What we are eating tonight

Well, the Dunnavants and the Trexlers are hanging out at home tonight and having the least complicated menu I think we've ever done for New Year's Eve. Linz and Chelsea are both spending the evening with friends,so that only adds to the sense of doing this a different way. Normally we are all gathered at the beach.

Tonight we are primarily focusing on Fondue, cheese fondues; two of them.
Our first one is a recipe taken straight from the Melting Pot; Wisconsin Trio:

Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue
Ingredients:
1 ½ C shredded Butterkäse cheese (6oz) [can be found at Whole foods, but you can also substitute Gouda if you can't find Butterkäse]
1 ½ C shredded Fontina Cheese (6oz)
3 Tbsp flour
¾ C white wine
¼ C dry sherry
2 tsp chopped shallots
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ C crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp chopped scallions
Preparation:
Toss the Butterkäse and Fontina cheese with the flour in a bowl. Place a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of water. You may also use a conventional double boiler. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and pour the wine and sherry into the bowl. Sit in the shallots using a fork. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add half the cheese blend and cook until the cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add the remaining cheese blend a small amount at a time, stirring constantly in a circular motion after each addition until the cheese is melted. Fold in the pepper and Blue cheese. Pour into a warm fondue pot and keep warm over low heat. Garnish with the scallions.

NOTE: The cheese is shredded and tossed with flour to aid din thickening and to improve the viscosity of the fondue. The fondue should be the consistency of warm honey when completed. Monitor the cheese carefully as it is being added. Not all of the cheese may be needed, and, in some cases, more cheese may be needed to reach the perfect consistency.
Recommended dipping accompaniments: Variety of breads, green apples, mixed vegetables.

The second fondue is my own recipe; adapted from the Fondue Inn that used to be in Carytown. Cheddar Cheese and Swiss

I make this without exact measurments so yours may vary from mine.

Two cups of shredded cheddar cheese (not the best you can buy, but not the already shredded variety either)
One cup of shredded Swiss cheese; AGED is best but not essential
One can of beer...your preference but remember that the beer will give a significant flavor to the fondue if you use a heavy or a dark beer.
White Pepper, ground mustard and a couple of cloves of pressed garlic.
Put the beer in the fondue pot and simmer, add the garlic and simmer for a moment or two.
Add the cheeses and spices (about 1 tsp each)stirring until melted and smooth.

We are also having Swedish Meatballs...uhm, drive to Ikea for these!!
Chips and dip can be found at your local Kroger as well as some steamed spiced shrimp.

Photos will be posted tomorrow.
Happy New Year!!

Renato's in Historic Fredericksburg

Had dinner with friends last night. The company was awesome, the food amazing.

The atmosphere of Renato's was super cozy. They have several small dining rooms rather than one large cavernous room. The service was superb; although at first I felt that they were a bit over attentive. Then I learned to enjoy it. They checked with us often, kept water and wine in our glasses but did not hover.

The menu was varied enough to make anyone happy with some traditional (what you expect in an Italian Restaraunt) and lots of dishes that are their own. Large portions and a delight to the palate.

I'd definitely go again.

We went to Capital Alehouse on West Broad Street last night. I had been anticipating a really yummy beer that they USUALLY have on tap (Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale) but NO, it wasn't to be. They had it in bottles; which just isn't the same. So I ended up going to my favorite standby; Legends Brown Ale, which is yummy but not what I was looking for. After two 'large' ones, I didn't much mind that the Dogfish Head wasn't available.

We shared Calamari and a sausage platter. The calamari was as close to perfectly done as I've ever had. The sausage platter; not bad, well presented and the mustard that was served with it was amazing!

We moved from there to breakfast at Waffle House. Who DOESN'T like waffle house?

...So, we're going out tonight and I'm obviously not cooking. I decided to share TWO recipes that have become a favorite with us. I use it as my "go to" meal; when I have no clue what to make! It is a great combination of flavors and importantly; textures. Enjoy!



Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigianino, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment
Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion, as an accompaniment, recipe follows
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.
Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion.


Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion:
1 pound triple-washed spinach, de-stemmed
1 small Golden Delicious apple, quartered, cored, and sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grain mustard
1 tablespoon (a good drizzle) honey
Coarse salt and black pepper
Place spinach, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small plastic container and fit lid on container. Shake dressing to combine, 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Yield: 4 servings

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Dinner tonight the recipe!

Pork Medallions with Creamy Wine Sauce

1 1/2 pounds Pork Tenderloin cut into rounds
2 Tablespoons Butter
Dash of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2/3 Cup White Wine
2/3 Cup Half and Half
1 Clove Garlic, pressed
White Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Capers, drained

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter (add little olive oil to prevent the butter from burning)
Cook the pork medallions 3 - 4 minutes on each side
Add salt and pepper to taste
Remove the pork and keep it warm.
Make the sauce: Add the wine to the skillet drippings. Bring to a boil and scrape up any bits from the pan. Lower the heat and add the half and half, garlic and white pepper. Cook, stirring about 3 minutes or until the sauce is reduced about half. Remove from heat and stir in the capers. Serve sauce over the pork!

* This is a low carb recipe. 285 Calories, 10grams of fat, 37 grams of protein, and 2 grams of carbohydrates

Thai Braised Beef FINALLY

We finally got around to eating the Thai Beef. It was amazing, but it always is.
Looking at the photo, I realized that we have a tendency to eat dishes that have shredded meat. I'm pretty certain that is Mark's food preference and not necessarily mine.

I'm making a big batch of SAUSAGE GRAVY this morning.
It starts with two rolls of a high quality sausage. I use Jimmy Dean, but it is a matter of preference. I also use one 'hot' and one 'regular', this seems to make everyone happy. Not too hot not too bland. I simmer the sausage in chicken broth (this was a secret up until just now) and break it up as it cooks. It looks a little gross starting out; but it's worth it!

While the sausage is simmering; I make a ROUX. For the purpose of this gravy that would be equal parts of flour and butter. Then black pepper and salt for the entire batch of gravy. Stir over low heat until the flour has lost that 'raw' aroma. No exact numbers here. I heard someone say once that the proper time to cook a roux was the amount of time it takes to drink a beer! Coffee would work in this instance.




The roux going in to thicken the gravy.



The Half and Half...yum

Let's talk about Crock Pots for just a moment, shall we? THE best tool you have in your house. I call mine my indentured servant. I want a second one...that's how much I love it!

With a little planning and a tiny bit of time, you can have dinner waiting for you when you come home from work; the next best thing to having your own personal cook! YOU could hire me...but I'm pretty expensive!

I'll post some crock recipes and some advice soon. If you don't have a crock pot..or it's stuffed in a closet somewhere, go buy one, or dust it off; you're going to want to play! I promise. I'll never ever lead you astray...

So, today's dinner isn't quite a complete bust. I've prepped and it is in the crock pot, but we had such a late lunch, and Linz was out with friends, Brittany and Derrick were visiting family, so I decided to cook it tonight and finish it tomorrow.


My favorite knife is in this picture; its a Wustoff.... THE best ever.

It's the day after Christmas and what do I decide to cook? Thai Braised Beef. This is a much loved meal in the Dunnavant house, well, loved by all but the resident vegetarian.
I'll be posting photos of the meal in progress as well as the finished dish AND the recipe, although I'll warn you now; I don't strictly follow any recipe!
I'd love to read your thoughts and comments as we walk through a year of food together, so take a minute and post a comment every now and then.