tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17147642207478336792024-03-13T02:56:03.471-05:00Liz's Test KitchenFamily-tested food from a multitude of sources....avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-8165998619121507672011-01-07T10:20:00.003-06:002011-01-07T10:46:24.965-06:00Irish Kids CAN Eat Chili Sauce!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT0863iwCvP8UO1e5qlVml3AIvFDZe6zsiNIEPbKAu9knC53cH2QST6FD0l4MatTbzX-SnI9U8sT6FU1h2fLVC0JJzV-X2xcgUwyd7O-TUlqGFgUT24zs7tPgMI-7NtSSpnfZZC53UnA/s1600/DSC_0005.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT0863iwCvP8UO1e5qlVml3AIvFDZe6zsiNIEPbKAu9knC53cH2QST6FD0l4MatTbzX-SnI9U8sT6FU1h2fLVC0JJzV-X2xcgUwyd7O-TUlqGFgUT24zs7tPgMI-7NtSSpnfZZC53UnA/s320/DSC_0005.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559483149307767794" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Irish Catholic kids growing up in the suburbs of Boston in the 70’s (1970’s that is) didn’t get much of a chance to experience the spicier side of life. I was one of those kids. On the rare occasion when pepper made it to our dinner table, it was largely shunned as being ‘too spicy’. The memories are vague, but I believe pepper only made an appearance when someone (Uncle Ray who grew up in Tennessee and therefore loved spicy food - yeah, I don’t know what that means either, but it’s what we were told) came to visit. My introduction to Scoville units came when I was about 12 years old and my family was on vacation in Washington D.C. We were eating dinner in a restaurant (a very rare occasion, I assure you) and I had ordered shrimp. I’m pretty sure I didn’t know what shrimp were but ordered it anyway. They were bland. Everything that ever touched our dinner table was doused in salt. We went through salt the way I now go through flour. At this particular restaurant and on this particular night and with my brain being filled with rebellion as I edged toward my teen years, I decided to buck the system. They fought over the salt shaker and I reached for a mysterious bottle filled with red liquid. The word ‘Tabasco’ on the front meant absolutely nothing to me. I had never seen it before. My father warned me. My mother didn’t know what it was either and wasn’t focussed on me anyway. The red liquid came out in tiny drops. One, two, three...and was instantly absorbed into the shrimp. I was used to thick liquids that lay on food like blankets, smothering the original flavor out of whatever lay underneath. Shake, shake, shake went the bottle.... I would not allow myself to cry. I did, however, look absurd with my tongue hanging in my water glass for the rest of the meal. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Some time between my 12th year and my current status of 45-years old, I fell in love with chili peppers. Originally I was enchanted by the rip-it-up heat produced by the various peppers, but now it’s the depth of flavor I most admire. Years ago I was introduced to Sriracha hot chili sauce. (Sun-dried chilis mashed into a paste and combined with garlic to make a sauce.) In the beginning, I used it in Asian food and not much else. Today it makes its appearance in everything from meatloaf to beef stew to scrambled eggs to tuna melts. Yup, tuna melts. Last night’s dinner of chicken-fried rice contained the sauce and wasn’t spicy at all. A light hand added just a little somethin’ something’ without any of the heat. Do yourself a favor and check this stuff out. The smell alone is intoxicating....</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tuna Melt a la Sriracha</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Okay, so this isn’t even really a recipe, but it’s a great way to introduce yourself to this sauce. I believe that the tuna melt is one of the greatest pleasures life has to offer (a GOOD tuna melt and just ONE of the greatest pleasures). It can be made anytime and always, always, always bring satisfaction...</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 can tuna fish (Albacore)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">some mayo</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">couple of shots of Sriracha</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Good whole grain bread</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Good extra sharp cheddar (I really like Irish cheddars)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Butter</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Mix the tuna, mayo and sriracha together. Spread one piece of bread with tuna mixture. Layer cheese on top. Top with other piece of bread. Generous slather outside of bread with butter. Cook with butter side down on grill pan. Slather butter on exposed bread. Cook until bottom is brown. Turn over and cook the other side until cheese is melted. Cut that sucker open and squish it to watch the cheese ooze down the side. Eat with salt and vinegar potato chips and a Diet Pepsi and you will have just eaten one of my very favorite lunches.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Go buy a bottle! They sell it right in the supermarket. Take the top off and breathe in deep. You’ll thank me...</span></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-10971571079536299142010-11-23T09:54:00.005-06:002010-11-23T10:12:54.120-06:00Grateful for...Worcestershire Sauce!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oJr66bmARJKcM3wCeP-EIfj1B900TqDpMEL18wwT_WrVk60j0seK5AeNp9Ni6hCbbOhVz1_F4FQW2GGHYLnhJVuvv2O3_fm0SFjEUaDP5O6rhDg0mOPUC3tXP8U3697unJcfngW3qTg/s1600/DSC_0008.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oJr66bmARJKcM3wCeP-EIfj1B900TqDpMEL18wwT_WrVk60j0seK5AeNp9Ni6hCbbOhVz1_F4FQW2GGHYLnhJVuvv2O3_fm0SFjEUaDP5O6rhDg0mOPUC3tXP8U3697unJcfngW3qTg/s320/DSC_0008.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542777360164783522" /></a><br /><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As the finish line comes into view on the marathon that has been 2010, I’m taking a moment (or two) to focus on the things in my life for which I am grateful. While cleaning people and double ovens still top my list of things that make me smile, I am aware of the other things...</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This being a food blog and all, I will attempt to stay on topic. Food items. There are many unsung heros of my kitchen. The ingredients called on frequently that I probably could live without, but wouldn’t want to. These poor essentials live lives of anonymity where, even though they are called on several times a week, they are never ever given top billing in the title of any dish. My fingerprints are all over their bottles. My kids know their aromas well. They are called ‘the secret ingredient’. Um yeah. Well, I’m letting one of them out of the closet today and singing his (he’s definitely male) praises. Worcestershire Sauce....I must say that this guy has been hanging around my refrigerator for decades and was rarely called on unless I was serving steak. I grew up with a father who put it on steak so that’s what I did too. The kitchen of my childhood housed it somewhere when it was not being used, but I am at a loss to tell you where. Sadly, the Worcestershire Sauce of my adult life has suffered a similar fate...until this year. I’m not sure when it happened, but sometime in 2010 I was at a loss for an appealing ingredient to add to something and decided that the smell of the Worcestershire Sauce was something of a ‘must add’ to my dish. Oh my! The miracle sauce transformed my dish...and my mind. I now buy the stuff at Costco - because I use so much of it!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">While the ingredients listed on the bottle of the sauce are not something I would have thought to mix together (anchovies, tamarind, molasses, garlic, vinegar, chilies, cloves, shallots, sugar, and blah, blah, blah chemical), two guys in England did. Great story here (or legend, I’m not sure which). Story goes that Mr. Lee & Mr. Perrin mixed this stuff together and tasted. Absolute horror. They stuck it on a shelf for a few years and forgot about it. Someone decided to do some house cleaning one day (I’m guessing) and discovered the long-forgotten bottle. The brave soul opened it and was rewarded with what we know to be Worcestershire Sauce today. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The following recipe started as a Better Homes ‘New Cook Book’ recipe (the big red and white plaid book), but has been so modified over the years that it scarcely resembles the original anymore. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Beef Stew </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 cup all-purpose flour</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tsp salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 lbs beef stew meat cut into 2ish-inch cubes</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tbsp cooking oil</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 medium onion </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tsp dried thyme, crushed</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 cups vegetable juice cocktail </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 cup water</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tsp instant beef bouillon granules</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 tbsp worcestershire sauce</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce (I use several)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 cups sliced carrots</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In a plastic bag combine flour and 2 tsp salt. Add meat cubes, a few at a time, shaking to coat. In a large Dutch oven brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil. Return all meat to Dutch oven; add onion, garlic, and thyme. Stir in vegetable juice, bouillon, worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 1/4 hour or till meat is nearly tender. Stir in potatoes and carrots. Cover; simmer for 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper as needed.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Perfect winter meal. Serve with biscuits. A friend’s son calls this goulash. Call it whatever you want, but don’t forget that it is the Worcestershire sauce giving it that rich depth of flavor that cannot otherwise be achieved. Dig your bottle out of the refrigerator and start experimenting. It’s a wonderful compliment to any dish containing beef...and then some!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-13364127658097706982010-10-29T10:36:00.002-05:002010-10-29T10:50:38.636-05:00An Obsession With...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SpB1VcgtyT8vdI0r-8FtTtR4yKPEeNje4jPkp5zCLcf6VpljQtK_tisKkTkySKU9Hy-8Dk5ZHaHbj3fZMps-BuuniRrjBNFlYMYQQ0MLK5e4q4jVbzco2VPhEZdE5znF5qpvwWjtSt8/s1600/DSC_0626.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SpB1VcgtyT8vdI0r-8FtTtR4yKPEeNje4jPkp5zCLcf6VpljQtK_tisKkTkySKU9Hy-8Dk5ZHaHbj3fZMps-BuuniRrjBNFlYMYQQ0MLK5e4q4jVbzco2VPhEZdE5znF5qpvwWjtSt8/s320/DSC_0626.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533493923077307970" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>Obsession:</i></b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>–noun</i></b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>1.</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>2.</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">the idea, image, desire, feeling, etc., itself.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>3.</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">the state of being obsessed.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>4.</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">the act of obsessing.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 13.0px Verdana; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The obsessed brain is an exhausting place to be. The constant ebbing and flowing; the need to improve; the mania to keep creating, searching, doing..... Donuts. I’m talking about donuts, of course. Obsessions are a constant with me. While some obsessions are not particularly interesting or endearing to my family (parsnips, for example), this one is. The donut obsession was triggered by an article from the Chicago Tribune’s Food Section (Wednesday - the best day of the week). ‘Morning glories’ proclaimed the above-the-fold title. I think it was the haphazard stack of donuts next to the steaming cup of something, luring me down below-the-fold that really hooked me. The stack led to a recipe for buttermilk donuts. The recipe had ingredients that were already in my kitchen and promised me 1 1/2 dozen donuts in about 45 minutes. I decided to challenge the Tribune and see if all this was true. Out came the ingredients and sure enough, within 40ish minutes, my kids (who were just rising to consciousness) were stumbling blindly down the stairs, being led on a current of vanilla-scented air. Success with the first go-around! I won’t bore you with the details of the batches that have followed, but will tell you that my daughter’s cross country team friends hope the obsession continues for a long time to come.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Buttermilk Doughnuts</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4 1/4 cups flour</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1 tbsp baking powder</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3/4 tsp salt</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/4 tsp cinnamon</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">pinch grated nutmeg</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2 eggs</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1 egg yolk</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3/4 cup sugar</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1 tsp vanilla</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1 cup buttermilk (I have also used whole milk with equally great results)</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3 tbsp butter, melted</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">vegetable oil</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in another large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Stir together the buttermilk (milk) and butter in a large measuring cup. Alternately beat the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture into the egg mixture, a third at a time, until a soft, sticky dough is formed.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">With floured hands, place dough on a floured board; gently roll out until the dough is 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into doughnuts, using a doughnut cutter or 2 biscuit cutters (1 larger one about 3 inches in diameter and 1 smaller one about 1 inch in diameter). Collect the scraps; roll out to form another batch of doughnuts (this batch may be a little tougher than the first as the dough has been worked).</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Meanwhile, fill a deep fryer or large saucepan with oil to a depth of at least 3 inches; heat to 350 degrees (or until oil is shimmering). Gently place the doughnuts in the oil, being careful not to crowd. Fry until puffed and golden, 1 1/2-2 minutes per side. Drain on a rack; cool slightly. Frost and decorate as desired. Our favorite topping is a simple sprinkle of powdered sugar.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">If you have any left over (if), these are great the next day...for the squirrels in your back yard. Don’t waste your time eating them day-old. Just make another batch....see how these obsessions work?</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#333333;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-43653098429989258422010-08-19T09:16:00.003-05:002010-08-19T09:30:49.493-05:00Shrimp Salad - On the Fly!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNRc0Mm5YtHFNVmuR2uuHOOFJYys0c0jlrfJOdFN3NxDi2_bO9gu6z1IQeCg3g_rUFVs2db0kbxxMnCQhiElwddM58wW9R2EMc2EyfjNEOZdZAyYNkGs7FWzHU0JunKBpJ1LMdNN0AJk/s1600/DSC_0001.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNRc0Mm5YtHFNVmuR2uuHOOFJYys0c0jlrfJOdFN3NxDi2_bO9gu6z1IQeCg3g_rUFVs2db0kbxxMnCQhiElwddM58wW9R2EMc2EyfjNEOZdZAyYNkGs7FWzHU0JunKBpJ1LMdNN0AJk/s320/DSC_0001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507126063335183586" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Usually there is nothing good about opening the freezer - while the sun is still struggling to raise itself from the other side of the planet - and seeing the ribs you were going to take out to thaw, already dripping. Come on, say it with me ‘ahhh sh**’. You know what follows. The crazy thought that somehow the plug came out of the wall....even though the light is on. Then the burst of strength as you pull the refrigerator out from its fridge cave so you can check the back - looking for...I don’t know what. When acceptance finally settles in, the real work begins. The mad dash to remove all the perishables...wait, that would mean everything, right? Yup. And so it goes. Bag after dripping bag of stuff either gets tossed in the trash or run down to the already stuffed basement freezer/refrigerator. I’m not looking for sympathy as I know there are plenty of worse things...waking up with a water heater that has kicked up its heels in the middle of the night (cold shower, anyone?); dishwasher that has regurgitated all of its liquid contents all over the hardwood kitchen floor while you slept; cat that has disemboweled a mouse during the night and left it as a gift at the foot of your daughter’s bed... I know. This is not a story of sadness, it’s a story of discovery! While I did discover some pretty interesting bits of Bosworth culinary history, I also found a bag of shrimp I had forgotten about. Yay! A new dinner plan was hatched! Not really hatched, more like fertilized. Ribs were quickly shoved out of the way and in their place a different kind of summer meal started to grow - mentally.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Because I have recently gotten a job and started taking a class (both of these are new endeavours for me), my always-scattered, manic mind is on mega overdrive right now. The shrimp (and dinner) were completely forgotten until about 20 minutes before I was due to leave for my evening class. Four kid faces and one adult husband face stared at me as I started packing up my stuff to leave. ‘What’s for dinner?’ Oh yeah, dinner. I had the shrimp....and nothing else. Quick scan of the refrigerator (complete with its new whatever-costs-$200-part) revealed a ‘not much’ scenario. Today’s blog entry is not so much a recipe as a survival lesson. Here goes...</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-1 lb shrimp...into a frying pan with equal parts butter and olive oil. Saute until pink (maybe 3ish minutes). Couple of twists of the pepper grinder over the shrimp. Shrimp off the burner and into a bowl.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Refrigerator reveals leftover iceburg lettuce (I know, I know...the kids like it on tacos though). Lettuce chopped and onto a large serving platter.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Fruit bowl reveals two avocados. Peeled, sliced, onto the serving platter with the lettuce.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Cantaloupe sitting on the counter. Peel, chop, add to serving platter.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Add cooled shrimp.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Quick run through the sauces, condiments, ‘stuff’ in the refrigerator door. A mango habanero dipping sauce is located. Pour a bunch into a bowl. Splash some soy sauce, water and lemon juice (or any kind of citrus) into the dipping sauce. Mix it all together. Taste. Pour sauce over entire contents of serving platter.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Chop up some basil. Scatter over the top.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Slide platter onto table with 5 plates and forks.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Kiss family good-bye.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">And that is how we sometimes have to roll at this house. Real food. No call to Dominos. Crisp, sweet, creamy, little spicy, crunchy and really delicious. While I don’t wish this scenario on you, it is always comforting to know that much can be made from little when in a pinch. That’s amore, eh?</span></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-79641169626346590532010-08-16T13:01:00.003-05:002010-08-16T13:17:46.259-05:00Cantaloupe Caprese.....ahhhhhh!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJbVTVqYs5ns6af6Jip-u1y_5PkCZs7nktgcc-_JqvE45W4V92Kpg-1fkHWSuqCTGMi717cXypZgtYN4Jeb7CrzB2WzKOK9ncdU8xA0jcUnR-zB52uIdOhNFj2hptWaMvItLcHdI8OgE/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJbVTVqYs5ns6af6Jip-u1y_5PkCZs7nktgcc-_JqvE45W4V92Kpg-1fkHWSuqCTGMi717cXypZgtYN4Jeb7CrzB2WzKOK9ncdU8xA0jcUnR-zB52uIdOhNFj2hptWaMvItLcHdI8OgE/s320/DSC_0003.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506073289965212306" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Weeds deserve our respect....and loathing. Bi-polar? I know. The emotional swings have been annoying, even to me. The summer of ’10 has proven to be a hot, wet one in the Chicagoland area - perfect for growing weeds. My tomatoes are fairly tasteless, my peppers are not growing at all (except the serranos), the zucchini....well, I got one. My list of complaints over my lack of food production go on and on. But the weeds....they are thriving! Because the builder of my house liked to do whatever was quick and easy for him (she said bitterly), the foundation on one side spills out under the soil for a few feet. Nothing can grow there. Every year I put decorative flower pots, filled with flowers to disguise this wasteland. This year the flower pots are engulfed in a splendid display of one-foot high weeds. From a distance it doesn’t look bad...well, from a distance with one eye closed and the other one squinting... As I was getting up the courage to go and attack this weed patch, it got me thinking of another time in my life when the plants could not be controlled. If you’ve ever grown any kind of vining vegetable/fruit plant, you know that they can take over a place while you’ve got your back turned, pouring a glass of lemonade. In this previous case, however, I was not complaining...too much.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cantaloupe. The word itself is beautiful. Roll it around in your mouth and tell me it doesn’t feel good. I can never spell it, but I love saying it. And eating it. Years ago when I still lived in Massachusetts, I planted a few beautiful little plants with barely four leaves on them. Little mounds with furry green sticking out. I couldn’t understand why the directions insisted on a few feet between mounds, so I simply ignored that point. As usual, I lived to regret it. Monster vs. Aliens. Have you guys seen that movie? It’s a kids movie that came out a couple of years ago. The pumpkins in the patch grow wild, sprout legs and chase little kids around. Yeah, my cantaloupe plants were something like that. As long as I could hack off a cantaloupe every now and then, I didn’t mind. It would take an act of God, some high-octane manure and hourly prayer/chanting to grow anything resembling a cantaloupe on the soil I now call home. I have to buy them. No mind, they’re still good. This summer, along with the weeds, my recipes for cantaloupe products has been abundant. I thought we had had it all when I came across a recipe in La Cucina Italiana magazine that was sort of an ‘aaahhhhhh’ moment for me. We eat a lot of caprese salad here - tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. La Cucina substituted the tomatoes with cantaloupe. Aaaaahhhhhh.... A sweet, comfortable, luxurious breathe of amazing! This is a ‘must try’...seriously. Couldn’t be easier and will leave you thinking about summer - warm breeze, flip-flop summer - for a long time to come.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Caprese di melone con pesto leggero</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">(melon caprese with a light pesto)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 packed cup fresh basil leaves</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tbsp pin nuts</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">fine sea salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 small (about 2 lb) cantaloupe, halved crosswise, seeded, sliced</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3/4 pound fresh mozzarella</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Combine basil, oil, pine nuts and generous pinch salt in a food processor (they recommend blender...I couldn’t get it to come together in a blender, but you may be able to); puree until smooth. Adjust salt to taste.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Arrange cantaloupe on a plate, inserting slices of mozzarella in between. Drizzle pesto over entire plate. Serve. It’s really that easy!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Although my kids have always loved (and continue to love) the original caprese salad, they have begged for this version since first trying it. My husband, who is a purist, also loves this! Indulge your senses....it’s so worth it!</span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-29118777196806159642010-08-05T08:41:00.004-05:002010-08-05T10:52:20.957-05:00From Mad Men to Marmalade<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqjvT6jGsAs3k3ZaK1uBWEhNH_gOqEu0zpD4yT0NQ7UPtNToqpzalLZAGY8i3hD6wDluDSRjm693NFVo4p4UrA18aZo0i3zrrphunjpmBijfypArGMHp5tq2A_CKBuU90h_nthleJFpM/s1600/DSC_0173.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqjvT6jGsAs3k3ZaK1uBWEhNH_gOqEu0zpD4yT0NQ7UPtNToqpzalLZAGY8i3hD6wDluDSRjm693NFVo4p4UrA18aZo0i3zrrphunjpmBijfypArGMHp5tq2A_CKBuU90h_nthleJFpM/s320/DSC_0173.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501932703175002178" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica, serif;font-size:12px;">'I'm going out to get a bucket of chicken.' states the glamorous, beautiful and very pregnant Mrs. Draper (who normally makes home-cooked meals for her family). For those of you who follow Mad Men, you know who she is. I am currently watching season three in an attempt to catch up with season four. As I watched the DVD this morning, it got me thinking... Although the 50’s and 60’s were an amazing period of time in our country’s history, I believe it was a space of years that messed with our food in unforgivable ways. The frozen, canned, plastic-encased stuff that replaced real food lowered the bar to such a level that we are still recovering from it today. How could someone go from cooking a homemade pot roast one day to pulling a previously-frozen slab of pseudo-meat on a piece of aluminum out of the oven and call it good? Preachy and judgmental of me - yes. Shortly after learning that if you can read, you can cook, I discovered the secret. The secret of real food. All (or most) of the food you can buy in containers from the store, can be created for real in your very own kitchen. And, most importantly, it tastes better! Oh yes, and no chemical additives means it’s better for you. Revelation!!</span> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My son Owen is six. He loves food. He loves learning about food. He loves experimenting with food. He loves cooking food. And, at a young age he learned that anything he can pick up in the store that is enclosed in a container, he can probably make at home. Even if it doesn’t work out to be better tasting, it’s fun to try. He’s a sauce guy. Loves sauces of every kind. Jams and jellies fall into that sauce category for him, so when he went to eat his beloved orange marmalade on his muffin one day, and all of the sudden shouted out ‘Mom, can we make orange marmalade?’! I knew we had moved into a new area of food prep. ‘Sure!’ We gathered ingredients, researched recipes, labored over getting the orange slices out of the membranes and ..... it was pretty bad. ‘Too much lemon.’ He stated. ‘Why did they have us put lemon in there?’ I was much more concerned with the 5 cups of sugar we had just introduced to our beautiful orange mixture. The marmalade hit the trash. But we were undeterred. Peach season is upon us now. The boy loves his peach jam. And so, we tried again. SUCCESS! Great flavor! Really easy and quick. I can see you smirking right now. I am not losing my mind. Yes, you can get really good single-batch specialty jams. Is mine better than that? Maybe better, maybe worse. We have messed around with the original recipe now to include serrano chilis and (drum roll) BACON with the peach (completely awesome!) and made it in small batches so as to avoid all that canning stuff. It’s fun and easy and can be done in the time it takes to make any sauce you normally make for your food. Did you think those jelly guys did some magic stuff that we lay people couldn’t do? I did. Now I know that’s not true. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bacon and Serrano Peach Jam</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 lbs fully ripened fresh peaches, washed, peeled, and pitted</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 cup fresh lemon juice</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 serrano chilis (I’m sure you can use any kind of chili here, I just happened to be growing these in my garden right now), chopped, seeded, membranes removed</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">5ish pieces of bacon- chopped and cooked</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 pkg powdered fruit pectin</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 cup mild-flavor honey</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Chop or coarsely grind peaches and serranos, blending with lemon juice (I threw the whole thing in the food processor and let it do the work). Measure prepared fruit, packing down in cup. You should have 2 full cups. Place fruit and lemon juice in a 6-quart stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Add pectin and mix well.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. When fruit is boiling, stir while slowly pouring in honey, blending well. Continue stirring and return to a full rolling boil. When boiling cannot be stirred down, boil for 4 more minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in bacon. Alternately stir and skim (taking the white foamy stuff off the top) for 5 minutes to cool slightly.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">At this point the authors of the original recipe tell you to can it or freeze it. This makes a batch small enough to eat in a week (or a couple of days at my house), so there is no need to go through the whole canning process.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">EASY! FAST! INTERESTING! I encourage you to keep experimenting with added flavors or just eliminate the chilis and bacon and stick with the original. You can take this recipe as far as your imagination will allow. The original recipe, btw, was created by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center in their book ‘Stocking Up’. Enjoy! </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">P.S. The jam pictured above was the first batch we made so it doesn't have the serranos or the bacon in it. Technical difficulties prevented me from downloading the pictures of the 'fully-loaded' jam.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-43711916466619603472010-07-29T09:03:00.002-05:002010-07-29T09:21:32.599-05:00A Chicagoland Twist on an Indiana Classic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX5MOsHyupENo5Ypy4okFVUi6HZ5arnCLTvIXmgHxjc7g2I7-705RRxQfttiG27DIRFzh9-TRC8eLj6GVgeccTF9_r5zLX0NEl51HkpTeKLZS-3VY51ldpLSop9a5lF3j3ugNYpn4WYk/s1600/DSC_0031.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX5MOsHyupENo5Ypy4okFVUi6HZ5arnCLTvIXmgHxjc7g2I7-705RRxQfttiG27DIRFzh9-TRC8eLj6GVgeccTF9_r5zLX0NEl51HkpTeKLZS-3VY51ldpLSop9a5lF3j3ugNYpn4WYk/s320/DSC_0031.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499333177093913186" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The conversation went something like this:</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘Linda, have you ever heard of a place called...I’ll spell it, g-n-a-w-b-o-n-e?’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘(speaking phonetically) Naw bone? Yeah, I’ve heard of it.’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘Is it far from your house?’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘About a half an hour, why?’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘Gourmet Magazine just wrote about some place called the Gnawbone Food & Fuel in Gnawbone, IN. They apparently make amazing pork tenderloin sandwiches! Have you ever heard of pork tenderloin sandwiches? It’s an Indiana thing.’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘Um yeah, I’ve had them before. Everyone has them. Liz, the Food & Fuel is a gas station.’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘No, it must be a different place. Up for a road trip?’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">‘Okay.’</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So I loaded up the kids and drove five hours from Naperville, IL to Madison, IN. The next day, with my sister and her two sons also packed in the minivan, we headed off to Gnaw Bone, IN to taste-test some raved-about tenderloin sandwiches. The Food & Fuel IS a gas station. The Food & Fuel tenderloin sandwiches were pretty terrible (gas station food terrible), but at least the service was...terrible too. The Gourmet Magazine article was proudly displayed across the front of the counter that encased the unsmiling, unpleasant woman responsible (allegedly) for taking orders and providing food. I couldn’t possibly have made this story up and I have pictures to document our efforts. We ate the leather-esque sandwiches (complete with gas station quality hamburger bun and limp supermarket tomato) in the fix-it bay area of the gas station. Could have been charming and cool....wasn’t. I learned a very important lesson that day that I take with me going forward.... I’m just kidding. I didn’t learn any lesson and that same indulgent sister has accompanied me on other dreadful search and discover food missions since this one. I’m still optimistic/naive enough to travel anywhere to try food I’ve read or heard about. The upside to this particular adventure (other than some really good ice cream further down the road) was my desire to figure out how to make a GOOD pork tenderloin sandwich. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If you’ve read this blog before then you know that I hold pork tenderloin in very high esteem. I LOVE pork tenderloin. The thought of forcing it into an unnatural state was a bit painful for me however. A very short-lived pain, I assure you. Because the flavor of pork is so amazing, very little - in the way of flavoring ingredients - needs to be added. My family and I believe the ‘sandwich’ part of the ‘pork tenderloin sandwich’ adds nothing so we have chosen just to eat the pork cutlets. Feel free to encase in a good-quality bun if you want.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Chicagoland Pork Cutlets (as opposed to Indiana Pork Cutlets)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 2ish pound pork tenderloin</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 cup panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/3 cup regular bread crumbs</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tbsp dried thyme</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tbsp dried oregano</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tsp dried mustard</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tsp salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 eggs lightly beaten</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tbsp water</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">dash of tabasco (this can be left out, but I love a little zing in my food!)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3/4 cup flour</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Vegetable oil </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cut across pork tenderloin making 1-inch thick discs. Place one disc between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper. Pound with meat mallet until 1/2 inch thick. Continue doing the same with remaining discs.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in large frying pan (I use a paella pan because it’s big and deep) until shimmering.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I use 3 pie pans for this next step. Place flour in one pie pan. Combine eggs, water and tabasco in second pie pan. Mix panko crumbs, regular bread crumbs, thyme, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper in the third pie pan. Take the first cutlet and dredge in the flour, completely covering. Dip the cutlet in the egg wash. Coat the entire thing with the panko mixture. Complete 2 or 3 at a time - depending on how many will be cooking at once. Slide these gently into the oil to cook and then prepare the next 2 or three. I have found that if the cutlets sit, already completely prepared for more than a couple of seconds, they get mushy. Do not crowd the pan or the temperature will drop and the cutlets will soak up too much oil, thereby making them greasy and soggy. Cook 2 minutes per side. Remove to an waiting plate covered with paper towels to absorb excess oil.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This recipe takes minutes to create. The pork is tender on the inside and really crunchy on the outside. And, best of all, the flavor of the pork tenderloin is allowed to be itself! Amazing pork flavor with crunchy exterior!! </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-7363323433363788172010-07-23T08:47:00.004-05:002010-07-23T09:08:12.852-05:00Chicken on a Stick...the Latest Disguise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXYvPjDWpikXV5EWNHSrEdy8Bx-B44Mw9qs7D_ds8mJo2Hkss_bWQmQuTaIkVgWnPKSDBJ-LammtyP0BDfjJ93wYhFLnLebrjCyYwJAS1kMANxeHyKspD9aM-m07VkPSKhSau9FeApcc/s1600/DSC_0923.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXYvPjDWpikXV5EWNHSrEdy8Bx-B44Mw9qs7D_ds8mJo2Hkss_bWQmQuTaIkVgWnPKSDBJ-LammtyP0BDfjJ93wYhFLnLebrjCyYwJAS1kMANxeHyKspD9aM-m07VkPSKhSau9FeApcc/s320/DSC_0923.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497102307259355826" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">’10 Easy Ways to Eat Less Meat’. Front cover of Fine Cooking magazine’s Aug/Sept edition. My initial reaction was ‘why?’. Why is everyone so hung up on eating less meat? I love being an insatiable carnivore. Love it! Now if the article had been entitled ’10 Ways To Eat Less Chicken’, they might have peaked my interest. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My lack of respect for chicken is not undocumented. I have been loud and strong on my feelings about ‘the other white meat’ (pork is, of course, the REAL white meat). Over-used, nothing-but-boring chicken is the devil that I know. I don’t really want to get into the devils that I don’t know. Chicken is for dressing up and pretending ...pretending that it’s something else. Whoever coined the phase ‘let’s put some lipstick on this pig’ really meant chicken. I’m almost sure of it. My latest attempt at creating a convincing chicken incognito resulted in some very pleasing chicken satay, or as we in this elegant dining area I call home say, ‘chicken on a stick’. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After sifting through a number of definitions of ‘satay’, I have concluded that the terms simply means meat that has been marinated, skewered and grilled. Many different meats. Many different marinades. Even many different skewers (coconut fronds, anyone?). Basically though, it is some kind of meat on a stick that has been infused with some kind of flavor and cooked over some kind of fire. Good. I can work with all of that.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As much as I slander chicken, I also call on it frequently to feed my family. I know, I know - hypocrite, right? It is easy to work with and quick to prepare and affordable so I keep coming back ....and whining. I went in search of a chicken satay recipe in order to prepare some take-along food for a swim meet my kids were participating in. After years and years of spending the summer attending swim meets and eating burgers and pizza at said swim meets, this year I decided to put a stop to all of it. I have been preparing and taking our family’s meals instead. This has required some creativity on my part as it’s not always easy to assemble a desirable meal for a family of 6 and transport it via cooler and beach bag to areas not known for their cloth-napkin dining. Chicken satay seemed like a fun, interesting prep for the lowly chicken for this particular occasion. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">God bless the internet! While I am a very low-tech person, I do indulge in plenty of research (on every imaginable subject) with the aid of my beloved computer. ‘Chicken satay’ was typed in the Google search box. Two second and one billion options later...I had clicked and printed a recipe. I have this one little problem. Focus. I am very good at doing 26 things at once, but ask me to sit down and focus on one thing at a time and I am incapable. (Those in the know call it A.D.D., I believe) This should have been easy. I started assembling the recipe (without having read it through to the end). About one quarter of the way through, I realized there was trouble. I forged on. More trouble. And more. And more. The recipe was a disaster. If you’ve worked with food for any length of time, you can spot things that simply won’t work. Cooking methods, food flavors, missing ingredients...that sort of thing. The recipe below provides very good results...it is not, however, the original recipe I started out with so I will not be crediting any source. Changes on the fly were made and alterations proved successful. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tbsp sesame oil</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tbsp vegetable oil</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 cup minced onion (I have used sweet and red)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tsp minced garlic </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tsp minced ginger (I have used powdered in a pinch - 4 tsp)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tbsp red wine vinegar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tbsp brown sugar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/3 cup peanut butter</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 tbsp ketchup</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 cup soy sauce</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 tbsp lemon juice</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 tsp salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/3 cup peanut butter</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 - 2 tbsp Sriracha hot chili sauce (this can be eliminated if you don’t like spicy-really enhances flavor though)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If using wooden skewers (which are much more fun, btw), be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes. VERY IMPORTANT! Skewers that go up in flame, causes chicken that goes up in flame!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cut chicken into 1/2 inch wide strips. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Over medium heat, combine both oils. When oils are heated, add the onion, garlic and ginger and saute for 3ish minutes. Be sure to take a really deep breath here because your kitchen will now smell AMAZING! (If using powdered ginger, add with vinegar.) Add vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt. Continue cooking for another 5ish minutes - until sugar is dissolved. Stir peanut butter into the mix and remove from heat immediately. Add the chili sauce (if desired). After marinade has cooled, pour into large zip-lock bag and add chicken. Make sure all chicken is coated. Marinate for about 1 hour.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Remove chicken from bag and thread onto skewers. Discard remaining marinade. Grill chicken over medium-high grilling heat for about 3 minutes per side.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Peanut Sauce:</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tablespoons soy sauce</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1-2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 cup water</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tablespoon brown sugar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">juice from half a lemon (can be less, depending on your tastes)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 17.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#434343;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In a non-stick pan, combine all ingredients, stirring constantly over medium heat until peanut butter has melted. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0pxcolor:#1a1a1a;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color:#1a1a1a;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My family eats the satay without any sauce. I think the sauce enhances the dish so I recommend it. It is not necessary though. As mentioned above, this meal can easily be transported, eaten hot or cold. I have yet to find the person who doesn’t like this particular disguise for the poor chicken! Enjoy!</span></p><p color="#1a1a1a" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; "><br /></p><p color="#1a1a1a" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; ">P.S. I couldn't find any kind of appealing way to photograph my version of 'Chicken on a Stick' so I decided to try to win you over with pictures of humans/children instead. The picture is of my daughter Tori (at a swim meet) holding the latest chicken disguise.</p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-27287917069814782412010-07-21T06:43:00.005-05:002010-07-21T08:07:32.765-05:00From Kitchen Aid to Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWg5pkTDlvTAmgj7d114E4I3W50I-fDQhuYxXBQYfqn0Q1L4tJkJ_XMvjp4ZderYKSK2aP-e0b3NZJrDkWkW_8nXWpsdEAPp_bE0GmaV8i3iEZ2cNgV3-v4iCWyDIgQjojvE6m3bUgdQ/s1600/DSC_0006.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWg5pkTDlvTAmgj7d114E4I3W50I-fDQhuYxXBQYfqn0Q1L4tJkJ_XMvjp4ZderYKSK2aP-e0b3NZJrDkWkW_8nXWpsdEAPp_bE0GmaV8i3iEZ2cNgV3-v4iCWyDIgQjojvE6m3bUgdQ/s320/DSC_0006.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496325706004215682" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The Chicago Marathon is on October 10th this year. 10-10-10. Cool, right? I tell you this because I’m allegedly training for that marathon right now. I have run the last two Chicago Marathons and unfortunately know exactly how much I have to run and how much I can blow off and not die (this is not a good thing as I will ALWAYS do the minimum to get the job done). This past Sunday was one of those days that I really HAD to run. I was supposed to log 10 miles but only did 8...okay 7.5. While out on the trail, a guy who looked like a ‘real’ runner approached, coming from the opposite direction. The first thing I noticed was his brand new half-marathon t-shirt. He had obviously participated in a recent half-marathon that I had read about, but had not participated in. I immediately held him in higher-esteem. Race t-shirts are the badge of honor reflecting the hard work put forth by the runner and the completion of a set goal. It occurred to me that while I, as a runner, was impressed by this shirt, a non-runner probably would not have cared or noticed the t-shirt at all. AND, more importantly, if a non-runner had taken any notice of it, wouldn’t have understood the significance of the hours of training that had gone into achieving such a milestone. I have no way of knowing if this man had just finished his first half-marathon - something that he had worked years at achieving - or his 500th and it was no big deal (btw, running 13.1 miles is never ‘no big deal’), but I did give the guy some more room on the trail and a big smile in an attempt to show my respect.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This incident got me thinking about the other symbols and signs in my life. The ones that show the world who I am and what I’m interested in. The birdbaths and bird feeders surrounding my house speak clearly to my love/interest in birds. The overwhelming stack of books on the table next to my bed speak of my love of history and food. The basement that rivals Joanne’s Fabric speaks of my love of crafts, specifically kids crafts. And my kitchen.... a quick scan of my kitchen provides all kinds of information about me. I LOVE kitchen gadgets. The most prominently displayed one being the Kitchen Aid stand mixer. People who cook notice this piece of equipment while people who don’t cook, couldn’t care less. While the mixer is a beloved resident of my favorite area of the house, it can clearly be identified as a status symbol. That mixer is the Mercedes Benz sitting in my driveway, telling the world I’m doing okay and I know what I’m doing.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The Kitchen Aid showed up in the form of a Christmas gift one year from my husband. I had told him I really needed one. It was, of course, a luxury item considering the cost ($300ish) and the lack of baking I was doing at the time. I pulled the beautiful, shiny, smooth, rounded magnificence out of the box and just stared at it. After the staring period was over, I moved it to the counter in my kitchen. And there it stayed for about two years. It was dusted and moved out of the way to clean around it, but it was never called on to assist with anything. I had the book, the video and all the attachments but I had no idea how to use it (this may surprise you but I’m not the best at reading those books that come with everything). I knew that every serious cook owned one and used it for everything but unlike my food processor that gets used regularly, I couldn’t figure out how this huge thing could make my life any easier. What makes this story even better is the fact that I went on to ask for the pasta-making attachment and the ice cream maker to go with my beautiful, red, shiny, $300ish counter-chachki....and got them. And still didn’t know what to do with it. It took a rainy Saturday afternoon and some seriously competitive genes to get me to finally figure out the mighty mixer. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I have mentioned a few hundred times that I am not a baker. My kids, while educated in the arts of foods from many countries, did not frequently (ever) come home to homemade cookies. One rainy Saturday afternoon my husband took it upon himself to bring homemade cookies into our home. I had slipped away from the chaos to sneak in a nap. When I awoke, our house smelled wonderful and my kids were happily chomping away on peanut butter cookies. ‘Where did you get those?’ I asked. ‘Dad made them.’ Seriously? ‘Yes, seriously.’ He said confidently. The kids were happy and the cookies (much as I hate to admit it) were good. Fast forward a couple of days...’hey Mom, can you make some of those cookies Dad made? They were really good and I want some more.’ Damned kids! I assured them that I would love to make those cookies. Hand-mixer, softened butter, mess everywhere....I did make the cookies, but didn’t enjoy one single second of it (other than eating, of course). There had to be a better way... Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) was on the Food Network making some kind of cookie something or other. She just dumped a whole bunch of ingredients into the same Kitchen Aid mixer I had, pulled the lever forward and magically the dough was done. I decided to give it a shot. Paddle attachment?!! What’s a ‘paddle attachment’? I did finally have to break out the instruction booklet if for nothing other than to figure out what the various parts were. I put the right attachment on the mixer and dumped all the ingredients. It was just that easy. A whole new world was opened that day!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My kids have homemade cookies all the time now. They also have fresh bread almost every day (kneading hook, dontchaknow?). And, the ice cream maker has now been used countless times. Pasta maker...not so much. Soon, very soon. There’s a reason for the weight and the price of this machine...it’s indestructible! I throw butter practically frozen in there and that thing grinds and spins until the contents of that bowl are a fluffy, creamy pale yellow. Imagine doing that with a hand-mixer?! No thanks. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So back to those cookies...I couldn’t just replicate the cookies the husband made. He has a real job and a real career that involves other acts of brilliance. I had to go above and beyond his act to show my value in the kitchen (this is after all what I do all day and don’t get paid for). While job security is pretty good in my position, it was a matter of pride that I do better than he did. Good peanut butter cookies can only (in this woman’s opinion) get better with chocolate. A simple peanut butter cookie made with quality ingredients has no place to go if it stays a peanut butter cookie. Add chocolate and you have another creature altogether. So add chocolate I did. I’d love to tell you that I created this recipe but I don’t understand the chemistry of baking enough (yet) to create any kind of recipe. I have this amazing cookbook called ‘The All-American Cookie Book’ by Nancy Baggett. I refer to it frequently now that I know how to use the stand mixer. These cookies are a favorite in my house and I make them often. One note here...because my kitchen was very warm on the day the above picture was taken, the cookies are flat. Usually that are more mounded (is that a word?). If your cookies do not turn out flat...that’s okay, in fact that’s better.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION: (dramatic, I know) Like most people, I try to save a couple of bucks here and there when I can. Having said this, there are some things you should NEVER skimp on. Good-quality chocolate is one of those things. Save money on butter. No one can tell the difference between store-brand butter or brand-name butter (but be sure to use butter...not that fake, chemical stuff). Cheap chocolate is not worth anything. You might as well put brown food coloring as an ingredient instead. Buy the best chocolate you can get your hands on...it makes all the difference in the world. Enough ranting...</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunkers</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tsp baking soda</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/4 tsp salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 1/4 cups smooth or crunchy peanut butter</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2/3 cup sugar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 large eggs</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 tbsp light corn syrup</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tsp vanilla extract</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">10 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I have also used good-quality chocolate chips here - and much more than 10 oz...if you LOVE chocolate, go crazy)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">About 1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts, for topping (I have also used - and love - salted cashews)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease several baking sheets.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and sugar until very well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Beat or stir in the flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Stir in a 1 cup of the chopped chocolate. Let the dough stand for 5 minutes, or until firmed up slightly.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Shape portions of the dough into 1 3/4-inch balls with lightly greased hands. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining chocolate and the peanuts (cashews). Dip one half of each ball into the chocolate-peanut mixture until some bits are embedded. Place the balls, coated side up, on the baking sheets, spacing about 2 3/4 inches apart. pat down the tops of the balls just slightly.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 13 to 16 minutes, or until lightly browned all over, slightly darker at the edges, and slightly soft when pressed in the centers. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks. Let stand until completely cooled. (These cookies are NEVER allowed to completely cool. My kids stand and wait for them to be not-mouth-scalding temperature and then devour them.)</span></p>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-17052524779502666102010-07-14T13:55:00.006-05:002010-07-14T19:25:33.525-05:00Peas, Pleeeeease!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L-WSZ53Tr04YtdgPazCmuITfQ2aWddxcAn_Ym0tBdXdvTwdVAVeERXzDWZKUZVtxOn2h6Ko3IyUTesQFREJJFJ659eHZhhRkDbDNkomIJNTw_VlGQhL8kNY2YrrYTVIAZRHR8ZSaF0Q/s1600/DSC_0189.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L-WSZ53Tr04YtdgPazCmuITfQ2aWddxcAn_Ym0tBdXdvTwdVAVeERXzDWZKUZVtxOn2h6Ko3IyUTesQFREJJFJ659eHZhhRkDbDNkomIJNTw_VlGQhL8kNY2YrrYTVIAZRHR8ZSaF0Q/s320/DSC_0189.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493839756543623922" /></a><br />Today was the last swim meet of the season at our local pool. Because it was a seemingly endless meet and because I was one of those parents whose job it is to stand next to the launching area (known as the block) and time the kids (aged 5 - 18) while they swim and because I was very bored, I started questioning (harassing) the swimmers in the queue. It started with small questions like ‘what’s your middle name?’ and from there I’d try to silently figure out how their parents had chosen those middle names. (Father’s ex-girlfriend, Mother’s aunt who would die and hopefully leave her money, you get the idea) Eventually the middle name thing lost its excitement. I decided I could use this time and these (un)willing participants to conduct a very scientific survey instead. ‘What’s your favorite food?’ Huh? ‘What’s your favorite food?’ Slowly the eyes would rise to meet mine. Wide blue/brown/green eyes looking at me trying to figure out what I was talking about (this is not typical conversation behind the block). ‘What’s your favorite food?!’ Um, cheese pizza. I was fairly nice for the first round but after I had heard cheese pizza and pasta with butter - no cheese (tragic, I know) enough times, I started tuning them all out and completely losing interest in my new project. Just when I thought I’d have to change my strategy again, along came Jacob. Jacob is about 10 but I’ve known him since he was about 5. Apparently I’ve never had a food discussion with him before. ‘What’s your favorite food?’ Lamb chops. Before I could pick my chin up off the deck, he was on the block and gone. The next time the poor kid was sent back to Lane 4, the interrogation continued as if he had never left. ‘What do you eat with those lamb chops?’ Mashed potatoes, gravy and steamed (yes, steamed) broccoli. Up on the block and gone again. Damn! I needed to talk to this kid. Third time around... ‘why do you like lamb chops?’ My Mom cooks them for me and they’re good. Ahhhh, there it is. His Mom cooks them for him. She doesn’t cook lamb chops for herself and chicken nuggets for him, she cooks one meal for the whole family and as a result he sees this as his real food as well. Okay, so this isn’t some kind of earth-shattering find. I knew this already. But now I had proof. Very scientific proof. I tell you this story because it was a highlight of my day and because my kids are mad about peas for a similar reason. I love peas and have been inviting my kids to share my love of peas since they were born. Happily, they have all accepted. <br /><br />It took me a long time to love peas. I was brought up tolerating the little green nemesis and swallowing them whole as a way to ‘just get it over with’. The peas of my youth (and maybe your youth as well - unless you’re under 32 or had a mother who could cook) were born of aluminum cans. In fact, all the vegetables of my youth came from those same cans. Peas, corn, Veg All (do you guys know about this dreadful stuff? It was the most prevalent form of vegetable at our dinner table....oh how those lima beans still manage to give me nightmares)... unless it came from a can, I was not likely to have known it. Peas were tasteless mush. Actually, not tasteless. They tasted like metal. Mushy metal with a viral green color. So swallow them whole I did. The taste buds were never engaged. <br /><br />Around the time I turned 30, I decided to explore gardening. My husband and I purchased a house out in the country. The house came with 2 1/2 acres of land. We didn’t have any kids. I had quit working. What’s a girl to do with that kind of scenario? Well, first thing is to plant 32 tomato plants and every other kind of fruit/vegetable you can get your hands on. Ignorance being bliss here, of course. One of those plants (actually six of those plants - because I only bought those 6-pack cells) were peas. The plan was that I would grow them and see what I could do with them. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED!!....who had been keeping this secret from me?!!! Peas - as God intended them to be - are amazing! I would hover over the plants until they finally kicked out a pea pod for me to consume on the spot. Love isn’t a strong enough word. When my kids came along, they were treated to the same delight. They don’t know that canned peas exist and I’m sure they would weep if they did. We eat a lot of frozen peas, but fresh is the preferred choice. I guess this would be the time to mention that while my four children look forward to eating meals that include peas, as well as sliding them out of their pods and eating them raw, my 45 year old husband will not. He refuses. He has never embraced the beauty. I believe the culinary traumas of his youth, in this case, go beyond anything I can fix.<br /><br />The recipe that follows is called Pasta With Peas. You can call it whatever you want. I created it because we were crunched for time (four kids = four different directions after school), needed dinner and had these things on hand. I threw it together without too much thought, but it has become a regular part of our repertoire and I’ve made it for friends as well. Asparagus has been substituted for peas (once) in the past, but the general consensus was that that should never happen again. Leave the peas out if you must, but you will be missing a critical part of this recipe’s charm (last plug for the lovable pea, I promise).<br /><br />One note about this recipe....the name Pasta with Peas might be a bit misleading. The name implies that the following recipe is light and healthy. I could, as easily (and probably much more accurately), have named it ‘Pasta with bacon, heavy cream and 20 grams of fat’. I don’t really know how many grams of fat are in it, but it’s not a light meal. When my kids say ‘what’s for dinner?’ and I say Pasta with Peas, they know what I’m talking about, thus the name of the dish. Disclaimer is now complete....the cooking can commence...<br /><br />Pasta With Peas<br /><br />12 oz bacon (you can use much less if you want. I/we just love bacon)<br />1 onion (I use sweet) - chopped<br />1 cup chicken stock<br />1 1/2 cup heavy cream<br />2 tbsp cornstarch<br />2/3 cup water<br />1 lb pasta <br />1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />10 oz. frozen peas (you can also add fresh)<br /><br />In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to manufacturers recommendations for al dente pasta. We usually use spaghetti, but any kind of pasta will work. I used rigatoni for the picture above.<br /><br />Chop bacon and cook in large/deep frying pan for 3 - 4 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove bacon to plate with paper towels to soak up grease. Add onions to bacon drippings and cook until translucent - about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and heavy cream. Rise to a simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes. <br /><br />Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Slowly add cornstarch/water mixture to chicken stock/heavy cream mixture, stirring continuously while adding. Mixture will thicken. Add nutmeg. Add peas to sauce. (If adding fresh peas, remove sauce from heat before stirring into mix) Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat. Add pasta to sauce. Toss together to blend and serve.<br /><br />Very easy. Smells good. Extremely comforting. All good!<br /><br /><br /><br />Things I learned today:<br /><br />1. If you create one meal per sitting, your kids will know that your food is their food and will rise to the culinary level of sophistication you set for them.<br /><br />2. Midwestern kids don’t ‘get’ New England humor/sarcasm.<br /><br />3. If you really pressure a kid whose favorite food is a plain hot dog on a bun, they will admit that they’ve thought about trying ketchup.avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-29132273114662045972010-07-09T06:39:00.002-05:002010-07-09T06:43:51.659-05:00Biscuits - Not Just for Southerners!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQeLlxGBR-Fa9CleztEPu_4XyEX6n1QM9ozn0bfEgmflHiiM_pkUU6GYcezAd0aUWMPm4EO0c-HNvlZhMTTmBIXmfQNB2wjN45tmCNCscfqXTmEOAjmxMuNiHdjmYxtXPseSpZlX3ffg/s1600/DSC_0021.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQeLlxGBR-Fa9CleztEPu_4XyEX6n1QM9ozn0bfEgmflHiiM_pkUU6GYcezAd0aUWMPm4EO0c-HNvlZhMTTmBIXmfQNB2wjN45tmCNCscfqXTmEOAjmxMuNiHdjmYxtXPseSpZlX3ffg/s320/DSC_0021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491870455527562498" /></a><br />My sons are of the age where they ask such questions as ‘what’s your favorite color?’ ‘what’s your favorite movie?’ and most importantly ‘what’s your favorite food?’ a lot. While I wish I could tell you that I answer the food question with something like truffle-infused filet mignon with beurre blanc sauce, the real answer is mashed potatoes. Cheap date, I know. Tonight when Will asked me this question for the ten thousandth time and I gave my standard ‘mashed potatoes’ answer, I took a mental step back and thought about it some more. While the potato - in all its glorious forms - is right at the top of my ‘I’d take a bullet for it’ list, bread is standing there holding its hand. <br /><br />I looked up the definition of bread tonight. ‘Baked food product’ was the definition on one website. Baked food product??!!! That could describe roasted brussel sprouts and I think you’ll join me in saying that those two things are not the same...at all! ‘Something that nourishes; sustenance.’ Again, painfully off-target. ‘A staple food made from flour or meal mixed with other dry and liquid ingredients, usually combined with a leavening agent, and kneaded, shaped into loaves, and baked.’ Okay, that’s better. How about ‘the other/better half of spaghetti and meatballs’ or ‘edible soup sopper’ or ‘the addition of which is the deciding factor in whether a food situation is a meal or a MEAL’. Yeah, I think I’ll submit those instead. Homemade bread is a hot, yeasty breathe of inviting warmth that wraps you in love as you walk into a home (not house, a home). For a good part of my life, I was intimidated by bread making. I don’t think I’m alone in this fear. Bread is hard/complicated/a perfectly timed challenge...etc, etc, etc. You can kill the yeast if you over-knead, under-knead, use water that is too hot, use water that is too cold... I remember reading all of these comments. ANNNDDD worst of all, it falls into the ‘baking’ category (of which I am particularly fearful). I bought bread books. I watched TV shows on how to make bread. I just couldn’t bring myself to jump in and try it. Books went back on the shelf and TV programs got turned off. There was good bread being produced all around me, for a nominal price, so why bother trying to do the impossible and create some myself? And so the bread-making thoughts slowly slipped away. And I was happy...for a time. <br /><br />About eight years ago, I was making Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving dinner is a huge deal here. I love the strategizing that goes along with it. Weeks ahead of time a variety of recipes that have been selected from the previous months’ finds get examined and culled. Only the best and brightest are allowed to make the cut. From there it is determined which ones can be cooked in the ovens or on the cook tops, what dishes can cook together because of time and temperature and how the whole thing will eventually all come together at the end. I had found a recipe for little braided bread rolls with poppy seeds. I wanted them! I wanted to create them! I decided to add them to the roster. As mentioned, Thanksgiving is all homemade with many foods being offered. To add a yeast-risen product of uncertain end result was...well, it was crazy. But I wanted to create them (I am nothing if not fearless in the kitchen)! The project was a success and has been recreated over and over again. It wasn’t hard. (If you can read, you can cook - remember?) The most important thing for me at the time - and still now today - was learning what yeast smells like. Dissolve the yeast in the water and add some sugar to feed the yeast (which is a living organism and therefore needs to eat) and stand back. The smell...the smell is so wonderful. To watch the yeast come to life is a delightful science project. The kid in me will never become immune to the magic. <br /><br />I make almost all of our bread these days. Not necessarily yeast bread, but some kind of bread. Biscuits...great quaint word that betrays the strength and flavor of the actual end product. I thought Southerners were the only ones to have biscuits. I thought Southerners were the only ones who knew how to make biscuits. Not so. This Yankee girl can whip up a batch of biscuits like nobody’s business with this recipe. I make these several nights a week with dinner. So easy. From start to finish (finish being taking them out of the oven) the whole process takes about 20 minutes. Everybody always eats these, but nobody ever asks me for the recipe. IT’S NOT HARD! Please try them. You will thank me. There is no substitute for real homemade biscuits. Those pop can Pillsbury things should be outlawed. Trust me....<br /><br />Really Big Biscuits<br /><br />4 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 tbsp baking powder<br />2 tbsp sugar<br />2 tsp salt<br />2/3 cup cold butter<br />2 cups milk<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425 F.<br /><br />In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using a box grater, shred cold butter into mix (I’m sure you could use the shredding blade on a food processor too. I’m just too lazy to clean the food processor just to shred butter) and stir to distribute it evenly through dry mixture. Add milk gradually, stirring just until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.<br /><br />Turn dough out onto a heavily-floured surface and knead about 15 times, incorporating more flour as you go. Pat or roll dough out to a 1-inch thickness. Cut biscuits using a large glass (or circular cookie cutter) dipped in flour. At this point, the author of this recipe and I differ in opinion. She continues reworking the dough until all the remnants are used up. Personally, I think that after the initial cutting, only one gathering and re-rolling should be performed. The dough gets too much air incorporated in it (and the butter gets too warm and thus starts to melt) for the biscuits to be any good after that. I’m Irish. I know it’s a sin to waste food. I’m telling you that it’s not worth using the dough to the end. We will all close our eyes while you throw those few pieces away.<br /><br />Brush excess flour off biscuits and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until tops begin to brown, 13 to 15 minutes.<br /><br />BTW, this recipe is from a book called ‘Family Feasts for $75 a Week’. Which may explain the insistence on using the dough to the very end. The author (Mary Ostyn) somehow manages to feed her 10 children, her husband and herself on $75 a week. I thought I’d give it a shot. Nope. Not happening here, but you will see her recipes pop up here from time to time - with additions and modifications. <br /><br />Second BTW: I like the flavor of buttermilk so I have experimented with the addition of buttermilk instead of plain milk in the recipe above. It’s a great alternative. Don’t dismiss this! I see you shaking your head saying ‘when do I ever buy buttermilk?’ or worse ‘every time I buy buttermilk I use two tablespoons and throw the rest away’. Ah, so you don’t know the trick! Let me share with you a trick I learned from an old, wisened baker lady who hails from the Cajun group known as....not really. I got this out of ??? I can’t really remember where I first read this, but here goes... Add 1 tbsp of vinegar (any kind of vinegar) to just under one cup of milk. That’s it. Instant buttermilk substitute. So go on and give it a shot. It’s worth it!<br /><br />My family (and everyone else) loves these biscuits. The house smells good! The kids are smiling! It took me 20 minutes! What’s not to love....avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-53550417865267822192010-07-06T08:45:00.003-05:002010-07-06T08:58:12.157-05:00In Defense of Emeril...sort of.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzvaohS35g4Mq3eSdoWbVUSPCuDuST4VkhQznbec7iUwpMQ9x056J0EmpqZyUJS7v8dIRxbwRtVsVyO2ZVrIwDZcxleAmvzCGpDDvDdc9a3YXjT4Vj9cuusODKvHNLWfZrGqiXTuewmw/s1600/DSC_0036.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzvaohS35g4Mq3eSdoWbVUSPCuDuST4VkhQznbec7iUwpMQ9x056J0EmpqZyUJS7v8dIRxbwRtVsVyO2ZVrIwDZcxleAmvzCGpDDvDdc9a3YXjT4Vj9cuusODKvHNLWfZrGqiXTuewmw/s320/DSC_0036.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490789926467539650" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For the first 17ish years of my relationship with my husband, he traveled for work...a lot. When a loved one is on the road as much as he was, it is natural to think about one thing. Gifts! There will be travel gifts. Some women like shiny things to adorn their bodies. Some like stuff to dust...like snowglobes. I like cookbooks. I LOVE cookbooks! I have cookbooks from everywhere. You want to know what the Greek ladies at some church in Pennsylvania are cooking? I know because I have their cookbook. The roast duck with cherry sauce I make for Christmas every year comes from a cookbook originating in London. One of the very first cookbooks that arrived home in the suitcase was written by a lean, mean stud of a guy just getting it done in New Orleans. His name? Emeril Lagasse. Hey, stop laughing! This was the early 90s and he was all that. There was no Food Network. Other than e-mail at work, I had no internet access (what internet?). No one had ever heard ‘BAM’ or ‘let’s kick it up a notch’. He was a rebel from Fall River, Massachusetts (a Portuguese working-class town on the Massachusetts/Rhode Island border) who somehow landed in New Orleans. Anyway...I’m feeling a little protective of Emeril. I’m currently reading Anthony Bourdain’s book ‘Kitchen Confidential’. In it he refers to Emeril as a ‘furry little Ewok’. That was funny. I laughed. And then I spent the rest of the day remembering back to the first time I saw Emeril - on the cover of that cookbook, so long ago. He was standing on the deck of a boat with sunglasses, size 32 waist and attitude. I had no idea what he was talking about in most of the book. I had never made a roux. I didn’t know what a mirliton squash was. Hush puppies? Weren’t those some kind of shoes I had worn as a kid? The whole thing was like entering a new world for me. I loved it! I was living out in the woods of Massachusetts at the time and couldn’t find anyone who knew what crawfish was, let alone could sell it to me. I had to mail order crawfish from New Orleans! Emeril opened a whole new world to me. Anne Rice sold more than a few books as a result of my fascination with New Orleans created by Emeril. Vampires and great food? What could be better? By the time Emeril first showed up in Bon Appetit magazine, I felt like we were fast friends. When I finally got to see him on the Food Network...he had changed a bit. He wasn’t as much of a stud as I had worked him out to be in my mind. He was like an Uncle Mortie with an altered Massachusetts accent. I’ll admit that I seldom watch his shows because he is goofy and to hear ‘oh yeah, babe’ roll out of his mouth while adding ingredients makes my skin crawl a bit (again with the Uncle Mortie thoughts...but this time it’s a dirty old man Uncle Mortie). Yeah, he’s changed but there’s a lot to be said for the guy. I have often spent time looking longingly into the lobster tank at the supermarket thinking ‘I’d love to get some of those but they’re too expensive and I can’t afford them.’ I’m pretty sure Emeril never has that problem. And longevity...who has greater longevity than Emeril? I can still remember when Bobby Flay was awarded the James Beard Rising Star Award. Emeril had already been cooking for perhaps decades by that time. Emeril Lagasse doesn’t really need my defense. He has plowed head-long into a career that was stolen the soul of many a person. I’m not sure if his soul is still intact but I know that he must be doing something right or his empire wouldn’t be where it is today.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I just pulled out that first cookbook, circa 1993. My intent was to resurrect some magical recipe from the past and share it with you. Not going to happen. It’s been a while since I poured over Emeril’s accounts of New Orleans cooking so I had forgotten...forgotten that every recipe has 20 ingredients with the top two heavy hitters being butter and heavy cream with white flour thrown in for clumping affect. I love sauces as much if not more than the next guy, but if you try some of these recipes, you’ll stroke out before the hour is up. I did use a more current Emeril recipe to make beignets for this past Mardi Gras celebration and it didn’t kill us so I’ll share that one with you instead. Beignets, for those who are unfamiliar, are bready, donutty things with powdered sugar on them. Eaten hot out of the fryer, they are one of the most wonderful delights you can treat your mouth to.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sweet Beignets</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Corn oil, for frying, or another oil with high smoke point, such as safflower or peanut</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3 1/2 cups sifted flour, plus extra for rolling</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1 teaspoon baking powder </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1/4 teaspoon salt</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1 cup sugar</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>4 eggs, lightly beaten</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1/3 cup canola oil</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1/3 cup milk </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px; text-indent: -36.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1/2 cup powdered sugar, for serving</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 7.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 18.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #3d3d3d"><b><br /></b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 9.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Fill a large, heavy-bottomed, wide-mouthed pot halfway with corn oil and heat over a medium-high flame until oil reaches a temperature of 360 degrees F.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 9.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">While the oil is heating, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl whisk together sugar and eggs. Stir canola oil and milk into sugar-egg mixture. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture until a biscuit-like dough forms.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 9.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 2-inch squares. You will have scraps leftover but do not try to remix these as that will cause tough dough; just fry as are.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 9.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Use the dough scraper to lift dough squares off the work surface. Fry the beignets in small batches about 4 minutes, or until golden, turning several times to color evenly. Using a slotted spoon gently remove the beignets and drain thoroughly on paper towels. Place powdered sugar in a sieve and shake over the beignets to cover with powdered sugar and serve immediately.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 9.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0pxcolor:#3d3d3d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Moral of this story....if you’re looking for a defense attorney, you might not want me. I believe that Emeril is a master....a master of promotion. He has a line of cooking products (edible and inedible), a number of restaurants, a number of television shows, and legions of loyal worshippers. I’ll leave you with a quote from the above-mentioned Kitchen Confidential...’For every schlockmeister with a catch-phrase and his own line of prepared seasonings who manages to hold American television audiences enthralled, there are scores more who manage to show up at work every day in a real kitchen and produce brilliantly executed, innovatively presented, top-quality food. I am, naturally p***** off by the former, and hugely impressed by the latter.’ I could be wrong but I believe that Emeril started out as the latter and allowed himself to be seduced into the lifestyle and thus the life, of the former.</span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-84218547355419084472010-07-01T11:40:00.009-05:002010-07-02T10:30:47.449-05:00Pork, Glorious Pork!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6sZmwnEGxzPnhAcsHySBXGNp6ZHt0_jKH4MvYO1dRsBFxEKjFQ4w7KkamRBE8tnsCP5fg_rzzfgaEP-EPulVXXELtsWIV2ChUr4je5H_rXjXcPF3kMhO9d0UaIFpEIIYKi1XVyMcKR0/s1600/DSC_0035.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6sZmwnEGxzPnhAcsHySBXGNp6ZHt0_jKH4MvYO1dRsBFxEKjFQ4w7KkamRBE8tnsCP5fg_rzzfgaEP-EPulVXXELtsWIV2ChUr4je5H_rXjXcPF3kMhO9d0UaIFpEIIYKi1XVyMcKR0/s320/DSC_0035.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489317475933057810" /></a><br />I have a friend who converted to Judiasm several years ago. When I asked her if there was anything she missed about Christianity, she lowered her head and moved it slowly from side to side. In a burst of energy usually reserved for Catholics in the confessional, her head shot up and she blurted out 'pork tenderloin!'. Huh? I had expected to hear words like 'Christmas' or 'Easter' or even 'Jesus'. A craving for pig flesh? I hadn't anticipated it, but why not? I have replayed that conversation in my mind many times (having the benefit of knowing the outcome) and have come to the conclusion that hers was a solid answer. Pork tenderloin is one of the great loves of my culinary life. Unlike chicken - which I use as an excuse to eat interesting sauces - pork tenderloin has such an amazing flavor that I frequently eat it hot off the grill sans sauce or complicated seasonings. A pork tenderloin tossed on the grill for 20 minutes with nothing more than a grind of salt and pepper is more appealing to me than the most expensive steak. <div><br /></div><div>A brief and informal history of the relationship between humans and pigs is pretty much as follows: 5000ish BC... humans decide that it's hard to go out hunting wild boar for food consumption, but because of the animals' adaptable nature and omnivorous (read 'eats anything') diet, easy to get the animals to come live with them. Bingo! The pork industry is born! Thank you, China! Fast forward to 1539 and you will find Hernando de Soto landing in Tampa, Florida with 13 pigs that would become the first pigs to immigrate to America and start the pork culture. Because the pigs reproduced quickly and sometimes escaped, forming gangs of feral roaming pigs, Manhattan Island erected a wall to protect its grain fields from being eaten by these pigs. That area is now known as Wall Street. At some time between 5000 BC and 2010 AD many, many, many talented and creative people pushed pork to the limit to create the multitude of pork products we celebrate today. Charcuterie (cured, smoked pork products) is a subject for endless discussion (that will not be happening here today). Fresh pork in the form of ribs, loin, chops and my beloved tenderloin can be turned into a taste extravaganza fit for almost anyone's enjoyment (religious beliefs aside). </div><div><br /></div><div>As mentioned above, I love fresh-grilled pork. An easy way to create a very healthy meal is to create kebabs of 2ish-inch cubed pork tenderloin combined with chunks of red peppers and onions (I've been known to throw a pineapple or two on there also), brushed the entire thing with olive oil and sprinkled with ground salt and pepper. Fourish minutes per side on the grill will do it for you. Instant meal of pure deliciousness! If you're looking for something a little spicier, check out the following recipe created by the people at Omaha Steaks in their cookbook entitled simply 'Meat'...</div><div><br /></div><div>Indonesian Marinated Pork Kebabs</div><div><br /></div><div>For the Marinade:</div><div>1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (they used lime)</div><div>2 tbsp soy sauce</div><div>2 tbsp peanut oil (I have also used vegetable oil when peanut oil was not at hand)</div><div>2 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger (have used ginger powder also - 3 tbsp)</div><div>1 tbsp minced garlic</div><div>1 tbsp light brown sugar</div><div>4 small dried red chiles, seeded and crumbled (I've used 2 tbsp red pepper flakes)</div><div>1/2 tsp turmeric</div><div>1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha Hot chili sauce (this was not in the original recipe, but I love the flavor - you can skip it if you're not into real spicy stuff)</div><div><br /></div><div>For the kebabs:</div><div>1 2ish pound pork tenderloin (original recipe calls for pork loin), cut into 2ish -inch chunks</div><div>2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2ish inch pieces</div><div>2 onions, quartered and then cut in half crosswise</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For the marinade:</div><div><br /></div><div>Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, peanut oil, ginger, sugar, chiles and turmeric in a large mixing bowl. Add the pork, toss to coat well. If using pork loin, you will have to marinate for about 4 hours. If using tenderloin, marinate for about 1 hour (even more attractive, right?).</div><div><br /></div><div>Prepare the grill to a medium heat.</div><div><br /></div><div>If using wooden skewers, make sure they soak in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent fire. I personally like metal because they can be used over and over again and there is never a chance of fire. Thread the pork, peppers and onions on the skewers - alternating each ingredient. Grill the kebabs for about 4 minutes per side. </div><div><br /></div><div>NOTE: Ten years ago I spent about $12 on a digital meat thermometer. It has proved invaluable (and continues to provide service). It was purchased at a supermarket. It has no superior pedigree but has enabled me to cook meat to perfection. Do yourself a favor and buy one. Knowing the internal temperature of your meat is critical. For this dish and all pork tenderloin dishes, the internal temperature of the meat should be between 135-140 degrees. I know, I know ...we were all brought up to believe that it had to be 160 or we would die of trichinosis. Because of current health regulations, trichinosis has almost been completely eradicated and only about 6 people a year get it. Hey you standing there in Iowa! You have a better chance of being killed by a shark while standing in your living room than getting trichinosis! Please don't overcook your pork! The flavor and texture of the tenderloin can only truly be realized when it is a light pink color. I have been feeding pink pork to my kids since they were under a year old and nobody has gotten sick or died from it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, enough ranting. I really hope you try these kebabs, either the spicy way or the non-spicy way. They come together quickly, are very low in fat and are just absolutely a great way to showcase the amazing wonderfulness of pork tenderloin! Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-80298056203731305192010-06-28T11:49:00.010-05:002010-06-29T06:20:35.844-05:00Not-So-Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n7wvlGzPh3h_DY2vuR5HV-5Maq5kbiFn1yhRypSyCPmdQjy0QXACvQFClaIPmqj-m0UUJlX25nmII31FIha9Npf17mzt48sD4HygnQBkSPrnmPF2CdWhkz3Ysj8Eu4K_XilJtJfqLUA/s1600/DSC_0105.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n7wvlGzPh3h_DY2vuR5HV-5Maq5kbiFn1yhRypSyCPmdQjy0QXACvQFClaIPmqj-m0UUJlX25nmII31FIha9Npf17mzt48sD4HygnQBkSPrnmPF2CdWhkz3Ysj8Eu4K_XilJtJfqLUA/s320/DSC_0105.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488153938383207154" /></a><br /><br />While out on a bike ride this morning I started having summer flashbacks to my childhood. Do you remember those days? Spending all day on your bike, riding miles and miles around the neighborhoods with your friends...maybe to the town pool for a swim ($.50 to swim all day). Then at the end of the day coming home to the warm, inviting smells of homemade peach cobbler made with fresh summer peaches. The pitcher of cold, fresh-squeezed lemonade sitting on the table. Beautiful half-moons of bright yellow lemons bobbing in the pale golden liquid, condensation droplets rolling down the outside of the container.... Ahhh forget it, I didn't grow up in that house either. My lemonade came from little paper packets stamped with the words 'KOOL' and 'AID', and peach cobbler....never happened. Hey a girl can dream, right? What I do remember about summer is family vacation. Long, long, long camping trips. I'm still traumatized. The food I associate with long, long, long camping trips is boiled chicken stuck between two pieces of white bread with some mayonnaise and salt. The chicken was over-cooked and the bread was mush. I am embarrassed to admit this - especially here - but I can still taste those sandwiches and I kind of have fond memories of them. Please don't think less of me. Chicken salad was something I had probably heard about but the word 'salad' in general, was missing from our vocabulary. Chicken Salad ala Bosworth (it doesn't really have a name) is something else entirely. Like many of my created recipes, this one came about to get rid of stuff we had in the refrigerator. In place of chicken, I have substituted roasted or grilled pork tenderloin, steak and shrimp. Let me save you some time by saying the shrimp was pretty awful - don't waste your energy. My son Will used to request this chicken salad as his dinner every single night. He has moved to a more-conservative two or three times a week now, but still continues to ask for it. This chicken salad is so easy and refreshing. Grill or roast the chicken earlier in the day (or buy a rotisserie chicken from the super market) and assemble it whenever you get a minute. Simple!<div><br /></div><div>Chicken Salad (feeds 6)</div><div><br /></div><div>5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1" pieces (or shredded)</div><div>1 1/2 cups grapes, cut in half</div><div>1/2 cup nuts (I LOVE salted cashews in this, but any kind of nut will work), chopped</div><div>6-8 scallions, sliced and chopped (can use entire scallion) - chopped onions also work</div><div>1/2 cup mayonnaise</div><div>2 tbsp (or to taste) curry powder (optional)</div><div><br /></div><div>Combine all ingredients. That's it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I like the flavor of the curry powder, my husband and a couple of my kids do not.</div><div><br /></div><div>This meal is a constant pack-n-take. Easy to make ahead of time and travels well. (My kids take it to school for lunch a lot too.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Thumbs up all around!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-8671124723627900222010-06-27T05:51:00.007-05:002010-06-27T13:29:11.693-05:00Dutch Baby (German Pancake)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMSlmUy-BbdkLDcZS31ddqInIeK3-ShG0KwZZlFZR5gwjd5kEk7iQx2SD6QGSnbt9KbZ0_vHlEAw9YzONzfSfjhTqMiLMymi558pzgRVdOKn1MCDqy0nPez7CXUM1AvCz5Eagcr2jqs0/s1600/IMG_1078.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMSlmUy-BbdkLDcZS31ddqInIeK3-ShG0KwZZlFZR5gwjd5kEk7iQx2SD6QGSnbt9KbZ0_vHlEAw9YzONzfSfjhTqMiLMymi558pzgRVdOKn1MCDqy0nPez7CXUM1AvCz5Eagcr2jqs0/s320/IMG_1078.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487411994258136418" /></a><br />Several years ago the great Egg People of America (I don't know their real title) came up with the slogan 'the incredible, edible egg'. I loved and continue to love it! I still find myself humming the background music from time to time. Tell me you're not doing it right now. We all know eggs are evil, right? No. In fact, if your belief is that eggs are going to kill you, you should probably stand down from eating at my house. We love eggs. We eat them in every form and shape. I have four kids. Not one of them - from the cynic to the soft-hearted - failed to recognize me as a rock star when I showed them the magic morph that takes place when you combine egg whites and a high-speed mixer to create meringue. How about poaching? Want to impress your kids or spouse? Let them watch you slide this gelatinous, unappealingly quivering raw egg into gently boiling water. Wait a couple of minutes, turn your spoon a couple of time...and culinary sophisticated beauty will emerge from that pot. Your question should be 'what CAN'T I do with these eggs in my refrigerator?'.<br /><br />Eggs, of course, can be eaten for any meal of the day. I/we love to have fun with breakfast here though. I am an early riser who awakes thinking of food. I have a friend who chants 'food is love' frequently. I share his belief. To welcome my family into the new day with smells of breakfast luring them out of bed, is one of my first joys of every morning. Eggs make all this possible. They are inexpensive, versatile and always present (in my house). The following recipe is so easy a six-year old can prepare it. Literally. My son gets up early with me most mornings so he's the sous chef here. For this particular recipe, he is the head chef. It is that easy. And wait until you see the results!<br /><br />Dutch Baby (German Pancake)<br /><br />3 large eggs<br />1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />1/2 cup milk<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 tbsp unsalted butter<br />jarred caramel<br />strawberries<br /><br />Prehead oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add flour slowly and whisk until blended. Whisk in milk and salt.<br /><br />In a large oven-proof skillet (a black cast iron skillet works well) over medium heat, melt butter. Pour batter into skillet and place the skillet in the oven.<br /><br />Bake until the pancake is lightly browned and puffed, about 20 minutes.<br /><br />Remove from oven. Loosen edges witha knife and turn out onto a plate.<br /><br />Serve immediately.<br /><br />We cut it like a pizza, added some chopped strawberries and drizzled warm caramel over the lot. Amazing! By doubling this recipe and making two pancakes, we had enough to feed six people. This is a must-try! So easy and so impressive!!<div><br /></div><div>btw, this recipe is from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt</div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-84174116121685501992010-06-25T09:54:00.007-05:002010-07-14T21:16:04.317-05:00For the Love of Basil<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpClvo5QIZlAT0Ra24M2SZKGjzXpsvMMJ9RZKBdDo9dVU14MhzvM7C-GzjoTgqV7jttbhbdCW3kkYhw7cnD-q0HFnXX4egqjaEzbu7RWlAtHdabH3NU50QCWWvV_2uL04-kqqlztBsvI/s1600/DSC_0166.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpClvo5QIZlAT0Ra24M2SZKGjzXpsvMMJ9RZKBdDo9dVU14MhzvM7C-GzjoTgqV7jttbhbdCW3kkYhw7cnD-q0HFnXX4egqjaEzbu7RWlAtHdabH3NU50QCWWvV_2uL04-kqqlztBsvI/s320/DSC_0166.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493950947475850514" /></a><br />Take a deep, smelling breathe. Now take another deep breathe imagining what summer smells like. Anyone smell basil? I'll admit that I probably have a more active and vivid imagination than most, but it's really not that hard for me to smell the basil. Basil, to me, is one of those pleasures that upon first smell you never forget. So distinct. So original. So basil. It doesn't smell like anything else. I asked one of my sons to describe the smell of basil. He simply said 'it smells like basil. Basil doesn't smell like anything but itself.' I have smelled other things that could be described as basil-smelling, but basil itself is unique. Having said that, basil also tastes like itself. I'm talking about sweet basil here, by the way. There are many different varieties of basil on the market now. All of them worth searching out. Back when I was a new gardener - 13 or 14 years ago - I had wanted to add basil to my gardening menagerie. Surprise! Which kind do you want to grow? I had only cooked and was familiar with sweet basil. Thai, cinnamon, lemon...you name it, the garden center had it. I bought a couple of different kinds. I remember looking at the beautiful purple basil in my flower boxes on my deck. I never did cook with it, but it looked really great. The lemon basil smelled like... well lemon and basil. I used it to enhance the flavor of fresh lemonade that summer. Throw a handful of the leaves in some sparkling water and you have another treat. <br /><br />No, I'm not making pesto today, if that's what you were thinking. The reason for my fixation on basil is because the following pasta dish just isn't worth making without fresh basil. I think there are a number of basil dishes about which that can be said. I am the queen of improv. I will substitute one thing for something else on the fly frequently. There are some ingredients whose uniqueness can not be equalled however and that is a line I refuse to cross. This is one of those times. The following recipe has been tried with dried basil and without basil at all. I was met with pained expressions. This meal comes together quickly and is on our table regularly, so they know what it's SUPPOSED to taste like. Thank you Tastes of Italia magazine for this gem!<br /><br />Farfalle with Tomatoes<br /><br />1/2 pound farfalle pasta (any kind of pasta is fine although we do love the farfalle best)<br />4 tbsp olive oil<br />6 cloves garlic, sliced the thickness of a dime<br />3 cups chopped tomatoes (now fresh tomatoes are great, but I have made this dish with canned petite diced tomatoes more often than not simply because tomatoes - when out of season - have an inferior taste to those in the can)<br />Pinch of salt<br />1/3 cup pine nuts (because my family does not share my love of pine nuts, I usually eliminate them. I think they're great though and encourage you to try them in this dish)<br />Pinch of dried red chile flakes<br />1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn<br />4 oz soft goat cheese (I usually add about 6 or 7 oz)<br />Freshly ground pepper<br /><br />Cook pasta according to package directions.<br /><br />Meanwhile, add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook on low for 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pine nuts (if using) and red chile flakes. Simmer 7 to 8 minutes. Add basil leaves and toss. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.<br /><br />Drain the cooked pasta and transfer to serving bowl. Add the tomato mixture and the goat cheese. Toss well.<br /><br />Season with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.<br /><br /><br />As mentioned above, we LOVE this dish. It has been a faithful go-to meal for a couple of years now. I serve with it hard, crusty bread to sop up the juices. <br /><br />Always, always 5 smiling sets of thumbs up!avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-83161702302804245162010-06-24T05:46:00.002-05:002010-06-27T13:31:36.471-05:00The Great Chicken CaperAs I rose to consciousness this morning, there was one thing on my mind - capers. I could taste their vinegary/salty explosion as I bit down on an imaginary mouthful of them. Butter. Next came the butter. Capers and butter... I still hadn't opened my eyes. As a food-obsessed person, I frequently find myself either dreaming about or waking up with food somewhere in my thoughts. This most recent incident happened just a couple of minutes ago so it's still very fresh in my mind. So capers...and butter.... But there's more! Lemons! Oh how I love lemons! Capers and butter and lemons - oh my! Not much I could do at this point but rummage around for my favorite chicken piccata recipe to share with you. And share I will, but first a word (or two) about capers. Capers are the immature buds from a bush indigenous to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. California has started producing them as well. The kind I favor are about the size and shape of peas. The buds are dried and brined in vinegar. If you've never had capers before, the first encounter is rarely love at first taste (at least it wasn't for me). My relationship with capers began...I'm not sure when. I do remember, however that it was not a quick-love process. It was more like meeting someone who was kind of interesting but not what you would call drop-dead gorgeous. Someone you didn't want to be with all the time but found yourself referring back to in the quiet moments of your day. There were many chance encounters before I found myself becoming the pursuer. And pursue I did. The way to a real man's heart - at least in the Italian section of Boston known as the North End - is to ask him to show you his capers. I became an expert on capers through the generosity and shared obsession of these Italian vendors. While you could take a trip to Boston to get the same education, you can also simply go to the supermarket and pick up a couple of bottles and taste-test them yourself. Straight out of the bottle is NOT the way to eat them. They are very salty and need to be rinsed first (I speak from experience). While waitressing, many years ago, I was asked by a patron to describe what capers tasted like. I did a passionate, animated wiggle to express my love - but no words came out. When words did finally erupt from my mouth, they came out in this order 'THEY TASTE LIKE AMAZINGLY GOOD, REALLY FLAVORFUL DIRT!' Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, caper industry. I really do love you, I just didn't know how to articulate it at the time. I will try to make amends by sharing the following recipe with everyone...<div><div><br /></div><div>From a previous post, you will know that I am not a chicken lover. I don't really care at all about chicken. It's sort of like an edible spoon for me to eat sauces from. I have made many different versions of chicken piccata in my life, but this one by Giada De Laurentis is quick, easy and fairly flawless.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yield: 4 servings</div><div><br /></div><div>2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half</div><div>sea salt & freshly ground black pepper</div><div>All-purpose flour, for dredging</div><div>6 tbsp unsalted butter</div><div>5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</div><div>1/3 cup fresh lemon juice</div><div>1/2 cup chicken stock</div><div>1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed</div><div>1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped</div><div><br /></div><div>Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter with 3 tbsp olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tbsp butter and add another 2 tbsp olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate. </div><div><br /></div><div>Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tbsp butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wilted spinach and brown rice add nice texture and flavor to round out this meal. Chicken piccata is an elegant meal that can be made faster than hamburgers on the grill. Who knew?</div><div><br /></div><div>5 happy sets of thumbs up!</div></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-21542436114300218562010-06-23T07:20:00.002-05:002010-06-27T13:32:27.573-05:00Blooming Squash BlossomsHello all! Took a break from writing about food, but certainly not from cooking or eating. As of yesterday, we have a new obsession - fried squash blossoms! Zucchini has always been a favorite in our house. The squash blossoms of which I speak are the precursor to the zucchini vegetable. Anyone who has ever thrown a couple of squash seeds into the ground is familiar with the bright yellow flowers that announce the coming of the squash. For many years, the flowers were a source of joy for me because I knew that the plants were working. The Irish/Catholic in me always believes that I am doing everything wrong so the flowers were a nod from the universe that something had gone right. The versatile and much-loved zucchini would soon be showing up. While reading an article in La Cucina Italiana a few years ago, it was brought to my attention that the Italians not only harvest the squash, but the flowers as well. Closer examination and a bit of further research showed me that the flowers are then stuffed, fried and eaten. After procrastinating for a few years... yesterday arrived. With the arrival of yesterday came the arrival of 9 squash blossoms that appeared ripe for the picking. I researched recipes and proper handling of the flowers AFTER picking them, of course. I don't recommend this. I now know that the flowers that come off easily are the male flowers. Male flowers are fine to pick. They do not disrupt the natural flow of events with your squash production. The female flowers are more challenging to pull of. There is a reason for this. The reason being that right behind the female flower is the actual beginnings of the zucchini squash. Pick the flower and end the zucchini's life. I believe I killed five yesterday. I know better moving forward. Anyway...flowers in hand, I progressed to the kitchen. My kids and their friends made various comments about being 'forced' to endure the torture of trying yet another food experiment, this one involving the eating of flowers. I ignored them all. This experiment had been years in the making and I was going ahead with it. I am happy to report that the only negative comments I received upon completion of this food experiment were the ones asking why I hadn't planted more zucchini plants so that we could have more fried squash blossoms. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the mother!<div><br /></div><div>You'll have to bear with me a little on this one. I sort of made this recipe up as I went according to what I had on hand, so the measurements are approximations... Also, squash blossoms are delicate so tread lightly.</div><div><br /></div><div>1 clove garlic, minced</div><div>1/4 medium sweet onion, chopped</div><div>2 tbsp olive oil </div><div>1/3 cup queso fresco cheese (you can use any cheese that's a little salty)</div><div>5-6 basil leaves, ripped</div><div>male squash blossoms (or female if you don't mind losing the zucchini)</div><div>1 egg</div><div>2 tbsp water</div><div>2-3 tbsp flour</div><div>1/3 cup panko bread crumbs</div><div>vegetable oil for frying</div><div><br /></div><div>In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Saute the garlic and onion until golden - about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine queso fresco, onion/garlic mixture and basil (mash it up with your hands). Working carefully, clean the squash blossoms by swirling them in a bowl of clean water. Gently either rip the flower down one side or cut it with kitchen shears so that it lays flat and open on a cutting board surface. Depending on the size of the flower, use about 1 tsp of the cheese mixture. Place the cheese on the flower and roll the flower back to its original shape, around the cheese mixture. Continue until all flowers are filled in this manner.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beat the egg and water together in a bowl.</div><div><br /></div><div>Combine the flour and panko bread crumbs in a pie plate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Heat about an inch of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan (I used a paella pan) over high heat until the surface shimmers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dip the squash blossom packets in the egg mixture and then dredge in the panko mixture. Immediately place the blossom into the oil. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes per side (or until they take on a golden brown color). Drain on paper towels. Cool for a couple of minutes. Indulge! So good! </div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently these are usually served with some kind of marinara sauce for dipping, but we just ate them straight off the plate. My daughters forbid me from sharing any with their brothers so that they might each get more. The husband loved them also. Three happy, smiling, totally thumbs up family members!!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-41520285702586613722010-05-05T06:24:00.004-05:002010-07-03T10:20:52.843-05:00Bacon Waffles -The Ultimate Breakfast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbFRVrFugDcNqC4LuIpuUtmtEAZ6W6ahA3j6J2vNVhhESK5I1n6j3nV9HIa4Sd9Er_6iUuhyYro-HlQHH4S1ID_N5_8JpwJNTbAV7ORiwxweo6Z7caQzabqCKsNpHqoy9nJbBtgD38UQ/s1600/DSC_0033.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbFRVrFugDcNqC4LuIpuUtmtEAZ6W6ahA3j6J2vNVhhESK5I1n6j3nV9HIa4Sd9Er_6iUuhyYro-HlQHH4S1ID_N5_8JpwJNTbAV7ORiwxweo6Z7caQzabqCKsNpHqoy9nJbBtgD38UQ/s320/DSC_0033.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489700229530564738" /></a><br />Everything tastes better with bacon. Amen. Waffles are great all the time. Amen. What happens when you combine the two? Absolute bliss. Bacon waffles are something I learned about from baker-extraordinaire, Gale Gand. When her Brunch book launched last year, I was fortunate enough to attend an intimate booksigning with her at the helm. I am not a baker. I am not a precision person. I like throwing a handful of this and a pinch of that into whatever I'm creating. Baking scares me. If the ingredients are not precise then the chemical magic will not happen. Too much pressure. I had seen Gale on TV and really wanted to see her in person, so I bought the book. What a delightful surprise this book has turned out to be. Every recipe works and every recipe is delicious! She is a girl after my own heart. Everything has butter and cream and fat and sugar in it. And, most importantly, she makes no apologies about it! Refreshing. Anyway, enough gushing....<div><br /></div><div>Kathy's Bacon Waffles</div><div><br /></div><div>2 cups all-purpose flour</div><div>1 tbsp baking powder</div><div>1/4 tsp baking soda</div><div>2 tbsp sugar</div><div>2 lg eggs</div><div>3/4 cup buttermilk</div><div>3/4 cup milk</div><div>4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted</div><div>10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (she calls for 6. I like 10 better)</div><div>Maple syrup, for serving</div><div><br /></div><div>Heat a waffle iron.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk, and melted butter. Stir the crumbled bacon into the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients all at once with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don't overmix the batter; it should be lumpy.</div><div><br /></div><div>For each waffle, pour 1/2 to 1 cup of the batter (or the amount recommended by the waffle-iron maker) onto the waffle iron; bake as directed by the manufacturer. Serve hot off the griddle, with the maple syrup.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If my kids had their way, we would be serving these three times a week. This is love at first taste! Enjoy!</div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-57580503364169983502010-05-04T08:18:00.002-05:002010-06-27T13:34:01.522-05:00Famous GuacamoleI grew up as an Irish, Catholic kid from the oh-so-white suburbs of Boston. The likelihood of me ever coming in contact with an avocado, let alone making good guacamole, was slim to none. Fast forward 30 years and you'll find me reading an article about some guy named Rick Bayless. Do you know him? You should. He has revolutionized the American understanding of Mexican food. As with everything, I wanted to know more about him and his 'new' Mexican cuisine. Sadly, up to this point, I was not much of a Mexican food fan. Too greasy, too lumpy, just too fake everything. Fast forward another 5 years and you'll find me relocated to Chicago and eating in one of his restaurants. I bought one of Rick's cookbooks and started at the beginning. As mentioned above, avocados were a new thing to me, but his guacamole recipe looked easy enough (remember my motto, 'if you can read, you can cook'). A first try was successful. This encouraged me. I made a few modifications to accommodate my family's tastes and had what is now called our guacamole. (Sidebar...I had the great fortune of meeting Rick Bayless at a booksigning a few years ago. I believe that when you meet someone who is doing what God put them on this planet to do, you absolutely know it from the first moment. Rick Bayless is one of those people. If you ever have the opportunity to meet/see him - take it!)<div><br /></div><div>Guacamole</div><div><br /></div><div>1 tomato</div><div>1/2 onion (I use sweet onions - Rick uses red)</div><div>2 serrano chilies (I've used jalapeno also)</div><div>1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro (Rick uses 10 sprigs)</div><div>3 avocados</div><div>juice of 1 lime</div><div>salt</div><div><br /></div><div>Dice the tomato and squeeze the juice and seeds out of it (with your hands - this is def. a hands- on kind of recipe). Dice the onion. Dice the chilies. Chop the cilantro. Combine first four ingredients. Cut the avocados in half and scoop the flesh from the outer shells. Add the avocados to the tomato and onion mix. Using your hands, mash all ingredients together. Add the juice of the lime and stir together. Salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.</div><div><br /></div><div>5 smiling faces and sets of thumbs up!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-71534748706541607732010-05-03T05:45:00.005-05:002010-07-18T11:42:17.179-05:00White Chocolate Strawberries<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyTTJhyXXCMTDUa7nAQNzs4HvHDYc96pt0c6bTij4KsbkITFGfS0WYKVPsRLzwPy5YuYDM49PFteyjMgFYROFSL3DvYA1lPX-cB6oquHAOEe8vRCkunRCpAQug4gb5rYITGinupuyFOs/s1600/DSC_0020.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyTTJhyXXCMTDUa7nAQNzs4HvHDYc96pt0c6bTij4KsbkITFGfS0WYKVPsRLzwPy5YuYDM49PFteyjMgFYROFSL3DvYA1lPX-cB6oquHAOEe8vRCkunRCpAQug4gb5rYITGinupuyFOs/s320/DSC_0020.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495286993432128866" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family:Times;font-size:medium;"><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">When I think of spring and summer foods, straw-berries are right at the top of my list of seasonal fruits to get excited about. What's not to love? Juicy, beautiful, sweet, cholesterol-fighting....wait, you didn't know? Through a strange turn of events, my daughter (who was 5 at the time) had a high cholesterol reading. The very first thing the doctor told me was to increase the intake of strawberries and raspberries. Okay. While the following strawberry recipe is probably not what he had in mind, I like to console myself with the fact that at the root of this amazing dessert is a strawberry...which lowers cholesterol. </p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">This is an impressive surprise-of-a-dessert that can be prepared while your burgers are on the grill. No kidding! Perfect for more formal dinner parties too! The fine test cooks at Bon Appetit came up with this one. The flavors appeared a strange combination to me. Had this recipe been in say Martha Stewart Living, I wouldn’t have tried it. For some reason her recipes don’t work for mere mortals like me. But usually the cooks over at Bon Appetit do their thing and create some great dishes.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_3" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">This seriously is a MUST-TRY recipe. I am not a huge fan of white-chocolate and the thought of adding citrus didn’t add any excitement for me. But, WOW, make some extras, because you won’t be able to stop eating these! I got 5 extremely happy smiling faces with this one!<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">White-Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries with Citrus Sugar<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">2 tbsp sugar<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">6 oz high-quality white chocolate (I used Lindt), chopped<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">16 lg ripe strawberries<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Line baking sheet with foil. Using fingertips, mix sugar and citrus peels in a small bowl until sugar is moist. Stir chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_2" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Holding 1 strawberry by the stem end, dip 2/3 of berry into chocolate; shake excess back into bowl. Turn berry dipped end up and sprinkle with citrus sugar (actually, I just pressed one side of the strawberry into the sugar so as not to have to drop sugar all over the place). Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining berries, chocolate, and sugar. Chill until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.</p></span>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-66002231899807830742010-05-02T10:40:00.002-05:002010-06-28T21:56:57.651-05:00Most-Requested Recipe: Corn Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53e8uYuN8gJakcTUik7qwhtmcteyJr3t_cW-dmXG9N0JJQYo9LGaiKZhW1h0aW6CtJpZgSj6jh758LnL3lQqo-XxcFrkgjaq4T3pbAw_JpgNWj_Uz5nOcvAvo-V7bH2YHmRRf3xTU3DE/s1600/DSC_0097.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53e8uYuN8gJakcTUik7qwhtmcteyJr3t_cW-dmXG9N0JJQYo9LGaiKZhW1h0aW6CtJpZgSj6jh758LnL3lQqo-XxcFrkgjaq4T3pbAw_JpgNWj_Uz5nOcvAvo-V7bH2YHmRRf3xTU3DE/s320/DSC_0097.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488024129924869538" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family:Times;font-size:medium;"><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Corn. What is not to love about corn? Think of all the people you've met in your life. Can you think of any who do not like corn (actually, one of my sisters claims not to like corn but she's never had this salad). I do not make special kids' meals. If you come to my house you will not find hot dogs for the kids and real food for the adults. I believe that if you give your kids real food from the beginning, they will know no other way (how else would it be that little Indian kids are eating spicy curries from the get-go and thinking it's just nifty?). My kids fight each other for the last of the pesto and rejoice right alongside me when Vidalia onion season begins. Having said this, there are certain children who make me nervous when they come to my house. I know that unless I am serving white rice (almost never happens) or cheese pizza (happens sometime), they will be suspicious and angst-ridden from the beginning. Corn, however, is usually a language we can both speak.</p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Mexican Corn Salad was named Mexican Corn Salad by the testers at Food & Wine Magazine. We simply call it Corn Salad and we call on it frequently. The occasion has been rare that I have served this for friends and they have not asked for the recipe. This recipe has been modified over and over again according to what was at hand.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1 garlic clove, minced<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1 tbsp minced red onion (I have substituted sweet onions time and time again here...and have added way more than 1 tbsp)<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">2 tbsp fresh lime juice (have used lemon juice when lime wasn’t available)<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">8 small ears of corn, husked (I have used frozen corn during the winter months. Kernels are not are firm, but the flavor is still good)<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">vegetable oil, for brushing<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1/3 cup mayonnaise<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1 tsp pure ancho chile powder (have substituted cayenne pepper)<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">4 oz cotilja or ricotta salata cheese crumbled (have used feta and queso fresca also)<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">salt and freshly ground pepper<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the garlic and onion with the lime juice and let stand for 10 minutes.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Brush the corn with oil and grill over moderate heat until charred and just tender, about 10 minutes. (If using frozen corn, cook in a skillet or frying pan - without any oil - for about 10 minutes, until charred and popping) Transfer to a work surface and cut the kernels off the cobs. TIP: If you have a bundt cake pan, you can stick the ear of corn in the part that sticks up in the middle and use it as a holder while the rest of the pan is the catcher of the corn.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Whisk the mayonnaise and chile powder into the garlic, onion and lime juice. Add the cheese and corn to the bowl and toss. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">This dish pairs well with everything from grilled scallops to burgers, lobster, steak, almost anything you can think of. Five happy, smiling sets of thumbs up on this one! Enjoy!<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div></span>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-45754645707781413302010-05-01T05:45:00.002-05:002010-06-27T13:39:20.122-05:00Last-Minute Roasted Red Pepper Chicken<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family:Times;font-size:medium;"><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Ah, the lowly chicken. I had read somewhere that chicken used to be an uncommon delicacy. It wasn’t even that long ago. When I was growing up beef was the preferred meat. (I’m 44, btw) Beef was the cheap, versatile choice of housewives nationwide. Medical schools everywhere have shrines to the mighty cow that spurred a whole new genre of medical practice....Cardiologists! In the 70’s (1970’s that is) people started to make the connection between beef and cholesterol and heart disease. ‘We need a healthier, yet still affordable protein source!’ was the cry throughout the land. Someone, somewhere pointed a finger at the chicken and we haven’t looked back since. There you go, I am a history buff as well. While we here at Liz’s kitchen eat lots and lots of chicken, I cannot say that I am someone who has ever uttered the words ‘oh, I LOVE chicken’. I really don’t love chicken. I love to see what I can do to it to make it delicious though.<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">I recently resurrected a long-lost-friend of a book called ‘Fresh & Fast’ by Marie Simmons. Marie is not a flashy Food Network star so you may not have heard of her. She is a good, solid cook and cookbook author who can be considered a go-to in a clutch situation. Here was the scenario... I had boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Period. It was 4:00 on a Tuesday night. Period. No thoughts on what to cook for dinner. What follows is the recipe that came together easily with stuff I had on hand....<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Chicken Breasts Over-Roasted with Bell Peppers (I have modified it to fit a family of 6)<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">3 lg red bell peppers, halved, seeds, stem and ribs removed, cut into 1/2-inch stripes<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">4 garlic cloves, chopped (she calls for them to be crushed)<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1 sweet onion, sliced thin (I added the onion because I like the flavor...you can use whatever kind of onion you have on hand or just leave it out altogether)<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">5 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">1 tsp dried thyme (she also says you can use fresh rosemary - 2tsp)<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the peppers, garlic and onions in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish or roasting pan. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the peppers begin to brown.<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Meanwhile, rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with the rosemary or thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper. Remove the baking dish from the oven; stir the peppers, garlic and onions; add the chicken and spoon some of the peppers on the top.<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Continue to roast, until the chicken is cooked through (meat thermometer should read 165 degrees F) and the peppers are browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">TIP: At this point, I poured off the juices from the pan and mixed them with 1 tsp of cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup of water while stirring over a high heat (takes about 30 seconds) until thick. I poured this gravy sparingly over the chicken when serving it.<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">This chicken has great flavor! I served brown rice and a green salad as a side. Oh yeah, don’t forget the bread. We eat bread with everything! Enjoy!<br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="Body" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue-Bold, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">5 sets of thumbs up!</p></span>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1714764220747833679.post-45733644181126963512010-04-30T06:19:00.002-05:002010-06-27T13:39:58.540-05:00WELCOME!<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family:Times;font-size:medium;"><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Twenty years ago I started the most passionate and intense love affair of my life. (It was also the year I met my husband.) The affair of which I speak is with food. Prior to that time, I knew how to make microwave popcorn. That’s it. Two great things happened that year. I met my husband - who owned a cookbook, and I got laid-off. With plenty of time on my hands and a new relationship in the works, I picked up that cookbook and started to read. Huge revelation: if you can read, you can cook! I started reading and cooking and falling in love.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; font-family:HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><span class="style" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 13px; font-family:HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:9px;"><br /></span>Fast-forward twenty years...I now have four children under the age of twelve with the guy who owned the original cookbook. Food is the cornerstone of our life and we are all passionate about it. New food and recipes constantly show up on our table and are judged ruthlessly (did I mention four children under the age of twelve). This blog has come to life so that I might share the best recipes with those who share the same passion about food.<br /></p><p class="paragraph_style_1" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; "><br /></p><p class="paragraph_style" style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; ">Because my kids usually travel in at least three different directions immediately after school, and because we do like to eat real family meals every night, most of the recipes you’ll find here are fairly quick or can be produced in a two-step process - one step to prepare the meal in advance and the second step to finish it right before serving the meal. I frequently improvise as I am trying to stay somewhat budget-conscious as well. I welcome you to my test kitchen - enjoy!</p></span>avecwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910838971555316519noreply@blogger.com0