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Showing posts from 2010

Champagne Cocktail Discovery: The Korbel Poinsettia

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Tom was sent one of those promotional pdfs from Korbel , the kind with recipes. He sent it on to me and, although I was too frenzied at the time to take interest in the food ideas, I did pick up this champagne cocktail idea for Hannah and Rose to try at Christmas. They loved it and so did we, even though champagne does not need any enhancement for us to enjoy it. It makes a lovely pink drink and we always have cranberry juice and triple sec on hand so it is easy also. We didn't float any berries in the top of the drink as in this Korbel photo, but obviously that is a nice touch. Korbel Poinsettia Korbel Champagne 1/4 oz triple sec Splash Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice or Cranberry Juice Drink Put triple sec and cranberry juice in a champagne flute and top with Korbel.

Pecan Rolls

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Our family's traditional Christmas breakfast, these Pecan Rolls are probably actually Schnecken from Germany. However, as pecans are native to America, these have been Americanized. We have one pan on Christmas morning and I freeze the other to thaw and warm for New Year's breakfast. A sweet start to the new year, right? These are simple and the result is impressive. The only thing you need to have plenty of is time as the recipe is a fairly forgiving one.  It originally came from the Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking which was my mother's go-to book for many recipes that became family favorites ... such as the Tuna Puff Log. Yes, it sounds strange but it was a brioche loaf which one baked and then cut off the lid to in order to hollow out and fill with a delicious creamed tuna (fairly stiff but with walnuts and a dash of nutmeg). It made a surprisingly sophisticated dish which I seem to recall my parents serving to company ... who would eat seconds.

Let It Dough

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Creation of many things ... amusingly illustrated using cookie dough and sprinkles ... from the NY Times . Brilliant! Many thanks to Mom for the heads up on this one!

Salsa Mac 'N' Cheese

When I did a little lagniappe episode featuring Velveeta on my podcast, Forgotten Classics , I promised to link to this recipe. Only to discover I never shared it. Not surprisingly, this recipe came from the Pace Picante Sauce website . It is one our family's favorite dishes. Easy, quick, and tasty. Though, you must like Velveeta. Which we do! Salsa Mac ‘n’ Cheese Step 1:     1    pound extra-lean ground beef Brown beef; drain. Step 2:     1    16-ounce jar Pace Picante (chunky salsa)     2    cups water     7    ounces dried elbow macaroni Stir in all. Simmer, covered 10-15 minutes until macaroni is tender. Step 3:     12    ounces Velveeta, cut up Add and stir till melted.

We Can't Never Get Enuff o' Turkey Bone Gumbo

Made the broth using the turkey bones and skin on Thanksgiving weekend. Froze it along with enough turkey to make it. Thawed the whole buncha it out and made Turkey Bone Gumbo yesterday. Yes, you've heard about it before, but it's good enough to take another look. Once again, my thanks to Sara Roahen for graciously taking the initiative to send me that recipe. I love it so much that I'll make a turkey just to have the gumbo later. Though I'm considering saving up roasted chicken carcasses during the year so we can have some Chicken Bone Gumbo.

Which Bars Make the Grade When You Request Something Off-Menu? Not the Ones Who Advertise Their Drinks Most.

Since our newest hobby of sampling cocktails has begun we have been surprised at the places which cannot come up with a decent cocktail. Namely, these are often places which pride themselves in promoting their cocktails. On the other hand, we have often been surprised and pleased at the unexpected places which work hard and get a cocktail juuuuuust right. Our test? Not difficult. We simply ask for a cocktail we enjoy , provide the recipe when invariably no one has heard of it (along with glassware and ice requirements), and sample the results. Here is our list, admittedly short, of places that pass ... and fail. STRAIGHT A The key is not that hard. Willingness to please the customer and using the ingredients called for. Too bad it is such a rare combination. Dino's Steak and Clawhouse in Grapevine, Texas. We asked for a Chelsea Sidecar. The waiter was intrigued, friendly, and happy to pass on the recipe, which he was not too proud to jot down. The result was double

Rum-ish Goodness: Captain's Blood and Jade

It's pretty obvious that I haven't been cooking much lately. And what I've been cookin' ain't been new stuff. However, we have been trying new cocktails. What a hobby. Simply pour a few ingredients together in a different way and you can sample a brand new taste sensation with relatively little effort. So here are our latest discoveries. Captain's Blood Sounds tailor-made for Halloween, even if it isn't orange. Though it is  almost black. Almost. 1-1/2 ounces dark rum 1/4 ounce lime juice 1/4 ounce simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add lots of ice, shake up well, and pour into chilled cocktail glasses. Garnish with a spiral of lemon peel. Jade You wouldn't think that adding such small quantities of the other ingredients would change the rum so much. But they do. And it's also a lovely greenish color. 1-1/2 ounces light rum 1/2 teaspooon creme de menthe, green 1/2 teaspoon Triple S

When Is a Bagel Not Really a Bagel? When It's an Obwarzanek Krakowski .

It's round, has a big hole in the center and is made of thick, chewy dough. But don't call it a bagel. Read it all at the WSJ .

Okra, Three Ways: Pickled, Stir-Fried, and Gumbo-ed

Something else that flourishes in hot, dry weather is okra. Though looking out my window at the moment all I see is rain and gray clouds, courtesy of tropical storm Hermine, I will pass on these delicious sounding recipes that our CSA farmer sent out. PICKLED OKRA 3 CUPS WATER 3 CUPS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR 6 TABLESPOONS SALT (PREFERABLY SEA SALT) THE ABOVE MIXTURE ARE TO BE HEATED TO A BOIL JUST BEFORE POURING OVER THE OKRA AND SPICES 1/2 TEASPOON DILL WEED PER JAR OF OKRA 1 WHOLE JALAPENO PEPPER PER JAR 1 CLOVE OF GARLIC PER JAR (SLICE GARLIC IN HALF) 1/2 TEASPOON OF MUSTARD SEED PER JAR 3 POUNDS OF OKRA PACK SPICES IN BOTTOM OF JAR PACK WHOLE OKRA IN JAR BOIL WATER, VINEGAR, AND SALT MIXTURE POUR OVER OKRA AND SPICES (FILL TO 1/2 INCH FROM TOP OF JAR CAP EACH JAR WITH THE CANNING LIDS AND PROCESS SEALED JARS IN BOILING WATER FOR 5 MINUTES LET JARS COOL AND REMOVE AND ALLOW OKRA TO MARINAT

Parmesan-Eggplant Crisps

Our current eggplant glut reminded me of this recipe from Cooking Light 2000. In fact, in looking through my four Cooking Light cookbooks' indexes for this one, I realized that there are tons of eggplant and okra recipes in these books which include everything from the magazine for each year. This one is simply delicious. Parmesan-Eggplant Crisps 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise [didn't have any, used regular] 1 (3/4 pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 24 slices 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 12 crackers) [I didn't have any ... used breadcrumbs] 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan Cooking spray Combine crackers and cheese in a shallow dish. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise over both sides of eggplant slices, using a rubber spatula. As you spread the mayonnaise on a side, dredge it in the cracker-cheese mixture. Place eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; chill 2 hours [I never remember to do this early enough to chill it ... it

Freezing Eggplant

One of the plants that thrives in hot, dry weather such as we've been having lately (105° anyone?), is eggplant. We have been getting generous portions from our CSA. Here is a link that we were given that has freezing instructions . Looking at that, I was inspired by the idea of baked or grilled eggplant ready to pull from the freezer. I preheated the oven to 450°, sliced the eggplant 1/2" thick, placed them in lightly oiled jellyroll pans, brushed them with olive oil and put them in to bake for 10 minutes per side (20 minutes total). When done, they were beautifully browned on one side and soft when poked with a fork. I layered them with waxed paper and put them in 1-pound batches into the freezer. This is especially handy in dealing with a glut since I love eggplant but have yet to persuade the rest of the family to share my delight. Tom doesn't mind it but no one else is very happy to see it show up.

The Unseen Heroes: Organic Farmers

Our CSA farmer has suffered greatly this year from terrible weather (too cold, then floods, then drought, then more floods ...), too few bees because of that cold weather, and now from squash beetles. Hearing about their struggles makes me appreciate the accomplishment it is to get in a good organic crop. Nature is out to get those plants before we do. Here is a sample from a recent update: As we told some of you at last Saturday's delivery we had to sacrifice the second crop of yellow squash, zucchini, and patty pan because the plague of squash bugs had gotten so bad after working so many hours manually killing them and removing the eggs. The nasty bugs were just about to migrate to the second crop of cantaloupe and watermelons. We could not allow that to happen as the cantaloupes and watermelons look good. The squash bugs ruined our cantaloupe and watermelons one year as we didn't think they would be affected by squash bugs, but found out they will destroy them

This Chips Bag May Break the Sound Barrier

Frito-Lay makes a lot of noise marketing its Sun Chips snacks as "green." They are cooked with steam from solar energy, the message goes. But its latest effort—making the bags out of biodegradable plant material instead of plastic—is creating a different kind of racket. Chip eaters are griping about the loud crackling sounds the new bag makes. Some have compared it to a "revving motorcycle" and "glass breaking." It is louder than "the cockpit of my jet," said J. Scot Heathman, an Air Force pilot, in a video probing the issue that he posted on his blog under the headline "Potato Chip Technology That Destroys Your Hearing." Mr. Heathman tested the loudness using a RadioShack sound meter. He squeezed the bag and recorded a 95 decibel level. A bag of Tostitos Scoops chips (another Frito-Lay brand, in bags made from plastic) measured 77. There was a certain amount of validation (and amusement) in reading this Wall Street Journal article . I

Something I Really Like - Pupcakes!

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Hannah had a gift certificate to Target and came home with Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake? which she promptly proceeded to use. Luckily, she was provided with the perfect event as the vet where she works is having a goodbye party today for two vet techs who are going away to college. These were amazingly easy. Plus, they will taste as good as they look as Hannah eschewed the authors' cake mix and canned frosting suggestions and baked from scratch chocolate cupcakes to adorn with real buttercream frosting. Now that's how you do it!

Fruit Crisp

I cobbled this together after experimenting with two different pie recipes in James Beard's American Cookery . It leaves a nice leeway for playing with various fruits and spices. I have used it for various fruit crisps featuring in turn, apples, peaches, and blueberries. Fruit Crisp Fruit Filling: 4-5 cups of apples, peaches, berries, or other fruit, peeled and diced if necessary 2 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or other spice to coordinate with crisp topping) Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup sugar Combine all ingredients and pile into a buttered pie pan. Crisp Topping: 1/2 cup butter (melt) 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or other spices Combine all ingredients together well and crumble over top of fruit filling. Bake 30-40 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. (Note: be prepared to test fruit to see if it needs to bake longer. Apples, obviously, will take longer than soft fruit like peaches. You may nee

Something I Really Like* - Tasty

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Truly a delicious potato chip, worth the extra money. Just enough salt, zipped (or is it zapped?) with just enough pepper on hand-made potato chips. One bag per week for the household makes sure we appreciate these savory bits. If you have a few extra bucks, then it is worth picking up a package of their most recent limited edition. Hoochey mama, that's a zesty chip! You can read the story behind the flavor here . Thank you Zapp's! *Something I really like is one of Dr. Gemma's regular segments on her podcast, which I thought I'd try to adapt as I have so much I'd like to share that I never can get to it. One bite at a time ... maybe I can do it.

The Triple Threat: White Lady, White Spider, and Chelsea Sidecar

It's all about the proportions and never more so than when making cocktails evidently. Perhaps as there are relatively few ingredients, one can taste the differences better. You may recall that, making good use of our Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide, Tom and I were enjoying the difference that a cocktail can make on the weekends. One of our favorites is the Chelsea Sidecar, which recipe I will repeat below for the sake of simple comparison. It has also become our favorite way to tease test bartenders. We have not yet come across one who knew the recipe or, even more sadly, even had a Mr. Boston book to look it up in. I have written the proportions down on a card to carry in my purse as inevitably I must give the waiter the recipe. At which time, it becomes a test of the waiter's ability to convey the information. Chelsea Sidecar 1/2 oz. lemon juice 3/4 oz. Triple Sec (we use Cointreau) 3/4 oz. gin Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. =============

Lemon Cake

This cake is from Betty Crocker's Cake Decorating . Following the tradition from when we were little, I got this book so the girls could choose whatever cake they wanted for their birthdays. Yes, I even made a Dinosaur Cake one year. It didn't look half bad either. The great thing about Betty Crocker cookbooks is that they really have been tested well so the recipes are foolproof. This cake is the Spring Flower Cake which has Yellow Layer Cake with Lemon Butter Frosting. Between the layers I used Lemon Filling from the Umbrella Shower Cake, which was similar to a lemon pie filling and quite deliciously tart. (Quite meaning "very" in the American sense, not the British usage ... which I found out a while back when listening to CraftLit means "so so." Language use is so interesting, isn't it?) Anyway, back to the recipe. All the above use of pieces from here and there was because I dislike White Mountain Frosting (a 7-minute boiled frosting that is simila

Listen My Children and You Shall Hear of a Colonial Drink That Brings Good Cheer: Raspberry Rum Shrub

Shrub? Isn't that a bush? Yes, unless you are talking about a refreshing drink from before sodas were the order of the day. Slow Food USA tells us: Shrub is a colonial-day drink whose name is derived from the Arabic word sharab, to drink. It is a concentrated syrup made from fruit, vinegar, and sugar that is traditionally mixed with water to create a refreshing drink that is simultaneously tart and sweet. In the nineteenth-century, the drink was often spiked brandy or rum. Ubiquitous in colonial times, the use of shrubs as a flavoring for tonic and sodas subsided with increasing industrial production of foods. Reading Eric Felton's entertaining and informative book, How's Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well , I came across his recipe for a Raspberry Rum Shrub. I remembered having seen similar recipes as curiosities in old cookbooks and the vinegar was offputting to my mental palate. Until, that is, I remembered lemonade with its sweet-tart

Lomo de Cerdo en Chile Verde (Loin of Pork in Green Chile Sauce)

My mother had been asking if I had Dad's green pork recipe copied down. Sadly no, but I am sure it's genesis was in Elisabeth Ortiz's original The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking . This is from waaay back in the day ... wait for it ... 1967. Yet it is fascinating to look at how authentic the results were that Ortiz communicated in her recipes using canned tomatillos and jalapenos. In fact, looking up the recipe, I was seized with the desire for green pork and also seized with curiosity about making it old-school Ortiz style. I remembered when I was in the store and saw a pork roast on sale. Then I ran all over the store picking up the ingredients. Turns out this is not actually the recipe my parents favored. (They used the recipe under this one which I may actually get around to sharing one of these days.) This was absolutely delicious. We scooped it into flour tortillas. Mmmmm ... These days pork is not what it was then and I'd use a pork shoulder, though my ro

Cream Filled Oat Bars

I really can't believe I never shared this cookie recipe before now. What brought it to mind was reading The Pioneer Woman's recipe for the same things. Hers have a different name and the recipe is slightly different but I'd bet they taste the same. They sure look the same. I'd show you her photo but I know she worked hard on photographing these and the process. Click through and see. I wasn't sure where I got this recipe, but I see the exact match from Betty Crocker . So simple and if you love lemon, you're gonna love these. Cream Filled Oat Bars Step 1: Filling 14 ounces condensed milk 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 1/4 cup lemon juice Mix until thickened. Reserve. Step 2: Crust 1-1/4 cups flour 1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Mix until crumbly. Press half in greased 8” square pan. Bake 10 minutes at 375°. Spread filling over baked

I say, "Oo." You say, "long."

Music for tea lovers ... it made me laugh ... and crave a nice cuppa. Via Dust & Corruption.

CSA! CSA!

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(That's C ommunity S upported A griculture to you and me.) I still remember the first time I read about CSAs many years ago. The idea of purchasing a share or subscription of a farm's produce and in return receiving a box of seasonal, locally grown produce each week throughout the growing season was so appealing. I looked in vain, off and on, for such a set up in the Dallas area until a few weeks ago when I happened across a notice on the Dallas Morning News food blog pointing me to this notice that a local farmer was looking for subscribers for a CSA he was beginning. Exciting? Oh yeah! They are even providing blueberries. Blueberries! You will receive 6-15 different fruits and vegetables each week. All fruit and vegetables will be grown here on our farm (we may have to supplement our certified organic blueberries by picking from another blueberry farm close to us where absolutely no pesticides are used. Our blueberry bushes are still only 4 years old.) This supply will incl

Easy Smoked Brisket

This is one of Matt Martinez's shortcuts to achieving authentic flavor with less than usual work. I know that when I have used this technique it is universally acclaimed as delicious. It could hardly be any easier. I can't remember which of Martinez's cookbooks this came from at the moment but they are all very good . Smoked Brisket 8-12 pound short, fat beef brisket Wood chips soaked for 1 hour Season untrimmed brisket if desired. Prepare charcoal grill so that charcoal is ash white. Place wood chips on coals. Grill until dark and crusty on both sides, 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally. Expect flare-ups, but allow meat to char. Bake in oven on a rack, covered, at 300° or 350° for 30-45 minutes per pound.

$10 Wine Hall of Fame

For those who were intrigued by my review of The Wine Trials 2010 which focuses on inexpensive but delicious wines ... my friend Web has a heads-up to The Wine Curmudgeon's 2010 $10 Hall of Fame . Looks intriguing.

Nil By Mouth

When Roger Ebert underwent surgery for his thyroid cancer, no one mentioned the possible side effects ... such as not being able to eat, drink, or speak. Most of us are aware that he can't speak but not so many knew about him being able to take no sustenance by mouth. He writes interestingly and also movingly here about not being able to eat or drink. When it comes to food, I don't have a gourmet's memory. I remember the kinds of foods I was raised to love. Chaz and I stayed once at Les Pres d'Eugenie, the inn of the famous Michel Guerard in Eugénie-les-Bains. We had certainly the best meal I have ever been served. I remember that, the room, the people at the other tables and our view in the photo, but I can no longer remember what I ate. It isn't hard-wired into my memory. Yet I could if I wanted to right now close my eyes and re-experience an entire meal at Steak 'n Shake, bite by bite in proper sequence, because I always ordered the same items and ate the

Why We Serve Champagne Year-Round: Reviewing "The Wine Trials 2010"

Several years ago one of my sisters-in-law introduced me to Domaine Ste. Michelle Cuvee Brut . It tasted delicious but, amazingly, cost only about $7.00 at that time. I began stocking it regularly since I'm a firm believer that champagne goes with everything and that everyone likes champagne. Plus it is so very festive and makes people feel extra special. This is a win-win. Gradually the price has risen to about $9 (less on sale) but there is no denying that it remains a fantastic deal and a delicious bottle of sparkling wine. Hence, you can understand my glee and the necessity of reading Tom the first three paragraphs of the latest review book I received, The Wine Trials 2010: The World's Bestselling Guide to Inexpensive Wines, with the 150 Winning Wines Under $15 from the Latest Vintages. (Yes, a long title, but you are never left in doubt as to what the book offers.) Dom Perignon, a $150 Champagne from France, and Domaine St. Michelle Cuvee Brut, a $12 sparkling wine fro

Oh, Gosh!

While you're snuggled up reading on these very cold winter nights that are overtaking us, you might enjoy sipping this delicious sour which Hannah picked out to try over Christmas vacation. It is a close relation to our other favorite, the Chelsea Sidecar , as it uses the same relationship for the measurements. Think of it as a Rum Margarita. That's the impression we were left with and it was definitely enjoyed by all who tried it. Notes: We used Cointreau which is our favorite orange liqueur. We treat the recipe below as a double (which we then split). If you check the Chelsea Sidecar recipe you'll see that those amounts are halved and we find them perfectly adequate for one cocktail. Oh, Gosh! 1-1/2 ounces light rum 1-1/2 ounces Triple Sec 1 ounce lime juice Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.