Chicken Pot Pie Fanatic

When I lived in Atlanta there was this great little restaurant, the OK Cafe. There was nothing "OK" about it...it was far beyond "OK!" I think our friends regretted ever introducing us to the place, because I truly could have eaten there multiple times a week.  They began to roll their eyes when OK Cafe was ALWAYS suggested as the place to eat. Anyhow, it was one of those places where "macaroni" was considered a vegetable (like it should be). They had collard greens, squash souffle, triple cheese macaroni, black-eyed peas, and they even had pot likker! I'm telling you, it was heaven on earth to anyone raised in the South. My favorite thing, however, was their chicken pot pie. Oh my! That chicken pot pie was to die for. It was served with a flaky pastry topping with "OK" stamped on it. Just thinking about it makes my taste buds water. After we moved to Jacksonville,  I was always on the lookout for a good chicken pot pie like OK Cafe's. When I would land at a restaurant that served it, I would try it so expectantly, only to be let down again and again. Why oh why must people ruin my favorite comfort food with some special herb???? I just want plain chicken pot pie! You know, the kind with a creamy sauce filled with chicken, peas, carrots, and potatoes. I don't want rosemary or some other flavor tainting it. Don't get me wrong, I love rosemary, just not in the chicken pot pie. Well, last week I went to lunch with a friend and there it was, perfectly creamy, unadulterated chicken pot pie! I was so excited. As I finished up lunch I realized that the lunch portion really didn't cut it. My friend and I left, devised a scheme and called our husbands later that afternoon with the ever so tempting, "Hey honey, you want to meet me at such and such for supper tonight?" Yep, you guessed it. We went again for supper, and I had the full portion of chicken pot pie. I didn't even feel ashamed that our lunch waiter was still there and laughing at us. Now you may think that chicken pot pie twice in one day would sufficiently cure my longing, but today the craving resurfaced out of nowhere. I began to wonder...how hard could chicken pot pie really be to make? After a quick little computer search I had what seemed to be a yummy looking pot pie recipe, and tonight, we sat down and ate homemade chicken pot pie for the first time, and I'm excited to say that it was actually good. Wish you could have been here to join us. One more meal for the meal menus!

Scrumptious Sweet and Sour

Sometimes I like to stroll through grocery stores looking at various items I've never before purchased and imagine what my limited cooking skills could make with such a product. Well, a couple weeks ago as I was leisurely meandering my way through the Asian isle, I noticed bottles of sweet and sour sauce. I started reflecting on all the restaurants that have delicious sweet and sour, and then the discouraging thought occurred to me that my sweet and sour will never taste like theirs. Disappointed, I wandered around a while longer, when a good 20 minutes later I found myself staring at those tempting little sweet and sour sauces again. Staring turned into picking up the bottles and reading the ingredients ( I've never really thought about what's in sweet and sour sauce before), and then I noticed right there on the back of the bottle was a handy sweet and sour recipe. I read the recipe and realized I was capable! I could actually make this recipe. It really wasn't difficult at all. The stroll quickly turned into a brisk paced mission as I hunted down everything else I would need to complete my Sweet and Sour Chicken. I am pleased to announce that tonight I made Sweet and Sour Chicken for the first time ever. I served it with fried rice and a small salad. It successfully met the hunger pangs and taste demands of my husband. One more meal to add the meal menus! It was scrumptious and really quite simple!

Culinary Components of a Great Meal

Do you have any idea what remarkable meal these ingredients make? I confess, you do need one more very important item--filet mignon. Tonight, I made Steak Diane. It is one of my husband's favorites. Shallots, dijon mustard, brandy, Worcestershire, fresh lemon juice, and chives along with a little butter make this meal truly delectable. It's actually very easy.

You will need:

2 filets mignons (salt and pepper both sides)

2 tbs butter

1-2 shallots

1/3 c brandy

1 tbs dijon mustard

2 tps Worcestershire

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbs chopped chives

1. Melt 1 tbs of butter in a non-stick skillet (save remaining butter for later)

2. Add filets and cook for approx. 5 minutes on each side

3. Transfer filets to a side dish

4. Add shallots to the pan and cook until softened

5. Stir in remaining ingredients (except chives and remaining butter) and cook for 1 minute

6. Stir in chives and remaining butter until butter is melted

7. Pour over filets and enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Salad

This evening my husband and I enjoyed Chinese chicken salads. Earlier today I marinated some chicken in a combination of soy, teriyaki and sesame ginger dressing. The chicken was cooked slowly and then served atop a hearty mixture of cabbage, lettuce, and scallions. A few almond slices, craisins, and chow mien noodles topped it all off. I love Chinese salads because they contain both chewiness from the craisins and crunchiness from cabbage and chow mien noodles. It was simple yet delightful.

Food is a definite passion of mine even if I'm not the best cook in the world. I am quite ashamed to say that, although I was born in a coastal Southern town that takes pride in its shrimp and grits, I don't really like shrimp or oysters or clams. I know, for a coastal girl, that is practically a sin. This past weekend I was at a friend's house where Seafood Gumbo was on the menu. I examined it fearfully, swallowed hard and then served myself a small amount that didn't contain any actual shrimp or oysters. As I started eating I realized that my dislike for most seafood really has nothing to do with the flavor. It's all about the texture! I loved that seafood gumbo! It was absolutely delicious. It was the thought of biting into a shrimp or oyster that was utterly disturbing to me--not the flavor. My husband on the other hand, who generally loves shrimp, has never been thrilled with gumbo. He can't get over the okra.