I'm going to keep this brief, mostly because I'm smack in the middle of midterms for grad school, and also mostly because I wrote up this post around 9:00 this morning and it somehow deleted itself...

Anyway, let us rejoice, because it is Thursday, and Thursday is a good friend of Friday.  And let us rejoice by checking out an awesome recipe for Spanish Manchego Stuffed Pork Burgers, which I made for my Dinner Party last weekend and which were requested to appear on the blog in recipe form!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika 
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/4 lb. coarsely ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 lb. manchego cheese, shredded on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor
4 large soft hamburger rolls, split

This recipe makes 4 burgers.  It comes from an old issue of Food Network Magazine. Which reminds me of another tip for entertaining; having guests over is not the time to experiment with weird foods, techniques, ingredients, etc.  Stick to what you know!  Your friends and family wouldn't judge you if you messed up dinner, but why even risk it when you can make something you already know will turn out wonderfully?  This doesn't mean, be boring.  It just means to calculate your cooking risks!

Step 1:
Combine the vegetable oil, garlic, olives, and all the spices (not including salt and pepper) in a food processor or mini food processor and process until smooth.  Scrape into a large bowl and stir in 2 tbsp. of the mayonnaise.

Step 2:
Add the pork to the mixture along with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp. of each) and use your hands to gently combine.  You want to make sure everything is evenly distributed, but try your best not to compact the meat or overwork it.

Step 3:
Now you have to make the patties and stuff them with the cheese.  This is the best way I've found to do it.  Divide the pork evenly into 4 sections.  Then take one section and divide that in half.  Shape one half into a burger patty, about 1/4 inch thick, then sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on top, pressing it into the meat ever so slightly.  Then, take the other half of the pork, form a similarly sized patty, and sandwich it on top of the cheese-topped patty, pinching and folding the edges shut as you go.  None of the cheese escaped and burned when I used this method!

Step 4:
This recipe called for grilling the burgers, but that's not my M.O. so I seared them on the stove, which, to be honest, is the way I prefer my burgers.  But if you want to grill these bad boys, feel free!
After you have formed your 4 patties using the method in step 3, preheat a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for a couple minutes.  Place the burgers in and cook for 5-6 minutes.  Don't press on them or do anything to them! Just let them brown.  Then flip and cook for another 5 minutes and remove to a plate.  If you are not using a nonstick pan, brush each side of the burgers with a little vegetable oil to prevent sticking.  I have also used my retro flat-top electric griddle to grill multiple burgers at once, and this works beautifully.

Step 5:
Almost there! Crank the heat to high on the pan and brush the remaining tbsp. mayo on the inside of the buns and place them in the pan, mayo side down, for just about a minute, so they get slightly browned and toasty.  Top with the burgers and add whatever condiments you want though I promise you, these delicious things need no embellishment.

Like I said in my post, since the forming and stuffing of the burgers can be finicky, I did that an hour in advance of my friends coming over, put them on a sheet tray covered with plastic wrap and left them in the fridge till I needed them.  Easy!
 
Disclaimer, burgers are literally my favorite food in the world, and I can be picky about them.  I actually don't like fancy burgers; the simpler, the better, but these are the one exception to the rule.  I can't get enough of that robust spice blend, the moist meat, and the amazing manchego inside, which just happens to be one of the best cheeses ever.  The next time you are reaching for the ground 80/20 for burger night, consider giving these a try!

~Lauren

I have a wonderful friend who is a vegetarian, and she lives in New York, where my husband and I try to make several trips a year to visit.  For my birthday this summer she got me a book full of recipes from beloved NYC restaurants, and I wanted to cook up a vegetarian entrée from it and use it on the blog in her honor, but the pasta I liked the most had prosciutto in it.  Now, I happen to love this tasty little cured ham, but I knew that would not fly for a veggie-only eater, so I figured I could just remove the meat and we'd be good to go...except that left literally just the pasta and the cheese sauce, which would make for a heavy, coma-inducing meal.

The prosciutto, besides being awesome, does the important job of cutting through all that dairy with a salty bite, so I knew it was a simple question of adding in ingredients that would do that same job, but instead of the pig, I'd turn to veggies instead for the task!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ziti or penne dried pasta
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. butter, separated
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium shallot, minced
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick (you can buy them pre-sliced)
2-3 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed
1 cup half and half
1 28-oz. can petit diced tomatoes, drained of their juices
1/4 tsp. black pepper
salt
9 oz grated parmesan cheese, or 3 cups

*This dish will serve 6 people.

Step 1:
Fill a large stockpot with water, bring to a boil, throw in a hefty amount of salt, and cook the pasta, until it is about 1 minute underdone.  At this point, drain the pasta then add it back to the pot along with the tomatoes, and stir to combine.  Keep warm, allowing the pasta to soak up any excess tomato juices. 

Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, heat the extra virgin olive oil and tsp. of butter over medium heat in a 12-inch nonstick sauté pan. (The cheese sauce will be formed in this pan later.  If you don't want a scorched mess on your hands, it has to be nonstick!)  Add the shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 1 minute.

Step 2:
Add the mushrooms, another pinch of salt, and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the mushrooms have browned and released their liquid.  They should go from looking like this:

To looking like this!

Step 3:
Add the capers and cook for about 30 seconds.  Then add the tbsp. of butter, the half and half, and 2 cups of the parmesan cheese, along with the black pepper.  Turn the heat to medium-high and simmer for 2 minutes until all the cheese has incorporated into the sauce and it has thickened ever so slightly.  It is also somewhere around this step that you want to pre-heat your broiler.

Step 4:
Add the pasta and tomatoes to the skillet and toss (carefully) to combine.  Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of parmesan cheese.

Step 5:
Place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes until the top is nice and brown.  Serve immediately!

*Note, while I have never had a problem using a glass pyrex dish under the broiler for a couple minutes, I cannot advocate this action, as pyrex is technically not broiler-safe.  Like I said, I've never had a problem, but there are documented cases of pyrex literally breaking, cracking, or exploding, because of exposure to intense broiler heat.  Don't be a daredevil, and use a broiler-safe casserole dish if you have one!

If you noted the use of capers, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and nodded your head knowingly, then you are a genius!  These ingredients, whether for their saltiness, spiciness, acidity, or "meatiness", cut through the sauce and keep it from being too heavy.  This is a very strong parmesan sauce, almost like an Italian mac and cheese.  Serve it up with a glass of wine and a simple salad, and even somebody like me will never miss the prosciutto!

~Lauren

Cheese--Milk's leap towards immortality ~ Clifton Fadiman

While the word “connoisseur” is a heavy one to throw around, I know I can safely say that I’m a cheese lover, and a cheese adventurer.  There is no cheese I will not try, and while I rarely crave chocolate and starbursts (do people crave that?), I have had many a hankering for a crystalline chunk of cheddar, or a gooey baked brie
with crunchy, salty pistachios atop.  It’s just one of my go-to snacks; it’s the BFF of wine and crackers—some
things I also love—and there’s so much variety at a good cheese counter, that you will never run out of things to try!

That being said, when I saw a recipe for make-your-own cheese, that boasted versatility with a creamy and mild homemade happy ending, I had to give it a try.  The recipe came to me, and now to you, from America’s Test Kitchen, and I’ve modified it slightly for best results.

Ingredients:
1.5 quarts of whole milk
1.5 cups of buttermilk
½ tablespoon of salt

The science:
The acid in the buttermilk essentially curdles the whole milk, causing it to separate…in any other preparation, “milk” and “separate” are not two words you want together, but in this case, you need the curds (the good stuff) to separate from the whey (the watery stuff).

Step 1:
Line a colander or fine mesh strainer with a triple layer of cheese cloth, enough so that there is excess cloth hanging over the sides. Leave this in the sink and get to boiling the milk in a Dutch oven or large stock pot, over medium high heat. Whole milk is very viscous so this could take longer than you’d think, but be patient! Also, boiling milk is volatile! If you don't watch it carefully, I promise you you'll have a messy boil-over on your hands (I did).

Step 2:
Once you’ve achieved said boil, whisk in the buttermilk and salt, let it stand for 1 minute, and then pour this mixture through the strainer with the cheese cloth in it. Let the newly formed curds drain for 15 minutes.

Step 3:
Next, pull those extra edges of cheese cloth together, and twist them to form a pouch of cheese. Note, the cheese will still be really hot at this point and fairly hard to handle, but if I can do it, so can you!  You want to get out as much of that extra liquid as you can. Your curds will thank you!

Step 4:
At this point, take your cheese pouch and place it between two large dinner plates, and weigh the top plate down with a heavy pot, a small child, whatever you have on hand.

Step 5:
Forget about it for 45 minutes to an hour and just let it continue to drain and firm up.  Well, don’t forget it completely…I went back every so often and pressed down firmly on the whole contraption to squeeze out even more
juice.

Step 6:
You’re done! You made cheese! At this point, you can do what I did and wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you want to use it.  Uncut, this will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.  I used it for dinner that night, by making tikka masala sauce, cutting my cheese into ½ inch pieces, and simmering them for a couple minutes just to warm them through.  Instant paneer tikka masala!

This recipe will make about 3 cups of the ½ inch pieces of cheese cubes.

Extras:
Actually, when I said in Step 6 that you made cheese, I was sort of lying, because you actually made cheese way back in Step 2.  Once you have those loose wet curds, they are cheese! If you want you can combine the loose curds with fresh chopped herbs, a little cracked black pepper, spread it on some baguette slices, stick it under the broiler, and you will be singing show tunes with your makeshift ricotta.

If you enjoy cheese as much as I do, stay tuned on The Little Red Adventures, as I am currently writing to you from the cheese capital of America, Wisconsin, and will be sharing some tidbits of my trip on the blog!

Stay hungry!
~Lauren