My Other Favorite Bill

Of course I really only have one favorite Bill (my hubby of almost 20 years, Bill Kenney), but I must admit that there is a close second.


Bill's Imported Foods, a wonderful Greek grocery store on Lake Street in Minneapolis is one of my all time favorite places to go. At Bill's I have found the best feta cheese - the Greek is my favorite, but they have French, American and a few more.  I also love their kalamata olives - the small, briny olives are perfect for Greek salad or just for a nibble. 


I buy my regular olive oil there too - great prices on light, fruity olive oil for cooking or salads.


I always ask for a taste before I buy and the owner graciously shares her ideas and suggestions for the best selections for whatever I'm cooking.  You also can't beat the fresh baked pita bread that arrives warm every day at about 10:00 AM. 


Absolutely worth the trip if you are planning Greek dinner or if you just want a few fresh, tasty items for a salad or a nosh.


Bill's Imported Foods - Look for the blue awning on Lake Street at Lyndale Avenue - Enjoy

A Little Irish Comfort

I've gotten a few requests for the Shepherd's Pie recipe that I've served for a few occasions over the last couple of months, so I thought this would be a great place to post it.  


Shepherd's Pie is an old Irish recipe that is traditionally made with ground lamb, but I usually make mine with ground beef because it's easier to find, less expensive, and I realize that many people don't like lamb.  It's a great dish to make for your family, true comfort food, and wonderful to take to a potluck or to anyone you are making a meal for.


I've kind of made this dish up along the way, so if you have any questions, feel free to post them or send me an email:


KilKenney Shepherd's Pie:
Serves 4 - 6 (easily doubled)


1 Large Onion - chopped
2 Cloves Garlic - minced
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 C beef broth - or more as needed
1/2 bottle Guinness Beer - optional
1/4 C flour (regular or a gluten free flour mix)
1 Tsp dried Oregano
1 Tsp dried Rosemary, crushed
Salt & Pepper
4 russet potatoes
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter (or more to taste)
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese


Preparation
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2.  In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the onion.  Saute for a few minutes until soft.
3.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute
4.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned, 8 - 10 minutes.
5.  Add the flour and cook until "raw" flour taste is out of the pan
6.  Deglaze the pan with the Guinness or beef broth - start with 1/2 cup at a time and stir until the sauce has a gravy like consistency. (if you want to skip this step, you can add a jar of prepared gravy instead)
7.  Add the oregano & rosemary
8.  Add the mixed vegetables
10. Cook until flavors have melded - 10 minutes or so. - add salt & pepper to taste
11. Place meat mixture in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish
12. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to boil in salted water, cook until tender, about 20 minutes
13. Mash the potatoes with a hot milk/butter mixture add salt
14. Cover with mashed potato mixture
15. Shred cheese over the top
16. Bake until golden - 30 to 35 minute


This is great the second day, so go ahead and make it ahead for a family dinner or party.


Enjoy!

Boca Chica - Yum

One of my favorite spots in the Twin Cities is Boca Chica - a wonderful mexican restaurant on the East side of St.  Paul.  Lucky for me, Jack had a Spanish project he had to complete last night.  He had to go to a place he could speak only Spanish for a meal or event.  Being the smart kid that he is, he figured he could get a great mexican meal out of the deal - and we did.


Bill, Jack, Charlie and I went to Boca Chica and enjoyed a wonderful meal and terrific waitress who was happy to help Jack with his project.  Who knew the Sophomore knew so much Spanish?


I love that I live in a city with such rich cultural heritage - the East side of St. Paul has a great hispanic culture.  I also love and frequent El Burrito Mercado, an excellent mexican grocery store.  


I do love food, sometimes a little too much as we've discussed, and in this journey of my 50th year, I'm trying to embrace the idea of appreciating great food, in all its forms and truly enjoying it in moderation.  So far, so good.

The "Joy" of Thanksgiving Dinner

I love to cook and tomorrow (Thanksgiving) is the like the world series for cooks.  Of course, the menu is pretty fixed, but I can still put my personal spin on the classic dishes - like greek yogurt in the mashed potatoes and grapefruit and pomegranates in the salad.


I never, however, can remember how long to cook the turkey.  Somehow, I overcook it or find that's it raw when I go to carve it - a little embarrassing in front of the in-laws!


This is where the old favorite - The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer comes in.  My mother gave me a copy of the Joy of Cooking that looks like the one in the picture years ago.  It's not a first edition, but it's pretty close and it has become the go to resource for all those basic cooking questions like how long do you cook the turkey.


The Joy of Cooking is a great resource for anyone.  I give it to people who love to cook and people who never cook unless they have to. 


I have a little obsession with cookbooks and have way too many on my shelves, but if I had to give up all but one, this would be the one I'd keep.  Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up my library of cookbooks lightly, but I'm more relaxed as a cook knowing I have the Joy of Cooking ready and able to answer my last minute questions, that somehow I think I should know.


The answer for turkey, by the way is: at a 325 oven, for an unstuffed turkey, you want to look at 10 - 12 minutes a pound, but the real key is testing with a thermometer - 175 to 180 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh.


Happy Cooking!

Food and Cooking - Don't Mess with My Ina

OK - yet another new category for my journey - Food & Cooking. I love to cook - it is really the only creative outlet I use on a regular basis, except now, writing this blog. I would like to share my favorite recipes, ideas, websites and sources, and of course, I want to hear what yours are too.

To begin the list, I am a little obsessed with Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. Not in a weird stalkerish way, but in the I can see myself in her, wouldn't it be fun to do that, kind of way. In fact, I fancy myself the Gluten Free Barefoot Contessa.

I am enamored with almost everything about her - I have all her cookbooks, and use them regularly. I think her recipes are beautiful, easy and they taste great. I have found that when I make her recipes, they work and are easy to fool around with to get the result I want for any given meal. Contrary to the local joke - you don't really need to use a pound of butter in every dish. Yesterday, my nephew Emmett and I made a version of her Granola from the first cookbook, called interestingly enough, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. The granola received rave reviews all around.

I watch the Barefoot Contessa Show on the Food Network when I can and enjoy watching her cook and actually eat her food. I hate those chefs that look like they never eat a bite. She is a obviously a talented chef, but she also makes it seem easy and accessible to us amateurs.

I'd love to meet her one day, In fact, I probably have met her, she just doesn't remember me (OK that does sound a little stalkerish). when I was in high school in Rye, NY, I visited the Hamptons with friends and I'm sure I ate at the original Barefoot Contessa deli in East Hampton.

I never go see famous people whether it's at a book signing or a meet and greet, but I think I will step outside my box in this 50th year and if she comes to Minneapolis on her next book tour, I'll get up early and be first in line. That is if someone doesn't forward her this blog first and she decides to give me a call.

Do share your food & cooking favorites; recipes, chefs, websites etc ... It's fun to learn from each other.