Steak Salad, Weiner's Circle, and Book Club

I may have mentioned before that I don't like salad. Don't look so shocked! I stand by my claim that cold, raw veggies piled on top of cold, raw veggies is no culinary triumph. And in the middle of winter? Fuggedaboutit.

However, top a salad with enough red meat and cheese, and I'll probably eat it. I'm also officially pioneering semi-cooked salad, where I add just an element or two of warm, cooked veggies to balance out the cold, crunchy ones.


Behold: Steak Salad with Baked Fries.

INGREDIENTS

1 (1-lb.) sirloin steak, visible fat removed
steak rub
nonstick spray
olive oil
2 baking potatoes, sliced into steak fries
salt/pepper/cayenne pepper/all-purpose seasoning
1/2 large white onion
3/4 c. chopped mushrooms
1 bag lettuce mix
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/2 small English cucumber, halved and sliced
bleu cheese dressing
bleu cheese crumbles***

***A PREEMPTIVE NOTE: I had no idea how bleu-cheesy my dressing was, and in retrospect, I'd leave out the crumbles. Just use your judgment based on how the dressing tastes.

STEP ONE:

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Toss the potato wedges in about a T. of olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and seasoning. Bake for about 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.


STEP TWO:

Heat about 1 T. of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms and onions with a little salt and pepper until beginning to caramelize. Set aside and keep warm.


STEP THREE:

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cranberries. Set aside.


STEP FOUR:

Tenderize the steak by beating it with a meat mallet (isn't cooking fun?). Rub the steak generously with the steak rub, and also with a little olive oil. Heat up a grill pan or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until it's reached the desired level of doneness. Slice thinly.


STEP FIVE:

Place some salad on each plate along with some potato wedges. Top with the onions, mushrooms, and steak. Drizzle with dressing and add some bleu cheese crumbles.

WEINER'S CIRCLE


You blog fans who live here in Chicago can attest that the Weiner's Circle is a landmark that has really earned its reputation. For those of you who are uninitiated, WC is a burger joint in Lincoln Park (just blocks from my apartment) that's famous for its cheddarburgers and infamous for its...ahem...colorful after-hours antics. The women who work there take no crap from enebriated yuppies looking to soak up the vodka crans.

On the particular night pictured below, I was privy to two college-age guys treating the workers to a "sexy butt contest" (there was really no clear winner). And if you want a special treat that's not on the menu, just ask for a chocolate milkshake. You're guaranteed to like what you get.


BOOK CLUB

Jess and I started a book club recently, and I was the first designated host. The host's only real duties are to provide food, drink, and shelter to the club.

I was inspired by Ina Garten's advice about making party platters: always stick to large sections of the same thing.

For the inaugural book club, I did cold platters of olives, artichokes, grapes, strawberries, hummus & pita, and prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella. The only thing I technically cooked was roasted pears. Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

8 assorted pears, halved and seeds removed
3 T. butter
3 T. honey

Preheat the oven to 375. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the honey (I used the last of my aunt's pear honey). Drizzle over the pears and bake for about 40-45 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown.

We read and discussed the wonderful book What is the What? by Dave Eggers. I highly recommend it!


Thanks for reading! I'll be back to the Fearless posts soon.

It's beginning to look a lot like party dip

Snow outside my apartment window can only mean one thing...holiday party season has arrived!

Champagne cocktails galore, roasted nuts in every bowl, and spinach dip as far as the eye can see...and don't even get me started on the plethora of holiday cookies. Ahhh...it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Unless, of course, you're saddled with more potluck Evites than you can count and have the cooking skills of an eight year old.

Well, lucky for you, you read this blog! I have a few go-to things I tote to parties (thus, the season of schlepping through the snow begins...sigh) that are always crowd-pleasers.

I even tested a new recipe for a party this weekend, and it got rave reviews (and was completely demolished by the end of the night - always a good sign).

My old standby is a recipe my BBF Alisha gave me back in college. Hence, I have always called it Alisha's Taco Dip. Not only is it the crack cocaine of dip (seriously, people will just stand around the hors d'ouevres table and nosh ravenously), it's super fast and easy and requires ingredients you could probably grab at a 7-11 in a pinch.



ALISHA'S TACO DIP

1 package cream cheese
1 16-oz. container sour cream
1 package taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
shredded Mexican blend cheese

These are the basic ingredients - you can add any number of things to it - pimientos, jalapenos, black olives, tomatoes - whatever you want.

Just mix all the ingredients together except the cheese, spread in a casserole dish, cover with a layer of the cheese, and bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

The recipe that was such a hit recently is a Cheese Dip Pine Cone - very seasonal. I found a recipe in a magazine that inspired it, and just modified it to fit my tastes. The basic idea is that you shape cheese dip into an oval, and stick toasted sliced almonds in it to resemble a pine cone (a few girls at the party asked if it was supposed to be a Christmas porcupine...hmmmm).



CHEESE PINE CONE

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 8-oz. container sour cream (I used light)
1 small jar pimientos
8 oz. havarti dill, grated
4 oz. chihuahua or other salty cheese, grated
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
squeeze of lemon juice
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of black pepper
sliced almonds, toasted
rosemary sprigs for the "greenery" garnish

I added the pimientos and parsley for a red and green effect (very Christmas-y), and they really added a lot to the flavor.

Mix all the ingredients except the almonds and the rosemary together in a large mixing bowl. Spread the mixture into an oval shape (I used a spatula to this and it worked well) on a tray. Cover and refrigerate from a minimum of 2 hours to overnight.

Toast the almonds in a single layer in the oven or in a pan. Cool. Starting at the top of the oval, stick them in one by one in a pine-cone-ish formation. Add the rosemary sprigs at the bottom.

Serve with crackers (I used whole wheat crackers and rosemary/olive oil Triscuits, and they were both great with it). It would also be great with crudites or french bread.



My last go-to party recipe is my Grandma's banana pudding. It's one of those throwback desserts that nobody thinks about, but one bite in, people are just standing around, practically shanking each other with plastic sporks to get at another plateful. And, like the Taco Dip, it's one of the easiest things you'll ever make.



BEULAH'S BANANA PUDDING

1 tub Cool Whip, thawed (do NOT use actual whipped cream in this, e.g., Reddi Wip - it won't work)
1 package instant vanilla pudding (you'll need milk, preferably whole, to make it)
1 box Nilla Wafers
5-6 bananas, perfectly ripe

Make the pudding and let it chill for about 15 minutes in the fridge until it's set.
In a large bowl, whisk in about 1/2 of the tub of Cool Whip until it's smooth.

In a 9 X 9" casserole dish or bowl, place Nilla Wafers side by side in the bottom to create a sort of crust.

Cut the bananas into round slices (about 3/4" inch thick). Place a layer of banana slices on top of the layer of Wafers.

Pour 1/2 of the pudding/Cool Whip mixture over the top, smoothing with a spatula.

Put another layer of Nilla Wafers and bananas on top. Pour the rest of the pudding on top. Using a spatula, spread the remaining Cool Whip over top of the pudding layer. Place a layer of Nilla Wafers (in a pattern, if you want) on top. Refrigerate for an hour before serving, or refigerate overnight to serve the next day.

So, friends, put on Mariah Carey's timeless Christmas album, spend some time in the kitchen with good food, good pals, and bad champagne, and enjoy the holiday season!

Thanks for reading! Happy Merry Christmahannukwanzakah!

Sex & the City: The Food

Pun-prone chick writer with big hopes, big dreams, and even bigger hair in the big city....

I know what you're thinking, and NO, I'm not talking about myself in the third person. I'm talking about my HBO hero (of sorts), THE Carrie Bradshaw!


I used to watch Sex & the City back when it was on HBO - before TBS censored all the good parts. I owe most of my theories on love and romance to that show (yikes?). It goes without saying that I have been anticipating the movie since the show ended back in my college days...and it's finally HERE!

Always on top of event planning, I had bought my tickets weeks ago and assembled a posse of chic ladies who were just as psyched as I was to see Carrie ruminate on the big screen (and I had heard rumors that there are not one, but TWO fabulous wedding dresses to behold in the film - be still my beating heart! But no spoilers here - you'll just have to see it yourself).

But what would a SATC-themed fete be sans Cosmos?!? And of course, since I am the Fearless Cook and not Carrie Bradshaw, after all, I made some tasty treats for the ladies (I kept it all light - don't want to strain those stilettos).

My inspiration for the party food came right from the runway. Each of the three things I made was inspired by one of the three infamous shoe designers mentioned on the show (The Trifecta): Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, and Christian Louboutin.



Manolo Blahnik ("I spent $40,000 on SHOES?!?") is a Spanish designer whose eponymous label has taken the show, and the fashion world, by storm. And what better way to celebrate a Spanish designer than to eat Spanish tapas? That's when I found the perfect Spanish Stuffed Tomato recipe.



MANOLO BLAHNIK = SPANISH TOMATO TAPAS

Jimmy Choo ("I lost my Choo!") is a Malaysian designer who works in France, so I decided on a South Asian twist on Shrimp Cocktails (cocktails also being appropriate to the occasion): Spicy Malaysion Shrimp Cocktails with Coconut Rice.

JIMMY CHOO = SPICY MALAYSIAN SHRIMP

And Christian Louboutin's signature is his famous red sole, which he says was inspired by his assistant painting her nails red one day in the design studio. So I wanted a very, very red dessert, hence my Balsamic-Macerated Berry Salad.

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN = BALSAMIC BERRY SALAD

I used actual recipes for these dishes, so it's not exactly my typical fearless method, but I'm giving myself points for creativity with the whole shoe thing. Read on to see how it all came together.


INGREDIENTS

SPANISH TOMATO TAPAS



12-15 smallish tomatoes (I used the slightly-bigger-than-cherry-tomatoes that are still on the vine)
6 eggs
3/4 c. mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
3 T. fresh parsley, plus sprigs for garnishing
salt and pepper

Hard-boil the eggs. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scrape out the insides and seeds. Mix the mayo, garlic, lemon, parsley, and salt and pepper (to taste). Chop up the eggs and mix them into the garlic aioli mixture. Spoon it into the tomatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley.


SPICY MALYASIAN SHRIMP

2 lbs. raw, deveined, de-shelled shrimp
1 red bell pepper
4 jalapeno peppers
5 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c. water
1 can lite coconut milk
1 c. uncooked basmati rice
salt and pepper to taste
sugar to taste
juice of 6-8 key limes, or more to taste
10-12 T. oil (I used peanut oil)
fresh cilantro

Heat 6 T. of the oil in a large skillet. Salt and pepper the shrimp lightly, then fry on both sides until just pink. Remove from pan, leaving the oil in it. Roughly chop the shallots, bell pepper, and garlic. Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos and roughly chop them. Combine jalapenos, bell pepper, garlic, shallots, and water in the blender and blend until you have a not-too-smooth paste. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, and cook the blended mixture with the oil, adding half the can of coconut milk and lime juice, sugar, and salt and pepper. Cook until some of the liquid has reduced. Cook rice according to pachage directions, and when it's almost fully cooked, stir in the rest of the coconut milk. Spoon a little rice into small cups, and top with 4-5 shrimp each. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro.

BALSAMIC BERRY SALAD



2 pints fresh raspberries
2 c. fresh strawberries
2 c. ripe cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. sugar (or to taste, based on the fruit's natural sweetness)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 T. chopped fresh mint
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 T. sugar

Rinse all the fruit. Slice the strawberries into pieces. Pit and halve the cherries. Add them to a tupperware bowl with tight-fitting lid. In a bowl, mix the balsamic, sugar, and lemon juice until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over fruit and stir around to coat. Place the lid on and refrigerate overnight so the berries macerate. Just before serving, stir in the fresh chopped mint. In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip the cream until it begins to get fluffy. Add the sugar and whip until it's whipped-cream consistency. Serve the berries with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and mint to garnish.

COSMOPOLITANS



4 parts Citron Vodka
2 parts Triple Sec or Cointreau
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part fresh lime juice

Measure all ingredients into a shaker, add ice, and shake until mixed. Strain into four martini glasses.



The food all came out yummily (except for a couple suspect tomatoes, which had my dear Kelly running to the bathroom, heels and all, in the middle of the movie. We think we dtermined that it was the salmonella outbreak among small red tomatoes. Sorry, Kell).

And the movie came out even...yummilier? You know what I mean. It was truly amazing. Packed theater (all lovely ladies, dressed to the nines, cat-fighting over saved seats). Group gasps at dream closets. Fashion porn. And even a little gratuitous male nudity. I give it two stilettos up.

The real breakout star of the film was Jennifer Hudson, who is my new obsession, thanks to her adorable character and infectious song, "All Dressed Up in Love." (Available on iTunes!)



The breakout star of the hors d'ouevres? In my humble opinion, the whipped cream, and berry salad in general. Desserts are not my forte, but it was gorgeous, tart, and not too sweet (just like the four fabulous ladies of SATC).

In conclusion, if you haven't seen the Movie yet, drop what you're doing, buy your ticket on Fandango, and shimmy on over to the nearest cinema for the chick flick to beat all chick flicks. Why are you still reading my blog? Go! RUN! See it now!!!!



Thanks for reading! And thanks to my ladies for coming over!

More soon...

King Corn

It all started Sunday at noon, with this text to my friend Stef:

Im in over my head with this bbq. Can u come over around 3?


Actually, it all started last Fall, when I saw the trailer for the documentary King Corn. Two young filmmakers quit their jobs in Boston and move to Iowa for a year to plant, grow, and harvest a single acre of corn to find out how we as a species are now subsisting almost entirely on this one crop.


I knew imediately that I wanted to see it, but time got away from me, and I never saw it on the big screen.

Cut to April, 2008. I read the book The Omnivore's Dilemma, and the whole first third of the book goes into incredible detail about how virtually everything we put into our bodies is somehow derived from corn.

It seemed like this particular area of interest was trying to get my attention. So I set out to document a little experiment of my own: Create an entire Spring BBQ menu, using ONLY ingredients that contain no trace of corn, and serve it while we have a screening of the documentary.

Adam drizzles the finishing touches of EVOO on his hummus.


Lindsay gets the party started.


The corn-free menu turned out to be much, much harder than it sounds. When you consider that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is in about 99% of processed food (things like buns and condiments included), not to mention that almost all meat we buy in America was fed on a diet of corn, grocery shopping for this endeavor was no small feat.

FEARLESS FACTOR: A billion. When you take into account the stringent menu guidelines, and the fact that my guest list started at 10 and grew like corn in June into about 20, it's easy to see why I sent Stef the frantic text (special thanks to her, my hard-working sous-chef).


I wanted to grill mini-burgers (sliders being a popular Chicago bar treat), so I headed to Whole Foods to find some grass-fed beef. Here's a re-creation of my conversation with the butcher:

ME: Hi, I'm trying to do this themed BBQ where everything has to be, er--anyway, do you have any grass-fed beef?

HIM: Actually, no, we don't have any.

ME: [Crestfallen] Oh.

HIM: But our bison is grass-fed.

ME: I'll take 4 pounds.




I also planned out a pasta salad and from-scratch crockpot baked beans, and Adam brought his world-famous hummus, which got demolished in literally under 5 minutes. (Special thanks, Adam, and also to Lindsay, who brought the most amazing Lemon Bars--note to self, Lemon Bars are not an acceptable breakfast food).


Making the baked beans was fully a two-day process: soaking the beans overnight, then letting them simmer all day in the crockpot takes some time. I also had to be careful to buy only organic ketchup, since most ketchup is packed with high-fructose corn syrup. (I'd like to take a moment to address any of you who are caught up in the ongoing Heinz vs. Hunt's ketchup debate. Organic ketchup tastes about 1000% better than either of those brands, so consider this my conscientitious objection to the condiment war.) I would've also liked to add some pork, but finding pork that hasn't been grain-fed (wild pigs, I found out, eat acorns) is impossible. So the beans became vegetarian.

The pasta salad was pretty easy to keep corn-free. Even the most processed pasta tends not to contain corn (but I bought organic just to be safe), and I added some veggies and goat cheese (admittedly, I cannot confirm that the goat who made our cheese was not fed corn, but I took some creative license).

I was careful to read the ingredient label on everything I bought, including the ciabatta rolls I used as hamburger buns. That's one great thing about living in a big city: Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are always there when you want to throw a party with a needlessly complicated menu.


Veggie Trays by Stef.


PASTA SALAD

2 12-oz. bags tri-colored veggie pasta (rotini or other noodle)
12 oz. log goat cheese
1 English cucumber
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved and seeded
2 c. arugula leaves
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1/4 c. EVOO
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes to taste
2 T. chopped fresh dill
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. mustard

Cut the cucumber in half, then slice it into thin half-moons. Halve and seed the tomatoes. Place in a bowl and add some salt. Let sit in the fridge for about an hour, until the salt has drawn the water out. Drain in a colander, and rinse. Shake dry. Boil the pasta. While it's cooking, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, salt and pepper, dill, basil, red pepper flakes, sugar, and mustard. Whisk in the EVOO slowly. Set aside. Drain the pasta, and pour it back in its cooking pot. Add the cucumbers, tomoatoes, and arugula. Working quickly so that the pasta stays warm, stir in the dressing mixture and crumble in the goat cheese, and stir until the goat cheese is melted and evenly coats the pasta (it will look like a creamy mayo-based pasta salad). Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Kelly and Adam!


BAKED BEANS

2 lbs. dried beans (I used 1 lb. small red beans and 1 lb. pinto beans, but navy beans are the ones most commonly used)
1 bottle organic ketchup
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. mustard
2 T. Worchestershire sauce
1 c. bean cooking liquid
salt and pepper

In a large pot, soak the beans in the fridge overnight with enough water to generously cover the beans. The next day, simmer the beans in the same water they soaked in for about 2 hours (do not salt the water), until they begin to get tender. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the beans in the crockpot. Pour in the rest of the ingredients and stir until well-mixed. Put the crockpot on low and cook for about 4 hours, then turn the crockpot on high and cook for 2 more hours, stirring occasionally. The last 30 minutes and while serving, leave the lid of the crockpot off so the beans thicken.

If I were the type of woman who used the word "Tablescape," I'd use that word now.



BISON MINI-BURGERS ON CIABATTA ROLLS (I've cut the recipe I made down to 1/4 of what I made, so this is based on 1 lb. of meat)

1 lb. ground bison (buffalo) meat
generous drizzle olive oil
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper for grilling
sliced Cheddar cheese (optional)
6 bake-at-home Ciabatta rolls (or other bun)
Toppings like tomato, lettuce, ketchup, mayo, etc.

Get the charcoal grill ready about an hour before you want to start cooking. Add the olive oil and Worchestershire sauce to the meat and squish around until it's incorporated. Form into six mini-burgers. Salt and pepper both sides of each patty, and place on the grill. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness. When you flip them, add the cheese to the top and let it melt while the other side cooks. Serve on the buns with desired toppings.



Portobello "burgers" for the veg-heads.


Always season your meat.



THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY GRILLED: THE SCREENING

The film was pretty good. It wasn't an all-out gross-fest like Fast Food Nation, but it was just as eye-opening. It got a little shaky when they showed the cow with a hole in its side (caused by acidosis, a condition cows get when they're fed an unnatural diet of--you guessed it--corn), making the contents of its stomach available for all to see (and scoop out). (Thank you, grass-fed bison farmers of the world!)

Had I actually bothered watching the film that I dragged all my friends into BEFORE the much-ballyhooed screening, I might have thought twice about planning an entire party around it. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs, either (truth be told, at times, it was kind of a downer). It lacked the caustic voiceover acrobatics and contrived mega-drama of a Michael Moore film, but was shocking in its own right. I think that a lifelong aversion to soda (basically HFCS and food coloring in a can, and the best possible way to cause obesity and diabetes) is the most lasting effect it will have on my consumption. (Interestingly, rendering irrelevant the Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola debate--peace at last, and all thanks to corn!).


So, since there were far too many judges to record their comments here (although feel free, Corn-Free guests, to comment here on the blog), I'll have to make my own decisions:

THE FILM: 7 stars.

THE FOOD: 8 stars.


Self-congratulatory? Perhaps. But I'd argue that without a good solid menu, I'd have been hard-pressed to get 20 people into my living room to watch a documentary about farming.



I proved to myself (once again), that try as I might, I simply do not like arugula. I want to SO BADLY! It's so...elegant! And delicate! Peppery! Trendy! But alas, if I could do it over again, I'd leave it out of my otherwise delicious pasta salad. The beans came out great, to my utter shock, and despite seeming highly time-consuming, they're actually very low-maintenance. I might have to make this a signature BBQ dish. As for the burgers, again, I was shocked to find them quite tasty. I was worried all along that bison, being a very lean meat, would dry out on the grill, which is why I preemptively added the olive oil. It seemed to work, and with all the great things bison has going for it nutritionally, I could be a full-on bison believer (I am, at the very least, a grass-fed believer, thanks to the open-wound-cow-stomach-thing).

THE BOTTOM LINE: Fast Food Nation didn't succeed in turning me off to (scrumptious) Egg McMuffins forever. And only time will tell if I will take the time to seek out grass-fed bison (or beef, if it's available) in the long run. But what the film did (and what I suspect was its intention) was to further make us all aware that what you see isn't always what you get, and that it does take a higher level of consciousness to eat truly healthfully (not just for the health of our bodies but the health of the bodies that end up inside ours, as well).

I'll end with a quote from Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and one of the interviewees on the film):
"Everything we eat is no more and no less than the body of the world."

Ross proudly showcases the contraband.


Thanks to guests and blans alike. More soon.

The Lasagnski Fest

"What do you do for recreation?"
"Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback."

Oh, and I also hold screenings of late-nineties cult flicks over steamy, delicious, homemade lasagna.

My friends, welcome to my best blog to date: The Lasagnski Fest.



It all started with my beloved roommate attending The Lebowski Fest in Louisville, KY, a few months ago. Her costume was "New Shit Has Come To Light." (Lebowski fans will know what I'm talking about.) Well, this March, the Lebowski Fest is coming to Chicago (keep an eye out for The Guys Down at the Crime Lab). We were discussing this one night at Michael's, and the conversation somehow led to favorite foods, and my pal Kent (a repeat blog guest) mentioned that his favorite food was lasagna. I told him it was my specialty.

Well, a few beers and one hell of a swerge later, The Lasagnski Fest was on all our to-do lists. The beautiful Sarah M. (one of The Guys Down at the Crime Lab and also a lasagna enthusiast), Kent, and of course Jess, were on board for a Fearless lasagna dinner, White Russians galore, and a screening of the Holy Grail of stoner cult classics itself.



Now's the time to mention that, before tonight, I had never seen The Big Lebowski. Or rather, I had TRIED to watch it several times, but just never made it through (I have the attention span of a sparrow and absolutely no ability to stay awake past 9:30 PM). I had my work cut out for me.

This is me and Kent in my kitchen. He not only made fabulous White Russians, he made them in an actual Kahlua shaker!
Check me out in my new Fearless Cook personalized apron:


FEARLESS FACTOR: I'm gonna have to say 8, although I didn't realize just how fearless I was being until I only gave myself an hour and a half to accomplish two (time-intensive) lasagnas, including grocery shopping and travel time. It was like Iron Chef! I even made Jess take all the pictures, because I knew I'd get stressed and forget to do it. I've made many a lasagna that resemble my meat-and-veggie version, but the bechamel-based mushroom lasagna was pretty new to me, so that upped the ante, too.

INGREDIENTS:

2 16-oz. containers ricotta cheese
18 lasagna noodles (about 1 pack)
fresh basil, oregano, and parsley
shredded mozzarella
1 jar tomato pasta sauce (any kind)
1/3 lb. hot Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef (very lean)
1 zucchini
1 c. thawed frozen spinach, cut and drained
2 lbs. mixed wild mushrooms (I used oyster, baby bella, and shitake)
1/2 stick butter
4 T. flour
3 c. milk
1 c. grated parmesan cheese, fresh


STEP ONE (starting with the meat and veggie lasagna):

Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then halve the halves lenthwise again, and slice it into small pieces. Defrost/microwave the spinach, and drain it (just squeeze handfuls of it over the sink).





STEP TWO:

Using both containers of ricotta, empty them into a large mixing bowl. Chop the herbs (equal amounts of each, about 1/2 c. total after chopping), and add them to the ricotta. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste into the mix, and stir until combined.



Brown the sausage and the beef in the same pan (this flavors the beef while cutting the spiciness of the sausage). Drain on a paper towel (this cuts out a lot of the fat from the meat).


STEP THREE:

Boil the noodles. After they're done, pour out 3/4 of the hot water, and add several cupfuls of ice to the pot, stopping the cooking process and making the water cool enough to touch. In a glass 9 X 12 baking dish, begin to layer the lasagna. When you reach into the pot to get each noodle, be careful so you don't tear them. To drain the excess water off, hold each one by the top edge, and slide your index and middle fingers down the noodle (one finger on each side) to "squeeze" the water off.



STEP FOUR:

Lay three noodles carefully across the bottom of the dish. Using a spoon, spread the ricotta mixture onto the noodles (this takes some finesse, so be patient, and don't tear the noodles). You can really just put it on there in clumps and then spread it out with your fingers. When you're finished, pour 1/3 of the sauce evenly on top.




Top that with the zucchini slices.


Repeat the layer of noodles, ricotte, and sauce, then add the meat.


Repeat the layer of noodles, ricotta, and sauce, then add the spinach.


Top with about 1 c. mozzarella cheese, and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.


STEP SIX (beginning the mushroom lasagna):

In a skillet over high heat, heat about 1 T. olive oil and cook the mushrooms (half the batch at a time) until they're caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.


STEP SEVEN:

To make the bechamel sauce (which is a creamy white sauce that's used in very traditional lasagna), melt a half stick of butter over medium heat in a large skillet. When it's mostly melted, add in the flour slowly and stir to combine, until it forms a roux (a yellow paste). Whisk in the milk and continue to whisk as the milk gets hotter, eliminating any lumps. Cook until it begins to thicken (about 5 minutes). Don't let it get too thick.


STEP EIGHT:

Layer the noodles in the bottom a dish exactly the way you did for the meat-veggie version. Ladle the bechamel over the top of the noodles, spreading around so it covers it all. Spread 1/3 of the mushrooms over the top. Sprinkle liberally with the grated parmesan.



Repeat for two more layers, then cover the top with about 1 c. mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.


STEP NINE:

Allow the lasagnas to cool for 10-15 minutes, so they sort of "congeal." If they're too melty, they're impossible to serve.

This is the meat and veggie one:


And this is the mushroom. Ain't it a beaut?


From left to right: Kent, Sarah M., Jess. Cheers!


THE JUDGES VERDICTS:

JESS: They were great. But in general, you're an under-saucer. I could take more sauce. The mushroom one got a little...cream of mushroomy. It would be nice to have another flavor besides the mushroom. But they were both so good. The meat one, to me, was perfect.

SARAH: This is absolutely fabulous and the flavors are phenomenal, but I think you should add more tomato chunks, or tomato sauce. I love tomatoes!

KENT: You guys are bitches. Just kidding. I have to say I'm not the biggest mushroom fan, but the mushroom one was really good. And I don't like spinach that much either, but I didn't notice the things I don't like about it when it's in there with the meat. It's a good way to hide it. They were both awesome.

[ME: How would you compare it your lasagna standby, Stouffer's frozen version?
KENT: Well...Stouffer's is really good. And they did just come out with an Italiano version. They're stepping it up. How about you come over and I'll make you Stouffer's and we'll watch YOUR favorite movie.
ME: My favorite movie is Clueless.
KENT: Nevermind.]

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: I give it 9 stars! Both of them! 9 stars each! OK, OK, I can make a mean lasagna, at least the traditional way. Although I do agree with Sarah that the meat one could've used some more sauce (some of it always sort of evaporates/soaks into the noodles in the oven). I was afraid that the zucchini wasn't going to be tender, but it turned out great. As for the mushroom one, next time I would use more mushrooms (they were a little sparse - I felt that the bechamel-to-mushroom ratio was off a bit), and maybe use a tad less flour in the bechamel. It sort of bakes up in the oven and gets a little too "solid" for my taste. But the flavors all blended well in both versions - no one ingredient overpowered any other.

Kent's White Russians were absolutely perfect, and went surprisingly well with the meal. (Or maybe that was just because I was already on my third one by the time the lasagna was baked.)



MY VOTE ON THE BIG LEBOWSKI: I give it 7.5 stars. I admit that I'm biased because so many of my friends are such ardent fans, but I truly enjoyed it this time around. It's one of those movies that really does get better with subsequent viewings. I specifically enjoyed the smart dialogue and unique lexicon of The Dude. I can't say that I followed the plot 100%, but plots never were my strong suit anyway.

Thanks so much to my guests for coming over and for bearing with me as I became an Achiever over the course of the evening. The lasgna abides.

ACHIEVERS UNITE!