Hey Everybody!! Hope yalls summers are going well. It is another burner at the Balcony Restaurant in here in Eureka Springs. I am still not in the kitchen much just helping the line when they need help in rush periods when I am running food or manager on duty. I have been working being the bar and I have learned how to make of the best margaritas I have ever had. I also will be helping rewrite the menu over here as well. It has been a busy and crazy past few weeks, let just say two days off a week sometimes isn't enough. I also learned how to make a Mojito tonight as well. I can't believe that I have just a few more weeks left at my internship. If yall are ever in Eureka for the day or weekend come see me at the Balcony Restaurant on the first floor of the Basin Park Hotel. We have the best burger and margaritas in Eureka Springs!

I have started my management training at the Balcony Restaurant. I have been working some long hours but I am having a blast managing, bar tending, and helping my co-workers. Today was a great day and I think it really helped me gain their respect that much more today. Enough of that, I haven't been able to get in the kitchen at the Balcony but I have been cooking in my free time. Last week, I made a Crawfish Fettuccine, and yesterday for my 22nd birthday I grilled some Kansas City Strip steaks for a perfect medium rare. For the 4th of July, I cooked the fettuccine for my in-laws. They are not big seafood eaters, and they loved each and every bite of it so that me feel good and my head grew a little bigger. Then last night I kept the steaks simple salt and pepper on each side and put on the grill. I got some grill marks on each side and let them cook to a perfect medium rare. At first when I was going to pull them off of the grill, I pressed on the meat to test the toughness and then after I let them rest for a few minutes I used a thermometer to make sure they were done perfectly.

Crawfish Fettuccine

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails
• 1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese food
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Stir in flour, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in crawfish. Cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often.
2. Stir in the processed cheese, half-and-half, Cajun seasonings, and cayenne pepper. Cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stir noodles into crawfish mixture; pour into prepared dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Link:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/crawfish-fettuccine-i/Detail.aspx