#I made the sauce myself and actually grated fresh Parmesan cheese instead of using the powdered shit

[lesbiansanemi]

In a turn of shocking events absolutely stunning no one more than myself, I might actually enjoy cooking and not only that, be good at it

[gourmade4u]

Start at the basics

Kitchen Essentials

If you’re just starting out, what are some essential tools and tips to keep in mind while you’re working away at your best Gordon Ramsey duplicate? 

Well, for starters, you need to make sure that your kitchen has the necessary base in which to build from. 

TL;DR- Chef’s knife, rubber spatula, whisk, pans (all types are neatly listed below the picture with the whisk and rubber spatulas), glass mixing bowls, kevlar or other cut-resistant gloves, metal spatula, cutting boards, electric thermometer, colander, box grater, and a timer (if you don’t have a microwave or oven that has one). 

First thing’s first: 

A Chef’s knife. I purchased mine from Ergo Chef (not an affiliate, I’m just a huge fan). From the moment my hand touched this knife, I cried literal happy tears from the depths of my soul. If you have arthritis issues, or issues that cause your hands to swell or lock up from consistent use, an ergonomically designed knife is incredibly important. For those of you just starting, my first knife set was a Farberware set with a wooden block from Walmart. It was a 20 piece knife set with steak knives and it was less than 90 dollars. But take the time to invest in your knives, you’ll be grateful that you did. 

I’ll post in a separate article how to sharpen your knife, but do keep in mind to NEVER, hold on, let me bold this, NEVER: run your knives or single knife through the dishwasher, and/or leave them in the sink. After you finish using your knife, it is best if you wash and dry it immediately to keep it from rusting. Your knives will thank you, and so will your wallet. 

A rubber spatula.

So, this little guy is the absolute best. He will help you toast rice for your risotto, spoon out that perfect pan sauce that took you way too many tries to get it exactly the way you wanted, AND he'll make sure that all your batter makes it into the pan, or your mouth, whichever you prefer.

A whisk. So yes, a whisk is incredibly versatile. You can use it to scramble eggs, make meringue, mayo, vinaigrette, and bake that cake you’re gonna regret in a week.

PANsexuality is important. But it has nothing to do with this next list of pans.

Non-stick pan

10 in. stainless steal or ceramic pan 

Cast iron pan (or 3)

Sauce pot (if you're like me, you have 6)

Griddle pan (not pictured... yet)

Sheet pan

Casserole

Each and every one of these serves a unique purpose.

A non-stick is great for eggs, bacon, frittatas (which are fancy eggs), and so many other items that I promise aren't just breakfast food. 

A ceramic pan is wonderful, but in my personal opinion, a stainless steel is better if you're a novice. A ceramic pan requires a lot of spoons (energy) and maintenance. They scratch easily if you look at them the wrong way. But they are great for more even cooking than a stainless, and make the best pork chops. Stainless steel isn’t as hard to work with, isn’t as high maintenance (though, like knives, NEVER put them in your dishwasher), is ideal for crusting your steak, and making a pan sauce with the remaining bits. 

A cast iron pan evenly distributes heat and you can put it in the oven at 500 degrees without worrying about warping or damage to your pan. Cast iron is also fantastic if you don’t want to use as much fat in your pan to keep your items from sticking. Also, you can’t get a crust on a steak in any other pan, the way you do in a cast iron. Also, don’t put this in the dishwasher.

A sauce pot sounds like an unnecessary necessity. I’ll explain, when most people hear “sauce” pot, they get very confused because there are like, 30 types. This is an exaggeration, but there are a lot of types. A large saucepot can hold from 1 qt. to 5 qts. I always recommend getting a 5 qt. pot because you can use it for small amounts and large amounts. But the best advice I can give would be to get one that can hold at least 2 c of liquid, and also one that can hold 5 qts so you’re not making oatmeal for yourself in a pot that’s too big. 

A Griddle pan is more of a luxury item, but I always recommend having one in your kitchen. You can make your best pancakes, arepas, bacon, grilled cheese, tuna melt, etc. It’s honestly a great tool to have on hand if you want to whip something up quickly. 

A sheet pan is important for so many reasons. You can make cookies, cake, bacon (I know I’ve said about 2 of the others already), roasted veggies, etc. I definitely recommend having at least one on hand. You’ll find that you’ve allowed yourself to enjoy brussel sprouts  smothered in parmesan cheese, and roasted cauliflower with garam masala and ginger for the first time ever. Just trust me, your oven is made for a varying amount of possibilities, and the right tools can get you started.

A baking dish/pan/casserole, whatever you want to call it, it’s a huge piece of either: cast iron, ceramic, glass, or clay that can be covered and it will, much like your sheet pan, allow for new ideas in the kitchen. Casserole is a very common word used by mostly older women from the south, but they aren’t just a dish your grandma cooked in the 50′s. French toast casserole is so impossibly custardy and delicious, you will thank the Gods that there has ever been something so wonderful in existence. You have stews, roasts, lasagna (uncovered, don’t be rude to your lasagna), and so many others. Just please, okay? Okay.  

Glass mixing bowls are a MUST. Okay, so some really important things about these bad boys: DON’T leave them on a hot stove because the heat will make them shatter and explode all over your kitchen. If you have pets or kids, I don’t have to tell you why this would be bad for potentially weeks on end. You can, however, makeshift a glass bowl and a boiling pot of water into a double boiler to melt your favorite chocolate chips to make fudge. Glass bowls are also non-absorbent, so they won’t retain bad odors or flavors when you use them in the kitchen. They’re also incredibly sanitary for the same reason.

A pair of Kevlar or other gloves meant for slicing and dicing in the kitchen. I recommend this no matter what level of experience you have. Professional chefs cut and burn themselves all the time, it is best you do what you can to protect your fingertips and nails. 

A metal spatula will help you scrape any bits and pieces that have stuck onto your stainless or ceramic pan. Please be sure to use carefully, the metal spatula itself is very temperamental and can ruin your pans forever. 

Cutting boards. There are, a whole litany of reasons you need a cutting board or 10 in your kitchen. I myself have 4 and I use all of them. Cutting boards are made of several different kinds of material. Ultimately, for me, I use a wooden one and an eco-friendly material cutting board set I got from Bed Bath and Beyond. Cutting board maintenance is, arguably, the most important thing when it comes to  purchasing one. Best way to clean a cutting board is to make sure you’re passing your sponge over the slits in the board left behind by your knife, in the same direction. In other words, don’t scrub your board in a circle, but trace over the cuts in the board to ensure proper sanitation of it. 

An electric thermometer. Okay, so show of hands, how many people have deep fried chicken, burned the outside and undercooked the inside? I don’t know of any single person who is just beginning, who hasn’t done it. An electric thermometer is your best friend. You can get a regular thermometer, that will require constant calibration, or you can get an electric thermometer and not have to worry about calibrating it as often. Perfectly juicy, succulent, and properly cooked chicken will measure at 165 degrees Farenheit. Anything beyond 180, expect it to be dry, but at least it was cooked properly! To calibrate a thermometer: bring water to a boil, and then place your thermometer in the water, allow it to come to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, then place your thermometer into an ice bath until it gets to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Celsius would be 100 degrees boiling, and 0 degrees in ice. 

A colander is meant to strain out pasta water, and you’ve probably not seen it used for much else. But a fine mesh colander can be used to filter out your frying oil so you can reuse it instead of wasting it. This little thing is good for anything that requires draining: meat, starch from rice and potatoes before cooking them, washing all of your vegetables at once before getting started, and also, it can help with steaming your broccoli or shrimp when you don’t have a basket steamer.

A box grater in general, is a fantastic tool. They have different sides that allow you to do different things. From shredding cheese, potatoes, carrots, or zuccini. But the question a lot of people ask: what is that side with all the really tiny spaces in it? It’s a zester, and it goes so unnoticed for so long because most folx don’t know the best way to use it. The zester is great for adding a little elegance or pop of flavor into a dish. For example, if you use lemon pepper often, adding a zested lemon rind to your dish would bring out all that delicious acidity that you won’t get from just using the regular seasoning from a bottle. A little fresh lemon zest here, some grated nutmeg there, a little orange zest in your tea, these all pack a mean right hook. Try them out. 

Last, but not least: a timer, gentlefolx. I can not stress the utter importance of learning how long it actually takes you, the reader to complete a task from start to finish. Not everyone works at the same pace, so a recipe that says “prep time: 5 minutes”, might actually take you an hour, and that’s okay. Keeping a timer on hand so you can keep track of how long each task is taking to complete, or making sure you’re pacing yourself as things are bubbling away in the kitchen, is a great way to figure yourself out in the kitchen. I recommend listening to music, writing your ingredients on a white board that sits at eye level in your kitchen so you can refer to your recipe as you’re going without having to constantly look at your phone. 

I hope this helps every single one of you learn a bit more about what it means to begin your journey with food. 

[abiteofnat]

AN ANXIETY-APPROVED GUIDE TO SOCIALLY-DISTANT  DINING IN THE NORTH SHORE

A headline I truly thought I would never write, because I used to be the type of person to leave work, jam myself into an L train packed with people, scroll through my phone while breathing in someone’s backpack, and then get to a busy restaurant to meet friends and dive into food without washing my hands. My entire immune system was chock-full of city scum, and eating indoors with dozens of other people who likely got off an equally full train? Not even a question of a doubt in my mind. Things took a quick and dire turn in May when suddenly I became afraid of everything and grossed out by anything, and after moving home with family I was certain I would never leave the house again. I miss being the fearless gutter rat I used to be, but times are different, and staying safe is key. 

Alas, while my family has been taking quarantine very seriously, we reached a point in August where we all felt “ok” with sitting at a restaurant once or twice a week to feel like we were still part of society and because we all mutually hate cooking. After not being at a restaurant once since March, we nervously ventured out to a local Italian restaurant, sat outside very far from others, and ate pasta that was still piping hot from the kitchen and that didn’t taste mediocre after sitting in a takeout container for an hour. It was refreshing as FUCK. Rose? In a real wine glass? Served chilled? What am I, a QUEEN? 

Ever since we have been carefully dining, only ever sitting outdoors, and carrying packs upon packs of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer like actual loons. But safe loons! Being home and enjoying the local restaurants through new eyes and new level of appreciation has made me love them 10x more, even if we’ve eaten somewhere a hundred times before. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to dine with these spots, eat favorite dishes & try new ones, and be out of the house for 1-2 hours on a Friday during these wild times. So, why not share some of my favorite spots?? Maybe you’re also living back in the good ole North Shore, and looking for any excitement at all in the quiet of the suburbs. Here you go. 

1. Mino’s Italian - Winnetka

This restaurant is newer to Winnetka, however it became an instant local favorite and is always, always full. They have a huge patio area with lighting, cozy wooden benches, tons of tables, heaters, and a menu packed with classic Italian dishes done so right. Their Calamari is unreal due to the seasoning and the roasted garlic aioli it comes with for dipping. Their Cacio e Pepe is magically light but still full of cheese and fresh cracked peppercorns, and the seasonal Risotto consists of warm mushroom richness. Their pizza is great to-go as well, and tastes like an NYC slice if you order the largest size. 

2. Pescadero - Wilmette 

Ok to be fair, Pescadero is not somewhere we’ve actually dined AT during the pandemic. We do pick it up quite often though, and it is some of the best carryout in Wilmette. The Fish & Chips is mouth-watering, with fresh fish covered in a seasoned batter that alone is delectable. Their chips (really more french fries) are thin, crispy, and topped with a parmesan and herb dust. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE FRIES. The Mahi Mahi tacos are excellent and a lighter, fresher dish with broccoli apple slaw and avocado crema, and for fuck’s sake order a side of the Mac & Cheese just to stick a fork in. Pro Tip: You want as much extra tartar sauce as they will give you!!!

* Edit - since I wrote this post a few days ago, we ate on the Pescadero patio and it was delightful. Even though it was 55 degrees, the hot Clam Chowder and Fish & Chips warmed me up real quick. Clam Chowder served in a hot mug = a new fall dinner staple. Will only accept soup in a mug from now on. And, they do have heaters!

3. Depot Nuevo - Wilmette 

I have eaten here no fewer than 3,456 times in my life and every single time I feel like I’m on vacation because the vibes, the food, and the booze are immaculate. Located in an old train station turned restaurant, Depot Nuevo is warm and inviting no matter if you’re inside (pre pandemic) or on their gigantic patio that allows for spaced out and comfy seating. They’ve added heaters for the fall, so don’t worry about being chilly- and if you are, the Pomegranate Margarita will warm you right up. It’s strong, delicious, and comes in a very pleasing traditional margarita glass. I always order the Appetizer Trio as my entree, which has queso fundido (ordered without the chorizo!), guacamole, and ceviche composed of scallops, shrimp, and calamari with vegetables and lime. Usually this comes with tortilla chips as it’s meant to be shared, but I ask for corn tortillas instead and then pile a little of everything in there for the taco of my DREAMS. Do it. Order it. I dare you. 

The staff is exceptionally friendly and have taken COVID precautions seriously, so menus are disposable and everyone has gloves on. They will treat you like family, and they are family to us because we go there so often. See you on Friday, Depot! 

Other good things on the menu are the Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, BBQ Salmon, Chipotle Mashed Potatoes, Cheese Quesadilla (smothered in their salsa verde of course). 

4. The Noodle - Wilmette

Can you tell downtown Wilmette is the place to be? It has truly popped off and the majority of restaurants aren’t serving up your typical “suburbs” food (you know- fried appetizers and burgers and weird salads and overpriced meat dishes) so I am always happy to be out in our little mini city. The Noodle is as classic Italian as you can get, with overflowing ceramic boats of buttery garlic bread, a salad OR soup included with your entree, and no bar- only wine (or beer) if you want a drinky drink. Incredible. I am partial to the house-made spinach linquine with Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce, and the starter salad with house Creamy Garlic Parmesan dressing. Their Tomato Basil soup is also delicious, however I have some suspicion that that soup is the same as the Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce... just served as soup... they refuse to confirm or deny whenever I ask. Either way, delicious. I tried a NEW DISH when we went last week to sit at one of the 6 large tables they have spaced out outside, and let me tell you that the bowtie pasta (not house-made) with Alfredo sauce is THE SHIT. It may be my new go-to when I just want to carbo-load the hecking out of my night. On your way out, get a Pot de Creme to go- it’s the richest, smoothest chocolate dessert on this side of town. 

5. Hometown Coffee & Juice - Glencoe 

Hometown deserves a round of applause for breathing life back into the stuffy grandmother of the North Shore - Glencoe. Between the gorgeous Writers Theatre and countless boutiques selling blouses and hand-blown glass jewelry, it used to only really serve a certain demographic, however Hometown said “let me give it a try” and changed weekends in Glencoe for good. This coffee shop, smoothie bar, bakery, & cafe hotspot is the perfect afternoon spot to grab a drink, enjoy avocado toast, and sit outside at one of the dozens of tables they’ve lined the corner and two streets with. They’ve moved their registers outside so you don’t even need to go inside to order, and the wait staff will bring you your order right to your table to make it as organized and safe as possible. The tables are spread out, the corner it’s located on is beautiful in the fall, and there are lots of good dogs out and about. 

I will say that while Hometown is doing a great job with COVID precautions, the people of Glencoe are a little high & mighty, and seem to think they’re exempt from wearing a mask to wait in line to get their smoothie. It’s irritating that they’re putting the staff at risk and just ignoring state mandates because they feel safe in their little North Shore bubble and because it’s entirely outside, but come on. Be respectful and understand the privilege of these places even being open to serve you, and just wear mask. I hate people. ANYWAY. Love you, Hometown. 

6. Coast Sushi - Evanston 

Ok, so this gem is not open for dining indoors OR outdoors, however they have their carryout system down and their sushi is so, SO fresh and good. I’ve picked up from here a few times and eat time I fall more in love with the flavors and how consistently tasty it is- and with sushi, it’s always a gamble if it’s going to be really good or kinda fishy and old. The Coast in South Loop was a favorite spot for a while, however it has shut down and I am so happy to be able to get my favorite rolls up in the burbs. My go-to order is a Spicy Tuna Maki, Spicy Scallop Maki, Spicy Miso Soup, a side of Spicy Mayo, and a side of Sushi Rice. This sounds odd, but hear me out- I like to mix the spicy mayo into the sushi rice and eat it just like that. It’s. So. Good. Am I gross? I might be gross. 

Anything you get from here is going to rock your socks off, so for your next night in (aka every night lol) treat yourself to some sushi, babbyyy! 

I sincerely hope that we can keep dining outside for at least a few more weeks, and I am absolutely ok with wearing Uggs and a full-on coat to be able to. Just a reminder to keep your mask on when talking to wait staff, be polite, be patient, and don’t be an asshole. You don’t NEED to dine out- it’s a treat- and you should treat it as such. Don’t be a Karen, or don’t leave your house. Those are literally the only two options.

I hope you try somewhere new, whether it’s carryout or dining out, and tell me if you have any favorite North Shore spots I missed! 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

- Natalie

[jeepsister72-blog]

The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip

This from-scratch, delicious appetizer is the best spinach artichoke dip EVER! Totally restaurant-quality, this simple recipe is so easy to make at home!

Oh, little dish of spinach artichoke dip. I can’t resist you. Especially slathered on warm, toasty bread. Am I alone here? Any other spinach artichoke dip lovers out there?? 

I love this dip so, so much, and usually if I’m at any restaurant anywhere and this appetizer is on the menu, there is a 97.5% chance I’m going to order it. Well, either me or Brian. We are both huge fans and have been known to lovingly fight over the honor of who gets to order the spinach artichoke dip (after 16 years of marriage, we should just bite the bullet and each order our own). 

Turns out, it’s ridiculously simple to make spinach artichoke dip at home AND coming from basically a spinach artichoke dip expert, this from-scratch version is as delicious, if not more so, than any spinach artichoke dip I’ve ever had at a restaurant. 

This recipe surprisingly has been buried in my archives for almost a decade. I never officially posted the recipe, I just tossed it in the archives 8 1/2 years ago with a backdate so that I could have the recipe online. Over the years, a few of you have found it, made it, raved about it, and told me I needed to repost the dang thing!

So here we are. 

It really is the best spinach artichoke dip, and it is a cinch to make. Years ago when I set about perfecting the best recipe for this dip, I ditched the storebought alfredo sauce for a fresher, creamier flavor. The best news about going homemade on the white sauce is that it is made in the microwave.

Which may leave you wondering: WHY HAVE I NEVER MADE A HOMEMADE WHITE SAUCE IN THE MICROWAVE BEFORE? 

By doing so, this recipe naturally becomes a one bowl recipe for mixing everything together. And it comes together so fast. Honestly, I could eat the whole thing (even before it goes in the oven, don’t get me started on my spinach artichoke dip obsession).

More times than I can count over the years, I’ve actually just made this dip and served it for dinner. With bread for serving and a side of fruit, you’ve got yourself a complete meal according to Mel. 

And for those microwave skeptics, don’t worry! Of course you can always convert that white sauce method to the stovetop if you don’t have a microwave or don’t want to make your life easier (wink, wink). Watch the video below and see just how easy it is to make the sauce and put this dip together! 

Also, if you have time, read through some of the comments about ultimate creativity in using this dip (i.e. in quiche, on pizza, with chicken…yum!!). 

In the interest of continuing to make your life even easier, here are some of the questions I’ve gotten the most about this spinach artichoke dip over the years:

What kind of artichokes do I use for this spinach artichoke dip?

There are endless options in the artichoke aisle, and the verdict is…you really can’t go wrong. Marinated, grilled, canned in water. They’ll all work pretty well. I prefer using whole artichokes and chopping them myself because I’ve found that sometimes the already quartered artichokes have a mushy texture, but use what you can find, and I think you’ll have success!

Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? 

If you want to use fresh spinach, you’ll need to cook it down and squeeze out any extra water. I’ve never made this recipe with fresh spinach but you may need almost double the amount of fresh spinach to get the equivalent of the 16-ounces of frozen, chopped spinach. 

Can I use pre-shredded cheese? 

Cheese that you grate/shred yourself melts much better than pre-shredded cheese (pre-shredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance to keep it from clumping, but it also affects the consistency and texture when melted), so I definitely recommend using freshly grated cheese, however I won’t stop you from using pre-shredded! I actually have strong feelings on this matter if you can’t tell (especially if you read past posts where I talk – a lot – about cheese). Haha. I think I should have a t-shirt made that says: I shred my own cheese, dang it, and so should you. 

Can I make this spinach artichoke dip ahead of time? 

Yes, you absolutely can! This dip can be made and assembled 1-2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Uncover and bake according to the recipe, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time. 

See How to Make It Here!

One Year Ago: Easy Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup New and Improved Two Years Ago: Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Three Years Ago: Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Four Years Ago: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites Main Dish or Appetizer! Five Years Ago: Licorice Caramels

Yield: 9X13-inch pan of dip

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, half-and-half or milk (see note)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)

8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened

2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Tapatio brand), optional (but adds great flavor)

1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 to 1 1/2 cups (4 to 6 ounces) freshly grated mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

16 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch or similar sized baking dish.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the cream (or milk), flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Microwave the mixture in 1-minute intervals, whisking fully after each minute, until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of warm pudding, about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the cream cheese and mix until well-combined (it's ok if there are a few lumps, but try to whisk it until as smooth as possible). Add the remaining ingredients; I like to add the spinach last, crumbling it in with my fingers to avoid large clumps. Mix well. Spread the dip into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. Serve warm with bread or tortilla chips.

Notes

This dip is completely luxurious if you use cream for the white sauce, however, using half-and-half or milk is still super delicious (although not quite as rich and creamy). Also, you can make this dip creamier and cheesier by increasing those quantities (cream + flour and/or cheeses). It's very adaptable!

Recommended Products

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Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Recipe originally published January 2010; updated Dec 2018 with new pictures, recipe notes, etc. The video in this post was made in partnership with Inspo

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Mel

Source: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-spinach-artichoke-dip/

[kissnovel46-blog]

Why Fettuccine Alfredo Is the Best Solo Supper

Table for One is a column by Senior Editor Eric Kim, who loves cooking for himself—and only himself—and seeks to celebrate the beauty of solitude in its many forms.

My barometer for a good restaurant has always been: How do they treat solo diners? I.e. me, when I walk in alone and gesture to the host with my index finger, "One."

In a bad restaurant, the host may direct me to the bar, or if I do get a table (because I request it specifically), the waiter will ignore me for most of the night to cater to higher-value parties. Maybe there's a passive-aggressive eye roll when I say no to appetizers and dessert, an itching sense that I'm a waste of the restaurant's time and space (and money) because I'm taking up a whole table, just for me. Sometimes it's even built into the restaurant's online reservation system:

Rejection for one. Photo by Me

Now, I don't mean to throw Restaurant A under the bus; it's one of my favorite neighborhood Italian gems. The hosts and waiters there are always the most gracious to me when I walk in without a reservation and request a table for one. They even make me fettuccine Alfredo, even though it's not on the menu (more on that later). But I do think it's significant and telling of a restaurant's business model when their online client doesn't let you reserve a table for yourself. Maybe it's just math and I'm overly sensitive. Or maybe it's because, for me, part of the joy of making a reservation at all is that I'm setting aside both time (a future meal) and space (a literal, physical table) to treat myself to one of life's few pleasures: dinner.

Why shouldn't I get to partake in that, like everyone else, just because I don't always have a date?

Maybe this is why I tend to overtip when it's just me, because I don't want that waiter to ever underestimate the next solo diner's tab. As if my tipping well will teach them to continue treating loners as well as they treat eight-person tables. My friend Irene and I were discussing this the other night, when a bartender at Restaurant B rolled his eyes at us when we said we had already eaten and were just there for wine, not dinner. I wanted to leave a big tip to show him that small parties can be worth being nice to. But Irene said, "Trust me, he will not think that."

Restaurant C, my absolute favorite Italian restaurant in New York City, doesn't take reservations for one either (parties must be four or more). But—but!—even on their busiest nights (like at 7 p.m. on a Friday), I can walk in and the maître d', as flustered as he is trying to seat the hordes of people filing into the tiny entrance, will always nod at me and wink from across the room, as if he's saying, "I got you." He'll pull out a tiny table from the back, set it by the bathroom (the only space available in the crowded restaurant) with flowers, a place setting, and fresh focaccia with olive oil. One folding chair. I'm always so grateful to him that, even in his crowded restaurant full of tables for two, and four, and eight, he'll make it a priority to create this special table just for me.

I always wonder what happens to this last-minute table for one after I leave the restaurant. Does the maître d' fold it back up to free up that necessary walkway between the kitchen and the bathroom? Does he seat other solo diners who come in later? Are there even other solo diners who come in later, into this always-bustling family restaurant where everyone's happy and no one is ever alone in the world? Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen anyone other than myself eating here alone. James Beard's house is a block away; maybe he came in by himself back in the day?

Somehow I have never minded dining alone. Instead, I find it is a rare opportunity for relaxing and collecting my senses, and I have always made each occasion something of a ceremony.

James Beard, Delights and Prejudices

Wherever I am, there's one dish I like to order on these nights when I'm crawling to an Italian restaurant, in search of water and wine and starchy sustenance: fettuccine Alfredo.

I do my best to feign humility when I ask, though: "I know it's not on the menu, but..." I bite my lip and try to look as small and as cute as possible (which is difficult when you're not cute to begin with, and already a carafe of house red in). The waiters at Restaurant C will laugh at me and say, "Oh, you. We both know we don't do Italian-American here." To which I'll be thinking (but won't say out loud), "Actually, fettuccine Alfredo, though made popular in America by the cultural maelstrom that is Olive Garden, is said to have come from Alfredo di Lelio in Rome." But at Restaurant B, they'll say, "Of course," and bring out a gorgeously creamy plate of fresh, house-made fettuccine Alfredo you can envelop your face and soul into.

Contrary to popular belief, fettuccine Alfredo—the original, at least—isn't meant to have cream. It's just: fettuccine, butter, and cheese, all tossed together with the pasta's starchy cooking liquid to create a sauce that looks and tastes very close to heavy cream. At his restaurants in Rome, Alfredo would do this tableside as a sort of ceremony for the guests. The ultimate ceremony of cooking and eating, as I see it.

Mise en place.

My version below is a scaled-down version of this, a ceremony for one, which I believe is the absolute best way to make pasta. I have this theory that when you're working with a smaller portion of anything you're cooking, the food turns out better because you're able to pay more attention to the quality of it. Because this pasta recipe has so few ingredients, the trick to successfully making it lies really in its technique: vigorously stirring the pasta into the sauce, creating an emulsion, which is easier to get right when you're dealing with a single serving of fettuccine.

With that said, I find that recipes are significantly easier to scale up than they are to scale down, so if you have more mouths to feed than your own, feel free to multiply the ingredient amounts by two, three, four, etc.

Butter, Parm, and starchy water are all you need for a creamy sauce.

Fettuccine Alfredo for one, at its glossiest.

Before draining your fresh (or dried) pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. This is the base of your Alfredo sauce, an essential ingredient in this recipe.

In the same pot over medium heat, sauté a thinly sliced shallot (the perfect onion for one) in a tablespoon of butter. Though this is the only non-traditional ingredient in fettuccine Alfredo, it's something Restaurant C does, and I adore the subtle alliumic hit the single shallot lends the rest of the dish. Don't worry, it's not enough to make the pasta onion-y, but it helps to add a second note to something that can be otherwise a little boring.

Add 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, bring to a simmer, then stir in the butter, followed by the cheese, until both are fully incorporated. It's important to add the second tablespoon of butter and the cheese slowly to the starchy liquid, otherwise your sauce will break and taste greasy at the end. In an initial test of this recipe, I added all of the butter in the second step, then the water, and the resultant sauce was a little too oily for my taste.

Add the pasta to the sauce and continue cooking, stirring constantly and incorporating more of the water as needed to coat the noodles sufficiently. The trick here is to amalgamate the pasta, butter, cheese, and starchy water until it comes together into a creamy emulsion. If you fear you have too much liquid, don't worry—keep cooking until the sauce thickens and the pasta is glossy-slick.

Fettuccine Alfredo for One

View Recipe

Ingredients

4 ounces fettuccine, preferably fresh (but dried is good, too) Kosher salt, to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 ounces fettuccine, preferably fresh (but dried is good, too) Kosher salt, to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Do you love fettuccine Alfredo, too? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://food52.com/blog/23671-fettuccine-alfredo-recipe-table-for-one

[waterkick15-blog]

Why Fettuccine Alfredo Is the Best Solo Supper

Table for One is a column by Senior Editor Eric Kim, who loves cooking for himself—and only himself—and seeks to celebrate the beauty of solitude in its many forms.

My barometer for a good restaurant has always been: How do they treat solo diners? I.e. me, when I walk in alone and gesture to the host with my index finger, "One."

In a bad restaurant, the host may direct me to the bar, or if I do get a table (because I request it specifically), the waiter will ignore me for most of the night to cater to higher-value parties. Maybe there's a passive-aggressive eye roll when I say no to appetizers and dessert, an itching sense that I'm a waste of the restaurant's time and space (and money) because I'm taking up a whole table, just for me. Sometimes it's even built into the restaurant's online reservation system:

Rejection for one. Photo by Me

Now, I don't mean to throw Restaurant A under the bus; it's one of my favorite neighborhood Italian gems. The hosts and waiters there are always the most gracious to me when I walk in without a reservation and request a table for one. They even make me fettuccine Alfredo, even though it's not on the menu (more on that later). But I do think it's significant and telling of a restaurant's business model when their online client doesn't let you reserve a table for yourself. Maybe it's just math and I'm overly sensitive. Or maybe it's because, for me, part of the joy of making a reservation at all is that I'm setting aside both time (a future meal) and space (a literal, physical table) to treat myself to one of life's few pleasures: dinner.

Why shouldn't I get to partake in that, like everyone else, just because I don't always have a date?

Maybe this is why I tend to overtip when it's just me, because I don't want that waiter to ever underestimate the next solo diner's tab. As if my tipping well will teach them to continue treating loners as well as they treat eight-person tables. My friend Irene and I were discussing this the other night, when a bartender at Restaurant B rolled his eyes at us when we said we had already eaten and were just there for wine, not dinner. I wanted to leave a big tip to show him that small parties can be worth being nice to. But Irene said, "Trust me, he will not think that."

Restaurant C, my absolute favorite Italian restaurant in New York City, doesn't take reservations for one either (parties must be four or more). But—but!—even on their busiest nights (like at 7 p.m. on a Friday), I can walk in and the maître d', as flustered as he is trying to seat the hordes of people filing into the tiny entrance, will always nod at me and wink from across the room, as if he's saying, "I got you." He'll pull out a tiny table from the back, set it by the bathroom (the only space available in the crowded restaurant) with flowers, a place setting, and fresh focaccia with olive oil. One folding chair. I'm always so grateful to him that, even in his crowded restaurant full of tables for two, and four, and eight, he'll make it a priority to create this special table just for me.

I always wonder what happens to this last-minute table for one after I leave the restaurant. Does the maître d' fold it back up to free up that necessary walkway between the kitchen and the bathroom? Does he seat other solo diners who come in later? Are there even other solo diners who come in later, into this always-bustling family restaurant where everyone's happy and no one is ever alone in the world? Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen anyone other than myself eating here alone. James Beard's house is a block away; maybe he came in by himself back in the day?

Somehow I have never minded dining alone. Instead, I find it is a rare opportunity for relaxing and collecting my senses, and I have always made each occasion something of a ceremony.

James Beard, Delights and Prejudices

Wherever I am, there's one dish I like to order on these nights when I'm crawling to an Italian restaurant, in search of water and wine and starchy sustenance: fettuccine Alfredo.

I do my best to feign humility when I ask, though: "I know it's not on the menu, but..." I bite my lip and try to look as small and as cute as possible (which is difficult when you're not cute to begin with, and already a carafe of house red in). The waiters at Restaurant C will laugh at me and say, "Oh, you. We both know we don't do Italian-American here." To which I'll be thinking (but won't say out loud), "Actually, fettuccine Alfredo, though made popular in America by the cultural maelstrom that is Olive Garden, is said to have come from Alfredo di Lelio in Rome." But at Restaurant B, they'll say, "Of course," and bring out a gorgeously creamy plate of fresh, house-made fettuccine Alfredo you can envelop your face and soul into.

Contrary to popular belief, fettuccine Alfredo—the original, at least—isn't meant to have cream. It's just: fettuccine, butter, and cheese, all tossed together with the pasta's starchy cooking liquid to create a sauce that looks and tastes very close to heavy cream. At his restaurants in Rome, Alfredo would do this tableside as a sort of ceremony for the guests. The ultimate ceremony of cooking and eating, as I see it.

Mise en place.

My version below is a scaled-down version of this, a ceremony for one, which I believe is the absolute best way to make pasta. I have this theory that when you're working with a smaller portion of anything you're cooking, the food turns out better because you're able to pay more attention to the quality of it. Because this pasta recipe has so few ingredients, the trick to successfully making it lies really in its technique: vigorously stirring the pasta into the sauce, creating an emulsion, which is easier to get right when you're dealing with a single serving of fettuccine.

With that said, I find that recipes are significantly easier to scale up than they are to scale down, so if you have more mouths to feed than your own, feel free to multiply the ingredient amounts by two, three, four, etc.

Butter, Parm, and starchy water are all you need for a creamy sauce.

Fettuccine Alfredo for one, at its glossiest.

Before draining your fresh (or dried) pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. This is the base of your Alfredo sauce, an essential ingredient in this recipe.

In the same pot over medium heat, sauté a thinly sliced shallot (the perfect onion for one) in a tablespoon of butter. Though this is the only non-traditional ingredient in fettuccine Alfredo, it's something Restaurant C does, and I adore the subtle alliumic hit the single shallot lends the rest of the dish. Don't worry, it's not enough to make the pasta onion-y, but it helps to add a second note to something that can be otherwise a little boring.

Add 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, bring to a simmer, then stir in the butter, followed by the cheese, until both are fully incorporated. It's important to add the second tablespoon of butter and the cheese slowly to the starchy liquid, otherwise your sauce will break and taste greasy at the end. In an initial test of this recipe, I added all of the butter in the second step, then the water, and the resultant sauce was a little too oily for my taste.

Add the pasta to the sauce and continue cooking, stirring constantly and incorporating more of the water as needed to coat the noodles sufficiently. The trick here is to amalgamate the pasta, butter, cheese, and starchy water until it comes together into a creamy emulsion. If you fear you have too much liquid, don't worry—keep cooking until the sauce thickens and the pasta is glossy-slick.

Fettuccine Alfredo for One

View Recipe

Ingredients

4 ounces fettuccine, preferably fresh (but dried is good, too) Kosher salt, to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 ounces fettuccine, preferably fresh (but dried is good, too) Kosher salt, to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Do you love fettuccine Alfredo, too? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://food52.com/blog/23671-fettuccine-alfredo-recipe-table-for-one

[fuelyogurt6-blog]

The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip

This from-scratch, delicious appetizer is the best spinach artichoke dip EVER! Totally restaurant-quality, this simple recipe is so easy to make at home!

Oh, little dish of spinach artichoke dip. I can’t resist you. Especially slathered on warm, toasty bread. Am I alone here? Any other spinach artichoke dip lovers out there?? 

I love this dip so, so much, and usually if I’m at any restaurant anywhere and this appetizer is on the menu, there is a 97.5% chance I’m going to order it. Well, either me or Brian. We are both huge fans and have been known to lovingly fight over the honor of who gets to order the spinach artichoke dip (after 16 years of marriage, we should just bite the bullet and each order our own). 

Turns out, it’s ridiculously simple to make spinach artichoke dip at home AND coming from basically a spinach artichoke dip expert, this from-scratch version is as delicious, if not more so, than any spinach artichoke dip I’ve ever had at a restaurant. 

This recipe surprisingly has been buried in my archives for almost a decade. I never officially posted the recipe, I just tossed it in the archives 8 1/2 years ago with a backdate so that I could have the recipe online. Over the years, a few of you have found it, made it, raved about it, and told me I needed to repost the dang thing!

So here we are. 

It really is the best spinach artichoke dip, and it is a cinch to make. Years ago when I set about perfecting the best recipe for this dip, I ditched the storebought alfredo sauce for a fresher, creamier flavor. The best news about going homemade on the white sauce is that it is made in the microwave.

Which may leave you wondering: WHY HAVE I NEVER MADE A HOMEMADE WHITE SAUCE IN THE MICROWAVE BEFORE? 

By doing so, this recipe naturally becomes a one bowl recipe for mixing everything together. And it comes together so fast. Honestly, I could eat the whole thing (even before it goes in the oven, don’t get me started on my spinach artichoke dip obsession).

More times than I can count over the years, I’ve actually just made this dip and served it for dinner. With bread for serving and a side of fruit, you’ve got yourself a complete meal according to Mel. 

And for those microwave skeptics, don’t worry! Of course you can always convert that white sauce method to the stovetop if you don’t have a microwave or don’t want to make your life easier (wink, wink). Watch the video below and see just how easy it is to make the sauce and put this dip together! 

Also, if you have time, read through some of the comments about ultimate creativity in using this dip (i.e. in quiche, on pizza, with chicken…yum!!). 

In the interest of continuing to make your life even easier, here are some of the questions I’ve gotten the most about this spinach artichoke dip over the years:

What kind of artichokes do I use for this spinach artichoke dip?

There are endless options in the artichoke aisle, and the verdict is…you really can’t go wrong. Marinated, grilled, canned in water. They’ll all work pretty well. I prefer using whole artichokes and chopping them myself because I’ve found that sometimes the already quartered artichokes have a mushy texture, but use what you can find, and I think you’ll have success!

Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? 

If you want to use fresh spinach, you’ll need to cook it down and squeeze out any extra water. I’ve never made this recipe with fresh spinach but you may need almost double the amount of fresh spinach to get the equivalent of the 16-ounces of frozen, chopped spinach. 

Can I use pre-shredded cheese? 

Cheese that you grate/shred yourself melts much better than pre-shredded cheese (pre-shredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance to keep it from clumping, but it also affects the consistency and texture when melted), so I definitely recommend using freshly grated cheese, however I won’t stop you from using pre-shredded! I actually have strong feelings on this matter if you can’t tell (especially if you read past posts where I talk – a lot – about cheese). Haha. I think I should have a t-shirt made that says: I shred my own cheese, dang it, and so should you. 

Can I make this spinach artichoke dip ahead of time? 

Yes, you absolutely can! This dip can be made and assembled 1-2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Uncover and bake according to the recipe, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time. 

See How to Make It Here!

One Year Ago: Easy Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup New and Improved Two Years Ago: Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Three Years Ago: Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Four Years Ago: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites Main Dish or Appetizer! Five Years Ago: Licorice Caramels

Yield: 9X13-inch pan of dip

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, half-and-half or milk (see note)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)

8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened

2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Tapatio brand), optional (but adds great flavor)

1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 to 1 1/2 cups (4 to 6 ounces) freshly grated mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

16 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch or similar sized baking dish.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the cream (or milk), flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Microwave the mixture in 1-minute intervals, whisking fully after each minute, until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of warm pudding, about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the cream cheese and mix until well-combined (it's ok if there are a few lumps, but try to whisk it until as smooth as possible). Add the remaining ingredients; I like to add the spinach last, crumbling it in with my fingers to avoid large clumps. Mix well. Spread the dip into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. Serve warm with bread or tortilla chips.

Notes

This dip is completely luxurious if you use cream for the white sauce, however, using half-and-half or milk is still super delicious (although not quite as rich and creamy). Also, you can make this dip creamier and cheesier by increasing those quantities (cream + flour and/or cheeses). It's very adaptable!

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Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Recipe originally published January 2010; updated Dec 2018 with new pictures, recipe notes, etc. The video in this post was made in partnership with Inspo

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Mel

Source: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-spinach-artichoke-dip/