This is from Mark Bittman's book, "How To Cook Everything"
First, here's the tomato sauce...
Ingredients
Salt
Pepper
Onion
Canned Tomatoes (chopped)
butter
extra virgin olive oil
chopped fresh basil
First chop the onion and saute in about a tablespoon butter and olive oil. Then add the tomatoes and salt and pepper. Let it reduce and cook about 20 min. then add the basil. Add additional seasoning to taste.
Use this sauce below...
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
2 Large Eggplants
Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flour
Pepper
Mozzarella
Parmesan (Grated)
Fresh Basil
Sauce (above)
First peel the eggplant and slice into discs. Lay out and salt until liquid forms. Drain and repeat on the other side.
Heat the oil in a pan and dredge each side of the eggplant in flour. Cook in batches, 3-4 minutes each side until browned and drain on a paper towel.
Line a baking dish bottom with some of the sauce, then layer eggplant...then slices of mozzarella and grated parmesan...then basil leaves. Repeat until all ingredients are used and top with parmesan. Bake in oven about half an hour.
Heat the oven to 350.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Peas with Lettuce and Baked Potato with Truffle Oil
This pea recipe is from Nigella Lawson...
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 small or 2 fat scallions, finely sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 drop garlic-infused oil (or any oil really)
- 1 Little Gem (Butterhead) lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups frozen petits pois
- 1/2 cup hot chicken stock (concentrate or cube and hot water is fine)
Cook the scallions in the butter and oil until soft. Stir in the shredded lettuce, and when it is wilted add the frozen peas and stock.
Cook at a robust simmer, uncovered, until everything is tender and the liquid flavorful and reduced.
Baked Potato with Truffle Oil, Sour Cream and Chives
Ingredients
Potato
Black Truffle Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream
Chopped Chives
For the baked potato...I know its a bit ridiculous to post a baked potato recipe, so I'll just describe my variation here...:) First oven at 375, coat the potatoes with a thin layer of Black Truffle Oil, Sea Salt and Pepper. Cook about an hour. I made a mix of sour cream and chives to serve on top of an opened baked potato.
Steak Au Poivre
This recipe is from Episode 1 of Battlestar Galactica and I believe I originally got it from the Barefoot Contessa...it's Steak Au Poivre
Ingredients
Steaks
Chopped Shallot
Veg. Oil
Butter
Beef Broth
Brandy
First, cook the steaks in a frying pan in about a tablespoon butter, and vegetable oil. Depending on the size of the steaks, about 3-4 minutes each side. It's best to tell a butcher what you're making and ask a suggested cooking time. After cooking, remove the steaks and cover with aluminum foil.
In the pan add a chopped shallot and about 1/3 cup beef broth and let it reduce. Add a tablespoon or 2 of brandy and a bit more butter.
Ingredients
Steaks
Chopped Shallot
Veg. Oil
Butter
Beef Broth
Brandy
First, cook the steaks in a frying pan in about a tablespoon butter, and vegetable oil. Depending on the size of the steaks, about 3-4 minutes each side. It's best to tell a butcher what you're making and ask a suggested cooking time. After cooking, remove the steaks and cover with aluminum foil.
In the pan add a chopped shallot and about 1/3 cup beef broth and let it reduce. Add a tablespoon or 2 of brandy and a bit more butter.
Herbed Baked Eggs and Maple Bacon
Mark here...I'm going to try and catch up here on some recipes...this one goes back to the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica...these recipes are both variations from the Barefoot Contessa
Hereb Baked Eggs
Ingredients:
Chopped Garlic
Chopped Fresh Thyme
Chopped Fresh Rosemary
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Eggs
Grated Parmesan
Heavy Cream
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Toast
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
First combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and parmesan. I'm not listing portions because we did it for 4 people, with about 2 eggs per person. I used a large gratin dish and poured a layer of cream and about 2 tablespoons of butter into the bottom. Place in the oven for about 3-5 minutes until butter melts, then add the eggs (about 8) and sprinkle herb mixture on top. Turn the oven to broil, and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes or until eggs are cooked to desired level.
Maple Bacon
Ingredients
Bacon
Real Maple Syrup
This recipe is really easy...my friends call it candied bacon because of how it turns out. With the oven on about 400, put bacon on a rack on cookie sheet and place in the oven. It can be a bit messy, and you may find yourself needing to drain off some of the bacon fat. After about 15-20, remove the bacon and brush with maple syrup, then return to the oven for another 5 min. done!
Hereb Baked Eggs
Ingredients:
Chopped Garlic
Chopped Fresh Thyme
Chopped Fresh Rosemary
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Eggs
Grated Parmesan
Heavy Cream
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Toast
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
First combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and parmesan. I'm not listing portions because we did it for 4 people, with about 2 eggs per person. I used a large gratin dish and poured a layer of cream and about 2 tablespoons of butter into the bottom. Place in the oven for about 3-5 minutes until butter melts, then add the eggs (about 8) and sprinkle herb mixture on top. Turn the oven to broil, and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes or until eggs are cooked to desired level.
Maple Bacon
Ingredients
Bacon
Real Maple Syrup
This recipe is really easy...my friends call it candied bacon because of how it turns out. With the oven on about 400, put bacon on a rack on cookie sheet and place in the oven. It can be a bit messy, and you may find yourself needing to drain off some of the bacon fat. After about 15-20, remove the bacon and brush with maple syrup, then return to the oven for another 5 min. done!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
The Puppet Show
Mark here...this one is called "The Puppet Show" and the premise is that there's a demon running rampant at the school talent show. It's done pretty well considering the show's budget. Basically, one kid at the show has a creepy dummy that is obviously possessed or something. But, fake out...the dummy is actually a good guy looking to kill the real demon, who's taken the form of a student. It's another of the show's interesting twists on a cliche horror theme. As in Chucky. There's some genuine scary and creepy moments too before this reveal. It's also funny to see Cordelia's "talent" of singing "Greatest Love of All".
We also get some more computer time with Willow accessing school medical records. At this point, the computer use seems kind of dated, as Laurel said for the previous episode. It also plays as a plot device to give Willow something to do and let us know she's a brain in the group... Although not the only one, as we're reminded at episodes end when the demon goes after Giles for his brain...:)
Laurel here...I was super creeped out by this episode. Is there anything creepier than a walking talking dummy? He turns out to be a good guy, which like Mark said is an interesting twist, but creepy nonetheless. Also creepy is the new, mean, principal (you may remember principal Flutie, who I loved got eaten by hyena possessed teenagers a few episodes ago). I suspected he was the demon but it turns out he is just a mean, creepy normal person.
We also get some more computer time with Willow accessing school medical records. At this point, the computer use seems kind of dated, as Laurel said for the previous episode. It also plays as a plot device to give Willow something to do and let us know she's a brain in the group... Although not the only one, as we're reminded at episodes end when the demon goes after Giles for his brain...:)
Laurel here...I was super creeped out by this episode. Is there anything creepier than a walking talking dummy? He turns out to be a good guy, which like Mark said is an interesting twist, but creepy nonetheless. Also creepy is the new, mean, principal (you may remember principal Flutie, who I loved got eaten by hyena possessed teenagers a few episodes ago). I suspected he was the demon but it turns out he is just a mean, creepy normal person.
I Robot...You Jane
Mark here...This episode is called "I Robot...You Jane" and it's a cool concept. There's a demon who's been trapped inside a book. He is inadvertently released onto the internet when the gang is scanning books in the library. He seduces certain students, one of whom happens to be Willow. The gang eventually catches on to what's going on and catches the demon again. As I said the episode plays well...up until the end. The demon finds his way out of the internet and into a conveniently ready demon shaped robot. Its a bit of a stretch and after an otherwise interesting episode, its kind of corny and low budget. Also, this episode introduces us to Jenny Calendar. She's the new school computer science teacher and is clearly meant to be a bit of a foil for Giles. She's also "hip" to the supernatural world, a "techno-pagan". I seem to remember her being a popular character, but I never really liked her. She's a bit too "Melrose Place" to come across as a cool nerd. In any case, her computer skills help save the day here in the end.
Laurel here...I thought this episode had a really interesting concept, of the demon escaping into the internet. I feel like it was a real sign of the times. In the late 90s the internet was still super new, remember how people used to be afraid of shopping online because they had to enter their credit card numbers? Anyway I thought it was an interesting idea to have a demon escape into the internet and wreak havoc. In the show even after the demon incident the gang still seems to be ok with technology, except for Giles of course just wants to be alone with his books.
Another note about this episode. Poor Willow! The demon pretends to be an 18 year old boy from a town 80 miles away and seduces willow through online chat. She thinks she has met the man of her dreams on the internet and he turns out to be a crazy, ancient, ugly monster turned robot. wah wah. This is why I don't do online dating!
I agree with Mark about "Jenny Calendar". A of all, worst name ever, B of all I feel like as the teacher who is a computer expert and a pagan, she should be a little quirkier. It's an opportunity for a really interesting character and she is just too normal and boring.
Laurel here...I thought this episode had a really interesting concept, of the demon escaping into the internet. I feel like it was a real sign of the times. In the late 90s the internet was still super new, remember how people used to be afraid of shopping online because they had to enter their credit card numbers? Anyway I thought it was an interesting idea to have a demon escape into the internet and wreak havoc. In the show even after the demon incident the gang still seems to be ok with technology, except for Giles of course just wants to be alone with his books.
Another note about this episode. Poor Willow! The demon pretends to be an 18 year old boy from a town 80 miles away and seduces willow through online chat. She thinks she has met the man of her dreams on the internet and he turns out to be a crazy, ancient, ugly monster turned robot. wah wah. This is why I don't do online dating!
I agree with Mark about "Jenny Calendar". A of all, worst name ever, B of all I feel like as the teacher who is a computer expert and a pagan, she should be a little quirkier. It's an opportunity for a really interesting character and she is just too normal and boring.
Angel
Mark here...Laurel and I are sitting down for some blogging again. Tonight I made a Shepard's Pie with a bit of a twist using ground bison. Originally I was making it to be a bit low fat but I think adding bacon and butter may have pushed the fat content up. In any case, it tasted good. On to the episode...this episode is called "Angel" and is an expository episode to give us a bit of background on Angels' character. Up to this point he has sort of lurked in the shadows and turned up here or there for a rescue. Here we get the set-up that he is actually a 200 plus year old vampire who has been cursed by gypsies. The curse gives him back a soul and a conscience, thus his tortured persona. Of course now's the perfect set up for him and Buffy as star-crossed lovers. In these days of vampire lovers left and right, this romance is actually pretty interesting. That said the episode writing was a little flat. Given that Angel's story is pretty good, the events around the episode are run of the mill. One bright spot was Darla the villainous vampire. She's the vampire who made Angel a vampire and also his ex. She's out of the picture by the end of the episode, which is too bad...she's way more fun than The Master or the Anointed One (aka little brat).
Laurel here...I was really into Darla this episode. She's a pretty awesome lady villain. She comes up with a sneaky plan to get Angel to kill Buffy that almost works...While Buffy is out, she pretends to be one of Buffy's friends to get Buffy's mom to invite her into their house. Then she bites Buffy's mom (although I'm not quite sure why she didn't finish her off). Angel shows up to save the day of course, because that's what he does. When he gets there Darla shoves Buffy's mom into his arms and leaves, so Buffy walks in she finds angel standing over her mom, and course thinks that Angel tried to kill her mom. She does go out hunting for Angel intending to kill him, but Darla's plan is foiled when Buffy and Angel realize they feel for each other too much to kill each other, and Angel ends up killing Darla instead. Anyway I'm sad she got killed.
Laurel here...I was really into Darla this episode. She's a pretty awesome lady villain. She comes up with a sneaky plan to get Angel to kill Buffy that almost works...While Buffy is out, she pretends to be one of Buffy's friends to get Buffy's mom to invite her into their house. Then she bites Buffy's mom (although I'm not quite sure why she didn't finish her off). Angel shows up to save the day of course, because that's what he does. When he gets there Darla shoves Buffy's mom into his arms and leaves, so Buffy walks in she finds angel standing over her mom, and course thinks that Angel tried to kill her mom. She does go out hunting for Angel intending to kill him, but Darla's plan is foiled when Buffy and Angel realize they feel for each other too much to kill each other, and Angel ends up killing Darla instead. Anyway I'm sad she got killed.
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