It's The Way She...

Magazine Mondays: Golden Brown Butter & Pecan Praline Tart

2010-11-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

Tart... filled and going into the oven

Well...why undertaking this week's Magazine Monday recipe from the November issue of bon appetit I learned several things. First, it might not be wise to decide to start a baking project while consuming your third glass of wine. Second, if you do decide that you really must bake a new dessert while consuming your third glass of wine... you really should be sure at least one of your friends can double check your measurements! I unfortunately did not have such a valuable resource and therefore my results are a bit askew of my norm because of it! Third, ALWAYS read the entire recipe before starting... !

At this moment you might be asking yourself, "Why after three glasses of wine was this girl attempting to bake in the first place?" Well, to be honest... I had only had two glasses... my third had just been poured and WELL... We REALLY wanted dessert! Frankly even though I didn't have all the right ingredients (who has "golden syrup" in the pantry) I figured I had a pretty good shot at making something pretty darn yummy. I Googled substitutes for golden syrup and decided to mix 1/4 c. Karo light with 1/8 c. honey and 1/8 c. molasses. I would have preferred to actually use Golden Syrup but I haven't seen it here in So. Cal. before and decided to take a chance at creating my own version... yeah yeah yeah... I was feeling pretty bold while drinking that third glass!

I altered the recipe by using not only my own version of 'Golden Syrup" but I also used dark brown sugar instead of golden and I'm pleased with the results. Although, I have a feeling it would taste even better if I had been a little more precise with my measurements and ingredients.

Frankly... some of my alterations would not have been necessary had the recipe been written differently. I should mention one of my BIG pet peeves about recipes printed in either cookbooks or magazines. It's when they fail to say things such as "reserve" "split" "divided" or the like to indicate that an ingredient used in the first half of the recipe needs to be reserved, split, or divided for use in the second half of the recipe. I will accept responsibility for not reading the entire recipe first before beginning... I was after all on my third glass of wine and it was REALLY GOOD wine. My mistake was in pouring the entire 3/4 c of browned butter into the crust mixture instead of "reserving" a 1/4 c for the filling. I did however remedy the situation by adding a bit more flour and brown sugar to the crust mixture and browning more butter for the filling.

You can be sure I will try making this wonderful tart again following the ingredients and steps outlined in the recipe... however, even with the minor mistakes and substitutions the tart I made turned out to be a crowd pleaser.

Golden Brown Butter and Pecan Praline Tart

Golden Browned Butter and Pecan Praline Tart ... fresh from the oven

crust

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

filling

1 large egg
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup (such as Lyle's Golden Syrup)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Crust

Cook 3/4 cup butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until butter turns golden brown (nut-colored), watching carefully to prevent burning, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour melted brown butter into 1-cup glass measuring cup. Let melted butter stand until barely warm, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Whisk flour, brown sugar, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add 1/2 cup of barely warm melted brown butter and stir with fork until moist dough forms (mixture will resemble wet sand). Transfer dough to prepared tart pan. Using fingertips, press dough firmly and evenly onto bottom and up sides of pan (dough will look glossy). Let crust rest 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature. Bake crust until set and just golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Filling

Meanwhile, whisk egg and brown sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in golden syrup, whipping cream, and salt. Stir in remaining melted brown butter, leaving most of darkened solids behind in bottom of measuring cup. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into warm crust, distributing pecans evenly.
Bake tart until filling is browned and slightly puffed and set at edges (center will still move slightly when pan is gently shaken), 25 to 27 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack (center of filling will set as tart cools). DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely and store at room temperature.

This is a great dessert... give it a try and I bet you won't be disappointed!

Check out Cream Puffs in Venice Magazine Mondays for additional recipes.

Magazine Mondays: Beef, Shitake, and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

2010-11-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Nice and Spicy...Perfect for those who love a little heat in the kitchen

Well it got hot in my kitchen tonight! I saw this recipe a few weeks ago in the October 2010 issue of bon appetit and have been looking forward to giving it a try ever since. It's a rather simple stir-fry with a rather short ingredient list. See below for the recipe and directions for preparation it really is an easy recipe to pull together in under 30 minutes.

I must admit I did have to add a few things to my pantry to prepare for this recipe or I would have made it the day I read the recipe. I always have mushrooms, cilantro, and ginger in my kitchen but amazingly enough I didn't have any of the chili-garlic sauce the recipe called for or the Chinese five-spice powder. I know am asking myself...why didn't I stock these items on a regular basis! This recipe is that good!

Didn't have shitake, but Bellas worked well

The first stage of the stir fry called for sauteing the mushrooms with fresh minced ginger in sesame oil... oh I could hardly wait to taste the mushrooms.

Oh... the smell of the Chinese five-spice when I opened up the fresh jar...mmmmm! Wow, what a great smell. I know I am going to go through this new jar rather quickly.

Dinner is ready 30 minutes later

Be warned if you give this recipe a try... and do not like spicy dishes you may want to cut down the Chili-garlic sauce from 2 tsp to only 1 tsp. I loved the hot, mouth burning heat but I wasn't able to serve it to my son and I know many of my friends would be turned off by the intense heat. I paired it with some Jasmine rice and a nice Pinot Grigio.

Beef, Shitake, and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

Ingredients

1 1-pound top sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thickly sliced
8 ounces snow peas
1 bunch green onions, sliced, divided
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Preparation

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and mushrooms; stir-fry until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add beef to skillet; stir-fry until beef browns but is still pink in center, about 1 minute. Add snow peas, half of green onions, and half of cilantro; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, and five-spice powder; sauté until peas are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining green onions and cilantro.

Visit Cream Puffs in Venice for more Magazine Monday contributions and while you are there check out her great "Donuts: The Blog Tour" post.

Magazine Mondays: Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Rustic Spinach and Polenta Soup with Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Now that the weather is starting to be consistently cooler here in Southern California, I decided it was time to make up the first batch of soup for the season...

I really enjoy a nice steaming bowl of soup for lunch during the fall and winter months, plus it's so easy to make up a big batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy it all week long.

After looking through some of my old favorites and feeling a little uninspired I decided to try a new recipe from this month's Bon Appetit. With the main ingredients of fresh baby spinach and polenta I was really excited to see how it would turn out.

Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup

6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
3/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
Coarse kosher salt
8 ounces baby spinach leaves

Preparation

Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan; cover to keep warm. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 1 cup hot broth; whisk over medium-high heat until smooth. Stir in butter and garlic; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Gradually add 5 cups hot broth by cupfuls. Boil gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened, whisking frequently and adding more broth to thin, if desired, about 25 minutes. Stir in spinach by handfuls; simmer until wilted, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Season with more coarse salt and black pepper.

Polenta before cooking

I have to admit it was relatively easy to prepare the soup although you do have to whisk the polenta and chicken stock rather frequently as it thickens. In fact I had hoped it would thicken slightly more than it did... not sure if perhaps I didn't let the "roux" set up enough in the first stage of preparation. The recipe describes the overall consistency as that of a porridge. To be honest I can't recall ever having had porridge before so I don't have a basis for determining the right thickness of the broth. It is creamy and perhaps it will be thicker when I reheat it tomorrow. Unfortunately the magazine did not provide a picture to compare my results too. Although while typing this I checked the Bon Appetit website and they have one there... It seems my soup turned out very similar... apparently porridge is not as thick as I imagined!

As for taste, well I am thrilled with the overall taste and look forward to sharing my latest adventure in cooking with my coworkers tomorrow at lunch.

I'm sending this out to Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice for Magazine Monday's. Although this week it is on the road and being hosted by Wandering Coyote of Retorte.

Is Glad the Glass is More Than Half Full...

2010-10-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe it has been more than a month since my last post. The past six weeks have been incredibly busy! Let me see... I started a new school year teaching 3 new subjects, remodeled a kitchen, volunteered to teach one of my students out for home and hospital care 5 days a week, moved to a new place, took on running the 8th grade leadership program at school, joined a book club and the list goes on and on! WHEW Frankly I need to relax and I really want to do it with a great beer... a nice cold pint. So when I actually arrived home today having only worked a 10 hour day, instead of the usual 12-14 for the first time in weeks, I reached into the fridge pulled out a bottle from of a batch I brewed a little over 6 weeks ago. Yep right about the time my life went into overdrive!

I brewed an Irish Red Ale primarily because of the description promising a distinctive caramel flavor. I'm happy with how it turned out and I know I have some friends who will be glad I'm going to be sharing a few bottles very soon. I will be the first to point out it's not a beer for those who like a lot of hops or only prefer wheat beers. But you can bet I'm gonna make my "wine or fruity drink only" friends at least take a sip.

I also need to admit that over the past 2 years I have developed into a bit of a beer snob. I can no longer sip something that arrived on a silver bullet from the Rockies or was pulled behind a team of Clydesdales. I really enjoy craft beers and favor the sweet maltiness of a Tripel Belgium over IPA's which have more hops which can be bitter. If none of these terms make any sense to you I highly recommend the book "The Naked Pint". It's an easy read loaded with great information and No! this wasn't one of the books I read for my book club... however I might just choose it as my pick when it's my turn to host.

So as I sit here finishing my second pint... I'm left with these words "A fine beer may be judged with only one sip.. but it's better to be thoroughly sure." - Czech proverb

A votre sante... Salute... Prost... Cheers

Can't resist an Heirloom: Summer Fest 2010

2010-08-25T00:13:00.000-07:00


Fresh.. Simple... Sublime

As Summer Fest 2010 wraps up this week I am happy to be dining on perhaps my favorite dish of all those I prepared during this event. It's also the least manipulated of the dishes consisting primarily of fresh ingredients eaten shortly after harvesting. This week's Summer Fest inspiration is Tomatoes and I decided to go with a very understated recipe that I believe lets the wonderful sweetness of summer ripened heirloom tomatoes shine through.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Asparagus and Herb Creme Fraiche

Several varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes

For those of you who aren't well versed on tomato varieties, let me explain very briefly what an Heirloom Tomato is and how it differs from the regular hybrid tomatoes found in the grocery store or at most Farmer's Markets. A tomato is considered to be an heirloom when the seed has been saved and grown at least 50 years or more and has been passed down from generation to generation. An heirloom is also open-pollinated, which simply means the plant is capable of producing seeds that will grow a new plant identical to the parent plant the seed came from. However what it most important to most of us is the overall taste. Heirloom Tomatoes simply taste better. After all why would people keep passing them down generation after generation if they weren't special! They are extremely unique in appearance - size, shape, and color are so various it would be impossible to describe them all. They also are not as consistent in their appearance as commercially raised hybrid tomatoes. Which is one of the other reasons I like them so much. If you haven't tried an Heirloom Tomato you are missing out on something special and if you're wondering... they really are worth the extra money.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Asparagus and Herb Creme Fraiche

Recipe:

5-7 Heirloom Tomatoes(different varieties and sizes)

10-15 Asparagus Stalks - small (blanched)

1/4 Sweet Purple Onion (sliced)

1/2 c. Fresh Herbs (roughly chopped and divided)

7.5 oz. Creme Fraiche

Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

Fresh herbs: Basil, Thyme, Sage, Oregano and Chive

Directions:

Make the Herb Creme Fraiche ahead of time so flavor has time to set. Roughly chop your herbs and blend all but 2 Tbs. into Creme Fraiche, add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in refrigerator.

Rough Chop

Lovely bright green blanched asparagus

Con't.

Prepare blanched asparagus by cooking in boiling water for 2-4 minutes (it's ready when it turns bright green) then immediately place asparagus an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain asparagus and set aside.

Slice all the tomatoes into thin slices or bite sized chunks. Slice onion into thin slices and separate rings. Toss Tomatoes, Asparagus, and onions together in a bowl. Top with Herb Creme Fraiche before serving season with additional salt and pepper and sprinkle remaining chopped herbs on top. I served an Asiago Roll with the salad as well.

I've had a wonderful time participating in Summer Fest 2010 this year. The recipes presented by all who joined were amazing and I am slowly working my way through many of them. One of the added benefits of participating has been meeting so many new people who love to cook and enjoy sharing the experience with others. There's talk of FallFood...? Sounds interesting and if it happens I am going to attempt to add to the fun once again. Hope you will join me.

Is Mastering the Art of French Cooking

2010-08-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Cherry Clafouti

I'd like to go on and on about how I slaved away making this complex French dish for breakfast and deserve to relax the rest of the day but well that wouldn't be true. In fact putting this dish together was so simple I'm going to challenge my friends who "dread" baking... Yeah I know, how can any body dread it???... to bake this dish next weekend. The recipe is very simple and the directions are easy to follow because they are the creation of Julia Child. For those of you well versed in baking, this dish is most likely not new. However I'm pretty sure a lot of my friends who read this Blog have never made this dish. Please give it a try. I promise you will not be disappointed. Plus, summer is almost over and how can you resist the chance to use fresh cherries in a delightful brunch style recipe. In fact, why not add to the occasion and serve it with some chilled champagne. That's what I did and the morning became something just a little extra special!

Your Clafouti will fall as it cools, so serve it quickly to guests

Cherry Clafouti

By Julia Child

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups dark cherries, pitted
powdered sugar for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a blender, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.

Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.

Place dish into the oven for about 7-10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan but the mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (but don’t turn the oven off, yet).

Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter in the pan, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the Clafouti is puffed and brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon coffee break snack

If you do take up my challenge and try this recipe out- PLEASE let me know. Send pictures too! I promise you won't be disappointed and you can brag you are Mastering the Art of French Cooking!

Sending this out to Brenda at Cookbook Sundays... even though it's now Monday!

Makes life a party: Sandy's 40th

2010-08-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

This past week we celebrated the 40th birthday of one of my best friends. It was a five day celebration that started in Southern California on Saturday and concluded in Las Vegas on Wednesday. It's now Sunday and I think I have almost recovered from the fun. Here's a few photo's taken over the five days... including a few from our meal at MESA Bobby Flay's restaurant in Las Vegas.

Just a few of the ladies there Saturday night

Ladybug Cake

Almost all of her family and friends were on hand to wish her a happy day.

Sandy's childhood nickname is Ladybug so our friend Kassi made this amazingly tasty cake in her honor.

Sandy is the life of every party so one night was not going to be enough of a celebration. So on Sunday we headed for four days in Vegas. since we all know what happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas... I'm only sharing the innocent parts of the trip. Thank god for babysitters... since we brought the kids!

Mirage had a great pool with nice waterfalls

The family

Sandy's Boys... Zach her godson, Jake and Scottie


Rebekkah and Jessica join the fun

On the night of Sandy's big day all of the adults were treated to a wonderful meal at MESA Grill... I started taking pictures of everything but eventually was having too much fun and didn't get any great shots of our entrees - plus I didn't want to look quite so much like a tourist!

B L U E C O R N PA N C A K E
w i t h B a r b e c u e d D u c k
+ H a b a n e r o C h i l e - S t a r A n i s e S a u c e

S H R I M P + R O A S T E D G A R L I C
C O R N T A M A L E
with fresh corn and cilantro sauce

C r i s p y S q u a s h B l o s s o m s
w i t h H o t + S w e e t Ye l l o w P e p p e r S a u c e

Sandy IS 40!!!

Effie and Heather

Some of the party guests after dinner.

It was a great trip and a wonderful way to celebrate.

Put Summer in a Jar: Summer Fest

2010-08-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Brandied Vanilla Apricots

One of the childhood experiences that I hold dearest in my heart was sitting in my grandma's kitchen each summer while she "put up" her summer fruits and vegetables. It seemed to me like she was wrapping Christmas presents six months early... because the next time I would see those lovely jars filled with sweet peaches, apricots, plums, green beans, pickles, tomatoes and so much more would be on my next visit during Christmas break. Upon my winter return, I would open up a jar and be transported to warmer fun filled farm days. It was like being given the great taste of summer, in a jar.

This week: Stone Fruit

Of all the garden bounty my grandmother preserved, my favorite were her apricots. She had three trees in her yard and each day of summer I would pick the ripest one I could reach and eat it right there in the garden. A sun ripened, juicy, hand picked straight from the tree apricot - is to me - simply divine. But since it's not possible to enjoy them tree ripened year round I am thankful to have learned from my grandmother how to "put them up" myself and enjoy them almost equally in another way. Here is a recipe my mom gave me several years ago... we've used this recipe with cherries too.

Brandied Vanilla Apricots
3 pounds ripe apricots
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup good brandy (Cognac if possible)
3 vanilla beans (one for each jar)

3 one-pint jars ready for preserving unless you are planning on eating apricots within one week. In which case you can store in clean sealed jars in the refrigerator.

1) Blanch and peel the apricots then cut them into halves or quarters and remove pits.

2) In a small non reactive sauce pan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium, add apricots and cook, stirring gently occasionally for 3 minutes. Transfer apricots to hot jars packing firmly. Add one split vanilla bean to each jar.

3) Continue to boil the sauce until thickened and reduced by one-fourth, roughly five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in brandy.

4) Pour the liquid over the apricots leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rims clean and seal. Process jars in boiling water bath for 20 minutes (Basic Water Bath canning method) Once properly sealed apricots will last in a cool dark place up to a year.

I prefer to serve these apricots warmed slightly over vanilla bean ice cream with chopped toasted pecans but they are good served simply topped with whipped cream or honey mascarpone.

Magazine Mondays: Pink Grapefruit Sorbet

2010-08-16T00:25:00.000-07:00

After a week or two...alright three months of eating wonderfully rich meals, I realized that I needed to look at dessert recipes that were a little lighter not only in texture but also calories as well. Since we are in the hottest summer month so far, I was craving a dessert that would be cool. When I came across this RECIPE in the April 2010 edition of Cooking Light I figured making this refreshing sorbet would be ideal.

Pink Grapefuit Sorbet

This was my first attempt at making sorbet and frankly, I didn't realize just how easy it was going to be until I read the recipe. You see, I'm just not that much of an ice cream eater (except for this amazing Coconut Ice cream I can only find in Washington DC) and although I have a wonderful Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker it gets very little use. I rarely consider making ice cream and sorbets had never even crossed my mind.

Well I love, love, love... this sorbet and so did my son, Zachary. I can't say enough good things about it. It was sweet and tart, cold, smooth and it had two ingredients. Juice and Sugar - Only Two! How nice is that. The whole process of making the sorbet was easy too. Just a note - I used my KitchenAid Mixer attachment to juice the grapefruit and even though the recipe suggests 4 grapefruits, I needed 6 to get the 3 cups of juice called for in the recipe.

Sending this out to Cream Puffs in Venice's Magazine Mondays
Check out her great blog, she loves to bake really amazing dishes.

Wished for a Lemonade Cake

2010-08-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

Lemonade Cake

I baked a cake tonight... the old fashion way, from a box! I was so very glad to do it too. You see earlier this afternoon I had a root canal performed on my back molar. It wasn't quick and it certainly wasn't painless. So I was thankful the cake I needed to bake tonight to help celebrate a 90th birthday tomorrow was going to be an easy one.

Now this cake isn't just a basic cake box recipe, it's the type of cake that became very popular years ago prompting the Cake Doctor to compile the recipes for her book. It is what we now call a doctored cake mix for sure, however I don't think this one is in the book. Last week, the lovely woman celebrating her 90th birthday, Gerry, asked for "a lemon cake, the kind with the holes poked in the top and the sweet glaze". Well I knew exactly what she wanted. About 20 years ago my now 80 year old friend Paul Lettieri made this cake for a party and gave me a copy of the recipe. It's been in my recipe collection ever since, I've made it several times, almost always by request. It taste great and is a perfect quick cake to take to a picnic or summer party. Over the years I've been tempted to make this cake a little more "from scratch" but honestly, it's a cake people like and one they ask for so I am happy with leaving it a box mix cake. I have plenty of other "from scratch" recipes for lemon cake and having a quick cake recipe is nice on nights like these.

I topped my cake with lemon zest

Lemonade Cake

Recipe

1 box Lemon cake mix

1 box 3oz Lemon Jello

3/4 c. oil

3/4 c. water

1/4 tsp. Lemon Flavoring

4 eggs

8oz can Frozen Lemonade (defrosted)

1 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13x9 baking dish. Mix first 6 ingredients together in a mixer for 4 minutes. Pour into baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Using a whisk blend lemonade and sugar until sugar is well blended. Poke holes all over the top of hot cake with a meat fork and pour lemonade mixture slowly and evenly all over the top of cake. Place back into the oven and bake 4-6 minutes more. Let cake cool. Serve warm or cold. I prefer cold or room temp. Store covered in refrigerator.

I was tempted to use Limoncello instead of the Lemonade and sugar but... well it's a 90th birthday party and I wanted to give Gerry the cake she wished for!

SummerFest 2010: So Many Herbs...Never enough Thyme

2010-08-11T00:28:00.000-07:00

Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Chives, and Sage

This week's SummerFest 2010 selection offered all of us following along a wide field to choose from: Herbs, Greens or Beans. I spent quite a long period of time debating what to share this week. My first inclination was to make an herb based recipe, then I started thinking about how much I love Spinach and all the ways I enjoy preparing it. Seriously, I gave this week a lot more thought than I expected. I like beans but I don't love any of my recipes enough to post them and as for greens well... I can never get enough fresh spinach prepared in so many different ways I loose track. When I finally forced myself to choose an ingredient, as Wednesday was fast approaching, I went back to my first inspiration Herbs. I never seem to have enough fresh herbs growing in pots on my patio or elsewhere. It's funny for some reason as long as I have fresh herbs growing in a pot somewhere in my house I feel as though in a small way I'm carrying on the family tradition of farming. Sure my Grandparents had more than 20 acres... but heck I still plant seeds every year. I plant different varieties year round and always experience a sense of sadness when my basil no longer flourishes outside. That's how I know winter has finally arrived in sunny Southern California.

Fresh herbs are an essential ingredient in almost all of my cooking and often in my baking. I have really enjoyed experimenting with baking savory items and this summer my favorite herbs to bake with are thyme and rosemary, although Basil is my most often used herb. Since I have some wonderfully fragrant Lemon-Thyme growing beautifully right outside my patio door, I decided to use it to create something new. It took me a while but after remembering I recently saw a recipe for Rosemary and Pinenut Biscotti, I decided to develop my own biscotti recipe to use as an appetizer. I am the proud caretaker of our family's personal recipe book collection and I am humbly making an effort to add my own recipes to the pages... to go along side those passed down by three generations of amazing cooks in my family.

So for SummerFest, this week, I spent a little time in my kitchen and baked up a batch of:

Lemon-Thyme Walnut Biscotti
with Gruyere Cheese

Lemon-Thyme Walnut Biscotti with a side of Peppery Lemon Gruyere Butter

Recipe for Biscotti

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
3 teaspoons fresh lemon-thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (cooled)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cheese, baking powder, Lemon-Thyme, salt and pepper; set aside. (Be sure to gently rub the Lemon-Thyme to release the oils)

In a mixer, blend the eggs, oil, sugar, and lemon zest. Add in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts. Shape dough on baking sheet into a 12” by 3.5” log.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and firm in center. Remove log from oven. Cool log about 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Place log on cutting board, slice log crosswise diagonally into 1/2 inch-thick pieces. Arrange slices lined baking sheet and return to oven for 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

I am really happy with the way these turned out. I bake often but have only made biscotti twice before, the first time was actually only a few months ago. I wasn't sure about using Gruyere, but didn't have any Asiago on hand, which would have been my first choice but I really like the nuttiness of the cheese and felt it would pair well with the walnuts. The lemon flavor is very slight but adds a refreshing quality and the overall biscotti texture and taste seems perfectly suited for nibbling on while enjoying a glass of wine.

I love giving items like this as gift

Recipe for Compound Butter:

8 Tbs. Butter (soft: room temp)

1/2 cup Finely grated Gruyere

1 Tbs Lemon Zest

1 Tbs. Lemon Juice

1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

sea salt to taste

I think a fun way to use many of the fresh herbs grown in home gardens or purchased at Farmer's Markets is to incorporate them into butter. Using herbs to make a Compound Butter is relatively easy and creates wonderfully flavorful spreads. Simply let a stick of Butter soften to room temperature, then in a bowl using a wooden spoon combine herbs and seasonings of your choice with butter. Blend until smooth. Then roll up in wax paper or parchment paper in the shape of a log. Store in fridge for a week or freeze.

Magazine Mondays: Chocolate Icebox Cake

2010-08-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate.... cold smooth creamy rich chocolate!

After picking up a copy of this month's Real Simple I knew immediately that I wanted to make the Chocolate Icebox Cake. It seemed like the perfect chilled dessert to take to a dinner party I was attending Saturday. Plus, it's supposed to be "real simple" to make which is exactly what I was looking for with my very busy schedule this weekend.

Almost ready...

The recipe from the magazine had three ingredients. It was a part of an article entitled "Three-Ingredient Summer Recipes" well I have to admit I added a few more ingredients for no other reason than that I had a craving for chocolate and orange together. The top three ingredients listed in the recipe below are from the magazine. I added the rest.

Finished off the dessert by squeezing some fresh orange juice over the cake

Chocolate Icebox Cake

Adapted from Real Simple August 2010

(2) 15 ounce Ricotta Cheese

12 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

2 Tbs Grand Marnier

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tbs Fine Sugar

2 Tbs Grand Marnier

Orange Juice and Zest, mint sprig

Directions:

In a food Processor, puree 2 15 ounce containers of ricotta with 12 ounces of melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate and 2 Tbs. Grand Marnier until very smooth... this took about 7 minutes. Line an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan with parchment leaving an overhang on 2 sides, so you can lift the cake from the pan. Layer the cake mix with the cookies in the pan. Start with the mix, then a layer of cookies. Basically it's cake, cookies, cake, cookies, cake! Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. To make the whipped cream, whip: Cream, Grand Marnier and sugar until smooth and desired stiffness is reached

Serve cake by removing from the pan and slicing the cake. I topped my cake with fresh whipped cream, orange zest and orange juice as shown above.

You can plate the whole cake if you like...

Honestly, I liked this cake but I didn't love it! The other guests at the party offered lots of compliments however I'm not sure it's for everyone. The texture is smooth but not as creamy as I would have liked. The orange flavoring was a huge hit so I was pleased by that. If anyone else makes this or has made a ricotta cake before let me know what you think or how yours turned out texture wise.

Sending this out to Ivonne at Cream Puffs In Venice

Enjoys spending Sunday with a Cookbook

2010-08-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Trottole Salsa di Noci

Sunday is perhaps the most soothing and enjoyable day for me. I make a point of sitting outside to slowly savor my morning coffee and ease myself into the day. Refusing to be rushed into action. A warm, sunny, slightly breezy, Sunday is the pinnacle of perfection and that is the kind of day it is today. Mmmm.... days like these just make me happy.

Besides sipping my coffee I also like to grab one or two of my cookbooks and look for a new recipe to try out for lunch or dinner. Today I decided to finally make a recipe I have had earmarked for weeks, I knew I already had all the ingredients so a trip to the store could be avoided providing me with even more time to just enjoy the gorgeous day.

We enjoyed this recipe with slight adaptations from

Patricia Wells' Trattoria cookbook

Fusilli with Walnut and Garlic Sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

Sea Salt, dash

1 cup walnut halves, toasted and cooled

1 cup heavy cream
********

1 pound dried Italian Pasta

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Directions

In a food processor, combine the garlic, a pinch of salt, walnuts and process to coarsely chop. Add the cream, and process to a fairly smooth sauce. It will thicken as you blend. In a large bowl toss sauce with cooked pasta. Add the cheese and lightly toss again.

Adaptions: I used Trottole pasta, then omitted the cheese and added additional toasted walnuts and some sage for garnish.

I really enjoyed this dish. It came together rather easily and the smell of the freshly toasted walnuts was wonderful. I will definitely make this again.

I'm linking this to Cookbook Sunday's at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen. Check out her great site HERE and the other Cookbook Sunday Recipes

Travels with great delight...

2010-08-05T00:56:00.000-07:00

I love to travel. No that statement really doesn’t express how I feel. Actually I LIVE to... YEARN for… and NEED to travel!!! Truth be shared if I had my dream job it would be as a travel writer. Yeah I know most of my posts on this blog are and will be about food which I love but traveling is my passion. On second thought my dream job would be as traveler(adventurer) who writes about food! If it’s my dream job might as well have it all.

My travel plans for this summer changed several times during the early spring months, originally I had started planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland (going in 2011 for sure). Then it looked like Belgium and France might be part of the plan. As summer drew closer a trip to Europe seemed less likely and finally by May I knew it wasn’t gonna happen. So unwilling to spend my summer vacation without fulfilling my wanderlust I started looking at traveling to places closer to home. I decided to explore one of the great cities in the US that I always overlook when planning a trip... I knew right away I was going to the windy city or the emerald city. It's hard to believe I've been all over Europe and haven't experienced such great places like Chicago or Seattle. I finally decided on Seattle. The Pacific northwest seemed like the perfect place to spend some time sightseeing and eating my way from one great bakery or restaurant to another.

And…that’s exactly what I did for the past 9 days. Luckily my seven year old loves an adventure and makes a great wing man! So off we went to Seattle and Victoria, BC. It really was a trip of planes, trains, boats, busses and automobiles. We flew to Seattle and spent the night in downtown before sailing to Victoria, BC. While in British Columbia we traveled by train around the beautiful island but spent most of our time in Victoria. After three wonderful days we sailed back to Seattle and the hustle and bustle of a great city. I owe a huge THANK YOU to Michael Lee for being an unofficial city of Seattle ambassador. Yep… if it was there we most likely visited it!

I know a picture can provide so much more than words so here are a few of my favorites from our summer adventure. Oh.. and yes of course I enjoyed so many wonderful meals on this trip, but two stand out beyond all others. Surprisingly the first was a sandwich from Earls in Victoria and the second was a breakfast at Lola's in Seattle. I know another post is required to do them justice and I will do that tomorrow.


We stayed at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. I've never slept anywhere more sumptuous

My Son, a true Renaissance man!

Tea at the Empress. FYI...they have a special "Prince of the Tea" service.

Butchart Gardens, the Illumination Tour. This is the most romantic
spot I have ever visited. I told Zach that this is where he should propose one day.

Qualicom Beach. Each Light post had a different painting

The train station... clearly we are not in LA anymore

BC Parliament

Our visit to Pike Place Market was a highlight of the trip. Very touristy of course but the largest "Farmer's Market" I've ever been to.

Truly an experience worth having...

It's exactly like the movies...

Simply gorgeous!

It's hard to describe the fish, produce, flowers, homemade items available at Pike Place... It's a must see.

Wish I had a shop like this down the street from my place... So many wonderful choices

Flavored pastas... no room to take these home, but I was really impressed

Besides the sign at Pike Place Market is there anything more symbolic of Seattle than the Space Needle? Okay... perhaps Starbucks or if you're a shopper the flagship Nordstoms. Yes - I visited them both - Yes - more than once!


The Space Needle...been there done that... Check!

At Seattle Center we visited the Pacific Science Center. Zach loved this place. Besides all the really cool "science" stuff, they have a wonderful butterfly garden where we took some great shots.

What a week... What an adventure... I am already dreaming of my next trip!

Ignited my desire to actually use those recipes I keep collecting

2010-08-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

I've been following Cream Puffs in Venice for quite some time and really look forward to her weekly posting called Magazine Mondays. Each week she compiles a list of links to blogs where bakers and cooks have made a dish from a magazine recipe of their choice. This week I am submitting my first contribution and continuing to participate in Summerfest 2010.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadilla

Recipe (adapted from Cooking Light March 2009)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear)
2/3 cup (5 ounces) goat cheese, softened
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 1 green onion)
1 cup salsa verde
Cilantro

Preparation
Browning the corn caramelizes its sugars and deepens the taste of this dish. If you have fresh cilantro on hand, chop two tablespoons and stir it into the salsa. Also I prefer to use whole grain tortillas that are handmade and a blend of white corn and wheat. They are extremely soft, moist and full of fiber. La Tortilla Factory makes a good variety for purchase at many stores.

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Place corn in a small bowl. Add goat cheese to corn; stir until well blended. Divide corn mixture evenly among 4 tortillas; spread to within 1/4 inch of sides. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1 tablespoon green onions. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons salsa; top with remaining 4 tortillas.

Filling of Quesadilla

2. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Be sure to use a large wide spatuala to carefully flip the quesadilla. The cheese does not melt to the point where it will hold everything in! Remove from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; recoat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

Grill just to the point of skin softening or the get too mushy.

I served the quesadillas with grilled tomatoes and seasoned black beans. First I tossed the tomatoes in olive oil, then I sprinkled on chili powder and cumin before grilling.

Nicely blackened... ready to be peeled!

To season the beans I added a freshly roasted poblano pepper and a dash of cumin. If you haven't roasted peppers before check out my earlier post HERE for a few tips.

Dinner for a great summer evening

I really enjoyed this meal. It was a refreshing change from the traditional quesadillas I make every few weeks. The roasted corn was so sweet and the flavor went perfectly with the Salsa Verde.

I'm also double dipping and linking this as my Summerfest 2010 Corn offering as well, since buy sheer coincidence, I made this recipe for Magazine Mondays and then discovered Corn was this weeks selection.

I'm VERY new at blogging and would love to hear what you think... please leave a comment or suggestion.

Encouraged me to share... Summerfest 2010 CukesnZukes

2010-08-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

I'm Late, I'm Late!... I've been on vacation, but I don't want to miss out on the fun!

Cukes 'N Zukes or for those of us a little less up on the foodie terms... Cucumbers and Zucchinis. That's the first selection for Summerfest 2010. It’s a cross-blog food event that celebrates what the Summer garden season has to offer. This is the third year of Summerfest, but my first time joining or even following the event. I first read about Summerfest 2010 while reading Sweetnicks Blog. My best girlfriend recommended it to me and I'm so glad she did!

Every Wednesday, participating blogs will feature the fruit or vegetable of the week (schedule below).

7/28: cukesnzukes
8/4: corn
8/11: herbs, greens, and beans
8/18: stone fruit
8/25 tomatoes

Here's my contribution for Cukes 'n Zukes these are so quick and easy!

Great-Granny’s Icebox Pickles
Tangy and slightly Sweet

This family recipe has been enjoyed by at least 4 generations

2 c. Sugar

2 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbs. Celery Seed

1 Tbs. Non Iodized Salt

5 Cucumbers sliced thin

1/2 White Onion (sliced thin)

1Green Bell Pepper (sliced thin)

Mix sugar, vinegar, celery seed and salt together until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumbers, onions and bell peppers. Let marinate 3-4 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Thanks Rene for sharing the recipe for this treat!

Here's a second contribution copied from an earlier blog post.

Zucchini Ribbons in a Hazelnut Butter Sauce

1 Zucchini sliced very thin lengthwise

1/2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Saute Zucchini for 2-3 minutes in olive oil toss with Hazelnut Butter Sauce (see recipe below)

Hazelnut Butter Sauce adapted from The Complete Book Of Sauces by Sallie Y. Williams

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. dry white wine
1/2 c. hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 pound butter (1 Stick, cut into Tbs.)
fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy sauce pan boil lemon juice, wine and garlic till reduced by half. Add Hazelnuts. Turn heat to low, whisk in butter a little at a time careful not to over heat pan and melt butter or it separates. Remove pan from heat for this process if needed. Sauce should be light and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup of sauce.

Helped me get over my fear of it getting too hot in the kitchen!

2010-08-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Chips...Homemade Salsa...Cold Margaritas...Sunny Day... Does it get any better?

Recently my friend Sherry invited me over to her house to make homemade salsa. Not a simple Pico de Gallo… but real salsa created with a mix of freshly roasted peppers, onions, tomatillos, garlic and tomatoes. We started by roasting all the salsa ingredients on the grill except the cilantro, lime and salt.

Roasting the peppers, took careful monitoring as you must turn them frequently, as the skins begin to blacken and blister.

Onions, Tomatillos and Garlic

They were then removed from the grill and placed in a large bowl which was covered with plastic wrap.

Peppers peeled and seeded as much as possible

During this stage the peppers finished cooking and the steam loosened the skins, allowing for their easy removal.

After removing all the skins and the seeds, from the peppers, we placed the; peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes, roasted garlic, fresh cilantro, lime zest and juice into a food processor and blended until it reached our desired consistency. Then sea salt and the strained pepper juice (as the peppers were cleaned, they were placed into a bowl to collect the juices) was added as well.

Salsa ready for sharing

Here is a list of ingredients for making my version of salsa. It’s hard to give exact measurements because salsa really is a matter of personal taste and desired level of heat. I’ve made it several times now and always have to adjust how many of each of the hotter peppers I add, depending on just how hot they end up being, as levels can vary. It is really a matter of tasting a few times and adding more if desired. Just chop any new additions separately in the processor and add to what you’ve already blended.

Salsa Recipe:
5-6 Jalapenos
3-5 Serrannos
4-5 Anaheim
4 Poblanos
2 Red Bell Peppers
5 Tomatillos
6 Tomatoes
2 Red Onion
1 head Garlic
1-2 Bunches Cilantro (remove most of the stems)
Lime Zest (2-3 limes)
Lime Juice (2-3 limes)
Sea Salt
Juice from peppers

Living in Southern California provides ample opportunity to eat really great Mexican food. I don’t believe I’ve gone more than a week, in my whole life, without eating at least one dish inspired from “south of the border” excluding perhaps the 3 months I spent in Europe. Although I fondly recall finding a wonderful Mexican restaurant in Vienna, Austria. Next to Italian inspired dishes, Mexican or Latin based dishes are the most routinely prepared meals in my kitchen. I am very fortunate that authentic fresh ingredients for cooking these dishes at home are easily obtained at many local markets. One of the most abundantly available characteristically Mexican ingredients are peppers to the point of being almost overwhelming. Even though I grew up eating Mexican food, I routinely stuck to buying Jalapenos and Poblanos for years. I was always confused about which peppers to cook worried that the peppers would be too hot. Finally I found a really great website HERE that lists most of the pepper varieties and ranks them based on their “heat” level.

Do you have a great salsa recipe? If so please share it with me.

Is the Ethel to my Lucy... and so much more!

2010-07-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

Melissa and Melissa

I had the pleasure of spending the day with my best friend in honor of her birthday today. I invited her to lunch at my place so we could spend some time just the two of us... talking, laughing, sharing, plotting, planning and dreaming. Basically doing what we have been doing together for more than twenty years now. I really can't put into words everything she means to me - I know I'm very lucky to have her in my life and I believe that my life is richer, fuller, more enjoyed because she is my friend.

She has always been the voice of encouragement always pushing both of us to seek new experiences. I started this Blog because of her urging me to find an outlet to share and express my creativity. So to celebrate her special day, I decided to make her an extra special lunch... knowing full well she'd eagerly join me in an adventure in the kitchen. She helped prep a few ingredients, read the Hazelnut Sauce recipe to me repeatedly and then grabbed the camera. (All of the food pictures are her work).

Melissa's Birthday Lunch Menu

Hazelnut Martinis

Spirited Cherries & Berries

Zucchini Ribbons with Hazelnut Butter Sauce

Potato Gnocchi with Parmigiano-Reggiano

Fresh Grilled Salmon with Lemon, hazelnuts, and fresh dill.

For Dessert: Nutella Ripple Cheesecake (Recipe from Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice)

Hazelnut Martini

1 part Frangelico

1 Part Vodka

Mix in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into rimmed glasses.

Rim of glasses are coated with Nutella and a mix of crushed hazelnuts and chocolate cookie bits.

Spirited Cherries With Mixed Berries

16 Cherries pitted and halved

1/2c. Fresh Blueberries

1/2c. Fresh Raspberries

1/2c. Fresh Strawberries Sliced

1/2c. Fresh Blackberries

1/3c. Chambord

Mix berries and cherries together and drizzle with Chambord. Toss lightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving

Zucchini Ribbons in a Hazelnut Butter Sauce

1 Zucchini sliced very thin lengthwise

1/2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Saute Zucchini for 2-3 minutes in olive oil toss with Hazelnut Butter Sauce (see recipe below)

Hazelnut Butter Sauce adapted from The Complete Book Of Sauces by Sallie Y. Williams

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. dry white wine
1/2 c. hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 pound butter (1 Stick, cut into Tbs.)
fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy sauce pan boil lemon juice, wine and garlic till reduced by half. Add Hazelnuts. Turn heat to low, whisk in butter a little at a time careful not to over heat pan and melt butter or it separates. Remove pan from heat for this process if needed. Sauce should be light and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup of sauce.

Grilled Salmon with Hazelnut Sauce, Lemon Zest and Fresh Dill

I used this on top of the Salmon and Gnocchi too only I added extra flavors such as lemon zest and dill to the Salmon.

Making the Potato Gnocchi

I used a recipe from a Cooking Light Magazine for the Gnocchi and frankly didn't care for the way it came together so I haven't included it here. I have enjoyed homemade gnocchi on several occasions and was very disappointed in the way the measurements worked out. Perhaps it was cook's error but I will try another recipe in the future. I did really enjoy using my Gnocchi Board though. It was a quick and easy way to get the traditional ridges.

Lunch is served

Now Dessert: This was my first attempt at making a cheesecake using a water bath. I am very happy with how it turned out. I'm not a big cheesecake fan but after seeing this Recipe at Cream Puffs in Venice I just had to give it a try.

Nutella Ripple Cheesecake

The crust is made from crushed chocolate cookies then a layer of Cheesecake, layer of Nutella, layer of cheesecake!

Top it with some more drizzled Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.

I hope Melissa had as much fun as I did celebrating her birthday!

Encouraged me to eat for the pleasure of it...

2010-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

After reading French Women Don't get Fat by Mireille Guiliano a few years ago, I realized that I spend most of my time eating while doing at least one other activitiy... besides just enjoying the company and the wonderful food. Often I am checking emails, watching TV, Texting or even cleaning up from making the meal. How often have I stood at the kitchen counter/sink and eaten-when the table is only 4 feet away. I rarely just sit and enjoy the meal.

Relaxing Summertime lunches are always a treat for me and I try to make the most of them. During the rest of the year, Monday through Friday, I am only allotted 35 minutes to eat and relax while my students are at lunch. It's the only break I get for the entire day as I teach during my designated prep period too. Often during this precious 35 minutes of time I have students in need of an adult who will listen in my room or as the Leadership Adviser, I'm monitoring the painting of spirit posters, planning dances and school events etc. I believe I ate more than 80% of my lunches last school year standing up while doing at least two other things. So during the Summer I try to remember and stop during the day's activities and "be in the moment" of enjoying something as simple as lunch. One of my favorite dishes to serve on a hot summer day, basically comes from my patio garden. It's my quick and easy version of a hearty Bruschetta. I add some fresh Rosemary and just love the subtle flavor it adds to the peppery basil. I've included the recipe for my best girlfriend who always asks for me to share... Enjoy and I hope you remember to take the time and eat for the pleasure of it!

Hearty Lunchtime Bruschetta

2 slices of Asiago Cheese Bread (or any other bread u enjoy... sour dough, baquette)
3-4 slices of fresh Mozzarella
2 Roma Tomatoes (quartered)
8-10 Basil leaves
2 cloves Garlic (peeled and sliced thin)
1 small sprig fresh Rosemary (1 Tbs)

Balsamic Vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

In a mini food processor/chopper add Tomatoes, Basil, and Rosemary pulse until rough chopped. Stir in sliced Garlic. (You can toast or Saute the garlic first if you prefer)

If you have an Oil Mister, mist the Bread (or drizzle) with Olive Oil then toast in toaster. Place toasted bread on a plate. Lay Mozzarella slices on top.

Then top with Tomato, Basil mix. Sprinkle on Balsamic Vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Top with some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. Garnish with a sprig of Basil.

Takes a mistake and turns it into something "Awesome"

2010-07-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm... The smell of fresh baked bread! Even better the taste of fresh baked beer bread. A few day ago I opened a bottle of Belgium Beer and a sip later realized I'd bought, by mistake, a Westmalle Dubble and not the Triple Ale that I love. Hmmmm, what to do??? Nobody was around to share it with and the idea of throwing away a bottle of Belgium Beer seemed ridiculous, good beer doesn't come cheap! But I also knew I wasn't gonna drink it! So I decided If I had all the ingredients... then I would try making beer bread. After a few moments on the internet I had on screen a recipe so simple it was hard for me to believe I hadn't been baking beer bread for years. No needing, extensive ingredient list, or specially milled flour or yeast, which it seems I need for my other recipes! I adapted the online recipe to suit my personal tastes of course - by altering and increasing the sugar to: half white and half brown sugar and then pouring melted butter on top to encourage a nice golden finish.

Belguim Beer Bread almost ready to go into the oven... I still needed to pour on the melted butter.

You can see that the yeast in the beer has become active as the batter has started to climb the sides of the pan.

55 Minutes later...YUM!

I offered a slice of the warm bread with a little butter on it to my son as he passed by. He took it with him as he walked into his room. A few seconds later he was standing next to me as I sliced a piece for myself and said the words every baker longs to hear... "Mommy, this is the AWESOMEST bread ever!" Needless to say I can't help smiling everytime I remember that moment.

Belguim Beer Bread Recipe

3 c. Self Rising Flour
1/3 c. Sugar (I used half brown/half white to add a little extra caramel flavoring)
12oz. Belgium Beer
3Tbs Melted butter to baste top (optional)

Mix flour and sugar in a bowl then add beer. Stir with wooden spoon until mixed don't over mix. Pour into 9x5 loaf pan. Pour melted butter on top. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 min.

You can always let the mix sit in the pan and rise for 25-35 minutes before baking if you want a lighter consistency. I prefer the dense more hearty version myself.

Adds a little whimsy to my life

2010-07-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Growing plants and gardening aren't a new experience for me and up until this week I hadn't really done anything very creative with my gardening skills. I've used my plants in cooking and baking but never in any way that's artistic outside of the kitchen. Basic pots of herbs and even a 20x10 row garden in my yard were the extent of my gardening experiences outdoors. Indoors I have a few nice plants and a few years ago I tried raising orchids once. However, things changed this week, I finally got around to designing and planting a fairy garden. Several years ago on a visit to my Aunt's house I saw my very first fairy garden and fell in love with the whimsy of it all. She had just taken up this hobby and was so excited to share her designs with me. She is a very skilled gardener and has a great website filled with wonderful information visit it here. While I was in Colorado she took me to this adorable garden store in Fort Collins and I picked up a few items for myself with plans of building a garden of my own as soon as I got home. So here I am two years later and it's here...

I love the sound of the water falling over the fountain as I sit and read on my couch. Plus, I am excited about learning the art of Bonsai.

I still have a few other pieces that I want to use in another garden... but space is a premium at my place right now, so I will be saving them for awhile - hopefully not two more years.

Inspired me to get in the kitchen and create

2010-07-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

Recently I spent the day with my Mom, best friend Melissa, and my son Zachary at Huntington Library. It was a day to celebrate my Mom's 65th birthday and she suggested the visit and lunch. We toured the gardens and enjoyed a leisurely English Tea for lunch. The scones the tea room served were just so moist and yet golden and flaky. We were provided with four choices of sides for our scones... Well after trying all four... I had a clear favorite, and it wasn't butter! Let me just confess... I came home with a jar of their Sweet Orange Marmalade thankfully sold at the gift shop and tea room. The Marmalade which is made from the oranges grown at Huntington Gardens has only a few ingredients- Valencia Oranges, cane sugar, water and citric acid. I don't usually enjoy Orange Marmalade but theirs is so simple and unique I couldn't leave without a jar of my own.

A day later I realized... I needed to bake some fresh scones to enjoy my newly purchased marmalade with. I actually didn't have a family recipe for scones to utilize (Grams is a biscuits sorta lady) so I searched on the Internet and my collection of cookbooks, then finally decided to come up with my own recipe. Baking is so different from cooking, measurements really meaning a lot, it's the chemistry of it all. But I really want to add my own pages to our family recipe book (more on this endeavour later) so I decided to take a few risks. I used Sour Cream instead of Heavy Cream and altered sugar ratios and of course had to add almond flavoring and my own homemade Vanilla to my batter.

Finally, I topped them with an orange glaze which I knew would pair well with the marmalade. I am pretty happy with the way they turned out... but think next time I will use less baking soda and add orange zest to the batter.

So who is the she that inspired me... well in this case it was my own mother as she so often does without even realizing it. She simply suggested a day a little out of our daily routine and well... it happened. Actually, I guess I should also give some credit to the Sweet Orange Marmalade as well ;)

Says what she says

2010-06-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

I tried dressing like this but my 7th grade students refused to come into my class!

Isn't it amazing when someone can say just the right thing with a few simple words. Lately whenever I am in need of a little inspiration I visit CurlyGirlDesign.com and spend some time reading all of her wonderful quotes. I was introduced to this spunky line of cards and artwork last Christmas when I was given a few of her magnets and a notepad by a dear aunt. Since then I have become completely enamored with her cards. When I come across a store that has them I get almost a little giddy! I have so many favorites...

This is a magnet on my fridge... makes me smile everday

These words couldn't be more reflective of how I feel!

This is one of the designs my Aunt gave me... I love it!

Made this my screen saver... I'm ready for the reckless part!

What I like most about Curly Girl Design is that it just is so upbeat! I can't help but smile or laugh when I read the words on her art. Even the card created for the loss of a loved one warmed my heart. Funny... how just a few words can inspire, delight, encourage or comfort and that's what her cards do for me.