I'll take tacos for 120, Alec



Today I am cooking taco meet for 120 coaches and officials for hospitality at the Colorado State Swim Meet. Nothing gourmet, not particularly healthy, but free food for the coaches and officials who donate their time to help kids excel in swimming. Making this meal has got me thinking about what really makes a good cook. Is it someone who can whip up a great meal from scratch without ever looking at a recipe, or is it someone who cook an elegant meal and present it in a way that would make all the Food Network chefs envious? Ultimately, I think it is someone who takes the time to put together a meal for friends or family, or even volunteers.

Tasso Ham - Good idea or silly purchase

Scott and I recently returned from Hilton Head and while I was there I was reminded of how much I love Carolina Shrimp and Grits. I have found lots of recipes on line, but the ones that remind me the most of what I had in both North and South Carolina are those served with Tasso Ham Gravy. Tasso Ham, as I have learned is cured differently than other hams and is made with cajun spices. $25 for a one pound ham is ridiculously expensive, but I could only find it online. I plan to dice it once I get it and then freeze it to use in shrimp and grit recipes, gumbo and jumbalaya.

Mushy Apples still make for an awesome cake


My family seems to go through spurts with the fruit they eat; for awhile, I couldn't keep enough apples in the house. Then, as if there was some rule put into place known to all in my family but me, apples were no longer the fruit of the day. Unfortunately (or fortunately once I share this recipe), the apples I had previously bought continued to sit day after day, while peaches, grapes, and cherries were the new fruits in vogue. I have not made Cooking Light's Cinnamon-Apple Cake for quite some time, and I really don't know why. It is easy to make and is a great way to use some of those apples that have started to go soft. My only real changes are that I use 1/4 cup less sugar in the actual cake, and I don't use margarine. There is no need to chop the apples finely or evenly. The cake tastes great no matter what.

I really have been cooking, it's just that I haven't been taking as many pictures or posting

I also now have to share my kitchen with my husband who far surpasses me as a cook in many ways. That is a very good thing, it just means my opportunities for creating a meal that is worth writing about and taking pictures are not as frequent.

I have been trying to get us off our meat kick of late. I recently made Pan-seared scallops with a beurre-blanc sauce I thought the white wine vinegar was going to be a little overpowering at first, but after adding 10 tablespoons of butter *EEK*, the flavor mellowed. I think I would still prefer it with white wine, but it was on a Sunday and up until last week I couldn't buy alcohol on Sunday. I served it over angel hair pasta and oven roasted fresh asparagus seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. The sweetness of the scallops was complimented by the acidic flavors in the sauce. Scott loved it; I thought it was very good; I just need to find a lighter version. Seriously -- 10 Tablespoons of butter????!!!!