Maybe I am not done...

Funny thing about technology. It can be a blessing and a curse. In this case my choice to buy an actual "smartphone" may be what keeps this little blog going. That and support of great friends. Stay tuned!

Decisions, Decisions

It has been 17 whole days since I have sat down and spent time writing and crafting this 'thing" I started almost 3 years ago but really got rolling in the past year and a half. I have had this wonderful opportunity to recently write for MyPodCooks.com the last few months and have enjoyed having a reason to create even more new recipes. I auditioned for a new cooking reality show and I am currently putting together my application for Chopped. Work school, home, unexpected surgery on the horizon...so much going on. My love of food has not change. My love of cooking has not change. Now it is simply about time and desire and well, lots of things!....stay tuned. I have some decisions to make!

Wordless Wednesday: Veal Chop with Mushrooms

My mouth has watered many a time at the thought of this dish so the last time hubby and I took beloved step-daughter to Il Gardino,  I made it mine. Delicioso!

Cook Crook Creation: Heirloom Tomato and Blue Cheese Salad

Nothing gets my attention more during the summer than tomatoes! I am especially a sucker for heirloom tomatoes, the various colors and tart flavor are a treat! I really wanted to showcase the tomatoes as well as make something with a lot of flavor so I pulled out one of my other favorite ingredients: blue cheese.

Blue cheese, especially the quality kind purchased from a specialty store or a grocery with a good cheese case, is strong so a little goes a long way. It also has a natural saltiness so extra salt is often not needed. For this creation, I decided to go very basic: simply red wine vinegar, red onion, olive oil, the blue cheese and tomatoes and some fresh ground black pepper.

The result was a very pretty and fresh tasting salad that went perfect with that evenings grilled ribeye steaks. It reminded me of the days when my mom would bring in ripe tomatoes from out garden, slice them and then crumble blue cheese on top of them. I think the heirlooms are beautiful and their acidity combined with the blue cheese creates a nice bite of flavor.