For several years when I was a child, my uncle and his then-wife, lived in a comfortable one-story house on a canal (or was it an inter-coastal?) in Hudson, Florida. They had a little dock off their back lawn where they kept a fishing boat. During one visit to their home, Billy, my uncle, let me fish off that little dock. I didn’t catch anything, but had fun trying.

In any case, being that Billy lived in the great citrus hub of Florida, he would send oranges and grapefruits up to us in New York every year. The thick cardboard box, filled with layers of the round citrus fruits, would sit on the floor just inside the dining room. We’d have a bit every day until it ran out. I wasn’t particularly into the grapefruits, though I tried them once in a while. But my grandparents, with whom I lived, would each have a half for breakfast everyday. I remember them sprinkling a bit of sugar on top to make them a little more palatable. Of course when I ate them, there was a sugar sprinkle for virtually every bite. They were just too sour for me.

Lately I have been trying to eat a greater variety of good-for-you foods, so when I saw a sale on grapefruits at my local grocery store, I picked one up just to give it another whirl.

Health Benefits of Grapefruits:
Grapefruits are high in vitamin C, and contain a good deal of lycopene (an antioxidant). Some studies have also suggested that eating half a grapefruit (or drinking a glass of grapefruit juice) before meals can help people lose weight. According to one study, that is because grapefruits naturally lower insulin levels which results in decreased hunger.

I decided to try out a recipe for broiled grapefruits that I had seen in Low-fat Vegetarian Cooking by Jenny Stacey. However, as luck would have it, the cookbook was completely MIA when I needed it. Fortunately, I was able to locate another recipe in another cookbook in my home.

Okay, so it’s not a tome of excellence by a master chef or a tried and true . . . but it had what I needed when I needed it. Yes, ladies and gents, I made broiled grapefruits with a recipe from Can You Take The Heat? – the WWE cookbook (actually, the cookbook is so old that it was published under the WWF moniker, which was changed years ago because of the World Wildlife Foundation’s lawsuit). I used to be quite the WWE fan and this was a gift from a wonderful friend. I have since lost interest in wrestling – particularly since the WWE began to look more and more like WCW – another wrestling “league” that they merged with several years ago.

Back to the recipe. I cut back on the butter suggested, but basically did follow the directions. The result? Pretty good. The combination of butter, brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon really cut the sour tang so that it wasn’t so abrasive.

Will I eat it again? Definitely. I am still not a fan of grapefruits but this version makes the sour-tart really tolerable. I also really liked having the soft, juicy flesh warm. That was a huge plus.

Broiled Grapefruits
serves 2
Adapted from Can You Take The Heat?: The WWF Is Cooking!

1 ruby red grapefruit
1 pat butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp brown sugar, divided
2 dashes of cinnamon

Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil (makes for an easy cleanup!)

Cut the grapefruit in half, and remove a small slice from the bottom so that it sits flat. Use a spoon to slightly seperate the edge of the grapefruit from the peel. Place the two halves on the baking sheet. Top each half with half of the butter pieces, 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon.

Place the tray about 4 inches from the broiler on high heat and cook for 8 minutes, until the butter is fully melted and it begins to brown.

P.S. This is my ARF/5-A-Day entry for this week’s roundup at Sweetnicks. Check out her site late Tuesday for a great roundup of antioxidant rich foods.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. The stores are already sporting their reds and pinks, hearts and cupids. Hell, they’ve been doing that since Dec. 26. No matter though, with the V-day (and I am very fond of this holiday. It would be my #3 favorite holiday behind Halloween and Christmas, respectively) only one month and one day away, there is a lot of love-y, dove-y stuff to consider.

I’m no where near ready to share my Valentine’s Day menu, or even to give suggestions. But what I can do is show you a few nifty holiday things that would help your Valentine’s Day dinner turn out extra special. Or, maybe they will just look cool. Either way, these are some mighty cute gizmos and gadgets that I have on my WANT LIST.

First up, we have this darling Le Creuset Heart Casserole. It’s two-quarts and in the shape of a heart. Who wouldn’t love to cook in this pot?!? Okay, okay, it might be a slight challenge dealing with the extra curve, but I still think it’s just too cute. I could see myself making a nice pot of New England clam chowder in this, or perhaps some creamy risotto. Hmmm . . . now there are a few menu item ideas after all!

Now that we are on the topic of heart shaped Le Creuset cookware, I need to share a few adorable ramekins that would produce wonderful desserts (creme brulee, anyone?).

From left, you have a set of four Le Creuset Red Heart Shaped Ramekins, a pink covered Le Creuset Heart Shaped Ramekins, and a set of four Le Creuset Heart Ramekins with pastel interiors. First, the red ramekins – the red exterior would really pop with a delicious white dessert with red accents inside (perhaps a vanilla mousse with a delicious berry sauce?). My favorite is the covered pink ramekin, though I haven’t decided what I might cook in it if I had it. But it’s simple elegance is really appealing to me. Finally, the chestnut ramekins with pastel centers. These are really very cute. I think when my son is a little older (and maybe has a baby sister) these would be wonderful for a family Valentines Day event.

And really, what’s better to go with your heart shaped cookware then a heart shaped oven mitt (or two). This adorable and durable oven mitt is from Williams-Sonoma and comes (thankfully) in a pair.

For you or me, it might be a bonus at work or a particularly good night out. But when you are one and a half the great things often come in simple packages.

Will’s learned to drink from a juice box. And that alone makes him super happy. He gets to have a big boy drink and can feed it to himself. Gotta love the simple joys in life.

I love my Le Creuset grill (actually, it’s a griddle…I know, but they essentially perform the same function, right?).

So far, it’s griddled asparagus for me (which I ate all of … alone) and made a TON of sandwiches. Loving the sandwiches (with the grill press, of course).

This is one of my favorites so far -the Italian Roast Beef. No recipe. No cookbooks. No internet searches. This one was completely a what-I-have-in-the-house. And it was totally something that will be repeated. Often.

Seriously. I may have been moaning while eating it without knowing.

(Stop laughing! It’s true. And I have heard enough chuckles about it in this lifetime. My parents still laugh about my moaning while eating things I really enjoy like tacos, nachos, and my stepfathers special hot wings.)

Here’s how you can indulge in it too:

Italian Roast Beef Sandwich
serves 1

2 slices crusty bread
2 slices lean roast beef
fresh mozzarella
4 slices sundried tomato, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil

Preheat your grill/griddle and press (or if you don’t have one, a George Foreman grill works too).

Take one of the slices of bread. Layer the roast beef, mozzarella (enough 1/8 inch slices to cover), sundried tomatoes, and garlic. Drizzle the other slice of bread of olive oil and place olive oil side down on top of the sandwich.

Place the sandwich between the grill and press and cook on medium until browned on both sides. Eat warm and enjoy.

I have a secret. It’s actually not much of a secret so much as a disclosure. A brutally honest disclosure. But we’ll get to that in a moment.

First, let me talk a bit about asparagus. Asparagus is a good source of vitamins A and C, both antioxidants. It’s also a great source of folate and vitamin K. It’s been a highly appreciated veggie since ancient times. And did you know that it’s a member of the lily family?

I’m a big fan of asparagus. Last summer I made grilled herbed parmesan asparagus and used white asparagus to create a savory ham napoleon. But it’s winter, the white asparagus hasn’t made it’s way into my local grocery store yet and hell! I have a new grill pan . . . so this is what I created:

What is it? Garlicky pan grilled asparagus with romano. Long name, I know. But it was worth it. I got the idea from a grill pan cookbook I received for Christmas. Except that recipe called for orange rind, no garlic, no romano and something else . . . maybe ginger? I don’t remember and frankly it’s important to this discussion. Really.

Making this was really easy and simple and the cleanup was a breeze. What more can you ask for from a tasty dish?

Garlicky pan grilled asparagus with romano
serves 4

1 bunch asparagus
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh romano, grated
sea salt

First, soak the asparagus in cold water for 15 minutes or so. This will revitalize the asparagus and any leftover dirt will float to the top (hey! easy cleaning!).

Meanwhile, heat your grill pan over medium until very hot (I did it for maybe 10-15 minutes).

Now, remove the asparagus from the water, rinse briefly and then dry with paper towels.

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and toss into the grill pan. Cook, shaking (or stiring) frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add minced garlic to the pan. Continue cooking for an addition 5 minutes.

Remove asparagus from pan and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle with romano and sea salt.

Serve warm.

P.S. The secret? I ate it all!

P.P.S. This is an entry for Sweetnicks ARF 5-A-Day. Check out Sweetnicks later tonight for a roundup of great antioxidant rich recipes.

::Sigh::

Isn’t it lovely? It’s red. That beautiful, deep shade of red – like a perfect, shiny apple. And it’s cast iron . . . mmm, cast iron. Better yet, Le Creuset cast iron . . . in red. Love the red.

I received the pan – this lovely grill pan – as a Christmas gift. (The grill was a present to myself . . . not Le Creuset but good anyway). I was fortunate to receive two wonderful Le Creuset pieces this year – you’ll be seeing the other one debut later this week. Since receiving it on New Year’s Eve, I have used it almost a dozen times.

Check back tomorrow to see some of the delicious things I have made so far.

Just a quick PSA . . .

Faith at Blog Appetite has created a wonderful post that highlights all of the Food Blog Award nominees so it’s easy click and see. Check that out here. Thanks Faith for all of your hard work!

And if you haven’t voted in the Food Blog Awards yet, you can do so here. Hurry! Time is running out. Polls close at midnight EST on Jan. 9 – just two days left to vote.

I came here to mention that the voting booths are open for the Food Blog Awards.

As a judge of this year’s FBAs, I am proud of the contribution I made and happy with our selections for finalists. I have no qualms about the popular blogs that didn’t make the cut. Just because a blog is popular doesn’t mean that it’s the best. Just because a blog is unknown doesn’t mean it’s not the best.

NOTE: The Well Fed Network is now defunct.

So here’s the story. My house is a mess. There are Christmas presents all around and I am struggling to regain control of my lovely Cucina Bella. Seriously. This is such a huge issue. And I am tired . . . so tired . . . from a long weekend of traveling four hours north to visit the in-laws in the snow. And I have a lot of Christmas food blogging to catch up on so that I don’t forget the wonderful recipes I’ve discovered.