Category Archives: Recipes

Happy Valentine’s Day 2014

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It’s the day of love– for love and lovers.

To that end, I found a compilation of 80s love songs. Yeah, I know it probably dates me… but no one did or does love songs like those songster of yesteryear. So listen to the music as you finish out the post and let the notes carry you to a far, far better place. 😉 Journey, Foreigner and more.

Enjoy!

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like candy and flowers. Bet you didn’t know you could combine those two things. I’ve put a recipe for candied roses down below. But don’t limit yourself to roses. There are lots of edible flowers and a veritable rainbow can be had depending on which bloom you choose.

Sugared Rose Petals and Rose Sugar

Roses first came to the West from Persia in 1240 by way of French Crusaders. The first known cultivated rose is Rosa gallica var. officinalis, also known as the apothecary rose. I use the petals for various things: potpourri, bath fizzies, bath salts, rose water, and cooking. The petals are lovely in salads, but what I really like to do is candy them and make rose sugar.

Sugared Rose Petal Ingredients and Supplies

-pasteurized egg white beaten with a little water (if you’re concerned about using raw eggs, -you can use simple syrup or prepared meringue powder)
-Granulated sugar
-Fragrant rose petals, well rinsed and patted dry
-A small watercolor brush

Rose Sugar Ingredients and Supplies

-Fragrant organic rose petals, well rinsed and patted dry
-Sugar
-A clean, pretty jar, such as a Ball Kilner rubber-sealed jar

 

To Make Sugared Rose Petals

1. Make sure your rose petals are organic (pesticide free). Remove the bottom white tip of each rose petal and discard; the tips have a bitter flavor. Assemble your supplies.
2. Paint both sides of each rose petal with the egg wash, simple syrup, or prepared meringue powder.
3. Sprinkle the prepared petals in sugar on both sides
4. Set on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper and let dry overnight. If you use simple syrup, the petals won’t hold their shape as well as they do with the egg wash
5. Use your candied petals as edible decorations for cakes, puddings, candies, cookies, and pastries. If you don’t plan to use them right away, store sugared petals in a freezer.

 

To Make Rose Sugar

1. Make sure your rose petals are organic (pesticide free). Remove the bottom white tip of each rose petal and discard. Sprinkle sugar on the bottom of the jar and sprinkle a layer of rose petals over it. Layer more sugar and rose petals until the jar is filled. Store in a cool, dark place (such as your pantry or cupboard or “close roome”) for several weeks. When you open up the jar you’ll be met with a rosy perfume. You can remove the petals before using.
2. Use your Rose Sugar to flavor pastries, cookies, and confections or sprinkled over their tops. Stir the rose-infused sugar into tea, lemonade, or anything you’d like to give a slight rosy flavor. It’s particularly nice sprinkled on top of scones and shortbread.

***

As you listen to love songs and eat delicious things, remember… today is about love. And love is about giving to others. So don’t forget to spread and share the love. Not just today, but everyday.

Chinese New Year 2014

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The Chinese New Year is on January 31st this year. It’s the year of the Horse. Chinese astrology is kinda fun to look up and read about. It is vastly older than most Western astrological systems.

In honor of the Chinese New Year (yes, other Asian countries also celebrate this New Year even though it’s called the Chinese one. lol), I thought I’d share a fortune cookie recipe. Red is the lucky color so make the little fortunes inside red ink on white paper or red paper with a dark or metallic ink.

Enjoy!

Fortune Cookie

3 egg whites
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Have fortunes ready to go on small strips of paper.
  2. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites and sugar on high speed of an electric mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and stir in melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, water and flour one at a time, mixing well after each. Consistency should resemble pancake batter. Spoon the batter into 3 inch circles on the prepared baking sheets. Leave room between for spreading.
  3. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges begin to brown slightly. Quickly remove one at a time, place a message in the center, and fold in half. Fold the ends of the half together into a horse shoe shape. If they spring open, place them in a muffin tin to cool until set.

* try lemon extract instead of vanilla or a different taste.
** don’t overbake the cookies or they won’t be flexible enough to mold.
*** they are also good dipped in chocolate.

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

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Happy Turkey day y’all. Gobble, gobble. lol I actually like Thanksgiving as far as holidays go. I like that it’s about food and family and getting together. In my family, at dinner, we go around the table and tell about the one thing we are the most grateful for that occurred in the last year. Not all the things that make us give thanks or a few of them. Just one. It makes us focus and keeps the momentum going so everyone gets a chance before the dinner is over. It’s awesome.

So many of our holidays have turned into three ring circuses. I like hanging out with friends and family, watching football and generally just being with the people who love us and we love back. Then if you’re lucky, you made plans to go gorilla shopping the next morning, complete with infiltration plans and an exit strategy, with those very same people. Cause for Black Friday shopping, you NEED a posse. People who will have your back and not leave a man behind. But they also have to have sharp eyes to look for bargains as well as coordinate color combinations. So really, you want a variety of family members to go with you to cover your back. Yes, it has gotten that grime out there. Little blue haired old ladies will cut a bitch to get to the blouse on sale. Seriously.

I also vary my menu a little every year. Yes, I do turkey and ham. And most of the sides are perennial favorites. But this year instead of a chocolate pecan pie, we are having a dark chocolate mousse. I’ve decided to forgo candied yams in favor of the simpler baked sweet potatoes. And so on. Here’s my Thanksgiving menu:

brined, dry rubbed turkey
ham
mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and herbs
sweet potatoes
green bean casserole
broccoli and cauliflower in a cheddar cheese sauce
stuffing with chestnuts, gruyere and bacon bits
turkey gravy
pumpkin pie
chocolate mousse
cranberry sauce

This menu is for 4 people. I add more sides and maybe an appetizer sampler if I have guests arriving. But for the small, nuclear family thing? The above menu has been honed from years of tweaking to find the perfect balance for my family. Yours may vary.

Now the best part of Thanksgiving isn’t the main menu, although that is pretty great. Nope, the best part is the left-overs. I like messing around with different recipes to use the turkey as much as possible. I even use the turkey carcass as a soup base. But that’ll come later. And if you serve turkey for Christmas, then some of the leftover recipes will stand you in good stead.

Soups, Soups and More Soups

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Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The weather folks keep making dire predictions of cold, snow, rain and sometimes all of the above. I don’t know about you, but when the outside is crappy, I like the inside to have soup. Lots of soup to warm a person up. I try to keep a pot of something on the stove at all times. I picked the following three soups because I LOVE them. I also picked them because they are great cold-weather soups. Adding a slight international flare because they all originated in different countries.

Simple ingredients. Melding together to make something great. There is a lot of speculation that the first meals cooked on fire were not just meat shish kebabs, but also one pot meals. Can’t think of a better, simpler one pot meal our ancestors could have stumbled up other than soup. So it is very possible that soups have been eaten by humans and humanoids for as long as we’ve had fire. It’s something to think about.

Tuscan Ribollita

– makes 4 servings

By: Roger

2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for drizzling on top
1 large onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)
2 celery stalks, chopped (3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bunch (about 10 oz) Tuscan kale, chopped (stems and ribs removed)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock or water
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 parmesan rind*
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cubed, firm bread such as ciabatta, whole wheat or multigrain loaf
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a wide based pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and chili flakes and cook 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until partially softened. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the kale and cook until it starts to wilt, 3-4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, stock (or water), thyme, bay leaf and parmesan rind and raise the heat to bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, pour about ¼ of the cannellini beans into a small bowl with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid and mash them together with a fork to form a paste. Pour the paste along with the remaining whole beans into the soup and stir to combine. The mashed beans will help to thicken the soup as it cooks. Simmer the soup with the lid slightly ajar, about 25 minutes until the vegetables are softened but still al dente. Add the bread and simmer another 5-7 minutes, partially covered. The bread will start to dissolve into the soup and thicken it further.

Before serving, remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parmesan rind. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon the ribollita into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

Note: The soup thickens as it sits and should not be very liquidy. If you prefer more liquid, feel free to add more water at the end.

*Adding the rind of a block of parmesan cheese is a traditional Italian method of adding flavor to soups. The next time you buy fresh parmesan cheese, you can reserve the rind which is normally discarded. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the freezer to use in dishes like this. If you don’t have one, just add some extra grated parmesan cheese as a topping at the end.

 

French Onion Soup

-makes 4 servings

By: dithie

1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white wine
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

 

Spanish Sopa de Ajo

– makes 4 servings

About 6 cups of cubed French or Italian bread
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle on bread cubes
6-10 thinly sliced garlic cloves
2-3 oz ham diced
3 tsp paprika or to taste
6 cups chicken broth
4 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

In a large stock pot, eat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until lightly golden brown. using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the oil and set aside. In small batches, toast the bread adding more olive oil as needed.

Once all of the bread is toasted, take the pot off the heat and add the paprika, ham and stir to combine everything. **Do not burn the paprika or it will turn bitter.** Once it is well combined, add the stock, reserved garlic and  put back on the heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes more.

As soon as the soup is off the heat, gently break eggs into the liquid to poach the eggs. Tast and adjust seasoning. Gently transfer into 4 bowls, each with one egg. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve.

Chocolate Really Should Be Its Own Category on the Food Pyramid

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I mean I read article after article about the health benefits of the dark cocoa beans all the time. Chocolate really should be given its own designation on the pyramid. Not only is it delicious, it’s good for us, too. You just can’t beat that. I read somewhere the chemicals in chocolate mimic the hormones our brains put out when we are in love. Might explain a few things. Like why chocolate is simply irresistible at certain times in one’s life.

By: H. C.

Regardless, chocolate is usually associated with sweet things. Desserts and the like. I’m gonna give you a savory recipe, Beef & Bean Chocolate Chili, along with the expected Dark Chocolate Mousse recipe. I’m rounding it all out with my chocolate martini recipe. So if you make all three recipes, it will be filled with love. 😉

Here’s my caveat… buy good chocolate. Mostly, if you can pronounce the name, don’t get it. It’s not what you want. I like Guittard, Callebaut and Scharffenberger. But Ghirardelli will do in a pinch. I’m not a chocolate snob. Really. It’s just that the mousse recipe below is the simplest it can be. As a result, each ingredients flavors come through quite strongly. Bad chocolate equals inferior flavor. That’s all.

Beef & Bean Chocolate Chili

Ingredients:
½ lb. dried pinto beans, soaked overnight with a bay leaf and drained
1 bay leaf
2 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large white onions, chopped
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
12 oz. chocolate stout beer
1 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice
Sour cream and roughly chopped cilantro, to garnish

Instructions:
1. Put beans and bay leaf into a large pot (use at least a 6 qt pot so it can be reused) and cover with 3″ water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, and stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 60-90 minutes. Drain beans, discarding bay leaf; set aside.

2. Heat pot over medium-high heat. Add chiles, and cook, turning once, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water; let sit 20 minutes. Drain chiles, reserving ½ cup soaking liquid; transfer chiles and liquid to a blender with cocoa, oregano, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon and puree until smooth. Set sauce aside.

3. Add oil to pot and return to medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and, working in batches, add beef to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 4–6 minutes. — this is where your suppose to remove the beef to cook the other ingredients. I don’t. You can. If you do remove the beef continue following instructions exactly. If you don’t, just add the following ingredients with the beef int he pot.– Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl. Add garlic and onions to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring until slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add reserved sauce, cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return beef to pot, plus tomatoes, beer, sugar, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until beef is very tender, 1-1 ½ hours. — I stir in the beans with the rest of the ingredients. I like my beans to be falling apart.– Stir in reserved beans, along with chocolate, juice, salt, and pepper. Serve ladled into bowls with sour cream and cilantro.

 

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons espresso, hot water, brandy, Kahlua, vanilla extract or OJ
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:
1. Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.

2. Meanwhile, whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

3. When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

4. Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

 

Chocolate Martini

Ingredients:
vanilla vodka- about 3 oz.
Kahlua- about 1.5 oz.
Godiva chocolate liqueur- about 2 oz
dark chocolate sauce- about 1.5 oz.  (I use Torani)
splash of cream

In a shaker, fill with ice and all ingredients. Shake. Pour. Serve.

* I line my martini glass with chocolate strips of sauce. It makes it pretty as well as tasting good as I drink my martini.*

Recipes for Cooler Weather

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I’m gonna feature some soup. Soup is great for having on hand when the weather decides to turn. And maybe a spice cake. Something tasty to have on hand.

 

Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup

By: Leslie

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (6 cups)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 12 – ounce can (1-1/2 cups) evaporated milk
Cooked, crumbled bacon (optional)

Sliced green onions (optional)

Directions

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine potatoes, water, onion, bouillon granules, and pepper. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting 4 to 4-1/2 hours.
Stir cheese and milk into mixture in cooker. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 1 hour more or on high-heat setting for 30 minutes more. For a thicker soup, mash potatoes slightly. If you like, sprinkle each serving with bacon and green onions. Makes 4 main-dish or 6 side-dish servings

~ For 5- or 6-quart slow cooker: Use 8 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped; 4 cups water; 3/4 cup chopped onion; 1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups shredded cheese (8 ounces); and one 12-ounce can evaporated milk plus one 5-ounce can evaporated milk. Prepare as above. Makes 6 main-dish or 8 to 10 side-dish servings. ~

 

Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless chicken thighs (about 4), cut into thin strips
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with their juice
2 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed pinto beans (from one 15-ounce can)
1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed black beans (from one 15-ounce can)
1 can corn
1 can green chilis
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir in the chicken strips. Cook until they are no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Add the jalapeños, the tomatoes with their juice, and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Uncover the saucepan and stir in the beans and black pepper. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes longer. You can adjust the thickness of the chili by adding more broth or water. Serve topped with the cilantro.

 

Spice Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preparation:
Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Cream butter in a mixing bowl; add brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat at high speed of an electric mixer for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl often. Add sifted dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, mixing at lowest speed just until smooth.

Pour batter into two greased and floured 8-inch round layer cake pans. . Bake at 350° 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 5 minutes, turn out of pans onto racks to cool completely.

~you can use pumpkin pie spice if you have that combo. Also mace, allspice and add’l cinnamon can be added in the spice mixture as well.

~And I’m not gonna lie. I like my spice cake spicy. So I double the spice amounts. But YMMV, so be aware.

~ Honey Frosting: Combine 1 softened stick (1/2 cup) of butter with 1 bar (8 oz.) of cream cheese and 1/4 cup honey.

Fall Flavors- Arugula, Ahi and More

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As stated in an earlier post, fall already began for me when kids went back to school. But the Autumnal Equinox this past Sunday marks fall seasonally, with the moon and stars and such. In keeping with the Fall theme, I thought some recipes that celebrate fall produce would be both appropriate and appreciated.

The first recipe is one of my favorites at a local restaurant. It’s Ahi tuna on a bed of arugula with a killer black olive vinaigrette. The black olive vinaigrette is also delicious on steak. I have a ritual. once or twice a month, I take myself out to lunch. A special me date. I began doing this when I read and did the exercises for An Artist’s Way. And lunch dates with myself are something that I’ve kept up ever since. It makes me feel good and I get to explore eateries that other members of my family don’t share an interest in and are happy to let me go by myself. It works out well. Especially when I get to eat yummy things like Ahi Tuna- something my other family members abhor.

Ahi Tuna with Arugula, Mushrooms and Baby Potatoes

3-4 Ahi tuna steaks
16-20 baby potatoes
4 large portabello mushrooms, sliced in strips
1 large package argula
1/4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
2 ounces goat cheese
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 cup+ 4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup red wine or champagne vinegar or vinegar/lemon juice combo
1/2 kalamata olives, chopped or torn in pieces
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
salt & pepper

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute onions in 2 tbsps olive oil until almost caramelized. Add garlic and cook until onions are caramelized and garlic is cooked but not burnt.

2. While onions are carmelizing, in large bowl whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar or vinegar/lemon juice combo with the dijon mustard. Add sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives.

3. Transfer onions and garlic to bowl with dressing. Add 2 more tbsp of oil to skillet and saute mushrooms until soft and tender. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Stir everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let dressing sit for at least 2 hours so flavors meld.

4. Boil potatoes until just done to fork tender. Cut into quarters. Set aside. While potatoes are boiling, quick sear the Ahi so only the outside is cooked. Slice Ahi once seared to serve.

5. Toss the arugula and potato quarters in in the dressing. When plating, mound arugula and potatoes on plate along with Ahi and dollops of goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

Figs are a wonderful yet underrated fruit. Cooked figs are a perfect accompaniment to cheese plates. Almost as perfect as grapes or pears. The recipe below is delicious on vanilla ice cream or over a chunk of blue cheese. It’s a terrific fruit sauce for roasted pork tenderloin as well. Very versatile.

Honey Bake Figs

12 fresh figs
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
4 tsp honey
2 tblsp cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 tblsp water

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the stems off the figs. Rub the oil over the figs and put them in a baking pan, stem-side up. Cut a cross (X) in the top of each fig, cutting almost to the bottom.

2. Drizzle the honey over the figs. Top each one with a piece of the butter. Bake the figs until they open up like flowers, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.

3.Put the figs on plates, add the water to the pan, return the pan to the oven for 1 minute, and then stir to make a sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the warm figs and serve.

Eggplants for Fall

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It’s September. I don’t care what the calendar says. I don’t care what conventional wisdom or the Farmer’s Almanac says. When kids go back to school, the end of summer is at hand. Fall, as a result, is just around the corner. When I think of fall, I think of veggies. Summer makes me think of fruit. But fall, fall is reserved for cool veggies that are ripe when summer is late and fall is early. Below are two recipes. One for a Eggplant Parmigiana. The other for Eggplant Caponata. Both are Italian dishes. I dunno why, I dunno how and I don’t care, but the Italians can cook the hell out of those weird looking purple vegetables. Seriously, yum.

The best Eggplant Parmigiana I’ve ever eaten was at a little bistro in Rome. It wasn’t deep-fat fried. It wasn’t heavily breaded. It showcased the eggplant, fresh marinara and even fresher mozzarella. Simple. And really frickin’ fabulous. Two of my girlfriend’s and I stayed in Rome for a week, checking out various eateries. We found this little place near the Borghese Gardens and even nearer to the Spanish steps. It was the only cafe we went back to again and again during our stay. We couldn’t get enough of their eggplant parmigiana. Sadly, when one of those two girlfriends went back to Rome at a later date, the little cafe was out of business. We should all observe a moment of silence for this sad fact. In any event, I hope you enjoy the following recipe.

The next recipe I’m going to share is for Eggplant Caponata. The best I’ve tasted is at a little restaurant in Anchorage, Alaska called Villa Nova. If you’re ever there, go. Get the Caponata for an appetizer and the Tournados Gorgonzola as your main dish. The Tournados aren’t always on the menu, but they’ll make it for you anyway if you just ask. Caponata is typically a Silician dish. And on toasted bread rounds or even toasted bread points, it rocks. Like seriously ROCKS. Most places don’t add the extra pine nuts and feta. But the feta makes this dish. It complements the other flavors- sweet & sour, in the Caponata to perfection. I make a huge batch and freeze it so I can always pull out more for later. Sometimes- shhhh, don’t tell anybody- I just eat it by the spoonful. Enjoy!

~Tip: roast a huge batch of eggplant so that you have enough for both recipes. Eggplant roasting time for the Caponata is longer, but since you are probably going to cook the eggplant for the Parmigiana in batches, the extra time shouldn’t be a problem.  It’s a time saver, y’all~

Eggplant Parmgiana

– mostly Roman Style

~ you can skip a lot of steps by buying high quality marinara in a jar instead of making yours fresh. Not as good, but saves time.

Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled, whole tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 large eggplant
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, sliced
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick (to kick it up a notch find buffalo mozzarella)
  • 1/2 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted under a broiler or in a skillet (optional)

Instructions

  1. Start by making the tomato sauce. In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion (and a pinch of salt) and cook for a few minutes until it softens; then add the garlic and wait for both to turn a light golden brown.
  2. Add the thyme and carrot and cook five minutes more; then add the tomatoes and juice, a pinch of salt, bring to a boil–stirring often–and then lower to a simmer. Cook like this for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce looks thick and tastes terrific (adjust with more salt, as necessary). Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  4. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil.
  5. Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1/2-inches thick; place as many slices as you can on to the baking sheet (you’ll have to do this in batches), drizzle them with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop into the hot oven and bake until they’re deep brown on top, about 15 minutes. Remove the eggplant slices to a plate to cool and roast the remaining eggplant.
  6. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In a large baking pan, begin your layering. Start with the largest pieces of eggplant on the bottom, then a layer of tomato sauce, basil (if using), one slice of mozzarella for each eggplant slice, and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Top with a layer of smaller eggplant slices, more sauce, more basil, more mozzarella and more Parmesan. If you have more eggplant and cheese to work with, you can do another layer, but I stopped here. Finish by topping the whole baking pan with the breadcrumbs. ~ to make this more like the one I ate in Rome, leave off the breadcrumbs and add a little more cheese.
  7. Place in the oven and bake until golden on top and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve it up hot!

 

Eggplant Caponata

Ingredients

*1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
*Good olive oil
*4 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
*1/2 cup large green olives, pitted and chopped
*1 cup chopped yellow onion
*1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
*1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
*3 tablespoons minced parsley
*2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
*2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
*2 tablespoons drained capers
*2 tablespoons tomato paste
*1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (for variety try a balsamic vinegar)
*2 teaspoons kosher salt
*1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
*1/4 cup fresh feta- Greek or French

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

2. Place the whole eggplant on the pan, prick with a fork in several places, and rub with olive oil. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool. Halve the eggplant, peel, and discard the skin. Place the eggplant, peppers, and olives in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour into a mixing bowl.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, and add to the eggplant mixture. Add the parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice, capers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature with toasted pita triangles.

4. Sprinkle with fresh Greek or French whole milk feta and extra pine nuts.

Lemons, Baby

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I love lemon recipes. Drinks, cakes and other desserts. Yummo. Lemons are refreshing in much the same way as mint. Cooling. Which is soooo needed in August. Well, late summer and early fall. At least, where I live it’s needed. Even if it isn’t, it’s still delicious.

The first recipe is for a poundcake. It will beat any coffeecake or loaf cake hands down. The second is an adult beverage. The ubiquitous Lemon Drop Martini. I had my first at the Brewhouse in Alaska. Haven’t looked back since. The last recipe is for Moroccan preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are fabulous in many recipes, not just middle eastern ones. But to do justice to any recipe from that region of the world, preserved lemons are a must.

 

Lemon Blueberry Poundcake

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 egg shite
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups fresh
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) lemon yogurt

Glaze:

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
1. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla.
2. Toss blueberries with 2 tablespoons flour. In another bowl, mix the remaining flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating after each addition just until combined. Fold in blueberry mixture.
3. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack; cool for 15 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Gradually brush onto warm cake, about one-third at a time, allowing glaze to soak into cake before adding more. Cool completely.

 

Lemon Drop aka Lemon Martini

1 & 1/2 oz  citron vodka (aka 3 tbsp)
Squeeze 1/4 lemon juice (1 tbsp)
splash fresh lime juice
1 oz sugar syrup (2 tbsp)

Sugar syrup is easy: one cup of sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water over heat, then allow to cool.

Shake it with lots of ice to make it really cold and bring out the bright lemon flavors.

Bottled lemon juice and bottled lime juice can be used.

 

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

5-6 lemons or 6-7 Meyer lemons
salt

1. Scrub the lemons with a vegetable brush and dry them off.

2. Cut off the little rounded bit at the stem end if there’s a hard little piece of the stem attached. From the other end of the lemon, make a large cut by slicing lengthwise downward, stopping about 1-inch (3 cm) from the bottom, then making another downward slice, so you’ve incised the lemon with an X shape.

3. Pack coarse salt into the lemon where you made the incisions. Don’t be skimpy with the salt: use about 1 tablespoon per lemon.

4. Put the salt-filled lemons in a clean, large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add a few coriander seeds, a bay leaf, a dried chili, and a cinnamon stick if you want. (Or a combination of any of them.)

5. Press the lemons very firmly in the jar to get the juices flowing. Cover and let stand overnight.

6. The next day do the same, pressing the lemons down, encouraging them to release more juice as they start to soften. Repeat for a 2-3 days until the lemons are completely covered with liquid. If your lemons aren’t too juicy, add more freshly-squeezed lemon juice until they are submerged, as I generally have to do.

7. After one month, when the preserved lemons are soft, they’re ready to use. Store the lemons in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least 6 months. Rinse before using to remove excess salt.

To use: Remove lemons from the liquid and rinse. Split in half and scrape out the pulp. Slice the lemon peels into thin strips or cut into small dices. You may wish to press the pulp through a sieve to obtain the tasty juice, which can be used for flavoring as well, then discard the innards.

Southern Recipes

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I decided to post some Southern recipes. Getting in the program with where I am living now. Plus, I added a mint iced tea at the end to help cool you off on hot summer days. Now the spicy shrimp and grits might seem counter-intuitive on a hot day, but heat actually cools you down by forcing your body to turn on its own air-conditioner. Fried green tomatoes can be eaten hot or cold and are just plain yummy.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2 large unripe tomatoes (about 1½ pounds), cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
Salt
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 cup panko (or other fine breadcrumbs)
Black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or bacon fat

1. Put the tomato slices in a large colander and toss with a large pinch of salt. Put the colander in the sink and let the tomatoes sit for 20 minutes, then gently pat dry with a paper towel. I like to rinse off the salt and then pat dry but YMMV.

2. Meanwhile, put the flour, the egg, and the panko in three separate shallow bowls; season each with salt and pepper. Beat the egg.

3. Put the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip each tomato slice first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the panko, letting any excess coating drip off. Transfer half of the tomato slices to the skillet. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, then turn and cook until lightly browned on the other side, another 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tomato slices, flour, egg, and panko. Serve hot.

Makes about 4 servings.

Spicy Shrimp and Grits

Grits:
1 cup grits
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup extra sharp Cheddar cheese (white)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
Hot Sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp:
2 cups chopped smoked bacon or spicy tasso, andouille sausage, etc.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds (20- to 30-count) shrimp, peeled (note: I like my shrimp big U15 or so)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups sliced white mushrooms
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups sliced scallions

Directions:

1. Cook grits according to package instructions; as they are finishing, whisk in butter, cheeses, cayenne, paprika and hot sauce to taste.

2. To prepare shrimp, cook bacon or tasso or sausage until it begins to brown; remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon and set aside. Strain drippings and set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet until very hot; add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings. As oil begins to smoke, toss in shrimp to cover bottom of pan. Before stirring, season with salt and pepper. Stir until shrimp begin to turn pink; let pan return to original hot temperature.

4. Stir in minced garlic and bacon bits, being careful not to burn garlic. Toss in mushrooms and coat with oil briefly. Add lemon juice and wine, and stir for 30 seconds or so until everything is well coated and incorporated.

4. When ready to serve, stir in sliced scallions and cook about 20 seconds. Serve immediately over the aforementioned, patiently waiting cheese grits.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Mint Iced Tea

12 bags single serving tea
2 quarts boiling water
10 sprigs mint
1 cup sugar (or to taste)
optional- 2 lemons, sliced, mint sprigs

Directions:

1. In large tea pot (or two small tea pots) pour boiling water over tea bags and mint and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
2. Place sugar in 2-quart pitcher (that will tolerate some heat).
3. Pour freshly brewed tea (minus mint and tea bags) into sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
4. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. To serve, pour into tall glasses over ice.

Serve with lemon slices and/or sprigs of mint.
Serves about 8.