Brown Derby Salad and Hollywood Studios

The whole time we were at Disneyworld, I kept calling Hollywood Studios "MGM." I wasn't sure why, except that maybe I associated Hollywood with the big movie studios? The charges would roll their eyes and correct me everytime. "Moooooooom!" Kids always drag out the vowels when they are exasperated, don't they? I stubbornly insisted on calling it MGM. (Read: Once I get the wrong idea in my mind, it's stuck there for eternity. So let it be written, so let it be done.) The Quiet Man suprised me with a copy of the Disneyworld cookbook last week. It's full of recipes from all around the park-including MGM! Read that again: M.G.M, baby! Not Hollywood Studios, my adolescent aborrigines, but MGM! At least there is a method to my madness. Apparently it is out of vogue to call it MGM now, but once upon a time, whenever this cookbook was published, the place was called MGM. Disney might be able to change names, but I'm keeping to the original. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. So...while we were at MGM (not Hollywood)...we rode the Tower of Terror (scream for me) and the Great Movie Ride and Toy Story Mania.

West built his own lightsaber to become an official Jedi Knight of the highest order.

And we ate the famous Cobb Salad at the Brown Derby. (William Holden wasn't there, in case any I love Lucy fans were wondering.) There's a reason this salad is so famous. It's superb. This is the original Cobb salad that has spawned so many variations and imitations. The original is the best. The dressing is fantastic and the recipe below makes a hefty batch. It's a little taste of MGM (that's right, MGM-ya wanna make something of it?) all the way from Hollywood Studios.

Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad

Estimated Cost: about $10 for for 6 servings

Notes: To save money, buy a bagged mix of spring lettuces and a head of romaine or iceberg for crunch. Chicken can easily be substituted for the turkey. 1/2 head iceberg lettuce

1/2 bunch watercress

1 small bunch chicory

1/2 head romaine lettuce

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 cups cooked turkey breast, diced

1 avocado

3 eggs, hard-cooked

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

6 strips crisp bacon, crumbled

2 tbsp. chopped chives (I used green onions)

Chop all greens very fine (reserve some watercress for presentation) and arrange in salad bowl. Cut tomatoes in half, remove seeds and dice une. Also dice the turkey, avocado and eggs. Arrange the above ingredients, as well as the blue cheese and bacon crumbles, in straight lines across the greens. Arrange the chives diagonally across the above lines. Present the salad at the table, then toss with the dressing (below) and place on chilled plates with a watercress garnish. Serves six.

BROWN DERBY OLD-FASHIONED FRENCH DRESSING

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 1/4 tbsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. English mustard (I used dijon)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups salad oil

Blend together all ingredients, except oils, then add olive and salad oils and mix well. Blend well again before mixing with salad. This makes a big batch; store in the fridge and use within 3 weeks.

Next Up:

Disney's Carribean Resort with Black Bean Soup and Johnnycakes

Late Summer Garden Harvest Dinner

Did you have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend? We spent the weekend with my youngest sister Mary Kate, her husband Adam, and their five children. Also present were my parents, and my sister Heidi and husband Mikey, with their four children. All in all, there were 8 adults and 11 kids. The little girls spent the weekend putting on a production of the musical, Annie. They all took turns playing the part of Annie, in democratic style. By the way, I was cast as Miss Lily St. Regis with my Quiet Man as Rooster Hannigan. He surprised me by hamming it up more than just a little bit. And me, well, I didn't take three years of high school acting for nothin'. Thanks, Mr. Byers, you taught me everything I know.

As for the little boys, they spent the weekend collecting sticks and rocks, wrestling, and trying to heckle the Annie actresses.

Ah, it was a great weekend. I think I could put on a play every weekend, provided I was just given Monday off. Pretty please. A looong break makes the week much easier to face.

Speaking of long breaks, our garden is just about to take a hiatus until next spring. I'm going to miss my backyard bounty, especially those juicy red tomatoes, the golden corn, and the crisp green beans. Last week, I fixed a dinner of all of my favorite summer garden vegetables. It's not a farewell, not quite yet, but you can tell it's coming. Here's what we had:

Avocado and Tomato Salad with Lime Drizzle

Buttered Corn on the Cob

Green Beans and Red Potatoes in Cream

Roasted Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs and Olive Oil

If you're feeling really ambitious, a nice crisp or cobbler would be ideal for dessert. Especially with your last batch of homemade ice cream.

Money Saving Tips: Use what you've got from the garden, or hit up the farmer's market. You can use any variety of tomatoes, even cherry or grape. Just shorten the cooking time. Use other thin skinned potatoes, if red are expensive this week.

Tomato and Avocado Salad with Lime Drizzle

Estimated Cost: $3.50 for four servings

1 small avocado, sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

juice of one lime

2 teaspoons olive oil

Layer avocado, tomato, and cilantro on plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil.

Grandma Darland's Red Potatoes and Green Beans

Estimated Cost: $3.00 for 4 servings

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 lb. green beans, cut into one inch pieces

1/2-3/4 cup cream of half and half

Place potatoes in cold water in a large pot. Salt water. Bring to a boil. Cook for about eight minutes, or until potatoes are almost tender. Add green beans and cook until just tender and bright green. Drain well. Return to pot. Add cream, mashing a few potatoes with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted Tomatoes with Bread Crumbs and Olive Oil

Estimated Cost: $3.00 for 4 servings

4 red ripe tomatoes, halved

olive oil, for drizzling

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (made from 1-2 pieces of bread)

1 clove minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 4000 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 25 minutes. In a small bowl, combine crumbs, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake an additional ten minutees, or until crumbs are toasted.

Next Up:

Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

Avocado and Nectarine Salad with Chile and Lime Dressing

You wouldn't have ever set your neighbors up on a blind date, right? They seem like they wouldn't go together at all, and yet they've been happily married for 15 years. (I'm not talking about the Quiet Man and me, ahem, but I could be.) Some things just seem like they would never go together. Like avocados and nectarines. Who'd have thunk? But then they end up in a late night study group and fall madly in love and make beautiful babies-uh, I mean salad together. Mr. luscious avocado has a serious crush on senorita sweet juicy nectarine. Ooh, la la. It's not an obvious match, true, but once they got to know each other they refused to be separated. Have them set up house on a cozy little bed of mixed greens. Throw in a little savory feta for a wedding veil and you've got a match made in heaven. Don't listen to what the tabloids say. This couple's going to make it.

Notes:

This salad is perfect for using up your extra Chile Lime Dressing from the Mexican Grilled Corn below. Just squeeze in a little extra lime for some acid. Nectarines and other stone fruits are at their peak right now so you'll be able to get a swell deal. Use whatever greens are on sale this week. Spinach or romaine would be nice. You could make it a meal by throwing in some leftover grilled shrimp, tofu, chicken, or pork.

Avocado and Nectarine Salad with Chile Lime Dressing

Estimated Cost: $6.00 for four large servings

For the Dressing:

Combine in a bowl the following ingredients

3 tablespoons mayonaise (or swap out Greek Yogurt)

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 tsp. lime zest
juice from 1 lime
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder

generous pinch kosher salt

Layer the following on a platter:

6 ounces mixed baby greens

1 chopped, pitted avocado

1-2 chopped nectarines

1/4 cup sliced red onion

2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Drizzle with dressing and serve. Yumma!
Up Next:

Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

French's Fantastic Cook-Off with Sue Ellen's Winning Recipe

Well, friends, I am home from a whirlwind weekend in New York City for the French's Cook Off. I did not win the 25 grand. Darn, I would have had a good time spending that money on travel. The winner will put it to better and more noble use. My new friend Sue Ellen of Des Moisnes, Iowa, won top honors with an absolutely delicious polenta and avocado concotion. (Recipe below.) Sue Ellen is involved with humanitarian work and plan to use the money to help the people of Malta. I was very impressed with her kindness, generosity, and tasty recipe. She really deserved it!

I also had a really great time. The city was CRAZY stormy, but that didn't stop the show. The folks at French's really know how to host a cook off. We had a get-to-know-you dinner at Blue Smoke, a BBQ joint, that included spare ribs, grilled salmon, sesame slaw and sweet potato fries with maple dipping sauce. The sweet potato fries, people, the sweet potato fries. They were crispy-smoky perfection and I'm going to get started on a copy cat recipe right away. I almost ate the whole basket all by myself, without any regard to making a good first impression. The cook off itself was relaxing and stress-free, especially since my college buddy Kimmarie, came up from Philly to keep me company. Now I remember why I hardly slept a wink in college. I can't sleep in the presence of a true comedianne. All I want to do is stay up all night long and laugh. I've missed doing that. But there's always something to miss, isn't there? I missed my family this week.

The best part of the trip was coming home. Sailor had decorated the car and made me a gold medal, to ward off any disappointment. West had papered the house with"I love you, Mom" signs. Who wouldn't be happy to come home to this? (Remind me to review capital "I" in a few days. But, shucks!) The Quiet Man had polished the house to gleaming. And I won a new mixer! A beautiful, fancy, new-fangled kind of thing. As soon as Quiet Man, ahem, reads the instructions, I'll give it a go.

And one more item of good news. West is officially a finalist in the Jif Peanut Butter Contest. So, back to New York City for the whole family in just two weeks. Woo-weee. I owe you all a huge thank you. THANK YOU!

And now here's the winning recipe.

Onion Polenta with Avocado and Tomato Salad
6 oz FRENCH'S® Cheddar French Fried Onions
1/3 cup FRENCH'S® Horseradish Mustard
11/2 cup pre cooked Polenta (dry)
1 lb tomatoes, seeded, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 ripe Avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
41/2 cup water
2 tsp salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan add water, 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil. Slowly add polenta to water, whisking continuously until all of polenta is used. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking continuously. Remove polenta from heat and stir in coarsely chopped FRENCH’S Cheddar French Fried Onions. Spoon into a 10 inch pie dish. Let stand for 15-20 minutes to firm. Meanwhile in a large bowl mix tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar and FRENCH'S Horseradish Mustard until blended. Set aside. Turn polenta out onto a board. Carefully cut into 6 pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large (10 or12 inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place polenta pieces in hot oil. Brown polenta until golden on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and serve browned polenta pieces topped with spiced tomato avocado salad Serves 6
Next Up:

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup-with a twist

BLTs with Garlic and Olive Oil Avocado

How can it really be August already??? I'm not ready for freshly sharpened pencils and new backpacks yet....

I have nothing against mayonnaise on a BLT. In fact, I may be Best Food's (Hellman's East of the Rockies) greatest customer, excepting of course, for my mayonnaise-loving Pop. But last Saturday afternoon, I spied a perfectly buttery, 100% natural, and very innocent avocado on my counter. It may seem counter intuitive to try to use healthy fats on a bacon sandwich, but I'm always of the theory that every little bit of good sense counts. Still, I have other reasons besides health for choosing avocados. Buttery, rich, and sensuous, their flavor alone is enough of a recommendation, especially mixed with some pungent garlic and fruity olive oil. It's ridiculousy delicious despite its simplicity. You may never want mayo on your BLTs again.
P.S. In a fit of Saturday afternoon indolence, I made the bacon in the microwave on paper towels. It's not quite as good as pan-fried, but the difference is minimal on a sandwich.
BLTs with Garlic and Olive Oil Avocado
Estimated Cost: $4.00
Notes: Use your best red ripe tomatoes here.
1 large avocado
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fruity olive oil
2 crusty whole wheat rolls (I use padhinas from Albertson's)
4-6 slices of cooked crisp bacon
2 red ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
lettuce, arugula, or spinach leaves
In a small bowl, mash together avocado, garlic, and olive oil to form a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on bottoms of rolls and top with bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Coming Tomorrow:
Frozen Heaven
Raspberry Lime Sorbet with Raspberry Vanilla Ice Cream