Happy 4th of July!

(Courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa)

Click here to see the recipe :)

Say "CHEESE"!

We went to Door County (WI) for Memorial Day weekend, and we discovered a new place that has a wonderful selection of Wisconsin cheeses. Schoolhouse Artesian Cheese Store is located in Egg Harbor, but the owners also have a cooking school (Savory Spoon Cooking School) located in Ellison Bay.

We LOVE cheese and we couldn’t resist to enter the store and try some samples. We also ordered a table of cheese and a glass of wine to enjoy in the afternoon.

The verdict: AMAZING!

In the evening we passed by one of our new favorite restaurants, The Cookery, located in Fish Creek. We discovered it last year and we just love it. They have a beautiful terrace where you can sit down and enjoy the view while having a glass of wine and a table of delicious Wisconsin cheese.

We were dreaming about that table of cheese since last year and we were not disappointed! This year, the table included:
*Big Ed's from Saxon Homestead Creamery (Cleveland, WI)
*Original Blue Cheese from Hook's (Mineral Point, WI)
*Apple Smoked White Cheddar from Carr Valley (La Valle, WI)

Every single one was DELICIOUS!

Onions and Steaks with Thyme Mashed Potatoes

You know Two Cooking Cookies loves it some Blanca Cotta, especially her fast and easy recipes on a weekday night. This one is a favorite.

ONIONS AND STEAKS

Ingredients:
Thinly sliced steaks (These usually come prepackaged at the supermarket.) Enough for six small steaks the size of your hand.
2 medium yellow onions
2 table spoons of olive oil
¼ stick of butter
2 bay leaves
1 vegetable bullion cube
½ cup white wine
½ cup water
salt , pepper and nutmeg to taste

Preparation:
Our supermarket sells large, thinly cut steaks in pairs. First, cut the larger steaks into smaller portions. Cut one large steak into three pieces about the size of your hand. Season with salt and pepper.

Peal and chop the onions. You want long, thin slices, not small cubes.

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the steaks until golden on both sides. Make sure the steaks are dry before hitting the pan. Don’t over fill the pan. Cook the steaks a couple at a time if need be. Set them aside.

Pour out the used oil but don’t wash the pan. Return it to the flame and add the butter, stirring with a fork as it melts to pick up all the bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Sauté the onions until they are translucent. Set them aside with the beef when done.

In the same pan add the bay leaves, wine, water and bullion cube, making sure to crush it and mixing it well with the wine and water. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

When combined add the steaks and onions. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

THYME MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:
5-6 small red new potatoes
½ cup of cream
½ stick of butter
½ tablespoon fresh thyme, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Chop and boil potatoes with their skin. When done, drain and return to the pot. Add the butter, cream and thyme. Mash and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mulled Apple Cider (from Katie & Ran)

We received this recipe from Katie & Ran, a super easy idea for the autumn and winter. Thank you guys!

Ingredients:
4 cups of apple cider
6 whole cloves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1/2 orange, sliced

Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over a low flame for 20 minutes. Strain and serve.

For an extra kick, add 1 shot of spiced rum in the glasses before you add the cider

Salud!

Gladys and Ron's Chicken and Wafffles.

I was but a lonely soul wandering in the darkness. And down upon me came a light that shone bright and lit my way to Gladys and Ron's Chicken and Wafffles.

This summer I went to Hotlanta and my friend Lauren and her husband Walter took me to a place that I had only read about in books. A place that was filled with the sweet goodness of maple syrup and the salty wonder of fried chicken. The chicken and waffles were out of this world. How could they have been anything else? But to go along with that we had collards, mac and cheese, green beans, corn bread and sweet potatoes in a combination plate that was so good that it should be as illegal as crack. Don't let your next trip to Atlanta pass without a visit, or better yet, try to make some of them at home.

Y'all be glad that you did.
Winder

Baked Feta

In my house we love cheese! And we're always looking for any good recipe that uses any of our favorite cheeses. A while back my friend Ayesha sent me a blog called Lottie + Doof from right in our backyard here in Chicago. It was there that I found this great baked feta dish. It easy and quick. Great for a week night.

Cut one block of feta in half length wise and lay each piece on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Use enough foil so that you can later wrap the feta up in a clean little package to pop in the oven.

Cover the feta with olive oil and you favorite mix of fresh herbs. For example, oregano and thyme. Add pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Cover with finely chopped red onion and tomatoes and then sprinkle with a hand full of capers. Close foil packages, throw them in a baking dish and put in the oven for around 15 minutes at 375. Serve warm with fresh french bread and lots of red wine!

Winder

Eggplant Slices with Caprese Salad (from Ran)

Here is another recipe that Ran prepared for us in the past. Football season has started and this a great idea for those who want to delight their friends with another grill delicatessen. Bon appetite!

Step 1: Prep the Eggplants
-Buy a few eggplants (more cylindrical in shape if possible).
-Cut them into slices about a half-inch thick.
-Lay them out and sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt to disgorge them (takes the bitterness out).
-Leave sitting for about 30 minutes.
-Wash off disgorged juice with cold water.

Step 2: Grill the Eggplants:
-Sprinkle eggplants generously with olive oil (3 tablespoons), oregano (2 teaspoons), black pepper (1 teaspoon), red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon; optional depending on taste for spicy food). Sprinkle half of these totals on each side. Measurements don't have to be overly precise.
-Grill for 5-8 minutes on each side.
-Sit out and let cool until they reach room temperature.

Step 3: Prepare the Caprese Salad:
-Cube two tomatoes and one ball of mozzarella cheese. Put in bowl.
-Sliver eight basil leaves and add to bowl.
-Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to bowl. Don't mix.
-When ready to serve. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix ingredients in bowl.

Step 4: Eat!
-Top egg plant slices with caprese mix.  Top with basil leaves if desired.  Serve and eat!

PS: Yes, the steak was delicious too!!!