Carmel Corn

In my home growing up we would always have caramel corn and watch the firework on the 4th of July.  We didn't do it very often besides that so it brings back special memories for me.  Recently our good friends moved back to Pennsylvania for school and we made them a treat bag to eat along the way.  It is a long drive and a good supply of sugar is needs. Caramel corn definitely satisfies that need. 
(A candy thermometer is recommended but not necessary)

What you need:
5 Quarts popped corn
2 C brown sugar (remember brown sugar is to be packed when measuring)
1/2 C light corn syrup
1/2 c butter
salted peanuts

What to do:

Combine sugar, butter and corn syrup in a sauce pan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  If using a candy thermometer you should cook it to a soft ball.  Remove from heat, pour over popped cor, stirring until all corn is coated.  Add peanuts while stirring caramel mixture if desired.

Beef Tenderloin with Cheese

Big thanks go out to Casey and Kelly for the meat and to Rachel Ray for inspiring this meal.

 

 We were given a bunch of meat and had no idea what to do with it, so I was searching foodnetwork.com and found a recipe for beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola cheese.   Neither Nikki or I had ever tried gorgonzola chese before so we went to Harmons to check it out.  In case you are wondering,   Authentic Italian Gorgonzola comes in two varieties; Dolce - meaning sweet; and Mountain - the sharper and firmer version. Dating back to ancient times, this member of the stracchino family is one of the world's classic cheeses.Almost spreadable, Gorgonzola Dolce is supple and luxurious with an unmistakable tangy creaminess. Its pale white interior is laced with streaks of blue, giving Gorgonzola Dolce a striking appearance to match its piquant flavor.  (Curtosey of foodnetwork.com)
                                          
If you like bleu cheeses, you might like it, but, we did not enjoy it.  So we were cruising the deli and saw two cheeses that looked promising.  One was a gruyere cheese, which is a type of swiss, and the other was a smoked Gouda cheese.  Both of which we tasted were amazing, so rather than decide between the two we got a little of both, and were ultra glad we did.


Here's how to do it.

Ingredients

• 4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) beef tenderloin steaks
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Gruyere or Gouda cheese

Directions

Let meat rest 10 minutes before beginning dinner preparation.

Place a large, flat griddle or skillet over high heat. When hot, using a pair of tongs and a folded paper towel, wipe cooking surface with oil and place steaks on hot pan. Seer the steaks, 2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to moderate. Season meat with salt and pepper and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer on each side.
Preheat broiler to high.
Arrange steaks on baking sheet. Top each steak with enough cheese to cover the top. Place baking sheet 6 inches from broiler heat just long enough to melt the cheese.  Let meat rest 2 or 3 minutes, then serve immediately.


This was an amazing meal and would make it again with no reservations.  As you can see we at our dinner with some scones.  Real easy, get some frozen uncooked roll dough and thaw it out, smash flat and cook in hot oil.   Top with honey butter. (equal parts honey and butter mixed well.)