I'm Alive!

Sorry, readers. It's been a whirlwind of work events for me lately. That, on top of coming down with a week-long head cold, has left me tired, sick, with a lack of time, and unmotivated to blog. But, I have one more 100-person conference to host tomorrow, and then I'm D-O-N-E with the craziness for a while.

I don't talk about my job very much on here. However, I do have to quickly highlight the fabulous chefs that helped to make our annual Flavors of Northeast Ohio event a huge success on Monday.

17 talented chefs from some of our area's best restaurants each delighted a table of twelve guests with a unique theme, table décor, and menu. Their creativity just amazes me each year. Some of my favorite table themes were:

"Superheroes" from Adam Bostwick at Cork & Cleaver

He even constructed skyscrapers to surround the table, and sent each guest home with a superhero lunchbox filled with goodies.

Toast's "Country/Farm" theme from Jennifer Plank (they took home the title in our Vitamix Chef's Competition).

The jean pockets won over the judges. Their attention to detail carried the theme throughout the whole table and staff attire.

Chef Anna's (Good to Go Café/Anna in the Raw) "Garden of Eden" had her guests dining under a twinkling tent.

Last, but certainly not least, I loved Chef Jeff Jarrett's (AMP 150) strategic theme of a "Race Track", since his table sponsor was Penske Automotive and Honda.

Every single one of the tables were gorgeous, and thoughtful. However, the chefs really shine when it comes to the food. Guests enjoyed a five-course, wine-paired meal from their chef. I heard nothing but rave reviews. I was even able to sneak a couple of bites once the event concluded. Thanks, Jeff, Adam, and John!

With the help from my participating chefs, our guests, volunteers, and my planning committee...we were able to raise $68,400 for the American Liver Foundation. That beats our $59,000 total from last year! A lot of work goes into this event, but it's totally worth it when everyone enjoys themselves and we raise critical funds and awareness for the organization.

Now, sleep.

Recipe: Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower

"R" and I recently made this recipe to accompany a "skinny" meatloaf. The addition of cauliflower really lightened up the texture and flavor of the mashed potatoes. Maybe a great way to hide some vegetables for your children too?

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower (makes 3 cups, total time = 45 minutes)

Boil:
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
1/2 lb. cauliflower florets
4 garlic cloves, peeled

Mash With; Garnish With:
1/3 cup buttermilk or 2% milk; warmed
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
salt, white pepper, ground nutmeg to taste
chopped fresh chives

Boil Potatoes, cauliflower, and garlic in a pot of salted water until tender when pierced with a knife. 15-20 minutes.
Drain, return vegetables to the pot, and cook over medium heat until excess water is evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute.
Mash vegetables with warm buttermilk and butter using a hand mixer on low speed until smooth.
Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Garnish with chives before serving.

We served this side dish with a Mushroom Sherry Sauce. This sauce would be great on beef as well.

Mushroom Sherry Sauce (makes 1 cup, total time = 25 minutes)

Fry; Add and Sauté:
1 strip thick-sliced bacon, diced
3 cups mixed mushrooms, halved or quartered (5.5 oz.)
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste

Deglaze With; Add and Simmer:
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken broth

Finish With:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and return pan with drippings to the burner. Add mushrooms and shallots, and sauté until mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour and tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
Deglaze with sherry and simmer until evaporated. Gradually add broth, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Finish sauce with reserved bacon, butter, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

This recipe is from the February 2008 issue of Cuisine at Home magazine.

Recipe: Skinny Meatloaf

Funny story about this recipe. It's one of the first things that I remember "R" cooking for me when we started dating over six years ago. I was visiting from NY, we were having a romantic evening at his house, and it turned out to be a very memorable night...in not a good way.

I have an irrational fear of raw meat. I've actually never touched it before, like ever. I won't even pick up a package of raw meat at the grocery store. That night was as close as I have ever come to having raw meat touch my skin directly. "R" was whipping up dinner, and as he was combining all of the ground meat and other ingredients for the meatloaf, he somehow cut his finger (we're fuzzy on how). He was bleeding, and didn't have any Band-Aids. He said to me "You're going to have to finish this for me." This was my worst nightmare. I asked "Do you have plastic gloves?" The answer was no, and I started to panic. The ending to the story is that we had to take plastic wrap and wrap up each finger, palm, and up to my elbows for me to be able to mash the meat and other ingredients together in that bowl. My fear runs so deep that I half-considered allowing him to keep going even though he was bleeding from one finger. It is a night that I'll never forget, and that we laugh about now. Odd, but we hadn't made this recipe since that night....

It was time for its return, because it is a darn good light meatloaf.

Skinny Meatloaf with sweet and sour ketchup sauce (makes twelve 3/4" thick slices, total time = 1.5 hours)

Combine:
1/2 lb. ground sirloin (85% lean)
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 cup panko or fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup onion, grated
2 egg whites
3 tablespoon 2% or skim milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Stir Together; Top Meatloaf With:
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 teaspoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, coat broiler pan with nonstick spray.
Combine ground meats, crumbs, parsley, onion, egg whites, milk, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in a bowl, using your hands to mix.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, shaping it into a 9"x5" loaf.

Stir ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar together in a bowl, then spoon on top of the meatloaf.
Bake until meatloaf reaches 160 degrees (about one hour).
Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

We served the meatloaf with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower with a Mushroom Sherry Sauce. More on that later!

These recipes were taken from the February 2008 issue of Cuisine at Home.

Luckily, this time, there was no bleeding and no need for me to take over. I happily just assisted with the non-meat ingredients.

YP Pantry 1 Year Anniversary Peanut Butter Party!

The Cleveland Foodbank is an organization that I believe in, and support in any way that I can. I enjoyed working there for three years, and then have continued to be involved with the organization after my career took me elsewhere. Their mission is something that really deserves the time, money, and effort of our community. Food is such a basic need, and one that many of us take for granted. For every $1 donated to the Cleveland Foodbank, they provide enough food for four nutritious meals in a local hunger center.

About a year ago, I joined their YP Council for the newly formed young professionals group--- called the YP Pantry. The YP Pantry provides opportunities for young professionals to learn about the Cleveland Foodbank and its mission, participate in volunteer experiences, and network. Well, the group is now celebrating its one year anniversary--- with a social hour and peanut butter party!

Join YP Pantry as we celebrate our first anniversary at The Woods on Thursday, September 19th from 5:30PM - 7:30PM!

It's Peanut Butter & Jelly time: As children get back into the swing of school, we will be collecting peanut butter to benefit the Cleveland Foodbank. As a great source of protein for growing kids, peanut butter is one of the "Super 6 Items" that is always in high demand at the Foodbank.

Donate two jars of peanut butter to receive a complimentary drink ticket good for house wine, draft beer, or well liquor. Don't have peanut butter? A $10 cash donation will also get you a drink ticket.

Enjoy discounted drinks and appetizers during happy hour until 6:30PM, as well as live acoustic guitar entertainment. Come out to meet other young professionals, learn about the YP Pantry and ways that you can get involved, and more.

RSVP for our 1st Anniversary Social at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/7892553841.

We're a Browns Town

Last Sunday kicked off the Browns tailgating season for us. I really don't care much for the sport, or attending the actual game. But, I adorn my Browns gear in the fall, enjoy myself tailgating, and then people-watch throughout most of the game. It's really the tailgate that I look forward to, and "R" always puts out quite a spread. He took on the role a long time ago as "host" for his friends, and my friends have joined us along the way. Now we've got a great group formed, and always some new faces at our tailgates as well.

After loyally tailgating in The Pit for years, we moved to the Dock 20 lot of The Port Authority last year. The Pit just took the fun out of it with their $5 charge for pedestrians, $30 price tag for parking, and strict rules about where to park and what you could do in the lot. We're much happier at the Dock 20 lot now. Gorgeous views of the city, water by our side, and more space to spread out our ever-growing group and festivities. We need room for giant Jenga and cornhole!

Although, it does get windier down there. I had to keep telling myself that it was "pepper" in my Bloody Mary.

We all must have been in a Bloody Mary mood, because several of us brought the makings. It turned out to be a pretty impressive Bloody Mary bar, and we had all kinds of fun things to add. I found my new tailgate drink of choice!

"R" made cheesesteak sandwiches for everyone, and friends brought all kinds of breakfast goodies, side dishes, and sweet treats. It was quite the spread, and way too much food. That's typical. But, we had a great time (despite the wind), and it kicked off another fun tailgating season.

Go Browns!

Do you tailgate? If so, where, and what do you love about it?