Feast Everyday

Grocery Store Games by Colleen

2012-02-01T12:23:00.001-05:00

I think one of the most interesting things about grocery stores is that they are like clothes closets.

You know how you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time?

Regardless of how much I buy when I shop, I am always acutely aware that in the universe of choices at my local grocery, I am probably only sampling about 5% of the items; maybe even LESS.

Granted, I’m a picky eater, but still.

Who is buying the tofurkey? Who is paying $7.99/lb for cherries in winter? Who, for god sake, is buying fat free cheese?

What about canned haggis?

Would you buy it? Not me. I won’t even buy Deviled Ham anymore and we ate that when I was a kid. But the fat content is terrifying. And the sodium.

Who is buying Cookie Crisp cereal? Photo of fruity pebbles with 37% sugar. There are worse. Like Reese’s Crunch (I think that is the name) which has 41% sugar

Or weird lemon with claws:

So I play games at the store. Sometimes my game is to buy at least one item that I have never purchased before.

Just to shake myself out of my routine.

Other times, it is to watch the people in line ahead of me and see what’s in their cart and try to imagine what they are making for dinner.

And we have TINY grocery stores in Palo Alto – by law they have to be under 20,000 square feet. This is essentially like a corner store compared to a Wegman’s or a Sam’s Club.

I’m sure one person’s weird food is another’s comfort food. It just fascinates me.

I think people should send in comments about their own strange food observations.

Okay, enough of sounding like Andy Rooney.

---Colleen

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

2012-01-30T12:31:00.001-05:00

Improvisation leads to some wonderful discoveries.
Our oven was broken for about a month last October-November, so we had to use our toaster oven for baking which was pretty limiting.
Braising, which is one of my favorite ways to cook, was off limits.

Then, Tom came up with the idea of using the grill, which has a thermometer on it. He got it heated at 350 degrees and monitored it on and off.
The grill cover prevented me from putting the top on the pot completely. I had to leave it cocked off to the side slightly. What resulted was a thick wonderfully rich, syrupy sauce for the short ribs.

We made the recipe again, in the regular oven, and it was fantastic once again.

I am posting it so we enjoy it in the future. It's the best beef short ribs recipe I have found so far.

A note about beef short ribs: Wegman's says they switch from boneless to bone-in every other shipment. So, grab them if you see them and freeze for future use. Also, be careful to select only the beefy, meaty ones. I have noticed that Wegman's is very inconsistent. If you don't pay attention you will end up buying mostly bones, and that will defeat the whole purpose of this recipe. Bone-in is best because the bones add to the flavor of the dish. Oh, how I wish we had a real butcher shop!

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
(adapted from Bon Appetit, Oct 2011)

5 lb. bone - in beef short ribs, cut crosswise
salt and pepper
3 T. oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 T. flour
1 T. tomato paste
1 750 ml bottle dry red wine (Cab or Zin or Syrah)
10 springs flat leaf parsley (or 1 T. dry)
8 springs thyme (or 2 t. dry)
4 springs oregano (or 1 t. dry)
2 dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups low salt beef stock

Preheat the oven or grill to 350 degrees. Pat dry, and season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Don't overcrowd. Transfer ribs to a plat. Pour off all but 3 T. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add sort ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2 to 2.5 hours. Ribs are done when the bones slide out easily. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls, over mashed potatoes if you wish, but we skipped them, with sauce spooned over.

B

Making Ethiopian Stew with Ann N. (Sphonny)

2012-01-28T12:26:00.001-05:00

Ethiopian Stew

One of my most unique and fun food experiences of the 2011 was cooking in the kitchen with Ann N.(also known as Sphonny). I was the sous chef and interviewed her as she cooked.

Why do you make Ethiopian Stew, have you ever been there?
No, but Barry and I went to an Ethiopian restaurant in San Francisco a long time ago and we had something very similar there.
Where did you get the recipe?
A woman in one of the Supervisor Effectiveness classes I taught brought it in.
Was she Ethiopian?
No. (laugh)
What exactly is Ethiopian Stew?
It's onions, chicken, whole eggs and a special blend of spices.
Whole eggs?
Yes, lots of them. You'll see.
And it is spicy. There are pancakes to go with it, to offset the heat.
How spicy?
You'll see.

So, here's the story of How Ann and I made Ethiopian Stew:

Lots of Onions

Ann N. (Sphonny): First we need lots of onions. I don't think onions in Ethiopia are this big, so we will use only 8.

B (Me): I think to myself. Boy, I am glad she is willing to chop all of those onions. I might cry. I volunteer to do the eggs.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Voila! The onions.

B (Me): Voila! The eggs. (Is this a duel?)

Ann N. (Sphonny): Now, we need to cut up the chicken. I'll do the breasts. You bone the thighs.
B (Me): Harrumph. Yes, Chef.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Now poke all the pieces with a fork, so they can absorb the sauce. And do the eggs, too.
B (Me): Yes, Chef!

B note to readers: We are following an actual recipe, in case anyone wonders. Doro Wot is the name of what we are making. It is the national dish of Ethiopia.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Now we move to the stove top. Melt the butter.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Get the tomato paste and water ready.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Add the onions to the melted butter.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Add the special spices. Berbere, pronounced "bari baray"
B (Me): ?????

Ann N. (Sphonny): I made it myself! A fresh batch this year! It's cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamon, fenugreek seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, onion powder, allspice, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, black pepper.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Add the chicken.
B (Me): I see you have a bigger pot now.
Ann N. (Sphonny): Yes, it is hard to judge. You may have to size up midway. Be flexible. Add the eggs.

That's a lot of eggs!

Ann N. (Sphonny): On to making the pancakes. (called Injera as shown in the recipe below.)

Ann N. (Sphonny): Now I need to do some sophisticated measuring of the flour.

Ann N. (Sphonny): I know how much I used before so I know approximately how much is left in each bag. No need for cups. First the self- rising flour.
B (Me): I raise my eyebrows, but I know she is an engineer.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Then the whole wheat flour.
Ann N. (Sphonny): And baking powder.

Ann N. (Sphonny): To the flours and baking powder...

Ann N. (Sphonny): we add carbonated seltzer water.
Ann N. (Sphonny): Add more seltzer if you need it.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Then, get ready to dip and spread.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Put the batter in a hot skillet and let the batter spread out, by rolling the pan around, to make a thin pancake.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Flip over and finish cooking each pancake.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Place them under a towel on a plate to keep them warm.

Ann N. (Sphonny): Stew is ready to serve!

Ann N. (Sphonny): One egg or two?

B (Me): Two.

Fellow guest, John S. : Holy Mother of xyz! That soup is hot!

Ann N. (Sphonny): Eat your pancake to cool off your mouth!

The End.

Thanks to Ann for inviting me into her kitchen. It was lots of fun cooking together.

If anyone would like the recipes shown above, just send me an email at BarbBlumer@aol.com

B

Two Biscotti Recipes: Chocolate-Almond and Pistachio-Dried Cherry

2012-01-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

Biscotti Production for our Neighborhood Giftgiving

Several people have asked me about how we made our biscotti cookies. Are they hard to make? Absolutely not. But we learned the hard way.

This past Christmas Tom and I thought it would be fun to make biscotti, Italian dipping cookies, for our annual Christmas Eve goody exchange with our neighbors.

But we had very little experience with them. I knew they were twice baked cookies which should be crispy, not soft. I can remember making them a long time ago, but didn't have a recipe on hand.

So, I first started looking in the Italian cookbooks, since biscotti are Italian dipping cookies.

Mario Batali had a chocolate one, based on traditional Italian grandmothers' way of making them. Plus the ingredients were simple and were items I had on hand.

Then, I found a festive-sounding one, which called for pistachios and cranberries with white chocolate. I decided to go with dried tart cherries instead of cranberries. (Seems like cranberries are shoehorned into too many holiday recipes. Dried cherries are so much better tasting!)

Chocolate Biscotti
from Mario Batali's, Simple Italian Food
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 t. baking powder
3 large eggs
4 egg yolks
1 T. Amaretto (almond flavored liqueur)
1 t. almond extract (my addition)
3/4 cup hazelnuts, skin on
1/2 cup chocolate chips (he says mini, we used regular ones)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, sugar and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, Amaretto and almond extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

Add the hazelnuts and chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated.

Roll the dough into 3 logs about 10 inches by 2 inches and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 20 minutes until light golden brown and remove from the oven.

As soon as they are cool enough to handle, cut the logs on a slight diagonal into pieces 1/2 inch thick and arrange cut side down on the sheets.

Lower the heat to 275 degrees, return the pieces to the oven, and bake 20 minutes longer, until crisp and dry. Allow to cool.

Pistachio Cranberry or Cherry Biscotti
by Lou Seibert Pappas from Food&Wine online

1 cup shelled raw pistachios (look in the bulk section or specialty foods section)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries (look in the bulk food section)
2 ounces white chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pistachios in a pie plate and bake until golden, about 6 minutes; let cool. Turn the oven down to 325°.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon, stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Butter and flour a large cookie sheet. Pat the dough out on the sheet into two 14-inch-long logs 1 inch wide and 1 inch high; leave 3 inches between them. Bake in the lower third of the oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack; let the logs cool for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice logs on the diagonal 1/2 inch thick.

Bake the slices for 7 minutes on each side.

Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool completely.

Drizzle with the melted white chocolate and refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

There aren't any photos of the chocolate ones because things in the kitchen were totally out of control!! We couldn't remember what if we had added sugar or not, so we just added more. And we ended up triple baking ours.

Nonetheless, I can highly recommend Mario's recipe. It is a more authentic, break-your-teeth-if-you-don't-dip-it-first, kind of biscotti.

And the second one, a Louise Seibert Pappas recipe, is more of a cake-type cookie. The flavor combinations are great. Pistachios and cherries are yummy together.

Meanwhile, the doorbell kept ringing with deliveries from the neighbors, while we were still stressing in the kitchen to get ours finished. Why did we try to make something we've never made before?
Next year, we aren't going to try something new, under pressure, during the holidays. That's what I always say. We'll see.

B

Soup of the Week: Italian Sausage Veggie Soup

2012-01-24T14:53:00.002-05:00

Italian Sausage Soup with Veggies

My older sister, Jane, sent me the link to this soup with this note:
I made this soup this week. Very quick to make but very good if you like Italian Sausage. I made it as stated but you could use other fresh vegetables and it would be fine too. We had fresh sourdough bread but cornbread would be good too! ---Jane
We do like Italian sausage and always have some in the freezer. So, all I had to do was buy the fresh veggies. I adapted it -- no surprise there. It is a good winter soup. It's on my "make again" list.

Italian Sausage Veggie Soup
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1.5 pounds Italian sausage (we used spicy, but you can use sweet), chopped into bite size pieces or casings removed, and crumbled like hamburger meat
lots of garlic, minced
1 liter (2 14 ounce cans) beef stock
1 large can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces), including juices
1 - 2 T. dried basil leaves
3 sliced carrots
1 can (14.5 ounces) cannelini beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, bite size
2 cups of spinach- packed, rinsed and torn
salt and pepper, generously, to taste
shredded Parmesan, for garnish

In a large soup pot, brown the sausage, and remove all but 2 T. fat. Add garlic and saute until soft but not brown. Stir in broth, tomatoes, basil, carrots, and season with a little salt and pepper, just a little or none. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the beans and zucchini. Add a little hot water to be sure all the ingredients are covered. Cover, simmer another 15 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

Remove from the heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup will be ready in about 5 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. I didn't add any because the stock and sausage made it salty enough.

Garnish with grated Parmesan.

B

Chinese New Year Margaritas by Jeanne

2012-01-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

2012 Year of the Dragon

I thought it might be fun to expand the blog into good drink recipes! So here goes with a recipe for margaritas that is pretty darn good. It’s courtesy of Alan’s younger son who went to bartending school awhile back. We served them last night at a party we hosted to kick off the Chinese New Year holiday. It seems like a pain to juice all the limes, but it is so worth it!

---Jeanne

Chinese New Year Margaritas

The recipe:
1 part sour
2 parts sweet
1 part triple sec
2 parts tequila

My standard “part” is one cup. For the sour I squeeze fresh limes. They can be squeezed ahead of time and the juice stored in the refrigerator. For the sweet, we make a simple syrup, which is made by boiling 1 cup of water, remove it from the heat and add in one cup of sugar. Stir continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved. If you are using one cup of lime juice you’ll need to ~ double the simple syrup recipe.

Put all the ingredients in a blender. Add enough ice to make it slushy or to the consistency you desire. Salted rims are optional....

If you are serving this at a party, I make a pitcher full ahead of time. That way I just pour it in the blender, add ice and serve...saves the hassle of having to measure everything every time you want to make a batch.

Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year in Mandarin)

It’s the year of the dragon!

---Jeanne

Family Pierogies by Sarah

2012-01-20T12:20:00.004-05:00

Ever have one of those family projects you've talked about doing for YEARS? Literally. Years. It's one of those things we talk about doing most family get-togethers with the adult grandkids and just never ever get around to actually scheduling.

My husband's family has been cooking pierogies during the winter (and to indulge out-of-town relatives in the summer) for as long as anyone can remember. With a Monday off as an excuse, and with my sister-in-law and cousin leading the charge, we made pierogies using the family recipe that's been passed down generation to generation.

The recipe is simple and super easy if you use a food processor or a stand mixer fitted with a dough blade. If you are a purist, Grandma used to mix by hand on her giant wooden cutting board. Rolling, cutting, and stuffing the pierogies takes a little finesse and a lot of time so we scheduled an afternoon of cooking and letting the kids run amok.

Dinner was fantastic and it was agreed that the pierogies were almost as good as Grandma's! (because could anyone ever make them as good as Grandma?!)

Family Pierogies

Dough:
3 Cups Flour
2 Eggs
1 Cup Water

Filling:
2 Cups (or so) Farmers Cheese
Sugar to taste

Add flour followed by eggs until combined. Grandma does this by hand; we used a stand mixer and food processor. Add water slowly checking consistency as you go. Dough should be dry and not too sticky to the touch.

Flour a clear work surface and rolling pin and roll out to desired thickness; Grandma's are pretty thin but held their shape without issue. Once they are rolled out to a consistent thickness cut into uniform two inch squares.

Using Grandma's special cutting board made the process more authentic.

Fill with a combination of farmers cheese and sugar - we used around two cups of farmers cheese with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. To fill, pick up a dough square and hold on the diagonal. I probably used half of a tablespoon of the farmers cheese for each pierogie. Put on half of dough, fold in half, and then pinch shut on all sides.

Grandma's storage trick is to line a tray or plate with the assembled pierogies and freeze for 15-20 minutes so they begin to get firm and then transfer to a storage bag to prevent from sticking together.

Aren't they cute? If you are cooking and enjoying the fruits of your labors now, add the assembled pierogies to a pot of salted boiling water for seven to ten minutes to cook through. Once finished cooking, mix with melted butter and enjoy with family. Be sure to tell stories about making pierogies as a kid with Grandma between bites.

This picture doesn't do them justice!

This project was a great excuse to have some family time and share a really special meal together. The kids (who are all under the age of eight) weren't into the pierogies, but I think in the coming years as they get older and can share stories they will grow to love them like we do!

---Sarah

Feast Everyday #3

2012-01-18T10:29:00.000-05:00

Lemon Cupcake with Tangy Lemon Frosting and Toasted Pistachios

Hard for me to believe but it was three years ago this week that I started Feast Everyday.

To celebrate, I made one of our favorite recipes from the blog, Lemon Pound Cake, but made cupcakes instead of a loaf, and added frosting and toasted pistachios.

As usual, this twist created some problems I had to solve. The cupcakes stuck to the pan, because I didn't remove them before poking and dousing them with the lemon syrup. Had to cut the top off, and "glue" it back on with frosting, once I dug the cupcake out of the pan.

I still had fun, and that's what this blog is all about: enjoying the adventure of creating good food in the kitchen ---discovering new techniques, ingredients, and recipes---then sharing it with family and friends.

Thank you to everyone who follows the blog, and/or contributes their comments, and recipes.

And a special thank you to my husband, Tom, who supports whatever crazy thing I do.

B

Sesame Crusted Salmon

2012-01-16T14:43:00.003-05:00

Sesame Crusted Salmon

This is a simple, and quick way to cook salmon. To get the sesame seeds to stick to the salmon, a slurry of egg whites and cornstarch is used. You can have this fish dish on the table in less than 15 minutes.

Sesame Crusted Salmon
(found this technique in Quick from Scratch Fish & Shellfish, a Food & Wine cookbook)

Serves 4

4 5-6 ounce, 1 inch thick salmon fillets (we used 2 Atlantic wild-caught)
fresh sesame seeds
1 egg white
2 T. cornstarch
oil for the pan

Whisk together the egg white with the cornstarch in a flat bowl.

Dip the salmon steaks to coat them well, then place them, skin side down on a plate and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.

Heat a non stick pan or griddle until it is hot, then coat it lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Place the fillets, sesame seed sides down, in the hot pan and cook on medium high for 3 to 5 minutes and turn when the seeds become dark, golden brown but are not burning. Flip the fillets over (skin side will be down now) and continue to cook, about 5 minutes more, or until the fish is opaque and firm to the touch.

Serve the fish, sesame seed side up, with a finishing sauce.

We used the one Wegman's offers, a lime soy sauce. Or try Food & Wine's recommended sauce of 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 T. dry sherry, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 t. sugar, 1/5 t. grated fresh ginger, 1 clove garlic, minced, 2 t. cornstarch, and 3 T. water.

B

"Entertaining with Ease" Goal

2012-01-13T15:38:00.001-05:00

Little Plates Party Tray

I snapped this photo just before our guests arrived last Friday. We had two couples over for drinks.

One of my goals has been to make entertaining easier and less of a big production so that we actually invite people over!

Everyone I know has an aspect of entertaining that really gets them frustrated or intimidated, so they put it off.

In my case, I have never enjoyed the hors d'oeuvres aspect of entertaining.

Over the last few months, I solved my "problem" by taking one of my Dansk trays and placing little decorative plates and bowls in it. Some are from our travels, and others are finds from tag sales or consignment shops.

In the little dishes, I have found that finger foods work the best, with little serving spoons and toothpicks.

A bowl of nuts is popular -- cashews or pistachios. A mix of pitted olives, too. We put cheesespread on little toasts or crackers. Little halves of sweet cherry tomatoes with goat cheese and sprinkled with basil. Fresh dates with marscapone, an almond and sprinkled with cinnamon. Slices of a fresh fruit -- we used persimmons before Christmas, and now we are using the Texas grapefruit we received as a holiday gift. (A slice of grapefruit doused with basalmic vinegar and pepper is quite tasty.)

We vary what goes in the plates based on what we have on hand and what we see at Wegman's. It could be little bites of anything.
Salmon on rye with dill. Peanut butter on Triskets for kids.

This same approach could be done in any style from contemporary to country. It's the tray that pulls it together and makes it look great.

The tray makes it easy to pass the hors d'oeuvres. You can have extra little plates staged in the kitchen ready to go and take the tray in and swap them out.

And the tray minimizes spills and drips on your furniture.

At this party, I also served bite-size crab cakes to have something hot. They are super easy. If you didn't see the recipe the first time, click here: Quick Crab Cakes.

--B

Ropa Vieja by Tom

2012-01-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

Ropa Vieja

(Shredded Beef in Cuban Creole Sauce)

Quite a few years ago Sarah and David gave me for Christmas the Dinosaur Bar B Que cookbook. It has proven to be a very good cookbook, and I frequently make recipes from it. This recipe I first made in January 2002 and we very much liked the taste and the appearance. Tastes good; looks good. What's not to like about that!

But as I was trying to decide what to make for the NFL playoff games, I discovered much to my chagrin that I had never posted this recipe on Barbara's blog. So that became my mission. Make this excellent tasting recipe for the halftime of the Steelers-Broncos game, and add another entry to the blog. Fortunately my results were far superior to that of the Steelers.

Ropa Vieja: Shredded Beef in Cuban Creole Sauce
(Adapted from the Dinosaur Bar B Que Cookbook)

Serves 4-6

The Steak
1 flank steak (1 1/2 - 2#)
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, cut into large chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 cups beef broth (I did not have this so I substituted one bottle of beer and about a cup of chicken stock)

The Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups barbeque sauce or 2-16 ounce cans of tomato sauce (I used ~1 cup of Dinosaur BBQ Slathering Sauce and 2 cups of a Colorado Hot & Spicy Barbeque sauce)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano

The Accoutrement
4-6 cups white rice (I used Texmati rice)
10 ounces fresh or frozen peas, cooked (Actually any green vegetable works. I used baby lima beans.)
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the flank steak with salt and pepper, and brown each side for about 4 minutes each.

Next throw in the carrots, onions, bay leaves and garlic around the edges of the meat and let them saute for another 4-5 minutes to get a little carmelization. Season everything with a little more salt and pepper.

Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Then cover and put into the oven for about 2 hours so that the flank steak becomes fork tender for shredding.

After 2 hours in the oven, take the flank steak out of the pan and place it on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Save the juices in the cooking skillet as you will use them later. Remember that the pan is hot, so use an oven mitt or hot pad to avoid burning yourself.

Wrap the meat tightly and let it sit for another 20 minutes or so.

Time to make the sauce while the meat is resting. Dice the onion, green pepper and jalapeno pepper.

Saute the veggies with an added pinch of salt and pepper in heated olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for an additional minute.

Once the vegetables are sauteed, add the barbeque sauce and the spices - cumin and oregano. Bring the mixture to a simmer and keep it that way for at least 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (A word of warning. Be sure to taste your concoction to make sure it does not become too salty. Remember that the barbeque sauces will be bringing their own salt into the recipe.)

From the skillet removed from the oven, remove the vegetables and bay leaves. Don't worry if there are a few "stray vegetables" in the liquid. Boil it down until there is roughly one cup of liquid remaining. This is intensifying the flavors in the cooking broth.

Meanwhile, shred the flank steak with two forks pulling against the meat along the grain. This creates the shredded meat, or the "ropa" of the recipe's title. Now add the shredded beef back into the reduced liquid mixture and stir it up well to get the meat to reabsorb most of the liquid from the skillet.

Now dump everything into the sauce and mix this up well. Simmer just so that everything is heated through.

To roast a red pepper, just put it right on top of the cooking grid on a gas range. Using tongs, turn the pepper frequently until you have a good char on the outside and the pepper itself is feeling a little soft. Then pop it into a paper lunch bag for about 10 - 15 minutes. The skin should easily peel off, and it should be easy to slice to remove the seeds. Slice into strips.

Make the rice per the cooking directions on the container. Make the peas (or other green vegetable) as well per the cooking directions on the package.

Plate by spreading the rice down on the plate. Cover that with a generous portion of the Ropa Vieja, and then top with the peas and red pepper strips in that order. Makes for a colorful, and very tasty, meal.

---Tom

Not Your Everyday Lima Bean

2012-01-07T17:20:00.001-05:00

Rancho Gordo Chestnut (Christmas) Lima Beans

Laddie sent us a New Year's package from Napa Valley, these large speckled beauties. Not your everyday lima bean.

They are grown by Rancho Gordo, a specialty food grower in Napa, California, specializing in heirloom varieties.

I checked out their website to see how to cook them. http://www.ranchogordo.com/ It's very retro. Worth a look.

They say they are reminiscent of chestnuts, but think more the flavor and texture of French lentils. They go well with goat cheese.

Very earthy. A nice change from all of the rich food over the holidays.

Laddie's timing was perfect for our post-holiday, get-healthy regimen. Thanks, Laddie!

We kept the pot in the refrigerator and reheated them as needed. They got better and better each time.

Chestnut Lima Beans

Basic Prepartion:

Pick over the beans, place them in a large saucepot, cover with fresh cold water.

Soak 6 hours.

Drain and rinse. They will swell up and get bigger.

Saute an onion, 2 chopped carrots, and the interior stalks and leaves of a celery bunch until onions are translucent.

Add beans. Cover completely with water. Add bay leaf.

Bring to a complete boil, then turn down to a simmer, a very low simmer.

Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours or until cooked.

Add a generous amount of salt, and then cook again on very low heat for another 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop up your toppings: drunken goat cheese for me, ham for Tom. Extras will go in containers not in the beans. You don't want your toppings to be soggy.

Use a slotted spoon to remove beans to a bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil and top with either the goat cheese or ham or both.

B

Angel Food Cake

2012-01-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

Angel Food Cake

I view leftover ingredients as an opportunity. I can use them for inspiration or to make something new.

The holidays created a container of leftover egg whites. What can I do with a bunch of egg whites?

Angel Food Cake!

I looked in American Cookery by James Beard. I would need 1 1/2 cups of egg whites.

And that's exactly what I had leftover in the fridge. Woohoo! (Yes, I get excited about coincidences like this.)

So, for New Year's dinner I made a mess making angel food cake, and had lots of fun doing it.

Angel Food Cake
from James Beard's American Cookery

1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar (look in the baking aisle)
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 10 - 12 eggs), at room temperature
1 t. cream of tartar
1 T. water or part water and part lemon juice
1 1/2 t. vanilla or 1 t. vanilla and 1/2 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You will need an ungreased baking pans -- a 10 inch tube pan, or 2 loaf pans.

Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature.

Sift the flour, measure, then sift 5 or 6 times with 1/2 cup of the sugar and the salt.

I used two bowls and a fine sieve. Hold the sifter high to incorporate as much air as you can. Messy but fun!

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy,

then add the cream of tartar and continue to beat.

When the bubbles are uniform, start adding the remaining 1 cup of sugar a few tablespoons at a time.

Add the flavoring while adding the sugar. (I forgot to do this.)

Beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks, and the sugar is dissolved.

I had to add my vanilla at this point. No worries!

Fold in the flour while sifting and spooning over the egg whites. I used a large spatula to gently incorporate the flour mixture.
When the flour is thoroughly combined, but not overmixed, turn the batter into a 10 inch tube pan, or two loaf pans.

The pan must be absolutely free of grease, for the cake to cling to the sides as it rises.

Bake the tube pan about 50 minutes, loaf pans about 45.

Test by pressing lightly in the center -- if the cake springs back it is done.

Remove from the oven and invert the pan until the cake cools. The edges of the pan must be lifted at least an inch or so while it cools.

When the cake is cool, remove from pan by pulling the sides away with a fork.

Frost or serve plain, as you prefer.

To serve, pull servings with two forks. A knife won't work. It will mash the cake.

Toasted with Warm Berry Mix and Drambuie Cream

Ideas for serving:

fresh or frozen berries, with or without whipped cream
drizzled chocolate
butterscotch or caramel sauce
warmed fruit jam

The cake can be sliced and toasted first.

The cake can also be frosted.

Angel food cakes does not freeze well due to the low fat content.

B

Lobster Corn Chowder

2012-01-06T13:23:00.000-05:00

Lobster Corn Chowder

This is a very special soup, for very special occasions, like Christmas Eve or Valentine's Day.

We discovered that Wegman's will steam your lobster for free, while you finish your shopping, a big plus. It still takes a while to remove all of the meat, so be sure to give yourself enough time to complete this task. Also, remember to defrost the corn. I didn't and nearly burn up our blender.

Corn Lobster Chowder
(adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe)

Makes 4 generous portions

1 1.5 pound lobster, cooked, meat removed and cut into bite size pieces.
1 Spanish onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
4 slices of bacon
1 bottle clam juice, about 1 1/2 cups
2 cups frozen sweet corn (1 bag of frozen), plus an extra cup if you like corn
1 1/2 chicken stock or one small can
1 pint whipping cream
green garnish: fresh chives or dried basil or parsley

Puree corn with 1 cup of chicken stock until smooth.

Saute bacon in pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel. When cool, break into bite-size pieces. Pour off excess drippings, but save enough (1 T.)to saute the onions, carrots and celery.

Start with the onions for about 5 minutes until they are golden, then add the extra 1 cup of corn if you like, and saute for a minute more. Add the carrots, celery and cayenne, and saute until soft about 5 more minutes. Don't rush the sauteing step. This is where you develop flavor for the soup.

Add clam juice and the remaining broth. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in pureed corn and whipping cream. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste. The clam juice provides some salt. Season with salt and pepper.

Now add the lobster and very gently simmer until heated through. Only about a minute or two. Add green garnish. I like Penzey's dried sweet basil.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with bacon bits.

Serve with a crusty bread and European butter, as an extra treat.

If you want a more elegant version, you could puree everything before adding the lobster meat. But we like the chunky version.

Christmas with David: Beef Wellington Pot Pie by Tom

2012-01-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

Beef Wellington Pot Pie

This is a reprise of Colleen's Christmas Dinner Recipes: Short Rib Wellington. So all credit goes to Colleen :-)

It sounded awfully good when I read it on Barbara's blog, so I thought that maybe we should make it for dinner the night David came over to celebrate his Christmas with us. Because he had to both work and travel on Christmas Day, we celebrated a few days before Christmas with David. And because it is tradition to serve a nice meal to David on Christmas Day, we thought what better way than to prepare the meal Colleen intended to serve her family.

This was not that hard to make and was very good. This is an excellent special occasion meal, or really good and hearty for some of our cold winter nights.

Beef Wellington Pot Pie
(a Williams-Sonoma recipe)
serves 8

2# boneless beef short ribs cut into ~1" cubes - trim off the fat as much as possible
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, diced - easiest if you find it precut in a package
3/4# cremini mushrooms, washed and cut into quarters
1 stick unsalted butter, sliced into 8-10 pats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup hearty red wine like a Cabernet or red table wine
1 1/2 tablespoons beef demi-glace
3 cups beef stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups pearl onions - I used frozen
2 cups crinkle cut carrots - I used frozen
1 sheet puff pastry - 10"-12" square
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg plus one tsp water lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Lightly season the beef with the Kosher salt and pepper. This will take about 10 minutes and can be done in batches depending on the size of your Dutch oven.

Remove the browned beef and place in a large bowl.

Now saute the prosciutto until crisp. Transfer that to your bowl as well once finished.

Next saute the cremini mushrooms until tender, which will take about 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the mushrooms to the large bowl.

Pour off any excess fat and liquid. Turn down the heat to medium and melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes. You are making the roue at this point.

Whisk in the red wine and the demi-glace, and cook for one additional minute.

Now slowly whisk in the beef stock and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Add in all of the contents from the bowl (beef, prosciutto, and mushrooms), the thyme, the bay leaf, and the vegetables. Season with some additional Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Now cover the Dutch oven and put it into your preheated 325 degree oven. Let it cook for about 2 1/2 hours. The beef will become incredibly tender during this cooking process.

Colleen recommended transferring the cooked mixture to a 9"x13" baking dish for the final step. This was an excellent recommendation and much easier to deal with than trying to place the puff pastry on the hot Dutch oven. So here goes:

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

On a floured board, roll out the puff pastry to fit over the top of the baking dish. Brush the top of the puff pastry with the egg wash. Cut some diagonal lines into the puff pastry and place over the top of the mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle the cut parsley over the top of the puff pastry, and transfer the baking dish into the 400 degree oven. Bake until golden brown, which will take 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes.

I served this dish with steamed Brussels sprouts.

To finish off our meal, Barbara worked very hard on the pictured pudding. ;-)

Prepackaged chocolate jello pudding, which we had leftover from the grandkids visiting earlier. Whipped cream in the can (also leftover), plus sprinkles. Served on a festive Christmas holiday plate. Easy and remarkably good!

So thanks Colleen for providing a really good recipe. I will make this again!

---Tom

Terry Kelly's Chili and Cornbread by Colleen

2012-01-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

Hi Barb,

So our friend made Chili on Boxing Day and William loved it. I made it the next day, but did it all in the Le Creuset and then let it cook in the oven for 2 hours at 325 instead of simmering on the stove. I found that after it had sat for a day, it became very thick. Easily solved by adding some water when you reheat.

According to Top Chef: Texas, real Texas Chili does not have beans. Well then I am a real Texan, as I really don't like them in chili or anything else. This recipe is great because it is just the meat and a very spice sauce. I may experiment with adding some tomato next time (feeling a little bad about the lack of veg) or maybe some corn.
I also found a cornbread biscuit recipe (I am not a fan of cornbread by itself) that was easy and went well with the chili. Recipe follows chili.

{Re-reading my email. Seems I am world's pickiest eater. Oh well. Picky eaters need to eat, too.)

---Colleen

Terry Kelly's Chili:
3-4 pounds chuck (shoulder is fine) cut into 1/2 cubes. Okay to leave a little fat, for flavor, but I am pretty finicky about gristle. I actually cut off large pieces of fat and heat them in the pan, then remove before I brown the meat.

Okay: now brown the meat over med-high heat in a couple of Tbsp of vegetable oil. I scoop out with slotted spoon and transfer to a pot with 1.5 to 2.0 qts water plus spices.

About those spices: the chili powder is the main variable; sometimes this amount is just right, other times; well Goldilocks might reject it. Perhaps start with a little less?

6 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cayenne
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Oregano
2 Tbsp Tabasco
3,4,5,6 cloves garlic (just smashed with broadside of knife and dropped in)
2 tsp salt (+/- to taste, but it needs some I find)

Toss it in and partially cover and bring to the gentlest of simmers--more tender if it never quite bubbles--and I like to let it doze like that for 2 hours at least.

Then, 1 cup of corn meal in a small cup, take some of the broth and work it in with a fork (avoids lumps that happen if you dump it in) until smooth and add to the mix to thicken (actually you can do this at any point.)

I like to serve with cornbread and shredded cheddar cheese; some like jack. Also some like to have pinto beans on the side to add; I don't, and consider that a legume stew as opposed to chili, but am not dogmatic.

CORN BREAD BISCUITS
(from Cooks.com)
1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. corn meal
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c. milk
Mix dry ingredients well. Cut in butter with fork. Mix milk in with fork until moistened thoroughly (will be gooey). Drop by tablespoons on sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until light brown.

---Colleen

Date Nut Bread by Tom

2012-01-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

Whole Wheat Date Nut Bread

Date and nut bread brings back many fond memories for me from my childhood. As a young schoolboy, my mother, as a treat, would put Crosse & Blackwell Date and Nut Bread in my lunch box. I loved it! Sweet, dark in color and buttered, it tasted great. I was always thrilled when it came out of the can and into my lunch box.

But unfortunately you cannot get Crosse & Blackwell Date and Nut Bread anymore. Gone from the grocery shelves. So the next best thing is to make it yourself. And this whole wheat recipe is pretty close to what I remember from my youth.

Whole Wheat Date Nut Bread
(from Whole Living magazine, December 2011)

Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 large egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp coarse salt, like Kosher salt
1 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9" x 5" loaf pan with the vegetable cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, pour the hot water over the dates and let stand until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in the egg, oil, and vanilla into the dates and hot water mixture.

In a large bowl, mix in all of the dry ingredients: the two flours, baking soda, salt, pecans and brown sugar.

Mix this all together until well blended.

Now fold in the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Bake for about 65 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle of thee loaf comes out clean.

Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out from the loaf pan unto a cooling rack.

Once cool, slice and spread with butter or cream cheese.

Then enjoy!!! The next best thing to my memories of date and nut bread as a kid, and very easy to make.

---Tom

Holiday Eggplant Caviar by Jessica C.

2012-01-02T10:22:00.004-05:00

Note from B: Emily's recent post about her food experiences in Tanzania has been getting lots of (positive) responses, including this one from a new blog contributor. Thanks for taking the time to write, Jessica C.!

well tell her i homeschool my three children and i will share this with them and expand on it. i love it! happy new year to you and yours! i often want to contribute, i love to cook - maybe this year i will take some photos and send a few things in. i love to make roasted red peppers in the summer when they are abundant around here (south jersey) as well as quite a few other things. i have my grandmother's (italian) pickled green tomato recipe, handwritten, she was of the era when one canned the garden's surplus. today i am making eggplant caviar, i have two vegetarians in the house, my two daughters, i am making that to bring to a new year's eve party this evening. i don't think i can manage a photo just now (i just had to go turn them peppers) but i can share the recipe. it is not mine, it's from the nov/dec 2007 issue of vegetarian times. :) ~jessica c.

Holiday Eggplant Caviar
from Vegetarian Times Nov/Dec 2007
makes 3 cups...vegan

2 medium eggplants (1 1/2 lb.)

1 large red bell pepper

1 large yelllow bell pepper

1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 1/2 tlbs. red wine vinegar

1. preheat oven to broil. prick eggplants several times with fork. place eggplants and bell peppers on baking sheet. broil 20-25 min. or until eggplants and peppers are blackened on all sides, turning occasionally. place bell peppers in plastic bag to cool and steam skins. cool eggplant and bell peppers 20 mins. or until easy to handle.

2.peel and coarsely chop eggplants, then place in large bowl. peel and remove core and seeds from bell peppers. chop into 1/4 inch dice, and add to bowl with eggplant. stir in onion and vinegar. season with salt and pepper.

Happy Holidays!

---Jessica C.

Quick Crab Cakes

2012-01-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

New Year's Eve Crab Cakes

Happy New Year!

Crab cakes seem intimidating to make, but this approach makes them easy and fast. The secret ingredient is potato chips.

I tend to make them when I need to take something to a party, like last night for New Year's Eve, hence, mine are bite-size.

But you could make them as patties for a first course or to top a mesclun salad.

Also, I tend to make them when Wegman's has fresh crab, usually around the holidays. The better the crab, the better the crab cake.

They can be made 15 minutes before you go to a party, as long as you get everything out ahead of time and ready.

I found this quick method in Real Simple, June 2007. I use their basic approach and then doctor the crab mix with more spices.
If you want to keep it easy, you could simply use Old Bay seasoning for a classic crab cake taste.

The original recipe calls for 1 1b. crab cake but I cut it in half. Here's how I do it:

Quick Crab Cakes
adapted from Real Simple, June 2007
Makes 24 bite size crab cakes or 4 patties
1 1/2 cups kettle style potato chips, finely crushed (we like Cape Cod)
1/2 lb. (8 ounces) crab meat, picked through to remove any shells
1/3 cup tartar sauce (or mayonnaise with sweet relish, if you want to make your own)
2 T. Dijon mustard
For the seasoning:
1/2 t. onion powder
pinch of celery seed, if you have it
pinch of coriander, if you have it
1/2 t. Hungarian paprika
1/2 t. dried chervil, or fresh parsley, or even dried sweet basil (something green)
(or you can use 1 T. Old Bay seasoning instead of the above )

1 T. butter, cut into 24 little cubes for dotting the cakes

In a medium bowl, add the crab, the crushed potato chips, tartar sauce, mustard and seasonings. Stir to combine. Make sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed, especially the potato chips.

Form into 24 little cakes, and place on a foil-lined,baking sheet.

Top each cake with a little dot of butter.

Broil until browned. It will take only a couple of minutes. Rotate midway if necessary to be sure they are evenly browned.
Transfer to a warmed platter, and keep as warm as you can until you get to the party.
We use a Pyrex Portable with a heated insert.
The crab cakes can also be broiled at the party, if the host/hostess doesn't mind you using his/her oven, but be sure to use a broiler-proof serving platter.
They taste good even at room temperature.

B

Tanzania Food Experiences by Emily

2011-12-29T22:33:00.000-05:00

Bananas in Mto wa Mbu

Our niece, Emily, worked in Africa the summer before last, as part of her master's degree program in geology at Rutgers. Here's what she has to say looking back on that experience. --- Barbara

While I was in Tanzania eating all of these new and interesting things, I decided to start taking pictures of it for my Aunt Barbara, knowing that she would be really interested.

How to describe Tanzanian food…for the most part it’s not that different than anything I’ve had in the US, but the combinations are sometimes quite unusual. Usually because the chef is trying to recreate something that they think we like or expect, but can’t quite do it.

Lasagna

For example, I once had lasagna with cornbread cooked around the edges.

Breakfast

Breakfast many times was toast, bananas, uji, and coffee or tea. Uji is basically a hot breakfast cereal that a consistency a little more watery that oatmeal.

Uji

The kind we had was purple, and I have no idea whether or not it is always purple. With a lot of sugar, its actually pretty good, and I learned to like it. Sometimes there would also be mandazi, which is a fried bread, kind of like a donut, and delicious.

Typical Dinner

Lunch and dinner were very similar and if there were beans (think charro beans) for lunch there would be lentils for dinner and vice versa. This was paired either with spaghetti noodles or ugali.

Ugali

Ugali looks similar to mashed potatoes, but is made from corn and has a consistency more like couscous. Only very rarely was there meat except for canned tuna because there was no way to refrigerate anything.

There’s also a lot of Indian influence. We had curried potatoes and curried bananas that very much resembled potatoes.

On our way to Olduvai there is a town called Mto wa Mbu that means river of mosquitoes. Besides mosquitoes, they also grow a lot of bananas of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Red Banana

They grow a red banana that is by far the best banana I’ve ever had. I ate two, and I don’t even like bananas.

In the beginning I was wary of eating anything raw and avoided it, but there is only so long you can eat beans and lentils before caving in. I think I lasted one day.

Surprisingly we had cole slaw a lot, and it actually was very close to Texas cole slaw. Let me tell you, it’s very strange eating a food from home on the edge of the Serengeti where there is no electricity and the water has to be brought in by truck.

There was only one thing I really didn’t like although everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Goat.

Just like everywhere else, Africans like to BBQ. They call it nyama choma, which means roasted meat or something like that.

nyama choma

In Tanzania, the process is slightly different. First you have to haggle for a goat all day because the locals are trying to overcharge you because there are Americans around. Once a price is finally agreed upon, the goat is tied to a tree where you have listen to it bleat hysterically as if it knows what is coming. Then you watch while the goat escapes, and 15 guys go chasing after it into the dark. They bring back a very distressed bleating goat that suddenly stops bleating, and about 45 minutes later a large green bucket appears with freshly butchered goat inside. Then you roast meat over an open fire until it’s cooked completely through, and that’s nyama choma.

The piece I ate in the picture still had a piece of hair on it, but that wasn’t what bothered me. I just don't like the taste of goat. It’s a very strong flavor. I think that experience might have turned some people into a vegetarian. Hah

My favorite thing was probably chapati, which is similar to naan, but better in my opinion. I’m not sure how to cook either one or exactly the difference between the two, but I could not eat enough chapati. It seemed to me like they never cooked enough because we always ran out.

--Emily

Pork Chops with Beer, Cabbage and Apples

2011-12-21T16:45:00.001-05:00

Tom's mother, Dee, gave me this recipe as her contribution to my "calling all recipes" signal for the blog. She says that she (and now Gretchen) make it with great results. So, we gave it a try last week when we got back from our holiday visit with them.

Tom says that it is a keeper. I thought the flavors were excellent and it was very easy to make. But, I am not a fan of boneless pork chops, even after the pounding she recommends. So, I'd try it again with another cut of pork.

Pork Chops with Beer, Cabbage and Apples
adapted from Larry Forgione, Fine Cooking, Feb/March 1998

Serves 4

4 center-cut pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T. oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 T. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 head Savoy cabbage (about 1 lb.), cored and thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms (Dee's addition)
2 tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup beer or ale
2 springs fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried
1/2 cup chicken stock

Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper.

Pound the chops to tenderize (Dee's addition).

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chops and cook on one side until well browned, turn and brown other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Put the onion in the pan and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute (Dee's addition). Stir in the mustard and 1/2 t. pepper.

Add the cabbage and apples, season lightly with more salt, and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the beer, thyme, and stock. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes to intensify the flavors.

Return the chops to the skillet, burying them in the cabbage mixture.

Cover the pan and simmer until the pork is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Arrange the chops on plates and top with the cabbage.

This is a Larry Forgione (he is now an Iron Chef) recipe, and he suggests serving it with pumpernickel bread. And more beer.

B

Maddie's Melting Snowmen Sugar Cookies

2011-12-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

Maddie's Melting Snowmen Sugar Cookies from Mary

A big "Thanks!" to everyone who is sending in recipes and stories for the blog. There are lots of exciting blogposts coming up!

What I ate while working in Africa food experiences from Emily
Pork Chops with Beer, Cabbage and Apples, from our recent visit with Tom's mother, Dee
A food poetry book, sent in by Jane
Why I love date nut bread and recipe by Tom
Ethiopian Stew by Ann N. --- we are cooking it together are her place this Thursday
Winter Brew Suggestions by our neighbor and beer expert, Scott B.

And today we have a photo from Mary's cell phone --- showing her daughter, Maddie's Melting Snowmen Sugar Cookies. Maddie is home from college and is a flurry in the kitchen.

Don't worry about your photos being perfect. Cell phone photos are fine.

Keep those recipes and stories coming!

B

Christmas Dinner Recipes from Colleen: Short Rib Wellington and Glazed Chocolate Tart

2011-12-16T11:47:00.001-05:00

Hi Barb,

Yesterday I did a trial run of what is likely to be our Christmas dinner. Steve and I both saw a recipe in the Williams-Sonoma Catalog for Short Rib Beef Wellington. I made it yesterday ( it takes about 4 - 4.5 hours total with prep and baking) but it was delicious and really not that hard. Very hearty and satisfying.

I am also enclosing a recipe for a terrific tart. I think it was in Gourmet Magazine originally. Very easy, but also a bit time-consuming.

My last day of work today. Yippee! Most shopping done. Just need to wrap and bake. And bake and wrap. And try to sleep a little!

---Colleen

Short Rib Wellington Potpie

From Williams-Sonoma Christmas 2011 Catalog

2-3 lbs boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1” dice (you can use brisket)
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs olive oil
¼ pound prosciutto, cut into ¼” squares
¾ lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup red wine
1 ½ Tbs beef demi-glace
3 cups beef stock
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cups pearl onions
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 sheet puff pastry, 10-11” square
1 egg plus 1 tsp water, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups carrots chopped into small pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.

Season beef with salt and pepper. In Dutch over, brown beef in oil over medium high heat (in batches). About 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer to bowl. Reduce heat to medium and sauté prosciutto until crisp. Transfer to bowl. Increase heat to medium high and sauté mushrooms until tender, about 8 minutes. Add to bowl.

Pour off excess fat. Return pot to medium heat and melt butter. Stir in flour and stir 2-3 minutes. Whisk in wine and demi glace; cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in stock. Bring to a simmer. Add in beef, prosciutto, mushrooms, thyme, onions, bay leaf and chopped carrots, if using. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and bake 2-2 ½ hours until beef is fork tender. Discard bay leaf and spoon off excess fat. Stir in parsley.

Increase oven to 400. Place puff pastry sheet on lightly floured board. Using sharp knife, score pastry with diagonal lines 2 inches apart forming a diamond pattern. Brush edge of pot with water. Brush pastry with egg mixture. Place pastry egg wash up over pot. Press edges to seal. Trim overhanging pastry to 1 inch. Transfer to oven. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

Note: I think it would be better to transfer the mixture to a 9x 13 baker and shape the puff pastry sheet to cover that. The handles on the Dutch oven get in the way and it is a bit hard to serve. You could also cut the puff pastry into serving size pieces and place on top of the mixture and bake so that it is easy to dish up.

--Colleen

Glazed Chocolate Tart

Ingredients
For crust:
9 (5- by 2 1/4-inch) chocolate graham crackers (not chocolate-covered), finely ground (1 cup)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
For filling:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
For glaze:
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon warm water

Equipment:
a 9-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep)

Preparation
Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes

Make filling: Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:

Make glaze: Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water

Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

Cooks' note:

Tart is best the day it is made but can be made, without glaze, 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before glazing.

---Colleen

Persimmons Part 2: Hachiya

2011-12-15T12:57:00.004-05:00

The most common type of Persimmon is more heart-shaped, and bigger (baseball-sized), and darker orange. It's called the HACHIYA.

Very Ripe Hachiya Persimmons - Ready to Eat

Don't eat it unless it extremely ripe and mushy, or you will get a mouth full of furry, chalky icki-ness.

Hachiya persimmons are used in baked goods, often puddings. I decided to try muffins.

I adapted my banana nut bread recipe, by substituting honey for the white sugar, and persimmons for the bananas.

Honey Persimmon Muffins

Makes 12

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk (yogurt will work, too.)
2 very ripe persimmons, scooped out and mashed or sieved
1 t. soda
1/4 t. baking soda
2 cups less 2 T. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 chopped pecans

Mix the sugars, butter and eggs together until creamy.

Remove the top of the persimmons and scoop out the flesh.

Add the buttermilk, and the persimmons.

Mix well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the persimmon mixture.

Add the nuts and stir gently until combined.

Divide evenly among 12 muffins (about 1/4 cup per slot).

And bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes.
Then, remove from pan.

B

Persimmons: Fuyu

2011-12-14T10:27:00.002-05:00

Fuyu Persimmon

Persimmon trees were everywhere in Japan when we were on vacation there during October. At first we thought they were apple trees, but upon closer inspection they were laden with orange fruit, the persimmon.

When we returned, I was surprised to see them in Wegman's, but they must be ripe in California right now. So, I bought a few of each kind of persimmon to try. There are two.

This is the first one we tried: The FUYU.

To remember the difference, I think of fuyu as the tomato-looking one. You can eat it as you would a tomato.

The FUYU can be eaten when it is firm, as soon as you bring it home, and all the way until it goes soft.

The taste reminds me of a cross between a plum and a mango. Reminds a little of a peach, too. Hard to describe.

It's good!

B

David's Awesome Chili - Recreated by Tom

2011-12-08T20:03:00.001-05:00

David's Awesome Chili - Recreated by Tom

A few evenings ago David stopped by for football watching and dinner. While we were hanging out in the kitchen, he mentioned that he had made an awesome chili that he really liked. I asked him what was in it and whether he had taken pictures to put on Barbara's blog. He told me the ingredients, but alas, his answer was no, he had taken no pictures.

So armed with remembering most of his ingredients plus my own knowledge of chili making, I set out to try to replicate what David had made a few nights before. The recipe that I made has the basics of what David used plus a few of my own to enhance the flavors. The only major difference was that he used a chipotle spiced mixture and I used ancho chilies. My mistake, as only after I had made it did Barbara remind me that he had used chipotle flavoring and not ancho. His was awesome, but mine was pretty darned good too!

So here goes. This is a great meal for cold evenings like we are now experiencing. It also makes a great leftover.

Ingredients
8-10 servings

1 lb ground chicken
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion chopped
4-5 carrots chopped
12 oz frozen corn
2 large jalapeno peppers chopped
1 can black beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbs minced garlic
1 package chili mix (I used McCormick's, but any brand will do.)
1 package taco mix (I used McCormick's, but any brand will do.)
1 tbs ancho chili (or chipotle for David's variant)
1 bottle dark beer or equivalent amount of water
2-3 tbs dark semi-sweet chocolate chips
2-3 tsp olive oil for sauteing
salt and pepper to taste

Dice the vegetables.

Saute in a large skillet over medium-high heat all of the chopped vegetables (onion, carrots, and jalapeno chilies) until they are soft and the onions are mostly translucent. With about a minute to go, add the chopped garlic and saute. Transfer the sauteed vegetables to the chili cooking pot.

Next brown the ground chicken and ground beef. Once browned transfer the meats to the cooking pot minimizing any fat rendered during the browning. A slotted spoon or spatula works well for this.

Now add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and all of the dry spices and seasoning mixes. Stir these in and return to a low simmer. The chili will be quite thick at this point, so this is a good time to add the bottle of dark beer, or water if you prefer. I personally like using dark beer because I think it really brings out and accentuates the chili spices' tastes. But water is just fine too.

Next add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to the mixture. This adds a little "Mexican mole" touch to the chili and does sweeten the chili a little bit.

Bring everything back to a simmer and cook covered for at least an hour on a very low heat. At least 30 minutes before you plan to serve the chili, add the beans and the corn and let them heat through thoroughly.

Serve with some grated cheddar cheese and corn chips. This is a hearty one-dish meal.

Thanks David for sharing your recipe, and for letting me recreate it with some modifications.

---Tom

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

2011-12-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it's time to move on to the holidays. Christmas is around the corner. But I want to share a few last tips from this year's Thanksgiving.

Extra Turkey Breast Waiting to be Roasted

If you want lots of turkey sandwiches afterwards, consider buying an extra turkey breast. The breast was surprisingly inexpensive. I roasted it while we were enjoying our Thanksgiving meal.

(Yes, I wish we had two ovens and didn't have to stage everything several layers high on the counters in our small kitchen.)

Thanksgiving Apple Pie

As far as pies go, I tried a few new things.

To keep pie crusts from burning, make a circle out of aluminum foil. Tear off a sheet large enough to cover your pie plate, fold it in half, cut out a 9 or 10 circle, depending on the size of your pie plate, unfold, and place over the crust, if needed, during cooking.

Preheat a cookie sheet to go under the pie

For crisper bottoms for pies, preheat a cookie sheet in the oven, and place your pie on it. Saw this tip on TV. It really works! I also added aluminum foil in case I had any spill over, for easy cleanup.

Be sure to chill pie crust after rolling it out

Chilling the pie crust is important, so I didn't skip this step this year.

Brush with milk, then sprinkle with sugar

For a nice crust on apple pie, brush it with milk and sprinkle it with sugar.

Nicely Browned and It Doesn't Collapse

Here's how it will turn out.

Creamy Chunky Applesauce

With the leftover apples (about 8) and the leftover 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk, Sarah and I made an experiment. We peeled the apples, cooked them down until they were chunky, added the juice of one lemon, a pinch of salt, and the sweetened condensed milk. The result was a delicious creamy applesauce. Tasted great on its own, but also in oatmeal.

We have so much to be thankful for, and I am grateful that we had a such a nice Thanksgiving this year with kids and grandkids. It was one of the best!

B

Grandma Hall's Bread Stuffing

2011-12-04T17:16:00.004-05:00

Everyone seems to have a family tradition for making turkey stuffing, including us.

I use a simple bread stuffing recipe from my Grandma Hall. I have to cut the recipe in third. She cooked for a big crowd.

The title of her recipe says From Brazil - Thanksgiving Dinner, Dressing for 18. The Brazil part is a mystery. Maybe Grandma sent us the recipe when they were living in Brazil in the 60's? (If anyone in the family remembers, please let me know!)

Anyway, here's how to make Grandma Hall's bread stuffing.

Grandma Hall's Bread Stuffing
Dressing for 18

20 c. bread cut up
3 c. onion
3 c. celery
2 heaping Tbsp. sage
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
6 cups chicken stock
8 whole eggs beaten
1 1/2 sticks butter

Buy the loaves of bread far in advance of Thanksgiving so they aren't fresh and soft. You want stiff, dry bread.

I usually lay out the bread the night before, on top of the stove grill, so air can circulate around the slices and dry them out. You could also toast them on a cookie sheet in a very low oven in a pinch.

I buy two loaves of potato bread.

Then on Thanksgiving morning, I pull out the roasting pan and cover, and pile up the hard bread, make my way to the TV

to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving's Day parade while I pinch them up in to bite size pieces. This year our 4 year old granddaughter, Grace, helped me break up the bread.

It is important to make them bite-size. Don't get lazy. Pinch, pinch, pinch.

When it is time to get the turkey ready, then start to make your stuffing. Not too far in advance.

Chop up the onions, and the celery. You can saute them until soft, if you wish, but usually I don't because I am in a hurry to get the turkey in the oven.

Melt the butter and let it cool.

Whisk the eggs together.

Open the can(s) of chicken broth.

Get everything ready to assemble before you start.

Add the onions, celery, and sage to the brown and toss thoroughly. Salt and pepper. If you are short on celery, you can add celery seed, too.

Add the wet ingredients next.

Use two spatulas to toss and coat until moist but not wet. One can of broth is usually enough, but have more on hand if needed.

LOOSELY stuff the turkey with the dressing. Be sure to salt the cavities of the turkey beforehand.

Cover with aluminum foil and grease up the turkey with olive oil or butter. Salt and pepper it well. (Slide some fresh herbs and butter under the skin, beforehand, too.)

Put the remaining stuffing into a separate casserole (2 quart). Make sure it is wet enough. I usally add about 1/2 can more of broth. Cover tightly and bake for an hour at 350 degrees.

If you aren't going to bake the stuffing right away, be sure to refrigerate it until you do, due to the raw eggs.
B

Thanksgiving Keepers: Pumpkin Pie

2011-12-02T12:08:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Pie

I am laughing as I write this because I just realized that I used condensed milk instead of evaporated milk as the recipe specifies.

I am on the fence about this recipe, but I like it enough to save it to try again. (Maybe if I made it correctly it will be the best!) Every year I look for a new pumpkin pie recipe and never seem to find one I love. I've tried the one Silver Palette, Cook's Illustrated, American Cookery, the back of the can, etc.

If you have one that you absolutely love and is a crowd-pleaser, please tell me about it!

In the meantime, this one has its pluses and its minuses.

I decided to try the Bakery Lane Soup Bowl recipe because their Fresh Apple Cake recipe was so good.
In this case, the pumpkin is cooked on the stovetop to remove some of the excess liquid. And it isn't too sweet. It's more of a custard.

And the technique of brushing the pie shell with butter, then chilling it, was new to me, but worked very well.

However, the color was dark due to the brown sugar. And the spices tended to dominate the pumpkin, especially the ginger.

Pumpkin Pie
(Bakery Lane Soup Bowl cookbook, pg. 109.)
Makes 10 -inch pie

10 inch unbaked pie shell
1 t. melted butter
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 cup milk, scalded
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3 eggs, beaten

Brush pie shell with melted butter

and chill 30 minutes or longer.

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in saucepan, cook, stirring frequently, until thick. (see at the beginning of the blog entry.)

Scald the milk.

Stir in milks and eggs.

Whisk until blended well.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake pie for 15 minutes,

reduce heat to 350 degrees, and continue baking 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. If necessary, protect the crust from browning.

Cool.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

B

Thanksgiving Keepers: Spicy Red Pepper- Cranberry Relish

2011-11-30T11:42:00.001-05:00

Now that the big Thanksgiving holiday is over, Tom and I are reflecting on which new recipes from last weekend are keepers, i.e., ones that we'd want to make again and therefore, post. And which are not.

The first keeper is a recipe our son-in-law, Chris, wanted to try. He saw it in the November issue of Bon Appetit. Tom graciously made it, even though he doesn't even like cranberry sauce.

It's more of a spicy red pepper relish than a cranberry jelly, so I took the liberty of renaming it.

It is excellent on turkey sandwiches, and a welcome change from traditional Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.

For adults only. It's spicy!

Spicy Red Pepper - Cranberry Relish
(adapted from Bon Appetit November 2011 who adapted Andrew Knowlton's recipe)

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

3 red bell peppers. minced
3 cups fresh (raw) cranberries (1 bag)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 cup sugar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1.5 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t. kosher salt
a slurry of pectin, 2 t. with 2 T. of water -- follow the directions on the package to make 1/4 cup

In a heavy, wide saucepan, combine the chopped peppers, jalapeno, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Stir in pectin, and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in cranberries and simmer gently until cranberries burst and juices thicken.

This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Be patient. Transfer to serving container, and let cool, then cover. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Pectin in a Jar

Note: A new discovery! We found pectin in a jar in the grocery aisle where the rest of the canning equipment and supplies are located. In this powdered, measurable format, it can easily be used to thicken sauces and pie fillings. So, it now has a home in our spice closet, among the other jars.

B

Back in the Saddle Again

2011-11-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

Quince

I've had a lovely, long break from blogging, but now I am back in the saddle again, ready to resume sharing our recipes, tips, and techniques as well as restaurant suggestions, and any other whatnot that catches my fancy.

Do you have any recipes, or food stories that you would like to share?

Come on, I know you do! It will be fun to have more than just Tom and me posting our kitchen adventures.

Just let me know and I'll make it easy for you to become a guest blogger.

Just email me your idea for a post and I'll help you compose it, or send along the story or the recipe with a little background (and a photo if you have one) and I'll take it from there.

Looking forward to sharing.

B

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting

2011-09-19T11:40:00.003-04:00

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting

Made this cake to take to the West End Gallery picnic on Sunday. Tom says "It is excellent!" He went back for seconds.

I found it in an out-of-print popular cookbook from a 1970's era Vermont restaurant called Bakery Lane Soup Bowl. It was featured on the back of the book, so I knew it had to be pretty good.

Fresh Apple Cake
(from the Bakery Lane Soup Bowl cookbook)
Makes 9 x 13 inch cake

2 1/3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. EACH of cloves and nutmeg
4 cups chopped, peeled apples ( I used Gala)
1/2 cup soft shortening
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used 1 cup pecans)
2 eggs
caramel frosting

Combine flour, sugar, soda, salt and spices in large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add apples, shortening, nuts and eggs. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Pour into a greased, and floured, 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake in pre-heated 325 degrees oven 45 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched. Cool completely on wire rack. Frost in pan with caramel frosting.

Caramel Frosting
Makes about 1 cup

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
dash salt
3 T. milk
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar (about)
1/4 t. vanilla

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar melts. Add milk and bring to a boil. Pour into mixing bowl and cool 10 minutes. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat to spreading consistency, adding additional confections sugar, if necessary. Spread on Fresh Apple Cake.

It traveled well, stayed moist overnight and was easy to make!

B

Birthday Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-17T18:27:00.001-04:00

Birthday Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today, we celebrated David's 30th early because we will be at the Chris and Tara's wedding next weekend. I made a big batch for him to take home to enjoy between now and his birthday on the 25th.

I used three types of chocolate chips --- milk chocolate, semi-sweet and dark.

I also used one of Tom's recipes (he said he was honored) which he had written down in the back of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cookbook Christine sent to us a long time ago. His version, dated 1/7/89, he named Tom's Fabulous Chocolate Chip Cookies in his humble way.

I adapted his recipe to my way of making cookies. Mostly, I changed the way that he introduced the ingredients which was unconventional. And I subbed milk chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips. And used maple syrup instead of corn syrup.

Birthday Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Tom's Fabulous Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe)

Makes a big batch 60+ of 3-inch cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 t. almond extract
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. maple syrup
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1 cup half'n'half
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
12 oz milk chocolate chips
12 oz. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add sugars and cream together. Add the eggs, the extracts, maple syrup, the salt, baking powder, baking soda, half'n'half and mix well with electric mixer.
In a separate, large mixing bowl, add 4 cups of the flour. Add the three kinds of chips and toss together to coat all of the chips with flour. Pour in the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine. If the dough seems too wet or sticky, add up to 1 cup of flour, as needed.
Drop by tablespoons on to cookies sheets, 12 per sheet. Bake two sheets at a time, rotating and switching, halfway through. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until browned on the bottom, and still blonde on the top.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to completely cool.

Happy Birthday, David! The big 3-0!

B

Soup of the Week: French Onion

2011-09-08T18:06:00.001-04:00

French Onion Soup

This French Onion Soup would be good for a meatless Monday meal or when you want something to warm you up.

So simple, so delicious!

To create a successful French onion soup, you need to be sure to

Use ordinary onions, not sweet onions (i.e., not Vidalia or Mayan)
Carmelize the onions, low and slow, until they are golden brown -- don't be in a hurry

What you will need is

a 2 lb. bag of yellow or white cooking onions for the best flavor.

French Onion Soup
(adapted from Classic Home Cooking)

Serves 4 for a meal or 8 as a first course

3 T. butter
1/4 cup oil (canola, olive or safflower)
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1 T. sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 to 7 cups of beef stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
salt and pepper
8 slices of rustic or French bread
8 slices of Gruyere cheese, sliced thin (Cheddar works well too)

The slicing of the onions takes time, so give yourself 15 minutes to prep the onions.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy soup pot. Toss the onions in the oil and cook until soft, then sprinkle them with 1 T. of sugar,
stir and cook, low and slow, until the onions caramelize, for a total of about 20 to 30 minutes. You know they are done when they are golden brown.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 -2 minutes.

Gradually stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste,

cover the pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes.

Toast the bread and then melt the cheese on top to create a Gruyere crouton.

Taste the soup for seasoning, then ladle into warmed bowls. Float a Gruyere crouton on top and serve immediately.

B

Muffin Mania

2011-08-29T16:35:00.011-04:00

Muffin Mania

What do you do while you wait for a tropical storm to wear itself out?

Make muffins!

That's what happened yesterday. I was home alone with the cat.... and a carton of buttermilk.

A carton of buttermilk will make three batches of muffins --- 1 1/4 cups for each batch.

The basic muffin recipe I use is from the Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook.

Then I make different flavor combinations. You can use whatever inspires you.

Hmmm, so what were my options?

Overripe fruit works very well, because the flavors are intensified.

Peaches Go Well with Allspice and Brown Sugar

These peaches were a definite. Combined with allspice. Extra brown sugar and nutmeg on top.

Bananas Go Well with Shredded Coconut and Coriander

The three spotted bananas were another obvious choice. But I also had a little bit of coconut. So, I went with banana, coconut, coriander.

Cinnamon and Raisins Are a Classic Combo

For the third, I thought a cinnamon-raisin-bread-style muffin would be good. So, I went heavy on the cinnamon and used sweet golden raisins. Extra sugar and cinnamon on top. If you like cinnamon raisin toast, then you will like these.

To make the muffins:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 muffin pan.

Melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave and let it cool.

In a large bowl, whisk two eggs and 1 t. vanilla together. Add the cooled butter and whisk well until smooth and very yellow.

In a separate bowl, add 3 cups of flour, 2 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. salt plus your choice of spice:

Peach Muffins - 1/2 t. allspice
Cinnamon Raisin Muffins -- 2 T. of cinnamon (it's a lot but really works well)
Banana Coconut - 1/2 t. coriander

Whisk the dry ingredients together.

Add them to the wet ingredients, and then gently, mix until it looks about half combined.

Then add your fruit,

Peach Muffins -- 1 1/2 cups peeled, finely chopped very ripe peaches
Cinnamon Raisin Muffins -- 1 cup raisins
Banana Coconut -- 1 1/2 cups total of smashed bananas and shredded coconut

and 1/2 cup, plus 1 T. sugar

Peach Muffins - brown sugar
Cinnamon Raisin Muffins -- white
Banana Coconut -- white

and 1 1/4 cup buttermilk.

And mix gently, just until combined and there aren't any pockets of dry ingredients in the mix.

Divide evenly into 12 portions, using a 1/3 cup measure.

Sprinkle extra sugar on top, and then a little of the spice. Example. Cinnamon on the Cinnamon Raisin Muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for a few minutes in the pan.

Then, remove to finish cooling on a rack.

Now I have lots of muffins in the freezer for guests, and to take with me when I stop in to see friends back in Corning who I haven't seen in a while. I have enjoyed being at the lake, but I am beginning to miss being at home in my old routine.

Whoopie Cake Update

2011-08-28T12:10:00.002-04:00

Summer Fun: Whoopie Cake Made at the Lake by Colleen and Buddy

While Irene blows outside, there isn't much we can do but wait for the tropical storm to pass, and to reflect on fun from the summer. One of the them was the Whoopie Cake our sister-in-law, Colleen, and niece, Buddy, made during the 4th of July weekend.

We debated during the cooking process whether or not to use baking powder or baking soda with Dutch processed cocoa.

So, recently Colleen researched it.

She says, "Dutch process cocoa (which has alkali) CANNOT be used with baking soda. It has to be used with baking powder. So the Whoopie recipe should be made with regular cocoa."

If you want to understand why, here's the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_process_chocolate

Whoopie Cake
From Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell

½ cup butter softened
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 2/3 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa (use regular, not Dutch processed)
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take a nine inch pie or cake pan and draw a circle around it in the middle of each piece of parchment. Flip the parchment so the mark is face down.

Beat butter and brown sugar until combined, and then beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes.

Sift together the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add half to the butter mixture with ½ cup of the milk. Beat until incorporated. Add remaining flour and milk and repeat.

Put half the batter in the middle of each circle on the parchment. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter to the edge of the circle. Try to get the batter even.

Bake each tray separately for 15 minutes.

Check to see if cake springs back in center and remove from oven. Let cool for five minutes and then slide parchment/cake off onto a cooling rack. Repeat with other cake. When cool, peel off parchment and frost with filling of your choice.

Suggested Filling:

Classic Marshmallow

2 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 7 oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Beat the butter and marshmallow together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat together on low. When mixed, beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

Spread between layers of Whoopie Cake.

We didn't have sprinkles to put on the cake, but it tasted just as good!

Here's how it would look with sprinkles. Buddy took this photo in earlier in the year when she made it around her birthday in June.

B

Speedy Spiedies by Tom

2011-08-24T12:57:00.002-04:00

Speedy Spiedies by Tom

If you are following the blog, you know we are fans of Spiedies, but tend to make them when we have guests. They are specific to Upstate New York and can be found as a staple dish at county fairs and similar events. Easy to make at home, though, with a bottle of Spiedies marinade.

One day, though, I decided to try to use the Spiedies marinade with whole chicken breasts rather than cubed chicken breasts. This was an experiment to see if I could replicate the Spiedies taste without the hassle of skewering the cubed chicken. Voila, it worked just fine. The chicken was very tender and moist with the distinctive taste of Spiedies. We skipped the roll, too.

So if you are in hurry, try these speedy Spiedies!

Ingredients

whole chicken breasts - enough for as many people as you are serving
one bottle of Lupo's Spiedies marinade

Place the chicken breasts in a container and dump as much of the bottle of Spiedies marinade in as you can. Push and prod the chicken breasts to make sure every part of the breast is in contact with the marinade. It is best to do this a day or two before you actually grill the chicken breasts. Keep this in the refrigerator. You cannot over-marinate this. Every few hours shake the container up to insure that the chicken is marinating.

Grill as you normally would the chicken breasts and occasionally marinate as you are grilling. These were pretty large chicken breasts and cooked for about 20-22 minutes. I turned them over every 5 minutes and splashed a little of the extra marinade on them after each flip.

Let the breasts rest for about 10 minutes after cooking and then slice across the breast.

Serve and enjoy.

---Tom

Wellsboro Diner

2011-08-22T12:38:00.001-04:00

Wellsboro Diner

We took a day trip to see the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon (Pine Creek Gorge) and were hungry afterwards. We decided to check out Wellsboro which is about 10 miles away, and the closest town, to see what we could find.

The Wellsboro Diner is smack dab downtown at the intersection of Rt. 6 and Rt. 287. You can't miss it.

Note the curved ceiling. It is a 1938 Sterling manufactured diner. Very cool!

The main reason to eat here, in my opinion, is to see an historic diner, although we had their Angus burgers and they were quite good.

We had fun walking around town afterwards and found a nice little used bookstore up the street before it started to rain, so we headed home.

Wellsboro Diner

19 Main St
Wellsboro, PA 16901
(570) 724-3992

Wellsboro, and the diner, is worth a look if you are ever in the area.

B

Summer Turkey on the Grill

2011-08-20T12:13:00.004-04:00

Grilled Turkey Leg

If you get tired of grilling steaks and salmon, try turkey. It is excellent on the grill. And easy on the pocketbook.

Tom likes the turkey leg, so that's what we picked, but they are many other choices, including the breast, which is also great for grilling, then using the leftovers for sandwiches afterwards.

These two meaty pieces were only $3.30. Turkey is $2.19/lb around here. Much cheaper than steaks or fish.

Brining turkey keeps the meat moist and brings out the flavor. To brine, you simply soak the turkey in cold water to which lots of salt has been dissolved. You can add other things to add flavor. I chose to add black peppercorns, bay leaves and mustard seeds.

Brine the turkey for 4 to 6 hours. Then, discard the water, and pat it dry.

I tucked lots of fresh sage and a knob of butter under the skin, then salt and peppered well. I sprinkled them with paprika, too.

Then, Tom grilled them for about 30-35 minutes.

The skin is crispy and the meat is tender and juicy.

Finger-licking good. And you get to make Barney Rubble jokes.

B

Caprese Salad

2011-08-18T16:11:00.001-04:00

Caprese Salad Our Way

Now this is summer on a plate! We can't get enough of this salad at this time of year. The tomatoes are at their peak, as is the basil.

Ignorance is bliss. I didn't know until today when I looked it up that balsamic vinegar isn't used in Caprese salad. But then again, I haven't been to Capri, so how would I know.

Our way is very good!

Caprese Salad -- Our Way

To make Caprese salad, you will need

--fresh tomatoes, at their peak, but not too soft

--the best mozzarella you can find at the store

--fresh basil, preferably from the garden

--extra virgin olive, the best you can afford

--balsamic vinegar

--salt and freshly ground pepper

Slice the tomatoes in thick rounds, and lay them out on the plate. Salt generously. This is a key step.

Layer big pieces of mozzarella on each of the tomato slices.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Add salt and pepper.

Sprinkle basil leaves over the top, enough for each of the tomato slices.

Enjoy!

Chris's Rice Salad with Dressing

2011-08-16T12:56:00.008-04:00

Chris's Rice Salad with Toasted Almonds and Sesame Dressing

This is a great picnic dish. Here it is served cold, but it can also be served hot, and goes with just about anything, like grilled fish or steak. It's a real crowd pleaser. Chris has been making it for years --I think I first had it when she brought it to a picnic on the lawn of the Canandaigua concert amphitheater or was it at the twister event at CMoG eons ago? Anyway, I get very excited when Chris makes this dish.

Here's the recipe. I think it is pretty close to what she does.

Chris's Rice Salad with Toasted Almonds and Sesame Dressing

1 cup rice (your choice -- rice, or rice pilaf, or wild rice)
2 cups broth or stock (your choice -- chicken or beef or veggie)
1 cup frozen peas
2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally and thinly
4 scallions sliced
toasted almonds

Dressing
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
2 t. sesame oil

Prepare the rice in the broth or stock. Cook until liquid is absorbed. Time will vary based on the type of rice you use.

While it is still warm, add the dressing and toss to coat it all thoroughly.

Let cool.

Slightly cook the peas, in the microwave or in a saucepan, and drain.

Mix in the scallions, celery, toasted almonds, peas and toss well.

Serve it warm now. Or, refrigerate to serve it cold later.

Note: it does not freeze well. But it can be reheated in the microwave with good results.

B

Pita Picnic Pockets

2011-08-14T10:19:00.050-04:00

Chris's Pita Picnic Pockets

Last Sunday, we invited our friends, Chris and John, to come up for the afternoon to sit and talk by the lake, and to do a little fishing off the dock.

To my surprise, Chris said that they would only come if she could bring the lunch. Sure!, I said. What a treat!

They arrived with a delightful picnic lunch consisting of the mini-pita pockets, Chris's fabulous rice salad, and slices of chocolate pound cake.

The mini-pita pockets were stuffed with tempting combinations:

--mozzarella and roasted red pepper
--Gouda and smoked turkey
--a "BLT" version
--a roast beef and spinach one, too, I think.

You could make whatever combination inspires you.

Because they were mini-sized pita pockets, they were easy to eat.

And cute, too!

B

QKA Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2011-08-11T12:35:00.002-04:00

QKA Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Thought I'd share this tasty marinade for grilled pork tenderloin that we make at least once every summer while we are at the lake; hence, the name, QKA Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

I am always looking for a new way to use pork tenderloin, since pork is one of the healthier meat choices, and a cut we keep on hand.

The deep dark color comes from the cinnamon-based spice mix and the balsamic vinegar. The honey caramelizes during grilling to give it a nice crisp exterior.

The marinade is a fragrant mix of spices, mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Plus fresh rosemary.

QKA Grilled Pork Tenderloin
adapted from The Healthy Barbecuing and Grilling Recipe Book by Karyn Wagner

3 T. Dijon-style mustard
2 T. honey
2 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. freshly ground pepper
1/2 to 1 T. cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 T. cardamom
1/2 to 1 T. ground ginger
Fresh rosemary sprigs
1 to 2 lbs of trimmed pork tenderloin or pork loin

Place the pork in a plastic ziplock bag, add all of the ingredients on top, and massage them all into the pork. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Turn frequently and be sure that the marinade comes in contact with all sides of the meat to maximize the flavor.

Remove the pork from the ziplock bag, then grill until the outside is crisp and the inside is just cooked through. Use the leftover marinade to baste the meat, then discard what is leftover. (Do not eat the raw marinade.)

Grilling time will depend on the thickness of the cut. A 1 lb tenderloin will take approximately 20 minutes.

Let it sit a few minutes, then slice across the grain into medallions.

Serve with small buttered potatoes with fresh thyme and grilled corn. And a side salad.

This recipe came from one of my summer favs --- The Healthy Barbecuing & Grilling Recipe Book by Karyn Wagner -- a falling-apart paperback, with yellowed pages, printed in 1994. A cookbook doesn't have to be fancy to be a great cookbook.

Union Block Italian Bistro

2011-08-09T17:25:00.001-04:00

Union Block Italian Bistro

Hammondsport, New York

It's not on the lake, but you forget all about not having a view when you are at the Union Block Italian Bistro.

The food and service are just right for this area. A nice mix of Italian classics with chef specials, including fish, plus enough choices for even the pickiest of eaters.

They welcome families and have an experienced, courteous waitstaff. The wine list and beer list aim to please.

It's a tiny little place, and doesn't take reservations, but it is worth the wait. They have a cozy bar downstairs or you can walk around the charming Hammondsport village square to pass the time.

Casual, yet sophisticated. No need to dress up.

Union Block Italian Bistro is in its second year.

Lunch is served on the weekends, too. The antipasto for one is a great option. It is updated frequently by the chef and has a nice variety of single bites, from salumi to their signature egg. It's a nice place to stop if you are touring the area for the day.

Union Block Italian Bistro
31 Selthar Street (On the Village Square)
Hammondsport, New York
607-246-4065
Open in the summer 7 days a week, 4 to 10 pm.

http://unionblockitalian.com/

B

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes by Penny

2011-08-06T12:35:00.009-04:00

I tried baking my green fried tomatoes last Sunday and I just loved them. Not a greasy as fried in a pan, crispy on outside, firm inside... AND you can cook a bunch at once.

---Penny

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes -- Penny's Way

Preheat oven to 425 degrees or 400 degrees convection

Dip sliced green 3/8 " in a beaten egg with a splash of milk

Dip in corn meal seasoned with s & p, paprika, old bay, whatever

Let sit on a rack for at least 30 minutes

Spray cookie sheet with oil

Put tomatoes directly on cookie sheet, pop in oven for 10 minutes

Flip, sprinkle Parmesan cheese

Cook another 5 to 7 minutes, test doneness

---Penny

Lakeside Dinner

2011-08-04T14:30:00.014-04:00

We attended a lovely lakeside dinner, provided by friends who "won" the dinner at a fundraiser earlier this year. We were very happy to be guests for the event.

The cooks, Ann C. and Louise, have been donating a dinner for over 10 years now, and each year they find a way to outdo themselves. Bottles and Corks pairs delicious wines for their menu.

This year the Grilled Salmon Wrapped in Lemon and Bay Leaves, served with Potatoes Simmered in Saffron Butter, was the star.

The whole fish was coated with olive oil and salt, then wrapped in lemon slices and fresh bay leaves.

It was grilled it at 350 degrees until the internal temperature was 160 degrees.

The starters were beautiful and delicious too.

Herbed Zucchini Spirals were made with walnut pesto.

A layered torta was made with Pesto, Olive Tapenade, Roasted Red Peppers, and Goat Cheese.

Fresh Corn Soup, topped with Roasted Corn Guacamole, was the first course.

They made bread twists to go along with the soup.

A lovely garden salad with yellow tomatoes and peaches followed.

Then, they served the fish. It was so moist and bright tasting due to the lemons. The bay leaves did not overpower the fish.

Later, we had Warm Peach Shortcakes with Bourbon-Brown Sugar Cream. Yum!

Our favorite wine pairings were the Argyle Nuthouse Pinot Noir 2008 (Willamette Valley, Oregon) with the salmon, and the soft Mastroberardino Falanghina 2009 (Sannio, Campania, Italy) with the hors d'oeuvres.

It was a beautiful evening all around. Hats off to Ann C., Louise and Mary Beth!

B

Finger Lakes Distilling

2011-08-02T12:02:00.002-04:00

Finger Lakes Distilling

Tom has been wanting to visit the distillery on the east side of Seneca lake, north of Watkins Glen, for a long time.

It did not disappoint once we got there. Our experience was top notch. Our server at the tasting bar was extremely knowledgeable and guided us through their products and their processes.

It is nestled up on the hill among vineyards in a simple, yet handsome tall building.

You can see the distillery

and the storage through large glass windows.

The tasting room has a nice bar.

Their products are well displayed. They make a variety of spirits, from an unusual fragrant pine/citrus gin to a grape-based vodka, to a husky corn whiskey that has caramel hints, to a memorable rye whiskey, and some fruit based sweet liquers as well.

Their awards and press clippings are many. It's owned and run by two McKenzies, Brian from Elmira and Thomas Earl from Alabama, unrelated, except by their passion for making distilled spirits.

They sell some interesting related products, too, like these flavored lip balms.

And jams and jellies.

Tom came home with their vodka and their rye whiskey.

http://www.fingerlakesdistillery.com/

We highly recommend you visit and check out their products.

B

Indian Surprise Meal by Tom

2011-07-31T11:22:00.001-04:00

Indian Surprise Meal by Tom

The challenge: make a meal that can be served any time within a two hour window.

That is what I volunteered for last Monday as Barbara was off painting for the afternoon and had a meeting right afterwards. So was dinner to be ready at 6:30 pm or 8:30 pm? I thought about many options to consider, but what I settled on was a couple of favorites that we enjoy whenever we go to an Indian restaurant. I figured that Indian dishes actually have enhanced taste as they simmer longer, but are still very good when eaten at their earliest ready time. Also Indian was on my mind because on our Alaskan cruise the Executive Chef was Indian, and the Indian food on-board the ship was excellent.

The challenge for me was that I had never made Indian food before. Eaten it yes, but never actually tried to prepare it at home. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not actually that difficult to make, and it tasted just like what we have been served in restaurants. Yea!

My meal consisted of Rogan Josh, a popular lamb recipe which originated in Kashmir. Palak Paneer, which is spinach and paneer cheese. Paneer cheese is Indian cottage cheese. Jasmine rice. And an attempt at Naan, which is a delicious Indian flat bread. Cooking times all varied for these dishes, but they all benefited from cooking longer in a simmer mode or just resting, like the rice and naan.

Total preparation and cooking time was in excess of two hours, which also included shopping for the ingredients at Wegman's. But what I found was that I was working on one of the dishes at any given time, so the time went by very quickly.

I had fun making it. It was ready when Barbara said she was famished and ready to have dinner. And it really tasted good! A winning combination.

Rogan Josh
(from Best Ever Curry Cookbook by Mridula Baljekar)

3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon salt
2 crushed garlic cloves
1" piece of fresh ginger root finely grated
1 1/2 pounds of lean lamb fillet cut into 1" cubes (I used a boneless leg of lamb and trimmed the fat away)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cardamon
1 small onion finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup water

In a large bowl mix together the lemon juice, yogurt, one crushed garlic glove, salt and the ginger. Add the lamb cubes to the mixture and marinate for at least an hour. This can be prepared ahead of time, and you can even marinate the lamb overnight in the refrigerator.

In a medium size pot, heat the oil until it is hot. Fry the cumin seeds for about 2 minutes or until they are sputtering. Next add the bay leaves and cardamon and fry for an additional 2 minutes or so. Stir this constantly.

Now add in the chopped onion and the remaining crushed garlic clove and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin and chili powder to this mixture, and saute for another 2 minutes.

Now add the entire lamb mixture to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. Be sure to stir this frequently to prevent sticking. Also scrape the pot's bottom to make sure that you are getting all of the spices from infused from the earlier steps.

Now add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Cover and simmer for at least an hour, but longer is better. The lamb becomes very tender.

Serve this over the jasmine rice.

Palak Paneer
(from allrecipes.com)

10 - 15 ounces baby spinach chopped (I used one 5 ounce package of fresh spinach and one 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of chopped garlic (about 1 clove chopped)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces paneer cheese cubed (I could not find paneer cheese at Wegman's, so I used large curd cottage cheese)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Chop up the fresh spinach, and cook in 3 tablespoons water until tender in a medium size pot. Remove the spinach from the pan along with any juices and save for later. If you are using frozen chopped spinach, cook it the same way, but only until it has unthawed completely.

Add the oil to the pot and heat it up. Saute the onion, cinnamon, cardamon and ginger until the onion is translucent.

Then add the garlic and diced tomatoes to the onions reducing the heat at this stage to low. Cook this briefly and then start adding the yogurt a little at a time to prevent it from curdling, which requires constant stirring.

Next add the coriander, garam masala, paprika and salt being sure to mix this well.

Now add back the cooked spinach along with any accumulated liquid and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

If you have a hand blender, this is the time to puree the spinach and onion mixture in the pan. If not, pour about half into a blender and puree it, and then add back to the pot.

Slowly stir in the heavy cream and heat through on low.

Turn off the heat and finally add in the paneer cheese, or large curd cottage cheese, and stir well.

The last two steps I did when Barbara returned home and said she was ready to eat.

No-Yeast Naan Bread
(from food.com)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
1 beaten egg

Since the bread mixture needs to rest for at least an hour before baking, I started this recipe first.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Heat oil in a small pan, and then add the wet ingredients - milk, egg and yogurt - and heat gently until just warm. Do not let this boil or else you will cook the egg.

Add the warmed wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and knead the dough until it holds together.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about an hour. Longer is okay as well.

On a floured surface pat out the dough ball into two patty shaped "loaves" each about 1/2" thick, or even a little thinner. Mine were a little too thick.

Broil under medium heat turning it over when the top bubbles and turns slightly brown. Broil until the other side does the same. This only takes a couple of minutes per side, so watch the naan bread during this stage of preparation.

Serve this warm with the meal.

Jasmine Rice

Use a prepackaged jasmine rice and cook per the instructions provided. Serve this under the Rogan Josh and alongside the Palak Paneer.

That's it! Just be prepared to be busy during the critical addition stages for each of these dishes. Otherwise you are letting the dishes simmer. How hard can that be!

Again, we found the taste to be just like that we have been served in a fine Indian restaurant. We enjoyed it and I hope you give it a try.

----Tom

Happy Anniversary Voyage

2011-07-29T12:58:00.002-04:00

Our Surprise Happy Anniversary Cake on the Cruise

After a flurry of visitors, before and after the 4th of July holiday, we decided we wanted to take an adventure for ourselves to celebrate our anniversary on July 14th. So, we serendipitously booked a NCL cruise on the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska, originating from Seattle, because it fit our dates.

It was going to be a double adventure: our first real cruise and our first trip into Alaska.

We arrived in Seattle a day early and found a restaurant that we can highly recommend --- for the location as well as the food and service. Elegant, yet casual. Great seafood. It was the best meal we had on the trip and we would go back again.

Waterfront Seafood Grill on Pier 70
www.waterfrontpier70.com

As far as the cruise goes, I would start off by saying that the food isn't really the focus. The scenery and the wildlife and the activities are. However, there was A LOT of food. And plenty of choices. Service is one of their strengths. In particular, we had a delightful server from Romania and a memorable meal at the French restaurant on our anniversary. They surprised us with a small cake. The ship's friendly staff comes from all around the world.

Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) offers freestyle cruising, which means that you can eat wherever and whenever you want. People don't go hungry, that's for sure. They pile up their plates at the buffets and there was a wide range of food and restaurants (I think there were 7 in addition to the buffet), to appeal to a wide range of people, ages and cultures. Our ship was big (2500) and it was fascinating to watch how they fed that so many people, so well, everyday, for 7 days.

I hear from experienced cruisers that NCL is above average, but the best food is on the smaller ships which tend to be more upscale.

The only complaint we had is--- and it isn't really a complaint, but more a curiosity --- why don't they serve cookies?

B

Summer Spring Rolls

2011-06-21T10:48:00.002-04:00

Summer Spring Rolls by Chelsea and Aunt Barbara

Chelsea and I made these Spring Rolls last summer at the lake -- they are easy to make once you get the hang of working with the rice-paper round wrappers.

The first step is to cook the shrimp and drop it into an ice bath to cool them done. This can be done ahead of time. Then peel them and dry. Slice each one in half, lengthwise.

Then soak your noodles. We used cellophane noodles. You can use soba or whatever you like. Cook per the instructions, then drain well. Be sure they are cool.

Slice thinly 2 or 3 green onions or scallions.

Add a jalapeno pepper for some heat. We were using the one Uncle Tom grew. If you don't have a jalapeno, just add red pepper flakes later when you make the sauce.

Be sure to chop the jalapeno very fine so no one gets too big of a bite of heat.

The next step is to add some crunch. I had shredded carrots, but you could use any veggie: cucumbers, bean sprouts, sliced napa cabbage.

Add the drained, cool noodles and your sauce and toss.

For your sauce, I always concoct something but here is a suggestion: 2 T. hoisin sauce, 1.5 T. lime juice, 1.5 t. fish sauce, 1.5 t. peanut butter or peanut sauce, pinch of brown sugar. I usually add soy sauce, too.

Then add lots of fresh basil. Toss it all together again, and be sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed.

The rice-paper wrappers are very thin, stiff circles that come in a package in the International aisle of the grocery store.

Chelsea used a pie plate filled with lukewarm water to soften one at a time. She slid them in starting with one edge until it was fully emerged.

The rice wrapper will soften in about 30 seconds but still hold its shape. Pull it out and put it on a flat surface to fill.

Place 4 halves of shrimp in the middle of the wrapper, then the filling, about 1/2 cup. Fold the sides in, then top flap, roll it together and place it seam down.

Here's a very full spring roll. Slice in half and serve.

The sweet meat of shrimp goes well with all of the fresh basil, plus there is a nice contrast between the crunchiness of the veggies and the softness of the noodles. The sauce is salty and spicy. Delicious on a summer day!

Aloo Baigan by AnneJP

2011-06-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

Found this recipe online--I made it last night--quite good with a few minor mods.
---AnneJP

ALOO BAIGAN (Eggplant with Potatoes)

1/2" piece of ginger root
2 Minced green chilies (I used yellow chiles--that's all I had on hand)
1/4 cup Shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp Garam masala
4 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Black mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp Whole cumin seeds
1/8 tsp Asafetida
6 md Potatoes, boiled & cubed
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Coriander
1 sm Eggplant in 1" cubes( I used 4 small Indian eggplants--so a bit more than the recipe called for. The recipe didn't say to remove the skins, so I didn't, but based on the finished product, I probably will next time--the skins are pretty tough and don't have enough time to cook through.)
1 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Fresh coriander, chopped (I used about twice this amount)
1 tbsp Lemon juice (I used about twice this amount)

Preparation of aloo baingan:

Combine ginger, green chilies & coconut in blender with 1/3 cup of water till smooth. Add garam masala & pulse for a few seconds. Set aside.

Heat ghee. When hot, add mustard & cumin seeds & fry for a few seconds. Stir in the asafetida & almost immediately put in the potatoes. Stir fry for 5 minutes Then pour in the mixture from the blender. Add the turmeric, coriander, eggplant, salt & half the fresh coriander. Mix very gently so as not to break the vegetables. Reduce heat & fry very gently until the liquid has evaporated. (I ended up adding about an additional 2/3 Cup water a bit at a time to keep the eggplants cooking. Each time all the water evaporated, I'd add a little more)

Add lemon juice & remaining coriander greens & serve.

---AnneJP

Whoopie Cake by Buddy

2011-06-16T15:09:00.001-04:00

Here's the whoopie cake I made!

---Buddy

Whoopie Cake

From Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell

½ cup butter softened
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 2/3 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take a nine inch pie or cake pan and draw a circle around it in the middle of each piece of parchment. Flip the parchment so the mark is face down.

Beat butter and brown sugar until combined, and then beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes.

Sift together the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add half to the butter mixture with ½ cup of the milk. Beat until incorporated. Add remaining flour and milk and repeat.

Put half the batter in the middle of each circle on the parchment. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter to the edge of the circle. Try to get the batter even. Bake each tray separately for 15 minutes. Check to see if cake springs back in center and remove from oven. Let cool for five minutes and then slide parchment/cake off onto a cooling rack. Repeat with other cake. When cool, peel off parchment and frost with filling of your choice.

Suggested Filling:

Classic Marshmallow

2 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 7 oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Beat the butter and marshmallow together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat together on low. When mixed, beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more. Spread between layers of Whoopie Cake.

---Buddy

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette on the Grill

2011-06-12T11:26:00.001-04:00

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

A variation on the classic vinaigrette: add sweet roasted garlic done on the grill. A perfect compliment for a fresh green salad.

Start with some nice fresh garlic.

Cut the tops off.

Douse them with lots of good olive oil plus salt, pepper and your favorite herb. I chose French thyme.

Grill them until they are caramelized and start to ooze.

Squeeze the roasted garlic into your basic vinaigrette ingredients for today's salad. Save the rest of the garlic in the fridge for future dressing.

A classic vinaigrette uses good olive oil and vinegar in a 3 to 1 ratio plus Dijon mustard and shallots, salt and pepper. Whisk together until emulsified. In this case, I am using roasted garlic instead of shallots.

A little goes a long way. The dressing is a deep caramel color and rich in flavor. You can thin it out, if you wish, by adding more olive oil.

Tuscan Bread Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil

2011-06-10T12:31:00.000-04:00

This recipe comes from Tom Douglas' restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, and is in his cookbook, Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen. I made it for a party over the winter and now want to post it on the blog so that I can make it for summer guests. It is so good!

Tuscan Bread Salad
Serves 4 generously

For the mustard vinaigrette:
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. minced shallots
1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

For the salad:
4 slices rustic bread, 1 inch thick
extra virgin olive oil
24 oil-cured black olives, pits removed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or cubed
4 cups loosely packed flavorful salad greens, such as mache, radicchio, arugula, spinach, romaine, endive, washed and dried, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 lemon wedges
Freshly ground black pepper

Make the vinaigrette, will store in the fridge up to a week. Bring to room temperature and whisk before using.

Liberally, oil the slices of bread then grill on the grill or under the broiler until golden. Remove and use a serrated knife to cut the bread into bite size cubes.

In the serving bowl, put the bread in with the olives, tomatoes, mozzarella and greens. Mix the basil into the vinaigrette. Pour it over the salad and mix well.

Divide the salad among 4 plates. Scatter with Parmesan and pine nuts and garnish with a lemon wedge. Offer ground pepper at the table.

B

Two Recipes from Jeanne: Shrimp with Ginger Herb Butter and Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

2011-06-07T09:59:00.000-04:00

Barb,

School ended here last week and the exodus out of Taipei for the summer has already started, and like every year there are friends who move on to other locations. Over the weekend we had one last dinner party before good friends move on to Korea. I was looking to make some new dishes that would be easy to prepare and different. As usual I go to epicurious.com to look for interesting ideas. I found 2 that I made over the weekend and were excellent!

Here's the first:

Shrimp with Ginger Herb Butter
(Epicurious.com)
Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh cilantro
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
24 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
Lime wedges

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl until well blended; season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush 13x9x2-inch metal pan with some of seasoned butter. Arrange shrimp in single layer in prepared pan; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Spread all of butter mixture over shrimp, dividing equally. Broil shrimp just until opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plates. Spoon butter from pan over shrimp. Serve with lime wedges.

Second was Flank Steak with Chimichurri sauce. I couldn’t find a flank steak, so I used boneless rib eye steaks. This is one we will have to try this summer. So easy to make and soooooo good!

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
(Epicurious.com)
1 1/2 pounds trimmed flank steak
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Preheat broiler.

Pat steak dry. Stir together 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper in a small bowl and rub mixture onto both sides of steak. Broil steak on a broiler pan about 4 inches from heat 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, with motor running, add garlic to a food processor and finely chop. Add cilantro, parsley, vinegar, oil, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then pulse until herbs are finely chopped.

Holding a knife at a 45-degree angle, thinly slice steak. Serve with sauce.

Cheers,

---Jeanne

Strawberries by Jeanne

2011-06-04T12:04:00.001-04:00

Hi Barbara,

Finally finding the time to send photos and a recipe for your blog!
So here goes…

One of the many things I love about TW [Taipei, Taiwan] is the fresh produce and outdoor markets. My Saturday morning routine usually consists of exercise, kid’s swimming lessons, followed by a trip to the grocery store and produce market on bike. We don’t have a car here and for the most part am happy not to have one. The rules of road are very different here. But on a bike I’m at the grocery store in 10 minutes, and I just love maneuvering my bike thru the maze of people without having to stop!

I’ve attached a bunch of pictures from a typical Sat am journey…the weather was beautiful that day, a clear, sunny day with low humidity and perfect temps is a rarity here…

Me on my bike!

Navigating thru the market, and yes I am on my bike, riding and taking the picture at the same time...

THE STRAWBERRIES..

My favorite strawberry lady. It really does pay to be loyal to one fruit stand. They always make sure you get the best and offer a small discount. BTW, Taiwanese rarely smile and show their teeth in photos….

My kids love, and I mean love strawberries and strawberry season goes from December thru mid-May…so we are very lucky. The recipe for the strawberries is very simple, but with fresh really sweet strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and mascarpone make a terrific combination.

Strawberries
The recipe is courtesy of Epicurious.com

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chilled mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1-pint baskets (about 24 ounces) strawberries, hulled, halved

Combine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup is reduced to scant 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl; cool completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Combine mascarpone, cream, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Whisk until thick soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Combine berries and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in large bowl; drizzle with balsamic syrup and toss to blend. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Divide berries and syrup among 6 goblets. Top with mascarpone mixture.

We should try this recipe when we’re back in the US in June with some local strawberries…

---Jeanne

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners by Paul G.

2011-06-03T11:18:00.002-04:00

Hi Barb,

You heard that I was not a big fan of artificial sweeteners and asked me to share my thoughts on your blog so here goes:

I think it was back when I was a teenager that it was either cyclamates or Sacharin was introduced as a substitute for sugar. I tried it and thought it had a terrible taste and I never used it or gave it much thought until studies came out linking it to an increase in cancer (at least in rats I believe).

Years later other artificial sweeteners came out and began wide use in foods especially pastries, snacks, and sodas. I tried those things and again I did not like the taste. But apparently a lot of other people did because sales of foods and drinks with artificial sweeteners really took off.

During this time it appeared to me that people were starting to get heavier which seemed odd because they should've been getting slimmer eating and drinking all that low calorie stuff, right? Concurrently there was the war on fat and that seemed to help drive the attraction to artificial sweeteners.

However, there was always the controversy about the safety of artificial sweeteners and if go online you can see them being linked to a variety of health risks including of all things...obesity. Perhaps most disturbing is that analysis of the chemical make up of artificial sweeteners puts them in the same neurotoxin family as DDT and dioxin. Even if this is remotely true why take the chance especially when you can always use plain old sugar which is only 15 calories per teaspoon. 15 calories...big deal!!

So I've always been sceptical of artificial sweeteners but what really hit home was when my friend DeeDee came down with a brain tumor. What's interesting about her was that she was really, really, fond of Sweet & Low. And for this reason she was so easy to please at Xmas because people knew her love for Sweet & Low and they would buy her a case for an Xmas present. Up to the point where she was diagnosed with the cancer at the age of 55 she was a very healthy person. Unfortunately the cancer got the best of her and she died a few years later. Was it the Sweet & Low which caused her cancer? No one can say for sure but it certainly is suspicious.

To wrap things up, people need to become educated about artificial sweeteners which is so easy to do on the internet. You'll be surprised at the numerous bad things they can do to your body. Also, people should get more educated about fats. Except for transfats, many are not the villain they're made out to be . Butter, olive oil, and even coconut oil are very healthy saturated fats, although ideally they should be of the organic version. At the very least you need fats to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. At best, you'll look better, feel better, and probably will lose weight! And of course the other thing about fats is that you will crave sweets less which for many folks means less artificial sweeteners and/or less sugar.

Bottom line, avoid artificial sweeteners. Use Stevia if you want a low cal natural sweetener. Also, go online and learn about healthy fats.

---Paul G.

Graduation Party Recipes by Christine

2011-06-02T11:29:00.001-04:00

Hi

I had our big graduation party and there were a few items people were asking me for the recipe so I thought I would send them on to you too. Jane took the photos for me.

---Christine

Broccoli Cole Slaw

2 bags Oriental flavored Ramon Noodles
¾ stick butter
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 bags (12oz.) broccoli cole slaw
¼ cup sunflower seeds
Chopped green onions for garnish
Dressing Mix:
¾ cup canola oil
¼ cup brown or white sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting the butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally ( keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the broccoli slaw into a bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions. Note: Add Craisins for sweet and sour salad.

SMOKED SALMON TERRINE WITH DILL AND CAPERS
4 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 c. finely chopped red onion
8 T. chopped fresh dill
1/3 c. drained, chopped capers
2 T. fresh lemon juice
12 oz. smoked salmon slices, divided

Line 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang. Using an electric mixer, combine cheese, onion, dill, capers and lemon juice. Mix in 6 oz of salmon. Spread a few slices of salmon on bottom of pan (decoratively). Spread 1/3 of cheese in pan. Top with ½ of remaining salmon. Spread with another 1/3 of spread, remaining salmon and remaining spread. Cover and chill at least 4 hours up to 3 days. Turn terrine onto platter and serve with baguette slices or crackers.

TEXAS PASTA SALAD

Serves 12

1 pound pasta ( wagon wheel shaped or fusilli), cooked and drained
2/3 cup cider vinegar
¼ cup safflower oil
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
8 scallions, chopped
1 ( 2 ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tobasco
2 tablespoons chopped green chilies( I used canned)
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cups black-eyed peas, cooked and drained ( I used canned)
6 ounces ripe olives, chopped and drained ( I used sliced, prettier)
2 ounces green olives, chopped and drained ( I used sliced, prettier)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons picante salsa

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Cover and chill at least 24 hours.

--Christine

The Rapture Lemon Bars by Colleen

2011-06-01T10:43:00.010-04:00

Background note: Last week, Colleen (who was down with a cold) mentioned that she was thinking about making lemon squares. So, I asked her to share her recipe since Tom has been wanting me to make them.

Hi Barb --

Almost feel human enough to bake today. I have four lemons. I found a recipe from Barefoot Contessa online, and then a modification from Smitten Kitchen of the same recipe. So I might try that. I guess BC likes 50/50 on the cookie and lemon custard , while SK likes more 70/30 in favor of cookie. I will ponder my own feelings on this key issue and attempt a batch. Will report back later.

---Colleen

Hi again Barb --

I have the bars in the oven. I went with the Smitten Kitchen recipe which calls for less sugar. But I did the BC ratio with 1:1 cookie/lemon.

HOWEVER, I have done a "Barbara," meaning I decided I like raspberry with lemon so I put some fresh raspberries on the crust before I poured on the lemon custard. We will see if this works! I forgot to take any photos when I did this - I just don't cook with a camera in mind, although all the good
bloggers do!

Anyway, I'll let you know how this turns out. Today the world was supposed to end. Actually by 6 EST, and 3 PST. I had planned to get them made prior to the end of the world - I figured who cares about calories if the world is ending? Go out with a bang! However, it seems that the world is NOT ending. So if the recipe works, you can make it too!

We can call them To Die For Lemon Bars! Or Rapture Lemon Bars. Sherri Shepherd on the View said she was cleaning her house and making cupcakes so if the rapture did happen Jesus would have something to eat when he came to get her. She is such a weird mixture of funny and village idiot all in one package.
---Colleen

Okay Barb - see recipe attached. I think Tom will enjoy. The cookie is delicious and the SK version of the bar with reduced sugar in the lemon custard is good. I think with or without the berries will be a hit. Go for it!

Smitten Kitchen Lemon Bars
(or The Rapture Lemon Bars/May 21, 2011)
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

For those of you who like the 1:1 crust to lemon layer ratio, use the second option.

For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the full-size lemon layer:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

[Or] for a thinner lemon layer:
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (3 to 4 lemons)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (less if you are using the thinner topping), or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Barb--
Here is what I did differently from SK:

Eggs: If you don't have XL eggs, use 7 large instead of 6 XL. Close enough.

I prepped the pan with Crisco Baker's Spray it has some sort of flour suspended in the oil and the bars did not stick. SK had had some issue with bars adhering to pan like glue. I also went around the edge with a flat knife when I took them out of the oven to loosen the edges.

I didn't bother with putting the cookie dough onto a board with flour. I just pressed it into the pan. Seemed to work just find. But I also didn't use a mixer for the dough. I just did it by hand until the ingredients just came together into a ball.

iPhoto, thanks to Buddy

Berries: I added about 1 cup of fresh raspberries to the recipe. I think you could use either raspberries or blueberries. After I baked the crust I let it cool. Then I sprinkled on the berries and poured the lemon custard over the top. The berries traveled a little toward the edges, so I moved them back to a more even distribution before I put it in the oven to bake.

I baked the second round for 30 minutes. It might have been a bit too long, even with the thicker layer of lemon. Be careful to check them at 25 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot. When I cut the bars, the outside edge was bit overdone, but the inside was delicious. You can just cut a 1/4 to 1/2 inche strip around the edge of the pan and only serve the interior portion.

I really liked the addition of the berries. One, it gives them a little hit of color. Two the tartness of the berries helps mitigate against the sweetness of the cookie. Three, it adds fiber and potassium. So you can consider the bar a health food. Win-win!!

So William just tried one of the bars. He likes the raspberry because he says normally the lemon is overwhelming. Let me know if you make them and what Tom thinks if you add the fruit.

---Colleen

History of Spiedies (SPEE-dees)

2011-05-31T12:50:00.038-04:00

Spiedies (SPEE-dees)

As the summer kicks off, I thought I'd write about Spiedies (SPEE-dees), which have become a lake favorite for us. Appropriately, my camera was set on the "nostalgia" setting when I took these photos last summer.

For the perfect Spiedies fest, you need to get soft sandwich rolls, fresh corn, green beans and beef tips and chicken cubes from the butcher...

and make a fresh, crisp salad. We are still love the Arugula, Tomato and shaved Grana Padama version.

The key to great Spiedies is to marinate the meat for at least 24 hours (some people do it for 3 days) in the Spiedies marinade of your choice.

We use the State Fair version as well as Lupo's which Sarah introduced us to. But you can make your own using the recipe below.

Christine found this article on the background of Spiedies and sent it to me. Thanks, C!

History of Spiedies

Spiedie Sandwich (SPEE-dee) –

The name comes from the Italian spiedo meaning “kitchen cooking spit.” Originally made from lamb, they are now made with virtually any meat. It is chunks of lamb, pork, chicken, beef, or venison that has been marinated for days in a tart sauce and then grilled on a metal skewer, usually over charcoal or gas.

They originated with Binghamton, New York's Italian immigrant population in the 1920s. Augustine Iacovelli from Endicott, New York is believed to have popularized the Spiedie by introducing them in his restaurant, called Augies, in 1939.

The original sauce, which he called Zuzu, was wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint. His spiedies caught on so well among the local railroad workers and shoemakers that for years every little corner grocery had a spiedie stand on the street in front of it.

The traditional way of serving is between sliced Italian bread with extra sauce poured on top. The Spiedie, skewer and all, is then inserted in sliced Italian bread. The bread is used as a sort of mitt, wrapping around the meat. Pull out the skew and you then have a wonderful and delicious hot sandwich.

People who live in the area eat them at restaurants, from street vendors, buy from supermarkets, and even make their own at backyard cookouts. Spiedies have been completely integrated into the food culture of the region, and natives who have moved away from the area have been known to have commercial spiedie sauce shipped, by the case, to their new homes.

Spiedie Sandwich Recipe

2 pounds meat (chicken, lamb, pork or beef), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes*
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 loaf Italian or French bread, thickly sliced
Metal Skewers

* Use boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, top round steak, or leg of lamb.
In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar. Add garlic, bay leaf, red pepper, thyme, basil, oregano, salt and pepper; stir until well blended.

Place prepared meat in a large resealable plastic bag set into a shallow dish. Pour marinade mixture over meat and close bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for a least 24 hours and up to 3 days; turn bag occasionally to distribute marinade. Remove meat from refrigerator and let stand in marinade at room temperature for 2 hour; drain, reserving marinade.

Preheat barbecue grill. Thread 4 to 5 cubes of meat onto each metal skewer. Place onto hot grill and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until done to your preference, basting with reserved marinade. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

To serve, fold the bread over the contents of the skewer and pull the skewer out, leaving the meat sandwiched within the bread.
Makes 6 servings.

Beef Spiedies
(Celine Hughes, Vestal)

3 pounds boneless beef; cubed
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2/4 cup fresh sweet basil; chopped
4 clove fresh garlic; chopped
3/4 cup Italian parsley; chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint; chopped
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Combine marinade ingredients. Let meat marinate in refrigerator for three days. Skewer; grill over hot coals. Note: This recipe is one of the winners of the 2002 Spiedie Fest Balloon Rally Expo cooking contest.

B

Oldest Brownie Recipe by Raquel and Carole

2011-05-27T11:02:00.001-04:00

Oldest Brownie Recipe by Raquel and Carole

Welcome to our newest guest bloggers, Raquel and her friend, Carole. Raquel has been one of the tasters of the brownie bake-off, and got interested in the origin of the brownie.

She and Carole looked up the oldest brownie recipe they could find. The first one had molasses, no chocolate. In 1904, in Home Cookery, they found what seems to be the oldest brownie recipe that used chocolate.

Most everyone has these simple ingredients on hand.

Oldest Brownie Recipe
adapted from Home Cookery, 1904

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
pinch salt
2 squares chocolate. They used Baker's semi-sweet chocolate.
The recipe called for nuts but Raquel dislikes nuts, so they were left out, probably 1/2 cup

They both liked it. (And I did, too.)

It had an impressive flaky top.

There were no instructions so they used their best judgment with great results.

First, they melted butter and chocolate together in microwave.
Then added sugar and flour and salt to cool it down.
Then mixed in eggs and vanilla.

Poured into oiled pan
350 degrees for 1/2 hour
in 9x9 pan.

The brownies were flaky on the top and chewy inside. The chocolate flavor is mild, because only 2 squares of Baker's chocolate are used. It is a very simple recipe using ingredients most of us have on hand.

Thanks again to Raquel and Carole for contributing!

B

Feijoada by Tom

2011-05-20T16:28:00.003-04:00

Tom's Feijoada

Monday has become by default international night and often my time to prepare dinner. Believe it or not, my inspiration for this meal came to me while I was watching "The Big Smoke-Off" on Food TV the night before. I'm not sure I have the program title exactly right, but it is close enough. The idea was something with a smokey taste yet something I could do inside on another one of our rainy days. So I combined the idea of smokey tasting meats into a one-pot meal. Well almost one-pot because I did complement the dish with jasmine rice.

This feijoada recipe is entirely my doing. Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil; and as far as I can tell, no two families make it exactly the same way. Feijoada is essentially several different kinds of meats (beef and pork principally), black or red beans and rice. So my ad libbing a bit from standard feijoada recipes is perfectly acceptable. If you like chili, I guarantee you will like this take-off of a Brazilian standard.

Ingredients

Servings: a lot! Freezes well for left-overs.

1 package hot Italian sausage links - about 1 pound

1 1/2 pounds beef steak - any inexpensive cut will do

~1 pound pork tenderloin

1 package smoked chorizo link sausage

1 half-package smoked bacon

1 large sweet onion coarsely diced

1 green bell pepper coarsely sliced

1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1-32 ounce can crushed tomatoes

2-15 ounce cans black beans

3 bay leafs

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 tablespoons flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 large skillet for sauteing vegetables and browning the meats

1 large cooking pot for holding all of the ingredients and simmering the feijoada

Coarsely chop the vegetables and set aside. Cut the meats into ~1 inch bite-sized pieces.

Start by browning the bacon and rendering the fat. Once the bacon is good and crisp, remove from the pan into the large pot for actually cooking the feijoada.

Using the bacon fat, saute the vegetables until soft, which will take 7-10 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, transfer into the cooking pot. Now lightly flour the meats and brown them in the skillet. I needed to divide the meats into two batches in the skillet to make sure that I got some semblance of even browning.

Transfer the meats into the cooking pot.

Now add all the other ingredients: diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, cumin, ancho chili powder, liquid smoke, bay leaves, black beans. Bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for several hours, if you can. This will make even the toughest cut of beef tender. But at a minimum, simmer for one hour.

This dish goes best with a mild rice, like jasmine rice. Prepare per the package directions. Use the rice as a base for the feijoada.

Remember my guarantee. If you like chili, you will really like this feijoada recipe. Great on a rainy day.

---Tom

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-18T11:53:00.016-04:00

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tom liked these Triple Chocolate Chip cookies so much, he asked me to save the recipe. Tom is known for his chocolate cookies so I was pleasantly surprised he thought this recipe was a keeper.

I started with the recipe on the inside of the box of Land O'Lakes butter, but used a mix of chips, and a pinch of salt.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Land O'Lakes butter box

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 cups butter, softened (I was using unsalted, so I added a pinch of salt.)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar ( I used light)
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
12 ounces (2 cups) of chips, a mix of semi-sweet, dark, and white

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

For large cookies: Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, rotating midway, until golden brown. Do not overbake. Remove when just beginning to turn brown and cracks are still wet. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. 26 jumbo cookies.

For medium size, drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating midway, and until golden brown, but not overcooked. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. 4 dozen.

B

Open-Faced Spicy Sloppy Joes by Tom

2011-05-16T10:11:00.018-04:00

Open-faced Spicy Sloppy Joes by Tom

We decided that it would be nice to have a simpler meal than some of our more complicated concoctions. So in the morning, I suggested that I make sloppy joes. Something that we have not had for quite a while. Always looking for unique recipes, I did a search of "best sloppy joe recipes" and found one that I thought looked interesting.

What made this recipe unique is the inclusion of hot ground Italian sausage along with ground beef. This addition adds a bit of zest to the taste while retaining the traditional sweetness of a sloppy joe recipe. We both thought it was pretty good, but probably not one for those who do not like spicy foods. Worth a try though!
---Tom

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium size sweet onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 pound hot Italian ground sausage
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Chop all of the vegetables: onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, garlic, and the celery. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, saute the vegetables until they are soft. Add the dried oregano to the vegetables while sauteing.

Remove the sauteed vegetables from the skillet onto your cutting board or a plate.

Saute the ground beef and the sausage. Be sure to keep breaking up the meats as you are sauteing it. You want the pieces of meat to be small in the final dish.

Add back the sauteed vegetables to the meat mixture. Now add all the other ingredients and stir well. Bring back to a low boil and then cover and turn the heat down to simmer. Simmer for at least 20 minutes to allow all of the flavors to marry.

To accompany this recipe, I steamed a broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mixture. I also served it with baked potatoes. In hindsight I would have rather used a thinner hamburger roll. Just a tad too much bread to meat ratio. But it still tasted good!

Easy and tasty. A good combination.

--Tom