Morsels of Megret

update your links.... site moved http://www.avclub.us/megret/

I have spent the past two hours completely gutting and organizing our office (including unpacking some more boxes that were, yes, still taped up and everything since the move). I have moved the bookshelf that Dad painted for me when I was six into this room, and I have placed on its shelves my slurry of cooking magazines. Most of them are Cooking Lights (they have plastic holding cases....the others aren't good enough for that, I guess)....but I do have a few issues of Martha Stewart Living, a handful of issues of Taste of Home, and one lonely issue of Hallmark magazine, a magazine that I adored at first copy, but later learned that it was never able to get off the ground. I now have no excuses to resort to the same old recipes time and again. Sure....tried and true recipes are sometimes called for...when there's a time crunch, or special company that you have to "impress" in some way. But for the most part, I have fallen back into a recipe rut, and now having thes...

I just love the way angel food cake fills up your mouth, like a sugary, fluffy sponge. How it seems to melt on contact just like cotton candy. How it's light as a feather, not leaving you feeling full and bloated after consuming it. I decided earlier this week to make an angel food cake today. They had a huge sale on large eggs recently at my neighborhood Publix , so I stocked up. I realized as I pulled out all of the ingredients this morning that I was out of cake flour, cream of tartar, and almond extract. I used all-purpose flour instead (knowing the the higher protein content would make the cake a big heavier), left out the cream of tartar (therefore sacrificing the added security of stablity in my egg whites), and used more vanilla to replace the almond. Not quite sure this one will be very good. At least I have a slurry of homegrown strawberries and blueberries to pour over the top of each slice. Maybe there will be salvation for this low little cake after all.

I love trail mix. In fact, I love mixed cereal. I guess I love food in harmony. I started my real affection for trail mix while working at a local health food store while in college. I loved the way the salty, crunchy, sweet, and chewy flavors and textures melded together to create the most perfect snack imaginable. I still get giddy whenever I purchase the ingredients to make more trail mix. I take it whenever I go hiking, yes....but I also adore keeping a stash at home. With a new split-level home, I'm sure I climb up and down each day about as much as I would on a hiking trail....and this stuff does the trick to keep my energy stores up and running! Every time is different, but here's what I usually toss in: - Unsweetened flaked coconut - Raisins - Banana chips - Dried papaya - Dried pineapple - Dried apple - Cheerios - Almonds - Roasted peanuts - Chocolate or carob chips I highly suggest you try it as an alternative to potato chips or other guilty snack. Kids love it, t...

Can I just say that there's few things sweeter than a slice of fresh, succulent cantaloupe (grown locally, of course) on a warm day? Sometimes you get a bad one....and then the next time, you get a really, really, really good one. That's all. I am still too speechless to say any more.

I am anti-frying. I hate the way it smokes up the house, and I don't appreciate getting up the next morning to the smell of stale fried food, either....not to mention that the scent also infiltrates my hair, clothes, and even the cat's fur. Yet last night, I turned to it as a last resort, and I'm glad I did. I finally pulled out my mandoline slicer and gave it a whirl (after two months of keeping it in its shiny new box). I successfully cut waffle fries from russet potatoes, and they looked wonderful (but kind of thin). I oiled them up with olive oil, salted them, and sent them to the oven to bake. Twenty minutes later, they emerged soggy and....gray. Yes, that's right. A weird, charcoal-colored gray, leading me to believe that the olive oil had smoked and become carcinogenic. I tossed them, and panicked since the fish was ready already. Ken came in and saved the day. Twenty more minutes and a hot skillet of oil later, we had lovely, scrumptious (yet not at all ...

I haven't given props yet on my blog to someone who inspires me culinarily more than most.... Paula Deen. It's not that she uses extra-technical savviness or know-how....it's just that she is a warm, Southern, hospitable lady who loves to cook for others. Though her recipes are not exactly on the list of the American Heart Association's "top ten" (by far), I turn to her sometimes....after all, what's life if you can't have a treat every now and then? I watch her show with enthusiasm....I look at her outfitted kitchen with a bit of envy....and I want so badly to crash through the television screen and get a hug from her cheery, grandma-self. I'd love to spend a day with her and just listen to her wisecracks and funny old sayings. And then, there's the food itself that she creates..... In honor of her, I am whipping up a batch of sausage balls this afternoon to serve at home group's "brunch" tonight. I am not the only home group...

....but now I'm utterly exhausted. I created an early "Easter dinner" for my family tonight. I planned it so carefully, making sure I chose recipes from the book of all books, "Tastes of Georgia." True Southern comfort at its finest. One hot kitchen, one five-course Southern meal, and one 50s-era congealed blueberry salad later, this redheaded cook is "worn slap out." Hm. I think next week, Hamburger Helper will be calling my name?

I have come to realize that I am not a fan of French-style cooking. Whenever I see "herbes de provence" in a recipe (or bouquet d'garni, for that matter), I keep flipping the pages and pass it right by. I don't know what it is....the bland poultry, or the subtle spices that penetrate the entire house by day's end and make you sorry you even began cooking that dish. (I'm not a huge fan of thyme or rosemary.) Sunday is my day-before-grocery-shopping-day, so I haphazardly threw together all I had in the fridge and freezer and then went upstairs to browse the web for a recipe that would use them all (or most of them). I came up with a Rice-Chicken-Mushroom Casserole with true French-style seasonings. Ken gobbled it up....I pushed it around my plate with disdain. That will teach me to rearrange my menus in such a way that dishes like this one are all I have to lean back on come week's end. I think I would have rather had a McDonald's cheeseburger toda...

So, my culinary escapades have been fewer and fewer, namely due to the fact that I am in new surroundings and haven't finished getting my kitchen in working order yet. It's hard to get inspired to cook up a great meal when you're short on counter space and you have peeling wallpaper strips everywhere you look. My meals lately have consisted of tried-and-true, family-heirloomed and back-of-the-box specialties. (This also in part to the fact that all of my cookbooks are still packed up.) Nevertheless, I got the worst case of spring fever this week with temperatures hovering in the 70s, and I pulled out THE recipe, the old standby for spring weather: Key Lime Pie. This pie will make your tastebuds think it's summer already. I highly suggest you put down what you're doing right now and go buy the ingredients for it....RIGHT NOW. You can thank me (and Gayle Ortiz from "The Village Baker" ) later. THE VILLAGE BAKER'S KEY LIME PIE Graham Cracker Crust: ...

Yes, they are. These rich, fudgy brownies are totally low-fat. I will say the phrase I throw around so liberally on this blog...."Cook's Country has done it again." And have they. This recipe changed my mind back to deciding to renew my subscription for another year. These little brownies will make you double check the nutrition info as soon as you take a small bite. (Now....to continue on my quest for fudgy brownies that are bittersweet.....as much as I like these, I still think they're too sweet....although most people would probably think they're perfect. I just happen to like bittersweet chocolate more than most.) COOK'S COUNTRY'S FUDGY LOW-FAT BROWNIES 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 2 oz. (1/3 c.) bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2 T. unsalted butter 2 T. low-fat sour cream 1 T. chocolate syrup 2 t. vanilla extract 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white 1 c. sugar Preheat oven to 350. Line ...

So, I attempted to fry something for the very first time in this house. Seeing as we've lived here for three years and only have 2 more weeks before we leave it, I figured it's better late than never to christen this kitchen with the smells of hot oil. For home group tapas night, I pulled up a recipe I've been wanting to try, but have not yet since it makes so much (and, did I mention, it's fried?). Southern Living published a recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Cakes....and it immediately struck me as a Southern delicacy, worthy of restaurant fare, something that'd make Paula Deen proud. They were delicious. Don't forego the toppings of sour cream and green tomato relish...that's what makes them. Here is the recipe.... BLACK-EYED PEA CAKES 1 small onion, chopped 1 T. olive oil 2 (15.5 oz.) cans black eyed peas, rinsed, drained, and divided 1 (8 oz.) container chive-and-onion-flavored cream cheese, softened 1 large egg 1/2 t. salt 1 t. hot sauce 1 (8 oz.) pkg. hus...

Let me just take a minute to brag on my dear husband . He listened to me, listened to my subtle little wishes for one last kitchen gadget to satisfy my craving for a pseudo-gourmet kitchen. There are many tools that I would never, ever have any use for....in fact, a trip to Williams-Sonoma makes me see many things which would be rendered totally useless in my opinion. Yet there was this one thing....this one thing which has been on my wish list for a long time, as well as my yard sale list (although anyone who'd let this thing for for under $5 would be totally clueless)....a slicing mandoline. Imagine my surprise when I opened my birthday gift yesterday and found this underneath the two layers of white wrapping paper (to cleverly hide the "OXO" logo...he knows me well). I haven't even opened it yet....but supposedly I can even make waffle fries with this thigamajigger. I can't wait to test it out.

Last night for chili night at Home Group, I made Rachel Ray's chili. Of course, I doubled the recipe. Yummilicious. Hardly miss the meat. I highly recommend you trying this one. Wait for a cold, overcast, drizzly day. Chili goes up ten notches on days like that. Veg-Head Three-Bean Chili (by Rachel Ray, The Food Network) 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) olive or vegetable oil 1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 cup pale beer or vegetable stock/broth 1 (32- ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (14-ounce) can black beans 1 (14-ounce) can dark red kidney beans 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce, several drops 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans Toppings: 8 ounces (2 cups shredded) spicy monterey jack or smoked cheddar Chopped scallions, w...

Gardner helped me make Barbara Bush's chocolate chip cookies in honor of President's Day. They turned out scrumptious! Gardner anxiously awaited their arrival from the oven after he helped me make them. After lunch, it was time to try a taste. BARBARA BUSH'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (from Allrecipes.com) 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and egg until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in hot water and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour, baking soda, and salt, until well blended and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by well-rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minute, or until golden. Cool cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 minutes, then rem...

My friend Suzanne was laughing and remarking the other day how my food blog has been very sparse lately, and when I do post a recipe, it's usually junk food (or at least heavily-sugared). Well, I laughed, too, because she's exactly right. With this pregnancy, seeing a photo of, re-living the consumption of, or description in writing of what meal I made the night before is taboo. I just can't do it in most cases. But desserts are another thing entirely. I may not want to eat them when I see them pictured on the blog, but I don't mind talking and writing about them. Here's another recipe I tried yesterday. It was a recipe flop that I turned around and somehow rescued. (Instead of rolling the dough and cutting out shapes, since it never solidified enough, I made them into balls dipped in sugar instead. Still yummy.) These taste like miniature chocolate pound cakes. CHOCOLATE-SOUR CREAM DROPS (amended BH&G recipe) 2/3 c. butter (not margarine) 3/4 c. sugar, ...

Hope your Valentine's Day is the greatest! Make some special treats with your Littlest Valentines to make the day that much more special! :)

To help use up the surplus of the out-of-season yet still incredibly delicious strawberries I had in my refrigerator this week, I decided to make these. Cook's Country has done it once again. Wow. These were like little pillows of pure bliss. I implore you to try them, either now if you have good strawberries available, or when they finally do come in season. STRAWBERRY SCONES 2 large eggs 1 T. plus 1/4 c. heavy cream 1/4 c. buttermilk 1 t. vanilla extract 2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface 1/3 c. plus 1 T. sugar 2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 6 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces 2/3 c. strawberries, hulled and chopped Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat 1 egg with 1 T. heavy cream in small bowl; set aside. Whisk remaining egg, remaining 1/4 c. heavy cream, buttermilk, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Pulse flour, 1/3 c. sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor till blended. Add butter and pulse till...

Am I the only one who thinks that cupcakes are more fun than cakes, anyday? They're miniature. They're cute. They're more fun to decorate. They're easier for kids to devour. And they're just cute (or did I say that already?). I have friends who would say about that what they say about the "Fun Size" candy bar bags. "Fun!? What's FUN about a candy bar one-fourth the size it's supposed to be?" I guess I'm different in that respect. I'd rather have birthday cupcakes than a cake anyday. And when holidays near, especially Valentine's Day, I go cupcake crazy. (As you can see by the photo. I know it's two weeks early, but I just couldn't wait.) Hooray for cupcakes!

I decided to delve into the tradition of serving brunch on Sunday instead of lunch. Though it was still served at lunchtime or a little later, it was a nice break to have breakfast foods in the middle of the day. I found this nifty little recipe on Cooking Light . I never turn down an opportunity to use my cast iron skillet. I served this omelet with grits and whole-wheat biscuits with blackberry jam.....Mmmm.... And....don't let the title dissuade you; it tastes like an omelet, but the ease of cooking is much more like a frittata. Enjoy. Ham and Potato Omelet 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 4 large egg whites 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 cups packaged frozen hash brown potatoes with onions and peppers (such as Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien) 1 cup chopped 33%-less-sodium ham Preheat oven to 450°. Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes...