Category: cooking

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Celebrate all the valentines in your life!

Scallops, Shrimps with Alfredo Sauce!
Scallops, Shrimps with Alfredo Sauce!

Is this over the top? I really can’t tell!

Well, Laura loves pasta and cheese. She also adores scallops! So, what better way than to put some of her favorite food groups together for a wonderful Valentine’s meal! I am a bit tired now, so I’ll hold off posting the recipe… but let’s just say … it was wonderful! I made a special Alfredo sauce that was excellent.

This is a time not just for your special valentine … but for all the valentine’s in your life young and old. Hopefully my eldest will get something nice this weekend and my middle daughter received something today and I gave my youngest what she really wanted… chocolate!

UPDATE! Here’s a link to the recipe! enjoy!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Roger Freberg

ps. the wine wasn’t fancy, just a BV Chardonnay … but it was pefectly chilled!

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on valentine’s day, cook for her

use only the best egg noodles!
use only the best egg noodles!

Cooking something special for her on Valentine’s Day is not just the mark of a truly wise man, but also not as hard as it looks. Ask yourself, what are the three primary food groups that women love? (answer: butter, noodles and cheese) Here hangs a tale and a suggestion.

One day, trying to find something his pregnant wife might enjoy, a young man went into the kitchen and made her a tasty meal consisting of a sauce made with butter and parmigiano cheese poured over egg noodles. She loved it and — as they say — the rest is history !  90 years later, ‘Fettuccine Alfredo’ is loved around the world and so easy to make! To complete the meal, chill a bottle of champagne and fix a little chocolate dessert and celebrate Valentine’s day in style.

Here’s a link at the  original restaurant that popularized this very simple but delicious meal!

Now, for our Valentine’s Day, I’ll have a few additions — but no substitutions — first, I will saute a dozen large scallops in garlic butter and wine , then place on a bed of cooked and drained noodles , then I’ll cover it all with my Alfredo-like sauce. Since I am using seafood, I want a little zip in my sauce… so here’s a peak at what else goes into it ( I’ll provide the details tomorrow):

butter
heavy cream
Grated Parmesan, Romano and Asiago Cheeses
white pepper
sea salt
garlic
sauteed sweet onion
chives ( and for garnish)
savory
mustard
nutmeg

Enjoy Valentine’s Day!

Roger Freberg

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Shopping can be too much fun!

Pirate booty, me hardies!
Pirate booty, me hardies!

Okay, here’s what I bought today! Okay, I know it looks bad… but a lot of this goes into what I cook and not that much into me directly. It looks expensive but it wasn’t…. it was 50 -75 % off. I won’t go into the sad ugly details, but it was due to a store closing (a local Albertsons).

There are many laws regarding the transfer of liquor from one store to another… the least of which is the store needs to be closed and it won’t be for a while…. so it goes on sale. They are obviously thinking that someone will come in to buy some wine and walk out with something that doesn’t sell… like ice cream cones. Maybe if they shrink wrapped them together only then it might sell?  🙂

Whiskey is a favorite of mine for marinating and  sautéing meat, ah… the brandy is for medicinal uses and the Tequila is for a little dessert called a “Don Julio Legandario Margarita”... maybe, you’ve heard of it?

In this economy, not a bad idea to buy smart and stockpile a few things you like when they become available.

Roger Freberg

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Apple Wars

which is it, apple sauce or APPLE PIES?
which is it, apple sauce or APPLE PIES?

Laura and I enjoy each others company, which is the heart of maintaining any relationship… but it is not like we haven’t had ‘growth experiences.’ These are experiences which you are told will help you grow in maturity or intellect… but frankly, you really wanted to avoid.

January 10th, we attended a seminar along with a hoard of 350 other people at Cal Poly on the art and science of ‘tree pruning.’ I had thought this would be something that we both would enjoy and we did. However, the apple tree in question is beginning to blossom and some people ( who shall remain nameless) want to claim certain rights to certain fruit bearing branches. Hmmmmm … Apple Wars?

Well, the real issue is that I love to make and bake and enjoy apple pies ( store bought just doesn’t do it for me) and Laura loves her home made apple sauce which is also quite nice… and our recently planted 2nd tree won’t be ready for a few YEARS. You can see where the problem is… someone wants to make sauce outta my apples!!!!

I am sure we’ll work it out… but it is fun ‘discussing’ the situation.

Here’s Laura’s Apple Sauce Recipe

Here’s My apple Pie Recipe

Roger

ps. don’t forget your Valentine

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Comfort food in cold weather

Everyone loves Macaroni with Cheese
Everyone loves Macaroni with Cheese

It’s cold and wet and no one wants to go outside… and days like today ( and this week from what I hear) call for Macaroni with Cheese. Laura would like some Macaroni ( Penne Pasta) with Cheese ( not all shown in this picture) for Saturday. Saturday is the one day we cook a special meal… a ‘treat’ so to speak.

Popular dishes have many folks claiming ownership and Macaroni with Cheese traces it’s lineage to Thomas Jefferson who as legend tells it brought over a macaroni mold from the continent… and the rest is history! ( Click on the picture above for  the full history and our recipe). It’s funny that no one claims to be the father or mother of tuna casserole!

Nothing like making a simple dish better.

Roger Freberg

ps. we’ll have a nice sweet wine and a great dessert on Saturday … but the main dish will be wonderful