I Can Almost Taste It

Spring is so close... and, for a few days there, I thought it was here. Thanks for faking me out, mother nature. Sad times. But, it will be here soon, and that's all that matters.

Warm weather and sunny skies should make moving, leaving home, and planning a wedding seem a little less daunting, don't you think? That's what I'm hoping. The only drawback of sunlit days of warmness? Exposed legs. Yeah... I'm one of those won't-shave-my-legs-until-I-feel-guilty-enough-to-do-so types. I think it's a stupid concept (no real reason that we do it except that we are "supposed to") and a pain in the rear. But, I do it on occasion so I don't get stared at. :)

Well, I'm off to pack up some more of my crapola in my room. Maybe some Spring weather will be headed our way soon... (cross your heart and hope to... be warm?)

Mari

The Joy of Cooking (Vegetables)

Spring is here and it's time for veggies! Last night, my dad and I made a strictly veggie meal (which, if you know my dad, is almost unheard of) that was amazingly delicious - if I do say so myself! The photo above is what we started with: raw beets, sweet onions, fennel, and garlic cloves. We decided to roast them (believe it or not, at the suggestion of Auguste Escoffier) so they would be cruncy and delicious. After we arranged them in the pan (and preheated the oven to 350 degrees F), we drizzled EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on them and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, a little chicken base (I promise... it works), and balsamic vinegar.



Next, we baked them for about 20 minutes, flipped them over & added a few splashes of red wine, and baked them for another 10 minutes.

Next, we plated them and sprinkled toasted walnuts shaved parmesan cheese on them and drizzled a homemade mustard walnut vinaigrette over the entire yumminess. I love how the onions soaked up the balsamic and wine and look like little sweet roses! And every once in a while, when you bite into a roasted and caramelized garlic clove, you just want to weep with happiness.

You've got to love my dad. He couldn't take having a completely vegetarian meal (it's just not in him), so he rendered some bacon and sauteed the beet greens in it for about 4 minutes. And I must say - they were delicious! But, if you're a vegetarian, you could do without that step, of course. ;)

Enjoy!

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Mmmm... my favorite dessert in any Thai restaurant: Mango Sticky Rice. Why do I love it so? Because it's rice. In a dessert. With mango. Oh yeah... and coconut. Delish! So, I decided to make it one night when the mangoes were fresh and I had a little time. I found the recipe online and changed it up a bit... Here it is:

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Serves 4

1 cup Thai sweet rice/sticky rice

1-2 ripe mangoes, cubed

4-5 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 cups coconut milk

1 tsp. black sesame seeds

1 tsp. white sesame seeds

Soak the rice in 1 cup of water for 1-2 hours - don't drain it (this will help make it extra sticky!). Pour into a medium sauce pot and add 3/4 cup more water, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and two Tbsp. brown sugar. Stir.

Bring it up to a boil then bring it down to a simmer. Partially cover the top with a lid (let some of the steam escape). Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20 minutes (or until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft). Turn off the heat, but allow to sit on the burner for 10 minutes with the lid on.

To make the coconut sauce, warm (do not boil) the rest of the coconut milk. Add 2-3 Tbsp. sugar (depends on how sweet you like your sauce) and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir to dissolve. Remove from heat.

To plate, scoop a glob (yes, a glob...hehe) of the rice onto the plate. Put mango cubes around the rice glob and drizzle the coconut sauce over it (I like lots of it, but you be the judge). Sprinkle it with the sesame seeds, and you're done!

Mmmm.... nice and sticky... :)

Hope you enjoy the recipe! :)

Master Bath Makeover

As you can tell, I can't resist a good "Before & After." Especially, when it's dramatic! So, here was Ryan and my latest project: the master bathroom. Notice the beige walls...


And here is the after! No more drab! :) We painted the bathroom "Butter Rum" - a deep orange color. I think it feels more sophisticated and really makes the marble tiles pop.

All that's left to paint is the master bedroom... ugh. That's gonna take a while... :)

Guest Room: Before & After

Here was our guest room before. My parents were staying in there before a trip - hence the luggage. The walls were a warm beige... nothing wrong with that, but I wanted something cooler and calming. So, we painted the walls "whitened sage," added some accents (white ceramic creatures, an awesome mirror from pier one, and some thrift store finds), and here is the after:


I think it has a much better feel to it, don't you? Below is a photo of the bed with the mosquito net we added above it. Not sure if you can tell in this photo, but the wall on the left is slightly darker ("sliced cucumber"). I am so pleased with the finished product!

Change of Plans

Sadly, the job at Chef Audrey's did not work out. But, I am confident that I will find something else soon (but not too soon - I have to move and wedding-plan as well as job hunt!).

It snowed in Kathleen GA... first time it snowed like that in 12 years and I got to see it! Yahoo! I counted 20 snow creatures/attempted snow creatures in our neighborhood alone! I love living in a place where snow is exciting... instead of commonplace. :) Yay for the South!

As much I loved centering this blog around culinary school, I'm not in culinary school anymore! So, I decided I'd better come up with a new concept. I tried to narrow it down to what I would want to post about... and I discovered that I'm interested in waaaay too many things to have a "concept" and it would just have to be about... well... stuff I want to post about! So, there! Hah.

~ Mari

Chef Bland Gets a Job

Yeppers... I'm employed! I will be spending my tuesdays through saturdays at Chef Audrey's Bistro & Bakery in Warner Robins, GA - starting in March. I will be baking, chef-ing (you know what I mean... right?), and coming up with specials. And, in case you were wondering just what kind of food I might be chef-ing, here is the Valentine's Day 2010 menu:

Course I:
Zucchini & Goat Cheese Amuse Bouche

Course II:
Intermezzo Lime Sorbet
Wine:* Beringer White Zinfandel

Course III:
Coffee Rubbed Petite Filet
Pan Seared Sea Bass & Jumbo Scallop
Potato Tart
Wilted Spinach
Sweet Potato
Fresh Baked Bread w/Creamy Butter
Wine:* Beringer Merlot

Course IV:
White Chocolate Tulip w/Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
Coffee Service

Course V:
Mixed Greens w/Blackberry Vinaigrette Blue Cheese, Dried Cranberries

Dinner Begins @ 6-8 RESERVATIONS ONLY
65.00 per person

So, now I'll be moving all of my many pieces o' crap that I own down to Ryan & my house down in Kathleen, GA (only about 10 minutes from Chef Audrey's) for the next month. Oh, and I need a nice-fitting women's chef coat - one that doesn't make me look like a female trying to wear a large male's straight jacket. And I think I've found the place... crookedbrook.com. Check it out sometime if you want to drool over some freaking awesome handmade custom chef coats. This is the one I'm thinking of getting...

I might want to get it in green... because, well, green is awesome. If and when I get my new piece of chef-amazingness, I will post a photo.

Until then, I'm planning on eating lots of pasta, packing, planning the wedding, and... well... watching Lost. ;)

Mari