.

No more!  This was perfect.  I made the dough exactly by the recipe but did add a little more with the toppings.  Delicious and worth the time.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza from King Arthur Flour

Crust
  • 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or salad oil
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Filling

  • 3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1 pound Italian sweet or hot sausage, cooked and sliced; or about 3 cups of the sautéed vegetables of your choice
  • 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, lightly crushed; or 28-ounce can diced or chopped tomatoes
  • 2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, optional
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning or mixed dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary), to taste
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, to drizzle on top
Directions

1) To make the crust: Mix the dough ingredients, and knead to make a smooth crust. This will take about 7 minutes at medium-low speed in a stand mixer. You can also make the dough in a bread machine set on the dough or manual cycle.

2) Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or 8-cup measure (which makes it easy to track its rise), cover, and let rise till very puffy, about 60 minutes.

3) While the dough is rising, ready your 14" deep-dish pizza pan. Grease it with non-stick vegetable oil spray, then pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, tilting it to cover the bottom of the pan, and partway up the sides.

4) Stretch the dough to make as large a circle as you can. You can do this on a lightly oiled baking mat, if you choose; or simply stretch the dough in your hands.

5) Lay the dough in the pan, and stretch it towards the edges till it starts to shrink back. Cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Start preheating the oven to 425°F while the dough rests.

6) Stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the pan, then gently push it up the sides of the pan. The olive oil may ooze over the edge of the crust; that's OK. Let the crust rest for 15 minutes or so, as your oven comes up to 425°F.

8) Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it's set and barely beginning to brown. While it's baking, prepare the filling.

9) Drain the tomatoes thoroughly. Combine them with the Pizza Seasoning or herbs, and the garlic and sugar (if you're using them). Add salt to taste; you probably won't need any additional salt if you've used the Pizza Seasoning.

10) Cover the bottom of the crust with the sliced mozzarella, fanning it into the crust. Add the sausage (or sautéed vegetables), then the tomato mixture.

11) Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan, and drizzle with the olive oil.

12) Bake the pizza for about 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and carefully lift it out of the pan onto a rack. A giant spatula is a help here. Allow the pizza to cool for about 15 minutes (or longer, for less oozing) before cutting and serving.


My changes to the filling:  I crumbled the sausage when I cooked it.  Actually my husband cooked it.  I had half a bag of fresh spinach so I sauteed that, 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms that I sauteed and one giant roasted red pepper.  I used dried basil and dried oregano.  I added the vegetables on top of the sausage. 

It is very filling and I can have some more tonight for dinner! 



I have a cooking program at the Dunwoody library tonight.  I'll be showing teens how to make some Quick, Delicious Meals.  I am pretty sure the librarian said the program is full which is great.  Kids are interested in good food.

Snow Weekend 2010

The weather people here were reporting a snow event for Friday and it was supposed to happen in the afternoon which worked for me.  I needed to get to the cake decorating store in the morning.  I made it there, no sign of snow.

I met my chef friend Rosemary at Starbucks for a cup of hot chocolate and headed home to make dinner and chocolate souffles.  I was making the souffles as a test for my class on Sunday.  I needed to hold them before cooking so wanted to make sure all worked as planned.  And of course then got to taste chocolate souffles, I do love my job!

The snow started Friday afternoon and was big and fluffy and beautiful.  It kept coming through the day and into the evening but we were safe and sound.  While we watched the news Friday night it became clear the the snow didn't stay on the roads, but left them wet which was bad since the temperature was in the 20s overnight.

I was concerned about getting to my Special Valentine Dinner class with the 6 to 9 year olds on Saturday and waited to hear if we would cancel.  I emailed the cooking school director at Cook's Warehouse and talked with her at 7:30 Saturday morning.  No class, too much ice on roads and we didn't want anyone to get hurt.  So now I had a snow day. 

Now I could cook breakfast for us. I checked the fridge and had eggs, some cheese, found 2 sausage patties in the freezer, had some mushrooms left over from my cookday during the week, had potatoes. 

I made a sausage, mushroom, fontina, cheddar scramble with a giant potato cake.  Very delicious and perfect for fluffy snow weather.



It was a peaceful restful day and I continued with the use the pantry mode for dinner.  I had a box of Tomato Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Trader Joe's and made some hummus wraps.  Again delicious. The only change I made was that I grilled the onion also.

Hummus and Grilled Vegetable Wrap by Ellie Krieger
serves 4

2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 cup store-bought hummus
4 pieces whole-wheat wrap bread (about 9 inches in diameter)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups lightly packed)
1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced into half moons
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Preheat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the zucchini slices with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Grill until tender and slightly browned, about 4 minutes per side.

Spread 1/4 cup of the hummus over each piece of bread. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of pine nuts on top. Top with 3 slices of zucchini, 2 pieces of red pepper, 1/2 cup of the spinach, a few sliced onions, and 1 tablespoon of the mint. Roll each of them up and cut in half on a diagonal.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I had an in-home class to do for Casey and some of her friends.  Casey turned 15 yesterday and her mom and dad gave her and her friends a cooking class with me.  So much fun.

The girls did a great job, had fun and made wonderful food - Chicken Spring Rolls, Vegetable Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Chocolate Souffles. 

 

I have office work today like a normal Monday.  I have a library class tomorrow and 2 new customers to cook for.  Such a great week!

Way too fast!

So it's still February but wow, it is flying by.  I've been pretty busy which I much prefer and what started out as a slow month with business has changed for the better. 

The new cat is still a baby and will calm down.  That's what I keep telling myself.  It's either that or she's just bad.  In all my years of having pets that included dogs, cats, most recently a Great Dane and cats, I have never had a problem leaving things on the counter in the kitchen.  Until now.

Darling little Layla, weighing less than 5 pounds, has eaten through a bag of hamburger buns.  She took some tomatoes off of the counter, out of the bowl, I found one in the kitchen,  one in the dining room and there is still one missing. Maybe 2 missing. 

She had a nibble of pound cake of Friday, tried for some bread over the weekend and is lucky she's cute.  Tonight I placed my new glasses on the dresser to take a shower after Jazzercise.  The phone rang when I got out of the shower and as I talked I went to get my glasses.  Not there.  Of course I thought I left them at the computer - no, maybe the nightstand near the phone - no, maybe they went under the bed - no, maybe under the dresser - no.  I start all over - office, phone, dresser - no.  I finally look behind my nightstand and yes they were there.  They are very light and darling Layla likes to stand on the edge of the dresser to pounce on unsuspecting cats below, I guess the glasses were in the way. 

She's resting now so she can scurry over my head when I go to sleep tonight. 

The life of a personal chef can be interesting.  I had a new client interview last night and since I expect to get lost occasionally, was early to the appointment.  I stopped the car in a shopping center parking lot to wait 15 minutes.  Did the car start at 7:15?  No, the battery seemed to be dead.  I called my husband to warn him that I would need car assistance from him or AAA.

I called the new potential customer to say "hi, can you come and pick me up for the interview?"  They were very nice, picked me up, we went to their house only a couple minutes away and I am cooking for them next Friday. 

Of course it was then 9pm, wonderful husband did get the car started and we made it home.  Of course I had a new client interview this morning at 7:30 and a car with a dead battery.  Not to fear, I took the other car, husband got a battery and my car was ready for the day at 9 am when I got home.  And yes, I am cooking for the other new client on Wednesday!  And they didn't have to pick me up.

Tonight we had a great dinner.  I made it for two of us, didn't use that much cheese or meat but other than that followed the recipe.
 

Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Arugula and Roasted Pepper Salad from Giada De Laurentiis


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for cooking steaks
2 (1-inch-thick) rib-eye steaks (about 1 pound each)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula, washed and spun dry
11/2 cups roasted peppers, rinsed and pat dry
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Small block Parmesan (about 8 ounces)

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season steaks with salt and pepper. When pan starts to smoke, carefully add steaks. Allow the steaks to cook for about 6 minutes on side, without moving or piercing the meat. This will help create a good, crusty sear. If steak starts to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium. When steaks are brown, flip and sear the other side for 6 minutes for medium rare. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium well. Remove meat to a large plate and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Decoratively line a large platter with arugula. Tear the roasted peppers into large pieces and scatter over the arugula. In a small bowl, whisk the 1/4 cup-extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and any meat juices that may have collected on the plate from the steaks. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the steaks across the grain and on a bias into 1 1/2-inch thick pieces. Lay the slices on top of the salad and drizzle with dressing. Using a vegetable peeler, shave about 8 pieces of Parmesan over the dish.

We're supposed to get some snow tomorrow and I hope we don't get too much.  I usually like snow but need to go to the cake store tomorrow to get something I can find no where else.  Hope for clear roads in the morning!
        

BlogCFC by Raymond Camden. v.5.003.