Here’s looking at you kid: A crock pot love affair

It is embarrassing to admit, but I think I have a culinary crush on my crock pot. It is crock pot Thursday. That means after working all day I get to come home to a delectable, home cooked meal that doesn’t require me to do…anything! You can slow cook an old running shoe with onions, garlic, roasted tomatoes, ginger, horseradish sauce, and wine and it will taste like a meal from any 5-star restaurant. Crock pots are amazing. I think Jesus wants everyone to have a crock pot.

My favorite crock pot recipes:
Beef or pork roast with horseradish wine sauce served over Israeli cous cous
Pork butt carnitas with orange juice and green chile served with roasted garlic, cilantro, queso fresco, and fresh corn tortillas
Stewed chicken with southwest spices and green chile served over rice or with tortillas

Busy moms and workaholics alike should invest in this is vital piece of technology. It prevents wasting money and sacrificing healthy habits by avoiding the inevitable fast food option (I’m still trying to severe my craving for PizzaHut). I think Apple should invest in smart crock pot technology! I throw in several ingredients and it tells me the remaining items to add for a gourmet meal. I’ll be sure to pitch that the next time I meet with Tim Cook. I’m sure he’ll just love it. ;-)

Steiner Ranch Steakhouse

Steiner Ranch Steakhouse, Austin, TX http://www.steinersteakhouse.com/ I'm a big fan of the cow. I've had steaks at almost every "fine dining" steak establishment in Austin. III Forks, Perry's, and Eddie V's are among my personal favorites. However, for our anniversary I wanted to try something different. Steiner Ranch Steakhouse was recommended by friends who live in the Steiner area as well as a decent following of online patrons. The establishment is in a beautiful building with amazing views of 360 and the lake (or what's left of it right now). I should have known that looks can be deceiving. We arrived 15 minutes early and were told to have a seat in the lounge or visit the outside bar. We chose to sit outside as the sun was beginning to set and the view was beautiful. The drinks were decently priced considering we were in Steiner: $10.50 for a Shiner and a glass of Chardonnay (never mind the fact that I paid $10 for that same glass of wine while sitting at our table inside). However, it was very obvious that this was the place to find a date for the evening. It was actually quite comical to watch. We were seated on the second floor in the corner with a great view. That was one of the few things I liked about the restaurant. On the way to our table, I passed a mother nursing her child at the dinner table and a 3 year old screaming at another table. Not exactly what I had in mind for a romantic dinner. The waiter was dressed very casually (not what I am used too for fine dining) but very pleasant to talk too. He seemed to be very knowledgeable about the menu and the variety of steaks offered. He was quick to offer suggestions and to get our drinks. My disappointment was mainly with the food. We started our meal with a bowl of the 'She Crab Soup' which is a cream based seafood soup with potatoes and vegetables. This was a very rustic interpretation of the Lobster bisque that is more commonly found in other steakhouses. I did not care for the texture of the soup as it was more chowder-like than a smooth creamy based soup, but the flavor was good. It was very mild compared to a lot of peppery cognac infused soup blends. I would recommend it as a starter course. We chose to pass on a salad and instead ordered a steak. I ordered the 7 oz. Midwestern Heirloom beef filet mignon "oscar style" and my boyfriend had the 22 oz. Midwestern Ribeye. Both were served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The presentation and plating of the food was very nice and colorful. However, when our waiter brought our food he failed to bring steak knives. We had to ask for them. This is a serious flaw in a steakhouse in my opinion. All utensils should be on the table before the food arrives. My steak was cooked correctly and at an amiable temperature, but the béarnaise sauce that accompanied the steak "oscar style" was cool and lumpy (which happens when it sits too long or isn't cooked correctly). My boyfriend's steak was cooked correctly, but everything else on the plate was just luke warm. I'm not sure what happened there. Now, I'm not the type to normally over season my food. If I order a $40 steak , I expect it to be seasoned well and cooked correctly. For the first time in an upscale steakhouse, I had to salt my food. And I really hated to do that, but everything was so bland. The béarnaise sauce was also too eggy for my taste. Not enough tarragon. We ordered the vanilla bean crème Brule for dessert and were very pleased with it! We spoke with the manager when he came around about our experience. He seemed surprised, but not dismissive. We just let him know what we didn't like, which is our job as customers, and he seemed very responsive to our feedback. I appreciated that he took the time to listen. All in all, I would go back to have a drink on the patio and enjoy the view, but I will probably not visit the restaurant again.

"The sauce"

Ragu, Prego, Barilla, Classico, Emeril... Take your pick and you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes. However, what happens when you take on the challenge of attempting your first homemade spaghetti sauce and homemade pasta? Blissful, yet utter, exhaustion. Six hours of carefully measuring, chopping, stirring, deglazing, and simmering rendered a meat stew rich enough to knock Chef Boyardee off his microwaveable can, but left me needing a bottle of wine to kill the back pain and onion seared eyes. Ah, yes, there is definitely something special about the hazards of homemade goodness! While I would change up the recipe next time by trying several different cuts of meat (perhaps ground veal and chuck instead of ground pork and chuck), using a different wine, and adding more fire roasted tomatoes, the base recipe is good for beginners. I give credit to Mr. Alton Brown for his careful consideration of flavors and consistency: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/meat-sauce-and-spaghetti-recipe/index.html. As my patience was slowly melting away, my loving partner in crime helped me out and made the fresh pasta for the evening. Any man that can knead dough is alright by me! Overall, I think the first attempt of "the sauce" was successful despite my overenthusiastic use of meat. The fat cats hovering in the kitchen should have been the first sign that I used too much. Oh well. Homemade bruschetta