It's the day after Christmas, and to tell you the truth, I'm all hammed out! As much as I love this delicious pork product, I think I'm done with ham for a while....ham on Wed., Thurs., Fri., and Saturday....made ham sandwiches, ham & eggs, need to make ham & potato soup, not gonna make ham salad (nope, can't make me.)...so in the freezer it goes...at least for a couple of days.
Winterguard & Drumline camps are this week, so lunches & dinners for @ 50 this week are on the docket. Still need to decide on menus...so far, they're having spaghetti, corn, salad, and garlic bread on Monday. That's as far as I've gotten. It's pretty bad when I start dreaming of menus, which is what will probably happen for the rest of the week. Something with apples...hmmm......
It's also the start of 2011 at the end of the week....hard to believe. Wasn't it just yesterday when everyone was freaking out at the verge of 2000, wondering whether everything controlled by a computer was going to come to a screeching halt, and the world as we knew it would end?? Naw, I guess that worry got moved ahead to 2012, so I guess we have a year with no worries...except what to make for dinner.
Chili for 30- 50
5-8 lbs. ground beef
2- #10 cans kidney beans
1 gal. chunky salsa
1- #10 can diced tomatoes
3 diced onions
3 T. chopped garlic
3 T. cumin
2 T. italian seasoning
2 small cans tomato paste
salt, pepper, additional hot pepper flakes to taste as needed
You may also add additional peppers if you wish, but they're already in the salsa.
Brown ground beef & drain. Add diced onions & garlic & cook until onions become transparent. Add all the rest of the canned ingredients, undrained, and the salsa. Cook until temp. reaches @170, then reduce to simmer until ready to serve.
Have a wonderful New Year's celebration, and don't forget to tell those around you that you love them.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
What were they thinking??!!
I have a question for the great void out there...when developing a new dish, when does the previously- thought-of-as ridiculous idea become okay to try? I've often wondered this, and it came to the forefront again last night while watching Top Chef All-Stars. Most of their recipes were good.....but then one of the chefs decided- on a whim- to put white chocolate on his dish...AND IT WORKED!! For the normal culinary joe, this would be out of the realms of consideration...so when do we cross that line of bravery (or stupidity) and try the ridiculous/ Who would eat it? Just wondering...as I've done this myself (guess that ingredient- that game is most often used when making chili), with results ranging from excellent to "they let you in the kitchen? REALLY?
Anyway, I had another "fun" addition to yesterday's blog when I remembered a day this summer when we were going to make pankakes, but alas, my ginormous griddle wouldn't light. So Dana, one of my volunteers, being as resourceful as myself, took a full sheet pan, set it on top of 2 of the burners on our stove, sprayed it with cooking spray, and voila! 45 min. later, we had pancakes! They weren't the prettiest to look at, but they fiiled the breakfast void...to which one of the corps members observed, "wow, those are some jacked- up pancakes." Thanks Elise! :)
Anyway, I had another "fun" addition to yesterday's blog when I remembered a day this summer when we were going to make pankakes, but alas, my ginormous griddle wouldn't light. So Dana, one of my volunteers, being as resourceful as myself, took a full sheet pan, set it on top of 2 of the burners on our stove, sprayed it with cooking spray, and voila! 45 min. later, we had pancakes! They weren't the prettiest to look at, but they fiiled the breakfast void...to which one of the corps members observed, "wow, those are some jacked- up pancakes." Thanks Elise! :)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Necessary things...
Recovering from our camp weekend...and what a weekend it was! The weather was HORRIBLE at the end, and we actually ended camp early so everyone could get home safely...many thanks to all the volunteers who made it happen...YOU GUYS ROCK!!
So, I have an obsession with "reality" cooking shows...and I use the term "reality" loosely...because I believe that the people on these shows have NO CLUE how to adapt to changes that may occur in the kitchen atmosphere! I've watched them whine about having to cook meals out of a microwave, or cooking ahead, just to have to reheat it, or only having ONE burner to cook for 30 (God forbid!!) Ah, the good ole days when I had to work with no hot water, broken equipment, having the pots stolen out of my kitchen to be used for drums, blowing all kinds of circuits, aaaand, the most recent...NO COOK TRUCK!....yet breakfast/lunch/dinner has to be served in an hour...WHAT DO YOU DO??
This is where I jump in and scream at the t.v., "You WUSSES!!! I could do that! Use a crock pot! Use a griddle, and GET OVER IT!!" The only exception to this would be "Chopped", where the ridiculous items they have to cook with, and the even more ridiculous amount of time would make anyone freak out...yet I still have to "give" them my opinions on what I'd make. But really, there are items that I would recommend that everyone have in their possession for just such a cooking emergency...they are: 1) a griddle or 2, 2) a crock pot, 3) one or 2 butane burners.
The griddle can be used for sandwiches, for heating pots of things (yes, I've done that) ...anything that you'd use a frying pan for. The crock pot can be used to boil macaroni, make soup (of course), anything you may want to make into a 1- pot meal, and the butane burner is an absolute necessity if you don't have gas OR electricity to cook with...it can be used inside (I've used them at many restaurants, and I rely on them to bail me out when the unimaginable hits), and is fueled by nothing more than a lil' ole can o' butane, available at any camping/ hardware store.
Merry Christmas to all, and hope your holiday parties are filled with excellent food!
So, I have an obsession with "reality" cooking shows...and I use the term "reality" loosely...because I believe that the people on these shows have NO CLUE how to adapt to changes that may occur in the kitchen atmosphere! I've watched them whine about having to cook meals out of a microwave, or cooking ahead, just to have to reheat it, or only having ONE burner to cook for 30 (God forbid!!) Ah, the good ole days when I had to work with no hot water, broken equipment, having the pots stolen out of my kitchen to be used for drums, blowing all kinds of circuits, aaaand, the most recent...NO COOK TRUCK!....yet breakfast/lunch/dinner has to be served in an hour...WHAT DO YOU DO??
This is where I jump in and scream at the t.v., "You WUSSES!!! I could do that! Use a crock pot! Use a griddle, and GET OVER IT!!" The only exception to this would be "Chopped", where the ridiculous items they have to cook with, and the even more ridiculous amount of time would make anyone freak out...yet I still have to "give" them my opinions on what I'd make. But really, there are items that I would recommend that everyone have in their possession for just such a cooking emergency...they are: 1) a griddle or 2, 2) a crock pot, 3) one or 2 butane burners.
The griddle can be used for sandwiches, for heating pots of things (yes, I've done that) ...anything that you'd use a frying pan for. The crock pot can be used to boil macaroni, make soup (of course), anything you may want to make into a 1- pot meal, and the butane burner is an absolute necessity if you don't have gas OR electricity to cook with...it can be used inside (I've used them at many restaurants, and I rely on them to bail me out when the unimaginable hits), and is fueled by nothing more than a lil' ole can o' butane, available at any camping/ hardware store.
Merry Christmas to all, and hope your holiday parties are filled with excellent food!
Monday, December 6, 2010
2011...Bring It!
It's that season again...when the young get excited again, the snow is falling, making travel treacherous, where bodies start regretting that "down time" after the summer...yes, folks...the start of the 2011 drum corps season! And as such, my time to plan menus for winter camps. I asked for suggestions for the menu for this weekend, and it makes me smile to think that the food I've made for members in the past (past age-out years) still want those things that make tummies happy...mac-&-cheese, for instance. I will be mapping the dietary needs of the corps- as I've done in years past- but this time, I'll be sharing! We start off the season with all those warm, childhood favorites that hook 'em & keep 'em coming back....chili, scrambled eggs & bacon...but the most asked for dish, which has become a kick-off tradition, is in the forefront...PEACH DUMP CAKE!!
Peach Dump Cake for @ 100
3-4- #10 cans of sliced peaches in syrup
3- lg.(GFS size) boxes of yellow cake mix
1 bag brown sugar
1/2 lb. of butter or margarine, cut into small cubes
cinnamon to sprinkle on top
Preheat ovens to 350...you'll need 2 ovens, unless you have lots of time to kill.
Pour peaches AND JUICE (do not drain, split cans evenly) into 3- 4' deep hotel pans (the equivalent of a 12x 16 cake pan).
Lightly mix in cake mixes, 1 box per pan- pans will be VERY full, no need to thoroughly mis, some dry on top is ok.
Sprinkle with brown sugar & cinnamon- covering each with sweet, cinnamon-y goodness, and dot with butter.
Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour- 1:15 or so...until tops are very brown- you may have to rotate halfway through.
That's it!! Serve with either ice cream, or whipped cream...MMMMMM!!! Massive amounts of yumminess!
Off to plan...
Peach Dump Cake for @ 100
3-4- #10 cans of sliced peaches in syrup
3- lg.(GFS size) boxes of yellow cake mix
1 bag brown sugar
1/2 lb. of butter or margarine, cut into small cubes
cinnamon to sprinkle on top
Preheat ovens to 350...you'll need 2 ovens, unless you have lots of time to kill.
Pour peaches AND JUICE (do not drain, split cans evenly) into 3- 4' deep hotel pans (the equivalent of a 12x 16 cake pan).
Lightly mix in cake mixes, 1 box per pan- pans will be VERY full, no need to thoroughly mis, some dry on top is ok.
Sprinkle with brown sugar & cinnamon- covering each with sweet, cinnamon-y goodness, and dot with butter.
Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour- 1:15 or so...until tops are very brown- you may have to rotate halfway through.
That's it!! Serve with either ice cream, or whipped cream...MMMMMM!!! Massive amounts of yumminess!
Off to plan...
Friday, December 3, 2010
Ah...let the parties begin...
Today, Val & I have created a mouthwatering spread for a local company's Christmas business meeting....puff pastry rolls with prosciutto, basil, tomato, & parmigiana, bruschetta with roasted tomato & garlic yumminess, an antipasti platter, and for dessert...flourless chocolate cake bites with dark chocolate ganache drizzle, and vanilla cheesecake bites...MMMMMMM!! Now, where was I...? ( Oh, yeah, I was drooling...)
Now go from that to what I will be making for the drumline this weekend...the winter classic...tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches, nothing fancy, just perfectly grilled, toast, melty cheese...(I'm drooling again...note to self- go make food when done.)... So, all that being said...I don't hardly know how to cook for less than 30 anymore!
But, for the perfect grilled cheese, make sure your griddle is at 350 degrees, use butter on the outsides of your bread...you would not believe how much of a difference that makes, then grill for @ 4-5 min. each side (or until golden brown)...then enjoy the most perfect, golden, creamy yumminess that brings you right back to your childhood.
Doing them for a family (or more)? A loaf of bread (standard white) usually yields 11 sandwiches, unless you use the butt bread & make it inside out (they'll never know...really.), then you'll get 12.
Now go from that to what I will be making for the drumline this weekend...the winter classic...tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches, nothing fancy, just perfectly grilled, toast, melty cheese...(I'm drooling again...note to self- go make food when done.)... So, all that being said...I don't hardly know how to cook for less than 30 anymore!
But, for the perfect grilled cheese, make sure your griddle is at 350 degrees, use butter on the outsides of your bread...you would not believe how much of a difference that makes, then grill for @ 4-5 min. each side (or until golden brown)...then enjoy the most perfect, golden, creamy yumminess that brings you right back to your childhood.
Doing them for a family (or more)? A loaf of bread (standard white) usually yields 11 sandwiches, unless you use the butt bread & make it inside out (they'll never know...really.), then you'll get 12.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Stressed? Don't let it show...(yeah, right!)
So the leftovers are gone...hopefully everyone made something yummy with theirs; we just reheated & ATE!!
Time to think about the Christmas season menu. Which, in my case, also includes a cocktail party, several Legends activities/camps, and lots of desserts! How does one separate all the activities and not get overwhelmed? I try to take each thing as it comes, according to deadlines. If you bite off little chunks instead of eating the total daily requirements through June (which, incidentally, I have to do at this moment), you'll be fine. A party at the end of the week? Shop for bargains right after the newspaper ads come out, then set up a daily what-to-do list. Don't prep your food any more than 3 days in advance for a small party (unless you plan on freezing the food), and figure on a time frame of at least 2 hrs. to set up for your get together. This way, you'll have some wiggle room to go to a store if anything should go wrong. Make sure you consider the time of day, too, as that will help determine how much your guests will eat. They'll eat much more at 6 p.m. if they haven't had dinner first, than they will at 7:30...so keep that in mind.
Hint for the day: A standard oven will only fit a half- sheet or 2 (unless you're one of the lucky ones with a ginormous oven), so when you have to bake something, double the time you use to bake to account for more than 1 batch of whatever you're making.
Happy holidays, and take a deep breath...
Time to think about the Christmas season menu. Which, in my case, also includes a cocktail party, several Legends activities/camps, and lots of desserts! How does one separate all the activities and not get overwhelmed? I try to take each thing as it comes, according to deadlines. If you bite off little chunks instead of eating the total daily requirements through June (which, incidentally, I have to do at this moment), you'll be fine. A party at the end of the week? Shop for bargains right after the newspaper ads come out, then set up a daily what-to-do list. Don't prep your food any more than 3 days in advance for a small party (unless you plan on freezing the food), and figure on a time frame of at least 2 hrs. to set up for your get together. This way, you'll have some wiggle room to go to a store if anything should go wrong. Make sure you consider the time of day, too, as that will help determine how much your guests will eat. They'll eat much more at 6 p.m. if they haven't had dinner first, than they will at 7:30...so keep that in mind.
Hint for the day: A standard oven will only fit a half- sheet or 2 (unless you're one of the lucky ones with a ginormous oven), so when you have to bake something, double the time you use to bake to account for more than 1 batch of whatever you're making.
Happy holidays, and take a deep breath...
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Post Wedding/Lunch/Banquet...pre- Thanksgiving madness!
Well, the big weekend is done, and time to unwind by baking roll, pie, turkey, dressing...mmmmm...what was I saying??! Oh yes, the weekend was a success overall, with a few glitches.....some things to put in my mental notes: 1: ALWAYS check your food order/purchase BEFORE you leave the store!!! It will prevent a plethora of problems and headaches down the line...just trust me on this one. You will not be considered fussy, or anal...just thorough. 2: Remember your manners! Someone's special event is not the place to "pig out", or make sure that you get your "fair" share of the food...it is NOT a "Man VS. Food" event, and you do NOT need to put 3 chicken breasts and 15 meatballs on your plate...make a decision to take and eat a reasonable amount of food. Remember the others at that event. Enough said about that one. 3: Treat yourself kindly. The others working with you and enjoying the food you prepared realize that it took a lot of effort to do what you did, so it doesn't do any good to do the "woulda, shoulda, couldas"...you are not perfect, and everyone messes up from time to time....just relax and enjoy the fact that you did give everyone some food, and most likely, they enjoyed it!
My planning tip for the day...when cooking for large groups, a # 10 can (in the large food aisle, or bulk food store) feeds 20- 25 people, and that amount will fit in a large 2" deep foil pan.
Have a wornderful Thanksgiving, and don't forget to tell those close to you that you love them. Until next time...
My planning tip for the day...when cooking for large groups, a # 10 can (in the large food aisle, or bulk food store) feeds 20- 25 people, and that amount will fit in a large 2" deep foil pan.
Have a wornderful Thanksgiving, and don't forget to tell those close to you that you love them. Until next time...
Friday, November 19, 2010
The start of something crazy!
I've been thinking about doing this for a long time, and finally decided this is it...if I don't do it now, I never will, soooooo...here goes...
Hopefully, this blog will answer questions that lots of people cooking & planning parties for more than 2 have. I've often been called crazy for cooking for more than 5 and not batting an eyelash about it...well, that's what I do! I cook for the masses at the drop of a hat ( and hopefully this will beef up my typing skills as well!). My mindset is to help those would- be party/ meal planners plan, shop, cook, and serve huge meals for friends & family.
This weekend will be a "challenge", to say the least, and people just say "wow"....I'm cooking for a wedding (@250 ppl), a winterguard lunch (@12 ppl.), and the Legends DBC (drum & bugle corps) banquet (@ 120 ppl.). I should be nervous, and I am...but just a bit. I feel oddly calm at the moment- the bulk of the food has been ordered, odds & ends purchased, and I have to go out today to get everything to make this weekend happen. I'll be posting details & pictures about the weekend after all is said and done, but it all started many weeks ago with careful planning, and some inherent insanity.
So, I'll go through this weekend's escapades after I have time to decompress.....welcome to my world.
Hopefully, this blog will answer questions that lots of people cooking & planning parties for more than 2 have. I've often been called crazy for cooking for more than 5 and not batting an eyelash about it...well, that's what I do! I cook for the masses at the drop of a hat ( and hopefully this will beef up my typing skills as well!). My mindset is to help those would- be party/ meal planners plan, shop, cook, and serve huge meals for friends & family.
This weekend will be a "challenge", to say the least, and people just say "wow"....I'm cooking for a wedding (@250 ppl), a winterguard lunch (@12 ppl.), and the Legends DBC (drum & bugle corps) banquet (@ 120 ppl.). I should be nervous, and I am...but just a bit. I feel oddly calm at the moment- the bulk of the food has been ordered, odds & ends purchased, and I have to go out today to get everything to make this weekend happen. I'll be posting details & pictures about the weekend after all is said and done, but it all started many weeks ago with careful planning, and some inherent insanity.
So, I'll go through this weekend's escapades after I have time to decompress.....welcome to my world.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)