Morsels of Megret

Last night, our "Lost crew" got together and had a make-your -own-pizza- factory in mass production. A spur- of-the- minute decision meal-wise, I had my doubts that it would all come together....but it did, and how harmoniously. I might even venture to say that it was our tastiest meal together yet. The foundation of a great pizza (in literal terms, too) is a well-made crust. I have been through piles of recipes. The ones I tried in the past were either too flat, too dense, too chewy, or the biggest problem: The center of the pizza was still dough, no matter how long I baked it. That all changed when I stumbled across a crust recipe that I received free in the mail, as random as that sounds. This crust is unbeatable. It is pre-baked before the toppings are added, and then popped back in to achieve golden perfection around the rim. Here is the awe-inspiring crust recipe....it will make your pizza guests swoon. Enjoy! Perfect Pizza Crusts 1-1/4 c. warm water (105 to 115 degree

Tonight at our home group, we had a game night instead of our usual Bible study and discussion, due mainly to the fact that half of us were absent for some reason, and we needed a "light night." Among our group of themed meal cards was "kids' food night," and it was randomly assigned to this week's menu board. Oh, my. Let me begin by saying that I have no idea how our bodies did not deteriorate or shut down by the time we reached 20, judging from the junk (most of us) ate as kids. People are way more health-conscious now than back then (at least I am), so we all see these horrors on the grocery shelves today and shudder. Yet at the time, who would've thought that Yellow # 5 would cause ear cancer in rats, or that dextrose would contribute to ADHD or hives?** I didn't. I guess I was thinking that it'd be sort of "sentimental" to munch on foods from days gone by, letting our minds wander back to the days when we'd stand dripping besid

This is my first time contributing a culinary endeavor to Is My Blog Burning?'s monthly showcases. This month's theme.....EGGS. I was pleased with this pick, simply because eggs are in almost everything, and so I had a lot of recipes to draw from. And now, I present to you my TWO finished products, warm and out of the oven just hours ago. Enjoy the pictures and the recipes. And thanks for the opportunity to contribute with all of the other (more professional than I) chefs and cooking novices around the globe. Mint-Chocolate Forgotten Cookie Sandwiches Ingredients: 3 large brown egg whites, at room temperature pinch of cream of tartar 1/4 t. vanilla extract 1/4 t. peppermint extract 2/3 c. granulated sugar 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder 2/3 c. semisweet mini chocolate chips, divided Method: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with aluminum foil, and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. With a whisk attachment of a mixer, whip the egg whites, cream of ta

I have two dreams in life. One of which is to become an author. Writing has forever been a passion of mine. My ultimate career would be to write for a profession. But that is only part one of my life goals (occupation-speaking). I want to be an entrepreneur baker. I have possessed a burning desire for baking ever since I was 14. I started baking even earlier than that as I helped my mom in the kitchen whip up some decadent baked goodies. When I spread my own culinary wings as a teenager, I didn't start small. I believe my first baking endeavor was chocolate-pinwheel cookies....complete with the tedious layering of two dough types and chilling for hours. I tell Ken this all the time. I'll see a photo of a young woman holding an armful of freshly-baked, artisan baguettes while thumbing through a Southern Living magazine. Ahhh, to be in her place. I smile when I see small-town bakery windows with cute names painted onto them....I can imagine what I'd name my own bak

If my body didn't require a specified amount of fat and protein, I could literally live off of vegetables (and maybe bread, too) all the time, every day. The garden I co-planted with Mom and Dad is giving us the firstfruits of its summer harvest, and they are rolling in. Mom and I are having to come up with creative and tasty ways to serve the bountiful assortment of zucchini, green peas, green beans, yellow squash, and cucumbers. Tonight, I prepared an all-veggie supper for Ken and Gardner (Gardner can handle most table foods now, in small doses, in small pieces, of course!). This is one of many all-veggie dinners of this summer, I am certain. It took me back to years ago growing up, when Mom would prepare all vegetables for many a summer dinner. We had a garden, but we also had church members who graciously donated heaps and heaps of their homegrown collards, corn, squash, and beans. We had a neverending bounty of produce flowing into our home from May until late September. I

Ken, his parents, and his brother and his wife and I all (and Gardner!) all spent a few days in Lake Junaluska, NC this past week. Beautiful, sunny, cooler weather held the entire visit; it was wonderful. Ken and I, like with every destination we explore, set out one afternoon in search of a notable coffee shop. We walked past several on the main street of Waynesville, but then I spotted a map with paid advertisers for tourists to try out. One of the shops was called Panacea, and it noted that it had its own roastery. Yep, that's the one. Our adrenaline rushing, we walked quickly toward the area where we hoped it'd be. It was off the beaten path....right next to a Giles Chemical plant, actually....but that didn't deter us or set us back. Right away we were impressed with their signage. And then we stepped inside. Oh, my. Imagine a hollowed-out 80-year-old warehouse with artisan-textured cement floors, original brick walls, an eclectic (yet non-thrift-store-looking) assembla

I know it's insanely hot outside, but nonetheless, we had "soup and bread night" with our home group tonight. It was a raving success. We didn't coordinate soup types beforehand, but everyone brought a different type and they all blended together beautifully. I handed out small, shallow bowls in hopes that we'd all just try one at a time, going back for more (there were four soups total). It worked out great. The menu: - Ground beef chili with jalapeno cornbread - White bean-chicken chili with jalapeno cornbread (a little different than the first type, I assure you....funny how everyone has their own special cornbread recipe and technique) - Garden vegetable soup with breadsticks - Corn-potato chowder with toasted cheddar pita chips - (oh, and a delectable fudge swirl cake covered completely with M&M's for dessert) I highly recommend this among your entertaining friends. Summer or winter, people love a good bowl of soup.

I just have to tell about the newest (and most divine) product I've discovered over the past year. I know it may not seem terribly exciting to most of you....it's not ice cream or pizza or even a new type of submarine sandwich. It is merely the most important ingredient within luscious, Southern-style cornbreads: cornmeal. The cornmeal I'm referring to specifically is Arrowhead Mill's organic stone-ground cornmeal. The nutty aroma and flavor far bypasses the other brands on the shelves. I swear, you'll think the corn was just harvested and milled last week when you taste the flavors that come alive in dishes made with this product. Our favorite side item with chili is cornbread. I use this faithfully whether I create chile-corn muffins, sourdough-jalapeno skillet cornbread, or plain old Southern-style cornbread. We also use this when we make polenta. Yes, it is coarser than true polenta cornmeal, but the biting texture makes the dish more filling and satisfy

The first fruits of the garden were picked today. Mom and I took these inside and steamed them for lunch. Oh, my goodness, I think I shall never enjoy frozen or canned green peas nearly as much anymore. These exuded freshness!

Gravely-Wilson garden progress! Yay!

The garden has grown and grown, thanks to a well-irrigated sunny location AND well-needed rain this spring.

Not bad for pea plants that were only planted 7 weeks ago!

Cloverleaf Honey-Wheat Rolls....a spur of the moment decision to add to last night's dinner, and I'm so glad I did. These were crispy on the outside and oh-so-tender on the inside. The aroma was incredible, and the taste, even better. THE RECIPE: 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°) 2 cups bread flour, divided 1 cup whole wheat flour 3 tablespoons honey 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt Cooking spray 1 tablespoon water 1 large egg Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 1/2 cups bread flour, whole wheat flour, honey, butter, and salt to yeast mixture; stir until well blended. Add 1/4 cup bread flour; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to

Broccoli with whole-wheat rotini....an easy side dish that I borrowed (and amended slightly) from the Food Network's Barefoot Contessa. Great dish to pair with chicken....and believe me, I will file this one away as a great kid-friendly food once Gardner eats real food. THE RECIPE: Kosher salt 8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads) 1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta (I used whole-wheat rotini instead) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons good olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 lemon, zested 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts Freshly grated Parmesan, optional Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside. In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli. Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, h

I will have to admit that pancakes are probably one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. I fully realized this when I was going through morning sickness with my recent pregnancy and only wanted pancakes for a series of about 5 weeks straight. I have always loved carbs of any kind, but pancakes have a special place in my favorites folder. For one, they are so versatile. They can be eggy and dense, such as with the addition of cottage cheese or ricotta. They can be light and airy, such as when you dump a little bit of extra baking soda or seltzer in with the batter. They can be fruit filled....blueberries or raspberries bursting through the golden flapjacks. They can be hearty....buckwheat pancakes are nutty-flavored and delightfully coarse....oat-whole-wheat pancakes are so delish they don't even need syrup, but instead a topping of stewed apples. Pancakes are also relatively low in fat, that is, if you use a light recipe and light ingredients. They can be fiber-filled tha

My cookbook shelf....notice the bowing wire shelves due to the immense weight of the volume they hold. Each one is special and meaningful, and each one has a story. Gosh, why do I have to be such a sentimental chick?

It is utterly ridiculous how many cookbooks I own. I recently looked through them to see if there were any I'd consider trading on a cookbook trading website. I am a sentimentalist, though, and so I only found 2 among all of these you see here that I'd even consider parting with. Ridiculous. It is so easy to plan my week's meals online....I can search efficiently for an ingredient I have on hand. Yet I need to be proactive in looking through the wealth of recipes in these books to find recipes to try....our menus would be more varied, and I would finally feel that these investments were paying off. There are some cookbooks that I pull off of the shelf weekly....such as my BH&G baking cookbook or my Village Baker's Wife cookbook. Yet most of them are for "that special party I would like to host one day," or "for that itch for authentic Portuguese cuisine" or that "I think I want to see how many ways I can prepare steak" night. Anyo

PRODUCT REVIEW: BOCA VS. VEGELICIOUS Ken and I love veggie burgers. It is a love affair which dates back to our courtship, 6-7 years ago to be exact. I worked in a health food store part-time, and my boss made me a veggie burger one day for lunch. She put it on toasted Ezekiel bread with soy mayo, lettue, tomato, and sprouts. I hardly ever turn down new (or strange) foods, so I was eager to try it. I was surprisingly impressed with it. I looked at the packaging.....only 6 grams of fat and 12 grams of protein? I was hooked. Then, I slowly came to see these miracle-patties entering the restaurant front. For those of you familiar with Clemson, you might remember the grill and bar called Niffer's Place (it closed in 1998, I believe). Ken and I had many date nights here, and I was intrigued to see that they had a veggie burger listed among their regular beef ones. I ordered it once, and never ordered anything else. Ken and I rotate among lots of brands.... Gardenburger's

Boca vs. Vegelicious....depends on what you're in the mood for.

Homemade calzone night....June 2nd, 2005. This meal was a special request of Ken's. This is the base of a good crust....a fresh yeast. This is the only brand I ever buy; it also just so happens to be the cheapest.

Pizza (or calzone) dough is ready for rising when it is smooth and elastic, as portrayed here. It should feel almost satiny in texture.

Chopped spinach is lightly blanched, so as to retain the nutritive contents.

A melange of finely chopped onions and garlic, sauteeing in a spritz of extra-virgin olive oil for added flavor.

Homemade chunky tomato marinara is begun....slow-simmered for dipping perfection.

The nicely placed spinach mixture with a dollop of ricotta filling. Ready to be folded, crimped, and baked.

The finished calzones with marinara dipping sauce.