Wild Mushroom Risotto

Tonight, we are having wild mushroom risotto. Risotto is one of those fabulous, yet simple dishes. You can make risotto with just about anything in it, and it is bound to be good.

Prep Time: 25 minutes Servings: 4
1 cup Arborio rice $2.00
4 tbsp. EVOO $.50
4 ounces of Crimini Mushrooms $1.00
4 oz. of White Mushrooms $1.00
4 oz. Baby Portabella Mushrooms $1.00
1 small white onion $.30
2 cloves of garlic $.25
salt and pepper $.10
Thyme (fresh or dried) $.30
3 oz. Dry Sherry $.50
32 oz. Vegetable or Chicken stock (you will find it near the broth) $2.00
4 oz. Asiago Cheese $2.00

Total Cost $10.95 Cost per Serving: $2.75

If you can manage to do these steps at the together then you can save yourself some time, but if you don't feel confident then do one then the other.

The Mushrooms:
You can use all different types of mushrooms for this dish. It depends on what is available to you. I simply purchased the CHEAPEST options. HA! Why not? Heat 2 tbsps of EVOO in a pan. Add a the white onion and garlic which should be well chopped. Sautee until the onion is soft. Add in your mushrooms and sautee. Add in two ounces of water. I like this step, because it makes a broth out of the ingredients in the bottom of the pan, and it softens the mushrooms, too. Let them soften, but they should be a bit firm because we are going to add them to our risotto and cook a little longer. Maybe sautee them for five minutes. Add the thyme in the last minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

The Rice:
Cooking risotto is a blast. It is rice that you cook in stock, but you have to add the stock in stages, so you must stay near the stove and watch your rice. Use a pot and heat 2 tbsp of EVOO. Add the rice and sautee for maybe two minutes, making sure all the rice is coated with oil. Add the sherry. The rice will soak up the wine. Once it does, you can start a clock. Cooking the rice will take almost exactly 20 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and add 4 ounces of stock and stir into the rice. The rice will absorb the stock in a couple of minutes. Once it does, add four more ounces of stock and stir in. Continue this for twenty minutes, and make the stock last the entire twenty minutes. What you will find is that the rice actually gets "creamy" as it cooks. Once twenty minutes is up, drop in your pan of wild mushrooms, broth and all, and cook with the rice for maybe three more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat.

Shred the asiago cheese and place on top of each dish.

My Rule About the Grocery Store

I was in a discussion with a friend of mine last night about cooking. I was trying to explain to him how truly easy it can be. He replied by saying that he does cook. And that he cooks frozen dinners all the time. I had to stop him. “That is not cooking.”
He was somewhat shocked. “You don’t eat frozen dinners?”
“Never.”
He pondered this for a second, and understanding my background with food he asked, “But if you did eat them, what brand would you buy?"
I had to explain to him my rule of the grocery store: STAY TO THE PERIMETER.
Everything you should be eating is on the edge of the store. Produce, bakery items, meats, cheeses, seafood and fish, dairy, and deli food, is always around the edges of the store. Anytime you find yourself strolling the aisles, be careful!
There are things that I have to go to the aisles for: cereal, crackers, condiments, and rice. But I never end my trip with a grocery basket full of packaging. A healthy grocery cart, has no bright colors and boxes with fireworks and celebrations on them. Healthy grocery carts are filled with naturally occurring items.
I explained to my friend, “There is a time and place for everything.” Sometimes I may want some Easy-Cheese (canned cheese spray). It reminds me of camping as a kid, a comfort food if you will, but it is not a regularly occurring item in my pantry. The same should go for frozen dinners.
Food-like substances are full of additives and preservatives. There are tons of things in them that you shouldn’t eat.
“But why do they taste so good?” my friend asked.

Someone who was standing close-by, overhearing our discussion chimed in and explained, “Anything with the ingredient, ‘Natural Flavoring’ is full of chemicals. ‘Natural Flavoring’ is the legal way to get around listing all the chemical compounds they spray the food with to make it ‘taste’ like something.” That simply makes me sick.
I also explained to my friend that his palate was being destroyed by these Franken-foods.
He has an affinity for Taco Bell, and I explained to him that their “beef” is made from crushed chicken bones doused in taco seasoning. CHICKEN BONES!!! There is no trace of cow in their beef. If you eat stuff like that, you can lose your ability to taste what is real, fresh and good. But keeping yourself from the packaging and buying real food is the start.
I started to question my friend’s awareness of his body. How could he eat that stuff without feeling sick? I told him, “My brother is a professional chef and restaurateur himself, and he told me once, ‘Diarrhea is not natural. If you eat something or somewhere and you have diarrhea, then there was something wrong with the handling of the food, or the food itself.’” To me that is the most poignant and simple observation you can make about food quality. If it makes you ill, there is something very wrong with it.
My friend explained that he did cook some, but most of the time it tasted terrible.
I had to tell him that food is supposed to taste GOOD. EVERYTIME. NO EXCEPTIONS. If your meal turns out terrible, there is something wrong with the recipe, or with the preparation. But the more you get comfortable with handling and preparing food, the more you understand what flavors can combine to make an outstanding dish.
In summary, frozen dinners are not viable meals. Don’t rely on them for sustenance because you won’t get it. Nutrients are found in the vegetable and meat naturally. The more it is cooked, chopped, processed, dehydrated, frozen and reheated, there is nothing left to satisfy your body. Never accept a frozen meal.

Croque Madame

Tonight, we are having the delicious French sandwiches, Croque Madame. These are very simple, yet elegant.

Prep Time: Ten Minutes Makes two servings

8 oz. of sliced deli ham (not Oscar Mayer) $3.50
4 oz. Gruyere $3.00
4 slices of bread $1.00
2 eggs $.25

Total Cost: $7.75 Cost per serving $3.87

Slice the Gruyere and place it on the ham which should be on one slice of bread. So you have just made an open-faced Ham and Cheese Sandwich. Set your oven to Broil and place the open-faced sandwiches on an ungreased pan in the oven. Let the cheese melt on the ham, and toast the other side of the bread. Your uncovered slice of bread may toast faster than the cheese melts, so you may have to pull out exposed bread before the cheese melts onto the ham on your other slice of bread. While that is in the oven, fry two eggs. Be sure to coat your pan with a little butter or cooking spray.

Pull your sandwiches out of the oven, put them together and place one egg on both sandwiches. Bon Apetit! Some other recipes will call for beschamel to be added, but I find that a time-consuming expense.

Menu for this Week and Grocery List

The Menu this week will have some cold weather fare, seeing as the temperature is dropping here in Memphis, and some of my personal favorites. If you are not familiar with Croque Madames, they are very popular French sandwiches. They are basically an upscale, toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a lightly fried egg on top. It is what we would call an Egg McMuffin. The bread you select for them should be fairly hearty, and the more bite it has (as opposed to being gummy, white bread) the better.

Bloody Mary Vegetable Stew
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Italian Sausage Stuffed Tomatoes
Chicken and White Bean Chili
Croque Madames

half a dozen eggs
Whole grain or Eight grain bread
1/2 lb. of Deli ham
Gruyere (you can use the parmesan if you would like for a less expensive twist)
16 oz. can chopped tomatoes
32 ounce bottle of Zing Zang
64 oz. of beef broth
32 oz. Vegetable Stock
Italian Sausage
Bread Crumbs
8 ounces of Parmesan cheese (a wedge, not the grated, powdery stuff)
1.5 lb. Chicken Breasts
White Beans (either Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans are perfect)
Chicken and White Bean Chili seasoning packet
6 large Tomatoes
Arborio Rice
White Mushrooms x 2
1/4 lb. of crimini or shittake mushrooms
Baby Portabella Mushrooms
2 medium white onion
one celery stalk bunch
3 large carrots
1 small yellow squash
1 small zucchini
3 potatoes

Above menu and list assumes that you have certain staples:
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Milk

Pasta Ashley (My wife's favorite)- Linguini in a shallot sherry sauce

I know, I know. This pasta has a lot of butter. So sue me! But it's dang good. I have substituted chicken stock for the butter, but it tastes no where near as good. So here I have provided the original recipe. Enjoy!

Servings: Two Prep time: 15 minutes

6 ounces of linguini pasta (whole wheat is good, too) $1.25
1 stick of butter $.75
1 large shallot $.50
3 ounces of dry sherry $.50
broccoli (you can also use snap peas, carrots, or a mixture of vegetables, but broccoli is my wife's fav) $2.00


Total: $5.00 Cost per serving $2.50

Boil the noodles until ready. While cooking the pasta, melt the butter in a pan without burning it. Once hot, drop in the shallots which should be finely chopped. Reduce heat on the shallots and sautee until they are almost transparent. Add in the sherry and reduce the sauce by half. Add salt and pepper. The sauce should thicken some, but still remain thin. Drop in the broccoli and reduce the sauce to a simmer. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the noodles and toss with the sauce and veg. You can sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese, and adding tofu or chicken to this dish is great, too.

Greek Cucumber Salad

An easy salad that tastes great!

Makes two servings. Prep time 10 minutes

1 cucumber $.75
4 Roma Tomatoes $1.00
Can of Medium Pitted Black Olives $1.00
one small red onion $.20
4 ounces of Feta cheese $1.50
one ounce EVOO $.25
two ounces Balsamic Vinegar $.60
1 tbsp. Cavender's Greek Seasoning $.20
salt and pepper to flavor $.10

Total Cost $5.60 Cost per serving $2.80


Cut cucumber into wheels. Slice tomatoes into wheels (and in half from there if you would like). Drain the juice from the black olives. Dice the red onion. Chop up and crumble the Feta cheese. And mix all the ingredients above into a large bowl. Let marinate for fifteen minutes and serve.

I told you it was easy!

My Restaurant Review Guidelines

I will be starting some restaurant reviews and to qualify and quantify my reviews, I am dividing the restaurants into categories. The categories I will use, will be the same standards set by the AAA and their Diamond Rating system, and they are as follows:

One Diamond [basic; good food]
A one diamond restaurant must meet basic requirements pertaining to management, cleanliness and overall quality. The primary focus is on providing wholesome, straightforward and familiar food at an economical price. Generally, the menu selection is limited to a restaurant’s specialty, such as hamburgers, fried chicken, pizza or tacos. Service is limited, in many instances self service, and the surroundings are often utilitarian.

Two Diamond [relaxed family fare]
A two diamond restaurant displays noticeable enhancements to food presentation, such as the use of common garnishes in combination with the dishware. Typically, the menu offers a wide selection featuring familiar favorites or home-style foods often cooked to order and reasonably priced. The service, while often limited, is plain-speaking and relaxed. The surroundings, while limited in scope, typically reflect a clear theme. All elements combine to provide a familiar, often family-oriented experience.

Three Diamond [entry-level fine dining]
A three diamond restaurant often employs a professional chef and a supporting staff of highly-trained cooks. The menu is skillfully prepared and often reflects interpretations of the latest trends or a mastering of traditional cuisine. Typically, there are expanded offerings of beverages in complement to the menu, such as international/regional wines, specialty beers, cocktails and soft drinks. A professional dining room manager leads a complement of efficient service staff. The service reflects some degree of refinement, such as reservations accepted, personal assistance or the ability to adapt to the guest’s specific needs. The décor reflects the use of well-coordinated design mediums that provide a distinct theme and good comfort. Restaurants at this level convey an entry into fine dining and are often positioned as an adult-oriented experience.

Four Diamond [fine dining]
A four diamond restaurant is geared to individuals in search of a distinctive fine-dining experience. Often orchestrated by an executive chef and an accomplished staff, menus reflect a high degree of creativity and complexity, using imaginative presentations to enhance high quality, market-fresh ingredients. The equally proficient service staff demonstrates a strong desire to meet or exceed guest expectations. A wine steward is typically available to provide menu-specific knowledge on wine selection. The ambiance is highly refined, comfortable and well-coordinated, incorporating quality materials and a variety of upscale design enhancements to give a first-class impression. The overall dining experience is typically expensive.

Five Diamond [world-class dining]
A five diamond restaurant is renowned and consistently provides a world-class experience. This is "haute cuisine" at its best. Menus are cutting edge, using only the finest ingredients available. Food is prepared in a manner that is highly imaginative and unique. The combination of technique and ingredients is extraordinary, reflecting the impeccable artistry and awareness of highly-acclaimed chefs. A maître d’ leads an expert service staff that exceeds guest expectations by attending to every detail in an effortless and unobtrusive manner.

Each reviewed restaurant will be classified into one of these categories and given stars (on a five star scale) based on how that restaurant measures up to the standards of each categories.

I hope you enjoy the reviews, and the first will come out this week.