Holy Gaga Mole, is that my wedding ring in a tampon box?

Yes, don’t scoff it was true. I had lost my engagement ring for four and half months and where do I discover it? In a tampon box! Funny enough, during these four months I had my insurance agent offer me her platinum band along with a platinum diamond ring, my folks think I am a lunatic for not taking it , had a dream about my ring and low and behold. Two days later, New Year’s Eve morning at 4ish found it! AMAZING!
I must admit I am excited about the new year. Coming off finding my wedding ring and moving. I think it will be a year of new beginnings. What better way to begin than with a meal that you have never cooked before. Hence the title of the article.
Right now, as I write this article I can smell the chicken mole simmering…knowing that in about and hour and a half I can start on the cilantro lime rice and Mexican Caesar salad. Did I mention the Spanish antipasto to start? I am pretty siked. I have never made a mole and holy mole it is tough. It took me about five hours to make the sauce.
I am not used to making authentic Mexican food. My natural leaning is more rustic cuisine i.e. French or Italian. That is, in my mind those are the most common. Maybe, because us Americans don’t branch out and spaghetti with meat sauce seems to be the closest to the common restaurant menu.
Not anymore. I am going for it and am gonna bring y’all along. So my first CRAZY dish is chicken mole. I am not going to serve this in its authentic fashion over white rice with bread. I have to doctor it up a touch. Thought it through and came up with Chicken Mole Enchilada’s served alongside Cilantro lime rice with a Mexican Caesar Salad. I think our friends that are coming over will be life long…wink…wink!
I am going to blow you away with this one. Who am I going to dedicate this meal to? I can already hear the gasps. I will give you a couple of hints, she is massive right now and most of her songs stay in your head from sun up to sun down. That darn Poker Face will drive you so insane you will want to take a bat to your ipod. Yes, she is it! Precious kind of odd but strangely endearing…Lady Gaga. I am dedicating this meal to her because some would say she is an effin lun and when I embarked on a mole sauce I felt like one myself. Let me give you a little more background she comes from an Italian background and I just saw her on Oprah. Well, really..Perez Hilton’s link to Oprah. Yes, every once in a while I go to his whimsically pink celebrity basting blog. So that is why this meal is for her. She is a genius at what she does and her outfits are INSANE! Oh and a little secret. Her birthday is four days from mine and she loves to cook. Just like me!
If she was at my table I am sure we would talk about Freddie Mercury, David Bowie…and how could I forget, my dear friend Norman. Who himself, grew up in New York City in the clubs and bars. His career eventually involved theater. I am sure they could exchange similar stories. She would love him, he is one of the greatest silver-haired gems I know. He thinks she is one of the best entertainers of all time next to Bette Midler and Streisand, of course.
Back to the mole sauce, don’t be intimidated. The sauce itself is not tough..just time consuming. Some of the ingredients I had never seen in my life.

Mole
Makes 18 cups.
18 mulato chiles*
14 pasilla chiles*
12 ancho chiles*
1 cup plus 9 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 or 5 tomatillos husked and cooked until soft (must rinse, sticky)
10 whole cloves
1 handful of black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
8 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
4 garlic cloves, roasted
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 stale French rolls, cut into 1-inch slices
6 to 7 cups reserved chicken broth as needed
1 1/2 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped (abuelita)

*Mulato, pasilla, and ancho chiles are three varieties of dried chiles often used in Mexican cooking. The ancho chile (a poblano that has ripened to a dark red color and dried) is rust-colored, broad at the stem and narrowing to a triangular tip. The mulato, a relative to the poblano, is dark brown and triangular. The shiny black pasilla chile, a dried chilaca chile, is narrow and five to six inches long. Good quality chiles should be fragrant and pliable. Wipe them carefully with a damp cloth or a paper towel to remove any dust.
**Tomatillos are often referred to as "green tomatoes," but are members of the gooseberry family. To prepare tomatillos for the salsa, remove their papery husks and rinse away their sticky outer coating. Or, canned whole tomatillos are available under the San Marcos brand.
****Also known as pepitas, the pumpkin seeds used in Mexican cooking are hulled. When frying or toasting pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet, keep a cover handy, as they will pop like popcorn.

*After the sauce was made I separated into mason jars and refrigerated it.

Today I thawed four chicken breasts and put the chicken and the mole in a crock-pot. Since the mole is very thick I diluted it with one pint of water. That way the chicken can cook all day and be pulled apart so it will be a nice texture inside of the enchiladas. I have cooked the chicken all day from roughly 11:35 to about 530. I will then take corn tortillas and stuff them with the chicken, grate some jack cheese and cover the top of the enchiladas until everything is cooked through.

Cilantro Lime Rice
1 Tbsp. of vegetable rice
3 cups of white rice
2 cloves of garlic
¼ of a red onion
Salt and Pep to taste
Zest of one lime
3 tbsp of fresh lime juice
1 cup of chopped cilantro

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the garlic along with the red onion. Saute until translucent and add the rice. Brown the rice for about a minute (this brings out the nuttiness of the rice) Add 6 cups of liquid. You can use stock of chicken or vegetable. In my case I will be using vegetable boullion cubes because that is what I have on hand.

Mexican Caesar Salad
Romaine lettuce
Toasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Cojita cheese cubed or grated to desired amount
Cilantro dressing- It’s shameful I know but I bought mine from Trader Joe’s. It will knock their socks off. Ok maybe, if Gaga was here I would make it from scratch. Actually (scratching my head) I wouldn’t.

I will be starting the meal off with a Spanish Antipasti plate. With Manzanilla olives, Guindilla peppers, Manchego cheese, crackers and of course a crusty bread.

I am serving a new wine I have discovered from Chile Veramonte. I has a nice bite with some roundness to the overall flavor.

Invite some folks you wouldn’t normally and have a riot! Bless em! Happy New Year!

Pics coming soon. Just moved and can't find my effing cable. AAah!

Pancetta Crusted Pork Loin with Roasted Potatoes in Leek Butter

I've always been on the giving end of music and creating- Jessi Colter

Saturday night, I pour myself a glass of wine and turn on some music, Jessi Colter it is. Oh, how I love her! The truth seems to flicker like a dim candlelight in her songs. Mesmerizing!

This meal is for her! Oh, how I would love to have her at my table. It is easy to imagine that our conversation would span from the beauty of her jewelry, the rowdy days of the Outlaw tours, to the mountains and valleys of life. It would be a true pleasure!

OOh, this recipe so excites me! I was doing research on pork loin recipes and I came upon one with pancetta. My thinking was, "PIG with PIG"! Done and done!! In the past, my experience has been a filet wrapped in bacon or a pork dish complemented by a vegetable, pretty ho hum. After mentally eating this recipe for a couple seconds. I decided to go with it!

2 lb pork roast
1/4 lb pancetta, chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 tsp. of marjoram
1 tsp. of oregano
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tbsp. of orange juice
1 cup of red wine ( I used Syrah)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper

Start out by searing the pork loin in 1/8 cup of olive oil (reserving the rest for the herbs and pancetta). Once loin is browned on all sides set aside.

In another pan brown the pancetta. Once browned drain any excess oil and add the herbs. The herbs should all be blended nicely. Top the pork loin with mixture. You will have to press into the loin to allow the pancetta to stay on top of the loin. Add wine and orange juice to the bottom of the pan. Throughout the cooking, I will spoon wine and juice mixture over the pork loin. Cook at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until internal temperature is 125 degrees.


An hour before the pork loin is finished, half the potatoes and put in a baking dish. Bake for twenty minutes. I only have one oven, so I threw the potatoes in with the pork loin.

Roasted Potatoes with Leek Butter
1 bag of teeny tiny potatoes (or any potatoes on hand)
1 Irish butter unsalted
1 pkg. of leeks
Salt and pepper to taste




While the potatoes are in the oven, chop 1/4 of the leek (only the green part) and rinse well. Leeks have a tendency to hold on to dirt. If not cleaned well, will leave crunchy nodules in the food. Melt 6 tbsp. of irish butter and add leeks, let simmer until pork loin and potatoes are finished. By now, you should have good 10-12 minutes remaining.

Let pork roast stand for 5 minutes before serving. Doing this along with searing before roasting, seals the juices in the loin.

I served this meal with peas and Ciabbata bread for my mountain man.....he loved it!

Pork recipe adapted www.great-chicago-italian-recipes.com

Nina Simone and Thanksgiving! Something to be thankful for!

AAAh, Thanksgiving what a wonderful holiday. I think my favorite! It is a beautiful day in Nashville and people I care for are coming over with empty tummies and bottles of wine...waiting to be wowed by the food. Sounds like a challenge for some and the wheelhouse for others. OOOh, it makes me want to squeal with excitement

This year is extra special for me. The last four, have been with dear friends, but this year it was time to break out and grab the hosting wand. Thankfully, I am splitting the responsibilities with my friend Amanda. She happens to be a great cook herself.

My responsibilites are the turkey (who has been named Elliot), gravy, corn pudding, dressing, and pumpkin cheesecake. I kind of cheated and had Crystal from Fido make the cheesecake. This is her specialty. I am not much for baking...but I knew it had to be a part of the meal. This is all a learning process for me as well! Thank God for Williams Sonoma and Alton Brown. I think I would die a slow roasting death if it wasn't for those recipes.

On Monday I started preparing first recipe Corn Pudding...was accompanied by Madeleine Peyroux and her stunning vocals. Cornbread Dressing was Ella Fitzgerald and the GRAND FINALE the turkey was a roasted to a NIna Simone medley. OOOH...sing it girl!

Corn Pudding

3 cans of creamed corn
1 can of corn
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups of butter
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of sugar

Mix everything together and pour in a casserole dish. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees

This is an old Southern recipe that I got from Charles and Adele my Memphis parents! Love you guys


Cornbread Dressing

8 cups of corn bread
6 pieces of white bread pulled apart
2 onions chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
3 cups of chicken stock
2 carrots chopped
2 eggs
1 cup butter melted
3 tbsp. of sage chopped
3 tbsp. of parsley chopped



Toast the breads until crispy and the edges are browned. Heat the chicken stock on medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the two eggs. Sautee onions, celery in oil until onions are translucent and celery softened. Add herbs and let settle in the oil and vegetables. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Maple Glazed Turkey with Aromatics

One Brined Turkey 14-16 lbs
2 Honeycrisp apples
1 onion quartered
6 sage leaves
6 rosemary sprigs
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup of maple syrup


Remove all innards and discard..unless you like to save the neck and gizzard for gravy...eeeeks! Not me! Rinse the turkey thoroughly and pat dry. Move turkey from sink to roasting pan and prep. Salt and Pepper the cavity. Microwave the aromatics for five minutes. Stuff full of aromatics i.e. the apples, onion, sage, and cinnamon stick. I tried to put some of the juice in the cavity but it was a little tough and it ended up on the bottom of the pan. That should be fine, because it will be used for the gravy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Goat Cheese and Fried Sage

3 sweet potatoes (roasted)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 cup of sage
1/3 cup of toasted walnuts
2 tbsp. of unsalted butter
2 tbsp. of goat cheese


Roast 3 sweet potatoes at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Cool potatoes and peel, mash with a fork as fine as you can (or use a ricer, I don't have one). Lightly flour counter top. In a seperate bowl, beat together egg, nutmeg 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper. Gather potatoes into a mound on a sheet pan. Form a well in the center. Pour egg mixture into the center.

Knead egg mixture into potato, add 1 1/2 cup of flour. Knead until a dough is formed, it should be slightly sticky. This was pretty tough..it took me a good 45 min. Some folks say if you add a regular Russet potato to the sweet potatoes it helps with the dough. Ooops..my dough turned out a bit dense but it seemed to work. Cut into small cubes and press on all sides with a fork.

Boil water to a rolling boil and add gnocchi. The potato mixture yields about twenty four gnocchi's. Add gnocchi's in increments of 12..that way the water doesn't get too starchy and the gnocchi's are free to float. Once the gnocchi's float they are finished cooking.

While gnocchi's cooking, heat a pan with olive oil and fry the sage. Transfer to a paper towel let oil settle off the leaves. The sage should be crispy and shiny. Leave this pan for later. In another pan toast the walnuts. 1st batch of gnocchi should be finished now. Drain and serve. Put second batch of gnocchi's in the water and start the butter. In the pan you fried the sage in add butter and scrape little sage bits off the bottom of the pan. This will make a nice butter sauce.

Assemble plate with gnocchi, toasted walnuts, desirable amount of goat cheese, sage and drizzle with butter! Wowwie! Bellisimo!

pumpkin lasagna with smoked gouda and spinach

Maybe it is the color of the pumpkins or the comfort of a pumpkin lasagna. This recipe made me listen to REBA....ooh...how I love sweet REBA! It was a Fancy filled...does he love me time! Enjoy!



lasagna noodles
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
1 chopped yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 pie pumpkin- roasted/cubed skin removed
2 tsp. of fresh sage or dry italian seasoning
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 med. wheel of smoked gouda
1 small wedge of fontina cheese
3 tbsp parmesan
1 jar of alfredo
1 bag of spinach

I must say, it is as they say,"Slap your grams good". Well worth the time and effort.

To begin, heat oven to 375 degrees. Begin by slicing pumpkin in half and then quarters. Roast in baking dish for roughly 45 minutes, until bright orange in color and flesh is soft to a forks touch. Remove skin (this is a bit tedious but worth it) and cut into cubes. Put aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in medium to large sauce pan (big enough to add all your pumpkin and herbs and puree in pot) add onion and heat through until translucent. Then add garlic, pumpkin, sage and nutmeg. Once, garlic and sage have cooked down. Begin pureeing the mixture (I find it easiest with a handheld blender...kitchen aid makes a rad one!). This is where the heavy cream comes in, add just enough for the mixture to become blended together with still a few chunks in it. Set aside.

Grate Fontina and Gouda cheese (remove rind). Rinse the frozen spinach with warm water to thaw and squeeze out the excess water.

Assembly: One layer of lasagna noodles, alfredo sauce, spinach, cheese, layer of pumpkin puree, lasagna noodles, alfredo sauce, spinach, cheese, pumpkin, lasagna noodles, alfredo sauce. Top with remainder of cheese and add parmesan to the mixture. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Until everything is gooey and wonderful.