Southern Comfort

So today was the day for brisket and cheese grits! I started marinating the meat last night, and then put it in the oven around 10am today...it only took 30 minutes for the house to smell amazing. This meal is a test in patience...it takes about 5 hours to cook, but it is SO worth it!

I was in such a hurry today to make sure I stayed on schedule with my cooking that I pretty much forgot to take most of the pictures along the way. I did, however, manage to get some pictures after we ate.

This is what was left after the three of us ate dinner. Well, I should backtrack a little bit. I went to Costco with my good friend Hayley to find a good piece of brisket. Not corned beef brisket - the regular kind. I wasn't able to compare the price to Publix, but considering neither WinnDixie nor BJs had brisket at all, I figure I made out well. I bought a 4.5lb piece of brisket at $4.99/lb, and I'll be sure to let you know the price at Publix when I make it over there again. I cut the meat in half before marinating and cooking so that I wouldn't lose any precious juices cutting it after it cooked. I'll list the recipe below, but know that it really is as easy as it sounds!

My Polish Side

I have been wiped out lately! The weather has been SO hot, and the smoke from nearby wildfires has been all but completely suffocating..not to mention the humidity. I slowed down on the cooking front, but now I'm ready to jump back in with both feet. Well, I have already. I just need to record it for you all.

Tuesday night I wasn't really in the mood for cooking, but alas, we all must eat. So I found the quickest and easiest thing in my freezer to make - polska kielbasa and pierogies. My grandmother would be so proud!

Kielbasa cut on the diagonal and slightly caramelized in a dry pan.

Cooks super fast in a hot skillet - quicker than mac and cheese!

I know the potato and onion filling in the pierogies doesn't count as a vegetable, so I won't even bother trying to pass them off as such. I did, however, eat an entire bag of lettuce for lunch. Yes...ENTIRE bag. I was hungry, ok? And besides, it was a Caesar Salad Kit..so I'm sure it was less lettuce than normal.

So anyway, dinner was delicious. You literally heat up the meat in a dry - read: not oiled - pan until slightly caramelized, but not burnt. There is a fine line. Then remove onto a paper towel lined plate while you cook the pierogies. Place them in the skillet, straight from the freezer, with a tablespoon or two of butter or oil. They should be done in about 8 minutes. If you wanted to have a veggie with this, sauteed cabbage is a classic, as is sauteed onions.

New Family Favorite

I know it's been a while since I posted. But honestly, I ate the last serving of the stuffed shells this morning for breakfast (I was getting desperate for them to be gone). I even took some of the shells over to my friend Alexis' house where we had lunch, and she kept some for leftovers. It might be a long time before I make them again. But they were still delicious! I'm pretty sure I haven't cooked anything since then...unless toasting a bagel or reheating leftovers counts. I don't know what I have planned for dinner this week other than Wednesday. A friend of mine just had a baby a little over a week ago, so I wanted to bring her a meal and visit for a while. Not to fear - I have a plan!

The first time I really spent any time with my in-laws was for Christmas right after Matt and I got engaged. We flew out to the San Fransisco area to celebrate the holiday with them and tour the city - it was my first time on the West Coast (with the exception of a layover in Los Angeles and Vancouver). Christmas day rolled around and I was looking forward to the traditional holiday meal - turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle, cranberry sauce from a can, and maybe a legit vegetable like green bean casserole. What was laid out on the table was nothing even close to what I expected.