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Showing posts from September, 2009

Recipe for a Happy Hour ... Heck, For a Couple of Happy Hours!

Tom and I suddenly found that we have slid into having our very own little happy hour every Saturday and Sunday evening before dinner. This began when Hannah turned 21, became enamored with cocktails, and I bought her a Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide. I liked it so much that I bought one for us also. We've never been cocktail drinkers before but how boring things would be if we always did the same thing all the time. About 5:00 or 5:30 in the afternoon, we settle down with a new cocktail to sample, listening to music and either reading, knitting (yes, that would be me), or just chatting. Without meaning to, it has become a routine that we have realized we both anticipate with pleasure. Just a little time to stop the day, slow down, and mark the progression into the evening. We tend to play jazz or other music that could be classified, perhaps, as happy hour music. For those who are not sure what that would be, do go over to The Happy Hour Lounge where Andrew and Jeremy

Tartes aux Fraises (Fresh Strawberry Tarts)

This is what I made for my birthday ... yes, waaaay back in May. I began typing in the recipe waaay back then also, but you can see that I got sidetracked and never got back to it until now. (That's a heckuva sidetrack!) At any rate, this was a staple of my teenage years at home each spring, once my parents got the Time-Life Foods of the World: The Cooking of Provincial France. It is not difficult at all and can be done in steps. I make a 10" shell with 2" inch sides, using a spring-form pan since I don't have a tart pan. Also, I have added the step of beating up an egg white and lightly brushing the inside of the shell with it, letting it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then baking. That greatly helps to preventing the custard from softening the shell if on assembles it ahead of time as I am wont to do. Tartes aux Fraises (Fresh Strawberry Tarts) To serve 6 6 individual 3- to 4-inch pate brisee tart shells or 9- to 10-inch pate brisee (I use Perfect Piecrust

Let me just explain something to the Full Plate bloggers ...

... or more probably to their marketing person ... whose missteps make it sound as if the blog culture is something they just heard of (what is this new creature we discover in the Amazonian jungle?). Here's a sterling example from the email I just received: Each author will do one blog a week, and The Full Plate Diet staff will do two weekly blogs a week. Dang! Really? Because I'll clue you in. "Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen" is a blog. What you are reading right now is a "post." Amateur mistake. Which, if one is getting any sort of advice at all from informed sources, one would know. Forgivable in individuals, just plain clueless from a probably professional writer. Also, having a disclaimer that one must agree to before one reads the blog ? No. Period. If the info is that sensitive or likely to be misused then don't put it on a blog people. Far better to have an overall disclaimer as part of the main layout ... or at the bottom of each post. Or somet

Food, Glorious Food (Photos)

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Pasta taken by Donna Turner Ruhlman Is this not an absolutely gorgeous photo? Truly beautiful. I have long admired the food photography over at Michael Ruhlman's blog . (For those who do not do much food reading, I have admired Michael Ruhlman's work since reading the definitive work, The Making of a Chef . His other writing is just as wonderful and following his inquiring mind via his blog has been a real pleasure.) I simply never wanted to go through the trouble to write requesting permission to feature the photography (yes, I'm lazy too...). You can, therefore, imagine my delight at reading his announcement that his photographer is his wife who is now setting up shop. She says on her blog : I landed my first staff photographer position in 1982 and have been shooting since, everything from news editorial to fine art. Over the past couple of years, having become involved with Michael’s work, his books, his blog, I’ve turned my focus to food. I’ve initiated this blog to co

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

I've been so very lazy about cooking. However, when one has a large group of people coming over for a meeting and is providing the dessert, well, then one must bestir oneself. I made my favorite Chocolate Buttermilk Cake but was bored with all the usual ways I frost it ( Chocolate Malt or plain but oh, so good Buttercream ...). So I started digging through The Cake Mix Doctor* where I found a copied page from ... well another of her cookbooks that I picked up from the library (can't remember which, maybe her chocolate cake cookbook?). At any rate, the chocolate cake paired with this intense coffee frosting was a huge hit. Coffee Buttercream Frosting Makes 3-1/2 cups, enough to frost a 2- or 3-layer cake 1/4 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules 8 tablespoons (1 stick butter), at room temperature 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus additional if needed Pour the milk into a small glass bowl andheat in the microwave oven on high power for 30 seconds, or

Sorry Wilma ...

... my weekend got away from me, but NEXT weekend I definitely plan on making that Lentil Soup I was telling you about. So check back!