What to make for dinner? Hmmmm......

A good place to start is the pantry. What's available? That cooks fast!

How about some of these? They look a little funny but I've had them before and they are tasty. Just like homemade pasta. And they cook in 5 minutes. Perfect!

Now let's add a little bit of this. You can never go wrong with butter.

And some of this. I just happened to have this in the fridge. Thought I would use it up. You can see I'm not really going for healthy here.

Now for flavor....hmmmm....so far things are pretty heavy.

Ah! How about this?

Time to cook the pasta.

Now add a little garlic, salt, pepper, freshly grated romano cheese and a pinch of nutmeg and viola....

A wonderfully satisfying bowl of pasta to put even the best of us into a carb coma. Just what the doctor ordered. And all in less than 10 minutes...stove to table.

Now if you're looking for a formal recipe here, I don't actually have one. It is so easy you don't really need one.

Just cook the noodles according to the box and drain them. Don't rinse. While they are in the strainer, in the same pot...melt some 4 - 8 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 4 cloves minced garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in about a cup of heavy cream and add 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese and few Tablespoons of lemon juice. Simmer over medium low heat for another minute or so. Take a spoon and taste the sauce. Add salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and more cream or cheese to your taste. When you like it, add back the noodles and give them a toss.

This is one of those recipes that you can pull together with whatever you have in the house. No garlic, add onion and garlic salt. No cream, use half and half. No Romano, use parmesan or leave out the cheese. No lemon...so what.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 11:07:14 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

I can’t tell you why I haven’t shared this recipe yet. Perhaps it’s because it really isn’t a recipe…just a method of making noodles and cheese. But, whatever the reason, my mother always made her macaroni and cheese this way and I loved it. The cheese is nice and gooey and it’s fun to eat.



I’ve been making “macaroni” and cheese like this for twenty years. At least twice a month… for twenty years. I can make this homemade variety of macaroni and cheese in the same time it would take someone to make a box of Kraft mac-n-cheese. This is one of my “go to” recipes for a quick dinner.



I know this isn’t a traditional macaroni and cheese recipe. You don’t make the sauce separately and it isn’t baked. (Thus the ...sort of...after the title)  But it’s yummy and easy to prepare.

The key to having it turn out perfect every time…don’t overcook the noodles, cut the cheese into bite sized cubes and melt it all together over LOW heat.



This is one of the best things my Mom ever made. My son will most likely tell you the same thing!   I use whole wheat noodles for added nutrition and always use Cheddar or Colby cheese. It just melts better for me.



The only ingredients…1 pound of your favorite dried pasta, ¾-1 pound Cheddar or Colby cheese cubed, ½ stick unsalted butter, ¼ – ½ cup milk.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package in salted water (1 Tablespoon salt per 4 quarts of water). Don’t overcook the noodles. May sure the noodles stay al dente. Drain the noodles. Don’t rinse.

Over low heat in the same kettle that you cooked the noodles, melt ½ stick unsalted butter. Add noodles, cubed cheese and milk.

Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted. This will take about 4 minutes. That’s it. You’re done.

One minute after adding the cubed cheese.

Three minutes after cooking and stirring over LOW heat.

Four minutes after cooking over LOW heat.  The noodles are done and ready to serve.  See how gooey the cheese gets?  That's the best part! 

The Muse Gourmet

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 11:47:20 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

I think that while I was growing up, I ate more of this particular cake than anything else my mother baked. I loved this cake. And it was always around.

So, naturally when I was living on my own, I had to make the cake myself. I was sure to write down the recipe and pack it in one of the first boxes for the move. What ensued afterward are bouts of unexplainable failure.

The recipe, as you will see, is quite simple; five ingredients. But, as embarrassed as I am to admit it, this cake has given me more difficulty than anything I've ever made. I've burned the cake, undercooked it, completely forgot to add flour, watched it sink in the middle, and just plain messed it up to the point where it tasted like a mushy ball of dough. And quite frankly, I've come to the conclusion that it isn't me.

The recipe is desceptively easy. I've decided it's the recipe's fault. :) I was lulled into thinking I could make the cake while doing other things...making a casserole, playing gin rummy (you get the idea). And that, my friend, is where the trouble begins.

My mother would always tell me that something would only turn out if I put love into it. I didn't really understand exactly what that meant, until now.

I decided to try and make the cake again. I've been making notes on my various failures over the years, so I thought I may finally have a good chance of getting it right.

I made sure to measure everything very carefully measured. I took time to cream the butter and sugar together until they were so light and fluffy they resembled like a cloud. Then I slowly added the eggs, one by one. I added the flour gradually and then ever so gently folded in the 7 up as not to flatten all of the carbonation. I poured the batter into a heavy bundt pan (Oh yes, another opportunity for failure with the pan. Unless you use a solid bundt pan that'a heavy as brick, the cooking time is off) and placed in a preheated oven and did not open the oven door until the cake was finished.

Viola...success at long last!

This recipe originated in the 50’s with the introduction of 7 Up’s new formula. The original carbonated beverage was introduced two weeks before the crash on Wall street in 1929 and contained lithium citrate, which was thought to be a mood stabilizing drug. The popular beverage no longer contains any trace of lithium citrate.

Ingredients 3 c granulated sugar 3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 5 eggs at room temperature 3 c flour (King Arthur preferred) ¾ c 7 up (freshly opened with lots of bubbles) 2 T good quality lemon extract For glaze: 1 1/3 c powdered sugar 2 T lemon juice 2 T 7 up

Directions Preheat oven to 350 F Cream together sugar and softened butter until really, really fluffy and creamy. This should take between 15-20 minutes. Don’t cut this step short. Gradually beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly add flour until well mixed. Fold in 7 up and lemon extract by hand. Pour into well greased heavy duty Bundt pan. Bake 1 – 1 ¼ hour until done. Cook and remove from pan. Mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice and 7 up for glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cooked cake.

Monday, April 20, 2009 6:26:28 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

I remember the exact moment I thought I could read.  I was five.  It was about 7:30 pm on a weekday evening.  I was reading by candlelight in the living room.  I was sitting in the lap of an old Amish mother, after finishing dinner with her husband and six children.  That night I learned to read The Little Red Hen. 

My father sold real estate when I was young.  He happened to be "on a roll" and sold a lot of farms to Amish families that were relocating.  It became almost customary to invite the real estate agent and his family for dinner; so I spent quite a bit of time visiting Amish families that summer.  

One of the things that stands out in my mind when I think back...Pumpkin Bread. 

Warm, cinnamony pumpkin bread...topped with crunchy, toasted nuts. 

This recipe is one that my mother acquired that year.  I've been enjoying it ever since. 

I made some bread to take into work today.  A friend gave me a wonderful compliment.  She told me she thought the bread was on par with a that of a local bakery (an area favorite!).  By the way...if you're in the area, take a stop at Ravelin's bakery.  I hear the croissants are out of this world!

Monday, March 09, 2009 10:35:43 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

Midweek dinners are perfect for casseroles.  Say what you will about the culinary value of a casserole supper, the one pot meals remain a staple on American dinner tables for good reason.  They are easy to make, inexpensive, and satisfy us with their humble charm. 

I can't help but chuckle every time I think of this quote.  In "The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste," Jane and Michael Stern wrote: "Anchoring the low end of the culinary hierarchy, with no hope of upward mobility, is the tuna casserole, a dish of such unmitigated cloddishness that no one concerned about his reputation as an epicure would dare admit to eating it."

Isn't macaroni and cheese a casserole?  The ultimate comfort food a culinary disgrace?  Pa leeez. :)

So, for those of us that are comfortable celebrating the convenience and collage of flavors of the casserole supper...here's my recipe for Hot Dish (a technical term).  In our house, the defining characteristic of a Hot Dish is adding in some leftovers from the refridgerator.  In this recipe, you'll see that I added some leftover egg noodles that I had available.  In the past I've added corn, peas, beans, spaghetti sauce, taco meat, ... 

This recipe freezes very nicely (freeze it before it's cooked, thaw and bake when you're ready).  This recipe is also really easy to double, so you can keep one for yourself and surprise a friend with the other one.  I've always loved receiving and giving casseroles.  There's something nostalgic about having someone show up at your door with a homemade casserole, ready to bake.

Kids love the cheese and adults enjoy the variety of healthy ingredients.  By the way...if you have never used whole wheat pasta before...I urge you to try it in this recipe.  It's delicious and so much healthier than traditional white pasta.  Your family will never know the difference and you'll know you're serving a meal that's inexpensive and good for you too.

Be well.

The Muse Gourmet

Wednesday, March 04, 2009 5:35:43 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)         Blog reactions

So I was having a little craving for cheesecake. 

Not the full fledged cheesecake that's thick,... and rich, ...and, mmmmm..... full of calories.  The kind of cheesecake that tastes like cheesecake but doesn't make you feel guilty for breaking a few of those New Year's resolutions already.  So...here's a torte version of cheesecake that I've been making since I was 8 years old.  I remember typing this recipe exact out on my Dad's typewriter.  Karen is my sister.  And for the for the past oh, say, many moons, this is the only version of cheesecake that my family ever prepared.  I will say, that as simple as it is....this recipe has earned its share of praise over the years.  It's requested for birthdays and holidays and goes down as "The best cheesecake I ever had!" according to my nephew. 

PS  When this original recipe was typed, there weren't precrushed graham crackers available in the store.  I've adapted the recipe to "modern times" and thrown in a low fat, low sugar version if you're feeling really guilty about breaking some of those New Year's resolutions. 

Wednesday, February 04, 2009 6:07:33 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)         Blog reactions