My Eats and Beats

Stagger Lee and The Lee Bros. Red Rice

2012-01-02T21:04:00.000-06:00

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice."
- T.S. Eliot

Sunday ushered in the new year, and my 2012 is looking most promising right out of the gate.

I joined a gym

We'll see how long that lasts

My darling sister-in-law is moving to Nashville this week to attend pastry school here!

I can't wait to have her in town...did I mention she's going to pastry school? It's not like I plan to live vicariously through her schooling or anything. Right?

I made a most delicious meal - my first for 2012

See most delicious meal and recipe below

And WE'RE GOING TO EUROPE in a month!

Vienna and Prague for a week. Must remember not to spend all my money on fashion statements before the trip to Europe, where I will inevitably spend more money once I get there.

I had a wonderful holiday. Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas and the new year could not have been more perfect. All were spent with family and closest friends. There were many fond memories to treasure this season, not to mention the food was great (see reference to gym membership above). Needless to say I was the one doing all of the eating, not the cooking, this year. Which consequently means I have but one gem of a recipe in my back pocket to show for this holiday season. But oh what a gem it is.

I revisited the Lee Brother's cookbook tonight to make their red rice recipe. Red rice is a childhood favorite of mine, and the Lee Bros. recipe did not disappoint. In fact, I had a mother moment. You know how people will often say that you can tell what a girl will look/act like when she's older by looking at her mother? Well, it happened to me. After taking my first bite of this red rice, I turned to my husband, chuckled and complimented myself on what a good cook I was! Granted my mother has reason to boast about her cooking; she's the best cook I know. But my goodness was this rice not amazing.
It will give any home cook major bragging rights.

Matt and Ted Lee are originally from Charleston, SC. And myself, born in Georgetown, SC, thought it only appropriate to feature "Stagger Lee" as the beat to this eat. It's one of my favorite beach music tunes and reminds me of summers on the Carolina coast.

Here's to a most prosperous and healthy new year!

Julia

Lee Bros. Red Rice
Makes 5 Cups; enough for 4 people

3 oz. slab bacon or 2 slices thick-cut bacon cut into small dice
1 1/2 Cups diced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 Cups long-grain rice
2-2 1/2 Cups chicken broth
One 28 oz. can whole Italian tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. Spanish smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. In a 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until firm and barely crisp, about 4 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a sma

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-12-09T14:56:00.000-06:00

This time tomorrow, I will officially be in my late 20’s. Therefore I bid farewell to my mid-twenties and hold my head up high with a healthy mix of enthusiasm and trepidation upon the anniversary of my birth. I love birthdays. It’s a day all about you! However, turning 27 proves to be a sign of my ever evolving maturity because I’m excited to be celebrating alongside my darling brother in-law who will graduate from college tomorrow! So I’m happy to say December 10, 2011, is all about me AND Taylor ; ) We’ll be in Michigan this weekend for the festivities.

And the new digital camera I got for my birthday will capture all of the happy faces this weekend and over the holidays!

I’m going to pull a birthday girl “get out of jail free” card right now as I don’t have a new recipe to post. BUT with all the traveling I’ve been doing over the past month, I was bound to come across a new favorite place to eat!

Feast your eyes and stomachs on Hendrickx in downtown Chicago. This brings me back to younger days growing up in Belgium. And who better to tell me about this place than one of my best friends, whom I met in Belgium when I was 7. She now lives in Chicago and knows a good Belgian bakery when she tastes one. You could get anything here, and I bet it will be amazing. But my personal favorite is the Belgian liege waffle. I saw a recipe for liege waffles in a recent issue of Food & Wine magazine, and I need to try it out soon!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hendrickx-belgian-bread-crafter-chicago

My beat for today is one I’ve been listening to ALL week! I love Florence and the Machine's "Shake it Out". Brilliant.

2011-11-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

One rainy Sunday when I was in the third grade, I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered that even though I did not want to, I was reading. I have been a reader ever since.

- Beverly Cleary

I love this quote. I love Beverly Cleary, and I love an occasional rainy day in the fall. It puts a slight chill in your bones as your body craves the warmth of a crackling fire and your mind relishes in the delight of reading a good book.

I chose a quote from Beverly Cleary because National Write a Novel in a Month as well as Blogher’s National Blog Posting Month take place in November. And Beverly Cleary, alongside Judy Blume, was one of my favorite authors growing up. Did anyone else adore Ramona Quimby as much as I did? “Beezus and Ramona” and “Ramona Quimby, Age 8” were two of my beloved books as a kid.

A more than eventful traveling schedule in November created too big a barrier for me to participate in either one of these writing exercises this month. Memphis, South Bend, Chicago and Kentwood, MI, will occupy my time over the next three weeks. And I knew the likelihood of writing a 50,000 word novel or posting to my blog every day for a month was doomed to fail. So, I’ve added this to my list of goals in 2012. If I were to write a novel, as terrible as it might turn out, what would my story line be? Who would be my main character? Kind of fun to think about.

But while I’m still at home, I continue to cook. And this time I’m letting the side dishes bask in the blog limelight. Here are two simple and tasty recipes for roasted honey sweet potatoes and squash casserole. Both dishes require very little time or talent to produce, and they’re both rich in flavor. The sweet potato recipe comes from Ellie Krieger. And the squash casserole is how my mom used to make it during the holidays when I was growing up. It’s cheesy, creamy goodness.

Honey roasted sweet potatoes and melted cheddar cheese over squash casserole need an equally sweet, soulful and charismatic voice. Enter Cee Lo Green’s “Fool for You”, featuring Melanie Fiona.

Enjoy!
Julia

Click here for Ellie's Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe.

Mama's Squash Casserole
Ingredients:
2 lbs squash, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can of cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine chopped onion and squash into a bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
Steam squash and onion mixture for about 10 minutes.
Drain the mixture and transfer into baking dish.
Mix the cream of chicken soup in with the vegetables and bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbly
Top casserole with cheddar cheese and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Fall Put A Spell On Me

2011-10-30T15:51:00.015-05:00

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

The fall season is finally upon us in Nashville, and it is bewitching. The bright leaves of red and orange, the bountiful pumpkin displays, the smell of apple cider lingering in the crisp autumn air, candy corn, and the excitement around Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving pies make me euphoric. Even the opportunity to wear scarves and boots again tickles my fashionable fancy. This is my happy place.

This past weekend was the first in three weeks that I have been home. And I've never been more content to answer "absolutely nothing" when asked if I had any plans for the last two days. But I did know of one familiar place where I wanted to spend some time this weekend: my kitchen. I've had it in my head to make a pot roast for about a week. And Saturday presented the perfect opportunity to do so. Because this recipe called for a good 5 hours of my time, I needed a lazy weekend to enjoy the process from shopping for the ingredients to serving it on the plate.

From our apartment, you can see a snippet of the downtown skyline. So I opened the door to our balcony, letting the brisk air fill the room, and began to prepare a traditional Yankee pot roast. About an hour into cooking, Nina Simone's "I Put a Spell on You" started to play on Pandora. And I thought
this song was the perfect compliment to my dish.

A hearty meal that could leave you with a week's worth of leftovers is a great choice for the fall. The flavor is good. The level of difficulty in making this dish is easy. And the pot roast comes out wonderfully tender. You could serve it over brown rice, or we chose to simply eat it as is - soaking up any leftover broth with a crusty fresh loaf of bread.

Bon Appétit!

Julia

Traditional Yankee Pot Roast

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups low-salt beef broth
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 1/4 pounds small red potatoes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

* Preheat oven to 300°.
* Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan, browning on all sides (about 8 minutes). Remove from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Return roast to pan. Combine broth, ketchup, and Worcestershire; pour over roast. Add tomato; bring to a simmer.
* Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lemon juice. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

A Texas Sized Appetite

2011-10-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

Quand l'appetit va, tout va.
- Obelix

Upon leaving rise, a quaint French restaurant in Dallas, the hostess hands you a small piece of paper with a unique quote printed on the inside. Written in French, my quote read: "When the appetite goes, everything goes." And here I am, writing this post 5 months after my last entry. It's funny how a seemingly insignificant piece of paper, a random luck of the draw, spoke straight to the core of me.

This past week, I had random encounters with three of my lifelong loves: French food, the French language, and friends (best friends). And so my appetite kicked in to reconnect with each. This past weekend marked the third annual girls' weekend. Each fall, my closest girl friends from college get together for a long weekend. And this year we traveled to my girlfriend's hometown of Dallas, TX. The Big D was awesome! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank her boyfriend who endured sharing one bathroom with 4 women as we paraded and primped in front of the mirror for hours before going out each night.

Girls' weekend is similar to the holidays for me. You're surrounded by people you love; there's always a lot of commotion, and I indefinitely gain a few lbs from the amount of food and alcohol I consume. And so the word appetite takes on a more literal tone as it relates to how much I managed to eat and drink in one weekend. And it was all worth it. But you better believe it's gonna be soup and salads for the remainder of the week.

Of all the wonderful restaurants we sampled this past weekend in Tejas, my favorite was rise. Hedda Gioia Dowd, a Memphis native (my home girl!), is co-owner and creative genius behind this charming salon de souffle. Known for their souffles, rise specializes in both the savory and sweet versions of this classic French food. I had the ever so scrumptious raspberry souffle. French music softly plays in the background. Fresh coffee is served in a French Press. All the dishware is unique pieces of pottery. And your water for the table is contained in recycled wine bottles - great idea for the home might I add. It just doesn't get cuter than this place.

Of course rise has a cookbook (Rise to the Occasion). And, of course, I had to have it. I feel the need to make a souffle of my very own in the near future! My copy was signed by the Chef and co-owner, Cherif Brahmi. He writes: "Le bonheur est dans la cuisine..." Happiness is in the kitchen. Well said monsieur.

Keeping in theme with all things French, I had to choose a song from Edith Piaf. I love her. And if you ever have any interest in learning more about this cultural icon, I highly recommend the film "La Vie en Rose" with Marion Cotillard. Excellent. Quite a depressing life Edith lived. But it's an amazing one at that.

Julia

Tyler Florence is Walkin' in Memphis

2011-05-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

There's no profound way to lead into this post, other than to say: I MET TYLER FLORENCE! My day, my weekend, and my month of May are complete. I’d like to thank Twitter, Nicole, and Kim for a terrific team effort in making this moment happen.

I’m so happy for the city of Memphis. This weekend we are hosting Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race as they film the upcoming season – which airs this August. And you know yours truly was on the case to find out exactly where to get in on the action.

Around 11:30 this morning, Tyler Florence tweeted “Charcoal Smoked Ribs at Rendezvous in #Memphis #AmericanTreasure”. Done. Within two minutes I was out the door and on my way to Rendezvous for lunch. Good thing it’s just down the alley from work. Once our group was seated and ordered drinks, our waiter informed us that Tyler was there but already left. He just picked up large orders of ribs as part of the show’s competition. I was defeated and my bank account was now short $12.

But we weren’t throwing in the towel just yet. After lunch, the ladies and I walked up the street to Court Square where the food trucks were stationed and Food Network was filming. The trucks were not serving food until Saturday. Friday was for filming only, so there was a glimmer of hope that Chef Florence would appear.

And appear he did within fifteen minutes of patiently waiting. My co-worker, quite arguably the biggest Tyler Florence fan aside from my mother, was determined to meet him. She ever so boldly called out his name and waved for him to come over; and he did! The nicest (and only) celebrity chef I have met to date, Tyler Florence was most gracious in shaking our hands, having a little sideline conversation, and posing for photos with us.

To Tyler Florence: thank you for making our day! And to the competitors on this season’s The Great Food Truck Race: GOOD LUCK! I leave you with a musical tribute to this city and my memorable day of walkin' in Memphis.

I’m off to Florida for a family wedding! Have a great weekend everyone!

Julia

My Kind of Town

2011-04-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

I'm off to Chicago for the weekend! Will have lots to report upon my return - including new eats and beats! And so I will leave you with none other than Ole Blue Eyes paying tribute to my favorite city.

Have a great weekend!
Julia

This Rice Would Be So Nice

2011-04-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

Somebody stop me! Or just feed me...until I'm full. My stomach has been a bottomless pit the past two days, neither craving a particular food nor satisfied by anything I feed it. I refer to my stomach as its own being in times like these because I can't control its insatiable appetite. The food cravings run rampant from the moment I wake up until the time I go to bed just (just to stay out of the kitchen).

The tragedy in this situation is two-fold. First, I have no food in my kitchen. I've stalled on a visit to the grocery store and consequently have a random assortment of food in my pantry that doesn't add up to a single meal. Second, my hungry hippo self is attending a formal on Friday night...in Chicago...with college students! Stewart's fraternity chapter at our Alma Mater is having their 55th annual formal, and a lot of the alumni decided to use this opportunity for a reunion. And while we're at it, I might as well tell you that I'm sporting a lobster red farmer's tan. And my dress is red! Don't get me wrong. I'm so excited for this weekend. I love getting glammed up and going out for a night on the town; and this night involves an open bar. Woop woop! But me, green tea, and a spray tan are going to rendezvous asap.

So while I'm thinking of all the food I want to eat and don't have, this brown rice salad comes to mind. The recipe originally came from my best friends' family. And I can't compare it to any rice dish I've ever had. This is a quintessential summertime dish. There are so many colors, textures and flavors in this rice, it will send your taste buds on a roller coaster ride! You have to try it. I've made this dish before for a group of co-workers and they loved it. Last weekend we had it at my parents' and the leftovers didn't make it past the first night in my house. This rice dish makes a statement, and people will remember you for it...in a good way.

The perfect beat to pair with this summertime rice salad is Astrud Gilberto's Summer Samba. The song was made to play alongside this dish. It's colorful, happy and exotic.

I hope you enjoy this eat and beat as much as I do!
Julia

Brown Rice Salad: 1 Cup rice (white or brown) cooked.
1/2 Cup golden raisins
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1 small red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Cup roasted pistachios, roughly choppped (buy them roasted to cut back on time)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 Cup basil leaves (chiffonade)

1. Cook rice and set aside
2. In a Cuisinart, pulse the golden rasins, 1/4 cup olive oil and red wine vinegar together until blended into a vinegrette. Set aside.
3. In a pan, saute the red onion and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.
4. Mix the rice, vinegrette, garlic/red onion and all remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve hot or cold.

*You'll notice in the picture that the chickpeas were substituted for yellow bell peppers. Make it your own. I've made had it both ways, and you can't go wrong.

Lykke Li and a New Crab Dip

2011-04-08T08:11:00.001-05:00

Have I ever mentioned that I love seafood? I do. I LOVE seafood! Born in the coastal town of Georgetown, SC, I spent many a childhood summers between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Fried shrimp, crab boils, hush puppies and catfish are my idea of home cookin'.

I can vividly remember my great Aunt Leenie, who at the time was a spring chicken in her 70s, tying raw pieces of steak to a small wood plank in my hand. We then proceeded to wade out into Atlantic Ocean to catch crabs - only knowing you've caught one when there's a slight tug on the strings or your toes become prey to crab claws. Have you ever seen people cast wooden crates off the peer to catch crabs? Amateurs. Leave it to the crazy Carolina women to lure crabs in with raw meet at their feet. They're the best.

The inspiration begind this appetizer comes from the Lee Brothers' recipe for "A New Crab Dip". Forget warm crab dips that tend to be overloaded with cream and cheese. When it's seventy degrees and sunny outside, the last thing I want to eat is a hot and heavy dip. This one is served cold and ushers in Spring with flavors from fresh tarragon and lime juice. I added paprika and Old Bay seasoning to kick the flavor up a notch, and it was just the right combination of spices to do the trick. Per the Lee Brother's suggestion, you could even serve this dip as tea sandwiches instead.

Having never bought crab before from a food market, I was somewhat stunned at how expensive it is! We're talking $12 for a small 8 oz container full. Granted, it's the premium picked crab meat. If I was incorporating the crab in a sauce or pasta, I wouldn't worry. But because the meat is featured as a dip, I say you splurge. It makes a difference.

Both Lykke Li and this crab dip recipe are new finds for me this week. My latest favorite beat, "Dance Dance Dance" comes from this Sweedish native. It's the perfect tune to start my weekend off right. I'd also recommend you listen to "Tonight", "Little Bit" and "Possibility".

Have a great weekend!
Julia

Cold Crab Dip:
8 oz picked crab meat (about 1/2 a pint)
3 tbsp high-quality store-bought mayonnaise such as Dukes or Hellmans (Dukes is my all time favorite!)
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp finely diced red onion
1/2 tsp minced terragon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Paprika and Old Bay seasoning to taste

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and Old Bay seasoning. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator, not more than 24 hours.

These Cheese Straws Are Really Pink

2011-04-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

Things are about to get big and cheesy on My Eats and Beats. I'm talking about big burritos and cheesy snacks.

Big Eat
Tuesday night my sister and I went to the grand opening of Memphis' first Chiptole Mexican Grill. Not since my days as an undergraduate on the campus of Loyola University Chicago have I lived within 50 miles of a Chipotle. And now memories of my glory days and the feeling of being uncomfortably full after eating a chicken burrito were within my grasp once again. I have been counting down to the grand opening for 3 weeks - since they announced the date. I was ready. I was set. And apparently every Rhodes and University of Memphis student was also going to Chipotle the same night as me.

Here is the line when we arrived. I waited 40 minutes outside and 20 minutes inside before placing my order at the counter. There were people who grew weary and stepped out of line, deciding to try another day. The older couple in front of me had not been to a Chipotle. Fantastic folks; welcome! And while you take ten minutes to decipher the right way to order from the menu, do you mind if I step in front of you? The best part was the woman's snort everytime she laughed. Hilarious! The Hispanic gentleman behind me kept laughing to himself and making comments to his wife such as "It's just Chipotle!" Well guess what, sir? While I'm sure you could whip up an even more authentic burrito, you're still in line with us!

Finally, my moment of Mexican grill greatness was upon me. The burrito was stuffed to perfection with chicken, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and black beans. YUM! After I devoured my meal, I felt what you can only feel after eating a Chipotle burrito - absolute discomfort and a full belly. So worth it.

Cheesy Eat
Now let's get cheesy. Could you devour an entire bag of Cheetos or a box of Cheez-Its in one sitting? Is there anything better than licking your fingers clean of cheddar? If you answered yes to at least one of these two questions, you're going to love this recipe for cheese straws.

These orange stick snacks are perfect to have on hand for your guests. Fill a clear glass with parchment paper and stack the cheese straws inside for presentation points. This snack is such a simple and fun way to entertain from scratch, and it is sure to please everyone's tastebuds. I'd pair these cheese straws with boiled peanuts and ice cold brews.

This snack is rockin’ and packs a punch of heat at the end, just like Pink. So come on and “Raise Your Glass”. And don’t forget to fill it plenty of cheese straws. I'd recommend doubling the recipe; you'll be glad you did when you see how quickly these disappear!

Lee Brothers' Cheese Straws:

1 1/2 Cups (about 4 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
4 tbsp (1/2) stick of butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
3/4 Cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp half-and-half

1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 - In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt and red pepper and process in five 5-second pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the half-and-half and process until the dough forms a ball, about 10 seconds.
3 - On a slightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8x10 inch rectangle that is about 1/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into long, thin strips. Dip the knife into flour after every few inches to ensure a clean cut. Gently transfer the strips to an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving atleast 1/4 inch between them. The dough will sag and may break occasionally in the transfer, but don't be concerned. The straws can be any length from 2 to 10 inches.
4 - Bake the straws on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.
5 - Serve at room temperature. Cheese straws will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for 2 days.

Lola Wants Sour Orange Pie

2011-04-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

"Woman make pie. Man eat pie.
Man love pie. Man love woman." - My husband on this sour orange pie (and apparently the secret to a man's heart)

This past weekend was filled with an abundance of good eats and good company – two of my favorite things. Sundays are generally reserved for family dinner at my parents' house. And this Sunday my older sister came home from Chicago for a few weeks!

Thrilled to have her here, I offered to contribute appetizers and dessert to the menu. What the hell? I was feeling inspired to spend my Saturday in the kitchen! And with family dinner providing a perfect venue to taste test new recipes, I immediately dove into The Lee Brother's Southern Cookbook for ideas.

At 5 pm Saturday evening, I turned on the speakers to my portable music player and began work in the kitchen. At 11 pm, my dessert was stored in the refrigerator with the two appetizers I previously made; and this chica was down for the count. You might as well have called me Maw Maw as I sat straight up in a wing backed chair and began to doze off to sleep. But it was all worth it on Sunday afternoon when my contributed food was met with compliments and devoured by family members.

I can’t wait to share these recipes with you! You're going to love them. But the spotlight goes first to the Sour Orange Pie. If you enjoy key lime pie, try this recipe. In fact, my sister loved it more! That’s not saying much since she doesn’t like key lime; but I’ll take that as a win none the less!

This orange infused dessert is sure to please any citrus flavor lover. It’s refreshing, cool and ideal for entertaining in the spring or summer. I made my own pie crust and substituted a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice and grapefruit juice to create the sour orange taste since I could not find sour oranges. (See notes below for the recipe and substitutions.)

After family dinner and with only 2 pieces of pie left in the dish, we found ourselves outside on the patio. A warm 80 degrees and gusts of breeze kept us cool as we conversed until the sun went down, and Stewart and I made our way home with leftovers (including the pie).

Sarah Vaughan singing "Whatever Lola Wants" pairs well with the sour orange pie. Her sassy lyrics and sultry voice sing "I always get what I aim for". And in aiming to make a delicious citrus pie, my goal was accomplished.

Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups of vanilla wafers, pulsed 10 times in a food processor to make fine crumbs.
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (warm or cold)

Sour Orange Pie (for the filling)
5 large egg yolks
one 14 oz can sweetened condensed whole milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup sour orange juice
*If you can't find sour oranges use: 1 part grapefruit juice, 1 part lemon juice and 1 part orange juice
1 tablespoon sour orange zest
*I used 1/2 tablespoon navel orange zest and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest
4 teaspoons navel orange zest

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and the sugar. Add the melted butter and toss thoroughly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the butter is evenly incorporated, about 1 minute. Using the bottom of a sturdy juice glass, press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, creating an even layer on the bottom and sides. Bake on the middle rack until the crumb mixture has darkened to the brown of a pecan shell and the sugar and butter have fused with the crumbs to form a crust, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks well with a hand mixer or whisk until they have lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the condensed milk and 2 tbsp heavy cream and stir with wooden spoon to incorporate. Add the sour orange juice, sour orange zest and 4 tsp navel orange zest and stir until the filling is consistenly creamy and light yellow in color, about 1 minute.

4. Pour the filling into the crust and bake on the middle rack until the surface is quivery, like gelatin, 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool for 30 minutes so the pie can set firmly. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 4 hours (cover in plastic if keeping for more than 24 hours).

Tomato Tart and Winehouse

2011-03-30T23:26:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have one of those days where you come home from work mentally spent? And that mental fatigue makes you feel physically exhausted? The couch charms your butt right into its plush cushions. Bed by 9 pm sounds heavenly, and a glass of your favorite wine instantly eases the tension in your shoulders. That was my Wednesday.

But I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to create a little something special in the kitchen for dinner. My mom used to make this recipe for a tomato tart when I was growing up. Recently I adopted it and have made this dish a few times since then. This recipe has less than five ingredients and is ready in 35 minutes.

The tomato and mozzarella tart is perfect to serve as an afternoon treat, an appetizer before dinner or a light main course. It’s very versatile. And depending on what ingredients you have in your kitchen, you can create your own unique tomato tart in no time! One option is to omit the pesto and substitute it with dried basil and top the tomatoes with a little olive oil. You can create multiple variations with this concept.

The tart is not overly heavy, but the melted mozzarella cheese baked on top of a buttery, flaky pie crust gives it a rich texture. I’ve made this tart using a pre-made frozen pie crust as well as a refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury). In my opinion the refrigerated crust had a better crunch – almost like thin crust pizza. However, the pre-made crust version made for a prettier presentation. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Amy Winehouse and her hot mess self are bringing in the beat for today’s post. Forget Snookie’s “poof”. Miss Winehouse brought back the beehive. I’m a big fan and obsessed with her song “Valerie” - both this featured version with Mark Ronson and the acoustic version. I’ve been known to play a song on repeat 50 times over, and Valerie this would be one of them.

Hope your day is filled with good eats and beats!
Julia

Tomato Tart:

Ingredients:
10-inch pie-crust (not cooked)
6-8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 tomatoes sliced
pesto
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pie crust for 5 minutes and remove from oven. Spread the mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. And a few dollops of pesto on top of the cheese. Layer tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake tart for 35-40 minutes. Keep you eye on the tart. Your oven may cook the tart faster, and you don't want the crust to burn.

German Potato Salad and Bach

2011-03-28T22:40:00.000-05:00

I love salads: pasta salad, Caesar salad, Insalata Caprese, etc. So it’s no surprise that I wanted to try my hand at making a traditional German potato salad. And what was the driving factor behind choosing German potato salad, you might ask? Bacon!

This recipe is great. Don’t be deterred by the heavy scent of vinegar at first. It tapers off and is not strong in taste when all the ingredients are combined. The onion, bacon and Dijon mustard pack these potatoes with lots of flavor. Pour me a cold beer with a side of warm potato salad and a little polka music; and call me the St. Pauli Girl.

German potato salad is a great dish for summer cookouts and tailgating. But because you traditionally serve it warm, I can also see myself making this recipe in the winter.

Today I'm pairing my dish with classical music – a first for My Eats and Beats! I adore classical music. Without lyrics you're left to embrace the melody in its purest form and let the emotion of the composition consume you. German classical music has bred some of the greatest composers. Among them are Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms.

Bach is one of my favorite classical composers, and Double Violin Concerto in D Minor (1st mvt.) is a great fit. A classical German composer for a traditional German potato salad recipe.

Enjoy!

Julia

German Potato Salad:

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced chives, for garnish

Directions
Place the potatoes in a medium-size pot and cover them with enough water to extend 2 inches above the surface of the potatoes. Salt the water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and slice into 1/4-inch rounds.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once crisp, place on a paper towel-lined plate and crumble into small pieces. Pour off the rendered fat, reserving 1/4 cup in the pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt and stir until thick and bubbly. Add the sliced, cooked potatoes and toss to coat. Top with the crumbled bacon and garnish with the chives. Serve warm.

Bird is the Word

2011-03-28T09:52:00.001-05:00

Dinner was served promptly at 10:30 pm Saturday night; the final outcome: one juicy roasted chicken. I’ve never cooked an entire bird before, and quite frankly I was intimidated from lack of experience. From the moment I cut the chicken out from its plastic casing, my husband could hear me roaring with laughter from the upstairs room. Upon entering the kitchen, Stewart saw me squealing as I braced myself to remove the giblets from inside the chicken.

I work with raw meat all the time; but a 5 lb. naked chicken was uncharted territory in my kitchen. After the giblets were removed, it was smooth sailing from there. I was never rough in handling the chicken. Although the bird was dead, somehow I felt I was being more humane by treating it delicately.

While my chicken roasted in the oven for an hour and a half, I played one of my favorite stations on Pandora radio: Edith Piaf. It’s perfect mood music while cooking in the kitchen. And I had every intention of featuring an Edith Piaf song, until Ben E King’s “Stand by Me” began to play. Five seconds into the song, and two glasses into a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, I held my own private dancing session in the kitchen, while my husband took in March Madness upstairs.

Ina Garten’s recipe for roasted chicken is fantastic. The chicken was so tender and juicy. Perfectly cooked, I’ll be able to use the meat all week for sandwiches and other meals. But I felt the sauce itself was a little too powerful with lemon. In my opinion, just use the recipe for roasting the chicken, or only use one lemon versus two.

Engagement Roast Chicken:

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons

1 whole head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise

Good olive oil

2 Spanish onions, peeled and thickly sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut the lemons in quarters, place 2 quarters in the chicken along with the garlic and reserve the rest of the lemons. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small (11 by 14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too large, the onions will burn.) Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture around the chicken in the pan.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan.

Place the pan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect under the chicken. Carve the chicken onto a platter and serve with the lemons, onions, and warm sauce

Save the Last Parfait for Me

2011-03-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

"You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, 'Let's get some parfait,' they say, 'Hell no, I don't like no parfait'? Parfaits are delicious!"

- Donkey from Shrek

Springtime is officially here in Memphis, and the berries are beginning to make their big come back. I love this time of year. The days are getting longer; the nights are perfect for sitting out on the patio, enjoying the warm weather. And the grill found it's place once again in our week night dinner routine.

Monday I made parfaits. With instant vanilla pudding, angel food cake (store bought), strawberries and blueberries, this parfait is great for a light dessert after dinner. I feel very semi-home made with Sandra Lee on this one. The berries and vanilla flavors blend well together, and the consistency of the pudding and angel food cake together are deliciously smooth.

This dessert boasts bright berry colors, rich vanilla flavors, and a sassy presentation when served in a martini glass. My parfait mixes well with the smooth voice of Mr. Michael Buble. And the musical arrangement for his cover of "Save the Last Dance for Me" goes well with the martini glass presentation.

Bon appetit!
Julia

Pasta Salad and Avett Brothers

2011-03-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

I’m obsessed the new Kindle. In all truthfulness, I purchased the Kindle as a gift to Stewart this Valentine’s Day. He’s the compulsive reader in our marriage – breezing through magazines, newspapers, and novels daily. One would say I’m quite jealous of his ability to speed read. But I had no interest in the Kindle, or any e-book reading device for that matter. I professed to be a lover of the printed page, wanting to “physically hold a magazine” and “turn the pages of a novel or newspaper”. To spend hours in a bookstore on Sunday afternoons is one of my favorite pastimes.

But about ten days ago my reading world was rocked by Amazon’s Kindle. This thing is amazing! I read Water for Elephants in record time and am already a quarter of the way into The Paris Wife. At this rate, I’ll be reading a new book each week! I won’t write the equivalent of a product review (don’t worry), but I would strongly encourage anyone to enjoys reading to purchase one. It has fueled the fire for my current reading frenzy.

This weekend I made another variation of pasta salad – one of my childhood favorites. All it takes is a box of bowtie or elbow macaroni (or the pasta of your choice), a bottle of Good Seasons Italian All Natural dressing and whatever vegetables you have in your refrigerator. Cook the pasta as usual, drain (don’t rinse) and mix in large bowl with the dressing and chopped vegetables. This dish will last you about a week in leftovers; and it’s even better the next day. I bought cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots and bell peppers for pasta primavera. A week later, no pasta primavera and my vegetables were on the verge of being inedible. So this was a quick fix to save those veggies and make lunch!

The Avett Brothers’ Bella Donna is a great song to accompany this dish. Something about the tune and its simplicity feels like springtime: sunshine, a cool breeze, fresh fruits and vegetables, and late afternoons sitting on the patio.

Cheers!
Julia

Oh Land and Vin Chaud

2011-03-18T07:23:00.001-05:00

Hands down my favorite new artist this Friday is Oh Land. The Danish native currently lives in New York City. The daughter of an opera singer and organist, Oh Land was originally a dancer with the Royal Swedish Ballet until a spinal injury lead her to a career in music.

This twenty-five year old has model looks, killer fashion sense and mega musical talent. She just performed this week at SXSW in Austin, TX, and is headed to Dallas and Denver later this month.
Check out her video for "Sun of a Gun" below. Side note: I'd love to see the cast of Glee cover this song. If they ever do, you heard it here first!

To see/hear more of Oh Land, click here. Other songs I'd recommend by this artist are White Nights, We Turn It Up and Lean.

Calling all wineos!

And now for the most amazing hot cocktail I've ever laid lips on - the vin chaud (hot wine). All joking aside, the first words out of my mouth, when I tasted this drink, were "Oh sweet Jesus". It's that good.

After the St. Pat's day cupcake fiasco, my eyelids were feeling heavy around 9 pm last night and my tummy was in the mood for a little night cap. I've read several different recipes for mulled wine, and the one below is my adaptation - given the ingredients I had on hand.

Vin Chaud (Hot Mulled Wine)
*1 serving

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of red wine (I used Boxhead cabernet sauvignon)

1/4 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1 lemon, sliced
orange zest (I used just a smidge)
pinch of ground cinamon (about 1/8 tsp)
Directions:
Heat the wine, water, sugar and cinamon in a pot over medium low heat. Stir occasionally until it simmers (not boiling) and a foam forms. Add the orange zest. Pour the wine into the glass while it's hot. Serve with a slice of lemon.

Cupcakes on Impulse for St. Pat's

2011-03-17T00:30:00.000-05:00

The luck of the Irish clearly does not apply to Lebanese girls. At 11 p.m. last night I was picking green frosting out from beneath my fingernails. My cheeks were smudged with dry patches of chocolate cake batter, and the hard wood floor was splattered with butter cream.

My kitchen had transformed into a war zone over the course of two hours, and all from an impulsive decision at 8 p.m. to make rich chocolate cupcakes and green butter cream frosting (both from scratch) for St. Patrick’s day.

As I gazed upon my sweet creations, perfectly aligned in rows of four (one's missing in the photo because I ate it), the moment couldn’t help but be bitter sweet. I was happy to be done with baking and so unhappy to see the pile of dishes stacked in my sink. Never the less, I now know how to make my own butter cream frosting! The cupcakes are most rich in chocolate/cocoa. So if you’re a chocoholic, this batter has your name written all over it. I, candidly, can't get through one of these cupcakes before I need a tall glass or milk.

I love St. Patrick ’s Day. Truth be told, I love about any holiday that encourages people to dress festively and drink profusely in the good company of friends and family.

For an Irish beat, I chose Galway Girl sung by Steve Earl and Sharon Shannon. For my Gerard Butler fans out there, this is the song he sings at the pub in P.S. I Love You.

I hope you’re wearing green today to avoid getting pinched!
Julia

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/4 sticks of butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper baking liners.
2 - combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine milk and vanilla. Set both aside.
3 - In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter together just until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 3 minutes, or until mixture is light and creamy. NOTE: use a heave-duty mixer with whisk not paddle.
4 - reduce speed to low and add eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5 - add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until combined.
6 - spoon batter into muffin-pan cups, filling each about half way full. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
7 - Prepare frosting and frost cupcakes.

Butter cream frosting:
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
4 tbs milk

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla. Blend in the sugar (1/2 cup at a time), beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

Pesto and My Devils in Disguise

2011-03-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

For Lent I gave up cookies. Sounds easy? Think again. Cookies, if you don’t know already, are my ultimate weakness. There's never an "I'll just have one" cookie moment. Does a chain smoker “just have one” cigarette a day? I think not. And I’ve yet to come across a cookie I didn’t like.

Coincidentally, do you know what also makes its annual appearance during the Lenten season? What stalks the doorways of every grocery store within a 10 mile radius of my house? What appears to have the face of girl empowerment and leadership but is truly out for my demise? Girl Scout cookies!

Right when I’m at my most vulnerable state, boxes of Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Do-Sis-Dos, and Shortbread stare me straight in the face. I want desperately to buy cases of cookies and put smiles on all the little Girl Scouts’ faces. Yet, the exact opposite occurs. My method of avoiding these seven year olds is to walk in the grocery store right on the heels of someone else, so they won’t approach me. Or there’s always the hope of a side entrance.

My feelings towards these tempting cookie peddlers can only be summed up by the late great Elvis Presley’s “Devil in Disguise”.

Keeping with the theme of all foods green, I'm featuring a great recipe for home made pesto today. This pesto is a favorite of my mom and mine. And although it’s made fresh, you can place it in your freezer until you’re ready to use it! This pesto is perfect to use when making a Panini, bruschetta, pizza or pasta. Get creative and have fun with the versatility of this basil spread.

Enjoy!
Julia

Pesto:

Ingredients:1/2 Cup pine nuts
2 Cups fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 Cup of Parmesan cheese (fresh grated)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 Cup of olive oil

Directions:
Roast pine nuts for about five minutes in a pan over low heat. Remove pine nuts and place on paper towel or wax paper to cool. Add all ingredients to Cuisinart mixer and pulse until you have the right consistency.

Pistachio Cake and Adele

2011-03-14T08:01:00.000-05:00

Here's to the start of a new week. Can you believe it's already mid-March? No doubt the years pass by faster as I get older. But here we are; another Monday and another work day no less. Due to my lack of self control around desserts, the pistachio cake I made now finds itself a new home at work on the 13th floor's break room. We'll see how this plays out. I got the cake out of my house. Good job. But now it is with me at work - within sight and smell!

Sunday afternoon I spent a few hours sifting through cook books, online recipes and food magazines, searching for new eats to make this week. Forget vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. I was on the hunt for butter, sugar, flour, etc. In other words...desserts.

Last Thanksgiving I had my first slice of pistachio cake and have been in love ever since. So I was thrilled to find a quick and easy recipe for pistachio cake in a cook book my mom gave me years ago. Even if you're skeptical, I encourage you to try it! This recipe, in particular, takes all of 5 minutes to throw together and won't require a huge time commitment in the kitchen.

The one word I would use to describe this cake is one I can never seem to speak out loud. There are few words that make me want to scrub my mouth clean as much as m-o-i-s-t does. Blah! There. I spelled it. And m-o-i-s-t it is! With it's light lime green color on the inside and golden brown coating on the outside, this cake is a great dessert to put together when you're in time crunch.

Adele's new single "Rolling in the Deep" has been on repeat, blaring through the speakers of my iPhone. She is a perfect pair to this pistachio bunt cake. I can't get enough of this song or this cake. Thankfully Adele's song won't add unwanted lbs to the hips no matter how many times I listen to it. The cake on the other hand...not so much.

Bon Appetit!
Julia

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients
1 white cake mix
1 cup oil
1 cup 7-up or Sprite
3 eggs
1 package instant pistachio pudding
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
Mix all ingredients together well. Grease and flour Bunt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Favorite Artist Friday and Tea

2011-03-11T12:16:00.001-06:00

The joys a Friday brings to my life. Naturally it marks the beginning of the weekend, and this Friday in particular is pay day! Having refrained from buying new music the past week, this newly acquired money is burning a hole in my pocket as iTunes beckons me to purchase music, music, and more music!

There are so many artists/bands out there today, many of whom I’m just discovering and enjoy sharing with you, that I hereby dub Friday posts as “Favorite New Artist Fridays”. This won’t necessarily mean that the featured beat is new to the music scene, but rather that it is new to me.

Case in point – Bat for Lashes has been around since 2008. The album Two Suns is haunting and beautiful, highlighting British singer/songwriter Natasha Khan’s talent. If the likes of Florence and the Machine or Frou Frou appeal to you, Bat for Lashes will be an instant favorite. Today’s beat is “Daniel” (see video below). Other songs I’d recommend by this artist: “Moon and Moon” and “Pearl’s Dream”.

The latter half of this week was spent seeing the film Black Swan and taking in the musical “Young Frankenstein” at the Orpheum Theatre. Consequently, my kitchen has been neglected and not produced new eats in two days. My time was spent otherwise - watching the classic Mel Brooks’ comedy performed on stage and a ballerina who loses her mind in strife for perfection as the Swan Queen. I’ve laughed and cringed a lot in the past 48 hours.

I have, however, been drinking a lot of green tea this week – for no particular reason outside of the general health/wellness related benefits. Did you know that tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, second only to water? It also surprised me to learn that all tea (white, green, oolong, black and pu'erh) comes from the same plant called Camellia sinensis. I have a small assorted stash of teas at work. It’s nice to have on hand for several reasons. The dose of caffeine helps to start my day. It also curbs my appetite after breakfast and before lunchtime. And for the afternoon, a cup of hot mint tea takes the edge off of any stress and calms the nerves.

In addition to building my own garden in the backyard, I’d like to blend my own teas some day. Here are links to great web sites for tea, if you’re interested. Be sure to check out the various tea pots and utensils on these sites as well:

May your weekend be filled with good eats and beats!
Julia

Jazz It Up with Bananas Foster

2011-03-09T10:14:00.000-06:00

Bananas Foster

Last night the mood was right for a little sweetness to balance the savory jambalaya we had for dinner. The grocery store had bananas on sale for $0.52 a lb! I typically keep a small stash of bananas on the kitchen counter, grabbing one on the way out the door for work each morning. But what could I make with bananas that would rationalize my impulsive decision to buy 4 lbs? Enter in Bananas Foster - a dessert that originated at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans. If you like banana splits, I imagine you would like Bananas Foster. Dark brown sugar, rum, vanilla ice cream, chopped walnuts...perhaps I should have a second helping having made my mouth salivate now.

I chose to feature a Jazz beat with today's eat. Jazz music has this ability to sound classic and hip at the same time - it can be both sophisticated and sexy in tone and lyrics. I'll admit that prior to her Grammy win for Best New Artist this year, I had not heard of Esperanza Spalding. The dark horse beat out Bieber, Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, and Drake! Having listened to her latest album, Chamber Music Society, she is quickly becoming my go to artist for easy listening jams on the way to work and cooking in the kitchen.

Hearing her song "I Know You Know", visions of sipping Cosmopolitans at a chic lounge in New York City or Chicago fill my head. Or in this instance, the song accompanied me in Memphis as I made bananas foster. Other songs I'd recommend by this artist: Little Fly and Overjoyed.

Tonight I'm finally going to see the film Black Swan. Can't wait! Disclaimer: I will partake in a few cocktails before seeing a movie by director Darren Aronofsky. I'm fully prepared to be mentally disturbed and emotionally drained by the time I leave the theatre, so hopefully a little vino takes the edge off from the start.

Cheers!
Julia

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons rum (I used 1.5 tsp of rum to 2 tsp of water)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions:
In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, a few minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.

Mardi Gras Mac and Cheese

2011-03-08T12:00:00.000-06:00

For the past week, my house has been without an Internet connection. Not as critical these days if your iPhone can check/send emails to loved ones, post status updates to facebook, read daily tweets from Charlie Sheen, and surf the World Wide Web for futile knowledge such as “Is the word doughnut considered a masculine or feminine noun in the French language?”Anyone know? Random foreign language fact: it’s masculine. Unfortunately, however, the lack of an Internet signal at home does create a barrier between me and the ability to update My Eats and Beats. But where there is a will, there is a way. We finally called Comcast!

This weekend was a good mix of rest and entertainment. The gloomy climate, with rain and chilly temperatures, lent itself to 11 hours of sleep on Saturday and Sunday. Amid grey skies, lunch on Sunday was about the only burst of color all weekend: mixed greens with baby carrots, chick peas, plum tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette. I love meals that are thrown together within minutes, using items that are already in the kitchen. Resources are running scarce, and a trip to the grocery store is certainly in order today. Who wants to bet I walk away with a King Cake in my grocery cart? It’s Mardi Gras!

A few weeks ago we had dinner at my parents, and my mom bought a delectable king cake from Fresh Market. [Insert choir of angels rejoicing at the sight] After dinner my mom, dad, Stewart and I were each served a slice for dessert. Now, tradition states that whoever gets the tiny plastic baby inside the king cake is the king/queen for the day. And that person is then responsible for buying the next king cake. Four large slices, and half a king cake later, there’s no plastic baby in sight. This is just unacceptable. There has to be a baby in there. Five minutes passed, and an entire king cake was devoured by yours truly in search for the missing baby. Guess what? No baby! I felt gypped, and my stomach felt stout. Game over.

I wish I had planned in advance to make my own king cake today. Instead, I’ve posted a recipe for real macaroni and cheese. Kraft macaroni and cheese is a childhood (and adulthood) classic. But if you’re really looking to impress a dinner guest, try this recipe from the Lee Brothers. It’s a staple side dish for any season.

And the cheese to my macaroni is Louis Armstrong singing "When the Saints Go Marching In". It is quintessential New Orleans/Mardi Gras music. I love the brass band and Louis' voice. A soulful voice to go with this soul food classic.

Macaroni and Cheese from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

serves 12
total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour3 cups milk

3 bay leaves6 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste1 pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Fill a large pasta pot with water. Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pasta pot.In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir together until smooth. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it is melted. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir until the sauce is distributed evenly in the pasta. Spread half of the macaroni and cheese in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish and flatten into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheddar on top, then cover with half of the Gruyere. Add the rest of the pasta, flattening into an even layer, then cover with the remaining cheddar then the remaining Gruyere.

Bake in the middle of the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. If desired, transfer to the top rack during the last 5 minutes to brown the top.

Serve immediately.

Spicin' Up Black Bean Soup with Miss Lopez

2011-03-02T16:09:00.000-06:00

Blast you New Year’s Resolutions! I’m pretty sure, judging by today’s date, that I have not posted three new recipes per week. But I have been keeping up with other resolutions, so that has to count for something. Right? And blast you Biebs! I’ve been listening to your song “Baby” today at work. Why?! Is it your profound lyrics: “Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh. Like Baby, Baby, Baby. No.” It’s just so darn catchy! Bring Luda into the mix, and I’m hooked. For those of you who may not be familiar with my feelings towards Justin Bieber – he is the reason I would dread having a 13 year-old daughter one day. And the scary reality is that I’ve been that 13 year-old girl with many a boy bands...back in the day.

Here’s my train of thought. The Biebs makes me think of the show Glee and their Bieber Fever episode from a few weeks ago. Consequently, Glee makes me think of the new OPI line of Glee nail polish colors. And I’m in love with the color “Slushied”! It’s this fantastic blue color for the spring/summer season. Go get it!

Spring fashion trends make me all too anxious to usher in warmer temperatures and say good bye to winter coats. As a fond, food, farewell to winter, I’m featuring a black bean soup recipe. This will most likely be one of the last soups I cook until fall arrives. This black bean soup is the first I’ve made, and it is delicious. There’s a lot of flavor in this pot of protein. It has bacon! Enough said. Check out the recipe below!

Don’t worry. I’m not going to publicly shame myself further and post a Justin Bieber video to my blog. BUT I would like to point out how bad Kim Kardashian's new single "Jam" is. It premiered today. Really? Really Kim? You think you can sing? Really? You know I have a love/hate relationship with you; so why did you give me reason to hate on your new song? I'll still watch your show on E! though. No buena muchacha. No buena. Listen here.

To spice up the black bean soup recipe, I chose Jennifer Lopez's new single "On the Floor". It's a real fist pumper. Speaking of Jennifer Lopez, I'm watching another season of American Idol. I swore I wouldn't once Simon Cowell left, but here I go again...

Black Bean Soup (by Dave Lieberman/Food Network)

Ingredients

• 10 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Pomodoro Sauce and The Black Keys

2011-02-04T10:29:00.000-06:00

Don’t you just love Fridays? The end of the work week portrays a feeling of celebration and glee, knowing that I will sleep in past 6 a.m. and the next two and a half days are mine to own. Tomorrow afternoon I’ve set myself up for a day of glamour – a hair appointment followed by a manicure. You know who loves a day of “it’s all about me”? Yours truly!

This week was filled with entertaining, keeping me busy in the kitchen. The result of having guests over is that my new year’s resolution to write three new posts a week has been accomplished! Previously I reported on Tuesday’s ginger-lime beef stir-fry. So today’s post highlights a great pasta dish I made Wednesday night.

This particular recipe has no official name. My mom makes this version of a pomodoro sauce, and I love it. The only problem with adopting a recipe from the master mama chef is that she doesn’t follow a recipe. She simply “throws it together”- add a little here, try a dab of this, just a pinch of that, etc. On the other hand, I am a recipe follower to a fault. It’s a rare occasion that I feel confident in taking liberties with ingredients that are called for on paper. So, I always ask my mom a series of detailed questions in order to pull together a sense of direction. Here’s a sample of me trying to transcribe a recipe.

Me: So, I have tomatoes, basil, garlic and white wine. Is that it?
Mom: Well, then I add some chicken broth in there.
Me: OK. How much chicken broth?
Mom: Oh I don’t know. Maybe ½ a cup to 1 cup?
Me: So I cook down the tomatoes and then add everything else?
Mom: Oh wait. There’s garlic too. I add garlic to the tomatoes and olive oil in the beginning.
Me: Is the garlic whole? Minced? Chopped?

This recipe has quickly become my go to favorite when I want to cook to impress without putting in a whole lot of effort. It’s always a hit.

Today's beat is Everlasting Light by The Black Keys. This song gives me a good attitude going into the weekend. I hope it does the same for you!

Cheers!
Julia

White wine and tomato sauce:

Ingredients:
½ Cup of any white wine
1 Cup of chicken broth
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2-3 sprigs of basil, finely cut
Olive oil

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add 2 pints of cherry tomatoes (whole) and the garlic to the pan. Sauté the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes have dwindled down into mush. Then add the chicken broth, white wine and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a light simmer until it’s heated and ready. When you’re ready to add your pasta, don’t drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta directly from the boiling water into the sauce pan. This helps the pasta and sauce stick/mix together. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Let Go with Ginger-Lime Beef Stir-Fry

2011-02-01T23:28:00.000-06:00

I'm not certain why I'm always compelled to try a new recipe, for the very first time, the day I'm having guests over. Is it the thrill of the unknown? The excitement of producing a crowd pleasing dish mixed with prayers and crossed fingers that it doesn't go terribly wrong? What ever the reason, tonight was an A+ for new recipe success.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my friend, Shelby, and I get together about every month for our routine Harry Potter movie nights. There are three staples to a Harry Potter movie night at my house: the movie, the wine, and the cupcakes. It's always a fun occasion.We enjoy the time spent making dinner in the kitchen and catching up over a bottle of wine while Harry Potter plays in the background.

For tonight's rendezvous, I made a ginger-lime beef stir-fry from my Cooking Light recipe book, and it was yummy. It literally took all of 10 minutes to throw this meal together. It's low in calories, low in sodium and is inexpensive to make. If you're feeding more than 2-3 people, I'd recommend doubling the recipe. I served it over jasmine rice and a side of steamed edemame. Delish!

Around 10 p.m., after Shelby left, I stared at the pile of dirty dished in my sink. My kitchen now smells like a Chinese restaurant. And yet I'm completely content with going to bed and dealing with the mess tomorrow.

For a beat to accompany this spicy citrus entree, I chose Frou Frou's "Let Go".

Cheers!
Julia

Ginger-lime Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1.5 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
12 oz boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onion
4 limes wedges

Directions:
Combine first five ingredients into a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook until browned (about 4 minutes) stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Drizzle evenly with ginger-lime mixture. Garnish with onions and lime wedges.

New Year's Resolutions with Mumford & Sons

2011-01-30T22:35:00.000-06:00

Today I feel as though I'm writing to an old friend. A friend whom I've not talked to in over five months. Hello, my beloved blog! It's me, Julia! Thoughts flood my head and rush down to my fingertips on the keyboard. I'm anxious to familiarize myself again with the blogging world and remiss in the fact that I've neglected to write about two of my favorite pastimes: cooking and eating.

Don't misinterpret that comment. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and into the New Year, I've certainly not neglected to eat and/or cook. In fact, I dare admit there's been too much eating. And I'm pretty sure the word gluttony comes to mind. I've merely neglected to write about it. So where do I begin? There's so much to share!

Let's start with the new year. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to new year's resolutions, and somehow I'm waiting until February to begin mine. But amidst the procrastination, I want to be ambitious this year. And there's nothing like putting your goals in writing for everyone to see as self motivation.

So here it is. Resolutions to improve mind, body and spirit in 2011.

Blog at least 3 times a week.
Read one new book every 4-6 weeks.
Exercise at least 4 times a week.
Say at least one prayer a day
Brush up on my French language skills
Read the news daily. Yes, I'm terrible at staying abreast of the latest world affairs on a daily basis. Don't judge.

And thanks to bathing suit season already in high gear, for those fortunate enough to still have a spring break, I'll begin my exercise regiment first thing tomorrow. For today's eats, I'm highlighting a great vegetable soup I found from Ellie Krieger on Food Network. It's her Tuscan Vegetable Soup. I omit the spinach, due to personal preference. And I use oregano or Italian seasoning in place of sage, since I never have any in the house. I've paired this dish with Mumford and Sons' Little Lion Man. I recently added their album "Sigh No More" to my iTunes library, and it was $8 well spent. Alongside a bowl of this vegetable soup, I want to drink a pint of Guinness in a London pub. Here's to a new year, new adventures, and new eats and beats.

Cheers!
Julia

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

, if desired.

Pancakes for Dinner All By Myself

2010-08-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I pay tribute to one of my favorite movie/book characters of all time, Bridget Jones. Yes, ma'am. This evening, I could have reenacted the opening credits to Bridget Jones' Diary: bottle of wine, lounging on the couch watching sitcom reruns and no missed phone calls or messages . If you have not seen either Bridget Jones' movie, do yourself a favor and rent them asap. If you need something more convincing aside from Hugh Grant and Collin Firth, click here. Ladies, don't tell me you haven't had one of these moments before.

Stewart is out of town on business, and right around the 48-hour mark, I get antsy. I'm a social person, so there's only so many conversations I want to have with myself after work ; ) Fortunately, I have family and friends to keep me occupied; but this evening was exceptionally quiet.

Here are the top five signs that I know I'm bored:

1 - I made breakfast food for dinner. I love having breakfast for dinner, although it's a rare occasion. In general, I'm not a routine breakfast eater in the mornings, but just say the words "brunch" and "mimosas" and I'm there. So, I made blueberry buckwheat pancakes, topped with strawberries, granola and maple syrup. De-lish! I used a pre-packaged buckwheat pancake mix and simply added the fruit and granola as items I already had around the kitchen.

2 - I watched the Teen Choice Awards. All two hours of it. Including the Justin Bieber performance (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.) WHY?! I'm not sure I can even justify this one.

3 - I did two loads of laundry. This may not seem like a big deal. But when it comes to routine chores around the house, Stewart is the champion of our washer and dryer. I love a man who does the laundry. I'll clean toilets all day if it means I don't have to wash clothes.

4 - I am ready for bed by 10 pm. This is probably a good thing.

5 - Celine Dion is today's beat. If you clicked on the link above, you will see where my inspiration came from for the song "All By Myself". A few words on Celine Dion. I've seen this woman in concert two times during the height of her career, and she is absolutely amazing. Watching her perform is like listening to her album. She hits every note, and it's pitch perfect.

So next time you're having a night all by yourself, try breakfast for dinner.
Julia

Fried Green Tomatoes and Union Station

2010-08-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

Last night I finally made fried green tomatoes! I've horded this box of Whistle Stop batter mix for three weeks (at least), watched three batches of green tomatoes ripen to red, and am just now writing about it.

Fried green tomatoes are one of those iconic Southern foods. How could they not be? Thanks to Fannie Flagg, there is a book and a movie named after them! Fannie Flag is a brilliant Southern author, actress and comedienne. I can remember being thirteen years old and reading Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man on a family road trip to South Carolina. I read the entire book in 12 hours - very uncommon for my reading pace. Ms. Flagg is a brilliant storyteller and perhaps best known for "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". The book became the screenplay for Fried Green Tomatoes, starring Kathy Bates and Mary-Louise Parker. This movie is a close second behind Steel Magnolias for all-time favorite movies. Add them both to your Netflix list if you haven't already.

A majority of Fried Green Tomatoes takes place around Whistle Stop Cafe. So you can imagine how elated I was to spot Whistle Stop batter mix on display in the produce section of my local grocery store. You might as well have put a sign on my forehead that said "SUCKER!" Food marketers must love people like me. Put an ounce of nostalgia around a box of cornmeal, and I'm sold!

Not only was this my first time to fry a green tomato, but it was also the first time I've eaten friend green tomatoes. The taste is quite intriguing. So much so that I ate four of them. It's tart and salty with a little bit of sweetness from the batter. I feel like a better Southerner having tried them.

For the beat to my eats, Allison Kraus and Union Station are a great fit. Blue grass music captures the essence of small southern towns and good home cookin'.

Ya'll come back now ya hear!
Julia

Pasta Primavera and OK Go

2010-07-29T14:40:00.001-05:00

With my head hung low, I confess that I did not go to Zumba last night :( Instead I cooked and ate to my heart’s content. Some days I get bit by the hungry bug and can’t fight it. Having had leftovers the past two days, I was itching for something new. In the battle between food versus exercise, food wins!

And even better, Stewart made burgers on the grill! I contributed roasted potatoes and spinach salad as the two side dishes. It’s always nice when you have a friend/spouse/roommate to cook meals with. And it’s even better if they clean the kitchen afterwards ; ) To me that’s the worst part about cooking. You spend all this time preparing a meal, dirtying up dishes and counter tops, only to turn around and clean it all. This explains why every now and again, there are dirty dishes sitting in my sink from the night before.

Last week I made Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for pasta primavera. YUM. I love pasta salads, so this recipe was right up my alley. Pasta primavera has all these wonderful baked vegetables which create the seasoning for the pasta – plus a little salt and pepper. All the bright colors from the carrots, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers make a great presentation and taste delicious. I’ll definitely make this dish again.

Today’s beat is brought to you by OK Go! I like this video, and the splashes of paint color mirror the different colored veggies in the pasta primavera. Apart from the blue; there’s no blue in this pasta. Stay with me people…

Friday is less than 24 hours away! What are your plans for the weekend? With rave reviews surrounding the movie Inception, it’s on my to do list. Back in the day Leonardo DiCaprio (or as I liked to call him, Leo) was my teenage crush. Some may call it an obsession, but I prefer the term crush. Dinner for Shmucks also comes out tomorrow, and I want to see that. Which movie should I see first? I need some help making a decision.

Giada’s Pasta Primavera:

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips

• 2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips

• 2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence

• 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)

• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole and Johnny Cash

2010-07-26T23:17:00.001-05:00

There's a thunderstorm occurring outside of my living room window tonight, and I find it most soothing. Something about the roll of thunder and rain drops against the window pane that make me want to curl up in bed with a cup of hot tea and a good book. Or in this case, writing a new post for My Eats and Beats!

After work today, I went to a zumba class recommended by a co-worker of mine. And it was AWESOME! I love Latin music and dance. And I usually don't work up a sweat during workouts, but I was reaching for my water bottle and towel after every song. Edgar is our zumba leader. He is this ball of little Latino energy. Seriously, he can't be more than 5'4'', but he keeps you energized and moving the entire 60 minutes. I'll definitely take this class again. Edgar alternates locations of his zumba class a few days out of the week, depending on gym availability. At $5 a class, I suggest you get your hips moving and come join me! I'll be there again on Wednesday.

We had a late dinner this evening as I did not get home until 8 p.m., after stopping by the grocery store on the way home. In the Latin spirit, I decided to go with turkey enchilada casserole. This particular recipe is low in calories and relatively low in cholesterol...which is a double bonus for me. The casserole also has great authentic Mexican flavor. And there is plenty of leftovers to last you a few days.

The Man in Black, Mr. Johnny Cash, and "Ring of Fire" is the beat of the day. It's a fun song pair with this dish.

Have a good week!
Julia

Turkey Enchilada Casserole:
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cans (10 oz.) red enchilada sauce: 1 hot and 2 mild
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz.)

Preparation
In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Me and My Bulgur and Chickpeas Salad

2010-07-20T00:05:00.002-05:00

I'm back in the game! After a few kitchen blunders last week, I was thrilled to make a tasty dish for Sunday night's dinner. I took a recipe for bulgur and chickpeas with preserved-lemon vinaigrette and tailored the ingredients to fit my taste. It was fantastic. With fresh squeezed lemon juice and paprika, this salad has great summer flavors with a kick and is the perfect side to any grilled meat or fish.

This past Saturday night, I had myself a fine time in downtown Memphis courteousy of Flying Fish, the Peabody Hotel, Bardog Tavern and good friends. Flying Fish is a fun place to go for fried seafood. They have THE BEST fish tacos. I salivate just thinking about that fresh pico de gallo, cole slaw and fried talapia. And I never fail to order a side of their red beans and rice. After dinner, Stewart and I headed to the Peabody Hotel for cocktails in the lobby. In my mid-twenties and at roughly $13 a drink, it's not a regular occurrence for me (but always fun on occasion). The lobby of the Peabody is a great place to sit, relax and people watch. From there we headed to Bardog Tavern. Bardog is one of my favorite places downtown to go for drinks, and their food is really good as well. Try the sliders next time you're there.

I've recently found myself borderline obsessed with Twitter and podcasts. My favorite podcasts at the moment are TedTalks, This American Life, HBR IdeaCast and CoffeeBreak French. I love having all of this information at my fingertips, and there are so many great resources online to learn from. I have a half an hour commute to and from work, so it's a good way for me to unwind.

For today's beat, I'm going with "Me and My Bobby McGee". One of the greatest female artists of the late 60s, Janis Joplin's voice is unmistakable and has a unique raw tone to it. There's a lot of texture and depth to her voice, just like the ingredients in this salad. Both are fun, original and sure to liven up your cooking experience.

Bon Appetit!
Julia

Bulgur and Chickpeas Salad:

1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coarse grind bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Place the bulgar in a large, heatproof bowl and pour in the boiling stock. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes, until liquid is completely absorbed.

Add the chickpeas, onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, cumin, paprika and ground coriander. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to mix; coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Lemon-Ricotta Muffins and Dave Matthews

2010-07-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

The weekend has arrived! Not much to report beforehand; the past two days have been low key. But I did try to go for a run after work and had to call it quits after 20 minutes because the heat here was absolutely stifling. Why did I think I could run outside when it's 100 degrees and humid?! During the work week, I have a really difficult time waking up early enough to run. I'm one of those people who hits the snooze button for an hour before I finally put two feet on the floor and stumble over to the shower; so naturally I opt to run after work.

Keeping this post short and sweet for Friday, I'll jump right in to the eats and beats portion. The other day I made these lemon-ricotta muffins. They are super delicious and have a great texture that tastes like pound cake. A good treat to have around on Saturday and Sunday mornings with coffee. The beat is Dave Matthew's song "So Damn Lucky". It has a beautiful melody, and he paints the lyrics with his voice. I like seeing him solo with just the guitar in this video.

Any one have big plans for the weekend? I'll meet ya'll back here on Monday for another week of eats and beats!

Julia

Lemon-Ricotta Muffins: Makes 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup milk
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel

1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve 2 1/2 by 1 1/4 muffin-pan cups or line with paper baking liners. In large bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.
2 - In medium bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix together ricotta, milk, melted butter, eggs and lemon peel. Make well in center of flour mixture and pour in ricotta mixture; stir just until flour is moistened.
3 - Spoon batter into prepared muffin-pan cups. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over muffins. Bake 20-22 minutes, until muffins are golden brown, tops spring back when lightly touched, and toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Memphis Minnie and Blackberry Cocktails

2010-07-13T23:44:00.000-05:00

We've had a downpour of rain here the past two evenings, and my yard is thanking the man above for all this H2O. The flower bed in our front yard was knocking on death's door until Sunday night. You see, this is why I can't be responsible for another life - animal, mineral or vegetable. I have the best of intentions when it comes to gardening, but I was not blessed with a green thumb. Hopefully this is a skill I can (and will) improve upon as I get older. Until then my plants live to see another day! And this makes me happy. I even bought fresh flowers for the house this past weekend. It's a great way to add color and warmth to a home.

Speaking of home decor, the latest Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel catalogues found their way into my mailbox this week! I love flipping through the pages, eyeing each kitchen accessory and piece of furniture. In fact my latest want in life is a desk/work station at home. One of our guest bedrooms has a little nook that's the perfect amount of space for a work area: desk, chair, lamp, bulletin boards, etc. Then I could have my own reserved space to write and study. Particularly now that Crate & Barrel is advertising dorm room accessories for back to school, I'm all about my own work space.

Today, My Eats and Beats is going old school with Memphis Minnie and blackberry cocktails. Memphis Minnie's songs make me feel like I'm back in the South circa 1940. She is one the most influential female blues musicians and guitarists of all time. The eat to my beat is in fact a cocktail. Enter in blackberries, lime, cucumbers, mint and gin! This is a great mixed drink for summer. It's tart, a little sour and most refreshing.

Disclaimer: Too much of this blackberry cocktail may lead to "kissing in the dark".

Blackberry Cocktail from Southern Living:

Yield: Makes 5 cups
1 (0.75-oz.) package fresh mint sprigs
12 (1/4-inch-thick) cucumber slices
2 (6-oz.) packages fresh blackberries
3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
8 to 12 tsp. turbinado sugar*
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. gin
1 cup cold club soda
Crushed ice
Garnishes: cucumber slices, fresh blackberries, lime wedges, lemon mint sprigs

Place first 5 ingredients in a large pitcher. Gently press mint leaves, cucumbers, and blackberries against side of pitcher with a wooden spoon to release flavors. Stir in gin and club soda. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.
*Superfine or powdered sugar may be substituted.

Ain't too Proud to Beg for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2010-07-11T22:39:00.001-05:00

At 11 p.m. Saturday night I wanted to bake cookies. By 11 a.m. the following morning, I still wanted to bake cookies. Could I resist the urge any longer after 12 hours? I think not.

For those of you who may not know me well, there is one sweet, and one sweet only, that makes me weak in the knees. It is the cookie. At the very sight of these tasty morsels, I abandon all self control and bite into them. I simply can't say no. Perhaps my self proclaimed nickname should be "cookie monster". It would be a most accurate parallel, aside from the blue fur and puppet thing.

And what is my favorite cookie might you ask? Oatmeal raisin is the king of cookies in my book. The great thing about oatmeal raisin is that you can do so many variations of this cookie; and they're all scrumptious. For instance, white chocolate chip and cherry oatmeal cookies are delish. Or add chocolate chips to your batch of oatmeal raisin for a change.

But today, I went with the original recipe. And my twelve hours of deliberation over making these cookies was worth the wait. Ever so crisp around the edges and chewy on the inside, this batch of cookies was exactly what a cookie should be. And not a single one of them was burnt. All 3 dozen were golden to perfection.

Aside from baking this weekend, I started training to run a 5k in October. I've made the commitment to run the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in Memphis October 30th; and I'll need every week's worth of time to train these legs to run. I went to Fleet Feet Sports on Saturday morning and bought a pair of Asics. I love them! Then I proceeded to run/walk at noon. In Memphis. With the humidity. NOT SMART. But I did it! I'm excited to go through this process and run my first 5k. But I will admit that my quadriceps are on fi-ya! I can't remember the last time I had to brace myself before sitting in a chair because my legs are so sore. But "no pain no gain", right?

I went to see "Despicable Me" Sunday night. It was so cute! The characters were adorable and the movie was funny. Surprisingly the theatre was packed with people age 18-30. There were hardly any children!

I chose The Temptations "Ain't too Proud to Beg" to go with my oatmeal raisin cookies. And honey I AIN'T too proud to beg when it comes to cookies. Trust me; I've done it before, and I will do it again. ; )

Can you believe we're almost half way through July? That's more than half way through the year! I'm shocked at how fast this year has gone by. Well, here's to another week of eats and beats!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Julia

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) of butter, softened
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 Cup raisins

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire wrack. Makes about 3-4 dozen, depending on the size of cookie you want.

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip and Chester French

2010-07-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

I'm convinced that I've been cursed in the kitchen this week. The past two nights I've made dinner, and the past two nights we've gone out to eat. Both meals were a flop! Why me, Lord? So to lift the weight of culinary frustration off my shoulders, I popped open a bottle of champagne. When in doubt, there's always cocktails.

I find it interesting that we, as a society, only associate champagne with celebrations. I happen to be a firm believer that champagne can be, and should be, enjoyed on any occasion. To accompany my glass of bubbly, I made a brown sugar fruit dip. I had quite the plethora of fruit in my refrigerator this week, so this dip was the perfect excuse to consume it. Otherwise it would go to waste within a few days.

I went to the wine market with every intention to purchase ONE bottle of champagne and walked away with TWO bottles! Who knows? Maybe I'll mess up dinner again tomorrow night, and then I'll be really glad I have that extra bottle of Domaine Ste Michelle to drown my sorrows.

But back to the brown sugar fruit dip. I found this recipe through Southern Living. Click here for the recipe. It's easy to whip together and is a great side to any fruit assortment. Just be aware that it needs to chill for 4 hours, so give yourself plenty of time before you're ready to serve it.

For today's post I'm featuring Chester French. They're a great American Indie Pop group who formed the band during their college years at Harvard University. I heard their song "She Loves Everybody" a few months ago and have been looking for an opportunity to play them on My Eats and Beats.

Enjoy!
Julia

In the Mood for Strawberry Country Cake

2010-07-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

Oh the pleasures of a three-day weekend. How I miss it already, and it's not yet even Tuesday morning. This year Stewart and I remained in Memphis for the 4th of July. Although it hurts me to say this, because it sounds disgustingly "adult" of me, I felt productive in the fact that we caught up on laundry, cleaned the house, went grocery shopping, took my car to be serviced, ran errands, watered the yard and enjoyed some R&R time at home. Ouch! That was painful to put into words. But, life in the fast lane these past 3 weeks needed to pull over for a much needed pit stop.

I haven't even been spending quality time with my kitchen! I've been neglecting her and thus felt incomplete with no new adventures of cooking. The oven was rusty and the refrigerator was bare.

But what epicurean could resist cooking and baking on this our country's day of independence? With the dessert I made for our family gathering on Sunday, I was ready to sparkle and shine like a 4th of July firecracker!

Ya'll, I'm not kidding; this recipe takes the cake for best dessert. 100% home-made, and out of this world, Ina Garten's strawberry country cake made me proud to be an American...and proud to be a member of the happy plate club that afternoon (I added the blueberries for some blue with my red and white). Forget baking this cake, I was ready to devour the entire bowl of batter. Grated lemon and orange zest, made-from-scratch whipped cream, ripe strawberries and blueberries....YUM.

As I was baking this cake Sunday morning, I tuned into the "Frank Sinatra" radio station on Pandora. And within 20 minutes, I heard Glenn Miller's "In the Mood". I love the big band-era, and I'm pretty sure my Cuisinart electric mixer and I shared a moment during this song.

Like Thanksgiving and Christmas, 4th of July is one of those holidays best spent with family and friends. And of course, good food! Hope you enjoyed your Independence Day this year.

Enjoy these eats and beats! More the come this week.
Julia

Ina Gartnen's Strawberry Country Cake

This recipe makes two 8-inch cakes. Ina splits one cake into two layers, but I felt it was too thin. So I used each cake as a full layer and added blueberries to make it my own.

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the filling for each cake:

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream, chilled
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper and butter and flour the lined pans. (I just used PAM baking spray; it works just as well)
Cream the butter and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, zests, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch (Note: Whip this on high speed for a few minutes; it takes a while for it to become firm)ch, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine just until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature. If using 1 cake, wrap the second well and freeze.

To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until firm. *Note: This takes a few minutes, and you want to whisk it with an electric mixer on high speed until firm.

Slice one of the cakes in half with a long, sharp knife (Or use one entire cake as the bottom layer). Place the bottom slice of the cake on a serving platter, spread with 1/2 the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with strawberries.

String Cheese, Meat and Potatoes

2010-06-29T23:36:00.002-05:00

Last night we dined on grilled flank steak, asparagus and roasted potatoes. Quite the manly meat and potatoes meal; there was not a scrap of food left upon cleaning the dishes. I represent all the ladies out there who can throw down more food than their male counterpart. I usually don't cook a lot of red meat throughout the week. But when I'm craving protein, nothing satisfies the need like a good piece of steak (or burger).

I cut red potatoes into quarters, drizzled canola oil over the potatoes and sprinkled them with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and Greek seasoning. Place the potatoes on a baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Be sure to turn the potatoes at least once while cooking, so they don't burn on one side.

Stewart loves asparagus, and these green spears were excellent grilled. With a little charred flavor, they also pack a light crunch. You can grill the asparagus alongside the steak as they are both cooked over high heat. I season mine in olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Keep an eye on the asparagus to ensure they don't burn. About every minute or so, rotate the asparagus on each side. Total cook time is about 5 minutes.

This is a simply delicious meal to prepare in half an hour, and it's full of flavor.

To pair with this well-balanced dinner, I'm thrilled to feature String Cheese on My Eats and Beats. You may remember me talking about String Cheese a few posts back; the lead cellist, Ali Haraburda, is a good friend of Stewart's from Michigan. She and Diana Ladio form the string duo of folk rock with roots in the Celtic music tradition. I've had the pleasure of seeing these two girls perform, and they are amazing. If you'd like to hear more or even want to purchase their music, check out String Cheese's MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/stringcheesemusic .

More to come this week(end). I'll be gearing up for Independence Day eats!

Under Pressure Combos

2010-06-27T22:27:00.001-05:00

Today, I'd like to cash in my "get out of jail free" card. Aside from heating up a bowl of vegetable soup on the stove, I did not lift a single finger in the kitchen this weekend...yikes! This past week, life got a little busier than usual. And consequently my free time to unwind, cook and blog was limited (or non-existent). How I've missed it!

My eating habits, on the other hand, didn't skip a beat since last Thursday. If your family is anything like mine, you know having company in town means one thing: LOTS OF FOOD! We had a plethora of chocolate chip cookies, brownies, pasta, baked ziti, fruit salads and wine to feed a small village. Not to mention the fact that we purchased a box of Dunkin Donuts Munchkins each morning to go with our coffee.

So with a full tummy and an empty fridge, I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize some of my favorite food combinations. Try them sometime if you have these items lying around your pantry:

Peanut butter and raisins. I love this snack. Just top a spoon full of peanut butter with raisins.
Raw almonds and raisins. This is another great snack, although high in calories because of the almonds. So eat small amounts.
French fries and honey mustard. Don't ask. I just like it.
Salted potato chips and T. Marzetti's Ranch Veggie Dip. It tastes like chips and french onion dip.
Mix ketchup and mayo together, and dip your french fries in it. Growing up in Brussels, they actually serve mayo with fries (or frites) instead of ketchup. Which is very good by the way. But I also like to mix both condiments together.

What are your favorite food combinations? Oreos and peanut butter? Baked potatoes and ranch dressing? I'm always interested to learn new ways to pair food. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know :)

Speaking of combinations, one of my favorite collaborations between two artists (or in this case a singer and a band) is Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure". Freddie Mercury and David Bowie are both brilliant and iconic. And I'm sure I will feature them individually one day on My Eats and Beats. This duet is forever a classic.

Ironically, "Under Pressure" is the beat to depressurize my day when it gets hectic. This week we say goodbye to the month of June and hello to July, celebrating the independence of the great US of A and a three-day weekend!

Hope this song and your favorite eats put a smile on your face!
Julia

Fruit Smoothies and Freshly Ground

2010-06-23T00:12:00.003-05:00

“Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it”.

- Julia Child

Today is my 31st post to My Eats and Beats. Which means I have blogged a month's worth of food and music! I have truly loved every minute of it; as I hope you have.

For a split second, I thought I would not have a recipe to feature today. With family in town this week, there hasn't been much free time for me to cook. But fear not my foodie friends! There is one recipe I have up my sleeve that is perfect for concocting before bedtime because it refrigerates overnight and provides you with a healthy breakfast!

These are Alton Brown's Buff Smoothies. The recipe calls for frozen fruit, so it's ideal for blending before going to work in the morning. Plus all the prep is completed the night before. And now that the temperature here reaches 95 degrees by 9 a.m., smoothies are a cool way to get your daily serving of fruit into your diet.

You can substitute blueberries, peaches, strawberries or bananas for any of your favorite fruits. Perhaps you prefer honeydew or pineapple? I also don't care for yogurt based smoothies, so I like that Alton uses grape juice and soy milk for substance.

The South African group Freshly Ground accompanies these fruitful smoothies. Both are colorful, refreshing, energetic and makes a great start to your day. My sister introduced me to Freshly Ground about 5 years ago. She was living in Paris at the time when I went to visit for spring break. The song "Doo Be Doo" woke us up every morning and sang us to sleep each night. I love the lead singer's voice; so beautiful and unique. Recently the band sang with Shakira in "Waka Waka" (This Time for Africa) - the official 2010 FIFA World Cup song. Click here to listen.

Creating this blog has taught me a lot about my passions in life. Here's to many more months (and years) of good eats and beats.

Cheers!
Julia

Buff Smoothies:
1/2 Cup grape juice
1/2 Cup low fat or non fat soy milk, plain
4 oz frozen strawberries
4 oz frozen blueberries
4 oz frozen peaches
1/2 banana, or one full banana depending on

Combine all ingredients into the carafe of a blender. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 8 hours. In the morning, put the carafe on the base of the blender. Start at the lowest speed and slowly go up to medium. Blend on medium for 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and blend for an additional minute. Serve immediately

*Note: You could easily use fruit that is not frozen, blend and serve immediately.

Key Lime Pie and Janelle Monae

2010-06-21T00:06:00.000-05:00

Just finished a late night walk around our neighborhood with Stewart; I needed a little brisk exercise after all the good eats I enjoyed this Sunday. Summer nights are perfect for evening strolls. By 8 or 9 p.m. the sun sets and the humidity retires, only to rise again 12 hours later the next morning.

Today we celebrated Father's Day with my Dad! He's the best. I have to say a lot of my appreciation and love for music comes from him. Growing up, he and I would go see musicals together at the Orpheum Theatre and spend hours sampling music at Borders; afterwards he'd always let me walk away with a new CD in hand.

So for today's festivities, Mama bear mom cooked chicken spaghetti, and I baked key lime pie for dessert. We've decided to call our teamwork in the kitchen "Shake and Bake"...like Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. from Talladega Nights. Now we just have to figure out who will play the role of "shake" and who will be the "bake" in our duo. Filled with pasta and pie, I changed into my bathing suit and quickly wrapped myself in a beach towel, disrobing right before jumping in the pool. And for two hours, I swam and soaked up the sun. A Southern girl can never get enough sun; we need our Vitamin D!

This is the best key lime pie you will ever put to your lips. And I don't say that just because it's my mama's. No one has ever tried this key lime pie that didn't LOVE it, unless you just don't like key lime pies. But how could you not? It's such a refreshing dessert! The fresh squeezed lime juice gives you that mouth puckering tartness, and the crust...the crust is the best part!

Now all I need to do is muster up some self discipline, so that I don't eat all pie in 24-hours. It happens. Not something I'm proud of; but it happens.

Today I want to feature one of my new favorite artists, Janelle Monae and her song "Tightrope". This girl is fabulous. The fitted tuxedos and bow ties are classic, and she rocks the outfit. I wouldn't mind having her dance moves either with the way Janelle glides across the floor. She reminds me of a young, female version of James Brown. I'm loving this song and the music video; it's full of soul and style - two of my favorite accessories.

I continue to read a few chapters of Eat Pray Love each night before I fall asleep, and I'm really enjoying this book. Elizabeth Gilbert has a great talent for storytelling. And this story is certainly a page-turner.

Have a wonderful week!
Julia

Key Lime Pie:
Crust -
1 1/4 Cups Nilla Wafers (crushed, but still with some chunks of cookie) *You can use a food processor
3 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp melted butter

Combine crushed wafers and sugar; mix in melted butter until absorbed by wafers. Press firmly into pie pan to form crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes. If the crust puffs up after you take it out of the oven, press it back down with the back of a spoon or measuring cup.

Key Lime Filling -
2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 Cup lime juice
1 Tbsp grated lime peel (1-2 limes)

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk until blended. Pour into pie crust and bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Refrigerate for an hour.

Just Peachy with Simon and Garfunkel

2010-06-17T23:40:00.004-05:00

I recently stumbled upon a recipe from none other than the granddaughter of Roald Dahl, the best-selling children’s author of all time. I cherished Mr. Dahl’s stories during my childhood and still do in my mid-twenties. His tales are timeless and inspire the human imagination to run wild with stories about The Twits, The BFG, Matilda, The Minpins, The Witches, George’s Marvelous Medicine, The Magic Finger, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…I could write an entire post dedicated to this writer!

But, as I was saying, when I saw this recipe from Sophie Dahl I obviously had to try it. And it is a simply delectable one for roasted peaches. On a separate note, click here if you’d like to read Sophie’s interview with House Beautiful magazine.

And boys and girls, Christmas come early with this peachy treat. The baked cinnamon, brown sugar and butter taste like the holidays had a party in your mouth. But the color and flavor of peaches are perfect during the summer months and make for a great dessert after dinner or for a late afternoon snack.

Tonight I enjoyed dinner and a movie downtown with a friend of mine. We dined on sushi at Bluefin and watched The Philadelphia Story at the Orpheum Theatre. Does it get any better than Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant? Much to my astonishment, I’d never seen The Philadelphia Story (given that my mother is the queen of old Hollywood films). This movie is adorable! And it’s funny! I highly recommend it for a movie night at home.

I also discovered Bluefin’s happy hour, but on sushi rolls not cocktails. Basically, a waiter will bring around a platter of rolls that the chef has made for “happy hour”, and all rolls are $3. You just grab the plate of rolls that you want from the tray! Such an awesome deal. We each started out with a roll from the happy hour platter and then went for the gusto, ordering the And the Oscar Goes to..., Blues Club, and Bluefin rolls. De-li-cious!! I'm pretty sure I could eat my weight in this stuff.

The Orpheum presents 10-12 Broadway shows each year, as well as Ballet Memphis and Opera Memphis performances. During the summer, they also feature movies on the big screen. And tomorrow it just so happens that they are having their annual Estate Sale (June 18th) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I went last year, and it’s pretty cool to see all the old show posters and props they sell. I bought posters from Oliver and Les Miserables. Now they’re hiding in my attic somewhere instead of The Orpheum’s attic ; ) But it's worth the trip if you have some free time this Friday, perhaps during your lunch break.

You can see the gentleman playing the organ before the film started. This is such a fun thing to do in downtown Memphis.

I hope to go to the Memphis Farmer's Market and spend a little quality time by the pool this weekend. But before that happens, I must leave you with this beat for your listening pleasure; it’s Simon and Garfunkel’s "Only Living Boy in New York". They are such an iconic singer-songwriter duo. And if we're talking about literature, imagination and sweet summer eats, I think this melody compliments each of these ideas.

Have a great weekend!
Julia

Sophie Dahl's Cinnamon Roast Peaches with Vanilla Yogurt:
4 peaches, ripe but firm
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or sunflower oil
2 cups low-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash and halve the peaches, removing the pits, and place in a small roasting pan. Sprinkle each peach half with a little cinnamon and brown sugar and dot with the butter or oil. Cook for about 10 minutes.
2. While the peaches are cooking, mix the yogurt with the vanilla and agave syrup or honey.
3. Serve the peaches in bowls doused with the yogurt, and garnish with a little fresh mint if you feel fancy.

Baked Salmon and Punch Brothers

2010-06-15T22:33:00.002-05:00

Upon leaving work this afternoon, I drove to Target and invested in a day planner. Meet my new best friend Franklin Covey. I'm a huge fan of Franklin Covey planners and am surprised that I haven't bought one in 8 months! It was time to incorporate structure and organization back into my day job. Thank goodness Franklin is here to help. Buying office supplies reminds me of school days. Although I dreaded the process of registering for classes and the end of summer, I always enjoyed shopping for the fine tipped sharpies in various colors, ball point pens with gel grips and dozens of notebooks.

But, let's talk about food because I have one amazing recipe to share with you. Flying solo for dinner tonight, but still in the mood to cook, I made a scrumptious salmon fillet and garden salad. This meal only takes half an hour from pan to plate, but the flavors coating the fish are sure to please your pallet for hours. I even sat at the kitchen table, not in front of the TV, to ensure I savoured every bite.

Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish. I love the pink color, the natural flavor and the texture. Growing up, my mom spread mayonnaise over her baked salmon. And let me tell you; you will never go back to baking salmon without a spread of mayonnaise on top once you've tried it. I recently learned that mayo adds oil to fish which generally doesn't produce that much. The mayo also helps to reduce any murky taste from salmon, or completely eliminates it.

For seasonings, I sprinkled onion powder, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning and paprika on top. Once the salmon came out of the oven, I garnished it with freshly squeezed lemon juice. OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. I love how salmon peels apart in layers, like cutting cold butter with a warm knife.

For the salad, I simply chopped a head of romaine lettuce and added cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and grated Parmesan-Regiano cheese. Drizzle some raspberry walnut vinaigrette over the greens, and you're ready to eat!

My summer reading is moving right along, finishing Bethenny Frankel's Naturally Thin in 48 hours. Up next is Eat Pray Love. Can't wait to dive into that one!

I paired this baked salmon with the Punch Brothers. The band formed in 2006 and are a modern day, bluegrass group. I've never been a huge fan of country music, which is strange for a Tennessean; but I absolutely love bluegrass music. It's the real music of the country. Check out Punch Brother's web site if you'd like to hear more. They're also on tour this summer and may be headed to a town near you! Here's one of their songs "Rye Whiskey".

And check out "Reptilia", a Strokes cover! Pretty cool to hear it played with a mandolin and banjo.

Hope you enjoy these eats and beats!
Julia

Bakes Salmon Fillet:
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over top of salmon. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with tin foil, and place salmon on foil. Sprinkle fillets with onion powder, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning and paprika. Bake for 20 minutes or until flaky. Garnish with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Summer Reading and Feelin Good

2010-06-13T23:22:00.001-05:00

This afternoon I went to Davis Kidd Booksellers, cozied up in an over sized armchair and picked out my summer reading. Davis Kidd is my favorite bookstore in Memphis. It's very quaint and a place where I can easily spend hours sifting through shelves of books. Libraries and bookstores are two places where I feel ten times smarter just by being there. I want to wear thick rimmed glasses and sip a cappuccino while reading philosophy and taking notes. It's also a great stress reliever. But perhaps the best part about Davis Kidd Booksellers is the little restaurant inside, Bronte Bistro. Quite the popular spot for ladies who lunch, or couples meeting for brunch after church on Sunday. It most certainly beats the proverbial Starbucks inside a Barnes and Noble. Unfortunately, I missed out on a meal at Bronte today, but I am happy to report that I have not only one, not two, but THREE books to read this summer. And I'm ready to fly through all of them.

Ironically, but not completely unpredictable, all three books have something to do with food in one way or another. They are Bethenny Frankel's Naturally Thin, Manny Howard's My Empire of Dirt and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love.

I've already started reading Naturally Thin, and I really enjoy it. I'm obsessed with Real Housewives of NYC; and now I'm a fan of Bethenny's book. In all seriousness, she has the right attitude towards food, teaching people smart ways to incorporate food into their life; and it's very achievable. It's not about dieting and denying yourself the foods you love. But rather she teaches you how to create that balance and make smart choices. She's realistic about eating habits and struggles, while still being relatable. Plus, she tells me I can make an exception everyday if it's really worthwhile. And one of those exceptions is a small glass of wine. Now we're talkin'! I love my vino every now and then.

I read a review in the latest issue of Garden and Gun magazine about My Empire of Dirt. Manny Howard has an 800 square foot backyard in Brooklyn which he turned into a farm. His goal is to live only off of what he can produce on this farm for a month: chickens, fruits, vegetables, etc. I can tell this is going to be a fun read and have only gotten through the prologue.

Tonight, I made Bethenny's faux cheesecake. "Interesting" is the first word that comes to mind. Surprisingly, it had just enough sweetness to convince the brain that you are eating dessert, without consuming all the calories. Yet, the texture is very light and airy, 99% of the recipe being ricotta cheese. It just so happened that I had all the ingredients to whip this together in 2 minutes and try it out. I recommend it. You certainly satisfy your sweet tooth, but unlike the real deal of cheese cake, you can eat an entire serving and not feel one once of guilt! Don't misunderstand, nothing beats a slice of New York cheesecake. But this is a good, healthy alternative. I may have slipped in a little more maple syrup than required...shhhh...

Michael Buble singing "I'm Feeling Good" is a true representation of my attitude going into this week. I got to lay out by the pool this weekend. Got a little sun. Got my summer reading lined up. Now I'm officially ready to kick off the summer season. I actually saw Michael Buble in Chicago my sophomore year in college. My roommate and I went to his concert, and he was fantastic. At times, you would have thought Elvis Presley was in the room with the way women squealed over him.

Have a great week!
Julia

Bethenny's Faux Cheesecake:1/2 cup whipped cottage cheese (or low-fat ricotta cheese)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 tbs dark chocolate chips or slivered almonds, or anything that goes with the flavor
1 tsp honey or maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin. Eat immediately, or cover and chill.

Irish Pirate and Lemon Chicken

2010-06-10T23:21:00.006-05:00

Happy Friday! Let's celebrate with a double feature on My Eats and Beats. Plus, the blog is sporting a new design today! Do you like it? A big thank you to Blogger for stepping up their game on the template options.

I for one am happy to see the weekend. A little quality time by the pool, a little sun tan and I'm good to go. We had quite the downpour of rain the last two evenings, but I'm hopeful it has passed. In fact, downtown got drenched right as I was walking out of the office and to the parking garage Thursday afternoon. Water puddles formed in my heels and the hems of my pants were soaked. By the time I drove out of the parking garage, not a drop of rain was to be found. Just my luck. C'est la vie, right?

Well, as it turns out, last night I made a big dinner; and tonight I made a refreshing dessert. So I'm putting the two together to leave you with good eats for Saturday and Sunday.

First off is lemon chicken. I found this recipe in the current issue Southern Living. You could make this dish for a late afternoon lunch or dinner. It's very light and refreshing, relying on butter and fresh lemons to bring out the flavor in the chicken. And it makes for a beautiful presentation without being difficult to make. Serve with a side of rice and vegetables, or even a big salad. It's a great summer meal.

Need an ice cold refreshment to cool you off this weekend? Craving ice cream? Look no further than the Irish Pirate. Make these mint chocolate chip milk shakes with dark rum, or omit the liquor for a non-alcoholic version. Either way, this drink is delicious. I saw this recipe on Food Network and fell in love after seeing "mint chocolate chip ice cream" and "rum" as the main ingredients. Top each serving with a fresh sprig of mint to dress it up. Just a side note...after reading reviews, I omitted the mint extract. Enjoy!

The Irish Pirate really put me in the Celtic spirit. I admit to being that nerd who gets excited when NPR plays Celtic music on Saturday mornings. Actually, one of Stewart's best friends from back home plays the cello in a duo called String Cheese. They are truly amazing and have a fresh spin on classic Celtic music. Perhaps you'll see them on My Eats and Beats one day. But you know me...I always like to ask for permission first :)

Keeping in tune with my minty Irish refreshment I went with The Corrs "Toss the Feathers".
Have a happy and safe weekend!
Julia

Sticky Buns from the Grapevine

2010-06-08T23:09:00.000-05:00

If you ask me why I felt compelled to bake at 9 o'clock this evening, I'm not sure I could give you a reasonable explanation. Perhaps it is because I haven't done much cooking since last Saturday. Or maybe it's because I didn't want to disappoint you without a sweet treat this Wednesday. It is hump day after all. Welcome to the half way point of the week!

If you read my post on Monday, you'll know that I'm trying to lay off the sugar for a little while. An admitted sweet-o-holic, I have no self control when it comes to desserts. But no one said I couldn't make sweets for other people! So I am taking these yummy sticky buns to work in the morning. However, there are only 171 calories per bun; so I wouldn't feel extremely guilty for indulging in one. And I didn't when I ate it at 11 p.m. right out of the oven. Move over little Pillsbury dough boy! I've got a new way of making delectable breakfast eats.

The recipe for these Cinnamon Raisin Sticky Buns comes from Oxmoore House. The recipe makes 9 servings, so chose wisely when you're sharing these yummy buns. Everytime I opened the oven to check on the sticky buns, I want to eat the smell of cinnamon and brown sugar. It is heaven on earth. It's like a sticky version of an Auntie Anne's pretzels.

In other news today was my Dad's birthday! My mom planned to make chicken and rice tonight for his birthday dinner. Well, she actually did make the chicken and rice. But our family black lab managed to prop her two front paws up on the kitchen counter and devour that chicken in its entirety. Needless to say, we did not have chicken and rice tonight. We had #1 combos from Chick-fil-A instead and boxed cake for dessert. And it sure was tasty!

The beat to compliment these sticky buns is Marvin Gaye with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". I'm a fan of Gladys Knight and the Pips version as well. Raisins come from grapes. Grapes come from the grapevine. You follow my thought process?

Any one remember the California Raisins commercials? They did one to this song. In fact, one of my best friends used to have the California Raisins' lunch box.

Cinnamon Raisin Sticky Buns:
Cooking spray
1/3 cup raisins
9 (1-ounce) frozen bread dough rolls, thawed (such as Rich's)
1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons light butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:
Coat a Bundt pan or an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle raisins in bottom of pan. Arrange rolls over raisins.

Combine milk and remaining 4 ingredients in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until sugar dissolves. Pour over rolls. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Run a knife around outside edges of pan. Place a plate upside down on top of pan; invert onto plate.

Arriverderci Italian Fest and Cavatini

2010-06-06T23:00:00.002-05:00

It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to this past weekend and the greatness that is Memphis' Italian Festival. It is also with a heavy belly that I look back on the past 4 days and say to myself, "You, dear lady, are getting back on the exercise band wagon"! And indeed I did. I walked three miles this evening and will continue to do so until my liver forgives me and my insides have deflated. But I wouldn't change a second of this year's festivities; as always, it is one of the best weekends of my summer. Good friends, good food, good times.

Oh and how we ate and drank all weekend. When I tell you that we went through 1,000 jello shots, that is no exaggeration. We counted; and we had two team members who were gracious enough to spend sleepless nights making them. Not to mention our dedicated cooks; our team had awesome gravy this year to enter into the contest, and we even placed 7th in the "Anything Italian" competition with lamb spindini. One of the girls on our team also made the best tiramisu cupcakes. No joke. They were a-maz-ing. I'm gonna have to get my hands on all the great recipes. Way to go Holy Cannoli!

Saturday night was my favorite. It's the last night before we tear down the tents on Sunday morning. To feed the troops, I contributed 3 lbs of pasta with this recipe for cavatini. This recipe comes from Stewart's aunt, and it's a favorite in this household. By the end of Saturday night, the tray of cavatini was scraped empty...along with every scrap of food we had to offer.

The closing ceremony for 2010's Italian Festival is brought to you by Connie Francis and Dean Martin with their rendition of "Arriverderci Roma". So long Italian Fest; until we meet again next year. I'll be waiting with fond memories...

Arriverderci festival italiano!
Julia

Cavatini:
1 (48 oz) Prego traditional pasta sauce
1 lb penne pasta
2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese (I use Kraft)
1 large package of Hormel regular pepperoni

Directions:
Cook pasta. In a serving dish (11"x8") layer above ingredients in the following order: sauce, pasta, cheese, pepperoni. You should have two full layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Meatball Sliders and Dino

2010-06-02T22:58:00.001-05:00

I had such a great time hosting tonight’s Italian Fest meeting. We had about 12 team members come by to discuss events, food and drinks over the next three days, and we got our wrist bands for admission into the park this weekend. The evening was spent laughing and joking around, mixed with about 15 minutes of serious team talk and planning. This is the third year for Holy Cannoli to participate in Italian Fest, and I hope we continue for many years to come.

And ya’ll, I made the best meatball sliders. One fellow Cannoli, Tim, said they were the best meatballs he’s ever had; I grinned from ear to ear to hear that. I rarely create my own recipes. But the more I cook, the more comfortable and confident I get in mixing ingredients and making meals from scratch.

For refreshments, Stewart was my counterpart. We had a cooler full of ice cold Bud Light, two bottles of red wine and a bottle of white wine. Surprisingly we went through all three bottles of wine before we put a dent in the beer. I for sure thought the guys (majority of team members) would have gone straight for the beer; but they all drank wine first. Go figure...

I will say that if I could go back and redo anything tonight, I would have made more food! Every piece of bread, every meatball, and every cannoli was no more by 9:30 p.m. As a hostess, you hate to make too much food; but you never want to run out of food. I figured with 12 people and 24 meatball sliders, plus pasta salad and cannolis, we would be ok; but I definitely learned my lesson. “Less is more” does not apply to food. I’d prefer to have too much than not enough.

The Rat Pack is always on the Italian Fest playlist; so I thought Dean Martin’s “Volare” was most appropriate for the featured beat.

Viva Italia!

Julia

Julia's Meatball Sliders:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 Cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 Cup chopped onion
1 large egg
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1/2 pound (90% lean) ground beef
12 sweet dinner rolls

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Stir together all ingredients, except meat. Add meat. With damp hands, roll meat into 12 mini meatballs and place on parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Add ketchup to serve on the dinner rolls.

Chicken Salad and Otis Redding

2010-06-01T23:20:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, I made chicken salad. I really enjoy making salads in the summer: chicken salad, pasta salad, tuna salad, etc. They’re so easy to prepare ahead of time and provide plenty of leftovers for lunch throughout the week. There are two versions of chicken salad that I make. One is my Sitty’s (grandmother’s) recipe. It’s more of a chicken salad spread. The other I had at a family friend’s house when she hosted a bridal shower for me. It’s delicious and full of various textures and flavors.

The chopped celery, apples and slivered almonds give it a great crunch and the rotisserie chicken has awesome flavor. In fact, I just finished the last helping of chicken salad this afternoon. You can serve this dish over a bed of iceberg lettuce or as a sandwich. It also goes great with a side of sliced cantaloupe.

We’re gearing up for Italian Fest! Tomorrow is the group meeting before the festival officially kicks off Thursday night. And Stewart and I are hosting the meeting! I just took some mini meatballs out of the oven and plan to make little meatball subs with them. Be on the watch for that recipe soon. Our Italian Fest’s team name is Holy Cannoli, so I even bought mini cannolis to serve for a sweet treat tomorrow night.

Now that we’ve talked some eats, let’s listen to some beats. When I say I love Otis Redding; I mean I LOVE OTIS REDDING! He is my favorite male, soul singer. My Dad used to play his greatest hits album in the car when I was growing up; and every time I listen to him sing, I sway my head to the music. His voice is so raw with emotion. For today’s beat I chose “A Change Is Gonna Come” because it’s a great song to let you hear how much soul and power is in Otis Redding’s voice. You just feel it.

June is also Black Music History month, and there’s no doubt Otis Redding left his iconic mark on soul. At the young age of 26, Otis Redding died in a plane crash in 1967. Ironically, that day is my birthday.

Don’t be chicken when it comes to adding the mayo in this recipe; that was my attempt at a very bad joke. Anyhow, just add it little by little until it meets your liking. Start with about two large spoonfuls and go from there. Pretty much with this recipe, you'll just want to eye the exact amounts of ingredients.

Julia

Chicken Salad: *Serving size is roughly 4
Two rotisserie chicken breasts, chopped; remove the skin and bone.
3 Granny Smith apples, chopped. You can keep the skin on.
Grapes, halved
Slivered almonds, prepackaged
Celery, chopped
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl. Add salt and peppter to taste. It's best served cold.

Cheese Tortellini Soup and Peggy Lee

2010-05-31T20:55:00.002-05:00

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend. Stewart and I just said goodbye to his family a couple of hours ago, and we already miss them. It’s funny how you get used to having company around, with all the food and chatter. Now the house is quiet, and I reminisce on the great meals and conversations we had over the past 3 days.

Friday night I made a big salad and cheese tortellini soup; and to say it was "successful" would be an understatement. After a 12 hour car trip to Memphis, I figured our guests would be in the mood to unwind and have a good, hot meal. I usually don’t brag (not my style), but Stewart's mother, sister and brother wanted the recipe. And for two days, everyone talked about how much they liked this soup. That was the moment I heard the “Hallelujah” chorus sing. This cheese tortellini and vegetable soup comes from Cooking Light, and it is a definite crowd pleaser. Trust me. The best part is that it only takes 20 minutes to throw together, from start to finish.

The orange and cranberry scones were another hit! I made 16 scones for this weekend and by 8 am Monday morning, there were none. Fortunately, Stewart and I weren't left with a refrigerator full of left overs, because we all know who would eat them...ME.

On two occasions I took Stewart’s mom and sister to the mall to do a little shopping. Macy’s had great sales on shoes; but surprisingly Julia walked away without a shopping bag in hand, very un-Julia like. Well fast forward to Monday afternoon, and we decided to head to the Botanic Gardens up the road. They were hosting the annual potter’s guild show and sale; and ya’ll, you couldn’t hand me a credit card fast enough. I was blazing a trail through each of the potter’s displays. It was awesome! First of all, I love pottery. They are such beautiful works of art; and the various shades of blues, browns, purples and greens swirling through each dish made them stunning. I bought two bowls and a spoon rest. And second of all, food is always better when you display it well; hence the pretty bowls : )

My theme song for this weekend was “I’m a woman”. I felt like such the multitasker playing hostess to 7 people: cleaning, entertaining, cooking, etc. There was no doubt about it that Peggy Lee and her ode to women was the perfect beat. Sing it, girl!

This weekend is Italian Fest, and it’s a four day work week!

Julia

Cheese Tortellini and Vegetable Soup:
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
1 (11.5 oz) can of condensed bean with bacon soup (such as Campbell's) undiluted
3 cups water
1 squash
1 zucchini
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (9 oz) bag of cheese tortellini
*top with Parmesan cheese (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta; reduce heat to medium. Cook, partially covered, 7 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Yields 6 servings.

Send Me on My Way with Scones

2010-05-26T23:26:00.003-05:00

Last night I made scones with my mom in preparation for Stewart’s family coming in town this weekend. I wanted to have something fun for them to enjoy each morning with a cup of coffee or tea, and scones are the perfect size pastry for a morning treat. So, I took the 15 minute drive over to my parents' house and mastered the art of making scones.

I chose orange and cranberry scones because the zest of the oranges and the sweetness from the cranberries are in season; but be on the lookout this fall when I make pumpkin scones. They are out of this world and taste like Thanksgiving.

I’m not a particularly big breakfast eater. Well…let me rephrase. I love a big breakfast on the weekends: bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns, etc. But on a daily basis, I tend to skip breakfast and settle for a cup of coffee. However, I never turn down sweets. Even in the a.m. So, if there just happens to be a display of fruitful scones in my kitchen, I will be the first in the house to wake up and go straight for the plate.

This particular recipe makes 8 scones. For a house full of 7 people this weekend, we made two batches. My mom coached me through the first round and then put me in the driver’s seat for the second round. It’s such a huge help to have someone walk you through the steps to make a recipe, versus just reading the directions from a book or web site. I love how these scones have such a rustic look to them, and they are the thickness of a biscuit. They're not your typical tea party scones, but better.

I don’t know why these scones made me think of Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way”, but it did. Something about it makes me think of waking up in the morning and starting a new day, refreshed and ready to go. Perhaps that’s where the breakfast food ties in. Perhaps I associate this song with breakfast because they played it in the movie Matilda when she makes pancakes for herself in the morning. But, no matter the reason, I hope you have a great morning. Try these breakfast eats to perk up the start to your days.

Cranberry-Orange Scones:

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup butter, cut up
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk and dried cranberries, stirring just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges, and place 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with milk, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until scones are golden brown.

Julia

Pound Cake Is My Bread and Butter

2010-05-25T00:26:00.001-05:00

It’s all about pound cake today. Because I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a pound for every piece I ate over the weekend. I hoped that by grilling this buttery cake, it would magically melt the calories right off each slice. Not so much. I guess every now and then, we just have to dig into these delicious desires. I’m all for a healthy, balanced diet; but life’s too short to worry about every bite. Live a little!

Along with the humidity this past weekend came sunshine. And where there is sunshine on a Saturday afternoon, there must be a grill. But this time, I wanted to grill out for dessert. Anyone up for a little grilled pound cake and berries? I saw this recipe in Food and Wine magazine; and it not only looks good, but it tastes great. Strawberries and blueberries are two of my favorite fruits, so this recipe was right up my alley.

We did, however, eat our dessert indoors. Hot cake and fruit mixed with humidity and 90 degree weather makes for an uncomfortable and un-enjoyable time.

On another note, Stewart’s family will be in town for Memorial Day weekend! We can't wait to see them! So this means I will be spending some quality time in the kitchen in preparation. And you can bet some of these meals will make its way to My Eats and Beats.

The Newbeats had a one-hit wonder in 1964 called “Bread and Butter”. And I had lots of bread, and lots of butter, and lots of buttered bread this weekend.

Julia

Mixed Berries with Grilled Pound Cake:
1 lb strawberries and blueberries (strawberries halved)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 Cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Grilled slices of pound cake (grill about 2-3 minutes on each side)

Combine the ingredients. Light a grill. In a medium bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Arrange four 12-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface. Spoon 1/4 of butter in the center of each foil square and pour the fruit mixture over the butter.
Bring two sides of the foil up over the fruit and fold them to form a seam across the top. Fold the remaining two sides to seal the packs.
Grill the packs over moderate heat, about 10 minutes; open and pour the fruit into bowls. Serve.

Italian Pork Chops and Besame Mucho

2010-05-23T22:40:00.002-05:00

It feels so good to finally prop my feet up with a glass of wine and relax. Saturday and Sunday afternoon were spent doing yard work, hours of physical labor. And it’s official. The hell of Memphis’ humidity has arrived. I almost forgot what that feels like. Oh wait; that’s right. It’s agony!

I had a blast with the electric hedge trimmers on Saturday. If you ever need a good stress reliever, take a pair of these bad boys to a front yard full of azaleas and go to town! Sunday I replanted the flowers in the front yard as well.

The first time around, we planted very fragile flowers that eventually took a beating by severe spring thunderstorms. So, this time around we chose French marigolds, Mexican heather and Pentas. Several of our neighbors walked by and said when I was done with my yard I could come over and do theirs. A-ha. A-ha. I told them, “now I know why people pay to have this done”. But I do feel a sense of accomplishment. I just hope these flowers live a long and fruitful life.

During the 2 hours that I worked in the flower bed, I thought I made friends with a little robin who stood within 5 feet of me the entire time. He would watch my every move and stare at the front door if I went inside for a cold drink of water. So cute! I even took photos of him with my phone, and he didn’t move! About an hour into planting, I realized what was happening. The robin wasn’t my friend. He just wanted to stuff his beak with the worms that were uprooted from the dirt by my shovel. Seriously, he would pack a fist full of those creepy crawlers in his mouth and come back for more. And here I thought I had a bonding moment with mother nature.

As a reward for all our hard work this weekend, I decided to make a nice meal for Stewart and me in the dining room. Eating in the dining room is more of a special occasion than routine. Because it’s just the two of us, we often come home from work, throw dinner together and eat in front of the TV, flipping channels between Glee (my choice) and the latest basketball or baseball game (Stewart’s choice). It helps us to practice the art of compromise.

On the menu for dinner was Italian pork chops with rice, salad and a bottle of Layer Cake. This meal packs a whole lot of flavor and makes for a nice presentation without spending hours in the kitchen. In fact, the only hour spent on this meal is the one when the pork chops are in the oven. And the rice is simply delicious. In fact, you can cook these two dishes side by side in the oven while you wait.

To channel a romantic Italian dinner, I listened to a romantic Italian tenor named Andrea Bocelli. His voice just sings “I’m sexy.” There are so many of Andrea’s songs that I love, so I’m sure this won’t be the last time you hear him on My Eats and Beats; but I thought “Besame Mucho” fit perfectly with a candle lit setting. However, at 6:30 on a summer’s night there’s more sun light than candle light in the dining room. Oh, well. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Here’s to another week of delicious eats and the beats that accompany them!
Julia

Italian Pork Chops:
3 pork chops
Garlic powder, oregano, celery salt, and pepper to taste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
3 slices of mozzarella cheese

Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with seasonings. Place in 8x8-inch baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Infallible Rice:
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 Cup long grain white rice
2 Cups chicken broth (hot)

Saute onion in butter until transparent. Add rice and hot broth. Bring to a boil on top of range. Cover and place in 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. (Serves 4 people).

*Recipes come from "Recipe Hall of Fame: Quick and Easy Cookbook". I added the can of diced tomatoes to the pork chop recipe and changed the serving size from 4 pork chops to 3.

Boiled Peanuts: a Southern snack

2010-05-19T23:22:00.002-05:00

About a year ago I came across Garden and Gun magazine when a client of mine wanted to look into advertising with this publication, and now it is my latest obsession. Keep reading before you jump to conclusions about my recreational interests and hobbies. I realize with a name like Garden and Gun, you may think this is right up there with Ducks Unlimited, Bass Pro Shop and Larry the Cable Guy; but au contraire my dear readers. This magazine embodies everything that is the classic charm and tradition of Southern culture. In fact, I bought Stewart a subscription to Garden and Gun as a birthday gift this year, and I confess that it’s as much of a gift for me as it is for him. Every other month, this perfect bound publication arrives in my mail box and lures me into a world of truffle hunting dogs, guides to oysters and Kentucky bourbons, and Southern dream towns. Did I mention that the photography is beautiful? If you want to see more, check out their web site. You’ll get a feel for the real South.

In the latest issue (April/May 2010) I came across an article called “The Southern Invasion of NYC”. It talked about how Southern culture has never been more popular in the Big Apple thanks to a new generation of chefs, designers, musicians and entrepreneurs. Apparently one of my favorite snacks as a kid is now taking NYC by storm. It’s the boiled peanut. Boiled peanuts are the best! Leave it up to Southerners to cook foods in the most original of ways. Case in point: the fried pickles I made in one of my very first blog posts. But I grew up on boiled peanuts. My grandpa used to make big pots full in the summer. When you open the shell, they’re soft and packed with salty flavor.

Humbly I admit, this being my first attempt to boil peanuts, mine did not turn out as soft as my grandpa’s. To my defense, the grocery stores in Memphis don’t carry raw “green” peanuts; they only sold roasted peanuts which have already been cooked. Therein lies the difference. Mine still had great flavor and were pretty soft on the inside, but you don’t want any crunch to these peanuts when they’re done. If you’re sitting around this Thursday night and looking for a tasty Southern snack to accompany that bottle of Sam Adams Summer Ale, I recommend you kick back with an ice cold brew and wait for these babies to boil. It will take about 3-4 hours, so consider yourself warned that you need time and patience on your side.

Everyone’s recommendations for how much salt and water to use will vary; but you can see my suggestion below for measurements.

This evening is Harry Potter night! About once a month, my friend Shelby and I curl up on the couch and watch Harry, Ron and Hermione take on the dark Lord Voldemort. She brings the wine, and I make the dinner. Good times. Tonight’s feature presentation will be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And we’re having Muddy’s cupcakes for dessert! I’m a happy girl who will assuredly be in a sugar coma around 10 p.m. tonight.

As a compliment to my eats, I needed a beat that was a song of the South. Here is The Doobie Brothers' “Black Water".

Go nuts tonight with these eats!
Julia

Boiled peanuts:

As previously mentioned, there are various recommendations for how much salt and water to use, so make adjustments where needed. Keep pulling out one or two each hour to taste test. You want to make sure they are soft, not crunchy at all on the inside but still hold its shape.

2lbs of raw peanuts
1 Cup of kosher salt
(I started with ½ cup and then added more salt as needed)

Rinse off the peanuts and place them in a large stock pot; completely cover with water and add the salt. Cover and bring to a boil and then simmer for about 3 hours or until the peanuts are soft. If they are still slightly crunchy, they are not done. If they are not salty enough, leave them in the salted water and turn off the heat. When they are done, drain and serve immediately. You can refrigerate these for a couple of days.

Lady Ella and Pasta Salad Caprese

2010-05-19T09:18:00.001-05:00

Monday night we dined al-fresco. One of my best friends from high school, Cristina, was in town and came to see our house for the first time; so I wanted to entertain out on the patio. I love our backyard and enjoy sitting out there every chance I get. Recently, it hasn’t been that often because of all the rain. But the stars aligned in my favor on Monday. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. The temperature was just right; no humidity. Dining outside is such an enjoyable experience. That was one of my favorite things about living in Chicago during the summer months. Practically every restaurant, coffee shop or pub had outdoor seating. As a self-admitted people watcher, I could sit at my table for hours, chat with friends, breathe the city air and watch pedestrians stroll by with their shopping bags. And then I would proceed to comment on their outfits and accessory choices. But I digress…as it relates back to Monday night’s dinner, I think we would have sat outside all evening if it weren’t for the mosquitoes feasting on us. I’m beginning to believe certain citronella candles are falsely advertised.

For dinner I made a light pasta salad with cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. I also bought a bottle of Estimulo’s Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany the meal. Cristina brought over a bottle of wine called Layer Cake which makes me want to eat the wine instead of drink it. I love that name. I usually buy my wine at Wine Market in east Memphis. The staff there is extremely helpful and never shy of an opinion which I truly appreciate. Plus it’s next to Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn outlets so why not kill two birds with one stone and throw in a little home and kitchen shopping while I’m at it? When I asked the sales associate at Wine Market whether or not he’s tried Estimulo’s Cabernet Sauvignon, he said this Cabernet Sauvignon was the only one out of Estimulo’s entire collection that he liked. He said, “The rest are not even drinkable”. Now that’s the kind of candor I’m all about!

There are no cold or calculated moves to the way I chose a wine. I basically look at three things: red or white wine, the label, and the country of origin. According to this web site I should have served Zinfandel with my tomato pasta dish instead of the Sauvignon Blanc that I bought. But you want to know a secret? The wine and the pasta both tasted molto buoni! In all honesty, I would like to learn more about being a decent wine connoisseur so I don’t order wine off of a restaurant menu based on the price per glass, or whether it’s red or white wine. Oh, and on a side note, I dislike Chardonnay. So that’s out of the running.

This pasta is great. With just a few ingredients, it allows the tomato and mozzarella to work their magic together in a caprese salad kind of way. Boil the pasta in water, omitting the salt. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside to chill. Chop the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, and mix them together in a bowl. Drizzle the mixture with olive oil; season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and garlic powder. Stir and add the mixture to the pasta in a serving bowl. Add more olive oil and seasonings to your liking before you serve. You may also chose to add a little fresh basil. I had the basil chopped and ready but forgot to add it at the last minute.

The First Lady of Song (Ella Fitzgerald) can sing the soundtrack to My Eats and Beats any day. Her voice has such a beautiful tone and purity to it. I’ve always loved her duets with Louis Armstrong in particular, and their rendition of “Summertime” is perfect to pair with dining outdoors on a summer night, a glass of wine in hand, good company to laugh with, and an appetizing meal on your plate.

Here's to the eats and beats of summer time!
Julia

Chicken BLT and Obla di bla da

2010-05-18T00:06:00.000-05:00

Lord, Jesus. This past weekend I made one of the best versions of a BLT that my mouth has ever laid teeth on. It’s a chicken BLT. We are continuing work to finish the upstairs room in our house which we so lovingly call the “man cave”. The old wood panels in this room were basically put together with hammer and nail. A few months ago we started tearing down the panels and rebuilding this room from the frame work on up: new panels, new molding, new paint, new carpet, and a new TV! It will be one of the biggest projects we ever do to this house, and it’s been a fun one at that. Saturday we were working on the trim and floor boards. So for a quick “manly lunch”, I thought I would make one of the all-time classic sandwiches but with my own spin on it. A BLT sandwich with rotisserie chicken.

The best part about making this sandwich was shopping for its ingredients. I decided to pass the ole super market and drive to Fresh Market. Fresh Market makes me happy to go grocery shopping. It’s all about the experience. First of all, you walk in and the store is set up like a market place. There are fresh flowers in buckets towards the front and a plethora of fresh fruits and produce to the side. To the back of the store are fresh baked goods and loaves of bread, alongside fresh cuts of meat and seafood. Then you have the entire front half of the store devoted to fresh candies, chocolate and granola. You can mix your own batch, or buy them in presorted bags. All the while, Fresh Market is playing classical music. Who knew that grocery shopping to a classical string quartet could make you feel so chic?

For this chicken BLT, a sourdough baguette was my bread of choice. Baguettes are my favorite to eat with a sandwich, and you can really sink your teeth into a sourdough baguette. Instead of using iceberg lettuce, I went with a spring mix of greens. The colors are much prettier to dress up your sandwich presentation, and the nutritional value is better too. Use thick slices of bacon and bright, red tomatoes. The colors in this sandwich are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. All you need now is a classic rotisserie chicken breast to top it off. A little kosher salt, a little cracked pepper to taste, and you’re good to go.

But don’t forget the dressing! This is where I decided to step outside the box. You can stick to the classic BLT recipe and use mayonnaise, but I added Thousand Island dressing to my sandwich and it was a-maz-ing. Thousand Island dressing already has mayonnaise as a base ingredient. So when you add in the ketchup, Tabasco sauce and finely chopped vegetables (pickles and bell pepper) in the Thousand Island dressing, it gives your taste buds a tangy kick. I will certainly make these again. The nice thing about this sandwich is you can switch up the specific components to match your mood. For instance, try using a fresh loaf of toasted wheat bread instead of the sourdough. Or top the sandwich off with Russian dressing instead of Thousand Island. You can’t go wrong when there’s bacon and chicken involved.

This chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich was a fab four combination. Just like another musically famous fab four, The Beatles. Their song Obla di Obla da is a favorite, and it simply puts me in a good mood much like this sandwich does.

Julia

French Apple Tart and Django Reinhardt

2010-05-17T13:22:00.008-05:00

This past weekend didn’t exactly go according to plan. About an hour before I was scheduled to leave for the airport, my friend called from Dallas. She saw on American Airlines’ web site that my flight had been canceled. We immediately got on the phone with an airline rep and rescheduled my flight to leave a few hours later that evening. Within five minutes of my arrival to the Memphis airport, my flight was canceled again due to severe thunderstorms approaching the Memphis area. With my only other option being to take a flight out Saturday afternoon, which would put me in Dallas around 1 p.m. only to turn around 24 hours later and head home, I decided to reschedule my trip for a later time this summer. It put quite a damper on the start to my weekend. But in instances such as these, I tell myself that everything happens for a reason, and I’m sure my trip to Dallas the next time around will be even better. On the rainy ride home it sounded as if hail the size of golf balls were being launched at my car. I’m just thankful they didn’t leave any dents.

So, how does a girl like me cope with stress and frustration? I eat. I am 100% an emotional eater. This weekend I spent more time in the kitchen than I normally would cooking up a storm. But on the positive side, that just means I have some great meals and music to share with you!

I’m kicking off this week with the meal I made this past Sunday. My family has a tradition of getting together on Sundays for a late lunch or early dinner. This past weekend, Stewart and I got to host the 6 of us! No pressure. I wanted to serve something light, flavorful and relatively healthy (aside from dessert). So I chose to make Napa cabbage salad. Stewart worked his magic on the grill with mesquite chicken; and for dessert, I made a French apple tart. This is a great weekend meal on a hot summer’s day, or a humid summer’s day in the case of Memphis. The dressing for this salad has the right balance of salty and sweet. And the toasted almonds, sesame seeds and Ramon noodles give a great crunch alongside the crisp Napa cabbage. One word of advice on this salad: Do not add the dressing to the remaining ingredients until you are ready to serve. The longer the dressing sits on the salad, the soggier it will become. It’s not ideal for using as leftovers. I generally find Napa cabbage at our local Whole Foods or Fresh Market.

For dessert, Ina Garten’s recipe for French apple tart was the star. I L-O-V-E this recipe. It’s not only beautiful to look at, but it’s equally delicious. Fruit tarts are such a traditional French treat. All the boulangeries (French bakeries) feature gorgeous fruit tarts, chocolates, croissants and éclairs. And this apple tart brought me back to my roots of growing up in Brussels, Belgium. I have never seen more beautifully decorated window displays as they have in European bakeries. It’s truly an art form. I think I was meant to do that job. The trick to making this tart is to use the right baking pan. A large, jelly roll pan will ensure that your puff pastry cooks at the same rate as the apples, so one does not burn before the other. And the apricot glaze coats this pastry to perfection.

Anytime I think of French food, I hear the guitar strings of Django Reinhardt. Django was born in Brussels, Belgium; but he grew up amongst the Gypsies outside of Paris playing the guitar, banjo and violin. When he was 18, Django was injured in a fire that destroyed his caravan. Consequently, his right leg was paralyzed and the third and fourth fingers on his left hand were severely burned. Django had to relearn his craft in a completely new way by playing all of his guitar solos with only two fingers. If you watch the video closely, you will see. His technique is pretty incredible. This song makes me day dream of walking the streets of Paris or lounging somewhere on a beach in the south of France.

Hope you enjoy these sweet eats!
Julia

Napa Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:
1-2 heads of Napa cabbage, cut in long thin strips
1 bunch green onion, chopped
2 packs Ramon noodles
1/2 Cup sesame seeds
1 package slivered almonds
1 stick of butter

Dressing:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 Cup oil
1 Cup sugar (3/4 cup recommended)
1/2 Cup cider vinegar

Directions:
Mix cabbage and onions. Put in covered bowl and refrigerate.
Brown noodles, seeds and almonds in butter until crunchy or light brown; drain and dab with paper towel.
Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Ina Garten's French Apple Tart

Ingredients:
One sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted. Roll out to 10.5"x10.5"
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 Cup of apricot jelly
2 tbsp water

Directions:
Roll out puff pastry to 10.5"x10.5".
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Place the dough of the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples. Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows until the pastry is covered with apples. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 Cup of sugar and dot with the butter. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. When the tart's done, hear the apricot jelly and with water and brush the apples and pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cook and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sushi and Bryan Adams Concert

2010-05-14T00:42:00.004-05:00

The concert last night was perfectly simple and simply perfect! One of the best I have been to in my life thus far, and I have a feeling it will remain in the top 5. There was a guitar. There was a piano. That was the band. Bryan and his pianist Gary played to the cheers of the crowd for an amazing two hours of entertainment. The stage was bare except for his microphone stand and the gorgeous grand piano. Having played the piano since I was 5, I was just as mesmerized by Gary's talent as I was Bryan's. The two of them were a true compliment to one another; and they kind of looked alike too.

The spotlights on stage were old movie set lights, with big square lenses, and the backdrop was raw. Just the exposed wall with no decorations. I also have to give kudos to the Germantown suburbanites and those of us Memphians who were in attendance. We were a great live audience! We gave standing ovations after every other song, clapped our hands to the beat every chance we got, and sang every chorus in tune. We had box seats up in the balcony, stage right. Well worth the money. My only complaint was the camera Nazi of an usher that sat next to me. But little did she know, if I want a picture of Bryan Adams then I'm going to get a picture of Bryan Adams. Booya! All joking aside, his performance was brilliant, and the acoustics at the Germantown Performing Arts Center were outstanding. The sound of his voice bounced off the walls with such clarity. I recorded one of the songs he sang, "Do I Have to Say the Words", and just listening to it now seems as if I'm back at the live event.

But what's a night out without a great meal to start things off right? You know I couldn't neglect to show you the sushi from Sakura! I got the spicy tuna roll and the shrimp tempura roll. My friend got the smoked salmon roll, the dynamite roll and the Saki roll. All of them were devoured in a total of 20 minutes. We don't play around with our food; we mean business and come prepared to throw down some seriously good sushi. Somewhat surprisingly, Sakura only serves beer and Saki. I was hoping for a glass of red wine because I'm not sure how well beer goes with raw fish...and I didn't care to find out. But this meal never disappoints.

This afternoon I'm off to Dallas, TX! It's going to be a wonderful weekend full of delicious eats and good beats. I don't plan on wearing anything exceptionally tight fitting for the very reason that I want to give my tummy room to expand when she gets overzealous at dinner each night.

This morning I'm channeling the words to Little Texas' "God Bless Texas". Check out the mullets on these guys in the video. Business in the front; party in the back baby! I feel like Dallas should adopt the slogan "Go big, or go home". My friend, Holly, has sent me an email full of links to restaurants, bars and shopping options for this weekend; and there is so much to do! I am really excited to wine and dine myself in the Lone Star State.

Wishing you good eats and beats this weekend!
Julia

Thirtsy Thursday en Francais

2010-05-13T00:00:00.018-05:00

BIG night tonight. My friend Ashley and I are having sushi at Sakura and going to the Bryan Adams concert! First of all, Sakura is without a doubt the best place to eat sushi in Memphis. And that is a scientific fact. It’s actually located in Germantown, about half an hour away from the city center. The most endearing part about dining at Sakura is that the décor is a traditional Japanese steak house. It’s not a trendy sushi restaurant that has plush lounge seating, dim lights and chic cocktails. You would not even know that sushi is their specialty judging from the looks alone.

I’ll admit that I used to turn my nose up at the word sushi. Raw fish couldn’t possibly be appetizing. Wrong! I love it. And when you have a craving for sushi, nothing else satisfies the need. If you’ve never had sushi or are convinced that you wouldn’t like it, take baby steps. Start out with a California roll. It’s just raw vegetables, no fish. From there try the shrimp tempura roll because it is fried. As you start to acquire the taste for it, try maki sushi with the spicy tuna roll. It’s raw; but I think the spicy tuna roll is one of the easier ones to help make the transition into being a sushi aficionado.

After Sakura we will travel around the corner to the Germantown Performing Arts Center where Mr. Bryan Adams will entertain us with acoustic renditions of his classics like “Summer of 69” and “Forgiveness”. I can’t wait. Whether you’re a Bryan Adams fan or not, nothing beats the experience of live music. It separates the singers from the artists and the posers from the true entertainers. Can you believe it was sold out?

On another note, it’s Thirsty Thursday! Which means it’s a good opportunity to feature some of my favorite French cocktail recipes. If you’re having a nice quiet evening home, perhaps you’d like to shake up a French martini to accompany your coffee table coaster. Or if you’re headed out to ring in the weekend, try a French 75; I love anything with champagne.

French 75 - makes one serving
Ingredients:
1 oz gin
1 oz Cointreau
Squeeze of lime
1 sugar cube
Champagne, chilled
Preparation: Place the sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne glass. Strain in the gin, Cointreau, and lime, and then top the cocktail with champagne.

French Martini - makes one serving
Ingredients:
2 oz dry gin
1/4 oz raspberry liqueur
1 oz pineapple juice

Preparation:
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Kir Royal - makes one serving
Cassis (1-2 tablespoons or 15-30 ml)

Champagne (about 6 ounces or 150 ml)
Flute or Champagne Glass

When I think of French cocktails, I think of Pink Martini. The group is from Portland, Oregon, and they cross different genres of music to cover sounds from all over the world: French, Italian, Spanish, etc. Funny enough I had their album “Sympathique” when I was in high school but had forgotten about them until now. Looks like I might have found my next album to play on repeat. This video for "Je ne veux pas travailler" is hilarious. Being proficient in French, I actually like how the video gives you definitions to some of the words in the song; so you can understand the concept behind the lyrics. Basically, the singer doesn't want to work. She doesn't want to have lunch. She only wants to forget, and so she smokes.

This Thursday kicks off my weekend extravaganza because tomorrow I’m headed to Dallas, TX! I'm visiting one of my best friends and old college roommate. So be sure to check in tomorrow when I’ll post photos from the concert and close ups of some seriously amazing sushi rolls from Sakura.

Black Eyed Peas and Ray LaMontagne

2010-05-11T22:41:00.003-05:00

Tonight I made one of my appetizer specialties: black-eyed peas con queso. Or, more commonly known as black-eyed peas cheese dip. My sister is visiting from Chicago this week, and it is her favorite. She's already told me several times that she hates me because this dip is addicting. It's like Pringles. "Once you pop, you can't stop." And this evening, misery loves company because I was right there with her in the constant motion of moving the cheese dip covered Tostitos from the bowl to my mouth. It's a one-two step. Scoop and shovel. Scoop and shovel. Breathe...two, three, four...Scoop and shovel. We took our photo together at the table before things got messy and tummies were too full to muster up a smile for the camera.

Earlier this evening, my mom and dad treated us to dinner at Firebirds. Isn't it a special occasion when your parents still treat you to dinner? I'm a married woman, and I still get excited over a free meal. I ordered their garden salad, knowing that I was making this dip later. I also went light on dinner because I inhaled one of the best gyros in Memphis at Elliots for lunch. I would have taken a picture of that gyro, but I was with my boss for lunch and wasn't quite sure that whipping out the iPhone and taking photos of my food was appropriate. Next time. It will eventually find its way into this blog.

So, back to the black-eyed peas. Disclaimer: don't judge a dish by it's name. If you are not a fan of black- eyed peas, I would encourage you to try this recipe. Over the holidays last year, I made this appetizer several times, and people who admittedly dislike black-eyed peas loved it. I think it's because the beans do not dominate the flavors in this recipe. It adds texture and substance more than anything. The pepper jack cheese is the ringer.

Black-eyed peas have been a staple in southern cooking for centuries. As a southerner, we usually eat our black-eyed peas on New Years to bring us good luck and prosperity. Or you could just make this special con queso and eat it any time of the year you want! It refrigerates well and will last throughout the week when you want to feed the need for a quick snack.

This beat comes from Ray LaMontagne. He is an extremely talented singer songwriter, and I think he has such a great raspiness to his voice that brings out the soul in his music. I heard Ray LaMontagne's voice before I ever saw his picture; and for some reason I always envisioned him being a black guy. Maybe it's the raspy tone. But when I saw his photo, I was surprised to see a white boy. I think it's funny how your senses depict different things. Case in point, what you think someone looks like just by hearing their voice is different than what they actually look like. Or even what you think someone's voice would sound like, just by seeing them in person or in a photo, is different than what you expected when they speak.

Ray's voice is original, raw and full of soul. Much like these tasty black-eyed peas.

Back-Eyed Peas Con Queso

Ingredients:
1/2 stick of butter
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
One medium onion, finely chopped
1 (16 oz) processed cheese spread - I use Velveeta Pepper Jack
2 (16 oz) cans of black-eyed peas, drained

Directions:
In a dutch oven, melt the butter, onion and garlic. Saute until tender.
Add the cheese and cook over medium heat, stirring until melted.
Add the beans;reduce heat and simmer until dip is thoroughly heated. Stir occasionally.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Julia

Carolina Boil and Shag Music

2010-05-11T00:03:00.003-05:00

I am so excited to post today's Eats and Beats because it comes from my birthplace state and family home town of South Carolina. This past Saturday the weather was perfect for cooking outside. The sun was shining, the temperature was a cool 70 degrees and there was no humidity. It's as if Poseidon parted the seas and spoke to us saying, "today is a perfect day for seafood". And where there is seafood, there must be Frogmore Stew.

Frogmore stew should be named the state dish of South Carolina; and it is similar to the crawfish boils of Louisiana. This is lowcountry southern cooking at its best. Traditionally eaten with your fingers on a newspaper covered picnic table, this crowd pleaser feeds large groups of family and friends. Frogmore stew has nothing to do with frogs, but in fact is made with ears of yellow corn, red skin potatoes, spicy smoked sausage and shrimp. Yum. Yum.

My favorite parts about Carolina cooking are the memories and senses behind it. I grew up spending summer's at Litchfield Beach, SC, and visiting Charleston and Myrtle Beach. We spent our days scoping the sand for sharks teeth and wading in the ocean (praying to God that we didn't get stung by a jelly fish or bitten by a crab). And at nights we drove over to Murrells Inlet where you can have your pick of any delicious seafood restaurant. But perhaps my favorite memory of these summers is the shag beach music. That's right. Here's your lesson of the day. Shag is not just a British word for sex. It's also a type of dance - almost like a version of swing dancing. In fact, there was a movie called Shag that came out in 1989 and starred Phoebe Cates, Bridget Fonda and was filmed in Myrtle Beach. We owned it on VHS for years. I'm sure we still have it in a closet somewhere at my parents' house. If you're curious to learn more, there's even a national shag dance championship that takes place in Myrtle Beach every year. Click here to check out the web site.

The recipe I featured today comes from Southern Living and is similar to my family's. My dad cooks our frogmore stew using a turkey fryer; but how many people actually own a turkey fryer? So, I chose this recipe because you can use a large stock pot for the same purpose. One of my favorite beach music songs is "Stay" by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs.

Grab a paper towel and dig in to these eats!

Frogmore Stew (makes 12 servings)

Ingredients:
5 quarts water
1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
4 pounds small red potatoes
2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 ears fresh corn, halved
4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
Old Bay Seasoning
Cocktail sauce
Directions: Bring 5 quarts water and 1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning to a rolling boil in a large covered stockpot.
Add potatoes; return to a boil, and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with Old Bay Seasoning and cocktail sauce.

More eats and beats to come this week. We've got Bryan Adams and a special trip to Dallas, TX!

Julia

Blueberry Cobbler for Mama

2010-05-10T00:00:00.013-05:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day. And what could have been a humdrum lazy Sunday turned out to be wonderful afternoon spent with my mom, cooking together in the kitchen and preparing for family friends to join us for dinner.

There are two sayings that hold true in my family. One: if mama's not happy than no one is happy. And two: more than any other room in the house, everyone congregates in the kitchen. Inevitably, if my mom is cooking, we all huddle around the kitchen table and visit, drink wine and eat. My mom generally has a game plan when she's cooking, and it would do you good to stay out of her way. So, today was a nice change in pace because we were there together sharing the same counter space, pots and pans.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of eating my mama's cooking, it is the best. I believe her culinary talent, paired with my dad's insatiable appetite for sweets is where I get my passion for food. For dinner we had pork tenderloin, baked potatoes and roasted asparagus. And for dessert, I made blueberry cobbler served with vanilla ice cream on the side (see the recipe below). I have been making this cobbler for years, and it never fails me. I usually double the recipe for this berry goodness. And fortunately for me, our dinner party ate all of it; so I didn't have to bring any home with me. Part of the reason why we finished all the cobbler was because I helped myself to two servings. "Hi. My name is Julia. And I am a sweet-o-holic."

I paired this blueberry cobbler with Louis Armstong's What a Wonderful World. Cobbler is one of those feel good, home baked desserts that brings comfort into your soul and love into your home. In this respect, Louis Armstrong's voice has that unique soulful tone, and the lyrics simply make you happy to think of all the gifts we have in this world and most often take for granted. So just a friendly reminder to take a minute everyday and give thanks for the wonderful things in your life.

To all of you beloved mother's out there, thank you.

Blueberry Cobbler:
3/4 Cup of water
3/4 Cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 quart of blueberries - Note: I usually double the amount of blueberries but keep the water and sugar amounts about the same for the syrup. I like my cobbler full of fruit. The berries can be frozen or fresh; just be sure to rinse and drain them before use.
Directions: Dissolve the sugar in water in a medium size pot. Add the lemon juice and blueberries. Stir. Pour blueberry mixture in a medium size baking dish (ungreased), and set aside.

1 1/2 Cups of flour
1 Cup of sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
Directions: Combine the flour, sugar and butter together in a bowl using a potato masher until it's the consistency of meal. You want to see small clumps of butter in the mixture, so do not mix it too thin.
Crumble flour mixture over the blueberries. A good technique is to clump small sections of the flour mixture in your fist and then crumble it on top of the berries. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. If you use double the amount of blueberries, you will want to add an additional 15 minutes or so until the topping is golden brown.

Julia

Mr. Hudson and Elfo's

2010-05-06T23:35:00.009-05:00

Last night we ate dinner at Elfo's for my mom's birthday. We sat at a table for 5 towards the back of the restaurant, with a window view. We ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for the table, and I started out with Miss Mary's Salad. It's one of Grisanti's signature salads with their house vinaigrette. I chose the eggplant Napoleon for my entree, and it was the best dish at the table. My mom had the second best with the chicken Parmesan. Beautifully plated, the eggplant was lightly dusted in bread crumbs and served on top of angel hair pasta with pomodoro tomato sauce, zucchini and mozzarella cheese. Muah! It was so light, until I finished the entire plate of food and realized how full I was. But I couldn't resist the raspberry cheesecake at the end when my Dad ordered one for us to split. Overall, it was a most appetizing meal, and the company was second to none with my family there.

So that brings us to Friday! And as much as I would love to show off and tell you that I'm slaving away in the kitchen over a big meal for dinner, this is far from reality. No cooking for this lady. Stewart and I are going to our friend Bridget's art show in mid-town, and I'm looking forward to the night out. My little diddy of the day is from an awesome British artist, Mr. Hudson. His song "Supernova" features Kanye West, and it has a great beat to get you geared up for the weekend.

Julia

Cherry Chocolate Birthday Candy

2010-05-06T00:00:00.003-05:00

Happy birthday to my mama! Tonight we are taking her out to dinner at Elfo’s Restaurant. It’s owned by the Grisanti family. The Grisanti’s have a culinary dynasty here in Memphis, owning several Tuscan Italian restaurants around the city; and one of my favorites is Spindini. They have a wood fired lobster pizza that is to die for. It has lobster meat, bacon, mozzarella, fresh spinach and tomatoes, and chipotle aioli. Mmm...I can almost taste it. Click here to see Elfo’s menu. I’ve not dined here before, but I love trying new restaurants. And I’m hopeful that this one will not disappoint.

For Cinco de Mayo, our Mexican fiesta dinner turned out beautifully. I made fajitas to go with our salsa and sangria.

Ironically, Rosemary Clooney found her way into my beats again this week. I guess she found my cooking skills amusing on Monday night with the cheesy bread incident that she wanted to come back. My mom is X years old this year. Now you didn’t think I would reveal a woman’s age did you? However, I will give you a clue if you want to figure it out. In the year my mom was born, Rosemary Clooney had a number one hit on the Billboard charts with her song “Come On A My House”. I love the lyrics to this song, and the tune recently made its way into our pop culture when “Come On A My House” became the theme song for E!’s show The Girls Next Door. Rosemary Clooney sings "come on a my house I'm gonna give you candy", and candy is exactly what I'm making. Furthermore, we’re eating at an Italian restaurant tonight, so what more of a reason did I need to pick this song?

For the true “Queen of Everything”, I decided to make my mom some home baked goodness with this recipe for toasted almond and cherry chocolate bark. I tell myself that this is actually healthy for me because there are fruits and nuts in it. Let’s go with that. Indulge me.
Ingredients:3/4 cup of dried tart cherries
3/4 cup of toasted almonds
*To toast almonds, spread them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in the over at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; stir occasionally.
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine almonds and cherries; set aside. In a saucepan, melt semisweet chocolate over low heat, stirring. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in half of the almond mixture into the semisweet chocolate. Spread semisweet chocolate mixture to about 1/4 inch thick on a large, ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with remaining almond mixture.
Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Break bark into pieces. Layer between wax paper in airtight container. You can refrigerate this up to one month.

One more day until the weekend is upon us!

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T00:00:00.014-05:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Break out the mariachi band and tequila because I am ready to indulge in all things Mexican. Before we dive into today’s eats and beats, I thought I would provide a little history lesson behind this festive holiday. Contrary to popular belief, it is not Mexico's Independence Day. That is on September 16th. Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla on the fifth of May in 1862. Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated predominantly in the state of Puebla and has become increasingly popular in US cities where there is a large population of people with Mexican heritage, or for people like myself who just love to eat Mexican food, listen to great music, drink and be merry.

After living in Chicago for four years, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations here in Memphis are not as large, but that won’t stop this girl from doing it right. Today I’m making a large batch of sangria, compliments of my best friend Cristina’s Mexican family recipe. Hands down this sangria is a crowd pleaser and your friends will be shocked to find out how easy it is to make. That is if you chose to share your secret with them. We’re also stirring up some cubitas; and to top off our fajita feast, I have a salsa recipe that is so fresh and packed with flavor.

Sangria:
1 box of Franzia Merlot
2 oranges, chopped
1 can of pineapple tidbits
2 apples, chopped
1 can of limeade
In a large pitcher, pour the can of limeade in the bottom. Add as much fruit (apples, oranges and pineapple) to your liking into the pitcher. Using the empty limeade can, alternate one can of water for every two cans of Merlot, and pour into the pitcher until it's almost full. Chill in the refrigerator and serve.

Cubitas:
Mix brandy and coke or diet coke over ice and top off with a garnish of lime.

Salsa:
5 tomatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
Juice of one lime, freshly squeezed
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 large red onion, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
Cilantro, pull and handful and chop
Add salt to taste
Add onion, jalapeno and cilantro in the food processor. Squeeze juice from one lime into the mix. Blend for about 5-10 seconds, until you have a smooth texture. Remove ingredients from the food processor and place in a side bowl. Put tomatoes in the food processor and blend for 5-10 seconds, so there's still some small chunks of tomato in there. Add part of the onion mixture back into food processor with tomatoes, so that there's three parts tomato to one part onion mixture. You probably will not add the entire onion mixture back into the food processor. Stir. Add salt to taste.
Note: with this recipe it is best to taste the salsa as you go along. This way you can gauge how much or how little of a particular ingredient you want to taste.

I would love to show you every song on my Cinco de Mayo playlist, but to give you a little taste of these beats I’m featuring three songs today! They go from slow to fast, depending on how much you want to shake it.

First is Luis Miguel’s “La Bikina”. Luis is one of the most famous singers from Latin America. He has won four Latin Grammy Awards and five Grammy Awards. Fun fact: when growing up, Luis’ father used to make him watch and analyze nearly every Elvis Presley performance, movie and concert. My favorite part of this video is at 1:32.

But for the salsa clubbing/fist pumping/dance party version of Cinco de Mayo, I’ve got to give this one to the former Menudo star, Ricky Martin. He's Puerto Rican, so it really has nothing to do with Mexico. But if you can listen to this song and not want to move your hips, I’d like to know who you are. Although I might say it’s because you have no rhythm. Ha! Just kidding…maybe. This song inevitably makes me move my bon-bon, even if I’m in my chair at work…just little wiggles. It’s a good thing no one sits across from me.

And just because I like this song.

On Thursday I'll post photos from our Mexican feast and share with you what I'm making for my mama's birthday!

Iwepa!
Julia

Mambo Italiano

2010-05-03T23:39:00.005-05:00

Every cook has their day, and today (to a certain extent) was not my day in the kitchen. It was Stewart's first night back home from his derby weekend, and the weather was beautiful. So I decided that it would be the perfect night for a light, flavourful Italian dinner and dining alfresco. The menu consisted of a Caesar salad with fresh roasted tomatoes and pancetta, accompanied by a homemade white pizza. I knew I had the pizza down to science as I've made it at least half a dozen times. The Caesar salad was a first, so I was a little nervous but decided to give it a shot. Thank you Murphy's Law. The Caesar salad turned out beautifully with the green romaine lettuce against roasted cherry tomatoes and pink pops of pancetta. It tastes as good as it looks. My white pizza on the other hand turned into cheesy bread! Don't get me wrong, I'm big fan of cheesy bread. But it wasn't quite what I was going for tonight. I don't know why I had the wise idea to double the amount of pizza dough I normally use in order to make the crust a little thicker. What's a girl to do? Order out! With the help of Memphis Pizza Cafe, I was able to complete my meal with a proper pizza and still dine out on the patio. I suppose that white pizza will have to show its face another time on My Eats and Beats.

I highly recommend this recipe for anyone who loves a good Caesar salad and has a little extra time to make Ina Garten's version. I love the Barefoot Contessa. I have two of her cookbooks: Barefoot Contessa Parties and Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. I just wish I had her culinary skills; and I wouldn't mind having her beautiful home in the Hamptons either.

After the cheesy bread incident, I thought about changing my song choice for this meal; but then I decided to stick with my original idea. Life doesn't always go according to plan, and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and push forward...after my five minute tantrum of course. I'd like to think Rosemary Clooney had some influence on my Caesar salad tonight. I listened to her sing "Mambo Italiano" while cooking. I prefer her cover for this song over all, and that says a lot because I'm a huge Dean Martin fan. But tonight goes to Ms. Clooney.

Caesar Salad with Pancetta (serves 6 to 8)
3/4 lb pancetta, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large heads Romaine lettuce
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pancetta into 1/2 inch cubes and cook in skillet over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove to paper towels and drain.
Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until soft.
Wash, dry and cut lettuce.
For the dressing, place the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper into food processor. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until thick. Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and pulse 3 times.
Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well. Add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and toss. Divide lettuce into bowls and sprinkle with the pancetta and roasted tomatoes.

Buon appetito!
Julia

Cooking with Passion

2010-05-01T23:09:00.248-05:00

This Friday, my friend Bridget Russell is having her art show at Gallery Fifty-Six in Memphis. She is an extremely talented artist, and I especially love her oil paintings. Through her art, Bridget creates a world where our most mundane activities are glorified: flipping a switch, stirring a cup of coffee or tying your shoe laces. As she sees it, "ironically these moments are constantly happening but almost instantly forgotten. I create my oil and mixed media paintings to save these moments that are constantly being lost". Come check it out for yourself this weekend. You get out for the evening, drink wine, mingle and go to an art show! If you don't live in the Memphis area, but are interested in her work, Bridget also sells her art online. Click on her name above to visit the web site.

The weather this weekend was less than fair. The majority of Saturday was spent listening to sirens as we encountered multiple tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms. All this rain put me in the mood for some comfort food, so I decided to make chili. I have two recipes for chili that I love. One comes from Stewart's family and requires that the soup simmer for an hour. It is really good, and I'll be sure to feature it in the near future. For today's post I chose to highlight the recipe that is a quick and healthy fix. Sometimes we don't have an hour or more to prep and prepare a meal, so this is my alternative. I knew this chili was a keeper the first time I made it. Stewart and I had his cousin Michael, a freshman basketball player, over for dinner one evening and they ate the entire pot! That spells SUCCESS in my book. The recipe is from Cooking Light.

Beefy Corn and Black Bean Chili (makes 6 servings)

1 lb ground beef

2 tsp salt-free chili powder

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 (14 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

1 can tomato sauce for chili (such as Hunts)

Fat-free sour cream and sliced green onions (optional)

Combine beef and chili powder blend in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook 6 minutes over medium-high heat or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and return to pan. Stir in canned vegetables, broth and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with sour cream and chives if desired.

For today's beats I chose Passion Pit. They have been on my playlist the past two weeks, and I thought their cover art for the album "Manners" mirrors Bridget's paintings in the way she uses vibrant color and distorts shapes. I like their cover of The Cranberries song "Dreams".

Stay tuned this week for good eats and beats related to birthdays and Cinco de Mayo!

Julia