The New Chef's Journal

After yet another long break, I've decided to get back into posting on the blog. For this post I've decided to branch out and talk about my other recently picked up hobby, which is carpentry. I hadn't actually done any woodworking since the Camp Pocono Ridge wood shop in 1998, unless you count assembling Ikea furniture, which you shouldn't. I was excited about getting back into it, but also concerned that I was going to accidentally cut off a finger. Given that my goal was to keep all my fingers, this project turned out great. Even by normal standards it turned out pretty good. The worst thing that happened to my hands is that I got polyurethane on them. I got the idea to try woodworking again after watching a lot of home repair and remodeling shows. My fiance is obsessed with the HGTV network, particularly House Hunters, which I generally enjoy. She's also watched a lot of Say Yes to the Dress since we got engaged, which makes me want to throw a chair through

My 2012 New Year's Resolution was to post on my food blog more frequently. As with most resolutions it didn't stick past January and it's now been three months since I last posted on here. I have still been cooking and trying new recipes, but my will to actually post the results online has waned. This lazy Sunday afternoon has compelled me to do something productive and write this post up. I actually made this Thai shrimp curry recipe from Emeril Lagasse back in January, but I'm just posting it now. You shouldn't take that as an indication of my feelings towards the dish because it actually turned out very well. It had a nice bit of heat without being too spicy. It's a really simple dish, which anybody should be able to make at home. I'd recommend at if you want to take a shot at homemade curry. Ingredients 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1/2 cup chopped shallots 1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips 2 medium carrots, trimmed and shredded 2 teaspoons

For my birthday this year my girlfriend's parents got me a Cuisinart Griddler , which is a panini press/griddle/grill/waffle maker. Since then I've been experimenting with different types of paninis. I made version of the turkey avocado grilled cheese sandwich I'd previously posted, along with a sliced chicken and brie on focaccia sandwich. I was pleased with how both of those turned out. If you're looking for a panini press, I'd recommend the Griddler. It's worked very well and has a bunch of different functions. The griddle plates pop right out which makes it easy to clean after each use. Most recently I made a buffalo chicken panini sandwich. I found this recipe on paninihappy.com . The blue cheese and caramelized onions are a really nice cool contrast to the spicy buffalo sauce. I used Wing-Time medium buffalo sauce, which had a nice kick without being too hot for me. The recipe uses pita bread for the sandwiches. I decided to go with some focacci

This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman , also known as Ree Drummond. Personally, I'm a big fan of her recipes, though she has a fair number of critics. I understand why her personal manner bugs some people, and I recognize that she sometimes uses an almost Paula Deen-esque amount of butter, but she also has some really great recipes. This recipe isn't overloaded with butter and is actually a good, light spring pasta dish. I bought fresh grape tomatoes and spinach from Eastern Market in D.C., which gave the dish a nice bright flavor. Ingredients 1 pound Penne 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Salt And Pepper, to taste 2 Tablespoons Butter 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 4 cloves Garlic, Minced 3/4 cups Dry White Wine 3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed 1 bag Baby Spinach 2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise 4 ounces Shaved Parmesan Cheese Directions 1. Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside. 2. Cut

So back in my first post of the year I made a New Year's Resolution to post more often. That didn't last very long obviously, as it's been about three months since I posted on here. So I'm getting back to work with this post. I made this chocolate peanut butter pie for two parties over the Christmas season and it was a big hit. It's very rich and delicious. I used a pre-made crust, because I was feeling lazy. The filling comes from a recipe from thepioneerwoman.com . The chocolate ganache recipe comes from evilchefmom.com . Ingredients One pre-made pie crust Chopped peanuts and shaved dark chocolate for topping For the filling: 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 package (8 ounce) softened cream cheese 1-1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 package (8 ounce) Cool Whip, thawed For the topping: 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup whipping cream Directions 1. Beat the peanut butter with the cream ch

Last Sunday, after a weekend of heavy meals, my girlfriend and I decided we needed a lighter dinner. After looking around at a bunch of vegetarian recipes, I decided to mix together a few to make my own dish. The balsamic vinegar marinade gave the portobellos a great flavor, which mixed really well with the vegetables and tomato sauce. This turned out to be a really good healthy, vegetarian option. You could use almost any combination of veggies to stuff the mushrooms, but I was really happy with how my picks turned out. Ingredients 4 portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1 cup balsamic vinegar 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small yellow onion, diced 1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 6 ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained 1 red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used half a jar of Paul Newman tomato & basil sauce) Shredded mozzarella cheese