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