Stuffed Shells

One of my most favorite (and easiest) pasta dishes to make is Stuffed Shells.
This time I made a pan of the traditional, cheese-only shells, and then I made a pan with ground sweet Italian sausage mixed in. Both are DELICIOUS!
The recipe below is to make one large 13x9 pan of shells.

Traditional English Breakfast

Ok - So maybe it's not a traditional English breakfast, but for me it is. I'm in London this week, so while I'm not able to post anything about something I've cooked, I thought this was just as good. The first time I came out here for work, about 3 years ago, Justin and I discovered Pret a Manger. What exactly is Pret a Manger you ask? Hmmm... It's difficult to describe to Southern Californians, because the concept just hasn't taken off there yet. It's a bakery/deli/coffee shop with fresh baked pastries and sandwiches. It's like a fresh Starbucks, where they make everything on-site, with a deli case 10 times the size of the case in Starbucks. While I've had plenty of their sandwiches, that's not what this post is about. It's about their chocolate croissants.

I walked out of my hotel this morning in my winter coat, gloves and hat, without a map. I knew my general whereabouts and knew there was a Pret between me and the office. I just hoped it was still there... To my delight, just two blocks down Oxford Street, there it was in all it's bright burgandy starred glory. Oh how I missed you, Pret. I walked in and was instantly taken over by the smell of fresh baked breads and pastries.

my favorite item on the Thanksgiving menu.....

Ahhh……. time for the holidays! Before we jump to Christmas and Hanukkah, I have to post something about the Thanksgiving meal. I’ve never been a fan of turkey, so it’s all about the sides for me. I’ve been on a carb kick lately so here’s my stuffing recipe. I apologize in advance for those of you who are disgusted by mushrooms :)

For a more savory stuffing, add 3/4lb of ground breakfast sausage. Be sure to brown well and drain the fat!

Birthday Lunch - Champagne & Chili

First thing's first - I have the bestest friends ever.
I woke up early this morning and whipped up a large pot of chili. I stopped off at the store on the way in and picked up all of the essential fixins - shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, and of course... FRITOS!
We all gathered in the kitchen around noon and started to prepare the feast.
Amy surprised me with an awesome bottle of Moet & Chandon Champagne. Chili and Champagne... Can't think of two tastier things together!
The chili was polished off by a few hungry folks who wandered into the kitchen at the right time. These folks are so lucky!
We were hanging out in the kitchen when the girls (and Patrick) walked in singing Happy Birthday with a dozen Susie Cakes cupcakes. YUM!
I am officially over-fed and over-served. I'm ready for my mani pedi, a hopefully painless drive to Santa Barbara, and three more days of festivities and meals.
The chili recipe is SUPER easy and SUPER tasty. See below:

And the Winner Is....

The Killer White Chocolate Cream Cheese Tart

As Erika previously mentioned we had a pie contest at the office today.... and I won! This is a recipe my mom makes all the time. It's originally from Taste of Home, but I've modified the toppings slightly to make it even easier. You can really use any fruits you want. They suggest pineapple and kiwi and mandarin oranges, but I don't like to use canned fruit, so I use fresh berries.

more...

My My MY My Key Lime Pie

Today we had a pie contest at work and of course Terri and I entered! I came in second and had to share my recipe with you just in time for the most important pie day of the year! Its my Grandma Kennedy's recipe and tweaked a few things. Enjoy.

Amy's version of Cassoulet

6:40pm
Terri: What are you doing right now?
Amy: Driving home from the gym.
Terri: Oh… then I guess you wouldn’t want to get a drink.
Amy: Oh…… I’ll drink! We can meet somewhere or you can come over. I have wine, vodka, gin…… well, a ½ bottle of Cotes du Rhone and a ½ bottle of Rioja.
Terri: Should I stop by Ralph’s and get a bottle and have you thought about food?

Have I thought about food? I don’t think I ever stop thinking about food. I did a quick inventory in my head of what I had in my fridge. I decided to make some sort of white bean stew; a quicker version of cassoulet, minus the big cuts of meat. I figured something hearty and comforting would pair well with the rest of my E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone.* I’ve also been on an Iceberg Wedge kick so I asked Terri to pick up a head of lettuce.
Believe it or not, there is a method to my madness, so follow the cooking instructions in order.

Retraction

I would like retract a statement from an earlier post titled "Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich". The post mentioned that Amy, Terri and Erika were the members of the lunch group leaving out a key member: Thad Foucher. We at ATE and myself, Erika Kennedy, would like to sincerely apologize to Thad Foucher and would like to offer him an ATE coupon for one key lime pie as a peace offering. The writers at ATE take all posts seriously and our intentions are not to offend any of its readers and followers. We appreciate all of our readers and followers and thank them for their dedication regardless of my careless mistake.

Sincerely,
Erika Kennedy
(The one who left Thad out and is really really sorry and will make him a delicious key lime for his forgiveness)

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich

Thad, Amy, Terri and I have been alternating each day making lunches for each other. Its been fantastic and a great way to stay healthy/save money. My day was quickly approaching and my mind drew many blanks as I tried to gather what would be DELICIOUS and easy.... I was stressing about lunch. My palms were sweaty and I was overwhelmed (you'd think that my culinary degree would help me out here) and quickly realized that I would be horrible on Top Chef. Then I sat at home and DING! PULLED PORK SANDWICHES! I borrowed Amy's crock pot and picked up the best pork butt on the market and was ready to make some good ole' fashioned bbq. It takes about 12 hours to make so I recommend doing it during the day while you work for a tasty dinner when you get home.

Lemon-Cream Sandwich Cookies

I think it's only fitting that the first post on this blog be about the darn lemon cookies that everyone loved. I found this recipe in the January 2009 Bon Appetit magazine. I was flipping through it at Amy's house one day and the recipe caught my eye - I HAD to try these. I snuck the magazine out under my arm when she wasn't looking (I think I may still have it; sorry Amy). After 3 trips to the store and some creative improvisation with a champagne flute instead of a cookie cutter, I had WAY more than the 24 cookies the recipe says it makes. I brought them into the office the next day, and haven't heard the end of it since.
I haven't had the original ones from Citizen Cake yet, but if they are anything like these, they're worth the trip up to San Francisco.
Enjoy!
~T