A Little Hot Outside...But Oh-So Yummy!

Another Deliciously Beautiful Day! Thank you!

Ok here they are - the recipes from yesterday! Thank you, thank you to those of who stopped down today! It is so fun to get to see you each week - and we all know that Kelly certainly enjoys it. :)



Muffuletta Burgers

5 lbs Ground Pork
1 cup Green Olives
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives
1/4 cup Roasted Red Peppers
1/4 cup Hot Giardiniera (Hot Pickled Vegetables)
1 Tbspoon Capers
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbspoon Dried Oregano
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (More if you like it a little hotter)
5 Slices Provolone, cut into 1/4
1/2 lb Mortadella
1/2 lb Hot Cappicola
20 small buns

1. In a food processor combine olives, roasted peppers, giardiniera, capers, vinegar, oregano, garlic, pepper, and pepper flakes. Pulse for a minute or 2, until everything is chopped and combined.
2. In a mixing bowl combine ground pork and 1 1/2 cups of olive relish.
3. Create approximately 4 ounce burgers, about the size of a baseball.
4. On a hot grill cook the burgers for 7 minutes on the first side. Flip and finish cooking 4 more minutes. The burger will be finished when it is firm. In the last minute place a slice of provolone on top.
5. To assemble place one slice of hot cappicola and one slice of mortadella on the bottom slice of the bun. Place the burger with the melted cheese on top and enjoy!


BBQ Stuffed Burgers


2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
5 lbs. Ground Pork
3 cups Corn Pudding (we used City Barbeque's)
5 cups Cooked Turnip Greens (we used Cracker Barrel)
20 small buns

1. In a large mixing bowl combine sauce and ground pork.
2. Create approximately 4 ounce burgers, about the size of a baseball, and form into a ball.
3. Press a "well" into the burger using your index finger. Create a miniture ball of corn pudding and push into the burger. Make sure that the meat is covering the corn pudding and that it is no longer visible.
4. On a hot grill cook the burgers for 7 minutes on the first side. Flip and finish cooking 4 more minutes. Press the sides of the burgers to make sure they are firm since the middle will be softer because of the corn pudding.
5. Serve atop a bun with a heaping spoonful of turnip greens. Enjoy!

Also, a special thank you to those of you who have actually REQUESTED to have your photo taken and to be on our blog (you know who you are). You cannot know how much that makes our hearts sing! We love having you stop by week after week! Always a treat!

Give Us the Scoop!

Whether it's Graeter's or your local whip, blog about your favorites -- ice cream and otherwise -- right here.

I'll get you started: I wake up dreaming about Girthburgers at Zip's in Mt. Lookout Square. If Frisch's tartar sauce were on my cereal, I wouldn't be upset. I can taste an extra-thick chocolate shake from UDF as I write.

Now you keep it coming. Bring it on, baby!

Polly Polly Polly Polly P-O-L-L-Y

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Ms. Polly Campbell, for the glowing review on your blog. We have a little song to sing for you...

A Terrific Tuesday on the Town

All I have to say is Mother Nature must be a Cincinnatian and her favorite place must be Fountain Square.

Thank goodness for another gorgeous Tuesday at the Strauss & Troy Market on the Square. It was so very fun, as always. The burgers were yummy, the Market was buzzing, and the best part of all was you! Thank you, thank you for coming to visit us. Returning friends and new visitors alike, we love getting to hang with you.

You can find the recipe for Caprese Burger just below and the Gyro Burger a little farther down. Both burgers are on our fresh new site www.cookingwithcaitlin.com.

See you next week.

-- Kelly and Caitlin

Caprese Burger

This is the Caprese Burger you couldn't get enough of last week. Thanks for making it an instant favorite. We'll be serving it on the Square again tomorrow.

Caprese Burger

Yield: 20 4oz. burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes

Burger Ingredients:
5 pounds ground pork
1 cup basil pesto
fresh mozzarella balls
sundried tomato mayo
20 buns

Pesto Ingredients:
1/2 pound spinach (cleaned, picked bags)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup parmesan
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup olive oil

Sundried Tomato Mayo:
1 cup mayo
1 cup sundried tomatoes


Burger Instructions:
- combine all ingredients together and form 4 oz. burger patties
- stuff a lump of fresh mozzarella in the center of each patty
- put patties on grill. grill for 10 minutes, flip and then 7 additional minutes
- place burger on a bun, smear sundried tomato mayo on top of burger and serve

Pesto Instructions:
- toss everything but oil into a food processor
- add oil in a slow and steady stream

Sundried Tomato Mayo Instructions:
- toss mayo and tomatoes (including the oil in which they were packed) into the food processor until smooth

Thank you, thank you for having us!!

A city of 300,000+ but still a small world...

Recently we have been doing a lot of thinking about Cincinnati and the benefits of starting a business here. Though we are a city of more than 300,000 people, it sure can feel a great deal smaller from time to time. How great is this when starting your own business? What a tremendous built in asset - to live in a city in which people feel connected (as we ask "what high school did you go to") and want to help each other. Every day, we are reminded how lucky we are for having such a great network of people surrounding us, supporting us - and challenging us. We are grateful for every word of encouragement, introduction made and suggested improvement that comes our way.

Our "small town" feel was quite prevalent last night. As usual, Kelly and Caitlin had all of the details covered for our events, and I am the lucky one that just shows up (isn't that some quote - "80% of life is just showing up"?) Well, imagine our surprise when Kelly and I figured out that, not only were the hosts such terrific people, but we knew half of the guest list. From my childhood doctor, to past business associates, to actually being high school classmates of the guest of honor! We were simply delighted. A special congratulations to Carissa and thank you to Verna and Molly for having us. We really enjoyed it (and kind of felt like part of your party). Thank you, thank you!

Be sure to check out the photos below!

Congratulations!!!

Farmers' Markets Report

Thank you, thank you to those of you came out and withstood the heat today. Below are the pictures from the day's event!

For those of you who are really getting into the market "scene" - or have been visiting farmers' markets for years - you will certainly appreciate the inside scoop that the Cincinnati Locavore blog offers - I certainly did. Check it out, there is a ton of great information (click on the header above).

Thank you, thank you!

Yummy Summer Desserts

RASPBERRY BELLINI FLOATS

ingredients
1 carton Fresh Raspberries
1 Pint Vanilla Ice Cream (or Madisano's gelato)
3 2L Bottles Peach Soda

instructions

1. In a small bowl empty your fresh raspberries. (Make sure to get rid of the moldy ones.)

2. Next mash the fresh raspberries with the back of a large spoon until it has become paste-like.

3. To assemble: place 1 tablespoon of fresh raspberry mash at the bottom on the glass, followed by a scoop of fresh ice cream.

4. Immediately before serving, pour the soda over the ice cream concoction until the glass is filled to the rim.

5. Serve and enjoy!

CANDIED CLEMENTINES

ingredients

1 Bag Clementines
1 Bottle Triple Sec
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar

instructions

1. First, cut the clementines in half lengthwise, so that each half of the clementine has a “navel on in”. Leave the skin on.

2. In a small sauce pot add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and cook on medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. (This concoction is called a simple syrup.)

3. Once the simple syrup is made, add the cut clementines, liquor, and simple syrup to a large bowl to marinate. (Let sit overnight if possible)

4. Right before service place the powdered sugar on a plate and drain the clementines.

5. Preheat a large saute pan to medium high heat (or you could use your grill if it’s nice outside). Next dip the clementine face down in the powdered sugar and then set face down in the pan.

6. Leave the clementines in the saute pan for 2 minutes or until the sugar becomes a bubbling brown caramel. (The clementines only need to be cooked on one side)

7. Once the clementines have caramelized and cooled, serve and enjoy!

When sugar melts it becomes caramel and extremely hot to work with, so please do not hurt yourself!

Second Sunday on Main

Follow the link (click on the title above) to more information about a very fun gathering this Sunday on Main Street between 13th and Liberty in downtown Cincinnati. What a great opportunity to discover (or rediscover) our fine city! Great music, food, shopping - we think its a great way to spend a summer Sunday. Kelly, Molly, and Caitlin will be there.

http://www.secondsundayonmain.org/

July's Third Thursday

BBQ or Bust, Baby

Welcome to July, four weeks of the year dedicated to the most genius cooking device ever dreamt up – THE GRILL. (Oh, and our country’s birthday as well.) Next week Caitlin honors that dedication as she gets her groove on the grill and dances her way through a kitchen bursting with BBQ love. Join us for your favorites all Caitlined-up.

And God Bless America.

Some Place Different
8087 Vine Street
Thursday, July 17
7-9 p.m.

Enjoy a taster menu including:
Beef Ribs with Crispy Potato Salad
Cuban Burgers with Spicy-Lime-Butter-Slathered Grilled Corn
Homemade Marshmallow S’mores
Spoonfuls of Blueberry Pie
Homemade Ice Pops

Eat until your belly’s full for $20 per person. Quench your thirst at the cash bar.

RSVP with a headcount of you and your friends to Kelly Trush
by Monday, July 14.
513.602.2458 or kelly@cookingwithcaitlin.com

July 1st Strauss and Troy Market on Fountain Square

Thank you, thank you to everyone who came out today - an especially big thank you to those of you who stood in line! We want you to experience a burger fresh off the grill and will continue to work to minimize the wait. We REALLY appreciate you stopping by and are just plain excited that you are enjoying Caitlin's burgers.

As a thank you, we would like for you to have the recipes from Caitlin's creations today (see the below post for photos from today). We look forward to seeing you next week, but in the meantime, if you want a copy of any of the photos - or have a burger request, let us know! We are here to please!



Gyro Burger with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Yield: 12 4 oz. Burgers
Prep Time: 7 minutes (if you are able to source the ground lamb, longer if you have to grind it yourself in the Cuisinart)
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef
1 lb of ground lamb – call your butcher or a specialty store like Jungle Jim’s
1 T dried oregano
1.5 t garlic powder
1.5 t cracked black pepper
1 t onion powder
1 t cumin
1 t paprika
1 T kosher salt
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
12 Buns

Instructions:

1. Combine the above ingredients
2. Grill on one side for 7 minutes, flip and grill another 7 minutes
3. Place burger on bun, top with Caitlin’s Homemade Tzatziki Sauce (see ingredients below), top with tomato slice and sliced red onion

Caitlin’s Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Yield: 12 burger’s worth of topping
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes

12 oz of Greek yogurt – if can’t find Greek yogurt, use Plain (NOT vanilla)
1 medium cucumber
2 t salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T olive oil
juice of one lemon
¼ cup of chopped mint
¼ cup of chopped dill

1. Cut off the ends of the cucumber, cut lengthwise in half and take a spoon down the two centers to remove the seeds (or de-seed the cucumber as you usually choose to do so). Grate the cucumber with your cheese grater.
2. Combine cucumber with all other ingredients.
3. Mix together and place in refrigerator until you are ready to serve


Char Cheddar Burger

Yield: 20 4oz. burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes

Burger Ingredients:
5 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
1/2 beer (any beer will do)
20 buns

Cheddar Ingredients:
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
5 cups shredded sharp cheddar
4 oz. cream cheese
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika

Burger Instructions:
- combine all ingredients together and form 4 oz. burger patties
- put patties on grill. grill for 10 minutes, flip and then 7 additional minutes
- place burger on a bun, spoon generous amounts of cheddar on top of burger and serve

Cheddar Instructions:
- in a sauce pot, melt butter
- whisk in flour to make a roux
- once combined, cook for approximately 2 minutes and then add all milk.
- whisk together to be sure lumps do not form
- on medium high heat, now add sharp cheddar as well as cream cheese
- stir and add salt, pepper and paprika

Thank you, thank you for another great week!