Capital Cooking: Kentucky Opens the Inaugural Ball Season!

Here's what you've been waiting for...
My full write up for Capital Cooking's blog on my experience at the Kentucky Society's Inaugural Bluegrass Ball!

High Spirits at the Inaugural Ball

Enjoy and I'd love feedback if any of you are bourbon aficionados!

Capital Cooking: Buick Encore Review

Great Falls, Va.  ~ 2012

Hi Friends!

My recent review of the 2013 Buick Encore, the newest crossover for the GM family, was posted last Saturday and I forgot to let you all know. Oops! Click HERE to read my thoughts.

Sorry, I was a bit busy last Saturday preparing for the Bluegrass Inaugural Ball with Capital Cooking. <pats and fluffs hair>  Hopefully, I can post that blog soon too! Enjoy the review and the pics by my friend Bryn Wallace.  You can also credit Bryn with being the person to light a fire under me to start blogging and connecting me to Lauren DeSantis and Capital Cooking.  :o)  Thanks Bryn!!

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

Recipe: Potato Leek Quiche

This is one of my favorite comfort foods!

I used to order this at a favorite café of mine in Chicago. When I moved West, I missed it so much that I created my own version. It’s the one quiche that guys actually seem to like. There are several versions you can create on your own as well and I've listed the ingredient options at the bottom, so have fun!*  It is not conducive to vegan or gluten restricted diets, but it's definitely for cheese lovers!

INGREDIENTS

THE BASICS

• 2 Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crust
• 4 Large Eggs
• 2 Cups of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper

THE STUFFIN’S

• 1 Cup of Gruyere Cheese, Grated
• 1 Cup of Cheddar Cheese, Grated
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon of Butter
• 2 Potatoes, Finely Cubed
• 2 Leeks, Chopped
• 1 Large Onion, Finely Diced
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper
• 
  

cook time:

45 minutes

Serves 8-10

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• 2
  Using a fork, put holes in the pie crusts and place in the oven until golden brown.
• 3
  In the meantime, in a large pot boil the Potatoes in salted water with the Butter.
• 4
  Heat the Olive Oil in a large pan and sauté the Onions until translucent; add in the Leeks.
• 5
  Once the Potatoes are al dente…not quite tender, drain off excess water and add them to the Onion and Leek sauté pan.
• 6
  Continue to cook the Potatoes until they are tender. Add Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper as everything cooks together.
• 7
  Spoon the Potatoes into the Pie shells. Sprinkle with both cheeses and stir through to combine.
• 8
  Mix/Scramble the Eggs, Cream, Salt and Pepper together.
• 9
  Pour the Egg mixture over the Potatoes in the Pie shells.
• 10
  Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
• 11
  Let stand 10 minutes until cutting and serving.

NOTES

*Other Quiche Ideas:
 1.) Broccoli, Bacon, & Cheese - Substitute
      Swiss Cheese for the Gruyere Cheese.
 2.) Spinach, Onion, & Cheese
 3.) Seafood Quiche – 1 1/2 Cups of Chopped Cooked Crabmeat,
      Shrimp, and/or Salmon. Increase Salt by 1/2 Tsp.

Foodie Events: Heads Up!

Okay DC friends!  Here's my foodie post of the week.  This is the recent event listing I created for Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis.  It's DishCrawl time!!  Please click HERE.

Recipe: Julia's California Salmon Seasoning

The best and easiest way to make a stunning impression for the holidays is cooking a perfect meat dish. From my experience, this is the best salmon dish yet. It always receives rave reviews and you'll have plenty of spice left-over for future use!

This is a favorite recipe of one of my California roommate, Julia. She used the Seasoning to make this Salmon Dish at least once a week. It became VERY popular among my friends in LA and now VA.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 Cup of Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Dry Mustard
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon of Paprika - I used Smoked Spanish Paprika. It gives the Salmon a smoked flavor.
• 1 Teaspoon of Unsweetened Baking Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Cup of Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin
• 2 Teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Coarse Sea Salt

total time:

20 minutes

Makes enough for 12 salmon filets

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour, carefully, into an air tight container (I recommend a spice shaker with a lid on it, or an old spice container) for later use.
• 2
  Take a piece of Salmon and thoroughly coat it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• 3
  Sprinkle/coat desired amount of Salmon Seasoning on the piece of Salmon. (I understand that a lot is better than a little.)
• 4
  Place Salmon on a baking sheet covered with tinfoil (for easy clean up) skin side down.
• 5
  Cook the Salmon at 450 degrees until done. 20 minutes for a thick, steak-like piece.

NOTES

This can be pre-made and used over time. Seasoning should be kept in an
air-tight container!

Source: Collected by JoLynda Lawecki

My Fabulously Talented Friends: Christmas Gift Ideas

So, three cool things I'd like to announce regarding my wonderfully talented friends!  Keep these folks albums and books in mind when searching for stocking stuffers this season!

1.) Joy Deyo has released three songs off her new album Sweet Nobody.  (Click the album title to get an audible taste of her songs.)  She is currently in the process of raising money through KickStarter for the album release.  She is a wonderfully talented friend who has a sweet refreshing voice and who's music is set in chill tones.  It's the kinda music you want to sit and listen to with a glass of wine by the fire.  Prepared to get down right reminiscent.  For a glimpse of this sparkling beauty see her video here.  Oh and she just informed me that her brother, Jesse Deyo produced this album with her.

*Jesse was a roommate of mine back in the day and later married another roommate of mine - yep, I introduced them!  **Pats self on back**  There was a nice little group of friends that I used to hang out with in LA and it often included Jesse, Joy and their sister Joelle.

2.) Paper Route, an indie rock band, is currently offering a free download off their popular album Absence (2009).  They are also offering up their new single "Better Life," all in celebration of their recently released album "The Peace of Wild Things."  My friend Gavin McDonald is the awesome drummer.  If you haven't heard this band before, you should.  They've toured with the likes of Paramore, Mutemath and Switchfoot.  Click here for the download.

*Gavin's Dad sold my Dad a cleaning business once upon a time.  We had that business for 13 years before selling it.  I also used to play with his older brother and sister and jump on his parent's bed...completely to the chagrin of their parents.

3.) My old roommate, Marissa Franks Burt just had a book trailer released in Spanish!!  Now being sold abroad and published by HarperCollins, "Storybound" is an enchanting young adult book that has been well received amongst many YA fantasy loving friends.  Click Storybound to visit Marissa's website, see the trailer and read a description and reviews of this engaging story.  This is the perfect Christmas gift for the tweenie bopper in your life!

*Marissa was my roommate both in Bible college and the summer after we graduated from Wheaton College.  She was the main person who drew me to Chicago to go to Wheaton.  I thank God for that little fact, often!

The Capital Cooking Show with Lauren DeSantis

I have recently had the opportunity to write as a contributor of the Capital Cooking Show with Lauren DeSantis blog.  My recent post can be viewed here and is a review of the W's POV Lounge.

Lauren's site is a wealth of cooking and foodie knowledge for the Washington, DC area and beyond.  There are loads of scrumptious recipes on her site as well as reviews of restaurants, bars, cookbooks and other foodie flared things.