Pure deliciousness!

I have been tossing around an idea using fresh nectarines and maple syrup for awhile and finally brought it to fruition tonight - Maple Nectarine Crisp.
I cubed three nectarines and sauteed them in 2 tablespoons butter, some generous dashes of cinnamon and a dash of cloves.  Once the nectarines were browned, I poured about 1/4 cup maple syrup and let the concoction simmer down to tasty goodness.
For the crisp, I used some granola and crumbled it with butter.
Pour the nectarines into the ramekins and then throw the crisp mixture on top; for extra goodness, pour the maple syrup left from the sautee over the crisp.  Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes and enjoy.

Enjoy it better than I did with some vanilla ice cream.

Now that's a spicy burger!

I crave spicy foods.  And by spicy, I mean a temperature on the tongue that would make the bulldog cry.  Poor boy.  I had the brilliant idea tonight of taking my burger up a notch with - wait for it - a jalepeno.  I KNOW!  Absolutely crazy.  Not to be outdone, my friend garlic went in as well.  Five cloves worth.
I diced the garlic and jalepeno before adding to the ground beef - grass fed, raised antibiotic free of course - and though I included the jalepeno seeds, the burger could have been hotter.
I also did the unthinkable - I cooked the burger in a tiny tablespoon of butter.  Nice richness added to the burger that way.  Easy little trick.  Beef + butter = TASTY!  At the end, I cut some grape tomato's in half and tossed them in the remaining butter and beef juices to sautee down and tossed some pepperjack cheese on top - just in case the burger wasn't spicy enough.
Serve with avocado on the side and have a drink ready if you're like the bulldog!

Egg use for Ami...

This recipe is entirely for Ami, who harvests her own eggs.  OK, she doesn't actually harvest but her kids do.  She's a city girl with chickens.  Egg collecting is not in her cards.
To use eggs, I go immediately for something sweet.  And that sweet is an angel food cake.  Most people eat the boxed or pre-made variety but there is something amazing about from scratch.  Ingredients are:
12 egg whites (save the yolks for other recipes, I'll post some)
1.5 t cream of tartar        1 vanilla bean
Beat these together until the eggs form a soft peak consistency.  Slowly add 1 cup of sugar and beat until hard peaks form.
Separately, sift together 1.5 cups POWDERED sugar and 1 cup (minus 2 T.) flour.   Fold dry into the egg mixture.
Pour into an angel food cake pan (or two bread pans) and bake at 350 for roughly 40 minutes.  Once it's done, invert over a bottle to cool for an hour.
Carefully get it out of pan, cut, serve and eat.  I put some sweet cocoa (Gheradelli) in half to make it partially chocolate.  Yumm!

Pachonga Chicken

Two things you need to make a delicious chicken--panko bread crumbs and cumin.  Pachonga Chicken is tossed the panko, cumin, some salt and some pepper.  Then fried up in butter--don't freak out.  You don't (or shouldn't) eat it everyday.  And it's nothing an extra mile on your run won't cure.  =)  I cook my chicken with some sliced onions and an anaheim pepper, both of which are tossed in cumin.  And cooked in butter.  The mix of flavors really lets the chicken goodness out.  It's amazing how simple seasoning with simple butter can turn a chicken breast into a comeback meal.  Repeatedly. Come. Back.  I serve with some fresh avocado, maybe some tortillas, maybe some melted butter on the side.  It's all about your flair and adding what you like to eat.

Enjoy the grub!

A-Mazing!

I was definitely NOT kidding when I say I'm obsessed with grilled cheese sandwiches.  I always have on hand a supply of bread, cheese, butter and other potential toppings.  Seriously.  Look in my fridge.  Three types of bread right now, four different cheeses, some meats and other yummy stuff.
Last night I made such an incredibly good one, I was thinking about it at work all day.  Start with hearth bread from Whole Foods, add some monterey jack cheese and top it with a spicy plum chutney.  Let's just say the sweet/spicy from the plums mixing with the cheesy goodness--HOLY COW, I WANT ANOTHER!

Try it and enjoy!

First blog...

It's officially official.  I have a food blog.  The purpose will be primarily sharing recipes, tricks, food and other ideas from the kitchen.  And with that....

Almost everyone knows I'm FASCINATED with grilled cheese sandwiches.  Some would say it's a disorder. I'd agree.  But since I love a nice, cheesy sandwich, how better than to kick off my blog with a new one.  Tonight, I made a fresh mozzarella and Applegate Farms (no antibiotics used) hot soppressata on a rosemary sourdough bread.  I'm a fan of butter on my grilled cheese, so spare not.  And eat away.  I have a million grilled cheese ideas but if you have one of your own, toss it my way and I'll check it out.