Pot Roast

This will definitely become the go-to roast recipe in our house. However, in the future, I think it will be relegated to a weekend dinner, thanks to the 3+ hours it takes. It was worth every second of it though!

Pot Roast
Source: adapted from Bon Appetit (via Skinny Food by Amy)

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 3-pound boneless rump roast
6 ounces thick cut bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 large onions, thinly sliced (I used red. Yumm!)
12 small shallots, peeled (I used chives instead. Our local grocery doesn't keep shallots in stock, so I usually sub in chives, and it has worked so far.)
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
4 large carrots (about 1 pound), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl.
Rub spice blend all over beef.
Cut 6 slits in beef and insert a clove of garlic in each slit.
Cook bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat until browned and lightly crisp.
Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. (I left them all in.)
Increase heat to medium-high.
Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total.
Transfer beef to plate.
Add red wine to pot; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.
Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.
Add broth and bacon.
Place beef atop bacon.
Scatter onions, shallots, remainder of garlic, and bay leaves around beef.

Cover pot, transfer to oven, and roast 1 hour.
Turn beef over; stir onions.
Cover and roast 1 hour longer, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if dry.
Transfer beef to plate.
Add carrots and potatoes to pot; stir to coat. (Oops! I put the carrots in early... but it was all good.)
Place beef atop vegetables, cover, and roast until beef and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer.
Transfer beef to platter.
Spoon off fat from surface of sauce and remove bay leaves.
Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over beef and serve.

The absolute bestest, most amazing butternut squash soup ever

Because it's freakishly cold here (and it seems, pretty much in this half of the country), and I like soup when I'm cold. This soup will rock your world. I promise. It's from Southern Living (Dec. 2003), which is always a good sign. And there's bacon.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
6 bacon slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped (Yes, there is a theme; are you catching on?)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 (12 ounce) packages frozen butternut squash, thawed (or 3lbs fresh, peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1 (32 ounce) container low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2-3 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbs honey
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp red pepper (or more, if you like a little spice! yum!)
1/4 c whipping cream

Directions:
Cook bacon slices in oven a Dutch until crisp.
Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbs drippings.
Crumble bacon and set aside.

Saute onion and carrots in bacon drippings in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
Add celery and onion and saute 5 more minutes.
Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.
Add butternut and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Process squash mixture, in batches, in a blender or food processor until smooth (or just use an immersion blender - I had so much fun using mine for the first time!)
Return to Dutch oven (if you had to take it out).
Add lime juice and next 7 ingredients.
Simmer 10-15 minutes or until thickened.

Top with bacon and garnish (with red pepper, sour cream, etc.), if desired.

8 servings according to the recipe. I am addicted, so I'd call it closer to 6.

Rosemary Crusted Pork

Another What We're Eating Recipe. This girl knows what she's doing!!! The veggies were amazing. I could have made ameal just of those. My pork loin was perfect on the end, but I ended up putting the center 1/2 in the oven for a bit to get it done enough for us. I thought the mustard sauce was wonderful (although I only had ground mustard, so used that in the place of the whole grain mustard), but Mr. L thought it was too hot/tangy for his taste. Also, she really means it when she says that you don't necessarily need to use all of the salt mixture for the pork - I used every drop, and I that was a little too much.

Bacon, Rosemary & Garlic Roasted Veggies
1 tbsp bacon fat (can substitute any oil to make it vegetarian)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
8 large brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lenghtwise
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets, stem discarded
2 cups butternut squash, peeled & cut in 1' cubes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add bacon fat to a large pot over low heat until melted. Add garlic and rosemary; stir. Sweat over low heat for about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add the brussels sprouts, cauliflower and butternut squash to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid then shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to evenly coat the veggies with the fat. Remove the lid then sprinkle with the kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Replace the lid then once again shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to evenly distribute the seasoning. Pour the seasoned veggies onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Place baking sheet into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until well caramelized and tender, tossing the veggies every 15 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe by Amanda Simpson
http://www.whatwereeating.com/

From post: Rosemary Crusted Pork w/ Bacon & Rosemary Roasted Veggies
http://www.whatwereeating.com/recipes/rosemary-crusted-pork-w-bacon-rosemary-roasted-veggies/
Seared Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin
2 tbsp canola oil, or other high-smoking point oil

In a small bowl mix together the rosemary, salt and black pepper. Liberally season all sides of the pork tenderloin with the rosemary salt. You may not need all of the salt mixture.

Preheat a large saute pan with the canola oil over medium-high heat until the oil ripples from the heat but just before it starts smoking. Place the seasoned tenderloin into the pan. Sear the meat over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes until well caramelized then flip the meat a quarter turn. Sear that side for another 4 minutes. Repeat this process two more times until all areas of the pork have a nice sear and the meat is cooked to medium, about 145 degrees. The pork should cook for about a total of 16 minutes. The larger the roast the longer it will need to cook. Let rest for at least ten minutes before slicing, allowing time for the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat. Enjoy!

Recipe by Amanda Simpson
http://www.whatwereeating.com/

From post: Rosemary Crusted Pork w/ Bacon & Rosemary Roasted Veggies
http://www.whatwereeating.com/recipes/rosemary-crusted-pork-w-bacon-rosemary-roasted-veggies/
Tangy Mustard Cream Sauce
Tangy Whole Grain Mustard Sauce
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more if desired
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more if desired

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Whisk until all ingredients are completely incorporated. Taste. Adjust seasonings as desired with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Goes great with seared rosemary pork tenderloin. Can be made upto 3 days in advance and stored chilled. Enjoy!

Recipe by Amanda Simpson
http://www.whatwereeating.com/

From post: Rosemary Crusted Pork w/ Bacon & Rosemary Roasted Veggies
http://www.whatwereeating.com/recipes/rosemary-crusted-pork-w-bacon-rosemary-roasted-veggies/

Peanut Brittle

Another ingredient I have too much of? Peanuts! I gave Virginia Peanuts as part of our oot bags for the wedding, and like everything for the wedding, I WAY over-bought! (I also bought too much dark chocolate for the chocolates that went on the cupcakes, so I was thrilled that this recipe calls for drizzling with chocolate.) So, peanut brittle, here we come.

Peanut Brittle (from food network)

Ingredients :
Brittle:
2 vanilla beans
3 1/4 cups or 500 grams unsalted toasted peanuts
1 scant cup or 200 grams granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon or 100 grams corn syrup
1 1/4 cup or 300 grams unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup or 80 grams honey
2 teaspoons or 6 grams salt
Optional chocolate decoration:
32 ounces bittersweet chocolate, tempered

Directions
Split vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape seeds into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, along with scraped out pods. Place remaining ingredients in saucepan and place over high heat. Cook to a caramel color while continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. The mixture will become very thick. Pull out the vanilla beans and set aside. Lightly spray the work surface with vegetable cooking spray. If you would like to use metal rulers so the brittle will be rolled to an even thickness, set them into place now. Immediately pour the mixture onto the marble or granite slab (you can also use a parchment paper lined baking sheet). Place a piece of parchment paper over the hot brittle and use a rolling pin to roll the peanut brittle into a 3/8-inch thick flat layer. Use a sharp chef's knife to partially cut the brittle while it is still warm. Allow it to cool completely before coating it with chocolate. It is ready to eat now or you can add chocolate to the outside of the brittle.

To cover with chocolate: You can use a variety of methods to apply chocolate to the brittle. You could simply place some chocolate into a cornet and drizzle the chocolate over the cool brittle. You could also use a dipping fork to dip each piece of brittle in the chocolate. Whatever method you use, allow the chocolate to set and it is ready to serve

The first time I made this, it came out perfectly and wsa loved by all. When I tried it again (twice), I couldn't get it to firm up, so I don't know about the reliability factor. But when it works, it's perfection!

I'm on a mission to use up some unusual ingredients that I have lying around - like 2 bags of whole wheat graham flour. Step one: dog treats

Cookie Cutter Treats (from Hodgson Mill)

2 1/2 c whole wheat graham flour
1/2 c nonfat dry milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt (optional)
6 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
1/2 c cold water



Mix all ingredients.
Knead three minutes or until dough forms into a ball.
Roll 1/2 inch thick.
Cut with cookie cutters.
Bake at 350 degrees F on lightly greased cookie sheet for 30 minutes.

Makes 1 batch.

Happy New Year!

For New Year's eve this year, we went to a friend's house for an evening of fun and festivities. The evite said to bring a cocktail or hors d'oeuvres, so I consulted facebook and got a recipe from a law school friend with the following subject line (obviously, that meant I had to make this recipe):

Ho's be lovin my cheez dip!

Ingredients:
2 big logs of Velveeta
1 lb ground beef
2 chopped jalapeno peppers (she leaves out the seeds, out of kindness to those who can't handle it)
1-2 cans rotel tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 chopped onion

Directions:
Brown the hamburger and drain.
Melt the Velveeta (I did this in the microwave)
Combine everything.

Be warned, this is enough to feed a small army. But it's delicious, and so you should make it all anyway!

Jambalaya

I have always been a huge fan of Zaarans, but Mr. L believes that jambalaya must be made from scratch. And Martha Stewart sent me an email with a link to a jambalaya recipe! And they call it "quick", which is key. Mr. L got a Le Cruset dutch oven for Christmas, and this was the perfect chance to they it out (and it's AMAZING!!!!).

Martha's Picture - mine was ugly

Quick Jambalaya

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes with juice
1 cup long-grain rice

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Cut into 3/4-inch pieces; set aside.
Add vegetables to pot.
Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
Add sausage; cook 3 minutes.
Add garlic; cook 1 minute.
Stir in stock, Old Bay, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil.
Add rice and chicken.
Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.
Cover; remove from heat.
Let stand until rice is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. (This took me longer - closer to 45 minutes.)
Season with salt and pepper.



Serves 4

Christmas Baking

As usual, everyone on my Christmas list is getting baked goods. This year, I tried some new things and recycled an old favorite. I kept the gingersnaps in the mix, since they are a favorite, and added zucchini bread, apple butter, peppermint bark, and eggnog.

The peppermint bark was the most surprising - it was SO easy! The first batch I made according to the recipe (except without the extract, since I couldn't find any). For the second, I added a layer of dark chocolate, and that was much better. Finally, I made a batch with crushed oreos instead of candy canes - that was my favorite, but I don't really like mint. I bagged up a little of each as part of each gift.

The apple butter took up most of a Saturday, but I was very pleased with the end result. I was happy that I got to put my new food mill to work (and even happier about how much easier the mill made it!). It passed muster with my father-in-law, who is a true apple butter connoisseur.

The zucchini bread was a much sweeter bread than I expected, but I loved the sugar crust on it. It smelled awful while cooking, but turned out well, and got a ton of compliments. This will definitely be added to the regular Christmas rotation.

The eggnog was another new addition, and I went with Alton Brown's recipe, and just omitted the alcohol (since our families don't really drink). This was another hit - and easy in the stand mixer.

Pork tacos with pineapple salsa

I found this recipe a while back in Cooking Light. After our last flop from Cooking Light, I was hesitant to try this one, but the pictures were so convincing! I'm glad we did try it. This definitely had more flavor than the stir-fry, and was actaully very filling. It earned a "VERY good for a light recipe" rating from Mr. L. It earned a "I'm too hunrgy, and this is too good to remember to take pictures" from me.

That's right - I forgot to take a picture of mine, so I'm tempting you with the picture that drew me in.

Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (Cooking Light, May 2007)


Salsa Ingredients:
2 C minced pineapple
1 C minced apple
1/4 C minced shallots (I used 1 chopped chive instead, because that's what I had)
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
1 Tbs fresh lime juice (I just used all the juice from 1 lime, because who measures lime juice?!)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt


Taco Ingredients
1Tbs canola oil
1 C thinly sliced onion (It called for yellow; I used red)
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 chipotle chilis, canned in adobo sauce, chopped
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed (I used flour, because I don't love corn)



Directions
Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir.
Cover and chill.



Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion to pan and saute 2 min., or until tender.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Add pork to pan and cook 4 min., or until it loses its pink color, stirring occassionally.
Add all remaining ingredients.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove cover, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated.
Warm tortillas according to package directions.

Serve.

6 Cooking Light servings; 3 servings in my house

Thanksgiving wrap-up

This thanksgiving I finally got to do most of the cooking. We got a condo with Mr. L's parents. They brought the ham and turkey (and cake and sweet potato casserole), and I made everything else. It was wonderful! The only thing that turned out a little off were the pumpkin pie (the bottom crust didn't seem fully cooked). Here's the rundown:

Corn Pudding (from the Dollywood cookbook - Tennessee Mountain Cooking)

Ingredients:
1 c corn
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs melted butter
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c pimento
1/4 c green pepper

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients.
Pour into a baking dish.
Bake at 350 until set (about 25 minutes).


Green bean Casserole (LOVED this) (from Paula)

Ingredients:
1/3 stick butter
1/2 c diced onions
1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
2 c sliced green beans
3 c chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8 ounce) can french-fried onion rings
pinch house seasoning (4 parts salt, 1 part black pepper, 1 part garlic powder)
1 c grated cheddar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt the butter in a large skillet.
saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter.
Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain.
Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and house seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture.
Stir well.
Pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
bake for 20 minutes, then top casserole with the cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted.

Parker House Rolls (from the Gourmet Cookbook)

Ingredients:
3 Tbs warm water
3 Tbs sugar
1 (1/4 ounce) package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c whole milk
2 c bread flour (not whole wheat)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 - 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

Directions:
Stir together warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Melt 3/4 stick butter in a small saucepan.
Add milk and heat to lukewarm.
Stir together yeast mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, butter mixture, bread flour, and salt in a bowl with a wooden spoon until combined well, then stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a slightly sticky dough that forms a ball.

Butter a large bowl.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, kneading in more all-purpose flour if dough is too sticky, 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky.
Form into a ball and put in buttered bowl.
Turn to coat with butter, then let rise in bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.
Divide dough into 20 equal pieces and roll into balls.
Arrange evenly in 4 rows of 5 in pan and let rise, covered loosely, in a warm place 45 minutes, or until almost doubled in bulk.
Make a deep crease down center of each row of rolls using length of a floured chopstick or side of a ruler.
Let rolls rise, covered loosely, 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cool slightly.
Brush tops of rolls with butter and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Let rolls cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.
Turn out onto rack and cool to warm.

Cooks' note:
You can make rolls 1 day ahead and keep, wrapped well in foil, at room temperature. Reheat in foil in a preheated 375°F oven 15 to 20 minutes. (This is what I did, and it worked perfectly!)


Macaroni and Cheese (slightly modified from Alton Brown's)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs powdered mustard
3 c milk
1/2 c yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp paprika
1 large egg
6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
6 ounces cubed Velveeta
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 Tbs butter
1 c panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter.
Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes.
Make sure it's free of lumps.
Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika.
Simmer for ten minutes, and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg.
Stir in all of the Velveeta, and 1/2 of the cheddar.
Season with salt and pepper.
Fold in the macaroni and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.
Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat.
Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Fresh Cranberry Relish (also from Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking)

Ingredients:
16oz fresh cranberries
1 orange
1 c sugar
1/2 c nuts (I used walnuts)

Directions:
In food processor or blender, chop cranberries into big pieces. (I used a blender, because our food processor is buried somewhere right now - I wished I had it. The blender was a bit of a hassle, because it only wanted to chop what was at the bottom, and didn't really move the berries around.)
Add nuts and chop.
Add orange and sugar and chop until desired consistency.
Refrigerate.

Note: Better if made a few hours before serving.

Cornbread and Sausage Dressing (from a local cookbook - Cooking on Hazel Creek: The Best of Southern Cooking)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb bulk pork sausage
1/2 chopped onion
4 c coarsely crumbled cornbread (less than 1 box of Jiffy)
1 c coarsely crumbled day old bread
2 eggs
2 c turkey or chicken broth (or 1 small can)
1/4 c chopped parsley (thank goodness for my little herb garden!)
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine sausage and onion and cook until browned, stirring to crumble meat.
Drain off pan drippings.
Combine with remaining ingredients, and spoon the mixture into a greased 12x8 baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Remove cover and bake at 15 minutes longer.

Creamed Spinach (from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

2 pounds baby spinach or 2 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, tough stems discarded
1 3/4 cups heavy cream or whole milk, or a mix thereof
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
Wash your spinach well but no need to spin or pat it dry.
Place spinach in a large pot over high heat.
Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes for baby spinach and 4 to 6 minutes for regular spinach.
Press or squeeze out the excess liquid any number of ways, either by wringing it out in cheesecloth, putting it in a mesh strainer and pressing the moisture out with a spatula or large spoon or letting it cool long enough to grab small handfuls and squeezing them to remove as much water as possible.
Coarsely chop the wrung-out spinach.
Wipe out large pot so you can use it again.

Heat milk or cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm.
Keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic, if using, in butter in your wiped-out large pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about six minutes.
Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, about three minutes.
Add warm milk or cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, three to four minutes.
Stir in nutmeg, spinach, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until heated through.

Do ahead: Creamed spinach can be made one day ahead and chilled, covered then reheated over moderately low heat until hot. However, it really tastes best eaten immediately. (I made it ahead, and wished I'd made it the day of. It's just not the same!)

I did make most of it ahead, and merely cooked it the day of. I did all of the prep work at home, and then wrapped it and labeled it all with the coking times and temperatures, ready to pop in the oven on thanksgiving day. It made it easier, having already figured out what could cook at the same time (same temperatures) and what needed to go in early or late because it had a higher or lower cooking temperature.

I also made Pumpkin Pie and Mashed Potatoes, but can't remember which recipes I used for those - more than likely, they were from someone on the Food Network. ;)