Play with it and it will taste better.

Way back on January 20, 2011 I posted the recipe for a traditional Utah recipe, Funeral Potatoes. Not having the orange variety of Cheddar cheese, cornflakes or fresh potatoes available, and being too lazy to go to the store, I decided to try a few other ingredients and see what I could come up with. I must say, it was a very tasty experiment.

Now, at the same time the potatoes were cooking, I also had in the oven a tray of chicken legs and thighs baking in my Homemade Barbeque Sauce. I removed the skin from the chicken before coating it in the sauce, so the chicken meat itself absorbed the flavor of the sauce, and the baking process actually put a little char on it. Basically, once the chicken is in the oven, just leave it alone and let it do its own thing. I baked up 20 chicken legs and 12 thighs, so they started in the oven while the potatoes were warming up on the counter, and finished while the potatoes were resting. Perfect timing!

Saucy Shredded Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp sour cream
½ cup heavy cream
2 (14.5 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup each shredded white Cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese
1 (28 oz) bag frozen shredded potatoes

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, medium-high heat, melt butter and whisk in flour, salt, black pepper and onion powder. Stir in sour cream, heavy cream, soup, milk and cheeses; bring to a low boil; reduce heat to low and let cook for 5 minutes.

Put the potatoes into a large bowl, pour the cheese mixture in and mix thoroughly. Pour this mixture into a 2 qt baking dish (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray); cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, remove from refrigerator and let it sit on counter for a half hour. Preheat oven to 350F; remove plastic wrap, sprinkle plain dried bread crumbs over top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil, bake additional 15 minutes; let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Famous Dave's BBQ

Famous Dave’s BBQ

2440 Hwy 6 And 50
Grand Junction, CO 81505

(970) 245-8227

Website: www.legendarybbq.com

We have tried Famous Dave’s a few times and never walked away disappointed; wheeled away in a wheel barrow because we were very full though. Honestly, I have to say it is not the absolute best barbeque I have ever had, but it still deserves a high rating. The various meats and poultry have always been cooked in an excellent manner, are lean, and served in a plentiful way. There is a variety of sauces on each table and it’s enjoyable to try each one. I still haven’t made up my mind which I like the best, so a good excuse to keep trying them all out; and they are available for purchase.

The wait staff is very friendly and attentive; wearing t-shirts with sayings regarding barbeque. They don’t think twice about questions, and gladly make sure your food is done the way you want it to be. The décor and atmosphere of the restaurant is fun; that’s the best way to describe it; you enter and you know you’re going to have fun eating there.

Favorite appetizers are Sweetwater Catfish Fingers - tender strips lightly breaded with Cajun-seasoned cornmeal and flash-fried; served with rémoulade and Sweet Soul Jalapeño sauces. The catfish is perfectly cooked and are enjoyable with or without the sauces.

The BBQ Chicken Wings are meaty and sauced with Famous Dave’s Rich and Sassy sauce; they’re addicting.

It is just so hard to pick one item to eat at Famous Dave’s, so getting their All American Feast (4-5 people) or the Feast for Two (2-3 people) is the best bet. They contain a full slab of St. Louis-style spareribs, a whole chicken, 1/2 lb. of either Texas beef brisket or Georgia chopped pork, coleslaw, Famous Fries, Wilbur Beans, four corn-on-the-cob, and four corn bread muffins. The Feast for Two is the same, but only half in size. The brisket and pork are both excellent, so you might want to order one of those as an addition to either Feast to get the full effect of Famous Dave’s.

Of all the times we’ve been there, I’ve never seen anyone leave unhappy, or without a take away box; and never have heard anyone complain about the food. Yes, it’s in the genre of chain restaurants, but don’t knock it for that…try it.

Mary Cokenour

Comforting sighs for edible pillows.

They fit in the hand, soft, fluffy, perhaps a little crumbly. Splitting them open a waft of flavorful steam ascends to the nostrils. You breathe in and immediately the comforting feeling begins; an all over embrace and then you sigh.

Whether they are smeared with jams, jellies, flavored butters, sweet butter, gravy or just plain; the buttermilk biscuit is one of the ultimate comfort foods. They fill the mind with childhood memories that bring a smile to your face; a dreamy eyed look upon the face.

Stress melts off the shoulders just as the butter oozes down the sides of that little pillow you are munching upon. Problems don't go away, but at least they'll be easier to deal with later on. So help yourself to a buttermilk biscuit, relax and just enjoy the moment...or two...heck, three of those little beauties might be the answer.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½” pieces
¾ to 1 cup cold buttermilk
¼ cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp butter, melted, used for brushing

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425F; oven rack should be in center of oven.

Sift into a large bowl flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; cut the cold butter into the flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal; small pieces of uncut butter should be visible. Using a fork, stir in ¾ cup buttermilk and heavy cream until the mixture forms a sticky ball; if still dry, gradually add in remaining ¼ cup buttermilk.

Place the dough on a floured board; work it between hands to smooth out the ball. Roll the dough out to 1 ½” thick; cut out 3” circles using a biscuit cutter or a glass. Place the circles on an ungreased baking sheet. Any dough left can be reformed and cut into circles.

Brush tops with melted butter; bake for 10-15 minutes; until biscuits rise and are golden brown. If desired, brush with additional melted butter before serving.

Makes 12-15 biscuits.

Mary Cokenour

Sign of Onset Insanity…the eye twitch.

Roy is usually home on Wednesday; seems there’s a lull at work on this day, so he doesn’t have to go in. More and more I have noticed that my mind turns to mush on Wednesday; coincidence? I think not!

Take, for example, this morning’s conversation:

Roy: Where are my lighters!?!
Me: How would I know?
Roy: You know where everything is.
Me: I know where it is if I saw where it was.
Roy: But you’re supposed to know where they are.
Me: Why?
Roy: Because.
Roy: When is my appointment for the car inspection? (Now I have already told him 3 times, and it is written on the calendars)
Me: It’s still at 10am, just like it was all the other times I told you.
Roy: I’m just making sure.
Me: It’s written on the calendars too.
Roy: I’m making sure the time on them was right.

….and the eye twitch begins. It doesn’t stop just because I am aware of it, in fact, I believe it gets worse. It’s as if it’s saying to me, “you married him, so deal.” I usually take a couple of Advil and get myself busy, hoping that I can ignore it and it will go away. So I begin to write today’s blog post and…..it’s gone.

Today will be another journey into the realm of Mexican cuisine; the Enchilada. I have chicken defrosted, but am not in the mood for Chicken Pot Pie or Stir Fry; I want a challenge, and Mexican cuisine is a challenge for me. I need this challenge, so I won’t have to deal with the issue of lost lighters again…well, at least for today.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

Filling:

½ cup chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ tsp each salt, ground black pepper, paprika; mixed together
2 Tbsp canola oil
½ cup each diced onion, red bell pepper and tomato
½ cup sour cream
1 cup crumbled Queso fresco (cheese)
1 Tbsp minced cilantro

Sauce:

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
½ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp New Mexico chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Pour chicken broth into an 8”x8” baking dish. Season chicken with seasoning mixture and place into baking dish; cover with aluminum foil and bake 20-30 minutes (internal temp should be at 160F). Remove chicken, let cool until can be handled and shred apart.
To prepare the filling, heat oil in large skillet on medium heat; sauté onion and red bell pepper until slightly softened. Add in shredded chicken, tomato, sour cream, Queso cheese and cilantro; cook until cheese just begins to melt.

To prepare the sauce, put all ingredients listed for sauce in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once bubbles begin to appear, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.

To put it all together, preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange even amounts of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll closed and place in baking dish, seam side down. Pour sauce over all and spread shredded white Cheddar over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes; uncover, bake additional 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

The Education of Restaurant Reviews.

Attention Restaurant Owners:  Please do NOT attempt to put a link to your restaurant via the Comments box.  If I have not reviewed the establishment, then I cannot recommend it.  Thank you.

When I first started to do restaurant reviews, the main reason was that no one else in the area was doing it. When I would ask about a particular restaurant folks went to or avoided, the information was based upon their relationship with the owner and the local gossip. I couldn’t get much information about the food or service, but I sure did learn a lot about who was sleeping with whom or who had which addiction. Seriously, I don’t care.

Local newspapers and dining guides didn’t do reviews either; too afraid that a friend or family member would get angry at them; or an advertisement would be lost. Seriously, if a restaurant is downright bad, why would you want to advertise it?

I had to rely on internet reviews; most of them consisted of “food is good, waitress is nice, go there” or “food bad, lousy service, won’t go back”. Sorry, but I need more detail to decide if what is stated truly describes the dining experience. My reviews give details on atmosphere, appearance, management (if present), wait staff and most especially…the food. I don’t go dining alone as I want to hear what others I’m with also are experiencing; what their opinions are. We discuss each aspect, the pros and cons, and 9 times out of 10 the reviews I give equal their own. If it doesn’t, I state that too, so the review is not always just about me. I always go to a restaurant, fast food place or a pub with an open mind; no prejudging.

If a restaurant owner doesn’t like my review, don’t attack me for it, but ask “Why? Why was this diner given a bad experience?” The atmosphere, appearance, service and food should be consistent, so all diners come away with a positive experience. If this doesn’t occur, what happened and what can you do to make sure it doesn’t happen again? Please don’t contact me and blame me by saying, “well, you obviously weren’t open minded, a local, or being friendly with the locals”. Excuse me?!? How can you read my mind? Besides being polite, smiling and chatting; how friendly are we talking? What does my being a “local” have to do with the quality of the restaurant experience? If the establishment is only open to locals, then a sign should state such at the main doorway.

Then there are reviewers on various internet review sites such as ”Yelp.com” or “Urbanspoon.com” who feel that dissing or threatening other reviewers, who do not agree with them, is the mature thing to do. Wake up call; everyone is entitled to their own opinion and the posting of such on these sites. If you have a different experience than I do, good for you; but that doesn’t negate my experience, and I will not remove my review due to a threat or insult.

Lastly there is the issue of those with the intelligence of a two year old; they try and post derogatory, insulting, threatening or obscene comments on my blog posts.  The same individuals try to do this under the name of "Anonymous", so they don't even have the gumballs to let me know who they are.  Seriously, do they actually believe I will let those comments be approved for viewing?  Get a clue.....NO!!!  If you don't like what I wrote, then please, create your own food blog, write restaurant reviews and show me how it's supposed to be done. No? I didn't think so.

So, here is the link to my Restaurant Review page: http://marycokenour.blogspot.com/p/restaurant-reviews.html . You’ll be able to read for yourself that they are based upon the experience itself, and nothing else, especially unfriendly bias.
 
Happy Dining!!!

Mary Cokenour

Pepperhead is hot stuff!!!

Pepperhead

44 West Main Street

Cortez, CO, 81321

(970) 565-3303

Hours: Mon thur Sat – 11am to 8:30pm

Website: http://www.pepperheadcortez.com

Pepperhead is an open, airy restaurant with beautiful paintings and rugs adorning the walls.  The tables are along the walls, leaving the main walking area free, but spaced apart so diners have a sense of privacy.  The feel of a Mexican cantina, but with a quiet and calming atmosphere.  Tess, the co-owner, and the wait staff is very friendly; and answer questions with a smile.  Her father, Pete, is the other co-owner, but we did not meet him the day we were there.  The menu is small, but enables Pepperhead to concentrate on serving quality, not just quantity; and the meals are large.

Chimichanga — Large tortilla is filled with a choice of chicken, beef or pork and cheese, rolled and fried, and then smothered in red or green chile sauce.  Roy had the shredded beef with the red chile sauce; the Chimichanga is no light weight, so good thing he was hungry.   First we each tried a bite with just the red chile sauce, and it made the mouth explode; the beef tender and flavorful.  A bit hotter than I like, so I tried a bite with a little sour cream, and the difference was huge.  First you get the heat, but then the sour cream eases the heat down to a feel good experience.

Tampequeña -- Lightly seasoned thin-cut steak, cheese enchilada and a carne seca taco; served with rice and beans, sour cream, guacamole and tortillas. The steak comes folded, so you get more than you see at first; the seasoning was hot for me, but with a dollop of beans and sour cream, wrapped in one of the small, warm corn tortillas....heavenly. The carne seca taco opened my eyes; the grill taste of the meat was surprisingly awesome. They use white Monterey cheese, imported from Mexico, in the enchilada; it is mild, gooey and a plaything for the mouth. The rice is lightly seasoned and moister than most rice you get on a Mexican menu; the beans are the best refried beans I've ever had...not dry and very yummy.

We made sure to leave a little room for dessert and ordered one of our favorites.

Sopapilla – A hot, puffy flour tortilla with just a hint of crispness to the outside.  Tearing it open, steam is released; the interior is bread soft and begging for a good dose of honey.  We each had one of our own; it was the perfect dessert and contrast to the spiciness of the meals we enjoyed.

Salsa and Guacamole are made fresh on the premises.

The Salsa, if just looking at it, looks unimpressive; basically tomatoes, but it holds a secret surprise.  Put some on a tortilla chip, eat it and then….wait for it…wait for it…oh, a nice slow burn that eases down the back of the throat, and the Salsa becomes alive.

I’m not a big fan of Guacamole, but the one at Pepperhead happens to go great as a condiment, or as a chip dip.  It is slightly chunky, garlicky with a hint of sweetness, and a fine accessory to any of their dishes.

Not a fan of large, chainlike Mexican restaurants; then Pepperhead is the place you want to sit, relax and eat in.

Mary Cokenour

Bring out the best in frozen seafood.

On Jan 29, 2011, I wrote about how getting fresh fish in a landlocked state forced one to be creative with frozen fish. It's not just about how to cook the seafood itself, but what can be served as a side.  Most folks, even restaurants, go the easiest route and serve a steamed to death vegetable medley.  Personally, I rather have just the seafood and a good salad as a side dish; limp, overcooked veggies just don't have a big appeal for me.

Oh, but that's just too easy; and I have always wanted to attempt an Italian dish called Carbonara which basically consists of bacon (or pancetta is you can find it), eggs, butter and cheeses.  What, no sauce!?!  Hey, it's got bacon in it; and everything tastes good with bacon.

I happen to have some frozen scallops and salmon in the freezer, so defrosted them; gave them a good sear and served the Carbonara on the side...it was so good!  Not complicated and comforting; just like it should be.  Enjoy!

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped pancetta (if not available, use unflavored smoked bacon)

1 lb strand pasta (fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti)

3 large eggs

¼ cup each grated Pecorino Romano and shredded Parmesan cheese

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp each salt and ground black pepper

2 Tbsp diced fresh parsley

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium heat, melt butter; add in pancetta (bacon) and cook till crisp.  At the same time, cook pasta according to package direction, but until just under al dente.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, cheeses, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Drain pasta and add to skillet; reduce heat to low.  Add in mixture from small bowl and mix thoroughly with pasta and the bacon; let cook for 7 minutes to make sure all is heated through.

Serve with sprinkled parsley over top.

Makes 4 servings.

~~~~~~

Seared Salmon and Scallops

Ingredients:

4 – ¼ lb salmon filets (skin and pin bones removed)

12 large scallops

1 Tbsp each sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika mixed together

4 Tbsp olive oil (Option – substitute bacon fat instead of oil)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Season the salmon and scallops with the seasoning mixture.

In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat; place in salmon and cook each side for 4 minutes.  Remove to plate.  Next, cook scallops in same skillet; 2 minutes per side; remove.

Add lemon juice to skillet, mix with oil and scrape up any bits stuck to pan.  Pour liquid over the salmon and scallops.

Makes 4 servings of each seafood.

Mary Cokenour