Ode to the Lunch Ladies...

Okay. So you know those ladies behind the big glass window at lunchtime from your childhood ages of 5 through 17? They are such an enigma. Wearing the hairnets just so. The coordination of the polyester pants with the pink pinstripe aprons (that's what color they were at my elementary school). Creating the good and evil of school lunches around the country every day in the trenches of a smoltering kitchen without air conditioning. Those times have changed, my friend.

I briefly worked at an elementary school and encountered what they call school lunch. I was in shock. Nothing is cooked anymore. Everything is pre-packaged and processed beyond recognition. They slap a "salad bar" in the middle of the floor after you pick up your preservatives (which they call food). They leave it up to the 6-11 year olds to dish up their own vegetables. Yeah. Those wilted scraps weren't going anywhere. Most of the meals I saw entering the mouths (and minds) of our beloved future were thawed versions of Smuckers Uncrustables. (Yeah, because we don't want to even offer our kids the inconvenience of crust.) Virtually nothing is cooked anymore. Just taken out of boxes and thrown on a styrofoam plate. Literally. No cooking. No joy. No mystery.

In homage to those days lost, here is an actual school recipe for cookies. Chocolate chip. Real chocolate. Real eggs. Real sugar. Real yum.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
4.5 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 12 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips (I like to add a little extra, to make them more chocolately.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350'. Cream shortening and sugars together. (This is where I really enjoy my Kitchenaid mixer.) Add vanilla and eggs and mix thoroughly. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Gradually mix in flour mixture until blended. Add chocolate chips.

Make small balls the size of walnuts and place sparaingly on cookie sheet. (I fit one dozen per sheet. I also use my small ice cream scooper to keep them uniform.) Bake at 350' for 14-16 minutes, depending on how dark you like them. Enjoy!

CAUTION: YEILDS 5 DOZ! (proof that this really is a school lunch recipe.)

Shrimp, Asparagus, & Pesto Fettuccine

Okay, okay, as you pasta pros can see, I did not use fettuccine. Merely spaghetti. (But I also saved time and gas from not going to the store.) Any shape pasta would work for this. I think penne would be my choice for any pasta dish. This recipe is a bit mild for my taste. Although it does have a nice subtlety. I did a few things differently than the posted recipe, and you should also adapt as you so desire.


Ingredients:
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
and cut into 1-inch pieces (remember to snap
off the bottom 1-2 inches before starting)
1/2 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers*
1/4 cup prepared pesto
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 per pound) *
1/2 cup dry white cooking wine
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add asparagus and continue cooking until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and the asparagus then return to the pot. Stir in peppers and pesto. Cover to keep warm.

2- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 3 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to high and continue cooking until the shrimp are curled and the wine is reduced, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pasta, toss to coat, and add the reserved cooking water. Season with pepper and serve immediately.


Where I DV8:
* I use frozen cooked shrimp and just simmer it to heat it through.
* I used fresh red peppers and sauteed them for about 6-7 minutes in olive oil.

Serves 8

Mini Cheese Balls

If you ever want to make something that is impressive, easy, and popular, you cannot go wrong with these mini cheese balls. I often make them for social gatherings (especially girls night). My personaly favorite is the blue cheese and green onion rolled in sesame seeds. But they are all delicious. (Try to remember that you're supposed to eat them with crackers, even if they are bite-size.)


Blue Cheese and Green Onion, Pesto Sauce and Pine Nuts, and Garlic and Fresh Basil

Ingredients:

3 bricks (24 ounces) cream cheese
2 ounces blue cheese (try to get a really good brand - imports are best)
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
2 teaspoons bottled pesto sauce
1 tablespoon chopped pine nuts (cheaper to buy small amount in the grocery store bulk section)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (believe me, fresh makes a huge difference)

To Coat:

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (fresh, if possible)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Divide cream cheese equally between 3 small bowls. Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature for approximately 5-10 minutes. Into one mix the blue cheese and green onions. Mix the pesto and pine nuts into the second bowl. Mix the garlic and fresh basil in the third bowl. After they are mixed thoroughly, place them back in the fridge to harden (roughly 30 minutes). This will make it much easier to handle and ball.

After the blends have hardened slightly, take small scoops, the size of a large walnut and form a ball with each, keeping them separate. I have found that this much cream cheese will make 7-8 balls for each brick you use. Roll the blue cheese balls in the toasted sesame seeds, the pesto balls in the chopped parsley, and the garlic balls in the poppy seeds, covering completely. The coatings will help them form a more uniform ball as you proceed. Serve with crackers and toothpicks.

Yields: 21 cheese balls (7 of each kind)

Sichuan-Style Aparagus (PF Chang's)

For our 12th wedding anniversary, Andrew and I decided to go to PF Chang's and enjoy a really good meal. Because we were currently in a weight-loss competition, we wanted to find some of the relatively healthy dishes and try to "be good". We tried their Sichuan-Style Asparagus for the first time, mainly because we are both big fans of asparagus, and it promised around 100 calories per serving. This modest side dish turned out to be the highlight of the meal. I found a recipe that is really close to the same (if not the same) . Try it if you must, and see if it isn't best to be seated when eating this amazing dish.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, each spear cut into thirds
• 3 ounces oyster sauce
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 ounce gingerroot, freshly grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 ounce chili paste
• 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

1. In a wok or large skillet, flash fry asparagus and onion in olive oil for about 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic, ginger, and chili paste, and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add oyster sauce and corn starch and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add sesame oil and saute for 30 seconds to one minute.
5. Serve ASAP.

Serves 4 (as a side)