Life in the slow lane at Squirrel Head Manor

Could we live in Birr, County Offaly Ireland ??

2012-02-01T06:09:00.012-05:00

I wonder if we could do this in our field?

It looks like it may take a bit of work but........how cool would that be? Who am I kidding....this would take ALOT of work!

Gardening is something I wish I had a talent for but I am just not skilled in that area. Not with landscaping or growing vegetables. Yes, we had some veggies last year but the wasps won out most times. Drilled holes in the tomatoes and peppers. I hate them. The wasps...not the tomatoes and peppers.

This snap was taken at Birr Castle Gardens, County Offaly Ireland. We've been monitoring the weather there ......a thought about moving there has been discussed, but not at length.

There are many reasons this locale is stricken off the "can we manage to retire there" list. It sure is a pretty little town though.

Ramble over. Back to my book. Tonight I am making meaty pinwheels.

Foodies Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay

2012-01-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

The Foodies label has three wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and a Merlot. We recently tried two of those. Haven't tried the Merlot as neither of us are big fans.

The Foodies Cabernet Sauvignon label states it has “a rich black fruits with subtle plum and mint flavors.” This California wine was a good value at World Market but……a little light for us.

You did get the mint but.... no overpowering black fruit. We had it with beef stew (recipe and previous post on that here) We won’t buy it again. I like a Cab but this one needed more punch...in my opinion.

The Foodies Chardonnay was very good and yes, we will buy that one again. We paired it with a Shrimp Scampi dish. A very good compliment to the food.

We'll grab a few bottles from World Market where they are having a good sale. Nice summery wine to have on hand.

From Shrimp Scampi

I sure look forward to warmer patio type weather.

Cheers!

Bread Tools

2012-01-27T23:11:00.004-05:00

With that title you'll be thinking, what on earth is she on about?

Bread tools. I think we all like the little kitchen gadgets we acquire. They make life easier and besides, kitchen gadgets are just cool. I love this new loaf pan my man gave me for Christmas. It gets LOTS of use. Soon I will make other loaves which are not shaped as baguettes or big French loaves. But for now. Love this thing.

Here is another toy which I've had for many years and never utilized to it's full abilities. It's a rolling pin from Tupperware which is old. Very old. It came with a plastic mat with the measured circles for pie crusts and such. I managed to cut through that mat and so, alas, it had to be tossed.

The rolling pin is plastic and easily cleaned off (although I'd love a wooden French roller) and the end caps screw off. The purpose is to add water to the interior. Warm water for dough....cold water for pastry dough. But I have never added the water so...gotta try that option.

See the little scraper on the right side. It's my OXO Pastry Scraper and Chopper and let me tell you.....when the dough starts sticking to the counter top this baby gets the job done of pulling it away with minimal residue.

I've noticed from some of your photos that many of you have marble counter tops. Does that do the job with dough? Would you recommend a marble slab for my bread and pastry making endeavors?

I had posted this baguette recipe before but, since they've made another photo appearance here is the recipe again. I'm not sure this qualifies for the B.Y.O.B but I'll send it to Girlichef anyway :-)

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start.

When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

That's all I have today............go check out, and join in, B.Y.O.B. It's fun!

Updates For January: Lizards, Bread, Cocktails

2012-01-26T12:15:00.001-05:00

We've had our usual run of odd weather here. Some nights plunging into the freezing 20s, killing plants.....then we'll have mild temps and highs in the 70s, all of this in a two week span. Crazy.

A few days ago (after a warm spell) I started to slide my foot into my Topsiders and felt something moving. Against my toes! With stealth I don’t usually possess in the early morning I virtually flew backwards, watching with concern as a lizard crawled out of my shoe and made a break for the front door. The shibas are wide eyed, frantic for this bit of moving meat….but it got away. Under a piece of furniture.

That’s an adventure awaiting us for another day. Because I'll forget he's in the house. I'm not afraid of them...I just hate the surprise of one getting on me with zero warning. If it ever gets in my purse I am not responsible for my language if it hops out while I’m driving.

Wow, that was alot of lizard talk. Enough of lizards.

Jamuary!

No I didn't misspell it. I won jam from Rebecca of the blog At Number 98 and ought to get that in February. I am so excited. Homemade bread with homemade jam. Jam from London. That makes it even better. I don't know why but it does. I have been following her blog from way back when she wrote From a North London Kitchen.

Bread
I have been enjoying making bread and being part of Bake Your Own Bread group hosted at Girlichef.
My all time favorite loaf is the crusty French and we make it several times a month. The Lamb and Feta Bundles were pleasing to look at but....I need to tweak that one. This weekend I hope to try my hand at milk rolls.

Alcohol: Because No Great Story Ever Started With Someone Eating a Salad

And I post this stating the exception to the above statement would be the lovely Joanne at Eats Well With Others. Because she always has good stories. And salads.

The French 75 Cocktail. I wrote quite a bit more about this bad girl at Cocktail Puppy HERE Check it out for recipe and background on it's origin.

Photo Credit I had to find a photo (and of course give credit) because my photos of OUR French 75 Cocktails have disappeared. I added extra cherry to mine :-)

And the Manhattan was a Christmas fav...also to found posted at Cocktail Puppy HERE

Genealogy
One of my resolutions/goals for this year was to work on the Williams genealogy. I have had a decent start on that which I document at Gravehound. At present I am sorting through all the Benjamin Williams' in Delaware County Pennsylvania. One is my GG grandfather. At least one other is a GG uncle. If anyone has a subscription to Ancestry and wouldn't mind doing a lookup for me, I need the 1870 census for Chester PA with Benjamin as head of household and a son about 2 years old named Washington.

I left Foodie Blogroll so maybe you'll have noticed the absence of the flashing advertisement at the top. Less distracting, don't you think? I missed Foodbuzz a bit but.......I'm just not adding anything else at this time. Look at me...independent :-)

And that's about it. Reading William Shatner's new book Shatner Rules. I finished Game of Thrones, loved it, and thank you to all who have read it and NOT ruined any part of it for me :-) Lots of surprises in there so...thanks.

Cheers! Off to lunch.

The New Portugese Table Cookbook by David Leite

2012-01-21T08:42:00.000-05:00

First off, thank you to Annemin Eli and Saffron and Coriander for becoming followers of my site!

Look what I have.

The New Portuguese Table is a well written cookbook complete with family and travel stories. The author, well known David Leite, was born in the US to Portuguese parents, then returned to Portugal to find newer emerging versions of the standard Portuguese cuisine. It covers not only the food, but wine of this fine country (and its islands) blended with the cultural settings. The soup recipes look excellent and am looking forward to trying all the meat/seafood dishes included herein.

What a beautiful book and filled with delicious looking and interesting recipes. Some call for ingredients I've never tried before which is a plus for the kitchen-curious. What a treat. The fish recipes are fabulous. I think anyone will want to include this in their cookbook collection. I love the photography as well.

Here is a sample recipe. It's called Arroz de Tomate (Tomato Rice)

A traditional side dish served in many parts of Portugal. It's different depending on the region you are in (and the cook). Use different combinations of thyme, marjoram and rosemary. Here is the recipe directly from the book but my version strayed a bit. Still yummy!

We ate dinner on the patio last evening with lots of candles so...the lighting for photography wasn't ideal....but you can see the delish Arroz de Tomate!

Ingredients you need

3 TB olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
5 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons or tablespoons (oops, forgot to jot that down) of tomato paste (optional)
chopped oregano and parsley

Here's what you do......

Heat oil and add onion, bay leaf and garlic. Soften it - takes about 12 minutes.

Add tomatoes and simmer 3 minutes. Tip in wine and let evaporate.
Pour in stock (I used homemade). Bring to a boil then add rice, salt and pepper and tomato paste (if using).

Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender. This takes 20 to 25 minutes. Shower the finished product with parsley and oregano.

From Portugese Table

I am looking forward to sharing more dishes from this cookbook.

Cheers!

Shepherds Pie inspired by my friend Jo

2012-01-18T23:21:00.001-05:00

My friend Jo, Welsh cook extraordinaire, made a Shepherds Pie with a bit of leftover lamb. That had us wanting a Shepherds pie too so .....off we went to buy some ground lamb.

This particular recipe has been adapted from a Rachael Ray version. I went off course a bit but I did want to try another of her recipes. To this day, I receive the most hits on my Rachael Ray Mini Burgers post. It’s crazy – I made those in 2009 but it remains the most popular post on my site.

Anyhoo………..here’s what you need:

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chunked (I used red creamers)
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup milk (for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth. For a richer version use cream)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil,
1 ½ pounds ground lamb
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire saucet
1/2 cup frozen peas,
Sprinkle of paprika

Here’s what to do………

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes then drain. Toss the potato chunks into a bowl with sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the milk and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

BUT, while the potatoes are on the boil you can get started on the lamb and veggie fry up. Heat a good sized skillet then add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Whichever one suits you – I wanted that lamb as soon as I heard Jo used lamb chunks.

Season meat with salt and pepper and brown about 4 minutes. Since I used ground lamb I drained off some of the fat before adding veggies.

Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes. I stirred it quite a bit as my stovetop runs extra hot (because it needs replacing….doesn’t work properly). Get out a saucepan and melt the butter, then add the flour. This is like making a béchamel sauce. Whisk in beef broth (or milk if you like) and Worcestershire sauce. This will thicken to a lovely gravy. Tip that gravy into the lamb mixture and combine well.

Stir in the peas and turn mixture into a casserole dish. Top with potatoes. I sprinkled paprika over the potatoes at this point.

In Rachael Ray’s recipe she preheats the broiler to high and shoves that casserole dish in for a few minutes until the potatoes are browned. * I didn’t do the broiler method. I baked the mixture at a lower heat, 375 F, for 20 minutes.

The variations you could use are substituting lamb for beef or even shredded chicken. If you are vegetarian use Tofu Crumbles. I used those quite a bit when I was a vegetarian. Or beans…you could use red beans.

This particular Shepherds Pie was pronounced the best, THE BEST, one I have ever made. The gravy made a difference and it’s actually the first time we tried it with lamb.

Thanks to my Welsh girlfriend for prompting me to make this mouth watering comfort-food dish. Can’t wait to make it again! You'll thank me if you try this version but please.....make that gravy. Mmmm mmmm

Ratatouille...again...

2012-01-16T19:08:00.001-05:00

What a pleasing sight, all these fresh veggies on the counter.

Most ratatouille recipes are identical. Although this is true, I try each one in a newly acquired cookbook. That's because we like ratatouille.

This easy to prepare and healthy vegetable dish was not introduced into my diet until I was an adult. Being from a blue color, working class suburb just south of Philadelphia....our dinner time menus never ventured far from the meat and potatoes basic food stuffs.

My mother was an excellent cook and we always had freshly baked desserts and homemade dishes. But it was never more adventurous than chicken parmesan.

Anyway..........You start with the usual vegetable suspects

From the book Classic French: Delicious Regional Recipes from France (Classic Cooking Series)
Publisher: Smithmark Publishers
Author: Marie-Pierre Moine

The introduction explains the origins of French cooking and also illustrates the step-by-step preparation in photos. There are many familiar and popular recipes such as Coq au Vin, Onion Tart, Crepes Suzette and Trout with Mushroom Sauce just to name a few.

Other titles I this series are Classic British, Classic Indian, Classic Italian and Classic Vegetarian.

Same old recipe........but I sure love it!

Grab the following:

2 onion, sliced into thin rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, cubed
2 zucchini, cubed
2 medium yellow squash, cubed
2 green bell peppers, seeded and cubed
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 chopped red bell pepper
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.

Add the rest of the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes (and do check on it to be sure it's not burning) add the chopped tomatoes and parsley. Cook another 5 minutes. You may need to stir occasionally.

Voila!!

Mini Weekend Wine Review: 2007 Monte Antico Toscana

2012-01-15T16:56:00.003-05:00

A significant 85% Sangiovese (one we love), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot (I'm not a huge fan of the merlot) left us savoring a spice mince with cherry, deep ruby coloring and went a treat with Bolognese on fat spaghetti and freshly baked Italian bread.

A bargain at World Market. We'll certainly stock up on this bad girl next time the sale hits.

Cheers!

Garlic & Sapphires and Three Recipes Combined

2012-01-13T05:59:00.003-05:00

Brandy....yeah, I'll get to it. It's an intregal part of a roasted chicken recipe.

There are a few things I would change in our kitchen, assuming a remodel was in the cards. I’d ditch the dishwasher and use that space for more (and much needed) cabinet space. I’d add a tall pantry that barely juts out from the wall but provides shelf space for canisters of flours, canned goods, etc. I’d love a gas stove. Oh man, that would be a nice addition for sure.

But we have more pressing projects to focus on and fact is……the appliances and the storage situation are quite sufficient.

Our kitchen as it stands today is, to be sure, the most used, most occupied room in the house.

90% of the time it’s where plans for meals are made, enjoyment of dinners, conversations and hoisting of glasses occur. Wait, I need to adjust that percentage…..because the patio gets more than it’s fair share of dinner/drinking/conversation time since we put that lovely addition in. But I suck at math. So…yeah, no percentages.

Bottom line – the kitchen is fine. I even read in the kitchen, perched on a hard-ass chair at the table while something is baking or roasting. Speaking of reading and books, let me tell you about a roasted chicken meal I saw in Ruth Rechl’s foodie memoir Garlic and Sapphires.

As Ruth states, “Everyone makes a big to-do about roasting a chicken, and as a food professional I know I ought to believe that one way to tell a great cook is by his or her roasted chicken. But you know what? I think that’s all a lot of nonsense. Nothing is easier than roasting a chicken. ………It’s hard to ruin this.”

We love Nigella’s Brandied Bacon chicken. And we also love Jamie Oliver’s Lemony Roasted chicken with the crispy roasted potatoes. Combine those two with Ruth Reichl’s Roast chicken with potatoes, Onions and Garlic from the chapter A Frugal Repast For Betty.

First, get the chicken cleaned out and place it in a roasting pan. Next I fried up several strips of bacon, then placed cooked bacon inside of the chicken. Remove hot skillet with bacon grease off the heat. This is important people! Immediately add ¼ cup of brandy to bacon fat – it will sizzle fiercely. (That was the Nigella part)

Ruth's recipe is similar to Jamie’s as she roasts onions and potatoes with her chicken. What I did differently (from Ruth’s version) was boil the potatoes for 12 minutes, drain them and let them sit and chuff up (as Jamie does, but without the lemon). Add the drained potato chunks as close to the roasting bird as possible. When the bacon juices start a slow ooze from the chicken, they coat the potatoes for a fantastic end result. The outer potato is browned and crisp while the inside is moist.

Would you look at that potato! Trust me, they are so good. You'll eat more than you ought to.

Experimentation with recipes can make for some lovely surprises. Anyone else combine or adapt recipes? Betcha most of us do.

Garlic and Sapphires review is over at Novel Meals.

Cheers, folks!

Crusty French Bread and another look at my New Bread Pan

2012-01-11T09:16:00.003-05:00

I never imagined bread making could be so therapeutic, could put a smile on my face. Rewarding. Relaxing. I am a far cry from the sullen teenager who wouldn’t and couldn’t do anything in the kitchen. How I wish my mother could be here to see me, all grown up in my own kitchen. Mom always had delicious homemade dishes and desserts. Every night. Funny as she didn’t know how to cook when she married my father (so I was told anyway).

So….we’ll talk bread again. I’m not tired of the subject, are you? Plus….Santa brought me a lovely French loaf pan and it’s amazing. AH-mazing!

What a difference it makes in the end product. I have made French loaves before but the latest batch has been markedly different. The bread is dense, it has a good feel to it…almost like a sourdough loaf. Perhaps the shape of this pan makes for more even baking. It certainly keeps it traditional shape and when I bake on flat baking sheets, there would be the occasional loaf which would spread out…looking more ciabatta-like than oblong.

I snagged this recipe off All Recipes online.

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water
Directions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf 16 in. long x 2-1/2 in. wide with tapered ends. Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.

Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

THIS has to be shared at BYOB.

Dick Clark’s Corn Fritters by Rachael Ray and an American Bandstand Story

2012-01-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

Dick Clark’s Corn Fritters (from a Rachael Ray Magazine)

Now I have a mental picture of those two, chatting at a party, two completely different souls with no commonality in conversation. Huh.

The impression I have of Dick Clark goes waaaay back to when he hosted American Bandstand in Philadelphia. Must have been in the early 1960s. My big sister was able to go to Philly and dance on the show. She was so excited and of course my mom was uber excited for her. Linda on TV!! And Linda loved to dance. She left brimming with excitement, full of expectation and happiness. She returned so disappointed.

The kids`were able to dance and yes, Linda was on television, but when the cameras were off Dick Clark turned into an screaming ogre, yelling at the teenagers to line up and GET OFF THE DANCE FLOOR, and blah blah blah....

Yep, the image of Bandstand and Dick Clark...all of it, shattered Linda and she never watched it again. She was hugely disappointed and that remains with me to this day.

OK, on to yummy and non-yelling party food!!
I had neglected to add these to my Party Food post HERE.

They look like little pancakes, don't you think?

Ingredients you probably have handy right now!

One 15-ounce can creamed corn
4 large eggs
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper
½ cup flour
Cooking spray
Unsalted butter, melted, for serving

These don't take very much time at all to toss together or cook.

In medium bowl, combine the creamed corn, eggs, frozen corn and sugar; season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle in the flour gradually, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray or use a tefloned pan. Drop tablespoons full of corn mixture to form small pancakes.

Cook until lightly browned on both sides. Serve with melted butter.

From Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, December 2007 issue.

I am sharing this with Ivonne at Magazine Mondays. Check her out over there at Cream Puffs in Venice.

A nice addition to a party plate.....in my humble opinion.

Come to our place and enjoy a fritter....I promise Dick Clark won't be here.

Lamb and Feta Stuffed Bundles

2012-01-06T06:04:00.002-05:00

I tried something new. I tried making homemade dough bundles filled with lamb and feta. The sharp feta cheese and lamb are meant to be a winning combination. However, this one needs tweaking. Here is my experience with this recipe. Please note this is a recipe for the bread machine although many of you clever bread baking babes will no doubt be able to adapt it using your mixers and hands.

** Yes, you just saw a fat shiba inu in the photo above. Perched there with the meal snaps. No shiba inu was hurt or eaten during this recipe experimentation.

Ingredients...

¾ cup buttermilk
¾ cup butter, cut up
1 egg
1 TB water
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 TB sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
12 ounces ground lamb
½ cup feta cheese
¼ cup green onions
2 TB pitted sliced olives
1/8 garlic salt
2 teaspoons melted butter
1 (8 oz) carton plain yogurt
Fresh mint

Ok, so now what do you do?

Add first 9 ingredients to bread machine. Select Dough setting. When the cycle is complete, remove dough, punch down, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
In the meantime, get a large skillet out and start on the filling. Brown lamb, drain off fat. Now add feta cheese, green onions, olives and garlic salt. Cool slightly. Grease large baking sheet and set aside.

Divide dough into 8 portions (I only divided into six portions.) On lightly floured surface, roll each portion out into a 6 inch circle.

Rolling out the dough

Place about a ¼ cup filling in center. Pull dough up around the filling, pinching and pleating dough firmly to seal. Placed seam side down, two inches apart on greased baking sheet. Do Not Let Dough Rise!

Neatly spread lamb and feta mixture on dough.

Bake in 350 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on wire rack. After it’s cooled a bit, brush with melted butter.

Let the bundles cool..........

Stir together yogurt and mint as a sauce.

Shiny bundles of lamb and feta

This is from The Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes by better Homes and Gardens.

The verdict on this one is rather mixed as I love lamb....but the overall results were a bit disappointing. Perhaps it was my decision to make 6 bundles instead of 8, as the recipe called for. It just seemed we were eating buns with a wee bit of meat and cheese and the balance wasn't unpleasant....but it left you wanting. Desiring more from the meal.

It was a fun experience crafting the dough for the pockets and I was able to give a packet to the homeless dog when we went walking. (probably shouldn't have) So it wasn't wasted....and that dog loves him some lamb pockets!

I am participating in B.Y.O.B (Bake Your Own Bread) and Cook Book Sundays.

Genealogy Plans

2012-01-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

Let me dust that flour off my hands and take a look at another goal I set for 2012.

One of my resolutions/goals for this upcoming year is to spend more time researching the alleged Welsh side of my ancestry.

To keep track of my progress I am adopting the same plan I used for the Pierce family research. The exception this time is, it's strictly geneaology. On my Pierce site I would intersperse with food talk, shiba inus, motorcycle rides, books, etc. You see, that is how Squirrel Head Manor was born. I came to the realization I need a separate online journal for my natterings.

So, the Williams and Elliott lines will be written about at Chester Pennsylvania Families. If anyone from the Delaware County Pennsylvania area with connects to the Williams and/or Elliot family would like to compare notes - please do drop me a line.

Party Food! Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Artichoke Risotto and Corn Fritters

2012-01-02T08:18:00.002-05:00

I knew I'd get your attention with bacon AND shrimp combined. Even vegetarians love bacon.......have you ever noticed the soy bacon in the grocery store? BAcon....I love saying it.

Yes, over this new year's weekend we had a party. Of two. The way we like it most times. If my son and his wife could have joined us that would have been nice too but overall.....we just aren't big on crowds.

So anyhoo, while the prep for some of this chow was in the works, Doug was able to go out with his telescope for a bit as the weather and sky were perfect, for a change. We had been getting lots of cloudy skies and cold weather too. But this weekend.....quite nice. I read more of Game of Thrones and did the remarkably small amount of prep for this meal.

Ready? We'll start with the bacony shrimp.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tablespoon lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
large cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined (we used a pound)
bacon slices, cut in half

Directions

1. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss the shrimp in the marinade, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Pull each shrimp from the marinade and wrap each with a half slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining shrimp. Cook on preheated grill or grill pan (I used the grill pan) until the bacon is crisp, and the shrimp is hot, 6 to 10 minutes.

Now moving on to the Artichoke Risotto

This was the only part of the meal that needed tending constantly. If you've made risotto you know it's pour and stir....simmer...stare...then pour broth and stir some more. Totally worth it!

5 1/2 cups (or more) chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 baby artichokes, trimmed, halved
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Bring broth to simmer in saucepan. Remove from heat. Cover; keep warm.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. I used marinated artichokes, add those to pot.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until artichokes begin to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups warm broth; cook until absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add more broth, 1/2 cupful at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

NOTE: I cut this recipe down by half because, just the two of us..........so we didn't desire to eat risotto leftovers for 4 days. You know.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious HERE

I want to share this with Ivonne at Magazine Mondays. Check her out over there at Cream Puffs in Venice.

Now where did I put that corn fritter post I wanted share. (off looking).

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year with a Bottle of Corbiers and a Cassoulet.............let's get this party started (mini Weekend Wine Review)

2011-12-31T18:16:00.000-05:00

Gerard Bertrand Corbiers is rich, spicy, has a full body, fruity AND a sweet bargain at World Market for $9.

I am so excited about the new year! New recipes to try, wines to sample, writing projects, bread making.....who could ask for more :-)

Ok, let's check out this "new" book and a cassoulet.

On one of my outings to My Favorite Books I came across this slender volume, Classic French by Marie-Pierre Moine. We enjoy trying different versions of cassoulet (even though the basic premise is the same) so this book was put to the test.

Breton Pork and Bean Casserole
Porc aux Haricots

Ingredients.............

2 TB olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound shoulder of pork, cubed
12 ounces lamb (we used lamb steaks and cut it off the bone)
½ pound sausage
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 TB red wine (Hahahaha…….I used about a ½ cup) and it was perfect
1 TB tomato paste
Bouquet garni
14 ounces canned cannellini beans, drained
1 cup breadcrumbs (from homemade bread!!)
Salt and pepper

Ready to roll? Here are simple directions.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Heat oil in Dutch oven and simmer up the onion and garlic. Don’t you just love that aroma, gets the juices going and you are hungry before you are halfway through the prep!

Remove onion and garlic with slotted spoon and set aside. Now add the meat to the pan and fry up. Do this in batches if you need to so it’s not crowded in the pan. Once browned, return onion and garlic to pan. Stir it up well!

Now tip in tomatoes, wine (have a sip for yourself), tomato paste and 1 ½ cups water. Season well and add Bouquet garni. Cover and once it starts boiling, cover, then pop that bad girl in the oven for an hour and half.

Now you are free to do something else for that hour plus. Walk the dog. Clean out that closet and give up on the clothes you haven’t been able to wear for 4 years (Goodwill bag), read another couple chapters of Game of Thrones………..

Ok, hour and half is up. Carefully remove that hot and heavy Dutch oven. Remove bouquet garni and stir in beans. Sprinkle bread crumbs over casserole and return to oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Perfect meal for a wintery evening. Or a cold damp evening. Very nice with a side salad and baguette.

Mmmmmmm…warms the tummy. Pass the wine.

Happy New Year to all! I wish you a year of prosperity and happiness!

Grilling, Baking, Riding and Visiting!

2011-12-28T14:46:00.006-05:00

What a lovely Christmas. Our son and daughter-in-law visited, 10 days of leave from the Army life and I hope we fed him as much home cooked chow as he wanted. Doug grilled lamb chops (with rosemary, garlic and olive oil) one evening. Another evening we had a gumbo with lots of sausage and shrimp, topped with breaded okra. For Christmas dinner Doug slowly roasted a standing rib roast over charcoal with woody chunks of pecan. Heavenly.

Two nights later he heated it over a charcoal fire for another dinner.

We did our annual Christmas Eve ride (for BBQ this time) and put 275 miles on the Road King, taking almost 5 hours. It was meant to be a warm day with temps about 72 F (22 C) but noooooooo........it never warmed beyond 52 F (11 C) and let me tell you. We froze. Froze! Thankfully we had on riding pants and that buffered the wind some but our hands and feet we as ice blocks. We did finally arrive at Phil's BBQ (in Eufala Alabama) and ate a drool worthy chopped pork sandwich and saucy baked beans. Then we rode to a Dollar Store and bought hoodies so we could get warm. It's a long ride when you are freezing and the hoodies did the trick.

BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread): I sent my last submission in to Cathy and she will do the roundup before passing the bread basket to Heather. Only three entries (from me) for December.

Soda Bread
Sage and Onion Bread
Hamburger Buns

Doug bought me a beautiful French pan for Christmas....behold!

In January there ought to many long loaves which will have a variety of herbs and cheeses as I experiment.

It was great seeing family and we had a wonderfully long stretch of time off.

As you can see my comment field is back again. I would either forget to turn the comment option off or I wanted them on particular posts so.......there you have it! (me dancing around with a L on my forehead...but you experiment with a notion and then adapt). Popular opinion was in favor of having the comment field.

That's it for now......off to the kitchen!

Caprese Bacon Chicken and a Mini Weekend Wine Review: La Vieille Ferme

2011-12-24T09:08:00.000-05:00

An inexpensive French wine we like to enjoy with a variety of dishes. Good deep coloring, quaffable with berry fruit tastes an sometimes a hint of pepper, medium-bodied beauty we love to have gracing our table.

International night at our place. We enjoyed this French wine with Caprese Bacon Chicken. Draw in a big breath, savor the aroma and sit down to a damn fine meal. I love eating at home.

This is a dish served at Olive Garden restaurants but I modified it quite a bit. No cream in the fridge so.......I made it as I wanted to and...viola!

Use roma tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil (heavenly scent as you pick from the garden), a tiny bit of tomato sauce, sea salt, pepper, mozzarella cheese and chicken breasts. I actually used chicken tender as the breast meat is too dry for our taste.

8 bacon strips
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or chicken tenderloins)
1 TB olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Fry up the bacon. Set aside. Now saute the tenders then set aside. Next toss the Roma tomatoes in the skillet with garlic and basil and a tad of tomato sauce. Place the tenders into a baking dish and smother with tomato mixture. Top with bacon then mozzarella. Use the thick cut slices of mozzarella.

Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.

Easy...so easy.

Bon appetit and ...Buon appetito!

Christmas in Connecticut is the December Movie at Food n' Flix!

2011-12-22T09:26:00.002-05:00

This movie is about a food columnist who fabricates a lovely life in which she is a fantastic cook, loving mother and owner of a country estate. This is a fairy tale that's about to be exposed. Elizabeth Lane is no kitchen professional and she isn't married nor does she have a baby or country estate. But her boss/editor doesn't know any of this.

Yardley, the boss, asks her to host a Christmas dinner for a returning war hero. As Elizabeth can not even boil an egg, she enlists the help of her friend Felix who actually is a whiz in the kitchen. He's hoping to open his own restaurant and agrees to assist Elizabeth in the charade, cooking all the goodies for Christmas dinner.

Romantic interest in Jefferson, the war hero, makes it complicated as....she is supposed to be married. Her friend John actually does have a country home and John is also in love with Elizabeth. She agrees to marry John if he'll pull off the deception she needs to keep her job and fool her boss (Yardley).

There is zero chemistry between Elizabeth and John.

Elizabeth Lane: John, when you're kissing me, don't talk about plumbing.
John Sloan: What? Oh, I'm sorry, what should I talk about?
Elizabeth Lane: Well, do you have to talk?

One of the food scenes was a Post-Marathon Christmas Food Fest - Late Night Snack, Chicken Drumsticks - Cold Chablis which Yardley tucked into.

I must say, Barabra Stanwyck was quite a babe back in the day.

Head over to Food n' Flix and see what else is being served. Happy Christmas!!

Thanks to Girlichef for hosting this month at her site!!

Update on Squirrel Head Manor Happenings.......128 Mile Ride, New Bar, Cocktails

2011-12-21T18:34:00.002-05:00

I'm a lucky woman. When the weather is nice we are able to ride and grab lunch, enjoy each other's company...just have fun. These photos are from a month ago but I have been a lazy thing not uploading until now.

Doug took us to St Marks where we enjoyed a seafood meal and watched the boats drift by on the river. It was a popular day out for bikes.

Then we rose the long way back through the Appalachicola National Forest. 128 miles and great weather.
Doug's bike was the best looking one out there. See...he's growing his hair back! Bet you all thought he was really bald from previous photos.

I had fun...clearly. :-)

For the longest time we used a two shelf bookcase as a bar. Hey, it worked well..........

Now we have a slick looking piece of furniture that was not intended for use as a bar, but it works very well! Our Christmas gift to each other this year. Best ever big gift has been the gate.

We are enjoying it, fixing up a spare room.

Happy Holidays to this concoction!

Toasted Marshmallow Amore. What a beautifully made cocktail! I posted this over at Cocktail Puppy.

But this one....My Favorite ever. Santa Baby.....he makes a rockin' martini!

Best of all this month is a visit from our son and daughter-in-law. My babies came home for Christmas and we've been able to enjoy a few good meals with them. (Ok, this is from the wedding reception...but I don't have a photo from this week)
Love them!

Life is good. I hope yours is too.

Cheers!

Soda Bread

2011-12-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

Did I have anything I wanted to share today...besides cooking talk? I really did think so but my attention deficit problem has my mind wandering.....about lots of things with Christmas approaching. Ok, so...when I think of it I'll give you a holler.

Bread again. Trial and error.........this bread recipe was a challenge because the bread book has measurements for 1 pound loaves. My bread machine is for 1 1/2 to 2 pound loaves.

Irish Soda Bread

After the second rise, take a knife and quickly slash a cross in the top of the bread. It doesn’t enhance the quality of the bread, tastes just the same, but it was traditional to put the cross to scare the devil away. (In this case, it’s the devil who is baking the bread )

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons or ½ packet of yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1 TB sugar
2/3 teaspoon salt
1 TB butter
2/3 cups buttermilk

I added all this to my machine and used the dough setting. I don’t know what was going on with that bread machine last night but it started making an intermittent whining noise and it shook a little. As I wasn’t sure how the dough ought to look, I guess it turned out ok. After the dough cycle completed I shaped it into a loaf and baked at 375 F for 30 minutes. This morning I had a slice toasted with marmalade. It was good.

This particular bread machine book will be tossed into the bag going to the used book store. It’s difficult to figure out the measurement (sometimes) and I don’t have a 1/3 teaspoon measurer (something it calls for frequently in the recipes). The book is from 1995 and you know bread machines have come along way since then. Besides, there are so many bread recipes online so I can grab those as needed.

I am participating in BYOB!

Want to join in at BYOB? Check out the link above and enjoy!

Resolutions! Bread, Genealogy and Books!

2011-12-17T10:12:00.001-05:00

It’s that time again…… when folks reflect on their goals for the upcoming year. I have already read quite a few websites detailing plans for weight loss, plans for healthier eating, plans to write more, walk more, etc.

2012 is almost here! Only 14 days and bang…….what are your upcoming plans? I have a few ideas, well…three. Three goals. Let’s see how I do.

1. BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread) will be hosted by Girlichef in 2012. Cathy was the host in 2011and now the bread basket is being passed to Heather. She’s always a good hostess and is very kind to slow-witted bread novices like me, always helpful. It’s a year of baking your own breads, crackers, cakes, you name it….all from scratch. I wrote about that challenge HERE

Ladies who have been very helpful to me with “bread advice” will be pleased to know my practice with yeast has rewarded us recently. You were all correct – practice, practice and practice some more! Thanks to my sister-in-law Barb, Natashya, Allyson and Heather.

2. I signed up for the 2012 Reading Challenge hosted by Brighton Blogger at Book After Book.

I already participate in a reading challenge at Goodreads but I have been a follower of Brighton’s for a while. In 2011 she was sponsoring the Italy in Reading Challenge. For 2012 we don’t have a set topic – just read what you like and join in the discussions and reviews. Sometimes you can win a prize – how exciting!!

3. Genealogy. I’m been a grave/ancestor tracker since I was 17 years old. I’m going to start up again with the Elliot family as my primary objective and then (maybe) work on brick walls with Van Ripers and Daltons. Previously I have done extensive work on the following lines:

Joseph Dalton and Jane Whitman – From Cumberland County England to Upland Pennsylvania
James Pierce and Edna Hulmes - Chester Pennsylvania (Plus Murder Trial)

For anyone out there interested in genealogy, if you didn’t know about Find-a-Grave, check it out! Here’s my link. You can submit your grave stone photos and even ask for a lookup from a local volunteer.

Anyone who comes across my site and had/has family in the Delaware County Pennsylvania area, I’d be pleased to hear from you. I’m always willing to share my research.

This year – watch out. I am determined! I would be interested to know what some of you have planned for the upcoming year. Comments are open and I would like to hear about your goals.

B.Y.O.B.: Malformed Hamburger Buns and Lessons Learned

2011-12-15T13:10:00.003-05:00

First off, Thank you to Jay of Tasty Appetite for becoming a follower of my site!

The saga of making hamburger buns. It’s the thought that counts when gift giving, right? Am I right? Same should apply to your efforts in the kitchen. I tried. They tasted fine…...but they look like potatoes instead of sandwich or burger buns!

Someone I had interacted with in the past had acquired a wicked cool hamburger bun pan. It made the buns look like the type you buy at the market…except of course they were homemade (so much better for you). One day last week we let the crockpot do the work and made shredded BBQ pork. And then we thought, why not make our own buns? Alas…….I didn’t have the wicked cool bun pan.

So the proverbial light bulb went off when Doug and I were shopping at Publix (Florida chain grocery store) and we roamed into the bakery. THEY don’t have individual baking tins for making their buns look like buns. Right? I talked to a kind lady in the bakery and explained I wanted to make buns and could she give me advice?

She explained how to flatten the dough out into disks, making them the size I wanted the bun. Then put a plate or something atop the flattened dough so they didn’t rise to horribly large proportions. I listened….but I never did get the dough flattened to the size I wanted the bun. And yeah…here you have it.

I am totally getting that bun pan one day.in the meantime, I will try again to spread that dough out as needed. What the hell…they look like little sliders. That’s popular now, right?

Misshapen or not, they were very good. Especially with a liberal doing of shredded BBQ.

Ingredients.....

2 tsp. (or ½ packet) of yeast
3 cups bread flour
2 TB sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 TB nonfat dry milk powder
2 TB butter
1 cup water

Directions
I used the bread machine on the dough setting and once it was done, divided the dough out into twelve equal parts. Shape the dough round and flat (remember flat!!) and then cover and let rise 1 hour. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.

So there you have it. Not identifiable as a hamburger bun but tasty all the same.

I am participating in BYOB!

Want to join in at BYOB? Check out the link above and enjoy!

Want to get Messy? Try Tyler Florence's Salt and Pepper Wings

2011-12-13T16:08:00.007-05:00

I know there are other people out there who love messy, hands on meals as much as I do. Being a step away from needing professional help with my clumsiness, It's great to enjoy a meal where it’s expected to drop a sticky wing, smear chicken grease on a drinking glass and dribble blue cheese sauce on the tablecloth. It helps me blend in. If you are like me, the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings will provide respite from wearing the proverbial “slob crown” (For the record, it’s not a “get out the entire roll of paper towels sloppy")

Last week I wrote about the nice gift Alexia Foods sent me, courtesy of a giveaway from Joanne at Eats Well With Others. That post is HERE After looking at all the delectable recipes and photos in Tyler Florence’s book Family Meals – the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings with blue cheese sauce won out for a messy weekend feast. And it’s easy!

Cut tips off wings. Douse with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper. Now place on a cooking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 400 F. It wasd against Doug's natural instincts for me to bake these wings. He always grills them. Can't say that now :-)

See? Easy. This worked out to be two meals for the two of us. I think I’ll double the batch next time.

Onion Rings courtesy of Alexia Foods

This evening I am hoping for a big bowl of cassoulet and a glass or two of wine. My bread machine will get the kneading process going on fresh baguettes (as we speak it ought to be working) and I will finish it off and shape and bake it when I arrive home. Win-win!

Hope you all are staying warm and enjoying the holidays!

Mini Weekend Wine Review: 2010 Banfi Chianti Superiore

2011-12-11T13:23:00.004-05:00

First off, thank you to Efe Selcuk for following my site!

This Tuscan Sangiovese from Tuscany was very good. A Chianti wine that had a medium body, a taste of plums, holding up well to a pasta and Bolognese sauced dish. We wish there had been a tad more to enjoy after dinner was over.

A richly colored deep red with 13% alcohol content. Great buy at World Market.

Cheers!

People can be so cruel

2011-12-10T08:26:00.006-05:00

People can be so cruel. When it comes to animals I have a soft heart and I just can not wrap my head around the fact that a dog or cat can be thrown out of a vehicle and abandoned like a piece of trash.

To the person who dumped this poor animal – I know the chances of you reading this is about a gazillion to one – but I curse your insensitivity, your callous disregard for another living creature which most likely did you no harm….you discarded a dog as you would a piece of garbage. This little guy depended on you for everything in his life. For warmth, for food, for shelter and for love. How could you be so heartless? Karma. I hope it bites you in the ass threefold.

We live in a rural area. As town moves out closer to us over these past 20 years we've seen more traffic, more homes sprouting up. But our little road still seems a good place for people to dump their unwanted pets.

Latest case -
The dog will not let me near him. He ran when I shook a bowl and showed him food, almost getting hit by a car in the process. If I can get within 100 yards of this poor fellow it’s amazing. A few times a week he sits near the edge of the road where I assumed he’d been dumped. He just waits…and waits. Heartbreaking.

At present he has taken to hanging out near the woods around the corner from our property. He barks up a storm but you can see he’s scared and hungry. One day as he was barking like crazy I said a few soothing words and let him see me place food on the ground. As soon as Doug and I were a good distance away he scarfed up the food. You could tell he was ravenous. Hopefully he will trust me one day and then (to him) the ultimate betrayal as I cart him to an animal hospital. If he’s lucky he’ll get a home. At worst, he’ll be put to sleep because face it….there are so animals in need to adoption and not enough who are willing (or able) to provide a home.

Our shibas are rescue dogs. Spoiled silly now, but one of them sure didn’t have a great start in life. If you can adopt, please contact your rescue organizations or your local shelter. Give them a chance at a good life because they sure can enrich your life.

Now, as we are talking about pets, Here is a good article from Natashya Kitchen Puppies regarding remembering your pets during the holidays. And some good advice all around!

Sage and Onion Bread for BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread)

2011-12-08T08:00:00.005-05:00

Thank you to my newest follower (#121) for joining my reading group!

News here is – the BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread) sisterhood has accepted me as a participant to bake my own bread for a year. That’s the goal – no store bought breads. That being said, you aren’t actually kicked out if you need to grab a loaf of sandwich bread or frozen biscuits. That’s not an epic fail of the homemade code……..just a minor setback . We all gotta do what we gotta do.

To quote Captain Barbossa, “the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules.” So yeah………I think I’m up to the challenge and have been having a ball making bread so far. It’s such a complex thing. Bread. Yeast is living and if you have water too hot – dead. A flat “loaf” of dense hard to eat bread.

Sage and Onion Bread

I used the bread machine to do the kneading and first rising then finished it out on my own. Tricky stuff there as the recipe came from a Better Homes and Gardens Bread Machine cookbook. Therefore, it didn’t have directions on time or temperature to cook.

Ingredients........

1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 teaspoons margarine or butter
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons water
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried sage or crushed sage
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

In small saucepan cook the onions in hot butter or margarine until tender. Cool slightly. Seriously…cool it or it will cook the yeast before you get started. And how much would that suck?!

For my machine I added the liquids first, then the gently mixed dry ingredients except the yeast. Next I added the onions. Atop all this I placed the teaspoon of yeast. A full minutes later I thought, “Oh no….what if the onions are still too hot. What if they destroy the yeast?. Crap!!”

Set the machine to Dough and let it do the work. I peered inside the bread machine when it had a half hour to go and it just didn’t look like it was rising properly……. so I thought I’d ruined it.

No worries……it came out well and filled my bread pan properly.

As I mentioned before, this recipe is from a bread machine cookbook so I had to guess how long for the second rise and temperature to cook, how long, etc.

I guessed correctly! After the dough cycle was finished I placed it in a bead pan, covered with plastic wrap and let rise another half hour. Baked at 375 F for 25 minutes – perfect! We were so pleased.

Atkins be damned! I’d be a miserable failure on that diet!

Cutting into it the aroma of sage stuffing rises and you’d swear a bowl of Thanksgiving stuffing was sitting before you. We had this with black beans and rice, smoked sausage and beer breaded cheddar cheese balls.

I am participating in BYOB!

Want to join in at BYOB? Check out the link above and enjoy!

Mincemeat Danish

2011-12-05T16:11:00.003-05:00

Danish. I love almost as much as pie.

It was a herculean effort not to eat more than one wedge of this - just barely cooled long enough to slice once removed from the oven.

This recipe was adapted from Marie’s site The English Kitchen. You could omit the mincemeat and use strawberry jam or just have the cheese filling.

Ingredients:
1 tube crescent rolls
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup mincemeat

Roll the dough out. Mix cream the other ingredients except mincemeat, use a whisk. I used my Nigella whisk.

Now spread the cheesy mixture along the center of the dough. Top with about a cup of mincemeat. Fold the dough back over and bake at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you don't cut little strips off it could be a more presentable sight merely folding the dough over the top.

Now I have a huge jar of mincemeat so...I suppose you'll be seeing more desserts featuring the Cross and Blackwell specialty.

If you make this let me know how yours turned out. Email or Facebook or Twitter me!

Mini Weekend Wine Review: Goats Do Roam

2011-12-04T12:27:00.002-05:00

We love Dave Matthews. We have every CD he's put out. Know what else we love from South Africa? Goats Do Roam wines.
What a dream - to live on a farm/vineyard where I could see goats all the time (I am a HUGE fan of the humble goat) and experience life on a vineyard. Wine making and goat herding,..........bliss. Ok, I got off topic before I even started.........

We've been a fan for quite awhile of this label. I love the play on words. This particular 2009 red went stunningly well with a lemon roasted chicken and balsamic roasted yellow onions. Medium body, tastes of cherry. Not strong cherry.......a nice hint.

From the bottle, "Our timeless goat icon, inspired by an ancient Mesopotamian artifact, symbolizes the importance of balance and composition, the core of our winemaker's art."

True that, fancy enough words to tell you this is 72% Syrah and a bit of Grenache.

Read more about Goats Do Roam HERE.

Recommended. An affordable wine which pairs well with many dishes.

Alexia

2011-12-03T18:51:00.002-05:00

Picture this…you get home and there is a box, addressed to you…something you weren’t expecting. Then I remembered I was the lucky winner at Joanne’s site Eats well With Others for a prize from Alexia Foods.

Even BETTER was finding a cookbook, an apron and coupons to try some Alexia Foods gourmet products! I was only expecting coupons to try their products but this cookbook…a signed copy of Tyler Florence’s Family Meals (did I mention he autographed it?) was a huge bonus. Seriously…I’m over the moon with this book and can’t wait to try some of the recipes.

Thursday I took the cookbook to work and let some work mates thumb through it, making them envious of my fortunate score here. Thank you very much to Joanne for hosting the giveaway and thank you to Kelly at Alexia foods. You made my day.

Coupons!

One thing we tried were Oven Reds - olive oil, parmesan and roasted garlic potato wedges. Very good. They have a light crisp to the outside and retain the moistness inside. Tasty.

Next we'll try the cheese bites. Stay tuned........

Greek Orthodox Church Spaghetti

2011-12-02T19:13:00.002-05:00

Right next to my place of employment sits the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church. Once a month they offer a fantastic spaghetti dinner on the first Friday of the month.

I ought not to be trusted to spoon just a little bit of grated cheese onto my pasta.

Eight dollars gets you plate heaped with more pasta and meat sauce than anyone should eat in one sitting.
(They also offer a vegetable sauce which I have tried before - quite tasty.) In addition to the pasta you are served a salad with olives and feta, a roll and your choice of beverage - tea, coffee, sweet or unsweet iced tea.

That's what we did for lunch today. Walked to the church and grabbed a hearty lunch. They had a dessert table set up and Doug bought a galaktoboureko.

Here is a photo of two of the custardy bad boys.
photo credit

They are so gooey with honey, so good.

If you are in the Tallahassee area, see if you can indulge in this treat!

Smoked Turkey Noodle Soup

2011-12-01T16:37:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not but...this recipe isn’t the result of too much Thanksgiving turkey leftover. I didn’t cook this year as we were visiting our son and his wife at Ft Stewart. I wrote about that HERE

No, this one was inspired by the book Kate and Olivia by Annie Murray. The recipe isn’t in the book, it’s just a comfort food item I could imagine Kate and Douglas enjoying once food was more plentiful after WW II.

This soup is a result of raiding the fridge for all spare vegetables, making homemade chicken broth and spying a smoked turkey breast on sale at the local grocer’s meat section. We’d nearly emptied the fridge before our Thanksgiving trip so there were a few carrots, a few scallions, an onion……you get the idea. This isn’t a recipe so much as a hodge-podge of combined vegetable orphans.

What I used:

About 2 cups of smoked turkey chopped
Roughly 3 cups of homemade chicken broth
Any chopped veggies you fancy, I used:
Onions
Carrots
Celery
garlic
mushrooms
green beans
scallions
green pepper

Slap 2 tablespoons butter into a pan and gently cook the veggies. Add the turkey. Add your broth. Season up with fresh basil and oregano, a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

It’s been chilly here and wrapping our hands against the bowls of hot soup – sheer bliss.

Review of Kate and Olivia may be found at Novel Meals.

Bon Appetit!

White Bread...Plain ol' White Bread

2011-11-30T09:32:00.006-05:00

I have been taking advantage of libraries since I was a wee child growing up in Delaware County Pennsylvania. My first ever library card was handed to me in the third grade at Parkside elementary school. (Thank you Miss Cohen) At the tender age of nine, it seemed a great privilege and responsibility placed in my hands. It also opened doors to foreign lands, to mysteries, the ease of flipping through pages to gaze at treasures I’d never visit in my lifetime. In short – the opportunity to explore what I wanted. Today, many many moons later from my skinny, freckled nine-year old former self – I am still a library and book hound. I am still taking advantage of the all the FREE offerings our local library has available.

So what does this have to do with bread? Well……..my mother was a phenomenal baker and while I did not fully appreciate that way back then (we always had fresh baked goods and home cooked meals. Always.) I find I am drawn to the cookbooks in section 640 and 643 (dewey decimal system)each and every time I set foot into a library. This book has been quite interesting to explore.

Better Homes and Gardens: The Complete Guide to Bread machine Baking by Meredith Publishing

Presently I still utilizing only the dough setting with the bread machine. I’m shaping and baking the bread without the machine. This is a recipe for white bread which came out exceptionally well. Toasted with a bit of marmalade was a true treat. For me.

For the Dough setting I added the ingredients in the order the machine likes, which is liquids first. Then the all dry ingredients with yeast in the middle. Turn the machine on and a hour and a half later, you are ready to knead and shape, allow for the second rise (about 40 minutes) then bake at 375 F for 25 or 30 minutes.

OK, here’s what you need:

1 cup milk
¼ cup water
4 teaspoons butter or olive oil
3 cups bread flour
4 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast

Simple. Again, the bread came out with a nice texture and a browned crust. Perfect for toast or if you slice it thin enough it could do well for a PBJ.

This came out with the texture I am used to from bakery bread. Sliced well, stayed together and no gummy parts.

Mom would be pleased. For all you library hounds out there, check it out or have it inter-library loaned. If I’m fortunate, I may even find a copy at the used book store. One can hope.

I am participating in BYOB!

Beef Bourguignon from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking

2011-11-28T18:31:00.004-05:00

I look through this book as if it were a catalog. Remember doing that as a child...flipping through the toy catalogs and circling the toys you wanted? I don't take a pen to this treasured book but I do glaze over, planning meals and making lists of ingredients.

A bowl of Beef Bourguignon

I'm ready to cook..........the seduction of the process and aromas put a smile on my face.

Get your ingredients at the ready

A traditional dish from Burgundy, France, beef bourguignonne is a savory stew of meat and vegetables braised in red wine. You may prepare this using a slow cooker (which produces tender results) but I love my Le Creuset dutch oven. Beef demi-glace adds depth of flavor.

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 thick bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
2 yellow onions, sliced 1⁄4 inch thick
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
6 fresh thyme sprigs
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 lb. white button mushrooms, halved
1 bottle Pinot Noir
1 Tbs. beef demi-glace
Steamed baby red potatoes tossed with butter and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for
serving (optional)

Directions:

Place the flour in a large bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper, add to the flour and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a plate, shaking off the excess flour.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. (Transfer to a slow cooker at this point if you'd like to finish it this way).

Add vegetables and cook over low heat, add wine. If it's simmered a few hours at a very low temperature the results are melt-in-your-mouth stew.

Enjoy!

Weekend Wine Review: Candoni Pinot Noir

2011-11-27T19:19:00.002-05:00

Dell Venzie

"Before the days of ancient Rome's greatness, Italy was home to the Etruscans. Their hand painted frescoes depicted figures vibrant with life."

Candoni Pinot Noir is elegant, light and dry. Scents of black currants and vanilla. Beautiful deep ruby red color. Not only is this a gorgeous bottle it delivers on taste and went well with steak.

Weekend wine review - make it short and sweet!

Thanksgiving at Fort Stewart GA

2011-11-26T19:21:00.003-05:00

Our Thanksgiving this year was spent in Hinesville, Georgia visiting our son and his wife. Most Thanksgiving holidays are spent at my father-in-law's house; there is a large gathering, lots of food and non stop talking. Alas....Tristan couldn't get the leave time to return home so we went to him. I am so glad we did :-)

Wouldn't you know it, I forgot the camera! All photos here are from my phone.

First off - how cool is it to eat a Thanksgiving meal at an Army post? I loved it. Had delicious turkey and all the chocolate milk I could drink. All requirements of a seriously good meal.

Home of the Third Infantry Division

Me and Doug outside the museum. There were many old vehicles, tanks, helicopters and missle launchers. I wanted to climb inside and on a tank very badly. Not allowed :-(

This old face was just sitting about the compound near some of the antique vehicles from Iraq. The detail is incredible.

I started an ablum of the photos on Facebook so...more there if you are interested.

Unfortunately the only photo I was able to get with our son was this one, him trying to take Aja's photo with his phone.

I was hoping for a family shot with him and his wife...maybe next time. They took us to Savannah for dinner at the Olive Garden and it was very nice. That Olive Garden is much prettier than the one in Tallahassee. There are rock walls, a fireplace and the decor is quite pretty....makes you think you are in a restaurant in Italy. Food was great and it was nice to be treated to the meal :-)

A short trip and of course we'll never have enough visit time with them, but it was good to see their home and get hugs, tour the post and see where Tristan works.

I wish we'd had more time together but hopefully next Turkey day they'll be home.

Still uploading photos from my phone. A challenge for me on the best days.

Grilled Greek Chicken: Recipe courtesy of Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenco and Matt Goulding

2011-11-21T11:25:00.002-05:00

We eat a lot of chicken. I love it.

With the economy being in the crapper and most of us pinching pennies where we can, a decent chicken meal such as this one is a welcome addition to the dinner table and won’t hurt the wallet. Win-win! Here is another inexpensive chicken dish we enjoyed this week.

GRILLED GREEK CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 TB. Olive oil, divided
Juice of 2 lemons, divided
2 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
1 tsp. dried oregano
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp dried black pepper

How do you make this? I’ll tell you.

Combine yogurt, a third of the garlic, the juice of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix thoroughly and place in the refrigerator.

Combine chicken with oregano, salt, pepper and the remaining garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Cover and marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Get your grill or a grill pan ready. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over flame until skin is nicely caramelized and meat is cooked through (about 20 to 30 minutes).

Serve with yogurt mixture over chicken or on the side.

I grabbed this recipe from the book Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. Mini review of the book is at Novel Meals HERE

Good stuff…..we’d certainly have it again.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2011-11-18T10:32:00.002-05:00

Bread. More bread talk. All I know is, I want to make bread and I am not particular about what sort….I just need to make it.

So Lewis Carroll had it right:
“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Any recipe….as long as I have the ingredients on hand. So when I came across one for Cinnamon Raisin Bread – it was go-time!

When I hear the words raisin bread……. Thoughts and images of the cheesy egg plate at Waffle House and my mother’s cinnamon raisin toast served on a lazy summer morning pop up. After thinking about it – you just have to have a slice of toasted bread! It’s soooo good and it toasts up with a lovely crust that isn’t too hard and has the perfect amount of browning on the bread.

Then Doug (my husband is brilliant and a good cook) decided this bread would make good French Toast. Did it ever. I heard music.

When love comes in and takes you for a spin
Ooh, la, la, la, la, c'est magnifique
When every night your loved one holds you tight
Ooh, la, la, la, c'est magnifique

Recipe for the bread machine:

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 cups Bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ¼ teaspoons bread machine yeast
¾ cup raisins

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except raisins in bread machine pan in the order recommended for your machine. Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.

Select Sweet or Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color. Remove baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.

This is the second loaf I have tried using the entire baking process in the machine. First loaf didn't rise properly but this one was fab.

Updates on Lots of Stuff: Google Plus, Thanksgiving, Bevies and Family History

2011-11-16T19:01:00.004-05:00

I have been a slacker in regard to written correspondence. In regard to letters that is. Real letters, to mail to my friends and family. Once upon a time I was dilligent in keeping up via the written word delivered by our postal service. I just don't know why I'm slacking.

Anyway, for friends and family who haven't heard from me via email or Facebook, etc.......here's the scoop on Squirrel Head Manor and our most exciting life. (Yes, I had a major in sarcasm)

I have accepted an invitation to get on Google Plus. But I don't know what to do on it. Anyone? Suggestions? Email me please because I dodn't care for the G+ suggestions in various categories such as entertainment, politics, humor, etc....and when I clicked continue, a little message box came up stating "You're going to be lonely." What a hoot!

As for the You're going to be lonely statement....I don't need help running people off. For anyone who even thinks they know me (and I mean know me), if you ask for an opinion you'll get it. And I don't apologize for speaking the truth. So if you throw me over for that - get stuffed.

Thanksgiving will be spent with Tristan and Angel.. I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to that, seeing them again and visiting. I miss them.

Bevies

This pina colada was so thick you could have eaten it with a spoon.

There is, evidently, a big difference between Coco Lopez's Cream of Coconut and Coconut milk. Yes....that's a no-brainer just reading it but.....you don't realize just how big a difference until you prepare a pina colada with the cream. Wow. Recipe and post may be found at Cocktail Puppy HERE.

The can can be tricky and if you should cut yourself (like Doug did...requiring a bandage, by the way) then the sweet medicine of the coconut (and Myers Rum) will put a smile on your face. Despite a throbbing thumb.

I also shared a a drink called Little Bastard with Cocktail Puppy HERE

Last but not least - I have rekindled my interest in family history research and hope to find my Welsh connection on the Elliot side. Family Tree Maker has a splendid software package that allows you to make ancestral trees, write stories, add photos, etc. and I have been filling in much that I have on hand such as census information and grave records.

This line shouldn't be as exciting as the murder trial on the Pierce side but, ya never know what you'll uncover.

And as we speak, the refrigerator has crapped out on us so........we get to shop for one of those now. Lovely.

Cheers all!

PS- Google Plus suggestions please email me at hexandkobe AT yahoo DOT com Thanks!!

Lemon Yogurt Muffins

2011-11-15T08:20:00.003-05:00

Yogurt is good for you. So are lemons, right? Dig in without guilt......lemon yogurt muffins!

Another beautiful book by Williams Sonoma. Because I was Borders customer, and Barnes and Noble acquired their customer base information - I was sent a 30% off coupon to use and B&N. I purchased a book about bread.

This was a day of baking as I made baguettes and these muffins at the same time. I had everything ready this time, all premeasured and lemon rind grated, pans buttered.......

Except for the lemon juice in the eye (Do Not wipe your eye after dealing with lemon rind. Ever.)
Everything went very well.

The aroma as they baked - AH-mazing!

Muffins are always a good snack..or breakfast.

Lemon Yogurt Muffins

2 cups unbleached all‐purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Grated zest and juice (about 4 tablespoons) of 1 medium lemon

Topping
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a muffin pan. It worked out better to grease it and not use the cupcake paper wrappers

In a medium mixing bowl combine the the
flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest. Make a well in the center and add
the yogurt, eggs, butter, lemon juice, and extract or oil, if using. Vigorously beat until
thoroughly combined. The book stated 20 strokes and you know what? It actually was 20 strokes and it was perfect!

Batter will be very fluffy (I was surprised at the texture). Gently spoon the batter into muffin cups. Fill to three‐fourths full.

Combine the pecans and sugar, then sprinkle a bit over each muffin.

Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until golden around the edges, and the tops are dry and springy to the touch.

You may freeze these for up to two months. I didn't think they'd last two days but they are quite filling enough that, I did freeze about 8 of them.

Enjoy!!

Mini Weekend Wine Review: Bordeaux Superieur, Chateau de Macard

2011-11-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

Bordeaux Superieur - Chateau de Macard 2009

It was weighty enough to go with lamb, dense and silky to tip back. Berry flavors...but not sweet like jam. Think Blackberry.

A bargain at Costco for about $8 and change. It paired very well with grilled lamb (which had been marinated overnight in olive oil, rosemary and slices of garlic, fried okra and oven roasted Yukon potatoes.

For $8 we'll go grab a few more bottles for future meals. Great bargain.

Craving Baguettes

2011-11-12T08:42:00.016-05:00

Craving Baguettes……..that should be the name of the bakery I own in my imagination. I have a quaint little shop. It has a large case with baguettes, Italian bread and focaccia on one side and breakfast breads, banana bread, cranberry apple bread on the other. A smaller glassed display will have cookies. And buns. Yes, I need to have buns available – the ooey, gooey sticky sort and the buttery ones as well. The aroma in the shop will cause one to stop, turn their nose upwards and inhale the narcotic-like scent of warm bread.

I’d keep a pot of coffee going…and water for tea.

There are French doors that lead out to a bricked patio with an intimate gathering of bistro tables. Say, 6 tables at the most. The tables have umbrellas colored in deep blue and red. There are plants and a wall fountain that splashes water out at a slow rate with relaxing plops, trickling into the aged bronzy looking bowl. The ornate wrought iron fencing enclosing the patio is adorned with hanging ferns and flowers.

But fact is…….I don’t own a bakery and I am almost as lazy as Jeff Lebowski so I content myself with the occasional dream of my own place. Also, in the dream I have more drive and ambition so perhaps Craving Baguettes would be a success. Alas….the most motivated I get is preparing bread for my family (and I enjoy that very much) so..here is a baguette I made. I used the bread machine to start the dough for me. After and hour and a half, I shaped and baked it. Pure enjoyment.

This recipe was procured from All Recipes (dot) com

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start.

When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

But for the record, family members of mine owned a bakery a loooong time a ago. It was called Dalton's Bakery and it was located in Chester Pennsylvania. I have some of the old recipes from the Dalton family and I ought to dig those out.

The bakery was quite popular but it closed up in the 1950s I think. Fun memories.

Happy Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T06:45:00.000-05:00

Rustic Tuscan Bread

2011-11-09T21:58:00.002-05:00

Freshly baked bread. Is there anything better than a fresh loaf out of the oven…the yeasty aroma wafting about the kitchen, grabbing your attention with a must-have-that-now as you deeply inhale the scent of comfort. That’s what a warm slice of bread, slathered with butter, may be described as…for me anyway. It’s comfort.

Yes, I am going to yap about bread. For the first time I am having consistent results with my bread making. Perhaps it’s allowing the bread machine to do the first step. Setting it on Dough and allowing the machine to take care of the initial kneading and rising has been an enormous help to me. In regards to saving me time it’s fantastic.

My friend Rita at Sage Cuisine asked if I would post the recipe for Rustic Tuscan bread - Yes, Rita……I am happy to share it!

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 TB olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package active dry yeast
cornmeal
1 egg white, beaten

For the machine: I spooned flour into measuring cup, careful not to dip my 1 cup measuring cups into the vat of flour. Know why I spoon the flour into the cup? Because it doesn’t pack the flour down. Thus states the directions of the bread machine. In large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt and mix well.

For my machine you add the liquid ingredients first. So, in goes the water and olive oil. Carefully add the flour mixture atop the liquid in the machine.

Now add yeast into the center of the flour mixture.

I simply select the Dough setting and the machine whirls happily while I, equally happy, am free to do something else for an hour and a half. How sweet is that?! The machine will beep loudly after that 1 ½ hour interval and I scoop the dough out with my favorite La Creuset spatula. Punch down dough.

Cover dough with inverted bowl and let rest 15 minutes. Shape into loaf about 12 inches long. Sprinkle ungreased cookie sheet with cornmeal. *

* Note: Necessity is the mother of invention and when you are out of cornmeal, grind up a handful of Cheerios, the honey nut or regular work a charm. You have to crush them fairly fine to work like cornmeal but I’m here to tell you – it works fine.

Place on corn meal coasted cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 35 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 F. With knife slash the dough on top and brush with egg whites. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, then cool a bit and enjoy!

Baguettes were the next attempt. There's a story.....but it ended well. I am having fun trying out different recipes and it sure as hell beats bread bought from the grocery store.

Farmhouse Baked Eggs with Cheese and Potatoes

2011-11-04T18:03:00.003-04:00

This was my first week back to work after two weeks off for vacation. That was hard......to come back to an In box filled with paper. Makes me realize I could walk away and never miss any of it......if the financial opportunity presented itself. (big sigh)

So...comfort food...that's what I want to talk about. Or just stare at is more likely.

This is from my Food Network calendar which I have been neglecting for months. There just isn’t a place in my office to hang it that is convenient. So I tear off the pages with recipes that I think look good and haul them home.

You may think our kitchen would be a good place for this calendar but we have a very nice black and white calendar of castle ruins and haunted looking places in England, Ireland and Scotland. I wish we could just run away sometimes and get a pub breakfast before exploring one of those ruins. I really do wish that.

Anyway, here is the original recipe from Food Network (I cut it down to 4 eggs and reduced the other ingredients. It’s just the two of us)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 large eggs
1 cup extra-sharp farmhouse cheddar, shredded (about 4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper, and remove from the heat.

Push the potatoes aside to make 4 evenly spaced shallow nests and break 2 eggs into each. Bake until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and continue baking until it just melts, about 1 minute more. Serve immediately.

With a nicely browned slice of toast, butter glistening (I love toast), it's an easy and hearty breakfast.

Cooking with cast iron has advantages. It imparts a different flavor than an ordinary frying pan, is super versatile and you have a one dish meal to boot. Love it.

Cheers!

Cucina Povera - Tuscan bread, Pollo Arrosto al Vin Santo and the Pomodori, Fagioli, e Cipolline

2011-10-31T08:20:00.005-04:00

Cucina Povera is a lovely book. The pages aren't glossy but like smooth parchment, a pleasant feel to the touch as you turn the pages. This is a cookbook I can say I have read, like a novel, with so many stories and glorious photographs.

And This meal was declared one of the best I've ever tossed together. The best. That's a big statement considering all the dishes concocted in our kitchen.

The Tuscan bread, Pollo Arrosto al Vin Santo and the Pomodori, Fagioli, e Cipolline seemed made for one another. A romance of food combinations that melded better than anything I've put together.

Let's start with the bird.
The bird was a beauty when removed from the oven. Glistening with olive oil, the herbs and garlic all browned and pushed up through the breast meat.

Marsala and browned bits over the roasted chicken

Vin Santo is a Tuscan dessert wine but if you don't have it around your neck of the woods, use Marsala.

Mix up aromatic herbs such as oregano, thyme, basil, garlic powder and parsley. Mince up two garlic cloves and mix this all together.

Take a chicken and pull the skin upwards from the breast, stuffing your herb mixture into the pockets. Rub the bird with olive oil. Place in a 400 F degree oven on it's side for 15 minutes. Do the other side the same way - 15 minutes. Now flip it on it's back for the remainder of the cooking time.

The Tuscan Bread (Please note this recipe is NOT in the book Cucina Povera.........but it blended well with the meal)

I started the dough in the newly acquired bread machine. After it kneaded the first part, I took it out and shaped it, let is rise and brushed it with egg white. THIS was a perfect loaf of bread. I know, it's so vain to brag on oneself but I am not Amish and Doug confirmed what my taste buds were silently telling me.

It was excellent. Maybe the bread machine can knead better than my gnarled old hands, thus having the dough come out so light and pliable. Even the dog was trying to steal this loaf! She's a thief, without question, but she doesn't usually go for the bread.

Pomodori, Fagioli, e Cipolline
which is the sexy way of saying Roasted Tomatoes, Beans and Onions

This hearty vegetable casserole needs no meat for a vegetarian supper.

2 pounds potatoes, peeld and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 pounds onions, (cipolline which I did not have and used red onion and white)
1 bulb fennel, cored and sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
fresh thyme

Lucky for me, the chicken was roasting at 400 F degrees, and that is the temp you need to roast these vegetables. Put potatoes, onion and fennel in roasting pan and add olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and roast another 10 to 15 minutes. When it's all tender and blended, add the cooked canellini beans - serve!

Buon Appetito!!

Salade Nicoise

2011-10-29T08:38:00.009-04:00

Williams-Sonoma The Essentials of French Cooking is a favorite here....and much needed after the vacation indulgences.

One of the lunches I have been meaning to have for awhile is Salade Nicoise.

From the cookbook: The word nicoise, meaning "from or of Nice," indicates that the dish is full of the flavors of the south of France: Olives, capers, tomatoes, anchovies and tuna. Although it has many versions, Salade Nicoise typically includes haricots verts (skinny green beans), boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs and lettuce.

I boiled the green beans for 4 minutes, pulling them from the water with a slotted spoon, then draining them and dousing with cold water. Set aside.
Add about 6 small read creamer potatoes (peeled) to the boiling water. Let it cook for 12 minutes or until tender. Now rinse the potatoes under cold water.

Place lettuce leaves on a plate and heap the potatoes, beans and cut tomato wedges into the middle. Peel hard boiled eggs and slice into quarters, arrange around the potatoes and beans. Add tuna (I used tuna from a can, packed in water)and scatter anchovies over this mixture.

We were out of nicoise olives so I used black olive slices.

Use a mixture of red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil (you'll have to eyeball the amounts but you don't want more vinegar than olive oil. Just sayin')

Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. A lovely light lunch sitting on the patio, enjoying the breeze while the shibas bake their little bodies in the sun.

I wonder if I could transport all this to work one day? It would make a great lunch.

{big sigh} it's back to work next week.

Damn.

The BBQ Shack in Dothan Alabama

2011-10-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

I don't know if we'd be considered hardcore BBQ enthusiasts...but we will ride for long distances for a good meal. As part of our second week of vacation, a quest for southern Alabama BBQ had us riding up to Dothan in some of the prettiest weather we've had since we took off work.

Doug found The BBQ Shack during an Internet search for local BBQ joints.

My pulled pork BBQ sandwich was packed with smokey meat, had a good amount of bark to it and the side dish (swooning) was a serving of beans in a thick sauce, chocked with bacon.

Doug ordered the shredded pork plate which came with two sides. The slaw was the fine chopped sort, just the way we like it, and not dripping with mayo. One of the owners explained North Carolina BBQ had slaw slathered on the meat so I gave that a try and stole a fork of Doug's slaw. Delicious!

There were 10 sauces on the table outside and two more were brought out - one was evidently a hot sauce with pepper and vinegar (I think). The others ranged from mild, medium, hot and sweet in both mustard and tomato based varieties. I'm always a sucker for the sweet sauce. (drooling just remebering)

Time to ride back...full bellies, planning for our next trip so I can sample that homemade peach cobbler....or banana pudding.

We need a bell like this one............

You may find them on Facebook too.

What a fun day.......still the rest of this week off and we plan to enjoy every moment.

Cheers!

St George Island Getaway

2011-10-24T11:25:00.002-04:00

Vacation was at St George Island this year. This is the boardwalk that leads to the beach from our condo (it's a rental by the way :-) This was one of the stormy days.

This is what it looked like the rest of the week.

We go in October to eat, drink, walk and watch baseball. Here are some highlights.

Oysters and beer. Fat, salty raw oysters with lots of horseradish for me. Doug likes his with hot sauce.

And grilled yellow-fin tuna sandwich

In the evening we watch baseball and grabbed a pizza and wine. Clearly we need to keep an eye on our food as we have persistant beggers. We like to watch the Phillies but alas...they can't be in the series every year. Not that it would bother us in the least!

Someone put the patience in to make a sand alligator. Very cool.

We walked the beach a bit with Kobe and Aja.

Doug rode home while we followed in the car...a car packed with dogs, luggage and the unused bread maker.

I took my new bread maker to the shore in hopes of making hamburger buns among other carby treats. I had forgotten to pack the hamburger meat for starters and the climb up those steep stairs just didn't seem a good idea with the heavy machine.
Bad enough going back and forth with luggage, liquor bottles, dog food, etc.

I did make bread though. Just did it by hand to have with dinner.

Mostly it was a fun time. Maybe next year we'll try and rent a house and just take two cars so Doug can bring his telescope. Very dark skies there, very pretty.

That's the vacation roundup with the exception of a recipe and beverage photo...coming up.

Cheers!

Paella-Style Chicken and Rice

2011-10-23T11:34:00.003-04:00

We recently went to the shore for a week long holiday. St George Island has been the place we like to go in October and watch a bit of the world series, eat fresh seafood, imbibe in a few cocktails and wine, as well as relax and enjoy staring at the gulf waters.

This recipe was one I thought be a healthy balance to the amount of booze that was packed along. Lots of veggies, brown rice and low in fat.

Paella-Style Chicken and Rice

1 TB olive oil
2 oz. Andouille sausage
½ cup onion
½ cup celery
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or saffron
2 cups chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Chopped fresh parsley and scallions to taste

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add sausage and cook 3 minutes. Add onion, celery and salt. Saute for 3 minutes, then stir in brown rice. Stir saffron into chicken broth and into pan. Bring ot a boil and then add chicken.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in peas and sliced bell pepper. Serve in bowls topped with parsley and scallions.

From Chicken Paella

This was adapted from a recipe in People magazine, June 2011 issue.

Sending this to Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice for her Magazine Monday series.

Peasant Food, Tessa Kiros' Style

2011-10-17T04:58:00.002-04:00

Kotopoulo Fournou is something I will have written down should we ever be fortunate enough to visit Greece!

Tessa's section on Rustic foods had me hooked. Many who know me could have won a bet on what I would make for this week's theme. Yes, I roasted another chicken.

Here is the scoop on a simple rustic meal from Tessa.

Peel about 2 pounds of potatoes. These potatoes come out so well you always wish you’d made more, so don’t let the amount fool you…it won’t be too much. Toss them in the roasting pan.

Squeeze two large lemons (I used my Nigella reamer) and drizzle a good amount of it over the potatoes.

Take your chicken and pour some lemon juice inside the cavity, rub the rest into the chicken. Yes, it will slide off and you’ll feel you wasted it. But you didn’t. Salt and pepper the cavity. I tossed a spent squeezed out lemon half inside too. Tie the legs.

Place the bird in with the potatoes surrounding it and roast until done. You need to baste the bird (and potatoes) a few times.

This photo depicts the glory of the lemony bird with cripy brown edged potatoes.

But THE POTATOES were the star of the show!

Cotes- du Rhone was an amazing good pairing with smokey undertones complimenting the lemon potatoes and chicken. (World Market is having a good wine sale, by the way)

Check out Tessa Kiros’ recipes at I Heart Cooking Club. I think this will be my favorite week!!

The Much Talked About Bread Machine

2011-10-15T13:05:00.001-04:00

First, Thank you to Catherine Kasper and Catigrey (are you the same person?!) for becoming a follower of my site!

The Fairy Hobmother visited me awhile back and bestowed an Amazon Gift card into my hot little hands. Hands that wanted a bread machine. Well...it arrived!!

This is the first loaf to come out of it. I thought it was an epic fail...but I am naming it a learning experience instead. Behold,

I am going to try another loaf this evening. After Doug and I read the troubleshooting portion of the booklet, we think the water may have been too hot. Was meant to be 80 F degrees and maybe it was a tad hotter. Even though I used the thermometer.

Here is how tall the bread rose, yes, that's my Droid next to it!!

That being said...look at the texture.........it's fine.

We cut some and slathered butter on it...it tasted delicious! I wish we'd had Nutella because I think we'd have eaten the loaf. Ok, then that would be bad....too much bread and Nutella.

My main interest in the machine was not to bake bread to the finish point, but to let it do the kneading work and free me up for something else...like mint harvesting, genealogy, reading, cooking dinner....you know.

So, not an epic fail. A learning experience. Tonight I'll try again. We have a large bag of bread flour and it's calling to me!

Pretty machine though, don't you think.

Oh, the photo quality may not be great as I am sitting outside on the patio (it's covered ) while the dog bakes his head in the sun. So I can't see the photos super clear as I am editing. I'd rather Kobe have a good time :-)

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Williams Sonoma Cookbook and Guide to Kitchenware

2011-10-12T14:23:00.003-04:00

I had been working on a Tessa Kiros recipe but this old book called out to me.

Williams-Sonoma Cookbook and Guide to Kitchenware by Chuck Williams. This was published by Random House in 1986 but I can tell you, it’s ageless as far as advice for cookware and cooking tips. My main attraction to this book is the recipes but the illustrations and tutorials are equally appealing. Yes, I am a Williams-Sonoma girl through and through. Love, love love their cookbooks!

I was able to score this beauty for only $7.50 at a second hand bookstore.

First recipe is an Eggplant and Tomato side dish. Add some rice and it would make a great main meal for Meatless Monday.

The ingredients for this simple eggplant based recipe were all at my disposal (with the exception of capers).

Cubed eggplant
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced (or ¾ can of garlic tomatoes)
3 TB olive oil
1 clove of minced garlic
1 small onion chopped
A handful of capers
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt, a sprinkle
1 teaspoon of oregano
¼ cup vermouth

Take the cubed eggplant and salt generously, let it sit aside for at least 20 minutes. (Isn’t it amazing how you can see the beads of liquid emerging from the eggplant as the salt does it’s job).

Pour olive oil in a sauté pan and once heated, simmer the eggplant pieces. Now add everything else and sauté until soft but not mushy.

Let me share a few photos....There are wonderfully detailed illustrations throughout the book such as this one:

And Tutorials on everything from cookware selection for particular dishes to discussions on preparation and seasonal shopping:

This is one of the books I'll take on vacation. I'll pour over the articles and recipes as the gulf breeze and crashing waves relax me. Can't wait!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T06:28:00.003-04:00

To all my Canadian Friends........Enjoy the feast!

My Take on Comments and Rum & Coke with Burgers (without the Phillies)

2011-10-08T19:05:00.001-04:00

Off the top of your head, quickly, answer this: Why do you visit other blogs/ websites? Whatever the subject matter is……why do you click on their site?

Interest in the subject? Reciprocal visiting? Keeping up with a friend or family member?

Very recently I decided to remove the comment field from my site. Several of my friends in the blogesphere had done so previously….and some took the plunge when I did a few weeks back.

What has prompted me to write about No Comments was something I read on another friend’s site just a few days ago. (By the way, she was removing her comment field too). A fellow foodie blogger wrote that she did not visit sites that did not allow comments because it didn’t allow interaction. Since this was not directed to me, nor was it on my site, I certainly won’t write out what she said verbatim.

But the idea that someone would stop visiting me because they could not leave a sentiment in a public forum had me scratching my head.

Personally, my feeling is.....I visit sites because I enjoy reading them. If the comment field is disabled, I can always email the blog writer to ask a question or compliment the story/recipe. (Some have links to Facebook and/or Twitter which allow verbal interaction. I have those.) Some sites have a comment field but their sites are so graphic intensive I have a hard time loading the page and give up on leaving a note.

I find I still keep up with 98% of the people who visited me before.

Cross my ~~paws~~ heart this is true.

For the record, I liked the comments. Well...mostly. Most seemed sincere...some were simply a shout-out from people I have become close to over the years. However, I did have comments where it was so clear the person did not read my post at all!!

I guess it was a "reciprocal visit" because the comment did not reflect ANYTHING remotely to my subject matter! One time I wrote about a recipe that turned out awful and we tossed it. I had a comment stating "Oh, delicious! I’ll try that one soon – yum!"

At least no one said Yum after my post when the cat died.

Anyhoo……that being said, I visit and read blogs because I am interested. Life is too short. Ya gotta have fun.

As always, you can reach me by email, FB or Twitter.

OK - Gearing up for the world series we hoped the Phillies would be contenders again this year. Much to my chagrin, the Cardinals had their number and they are out. (sobbing with disappointment.)

When we go to the shore to watch the games (an October tradition for us) we enjoy some booze and comfort food. Myers Dark Rum with Coke,

paired with a charcoal grilled 1/3 burger and all the dressings. We enjoyed some chips & salsa and baked beans with brown sugar. But we enjoy eating and imbibing even if our team isn't in contention.

PS: How does he get the paws all together, yoga like?

Coming up next is a Tessa Kiros recipe for the I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Cheers!

Phil's BBQ - Eufala Alabama

2011-10-06T16:41:00.002-04:00

Thank you to Mika of Mika's Pantry and to Sook of My Fabulous Recipes for following my site!

Last weekend was wonderful. We live for time off but then again, who doesn't? Last weekend...we had a blast. So much accomplished and a long ride too. Couldn't ask for more.

Saturday we took a long ride up to Eufala Alabama. We'd been before (I posted about that HERE) and had some of the best BBQ ever....so, 285 miles round trip was a breeze with the promise of a great meal.

The weather was perfect, lows in the 50s when we started off and temps going no higher than 70 F by late afternoon.

Last time I didn't get a photo. Clearly, this time I did. They pile the plate with food!

I had the potato salad (very good, and I am not a huge fan of it as a rule) and Doug had cole slaw. The slaw was just as I like it....finely chopped.

Having a photo will help me try and recreate some of these dishes. We saw wood piled around the back so that means Doug will need to smoke the pork on his new grill.

Perfect weather, great ride and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. There is so much pretty rural countryside leading up to Cuthbert and further north toward Eufala. I could see us being hermits up there. Alas...many years to retirement. But we can dream. If you get the opportunity please swing by Phil's BBQ next time you are in that area. You won't be sorry.

Fasolada – White Bean Soup from Tessa Kiros

2011-10-04T18:41:00.002-04:00

First, thank you to my newest follower (#115). I did not see your name but I wanted say thanks and welcome :-)

We are getting into my favorite time of year. I love cool crisp weather, boots, sweaters and the hearty savory foods that escort the cooler temperatures in. A big bowl of soup? Yes, please.

Here’s what I have for you today.

Fasolada – White Bean Soup

From the book:

“This is a wonderful wintery chunky soup. My friend Lisa brought this version to our table one Sunday for lunch and I loved it. This was originally a poor man’s dish. Cheap and filling but beloved and comforting, and people would exclaim, “If only we had a fasolada now!” Use best quality olive oil.”

This Tessa Kiros’ recipe comes from her book Food From Many Greek Kitchens

Ingredients:

1 pound dried butter or cannellini beans
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 chopped celery stalk
2 chopped onion
2 carrots peeled and chopped
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Chopped green onion
½ cup parsley coarsely chopped
Good quality olive oil
Homemade chicken stock

You’ve all made soup……..so you know what to do here, but the longer you simmer it .....the better it tastes. I made a batch Sunday to take to work this week and it is so rich and filling. Helps with the budget too - a poor man’s dish indeed!

All of the ingredients were in my fridge and pantry so no need to go to the market for specialty items. I added homemade chicken stock and I think it enriched the flavor.

A simple soup which will not disappoint. I wanted a final product photo, showing the rich soup in a pretty bowl. But both days we had it at work...I forgot the camera. Alas......

Check out the Potluck Theme at I*Heart*Cooking*Clubs.

Just Desserts Roundup

2011-10-02T19:10:00.002-04:00

Last month I was the host for the Food and Flix feature Just Desserts. My review may be found HERE

I had two submissions(thank you ladies)and would like to share my round up with you.

Deb from Kahakai Kitchen had a funny story about the movie because she ordered the wrong one. Sounds like something I would do. She had watched Just Desserts previously though. Deb made Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce over Banana "Nice" Cream which you can see HERE

Heather from Girlichef made these delicous looking Chocolate Sesame cookies.
Her post is HERE

I made a coffee cake.

October's movie is Ratatouille hosted at The Seventh Level of Boredom. Check it all out at Food 'n Flix!

Two Very Cool Things - The Fairy Hobmother Visited me!! And....Welcome to Tessa Kiros at IHeartCooking*Club

2011-09-27T21:21:00.002-04:00

Guess what I saw when I opened my mail a few days ago? A very welcome email from the Fairy Hobmother! I had been hoping he'd drop by and lo and behold, my dream was answered. The Hobmother is busy, running a very cool appliance site which sells many nice items such as dishwashers, cookers, hobs among other nice kitchen items.

I was awarded a $20 Amazon gift certificate which I shall be putting toward my much longed after bread machine. Would you like a visit from the Fairy Hobmother? Simply leave me a comment and tell me what you would purchase if FH visits you. Evidently he will select someone from a comment....I do not have any weight in the decision so...be honest and tell us what you'd like. Perhaps he'll visit you too.

By the way, I was chosen because of a comment I made st Kim's site, Stirring the Pot - see it HERE

IHCC: Well, the female chef for the next six months over at I Heart Cooking Club is Tessa Kiros. I am excited about that as she has a few cookbooks that appeal to me......I am hoping to make a few of her recipes over the next six months she is featured.

The theme for week one is quite appropriate - it is Welcome.

For starters at a party I would have a salad........so, here is a salad for Tessa.

Greek Salad

ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, sliced thickly on the diagonal
1 small red onion
a few kalamata olives
1 heaped tablespoon of capers
crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, optional

Put the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and capers into a serving bowl. Put the feta on top and crumble the oregano over with your fingers. Drizzle the olive oil over, and vinegar if using. Serve with bread.

I had made this site a comment free zone so, (as I stated on my sidebar) I will open this post to comments for the sake of the Hobmother. Please feel free to pass this particular post on in the event a winner is selwcted from my site.

And check out Tessa Kiros at I Heart Cooking Club!!

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A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

2011-09-26T06:35:00.004-04:00

Cook the Books Clubs current featured book is A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg.

Molly really spoke to me. I read this book and I felt I was having a conversation with her. Some bits were like reading a letter from someone I knew well, someone who poured out their heart and feelings. She is so much younger than I am but I sure could relate to so many things she wrote about. From the unresolved feelings regarding her father’s death to the cautious delight of falling in love with her soul mate. The calm and focus that creeps in when you are immersed in preparing food for people you love and her unapologetic Francophile side. (seems so many are determined to hate the French these days…)

In the beginning of the book she talks about the clean-as-you-go rule (I always do, it’s just easier) and warns to read recipes all the way through before you start. Oh, how I wish I could adhere to that golden rule! I always have the intent but…ya know, there are just too many times I started a recipe and found I was missing a key ingredient. This causes undue swearing and sometimes, an extra trip to the market.

Integrated into her story are recipes. The recipes are like a timeline of her life – the eye-rolling, teenaged viewpoint of her father as he declares, “You know, we eat better at home than most people do in restaurants,” but realizing the importance of “the steady rhythm of meeting in the kitchen every night, sitting down at the table, and sharing a meal.”

There are so many good recipes it's difficult to choose one so...I'll show you what all I tried so far.

I have made the Ed Fretwell Soup as this was an important recipe to honor her friend Ed, and to push on people at the Grief counseling. It was cathartic for Molly to be involved in the preparation of dish she associated with grief and her father…and healing.

I made the Spring Salad with Endive, Avocado and Goat Cheese after reading that uber romantic way Brandon proposed – with those confiscated special diamonds!

I made Cornbread with the creamy middle because this chapter described her revelation that girls do sometimes marry their fathers..hahaha…

The Dutch Baby Pancake, well…I really like pancakes and this was the soufflé of pancakes !

Since the coffee maker was acting up (and we were awaiting a hot cuppa to enjoy along with our meal) we ate this Dutch Baby barely warm...but it's delicious.

It’s in the works to make the wedding cake or, as she calls it, The cake of Winning Hearts and Minds as well as the French-Style Yogurt cake with lemon.

My plan, which went spectacularly off course, was to start with the Yogurt Cake because this was the recipe which brought Molly and Brandon together. If it were not for that cake, he wouldn’t have written to Molly. And of course you just have to end the post (which I am having an epic fail here) with the wedding cake. It’s the start of Molly and Brandon’s life together. Plus it’s a wicked looking recipe which promises (I just know it!) a decadently rich chocolatey slice of a fine cake.

So, one of my favorites, so far...if I have to pick one is this Spring Salad with Avocado.....wow!

Fresh ingredients such as avocado, radishes, endive and creamy goat cheese, how could you go wrong.

One of my favorite quotes is from the introduction:

“When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers, and mothers and kitchen tables and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It’s also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been and who we want to be. When my father sat down to the dinner table, he saw more than what was on his plate. He saw his childhood as the son of two Polish immigrants; his youth in a working class neighborhood in the 1930s………..”

And this paragraph goes on to describe his life. When Molly walked into her kitchen, she brought all this with her.

If you haven’t read this book, this memoir, it is one I recommend. I enjoyed it enough to stop checking it out of the library and purchase a copy. For the memories, for the food, for a good story.

Please hop over to Cook the Books Club- it's a fantastic group of like minded individuals, food loving readers :-)

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The Homesick Texan Review

2011-09-25T08:30:00.003-04:00

I have been fortunate enough to have received an advanced copy of The Homesick Texan cookbook weeks before it appeared in bookstores. How exciting is that?! I love cookbooks and have stacks to attest to that statement....(need to shop for a larger bookshelf)

I made several recipes from this book and all were outstanding. The black beans are a favorite for sure as frequently have black beans and rice as a side with many meals. The mac and cheese was uber-creamy and the tomato cobbler...no wait, maybe that's my favorite so far!

One of the things I enjoyed the most from this cookbook are the stories.

"Now, observe closly , this is the secret ingredient," said Uncle Richard as he poured in a serving of masa harina into his bubbling pot of chili."

Family stories, and first hand accounts in particular, really grab my attention. I indulge in family history - genealogy....and I love to hear about family interactions and traditions. These are the sort of memories Lisa Fain shares in her book. Traditions and just plain old fun times involving family and food. What a lovely thing to pass on to future generations in her family.

The photography was wonderful. Even before I savored the recipes I was flipping through the book admiring the well shot photos of scenery, food (of course) and the giant Texas shaped cornbread pan.

As a former resident of Pennsylvania, exiled in Florida, and missing the food of my childhood (bring me a hoagie please), Lisa really captured the hearts of her fellow Texans by bringing this book to fruition. I understand the longing for foods you just can't get when you live so far from home. Good job, Lisa Fain!

Thanks to Hyperion Publishing and Girlichef for hosting this event. It was most enjoyable cooking with a big group.

This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

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September's Feature at Food 'n Flix is Just Desserts

2011-09-22T22:01:00.003-04:00

Thank you to Pam of Live Everyday Like a Holiday for following my site!

Hello – I am the host this month for Food ‘n Flix and the feature is Just Desserts starring Costas Mandylor and Lauren Holly.

The Plot
Marco Poloni's family owns a bakery in the Bronx . They are facing the prospect of selling the bakery as sales are dwindling. Marco sees a contest, The Golden Whisk, (Yes, I swear I am not making this up), advertised where the winner will receive a good sum of money….but he needs a partner. He asks Grace Carpenter, the baker of an upscale restaurant. Naturally they start off completely irritated with one another. The same old blah-blah-blah romantic comedy template that is getting so stale you could choke.

Marco and Grace are talented bakers and manage to get into the final rounds, the grand prize being a real possibility for them. Naturally they fall in love. Complication - Grace has a boyfriend, one with two planes (one for business, one for pleasure) as he points out constantly in this movie. He’s rather a git, truth be told, and there is no real chemistry between Grace and her boyfriend.

From Blog Buddy

The other contestants who are in the run for the prize and money, Jacques du Jacques and his female partner, find a way to steal Marco’s family recipe for Torta Barozzi. Jacques is also a former classmate of Marco’s at the Culinary Institute of America. He’s also a complete fake,his name is Jackson and he isn’t French at all. Jacques’ female cohort flirts with Marco, shakes her ass and seduces him (well almost) gets him drunk and copies the recipe for the Barozzi.

The big focus here was the Torta Barozzi.........So you think I’d make that…but I didn’t. I made a coffee cake.

My favorite interactions, believe it or not, was between Uncle Fabrizo (played by David Proval) and Angela (played by Maria Bertrand). Despite the age difference and Fabrizo’s eewww-factor, these two had chemistry. Really. Yes, I do think that and, no, I wasn’t drinking when I watched this Hallmark movie.

Hallmark – had I known that I would have been prepared for fluff dialogue and a plot with the substance of cotton candy.

Anyhoo – Marco and Grace triumph, win the contest and you are left with the impression they live happily ever after. The acting was bad, there was zero chemistry between the two main characters and seriously….could they have stereo-typed Marco anymore, putting the Italian baker in a white wife-beater and tight black pants? Puh-leese.

I liked Lauren Holly in her role as Director Jenny Shepard on NCIS. But in this movie – nyaaah. Seriously, it wasn’t good. At all. (This is my opinion and maybe there are fans of this movie.)
For the record, my usual taste in movies run from V for Vendetta, to The 300 with the romantic comedy/drama choice being Notting Hill. That being said, I knew there wouldn’t be sword fighting or Hugh Grant…but the promise of a decent dessert factor was mighty appealing.

So….if I am never invited back to host ( or participate) in Food ‘n Flix, a fine site for movies and food, I will understand. And leave gracefully. Still loving my movie-foodie buddies….thank you for liking me for the person I cannot help being :-)

Here are photos of the coffee cake. I actually don't recall seeing a coffee cake in the movie but, this is a dessert that serves double duty for the sweet tooth and for a breakfast snacky meal.

It sure smelled good after it came out of the oven.

If you have already watched the movie and would like to participate in the roundup, please post your review and send me the link to your website. Please link back to my announcement post (which you may find HERE) My contact email for this is hexandkobe AT yahoo DOT com. Please contact by September 30th.

Cheers...........

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"Release your stress" with Crispy-Sticky Chicken Thighs (you get to stab cherry tomatoes)

2011-09-19T06:36:00.008-04:00

Juicy, succulent, crusty potatoes mingling with tomatoes and basily chicken - an easy roasted meal. My mouth is watering just recalling this meal.

Potluck! This is a perfect meal to prep if you have unchecked aggression and want to stab something. Even if you only think about that (as a co-worker drives you mad, or dealing with a customer-service deficient clerk at the market) and you would never act on it. C'mon....admit it......you've killed a number of people in your imagination on a monthly basis. You certainly do if you drive anywhere...especially these days.

Right...off track again.

See these little tomatoes...I thought it would be a giant pain in the ass to pull the skin off.....but it was just as Jamie stated in the recipe, simple! I poked (gently stabbed) slits in the tiny tomatoes, then poured boiling water over them.

Fresh basil makes a lovely difference in the aroma, and of course, in the taste.

Rather than blather about the steps I will direct you to Jamie's Recipe which may be found at Food Network right HERE

It's simple, once it's in the roasting pan you may turn your attention to something else. This one had me planning to make it again and again.

This ends the six months of cooking with Jamie at I Heart Cooking Club. Goodbye you mockney-talking rascal. Hello to Tessa Kiros

Jamie's Focaccia

2011-09-17T07:30:00.001-04:00

I never thought to enhance my breaducation by using Jamie as a guide. Don’t get me wrong…. I had faith he can make bread and I have seen him do so when we still had satellite feed and I watched Food Network. But when I think of a bread-making tutor …..no, Jamie does not immediately spring to mind.

Photo Credit - David Loftus

In this case ….he came through. This one almost ruined dinner as it was out of the oven before the charcoal was ready for grilling and...you know...we sampled it a bit.

I modified Jamie's recipe a tad, not much, but I think adding balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes, garlic and onion gave it a great tang.

Focaccia

1 ¾ cup white bread flour
1 ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 (1/4 oz) envelope active dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water

OR, if pressed for time grab a pizza dough from your deli and let it rise.

Some toppings which will be good:
Extra virgin olive oil
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced garlic
Thyme
Rosemary
Goat Cheese
Balsamic vinegar

Place 1 3/4 cups each white bread flour and whole-wheat flour and 1 1/2 tsp sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

In a separate small bowl, add 1 (1/4 oz) envelope of active dry yeast and 1 1/2 tsp sugar to 1 cup lukewarm water. Mix; when it foams, pour into the well, blending in the flour with a fork as you go (add a splash more water if needed. When the dough comes together, tip it onto a flour-dusted surface and knead vigorously for 5 minutes until smooth.

Lightly oil the bowl, add the dough, and dust with flour. Cover with a clean, damp dish towel, and leave it to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes, until doubled in size. Prepare your toppings.
OK, Thirty Minutes Later…….
The dough has risen,so punch it down a few times. Transfer to a flour-dusted 11 by 15-inch baking sheet and spread out to the corners. Cover with dish towel again and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Another Thirty Minutes Later…….
Poke the dough with your fingers to create little holes. Scatter each topping over the dough. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Hop over to I Heart Cooking Club and see the other bready creations. Only one more week with Jamie over there and then we move to a lady chef for the following six months. Tessa Kiros won the vote so...get ready for some delicious Mediterrean cuisine!

If you like this post please feel free to share it. Cheers!

Week Three with The Homesick Texan Cookbook: Tomato Cobbler

2011-09-16T06:31:00.003-04:00

Right....I know I have your attention with a title such as tomato cobbler......and served with grilled tuna and wine, fresh avocado......would you like some?

Straight out of the oven.... a savory cobbler.

Ingredients:

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, cored and diced (about 2 cups) or use canned tomatoes
1 jalepeno chile, seeds and stems removed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
8 TB (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss together diced tomatoes, jalepenos, garlic, cilantro, cumin and lime juice. Add salt and pepper.

In large ovenproof skillet (or cake pan) melt butter on low heat. Once melted, pull it out of the oven.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add milk and stir until thick smooth batter forms.

Pour batter over melted butter in skillet or pan. Do not stir! Spoon the tomato mixture on top of batter and bake, 30 minutes, uncovered.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

Next week is the cookbook review and I may even have another recipe for you. This book is now on sale in your bookstores. It was released on September 13th....I hope you are enjoying the previews this cooking group has provided.

If you liked this post, please feel free to share it on Twitter or Stumble Upon!

Happy Birthday Doug!

2011-09-15T11:01:00.001-04:00

Nothing is finer than spending the day with my man, off work and free to do as we wish. Even better, it's Doug's birthday so....who knows what we'll get up too. :-)

This isn't an early present or anything.........just Doug's latest Starmaster telescope which we picked up last weekend. Doesn't he look happy? Maybe it will be clear skies tonight for him.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!! Here's toasting to us celebrating many more together.

Food of the Drunken Gods: Tomatillo -Papaya Relish heaped over Grilled Mahi Mahi

2011-09-13T15:53:00.005-04:00

First off, thank you to Debbie of Friday Friends, Fa and Miz Helen for becoming followers of my site!

We were in the mood for tropical...a meal to toast summer on it's way with a party for two. As it turned out, we bought too many tomatillos. Are you familiar with tomatillos? They are small Mexican tomatoes.

Combine these with fresh chunked papaya, onion, garlic and cinnamon and you'll have the beginnings of an outstanding relish. Quite tropical.

Heat roughly one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet and start warming chopped onion, garlic and cinnamon. After they are soft, add chopped tomatillos, papaya, vinegar and sugar. Look at all these beautiful colors mixed together, sizzling and bursting, flavors mingling.....

*Please forgive the blurred photo...balancing a camera and spatula is tricky for me. I am not a candidate for Cirque du Soleil

Bring this to a boil and let it go until the liquid has just about evaporated. The aroma will drive you wild.

We served it over grilled fish, Mahi Mahi.

This is a relish we've had before but it's been a long time. I bought tomatillos for a recipe in the cookbook, The Homesick Texan, and decided I didn't want to make the dish after all......so, Doug remembered that dynamite Tomatillo-Papaya Relish.

Recipe may be found at Doug's Foodbuzz link HERE

A good evening...another patio meal with low temperatures and great company. I love my life.

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Eggplant Tomato Tien

2011-09-12T08:10:00.002-04:00

First, thank you to Warren Hershberger for following my site!

If I could actually teleport from place to place...say, using Harry Potter's Floo Powder....I would have spent the last few days in Provence, then Texas, then New York City and back to Provence. My co-conspirator/foodie husband would go with me willingly...except maybe NYC. It's so busy there...so crowded. But we like to try new foods...like to see new places. We like wine too.

So...here we are in Provence again. (All through books and these posts of course....not enough frequent flyer miles to cover all that)

Another recipe from my Williams-Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking book and my second (from this book) from the Provence region.

A tien is both a Provencal cooking vessel and a finished dish. It’s like an au gratin dish…just slightly deeper. Beautiful dish.

Ingredients needed

2 globe or 4 Asian eggplants (aubergines)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 ripe, juicy tomatoes (about 3 lbs total weight)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup fresh chopped basil
¼ cup coarse dry bread crumbs (we used a stale baguette and my mini food processor to make our own)
1 TB unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

What do you do now?

Heat oven to 400 F (200 C).

Trim off stems of eggplants crosswise into slices ½ inch thick. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet, brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook until undersides of eggplant are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Turn slices and cook until the insides are soft (about 10 minutes longer).

Meanwhile, coarsely chop tomatoes and place in a bowl with their juices. Add ½ teaspoon salt and a bit of pepper, garlic and thyme.

Raise oven temperature to 450 F (230 C) and coat a gratin dish with olive oil. Arrange eggplant slices in a layer, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with half of basil. Spread tomato mixture over the eggplant, slightly lifting slices to allow juices to run underneath. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs and dot with butter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When you remove the dish from the oven sprinkle with remaining basil and serve.

If you are an eggplant lover, you will be rewarded for these meager efforts with a grand dish that could serve as the main course. We had it as a side with pasta and garlicy scallops...and a few glasses of white wine.

If you score any Floo Powder, give me a shout. Otherwise, please feel free to share this post if you liked it :-)

I want to see the Twin Towers

2011-09-11T03:42:00.016-04:00

September 11, 2001……..ten years ago, but I’ll bet many people remember where they were when planes hit the twin towers in New York, sending the nation into panic over the terrorist attacks. Images of disbelief, horror and sadness frozen on faces, captured on cameras during and after the attacks.

I remember where I was. At work, as so many of us were on a weekday …….early in the day just cruising along with same-old same-old. My husband (whom I am lucky enough to work with) came by my office and said a plane hit one of the towers. We all thought it was a horrible accident. Thought the pilot had a heart attack or some simple explanation.

Then the second plane hit. Even before we knew about the plane that went down in Pennsylvania or the one that hit the Pentagon…….the reality of the attacks were just starting to creep into our thoughts….a WTF of helplessness and sorrow watching people we didn’t know jump to their deaths, running along the streets with gray clouds billowing and rolling behind them. Emergency workers trying to make their way through rubble and climbing stairwells to reach survivors. Fire, confusion and sadness. For me, I didn’t feel fear for our nation, just grief.

There is so much I could share about how I felt, what I wrote in my journal way back then, my compassion for kids who would never know their fathers or the desperate people roaming the streets with photos of their loved ones, asking anyone “have you seen my daughter/son/spouse……what I think of the extra too-much-security checks at the airports these days and the way these attacks limited many of our freedoms in day-to-day life.
But that’s gloomy…and I try and stay on the light side of things. Some things just don’t have a positive side.

The Twin Towers. I never had the opportunity to see them or eat at Windows on the World or drink at The Greatest Bar On Earth.

Shortly after the attacks, images of the north and south towers were removed from scenes in movies and television shows. I am guessing it’s because the images are too painful a reminder of what happened. Well…….. here is something positive. A tribute to a place where people worked, conducted business, enjoyed being a tourist and the venue and backdrop for many movies.

New York filmmaker Dan Meth made a montage of movies in which you could see the twin towers standing. There are so many images of the towers collapsing... what about celebrating the 30 years they stood tall. I was happy to see this well put together montage. But I wish he had added Homer Simpson running up one tower in search of a bathroom and then down to check the other tower. Of course, you can’t include everything.

Here is a part of Dan Meth’s video:

Good for Dan for putting together a tribute to a famous landmark…….you just shouldn’t erase something because it evokes memories of tragedy. In my humble opinion.

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The Homesick Texan's Mac and Cheese

2011-09-09T20:13:00.003-04:00

I would like to say thank you to Kate of A Spoonful Of Thyme for becoming a follower of my site!

Here I am….better late than never. When I saw the Homesick Texan assignment for this week included mac and cheese, I was excited. That is one dish we have always loved here at Squirrel Head Manor. It’s always, always, been made from scratch…just like my mother did. My father would joke that my Mom had 120 recipes for macaroni and cheese and after the best (THE BEST) one was made, it got lost in the mix of recipe cards with all the other versions.

So she was always trying to duplicate that ONE.

My son grew up eating mac and cheese similar to the way my mother made it. Ooey, gooey cheese and sometimes breadcrumbs. When Tristan was growing up his best friend would come spend the night ....and he hated my mac and cheese….because it wasn’t vibrant orange. Same thing at his buddy’s house though – Tristan didn’t like what his friend’s mom prepared as it was from the Kraft box and was, indeed, very orange with skinny noodles. See…just depends what you grow up with.

Homesick Macaroni and Cheese

Here is how I adapted it to fit in with my time scheduling, ingredients on hand and personal tastes.

Ingredients:
A 2 cup measuring cup filled with uncooked macaroni
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 TB butter
2 TB all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1 teaspoon mustard powder
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of cumin
A bit of cilantro
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups of shredded cheese, a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack
1/4 cup of crumbled cotija cheese (optional, but delicious!)
1 tablespoon of butter

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square or round baking pan with the butter. Cook the pasta for 6 minutes, never mind what the box says.

Melt 2 TB of butter and added chopped garlic. When garlic is soft, add 2 TB all-purpose flour. Mix and slowly add milk. Stir and stir, letting it get thick.

Mix in the cheeses and mustard powder, cumin, salt and black pepper until it’s smooth. Pour mixture over dry pasta and stir until sauce is evenly distributed.

Bake for 20 minutes. Pull it out of the oven aand top with crumbled cotija cheese or you could even use Mexican crumbling cheese.

This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

Check out the cooking group next week and see another preview of this book. No assignments next week so it will be different recipes - it's a Homesick Texan potluck. Woo-hoo!

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They are Japanese but they are international eaters....

How Could I be Out of Olives? Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of French Cooking has made me happy. So very happy :-)

2011-09-07T14:29:00.005-04:00

First off, I'd like to thank Leslie of La Cocina de Leslie for following my site!

Well.do you see any olives? More on that later.

My favorite bookstore is going out of business. I love Borders. I love My Favorite Books too, the local second-hand bookstore in Tallahassee I haunt whenever I am in that area. But Borders………(deep sigh)……..apparently I will be buying my new books online from now on. Crap.

I like to pick up a book and flip through pages. How often have I bought a cookbook or novel to find there are only two recipes that float my boat. Or find the novel is a stinker and I can not make myself read past page 50.

With the death throes of Borders' demise come big discount prices. Cheap-ass that I am, a bargain is always a welcome sight – not in this case. Well…kinda. On my Amazon wish list I have had this particular Williams-Sonoma book, Essentials of French Cooking, at the top. I have lusted after this book but (remember the cheap part) always waited until it reached an “acceptable” price.

Now I own it. There was only one copy – ONE! And the day the discounts were in my ballpark, I marched to the back of the store where the dwindling number of cookbooks are housed and hoped, wished, almost silently begged that this book would be left for me. Clearly it was…….I can’t tell you how happy I am.

OK, where to start. I decided on a dish from Provence – Sauteed Chicken with Tomatoes, Bell Peppers and Olives.

From the book: “In Southern France, the olive growing area of the country, recipes often call for cured olives, which act as seasoning. Black olives are used in this recipe but green olives cured with rosemary, lemon or fennel can also add their own particular flavor to this rustic and homey dish of chicken seasoned with herbs. The chicken is cooked with tomatoes and sweet peppers until the meat is so tender that it easily falls from the bone.”

I used chicken thighs as white meat seems to be too dry for us. Rub your chicken pieces with fresh thyme and a teaspoon each of rosemary and black pepper.

Melt 1 ½ TB butter (real butter not margarine!) and add 1 TB extra-virgin olive oil to a pan.

Use a pan large enough to hold all chicken pieces in a single layer. When the oil and butter are nearly smoking hot, add chicken, reducing the heat to medium and cook, turning once, until the pieces are lightly browned. Add half cup minced onion and 2 cloves minced garlic and cook until soft (about 2 minutes).

Have prepared 5 ripe tomatoes chopped (or an 18 ounce can chopped plum tomatoes) and the juices ready to tip into your pan. OK, if the onions are now soft, tip in those tomatoes and also 2 red bell peppers, chopped into small pieces. Add one bay leaf.

Reduce heat and cook on medium low or low (depends on how your stove top works. ( Mine is a real piece of horse ~~shit~~ crap and low is still too high but…can’t get a new stove right now) and cook for 50 minutes.

If you have olives here is the time to add them. Can’t believe I thought I had olives in the pantry. You know what I had instead, what I thought was a can of black olives? It was a small can of tomato sauce. Christ.

Olives…..right, raise the heat back to high and add about 16 cured black olives. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt as you need it. Add more thyme and rosemary (about a teaspoon or to your taste). Wait for it to all come together.

I love eating at home........the anticipation of the meal, the aromas, grabbing wine glasses, candles.....

My first meal from this cookbook and I was out of an essential ingredient. No matter! Because it was good. So good.

Rice, a crusty baguette and wine rounded it out. A white zinfandel we’d never tried before – too sweet for us but…..it was an enjoyable meal.

Next up from this book will be a Tomato and Eggplant Tien, another Provencal dish. All of the correct ingredients were purchased beforehand so…no cock-ups on this one. Unless I cut myself……but I am thinking positive thoughts.

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I’m an achiever ….that’s right

2011-09-03T16:51:00.002-04:00

First off, thank you to Jenn of Rook #17 and Erin of EKat's Kitchen for following my site!

I’m an achiever ….that’s right. So is my husband and son. A house of achievers. What on earth am I blathering about now…..well, we are fans of the movie The Big Lebowski.

Actually, pretty much anything written by the Coen Brothers – love their movies. One thing you can count on seeing repeatedly in The Big Lebowski is a Caucasian, firmly plugged into The Dude’s hand, his mustache dripping with the White Russian’s creamy goodness every sip he takes. We watched it again a few nights back and, as usual, howled through the scenes, throwing back a couple of white and a couple of black Russians.

[being forced into a limousine]
The Dude: Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!

White Russian (also called a Caucasian): 2 parts vodka, 1 part coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa) and 1 part cream. Served with ice in a low ball glass.

Black Russian: 2 parts vodka, 1 part coffee liqueur Served with ice in a low ball glass. (Just leave out the cream)

*We actually use half-n-half

This movie is obviously not for everyone….we all have different tastes, and I know the F-Bomb offends some. If that’s the case, take a pass on the movie but by all means, mix up a nice Caucasian sometime and relax. Don’t worry about the calories because …you just can’t when you make a few of these.

The Dude: Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

There is a Lebwoski Fest coming up which I wish we could attend. Imagine being surrounded by all the costumed Lewbowskis, Donny, Walter and Maude.......everyone drinking Caucasians, bowling...watching the movie and maybe seeing Jeff Bridges. He shows up at some of the festivals.

Upcoming Fest information may be found HERE

More movie quotes......

The Dude: Yeah, well. The Dude abides.
The Stranger: The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.

The Dude: [repeated line by The Dude and others] That rug really tied the room together.

Walter Sobchak: You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
The Dude: Yeah, but Walter...
Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish. These fucking amateurs.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this movie. Let us go off to do some achieving on the patio...a storm is blowing in and it's a perfect time to sit outside and watch the clouds move in.

To all who visit me here, I hope your Labor Day weekend is going well.

Cross posting to Cocktail Puppy.

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I like eggplant, me. An Old Copy of Vegetarian Times Cookbook and juicy Ratatouille

2011-09-01T09:28:00.001-04:00

First off, thank you to Foodness Gracious, Bo's Bowl -Lick it Clean, and Anonymous (#103) for following my site!

There is just something about an old cookbook. One with hand written notes and check marks indicting which recipe was extra good or special. It’s even better when it belonged to a family member. I’m flooded with memories when I see their writing, evoking memories of Nana making vegetable soup or my mother’s recipe cards, neatly written in her script. I wish I knew then that I was taking that time with them for granted and asked a few more questions, got my hands into the flour more, helped with shelling beans instead of pissing about going off with my friends.

This book, Vegetarian Times Cookbook, was printed in 1984 and there are a few notes and water stained pages inside. There is an undecipherable signature on the inside flap and the date 5/23/85 next to it. Doug and I picked this up from a second-hand shop in Burnsville , North Carolina on one of our vacations. I wonder who wrote the date inside and water stained so many pages. I wonder about the person who cooked from this well used book and which were their favorite meals.

This cookbook did not belong to my family, the one from childhood….but it became part of a growing collection of cookbooks in my adult household. The one I share with my husband and son.

One of our favorites (and evidently the former owner’s fav) is Ratatouille.

Funny note – back in 1984 a book such as this sold for $8.95 new. Wow. This has inspired me to go through my old cookbooks and recipe box.

Enjoy!

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The Homesick Texan Cookbook

2011-08-30T18:50:00.005-04:00

For the next 4 weeks I will be highlighting recipes from a new cookbook, The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain, published by Hyperion. How new is this cookbook? Well, it's not even out on the shelves at your favorite bookstores. Not yet! This book will be released September 13, 2011.

Hyperion generously released advance copies to a small group committed to cook, taste and write about Lisa Fain's book (by the way, she has a blog by the same title).

The Homesick Texan is a brilliant collection of stories, photos and recipes from Lisa's home state. I could identify with the thought process here.....you move away from your home state where generations of your family lived. And you miss the food. Alot. A taste of home can evoke powerful longings and memories. Well, Lisa put her memories to work and found there were homesick Texans all over....and they shared her longing for Texas style chow.

For week one I chose to make the Austin-style Black Beans and paired it with my modified version of Lisa's picadillo. (Page 177 of this book has a great recipe for Gorditas with Picadillo - recommended!)

Here is an advanced taste from The Homesick Texan.

"It was in Austin that I first saw black beans served on a TexMex plate, instead of the usual refried pinto beans found elsewhere throughout the state"

Austin-Style Black Beans has cumin, lime juice, tomato paste, cilantro, garlic and chipolte chiles, carrots, onion and...black beans of course! I think the addition of the cilantro and cumin really bring an unique flavor. I have used lime with my version of black beans before but...this one is different and definitely going to be a repeat side on our table.

Don't you just love the aroma of onions, garlic and spices melding together in your pan........and black beans...one of my favorites!

I did not prepare the Gas Station Pork Tacos but chose picadillo.......pairs well.

Served up with a good bread and great company.......we enjoyed this meal.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

Check out the cooking group next week and see another preview of this book.

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Just Desserts...no.... not yet...........

2011-08-30T12:45:00.008-04:00

Greetings movie watchers and foodies. Next month I will be the host for September's Food 'n Flix feature - Just Desserts.

If you have not been to the site Food ‘n Flix and you want to play along in September…hustle on over to get the movie schedule. There is a how-it-works tab but I’ll tell you in a nutshell:

How to participate in Food 'n Flix:

1. Watch the September film selection (Just Desserts. Find something redeeming that inspires you to prepare a dish. Be it dessert or appetizer or main course. Whatever you fancy.

2. Post about it on your website with a link back to THIS post and a link to Food 'n Flix.

3. Please post your dish (and review if you wish) in September since... well…that’s when I am hosting. If you’d like to link to other events that’s fine with me.

4. Email me at hex AND kobe AT yahoo DOT com by the end of September and PLEASE include the following:

*Your name
*Your blog's name and URL
*The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
*Attach a photo of your dish (or give me permission to copy your photo)
*Please indicate "Food 'n Flix Submission" in the subject line
*Deadline for submission is: September 30th

(I’ll post the roundup first week of October)

Try and enjoy yourself. I usually find a way.

Tuscan Flatbread inspired by the book A Thousand Days in Tuscany

2011-08-29T05:41:00.004-04:00

Of all the amazing recipes Marlena De Blasi shared in her book, A Thousand Days in Tuscany, this was one I knew I wanted to try. I have been wanting to get a handle on bread making and what better way than to jump in with many different varieties.

Tuscan Flatbread – from the book A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena De Blasi

This makes two 15-inch flatbreads

1 TB active dry yeast
1 scant teaspoon dark brown sugar
2 ¾ cups tepid water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons fine sea salt
6 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 TB fresh rosemary leaves, minced to a powder

In large bowl mix yeast and sugar with tepid water, stirring until grains of sugar are dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and let activate 10 minutes. Stir oil and salt together and pour into yeast mixture.

Begin adding the flour, a cup at a time, stirring after each dose. Add the cornmeal all at once, mix to form a soft, dry dough.

Add additional flour – a tablespoon at a time – if the dough feels sticky.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and gently knead it for 10 minutes. Place dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap for an hour until doubled in size.

Punch it down, divide into two, and stretch each piece on a lightly oiled 12-inch baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. The dough will fight a bit but don’t be tempted to use a rolling pin. Use your fingertips and stretch to the edge of pan, let it rest. Go back to it and stretch again, After it’s rested it will be more compliant.

Cover with kitchen towel and let rise for a half hour.

Preheat oven to 450 F. After the second rise press your knuckles in and make indentations. Drizzle the top with oil, rosemary and sea salt.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Review may be found at Novel Meals........

Lemony-Maple Sweet Potatoes

2011-08-28T09:33:00.003-04:00

First off, I'd like to thank A Platter of Cakes by Beata for following my site!

It's been awhile since I participated in Magazine Monday. Time to flip through the huge pile of magazine recipes I have hoarded.

Jennifer Garner’s Lemony-Maple Sweet Potatoes was a featured recipe in People magazine a few months ago. Yeah...I am just getting around to trying it. Sorry I waited though.

The movie star and mom of two shared a side-dish she loves t make during the holiday season. I say, why wait for holidays?! I love sweet potatoes. Doesn’t have to be Christmas or Thanksgiving for us to enjoy them.

Ingredients....

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
1 TB olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 TB maple syrup
2 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper in a large baking dish. Cook until almost tender, 30 minute.

Whisk syrup and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Remove potatoes from the oven and drizzle ½ maple lemon mixture over potatoes. Stir gently and return to oven; bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.

Served with a grilled rib eye and skewered tomatoes.....mmmmmm

I will be sending this to CreamPuffs in Venice for her roundup of Magazine Monday. Surf over to visit the Creampuff and see what else is shaping up in her neck of the woods :-)

From People Magazine, December 2010 issue

Minestrone Soup

2011-08-24T18:29:00.004-04:00

First, let me thank eRecipeCards for following this site!

Today I realized there are only 5 more weeks with Jamie Oliver over at I*Heart*Cooking*Club

The 6 months dishing up with these chefs always goes by so quickly. I am so very curious to see which female chef will up for the vote soon. I know I enjoyed cooking with Nigella and Giada…..so many possibilties. But…for now, Jamie is still the star and this week’s theme is Soup, Salad and Sammies.

Perhaps I am hoping to lure the cooler temps that come with Fall weather as my pick this week is - ……Minestrone Soup from The Naked Chef cookbook. This particular version was featured in a 2010 publication of Shape magazine.

Ingredients

10 large ripe plum tomatoes (or two 14 oz cans of tomatoes, drained)
3 medium carrots
2 medium leeks
5 ribs of celery
2 red onions
1 cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 heaped Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
3 cup ham, chicken, or vegetable stock
3 good handfuls of fresh basil, torn
6 oz spaghetti (or substitute a 15-ounce can of chickpeas )
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Score the tomatoes and place briefly in boiling water. Then skin, seed and roughly dice. Peel or scrape the carrots, quarter lengthwise and chop.

Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, quarter lengthwise, wash well and chop. Peel the celery with peeler to remove the stringy bits, then cut in half lengthwise and chop. Peel and chop the onions. When you are chopping all these vegetables, try to make them more or less the same size (around inch dice. Wash and roughly chop the cabbage.

Put the olive oil into a warmed thick-bottomed pan and cook the carrots, leeks, celery, onion, garlic and rosemary over medium heat until just tender (about 15 minutes). Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming if necessary. Add the cabbage, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the basil and the pasta (or chickpeas), which will absorb the flavors of the soup. Simmer for a further 5 minutes or more. Taste and season. The soup should be quite thick, full in flavor, and the cabbage shouldn't be overcooked--you want to retain its deep color.

Serve with some good peppery extra-virgin olive oil and fresh Parmesan.

Photo Credit - David Loftus

Head over to IHCC and check out some other Jamie recipes. I will sedn this to Cream Puffs in Venice for her Magazine Monday series too.

Pan Bagnat for Moosewood Monday

2011-08-22T05:53:00.009-04:00

First off, thank you to Anonymous and to HoneyB of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch for following!

Recently we made Pan Bagnat from Moosewood Cooks at Home. It’s a simple recipe that has so many possibilities – use any seasonal vegetables you like…mix it up!

This sandwich is a breeze to put together, the assembly line of ingredients make it fun for kids to help too (if you are so inclined). Crucial to the success of this sandwich is letting it sit, weighted down, for at least 2 hours. Pan Bagnat means “to bath in oil” so all of the flavors (the garlic, olives, artichokes and tomatoes, etc) press into the bread.

Here’s what you need!

1 baguette
1 garlic clove
olive oil
tomato
cucumber
onion
hard boiled eggs
Marinated artichoke hearts
olives
cheese
salt and pepper
sliced turkey

optional: whatever else sounds good.

Slice bread in half lengthwise but not all the way through. Rub pressed garlic on bread or just slices of garlic if you do not have mushy pressed available. Slather generous amounts of olive oil then layer sliced tomato, cucumber, onions, marinated artichokes and olives. Layer on whatever you like then season with salt and pepper.

Wrap sandwich and place underneath something heavy for a few hours. The book tells you to place it under a heavy book, or bricks or a 25 lb. toddler. I used two heavy books and just put it on a bookshelf.

Slice and serve.

Getting Moosey with Natashya at Moosewood Mondays!

For the hectic evenings.......Turkey and Rice Casserole

2011-08-19T11:04:00.001-04:00

It's almost time for school to get into full swing. Schedules are hectic and you may have less time to play about in the kitchen. Don't grab fast food! Here is a delicious casserole that is very easily thrown together. A real family pleaser (if you family likes turkey). I "borrowed" this one from Marie at The English Kitchen.

A recipe you'll love to have on your rotation for a quickie meal with big return on flavor. Healthy stuff too :-)

Ingredients.....

1 cup of long grain rice
3 cup of cooked turkey, chopped
2 cups of cooked chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups of milk (
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
2 dessert spoons of mayonnaise (about half a cup)
2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped
1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Butter a large baking baking dish. Set aside.

Stir together the rice, turkey, broccoli, soup, milk, broth, mayonnaise, onion and celery in a bowl. Add half of the cheese and stir again. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with some foil.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the casserole is bubbling. Add more cheese and bake until the cheese is melted on top and it is lightly browned.

Note- I used a full turkey leg (drumstick and thigh) that I got at the shops. I simmered the leg in lightly salted water, along with some peppercorns, a bayleaf, a stick of celery, half an onion and a carrot for several hours until it was fall off the bone tender. I then had enough meat for this casserole and a tasty stock to make some soup with.

Original recipe by Marie may be found HERE

What are your go-to meals when you are in a time crunch?

Potluck at IHCC - Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

2011-08-17T16:22:00.002-04:00

Potluck at I Heart Cooking Club means….select any Jamie Oliver dish you want. For me…pasta is always at the top of my favorite list so I prepared Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Mozzarella from Jamie’s Dinners. As luck would have it our weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy the meal on the patio. Even better, .there was enough for leftovers – yea!

Ingredients needed……

1 firm ripe pink, black, or white eggplant
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Two 14-ounce cans good-quality plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 fresh or dried chilies, chopped or crumbled, optional
Bunch fresh basil, leaves ripped and stalks sliced
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni or penne
8 ounces mozzarella
1 piece Parmesan cheese, for grating

Dice the eggplant into small cubes. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the eggplant until soft. Add the onion and garlic and after 2 minutes or so…they will get soft and start to brown. Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Go out in the garden and snip off some basil leaves and stems. Toss those in.

Start heating your water for pasta while the sauce is simmering. After 15 minutes at a low simmer, add 4 tablespoons of cream, stir gently.

Jamie suggests mixing your cooked pasta into the sauce but we just spooned the sauce over the bowled pasta. Don’t forget the mozzarella!

Sending this to IHCC for the Potluck theme and to the host of Presto Pasta Nights, Jennifer of Such a Time as This! Bon appétit!