Whatever Blows Your Skirt Up

Sometimes, we toss any pretense of healthy meal planning to the wind. This happened recently after viewing an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network. We had already had dinner, but watching the burgers being served up on TV set off a craving. Hubby and I jumped in the car and without a grocery store in our small town, rushed down the road to grab ground beef, buns, and ice cream before the store in the next town closed its doors for the night. (Yes, ice cream, too; we had to have homemade chocolate malts, as well.)

Before I go on, I should tell you that I am not really a burger fan. Usually, I have to have my patties grilled up over the charcoal before I am willing to concede that they might be tasty. But, that night, Hubby and I combined the methods from a couple of different stops featured on DDD and fried our floured, super thin patties in a sizzling cast-iron skillet...with*gasp* a bit of oil. Truly, they were the most tender and flavorful burgers ever. The heat of the cast-iron sears the burger in seconds and traps all of the yummy juices inside. It doesn't take long to come away with a browned crust on the outside and a pink, medium-rare on the inside perfect burger.

However, we didn't stop there. One diner on the show had become famous for the "cheese skirts" on their burgers. Gooey cheeseburgers surrounded by a ring of crispy, fried cheese? We were all over that. We pulled the cooked burgers from the cast-iron skillet and slid them into a preheated non-stick skillet. (This is our contribution to the process, as I didn't really like the cheese fried in the oil of the first skillet.) There, we tossed a heaping handful of shredded cheese on top of the patty and made sure that it spilled over the edges before topping it all with the toasted top of the bun and covering the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. The overflowing cheese immediately crisps in the pan and forms a "skirt" around the burger while the lid holds in the heat to steam the cheese directly on the burger into melty goodness.



On the toasted bottom half of the bun, squirt a healthy dose of ketchup (Heinz only for me, please)...or not, if you aren't a fan of the red stuff...and slide that perfect burger surrounded by the crunchy cheese skirt into place. I bite directly into the almost cracker-like cheese skirt first, then chomp into the burger. Hubby, breaks off the cheese skirt and uses it to scoop up any drips of ketchup or burger crumbles that might hit his plate. Either way, crispy cheese is an amazing pairing with a juicy burger. I don't care if it is a heart-attack waiting to happen. Sometimes, I just crave DDD Burgers with Cheese Skirts On My Plate.

DDD Burgers with Cheese Skirts

1 lb. ground beef
flour
salt
pepper
cooking oil
finely shredded cheese, Cheddar is excellent, but the Mexican blend works, too
butter
hamburger buns
ketchup

Divide ground beef into 6 equal portions and form thin patties (about 1/4 inch thick).
Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate.
Dredge thin patties in the flour mixture.
Meanwhile, heat enough oil to cover the bottom in a cast-iron skillet. (The frying process can be messy, and since our first meal of these burgers, we have used the grill to heat the skillet...and keep the grease outdoors.)
When the oil is sizzling, but not quite smoking, add the patties to the pan.
Cook on each side for just a few minutes to sear the beef and create a browned crust on the burger. We like our burgers medium-rare, and this doesn't take long.
While the burgers are cooking, butter the hamburger buns and toast in a non-stick skillet.
When the burgers are fried to your liking, remove from cast-iron skillet and slide into a preheated non-stick skillet.
Top each burger with a large handful of shredded cheese and allow to topple over the edges.
Place a toasted top of a burger bun on top of the cheese on the burger and cover the skillet with a lid.
Watch closely as the cheese skirt crisps and the cheese topping melts.
Meanwhile, spread ketchup on the toasted bottom of the burger bun.
When the crunchy skirt has formed, use a spatula to place the cheesy burger on the bottom bun and serve. (Serves 6)

This is more of a method than a recipe, and don't be afraid to adjust it to your own preferences. Good food really is about whatever blows your skirt up.

Keep It Simple, Stupid

I sometimes get so wrapped up in wanting to try new things that I make meal planning more difficult that than it should be. I am a compulsive grocery shopper and can't visit any other town without making a stop and checking things out. Produce is always a draw for me with the vibrant colors and promise of fresh flavors, but I have also been known to do the happy dance in the supermarket aisle after locating tomato paste in a tube and a new kind of lasagna noodles. Food makes me happy.

Simple makes me happy, as well. I like things to be effortless in the kitchen, and when flipping through a recent issue of Food Network Magazine, a recipe for stuffed baked potatoes jumped at me. It uses ingredients that I usually have on hand, and a general idea that has been a regular on my plate absolutely forever.

It is a standard for me to toss boiled, new potatoes and steamed, fresh green beans with a cream sauce/milk gravy and serve as a side dish with ham, or as a one dish meal with chunks of the ham stirred in with the veggies. Ham and Spinach Stuffed Baked Potatoes uses that same idea, but makes it even more simple. This is comfort food for me with the luscious gravy wilting the iron-rich spinach and perked up by the saltiness of ham before being ladled into a fluffy baked potato and topped with bits of shredded Swiss cheese for even more flavor. The stuffed potato is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but adding a tossed green salad and some garlic bread would round out an extremely simple meal that should satisfy just about anyone. I would be stupid not to want a Ham and Spinach Stuffed Baked Potato On My Plate.

Ham and Spinach Stuffed Baked Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 bag baby spinach, roughly chopped
5-6 thin slices ham, cut into strips
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Pierce the potatoes with a fork; bake until tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and ham and cook until the greens wilt and the mixture is about as thick as sour cream, 3 to 4 more minutes.
Season with the cayenne and nutmeg and add salt to taste.
Slice the cooked potatoes lengthwise down the middle (but not all the way through); fluff the flesh with a fork and season with salt.
Divide the spinach mixture among the potatoes and top with the shredded cheese while still hot. (Serves 4)

Stirring Things Up

I created a little stir in my small town tonight with the debut of my Eye On Keloland interview. One phone rang with well wishes while the other one buzzed incessantly with text messages of the same. My Facebook and Twitter pages filled with comments from friends and family. It was a little bit of chaos, and just to make sure that I didn't get my head too high in the clouds, the puppy, Ace, decided to be sick right in the middle of it all just so that I could clean up the mess. He likes to keep me grounded...and remind me that my cooking isn't always "all that."

While this little bit of notoriety has been extremely nerve-racking, it has been fun. I am glad that I took this chance and really like how Erica Johnson of Keloland put together the segment. In case you missed it, HERE IS THE LINK and the video.

Striking It Rich

When we purchased this house, several people from the community entertained us with stories about its history. Supposedly, back in 1913 (or so) when the house was built, the owner was the proprietor of the downtown billiard parlor. Rumor has it that the off-the-record gambling that took place in the back room of his business caused the owner to hide money in the walls of the house. Our purchase of the home could be our lottery ticket to riches.

After many renovations (although, we are still facing many more), I can report that no money has been found in the walls. We do have a near mint condition Prince Albert can from 1918, a bottle of Three Feathers Pre-War Whiskey (blended with neutral spirits and distilled from potatoes), and several newspaper clippings, but no cold, hard cash. I have decided that aside from the riches of the original woodwork, hardwood floors, claw foot soaking tub, and wavy panes of the old windows, our best score with this house has been the established asparagus bed in the backyard.

Each spring, I clear the leaves and winter debris from the slightly weedy spot. Nobody will accuse me of being a great gardener, and if not for the bricks laid carefully in what was once confused as the outline for a grave, you might not realize that the spot holds any significance. The grass grows well, even if it is stubborn in other parts of the lawn. But, it also parts and allows the tender shoots of asparagus to break through the earth. They spike upward in various shapes & sizes. Some are thick and hearty; some are thin and spindly. All are delicious.

A few years ago, I found asparagus seedlings at an area greenhouse and rapidly snapped them up. I carefully chose a bare spot in the existing bed and planted them. Each year, they come up again, but the results have been reed thin and not really harvestable. I am not sure if I did something wrong, or if the roots just need more time to mature. Regardless, even those fern-like shoots make me happy. Fresh asparagus in my backyard is a goldmine to me.

I just had my first cutting of asparagus over the weekend, and tonight added it to a delicately flavored pasta dish with shrimp. Usually, our shrimp dishes are very heavy with garlic, but I like this version because it allows the beauty of the asparagus flavors to shine through. Shallots, garlic (use more, if you must), butter, dill, and the starchiness of the pasta water create a light sauce that pulls together a really pleasant spring dish. The true jackpot is the asparagus patch in my backyard that allows me to create Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with Dill Sauce On My Plate.

Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with Dill Sauce

1 lb penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut in 2 inch lengths
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 lb medium shrimp,peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook according to the pasta package or until the pasta is tender.
Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of oil and the butter in a medium skillet until the butter melts and melds with the oil.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add the asparagus and saute lightly, about 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the pasta water, raise the heat to medium-high, and boil until the asparagus turns bright green, about 2 minutes.
Add the dill and shrimp.
Remove from the heat and stir in the additional olive oil, salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta and toss in a serving bowl with the shrimp and asparagus.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese. (Serves 4)

Batching It

I am supposed to be out of town right now. I had an incredible little get-away planned with some long-time girlfriends. However, my stomach decided that I shouldn't do it. It rebelled in ugly ways, and I wasn't able to make the drive to the airport, or catch the plane, or fly with the girls, or spend several days of complete silliness and total fun with some of the people who mean the most to me. I am stuck at home...feeling a bit physically stronger each day, but still feeling horribly sad that I have missed out on that joyous reunion. Being sick sucks. But, that is another story that I really don't need to go into here. Who wants to read about nasty bodily functions in a food blog?

The halting of my travel plans created a major change in menu for Hubby. Instead of spattering grease while frying up juicy burgers the size of my head, simmering cauldron sized pots of chili, frequently hitting the local Chinese buffet, heating corn dogs in the oven, and making the treat that the pups always look forward to..."Pupperoni" Pizza, I am here to keep order in the kitchen. I think he is disappointed. He actually does like to cook and play around with ingredients, and pizza is one of his greatest playgrounds.

He piles his pies (sometimes using a frozen pizza as the base, sometimes using a crust from a tube, sometimes making it all from scratch) with anything that he can get his hands on. He has a true bachelor style in the kitchen though, and meat always plays a starring role. You can't have Pupperoni Pizza without lots and lots of pepperoni. There have to be enough of those little spicy spheres to eat and to share with the pups, of course. It is the rule.

So...even though I am here, how can I deny him his pizza? However, I am going to go for a different batch on my pizza. I am going to roast up a batch of beautiful vegetables and load my crust with their garlicky, flavorful goodness. In the past, I have used whatever cheese I happened to have on hand from the standard mozzarella, to feta, to Monterrey jack. I do have to say that the Monterrey Jack has come away as the leader. It's extra kick of flavor really complements the robustness of the veggies. I don't even miss the pepperoni when I have Roasted Veggie Pizza On My Plate.

Roasted Veggie Pizza

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, cut into thin slices

6-10 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into wedges and then sliced
1 3/4 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1 tube pizza dough (or your favorite recipe)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F
Use 1 tsp of olive oil to coat baking stone or pizza pan.
Spread out pizza dough and bake at 425°F for 7 minutes.
Combine 1 tsp olive oil, thyme, salt, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion on a sheet pan and toss to coat well.
Spread into a single layer and roast at 500°F for 7 minutes.
Stir the vegetables and roast for another 7 minutes.
Sprinkle half the cheese over the pizza crust.
Spread the roasted vegetables over the cheese.
Top the vegetables with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted.
Top with Parmesan cheese to garnish. (Serves 4-6)

what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

Essentially, I am a private person. There are times when I blabber like a mad woman, but overall, I am honestly, pretty shy. When I created this blog to share recipes with family and friends, I first kept it private and only provided the URL to a chosen few.

I had been participating in recipe sites and on message boards relating to food for some time. I had been reading and drooling over the posts of professional food bloggers and while I liked what I was doing, I didn't see my writing as anything comparable to those who were really in the know. Who was I to write about food? I am just a girl stuck out in the middle of the prairie without even a grocery store in this small town. What do I have to contribute? Sure, people were asking for my recipes, but I am not cooking gourmet meals. My meals are made up of what I find available and usually what can be thrown together quickly and easily because my attention span is so short.

Gradually, as I made more posts, and tentatively shared more thoughts and recipes, I became more in tune with a belief that I have always had. Good food is different things to different people. We come from diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences. Our knowledge levels, ambitions, available time, energy, and even ingredients vary. We are going to like different things, and that is perfectly OK. I didn't have to please everyone. As long as I liked what was On My Plate, that was good enough.

Truly, I think it was criticism that I most feared. People can be critical; people can be cruel. The Internet offers a prime breeding ground for that. There is a veil behind which to hide. While you might not tell your neighbor that her chocolate cake tastes like bat barf, there wouldn't be a second thought to posting that comment on some one's blog. The kid gloves come off when there is an illusion of anonymity.

But, anonymity can also allow the freedom to open up and explore real passions. My blog has made me want to eat better, discover new things, and play with my food. I want to share my experiences for what they are, good or bad. I want to share my food through the recipes and photos in this virtual kind of dinner party. I learned that I don't mind inviting the world into my home to see what is On My Plate.

Still, when the area CBS affiliate (Keloland) approached me about doing one of their Eye On Keloland human interest segments, I instantly crawled back into my shell. My mind was screaming in panic. All of those self-doubts and insecurities were crashing back. Me? On television? Talking about food and my blog? Cooking? I am no Rachael Ray. I will never be The Next Food Network Star, and quite honestly, sometimes I get stage fright just standing in front of a class while subbing. Yikes!

I had a mile long list of silly reasons why I couldn't do it.

• My knife skills suck.
  
• The wallpaper is peeling in my office/den.
• The paint in my kitchen is ugly.
• The pups bark too loudly.
• Aside from my awesome new stove, my other equipment is rinky-dink.
• My computer skills are minimal.
• My blog isn't very good.
  
• I have nothing to wear.
  
• I have nothing to say.
• I have nothing to cook.
  

But, sifting through all of these false excuses, it was fear holding me back. It is one thing to be a dork from a town of 350 people writing a food blog under the cover of a goofy moniker. It is quite another to reveal yourself on one of the major networks and talk about it for everyone to see and hear. Whatever little amount of privacy I may have would be shattered if I accepted these few moments in the spotlight. In short, I felt as if I would be a target. Everyone with computer access within a 300 mile radius of my small town would be aware of the opportunity to read my thoughts and poke fun. People would laugh. Everyone would know how dumb I am. There would be no escaping it.

I almost didn't escape these thoughts. I almost let myself be my own worst critic and turn down the Keloland offer. However, after chatting with some very good and honest friends, I knew that I had to put on my big girl panties and get over myself. I couldn't let my little voices of fear rule my life. What did I want for the future? Would I be old and wondering "what if?" Or would I be old and laughing about the dumb thing that I did but enjoyed? I had to be willing to be the dork that I am and not worry about everyone else. I had to take the opportunity.

Committed to the interview, I next had to find the perfect recipe to prepare under the scrutiny of the camera. I wanted something easy. Even with the interview date a couple of weeks away, I was already a bundle of nerves and knew that I needed to be able to work without thinking. I didn't want anything that could create too much mess or seemed like one of the horrors that Sandra Lee might prepare. I debated soups and sandwiches, appetizers, desserts, and even egg rolls and enchiladas. A poll was created on Facebook asking my friends what they would like to see me prepare if they were to sit and visit with me in the kitchen while I cooked. Countless recipes were considered and rejected, but I kept coming back to the Pasta with Smoked Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce that I had recently prepared and posted. But as I said, that was already posted. Didn't I have to do something new to add to the blog?

I obsessed about this for days until I finally relented to that fabulous pasta recipe. I chose it for the spur of the moment Tweet-Up because I could prepare it while sleep walking. If I were to have any chance of relaxing and enjoying my moment in the Eye on Keloland, I needed that ease. There is no rule that every post in my blog has to be about a new recipe.

With the recipe chosen, I tried to put the pending interview out of my mind as I was busy with work and social events. I did a little extra housework here and there, adding a little polish to hidden corners that had been ignored. I considered my wardrobe, but didn't really make a solid plan because the weather was fluctuating so wildly. I tried to go about my life as if I wasn't about to appear on TV talking about a blog that up until a year ago I had kept private, but slowly I let a few more people in on my secret.

I told this person and that person. People surprised me with overwhelming support. Many didn't know that I had a blog, and I had to explain blogging to some. But, overall, friends congratulated me and told me how excited they were for me. A few weren't, and I expected this and took it in stride. The negative pointed out how my personal thoughts would never be personal again (as if they really were after I posted on the Internet, anyway?), asked how I could do this to myself, and told me that it really was very dumb. I found that it didn't hurt so bad to hear it from others as I thought it might. Even though I was nervous as heck, I had already made up my mind. I was going to take a chance. Success or failure wasn't really the point.

It amazed me how the support came from everywhere. Friends with whom I chat about food daily were thrilled that I could show that everyday people with no professional food training or technical expertise could cook, photograph, and write about their food in a way that made others want to try the recipes. Comments on the various websites on which I participate and text messages poured in with good wishes. Friends rearranged their schedules to help me chose what to wear (although is yellow really my color?), help me do some panicked last minute cleaning, talk me down from the ledge where I almost repainted the ugly avocado walls of the kitchen, brought me fresh flowers to brighten my day and the table, and helped me build confidence in myself to go through with the interview.

On the appointed day, I rose early, shuttled my wildly barking pups off to the farm in order to ensure peace and quiet (although, I had no idea just how quiet the house was without the click of their nails on the hardwoods as they followed me around), showered, dressed, and did a few last minute chores. I logged online and joked about my nerves with a few close friends, and made a new blog post (Expecting Guests...yes, my "guest" was Keloland). My cell phone buzzed constantly with texts to bolster my confidence. I had to laugh out loud when one friend who was farming in a field north of my small town sent the report, "Spotted Keloland 10 miles north." How is that for neighborhood watch?

When we sat down to film the interview, I honestly can't tell you what I said. I know that I babbled. I know that I was stuffy with a sinus infection and allergies and was trying not to snuffle my nose. I know that it was over before it even seemed to start, and it was only then that I realized that I hadn't rechecked my hair or makeup before sitting down for the questions. Then, we were in the kitchen chatting while I started throwing together the simple menu that I had planned. I burned the onions, was awkward about tossing together the salad, and added too much pasta to the final dish. The reporter was easy to chat with though, and I continued to jabber like an idiot and hoped that editing was kind to me.

My meal of Pasta with Smoked Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce, Spring Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette, a crusty loaf of Asiago Garlic Bread, and Brownie Cherry Cheesecake was shared off camera with the very friendly reporter. Again, I blathered on while we ate. (Really, I am shy, even if my mouth doesn't get it sometimes.) After our simple meal, there was just a little more filming of me attempting to blog, but my always so frustrating laptop kept freezing and stalling. I should have moved to the desktop, but that would have meant welcoming the camera into my office/den with the peeling wallpaper. Sometimes, I am too stubborn for my own good.

And, suddenly, it was all over. The camera was packed away, hands were shook in farewell, and the Keloland vehicle drove away. I was left alone in my too-quiet-with-the-pups-gone house, wondering what I had just done and how it was all going to appear to the outside world. Again, I was/am scared to death. But, I just keep reminding myself that it isn't about success or failure and the outside world. It is about what I like On My Plate, and always will be.

Let's just hope that I don't look too dumb when the segment airs on May 12th. :-)

Expecting Guests

Company is coming. I busted my butt to clean all of the nooks and crannies that might normally go overlooked. (Or, at least I tried. This is a 100 year old house, and nothing short of a miracle will ever make it spotless.) I showered, dressed, and even made my bed. And, and now I wait.

Everything is in place, including a very simple, but decadent dessert. I whipped up a Brownie Cherry Cheesecake last night and it is sitting prominently in the kitchen...tempting me. I want to sink into the richness of the cheesecake and the sweetness of the brownie. I want to taste the burst of tart from a cherry on each bite. But for now, I wait because company is coming.

Brownie Cherry Cheesecake

Brownie Layer:
1 brownie mix (for 8x8 inch pan)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1 egg
(or whatever ingredients are stated on the package)

Cheesecake Layer:
2 eggs
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 packages cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cans cherry pie filling

Prepare brownie mix as directed on package.
Spread batter in a 10" or 12" round spring form pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and vanilla until creamy and smooth.
When brownie layer is baked, immediately pour cheesecake filling on top.
Spread carefully to edges of brownie.
Bake 30-40 minutes more, or until cheesecake is set and firm.
Cool for 2 hours.
Top with cherry pie filling.
(Flavor is best served at room temperature, but should be stored in refrigerator.) (Serves 12)