Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Retro dinner....and a great way to use leftovers

We had cheese fondue tonight for dinner. What a great way to use up stale bread (reheated and cut into cubes), two slices of roast pork (cut into cubes), some mushrooms, an apple. Not to mention all the odd bits of various cheeses I had.

Now for the fondue--my measurements aren't precise. I sauteed some minced shallots in a little bacon fat, then added a tablespoon or so of flour and made a roux. To this I added about a half cup of sauvignon blanc wine and once the alcohol cooked off, I added a cup or so of warm milk. I whisked this until it began to bubble and thicken, and then I started adding shredded cheeses. I had cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, a bit of German butterkase, some Parmesan, and I think something like an Edam or Gouda. All told I probably added 2-3 cups of shredded cheeses. Keep in mind, this was for 4 people. Once the cheese was all melted and smooth, I added a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, some white pepper, and voila! To serve, I have a stand that holds square ceramic bowls that are heat-safe. I simply put a tealight under the bowl of cheese, and put all the other "dippers" in the stand and on the table in appropriate bowls. Then with fondue forks in hand, we all dug in!

Wouldn't want to do it every day or even every week or month, but once in a while, what a lot of fun!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Rescuing Girl Scout Cookies

I discovered a box of Girl Scout cookies (Trefoils--the shortbread ones) in my freezer that have been there since last year. One of the packages was open, and do you know that nasty, freezer taste that foods take on when they've been in there for too long? I know how to get rid of it!

I put the cookies on a sheet pan and baked them for about 10-15 minutes in a 200 degree oven. Viola! They tasted as fresh as this year's. (By the way, you can get rid of that freezer taste in bread too, by doing the same thing. Perfect for making bread crumbs.)

Probably wouldn't work with thin mints of course, but it'll work with Do-Si-Dos, or any of their cookies that aren't chocolate-covered.

Just thought I'd share...