La Fin!

We did it! We finished every single recipe. But first, I must say, we had to whip up another batch of that delicious popcorn!

Popcorn with Sweet Butter and Sea Salt

After some relaxing, magazine reading, and popcorn munching, it was time to eat again. The tortellini was dropped into the pot of boiling stock, cooked until ready, served up garnished with parmesan, and happily consumed. The broth was truly rich. It was primarily chicken-based, but also was cooked with some beef scrap and veal bones, giving it a very rich taste. The tortellini was filled with a pork, prosciutto, mortadella, and parmesan mixture, sealed perfectly (not a single one was lost in the broth), and cooked al dente.

Tortellini en Brodo

It is now time for one last kitchen cleaning and the somber task of heading home. At least we all get to bring a mini fruitcake home with us, to enjoy tomorrow. Well, that and we'll also be bringing back a handful of cookies. Oh yum!

Breakfast Finished!

Well, we've consumed breakfast and lunch in one go -- both the Pancetta and Polenta Spoonbread and the Ham Lo Mein with Shiitake and Snow Peas. You will notice that the Spoonbread title deviates from the recipe slightly. See, it should be "Ham and Polenta Spoonbread," but I failed to allocated some of our Fresh Ham to both this recipe and the Lo Mein, so we found ourselves woefully deficient of pork. Therefore, we had to improvise. Since I ordered twice as much Pancetta, another meat of porcine persuasion, we figured that it would be sufficient to toss in. And believe me, it definitely worked well! Since the meat is so salty though, future improvisations such as this should remember to omit the salt from the recipe. Still delicious, though!

The Ham Lo Mein with Shiitake and Snow Peas was an amazing dish as well. The Lo Mein was spiced just enough, and the fresh egg noodles tasted fantastic. I highly recommend taking the extra trip to an Asian grocer to obtain the real thing!

Pancetta and Polenta Spoonbread (left) and Ham Lo Mein with Shiitake and Snow Peas (right)

Once we wrapped up breakfast, that left just two recipes to go! The Popcorn with Sweet Butter and Sea Salt and the Tortellini en Brodo are the only things left to go. After Stef and I rolled out the dough (mental note: buy the pasta attachments for your Kitchen-Aide mixer if you plan to do this - it makes the job MUCH easier!) and filled the pasta, Kate whipped us all up a big bowl of popcorn. We're all just relaxing, and postponing the tortellini consumption. Its both bitter and sweet to be nearing the end of this insanity.

The Tortellini is Ready to Go!

Kate Flips Through a Running Magazine while Eating Popcorn with Sweet Butter and Sea Salt

Meringue!

The Lemon-Gingersnap Mini Meringues are finished, and I think everyone is happy with this recipe. The plate is nearly gone! In the future, I think the meringues should be piped not quite as high, but that is nit-picking at this point (and don't worry, I was the one to pipe them out, so I am not offending anyone here). Regina worked on her piping skills this time, as Kate sandwiched them together (did I tell you that Kate has bad-ass assembly line sklils??). Drool away!

Regina and Kate and the Lemon-Gingersnap Mini Meringues

On a lighter note, the coffee pot is broken. While I am not a coffee drinker and could care less otherwise, this has caused quite a stir with the troops. We have resorted to "brewing" coffee using a Pyrex measuring cup and a double-mesh strainer. Apparently, desperate times call for desperate measures.

I'll go have a cup of tea.

The Final Countdown!

We're in the final push folks!

Its 8:45 am. Coffee is brewing, I'm sipping my tea, Regina is beside me blogging as well, and we're taking stock of where we are. Kate, Chaz, Stephanie, Dev, and Martin are still asleep. Michelle had to leave for home yesterday, in order to feed her cells (that's a work thing), and Ingrid has her own place over in Sag Harbor.

While taking stock, I realized I made an epic error. I did not reserve enough Fresh Ham for our Ham Lo Mein. Tragedy! Again! Well, fortunately we have twice as much pancetta that we needed, so it will have to suffice. That will go in the Spoonbread.

Ok, I'm off to cook!

The Final Stretch

We wake up this morning to find about an inch maybe 2 inches of snow on the ground. We are all baffled because it was 70 degrees on Friday and now there's snow???

But we also discovered this morning that we messed up. I think we jinxed ourselves yesterday. The majority of the group took a field trip to the Montauk Lighthouse and to see the baby seals. While they were gone, Martin, Lisa and I were getting a lot done and discussing how successful we have been, i.e we haven't burnt anything, we haven't doubled the amount of any ingredient or put the wrong ingredients into another recipe (because, you know, we've been working an average of 3.5 recipes at a time). So yeah, we jinxed ourselves.

Dave and I woke up first and head to the kitchen to get it ready for the last 5 recipes. We slowly start to hear everyone waking up and gasping at the snow on the ground. Lisa enters the kitchen and sits down with me to go over the days' game plan. We have two dishes that require ham. Well, we ate all the ham! There is no ham left from that gorgeous rump we rubbed down the night we got here! Lo and behold, Chef Muff enters the conversation. We have leftover pancetta. Pancetta is ham. Disaster avoided.

So besides the two ham dishes we have today (ham and polenta spoonbread and ham lo mein) we have tortellini en brodo, we need to finish the lemon-gingersnap meringues, i.e. sandwich them, and finally, the popcorn.

Let the day begin!

Day 2 Recap

Ok folks, we're coming around the home stretch. Day 2 is done, and here is where we stand:

Recipes completed: 38
Recipes left to complete:5

Coming up tomorrow:
Ham and Polenta Spoonbread
Tortellini en Brodo
Ham Lo Mein
Lemon-Gingersnap Meringues
Popcorn

Now, all of this time I have been saying we had 42 recipes. I seriously thought it was 42. Counting right now, I see that I underestimated. We're making 43. Oh dear.

Out of the 72 eggs we started with, we're down to our last 4. And out of the 6 pounds of butter, we're down to our last 3 sticks. The fridge is nearly empty now, and I am quite certain that everyone here thinks I am insane. It is 1:00 am, and I am diligently posting our antics as I wait for the oven to finish (we have the meringues sitting in there now). Fortunately, those meringues will assemble easily tomorrow, saving lots of time to make the tortellini that we did not get to today. The broth is made for the soup though, which I should get up and put in the fridge shortly.

The kitchen is somewhat clean right now. We couldn't bring ourselves to finishing off the dishes before bed. I myself don't know whether to prep ingredients for our next meal, or to head to bed myself. Perhaps I'll turn off that oven and call it a night......

Oh, and we did make that fruitcake today. It was baked in mini-loaf pans, so we all may take home a "party favor." We're supposed to let it sit in its rum for 2 days before eating, so you'll have to wait until Tuesday for an update on that. 

One More Meal Today

Since we haven't eaten in at least an hour, it was time for our final meal of the day: Cavatappi with Artichokes and Three Cheeses. This one came out pretty quickly, thankfully, as we were all getting a little sore from standing and working. It definitely tasted good, but quite frankly, at this point, none of us had room in our bellies for it.

Cavatappi with Artichokes and Three Cheeses

Note though, the serving up of cavatappi marked our depletion of the disposable bowls. We have been relying on disposable serving dishes for this weekend to make it a bit easier on doing the dishes. Believe me, if you have been here to do dishes as often as everyone here has, you would understand as well. Mental note for next time: more smaller plates, less larger plates, and think ahead of how many bowls we'll need. We still have the Tortellini en Brodo tomorrow, and that must mean we'll be serving it up in bowls we have to wash ourselves.

I Was Told There Would Be More Sugar....

While the Croquembouche was being assembled, other recipes were wrapping up. The Candied Citrus Peel had been simmering away in its sugar water for some time, and was strained off and tossed in sugar. They dried on wracks for a couple of hours before plating up. Everyone couldn't wait for plating though, and munched happily as they wandered by. How delicious! Just like candy! Well, all that sugar... of course it is candy!

Then, as the caramel for the croquembouche cooked, so did the caramel for the Bittersweet Chocolate Bark with Almonds. The was poured out onto a cookie sheet, allowed to dry, broken up, and then coated with chocolate.

Enjoy!

Bittersweet Chocolate Bark with Almonds (left) and Candied Citrus Peel (right)

Croquembouche!!!

The time was fast upon us... the time for our centerpiece, our pride and joy, and our pièce de résistance: the Salty Caramel Croquembouche with Ricotta Cream.

Our story begins much earlier in the day, when Kate cooked the pastry cream and I started on the pâte à choux puffs. After a few people backed away from the pastry cream, nervous on what an undertaking it may be, Kate readily stepped up confidently whipped it together. In moments, it was chilling in the refrigerator until it would be ready. I took on the puffs, and also that went nearly as uneventfully as possible. I was concerned about that dough, as it was basically flour dumped in water and butter, but sure enough it came together great, and the puffs puffed up like they were supposed to. We had a couple of cookies sheets of puffs that didn't make it though - apparently it matters how low your rack is in the oven. Note for folks that don't know me: yes, I know it matters... you can taunt me for making a rookie mistake!

Our Runny Pastry Cream

Soon, the puffs were finished, the cream was cool, the counter was cleared off, and we were ready to fill the puffs and assemble the tower. So, we took out the pastry cream. Tragedy strikes! One look, and one stir of the pastry cream, and you would have seen it too: the cream was way too thin to pipe. It didn't set up! We stared at it in panic for a little, wondering what to do. Stef threw out the suggestion, "add more cornstarch!" However, I was skeptical, as there was no way a little more cornstarch could fix us for right now. Instead, Regina consulted Google, where she found ... yes, add more cornstarch (and cook it a little longer). Well, hats off to Stef for being right, and hats off to Martin for picking up the cream and whisking it over the double boiler until it thickened (with a little more cornstarch). Off it went to chill again, but this time into the freezer ... we couldn't wait for the fridge!

Soon, the pastry cream was cool enough, and the counter was cleaned off again, so that the puffs could be filled. Stef quickly grabbed a pastry bag, and Ben volunteered to fill the puffs as well. Stef started piping as Ben got a brief lesson, and within a couple of minutes all five-gazillion of the puffs were filled. Time for the caramel!

The caramel cooked up ever so slowly, but once it started browning, it went way too fast. At any rate, it was passed off to Stef and Ingrid, who were given strict instructions to be careful, as the sugar was very hot. Fortunately, everyone escaped assembly without a single burn, and Stef walked away with a massive sugar high. The tower suffered the casualty of a crumbled cream puff or two, but sure enough, it assembled, and dang was it delicious.

Stephanie Demonstrates the Proper Way to get a Sugar High

Our tower of deliciousness called for breaking out the bubbly, and breaking into the delicousness. However, our gluttony was not to go unpunished. Here is a fair warning for all of you who dare tread the croquembouche path: while none of our assemblers got burned, THREE of our consumers got cuts! Yes kiddos, that sugar is like glass! Be careful with it!

But come on ... who are we fooling. You know it is worth the risk!

Salty Caramel Croquembouche with Ricotta Cream

Time for More Sugar!

With dinner safely in our bellies, and another round of dishes cleaned up and put away, it was time to move on to dessert. We had been prepping and planning desserts pretty much throughout the day, and it was time to bring a bunch of them together.

Stephanie early on mentioned that she wanted to make the Rosemary-Lemon Tartlets with Pine Nut Shortbread. So, early in the day she began with making the shortbread and the lemon curd. Now it was time to assemble them. Stef immediately demonstrated her culinary prowess by deftly rolling out the shortbread between two sheets of parchment paper, ensuring a clean, easy to use rolled dough each and every time. After a bit of rolling, cutting, cup lining, and baking, the shells were complete. Stef is also one of the people in the group that knows how to pipe, so with absolutely no instruction, she was able to fill the cups with skill that would make any pastry chef jealous. A couple of pine nuts to garnish, and the tarts were complete! Fortunately, we were able to get a picture of them before they were gone. Yes folks, those tartlets disappeared pretty quickly. I high recommend this recipe!

Rosemary-Lemon Tartlets with Pine Nut Shortbread

While that was going on, I decided to try to roll out and bake the dough for the Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate-Apricot Sandwich Cookies. Now if you recall from last night, this is the dough that resembled crumbly fudge, and it would not roll out. Well, we mixed in about a stick of melted butter into this dough (it was actually about 2 tablespoons short of a full stick), pat it into discs, and refrigerate it again. This time, it worked. I must say though, it worked in no small part to the fact that I used Stef's trick of two pieces of parchment paper on either side. This time, the dough actually rolled and did not crumble apart. Fantastic! It was into the oven, out of the oven, cooled enough, smeared with apricot preserves, sandwiched together, dipped in chocolate, and ready for consumption (well, ok, ready for consumption AFTER they set up!).

Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate-Apricot Sandwich Cookies

And then, it was time to move on to caramelized delicacies, and our second dinner.

Dinner is Served!

Ok, I'm a bit backed up on my blogging here, so I figure I will post these notes roughly as things were coming out. I just hope that I can remember how things happened....

Anyway, dinner was served in such a ceremonious manner. The beef wellington looked beyond fantastic, and the chicken was no different. Dave finished up the Stuffed Pears right in time, and we served up a beautiful plate.

Clockwise from Upper Left: Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears with Pancetta Crisps and Spinach, Classic Beef Wellington, Yogurt Marinated Roast Chicken

The best way to describe this dinner was the way we ate it: one bite at a time. First, the Beef Wellington was cooked perfectly. It came out a beautiful medium-rare. The pate and duxelles wrapped up inside the crepe and puff pastry with the wellington really set it off. And the madeira sauce? Wow, fantastic! Believe me, there is definitely a difference between making your own stock and buying out of a box or can.
Now, the chicken should not be jealous, as it was delicious in its own right. I can't help but think it was the marinade that made this perhaps the juiciest chicken I have ever tasted. Seriously, forget what you've tried before -- look up this recipe, you'll be amazed!

Lastly, that stuffed pear - WOW! Now, one of our ground rules was that we were not going to double any recipes, and that means with recipes that only served 4, we would divide up those portions among the 11 or 12 of us (we had a varying number throughout the weekend). So, when this recipe only made 4 pear halves, that means I only got 1/3 of a pear half. That's OK though, as believe me, my wellington slice was enough to feed a small family. Anyway, back to that pear. Lets just rattle off the title of that recipe again: Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears with Pancetta Crisps and Baby Spinach. The recipe actually called for mache instead of spinach, but I was unable to find it from several different grocers, and figured baby spinach would be my best bet to replace it. It definitely worked well, but to be honest, nothing could have reduced the deliciousness of this dish.

With dinner over, it is time to move on to a few more desserts though!

Almost Dinnertime!

Ok, the Beef Wellington is out of the oven and resting, as well as the Yogurt Marinated Chicken. I tried to get a picture of the Chicken, but I was refused. See, it is resting. Apparently, "A chicken in motion tends to stay in motion. A chicken at rest tends to stay at rest, and this one is clearly at rest."

Martin Shows Off His Beef Wellington

Pre-Dinner Festivities

Ok, so we were able to get a couple of snacks out. Take a look at this platter! Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip, Chipotle Black Bean Dip, and Avocado Green Goddess Dip are surrounded by a platter of endive, asparagus, red and green pepper, baby fingerling potatos, and cherry tomatoes. Whole wheat pita wedges are also available for the dipping! Enjoy!

Regina Displays the Veggie and Dip Platter

Now, don't think we're being completely lazy here and only getting out a recipe every three hours. We're also mid-Wellington and mid-Pears.

Dave Works on Assembling the Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears

Martin Checks on the Beef Wellington

Lunch is Served

Wow, this is fantastic. I have the opportunity to post twice in the span of one hour. While I was wrapping up the last post, Ben, Aliza, and Dave were wrapping up the preparation of lunch. Served up were Turkey Cutlets and Black Beans with Tangerine-Habanero Mojo Sauce and a Jicama, Radish, and Pickled Shallot Salad with Feta.

Turkey Cutlets and Black Beans with Tangerine-Habanero Mojo Sauce (back) and Jicama, Radish, and Pickled Shallot Salad with Feta (front)

 

 I was either very hungry, or both of these dishes were fantastic. I was skeptical about those habaneros, but they actually worked amazingly well with the tangerine. The dish had a little kick, but it was nothing unmanageable. And the Jicama Salad cooled off any extra bite. This salad is yet another dish that is worth bringing to a summer picnic.

Now, in the span of me typing all of that, Regina finished up the Carrot and Leek Soup with Herbed Croutons. I have yet to have a bite of it, but I am certain it tastes delicious!

Carrot and Leek Soup with Herbed Croutons

 And Pat, we miss you :) Next time, don't decide to run from Philadelphia to Penn State during the weekend we plan to do this!

Day 2 Morning Recap

My dear readers, I apologize greatly for not being able to give you an update earlier than now. It is almost 2:00 pm local time, and we've been diligently working since 8:30. Here's how we're holding up.

The morning started off with putting dishes away, Croque-Madame Sandwiches, and Pear Fritters. The fact that I had only 1/3 of one of those sandwiches was both a smart idea and a cruel tease. The sandwich consisted of some of last night's leftover Fresh Ham, sandwiched between slices of bread and melted gruyere cheese, topped with bechemel sauce and parmesan cheese, broiled until bubbly, and then served with a gorgeous sunny-side up egg on top. The pear fritters were also quite divine - delicious little pear donut-like things, coated in cinnamon sugar.

Croque-Madame Sandwich

 

 

 

 

Pear Fritters

 Sadly, we have not eaten since breakfast yet. Well, that is partially true. We also finished up the Pear, Cranberry, and Blood Orange Mostarda, which we did serve as a snack alongside some baguette slices and a St Andre cheese. This dish hasn't been a huge winner, although I definitely think it tastes good when served on top of the cheese.

Pear, Cranberry, and Blood Orange Mostarda (right)
Served with St. Andre Cheese and Baguette Slices

Now, we haven't been completely slacking off. Right now, the pastry cream for the Croquembouche is in the fridge, as well as the lemon curd for the tartlets. The pastry puffs are baked and cooling, and we've got lunch underway. More soon!

Day One Finished!

Folks, Day 1 is complete. The end of the day came sooner than we all expected it, and we weren't quite where we wanted to be. C'est la vie, right? It is 1:00 am, and we must rest for tomorrow is another day. However, before I rest my weary legs, I want to provide one last recap of recipes.

First, dinner was served: a lovely plate of Fresh Ham with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon; Wild Rice with Pears, Sausage, and Candied Pecans; and Mushroom Salad with Lemon, Thyme, and Parmigiano. I must say, the Fresh Ham seemed to be not much more than just another pork roast. This isn't to say that it wasn't good; on the contrary it was quite tasty. However, I am not sure I understand the article's author raving about the fantastic quality of the cut. See, a fresh ham is basically the cut of meat which would become the ham we all purchase, except it has not been smoked. It is the hind quarter of a pig, preferably the shank half. And it definitely was delicious... it just wasn't Knock-Your-Socks-Off, Oh-My-Goodness-I'm-Never-Smoking-Pork-Again good. However, it was served alongside a pan sauce made with some cherry jam, which definitely added a great kick to it.

The rice was also fantastic. This dish called for the use of comice pears, which fortunately were not too difficult to find (thank you, Whole Foods!). The rice ended up taking a LOT longer to cook than it said, and it never did absorb all of that water. Oh well, we were hungry. And the mushroom salad that it was served up with? Wow, what another winner! Such a light, tasty dish. This is definitely something to consider taking to a picnic, next time you're not sure what to make.

Fresh Ham, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Salad

After we wrapped up dinner, we cleaned the kitchen a little and moved on to dessert. Let me point out though, this entire time, Dave and Michelle were making those Apple Fennel Cheddar Cheese Straws. Now, they were FINALLY in the oven. Those things had to go in and out of the fridge about six million times during the preparation process. I was quite excited for this recipe, as I love cheese straws, but after seeing the toil they require, I am not really interested in adding this recipe to my repertoire. Anyway, we kept inquiring, "are they done yet?" "are they done yet?" and kept hearing, "NO! They have to stay in there until 10:20!" It was a tough existence, really.

Apple, Fennel, and Cheddar Cheese Straws, FINALLY!

Also while we were cooking dinner, Kate was taking care of the Double Dark Chocolate Thumbprints and the Dried Cherry and Almond Biscotti with White Chocolate. Seriously, this woman is a baking machine. I cannot believe the precision and speed she can assemble ingredients, whip up a dough, and get it into the oven. Plus, she exhibits fantastic modification skills. Let me say, its amazing what a dash of cinnamon does in the Chocolate Thumbprints, and after there was leftover white chocolate from the Biscotti, they became gorgeous swirls!

 Kate's Bad-Ass Improv Skills on the Double-Chocolate Thumbprints

Dried Cherry Biscotti that Won't Make it Until Morning

Anyway, we moved on to dessert. Dessert tonight was a Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cake. This recipe was actually a toss-up on whether or not we were supposed to do it. See, its a recipe that comes in an advertisement for McCormic Gourmet Collection Roasted Saigon Cinnamon. But hey, its a recipe, and its in the magazine, so we had to make it. Don't think that the fact that it was a molten chocolate cake had anything to do with that decision! At any rate, this cake definitely turned out quite well.

 Molten Spiced Chocolate Cakes

We were about to wrap up for the evening, when a perusal of the remaining dishes commenced, and I entered a state of sheer terror. I had not thought to properly allocate oven time. Fortunately, we have two ovens here (a definite necessity for this sort of undertaking!), but have you seen the recipes we have to bake? So, I figured we'd take care of the remaining cookies, just to get them off of our plate (and into our bellies).

Orange Butter Cookies with Grand Marnier Glaze (left) and Burnt Sugar Vanilla Cookies (right)

The only hiccup to our cookie-baking plan was that the dough for the Apricot Sandwich Cookies was way too dry to roll. So, we let it soften, mixed in a bunch more butter, and popped it back into the fridge. Folks, I do hope this recipe isn't a total failure!

Oh Fudge! This Dough Just Didn't Work!

Now, I must say, it pains me to tell you that we didn't complete today's schedule. The Pear Fritters were not made, nor the Cranberry, Pear, and Blood Orange Mostarda. We'll have to pick those up tomorrow.

Day One Done (almost...)

Let me just say, I couldn't sleep last night, partly because of my excitement for the next day but also because of the wind on this tiny piece of land, at the tip of Long Island, New York, called Montauk. Let me tell you, I couldn't get excited for this weekend until I saw the spreadsheets. I tried (because I love food) but I couldn't. However, Lisa and I have found a common ground that I didn't discover until I was done my shift of driving. We both love spreadsheets. I make and analyze spreadsheets for a living, she does it out of hobby. But not until I saw the amount of work and effort she put into this weekend (by her skillfully and useful spreadsheet), did I truly become excited.

I, Regina, love food.

The pivot table of ingredients, recipes, timetable, etc. was extensive. Impressive, quite frankly. To sit down and think, 42 recipes amongst 11 people in 2 and a half days? Wow. I'm never going to get into wedding shape!

But so far, so FANTASTIC! The portions have been generous but not crawling into bed after Thanksgiving big. Yes, I will admit, I have asked for the next dish/portion/serving, whatever you want to call it after each dish/portion/serving I've had. It's 9:30 and the schedule of meals for the day still aren't even done yet! The cheese straws aren't done yet and I have no idea what Ms. Iron Chef of America has on deck, but we will be eating until midnight...at the least.

I was a subscriber of Food & Wine magazine for a year (because a year subscription is the only option) but, what I found was, I only ripped out recipes; I did not make any (at least to my knowledge/memory). So far, during this experience, have I realized, there is no point in getting any food magazine unless you are really willing to work. Some (actually, few) of the recipes we have made today were simple and quick but nothing for the everyday life of basically everyone here.

This is quite the experience. Something I will remember. I will take, at most, 3 recipes home with me that I will want to integrate into my everyday life.

I hope to continue this new tradition for the recipes, the skills I have learned and for the already close friendships that are becoming closer.

Food is the fuel that bonds us.

And the beat goes on...

It's nearly 9, the wine is flowing, Tom Petty belts out "Running Down a Dream" as we make our way through my Dad's 400 some-odd CD's. And we are happy.

Updates... Kate finished the Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies with the addition of a little dash of Vietnamese cinnamon and a swirl of white chocolate added to the bittersweet. No worries as to the quality of these cookies considering the fact that she turned around and found a full row missing upon her return. The biscotti were drizzled with white chocolate and are waiting to be discovered by all... with the exception of Regina who has already polished off a few.

We anxiously await the cheese sticks...

The chicken thighs with mustard were a big hit. So big, Regina managed to POP a WHOOPEE cushion post-consumption. A woman of unmeasurable strength,she is!

There are many things to be said about this weekend, but I'll not the things that are proving most heart-warming. Everyone is engaged, lending a hand, and filling the house with laughter. A house in Montauk mid-February never smelled this good. My mom is posting responses to put antics and everyone is requesting that the Robertson Parental Units join us next year, though will be banned from cooking or cleaning and relegated to simply enjoying the hubbub and yummy chaos. That is assuming there is a next year, and considering the way it's going so far, there WILL be a next year!

Finally, selfishly, a grand thank you to the Food P folks who helped me get through the run today. It's not often that a host can pop out a nasty long run and know that her friends both don't hold it against her for ditching them and volunteer to put in a few miles in sub-30 temperatures with above 30 mph winds.

Ahhh... next course is served! Ham, mushroom salad, and wild rice!

Recipe Additions Along the Way

We have the ham still cooking, the chicken thighs (yes, we procured grainy mustard!) in the oven, the biscotti baked, chocolate cookies baked (they can't be eaten yet - waiting on their chocolate goodness centers!), the cheese straws are mid-process (by the way, holy labor intensive, Batman! Props go to Mr. Muff for taking the lead on this tricky one), and the wild rice is on the stove. We're about to be slammed with a bunch of dishes to eat.

But I must stray from our regularly scheduled menu to inform you of a deviation. The search for a rolling pin was not faring well, so we decided to call the parents to find out where it was located. While on the phone, we were instructed to add the recipe for Rude Little Pigs. Quite easy, really ... margarita mix, pomegranate juice, and smokey tequila, blended with ice, and served in a glass with a salted, baconed rim. Yes, I said baconed. I doubt that is a real word, but it should enter the lexicon. Baconed.

A Rude Little Pig with

Ben and Ingrid Chatting in the Background

Another Nibble.....

We finished up (both in cooking and consuming) the Shellfish with Fennel, Escarole, and Kale. This dish was yet another winner -- even sopping up the broth with a baguette was delicious. The Fresh Ham is in the oven (if you recall, we prepped it last night... well, that is, if I mentioned that....), Kate is putting together the remaining cookie doughs (and the biscotti dough!), and Dave is starting up the Apple, Fennel and Cheddar Cheese Straws.

 

Shellfish with Fennel, Escarole and Kale

Now of course, there is no way that we could have made it through this afternoon without an appetizer or two. Well, two. We also had some great Pate and Vegetarian Chopped Liver. The Pate, as you can see in the picture, was almost ready in time for the Pasta Puttanesca (a couple of hours ago), but we had to stick it back into the oven for another half hour (it hadn't cooked enough). So, after a little more cooking, we served it up alongside the Vegetarian Chopped Liver, a fantastic "pate" of pureed mushroom, onion, and egg. Both Regina and I thought it would taste fantastic on a bagel with a slice of smoked salmon. Mental note: Make more of this stuff! 

Liver Pate (left) and Vegetarian Chopped Liver (right)

So at this point, I think we've taken a great chunk out of the task at hand. However, I do worry that we're woefully behind schedule. We may be eating up until midnight, folks!! I think I'm going to take a look at our to-do list and figure out what to do next.

Post-Run Snacks

The weather is a very, very windy 32 degrees right now (with wind chill factor, the claim is "feels like 20"), and I just got back from a 6 mile run. Don't be impressed -- I just merely put in 1/3 of the run Kate did (18!). What is truly magical though is to be greeted with a hot bowl of Pasta Puttanesca upon my return!

Pasta Puttanesca

Mid-Day Status Check

Its going great here so far. We've prepped a bunch of stuff for later, including the Yogurt-Marinated Chicken, the Duxelles (for the Beef Wellington), and three of the cookie doughs. We're a little "behind" in eating, in part because we've staggered serving up a heaping serving of Pasta Puttanesca and Shellfish with Fennel for when Kate comes back from her 18 mile run. Martin and I are about to run out and join her for the last 6. For now though, here are a few pictures!

 The Chicken Demonstrates what it is Like to Become Porn

 Martin Massages the Chicken

 Regina Plays with Chicken Liver

Even Chaz Gets into the Cooking Game!

Ok, I am off to run a short 6 miles! See you guys later.

The Best Lamb in the World

Ok, we just served up the Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops alongside the Cannellini Beans with Lemon, Roasted Red Peppers, and Bacon. I do believe this is the best recipe for lamb chops known to mankind. Ben took the lead on this one, nearly cooking both recipes entirely by himself. How did we not know he was quite the chef??

Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops, Cannellini Beans with
Roasted Red Pepper and Bacon, and Yogurt-Mint Dipping Sauce

The beef stock is cooking on the stove, and we're doing another load of dishes. Ok, so they're doing a load of dishes. I'm sitting here typing. We're all learning about ingredients we do not use frequently, and Regina has already asked when we're going to eat next. Seriously, this "little portion" thing isn't working out. I'm famished.

Next up, we're going to make the duxelles for the Beef Wellington, and then we're going to move on to a Pasta Puttanesca and a Shellfish with Fennel. Yum.

Its Snack Time!

So, we're having a pretty fun morning so far. The beef bones are roasting for the beef stock, Kate is mixing up three different cookie doughs (all at once!), Ben and I are prepping for the cannellini beans, and Michelle and Aliza are making the Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, brown butter, and basil. Yes, those scallops are the next thing up. Let me tell you, these things taste fantastic. The scallops are cooked perfectly.

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, Browned Butter, and Basil

Special note has to go out to Kate. She jumped up to make some cookie dough, and after about 10 minutes I turned around to see the ingredients lined up for 3 doughs at once. Awesome assembly line skills!

Kate's Mad Assembly-Line Skills

Stay posted! There is much, much more to come!!

Waking to the Best Smells in the World

There are few pleasures in the world as simple and basic as waking to the smell of fresh waffles cooking. Let me clarify, those waffles are actually Spiced Yogurt  Waffles. It smells heavenly in here.

I was the third one to enter the kitchen this morning. Dave and Regina decided to take the first recipe on, preparing a breakfast of Snoopy-shaped Spiced Yogurt  Waffles. Did I mention, they smell amazing? My stomach is rumbling in anticipation!

Snoopy-shaped Yogurt Spiced Waffles

In lighter news, while laying in bed last night, I remembered the grainy mustard that I forgot in the fridge back home. Sounds like we'll definitely need that trip to the store......

And So It Begins!

Well, it is time. The weekend we've all anticipated is finally upon us. It is here. Food Porn Weekend. When I look back at the amount of planning and organizing that went into this weekend, and when I look forward at the task at hand, I can't help but feel awe at our insanity. I wish you could have been there to see me typing up ingredient lists, snickering each time I turned the page in the magazine as I thought to myself, "oh wow, this is amazing. I cannot believe this is real!"

Well, it is real folks.

Tonight, we marked the initiation of the weekend with the ceremonious drive up to Montauk, NY. We're staying at a gorgeous house owned by the parents of one of our insane contributors. The real draw is two-fold: first and foremost the gorgeous kitchen, and secondly the ability to use it as a "lock-in" of sorts. It is here we will sweat, toil, and rejoice in our creations. We'll laugh, we'll cry, and we'll make it out alive. Or, perhaps I am just being a romantic about all of this. So, enough of that romanticism, and on to what is going on.

Perhaps later when there is some downtime I shall recant for you the logistics of this venture. Rest assured though, when we arrived in Montauk, there was a food supply large enough to feed an army of 11 hungry foodie-chefs. I shall post pictures once they're off of the camera, but believe me, you'd be hard pressed to figure out where to store the coffee creamer in the fridge (we were able to cram it in there). Ingredients lined the counter and a bench alongside the wall. The smell of fresh citrus hung in the air. It truly was a magical site.

After unloading the cooler (several of the meat products were procured in Philadelphia prior to our journey up to Montauk), we settled down for a glass of wine and socialization while the remaining members of our party showed. By 10:00 or so, we had all assembled. We all took a moment to marvel over the meals that we were to feast upon, and awe over ... well, over my spreadsheet skills. Yes, there is no way to make that sound sexy. I'm a geek.

Anyway, today would start our very first step in this whole process. The Lemon and Rosemary Fresh Ham called for a rub to be applied to it, so that it may sit for 12-24 hours in this "marinade." So, we quickly mixed that up (it consisted of lemon zest, rosemary, salt, pepper, enough garlic to ward of all vampires, and olive oil), rubbed it on the pork, popped it back in the fridge, and resumed drinking (after dutifully washing our dishes).

At this moment, everyone but myself has retired for the evening. I am about to head that way too, but I just wanted to give you one last update before the real chaos begins. I pose to you possible wager suggestions....

Will we complete this? Will we really make all 42 recipes?
Will we stay on top of washing those dishes?
Will we run out of lemons and limes? Will we lose them to the guys drinking Corona?
Will we ever want to eat again, once this is all said and done?!

Time will tell. Oh yes, only time will tell.

The Planning

For anyone that knows me, it should come as no surprise that I would jump at the opportunity to start the planning and run the show. I brag, after all, that I have the ability to take a seemingly unfathomable task and break it up into small, manageable parts. That, and people tell me I am a good cook. I insist it’s merely because I am capable of following directions, and skilled in picking out great recipes, though. Well, that and my studious nature of all things food (I am an Art Institute Drop-Out, after all).

The weekend was selected, and it was time to throw down the gauntlet. I mean, pick the magazine. Since we were getting together in February, and I feared cooking magazines during that month would cater towards the post-New Year’s Weight Loss Plan and Cooking-For-Your-Valentine, I figured it would be best to select a magazine in December. Why December, you ask? Well, quite simply – December is the time for celebration, for festivity, for the ornate, and for indulgence. Sure enough, the rack of magazines did not let me down. In fact, it was rather hard to narrow it down to just one. Eventually, I was able to succeed, in part due to the gorgeous picture of a Salty Caramel Croquembouche on the cover. Fine Cooking, Dec 10 / Jan 11, you won me over with your promise of Beef Wellington, Homemade Tortellini, cookies that look like they came from a bakery, and a fruitcake that may turn me into a believer. 

After magazine selection, fast-forward a couple of months. Now, it is the time for studying the magazine, cover to cover, in preparation. I think of this like training for a marathon. I put in a little effort every day, studying recipes, studying preparations, mentally plotting out my game plan, so that on the big day (or weekend), we prevail. A shopping list was formulated for every recipe in the magazine, and food purveyors were located. Orders were placed locally in Montauk (for delivery) and at a butcher in Philadelphia. Schedules were drafted. The weekend will start on Saturday morning and end on Monday at lunchtime. We did select President’s Day Weekend, after all.

FPW: The Origin

The idea started simply enough. Or perhaps I should say it started innocently enough. It was July, and we were sitting around the table on the back deck, enjoying the morning sunshine. Some of us were still sipping our morning coffee, others already planning the day’s activities. Some perused the daily news; others were mid-pedicure. Pat picked up a cooking magazine from the table, and started flipping through it.

“Oooooooh…”

“Mmmmmm….”

Before long, he had us all marveling over the gorgeous pictures in the magazine, and commenting on how some were just so … arousing. Perhaps the endorphins released when enjoying a particularly tasty dish are similar to those released during a particularly tasty encounter of another sort. I have no scientific backing for that statement, but if you are a self-proclaimed foodie like many out there, I am certain you are inclined to agree with this statement. And then the idea was born.

“We should make every single recipe in this magazine.”

I do not remember who said it. I do not remember if there was any hesitation to everyone’s emphatic agreement. What I do remember is that pretty rapidly, and before anyone could back down, a plan was formed. See, what you have to understand is that while sitting in this circle of friends, I found myself among a group who does not know how to say no to a challenge. To complete a marathon or an Ironman was not unheard of among this group of runners and triathletes. A few of us were, after all, in Montauk that weekend to compete in a triathlon. Seemingly insane activities like rock climbing and cliff diving are just another weekend around here.

So with that said, when a challenge is posed that would test one’s endurance to limits not previously attempted, this group was not likely to back down. Instead, a plan was formed. A weekend would be selected. A magazine would be selected. We would get together, and in one endurance feat to rival the ages, we would cook every single recipe in the magazine. And photograph it. And eat it. And marvel at how wonderfully rich life is.

Oh yes, and to blog it. Why? So that you may be there to cheer us on, to encourage us, and to ring the cowbell as we’re about to run across the finish line.