i believe

do you still believe in santa? or the tooth fairy? i do not. i do however, after today, believe in the pot roast fairy. i woke up this morning and to my great delight found a packaged serving of pot roast. and a heineken. as i type this i am enjoying the delicious bites of carrots, potatoes and spice.... i must have been very nice this year. special thanks to chef 'T'.

meat loaf

there is no photo for this post. why? because meat loaf looks completely unappetizing. it's nasty. and it turns out there is no pretty way to plate and serve it either. so why the post? because the onset of fall had me jonseing for something home-style hearty. and it's damn tasty.

in my household, there is a person (who will remain nameless: evan c. schneider, email antagonistic rants about the delicious flavors of beef and pork here) who requires "turkey burger". this, while delicious, makes for some VERY pale meat loaf. i'd highly recommend trying it, though would caution that the cook should use generous amounts of ketchup /and/or barbque sauce. bon a petit.

beware of the 'yease

many of you are well aware of my obsession with mac and cheese. i could probably write an entire blog dedicated to the best spots in town for mac and cheese. this said, last night was a mac and cheese first...

seeing it on the menu of a new restaurant (who will remain nameless) i popped inside. the first clue should have been the menu, the second and more obvious clue should have been the patrons. something in my head should have said 'toto, we're not in kansas anymore'. deciding against better judgement, we all ordered the 'mac and yease' from the "trendy" new vegan joint on cap hill. it came out looking passably like the real thing. the trouble came with the texture. i couldnt figure out what non-dairy item would lend itself to moonlight as cheese. and so i sat poking at it, while stephanie exclaimed "i am one plate of yease away from going vegan!". the jury is still out here and i would recommend it only with the hefty disclaimer "BEWARE OF THE YEASE".

farm part deux

you may have seen a similar post over on dahlia press, but if you havent yet- here's a little taste of the farm in fall swing. a little bit americana, a little bit delicious. i really love going back home to the farm; it's grounding and my mother's garden makes me swoon. special thanks to mr. scott noble for taking my dad fishing a providing the fresh salmon for a dinner that would have made michael pollan proud: wild salmon, potatoes & beets right out of the ground, fresh tomatoes and peach pie. heaven. funny how when i was 18, i couldnt get out of town fast enough.

wino wednesday

since my dear friend brittany spears also had a 'very poor-failure' rating on the good wife chart, something must be done. and so to inspire her in the kitchen every wednesday, i begin by getting her good and drunk. this makes simple things like remembering to dump the can of chili into the pot difficult at times, but brings so much humor into the kitchen space that it is well worth the effort. for your new and personalized 'art of cooking' cookbook; last nights recipe:

baked potato chili and zucchini (difficulty level: beginner)
step one: boil potatoes - chop into smaller pieces, cook until soft when forked
step two: open can of chili, dump into pot on stove, simmer on med-low
step three: saute (4) sliced zukes in a pan with 2 T. (tablespoons, remember these are the lines of the cube of butter), about 5-7 minutes until tender and golden brown
step four: add my secret magical ingredients to potatoes and zukes- "salt.peppa.garlic"
step four: dish up and top with shredded cheddar and a side of sour cream

cheers chef spears!