i don’t dream about anyone…except myself

i lost the bodega challenge. there was a live judging (which was entertaining, unless you were one of the contestants), and i got lukewarm comments:

1. i would have liked it to be more spicy…
2. this could be good….if the ingredients hadn’t come from a bodega….
3. i like it….it would go well with turkey….

needless to say, i was rather disappointed, but I WAS SICK! okay, i’m not going to make any more excuses. i did, however, meet a boy at the challenge, and we are now in a hanging out situation, which really is the only way things turn out in williamsburg. whatever, i have a CHILI COOK-OFF to prepare for and a title to defend! i made my test-batch last night, and it was good, but i really can’t say how it will do. i brought it into work and obligated a few of my co-workers to critique it, and while a couple people liked it, only one person LOVED it. oh, i just can’t predict how it will all turn out. i can guarantee you that i will be throwing A FIT if i don’t place in the top 3 though.

spoonbread fever

i’m not too excited about the bodega challenge tomorrow, mainly because i’m still pretty sick with a cold. i did manage to come up with a decent entry though, i think. not sure if it’s a winner, but it’s all i can do right now. i like it!

Spoonbread Fever

• 2 cups fiesta corn
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup cabot extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup boar’s head pepper jack cheese
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat casserole dish with 1 tbsp butter.
2. Combine, milk, butter, corn, cornmeal, and salt. Bring to a boil, and simmer until mixture is thickened.
3. Stir in cheese, followed by egg yolks.
4. Beat egg whites and add into cornmeal mixture. Pour into dish.
5. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.

so screwed this week

what a terrible week to be sick. i’ve got a million cooking projects, along with the usual job search/website/league stuff, plus birthdays to celebrate. i stayed home from work today (do i ever go to work anymore?), and i’m probably skipping pool league tonight (which means my team might actually win!). i did manage to get myself out to the bodega, though, to get ingredients for the bodega challenge on wednesday (i’m making a cheesy fiesta corn spoonbread, which should be interesting). i’m also about to make some creme fraiche for the pumpkin chocolate tart i’m making this weekend for matt’s massive dinner party/DIY restaurant. all this while i’m nursing a cocktail i just created– the sicko’s arnold palmer: 1/2 kombucha green tea + 1/2 thera-flu severe cold (daytime)…. DELICIOUS!

la eggplant de mon reve

so tonight was the casserole cook-off at the brooklyn label, hosted by the lovely emily farris of casserole crazy fame. the competition was intense– 30 entries, including meaty, vegetarian, and non-savory casseroles. i entered a vegetarian polenta and eggplant bake, which i was rather proud of because it was something i had created specifically for the event. i wanted to do something with eggplant, because it’s one of my favorite vegetables, but i didn’t want to do anything that was too much like a lasagna. i’d always wanted to learn how to make polenta, so i thought this was my chance to figure it out. i also wanted to achieve that cheesy, bubbly, and perfectly browned top, because in my opinion, that’s what makes any casserole so delicious. in the end, my idea worked, because i won the category for best vegetarian casserole. i didn’t win best in show, but when i thanked the judges at the end of the night, they commended my originality, which really meant the most to me.

la eggplant de mon reve

for the polenta:

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
• 2 tbsp butter

for the filling:

• 2 lg eggplants
• marinara sauce (i used this really good jarred variety my friend david gets imported from ohio)
• canola oil for frying
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup romano cheese
• fontina cheese, lots of it, for the top

again, i’m too lazy to write directions, but you basically make the polenta and use that as the bottom layer of the casserole. then on top of the polenta, layer sauce, ricotta mixture, and eggplant (lightly fried). repeat, and top with fontina cheese. cover with foil and bake @ 425 for 10 min, then reduce to 375 for 30 additional minutes. remove foil and broil for 10 minutes.

beauty queen

just got back from enid’s 5th annual apple pie contest, which i FINALLY got to enter this year. there were about 20 entries, which is a lot more than i expected, and it was quite an excellent showing (i forgot how crafty greenpoint/williamsburg kids can be). i didn’t sweep all the categories as i had hoped, but i did win the category for prettiest pie, and i placed third overall. that means my pie has style AND substance (but slightly more style). it’s funny, because i had no intention of making the leaf-lined crust until the night before, and it was only the last minute that i decided to cut veins into each individual leaf. i got to take home a trophy, a medal (engraved), and a primo pie pan that i was actually eyeing up last week at the brooklyn kitchen! good times. but even being the most decorated contestant there (i think), at the end of the night it was still pretty much just me sitting in the corner sipping a glass of champagne (metaphorically) watching everything happening before me and trying to figure out how i fit into any of it.

exile in pieville

4 years ago, i was on a date and, having just moved to williamsburg a month prior, i asked him to take me somewhere fun in the neighborhood. we ended up sitting around at mccarren park and then we went to enid’s where there happened to be an apple pie bake-off going on. we tried all the pies and chatted and had a nice time, because come on– how can you have a bad time at an apple pie bake-off? i never saw him again, but every year since then, i’ve told myself that i NEED to enter this contest. last year, i called and asked for details, only to be told it had happened THE DAY BEFORE. but this year, i FINALLY got my act together and am ready to compete. i’m going for a clean sweep in all categories. it’s long overdue.

EXILE IN PIEVILLE

• 1 1/2 recipe pie crust (butter, water, salt)
• 5 lg apples (cortland, jonagold, jonathan, macoun)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice + lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

unless you’ve never baked a pie, you know what to do with these ingredients (too lazy to write directions).