Roasted Garlic Mashies

I... LOVE... POTATOES.  I love them.  They are definitely in my top three for favorite carbohydrates!  Thus, I was definitely more than happy to make mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.  On a normal basis, I never usually make the expected dish because I tend to put a spin on things and oh, how I spun on Thursday :-)  I made what I call Roasted Garlic Mashies--roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  These are absolutely unbelievably creamy, garlicky, and herbaceous; this is definitely a substantial mashed potatoes dish.  Who does not like roasted garlic?  The concentrated, sweet flavor of the garlic along with the earthy herbs balanced out with the creamy, slightly tangy, potato mixture quite nicely.  Definitely sexy ;-)  This dish is so flavorful that, in my humble opinion, gravy is not even needed.

Have you ever wanted to go swimming in a pool of mashed potatoes?  After looking at this, I wouldn't mind doing so.

The kicker about these potatoes is that I boiled them in a mixture of buttermilk, turkey broth, milk, and fresh thyme and rosemary.  Then, I took the potatoes out with a strainer into a bowl (containing the roasted garlic) so that I could reuse the liquid that it was boiling in.  Oh, talk about FLAVORTOWN!  You could absolutely drink from that pot of boiling liquid.  I will totally admit it--I had a few spoonfuls of this deliciousness straight up.  It would probably taste good coming from a shot glass, too.

Hester's Roasted Garlic Mashies

Ingredients:

6-7 pounds of potatoes, small/medium chunks

salt and pepper

1/2 quart buttermilk

1 quart turkey broth (4 cups)

enough milk to cover the potatoes

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1/4 cup chopped chives

4 tablespoons room temperature butter

4 bulbs of garlic

olive oil

*Optional: grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.  Slice the bulbs in half and place them in a large piece of aluminum foil.  Pour olive oil over them as well as season them with salt.  Make sure to coat every surface of the bulbs and then scrunch the foil up.  Place it on a pan and stick it into the oven to roast for about 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, take the pan out, and once cool, squeeze the garlic out of their skins into a large bowl.

2. Wash the potatoes and dice them up.  Feel free to peel them if you want.  I don't because I personally feel they are more nutritious with the skin since there are a lot of vitamins in it.  Plus, that is less work for you to do :-)  After dicing them, place them in cold water and rinse a few times.  This helps get rid of excess starch, which you will see from the water turning opaque.  Also, the water coverage will keep the potatoes from turning brown.

3. Place the potatoes into a large pot.  Add the turkey broth* and buttermilk and then enough milk to cover up the potatoes.  I used fat-free milk because that is what I had in the fridge; you use whatever type of milk you prefer.  Add a generous helping of salt to this as well as fresh ground pepper.  Throw in the clean sprigs of thyme and rosemary and bring the pot to a boil.  Remove the potatoes with a spider or slotted spoon into the large bowl with the roasted garlic waiting.  Keep the pot of liquid on a simmer.

*If you want to make this completely vegetarian, omit the turkey broth and use more of the buttermilk, milk, or even add water.  Or, vegetable broth can be used, as well.

4. Slowly ladle a few ladles at a time the boiling liquid into the potatoes.  Use a potato masher to go at it.  Keep adding liquid as you see fit.  Periodically add in a tablespoon of butter until all four have been used.  Mash the potatoes to your preferred consistency and add the chopped chives.  Don't freak out over rosemary and thyme leaves being in your potatoes.  If it truly bothers you, then, strain the liquid before adding it to the potatoes.  At this point, if you would like to mix in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, please do so.

5. Serve these potatoes warm and enjoy.  You will definitely be majorly loved after making this flavorful dish of absolute wonderfulness :-)  They bring a level of recognizable, outrageous comfort into your kitchen, as well as your mouth!

Frittata Papa

After I got home from Beauty and the Beast at the Orange County Performing Arts Center last night, I was touting how even though I had racked up major sleep debt throughout the course of the week and it was already 11pm that I could stay up for another four hours!  Haha, well, how wrong I was.  I ended up watching Chopped at midnight and decided to roll over and go to sleep before they were going to judge the desserts.  I was totally out in a coma before the judges ate the desserts and picked a winner because I remembered nothing after the commercial started.  Wow.  TIRED.

Thus, this morning I was unhappy to be awake by 8am.  It's Saturday.  I plan on having an absolute non-academic weekend.  I have been studying for the past two and a half weeks straight.  I am done with all midterms now till finals arrive.  I am DONE... for now.  That being said, I am up by 8am on a Saturday?!?!  And then the kicker: I rubbed my eyes.  You know what that means: I was at the point of no return... there was no going back, no more sleep to be had.  Grr.  And it's supposed to be a cold, dreary, rainy weekend!  The last thing I want to do is be out of bed!

What did I decide to do with myself, then?  Well, first off, I went through all the things that were in my Inbox on Foodbuzz and let me tell you--there were quite a lot!  Happy to have gone through all of them, I decided I was hungry and needed to make something to eat.

It was one of those, "What do I have in the kitchen and what shall I do with those ingredients?"  Well, I stare at the bag of potatoes I have on the ground next to the counter practically every day; I needed to do something with those.  I noticed I had only so many eggs left.  Hmm... frittata?  Yes, sirree!  Mike Pomeroy (played by Harrison Ford) in Morning Glory said that he only made frittatas for people who meant anything to him, who were special to him.  Well, I made the frittata for myself because no one else was home but, they would definitely know what I was up to because of the incredible aroma that would meet their noses when they entered the house.

Frittata papa.

I accompanied my potato frittata with a simple arugula salad: squeeze of lemon juice, a few drops of finishing oil (EVOO), shavings of Grana Padano, and a grate of fresh pepper.  It was an absolutely WONDERFUL marriage with the lemon-dressed "bitter" arugula leaves and the flavorful frittata!  Speaking of the flavorful frittata, the Feta adds a slight twang that compliments nicely against the earthy herbs and the creaminess of the potatoes and the eggs.

Frittata Papa

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes, sliced evenly and thinly (I used a mandolin for ~1/8" slices)
• 1 red onion, half moon slices
• 3 to 4 ounces of Feta cheese
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 5 to 8 eggs + 1-2 tbsp milk/heavy cream/water (I only had 5 eggs which yielded a substantial frittata but feel free to use more if you'd like it to be more egg-y)
• extra chopped basil for garnish

First, cover the surface of an oven-proof pan with the olive oil and heat it up on medium heat.  I used a rosemary & garlic infused olive oil that I had made but regular is just peachy fine.  Add the potatoes, being careful not to splash yourself.  Add salt, pepper, and stir the potatoes around, trying to get each slice coated in oil.  After about five minutes, add the garlic, the herbs, and crumble in the Feta cheese.  At this point, preheat your oven to 400F. 

Five minutes later, add the red onions.  I add them in now as opposed to first because I prefer to have a little texture from them when the entire dish is finished.  Cook these all together for about 10 more minutes, carefully watching to see the progression of the potatoes getting cooked.  Season with salt and pepper as you see fit.  Now, place the pan into the oven for 15 minutes and every five minutes, stir up the potatoes because they will be browning at the bottom of the pan.  Mmm, crusty brownded goodness :-)

Scramble the eggs together with whatever liquid you choose... or no liquid at all.  No need to season the eggs since there is LOTS of flavor in the pan.  However, make sure to whip a lot of air into them whether with a whisk or a fork.  Either way, your arm will get a workout; I'd say about five minutes.  When the 15 minutes in the oven is up, check on your potatoes to see how done they are.  If they need more cooking time, then leave them in the oven a little longer, remembering to stir around the potatoes so there is no burnt bottom. 

When the potatoes are cooked, remove the pan from the oven, drop the temperature to 350F, and add the eggs.  Roll the eggs around the pan to make sure they get into every nook and cranny.  Place the pan back into the oven for about eight to 10 minutes, checking in now and then to see the doneness of the eggs.  It might take you longer or shorter, depending on how many eggs you used.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.  Slice it up and serve immediately.  ¡Buen provecho!

Gettin' the potato party started!  I keep the peel on because that's where all the nutrients are.  Without the peel, it's honestly a pile of starch.

Feta cheese + herbs + garlic + potatoes + salt and pepper = hubba hubbaroo :-)

Adding in the onions gives a nice mellow flavor after all is said and done.

The pan is done with its first baking in the oven.  Browned potatoes always equal happiness!

First, level the potatoes off if you want; I didn't.  Then, add the eggs and pop it into the oven.

Baked and ready to eat!  A rubber or silicone spatula will easily loosen the frittata from the pan to make your life easier.  Slice up a wedge or scoop out a bunch :-)  Sprinkle with a little chopped basil to give it some color and fresh flavor!

Great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner... anytime at all!

World's Best Eggrolls

What's your favorite eggroll?  I'll tell you my favorite eggroll is a piece of perfection... and it is not even the same each time it is made.  They are magical in that no matter the change in ingredients each time, they always taste the best.  None other in the world compare.  Where does one get these eggrolls?  Well, they are made by my mother.  My mom's eggrolls ROCK.  When I get a phone call that she's just made some a couple of hours prior or is in the process of making them, you know I'm in my car heading home for some freshly made eggrolls! 

Is it bias?  I think yes and no.  She's my mother, yes.  However, I will not say that I love everything that she makes and think it's the best in the world.  Nope nope.  However, her eggrolls are hands down the best eggrolls ever.  Perhaps I should have her start an eggroll place and it'll be featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

I find eggrolls elsewhere to be lacking.  They lack in filling, flavor, distinction.  Raise your hand if you know what I am talking about: the roll itself is about 1/4" thick and all that is inside is sad cabbage and some carrots, maybe a piece of meat here or there and about zero percent flavor.  Hmm?  I'm right, aren't I?

Well, tonight I took a break from doing physics problems and went home for some eggrolls because I received that most newsy phone call :-)  That first bite is absolute... ::sigh::  You crunch through that thin layer of fried wrapper and then your teeth sink into lots of meat and veggies.  As you chew it all together, the flavors just melt away in your mouth.  Then, you must take another bite.  Then, another and another and another and then all of a sudden, the eggroll is gone.  What to do?  Grab another one, of course.  Oh yes, these are so incredibly addicting, definitely a meal in themselves.

Eating eggrolls at the table tonight and talking with my mother and catching her up on my life made me realize something: it'll be a sad sad time when she passes away.  Not only because she won't be here but, because I won't get anymore of these magnificent eggrolls!!!  Major sadness.  You are wondering, "Well, Hester, why don't you just learn from your mother and have her teach you?"  Oh, buddy, that is a difficult task and I will tell you why. 

While some might think I have patience, I think I really don't.  It varies depending on the situation but, my mother and all my coaches can attest to the fact that I can be quite impatient.  However, when it comes to matters in the kitchen, surprisingly, I can become quite the uppity little brat if I am not "getting it."  Now, this is when I am under someone else's tutelage and usually, that is my mother.  So, is it because it is my mother doing the teaching or because I am not getting the hang of it?  Haha, probably both.  I remember years ago she'd taught me how to make the eggrolls and it would take me forever to wrap and my rolls would never come out pretty and uniform like hers.  You look at my pile and then you look at her pile and well, you know who did what, haha. 

However, it is not only about technique.  My mother is one of those "add a little bit of this, add a little bit of that" mothers.  I mean, I totally do that when I am cooking savory dishes--I do not measure.  Thus, to have a person ask you for the recipe is kind of painful.  Even to watch her would take forever because I would probably microscopically eye every single move she makes--what she uses and how much of it.  Case in point: my mother also makes some bomb-diggity fried rice.  And to her, fried rice is a leftovers kind of dish and she usually throws in whatever is in the fridge.  Thus, they're not always the same!  Despite that, they always taste fantastic!  

Now with me, you'll see me measuring out rice, purchasing certain ingredients, mixing it all together... and you know what?  I think it tastes like crap :-(  Maybe it is the precision that I put into it or something because it does not taste right.  Yet, my mother's 15-minute fried rice, the one she'll make after a long, long, long day at work tastes as if it was made specifically for the emperor of... wherever.  How does the woman do it?!?!  That being said, I do not think I will ever be able to replicate her eggrolls or fried rice, for that matter!

I believe I get my drive for perfection from her so, I get upset when things do not turn out correct, especially the first time.  My mother is all about doing it right and doing it well.  Being the wise woman that she is, my mother always told me I needed to be patient and to pay attention.  Heck, take away the past tense because, she still does!  Lo and behold, that advice rings true in all parts of my life, not just in the kitchen.  As a young woman of 23, I am still trying to learn to be patient.  Every single time I see her she'll somehow manage to get a lecture in there.  I don't know how, but it always happens!  Maybe I will never be patient but, I do know this--on her deathbed, my mother will still be lecturing me and teaching me to be a better person. 

She is the kind of woman who will spend her day off making eggrolls (an arduous task that can poop you out) even when she has a million bajillion things she wants to get done.  But, she makes them because 1) she saw that she had none left in the freezer that she had frozen from the last batch and 2) because she likes to make people happy and trust me, these eggrolls make us happy :-)  As rambly as this post might be, let's just say it's all about my mother and her eggrolls!
I love you, Ma Ma!

A Scientific Look at The PB & J

I honestly cannot remember eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when I was a kid.  I am sure that I did... I just don't remember it.  Well, except that a lot of the peanut butter we got was from my grandmother getting free government goods.  The government wanted to make sure the old people (who qualified) were getting proper nutrients into their bodies.  Generous Nai-Nai that I had, she gave us her peanut butter.  That's all I remember.

However, I will tell you about my most recent and probably my fondest memories of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  They occurred during my time as a track and fielder at Orange Coast College.  GO PIRATES!  Coach Fier aka Mama Fier was really good about keeping our protein and carbohydrate levels up during track meets.  He (and the long distance runners) made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as well as peanut butter and honey sandwiches the day prior to a track meet.

I am not sure if it's because you're waiting around all day for your event(s) or if you're starving or just bored or... whatever, but, Coach Fier's sandwiches always rocked.  I am brought back to these memories today because this morning in my human nutrition class, my professor, Dr. Tim Bradley, had to justify the combination of peanuts and bread as a good nutritional combo.

Here's the lowdown: grains lack in certain essential amino acids that legumes have.  And likewise, legumes lack in certain essential amino acids that grains contain.  So, it makes sense that eating legumes and grains together will help maintain a balanced diet of giving you the nutrients that you need.  But you also need veggies, fruits, meats, dairy... there is a reason for the food pyramid, you know!  I mean, I can totally justify vegetarian diets but this is not the post for it :-)

Anyway, we did discuss the fact that a peanut butter sandwich is a good source of protein and fat and fairly cheap to make.  Before you freak out about the fat, it is not terribly bad for you, especially if you are a poor person who cannot afford much else.  You also receive niacin, folate, and thiamin not only from the peanut butter, but also from the bread.  I would recommend whole-grain bread, peanut butter, and even jelly to get some vitamins in there.  It's great for the growing child as well as the active athlete on a long day at a track meet :-) 

I decided to make a PB & J today when I got home from school just because I felt a little nostalgic.  My personal favorites are Knott's Seedless Strawberry Jam and Welch's Concord Grape Jelly with some Skippy Peanut Butter (creamy).  Of course, it's one fruit or the other + the peanut butter for me.  Never do I mix the two.  In the future, I think that I will try to make my own peanut butter because I was reading the ingredients in my Skippy PB and it was 1) roasted peanuts 2) sugar, then 3) partially hydrogenated oils.  I'm not too keen on 2 and 3... :-(

Also, try a peanut butter and honey sandwich if you have not before.  It's quite unique and tasty!  Time for you to go down memory lane, don't you think?