Apple and Thyme Pate

Chicken livers.... love them or hate them? I am not a fan of chicken livers, however, throw them into a pate and its a different story! Although pate isn't much to look at, the texture is smooth and the flavor very satisfying. I made this recipe (loosely based on Jacques Pepin's version) for our Valentine's Day meat and cheese tray. The "Optional" step really gives pate the whipped texture that I love, however it isn't necessary if you're pressed for time.

Apple and Thyme Pate:

4 slices bacon

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove

12 oz chicken livers

1 Granny Smith apple,peeled and chopped into small chunks

1 Tbsp thyme

2 hard boiled eggs

2 Tbsp sherry

1 tsp salt

-Cook bacon in a skillet, and set aside for later. Cook the onion, garlic, and livers in the bacon fat and butter for 5 minutes. Add the apples and continue cooking until the livers are barely pink in the center (approx another 3-5min).

-Pour cooked mixture and remaining ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

-Optional Step: Pour pate into a sieve and scrap through with a spatula.

-Spoon pate into 2 or 3 ramekins, and cover with plastic wrap pressing the wrap onto the pate. Refrigerate overnight and serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

Tropical Feburary

February is usually a funny month for me. Although its the shortest month of the year, it always seems to drag on! Maybe its the anticipation of spring weather that makes it so frustrating. Instead of staring at the gloomy weather outside, I decided to make a tropical salsa to add punch to a mid-week dinner. Clementines were all over the Commissary, which inspired me to do a fruit salsa over grilled chicken. Its amazing how your mood improves when you make a summer-ish dinner in winter. Try it out!

Clementine Avocado Salsa:
4 clementines, peeled and diced
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 scallion, diced
1/2 cup (or more) chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime

-Combine all ingredients, chill for 2 hours and serve!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture. My camera's flash is too harsh, so I can only take pictures in daylight. Must save for a new camera...

Happy Birthday Seth!

Today is my husband's birthday and his dinner request was steak and salad. Instead of making my usual salad and dressing, I decided to make something a little more special. Parmesan baskets are very easy to make, and the good thing is that if you mess up (or break them) you just make Parmesan crisps! Seth loved the baskets and I had to chase him out of the kitchen because he kept trying to eat them before dinner. Happy Birthday!

Parmesan Baskets (makes 2 large baskets)

6 Tbsp grated Parmesan

1. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium and spread 3 Tbsp cheese evenly around the pan. Let the cheese pop and melt until it dries out (around 1-2 min depending on the stove).

2. Carefully remove cheese and place over a bowl or glass to form the bowl shape. Let cool, remove, and fill with salad!

Here is a picture of a crisp. My bowls hadn't hardened, and I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished product, sorry!

Vacation Food

Seth and I just returned from a vacation to see family and friends, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite foodie moments:

-Black Bottle in downtown Seattle has delicious flatbreads (roasted chicken, sweet onion, and dried cherry).

-During the road trip to Mexico Beach, Fla we stopped at "I'm Buck" (in between Phenix City and Eufala) for some boiled green pnuts and conversation with the locals.

-Seth's mother's quiche lorraine, mmmmmm!

-Indian Pass Raw Bar has delicious steamed Apalachicola Oysters and crab legs. No frills, then again good shellfish doesn't need embellishments.

-We spotted a man who looked EXACTLY like Tom Colicchio from Top Chef. Except he had a country accent and was the cashier at Gulf Food Store, oh well!

-My Mother's cheese grits. Delicious enough to turn anyone into a grits lover!

-For my sister's birthday my family dined at Woodfire Grill in Atlanta. The Executive Chef was Kevin Gillespie (yes, Top Chef contestant) and we ordered everything on the menu save 2 appetizers, 1 entree, and a few desserts. Although I wish I could list all the delicious-ness, I'll give you my favorite tastes from the menu:

• Roasted beets with a bruleed goat chevre
• Grilled duck breast with sauteed endives, black eyed peas and duck cracklins
• Sunchokes with mint, zaatar and pomegranate molasses
• Cocoa nib doughnuts, coconut ice cream, and passion fruit caramel
• All pork items on the menu that we tried: pepper glazed pork belly, bacon gastrique, coca-cola glazed country ham, bacon brittle,and wood grilled pork loin. Now all I need to do is framed the signed menu!

Overall we had a wonderful trip and I'll be back to my recipes once again!