Sheets Culinary Feats

Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted here folks, quite a lot of personal matters all tossed on top of the holidays. But without further ado…

I had gotten a request from a friend of mine up in Seattle for a good crab soup recipe, so I decided this week will be dedicated solely to our little crustacean friend. It can be very difficult to get even frozen crab this time of year anywhere but on the coasts. I know that it’s a lot cheaper, but if at all possible try to stay away from the imitation crab if you are unable to find fresh or frozen locally.

As the name implies, imitation crab contains no crab meat what so ever. Generally it is made from the Alaska Pollock (also known as: Walleye Pollock, Snow Cod, or Whiting). Then the fish meat is colored and flavored to resemble crab meat.

As in most things you get what you pay for, and while imitation crab may vaguely resemble the flavor of crab it will never compare at all. Well I’ll step off my soapbox now.

I’m always looking for comments and requests. If you have a request for any recipe, or any comments, feel free to post them on here or email me at bob.sheets@yahoo.com.

Recipes for this week will be:

Crab bisque

Maryland Style Crab Cakes

I think the combination of Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup has ingrained itself into the American culture as a comfort food that crosses the traditional borders. Whether you just want to eat your sandwich or dunk it in your soup as you go, few things make us feel better than that.

This isn’t your standard grilled cheese, I won’t be using any velveta or what not, but you could always use that if it makes you feel good. The combination with the ciabatta rolls makes for a delicious taste sensation and it really soaks up the soup when you dip it.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 ciabatta rolls split in half

Mayonnaise to taste

6 slices of muenster cheese

6 slices of Havarti, I love a nice dill havarti but it can be hard to find.

Method of Preparation:

1. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on the inside of each of the ciabatta rolls.
2. Place one slice of the muenster and havarti on the rolls and place the tops back on. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and spray it with a non-stick spray.
3. Toast the sandwiches on either side until golden brown and the cheese is wonderfully melted. Serve hot with the tomato soup.

Creamy Tomato soup Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of butter

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons flour

3 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon of sugar

3 cups vegetable broth

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

To Taste Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup half and half

Method of Preparation:

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil over low heat in a pot.
2. Add the onion and saute until translucent, add in the garlic. Sprinkle with the flour and cook 3 minutes longer.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Season with the cloves, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Puree with an immersion blender, or in a food processor but that can be a bit more risky. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a separate pot and stir in the half and half.

So I was thinking today with the large amount of snow that we’re expecting this week that it’s the perfect time to stay home curled up under some blankets in front of a fireplace and eat some delicious comfort food.

These are some of my absolute favorites of all time when ever I’m feeling down in the dumps or just need to warm up.

The beef and noodles is probably my most favorite recipe ever from childhood and I loved hearing those words when my mom told us what was for dinner. Now a days it’s so difficult to make truly amazing noodles now a days, especially since my GG’s (read great grandma we couldn’t say it as kids) is over 100 years old and contains this sort of timeline: When the men go out to milk the cows mix the ingredients roll it out and let it dry; When the men come in for lunch, turn the noodles over…you get the point. I have, however, located a wonderful frozen noodle that actually tastes just as good as any noodle that ever came from my GG.

So without further ado, here’s the list of this weeks recipes.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Cream chipped beef

Beef and Noodles