And Now.....All The Way From Chateau BowWow....

Before I go any further with more fun and food and start furiously posting recipes, I thought I'd take a moment and introduce you to the head-honcho, big chief, and master taste-tester (aka guinea pig) of our chateau. This way, you can blame the master taste-tester if you don't like one of the recipes I post! (Always thinking, I am.)

So, without further ado, and in the words of Ed McMahon, "Heeeeeere's Hubband"!

Let's get all the niceties out of the way. These are all true, but they make for a really sappy post. And besides he hears it all the time from me anyway! He's an amazing husband, a great dad a super-duper step-dad and the best friend a goil like me could have. We have a ton of fun together, we cry together and we laugh A LOT together. We are just plain good together. And I like him. I'll keep him thankee very much!


Ok, now. The thing ya gotta know about Hubband is this. During the day? He doesn't go to a stark, cold sterile office like the rest of us. Oh. no. He's working at home. And being Mr. Mom. And doing the laundry...yes, ladies...he does laundry. But not windows. He doesn't do windows. Hmmm...come to think of it. Neither do I! See, I told you we were good together!

BUT...by night......as the moon creeps up in the sky, he can often be found heading out to his office. His office, however, doesn't look like mine. It doesn't have an ugly desk and some beige paint on the walls and file cabinets. Nope. His office looks like this....



Yes, that's what his office often looks like. It's him at Radio City Music Hall. Can you see him? Right there...third from the left in the fourth row? See him? No?

His office can also look like this



See all of the adoring fans...those are his. They are all calling for him. But I'm ignoring them and taking his picture from the side of the stage. See him this time? He's right next to that trombone player guy. What? You still can't see him?

He also has worked at his office in Epcot....



Yes, there he is folks....Mr. Hubband....Third from the right. It really is him live from his office in sunny Florida. Or as was the case during this particular Epcot tour...Thunder and Lightening Florida.

So, usually, I am very, very jealous of his office whether its a broadway pit, a famous stage, a sunny location, or a famous stage with thousands of adoring fans. (Except when I get to work along side him as the sax player) But one thing is for sure. I am never, ever jealous of him when he has to work at this office....

Brrrrrr...I'm cold just looking at this. Baby, its cold outside!


So, now you know a little bit about Mr. Hubband aka Recipe-Tester extraordinaire, aka love of my life, aka Trumpet Player extraordinaire etc....etc..... Now we can continue on and get to the recipes. And if you don't like them, well....then I guess it will be Mr. Hubband the Recipe-Tester who lands in the dog house!

xoxoxo until the next tail

What's Keeping Me Out of the Dog House

I have always had a passion for cooking and for good food in general. I consider myself a "foodie", but not in the snobby, must spend $500 on a meal, way. I consider my passion for food and the inclusion of great ingredients an extension of my upbringing and Southern Italian cooking never has to be expensive to be good! (Nor does any other type of food, really)

I grew up surrounded by family members who were wonderful cooks and many of my favorite memories centered around the family table. My grandfather was an avid gardener and would often bring me fresh grapes and more than once "ruined" a big Sunday spaghetti dinner by arriving with a humongous steaming pot of stuffed artichokes....WE were stuffed by the time dinner was served. But it was so worth it!!! To this day, I have only found one stuffed artichoke that has ever rivaled Grandpa's. But it is also prepared differently.

My cooking, and my love for cooking has hit a fever pitch over the past couple years. I email recipes back and forth between my family and we trade tips, secrets, new food blogs and recipes that have worked, not worked etc... I read several food blogs religiously and am always coming up with the next "must-cook" dish.

So, the point is people....Its my cooking that's keeping me out of YE 'OLE dog house!!! It's my cooking!!

So I figured I would start posting about some of the good, the bad and the yummy dishes my guinea pigs...I mean... my family has experienced.

My kids all have their "favorite" recipe and my husband....well...just ask him...he won't even venture into an Italian restaurant anymore because he says I've ruined it for him. Ha!

I'm more comfortable in the realm of cooking rather than baking, but I thought I'd start off with a bang and share this amazing bread that I made several weeks ago for the first time ever.

Giving credit where credit is due....I got the recipe from my cousin and my Aunt who got it from Sullivan Street Bakery who got it from Jim Lahey the owner. Thanks Jim! Thanks Jarr, thanks Aunt Chick! I owe ya'll one!

This is the easiest bread you could ever make. In fact, they say a six-year old can do it. So don't be scared off folks, if I can bake it so can you!

Here is try number one:

Not too bad...but I didn't use the right yeast and it didn't rise enough. But try number two was RIGHT ON!!!

Here it is:

It's PURTY! And is just the most delicious artisan bread. The best part? It's a NO-KNEAD bread and its so simple. You'll never want to buy bread again. I guarantee it! Here's the recipe from Sullivan Street Bakery.

Formula and process created byJim Lahey, owner of Sullivan St Bakery.

formula

3 cups (430g) flour

1½ cups (345g or 12oz) water

¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast

1¼ teaspoon (8g) salt

olive oil (for coating)extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal (for dusting)

equipment

Two medium mixing bowls6 to 8 quart pot with lid (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic)Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional)Plastic wrapTwo or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth)

process

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F). Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size. Preheat oven to 450-500°F. Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

Simple!!! So, give this bread a whirl (even if you never thought you could bake good bread) you will be sure to astound your fam and your friends with it and ..... you are sure to stay out of the dog house yourself with a loaf or two of this around.

xoxo

Until the next tail.......