John’s Bourbon cocktail

Sorry about the lack of posting, oh two readers of mine. Between the theater critics’ conference and general busy-ness, all I’ve had time to cook lately is clean-out-the-fridge pasta and scrambled eggs. To tide you over, I’ll share the recipe of a cocktail John’s been making me lately, basically a high ball meets Shirley Temple.

Good combo

No real recipe here (particularly given half this meal is frozen pierogis) but sausage and peppers with pierogis on the side? YUM.

Chicken quesadilla

Sadly, I discovered I was out of propane when I made this, so this became more of a makeshift George Foreman creation than I would have liked. Still, who doesn’t love quesadillas?

Turkey and white bean chili

The flavors in this crock pot dish were very nice, but the chili was more watery than I would have liked. Cornstarch didn’t thicken quite enough – I think I used too much broth, but I wonder if there’s something else I could have done. Note: Many recipes I saw called for diced chiles – I would have totally added this if I had it on hand, as it would have lent a good kick.

Homemade salsa

Had a tomato or two to use up, so it was salsa time. I’m actually not convinced I’ve made salsa before. This one could have used more kick (no hot peppers on hand) and was a bit watery, but I love the fresh taste.

Melon and prosciutto soup

I was really excited when I saw this recipe – what a great summer twist on a classic combination. Made it myself with some variation tonight with refreshing results.

Limeade with basil and mint

A refreshing drink we recreated after sampling in knife class – it’s a limeade of sorts that gets an added kick from mint and basil.

Caprese Pasta Salad

As you may have guessed, this isn’t so different from the caprese pasta I made last night. The addition of kalamata olives lends a great brininess.

Caprese Pasta: Yeah or Nay to America’s Test Kitchen?

I was watching “America’s Test Kitchen” the other day, and they talked about using the technique of cutting up supermarket fresh mozzarella into cubes and freezing them for a few minutes to ensure your pasta wouldn’t get super goopy.

I did this when making a twist on caprese (which had some of its own issues) last night, and I’m not sure whether I’m pro-. The technique worked, for sure. But I think I really like the stringy, gooey, clumpiness that happens when your mozzarella melts more into your pasta. Any thoughts?

Spicy shrimp kebobs

Shrimp kebobs were the game plan for last night’s dinner. Since I had such good luck with my recent shrimp and beer recipe, I decided to incorporate similar ingredients into my kebob marinade.