Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Remember my previous posts where I told you how good veggies are when they are roasted in the oven? Roasting brings out their natural sugars and you get that lovely carmelization action going on. This is an easy and quick recipe for the next time you're craving the little green sprout.

1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz. bacon, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 450. Toss all ingredients together in a baking dish. Roast until the sprouts are tender, about 20 minutes.  Balsamic syrup would make a wonderful topping after the sprouts come out of the oven...enjoy.

Dad's Christmas Cheese Ball

This cheese ball recipe was given to my Dad by his mother-in-law in North Carolina, and it has been enjoyed at Christmastime for many years. Each year, my Dad makes 20-30 cheese balls and gives them to his (very lucky) friends. My personal preference would be to substitute garlic powder for the curry powder (sorry, Dad!). 

2 8-oz packages cream cheese
4 oz blue cheese

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, diced

¼ teaspoon curry powder 

1 tsp paprika

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 c pecans, chopped fine

Allow cheeses to soften at room temperature. Combine all ingredients (except pecans) in a food processor. Blend well. Chill for 30 minutes. Roll into two balls. Cover balls with chopped pecans. Chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Remove the cheese balls from the fridge and let soften a bit. Grab a knife and your favorite crackers.

The Cookbooks of lizzycooks: A Love Story

I love cookbooks. I currently have 56 in my ever-growing collection.

My first cookbook purchase was in the 1970s. Betty Crocker, of course.

When I was growing up my Mom had the classic Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook with the red and white checks on the cover, what I now call "every Mother's cookbook". I have an updated version of it in my collection. I have antique cookbooks; soup cookbooks; cookbooks from TV chefs; vegetarian cookbooks; garlic cookbooks; Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Greek, and Vietnamese cookbooks; two versions of The Joy of Cooking; and more.

Something that strikes me when I look at the older cookbooks, even the ones from the 60s and 70s, is the change in the type of ingredients compared to what we use now. I see recipes that call for lard, oleo margarine, and shortening.

Something else I've discovered is that just because I buy a cookbook, doesn't mean I will make any recipes from it. I just like having it. It's comforting in some way, the way that cooking is comforting to me. I often look at recipes to get ideas about potential ingredients or see what temperature something should be cooked at, and then make my own modifications. But not for baking, with baking you need to be exact. I don't like recipes that have hundreds of ingredients--in my book, these recipes are only for special occasions! People give me cookbooks as gifts, and just to clean out their kitchen I think. No matter, I love getting cookbooks and buying new ones. I was recently given a 1935 silver-covered Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, the antique version of the previously mentioned "every Mother's cookbook".

I find some of the photographs in the older cookbooks quite interesting. This photo is from the 1969 La Cuisine Cookbook and is called "Glazed Ham Doulce France". It looks like a piece of art, and as I always say, food is art.

You never know what you will find inside of cookbooks either. I recently found this vintage Macy's ad for a groovy 1960s dress inside of an older cookbook.

Some cookbooks have beautiful artwork on the cover.
I will continue my love affair with my cookbooks and hope I have inspired you to love your cookbooks too!

Dad's Three Cheese Risotto with Walnuts

Gourmet comfort food. I had never made risotto until this past Thanksgiving when I was visiting my Dad and Aleta. He suggested I go to his computer recipe files (he's a gourmet cook) to find something I wanted to make for dinner. I chose recipes for bruschetta and risotto and was happy I did. Here's my take on bruschetta. The risotto is beyond delicious and I was told it was the best they'd ever had--high praise! 

5 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup walnut halves 

4 tablespoon butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 

¼ cup dry white wine 

¾ cup Parmesan or Pecorino cheese 

¼ cup mascarpone cheese 

2 oz gorgonzola cheese 

salt and pepper 

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium pot. In a small pan, saute the walnuts in 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. 

In a deep pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and 2 tablespoon butter. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the rice is well coated, about 3 minutes. 

Add the wine to the rice mixture and stir until the liquid has been absorbed. Begin to add the broth one cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. It is important to continually stir the rice so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. 

Add the walnuts and the cheeses and stir until the cheeses are melted. Salt and pepper to taste. By the way, there are specially made risotto bowls which you can see in the photo--who knew?