I Love Almond Paste

I have loved almond paste for as long as I can remember. Whenever their was a wedding I’d wait for them to put out the Italian cookie tray and pick out all the almond paste ones. There were usually four different types of almond paste cookies on the tray; Pignoli (pine nuts), Slivered almond, crushed cashew or the ones with the halved maraschino cherry pressed in the middle. If my grandmother and Aunt went to a wedding or a function that had almond paste cookies they would wrap some up in a napkin, put it in their purse and bring them home as a surprise for me.

These cookies do not store that well, so if you need to keep them longer than a couple of days, store them in the freezer and remove them as needed. If you bake the cookies a little less, you will have a soft cookie, bake them longer and you will have a chewy cookie. There really is no need to add flour to these cookies they will still turn out fine but by adding the flour it prevents the cookies from spreading leaving you with a more uniform cookie. When done these cookies should have a light golden color.
You may completely omit the flour if you so choose.

Pignoli Cookies

1 (8 oz) Can Almond Paste

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour

2 to 3 Medium Egg Whites, Lightly Beaten

8 Ounces Pine Nuts

Extra Powdered Sugar To Finish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone linings. Place the pine nuts in a bowl.In a food processor, break up the almond paste into small pieces, and pulse with the two sugars and the flour. Once the mixture is finely ground, begin to add the egg whites a little at a time, just until the dough comes together. Depending on the humidity or the size of your egg whites, sometimes you may need all of the egg whites, while other times you won’t.Using a spoon and slightly wet hands, scoop a small spoonful of the dough, and place this into the bowl of pignoli. Roll the cookie around until it is lightly coated, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue forming the cookies in this manner, placing them 2 inches apart on the baking pan. Bake the cookies 20 to 25 minutes, and then cool. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Egg Creams, no eggs and thats no yolk !

It isn't made with eggs, or cream it is actually a mixture of milk, syrup and seltzer water. If done properly the mixture is very creamy and frothy. The stories vary on how egg creams actually came to be but a lot of people are glad that they did. Egg Creams were something you always associated with New York City. I believe they originated in Manhattan. Over the years soda fountains started to dwindle along with those wonderful soda jerks who would whip up those egg cream masterpieces. Little by little soda fountains and egg creams are making a come back.
But if they are hard to find in your area, I found a place that makes a bottled version that might just ease your egg cream craving until a soda fountain comes to town.

EGG CREAM AMERICA, INC. - MANUFACTURER OF JEFF'S SODAS
In 1990's the founders of Egg Cream America developed their initial corporate mission - in simpler terms, to put the delicious fountain egg cream in a bottle for mass consumption.

Finger Bowl Soup

Every year my parents and I would go to Canada for our summer vacation. Part of the ritual was driving to the Thousand Islands (Alexandria Bay) and spending the night at the Sir Robert Peel Motel. We would site see and then go to dinner at a place called Cavallarios Steak & Seafood. This place was known for its huge lobster tank where you could pick out the lobster you wanted for dinner. I always wanted to try a whole lobster but my father said they were a lot of work. So each year I would just get a seafood platter, my mother got scallops and my father always got steak This one particular year during our usual ritual dinner at Cavallario’s these guys came in from fishing holding this lobster that they caught that must have weighed at least 6 or 7 pounds. It had the biggest claws I had ever seen. They asked if the chef would cook it for them. That made me start nagging my father about having my own lobster again. He finally gave in. When it came, my eyes lit up. I hadn’t a clue what to do with all the different shiny silver tools that they brought me.
So my father showed me how to use the picks and crackers to uncover that sweet lobster meat. I could not wait to submerge it in the melted butter.
I was happy but my father wasn’t, because while he was helping me enjoy my dinner, his steak was getting cold not to mention his mood.
But I sure did enjoy that lobster even though you could have heard a pin drop at the table…..until.
The waitress came over to see if we needed anything and preceded to place in front of me this beautiful bowl of clear hot liquid with a lemon slice floating on top. She also brought me another little plate with a warm towel on it (she probably thought I’d be as sloppy with the soup as I was with the lobster). By this point I am in my own little world contemplating all this stuff in front of me. My mother and father still weren’t saying anything so I reached over and got a spoon so I could eat the stuff in the bowl before it got cold. All of a sudden my parents are howling with laughter, even people at the next table were laughing (I was clueless). What’s so funny?
My mother said; "Honey, that isn’t soup it's a finger bowl for washing your hands after eating that sticky old lobster". OOPS!
All anger was forgotten and I’ve loved lobster ever since.

Sweet Dreams

When a foodie settles down to sleep after a day filled with work, family and of course….food. What does a foodie dream about? Well, some of what they dream about is
probably none of our business. On the other hand, it’s pretty safe to assume that somewhere intermingled with their slumbering fantasies are glorious visions of…..no, not sugarplums dancing in their heads. More like, rivers of chocolate cascading through whipped cream mountains with little cheese soufflés floating by………………….
Oops, sorry was starting to drool (got caught up in the moment).
Anyhow wouldn’t it be wonderful for a foodie to lay down their sleepy little head on something soft and cushy that looks exactly like; pancakes, sushi, cupcakes oh my.
Even if you’re not a glorified foodie you need to check this place out.
It’s called; “The Sofa Garden”.
If you are into pillow accents this place has a great variety for every taste.

Pork and Sauerkraut

My mother’s side of the family loved this dish. Whether it was a holiday or just a regular Sunday dinner, pork and sauerkraut made them happy. If anyone in her family was having a birthday and you asked them what special kind of food would they like? The answer was always the same; “Pork and Sauerkraut”.
If you are one of those people who avoids sauerkraut because you find it too strong. Just put in colander, rinse a little, then drain. It becomes much milder but retains a good deal of flavor. The sauerkraut is what actually keeps the pork moist, tender and juicy.


1 (10-15 lb) pork shoulder
4 lbs sauerkraut, with juice (canned or bagged)
Salt and pepper
1 lb bag of carrot (cut in big chunks)
2 large onions peeled and cut into big pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse pork and place in large roasting pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover with 1/3 of the sauerkraut.
Cover roasting pan and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and add another 1/3 of sauerkraut.
Cover and put back in oven for another hour.
Remove from oven and add the remaining sauerkraut.
Cover and put back in oven for another hour.
Remove from oven and enjoy! Boiled or mashed potatoes are a must with this dish.

1959 was a very good year.......

Happy Birthday to all those born in 1959 including yours truly.
1959 was an incredible year in history, I thought it would be fun to list just a few
Amazing facts from that time.
For more interesting facts visit: The People History or Pop History of the Fifties

*Danny's Coffee Shops are renamed Dennys
*Pantyhose, which give women the look of stockings without garters, garter-belts, or corsets, are introduced. By a man, no doubt.
*She's here! Barbie
*U.S. supermarkets number 32,000 and account for 69 percent of all food store sales although they comprise only 11 percent of food stores.
*Hurray for Jiffy Pop
*Maxwell House inaugurates the "Good to the last drop" ad campaign.
*The BIC ballpoint pen is introduced in America
*On February 3, Alaska is admitted to statehood. Followed by Hawaii on August 21. For about a year in between America had a 49 star flag.
*The average American worker earns $91.53 a week
*Bonanza debuts on TV. The Fifties Web TV Western Pages as does the Twilight Zone
*The microchip is invented by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce of the U.S. A host of products using miniaturized electronics will be produced in the next few years.
*Metrecal is introduced by the 59-year-old Mead Johnson Company of Evansville, Ind. as a weight reducing aid. It will be the forerunner of all other dietary products such as SlimFast and others.
*Groucho, Chico & Harpo Marx's final TV appearance together - on G.E. Theater with host Ronald Reagan
*Julie a future Blogger was born

Meema's Manhattan A Day

My grandmother has been drinking these for as long as I can remember. My grandfather would make a decanter full (he would water them down a little) and keep them in the fridge for her. My grandmother never exceeds two Manhattans in a day but she does have at least one every day. At 87 years old, four foot eight and 80 lbs. soaking wet she is still a force to be reckoned with. The family saying is; “If Meema’s not happy, then no ones happy” but we love her just the same. To this day when three o’ clock rolls around its cocktail time, funny how some things never change.

Cheers Meema…

1 1/4 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with the cherry.

Variations on the Manhattan:
Dry Manhattan- Use a dash of dry vermouth and garnish with a lemon twist.
Perfect Manhattan- Equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.