Parme$an

Hold the phone.

Is anyone else out there aware of the Parmesan cheese racket going on in grocery stores these days?

Last night I decided to top some asparagus with a little freshly grated Parmesan and some lemon juice. Sounds simple, right?

Well I'll be damned if I didn't go into the Harris Teeter, scour the randomly placed fancy cheese cart, and find only 2 brand options of Parmesan Reggiano, the cheapest and smallest of which was $9.45.

Umm, what? Have I never used Parmesan Reggiano before? How did I not know how unbelievably expensive this shit is?

Now I'm in a really though situation. After watching hundreds of episodes of Giada At Home, I am now convinced I need to put freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano on everything. And after seeing how much it cost, I am now convinced I can't afford to put it on anything.

I ended up getting the Harris Teeter "Fancy Shredded Parmesan Cheese", which isn't fancy at all. It kinda doesn't even look like cheese. Nonetheless, it still tasted great when roasted over asparagus.

And, the best part, you don't even have to pronounce it like a fake Italian. Score one for the po' folk.

Free Cookbook!!

Stumped for what to make for the Thanksgiving holiday?

Can't afford an over-priced cookbook?

Well here ya go:

http://www.sirius.com/wo/i/martha/2010/Martha_Stewart_thanksgiving_full.pdf

63 pages of Martha Stewart approved recipes from a variety of chefs. From sides to salads, to meats to mouse, this ecookbook is a holiday lifesaver.

Enjoy domestic divas!

Let Their Be Food

I went to a great cooking class last night at Southern Season in Chapel Hill. This place is LUSCIOUS to the extreme. They have every imagineable spice, chocolate, coffee, plate, cookbook, wine, etc. that you could ever dream of.

It's also extremely confusing, overwhelming, and maze-like, but luscious nonetheless.

The class was called a Taste of Thai, and let me tell you...those Thai are on to something! Bursts of ginger! Crunches of peanuts and cashews! The light spice of onions, garlic, and shallots! Oh me, oh my.

Besides the fact that every recipe called for Fish sauce, which I've never seen, heard of, purchased, or used, I think I might just have to turn my kitchen into a regular ห้องครัว (that means kitchen in Thai).

Fun fact: The class was taught by an actual Thai woman who grew up without electricity! (Not the random lady pictured above).

While I would never in a billion years spend $35 on an entree at a restaurant, I would sure as hell spend $35 again at a cooking class. If you ask me that's a steal for 2 tasting glasses of wine, an appetizer, and 3 petite entrees. Not to mention an hour of entertainment our of your house, with a good friend, and away from the boob tube.

If you ever go with me though, just don't be one of those a-holes who asks a million questions just to prove that you also know a lot about cooking. There's a reason you're not teaching your own class, so shut up.

Cook on divas! Cook on!