J's Strong Finish to the Chopped Challenge

Tonight was the last evening of our family Chopped-style cooking challenge, with J cooking a great spread with his$16 budget.

Here's the basic guidelines of our competition:

1. We must make three courses for four people. 
2. There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed. 
3. We can only spend $16 at Grocery Outlet for all of our main ingredients (tax not included).
4. Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons. 
5. We must include mom's sabotage item - course and item chosen sight unseen. 
6. The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge:

• Up to 2 c. flour
• Sugars/honey
• "Basic"spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
• Onions
• Up to 4 eggs
• Milk
• Oils/butter
• "Basic" condiments - ketchup, mayo, mustard

I cooked Saturday and Dad played chef last night. 

And I'm not saying it because he's my husband and the light of my life, but J really got screwed with the sabotage ingredient - root beer-flavored Magic Shell. He'd bought an interesting set of groceries to begin with (with which I wouldn't have known what to make), but this ingredient was downright gross, even in the dessert round. Mom and I are the only ones who even enjoy root beer and certainly not outside of a glass or a float, but J was very creative! 

Here's the lowdown on J's menu:

Appetizer: Vegetarian taquitos made with flour tortillas, homemade refried beans (from a can of baked beans), Queso Suave canned "cheese," Zatarain's rice and onions, and topped with a crumble of spicy Cheez-It snack mix. I loved this! You all know I'm a sucker for Mexican-style dishes and this was no exception. Using the baked beans lent the taquito a very smoky flavor, almost like barbeque, which made it feel more hearty. The only thing that could've made it better would be guacamole, but we're guac snobs and only eat Wholly Guacamole's Organic guac anymore. 

Entree: A pork chop filled with an apricot preserve and onion stuffing, J's signature sweet carrots and steamed broccoli with "cheese." This was a great meal and is something we would easily cook, and eat, any day of the week. And I think that gets to the heart of this challenge. It's a lot of fun to goof off and cook with crazy ingredients, but it shows us how resourceful we can be to make $16 go a long way. Feeding your family can be made easier with creativity and making wise choices. (Note: this is not to say that there isn't still food insecurity, food deserts and hunger issues nationwide; or that it can be solved with a trip to GO). 

Dessert: J used hamburger buns and canned strawberries to make bread pudding dressed with a homemade caramel made from the Magic Shell and a berry meal replacement shake. It was a beautiful caramel, with perfect consistency and a terrific coloring, but it tasted like licorice, or maybe Nyquil. I liked the bread pudding itself, it was warm and gooey and the strawberries added great flavor. But that Shell -- one hell of a blow. 

This has been so much fun for all of us - the cooking and the eating! And it's so do-able for any family. Consider doing one round a month, a Chopped progressive dinner or making your own creative twists; we've already thought of other sneaky games like doing our own shopping, then flipping a coin to see if we switch carts. I encourage you and your families or friends to give it a go; you may just surprise yourself with your own ingenuity and skill!

And yes, I did apologize to the boys for whipping them so badly. And no, I don't think it was beginner's luck. 

Dad's (Also Delicious) Chopped Menu

Tonight is Night Two of our Chopped-style competition, wherein each of us (me, Dad and J) cooked a three course meal for our family of four using only $16 worth of GO Grocery Outlet goodies.

Here are our basic rules:

1. We must make three courses for four people. 
2. There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed. 
3. We can only spend $16 at Grocery Outlet for all of our main ingredients (tax not included). 
4. Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons. 
5. We must include Mom's sabotage item - course and item chosen sight unseen. 
6. The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge:

• Up to 2 c. flour
• Sugars/honey
• "Basic" spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
• Onions
• Up to 4 eggs
• Milk
• Oils/butter
• "Basic" condiments - ketchup, mayo, mustard

I cooked last night, and set a damn fine example. Tonight, it was Dad's turn. 

He did a very technique-savvy menu that was pretty impressive using this $16 set of ingredients. 

Including Mom's diabolical mystery ingredient - Little Debbie Starfish Cookies - in the appetizer round! 

Appetizer: A chorizo-style Scotch egg with deep fried pickles and honey vinaigrette. Normally, a Scotch egg is made with a boiled egg cased in sausage breading. Dad took the time to scrape the blue icing off of the starfish and crumbled them with oyster crackers and mixed it with pre-cooked, frozen chorizo breakfast sausage - now that's working through adversity! And, I have to hand it to him because I despise pickles but actually enjoyed the thin, not overly sour fried pickles. 

Entree: Italian sausage stuffed cabbage and zucchini boats with smoked oysters and habenero cheese. The cabbage reminded me a lot of our Russian favorite, golubtsi. It was filled with sausage, spices and rice (another pre-cooked, frozen ingredient!) and was so hearty. Instead of individual rolls, dad was really creative and stuffed the entire cabbage, wrapped it in cheese cloth and served it like big slices of cake! The zucchini boats were refreshing and full of flavor - that cheese was SPICY! This was such a filling course for so little cost; I couldn't even finish my plate.

Dessert: Now this is exactly why I was terrified to compete against J and Dad. They've both worked in a variety of food service jobs and are stellar cooks with great technical skill. So, I wasn't surprised that Dad made a pear and mini cinnamon donut gallete (homemade pie crust of course). We actually started a movie while he finished up his dish and the smell of cinnamon, roasting fruit and toasty crust filled the house. It was an intoxicating scent and the flavor didn't disappoint, either. We added a spoonful of vanilla ice cream (not from his items) to each plate, just to finish off the quart - had he included a whipped cream or ice cream this would have been sheer perfection (or that's what I tell myself to feel better). 

I was thoroughly impressed with this meal; especially the creativity and technical skill. 

J is our final chef-testant tomorrow night and we're all excited to see what he makes. Because of the sheer awfulness of the sabotage item, he was given it early and has been frantically rearranging his groceries and scouring the web for recipes. We shall see! 

Tune in tomorrow for another installment of good family-food-fun! 

Amanda's (Super Successful) Chopped Menu

I gave you the down-low on our Chopped challenge already, and you can click here for more information. But here's the gist of competition:

1. We must make three courses for four people.
2. There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed. 
3. We can only spend $16 at Grocery Outlet for all of our main ingredients (tax not included). 
4. Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons. 
5. We must include Mom's GO sabotage item - course and item chosen sight unseen.
6. The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge:

• Up to 2 c. flour
• Sugar
• "Basic" spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
• Onions
• Up to 4 eggs
• Milk
• Oils/butter
• "Basic" condiments - ketchup, mayo, mustard

I was the first chef-testant and here's what I was working with. 

And yes, I got all of this for less than $16! Seriously, GO is full of great deals. Each box of loaded mashed potatoes was only 33 cents. My most expensive ingredient was the 1.27 lb Butterball turkey breast for $3.39. 

But let us not forget my demented mother's mystery item. 

The only beets I've ever eaten are some of my dad's pickled beets. He loves to eat them with cornbread and pinto beans; I was always disgusted by the tart orbs that dyed everything pink. So, let's just say I was less than thrilled to get this ingredient. I much prefer the "Killer Tofu" type of Beets (90's kids, you feel me). 

But, luckily, I drew "entree," so I didn't have to reconfigure my dessert; which would undoubtedly be a disaster. 

And let me say - mom let me look at the other goodies after I blindly picked mine and I may have gotten the best ingredient. The other two, depending on their course, could make for a nightmare. 

With beets in tow, here's my menu:

Appetizer: Italian stuffed mushrooms made with Italian sausage, button mushrooms, onions, herbs and oyster crackers. Two of the four shrooms had a garnish of julienned beet. This was my quickest, easiest recipe and it was a delicious start. I used my Ninja to crush the crackers and then did a quick pulse to break up the cooked sausage, which made for a fine crumbly filling that absorbed the butter and drizzled olive oil nicely.

Entree: A take on chicken and waffles with cheesy, green onion potato cake waffle and fried turkey breast sliders dressed with honey and hot sauce and tempura onion rings and beets. I also marinated the turkey in milk, which is traditional, but this was laced with beet juice. I was so pleased with this dish, the flavors worked as perfectly as I'd hoped. Spicy, sweet, savory with crispy and tender notes. I was even more excited because I'd only ever made one of these components before - this was my first go at fried "chicken," onion rings and certainly beet fritters. The only things I'd change would be putting the chicken on a rack after searing it, so that the bottom got crunchier than putting it straight on a baking sheet, and I'd have made some ritzy sauce for the onion rings.

Dessert: Fried carrot cake ice cream with chantilly cream. This was the real awe-inspiring dish. I was petrified it would explode in our deep fryer (which I've never used) and be an utter disaster. I pre-prepped two portions per person just in case of disaster, but it was so successful and delicious! The animal cracker coating, which I feared might be bland, browned nicely and complimented the very flavorful ice cream - it tasted just like funnel cake! Also, I learned an amazing new technique for making whipped cream; I used my immersion blender (the Kitchen Aid doesn't work well with such small quantities, the beaters don't quite reach) and it took less than one minute!

Don't mind the little bit of cream - this is J's SECOND portion and I ran out! 

I am so utterly proud of myself. I am confident in my baking skills and ability to follow a recipe, but I was really afraid of grasping at straws at GO to create a menu and even more terrified of going up against the big dogs of improvisation and technique. But I did it! And damn well, if I do say so myself.

I know they're afraid of the mystery ingredients they're going to be saddled with, but now, I think they're scared of reaching my high standard, too. Bring it on, boys!

I'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on the rest of the challenge tomorrow (Dad) and Monday (J). 

Family "Chopped" Challenge

I've mentioned before that we're big Food Network watchers and we especially love the variety of challenge shows like Cutthroat Kitchen,  Guy's Grocery Games and our old favorite, Chopped.

On Chopped,  four chef-testants are given "mystery boxes" containing 3-4 ingredients which they must use in a corresponding course (appetizer, entree and dessert); one contestant is eliminated after each course with the winner taking home $10,000. The mystery boxes are complicated at best and disturbing at worst with ingredients that don't fit the course like Parmesan cheese for dessert or are weird (bull testicles), foreign (piloncillo) or gross (canned whole chicken).

This show resonates so well with our family since my dad and I used to play very similar make-believe kitchen games. One, which started when I was very little, involved making up random, gross ice cream flavors that only Oscar the Grouch could enjoy, like saw dust ice cream with a motor oil swirl or pork and bean frozen yogurt. My parent also have an open pantry in their kitchen packed with all sorts of random goodies, and while we ate in the kitchen we'd pick an ingredient from each shelf and try to figure out how to make a meal from ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, Spaghetti-O's, kosher dills and butterscotch chips.

Now that all of our cooking skills (and palates) have improved and we have a chef in the family, we've started taking these childhood games and TV shows into our own kitchens.

About a year ago, J and Dad did a Chopped-style challenge where they had to feed all four of us three courses by spending only $15 at our local discount grocery store, GO Grocery Outlet. GO fits the Chopped bill perfectly because while their chefs never know what will be in their baskets, GO shoppers never know what they'll find.

GO stocks a variety of products that were surplus at big box stores; have appearance flaws (crooked labels etc.); non-perishable seasonal goods (Christmas cupcake mix available in February); new and/or weird products that are too risky or flopped in traditional stores (like Sunmaid's barbeque flavored raisins); and items close to their expiration date at deep discounts. We love shopping here regularly for the exact reason that you never know what they'll have. You can try new products that you're unsure of at little cost or stock up on your favorite products without breaking the bank (I bought 10 boxes of Oat Revolution! instant oatmeal for 50 cents apiece).

One of those "weird' items...

Last night we went shopping and tonight, we start our new round of Chopped competition. I'm cooking tonight, Dad has tomorrow and J's doing Monday night.

Here are our rules:

1. We must make three courses for four people.
2. There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed. 
3. We can only spend $16 at GO for all of our main ingredients. 
4. Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons
5. The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge

• Up to 2 c. flour
• sugar
• "basic" spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
• onions
• Up to 4 eggs
• milk
• oils/butter
• "basic" condiments - ketchup, mustard, mayo 

And, our family saboteur added in a Cutthroat Kitchen-style twist. Mom purchased three items at GO; we each draw a course from a hat in which we must use the ingredient (options are re-entered, so we may all get dessert etc.), then we choose a colored bag and must use the item within. She is evil.

J and Dad do have the advantage of doing this before (minus mom's curveball) and they did a great job last time. They both came up with good meals that were filling and delicious and really creative! J actually made the coolest dessert ever - he blended Little Debbie Nutty Bars into powder, made them into balls with chocolate syrup, chilled  then dipped them in pancake batter and deep fried them to make delicious peanut butter fritters. Quite a high standard to live up to.

I'm starting some of my prep now, and praying a lot, for tonight's meal. I'll keep you all posted on our exciting meals and feel free to let us know who YOU think the clear winner is!

Life-saving Meals: Homemade Frozen Food for the Sick, Shut-in and Overwhelmed

Last week, we welcomed the newest member of our family to the world. Miss Zayleigh, our niece, was born on July 11 and both her and momma are feeling great.

Amanda, Zayleigh and Jordan

But despite her having all her fingers and toes and being quite possibly the calmest, quietest little bundle of joy I've ever seen, we knew her parents were in for a long, exhausting week. And as we discovered while planning our wedding, when you're stressed and tired, the first thing you feel like giving up on is cooking good meals. We certainly ate our fill of take-out, pre-packaged junk in the lead up to our wedding (six months ago, already!?!). So, J and I took a few hours and less than $30 to make a bundle of goodies for the family to eat.

Food gifts can be such a blessing to a family in need. As Deacons at our church, we're constantly asking folks undergoing surgery, loss or hardship if we can set up meal deliveries. And while any donation of food is a great gift, by saving money and time; home cooked meals that the recipients can eat on their own schedule, without guests, are so important.

Our menu for the new parents included:

• French toast sticks (with syrup)
• Mexican black bean casserole
• Spinach lasagna roll ups (with breadsticks)
• Homemade sloppy joe mix (with french fries)
• Millionaire pie 

All of these recipes were simple, relatively inexpensive (including the sides or "add ons") and will be delicious, wholesome meals for their family.

And a hidden benefit of delivering frozen meals, is that most recipes are for two whole portions or are easily doubled. So, if you know you'll have a need for some heat-and-eat meals in the future (for yourselves or others) you can easily make a dish for dinner and have the second portion frozen for later. This is great if you know of someone who will be having surgery soon, has a baby due in the near future or you're preparing for a busy back-to-school month or the beginning of sports season.

Because of the ease of making several portions to freeze at once, we love to cook freezer-friendly meals throughout the year and keep extra portions on hand. For ideas on other freezer meals, click here or visit the "freezer-friendly" label to the right. 

I'll be sharing more on the dishes we made this week (especially my mom's millionaire pie recipe) but for now, I want to share some food delivery tips and dish on the delicious french toast sticks.

Here are some tips for when you prepare and take meals to someone in need:

• All but the french toast sticks were self contained in aluminum foil pans with plastic wrap or foil. It's important to try to limit the dish washing for your recipients; and that age old argument of "Where's that casserole dish I loaned you? You never gave it back!" It's even thoughtful to include a pack of disposable plates, cutlery and napkins in your delivery. 
• All of the dishes we prepared take little more than refrigerator thawing and reheating (except for the pie; nothing to do but eat it!). I think bringing things they can cook on their own schedule is important. They won't feel like they have to eat with or in front of you while you visit and if they have a new baby, for example, their meal schedule may be all out of whack. Bring things that give them some ownership over their meals, and will help make their houses smell good - the French toast certainly does!
• Include precise directions, written on the package, if possible. I wrote any thawing and prep instructions on the pan lids or bags with permanent markers. 
• Plan ahead. For your sanity, and theirs, plan ahead. Make sure you know of any allergies and if you're part of a meal delivery group, communicate - so the family doesn't get five lasagnas in a row. I remember when we've had meals delivered to our family, usually after a death; it's a sweet, but monotonous train of casseroles. Talk with your fellow meal-makers and schedule some variety. 
• This may also be a veering away from one-pot casseroles, but think about the whole meal experience for the family. Try to include sides or add-ons that the family would enjoy with the meal but might not have on hand. And again, try to branch out - step away from bagged salad and cookie dough. 

Now on to the French toast.

I love French toast, but we rarely eat it at home because 1. we rarely have a lot of bread readily available, and 2. y'all already know that I hate mornings and I especially hate cooking in the morning. But this solves all of my problems.

First, French toast can be made with almost any bread and one of the tips of this recipe is to save your bread ends, leftover hot dog buns (why 10 buns but only 8 dogs?!?!) etc. in the freezer and then make French toast sticks when you've saved enough. Also, discount bread is pretty easy to find. Our Wal Mart has a "old bread" cart in the bakery for the discounted goodies that are a few days past their prime. I was able to score two huge loaves of fluffy French bread (so this is French French toast, thank you) for only 70 cents each! And a local bakery has a "happy hour" on their last work day where everything's half-priced. That's inexpensive, locally sourced bread! Win!

Secondly, these sticks don't require any thawing time and can be popped straight from the freezer into the oven and cooked in around 15 minutes. So, if you throw them in the oven, you'd have time to get ready while they cooked on their own. And, because I miscalculated my snooze button again (don't tell J), I was able to do a test; turns out they travel well too! I put them in a tupperware, drizzled on the syrup and ate them on the road - no more dangerous than a McMuffin (but more flavorful and budget friendly).

Too often, I think French toast can be soggy, flaccid sticks that soak up syrup like a sponge and aren't of a particularly pleasing texture. But with the crunchy cereal coating(and the crust of the bread I used), these sticks are crispy and stand up to the syrup. I used our Ninja food processor to pulse the cereal to get some very fine pieces and some larger chunks; you can customize your crunch-level with how finely you grind the coating.

The flavor is pretty classic, warm cinnamon and vanilla pair so well with fluffy bread and syrup. It reminds me of being a kid and waking up on a Saturday morning to someone already cooking. If only I could watch cartoons at work. And you could really go anywhere in customizing the flavor, too. Adding some pumpkin pie spice or cloves and nutmeg would make this even more autumnal. Or you can use different cereals. I ran out of cornflakes in my second batch, so I used crushed rice Chex and Special K honey and granola. I recommend straying away from the super-sweet cereals, or pairing them with a more simple flavor, since you're bound to douse this in syrup anyway.

I've really enjoyed these sticks for an elaborate-feeling, but utterly easy breakfast; and hope you do too! I know a little momma who claims they're a "life saver"!

Freezer-Friendly French Toast Sticks
Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients: (Note: I did a recipe-and-a-half to do a whole loaf of French bread)

6 slices day old bread (ideally in thick slices)
4 eggs
1 c milk (any kind - I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
2 T sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 c+ ground cornflakes (or other cereals), plus more as needed

Method:

Cut each piece of bread into thirds to make sticks.

In a large casserole dish, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until well mixed. Place bread in the dish and allow to rest for 45-60 seconds. Flip the bread to coat other side.

Dip each piece into crushed cereal, coating all sides.

Place on large greased baking sheet. When completed, place baking sheet into the freezer for at least 45 minutes or until bread is firm and partially frozen. Transfer to a labeled freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer. (I would suggest using within 2-3 months to avoid freezer burn.)

To prepare frozen sticks:

Preheat oven to 425. Place desired amount of sticks on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and hot.

Serve with powdered sugar, syrup and/or sliced fruit.

Fat Kid Friday: Fresh Apple Cake

First, let me apologize for the fact that thus far, all my Fat Kid posts are about baked goods. I'm a baker - I am confident in my ability to make entrees, or whole meals, even - but I adore baking and creating desserts. So, for those of you lacking a sweet tooth, I'm sorry (but for those of you, like J, who can't get enough sugar, you're welcome).

Now, even if you aren't sweet savvy, this is a dessert worth a second look. I've been making this cake (and one other version of it) since I was a tween. My mom wrote the recipe for a church cookbook when I was a little kid and, for some reason, I gave it a try once. And according to my dad, this is my signature dish.

There's a local orchard whose opening we all count down to in the summer. They have great apples, the most phenomenal cider and cider slushies, apple donuts and fritters, and their infamous apple cakes. These apple cakes are beautiful and pretty good; and they better be, because they sell for upwards of $15. However, I've been making and selling these to family friends for years and they all say they're better than The Orchard's.

Fresh Apple Cake - prior to glazing

This cake is richly sweet from the apples, coconut, sugar and sauce. But unlike a more traditional layer cake, with creamy icing that coats the inside of your mouth, this is a sweetness more like a hyped-up fruit-and-nut bread. And technically, if you left off the glaze, it would be very bread-like, but who wants that? Since the glaze is made with brown sugar, it's not cloyingly sweet, but the molasses makes this more of a rich, caramel flavor instead of overpowering sweetness.

With coconut, three whole apples and a cup of pecans, the cake is full of chunks with different textures and flavors; which I love. You can use any number of apples, and if you're blessed enough to live in Western North Carolina in the fall, you have a long list of options. I think honeycrisp apples are pure perfection - best for juice, applesauce, baking, caramel or eating plain - and they are the most shelf-stable (kept in a cool place either a fridge or a cellar, a honeycrisp apple will keep for months). But you can use any firm type, without mealy flesh. If honeycrisp aren't available, I use granny smith apples. They are economical, readily available and flavorful.

Glazed & glossy

As we ease through the hot summer season toward fall, this cake is perfect for any gathering or meal (who needs a special occasion for cake?). It's delicious, inexpensive and easy-to-make - three of the best, and most important qualities for any dish!

Fresh Apple Cake 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
3 c. self rising flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. shredded coconut (optional)
1 c. chopped pecans
3 c. raw apples peeled, chopped
1 stick butter
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl or stand mixer. Add sifted flour and cinnamon slowly; mix until well combined and scraping the bowl occasionally. Add pecans, apples and coconut, if desired. Spread into a greased and floured deep, large rectangular baking pan (at least a DEEP 9x13"). Bake until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean, at least 30 minutes. If top browns but middle is still not done, cover with tin foil to not overly brown the top.

Melt better, and add milk, brown sugar and vanilla to a small pot and bring to a quick boil. Pour over cake while still hot. Allow to cool to warm, not hot before serving. Letting it cool allows the glaze to soak into the cake some. It's great served warm, room temperature or cold from the fridge.

Mmmmm... Moussaka

Last week we made a clean-eating eggplant recipe and had eggplant left over, which I've been debating how to use all week.

There are only two recipes with eggplant that I've ever enjoyed. The clean eating recipe we ate last week was a carry-over from our detox - it's best described as a roasted hash of cauliflower, eggplant and chickpeas with a tangy yogurt sauce.

The other, is the most superb dish from one of our favorite restaurants, Asheville's Curate, a family-owned Spanish tapas hots pot featuring a James Beard award nominated chef. It's thinly sliced, lightly breaded and fried slices of eggplant with rosemary and drizzled with local honey. The flavors are superb - every time I eat it, I'm actually at a loss for words. The complexity of the dish - from the flavors to the textures - are phenomenal. If you're ever in Asheville, stop there for that dish alone (all the other dishes are great, too, but the eggplant is out-of-this-world).

But other than these two dishes, I'm indifferent to eggplant. It has all the flavor and awkward texture of a styrofoam cup and just feels so worthless. Despite being a negative-calorie food, that burns more calories to eat than it contains, I struggled to find tasty recipes to use. But, no more!

By an act of serendipity or pinterest-happenstance, I decided to try a recipe my cousin pinned for the Greek classic, moussaka. Moussaka is a Mediterranean-flavored, rich version of shepherd's pie. You layer lightly fried (or grilled or roasted) eggplant slices with a meat sauce, Parmesan cheese and bechamel (French classic: mastered!).

It is so flavorful with soft gooey layers. The eggplant softens greatly, and can be cut with a fork and is the perfect vessel for the spice-filled sauces. The Italian spices brought in familiar flavors to the meat sauce, but they were enhanced with the surprising addition of cinnamon and nutmeg. Nutmeg is common in bechamel, but adding it to the meat sauce was a great addition, especially since we used chicken instead of traditional beef. I prefer ground chicken to turkey; it has a more "pure" flavor and absorbs anything you add to it. And despite using only half a pound of ground meat, this dish feels substantial and hearty. The eggplant actually takes on a meaty, steak-like quality.

And it makes quite a portion. We divided the recipe in half to make four servings, instead of eight; and let's be honest, their "eight servings" would take up two 9"x13" casseroles and would feed your octet to excess.

I will say that this dish does take some planning and good mise en place -we didn't read ahead as well as we should've and were scrambling a bit - but if you plan ahead and take your time, this would be the perfect meal for a big potluck, church fellowship or fancy dinner party.

Also, be sure to have some soft, warm bread on hand; this leaves a great sauce on the plate that's just begging to be sopped up by a breadstick!

Moussaka (4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, sliced into 1/2" slices (we did discs, but you can do lengthwise slices; also you can leave the peel on or use a veggie peeler to remove it - we left it on)
2 T olive oil

Meat Sauce:
1 1/2 t butter
1/2 lb. ground meat (beef or chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t dried Italian seasoning
1/2 c tomato sauce (we used leftover Hunt's garlic spaghetti sauce)
4 T red wine
1 egg, beaten

Bechamel:
1 c milk
4 T butter
3 T all-purpose flour

1/2 c and 2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out moisture.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add ground meat, salt/pepper, onions and garlic. After meat is browned, sprinkle in cinnamon, half of nutmeg and seasonings. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine and mix well. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. If all liquid evaporates, add more tomato sauce 2-3 T at a time. Cool and stir in beaten egg.

In a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil a few teaspoons at a time. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned, set aside on paper towels to drain. You may need to add more oil, the eggplant is very absorbent. (Note: you could also roast or grill the eggplant instead of pan frying; you just want it to be more tender.) Set aside on paper towel to drain. Then layer 1/2 of slices in a greased 9"x13" casserole dish.

Layer all of the meat sauce over the eggplant layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 c of the Parmesan. Layer again with eggplant and 1/4 c of Parmesan.

To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk. The easiest way to do so is to put your milk in a microwave safe bowl with a wooden chopstick or other microwave utensil. Microwave just until boiling (3-4 minutes). The utensil breaks the surface of the milk and keeps it from superheating which is very dangerous. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat and gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. It's thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon without dripping off. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the bechamel over the eggplant/Parmesan layer. Sprinkle with remaining nutmeg and Parmesan.

Bake for 1 hour.

Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Tasty Tomes: Favorite "Food Books"

We are a reading family. J and I are both voracious readers independently, but enjoy books so much, and with such varied tastes, that we share them with each other by reading our personal favorites out loud to the other.

There's just something about summer that intensifies my desire to read. It may be that it's too hot to exert yourself more than turning a page, that it's easier to escape to other worlds in the whimsy of "summer vacation" despite being tied down with full-time jobs, or that one of our culture's last vestiges of enjoying reading is the "Beach Reads" checklist at bookshops. Regardless, I've had an insatiable appetite for books as the weather has warmed up.

J enjoys science fiction and fantasy books - from The Gunslinger to the Wheel of Time Series to Michael Chrichton's books - he enjoys the fantastical, magical worlds. And I have enjoyed him opening my eyes to these books that I would have hardly noticed on my own, but have come to enjoy.

I have a much less exciting, and almost haphazard, taste in books. As an English major, I'm willing to (attempt to) appreciate any effort at writing an entire book, regardless of the subject. I'll pick up just about anything at a used bookstore that sounds halfway decent or has really nice cover art; but mostly I like stories about the everyday. I know that's vague, but what I mean is stories like The Great Gatsby, that aren't about magic of technology or space or other dimensions, so much as the pieces of regular peoples' lives falling into place. The books that are good stories above all, but that could happen to anyone, that describe the most common of occurrences but in such a way that you can relate and empathize.

And in this somewhat reckless collection of books that I've read, I've come across some great works about food. A few are non-fiction, and biographies, even; but most are works of fiction where food is a main character in the drama. A lot of the books are able to portray, far better than I could ever imagine doing, how important a meal can be between friends, how special memories are of late-night snacks, how your emotions are portrayed through the foods you serve, and more.

If you're a reader, hungering for something to sink your intellectual teeth into, consider giving these books a shot. I've enjoyed each of them and hope you will, too.

Each title includes a link to the Goodreads.com book review page which includes a brief synopsis, reader reviews and more. If you read a lot, I highly recommend setting up a Goodreads account; it keeps me straight on what I've read (and if I liked it) and what I want to read next. I'd be lost in a bookstore without it.

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child  - This bio of the late, great, Julia Child offers so many insights about her personal life that I'd never known. For example, in her 80s she loved picking up young men in bars; her and her husband had the most wonderful romance; and despite being the pre-Martha Stewart of perfection, she had an incredibly dysfunctional family.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - An Eric Carle classic that taught us all the basics of counting, colors and binge eating. I have snack cravings just like this little guy all the time.

Like Water for Chocolate - I just finished this book (in a day!) and loved it. It has an incredibly unique format of monthly installments including recipes for traditional Mexican dishes. As they describe how to make the meals, they describe why, when and by whom they're cooked. This book describes my exact feelings about food - that it can bring memories to the forefront, embody all the chef's emotions, and be the most powerful connection to our loved ones. (It's also been made into a movie, if you want to cheat and watch it instead. It's available on Netflix streaming).

Chocolat - Another romantic, chocolate-filled book. The story wraps more around the politics of a French village and its strange characters, but the descriptions of the sweets are exciting and completely cravable. (And the movie version casts a very lovely Johnny Depp).

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living - I will say the movie for this book is just as delightful as the book, and so, I will endorse you skipping the book for Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. This covers a young woman stuck in a crappy job, in a teeny apartment who works out all of her disappointments by cooking every dish in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. It features vignettes about Child's real adventure writing Cooking and Julie's attempt. If you've ever felt daunted by cooking, this book (or movie) will put you at ease and encourage you to give it a shot.

Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter - I mentioned this on my "Recipe Resources" post and it's a little-known winner. I found this book at a library overstock sale for 50 cents.It covers the adventures of working in Thomas Keller's uber-fancy Per Se restaurant. I learned a lot about working in kitchens, and how I should act as a diner. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in food and especially those who want to live their Michelin star dreams vicariously through an insider.

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins - Technically, food is a minor character in this book, but if you have young children, this book is a must-have. It is about the infamous lunch counter sit-ins started by NC A&T students, from a local girl's perspective. All she wants is to eat milkshakes with her family at the shiny Woolworth counter and doesn't understand the implications of the changing world around her.

Eat, Pray, Love - I feel like this has become a cliche title for any woman undergoing a melodramatic crisis, but it really is an influential book. I read this book right after graduating college and being unable to find a job, moving back in with my parents and seemingly taking five steps backward. To me, it was exciting to see a woman dropping everything and figuring her life out one plate at a time.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Another children's classic. I always loved this series recounting the snowballing effects of snacking with animals, and Mouse was the original installment. I'll defend it as a necessary text because it teaching kids about making solid decisions and dealing with consequences...or something.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - I grew up watching this movie and can actually quote it almost line-by-line, and I'll admit Mary Stuart Masterson's portrayal can't be put back on paper. If you haven't seen this movie about the importance of chosen family, read the book first! Fannie Flagg does a great job, but you can't top the screen version. And I know it's English Major sin to offer that suggestion. Lord, help me.

Fat Kid Friday: No-Bake Cheesecake

It's the Fourth of July and about 900 degrees outside, so I had an urge to make something festive (without gallons of food coloring) and wonderfully refreshing.

I scoured Pinterest for 4th desserts and I was pretty disappointed. Everything was either overly cheesy - like red,white and blue Jell-o parfaits, or overwhelmingly unimpressive - there's nothing "symbolic" or patriotic about kabobs of blueberries, strawberries and marshmallows.

Whenever Pinterest is uninspired and lets me down, I turn to our massive collection of recipes ripped out of magazines. And it worked! I found an old Taste of Home recipe for an easy, no-bake cheesecake - for which I had almost all of the ingredients and would only take up 45 minutes of my precious paid-time-off.

This recipe was a great dessert for a hot summer night. It was creamy and cool, the berries were sweet counterpart to the tart cream cheese and the crust was impeccable. Most graham crusts are just a little bit of white sugar and butter mixed with the graham crackers but two additions in this recipe made a world of difference. Using brown sugar instead of plain granulated sugar added a deeper, molasses sweetness and the ground cinnamon made for a great spicy flavor - like the most delicious warm cookie.

As is, this is cheesecake at it's purest; with so much room to mix and match flavors.You could add a dash (1 t.) of almost any flavor extract or citrus zest, in addition to the lemon juice, to brighten the filling. I think fresh vanilla bean seeds or almond extract would be delicious. And the berries can go in any direction; I used a carton of strawberries and our flavorful vanilla sugar. But you could take it in the 4th of July direction with blue and red berries atop the creamy white cake.

But there is one caveat I'd like to address - because I always forget it. Cheesecake's flavor is pretty universal. There is nothing that is quite as signature as the taste of cream cheese. On an episode of Cake Boss, when the Valastro family goes to Italy, they visit a bakery and bake a cheesecake together. The Italian bakers are talking about each of the ingredients in Italian and then ask for the "philadelphia" - because there is no word for cream cheese, other than that timeless white logo on the silvery-blue boxes of Kraft's Philadelphia cream cheese.

However, baked and no-bake cheesecake are completely different animals. Traditional, baked cheesecake is dense, yet fluffy, and it has a heartiness to it. It's so beautiful with the lightly browned top and thick slices. No-bake cheesecake is creamy, smooth and silky; you barely need to chew it, it just glides around your mouth. Both of these are delicious in their own way, but you have to remember which is which! I forgot until my knife glided through the tender filling and made loosely shaped slices.This no-bake cake is deliciously smooth and soft and almost melts in your mouth.

If you're looking for a quick-and-easy treat that tastes more decadent and time-consuming, and is cool and refreshing, this is the perfect dish.

No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/3 c butter, melted
2, 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. lemon juice
2 c. heavy whipping cream
Prepared berries (optional)

Method:

In a small bowl, mix crumbs,cinnamon and brown sugar. Pour in butter and stir until all ingredients are wet. Press crumb mixture into an ungreased 9" springform pan covering the bottom and 1" up the sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Using a mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth; scraping the sides often. Gradually add cream; beat until stiff peaks form. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate, covered for at least 4 hours.

If you are using berries, toss them with 2 T. sugar and allow them to set for at least 15 minutes to make a sweet juice. The longer they rest, the softer and juicier they get.