Cooking for Real with Sunny Anderson Real Comfort, Real Good Spicy Macaroni and Cheese Pan Fried Meatloaf in Tricolor Peppers Shake Shots I liked Sunnys first show, which I saw some time ago, but not her timeslot . Sunday mornings are not my first choice for food tv . But I saved a bunch of Sunnys shows and I like the menu on this one one dish in particular I thought was very clever. Sunnys doing comfort food. She starts with her mothers spicy mac and cheese. She adds 2 cups of elbow pasta to boiling salted water. She goes on the meatloaf.  read more »

Today's vegetarian recipe: A Greek recipe for Kourkouto with Zucchini (???????to e ??????????a), not quite quiche, not quite bread pudding, not quite frittata, served hot or at room temperature so good for brunch or light supper. Kalofagas means 'gourmet' in Greek and it's the perfect name for the Canadian food blog which celebrates -- make that CELEBRATES! -- traditional Greek food. Kalofagas is a not-to-miss food blog. Peter Minakis lives and breathes Greek cuisine / home cooking in the way some (who?!) live and breathe vegetables. When he described this recipe for a zucchini pie as a "cheater's pita" and "somewhere between a quiche and a frittata, utilizing Greek ingredients" I couldn't wait to make it. (True confession: while this same affect occurs many times a day, perhaps one of a hundred recipes actually get made.) My own take is that it's as much a bread pudding, especially when baked in a pie plate versus a larger sheet pan. It's also similar to a humble but delicious Bisquick pie such as the Ham & Cheese Bread from my long-time friend Lisa (and now Portland food blogger) which I've made at least once before. Whatever it's like, I love how this zucchini pie uses pantry ingredients and can be served either hot (when it's more quiche-like) or cold (when it's more like bread pudding) and thick (more quiche-like) or thin (more frittata-like). Thank you, Peter, for the inspiration!  read more »

Today's recipe: A thick relish with a bite of pepper made from 'huge' zucchini, onion, carrot and peppers. Free food: think 'monster' zucchini and 'prolific' peppers. This time of year, free food makes its way into our kitchens where we become its steward, charged with 'no waste' and looking for recipes to use up large zucchini and piles of peppers. With this recipe for zucchini relish, I made good use of two extra-large zucchinis, each one weighing 2+ pounds and still only Size XL beside a four-pound Size XXXL. The zucchini relish recipe is 'tried and true' -- it came from my friend Linda who got it from her friend Kathie who got it from her mother-in-law who got it from, well, you know. Grating and chopping takes a good hour, then the vegetables rest for three hours before getting cooked and processed in canning jars. The relish is sweet, almost enough to be called a 'zucchini jam' but still, leans to the savory side. It's got some bite too, thanks to a good measure of black pepper which shouldn't be skipped. It's thick and good for spreading (as photographed, on bread atop feta cheese, say). The color is beautiful! The carrots and red peppers stay bright and colorful, the zucchini takes on the amber color of turmeric. Yes, I really like this stuff!  read more »

Today's product tips: Jarred peppers from the grocery and fresh mini peppers from Costco. Today's recipe: A 'vegged up' ham sandwich with an easy goat cheese-red pepper spread. Pound for edible pound, fresh peppers are increasingly expensive. Here in St. Louis, the everyday supermarket price ranges from $1.50 to $2.00 a pepper -- per pepper ! Demand is high, so sale prices are rare. For a few weeks in early fall, locally grown peppers are plump and plentiful (and cheap, say $.25 each) at the farmers market -- even while the grocery stores are charging the same $1.50 to $2.00 for peppers imported from somewhere. (Wouldn't you know it? This week my local supermarket has peppers on sale for $1 apiece. I bought several!) So I keep my eyes peeled for pepper products -- and have two to recommend. JARRED PEPPERS - For $2 to $3, I find jars of (slightly pickled) peppers and jars of roasted peppers. Each jar holds six or more whole peppers, so they'll go a long way. But forget the regular supermarkets for the lower prices. Here I find them at an Italian market (for St. Louisans, Viviano's on The Hill) and at an international market (for St. Louisans, Global Foods in Kirkwood) but of course, you'll need to keep your own eyes peeled. They keep - so it's easy to stock up on a jar or two. MINI PEPPERS - A two-pound bag of these gorgeous mini peppers was $5 at Costco - and to my wallet, worth every cent. They make great snacks, plus it's also easy to chop one or two for an omelet or garnishing a soup -- so there's little waste. Plus, they're just so darn 'cute', yes? YOUR EXPERIENCE - What's your experience with pepper prices, both fresh and in 'convenience products' like these I recommend? Are they in your budget?  read more »

Of Spaghetti & Vegetables... this one's a combination full-of-flavour! Bursting with flavour...an incredibly delicious focaccia ! Ever since I read that Casa Bencomo has a huge jar of organic garlic waiting to be used up, my minds hit the garlic trail. Am sure the jar at Amy's end is history, but my pursuit in never ending...garlic is one of my favourite ingredients. I was at a loose end for a meal one day...rummaged in the fridge & found bell peppers. Had a couple of heads of garlic & spaghetti. The Pasta Bible has place of honour on my bedside these days...a recipe I had read a couple of nights back came to my mind... Spaghettini all'Aglio Arrostio ( Spaghettini with Roasted Garlic). The garlic was duly put to roast, & the poor bell peppers tortured to grill again!  read more »