"Fifty Shades of Sante Fe"

                              

                                   "Fifty Shades of Sante Fe"

November is finally here!!  With an overdue cool breeze blowing in, us "Texans" can at last do something we haven't been able to do in months......USE OUR OVENS! The cool fall breeze has not only whet my appetite for cooking, but also put my holiday themed mind on full blast. Instead of making the usual Ghoul-ash , Tricken-Boo-sghetti, orMummy-dogs, I got in the kitchen to see what I could find to whip up in a flash.


The key player....
Leftover smoked pork shoulder, thank you Uncle Ron;), quickly turned it into pork carnitas - with fresh roasted poblano peppers, sauted onion, and a couple canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

I wanted to make a blog with a recipe without specific amount or quantaties, so I grabbed a few key kitchen staples and was on my way to making one of the best dishes I have ever created! (I was in the mood for Sante Fe style stacked cheese and onion enchildas, so I kicked it up a notch)

*and yes, I took a shortcut.. I used my 2 favorite store-bought enchilda sauces. I happen to LOVE them, and they are great in a pinch! (but of course I love homemade). T minus 30 minutes utnil showtime people!

                                
                                "My Sante Fe Stacked Enchildas"

                         Read the entire recipe first, so you can create your own enchilada masterpiece!!


1 or 2 pounds of meat (depending on how many your making)
I used my leftover pork carnita creation, but I already have plans for beef, chicken, turkey, or roasted fall veggies. Do stacked cheese and onion if you like. Keep the creative juices flowing!

1 small onion, chopped and sauteed in a little oil or butter

4 cups or 10 ;) grated cheese- I used a mix of colby jack, muenster, and some Deli Deluxe sliced American cheese

1 can green enchilda sauce
1 can red enchildada sauce- Old El Paso Medium is my favorite  (I wanted New Mexico "Christmas Style" red and green enchildas) I also liked to warm the sauce on the stovetop or micowave first, just because.

Corn Tortillas- softened ( I dredge mine in hot oil for a few seconds until soft)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees...Grab a baking sheet, covered with foil  ( <-- trust me), grab your assembly line of ingredients and start stacking...

Mine went a little something like this....

tortilla
cheese and sauteed onion
tortilla
Meat layer- pork and muenster cheese
tortilla
cheese and onion
tortilla
spoon of red on one side, spoon of green sauce on the other side

I hear sleigh bells already....

Top with cheese. This is where I get carried away....

Pop the stack in the oven until they are hot and bubbly and serve with your favorite toppings!

Hello Lover...

 my favorite topping just happened to be a drizzle of sour cream on the bottom and a beautiful fried egg on the top.

                                                                Hang your STACKings by the chimney with care!!

                      "Put A Little South In Your Mouth"

Hi, my name is Julie Morris, and I am a big, fat, blog neglector.

I have actually had TOO much to blog about, and I am feeling overwhelmed with inspiration and I have no clue where to start.

So April, without doubt, is always the busiest time for me. The highlight being the Texas State Championship Fiddler's Frolics in Hallettsville, Texas. It is more than a fiddle contest for me. It is a family reunion.
This year, My Dad, Kenneth Morris, and cousin,
 Dale Morris Jr, were inducted into the Hall of Fame. I gave a speech, I have no clue what I said,  I cried, and I played my guitar. Words cannot express how awesome it is for me to have the honor of having BOTH parents in the Hall of Fame now. I am one proud daughter.

My Cousin Jen (Shish) and I in Hallettsville

So the day I returned from Hallettsville, I came home, worked, gave my cocker spaniels and Salma as much attention as possible, and left the next morning for Savannah ,Georgia with Lydia, my partner in crime. First stop, PAULA DEEN'S Restaurant, The Lady and Sons. It was amazing. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't trendy. It was my Grandma's cooking. If anyone has a bad thing to say about the Queen, Miss Paula Deen, they can answer to me. Thank God for women like her who keep "Grandma's cooking alive". Trendy cooking doesn't impress me. Sorry. If you don't like it, you can kiss my grits.

A sample of the buffet items at the amazing "Lady and Sons"

Onto South Carolina. My big sis invited us to stay with her in a SWEET rental house right on the beach on Hilton Head Island. We had the best time!!! I got to be personal chef for everyone, including my 4 perfect nieces and nephews. It was my dream job. Life is good....

Lydia and I rented a Mustang convertible to cruise the beach in style!

My sis is the best!!!

Cousin Sarah and I tore up Hilton Head!

So spending time and savoring the South has been good for me. It brought me back to basics. The good stuff. A good pot of beans, fried chicken, banana pudding, sweet tea, fried catfish, shrimp and grits, pecan pie, sweet potatoes, GRAVY, pickled Green tomatoes, turnip greens, BBQ, baked spaghetti, baked chicken, She crab soup, cornbread...
So put a little "South" in your mouth and feed that soul, because like Paula says, "Grandma's cooking never goes out of style".

My Grandma, Phern Ryals. She is my culinary inspiration, and my favorite person. Home is where Grandma is.

                                   Sally Goodin's Banana Pudding

2 cups cold milk (whole)

1 8-ounce  package cream cheese, softened

1  12 ounce Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream (if you want to get fancy.  If you make your own, make sure it's sweetened)

1 14 ounce can Eagle Brand Milk

1  5 ounce box instant FRENCH VANILLA pudding mix

8 bananas, sliced

1 box Nilla Wafers OR 2 bags Pepperidge farm Chessman cookies (if you want to get fancy)

1. Set aside 2 large bowls, a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid mixer, if you have one, and a 13x9 pan; along with a garbage bowl to put your trash in. ( if you line up all of your ingredients before you start, it will be a breeze)

2. Grab your 13x9 pan and line the bottom with cookies and layer bananas on top.

3. Add your cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and mix until well blended. ( I use a whisk here to get a fluffy and airy texture)

4. In a bowl, combine the cold milk and vanilla pudding mix, and blend using a hand mixer or Kitchen aid mixer.

5. In another bow, mix Eagle Brand Milk, and SOFTENED cream cheese together, and mix until smooth and lump free. Fold in the cool whip

6. Pour mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Welcome Summer!!

CHEERS Y'ALL!

The Lost Art of the Cheese Taco....

  
 The Lost Art of the Cheese Taco…..

Okay, I admit. Mexican food is a big part of my life. Correction, Tex-Mex (but I still say Mexican) is a big part of my life. When it comes to Mexican food, I didn't realize that growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, was a luxury until my first trip to Colorado to see my Uncle perform at the Bar D.

Tomato Sauce only and Mozzarella cheese on an enchilada, “these taste like ketchup”?!!  My little 8 year old palate was so confused. (Heck, at the time I didn’t know what a palate was, but I knew something was wrong) Mom, Dad, Jenni, HELP!

* I have grown to love Colorado cuisine by the way, so please no hate emails. I fantasize about the Green Chili dishes I have eaten in Durango with my cousins, Velvet and Tawni. Even after a couple trips to Denver, I realized that the Green Chile Beer I had last year in Denver is my happy place. After all, anything with green chiles rocks my world! One of the best dishes I have ever eaten was in Denver at Biker Jim's.( Thank you Anthony Bourdain for the recommendation. ) A burger at the Cherry Cricket? Hello Lover!                                                                                    I want to move to Colorado someday.

My green chile beer drinking face. I miss you Denver!

Denver 2011,  in front of Jax Seafood House for Happy Hour

So, back to Mexican food, going to eat at our favorite restaurant was quite a production. My sister and I…brace yourselves for laughter…would dress up in MEXICAN DRESSES every time we would go eat Tex-Mex.  (sorry Jenni, the secret is out) Yep, you heard me, bright yellow and bright pink dresses with embroidered flowers all over them.  You know, we rocked that look with pride! (too bad we aren't really Mexican, we looked the part:)

Replica of my Mexican dress

 Who would like to meet me at Joe T’s sometime wearing Mexican dresses? I say we bring the “dressing up for food” idea back! Boots Jeans and BBQ anyone? Toga’s at our favorite Greek restaurant? Crawfish costumes for a crawfish boil; you know I have no fear of that!

Last year at Julie A's Birthday Party at the Crawfish Boil. I am dying to wear this costume again. 

So I thought I would begin with a dish that has confused me all my life, and still does. What exactly is a cheese taco? I feel freaky even ordering one. So it’s a cheese enchilada with queso?  Why do I mainly see these on the menu in North Texas?  Onions or no onions, that is the question!

----Culinary School Tips

* read through your entire recipe several times until you know exactly what you are doing, this can save so much time in the kitchen.

* get all ingredients out at the beginning of your recipe. This can save you from losing your mind if you are halfway through a recipe and are missing a key ingredient.

 *knife cuts are very important, everything will cook even and look better when you apply your ninja knife skills
**If you are new to cayenne, be VERY CAREFUL! Cayenne is the Chuck Norris of spices, go easy if you aren’t used to using cayenne.

 So here is my Cheese taco journey…

                                         Grab this crew of ingredients to make the queso

1 block (16 oz) American cheese grated

1 onion; small diced (RESERVE ½ for enchiladas)

1 or 2 jalapenos deveined, deseeded, and minced

1 Serrano chile deveined, deseeded, and minced (omit this if you like medium spicy, versus hot)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tomatoes; small diced

1 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth, or beer if you want extra cool points)

 2 tablespoons Butter (I only use unsalted)

** 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to taste)

½ teaspoon cumin (or less to taste)

Salt

¼ cup milk

( speaking of green chiles, I have a tendency to swirl in few tablespoons of my roasted green chiles to queso)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, on medium heat sauté onions, and chiles with cumin, salt, and cayenne, in butter until the onions are soft (but not mushy, they should still have a bit of crisp).

Add Garlic, sauté for another minute, add tomatoes and cook for another minute or two, until you see this delicious scenery………..

TURN DOWN YOUR HEAT TO LOW, Stir in chicken broth, and then add American cheese ( I added around 4 cups, and a small…maybe ¼ cup of some extra cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese for some extra pizazz) Simmer and stir on very low temp and watch the cheesy  melting  magic. Charge admission fees for others to watch this amazing queso happening. When cheese is melted, add your milk.

Everybody get your roll on…

For the enchiladas

1 16 ounce block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I added a tiny bit of cheddar, for fun)

Other half of onion, sautéed in butter until translucent (okay fine, maybe true cheese tacos don’t have onions, but I’m adding them)

12 corn tortillas (could be more or less depending on how big you like to roll your enchiladas)

*tip* I either stack them up and cover them in damp paper towels and microwave them for 90 seconds OR soften them in a skillet one at a time with a little bit of butter or oil (don’t use olive or any other strong flavored oil)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grab your favorite enchilada pan (9x13) and cover the bottom with queso sauce.

Place a tablespoon or two of cheese and a few onions to taste, roll and place seam side down in pan. (Try not to crowd the enchiladas too close to each other, give them their own personal space). Cover with remaining cheese sauce, and sprinkle a line of Monterey Jack over the middle of the pan, this shows your diners you really care.

Pop it in the oven and bake until bubbly and sexy.

I’m warning you, this recipe is pretty killer. I topped my enchiladas with some finely minced jalapeno to give some color and crunch.

Love, Kisses, and Cheesy Dishes,

Julie

"My Love Letter to Meatloaf"

Dearest Meatloaf,

                I would like to hereby apologize to you for not giving you the credit you deserve. I wanted you to know that I realize now how truly amazing your beefy goodness is. I would date you if I thought there was a chance you wouldn’t cheat on me.  

Thank you for the good times, the bad times, and for adding more minutes to my daily exercise regime.  You are worth it!

Might I also add, that my decision to wrap bacon slices around you is not the only reason that you are sexy, but it helps.

Thanks for doing what you do,

Julie

Speaking of wrapped in bacon,..This is me, driving down the road, dressed as bacon.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to post a recipe that would bring warmth to your heart. It’s more than the traditional Valentine’s surf n turf menu; it’s an old fashioned standby. Fancy food is like a new love, so exciting, fresh, and impressive. Then when the “newness “ fades , the REAL true love takes over. The love that is warm, comforting, unconditional, and accepts your obsession with late night cookbook reading while you watch Sex and the City reruns, and the fact that if the right song comes on, you will dance like an idiot

·         Caution: I write recipes the same way I teach guitar, with tons of details and notes, because every little secret and hint can help!

    

    Sexy  Meatloaf

                               

                                        It’s a hunk of burning love

        I adapted this recipe from a meatloaf recipe from "The Pioneer Woman", and from one of the greatest cooks in the world, Paula Meador. Her meatloaf converted me into a meatloaf lover, and after trying over a  thousand times, I still can't make it as good as her.

This would also be a good “base” recipe for..

1.       Meatballs- meatball subs on toasted bread with marinara sauce and melted provolone, spaghetti and meatballs, or in a crock-pot simmered in your favorite sauce as an appetizer for a Superbowl party

2.       Burgers or sliders- brush glaze over burgers when they are almost ready, to keep the sauce from burning

3.       My favorite…drum roll please…

      MEATLOAF SANDWICHES- Take leftover meatloaf slices, sandwich between grilled bread ( buttered and toasted in a skillet) and top with American cheese OR top with my favorite—LOADED MASHED POTATOES.  (your favorite mashed potato recipe with added shredded cheese such as cheddar, smoked cheddar, or pepperjack, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions) Yes, I took it too far…

Okay here is a chef secret… very important, very worth the time….ready? 3…2…1….

                                      

                                              THE FAMOUS TESTER PATTY!!

When your mixture is ready to form into a loaf..STOP… take a tiny piece, press it into a patty, and COOK IT IN A SKILLET!! This is the only way you can test and make sure you have the right amount of salt and seasonings, and it is a quick preview of your masterpiece.  Please do this!! I will come over and do your dishes if you will do this.

Ingredients for loaf mixture:

2 pounds ground chuck

6-10 slices of bacon

4-6 slices of white bread, torn into pieces,  soaked in 2 cups of milk

3 tablespoons (or more) of Worcestershire

2-3 eggs, beaten

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, add more if you are feeling extra Italian ( I keep a block in the fridge at all times , and grate with a microplane)

2 tablespoons fresh italian parsley, minced (please use fresh!)

1 large onion – small diced

I bell pepper- small diced

4 garlic cloves minced (reserve one clove for glaze)

¼ cup ketchup- your fanciest J

Salt and freshly ground pepper

And I use tons of either Lawry’s seasoning or my new standby-Tony Chachere seasoning mix! It’s special

                                              Amazing Glaze

                                           How sweet the sound

2 cups Ketchup

2 tablespoons Grey Poupon-   roll down your window at a stoplight and you might get lucky!

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons or more TABASCO sauce ( I use a tablespoon)

2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire

Salt and pepper

(your other half of  the sautéed bell pepper, onion, and garlic will be added here)

Directions:

 “Mise” (pronounced “meez”) out your ingredients. In chef terms this means -get all your ingredients out to save yourself some time!

1.         Sauté your bell pepper and onion in a little bit of butter (bacon grease works well here) until they have a little color, add garlic, and sauté another minute. take half of the mixture out and set it to the side.

2.       Grab a big bowl; take all your jewelry off since you will be using your hands for this, and send jewelry to me.

3.       Squeeze your moistened bread until most of the milk is out (don’t be too careful) and add bread to your bowl

4.       Add beef and the remaining ingredients of loaf mixture. (I "accidentally" poured some of the glaze mixture in the meatloaf also. I was a rebel with a cause.)

5.       How easy was that?

6.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and make your tester patty

7.       Taste taste taste!   Add more seasonings if needed… ( I always end up using a little garlic powder or onion powder here for more flavor. Don’t ask me why)

Glaze

1.       Add all ingredients to a small saucepan, and simmer gently until everything is melted together. This will be the color of love.

Here we go!

Form meat mixture into a loaf shape, and place on a FOIL LINED baking pan. (I don’t use a meatloaf pan because I want the entire meatloaf to get roasted with all that caramelized  flavor. A meatloaf pan is handy to shape your loaf in, and then you can flip it into your sheet pan, and look like a rockstar)

Cover meatloaf with bacon slices, tucking the bacon underneath the bottom of the loaf so it doesn’t curl up when it starts to crisp.  Spoon glaze over meatloaf, don’t be shy. Reserve the rest of  the warm glaze for serving, just  make sure not to cross contaminate by adding your raw meat spoon back into your sauce.

Bake in the oven at 350 for at least an hour- 1 ½ , depending on the size of your loaf. I like to make smaller loaves so it doesn’t have to cook as long, and I don’t have to wait as long to eat. Bake your meatloaf in individual portions in a muffin pan if you want.  It would be quick and easy that way.

--Serve with Over the top mashed potatoes, loaded mashed potatoes, potato puree (my favorite, just add extra milk to your mashed potatoes and you have a quick puree) and a green vegetable of choice. I love canned baby peas with bacon grease sautéed onion or shallots,or if I’m lucky enough to still have some, my Grandma’s canned green beans.

Love Peas and Bacon Grease,

Julie

    

    

“The Best Things In Life are Chicken Fried”

    Close your eyes.... Okay read this and THEN close your eyes...
 I want you to take a second to think about your favorite food memories. Remember those special dishes that you shared with loved ones that created lifelong memories.  Isn't it amazing how just the thought of that food can take you back in time? 

Maybe you think of fried chicken? That toasty smell of flour coated chicken frying to a crispy golden brown?  I remember my Grandma standing there in front of her favorite cast iron skillet, and the sound of her voice with the sizzling sound of chicken frying in the background. I can recite every detail of the taste of Grandma’s fried chicken. My Grandma is my hero. She is still the best cook I know.

Grandpa and Grandma gardening in Arkansas
Photo by Triple S Photography

    What about that burger place you would eat at when traveling to a favorite spot? That meal you had at a fancy restaurant you will never forget? Potato salad someone made at that BBQ in 1993 that you compare ALL potato salad to?
    So today I challenge you. (Yes it's my 3rd post and I am already asking favors, but trust me.) Get in the kitchen and make your own tribute to that dish. So what if you don't remember the recipe, go for it! As a chef I can tell you after lots of hours in the kitchen that I haven't mastered a recipe yet. There is always something I want to make better next time. So do your soul a favor, and MAKE THAT DISH!    
      About a year ago, I called my Dad and told him that my sister and I were making his world famous baked tacos, and told him how special that dish was when he would make it for our family. I never realized until I became an adult just how important those times would be. Some of my earliest memories were of my family, sitting at the table, and talking over a home cooked meal. Now Dad (and Mom’s) baked tacos are a favorite dinner of my nieces and nephews. My Dad is a great cook and I will never forget the proud happy laugh Dad gave me when I told him.  

        So, the other day I was walking through the grocery and I started missing another important man in my life, Uncle Ron. Ron is my cooking partner in crime, another dad to me, and one of my best friends. Until this summer I have always lived 10 minutes away from him, and I admit that I'm having a hard time being so far away from Ron AND Lydia. (35 miles. but hey, that's far) So before I knew it, I was home from the grocery store with all the ingredients for Ron's FAMOUS chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, and baby peas. You know that scene in Titanic where Leonardo Dicaprio yelled "I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD!! WOOOO!!!?.......................yeah, he had just eaten Ron's chicken fried steak.

It’s. So. Good.

Back to the story- 3 hours later (whew!!) and my first chicken fried steak I've ever cooked was on the table. I know, I'm 32 and this was my first chicken fried steak attempt? And I call myself a Texan? Okay, before you kick me across the Red River realize this... why in the world would I attempt this dish when Uncle Ron makes it for us all the time and it’s perfect?! 
    So there I sat, ironically at Ron’s table he gave me when they remodeled their kitchen last year. (The very kitchen table I had so many wonderful meals and memories with the family. It was one of the best presents I could ever receive.) I took a few bites…was it Ron's famous chicken fried steak? No. But it was close. Instantly I felt happy that I came close, and it made my heart feel a little bit better. All the sudden those 35 miles didn’t seem so far.

 I have watched my dear Uncle Ron make chicken fried steak a thousand times, but I don't have it yet. That’s okay Ron, I’ll keep trying.  

   So, experimenting with the chicken fried steak dinner is still in the works, just like Dad’s tacos, and Grandma’s fried chicken and other dishes from great cooks who inspire me. So until I post those recipes, you can find me on my treadmill…..and
speaking of treadmill…..

                                                    My  “ I Told Ya So”  Mashed Potatoes*

These potatoes are so awesome that they can be made hours before, and refrigerated until you’re ready to show off your newest mad potato skills.:)

Grab:

4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and large diced (Peeling potatoes makes me feel like a real woman;)

2 cups of buttermilk, or a milk and cream mixture, or heavy cream  (live a little, eat salad tomorrow)

2 sticks of UNSALTED butter, reserving a few pats for topping (I will explain why I only use unsalted butter another time)

2 tablespoons of salt ( I use kosher salt for 99.9% of all my cooking needs)

Salt and Pepper to taste (I use white pepper, freshly ground mixed peppercorns, or freshly ground pepper only. Do not use the black pepper in the tin can; it is WAY to bitter tasting. I’m a proud pepper snob)

a dollop of cream cheese or sour cream if you want to get jiggy with it

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven or large pot, add potatoes, 2 tablespoons of salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium high heat until fork tender.

2. While waiting on potatoes to cook,  grab a saucepan and put on low heat. Add your milk, butter, and a good amount of salt and pepper.(your jiggy optional dollop of cream cheese or sour cream can be added here also) Heat until butter is melted. It’s a beautiful thing. (sorry I have no salt and pepper specifics ,but that is why you taste taste taste later)

***now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees***

3. When potatoes are fork tender, drain them well, and prepare to mash. I have a very important tool that I use for this process, a potato ricer. If you do not have a potato ricer, don’t worry. Mash your potatoes any way you want. However…this is a LIFE CHANGING kitchen tool. I love mine and on cold nights I want to snuggle with it.

4. When potatoes are riced, or mashed, start adding your warm cream mixture. Stir a little, add a little. There is a chance you might not want to add ALL of the mixture, so find your favorite consistency and WHOA.

5. Grab a spoon, or 5, and taste taste TASTE, until your potatoes are properly seasoned. It’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it.

Okay, you are almost done:

Grab a baking dish and add potatoes and spread until even on top. Add reserved pats of butter to the top and pop in the oven until butter is melted.

Now here we go…… turn your oven up to broil (don’t be scared, but do not walk away. Please do not grab something from another room, take a phone call, watch a little tv, write a poem, take a Hawaiin vacation, or go Christmas shopping) You will only need to broil for a couple of minutes TOPS!

The top of the potatoes will brulee, ooooh la la, to a golden brown on the top and create a golden buttered light “crust”.  This will make you very happy. Watch the puzzled looks when you serve these, smile and look humble as you watch the lives of others around you change when they take a bite of potato heaven.

Close your eyes and take a moment as YOU take a bite. You can actually feel your soul soothing.  Ohhhh yeaahhhh….

                                 *also known as my BEAUTIFUL niece/Goddaughter/Namesake Juliet’s potatoes

                                                                    

  

"A Taste of Summer, Without the Heat Advisory"

Simply bruschetta.
This is a beautiful concoction of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, fragrant basil, pungent minced garlic ( actually I mince and chop in this recipe, but specifics don't matter here, right?) and the grand finale DRIZZLE of extra virgin olive oil. No Rachael Ray, not just any EVOO, olive oil I got from my recent culinary trip to Italy. I picked up a few bottles in Verona Italy from a vineyard where they grow the olives alongside roma tomatoes,  and sweet bell peppers. A bite of this sends me straight back to Italy sitting at the long table in an old castle dining room surrounded by amazing friends and amazing wine. We tore it up.
Don't get me started on the little topping of freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese I also smuggled out of Italy. That's another story.
Anyway, back to the recipe...
The crusty bread is from.... Kroger. The deli has some delicious take and bake baguettes.
I like to think of this dish as Italy's answer to Texas style pico de gallo. Or chips and chunky salsa.
I know, I know, Italy was there first.

Ingredients:

4 or 5 red ripe tomatoes chopped  ( I add a dusting of salt to the chopped tomatoes to enhance the juice and draw out that sweet summer flavor, even if it's January)

several leaves of fresh basil ( I repeat, FRESH BASIL, no if ands or dried butts) thinly sliced or chiffonade

3-5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced ( do this yourself, don't buy the jarred garlic, it tastes sad)
I always use tons of garlic. Maybe I have seen Twilight too many times?

the very best olive oil you can find- Extra Virgin-  yeah baby

salt to taste

Crusty bread slices

Grated or Shaved Parmesan to top ( from a block of the good stuff, not the bag of Kraft already grated cheese from 2006)

Directions:

1. Grab a bowl
2. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil. Salt to taste
3.Top sliced crusty bread with a healthy dollop of mixture.
4. Drizzle with more olive oil.
5. TASTE TASTE TASTE. Does it need salt? More garlic?  More basil? Don't be shy, adjust ingredients until you find your favorite balance.
6.Top with some Parmesan, and if you want to get saucy, drizzle some good balsamic vinegar over the top.

*The day I made this, I drizzled the top with some fig balsamic, but try adding your own spin, you won't regret it.

Peace Love and Good "Parma",
Julie

The Brie-ginning......

Hello internet. Are you listening? Is anyone out there?

Let's just begin by saying... I'm lost. I am trying to decide on the perfect balance of my two true loves, being a guitar teacher to the most wonderful students on earth, and my culinary career.
Can I do both? Yes!
For now, I will follow my heart. My buttery, cheesy, sandwich filled heart. I am teaching by day, and starting my first cookbook by night. I hope my blog leaves a song in your heart, and a growl in your stomach.