Super Simple and Super Delicious Stovetop Steak

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STEAK.

On a friend's birthday, all you need is steak and whiskey. At least that rule holds true if this is the person you are cooking for:

Gerard DiPippo, Great American.

So, if you find yourself in a position of cooking for Gerard DiPippo, or Ron Swanson, or Jack Donaghy, or if you just really want a good steak and don't have a grill, this is the recipe for you.

Mac'in': Round 2- Falltastic Mac v. Oktoberfest Mac

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Bacon and pretzel bun crumb topping, pre-baking. 

Obviously, I cannot have experimentation macaroni death round matches without my dear partner, Tammy. So, while on a weekend trip up to NYC, I clearly had to devote my entire Sunday to macaroni and cheese.

This time, it was the same Pumpkin Mac I made last week with some minor variations, redubbed "Falltastic Mac" by the Tammiest, versus our "Oktoberfest Mac" (Beer and Brat Mac with Bacon-Pretzel Bun Bread Crumbs). Do not be surprised- we may both dwell on the East Coast, but we spend three years in the Heartland while attending law school in the Midwest. And duh, beer cheese is delicious! 

I am still debating whether my obsession with macaroni and cheese has become troubling..... Read on for the results....

Mac'in': Round 1- Jungle Cat Short Rib Mac Redux v. Pumpkin Mac with Brussels Sprouts Bread Crumb Topping

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Pumpkin beer braised short ribs. I think this is pretty. But again, I suck at food photography and love meat.

Last year, I feel like Julian and I were robbed of victory- even if it was our own fault. We didn't understand that a key component of competitive cooking is stacking the odds in your favor by inviting your friends.

Number of friends we invited last year: 3

Number of friends who came last year: 0

SIGH. So, I am still very proud of our "dark horse" third place finish, BUT THIS YEAR DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION. Tammy has already created a FB invite warning our friends of the cook-off 2 months in advance, but we would prefer to win based on our cooking skills and NOT our popularity....

Enter our experimentation death matches in which our test subjects.... errr, friends..... have to gorge themselves on whatever kinds of mac and cheese we make and provide us with constructive feedback. For round 1, I am re-making our relatively successfully Jungle Cat Short Rib Mac and also experimenting with a fall-inspired (if I am honest, mainly Tammy-inspired) macaroni and cheese with pumpkin beer braised short ribs, actual pumpkin in the bechamel, and a hella crazy Brussels sprouts-parmesan-bread crumb topping.

The process of making a pumpkin bechamel may have caused me to rethink my own culinary genius, but read on for the results....

And.... I am back

So, I got a new job, moved to a new city, and sadly neglected my first love: cooking.

However, I am back, and committed to cooking more, cooking better, and sharing my adventures with my friends and family. AND, despite our original fears, I am not allergic to dairy or gluten- nope, just weird other allergies (of course).

First up: Tammy (the Tammiest!) and I have thrown our hats in the ring for the Claque's 4th Annual "Mac Off." It's my second time, her first time, and we are committed to greatness.... or at least trying for greatness.

Expect a lot (A LOT) of crazy mac and cheese posts in the coming days.

XO,
Kristin

Tammy and the original Jungle Cats.

Easter Brunch! (Entirely dairy and gluten free)

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My "tablescape" (the term "tablescape" reminds me a bit too much of Sandra Lee, but considering it's not just orange juice in those glasses, that might be appropriate).

My mom, my friend Fan and I hosted a gluten free and dairy free Easter brunch for nine today. Click through for more pictures and information!

Almond, Coconut and Banana Pancakes: Taking my "elimination diet" to new heights of unhealthiness!

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You know you want to eat these. Also, please note the delicious bacon in the back. Mmmm, bacon.

The "easy" way to do gluten, soy, and dairy free is to eat very simple, healthy foods: fruit, vegetables, meats, and nut products that are simply prepared and not doused in sauces. However, that can get really, really boring, and I like cooking. And I wanted to eat something other than eggs for breakfast.

I am not very experienced with using "alternative" flours, and the idea of fake food grosses me out, so I sought help from the internet in finding an acceptable pancake recipe. This pancake recipe from Against All Grain looked delicious, and had awesome reviews, so I doubled it and made my first attempt at cooking with alternative flour.

Pseudo-Samoa Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes: Happy Birthday, I am gluten, dairy, and soy free!

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Happy Birthday Mom and Eric!

I am trying an "elimination diet." No gluten, no dairy, no soy. Hopefully this helps with some health issues I've been experiencing, and so far, it's not *that* bad (side note: probably shouldn't be drinking so much wine on an elimination diet, but, eh). Also, I won't lie: I sort of really want the Cool Ranch Dorito Taco from Taco Bell. I should be ashamed of that, but I am not. 

Last weekend at my brother's going away party, everyone else had cake and ice cream, and I got to stare at their plates (guess what I had for dessert: wine!). So, I decided that the only way to ensure that I could eat my mom's birthday cake was to make it myself. I looked at some restrictive diet websites, and although I didn't find a cake recipe that I liked, this flourless fudge brownie recipe over at Yammie's Glutenfreedom did inspire me.

Something Like Saag: Attempting Indian

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This picture doesn't look very appetizing- just very green. 

This isn't really a story. I like Indian food. I am decent at making curries, so why not try saag, since I always order it at Indian restaurants? 

My mom was confused. She kept asking me what it was, and what was in it, and telling me she had "something like this before." I kept telling her it was Indian food, and she kept asking. Ah, Nibblet. 

Simple Spinach and Sausage Lasagna (Lasagne?) for Mina

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Lasagna is kind of ugly.

Lasagna (or apparently, lasagne) is very easy to make, and I guess I could make this post more "exciting"by making my own sauce, but alas, I was lazy yesterday, and Mina requested a lasagna recipe. Additionally, my brother is moving to New Jersey and will be living alone, so this is a basic recipe for him to reference when he has to start cooking for himself regularly. But, the pictures in this post are super boring. 

Also, while I wouldn't describe myself as a super-healthy cook (I love butter, and olive oil, and cheese, and carbs, and the word "paleo" makes me involuntarily scrunch up my face and make gagging noises- sorry!), I always try to ensure that my food isn't devoid of nutritional content, so I did add spinach and onions to this recipe, and only used 3 layers of noodles to avoid making this dish too pasta-heavy.

Butternut Squash Soup: Bribery Helps

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Soup/ Bisque

I think I mentioned this a while ago, but I flew to Florida in late October to be maid of honor in my friend Lauren's wedding. Her ceremony was held at sunset on the beach in St. Pete's, and was absolutely gorgeous, if a bit windy. The reception was a blast (nothing like dancing to Nicky Minaj's "Pound the Alarm" with your mom), and after the dancing ended, my friend Mina almost worked up the courage to go in the ocean. 

Trying to get Mina to go swimming. She has a fear of "natural bodies of water."

Unfortunately, when we woke up the next morning, we all faced the nasty reminder that the winds that had only slightly marred the ceremony the night before were a mild side effect of Super Storm Sandy. With the giant storm approaching the Northeast, many of our flights were delayed or cancelled.

Almond Scones with Orange Glaze

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In addition to slacking off when it comes to posting my recipes and food creations, I can also slack off when it comes to providing requested food items. I told my mom I would make these delicious-looking almond scones for Valentine's Day, and I failed to bake scones until today.

In my defense, I made her three kinds of homemade truffles, and these delicious chocolate cupcakes for Valentine's Day, so I thought the scones might not be fully appreciated with all of the cocoa-based competition:

Side note: Ringing endorsement from my brother- "This is the first scone I've eaten that I haven't felt like I had a mouth full of dirt. Is this how they're supposed to taste? Not like those hard-as-a-rock things from the grocery store?" (Answer to both questions: Yes!). 

Amazing Brined Turkey and Southern Cornbread Stuffing: Belated Thanksgiving Post

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I think this is pretty.

Truth: I am easily distracted, and as much as I like to cook, remembering to turn recipes and crappy iPhone photos into blog posts is not my strong suit. The whole "cooking blog" project was derailed, and I've been refinishing furniture and recently bought a staple gun to do more DIY projects. 

Anyway, I am back at it, and working forward from the oldest pictures in my phone. So, time for my Thanksgiving recipes. I made turkey that was actually delicious! I will never go back to regular turkey again- brining every Thanksgiving from now on! The stuffing ("dressing") was pretty tasty too.