Alligator & Kangaroo

Last night I tried both Alligator and Kangaroo, my Stomach on a Mission father got take out from a place in Albany that has both of these on their menu.

I "knew" people ate Alligator but I didn't realize people ate Kangaroo.  They are kind of like deer in Australia, right?  Ha ha ha!  I don't know.

At any rate...to me the Kangaroo tasted very similar to beef.  And the Alligator tasted, well, it was a rather neutral flavor actually.  I guess I could go with the age old "tastes like chicken" line and that would be fairly accurate.

Interesting.  Unique.  Two more to add to the list of interesting/unique things I've eaten!  Thanks Dad!  :)

"Beef Maryland"

Last night I made, yes I'll just say it, an awesome dinner!

It was the first of my "33 Variations Birthday Recipes" that I have made.  My brother, Mike, is the creator of Beef Maryland and I've got to hand it to him, it's an amazing dish!  It is his take on Beef Wellington and uses ground beef rather than a piece of beef ... and here's what it looks like (sans the pate as our local - small town - grocery store did not have it; funnier still, the guy I asked and who works at the store did not even know what pate was...)!

One of the really great parts of this particular recipe is that you get to make individual dishes for who ever's coming to your table!  :)

 Chef Moi, ready to dig in!

 This is what she looks like from within!  

Now I'm no published food critique, and I was the chef, but it's a great dish!  The spices blend well together and are complemented nicely with a dry red wine - I served the same wine I put in the dish with the dish and it was a Chianti. 

It's like a party in your mouth ya'll!  

If my bro ok's it, I'll put the recipe up on here for others .... or perhaps, if we know one another, we should make a dinner date and I'll do the cooking!

Frittata Heaven

Do you like egg's?
Do you like omelette's?
Do you like quiche?
If so then I can guarantee that you will like a frittata.

Eggs, milk, cheese, veggies, bread, potato and meat ... any and all these things in one bite ... YUM!

I am a big breakfast food lover!  9 times out of 10, when I go out for breakfast, I will order an omelette - so I don't think it's a big surprise to find that I love frittata's!

In November I decided to try making my first one, it required some stove top cooking and then a bit of time in the oven (thank goodness my mother had two cast iron frying pans that can do stove top to oven with no problem)!  I'd found the recipe in one of the multitude of cooking store magazines in the house and decided to give it a go.  Deliciousness ensued ... and all who tried said they thoroughly enjoyed!

*Here's a snapshot ... one with peppers and one without (for those who don't like'em)!  I got it from the Williams Sonoma Catalog.

"Lodge Brunch Frittata"

Then last month, February 9th to be exact, I got an awesome Frittata Pan for my Birthday!  Woot woot!  Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

These pans are awesome, they eliminate the need for in the oven time because you can flip them!  What you say?  Check out these pics of my second time making Frittata's and the first time use of my new Frittata Pan!

"Potato, Spinach and Cheddar Cheese Frittata" 

(I found this recipe on line)

 First One ...

 Second one ... 

The prep time - chopping etc. - takes a bit of time, but they are easy and tasty!  You can put anything you want in them - in fact I once had one when staying at a friends, her husband put baby scallops and asparagus that had been lightly sauteed in garlic oil, in it and it was fantastic!  And they are so pretty!  Great "wow" factor me thinks!  

And isn't my new pan pretty!

Give it a go!