Tribute to Julia...

       One of my biggest cooking heroes, next to my mother and my grandmother, is Julia Child. She would have been 100 today.  She is recognized for bringing fine and fancy French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I have spent many hours pouring over her recipes, trying, tasting and tweaking to fit the needs and likes of my family. I love to watch her in the kitchen, her programs always made it look so simple.

   The two main things I learned from Julia was... 1. Never underestimate the power of a good sharp knife and 2. if at first you don't like the way it tastes, try again!. Which was the case with my "Beef Bourguignon". We are not a wine drinking family, so many substitutions were made and tried before I just finally came up with a very tasty version. I have tried many of her awesome recipes over the years and many of them are still the ones I fall back on if I need a good dish for a party. One of my favorite quotes from her is very simple, “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”  I cannot begin to tell you the number of times we have tried a recipe and like it, but after making a few unpredictable changes we ended up loving the dish even more.


        Another Quote I often use, especially as I have focused on my weight loss and biggest loser challenges, “The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.”  I have learned alot and hope to continue to do so. She has helped to bring meaning and passion into something that I love so dearly and that is "the art of making people smile through my food!" So HATS of to Juila! You will always be with me at my table... :).

Day 130/55... SuperBowl!!!

        Well, as usually, Superbowl means MY BOYS, A TABLE FULL OF FOOD and MOMMA hogging the middle of the COUCH! And as usual, the game was good, but the food was better... :). Each year we try to add one new recipe to our menu and this year we decided to try Chef Anne's "Zucchini & Parm Fritters " from her "Cooking Like a Rockstar" Cook book. They were so yummy and the tomato dipping sauce was fantastic.

Day 115... "Cooking Like a Rockstar"

I was so excited when my hubby gave me a copy of Chef Anne Burrell's "Cooking like a Rockstar" Here is our first attempt!  "Big Brown Braised Short Ribs" We really enjoyed the ribs and since I am trying very hard to be good and semi-stick to my "Biggest Loser" plan, we chose to replace the mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower. It was all very tasty! :)

Mashed Cauliflower 

Ingredients

• 8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
• 2 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1/3 cup nonfat milk or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Preparation

1. Place cauliflower florets and garlic in  boiling water, cook until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
2. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add milk,  butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl.  You can drizzle with the  2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving: 107 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 3 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 339 mg sodium; 288 mg potassium