The Kitchen Monkey

Hello Internet. Yes, my blog has yet once again become idle. The school semester started back in January, and I’m now entering midterm time. Between reading, noting, testing, and all the other crap, I haven’t had time to cook. The photo above is actually from last semester, but hell, the same applies for this semester! When I’m not doing the school thing, I’m trying to keep healthy by riding the bike, skating, and doing yoga. Yoga is doing wonderful things for my tense neck. I highly recommend it! I did have some dishes such as a variation on Mark Bittman’s tomato paella to share with you, but the pictures were not worthy of your viewership. When I cook this dish again, I will give the rave review on how simple Mark makes the wonderful world of paellas.

In other news, I finally bought myself a copy of the Joy of Cooking a couple weeks ago. I have only had time to try one recipe out of it. A friend is learning how to cook and we decided that we were going to cook jambalaya from my book. I really wish that I would have been smart enough to get shots of this dish, because damn, it was amazing. I was seriously shocked at how good it turned out. I absolutely MUST make it again to get pictures and share the result with my 1 or 2 readers.

I’m also a bit frustrated with my blog lately. I’m having theme issues and I’m also have issues with getting my text to display correctly. I have hit a bug in Wordpress that doesn’t show the white space between paragraphs for whatever reason. This has quite frankly been driving me bonkers and making me not want to post. I’ve thought about migrating all by posts back to my previous blog software, but I think I’ve somewhat solved the issue for now. Seems the theme that I was using was causing the problem. The bad thing about that is, I really liked that theme, and I really dislike the one I’m currently using. Hopefully I’ll get around to making my own theme one of these days. Until then, I am going to go back to sticking my nose in database books, Mesoamerican archaeology books, Shamanism books, and Islamic film. Ack.

Oh, and happy Valentines Day!

I am a regular reader of the NY Times Dining section in hopes of obtaining fantastic recipies, as well as the quality entertainment Mark Bittman puts on every Tuesday. A lot of recipes from the site get printed out and filed in the "to bake" category, and one day I’ll actually get around to doing that………….maybe (I lie. I have another Bittman recipe to review here soon).

This particular recipe came out quite some time ago, and truth be told, I made these almost a year ago and neglected to actually put them on the blog. Why? School is why, but I digress. I made these for my Geology lab group during the last week of school. My super cool lab instructor urged us to show a little fellowship and bring in food for a small informal end of semester party. Of course I, being the cook that I am, jumped right on this. That week, the NY Times just happened to be reviewing a few brownie recipes. Perfect! So, I looked for the one that had the highest lipid and chocolate ratio I could find, cause everybody knows lipids and chocolate are a girl’s best friend.

 

I’m happy to report that these brownies served what they promised. They were super moist like brownies should be, and not a slight hint of cakiness. I am not very fond of cake style brownies. I’m much more fond of a brownie that is about 3 steps removed from fudge. Much to my surprise even with the butter and chocolate content, these babies weren’t very heavy. They were light and fluffy, which I and my classmates found delightful.

Unfortunately the top on my cracked during the cooling phase. While it looks kinda unsightly, I can guarantee you without a doubt that the big huge canyon running across the top did nothing to impact the taste of these babies. Why? Because it’s Dorie Greenspan, that’s why.

French Chocolate Brownies

NY Times, Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home To Yours

Time: 11/4 hours

12 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus 1 teaspoon melted butter for brushing pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in pieces
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (optional).

1. Place a rack just below center of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil and brush with melted butter.
2. In a bowl, whisk flour and salt together. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt remaining butter and chocolate together. Stir often and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.
3. In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix at low speed until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix 30 seconds, then finish mixing by hand, adding nuts if using. Pour into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until top is dry. Let cool in pan, then lift out and cut into bars or wrap in foil.
Yield: 12 to 16 brownies.

The awesome guys over at Slashfood featured my whole wheat sourdough on their home page today. I’d like to say thanks for the recognition and thanks for stopping by.
-The Kitchen Monkey

There are many things that a person should learn to do in their life time, and making bread is one of them. I’m not talking about the entirely too easy, lazy way of doing it in a bread machine. I’m talking about get your elbows into it hardcore kneading with flour strung from one end of your kitchen to the other kind of bread making.

Sourdough bread making is an art form. It’s very different than making regular rapid rise yeast bread. Sourdough starter is a pet that must be cared for and nurtured, or it simply fails to preform. I began my quest to learn the art of making sourdough about a year ago when my dad passed on some Russian starter to me at Christmas. You may remember this loaf of white sourdough. However, I’ve been searching for a more healthy way to use my starter in a whole wheat version.

I found the end to my quest when I came across this page. Really? You mean a 100% whole wheat sourdough bread that will actually rise and bake up light and fluffy? Hell, surely you’re mistaken. There’s GOT to be some white/bread flour in there somewhere! But, much to my surprise, they were right. This recipe yields a fantastic loaf of whole wheat bread. I cheated and didn’t convert my starter to whole wheat flour though. I can’t see why that really matters all that much in the long run though!

So, if you are looking for a good whole wheat sourdough, look no further and follow the link above. I’ll be using this recipe for years to come unless I come across a no-knead version. But that’s another post.

 

It’s been a while, but I’ve been busy. Between finally breaking down and going to the health department at school over my allergies and discovering an issue with high blood pressure and school starting to wind down to that push towards finals, I haven’t cooked anything worth noting about here. With much irony, I present to you my very first homemade pizza. I must confess, these images have been sitting on my desktop for at least a month begging to be blogged. I have either just not had the time, or been totally uninspired to do such. With the blood pressure issues, I don’t think my pizzas will be laden with salty meat for quite a while. Sure, I could add veggies to that pizza, but where is the fun in that? Veggies are for salads.

I was pleased that this pizza turned out well for my first shot. My dough making obsession has not curbed in the slightest. There is something therapeutic about getting your hands into a ball of dough and kneading it until your arms can take no more. However, I was NOT pleased with how bready and soft Mark Bittman’s recipe yielded. This could be partially my fault as I lack a pizza stone and an extremely hot oven. The taste was wonderful regardless of the lack of crunch. I will be giving his recipe another go at some point in the future when I have a proper pizza stone and will up the temperature as much as I can.

Basic Pizza Dough
via Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything

1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1 to 1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Combine the yeast, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in the container of a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and the 2 tablespoons of oil through the feed tube.

2. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. If it is too sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.

3. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Grease a bowl with the remaining olive oil, and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let ride in warm, draft-free area until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. You can cut this rising time short if you are in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours.

After I made this dough, I rolled the risen dough ball out on a floured counter until I had a circle that was approximately the same size as my round baking sheet. Spray whatever sheet you are using with cooking spray or sprinkle coarsely ground cornmeal to keep it from sticking. Place the dough on your cookie sheet, brush with olive oil, and sit in a warm place to rise a bit before you add your ingredients.

**Jenn note**: In an effort to convince myself that this pizza would be healthier if I made a wheat crust, I headed Mark’s advice and replaced 1 cup of all-purpose flour with finely ground wheat flour. You can also add Semolia if you prefer for a more tastier crust.

For the rest of the pizza while your dough is rolled and rising:

2-3 cups Basic Tomato Sauce
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 pound Neese’s hot sausage
1/2 package turkey pepperoni
1/2 package canadian bacon

Preheat your oven to as hot as it will go. I chickened out and used 450 degrees instead of 500.

Hopefully by now you have been properly enculturated and know how to assemble these ingredients in the proper order. If not, I suggest a trip to your nearest local I <3 NY Pizza for a quick lesson.

Plop your assembled pizza in your oven as FAST as humanly possibly to keep the temperature from dropping. Bake until slightly brown and bubbly on top. I think mine ended up taking around 10 minutes. Please keep an eye on your pizza to keep form burning it since you are baking at such a high temp.

Frankly put, I’m miserable. The trees here in NC have begun to do their pollen spewing thing, and so has my nose. For three weeks straight my nose has been pouring and spewing it’s own loveliness, rendering me totally unmotivated to create anything in the kitchen worth posting about. I have sought refuge in tons of Allegra, Sudafed, and my newest favorite thing, a Neti pot. If you suffer as bad as I do from seasonal allergies, I highly recommend locking yourself in the bathroom away from boyfriends and pets, and have a private moment with your nasal passages. Bryan likes to make fun of it and call it my “cranial douche.” I call it my “lil ceramic savior.”

Between sneezes, I’ve been craving some type of breakfast quickie that I could bake, throw in the pantry, and grab on the way out the door for school. But, I wanted something healthy. See, those just baked everything bagels piled high with freshly made cream cheese that I love so dearly just aren’t good for me. They aren’t good for my waist line, nor are they good for the first people I speak to after consuming said smelly bagels. So, the search for a suitable bran muffin recipe ensued. We all need more fiber in our diet, right? RIght. After deciding on a recipe that I liked, the search for ingredients began. Normally, I can find all things mostly healthy at Harris Teeter right down the road. I found everything I needed, except the unprocessed Miller’s Bran which proved to be rather difficult. I figured our local natural food co-op would have it, but struck out there as well. I was beginning to think that my people had failed me yet once again. Two days later I finally found my grail at Lowe’s Food. Hot damn!

This recipe turned out to be really good. It’s bland though and you must must must add fruits, nuts, or both to give it a kick. Actually, there’s endless possibilities to add to it, such as cinnamon, grated carrots, raisins, and the like. I chose dried cranberries and walnuts for my first batch. I’m extremely pleased with how they turned out. Filling enough to kill those sharp hunger pains in the morning, yet not heavy enough to weigh you down like most carb based breakfasts do. I’ve been munching them for the past week for my breakfast and couldn’t be happier with the results. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some “business” to attend to. Ahem.

Recipe adapted from Saundra @ AllRecipies.com

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
6 tablespoons molasses
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin pans or line with paper cups.
In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, salt and baking soda. Add molasses, buttermilk, egg and butter; stir just to moisten. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pans. Cups should be 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

A while back when I had first purchased my enameled cast iron pot from Target, I searched frantically for something to break it in. After about a week of researching recipes, I decided on one from Epicurious.com. When I was growing up, my mom would frequently cook beef stew in out slow cooker. She’d put everything together in the morning, and by evening we’d have beef stew so tender it melted in your mouth. Beef stew by nature is not complicated. Flour beef cubes, saute in the bottom of a pot with some olive oil and onions, then add cubed potatoes and carrots with some stock and cook for hours on end. However, I wanted something with a bit more pizzaz to it, as usual. There are tons of recipes on Epicurious, but I came across one entitled “Irish Beef Stew” that was close to what I remember as a child, with a bit more complexity.

This recipe makes an ungodly amount of food. I quickly realized while sauteing the potatoes and carrots that my little dinky pot wasn’t going to be big enough. I had to dig out my 8 quart stock pot in order to combine everything. My saute pan wasn’t big enough either and I ended up burning a bunch of crud in the bottom of it while sauteing the carrots and potatoes. Regardless, the recipe turned out well. I doctored it up quite a bit from the original, and honestly, it’s been so long since I made the stuff I don’t remember what all I did. So, you be the judge and doctor in your own way. No two taste buds are alike!

From: Bon Appétit March 2001

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves, minced
8 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes.

Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat.

(Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.) Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.

With midterms finally being over and not having any pressing home work to slave over, or articles on gender theory to plow through, I decided that I would finally bust out my brand new pasta machine that I bought a few weeks ago that has been sitting, patiently waiting for me to bestow my love upon it, in the cabinet. My previous entry told you all about the woes of making ravioli by hand. My hypothesis on how much appreciation for that pasta machine being strengthened by having to roll pasta by hand, was entirely correct. This little sucker made it a snap one I got used to it. By the time I got to the end of the dough, I was rolling pieces over a foot long.

Since I was going to be playing with pasta, I didn’t want a sauce that was going to take too much time or attention. So, I opted for my basic tomato sauce that I made with the ravioli. Simple, and really easy to make, this sauce is full of flavor and doesn’t require tons of ingredients or attention. I also was stoked because I finally got to use my Target enameled cast iron dutch oven. I tried using it to make Irish Beef Stew a couple weeks ago (which you’ll read about later on when I find the pictures) but quickly realized that I had entirely too much food for that 5 quart pot. Regardless, it worked perfectly for my tomato sauce and I couldn’t be happier with its performance. I searched my local Target a couple times for one, but came out empty handed. I finally ended up ordering it off Target’s website. Luckily it was on clearance, which offset the god awful amount of shipping I had to pay on a 10 pound pot.

Overall, this meal turned out a bit better than I expected for my first stab at using the pasta machine. In hindsight, I had a hunch that I should roll my pasta a bit thinner. I should have, as it was a bit too thick, but still yummy. I am also going to be playing around with my dough recipe a bit. I followed the recipe that was on my semolina flour and opted for 50% all-purpose and 50% semolina flour, along with some salt, eggs, water, and olive oil. I think next time I will go with all semolina and see how it tastes.

As for the garlic bread in the picture… this was a creation by me. I will admit, I am not woman enough to bake a french baguette… yet. Harris Teeter just happens to make wonderful french baguettes and one just happened to find its way into my basket this afternoon. Oops! What’s a girl to do? I took some left over pressed garlic from the tomato sauce, some minced onions, and parsley and added it to butter that had been slowly melted over low heat so the fat didn’t render. Then, I took the barely liquid mixture and spread it alllllll over the bread that had been cut down the center. A few minutes under the broiler makes this a wonderful addition to the meal. Bryan says there was too much garlic on it… but as I’ve said many times before… there is no such thing as too much garlic.

Recipe for Basic Tomato Sauce can be found here

Pasta Dough
1 1/2 cups Semolina Flour (or, a half and half mixture and semolina and all-purpose can be used)
2 eggs, or 3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

To make this dough, I used my new handy dandy food processor. Dump the flour and salt in to your food processor bowl, then add the beaten eggs, water and oil. Process until a dough ball forms. The dough should be firm, but not too sticky. I kneaded my dough for an additional period of time to make sure it was nice and mixed and elastic.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or seal in a zip loc bag to keep it from drying out, and let rest for around an hour to let the glutens relax.

Roll out with a machine and cut with attachments, or roll out on a floured surfaced by hand and cut to desired shape with a knife.

Boil pasta until tender

Jenn’s Garlic Bread
1/2 of a French baguette (about 10 inches or so), cut down the middle
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon minced onions
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley
Coarse Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Put butter into a small glass heat resistant prep cup and sit on a burner that is on low. Let the butter slowly melt without rendering the fat. When the butter is melted, stir in everything else except for the salt and pepper. Spoon mixture onto bread pieces and spread evenly. Then, top with coarse salt and pepper

Place bread on a baking sheet and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and sizzling.

Lately, I’ve had a huge urge to learn how to make pasta by hand. So naturally, being me, I started with the easiest thing possible… artichoke ravioli. Unfortunately, the pasta machine (the 5 piece set) that I had ordered had not reached my door step yet. However, this was probably a good thing as I now have a deep appreciate for that hand cranked wonder.

This recipe was extremely involved and took forever to finally come together. There were tons of things to prep and multiple steps to follow. I am really glad that we have a dispose-all in the sink. All told, I spent about 2.5 hours in the kitchen making this dish. By the time we finally sat down to eat, I was neither hungry nor energetic. Although, it was worth every second.

Of course, I didn’t follow the recipe. In fact, I used it only to make the artichoke ravioli. I used a basic recipe for making my tomato sauce and dressed it up a bit with Italian sausages, red wine, and of course, lots of garlic, fresh basil, and fresh oregano. The sauce was a bit over powering for the subtle flavor of the artichoke ravioli. I believe these ravioli would also be good with a cream based sauce to highlight their flavor a bit more. As for making the ravioli, I did pretty well for my first try. I didn’t roll my dough out thin enough and the ravioli ended up being huge and over stuffed. At least they were plenty filling!

Photography by Bryan

And last but not least, here is the finished product right before it was consumed.

Basic Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 medium cans pureed tomatoes
a couple glugs of good red wine
1 onion, or 2-3 shallots, diced
2 bay leaves
about 1/2 cup fresh oregano, and 1/2 cup fresh basil (unchopped), then finely minced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and chili powder to taste

Heat olive oil or butter in the bottom of a large pot. Saute onions or shallots with red pepper flakes over medium high heat until tender. Add red wine, then tomatoes, and then rest of the spices. Simmer for at least 45 minutes to let the flavors develop.

**NOTE** You can also add meat to this if you’d like. I added sliced sausages and sauteed them with the onions.

Artichoke Ravioli and Tomatoes

For pasta
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water

For filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 (10-oz) box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water (for egg wash)

For assembly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 medium plum tomatoes, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Special equipment: a pasta machine; a 3-inch round metal cookie cutter; a shallow oval 2-qt ceramic or glass baking dish (12 by 8 1/2 inches)

To make pasta dough in a food processor:
Blend flour, eggs, salt, and water in processor until mixture just begins to form a ball, adding more water, drop by drop, if dough is too dry (dough should be firm and not sticky). Process dough for 15 seconds more to knead it. Transfer to a floured surface and let stand, covered with an inverted bowl, 1 hour to let the gluten relax and make rolling easier.

To make dough by hand:
Mound flour on a work surface, preferably wooden, and make a well in center. Add eggs, salt, and water to well. With a fork, gently beat eggs and water until combined. Gradually stir in enough flour to form a paste, pulling in flour closest to egg mixture and being careful not to make an opening in outer wall of well. Knead remaining flour into mixture with your hands to form a dough, adding more water, drop by drop, if dough is too dry (dough should be firm and not sticky). Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with an inverted bowl and let stand 1 hour (to make rolling easier).

Make filling:
Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer all but 3/4 cup artichoke mixture to cleaned bowl of processor (reserve remaining artichoke mixture in skillet), then add cheese, parsley, yolk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped.

Roll pasta and make ravioli:
Cut pasta dough into 4 pieces, then flatten each piece into a rough rectangle and cover rectangles with an inverted large bowl. Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting.

Lightly dust 1 rectangle with flour and feed through rollers. (Keep remaining rectangles under bowl.) Fold rectangle in half and feed it, folded end first, through rollers 7 or 8 more times, folding it in half each time and feeding folded end through. Dust with flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding. Continue to feed dough through rollers once at each setting, without folding, until you reach narrowest setting. Dough will be a smooth sheet (about 24 inches long and 4 inches wide).

Put sheet of dough on a floured work surface and drop 6 (1 1/2-teaspoon) mounds of filling 1 1/2 inches apart in a row down center of one half of sheet. Brush egg wash around each mound, then fold other half of sheet over filling. Press down firmly around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.) Cut pasta (between mounds) with cutter into 3-inch rounds. Line a large shallow baking pan with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust towel with flour, then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it. Make more ravioli with remaining pasta dough, 1 sheet at a time, and remaining filling, transferring ravioli to lined pan.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter baking dish.

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli, carefully stirring to separate, and, adjusting heat to keep water at a gentle boil, cook until pasta is just tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander.

Assemble and bake dish:
While ravioli boils, reheat reserved artichoke mixture in skillet with butter over moderately high heat, then add tomatoes and water and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer half of ravioli to baking dish and top with half of artichoke mixture, half of cream, and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining ravioli, artichoke mixture, cream, and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered, until ravioli is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 15 minutes.

If you can’t tell by now, I’m an avid read of Smitten Kitchen. Quite frequently, Deb puts up delicious looking recipes that get filed away in the back of my mind to try out when I’m feeling adventerous. The other day, a recipe for chili showed up. Since it has suddenly become winter around here, I’ve been itching to make something warm and spicy to warm the man and I up. When I saw her recipe, I knew that was the one for me. See, I’m a simple girl. I dont like lots of veggies or fancy crap. I like simple recipes that are hearty and full of flavor. In fact, I hate the texture of tomatoes so much, I took the petite diced canned tomatoes and passed them through a mini chopper before adding them to my beef and onions. The results were scrumptious! Especially topped with spicey Pepperjack Monteray cheese and a hunk of cornbread.

I must mention that the cornbread was a special first for me. See, I have tried to make cornbread from a box twice. Both times I have ruined it. It has come out flat, and tasting pretty damn foul. I have concluded that I just can’t cook cornbread out of a box like thousands of others can. I, of course, need to do it the hard way. The other day I ordered my first big cook booksMark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything, and there in the print was a recipe for cornbread. The cornbread turned out wonderful. It was moist and dense, but it lacked that sour kick that I love. Next time, I’ll rememebr to pick up some buttermilk. Bittman’s recipe is very versitile, as you can add things like cheese, onions, sweet corn, bacon, etc. I opted to go with the plain variety since I wasn’t sure if I was going to ruin it or not! Next time, cheese and minced onions. Yum.

Overall, this was a great meal. Deb’s recipe makes a TON of food, so it’s great for taking left overs to work and making your coworkers jealous. I recommend giving her 3 bean chili a whirl next time you are craving a hearty simple chili.

3-Bean Chili
recipe via: Deb at Smitten Kitchen

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 humongous onion, diced
1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce plus one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup water or stock
2 tablespoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 minced chipotle in adobo, from a can, or if your store is out, ahem, ¼ teaspoon cayenne will do (the amount here will add a nice kick so tune it up or down according to your tastes; the type and brand of chili powder you use will also affect the heat)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sliced green onions, for garnish

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot, adding diced onion and sautéing until browned. Add beans, tomatoes, water or stock and spices, including cocoa, all at once, letting mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste.

**Cook’s Note** I added a pound of all-natural ground beef to give the chili some extra flavor and body. I also let the chili simmer for quite a while longer than Deb recommended. I ended up letting mine simmer for around 1.5 hours and the flavors developed wonderfully.

Cornbread
recipe via: Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, milk, or yogurt
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups medium grind cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar, or more if you want it sweeter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375

Melt your butter in your dish you will be baking the cornbread in over it’s hot, then turn off the heat.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Combine the milk and eggs in and beat together. Then, pour the milk and eggs into the dry ingredients and mix well. You may add more milk, buttermilk, or yogurt if the mixture seems dry. Pour mixture into your pan over the melted butter, and smooth.

Bake around 30-35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the bread has pulled away from the sides of the pan

**Cook’s Note** I skipped the part where you melt the butter the pan. I just used a stick of slightly softened butter and rubbed the the inside of my pan well. Worked fine! Mark calls for an 8×8 pan, but I think this is too big. I used a regular size silicon loaf pan and it worked great.