Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

I absolutely love bell peppers (well, as long as they're not the green colored ones) and when I received the cookbook Giada's Kitchen this past Christmas, I knew I had to try out her recipe for stuffed bell peppers. It was delicious!

NOTE: I did not have straight orzo, but I used the "Harvest Grains Blend" from Trader Joe's that has a mix of Israeli cous cous, orzo, quinoa, etc. I'm sure you could substitute another type of pasta or rice if you would like. Also, you could add some meat like ground beef to it, or other veggies (although it is quite delish and filling as is).

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers (from Giada's Kitchen)

1 (28-ounce) can whole Italian tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (I just used basil)
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling (I used Parmesan)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or less..)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and break them into pieces using a pair of kitchen shears or your fingertips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo will be only partially cooked. Drain the orzo through a sieve, reserving the chicken broth, and add the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish (since there are only two of us, I scaled the recipe down to just 2 bell peppers and then cooked them in individual souffle dishes). Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. Cut a very think slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle each pepper with cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to serving plates. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Battle Wounds

Working in the kitchen can be quite dangerous.
The part I always get the most scared about is taking hot items out of the oven. This is why:

I burn myself so much! Above is the first really bad burn I've gotten. It is in the first stage of the burn (complete with the blister and all), and below is after the blister popped and then it turned kinda greenish in the middle... Ironically, this burn came when I was experimenting for the Drexel cookie contest and baking up batches and batches of cookies. This burn was from the winning batch! So it was all worth it in the end.

Less than a month later, I received this beauty while preparing the hubby's birthday dinner. The shape of it makes me think of a stingray or a dragonfly.

I think I need some full arm length oven mitts! Both of these burns have left permanent marks, but I am kind of proud of them in a weird sort of way. They are my kitchen battle wounds.

My Big Moment with Giada

It's no secret I adore Giada de Laurentiis. If you asked who is my favorite chef, whose show I enjoy the most, or whose recipes I love, I would say Giada even before you finish asking the question. I joke with the hubby that our first daughter should be named Giada in honor of her.
Well, two weeks ago I was on spring break and I happened to stop in to Williams-Sonoma for some browsing (very dangerous and tempting indeed). On the back desk, I happened to see this flier:
GIADA WOULD BE HERE AT THE PHILLY STORE FOR A BOOK-SIGNING EVENT!!!!!
Of all the people that could have come, it happens to be my favorite! I was not sure if I would be off work early enough (it was my first week of my internship), so I did not reserve my ticket quite yet. The morning before the event, I called up to get my ticket, but they said their register was down and to call back later. After explaining that I would be at work ALL day, she assured me that if I came by after work they would still have plenty of tickets left.
I eagerly went over straight after work. And my dreams were shattered. The person at the cashier said they had sold out one hour before, and there was no possible way I could get a ticket. I even explained (quite tearfully) how I had been guaranteed a ticket just that morning, but it made no difference. I went home, so sad, thinking that I would come by the next evening anyway and try to at least take some sort of paparazzi shot of Giada the Great.
The following night I just so happened to get off work extra early, so I decided to try one last time to get that ticket of mine. I spoke with the manager, and it just so happened that she was the one who had assured me a ticket the previous morning! she had told all of her employees about me except one who was on her lunch break at the time, and that was the one that had denied me my precious ticket.
I got in line at 4:30 and waited for 2 1/2 hours. While waiting, I enjoyed some delectable items that were passed around--featured recipes from her new cookbook. While waiting, I saw that not only would she personalize and sign her new book (Giada at Home), but she would sign other books as well! I called the hubby up and he brought my other two Giada books.
I thought of what I, her greatest fan would say when we were face to face. I started getting more nervous and excited as the line got shorter and shorter. My big moment was almost here!
I passed my book to the worker who wrote out my name on a post it and put it on the page for her to sign. I took a few steps closer, she took my book.
"Savanna...without an "h!"
"Yep!" I said.
Then, i froze up. What do I say next? Do I wait for her to start the long anticipated conversation? I could see my big moment passing right before my eyes, as she was almost finished signing my books and I would be hurried out the door.
"Savanna has really been looking forward to meeting you. She is actually in a culinary program herself now! She loves watching your show."
The hubby saves the day!
"Oh really? Are you enjoying it?"
"Oh yes!" And then I quickly squeak, "I love your recipes!"
"Well, it looks like you have a nice stack of books here with lots of recipes. Happy cooking!"
"Thanks!"
And before I knew it, I was hurried along to the special "picture-taking" spot (which didn't even work out since the people getting her signature was blocking the view to her). how sad i was not allowed to get a picture with her!
and seriously, what happened to me?? I had been looking forward to this for so long, one would think that I could said a bit more than "Yep," "Oh yes," and the rushed and squeaky, "I love your recipes!" But thank goodness the hubby was there! I wouldn't have even gotten these three lines in if it weren't for him! It's quite humorous actually.

So after we went out of the store, we stood outside the window where we could see her and i could take in the moment. My few seconds with Giada seemed to just fly right by and I felt like I did not really get a chance to notice the details because of the adrenaline rush.
So when I was in a more calm state, I saw that she had a long-sleeved black shirt on, black pants, and kinda platformy-type black boots. She had a pretty bracelet and necklace on, and her hair was nicely curled. I noticed that her hair is actually dyed which i've never noticed in her show/books before. And yes, her smile is as big as ever in person too. as well as other things.
Who knew the climax of my life would come so early? :) just kidding, but seriously, this was a BIG moment for me. Next, Ina Garten needs to come (my other favorite chef---pronounced EYE-nuh, not EE-nuh)! Then I could die happy.

Food Rules

I have been most excited to read this little handbook that came out recently, written by Michael Pollan. He wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma (which I read for a class during the fall...highly recommend it) as well as In Defense of Food (which i am currently reading). When I was in the Drexel bookstore between classes last Monday, I saw this on the table and decided to flip through it, since I had some time between classes. Well, I ended up sitting down on a comfy chair and reading the whole thing! I think it is funny how he calls food that many people eat nowadays (particularly in this country) not food, but "edible foodlike substances." hah! so sad, but oh so true. While I have not finished reading In Defense of Food quite yet, this book seems to be a brief summary of that book. So I would recommend it if you just want an interesting quick read with highlights from his other book. I believe there were a 64 "rules" and for each rule, he gives very interesting and often humorous support to back it up.

The book was divided up into three sections and I took notes of my favorite "rules" from each part:

I. What Should I Eat?
Rule #7: Avoid food products containing ingredients that a 3rd grader cannot pronounce.
#8: Avoid food products that make health claims.
#13: Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
#19: If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

II. What Kind of Food Should I Eat?
Rule #23: Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.
#36: Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.
#37: The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead.
#39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.
#40: Be the kind of person who takes supplements--then skip the supplements.
#41: Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

III. How Should I Eat?
Rule #46: Stop eating before you're full.
#51: Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it.
#54: Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.
#57: Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does.
#63: Cook.
#64: Break the rules once in a while.