Noshtalgia

Sweet September

2011-09-14T11:33:00.002-05:00

When September arrives I immediately think apples and apple cider. I think most of us do while looking forward to a change from the extreme heat of summer. A nice crisp apple is synonymous with the crispness of fall.
I think fall was one of my Mother's favorite times; maybe being born in September had a little to do with it. My mother would just come to life when the apple farms and cider mills went into full swing. Her great love for pork didn't hurt either, she always said that apples and pork were a match made in heaven and I would have to agree.

Apple Cider Stew

1-2 lbs. Pork shoulder (any pork with a good amount of marbling) cut into bite size pieces.
8 large carrots, chopped
6 potatoes, chopped
2 apples, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 large onion chopped
2 c. apple cider

Place carrots, potatoes, and apples in crock pot. Add meat and sprinkle with salt, thyme, and onion. Pour cider over meat and cover. Cook on low heat 10-12 hours. Thicken gravy using 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a separate bowl mixed with a little bit of the hot gravy. Put cornstarch mixture back in pot of hot stew and bring to a boil while stirring.

The Best Of Memories

2011-08-03T14:24:00.013-05:00

After a long much needed pause..... Noshtalgia is getting ready to take another trip down memory lane and retell the stories and share the recipes of people past and present. Before we move forward, I thought it would be nice to revisit some of the best posts Noshtalgia has shared over the years.

Our goal is to make today the yesterday that will bring a smile to your face tomorrow one story at a time, one delicious bite at a time...... enjoy and many thanks.

Over the years.......

2006 - Italian Pizzelles

2007 - Mimi's Chicken in Potato Chips

2007 - My Afternoon Dunks with Peepa

2008 - The Richness in Being Poor

2008 - Twenty-One Years Later

2009 - Caution.... Women Eating Dessert.... Do Not Disturb

2009 - XXX Mimi

2010 - Choose Laughter

2010 - The Scent of A Woman

From Pumpkin Patch To Table

2010-10-15T09:51:00.001-05:00

Pumpkins give so much of themselves, they are decorative, they are fun, they are loaded with seeds for both snacking and replanting and all that glorious pulp to cook in a variety of ways.

We already have one very large pumpkin gracing our table with a beautifully carved witch all a glow by candle light. This very same pumpkin has given us golden toasted, slightly salty seeds to munch on. Now awaits the big hefty pumpkin sitting outside. This one is very heavy and extremely meaty and will be cut up and cooked down to be enjoyed in this recipe and probably several others by the size of it.

FYI- When preparing my fresh pumpkin, I like dividing the pumpkin into sections leaving the skin on. I then drizzle with a little oil and roast it at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then just scoop out the flesh and put it into containers and store in the refrigerator. You may also cut the flesh of the pumpkin into chunks and boil but I find the roasting brings out the natural sugar of the pumkin and imparts more flavor.

Pumpkin Lasagna

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions, chopped

1 can (about 4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained (sauteed fresh mushrooms, even better)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried, Italian seasoning

1 Pkg. of frozen spinach thawed, squeeze out all the liquid

2 cups of fresh pumpkin, canned works fine as well

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground, black pepper

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 cup Alfredo sauce, jarred is fine

15 lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound), cooked according to package

Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and heat through; set aside.

Mix pumpkin and ricotta cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper and nutmeg until well combined.

Grease the inside of baking dish with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, covering the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/4 of the pumpkin mixture over the layer of noodles and scatter 1/4 of the green mixture over the pumpkin. Repeat layers of noodles, pumpkin and greens, until you have 4 layers of each. Top with the remaining 3 noodles; spread the remaining 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce over the top. Cover with a sheet of foil and bake for 45 minutes until bubbling around the edges. Remove foil; top with remaining Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Let lasagna rest for about 15 minutes before cutting, the squares will hold together better.

Basil In Winter

2010-09-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

The nights are starting to get too cold to leave the herbs outside and I don't want to lose any of them. Herbs can sometimes be difficult to keep fresh once picked. You can dry them which will intensify the flavor. Plus by drying and removing all the moisture the herbs will last for a good length of time. I will sometimes layer the herbs between sheets of wax paper, place in a container and freeze. The shelf life is not quite as long as the drying method but the flavor is a little closer to fresh. One of my favorite ways of keeping that intense basil flavor and aroma for several months is by turning the basil into a pesto. I love reaching for that jar of pesto during the winter months it gives every meal a hint of summer.

Basil Pesto

2 Cups of Basil leaves, stalks removed and torn into pieces

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

3-4 cloves garlic

1/4 Cup of pine nuts or walnuts

3 tablespoons Parmesan

3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano

1 1/4 cup olive oil

Put everything in a food processor and then slowly drizzle in the oil. You do not want this completely smooth. Serve on bread, flavor your meats or seafood or just toss some into your favorite pasta dish.

image WebECoist

Falling Into You

2010-09-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

Falling Leaves, falling temperatures no wonder we call this the fall season quite aptly named I would say. While things are falling steadily outside the inside temperatures are on the rise. We slowly raise our thermostats and once again begin to turn up the burners for some cold weather cooking. For me it is an automatic reflex on our very first cold, dark damp day that my soul longs for a big bowl of homemade soup. I never know which one to make first, I have so many favorites but since it is that time of year filled with crisp aromatic apples and rich velvety squash in such great abundance I believe my soup journey should begin here.

Apple Harvest Soup

4 slices day old bread

3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1 lg. butternut squash, peeled and sliced

2 med. onions, sliced

4 c. chicken stock, canned or homemade

3/4 tsp. dried tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. apple wine, may substitute with apple cider

1/2 c. heavy cream

Sour cream

Make bread crumbs of the bread. Place in stockpot with all ingredients up to apple wine. Simmer 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Puree the mixture and reheat to simmer. Add the apple wine and cream - do not boil. To serve, garnish with dabs of sour cream.

Hot For The Picking

2010-08-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

This time of year is bittersweet, sweet because most of the gardens bounty is ripe for the picking and bitter because it means summer is coming to an end.

On a brighter note fall is just around the corner and it brings with it crisp air and an abundance of apples, corn and squash to console us through the winter.
I had only planted a couple of jalapeno plants at the beginning of the season and to my surprise these plants are producing dozens and dozens of peppers. So here is a really nice salad that combines a little bit of everything; hot, sweet, tangy, crunchy but most of all delicious.

Jalapeno, Jicama and Mango Salad

1 small Jicama sliced thin, adds a nice crunch to the salad but can be omitted.
4 ripe mangos
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
4 fresh jalapenos, seeded and sliced fine
1/4 c. light oil
1/8 c. of apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of sugar to taste

Peel and slice the mangos and Jicama and combine mango, jicama, onion slices with the jalapenos. Make a dressing by stirring the oil, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar together. Mix well and let stand for at least 2 hours before serving.

Eaten Not Stirred

2010-08-12T13:24:00.002-05:00

My mother’s great grandparents came from Russia and one of the stories that I found most fascinating was their tradition for a Bloody Mary. According to them the Bloody Mary’s that we are all familiar with stray far from its origins. There was a time when the tomato and the vodka never married together in a glass instead the tomato was eaten with a little salt and then washed down with ample amounts of vodka. Over time when the Russians introduced this tomato eating vodka drinking tradition to the United States many people started to add their own twists and created the many versions of the Bloody Mary that we are all quite enjoyably familiar with today.

Since my cherry tomatoes in my garden are red, ripe and bountiful why not pay homage to them by making some bite size Bloody Mary's.

Please make sure you have some ice cold vodka chilling to wash these down with, we wouldn’t want to break from tradition afterall.

Bite Size Bloody Mary’s

1 box ripe cherry tomatoes or fresh from the garden, even better

1/4 c. very cold vodka

2 tbsp. kosher salt

Save the rest of the Vodka for drinking

Poke 3 to 4 holes in each cherry tomato using a toothpick, place tomatoes in a container that has a cover. Pour vodka over tomatoes, give them a stir then cover and refrigerate over night or longer if necessary. To serve place tomatoes in serving dish, in separate dishes have toothpicks and kosher salt. To eat place tomato on toothpick, dip in kosher salt and eat.

FYI- may also provide dishes of chopped dill and some hot pepper for those who like it spicy.

Bloody Mary

Sprouts And Spuds

2010-07-13T10:58:00.001-05:00

I have added Brussel sprouts to my garden this year; it will be my first time planting them. I have always loved them so it will be especially nice to enjoy them fresh picked right from my own back yard. Brussel sprouts can be prepared in a hundred different ways from simple to over the top and turn out delicious every time. I like this recipe because it reminds me a little of the English bubble and squeak (cabbage and mashed potatoes). I guess you could mash this up and pretty much have the same thing either way it is just good eating made simple.

Brussel Sprouts and New Potatoes

About a dozen sm. red potatoes washed and quartered
A dozen or so Brussels sprouts, trimmed with X cut in stem for quicker cooking
Tablespoon of butter
Tablespoon of olive oil
3/4 c. of chicken broth or water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives or green onion tops

Place Brussel sprouts and potatoes in large sauté pan with olive oil and butter set to medium high heat. Once sprouts and potatoes are nicely coated with the butter and oil add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes then lower heat, cover and let simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off heat, add salt, pepper, herbs and onion tops, give it a good stir and serve.

The addition of crumbled bacon or a dollop of sour cream is a welcome touch.

Daydreaming Garden

2010-06-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year when I take great pleasure in watching my garden grow. As I wait for sun, rain and nature to take its natural course, I start to daydream of all the wonderful ways that I will prepare the fruits of my labor. Right now I am focused on just how pretty the sweet peas are winding and clinging to anything and everything. Their beautiful pinkish purple blossoms letting me know that something special is yet to come. Gardening is so magical and so satisfying in so many ways.

Sweet Pea Salad

3 to 4 cups of cooked rice, any type
2 c. of fresh from the garden sweet peas, may substitute frozen
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, taste much better if you toast the walnuts first
1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 c. sliced green onions (scallions)
1/3 c. bottled buttermilk ranch or creamy Italian salad dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

In bowl combine rice with peas, nuts, pepper and onions. Add salad dressing and gently toss to coat. Chill and toss again just before serving.
This salad is very pretty served in lettuce cups or over lettuce covered plates.

Holiday Heat Relief

2010-05-30T19:11:00.002-05:00

The heat is on, the people have gathered and it is time to keep things cool this holiday weekend. Here is a last minute idea that is fun, quick and plays a double role; beverage and dessert. Plus it is easy enough to leave you free to join in on the fun.

Happy Memorial Day!

7-UP Fruit Freeze - It's a dessert, it's a cocktail, it's a punch, it's a Blast!

1- 6 ounce can of orange juice concentrate

1- 1/2 cups of water

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of lemon juice

2 pkgs. of. Frozen strawberries, using the juice as well
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
6 bananas, diced

Combine all ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan. Freeze. Take out 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Put a scoop of the fruit ice into glass of your choice and fill remainder of glass with 7-UP. It's just fruity, fizzy fun on a hot summer day.

Prepped And Ready To Go!

2010-05-23T14:23:00.000-05:00

Isn't it funny how our fruit consumption increases when someone else has taken the time to do all the work? Prime example, my uncle and I enjoy fresh pink grapefruit segments not the ones that come in a can or jar. Sure, we could purchase the grapefruits and segment them ourselves but it is so much nicer to enjoy the corning glass container full of them that could always be found in my grandmother's refrigerator. My grandmother prepped melons, berries and grapefruit every week and kept them chilled in the fridge ready to be enjoyed at all times.

Sometimes you just hate to work at your food but the rewards are great if you do and even greater when someone else is kind enough to do it for you.

I find I tend to eat more often and automatically healthier by having containers of fruit and veggie's prepped and ready to eat on hand.

I had a friend who would always have a large container filled with assorted melon balls in her fridge. In the heat of summer this was a much appreciated treat after a long day of yard work or just a day of fun in the sun. I am sure if that melon was not in the fridge we would have opted for something less than nutritious. My friend also made this sour cream dressing that went wonderfully with the melon. The dressing will add a few calories but all you really need is about a teaspoonful of dressing per serving for it is quite rich and flavor dense. Feel free to opt out of the dressing and just stick with the melon which is fine and satisfying on its own.

Melon Balls - Use any type of melon

1 whole watermelon
2 whole cantaloupe
1 whole honeydew melon
Juice of half a lemon, lime or orange helps fruit stay fresher longer while adding extra flavor.
Mint sprigs, optional

If you feel that your melon is not sweet enough just add a tablespoon of sugar to the cut up melon and stir in before placing in the fridge.

Scoop balls from melons (for less work you may just cube the melon). Chill and serve with garnish of mint sprigs.

Optional Dressing:

8 ounces of Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon of orange juice concentrate
1 Tablespoon of powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together, place in covered container and refrigerate.
One spoonful of this dressing is just enough to make that melon salad extra special.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

2010-05-17T01:04:00.000-05:00

A thirsty girl needs to start planning for all the hot weather ahead and what better way than with a pink girly girl cocktail. This will put the blush in those pretty little cheeks and keep you smiling through the rest of the day.

These slush type drinks are the perfect thing to keep on hand during the summer months. Whether it's a party of one or one hundred, it never hurts to be prepared!

Pink Lady Slush

1 lg. can pink frozen lemonade
1 lg. can water
1/2 c. grenadine
1 cup of vodka

Mix well and freeze until mixture turns to slush (at least 2 to 3 hours); stir occasionally. Fill glass 1/2 full with slush. Fill remainder with 7-Up or if you want your drink to pack more punch skip the 7-Up and use sparkling wine or champagne instead.

Just keep doubling and tripling the amounts, so your freezer never runs dry.

Black Beauty

2010-05-11T16:34:00.005-05:00

Black Garlic

For all of us who can't imagine life without garlic, there is a new stinking rose in town and she's a beauty......a black beauty. Yes you heard me right, I was watching the Foodnetwork the other night and an ingredient that was being used on one of their shows was; Black Garlic. I know I nearly fell off my chair, why had I not heard of this and where do I have to go to get some. Well it turns out there is a website devoted to this amazing bulb. It almost looks like pieces of shiny black onyx cradled in antique white. I cannot wait to try it, so I am including the link to the website where you may order it direct or find a nearby location that carries it.

I look forward to seeing how it tastes and all the new recipes that I can create with it.

Here is one of the recipes from the website using this new culinary find. If anyone has already tried this please let me know what you thought of it and more importantly....what type of dish you made using it.

Here is another wonderful site for Black Garlic called Black Garlic Love, Thanks Lydia.

Black Garlic Linguini

Ingredients

• One portion of linguine

• 4 cloves of peeled black garlic – sliced

• A glug of extra virgin garlic oil

• A handful of chopped fresh herbs – chives, parsley and basil

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• A few slivers of fresh mild red chilli (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the packet.

2. Once cooked drain thoroughly. Set aside.

3. Heat the garlic oil in the same pan. Add the black garlic, herbs and chilli (if using). Stir.

4. Quickly toss in the linguine. Stir.

5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with a few whole fresh basil leaves.

7. Sit back, relax and enjoy!!!

Abracadabra Watch Me Pull A Pie Crust Out Of My.........

2010-05-03T01:39:00.002-05:00

As soon as I see a recipe for any type of impossible pie it instantly reminds me of my grandmother. My grandmother loved all of those impossible pie recipes and there was actually a period of time when she was making a couple different impossible pies per week. I think besides the fact that they were easy to make and that they tasted good, I believe my grandmother derived a bit of amusement and fascination by the crust that would magically appear from nothing but a pool of wet batter. My grandmother was not alone; all of us kids loved the magic pie crust trick....especially the part where we made the magic pie disappear one tasty bite at a time.
This impossible coconut pie turns out with the consistency of a crème Brulee that just happens to have a very thin crust. You could probably sprinkle some sugar on top and use a torch to melt the sugar and actually turn it into a coconut Crème Brulee pie.

Impossible Coconut Pie

4 eggs

1/2 stick melted butter

2 cups milk

1 cup coconut

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

You may substitute a 1/2 cup of Bisquick as a replacement for the flour and baking powder in this recipe.

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a greased pie pan. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes at 350°F.

Now That's The "Spear-It"

2010-04-29T12:18:00.002-05:00

Only twenty calories in five spears, nutritionally well balanced, in season and great tasting. Only a few minutes of cooking time and I am munching those spears one after another as if they were pretzel rods. I seem to do the same thing with brussel sprouts I eat them as if they were popcorn. It's not that I can't have the pretzels or the popcorn; I actually enjoy the asparagus and the brussel sprouts and find them to be a treat and not a deprivation.
Asparagus is so low in calorie that you can actually fill your plate without fretting over the portion size. This recipe is perfect if you are looking for something a little different with loads of flavor without packing on too many additional calories.
If you would like to have this salad as a meal rather than a side, just add some tuna for the addition of protein. The tuna would actually make this more of a traditional Nicoise salad.

Asparagus Nicoise

3 lbs. of asparagus trimmed
6 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
3 Teaspoons. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. of olive oil
3 shallots minced
3 plum tomatoes, diced (any nice ripe tomato will do)
1/2 c. Nicoise or Kalamata olives, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 Tablespoons drained capers

Place asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4-5 minutes, then drain. Transfer asparagus to bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process.

Whisk vinegar and mustard in small bowl, slowly whisk in the oil until it emulsifies. Then add in the shallots, tomatoes, olives and capers, salt and pepper to taste. Drain asparagus and arrange on individual plates or on a big serving platter and let everyone help themselves. Spoon Nicoise mixture over asparagus and serve cold

The Scent Of A Woman

2010-04-25T15:16:00.004-05:00

As women choosing a fragrance that compliments our individual body chemistry is one of great importance. We match our shampoo to our hair type; our make-up must blend to match our skin tone depending on whether we are fair, medium or dark. Then their is the whole color palette thing for hair, eye shadow, blush....are you a pink or an earth tone, a blond, brunette or redhead? It can be exhausting always trying to look and smell our best working with and accentuating what God gave us. We do this not only as a form of vanity but as a way to embrace our womanhood, femininity and as a way of recognizing that girly girl inside all of us.

This feminine mystique doesn't stop at humans it can also be highly exhibited in our four legged family members. By this time, I am sure all of you are familiar with my very dear friend Christine. Christine is very much a girly girl in the very best sense and it would stand to reason that she would have a dog who reflects those same girly girl qualities. When you see Christine's dog Lena, there is no mistaking that she is female, from her long flowing silky blond hair down to the gentle sashay of her hips when she walks. As a female, Lena is meticulous about her grooming. That is also why she has always gone with very specific fragrances to enhance her natural womanly beauty; Eau De Spring Air, Eau De Flowers, Eau De Summer Breeze, Eau De Crisp Winter, Eau De Falling Leaves and Eau De Fresh Cut Grass. These fragrances have always worked well with her natural chemistry and have kept her feeling feminine and attractive to others. Unfortunately Lena decided to throw caution to the wind (literally) and go to a new perfume counter to experiment with something different. The girl behind the counter seemed nice enough with her long flowing black hair and that striking white stripe down the center of her back. Lena's curiosity to try something new drew her closer to that girl allowing the girl to take her atomizer and give her a little spray. Lena being immediately horrified by the smell asked;" What on earth do you call this, it makes a compost heap smell like a field of gardenias".

The girl politely replied; it is my own personal scent sugar, I call it Eau De Skunk now you have a nice day Darlin' and please don't come back!

Lena

Funny......well not so much for Christine or Lena for that matter. Happily the smell is finally starting to go away.

A stinky story deserves a stinky recipe and the very first thing that comes to mind.....Limburger Cheese of course!

Limburger cheese is undoubtedly one of the worst smelling cheeses in the world! Limburger actually smells far worse than it tastes. For many people though, the aroma is both the beginning and the end of the acquaintance.

I did not muster up enough courage to try Limburger until I was 37 years old but I must say I absolutely love it. Once you get past the smell it is one of the freshest tasting cheeses on the palate....hard to believe but true.

Limburger Cheese Sandwich

2 slices rye bread (dark, light or pumpernickel)

Prepared brown mustard or butter, I actually prefer the butter.

Limburger cheese, sliced

Thick slices of sweet onion

To assemble sandwich, spread mustard on rye bread slices; layer with limburger cheese and sweet onion slices.

Serve with your favorite beer.

Makes 1 sandwich.

Caution! This is not a perfume atomizer.

The Energizing Salad

2010-04-19T17:52:00.002-05:00

I am always struggling with what to eat while doing my night job cleaning at an athletic club. The hours are technically hours that most people should not be eating. I am there from 9:30 pm until 6 in the morning. It is only three nights a week but it is a physically grueling job that requires a lot of energy that quite frankly I don't always have. So what to eat that isn't too calorie laden but yet packs enough protein to give me the energy that I so desperately need. Well, eggs are great which I do often either hard boiled or I'll make a nice vegetable frittata which always travels nicely but I also would like some variety. Then I remembered a tuna and bean salad that my grandmother made and kept in a covered container in the fridge. This salad is perfect; it keeps well and is not only delicious but packed with protein. So I made myself a triple batch of the recipe below using three types of beans; cannellini, black and butter beans. This is the perfect healthy go to food to keep on hand, especially for those of us constantly watching our weight.

FYI-Tuna has always been a favorite protein source especially for bodybuilders, dieters, and other athletes. Tuna is a very inexpensive, convenient food that is low in fat and a great source of protein and omega-3 essential fats. Beans and legumes are inexpensive and a common food all over the world. Very high in calcium and iron, beans and legumes are also a great source of protein and can be a nice alternative to meat.

High Protein Salad
Make a double or triple batch, this salad will keep for a couple weeks refrigerated. I usually allow myself a one to one and a half cup serving.

1 cans of cannellini beans, (15 oz.) drained & rinsed (may use any type bean)

1 lg. can white tuna, drained

1/2 c. chopped red onion

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 lg. tomato, seeded & diced, optional
Bell peppers, chopped, optional

Combine beans, tuna, tomato and onion in large bowl. Combine lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add to salad. Mix in basil, season with salt and pepper.

It's Really All About The Sandwich!

2010-04-15T11:35:00.003-05:00

Su-Lin/Flickr

The basics of a good meat loaf seem simple at best but through the years and many a meat loaf later I can honestly say that there are some people who can take the humble meat loaf and make it taste like.....you know! Sadly my mother was one of those people, she was a really good cook with everything else but her meat loaf would make me shudder. To this day I still feel she put way too many onions in it. My mother was the queen of onions and in other recipes that was just fine but in meat loaf, not so great. My mother's meat loaf was three parts chopped onions to a little over one part ground beef. You couldn't cut a slice of this meat loaf if your life depended on it. Each slice would just fall apart; there was not enough ground beef to hold it together. I guess if she was serving some recipe called "Onion Loaf" this would have been great but when having meat loaf, I find that the meat part of the recipe should be the headliner.
I realize that I am extremely fussy when it comes to meat loaf, it is just one of those foods that I tend to be quite judgmental about. To be fair, I have even made some meat loaves that I wouldn't eat.
My mother liked topping her meat loaf with ketchup and bacon which is pretty common. I don't mind the bacon but I am not real big on the ketchup.
I actually prefer meat loaf with brown gravy or no gravy at all as long as the meat loaf is moist. I have had a couple people who have served me meat loaf and I have actually enjoyed it and gone back for seconds, my grandmother being one and the other being my dear friend Christine.
The funny thing is I could really care less about the initial meat loaf dinner, what I truly look forward to, obsess over and dream about is that meat loaf sandwich I am going to make with the leftovers! I am surprised by the number of people that feel the exact same way. I guess when it comes down to it meat loaf is less about dinner and more about the sandwich!

A Simple Loaf

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 or 4 slices bacon
3/4 c. bread crumbs or bread cubes
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. of onion powder
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients except the bacon in a bowl. Briefly blend well and form into a loaf. Place the loaf on a rack in a 10" baking pan and cover with the bacon slices. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the meat loaf is firm and the bacon browned. Let the meat loaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

A "Chili" Day in Painted Post N.Y. Sponsored by H&R Block

2010-04-08T16:22:00.004-05:00

A day filled with activities, balloons, baked goods , face painting, Kyle The Clown
made animal balloons and played with the children. Kinder-printing was also available. Drawings were held for various prizes, including a free income tax return and free second looks.

H&R Block Painted Post, 90 Victory Highway sponsored its 1st Annual Chili Cook-off between the volunteer fire departments of Bath, Savona and Coopers Plains Long Acres on March 27th, 2010. All proceeds of the event being directly donated to those volunteer fire departments that participated

Steuben County Legislator Carol Ferratella and Julie DelMastro making the rounds.

All winners will be selected by a panel of judges and the public. Joining the celebrity panel of judges this year were: Frank Coccho, the former mayor of Corning; Matthew Fregoe, H&R Block district manager, Julie DelMastro, owner of Noshtalgia Food Blog and Steuben County Legislator Carol Ferratella. Unfortunately Jeevan Vittal of WENY-TV news reporter got called away on assignment and was unable to join the judge's panel.

Being such a cool day tasting piping hot bowls of chili was just the ticket for warming things up. Each of the three fire departments came up with very different recipes for their chili. All three were quite good with very distinct flavors, textures and aromas.

Coopers Plains Long Acres chili captured that traditional taste that I think most of us can associate with. It was very flavorful with a nice mix of meat and beans that left you with a very mild tickle of heat at the back of your throat. Bill and Byron, the Chili Chefs for Coopers Plains had admitted to watching the Foodnetwork and learned that presentation is important. So the guys added a nice presentational touch with the addition of a little shredded cheese and chive garnish

Bath's chili was delicious and hearty with a nice bit of kick; it was definitely the chunkiest of the three chili's entered. This chili had loads of bell peppers and something you don't often see in chili; big pieces of celery. I have to say the celery was a nice addition and just added to the textures and flavors. Bath's team also made mini corn muffins to accompany their chili and also offered a garnish of shredded cheese and sour cream.
I asked their team who was responsible for cooking the chili and they insisted it was a team collaberation along with the help of their spouses and children.

Savona's chili was quite different from the others; their chili was actually quite sweet. It mainly consisted of meat and beans and some of us thought we detected a hint of cinnamon or some other unusual spice. It was really quite good and we appreciated that they stepped outside the box a little in terms of flavors. Dawn Phenes, CSP for H&R Block Painted Post shopped for the ingredients while Joe Rotsell, Volunteer Firefighter did the cooking.

Even though we (the judges) loved each of the chili's that we tasted, we were quite unanimous when it came to the chili that we felt stood out as being the best.....And the winner was....Congratulations to the Bath Volunteer Fire Department.

Karen Buck, Office Coordinator of H&R Block Painted Post and Matt Fregoe, District Manager of

H&R Block presenting the award.

FYI - This blog is all about food and tradition and I just wanted to let everyone know a new tradition has been formed. That's right, mark your calenders because March 26th, 2011 get ready for the 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off, sponsored by H&R Block.

Firefighters start your burners!

Kicked Up Con Carne
This is not one of the recipes from the chili cook-off but I am sure it is one you will enjoy.

2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 bunch celery, diced
2 lg. onions, diced
4 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced
2 green peppers, diced
2 red peppers, diced
1 Yellow pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. liquid smoke flavoring

4 oz. chili powder

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 (1 lb.) cans tomato puree

1 lb. can ground tomatoes

2 cans dark kidney beans, drained

1 can red beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot sauté onions, all peppers, and garlic in small amount of oil until tender. Add beef and pork. Stir around until cooked. Add flour to meat juices and mix well. Add 3 ounces chili powder, cayenne pepper, and liquid smoke and stir together.

Add tomato puree and ground tomatoes. Mix all together and simmer slowly for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 hour, add remaining chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Also add drained beans and finish simmering for 30 minutes.

Eating For The Fun Of It!

2010-03-22T02:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes food should just be fun, carnival fun, food on a stick fun, fried ooey gooey fun. Hopefully leaving behind no regrets, nothing more than a full stomach and a sticky lipped smile. Save sensible for the remaining eighty percent of the week or ninety percent if you have to be really, really careful.
Sure sensible foods can be made to be fun like riding a Merry-Go-Round fun but sometimes you just need the exhilaration only a Roller Coaster can deliver!

Deep-Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (This one is from the Food network and it is a definite keeper)!

Recipe courtesy George Duran

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup pasteurized eggs or 2 whole eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups (12-ounce package) chocolate chips

Batter:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 large egg (or 1/4 cup pasteurized eggs)

• 1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda, plus more if needed

• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

For the dough: Put the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and stir it with a whisk to combine. Set aside. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is lighter in color. Slowly add in sugars and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until they are incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture using the low speed, then stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

To form the cookies: Use 2 teaspoons of the dough and roll it into balls. Put the balls onto a cookie sheet. When they are all made, put them into the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up.

For the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the egg and half the seltzer and whisk well to combine. Add more seltzer as needed until the batter is thick and the consistency of heavy cream.

To make the cookies: Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F.

Dip the chilled dough balls in the batter and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry a few at a time, turning them over from time to time, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm.

DEEP-FRIED CANDY BARS

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Candy bars (Mars, Snickers, Almond Joy, Kit Kat or Twix work well; use mini versions if you wish)

1. Chill or freeze the candy bars.

2. Combine egg, milk and vegetable oil in a cup.

3. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. Cover and chill for a few minutes while the oil heats.

4. Remove batter from the refrigerator and adjust the consistency if necessary. Heat about 4 cups of oil or shortening to 375 degrees F.

5. Dip the chilled candy bar in the batter and gently place into the oil. Cook only until the outside is golden. Remove and drain on brown paper. Allow to cool for a minute as the inside can easily burn your mouth.

Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick

This recipe courtesy of who else but Miss Paula Deen

Stuffing:

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided

• 1 pound breakfast sausage, bulk

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1/2 cup diced carrot

• 1/2 cup diced celery

• 1 bag unseasoned bread cubes, for stuffing

• 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

• 2 teaspoons ground sage

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 4 eggs, beaten

For Frying:

• Oil, for frying

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• Special equipment: 12 wooden ice cream sticks or skewers

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is cooked through. Transfer to a plate, while spooning off the excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and melt. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until softened. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss together bread cubes, saltines, poultry seasoning, parsley flakes, sage, salt and pepper. Stir the sautéed vegetables into the mixing bowl. Pour in the chicken stock and eggs and toss together. Turn the stuffing out into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the juices in the stuffing are bubbling.

Preheat oil in the deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Cool the stuffing completely. Cut it into 12 squares. Remove each square from the dish and wrap it around a wooden stick, pressing it onto the stick with your hands. Make the stuffing form a log shape around the Popsicle stick, leaving 2-inches of the stick exposed for the handle. This should look somewhat like a lumpy corn dog.

Roll the stick in the flour, coating it well and then shaking off the excess. Gently lower the sticks into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Jack Attack

2010-03-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Chocolate, coffee and Jack Daniels made into a cake is it any wonder we were all asking for the recipe! There always seems to be at least one dish at every gathering that gets everybody buzzing. This cake was that very dish, I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a big fan of cake unless of course it is cheesecake. I really liked this one because it was exceptionally moist, had really deep rich flavors and the addition of pecans gave it a nice textural balance.
Just think you could serve this cake with a cup of hot coffee or a shot of Jack Daniels to wash it down and not worry about the flavors clashing.
You make this cake and people will be begging you for the recipe.

Jack Daniels Cake

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey

1/2 cup black coffee

1/4 cup broken pecan pieces

1 very ripe banana

1 stick butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using an electric mixer combine all the ingredients, except the pecan pieces. Mix on medium-high 1-2 minutes until ribbon like consistency is achieved (do not over mix or cake will be tough).

Spray a Bundt cake pan with Pam to coat lightly.

Put pieces of nuts in the bottom. When cake mix is mixed well, pour batter into the pan, level off in center, and bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center is nearly clean.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from pan.

Feel free to ice or glaze this cake with a nice drizzle of melted chocolate or a light dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

Choose Laughter

2010-03-14T16:20:00.003-05:00

Me with my Mother and Grandmother - September 2008

At times we get a glimpse into what might be while spending time with older relatives. You become an observer to what waits for you as you approach the end of life's road. It can be a very sad and painful time but luckily as with all other times in life it to can be fraught with joy and laughter as well. Thank God, we can laugh even through insurmountable sadness.
My mother spent her last several years of life living in a nursing home a potential existence most of us view with fear and dread. In my mother's case this was a welcome and much needed chapter in her life and fortunately in my mother's case her time in the nursing home was a very good, loving and nurturing experience.
My grandmother's road in life has lead her to an assisted living facility, considered to be a step up from a nursing home but in the eyes of many who are living there it is another cruel act of life that rids us of our independence and ability to choose.
What I have observed so far in my 51 years on this earth is; we live to gain as many chronological years as possible hopefully filling those years with love, laughter, hope and our God given free will of; "choice". Choice, the freedom to think independently and choose between what you deem right or what you deem wrong, what you feel that you need or that you don't need, what you want or don't want, who you love or don't love.....How you wish to be cared for, who will be doing the caring and where you will call, home.
What I have learned as I lovingly observe all these potential " future me's" is as we forge through this life with all its joy, hardship and never-ending changes. As we gain years our list of choices becomes smaller and the unpleasant choices seem to out number the pleasant ones.....except for one choice that is always ours to make no matter how old we are or where we are on this road in life and that is to laugh. Laughter will always help us to rise above the gloom and shine down on us with a light that lets us know that we will and can survive this moment and any moment that life can throw our way.
I am posting a recipe for shrimp croquettes because they became a source of laughter while having a dinner visit with my grandmother. Let's just say a woman that was seated two tables away from ours took great issue with her croquettes and it just grew into being comical. My grandmother who was in a crabby mood (which is most of the time) even began laughing, she looks so much better with a smile on her face......so here is to the power of laughter, smile and enjoy!

Shrimp Croquettes

3/4 lb. frozen cooked shelled shrimp
3 tbsp. Crisco
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. snipped parsley
Dash of pepper & paprika
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. water
1 pkg. (8 oz.) frozen peas with cream sauce

Defrost shrimp, devein if necessary. Chop finely (about 2 cups). Melt 3 tablespoons Crisco. Blend in flour. Add milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until very thick and smooth; remove from heat. Add onion, parsley, lemon juice and seasonings; stir in shrimp.
Preheat Crisco for deep frying to 350 degrees. Shape shrimp mixture into 8 cones. Roll in crumbs. Combine egg with water. Dip cones in egg mixture roll in crumb again.
Deep fry a few at a time until brown, about 3 minutes. Turn if necessary, drain on paper towel
Prepare peas according to directions on package. Spoon creamed peas over croquettes.

Makes 4 servings.

From Mashing To Smashing

2010-03-08T16:47:00.001-05:00

My mother and I had been making our mashed potatoes like this for years just because we liked them that way. Who knew that it was actually a traditional French preparation called Aligot and a very popular one at that. I am sure that my mother and I may have strayed a bit from what is considered the authentic preparation but ours is pretty darn close. These potatoes are so rich you could almost get away without serving anything else. From what I have read Aligot is traditionally served with sausages or beef but from my point of view Aligot can be served with just about anything quite nicely.

Aligot is kind of like putting the fancy on plain old mashed potatoes.

Aligot (pronounced Ah-Lee-Go)

2 lbs. potatoes

4 Tbsp. of heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. butter

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

8 oz. Brie or Camembert with rind removed, sliced

Chopped chives or green onion tops

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water in large saucepan for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain; peel. Mash the potatoes with the heavy cream in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Sauté garlic in butter for about one minute, do not allow garlic to brown. Add Brie; stir until completely melted. Stir the melted cheese mixture into the mashed potatoes. You want to keep stirring the mixture until it has a gummy silky texture (may use mixer to accomplish this more easily, garnish with the chopped chives.

Serve immediately.

FYI - We have also experimented using shredded Swiss cheese instead of the brie and it worked exceptionally well giving the Aligot a more nutty taste.

Blue Passion

2010-03-04T19:25:00.003-05:00

I could eat blue cheese by the crumble, by the chunk or by the wheel. I am telling you it is genetic my entire family magnetizes to blue cheese. I love stinky strong cheeses, to me the so called stink just speaks to the high level of flavor.

The other night I made a big batch of blue cheese dip/dressing which can be used for just about anything. That night it was used as a dip for homemade Buffalo wings . It was so delicious, more so because I added probably triple the amount of blue cheese one would normally use....what I can say. I am the same way with garlic as I pointed out in the previous post. Some may say that I have severe issues with certain foods; I like to think of it more as having tremendous passion about certain foods.

I am also passionate about soup one of life's most perfect dishes and by adding blue cheese this dish is way over the top!

ONION AND BLUE CHEESE SOUP

4 lg. onions, sliced thin
3/4 stick (6 tbsp.) butter
4 c. canned beef broth
1 c. dry white wine
1/4 lb. blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 c.)

1 baguette, for croutons. (Just slice, butter or drizzle a little olive oil on each slice and put in 400 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes). Spreading with blue cheese is optional but really, really good!

In a large saucepan, cook the onions in the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until they are softened. Sprinkle the onions with salt and pepper, stir in the broth and the wine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the heat and add 3/4 cup of the cheese and stir the soup until the cheese is melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish it with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the croutons.

I Stink, Come Closer.......

2010-02-28T19:18:00.002-05:00

If and when I actually follow a recipe while cooking you can be guaranteed that if the recipe calls for fresh garlic that I will double or triple the amount called for. I absolutely adore that stinking rose it has such a multi-faceted flavor personality. It can be bold, sweet, gentle and sometimes a little unkind in certain situations but always gets along well with any dish it touches
In my neighborhood I have at times been referred to as the "Queen of Garlic" since on any given day the exterior pores of my home would excrete garlic's hypnotizing perfume beckoning people to my door. My table has seen many gather round it for many a year filling many with the contentment a good meal and good company can bring. Whoever said garlic keeps people away, if it wasn't for all the darn lights I bet even Dracula himself would be knocking at my door!

Garlic Hot Wings

4 to 6 chopped fresh garlic cloves

1/2 stick butter

4 tbsp. olive oil

6 oz. Frank's hot sauce (Frank's isn't quite as spicy but I think it has one of the best flavors. If you prefer more heat add some crushed red pepper or cayenne or just use a more intense hot sauce).
18 or more med. to lg. chicken wings (wings may be baked, if you prefer)

Heat butter in small saucepan add olive oil and garlic sauté garlic until tender (do not let brown or garlic becomes bitter), heat large pan of vegetable oil (2 to 3 inches).
Cut chicken wings into 3 sections, discard wing tips. Add hot sauce to the butter, olive oil and garlic, keep warm. Deep fry wings until desired shade of brown. Remove, drain on paper towels and place in medium bowl, cover with hot garlic sauce and serve.

"Happy Birthday To Me"

2010-02-23T11:03:00.003-05:00

Words to live by......

I have always liked this poem it expresses so clearly how I strive to be, so I am posting it as a birthday gift to myself to keep me in check whenever I feel myself begin to stray.

Myself

Poet: Edgar A. Guest

I have to live with myself and so

I want to be fit for myself to know.

I want to be able as days go by,
always to look myself straight in the eye;

I don't want to stand with the setting sun
and hate myself for the things I have done.

I don't want to keep on a closet shelf

a lot of secrets about myself

And fool myself as I come and go
into thinking no one else will ever know

The kind of person I really am,

I don't want to dress up myself in sham.

I want to go out with my head erect
I want to deserve all humankinds respect;

But here in the struggle for fame and wealth

I want to be able to like myself.

I don't want to look at myself and know that

I am bluster and bluff and empty show.

I never can hide myself from me;
I see what others may never see;

I know what others may never know,

I never can fool myself and so,

Whatever happens I want to be
self respecting and conscience free.

This recipe was the one I tended to go to when my Mother asked what I wanted as my special birthday dinner. I always loved when she made this for me, of course you can substitute any type of meat that you like. We always enjoyed it using chuck only because it had a good amount of marbling and as we all know much to the chagrin of our waistlines that fat has a lot of flavor.

Beef Parmesan

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. of Chuck Steak or Roast (cut into one inch strips and pound slightly) to make cutlets

2 tbsp. flour

3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. sweet basil

1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cut chuck into one inch strips, sprinkle with garlic salt and flour. Pound thin, between pieces of waxed paper. Sauté quickly in olive oil and butter. Place in baking dish, sprinkle with Parmesan.
Mix tomatoes, breaking them up a bit, with tomato sauce, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic and pepper. Simmer in saucepan 25 minutes. Pour over chuck and top with mozzarella. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serves 4.

The Family Tree Of Food

2010-02-19T14:54:00.001-05:00

While digging through my endless collection of recipes from relatives spanning generations. I came across a recipe that belonged to my great grandmother Mama Rose that was passed down to my grandmother Caroline (Meema) and now it lovingly rests in my possession (granddaughter Julie). All these recipes over time become the family tree of food, a glorious tree whose roots are deeply planted with the love and memories of all the people who loved and fed us throughout the years.
This particular recipe is one I know that I will be sharing and passing along to those that I love and cherish. This recipe is a combination of two desserts that are loved by many; comforting rice pudding and lemon meringue pie. Without giving up its homey nature this dessert can rise to the stature of being elegant, worthy of serving at any type of gathering.

Lemon Rice Pudding with Meringue Topping

1 cup of cold cooked white rice
1 pint of cold milk (16 ounces)
3 eggs, separated
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. butter
2 cups of sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine rice and milk and 1/2 cup of sugar; add egg yolks, lemon rind and butter. Mix well pour into 9" by 13" bake dish and Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.
Beat egg whites until stiff; add remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar along with the juice of one lemon half way into beating. Spread meringue onto cooled pudding and bake at 350 degrees for 10 -15 minutes, just until meringue is browned.

Warming A "Chili" Heart

2010-02-13T01:51:00.001-05:00

Why not turn up the heat this Valentines Day and add a little spice to your sweetie's day.
Like they say everything is better with chocolate and this Chili is just added proof of that.
It really makes a difference in a profound way without that OMG someone dropped a candy bar in my Chili reaction. There is a depth and a mouth feel that is uniquely that of chocolate, couple that with all that savory and spicy...well it is just the perfect symphony to serenade your taste buds.
So on this Valentines Day, if it starts to get too Chili, just add chocolate. It will instantly warm the heart of that very special someone.

Chili Con Chocolate

2 lbs. of ground beef
2 (15 oz.) cans of kidney beans
2 (15 oz.) cans of tomato sauce
1 lg. onion, diced
1 lg. green pepper, diced
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1/3 c. Chile powder
2 tbsp. of dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. prepared grated horseradish
1 Hershey's Special Dark Bar (1.45 oz.) or just use 1 tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder. I prefer the dark chocolate bar; you may also substitute your own favorite chocolate.
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground pepper

In a large pot sauté your ground beef until lightly browned (drain any excessive fat). Add in the rest of the ingredients, set the temperature to medium low and let simmer, covered for 1 hour.

Food Law 101; "Even If You Can't Say It Correctly..It is Perfectly Legal To Eat It"!

2010-02-06T10:57:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you cross a waffle, a pancake and a doughnut together? You get Aebleskivers of course! Don't worry about the pronunciation; there will be no test at the end of this post...

Aebleskivers are much easier to make and far easier to eat than they will ever be to say. They even have their own special little pan, which is an absolute must to make these properly. These are so much fun; they end up being the size of a tennis ball with the slight crunch of a waffle, the tenderness of a pancake and the taste and sensory pleasure of munching on a doughnut.

Just like doughnuts Aebleskivers can be eaten plain fried or you can fill them with assorted jams, jellies, chocolate or they are incredibly good with a little mashed ripe banana in the middle. Aebleskivers can be dusted in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar or can be dunked in maple syrup or whipped cream. You can just go crazy with these little sugary carby delights.

I truly believe that an Aebleskiver pan is a must in everyone's baking pan collection, once you have it you will see just how much fun they are to make as well as eat.

Aebleskivers

2 c. buttermilk

2 c. flour

2 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. soda

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. melted butter

Separate the eggs and beat the whites stiff. Mix all the other ingredients together at one time and beat until smooth. Fold in egg whites last. Put about 1 tablespoon of oil or shortening in the bottom of each cup of the aebleskiver pan and have hot.

Pour in about 2 tablespoons of batter into cup and as soon as they get bubbly around the edge turn quickly. Use forks to turn continue cooking turning the ball to keep from burning.

If you would like these filled add your choice of filling (no more than a teaspoon full) to the center of the batter right before you flip your Aebleskiver over. When finished roll in sugar or leave plain, may also dunk in syrup or dip in whipped cream.

This Post Just "Popped" Into My Mind.

2010-01-30T11:01:00.001-05:00

Popcorn is one of those blank slate ingredients that allows your imagination to run wild. You can go sweet or savory; make it Mexican with a little chili powder or Italian with some garlic and basil. You can drizzle it with chocolate or caramel or add fruits and nuts and turn it into a trail mix. You can roll popcorn into balls or press into cakes, make it into clusters or just eat it loose out of bag, box or bowl.

Popcorn is so inexpensive; it's filling, loaded with fiber and for the most part very healthy depending on how we prepare it.

I don't believe that I have ever met anyone who doesn't like popcorn.....so get popping and start snacking!

Pizza Popcorn

1/3 c. butter

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. onion powder

10 c. fresh popcorn

Melt butter. Add Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Pour over popcorn in shallow baking pan. Stir to mix. Heat in preheated oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Popcorn Cake

1 Bundt pan full of popcorn

1 (12 oz.) jar dry roasted peanuts

1 (16 oz.) pkg. M&M'S®

1 (16 oz.) pkg. marshmallows
1 stick butter

Important: Spray all utensils with a non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl, mix popcorn, peanuts and M&M'S®. Melt butter and marshmallows together over low heat. When completely melted, pour over popcorn mixture in bowl and stir gently. Pack in Bundt pan. Let stand for 10 minutes. Turn pan over and lift off. Cake should slide right out.

Chocolate Popcorn Clusters

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp. butter
2 c. popcorn
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts

Lightly oil cookie sheet. Melt chocolate and butter over hot water in double boiler. In large bowl mix popcorn and nuts, then pour melted chocolate over, toss. Spoon candy in clusters onto oiled sheet. Store in tightly covered container in cool place, layered by wax paper or plastic wrap.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. corn syrup (light)

1/4 c. peanut butter
4 c. popcorn, popped

Combine sugar and syrup in large pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to full boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well. Pour over popcorn and stir until coated.

Rockin' Good Rabbit

2010-01-21T12:51:00.001-05:00

I just saw my neighbor walking into his house joined by his hunting dog and their obvious catch of the day, three rabbits. I guess I am not as squeamish as I use to be as a child, don't get me wrong I did say to myself; awe poor cute little bunnies. I do sometimes feel like such a cold heartless individual when I crave and eat meat but it is an honest natural craving I cannot escape.

I have had rabbit prepared in so many different ways from country fried, braised in wine and I have even had it barbequed which is very good by the way. As good as all those preparations have been this recipe has to be my absolute favorite. There is uniqueness to these flavorings being combined together, it actually seems like it shouldn't work but let me tell you that it does. These flavors work in a big way, you find yourself slowly processing each individual bite with an inquisitive delight.

This recipe is side dish friendly so whether you like potatoes, rice or stuffing, salad, cauliflower, or broccoli. Whatever you choose they will all compliment this rabbit perfectly.

Cinnamon Rabbit

1 rabbit cut into pieces or 3 rabbit loins
4 Strips of bacon cut into bite size pieces

1/4 cup of melted butter

1 tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
2 tbsp. Horseradish

1/2 cup of water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté the 4 strips of bacon over medium-high heat in butter till some of the bacon grease renders, do not let bacon get crisp, add rabbit and brown in butter and bacon, about 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Place rabbit and drippings along with bacon pieces in baking dish. Stir remaining ingredients into a 1/2 cup of water and pour over rabbit.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until tender.

FYI- No need to hunt for your rabbit these days, most grocery stores carry most game meats packaged and ready to go for your convenience.

In a pinch this recipe works equally well with any type of poultry.

Mutant Muffins

2010-01-15T15:45:00.001-05:00

As much as I love eating popovers I actually think I like the process of making them even more. It is like watching some fascinating science experiment that mutates right in front of your eyes. Out of nowhere this seemingly harmless batter just begins to morph and expand into this magical mushroom cloud in your oven. When this happens it leaves the middle of the popover full of giant air pockets which are perfect for holding little pools of melted butter just waiting to trickle down your chin, now doesn't that sound good.

Sharp Cheddar Popovers

2 eggs

1 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, well packed

In bowl, beat eggs, water, salt and flour until smooth, using a wire whisk. Blend in the cheese. Grease popover pans generously, you may also use a muffin pan. ]

Fill cups no more than 2/3 full.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 minutes longer. Remove from cups. Pierce a hole into side of each popover to allow steam to escape to keep popovers crispy. Keep in warm oven no longer than 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 popovers.

Photo/JMackinell/Flickr

Sometimes Nasty Is Good

2010-01-09T13:12:00.001-05:00

I love the nasty bits, which is why I am such a huge Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern fan. I absolutely love tripe, I grew up eating it Italian style in tomato sauce and over the years have had the pleasure of enjoying tripe in a variety of preparations. During the cold winter months I tend to eat more soup than usual, it just seems to warm me from the inside out which is quite welcoming when you are cold to the bone 90 percent of the time. It is the perfect food any time but even more so when the thermometer dips below freezing.There is a traditional Mexican soup that incorporates some of my favorite nasty bits; tripe and pigs feet. If you're lucky there are some restaurants that make their menudo with all assorted types of nasty bits which might gross most people out but for me it is pure taste bud heaven. Another traditional ingredient in this soup is hominy, which is dried corn that has been soaked in lye-water to remove the hull. The soaking causes it to swell and it is about three times the size of a normal corn kernel. Hominy comes in white or yellow depending on the corn they used, it has a strong unique flavor that is hard to describe but quite delicious and hearty.

This recipe I have used is very open to variation feel free to add more meats, chili's, herbs whatever you would like but it must have the tripe, pigs feet and hominy to keep it traditional....but there are no food police here so do with it what you will.

Menudo cooks long and slow in order to tenderize the tripe and soften the pig's feet, this slow cooking also intensifies all the flavors. Whenever possible make your menudo a day or two ahead of time for all the flavors to truly marry for the ultimate experience.

Easy To Make Menudo

3 lbs. honeycomb tripe
2 pig's feet
2 lg. cans hominy
1 can enchilada sauce
48 oz. can chicken broth
6 large cloves of fresh garlic, crushed
1/4 c. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper or cayenne (may also chop up a jalapeno or one of your favorite hot peppers for added spice).
Chopped white onion
Salt to taste
1 Lime, cut into wedges
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish as well as flavor
1 package of flour tortillas steam to soften or quickly run them over a hot flame. Tortillas are traditionally served with this soup instead of the usual crackers or bread used with other types of soup.

Wash and cut honeycomb tripe into bite size pieces. Put in large soup kettle along with pig's feet. Cover with water and boil with garlic for about 30 minutes. Add all other ingredients except onion. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for about 3 to 4 hours. When cooked, serve in soup bowls, spooning fresh, chopped onion on top and a squeeze of fresh lime and a generous sprinkling of cilantro.

This soup freezes very well so make extra to have on hand.

Julie's Got Game!

2010-01-06T11:52:00.000-05:00

My father, grandfather and Uncle all went hunting together when I was growing up so we ate quite a variety of game meats. I was fine with eating the rabbit...that is until I saw the cute little furry thing blood stained being carried in the house by my father. I'd like to say the sight of that rabbit sent me running towards vegetarianism but sadly it did not. It merely kept me from partaking in rabbit for a short time.
I very much enjoyed the pheasant it was very mild in flavor not gamey at all but I do have to say I had a real hard time with the venison. My family loved it but no matter how many different ways that it was prepared I still found it too strong and much too gamey.
Over the years I continued to try venison in various forms but it wasn't until I was in my early thirties that I really developed a love for it. One of my favorite preparations using venison is chili. I actually think chili tastes better with venison than it does with any other type of meat. I am given a great deal of venison meat each year so I am always trying to come up with different ways to make it so we don't get bored eating the same old thing over and over again. I have hit on a couple really great flavor combinations using venison which I will share with all of you in future posts. For now lets start with a truly delicious recipe for venison chili of course if you are unable to get any venison you may substitute any meat of your choosing.

Venison Chili

2 lbs. venison, cubed or ground
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 lg. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 med. onions, coarsely chopped
2 bell peppers, large dice
1 Jalapeno pepper, remove seeds and mince finely
2 cups of water
2 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup of molasses
1 cup of red wine
4 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tbsp. sweet basil
1/2 tbsp. black pepper, coarsely ground
1 tsp. salt

In a large pot, sauté venison in hot oil until slightly browned. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper; continue to sauté until onion is translucent. Add water, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, chili powder, cumin, molasses, salt, pepper, and basil; simmer for at least 2 hours. 30 minutes before serving, add red wine.

Begin Again In 2010

2010-01-01T09:51:00.002-05:00

A New Year’s Toast

Here’s to the new year...
May it bring more joy and success
And less grief and regret.
To our dreams...
May we never stop believing in them
and taking the actions that will make them a reality.
To our friends, loved ones, associates (or colleagues)...
May we take the time to let them know
how much it means to us
to have them in our lives.
Let us encourage more and criticize less,
Give more and need less.
And whenever we can,
Let us create harmony and peace.
To new beginnings...
Let us start fresh, right now,
To make this the very best year ever.
A very Happy New Year to all of us!

By Joanna Fuchs

10 Cup Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. coconut
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream the peanut butter, butter, sugars, and eggs. Add combined flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, nuts, and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonful on slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

O' Rosemary Tree , O' Rosemary Tree

2009-12-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that rosemary is actually a member of the mint family as it tends to look and taste like it is more closely related to a pine tree. As insulting as that may have sounded, I actually enjoy rosemary on certain foods, three to be exact; chicken, potatoes and lamb other than that I tend to be a bit of a rosemary snob. I remember I had given my mother a rosemary Christmas tree during her time in the nursing home. The tree was about 2 feet tall and very full and fragrant. My mother kept telling me that I should take the tree when the holidays are over and dry it so I would have plenty of rosemary for all my recipes. I laughed; I said Mom if your tree was made out of basil and parsley I would take you up on that offer but being that the tree is made of rosemary it would take me the rest of my life to use it all. So the rosemary tree stayed in her room, we took very good care of it and it joyfully saw her through two holiday seasons.

Roasted Rosemary New Potatoes

3 lbs. sm. red skinned new potatoes
3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, grated
2 tsp. rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Quarter potatoes and arrange in baking dish in single layer. Salt and pepper the potatoes, combine butter, lemon juice and lemon zest in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted.

Pour mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle rosemary over potatoes. Bake until lightly browned for 30 to 45 minutes.

Cardboard Never Tasted So Good!

2009-12-21T12:37:00.001-05:00

Baccala` is Italian for salt cod which is usually one of the traditional fishes used during the Feast of the seven fishes. Baccala` actually looks and feels like cardboard in its dried state. It is interesting the difference in flavor going from fresh cod which is very mild to the salted preserved cod which when soaked and reconstituted has a much more intense flavor. Due to Baccala's more intense flavor it can stand up well to much bolder flavors such as; olives, capers, lemons and tomatoes more so than its milder counterparts without losing its own unique qualities. Baccala` tends to be an acquired taste, it is not for everyone but for those of us that do enjoy it, it truly makes for a much anticipated holiday treat!

Baccala` With Tomatoes and Olives

2 to 3 lbs. Baccala` (fish), totally submerge in fresh cold water for 3 days, changing water morning and night
1/4 c. oil
2 cans whole tomatoes, chopped or you can use stewed tomatoes
6 med. onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. sweet basil
1 can pitted black olives, small or cut the large ones in half
1 small jar of pimento stuffed green olives
1 tablespoon of capers
Cut up Baccala` into good size chunks or strips
Juice of half a lemon; sprinkle on at the end of cooking to brighten the flavors.

FYI- Salt has been omitted intentionally due to the saltiness of the Baccala` even after soaking. Taste at the end of cooking and only add salt if necessary.

Lightly sauté the onions, garlic, and celery in oil then add the tomatoes and herbs to mixture. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Add Baccala` and cook another 20 minutes, then add olives and capers sprinkle with lemon juice serve and enjoy!

Share The Sweets

2009-12-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when the candy and cookie making bug hits. I know every year I have these great delusions of all the varieties of candies and cookies that I am going to make to share with family and friends. I would love to actually do that and there have been times that I actually have but extra time is a rare commodity these days and so are the extra dollars to spend on the rising cost of ingredients.
That is why I am always happy to find recipes that don't take a lot of time and give you a great deal for very little money. It's nice to know that we can still have the pleasure of making and sharing homemade goodies with our family and friends. It is recipes like these that always seem to make the holidays that much sweeter!

Easy Butter Cream Candy

1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips, for coating candy

Beat cream cheese and butter in bowl until smooth. Blend in sugar and vanilla. Chill 1 hour - shape into 1 inch balls and chill overnight.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or use your microwave and dip each ball using fork or toothpick. Dip each ball in chocolate until completely coated. Place on wax paper, parchment or silicone sheets to set.

Place candy in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.

Farfelletti Dolce

2009-12-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

I can almost get by merely writing; "Fried Cookies", what more does anyone really need to know beyond that. Fried cookies pretty much tells us that these are delicious, addictive and yes got to have them right now! I grew up with these during the holidays even on my mother's side of the family they did a Polish version called;" Krusciki or Chrusciki they always were divided on the spelling so I am not sure which is actually correct.

The best way to describe these cookies to all of you would be those fried waffles that you would find at an amusement park or carnival. These cookies are crispy, a little greasy (in a good way) and pleasantly sweet without going overboard.

Italian Fried Cookies

6 eggs
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. orange extract
Frying oil
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter, softened

Cut the butter into the flour as though you were making pie pastry or biscuits. In a separate medium-size bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, extracts, and salt. Combine all and knead until you have a smooth ball. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add in a little flour.

Divide the dough into 4 or 5 sections and work with a small bit at a time, leaving the remainder covered. Roll each piece out on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a wavy edged pastry cutter into 6 inch by 1 inch strips. Tie each one into a bow shaped loose knot.

Deep-fry bows until lightly golden brown, drain on paper towels. Sprinkle well with confectioner's sugar.

Wasting Away Again In Bourbonville....

2009-12-05T03:37:00.002-05:00

Searching for my lost shaker of salt....okay we really don't need a shaker of salt in Bourbonville but hey if it was good for Jimmy Buffet. I am not a huge margarita girl, don't get me wrong I am not opposed to drinking them and will rarely turn one down but my true love is bourbon. Bourbon is the nectar that warms this girl's heart and everything else for that matter after she has had a few. I usually drink mine as a double shot gently caressed by one little cube of ice but on some occasions I like to pour two generous shots of bourbon in a big tall glass and top it with Guinness aaahhhhhhhhhh, now that makes me happy.
Here is a nice gentle way to give bourbon a try that is actually quite good. Over time just keep lessening the club soda and before you know it you will be living in Bourbonville all happy and smiling, all happy and smiling, all happy and smiling...oops sorry, I guess one should never type while visiting Bourbonville.

Bourbonville

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• Club Soda

Mixing instructions:

Combine ingredients, except soda, in shaker with ice, shake and strain into glass. Add soda. Options, twist of lime.

Basking In The Bisque

2009-11-30T03:11:00.001-05:00

A tried and true companion to a grilled cheese sandwich has got to be a nice hot steamy bowl of tomato bisque soup. My mother would sometimes take the grilled cheese sandwich, cut it into cubes and scatter them upon the soup to be scooped up one comforting spoonful at a time. No need to do it this way, you may also just dunk your sandwich into the soup or go with the method of alternating bites of sandwich with spoonfuls of the soup. Whatever your individual plan of attack may be you will feel warm and content in the doing.

Tomato Bisque

4 tbsp. butter
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup of red wine or sherry, optional
3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 c. half and half or to your preference
1 c. heavy cream or to your preference
(Using less of the half and half and heavy cream will give the soup a stronger tomato flavor and richer color).

Melt butter then add onion, sauté onions covered for about 10 minutes. Add tomato, salt and pepper.
Simmer for one hour then add the half and half and the cream, leave on heat for five more minutes then serve.

Stuffing My Face

2009-11-23T02:34:00.001-05:00

Photo/Rak/Flickr

For me the absolute best part of Thanksgiving dinner is hands down the stuffing. If that is all that is served for dinner I will be just fine....well, I will require just a little bit of gravy to pour over the top. We all have our holiday favorites, for me it just happens to be the stuffing and a close second would be the crispy skin of the turkey.

You can actually be quite creative with stuffing just by changing the types of bread that you use. I was watching Rachel Ray the other night and she made her stuffing using store bought pumpkin muffins and then just changed up the spices a bit.
If you think about it we have also been enjoying stuffing as a dessert for years; "Bread Pudding"! Bread pudding is really just the sweet rather than savory version of stuffing.
All I know is any way you slice it, cube it, season it, moisten it "Ima gonna stuffa my face with it"!

FYI- People often ask what the difference is between stuffing and dressing, they are technically both the same. The term stuffing came about because we use to actually stuff the stuffing into the cavity of the bird to bake (before it became so dangerous) and it was always referred to as dressing when it was being cooked in a separate pan outside of the bird. Just call it whatever it is you are accustomed to calling it you will not be breaking any culinary laws.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

1 lb. mild sausage (roll not links or patties)
1/2 lb. hot sausage roll
2 lg. onions, chopped
9 sm. stalk celery, chopped
1 1/2 pkg. cubes for stuffing
3 eggs, beaten
4 lg. red apples with skin, chopped
Apple cider

Mix everything together. Add enough apple cider to dampen the stuffing. Stuff as usual. This is enough for an 18-20 pound bird.

Old Fashioned Corn Bread Dressing

2 (8 in.) pans cornbread, already made
1 lg. pkgs. Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing
2 to 3 cans Swanson chicken broth
1 tbsp. sage
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 stick of butter, melted
2 eggs
Chopped celery
Chopped onions

Mix cornbread with bread stuffing. Add plenty of chopped celery and onions. Add eggs, butter and all seasonings. Add cans of soup. Add enough chicken broth to make mixture almost runny. Pour into large baking pan that has been greased. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil at first. Take off and brown for last 15 minutes.

Oyster Stuffing

3/4 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
2 tbsp. butter/butter
9 c. dry bread cubes or Pepperidge Farms
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. crushed sage leaves
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 (8 oz.) cans standard oysters, chopped
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. oyster liquid and milk

In large pan, melt butter. Cook and stir onion and celery until tender but not brown. Add bread cubes, seasonings and mix. Stir in chopped oysters. Beat eggs into oyster liquid and milk. Add liquid gradually and toss lightly to evenly coat.

Delicious Dilemma!

2009-11-17T18:32:00.000-05:00

Even though its name implies dessert, this dish serves equally well as a side for your Thanksgiving fare. It is actually far less sweet than the traditional sweet potato casserole with marshmallows that we all are so familiar with. To a small degree it is slightly reminiscent texturally of a very moist stuffing due to the cake mix.

You just have to decide; dessert or side dish...I cannot think of a more delicious dilemma!

Sweet Potato Cobbler

1 box Betty Crocker yellow cake mix (any brand will do)

1 stick butter
Cinnamon

Water

1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar tastes best
1 lg. can sweet potatoes or yams or 3 small cans (you want about 27 to 29 ounces all together.
3/4 c. pecans, chopped or whole (opt.)

Place sweet potatoes, cut in large chunks on bottom of 10"x13"x2" pan. (Save juice in can.) Sprinkle most of sugar on top of potatoes. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top, cut stick of butter in chunks and place on top of cake mix. Sprinkle cinnamon to taste on top of cake mix. Sprinkle sugar to sweeten cinnamon. Add finely chopped pecans on top of cake mix.

Fill can potatoes came in with water and left over juice until can is 3/4 full (you want no more than 20 ounces of liquid roughly 2-1/4 cups. Pour over cake mix. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is light brown.

Batter Up!

2009-11-05T19:18:00.000-05:00

I often crave a good fish fry and I especially love mine done in a really good beer batter but I think I have found something that actually works better. While on one of my recipe hunts I came across a batter for fish that uses a can of 7-Up. The more I thought about it I realized this was a great idea even more so than using beer. The carbonation has always been a key component in getting that light puffiness that you look for in a good beer batter but what the beer does not give you is.....sugar and lots of it. That is where the 7-Up fits the bill brilliantly. It has enough carbonation to ensure that it puffs up but it also has a very high sugar content to create a caramelized crispiness that you don't quite achieve using the beer. Plus the lemon lime flavoring actually imparts an interesting flavor dimension to take your normal fish fry to a whole new level.

7-Up Fish Batter

1 egg
1 c. pancake mix
8 oz. 7-Up (approximately)
additional pancake mix
Fish filets of your choosing, also works well with shrimp, scallops or clams.

Mix egg, pancake mix and 7-Up together well. Dip thin fish fillets, which have been coated with pancake batter (shake both in plastic bag) and chilled about 20 minutes in mixture. Remove 1 at a time and deep fry for 4 to 6 minutes at about 400 degrees. Remove onto paper towels to drain.

It's Crunch Time

2009-10-31T12:26:00.001-05:00

Between Halloween and Christmas there was always a tremendous amount of candy making taking place among our family. Each family member seemed to have that one particular candy that was theirs and theirs alone. Aunt Mimi was famous for her chocolate covered almonds, Aunt Elsie, it was her honey fudge and for Aunt Jay it was always her peanut brittle. There was only one candy that it seemed everybody made, my Mother and Grandmother included and that was chocolate haystacks. You know the ones with the Chinese noodles stirred into melted chocolate then mounded by spoonfuls onto wax paper to look like little haystacks. We all loved those mainly for the texture more than anything else because the noodles remained crisp. Well here is the exact same recipe but instead of the Chinese noodles this one uses Grape-Nuts cereal. These give the candy a tremendous crunch which goes quite nicely with the smooth creamy chocolate.

Grape-Nuts Chocolate Drops

2 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 or 15 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. Grape-Nuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate over boiling water, remove from heat. Stir until smooth; add milk and blend some more. Now add your Grape-Nuts and vanilla, drop from teaspoons onto waxed paper, cool until firm.

Yield: 5 dozen candies.

Hug A Ghost Today......If You Can

2009-10-26T00:33:00.006-05:00

I am certainly no expert on ghosts unless of course you are referring to Casper the friendly ghost, the friendliest ghost I know. Casper is so darn friendly I am sure the rest of you all know him as well! As friendly as he is though, you just can't reach out and touch him. It's like trying to hug air or nail Jell-O to a tree, it just can't be done. If you go by the ghosts you see on TV or read about in books it really seems like the majority of the ghost population is pretty much untouchable. As humans it is said that lack of touch tends to shorten ones life but apparently in the case of ghosts, lack of touch has no effect on that; "Roam the earth for all eternity thing"! Sad really, I am sure that they would like to shorten the amount of time spent in all eternity......oh well! As a sign of compassion for all those untouchable ghosts out there I will create this post in their honor.
It sure takes a heck of a lot of balls to roam the earth for all eternity without ever getting a handshake or a hug or any kind of touch at all.

Ghost Balls

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 lg. box of Rice Krispies
1-1/2 bags of the large marshmallows
1 cup of butter (2 sticks)
60 Kraft caramels

Melt butter and caramels with milk in a double boiler or on low heat in a sauce pan. When completely melted, dip marshmallows one at a time in caramel mixture then roll into Rice Krispies.

FYI- Those thin pretzel sticks are great to use for dipping your marshmallows and make a nice salty handle to compliment all that sticky sweet goodness.

Place on waxed paper to cool, keep in air tight container.

My Piece Of The Pie

2009-10-22T19:59:00.002-05:00

photo/rwithtweezers/flickr

For some of us getting caught up in tradition overrides our senses, we may not necessarily like something but we do it for the sake of tradition. In my case this holds true for the seemingly mandatory dessert of pumpkin pie for thanksgiving. It's not that I hate pumpkin pie...well I have had a few that deserved to be hated! For the most part when it comes to pumpkin pie I can take it or leave it. I usually end up taking a small slice after our dinner because I get caught up in everyone's excitement and the fact that somehow thanksgiving becomes incomplete without it.

I am also the same gal that when they ask if I would prefer white meat or dark meat my answer is neither. Just give me the crispy turkey skin and a boat load of stuffing and I am quite happy and beyond thankful
I probably should be putting this post in closer to thanksgiving but all the Halloween pumpkins everywhere have been reminding me of the pumpkin pies that are looming in my not too distant future.....as a form of rebellion, I will not be posting a recipe for pumpkin pie!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

1- 2/3 c. flour
1 tbsp. pumpkin spice
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 lg. eggs
1 c. canned plain pumpkin
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Butter 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Mix flour, spice, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Beat sugar, oil, and eggs in large bowl. When well blended, beat in pumpkin and 1/3 cup water. Stir in flour mixture, then chocolate chips. pour batter into prepared pan, bake then cool in pan 15 minutes and then turn out onto wire rack.

Wake Up and Be Happy

2009-10-18T13:58:00.001-05:00

These are like a beautiful dream that you never want to wake up from. Light fluffy layers of chocolate pancakes like gentle clouds glistening with the gentle dew of vanilla syrup cascading through the rivers of melted butter.........Hey! Wake Up! Sure it's a nice dream but why dream about them when you can actually be making them and eating them.

Chocolate Pancakes

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
4 teaspoon butter, melted
2 eggs
4-6 teaspoons cocoa
Chocolate chips, optional

Combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir only until mixed.

Preheat a non-stick skillet until very hot, brush lightly with butter. Pour pancake batter onto hot skillet; flip when bubbles begin to form along edges. When lightly browned on both sides, remove pancakes and stack with pats of butter between each one.
Keep warm in oven until ready to serve.
Try serving these with this delicious vanilla syrup or any of your own favorite pancake toppings.

Vanilla Syrup:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together until smooth

Sip With Caution

2009-10-13T16:42:00.002-05:00

Going to the portside of my previous sherry post I wanted a recipe other than one using meat. I have just always used port wine in primarily meat dishes either as a marinade or a sauce accompaniment and I wanted a totally different medium for the bold, sweet, spicy spirit. Well I sure think that I hit a bulls eye with this find....come on, its cheesecake how bad could it be? I will confess right from the beginning that I have not made this yet, so I cannot honestly tell you if it tastes good........come on, its cheese cake and its a cheesecake that contains port wine of course it's good!

This recipe only uses a third of a cup of port wine, so there will be plenty left in the bottle to sip while waiting for your cheesecake to be done. Try not to get carried away with the sipping or my next post will be titled; "Human Marinated in Port Wine".......we wouldn't want to start exciting the cannibal population!

Port Wine Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter

1) Mix crumbs, nuts, cinnamon and sugar with melted butter. Place and press into a 9x13 baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Cheesecake Mixture:

2 lbs. softened cream cheese
6 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. Port wine
1 tsp. vanilla

2) In large bowl, beat all ingredients until smooth; make sure there are no lumps. Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.

Topping:

1 1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

3) In a bowl mix together sour cream, sugar and vanilla and pour over cool cheese cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely. Decorate with walnut halves and strawberries and serve.

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Sherry

2009-10-08T08:43:00.003-05:00

My mother's two favorite spirits were port wine and cream sherry as well as dry sherry. I use to always get her a bottle of each during the holidays, it was always a pleasure to watch her savor every little sip.
During dinner the other night my dear friend and neighbor, Christine started talking about recipes containing port or sherry. I was telling her that I always use sherry when I make lobster bisque and that port is used a lot in meat preparations. Well now I find myself very focused on finding unique ways to use the two spirits. This recipe could not be more perfect for us it uses one of our most favorite cheeses, brie and a heavy dose of cream sherry, which I am sure would have made my mother quite happy. Now we will just have to find some wonderful recipe to make using port.

Sherried Brie Soup

2 c. cream sherry
2 tbsp. butter
6 c. sliced mushrooms
2/3 c. minced shallots
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. flour
4 c. beef stock
4 oz. trimmed brie
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-2 tsp. salt
cube up some brie and mince some chives for garnish

In a saucepan, reduce cream sherry by half. Melt butter in another medium saucepan. Stir in mushrooms, shallots and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in flour until well blended. Return to heat and add beef stock and reduced sherry. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer about 25 minutes. Add trimmed Brie; stir to melt. Add heavy cream, pepper and salt. Ladle hot soup into serving bowls. Garnish with additional brie and minced chives.

Squashing My Sanity

2009-10-04T02:27:00.001-05:00

This is probably one of those stories that unless you were actually there you just can't truly appreciate it......but then again, the only real criteria needed to understand this is to be part of a family.

I was at my grandmother's apartment a few weeks back and all I did was mention how much I liked butternut squash. I had said I do not mind acorn squash but it isn't at the top of my list. That was it, nothing more was said and we went on to other topics of conversation. Well for whatever reason me getting my butternut squash became a mission for my grandmother. It is too expensive in the stores she said, you need to get them at the farmers markets and get a lot because they last for months if kept in a cold dark place. I said I hadn't been going to the farmers markets as much as I use to I just haven't had the time. Well I will see if your father will take me and we will get your butternut squash so you don't have to pay those ridiculous prices. For a couple weeks all our conversations were pretty much based on this butternut squash that I merely mentioned in passing, my grandmother was obsessed with it. Finally last Saturday my father took her to the farmers market, when she got home she called to tell me that she found my butternut squash but your father would not let me pay for it...he said; that is my daughter and I will buy her the butternut squash.
Well yesterday, I went over to my grandmother's for a visit and of course to pick up my butternut squash. When I got there, two bags were sitting on the floor. Go look in the bags, my grandmother tells me. Look at how beautiful your butternut squash is....that your father wouldn't let me pay for that he insisted on buying for you...just look at how beautiful they are!
They are beautiful Meema, thank you so much for all these "Acorn Squash", I'll be sure to call Dad and thank him as well.
Yes, of course I am grateful! Come on, we've all been here at one time or another...it's just funny, funny family stuff.

Acorn Squash with Apple Raisin Stuffing

1 acorn squash, med. Size (just keep doubling amounts if using more than one squash)
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. scallions, chopped
1/2 apple, peeled, cored and cubed (1/2 c.)
1/3 c. raisins
2 tbsp. toasted walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp. maple syrup, or to taste
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut a slice off the bottom, if necessary, to make the halves stable. Melt the butter in a sauce pan and brush a little over the cut surface. Put the squash cut side down on a pan, add a little water to cover the bottom of the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in the pan and sauté the scallions for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the apple and cook about 3 minutes more, stirring. Add the raisins, walnuts and maple syrup. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Season the mixture to taste with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the squash cavities and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if necessary.

Gone But Not Forgotten....Happy Birthday Mom

2009-09-29T13:08:00.002-05:00

"To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die." ~ Thomas Campbell

Are there birthdays in Heaven?

Does the Angel blow his horn

announcing to everybody

this is the day that you were born?

Can the stars be your balloons?

or an angel food your cake?

Presents wrapped in moonbeams

that the Angels helped to make?

Your birthdays have meant so much to us;

they were always a very big deal.

Birthday presents, your favorite treats,

and perhaps a special meal.

So we'll whisper a little prayer today

asking everyone here and above

to sing you a Happy Birthday song

and with it all our love.

I wasn't sure what recipe to post in honor of my Mother's Birthday she loved to eat and had a great many favorites. Then it dawned on me the one food item that was always on the top of her list was......onions! Without exaggeration I can honestly say that my mother went through at least five pounds of onions a week if not more.

I'd like to say that I am about to wow you here with some fancy schmancy recipe using onions but my mother was a purist and enjoyed them in their simpler form......sliced thick between two slices of bread.......it's enough to make you cry!

Happy Birthday Mom, you are greatly missed, fondly remembered, spoke of often, your Harriet-izms still fill us with laughter and bring smiles to our faces...we thank you for the joy that you have given us and still give us.

Harriet's Favorite Sandwich

1 Onion (red, white, Vidalia, Spanish...it just needs to be an onion).
2 slices of bread (she didn't care; it could have been wonder bread or rye)!
1 Tablespoon of either miracle whip or mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the mayonnaise/miracle whip on one or both slices of bread. Cut onion into 1/2 inch to 1 inch slice, place slice on bread add salt and pepper, cover with remaining slice of bread and enjoy.

No Knead To Thank Me!

2009-09-26T02:32:00.002-05:00

photo/andinou/flickr

There is nothing like the taste and smell of homemade bread fresh from the oven. Hopefully if you were fortunate enough you either had a mother, grandmother or aunt kneading away in the kitchen at that silky aromatic yeasty dough. I do not wish to short change the men here since they are excellent cooks and bakers as well...or you had a father, grandfather or uncle kneading away in the kitchen at that silky aromatic yeasty dough.

Anyhow if you did grow up in a "A daily homemade bread kind of house" you know how special homemade bread can be and how important the people who make this bread are. It takes a lot of muscle to make bread and what happens when the bread bakers we love and adore no longer are able to knead the dough? Maybe its arthritis, tendinitis or it's just that they don't have the strength they use to but still want the pleasure of providing homemade bread for their loved ones.
Sure we can all get off our behinds and get in the kitchen to help but with these recipes there is just no knead to.....they can do it all by themselves! Now pass the butter while the bread is still warm I am starving.

Home Baked No Knead Bread

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 tbsp. soft shortening
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
3 c. sifted flour

Pour warm water into large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water, stir until dissolved. Add shortening, salt, sugar and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Stir in remaining flour and beat with a spoon until smooth, 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape batter from sides of bowl. Cover dough with clean cloth and let rise in a warm place, free from draft until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. When batter has risen, stir down by beating about 25 strokes. Spread batter in a greased loaf pan (9"x5"x3"). Batter will be sticky. Let rise in warm place until batter reaches 1/4" from top of pan, about 40 minutes. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown. When done, brush top with butter while still hot.

No Knead French Bread

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. soft shortening
4 c. sifted all purpose flour

Measure flour into bowl, add water, then yeast. Let yeast dissolve thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Let set 10 minutes, then cut through dough with a wooden spoon. Do this 5 times at 10 minute intervals. Turn dough out on floured board and divide in half. Let rest for 10 minutes, then roll each ball into a loaf. Make several diagonal slashes across each loaf. Let rise double. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

No Knead Raisin Bread

1 1/3 c. hot water
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. warm water
4 pkg. active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 1/2 c. flour
2 c. seedless raisins

GLAZE:

1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix hot water, sugar, salt and butter; cool until lukewarm. In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add first water mixture to eggs, flour and raisins. Beat until well-blended, about 2 minutes. Cover, let rise in warm place until more than doubled, about 50 minutes. Punch batter down and beat vigorously be hand, about 75 strokes. Turn into two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans or two (1 1/2 quart) casserole and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately. Beat glaze ingredients until smooth and shiny. Pour icing over bread when cool, letting it drip down the sides.

Uncommonly Good

2009-09-20T13:42:00.002-05:00

I can guarantee you that a recipe will always catch my eye when it makes use of an ingredient in an uncommon way. I have enjoyed split peas most of my life mainly due to the fact that my mother's favorite soup was split pea with ham. My mother made an enormous pot of that every month which meant we ate it a couple of times a week. Other than soup I have never made or seen split peas used in any other manner until now. I just think these are down right clever it makes you wonder if it will catch on the way that putting zucchini in bread did!

Split Pea Bars

2/3 c. dry split peas                                                                                                  photo/Rigib's/flickr
2 c. water
1 c. skim milk
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs (or 1/2 c. egg substitute)
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips (opt.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. nutmeg

Combine split peas and water; cook about 1 hour over low heat to make a thick soup. (You may need to add a little more water to keep it from getting too thick to stir.)

Combine thick soup and milk. Combine oil, sugar and eggs. Beat well. Sift two cups in flour with other dry ingredients. Add sifted ingredients alternately with liquid, beating well. Dredge raisins and nuts (and chocolate chips, if used) in the remaining 1/2 cup flour and stir into batter. Spread into greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut while still warm.

Hats Off To A Special Lady

2009-09-13T08:48:00.002-05:00

photo/zutronic/flickr

A discussion about women, who could pull off wearing big hats and look stunning, got me to thinking about my Aunt Lena. My Aunt Lena was a full figured blond haired blue eyed Italian girl. In those days it seemed that all the ladies had really big hair, my Aunt was no exception. That head of hair was all hers unlike my grandmother who always wore a wiglet to give her that Marge Simpson effect. I was always fascinated by the importance of hats back then; they were almost a form of societal status. Just as important were the gorgeous boxes that contained those beautiful head toppers. Somewhere along the line we lost the genetic ability to be able to pull off wearing such artistry on our heads without looking ridiculous. Definitely an era that has come and gone, hopefully it will return someday, for that seemed to be such a glorious time.

There was another thing that my Aunt Lena was famous for and that was her linguini with red clam sauce. It was always her special holiday dish and if we were lucky a special addition to our weekly Sunday dinner. I have always preferred the white clam sauce but Aunt Lena's red clam sauce was always the exception, one of the best that I have ever had to this day.

Aunt Lena's Red Clam Sauce

2 c. chopped onions
1 lg. green pepper, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. water
4 (6 1/2 oz.) cans chopped clams, with liquid
1 (61/2 oz.) can of minced clams, with liquid
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. crushed hot red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

In 4 quart covered saucepan, sauté onions, green pepper, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil and water over medium low heat until onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

photo/maomau/flickr

Julie's White Clam Sauce

1/4 cup pure olive oil
4 cloves garlic
Small white onion, chopped
1/4 stick of butter
1 1/2 cup clam juice
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup of oregano
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
5 -6.5 ounce cans of chopped clams with liquid
1 doz. fresh clams, optional as an added tasty garnish

In frying pan sauté garlic and onion in oil for one minute over moderate heat, add 1/4 stick of butter, add clam juice and bring to boil. Add parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, clams and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve over pasta

Gourd Ole`

2009-09-10T17:52:00.002-05:00

Italians have always loved using butternut squash in less conventional ways than most. In many good Italian restaurants you will usually find on the menu; butternut squash ravioli with butter and sage an absolutely classic, comforting dish. I have also noticed more and more upscale restaurants are offering butternut squash pizzas and focaccias', which I look very forward to trying. I am sure the natural sweetness of the squash mingling with a nice gorgonzola or other sharp tangy cheese is quite an inviting combination on a crisp hot from the fire crust.

When I spotted this recipe giving butternut squash a Mexican twist, I knew it was a must try and I was right it is unbelievably good.

Butternut Squash in the Style of Refried Beans

1 med. butternut squash

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. oregano

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tbsp. corn oil

1 tbsp. bacon fat

6 corn tortillas or 4 flour tortillas

2 c. shredded cheese (Cheddar or Jack)

1 c. shredded iceberg lettuce

Quarter the squash and steam until tender. Heat the tortillas in a little corn oil until crisp. Peel squash. Heat oil and fat in large skillet, add squash and mash and stir while adding chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic. Keep stirring and mashing until fairly dry.

Spread on tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until bubbly. Cover with lettuce and dot with salsa. Serve remaining salsa on side.

SALSA CRUDA:

3 peeled tomatoes, diced

1 med. onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp. oregano

2 oz. canned, diced green chilies

Combine and mix well. Let stand to allow flavors to mingle.

photo/sweetjane/flickr

Fire Up The Senses

2009-09-05T00:25:00.002-05:00

In a desperate attempt to triumph over the excruciating boredom that can come from eating a "Garden in the Raw", I had to get creative or fail in my attempt. One of the greatest epiphanies that I have had while on this 21 day raw food journey is; Flame to food is good! By taking away the cooking aspect of what we put in our mouths food lacks one all important component needed to complete the sensory experience....Aroma! Raw foods lacks that symphony of smells, those little beads of flavor that attach themselves to the hot steamy wisps that rise from our food and into our nose, one glorious whiff at a time. If all our senses are not addressed the overall eating experience is far less pleasurable and leaves us unsatisfied. Sure raw foods have their own fresh from the earth scent and yes it is good delicious food but when that is all you are eating......it's like going to the Opera and every performer has laryngitis. Beautiful set, beautiful costumes and when they open their mouths to sing...Nada! I think you get the picture.
This was my attempt in giving the Diva her voice back so to speak and once again regain some of that pleasure that one should joyfully derive from eating.

Raw Vegetable Relish Salad

2 or 3 medium zucchini squash, chopped
2 yellow squash (summer squash), chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ears of corn, cut kernels off cob
4 or 5 button or baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
The juice of two fresh limes (may also add zest and pulp for added flavor)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 head of celery cabbage (Napa cabbage and romaine leaves also work well) tear off leaves and spoon on relish, it ends up being like a finger salad or a crisp veggie taco. This raw veggie relish is also wonderful in a halved avocado or stuffed inside mushroom caps.

Place all the ingredients in a big container (preferably one with a lid). Mix everything well and let sit in refrigerator for at least three hours or better still overnight. This is one of those dishes that gets better and better the longer it marinates. The flavors are vibrant and so fresh on the palate and yes, it has a wonderful aroma.

A Copycat With Good Taste!

2009-08-27T11:16:00.006-05:00

I know a gal who can put away a few baskets of these prior to her meal arriving while dining at the Red Lobster. We have this standing joke that when it comes to having an appetite and being able to pack in the food, that she is the master! I absolutely love watching her eat, she so enjoys her food. I do have to say that the biscuits at the Red Lobster are amazing so I was happy to find a recipe that is pretty darn close in both taste and texture. You definitely do not want to make a batch of these if you are counting calories but every once in awhile you just have to treat yourself to something sinfully delicious.

Biscuits Ala Red Lobster

2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 tsp. garlic salt (if you are watching your sodium intake, substitute with garlic powder)
Fresh or dried minced parsley for a light sprinkle, optional

Mix Bisquick, milk and cheddar until a soft ball forms. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop by balls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Mix butter and garlic and brush on rolls while still on the pan and hot.

photo/Chexiemix/flickr

The Raw Truth

2009-08-20T17:47:00.010-05:00

I am currently on my eighteenth day of a 21 day raw food program. What drew my interest to this was a documentary I saw about a woman in the destructive stages of diabetes. In her desperation to get better she searched the internet and the one thing that kept coming up was the benefits of a raw food diet. During her search she found a place called; "The Tree of Life 21 day program". This program claimed that people had been going off their medications after as little as 4 days. Being both skeptical and hopeful all at the same time she went to her doctor and told him she was going to make the trip and try this program. Needless to say as a doctor he was skeptical but could see no harm in her trying it, besides he was also curious to examine her afterward to witness the results for himself. Well to make a long story short, this woman did the program which consisted of 21 days of nothing but raw unprocessed foods, all plant based and absolutely nothing could be heated above 116 degrees. They used cheese and ice cream that was made from nuts because absolutely no dairy or soy is allowed. There was always more than enough to eat and she really did enjoy the food. By her fourth day she was able to stop her medication and by her nineteenth day she had lost 16 pounds with her only exercise being some light to moderate walking each day. When she came back home her doctor could not believe how good her stats were and told her to continue eating the raw foods and occasionally implement a bit of meat or fish if she wished. Well her whole family rallied around her and years later she is still off all her medications and her and her entire family are leaner and healthier than they have ever been.
Luckily I am not diabetic but it does run heavily in my family. I was more interested in the weight loss aspect of this way of eating and the overall health benefits. So here I am on my 18th day feeling better than ever. I've lost about 10 pounds and my energy level is through the roof, so I am very pleased with the results. I have decided to make raw foods a consistent 75% of my lifestyle and allow 25% of the many foods I love and crave to be eaten periodically throughout.
I would suggest this program to anyone who just wants to feel better, there is no starvation here you can eat an enormous amount of food. Just look into it, I promise you will not be sorry that you did.

Raw Fresh Salsa

3 or 4 lg. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 fresh chilies, seeded and chopped
5 green onions, chopped
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt

In lidded jar or covered non reacting container, combine all ingredients and marinate for at least 1 hour.

This salsa will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Makes 2 cups.

Photo/DivrChk/Flicker

BananaLicious

2009-08-14T00:36:00.005-05:00

My first tasty experience with a frozen banana was many years ago when I was vacationing as a child in Disney World Florida. To give you an idea as to just how long ago that was Epcot Center didn't even exist. While there visiting all the different attractions my aunt and I kept spotting these little carts along the way with a sign that read; frozen bananas on a stick. Well needless to say that perked our curiosity along with the fact that it was 90 degrees and the thought of anything cooling was very inviting. So my aunt and I took the plunge and each got one, they just looked like fun to eat. They were so pretty enrobed in all that chocolate and generous coating of chopped peanuts. The first bite was difficult as they were frozen rock hard. But once we succeeded we were in taste bud heaven. The crackle of the chocolate coating and the crunch of the peanuts were a delightful experience but the true star was that texturally amazing frozen banana. You would swear that we were eating high butter fat banana custard, it was rich and creamy just like ice cream without the drippy mess you would normally get with ice cream on a hot day.
Just recently a local ice cream parlor where we live started carrying frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and coated with various things such as nuts, sprinkles, crushed cookies and the other day they even had some coated with different types of cereal.
Soon the obsession crept in and we were going to purchase these little gems a few times a week until we realized it was taking a ridiculous toll on the pocket book.
That is when we decided that it would probably be easier and a lot less expensive to make these ourselves. It was a delicious decision and now whenever we open our freezer we know that there is something special waiting for us to enjoy.
Just have fun with these, they are so easy to make and keep for weeks in the freezer. The perfect treat for the entire family to make and enjoy together.

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas

6 tbsp. butter
1-1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate morsels
8 Ripe but not too ripe bananas
8 wooden sticks
Assorted coatings; Nuts, sprinkles, cereal, crushed cookies whatever you like it's completely optional because these taste just as good with the banana and chocolate alone.

Another tasty suggestion: split bananas lengthwise and spread a little peanut butter on flat side then put halves back together. Now you have a whole banana filled with peanut butter ready to dip in chocolate, these are really good!

Melt butter and chocolate together and simmer over low heat stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into a dish and set aside. Peel bananas; insert stick into end of banana. Immediately dip each banana into melted chocolate and coat evenly, then roll in your choice of coatings pressing gently into chocolate. Place on waxed paper lined tray and freeze until firm, about 2 hours, serve frozen. To store wrap each in aluminum foil and keep in freezer, these will keep for weeks if people can stop eating them long enough!

photo/ae/flickr

Childhood Favorite All Grown Up

2009-08-06T20:06:00.006-05:00

I could not find a picture of the ham and raisin tv dinner to save my soul.....

Talk about something conjuring up a memory. I was surfing the internet and I happened to see this recipe for raisin sauce and I immediately thought; "Swanson's Ham and Raisin Glaze TV Dinner". There were only two TV dinners that I would ever eat, one being the ham and the other was the fried chicken. I could not imagine eating a TV dinner now, they are so expensive. Plus that little bit of food they give you would never satisfy my appetite, I would need at least two of those dinners to call it a meal. I am sure that this recipe I found is much fancier than Swanson's version which was perfectly suited to a child's palate. Let's just say this is my childhood ham and raisin dinner all grown up.... hurry up and pass the ham so I can ladle on the sauce!

Raisin Sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup seedless raisins

1 tablespoon ham drippings or butter

1/2 cup ginger ale

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, orange rind, mustard and cornstarch. Stir in orange juice. Bring to a boil, lower heat and continue to simmer until mixture thickens (5-10 minutes). Add raisins and butter or drippings from ham; cook another 3-4 minutes. Stir in ginger ale.

Grandmothers'... The True Icing On The Cake!

2009-08-01T00:55:00.004-05:00

Everyone's a critic when it comes to butter cream frosting it's too gritty, too sweet, too hard, too soft. The fact of the matter is that it's nearly impossible to ruin a butter cream frosting. For almost every possible scenario of what could go wrong there is an easy remedy. If it is too stiff, add milk a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too soft, add more confectioners' sugar about a quarter cup at a time until its right.
A basic butter cream frosting to the pastry world is not unlike a Béchamel sauce to the savory world; both can take on whatever flavor you choose to give it. It is the white canvas of your imagination and senses to freely and limitlessly create upon.
I grew up preferring my grandmother's butter cream frosting to any of the store or bakery versions that I had tried. As a child I did not appreciate the amount of work that my grandmother put into her baking, I merely reaped the results of her efforts with delight and an insatiable hunger for more. Now that I am older and have that modern day ego that has conditioned me to think that I am somehow more pressed for time than she was in her day was the perfect excuse as to why I found her recipe a bit over the top time wise and went for my slightly quicker version of butter cream frosting. I believe that my version is still as creamy, buttery and delicious as my grandmother's recipe and holds up well on any cake, cupcake or cookie. The only flaw with my recipe was not the ingredients that it had but more so the ingredient that it lacked...... my grandmother. We have so many ingredients at our disposal these days that afford us the ability to prepare any recipe. Only one ingredient remains that can never be bottled, boxed or purchased and that ingredient is the loving heart and hand of a grandmother happily at work in the kitchen preparing her families' favorites as only she can; nothing could ever be sweeter than that.

Grandmother's Version of Butter Cream Frosting

10 tbsp. flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup of Crisco
1 cup of butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups confectioners sugar

Put milk in saucepan over low heat. Add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir constantly until smooth. Let cool. Meanwhile, mix Crisco, butter, vanilla and sugar. When flour mixture is cooled, beat everything together until smooth.

Granddaughter's version of butter Cream Frosting - my recipe will make less frosting than my grandmother's, just double the amounts if you need more.

1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup of butter
3 tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat half the sugar with the shortening and butter. Gradually add milk. Continue beating, add vanilla and gradually add remaining sugar until the right consistency is reached.

FYI - A good butter cream frosting should taste sweet and buttery without being gritty.
Butter cream frosting can be refrigerated up to a week safely. Just remember to bring it to room temperature before using.

The Seven Wonders of Soup

2009-07-26T12:33:00.003-05:00

There is an old Italian saying that states; La Zuppa fa sette cose which in English translates to Soup does seven things". It is said to; quench your thirst, satisfy your hunger, fill your stomach, aid in your digestion, make your teeth sparkle, color your cheeks, and help you sleep. I cannot honestly say that soup has managed to do all those things for me but I can say, that soup truly is one of the most comforting and without a doubt most satisfying foods that I have always taken great pleasure in eating.

Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup

2-3 lg. cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c. or less olive oil

2 c. or less diced Italian sausage (sweet or hot, or mixed), sautéed & fat removed

1 med. onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced
3 c. chicken stock

3 c. water

2 c. lentils (dry), picked over & rinsed to remove any stones (almost 1 lb.)
Salt and pepper to taste

In large, heavy saucepan, sauté the garlic in the oil, over medium heat, for few minutes, careful not to let it brown. Add sausages, stock and water, onions and lentils. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Pike and Puppies

2009-07-17T12:40:00.004-05:00

The fish were always biting when we were up at our cabin on the lake in Canada. It was nothing for us to catch a dozen or more a day. The bulk of our catch was Northern Pike, wicked little teeth on those suckers let me tell you. My father would clean them by scaling them removing the head and insides and leaving the body and tail in tact. My mother would take all the fish and place them in a big tupperware container pouring an entire bottle of Italian salad dressing on them. My mother would then place the lid on the tupperware and stick the fish in the refrigerator to marinate for a few hours. When dinner time started to roll around my father would fire up the grill to get it nice and hot to cook and char the fish. The Italian dressing not only flavors the fish beautifully but all the little bits of seasoning in the dressing create a wonderful little crust on the skin. While my father was tending to the fish my mother would be in the kitchen preparing one of the many side dishes that would accompany our meal including our absolute must have favorite; Jalapeno hush puppies. They were always crisp on the outside and tender in the middle and that little kick from the jalapeno peppers always added a nice contrast and balance to the sweetness of the fish.

Jalapeno Hush Puppies

1 c. flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 (17 oz.) can cream corn

2 or 3 chopped jalapenos

Mix as you would for cornbread; if too thick add a little water. Drop into hot deep fat. Dip spoon into hot fat and batter will slide right off. This batter keeps well in refrigerator for several days.

If you would like a more uniform ball shape use melon baller or small ice cream scoop to form the batter.

Photo/brooksba/flickr

Beat Your Way To A Tasty Meal

2009-07-13T04:22:00.007-05:00

With all the posts that I have written I always surprise myself that there are some very simple yet well loved foods that I fail to write about. While pondering what food to write about next, out of nowhere I just started thinking about omelets. Beyond it being one of our most popular breakfast choices it's also been that last minute; 'Oh my gosh, I forgot to take something out of the freezer" rescue meal. In my grandmother's case it's become an easy satisfying meal to prepare if you are eating alone. An omelet is a blank canvas totally accepting of whatever foods your imagination can throw at it or better yet in it! My grandmother's favorite omelet is made with chicken livers, my mother loved a good Spanish omelet, I love any omelet that has a lot of melted cheese and then there is my cousin from France who prefers her omelet simply with a sprinkling of herbs and nothing else.
So beat a few eggs, chop up some of last nights leftovers, grab a couple slices of cheese and have a simple yet satisfying meal in a matter of minutes. Food doesn't always have to be fancy in order to taste just fine.

Simple Cheese Omelet Recipe - use this as the base recipe for whatever ingredients you choose (meat, veggie, fish, fruit, cheese). Increase number of eggs and amounts depending on how many omelets and people you are serving.

3 eggs
1 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
2 tsp. butter
1/4 c. cheese (American, Swiss, feta, cream cheese, cheddar) use whatever you like.

In small bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper with fork until well blended. In skillet melt butter, tilt pan to coat sides. Add egg mixture and cook on medium heat without stirring.
When omelet is set sprinkle the cheese over half of omelet let sit a few seconds to melt the cheese then slide omelet out of pan and fold in half.

Photo/dinnerologyii/flickr

You Don't Have To Be Diabetic To Love This Cookbook...A Review

2009-07-09T19:57:00.009-05:00

250 Amazing Dishes for People With Diabetes and Their Families and Friends

There was a time when the enjoyment of food accompanied by a diagnosis of diabetes meant a future of the bland and the tasteless. That is what Tom Valenti thought as well upon his diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Like with most of us Tom's best memories of childhood, family and friendships have always been centrally rooted around the pleasure of great food. Food has always been such an important aspect of Tom's life that it carried over into his professional life as well, Tom is a chef.
This cookbook reminds me of the old saying; "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade". Well when life handed Tom a diagnosis of diabetes he made a feast, a feast for all of us to partake in. The title of this book could not be more perfect; "You Don't Have to Be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook"! This cookbook covers everything from breakfasts, snacks, soups, pasta (yes, I said pasta) and how about some nice creamy risotto. It seems like these days whether you are diabetic or not "Carbs" become the enemy. This cookbook will rekindle your friendship with "Carbs" in the most healthy and satisfying way. You'll be able to look desserts straight in the eye again with no pang of guilt whatsoever. How about "Mocha Pots de crème" with shaved bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream and strong brewed coffee, sounds heavenly.
The focus in this book is not on what you can't have but rather on all that you can have in the healthiest most pleasurable way possible for you and your body. Each recipe is broken down nutritionally per serving by calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, cholesterol, sugars and sodium.
The most important thing to all people when it comes to eating is flavor and I truly believe that with this cook book Tom has truly saved the best for last. Many of us don't realize while trying to add much needed flavor to our foods through the use of condiments; dressings, sauces, relishes and such the staggering amount of sugar, fat and sodium that is hidden in every little tablespoon that we use. In the last section of this book titled Condiments and Basics Tom covers a wide array of flavoring mediums that are not only concentrated with flavor but also low in fat, sugar and sodium. You will find everything from pesto's to salad dressings, herb purees, broths, relishes and some amazing salsa recipes. More than ever cooking to meet the dietary needs of our family and friends is essential. There was a time when you had to prepare different foods for different people all sitting around the same table a very frustrating and time consuming task. With this cookbook everyone with or without diabetes can partake in the same delicious foods with delight and the comfort of knowing that they have eaten good food that was good for them.
To all my readers out there who love great recipes this book is a must add to your every day use cookbook collection.

Here is just a taste of what you could be serving for dinner tonight:

Angel Hair Pasta
with shrimp scampi sauce

8 ounces of dried angel hair pasta
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil
8 large cloves of garlic very thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dry white wine
1 pound large shrimp (about a dozen) peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair pasta and let boil until al dente, about 5 minutes.

While the angel hair is cooking, heat the olive oil in a wide deep heavy bottomed pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook to gently infuse the olive oil with flavor but not brown the garlic, about 4 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring, until firm and pink, about 3 minutes. Swirl in the butter to thicken and enrich the sauce.

Set aside a few tablespoons of the angel hair cooking water then drain the angel hair. Stir the angel hair cooking water into the pan with the shrimp to bind the sauce, then add the angel hair and toss to coat. Divide the angel hair among 6 bowls or plates. Scatter some parsley over each portion and serve.

This recipe serves 6

Calories per serving 389
Fat 19g
Saturated fat 5g
Trans Fat 0g
Total Carbohydrates 30g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 20g
Cholesterol 130mg
Sodium 115mg

Have Fun, Just Remember

2009-07-03T14:38:00.008-05:00

Happy Birthday America

Every year it comes around No individual party but one big bash Cook outs, time at the beach or lakes Fireworks to light up the sky Parades are held with buntings of Red White and Blue Men and women in uniform march in perfect lock step. Clowns and horses are all abound Children smile and wave the small flags given to them. This is a birthday for our Nation For on July fourth, Seventeen Seventy Six. We proclaimed our freedom to the small world then, that we wanted to become an independent and sovereign nation

Yet, this year we find that Freedom is not free. That our citizens will be far away so another country can be free for they will put their lives on the line for our ideals But they know they will be thought of by those at home For this is the Fourth of July for all to see

A land that knows its freedoms are not free

A land that does not forget our hard kept ideals

A land rich in historyHappy Birthday America

By Merrill Vaughan, Ret. USAF MSgt.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars - an easy pass around dessert

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. smooth peanut butter

4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

6 plain chocolate Hershey bars

Blend butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Work in the powdered sugar and cracker crumbs with a wooden spoon until combined thoroughly. Press into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside. Melt Hershey bars (10-15 seconds in microwave), spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill until set but don't let get too cold or they will be too hard to cut. Cut into small squares.

Delicious! Tastes just like a peanut butter cup.

Photo/RG/Flickr

Fragole Pazzo

2009-06-27T02:07:00.007-05:00

Isn't it funny how foods that other people grew up eating and loving sound weird but the foods we grew up eating and loving never do? If the food seems weird are the people who eat them and enjoy them just as weird? If that is the case, then just label me the weirdest person on the face of the earth; because I eat some pretty weird foods (my definition of weird is delicious by the way)! If you ask me the only thing that is weird is anyone who would short change themselves of trying something different from their "norm". One little taste that's all it takes, if you don't like it you never have to eat it again.......but if you do like it....
Well I guess that would mean that you are still weird only now you would possess the power to eat many more foods than you use to......how cool is that?!

Crazy Strawberries

2 tbsp. sugar
5 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. freshly coarse ground black pepper
4 c. ripe strawberries, stemmed and quartered (2 pt.)
Grated sweet chocolate for garnish (in a pinch you could just sprinkle on a few semi-sweet chocolate chips)!

In a bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, and pepper. Stir in strawberries and let them stand for 10 minutes, serve strawberries garnished with chocolate.

An Economic Stew

2009-06-22T00:36:00.010-05:00

Our grandparents and parents all lived through tough economic times and yet I cannot remember any of them or any of us ever going hungry. Even during some of the poorest times in this countries history most families ate very delicious and substantial meals. They did this by using cheaper cuts of meats or what use to be considered the throw away bits such as innards, knuckles, joints, marrow bones. These cuts always seemed to shine their best when prepared in the form of a soup or stew because the longer the cooking time the more tender and flavorful these cuts of meat became and the amount of servings could be easily expanded just by adding water or stock, different types of vegetables and starches (potatoes, rice, pasta). My mother and grandmother both made this stew even during more prosperous times just for the mere fact that we all enjoyed eating it. I'll admit gizzards are not exactly the most attractive looking meat around but then again how many cuts of meat actually look attractive? Any food, even the nasty bits are beautiful especially when they are prepared by loving hands, shared with a generous heart and sustain us all nutritionally to live another day, love another day and by all means eat another day!

Chicken Gizzard Stew

1-1/2 pounds of chicken gizzards (also known as the giblets)
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 large can of diced tomatoes liquid and all
1 small can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
A little oil for sautéing

Cut up gizzards, some will be small enough to leave as is you are just looking for bite size pieces. Add gizzards, onions and garlic to a large pot set on medium that has just enough oil so mixture won't stick. Sauté for about 10 minutes then add your tomato paste, stir tomato paste into gizzard mixture and using the tomato paste can add three cans of water to the mix and stir. Now add your remaining ingredients, stir, cover and set temperature to low and let simmer for about an hour and a half to two hours. You want your gizzards to get tender since they can be extremely tough to chew.
This can be served up in a bowl with some nice crusty bread and a salad or is great served over rice or pasta.

Photo/A.Curell/Flickr

The Dark Side Of Nutrition

2009-06-17T15:11:00.002-05:00

For a delicious treat that is high in nutrients and antioxidants we'll have to travel to the dark side. No, we are not meeting Darth Vadar for lunch although eating these might just lighten him up a bit. I guess in some instances even the dark side has a silver lining....enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Cherries

3 ounces of a really good dark chocolate
1 cup of dried tart cherries

Put chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute stirring halfway through. Remove the bowl from microwave and stir in the cherries. Spread out on a wax paper lined baking sheet and put them in freezer until firm (about 10 min.).

Keep in air tight container in cool place always ready for snacking.

FYI - this works really well with dried blueberries, of course you can dip anything your heart desires, it's chocolate after all!

I'll Take Those For A Dollar!

2009-06-08T01:05:00.006-05:00

I decided to tackle the public market this past Saturday and I do mean tackle. I got there at 9:30 in the morning and the place was packed. It took me 40 minutes just to park but it is always worth that little bit of added stress. Every time I go they seem to add new vendors, this time they had someone there selling area rugs in between the food stalls.
The prices there still amaze me, their fruits and vegetables are less than half the price of all the grocery chains nationwide.
This week they had a favorite of my Mothers, spring onions. You do not see them very often; they appear to be a scallion only the white bulb is much larger. They are a bit more pungent in taste over a scallion
I came across this beautiful vegetarian recipe that uses a full bunch of spring onions along with many other wonderful vegetables. A fresh and healthy dish perfect for this time of year or any time for that matter.

Brussel Sprouts With Spring Vegetables including those beautiful Spring Onions

The brussel sprouts are scored with an "X" on the bottom to allow the heat to penetrate the dense part of the root so that the vegetable cooks to the center.

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 c. diced celery root, or celery stalk and leaves, diced
2 med. turnips, peeled and shredded
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 c. fresh peas
1 lb. brussel sprouts, blanched tender
2 tbsp. mixed herbs: oregano, marjoram, parsley, or tarragon (any combination)
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter and oil in a skillet and sauté the celery root and turnips until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato and peas, season with a bit of salt and continue to cook covered until the peas are tender, another 5 minutes.
When the peas are almost cooked, add the brussel sprouts and herbs, and continue to heat long enough to warm the sprouts. Uncover the pot and allow any liquid that has accumulated to reduce or evaporate. Add the spring onions and toss everything well. Correct the seasonings give a grinding of fresh pepper and serve hot.

Photo courtesy of Plutone(NL)/Flickr

Why Adopt When You Can Raise Your Own Doughnuts!

2009-06-01T01:49:00.005-05:00

It really is hard to find a good doughnut these days none of the major doughnut chains even come close to what I remember as being a good doughnut. Granted I am a little spoiled in the doughnut department as I grew up eating them homemade. Although we did have one place in Rochester years ago that made amazing doughnuts by the name of; "Mueller's". Unfortunately they closed up shop many years ago which saddened a great many loyal customers. Mueller's doughnuts were big in size and taste. Today's doughnuts are a quarter of the size they use to be and the fried cakes look like bracelets with these giant gaping holes in the middle. If you got a custard filled at Mueller's it was fresh homemade custard and lots of it, not a little teaspoon full of canned custard which pitifully brushes against the inside of the doughnuts today.
I could complain about doughnut quality all day once I start it is hard to stop.
So as I say when it comes to many food items if you do not like the taste of something you usually purchase already made, make it yourself.
Here is a doughnut recipe that has been around for ages using mashed potatoes, so much easier than the yeast raised.

Mashed Potato Doughnuts

1 c. mashed potatoes
4 tbsp. butter
2 c. sugar
3 beaten eggs
5 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix hot mashed potatoes with butter, eggs, baking powder, nutmeg, vanilla, and sugar. The flour will have to be added a little at a time while kneading the mixture together. Use plenty of flour to roll out and cut with doughnut cutter between 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Place in hot deep fryer (approximately 3 at a time). Turn after they pop up, about 1 minute, and leave for another minute.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or just enjoy them plain.

Angeloo/flickr

Jerky Lovers Paradise

2009-05-26T14:21:00.008-05:00

My friends over at Jerky.com must have taken my love for buffalo meat to heart. I had just recently done a post on buffalo stew and barely a week later was given the pleasure of trying their buffalo jerky. Whenever I have an opportunity to try a new product I always invite a few friends to taste along with me. It's interesting to hear how other people perceive the flavor and texture of different foods. This buffalo jerky came in pretty good size pieces instead of crumbly little bits like some other brands. The texture was just as you would expect with a well prepared jerky. I was worried about the black pepper element only because other brands of peppered jerky tend to smother the meat with black pepper to the degree that all you taste is pepper. Not in this case, it was peppered lightly enough so that there was a perfect harmony between meat and seasoning. The people at Jerky.com definitely have another winner in their Buffalo Jerky, I highly recommend it as a must try. Please check out some of their many varieties of jerky such as alligator, venison and ostrich jerky. Jerky.com is definitely a jerky lovers paradise.

A Financial Pickle

2009-05-23T01:43:00.005-05:00

Spit out the pits and throw away the rind......well that is just wasteful! In the good old days our grandparents made a delicious sweet and spicy snack out of all those watermelon discards. We really could learn from the old days of waste not want not instead of our present motto of waste everything and want even more.
It all has to start somewhere so why not with this recipe. I am sure there will be no shortage of watermelon rinds this holiday weekend or the rest of the summer for that matter. It just makes sense to get the most we can out of the things we spend our hard earned money on....so in this particular instance it's not such a bad thing to find yourself in a bit of a pickle!

Watermelon Rind Pickles

3 lbs. prepared rinds
2 c. white vinegar
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tbsp. whole allspice
5 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 tbsp. whole cloves
1 whole lemon

Prepare rinds by peeling skin and removing all pink flesh from rind and cut into pieces 2 x 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Let stand overnight in salt water (2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water), drain. Cover with fresh water and boil until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain. While water boils in another pan mix sugar, vinegar and water. Put spices in a cheese cloth bag. Add the lemon slices whole, rind and all. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Add rinds and cook until transparent. Remove cheese cloth bag of spices. Turn into clean hot jars and seal.

Bourbon Drops Keep Falling On My Head...

2009-05-16T20:14:00.007-05:00

It was raining bourbon for us this past weekend, it was in our glasses, it was in our appetizers and it was even in our dessert. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and with each and every bite and sip the day just kept getting sunnier and sunnier.
We began our day with bourbon over ice and nibbled on pineapple chunks that had been soaked in bourbon. Not to go overboard we left the bourbon out of the main entree` which consisted of chicken and dumplings, green beans and a tossed green salad with garlic herb bread. But we just had to end the dinner in the same great way we started so our dessert too got rained upon. Here's hoping that there is bourbon forecasted in your neck of the woods!

Bourbon Peach Cobbler

1 cup butter
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of self rising flour
1 cup of water
2-13 oz cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1/2 cup of bourbon, mix in with the peaches and syrup

Melt butter. Mix all ingredients together except for peaches and bourbon mixture. Pour into 13x9x2 inch dish. Pour peach mixture over batter, do not stir.
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite ice cream or a touch of whipped cream.

Where The Buffalo Roam

2009-05-11T17:37:00.004-05:00

One of my all time favorite places in the world to visit is San Francisco. On one of my first trips there my mother and I made a delicious discovery, a little place called; "Tommy's Joynt". Our family that resides in California kept telling us that we had to go there for their buffalo stew and wash it down with a beer from any where in the world. The beer list is one of the most extensive ones that I had ever seen. I prefer dark beers and was overwhelmed by all the choices so I ended up trying a few. I tried a chocolate stout from England, a stout from Ireland and a rich robust dark from Germany. I wish I could have tried them all but then they would have had to reopen Alcatraz just to keep me off the streets. There were so many things on the food menu that we would have liked to try but since they were known for their buffalo stew and family and friends raved about it we knew we had to give it a try. I was a little skeptical, at that time I had never tried buffalo meat so I was worried that it might have a strong gamey flavor. When the bowl of stew arrived it was thick and rich in color and texture. The aroma was that of the beef stew we all grew up with and the taste was familiar and comforting. Trust me if you like beef you can enjoy buffalo meat with no problem at all the only thing that is different is fat and calories, the buffalo meat is much lower on both counts.

Buffalo Stew

3 lb. buffalo, cut up for stew
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 c. dry red wine
1/4 c. ketchup
1 c. mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
Kitchen Bouquet to taste

Lightly salt and pepper the meat. Heat a large Dutch oven and add the oil. In 2 different batches, brown meat on all sides. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook slowly, covered, at low heat.

Photo/Ally37/Flickr

XXX Mimi

2009-05-06T10:03:00.008-05:00

Despite what you are about to read let me make it perfectly clear that this is a family friendly site. Some of the words only sound X-Rated but by the time you get to the end of this post you will quickly realize that we actually have a G-Rating for Gee that's hilarious!
My great aunt Mimi use to love dill bread toasted, she use to get a packaged brand from the grocery store. Then when that became hard to find we found this sliced rye bread that was seasoned with dill which wasn't too bad. I enjoyed the dill toast as well and would usually join her for a slice or two. I noticed that my aunt was really longing for the plain dill bread that she use to get but it turned out the company had stopped making it. I had said; " Mimi we could probably just make it ourselves it's basically just a white bread with some dill weed and dill seed in it". Mimi said; "I don't know sweetheart, I have never used a dill dough before you may have to work with the dill dough by yourself".
The moral of the story.....You do not need four hands to work with a dill dough, according to my aunt Mimi two hands are all you need to make a dill dough rise!

Dill Bread

1 package of dry yeast (1 tbsp.)
1/2 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. dried dill seed or 3 tbsp. of fresh
1 tbsp. dried dill weed or 3 tbsp. of fresh
1 c. evaporated milk
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. salt
3 to 3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. of Melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar, dill seed, and dill weed. Let mixture stand at room temperature until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining sugar, milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter and salt. Stir in flour to make a stiff dough. (Dough will be sticky.)
Grease bread pan with Pam. Knead dough and place in pan, covering with waxed paper. Let stand in warm place until dough rises about 1 1/2 inches, about 30 minutes or more if dough hasn't risen enough. Bake until brown, about 35 minutes. Brush top with melted butter. Remove bread and cool on rack.

Take It With A Grain

2009-05-01T00:37:00.004-05:00

Taboule is a Mediterranean wheat salad that is healthy to eat, easy on the pocket book and actually tastes delicious. Another added plus to this dish is that it requires absolutely no cooking so it is perfect for the warmer days ahead. Taboule is perfect as a vegetarian main dish or the perfect side that works well with any type of meat or seafood recipe.

Taboule, Tabouleh or Tabouli Salad

tastes great no matter how you say it or spell it!

3/4 to 1 c. sm. bulgur (cracked wheat)

2 c. finely chopped parsley
1/2 c. of cilantro
1/2 c. of mint and/or basil

1 to 1 1/2 c. chopped scallions

2 c. seeded and chopped firm ripe tomatoes

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. lemon juice
Salt to taste
Cucumbers, optional
Ripe or green olives, optional

Rinse and soak bulgur in water for 25 minutes. Drain; try to remove as much water as possible. Using a large bowl, combine scallions, all of the herbs, tomatoes, add bulgur, mix, then olive oil and lemon juice
I make this salad every week during the warmer months for my family and friends. This is a pretty traditional recipe but feel free to experiment with other ingredients.

Photo/Idiotpower/flickr

A Marriage of Taste

2009-04-25T09:13:00.005-05:00

One Saturday during our weekly poker night my father brought a chocolate cheese cake that had blueberry topping. I remember thinking what an interesting combination; I had never thought to put blueberries with chocolate before. Well let me tell you all it took was one bite and I knew that this was a marriage made in heaven. I could not get over how incredible those two flavors comingled on my palate. Ever since then I have been trying to come up with different ways to bring these two meant to be ingredients together.

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. sour cream
2 c. blueberries
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts
3/4 c. dark chocolate chips (whatever you prefer)

Cream together first 3 ingredients. Add vanilla. Sift and mix the dry ingredients together. To creamed mixture, add alternately with sour cream. (Save a little of the flour to coat the blueberries before mixing, so they will not sink to the bottom).
Prepare topping from the 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup nuts. Spoon 1/2 of the batter into greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the topping, all the chocolate chips and blueberries. Spoon in the remaining batter. Cover with the remaining topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and cool.

photo/Lorilea/flickr

Roaf Beast

2009-04-21T17:01:00.004-05:00

My mother always said that I came out of the womb talking. I guess that I was blessed with the gift for gab at a very early age. Going by the stories that my family tell, I guess that I was forming complete sentences by my first year. Of course, as well versed as I seemed to be I always had a few words that I just could not pronounce correctly. The three words that stand out the most are; Hoppydoo (hospital), Comptydoo (comfortable) and my favorite Roaf Beast (roast beef). I actually have to stop and think before actually saying roast beef to this day or it will inevitably come out roaf beast.....oh heck, what's the difference any way you slice it or in this case say it, it still tastes good.

Coffee Roast Beef

3 - 5 lb. roast
2 cloves of Garlic
1 small Onion or scallion
1 cups of vinegar
2 cups of strong coffee
2 cups of water

Cut slits in roast, insert slivers of garlic and onion in slits. Put beef in bowl and pour vinegar over it. Refrigerate 24 to 48 hours. Pour vinegar off and brown in small amount of oil. Pour coffee and water over. Cook in heavy iron pot slowly for 6 hours. Do not season until 20 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper only. Gravy may be thickened or left as is.

Photo/polard/flickr

Fragrant Fruit

2009-04-15T18:32:00.003-05:00

Lychee fruits have to be one of my all time favorite treats so much so that during the holidays family and friends would always include cans of them as a special treat to accompany my other gifts. I always loved them ice cold so I would immediately put the cans in the refrigerator to chill. I would enjoy them straight from the can; the syrup was an added bonus for sipping. Back then I had never seen or tasted a fresh lychee. The first time for me was on a trip to San Francisco when I spotted some fresh ones in a little corner store in Chinatown. They were incredible, very juicy, sweet but not as sweet as the canned variety.
Unfortunately it was many years before I was ever able to experience fresh lychee's again, the grocery stores here in New York did not start carrying them until about a decade ago.
Lychee fruit is so fragrant so much so that it actually makes an excellent flavoring to be used in a variety of beverages.

Stuffed Lychee's

2 (20 oz.) cans whole seedless lychee, drained or fresh if you can get them.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 oz. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Chopped macadamia nuts (garnish)

Combine cream cheese and ginger, stuff mixture into the center of the lychee with a small spoon, butter knife or a pastry bag, chill and garnish with macadamia nuts.

All They're Cracked Up To Be....

2009-04-10T15:38:00.006-05:00

Easter is still a couple of days away and as usual most of us will be coloring way too many hard boiled eggs much to the dismay of all those poor tired hens.
I do not know about you but when Easter has come and gone I do not find myself with an overload of excess candy, instead I feel like I am buried under a pile of colored hard boiled eggs. You hardly ever hear anyone talk about what to do with all those eggs. I can only sprinkle salt on so many and eat as is for so long. Sure there is always egg salad but even that can grow tiresome, so what to do with all those eggs? Well, here are a couple suggestions that might help crack this case!

Pickled Eggs and Onions

1 tsp. prepared mustard

3/4 c. water

1 tbsp. salt

1 med. onion, sliced in rings

1 1/4 c. cider vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. pickling spice

12 hard boiled eggs, peeled

In small saucepan blend mustard with 1/4 cup vinegar. Add remaining 1 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients except eggs. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and onions are crisp and tender. Pour over eggs, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Hard Cooked Egg Casserole

1 1/2 doz. hard cooked eggs, sliced

1/2 lb. bacon

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

1 c. light cream

1 c. milk

1 lb. grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1 1/2 to 2 c. buttered bread crumbs

Fry the bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble. Make cream sauce using butter, flour, cream and milk. Add the cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, and other herbs. Pour some of the sauce in a greased 3 quart baking dish. Add a layer of egg slices, then bacon and more cream sauce. Continue until ingredients are used up, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbly and browned.

A Really Jerky Review

2009-04-06T14:23:00.009-05:00

I have always been a huge fan of beef jerky for as long as I can remember. There was a time that beef was the only meat jerky available for purchase. Things have changed greatly over the years now jerky is made out of every type of meat and fish imaginable and most recently it was brought to my attention and to my taste buds a jerky made of fruit. I have to say that I was quite surprised. I actually thought that pineapple jerky just meant that the meat had been marinated in pineapple juice before drying. Wasn't I surprised when I saw this pretty as a flower piece of natural pineapple that had been processed into jerky.
At first before trying it, I was thinking of the dried pineapple that you can get in most stores that I really do not care for. It tends to be too sweet and grainy and for the most part no longer tastes like pineapple instead it tastes like pure sugar.
That is not the case with this pineapple jerky, I do not know what the people at Jerky.com did but this stuff is delicious. It is literally a slice of fresh pineapple with the addition of a little honey that has been made into jerky. It still retains the flavor of eating fresh pineapple only with the chewiness of jerky. This is truly a delicious product as well as a very nutritional way to tame that sweet tooth, a definite must try.