 Big Guy and I plan to recreate famous meals from famous restaurants throughout the country thanks to a recent cookbook purchase. As we discussed the source for our food, I mentioned that we may need to find a specialty store for specific ingredients. I had noticed an ad for Vincent's 12th Street Market and felt the need to check out the store. It has been a neighborhood market for over one hundred years specializing in groceries, meat, produce and liquor. We walked in the store and were immediately struck with the feel of it. It was clean, organized and curated well. We got to the butcher counter, and I fell in love with the selection and the expertise of the butcher. As we were getting our order filled, a fellow customer started to make suggestions on how to prepare our steak. Could this visit get any better? I am looking forward to future visits. This is a classic example of small business owners still doing well and competing with the big box stores by selling quality items and outstanding friendly service. Well done! 
Big Guy and I love to read about new recipes not only in cookbooks, but in newspapers. We recently pulled out one that we had clipped in July. Yes, it was from a real newspaper!
The recipe heralded the meal as being “perfect in its simplicity.” Check. It was a burger with onions. Double check! The Oklahoma Onion Burger, previously known as a Depression burger, was served in diners with the added onions being perceived to be a better value for a 5-cent burger during the Great Depression. The article that accompanied the recipe stated the following basics: “start with a small ball of ground beef placed atop a griddle, then topped with a large haystack of thinly sliced onions. Aggressively smash the beef into the griddle to spread the burger to overhang the edges of a bun, while simultaneously embedding the onions into the meat.” I admit I had visions of this style of cooking at White Castle and Steak ‘n Shake while we prepped the ingredients. While we did not use a griddle, our lodge pan worked well. It truly was perfect.  Butternut Squash Ravioli and Brown Butter Sage Sauce Big Guy and I have been busy working on some special projects which kept us out of the kitchen for a couple of weeks. With the work complete, we were determined to get back to our prepared meals. First up was our butternut squash ravioli. We made the ravioli last month and froze them for a future meal. As it was our first-time making ravioli, we were immediately struck by the “weight” of them as they hit the hot water. Big Guy kept stirring the ravioli to make sure they did not stick to the bottom of the pan. They eventually started to float toward the top, so we were relieved we made edible ravioli. We learned a lesson and vowed to make the dough thinner for the next round! The real star of the show turned out to be the brown butter sauce. I placed a stick of butter with fifteen sage leaves and let it cook on low. After fifteen minutes of occasionally stirring the butter, the fats were a golden brown on the bottom of the pan and the sage leaves were perfectly crisp. We dropped the cooked ravioli in the pan, and they immediately started to soak up that golden goodness. We added toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese on top to complete the meal along with a spinach salad. Perfect Fall meal!
 Big Guy and I enjoy doing day trips. After years of travel for work, we feel invigorated and come home happy as we relax into the evening with a cocktail and conversation about our day. With the addition of our Doodle, we have begun an annual trip in the Fall to Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site. The highlight of the trip is seeing the covered bridge and walking through the woods and along the creek. Doodle loves this Missouri State Park and gets extremely excited with the new sniffs along the way. Big Guy and I enjoy the crispness in the air along with seeing the Fall colors on the trees. The trip is not complete until we stop at Bob’s Drive In for a hamburger and onion rings. It sits on a hillside and allows a picturesque view for lunch. Doodle was over the moon this year as she got a pup cup and visits from patrons who adored her. Perfect fall day!
  I do love to bake bread as the aroma fills every inch of the house. I often find Big Guy peeking into the oven anticipating his first bite with a slab of butter. I have no beef with prepared packages of bread as they tend to be fool proof. On a recent trip to Kimmswick, I found bread packages like those I used to buy at the Soulard Spice Shop. You open the various packages in the box and add one bottle of beer. Once you mix the ingredients and add butter on top, you pop it in the oven for fifty-five minutes to an hour. This is as easy as it can be and delicious especially on a cold Fall Day.
 I bought heavy whipping cream for a soup recipe without double checking my recipe. The recipe did not call for cream, so I looked at the container and decided to use it for another purpose. My friends will be aghast, but I ran out of butter the other day. Heavy whipping cream to the rescue. I placed the cream into my Kitchen Aid and let the machine do the rest of the work. Once we separated the buttermilk from the butter fat we were in business. Crisis averted!   Where does the time go? I ask this question as I celebrate meeting my Big Guy forty years ago. I am too young to be celebrating this milestone!
Seriously, I met and married my best friend which means I get to love and have fun with this guy every day. I realize most people only celebrate their actual wedding day, but Big Guy and I always observe our first date as well. Big Guy picked a lovely bottle of wine while I baked chicken breasts with a couscous mix on the side. I opted for a past recipe which included onions, yellow pepper, and mango. Savory and sweet just like the day!  My MIL declared my apple pie to be superior to her version many years ago. I take the crown quite seriously as I share this dessert with my family and friends. When I want an apple dessert in the Fall, I do not always want to make a big pie for the two of us. My way to avoid any leftovers is I make an apple crumble. It is the same recipe only no crust and reduced ingredients. The Big Guy loves the full pie, but never complains when I do this pared down version. It is the perfect Fall treat!   Our dear friend had us over for dinner and ended the meal with a delicious apple pie. It certainly whetted my appetite for more apple-based desserts.
As I rooted through my cabinet, there was my old-fashioned apple corer. It was in the very back of my cabinet on top of the box holding my silver server. Yes, it was a wedding present! I was determined to use my corer again. I will say the thing is a pain to store, but it certainly made the job so much easier. It not only cored the apple, but it peeled and sliced it for me. Now, what shall I make first? |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
June 2025
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