market life

Smoked Salmon Hash

2012-02-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

I just had to show both these pictures because it cracks me up how much my husband LOVES ketchup - especially my homemade! My plate is the one with a tiny bit. He's now on rationing as I only have one small bottle left until tomato season since I didn't make any this year! This smoked salmon hash is so delicious - just make sure you get dryer salmon, not the lox variety.

Pork Posole Stew/Soup/Taco

2012-02-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

I just made this one up on the fly. I was looking in my freezer for some inspiring meat and found a pork picnic roast - kind of like a shoulder or butt piece- and pulled it out to defrost. Then I grabbed the crock pot and placed the pork in and topped with 1/2 a sliced onion, pouring water over to almost cover. I let this cook on high for about an hour. Then I remembered I had some dried posole from Rancho Gordo. I rinsed them and added to the pot along with a small can of diced green chilis and some s&p. I made sure there was enough water to cover them and let this cook for another 5 hours, until the pork was falling apart and the posole was tender. I was originally thinking stew/soup but it was so thick (after I shredded the pork) that I decided a taco would work too. Served with warm tortillas, avocado and a little salsa verde and dinner was served!

Ode to a good egg

2012-02-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

I've found a new place to buy eggs up here called Little M Farms and boy are they good - dark yellow yolk and super fresh. This fall I made some piperade and froze it so it was easy to make this Beans & Egg dish. The real trick is to not overcook the yolk, but have the whites done. Check it before the timer goes off. Eggs for dinner? YES!

Moist and delicious Waffles!!

2012-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

OMG - these were so good! I woke up the other morning craving waffles but didn't have any buttermilk - which is usually what I use to make waffles. So, I got out my Waffle cookbook by Dorie Greenspan and found these Cottage Cheese Waffles - and let me tell you they were tender and moist and even if you don't like cottage cheese, you will like these as it's kind of a secret ingredient - just melts away into the crispy goodness. I love being able to use what I have in the fridge to make stuff! Of course I have to top mine with chopped pecans - you can skip this part if you don't like nuts - or if you are nuts! Sorry. Freeze any leftovers in a ziploc between wax paper to toast up later. Liza - hope you like them ; )Cottage Cheese Waffles 6 waffles

1/2 stick of butter melted

1 and 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cottage cheese (I buy small curd, and even used low fat!)

1 cup milk (all I had was 2%, I would normally use whole, but couldn't tell the difference)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon honey

Mix the dry ingredients together then combine in another bowl with wet ones (except butter). Mix all together then fold in the melted butter. Bake in your waffle iron until done. If not eating right away, let cool on a wire rack and then freeze. Serve with bacon and a little maple syrup.

Post Note: Ok, I'm not saying these are low-fat as there was the melted butter, but really it made no difference that I used low-fat milk products, so you can save a little there - if you want. Not that I want to get on a soap box here, but blaming Paula Deen for obesity in the US is ridiculous. It's ok to eat "her" way every now and then, or at least in small portions - everything in moderation I say. Moderation and small portions. Ok, I'll get down now. Ha!

New Year's Day tradition Black Eyes. Peas that is.

2012-01-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

I actually did these on New Year's Day - I think I was a day off last year. If you don't know, having black eye peas on NYD is a southern tradition for good luck. I decided to hedge my bets and start off this year right! If you missed out on NYD, maybe you can get it in by Chinese New Years! Or hell, these were so good - why wait for a holiday tradition?! I got this basic recipe from Pam and the addition of chicken broth really does the trick. I didn't add the potatoes but of course my husband has to top them with ketchup! All you need now is a tasty pork chop, or some baked ham...

Better than coconut cream pie!

2012-01-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

See, I really have been cooking, just haven't had a moment to blog about it! I made these little coconut tartlets for Thanksgiving at Jim & Paula's - doesn't that seem like forever ago?! Paula loves a coconut cream pie - but that's never been a favorite of mine so to compromise I made these. The really lovely thing about them is that they can be made ahead and then filled when serving - and it's just a little bite of something sweet - not as overwhelming as a piece of pie - especially on the big over-eating turkey day! I think these would be perfect on Easter too.

Two Deer and THOUSANDS of Frogs!

2012-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

We've seen quite a few deer up here but these were the first ones with racks! I just love to see them behind my fence grazing - hopefully they can't get over the fence once I plant something they might like to eat. But the frogs! Holy shit! When it finally started raining last week the frogs sprouted. Or whatever it is they do - as one day there were none and the next day THOUSANDS! Ok, I haven't counted, as even though Rich and I went out in search of them the other night with a flashlight we couldn't see any. So weird. I mean I'm not kidding when I say that in my house it sounds like someone has mounted speakers and are playing a frog symphony - seriously they are soooo loud! But pretty damn adorable too. Can I just say I love it up here? Case in point: the other day Richard took in my car to get the brakes worked on at a local place called Finchers and get this - when he picked up the car the guy gave him a bottle of wine! Now how adorable is that!

Who needs Swans when I have Richard?!

2012-01-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong, I love going to Swan Oyster Depot in SF - a great spot for lunch if you get there early enough. But this week Richard was kind (and patient enough) to buy us a whole dungeness crab and then pick out all the meat for our Crab Louis - what a sweetheart! I helped by making the dressings - I do it like they do (if you know to ask) with both Louis and a vinaigrette. Of course it all goes on top of chopped iceberg lettuce and served with saltines. I also added a couple slices of avocado - just gilding the lily here!

Louis Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

2 tablespoons chili sauce (it's in the ketchup isle)

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all together with a whisk.

Mustardy Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

squeeze of 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

about 1/4 cup good olive oil

s&p

Whisk all together in a small bowl.

The rain is back - and so are my soups!

2012-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you how much I've been missing the rain?! So glad it's back! And that means it's soup-time. Warm and comforting bowls of it. Actually it doesn't need to rain for me to crave soup, it's been so chilly up here that I've made chicken n dumpling soup twice in the last few weeks. Wednesday, while juggling work at home, I made one of my favorites - Gumbo. Now, the funny thing is I thought, have I blogged this recipe before? so I searched in the upper left corner and there it was -but hold on! That was my very first blog post - July 2009 - I can't believe it's been that long - but wait - no recipe! Too funny! Well for those of you who have been waiting with baited breath - here you go! And yes it does get better with age - I'm planning on my last bowl for lunch today. The only thing that doesn't age well is the leftover rice. After the first night I've just been soaking fresh french bread in it - if you really get tired of eating it, go ahead and freeze it. But can that be possible??

Gumbo serves 2 for days and days - or you could share

The Roux - this is the first step in making a really good gumbo. Since it's a little bit of a pain to make I do a double batch and then freeze 1/2 - that way you are good to go next time.

1 cup vegetable oil (do not use olive oil - too much flavor)

1 cup flour

In a large, cast iron skillet on high heat the oil until hot and then whisk in the flour. Whisk constantly - be careful - you splatter this on your skin and you will BURN. For Gumbo, you want a pretty dark roux - I try to get it to a dark brown, reddish color - just watch it - you don't want it to burn because you will have to start over. This should take about 5-7 min. Carefully remove about 1/2 to a heat proof bowl and let cool and then you can freeze this for next time.

1 onion chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

1 red pepper chopped (I know, most Cajuns use green, but I just like the sweetness of the colored ones)

2 tablespoons Paul Prudhomme's seafood spice (available at most grocery stores)

1 clove garlic chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound andouille sausage sliced into rounds

about 1/2 of a roasted chicken pulled into bites (you could cook your own, but to make this easy I just get a good quality roasted chicken at my local grocery)

1/2 pound large raw shrimp - peeled

1 tablespoon gumbo file (this is ground sassafras - you should be able to find at your store)

1/4 pound lump crab meat (this is optional - it's in season here right now - I like to just sprinkle a little on top)

cooked white rice

Tabasco to serve

So, once your roux is to the right color turn down the head and add your chopped onions, celery and peppers and saute until soft, about 10 min. Sprinkle over the spice mix and cook another 2 min. Lastly, add the garlic and let cook 1 more min. In another large pot heat your stock and then gradually whisk in the roux-veggie mix. Keep whisking until it's all incorporated and thickening the broth. Add the sausage and chicken and cook on a low boil for about 10 min. Finally, add the shrimp and cook only 3-4 min. Sprinkle over the file. Mound some rice in a bowl and pour around the gumbo and then the crab if using. Let the warming begin.

Post Note: I think calling this soup is a little bit of a misnomer. Some people I know think of soup as a thin broth with maybe a little noodle. I think of soup as a meal - hearty and filling! And this one is definitely a meal!

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-12-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, did you think I was dead? In a coma? Stopped cooking?!? Well not any of those - just moved my 87 year old Mother out from Texas to live near us. Almost killed me, but I'm still kicking and so is she! Can't believe this is my only post in December - just barely got it in under the gun. Anyway, this is what I'm going to make tonight for just Rich and I - will let you know if it's worth it. Lobster and Crab Enchilado which is not to be confused with enchiladas - it's cuban so I'm going to serve with rice and plantains. Can I just say I'm glad this year is done? Ready for 2012! Have a wonderful night everyone - tell your friends and family you love them, even when they drive you crazy! With love, R

UPDATE: Oh yeah, it was good! I wouldn't bother with rice though, just some bread to sop up those juices!

Jambalaya - ya ya!

2011-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

I've been making this recipe for years. The best thing about this version is that it's baked instead of boiled. This gives it a nice crispy texture, as opposed to a gummy one. It's a really basic, easy one dish meal. If you can't find tasso - use a good smoked ham and add a little extra spice.

Chicken and Tasso Jambalaya serves 4-6

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 pound tasso, chopped into small cubes

1 pound boneless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

2/3 cup each of finely chopped onion, celery and red bell peppers

1 garlic clove chopped

1 tablespoon Paul Prudhomme's seafood spice (you should be able to find at your local grocery, or use another cajun spice mix)

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 and 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 and 1/2 cups uncooked converted rice (really - you should buy a box of this rice just for this - it keeps the grains separate and cooks up perfectly - this was the first time I didn't use it as I was out, and it wasn't as good)

Melt the butter and cook the tasso for a couple min. then add the chicken and cook until browned, about 5 min then remove to a 8x8 inch square baking pan. Add to the pan the onions, celery and bell peppers (holy trinity!) and cook until tender about 15 min. Add in the garlic and spices and cook another couple min. Pour into the baking pan along with the rest of the ingredients and stir. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until tender but it still has some texture, about an hour. Stir and remove bay leaf. Serve with some tabasco on the side for those with spicy tendencies.

Fun day of cooking...

2011-11-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

But exhausting! Seriously - all of you out there who think being a chef would be fun - let me tell you it's hard work! And a killer for the feet! I talked my dear friend Jen into taking a cooking class with me at the Santa Rosa Junior College. They have a really great culinary program and on the weekends teach classes on everything from candy to bread making to olive curing. We chose stuffed pastas - and boy did we make a lot! The red ones were beet pasta - so pretty! The other picture is one of the ones our team made. Egg pasta stuffed with gorgonzola, mascarpone and walnuts served over salad greens with pears and a lemony vinaigrette - sounds a little weird, but I think it was the best dish made that day! Or it could have been the chefs making it... hehehe. I will definitely do this again! Classes and homemade pasta!

I am truly thankful.

2011-11-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

I just want to write down and really look at all I have to be thankful for - a good exercise for anyone. I've been driving around town with my mouth hanging open saying Oh My God! I've never lived anywhere that the leaves change, and boy are they changing here in Healdsburg! I can't even name all the colors. And the vineyards - who knew they could be red, orange, yellow and green! I just wasn't expecting this - and I LOVE it! And it's fleeting - some trees that I've been going gaga over last week are now bare.

I'm also very thankful for our new group of neighbors, already it feels like home (even if I do miss my old neighbors.) I'm looking forward to continuing our annual traditions like mexican food on Thanksgiving eve (plenty of mexican food up here) and adding some new ones like the day after Thanksgiving, Healdsburg hosts a party on the square with free carriage rides, wine, food, shopping and carolers. How fucking adorable can this town get? If I didn't already live here, I would move! We are spending the day today with friends in Nicasio - we've been going to their house for this holiday for about 20 years - that is when we don't go to Maui like last year - where our dinner was cooked entirely on the grill out on Keanae - quite a challenge!

Here's hoping you can think of at least a few things you are thankful for - my list goes on but I won't bore you with the details - just know I'm glad you are reading this! And a special thanks to all my friends and family out there - love to you all. I'm truly thankful. And lucky. Realize that this life is fleeting - make the most of all your moments. Thanks for listening. Happy Festivus!

Post Note: In case you thought I forgot - I'm the most grateful for my loving husband of 22 years - thank you my love for following me to our new home!

Braised Red Cabbage and more!

2011-11-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

I've always loved a good braised red cabbage - and I think I've found a keeper! This was my first attempt at making it and I thought it turned out very good. The only thing I changed was that I didn't bother with the red current jelly - thought it would make it too sweet. It was the perfect accompaniment with one of my favorite dishes - Chicken Paprikash with homemade spaetzle. The next day the leftovers were even better as I browned the little buttery nuggets in a pan before pouring over the creamy chicken - oh, that sauce! I have so much braised cabbage leftover I may have to do a pork roast before thanksgiving!

Cha Cha Cha meal without the wait!

2011-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

I used to love to go to Cha Cha Cha's in the city for lunch - I never liked to wait in line for dinner! They put out a cookbook so you never have to wait again! I had a couple chicken breasts in the freezer so I whipped this up the other night. I served the chicken with some sauteed mushrooms and some roasted potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes.

Mustard Grilled Chicken serves 4 adapted from Cha Cha Cha

4 chicken breasts or a pound of tenders

olive oil and s&p

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tarragon mustard (love this stuff - gives it a great green tint!) if you don't have it use regular dijon and add some tarragon

pinch salt

fresh ground pepper

Grill the chicken after drizzling with olive oil and s&p. To make the sauce in a small pan put all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a slight boil and whisk until thick, about 5-10 min. Cut the chicken into slices and pour over sauce. Extra sauce tastes pretty damn good with a loaf of french bread - try not to eat the whole thing!

Pumpkin Cheesecake - oh yeah.

2011-11-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

The only thing good about saying goodbye to all those fresh tomatoes is saying hello to all the fall delights - and this is definitely one of them!

Pumpkin Cheesecake serves 8

1 and 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1 pound cream cheese (in the blocks, not whipped)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 and 1/4 cups pumpkin puree

3 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons sugar

Mix the gingersnaps with butter and sugar and press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 5 min then let cool slightly. In a mixer beat the cream cheese with brown sugar until creamy. Add the pumpkin and eggs and beat again until smooth. Mix in the cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Pour into the pan and bake on a sheet pan (in case of drips) for about 40 min. Mix the sour cream with the sugar and then remove the cheesecake from oven and gently spread the sour cream mixture over the top. Return to the oven and bake another 5 min. Let cool completely then refrigerate overnight. Remove the pan sides and cut into slices and serve. Will keep a few days.

My favorite meatloaf

2011-11-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

My mouth is watering just remembering this! Not only is this my favorite meatloaf, but I think this might be my favorite fall salad! The scalloped potatoes were pretty damn good too - if I do say so myself! The only thing I did a little different with the potatoes was instead of fresh mushrooms I used dried mushrooms crumbled in between the layers of potatoes. No need to rehydrate them, cooking in the milk makes them tender.

Best Fall Salad serves 4

2 small delicata squash

couple tablespoons olive oil

s&p

about 4 cups arugula

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1/3 cup feta crumbled

Peel the squash and then cut them in half. Scoop out the seeds to make a hollow round then slice about 1/3 inch thick - kind of like an onion ring. In a nonstick skillet heat the olive oil and then fry on each side about 6 min, turning when brown and tender. Season with s&p and set aside. Toss the arugula with the rest and the dressing and then top each serving with slices of the warm squash.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

small glass jar of dijon mustard about 2 tablespoons (when I'm at the end of the mustard and only a couple tablespoons are left I use it to make this)

add to the jar:

about 1/4 cup olive oil

couple tablespoons balsamic vinegar

squeeze of 1/2 lemon

s&p to taste - then the fun part - just shake the jar to mix it all up. This will keep in the fridge for weeks - then just add to it to make more! No fillers or sugar added!

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

A silly little thing happened on the way to the city

2011-11-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I really haven't been doing much writing lately. I just try to get my posts done as quickly as possible. Like it's a chore. A job.

So, I'm going to tell you a little story. It's a little embarrassing, but hopefully it will make you laugh as much as I did. That lady in the bathroom stall probably thought I was nuts.

Anyway, once a week I make my commute to the city to do the bookkeeping for my clients there. As a treat, I first stop at Flying Goat Coffee here in Healdsburg for their delicious short latte and a pastry. This day they didn't have much left so I walked over to the Downtown Creamery and Bakery and splurged on a chocolate croissant. I know it's a bad habit to eat in your car - and probably doesn't help my driving but on my last bite as I was cruising down the highway the little bit of chocolate fell out of my croissant. I thought it fell in my lap, but as much as I tried to find it while not crashing my car it had disappeared. I assumed it had gone in that stupid crack between my seat and the center console never to be seen again. When I had safely parked at my first client's office I searched the area and my pants to make sure I wasn't wearing it. As I was sitting down at the desk in his office I starting smelling chocolate - I thought maybe he had a cookie or something. Only when I pushed up the sleeve of my sweater did I realize the smell was coming from my arm. That little sneaky hunk of melted chocolate had slipped right down my sleeve! Of course now I've got brown streaks all over one side of my arm and a big gloopy spot of it on my sweater! In a panic I run off to the bathroom before anyone can notice my "accident". I'm not kidding when I say I'm covered from my wrist to my elbow in sticky brown smudges. And, at the sink in the bathroom I'm madly trying to wash it off while cracking up. Then, I have to do some fancy maneuvering to try and push/fold my sleeve so my stain doesn't show. I guess the good news was that it wasn't on my pants - I'm not sure I would've been able to convince anyone it was chocolate. Really - it's just chocolate - smell it!

If you're looking for a moral to the story forget it. I'm still going to have my little treat on the drive into the city and I'll probably drop a few crumbs in that damn crack. But I sure am hoping chocolate comes out of cashmere...

What to do with leftover banana bread?

2011-11-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Make Banana Bread Pudding! If you don't have it leftover, maybe you should just make banana bread for this - cause it's so good! I made this loaf a couple months ago and froze it because I hadn't unpacked my cookbooks yet and was thinking ahead for this recipe. The rum sauce is a must.

Banana Bread Pudding serves 6-8

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

1/3 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

pinch salt

about 6 or 7 slices of banana bread (homemade) note: if using my recipe don't use the chocolate chips or coconut - although on second thought the chocolate chips would be amazing!

2 bananas cut into slices

Butter a large baking dish. Make the custard by whipping all the ingredients together up to the banana bread. Cut the banana bread slices into finger sized pieces and place in one row on bottom of pan, then add a layer of banana slices, then another layer of bread and another layer of bananas and then with the last bread piece chop into cubes and sprinkle over the top. Pour over the custard and let sit about 30 min to soak it all in. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min covered. Uncover and bake an additional 15 min to crisp up the top. For the sauce: boil 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup rum and 2 tablespoons water together whisking until it's thickened a little. Serve the pudding with sauce poured on top. Has banana bread ever tasted better???

Pasta - for the simple meal

2011-11-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

Instead of just boiling this pasta you cook it like a risotto which infuses the flavor of your chicken broth in the noodles - sooo good! I used my own oven dried tomatoes but you could use good store bought ones. For this Pasta Risotto I used a slightly bigger round noodle.

Course after course - and still an easy dinner

2011-11-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite ways to eat. I just got what was fresh at the market and made a bunch of small courses for dinner when my friend Maureen was visiting this weekend. We started off with some padrones - not at all spicy except for the last one on the plate that I ate! Then our next course was baby grilled zucchini, tossed with garlic olive oil and s&p - too cute! Next was one of my all time favorites Grilled Figs with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto. For our final course I had a medium sized pile of tomatoes leftover on my counter (from MY plants) so I sauteed a chopped onion, a red pepper and a carrot then added the chopped tomatoes and cooked for about 40 min. I put it all through the food mill and when serving added just a little heavy cream. Topped with some sliced bread that I fried in my leftover olive oil from the padrones and our meal was complete - completely yummy that is!

Post Note: I sent Rich to the store for the chevre and he bought the Redwood Hill Green Chili version - made it slightly spicy and totally good with the figs!

Grilled Salmon with Dill pickle butter

2011-10-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

I recently made some refrigerator dill pickles that I loved so I remembered this grilled salmon recipe -adding to this I had the first brussel sprouts of the season with a couple leftover cooked potatoes sauteed with peppers and leeks and my meal was made! Simple, delicious and tasty!

Grilled Salmon with Dill Pickle Butter serves 2

3 tablespoons butter at room temp

1 small dill pickle finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon tarragon dijon mustard (I love this green mustard but you can use the plain dijon)

1 salmon filet, skin on about 3/4 pound

s&p

splash of olive oil

skwirt of lemon juice

Mix the butter, pickle and mustard in a bowl and set aside - I didn't end up using all of it so I froze the rest for next time. Sprinkle the fish with s&p then olive oil and grill about 7 min total, starting skin side down. Top with a dollop of the butter and serve.

Spicy spaghetti and shrimp?

2011-10-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

Shrimp? Sorry, there was shrimp in this, but we ate them all before I took the picture! And I know, I know- I said I didn't want to eat anymore shrimp unless I was in South Carolina but I forgot I had a bag of frozen large shell on shrimp in my freezer (they were on special at Whole Foods and I can never pass up a deal). I was letting them defrost and intended on grilling them when I saw a recipe in Jamie Oliver and decided to try that instead. It was great - and the best part was my sweet hubby peeled and deveined them for me!

Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti serves 2

1/2 pound of spaghetti

couple tablespoons olive oil

clove garlic, chopped

sprinkling of red pepper to taste

1/2 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

about 1/3 cup white wine

6 of my oven dried tomatoes or sundried tomatoes in oil (about 1/4 cup)

1 squeeze of lemon

fresh chopped basil (Jamie used arugula, which I think would be nice but I didn't feel like going to the store)

Cook spaghetti until al dente. In a blender, blitz the tomatoes with the wine. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan and add the garlic for a couple min with the pepper then toss in the shrimp and cook just a couple min. Pour in the tomato puree and cook another couple min. Toss the cooked spaghetti in the pan and squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with basil and serve. Most Italians don't mix parmesan with fish pasta - but I like a little sprinkled on top - your choice!

As Halloween approaches...

2011-10-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm breaking out the pumpkin puree. I had a little less than a cup of pureed pumpkin so I added a quarter cup of my homemade apple butter to make pumpkin bread. I think this is a keeper! Just made it a little spicier and moist - yum! I love making little loaves to share!

Leftover change-up!

2011-10-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

While my dear friend Julie was visiting from Phoenix I made my roasted Potato Sausage and Tomato dish. We had just driven up from the city and wanted to stay in and this was a quick and easy meal. Since we had a little bit of leftovers I re-invented them the next morning by sauteing some peppers and onions and then adding the chopped sausage and potato mixture - the cooked tomatoes made a nice sauce that brought it all together and topped with a fried egg - perfection. No extra ketchup needed! Loved having you Jules!

My first venture into Ratatouille!

2011-10-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

It may at first seem odd that I've never done this before but I have to confess that eggplant has never been among my favorite vegetables. I think the only time I've actually loved it was the side dish at The Slanted Door. Or in Marin Gourmet's Aubergine dip where it melts into a garlic heaven. But I have to say this was pretty good - I just use less eggplant that most people and with all the peppers and sauce you don't even notice the slightly slimy bits (just kidding!) Adapted from food and wine.

Ratatouille

about 1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 pound small eggplants cut into 1 inch dice

couple yellow and green zucchinis cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/2 onion sliced

couple red and yellow peppers cut into 1/2 inch dice

4 cloves garlic chopped

2 pounds of tomatoes peeled and chopped

fresh basil

fresh chevre

In a large dutch oven heat a couple tablespoons of the olive oil at a time and saute each vegetable and remove to a bowl. Eggplant for about 5 min. then remove and add zukes for another 5. Add a little more oil and then the onions and peppers and cook about 10 min. Next toss in the garlic for just a couple min then add back all the cooked veggies, the tomatoes, some chopped basil, s&p and cook for about 15 min or until it's nice and saucy. Serve topped with a hunk of chevre and a little drizzle of olive oil. Don't forget the toast - this is a piece of fougasse from my farmer's market.

On a side note - I was thinking about making some more of this and freezing it as it was really tasty and I also think it would be great served on top of some brown rice. I ended up making some Piperade instead as I started to think the zukes and eggplant might get even mushier when frozen. This way I can just saute those and add to the piperade later.

Pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon -sounds like love!

2011-10-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

I'll say it again - Pork Tenderloin coated in Mustard wrapped in Bacon- now that is true love! I used whole grain mustard about 1/4 cup for this one tenderloin and then wrapped in bacon and tied with kitchen twine. We grilled it and served with polenta topped with sauteed peppers and onions and a few grilled baby zukes. Of course the second best part is the leftover polenta with eggs the next day.

Eating the Italian way!

2011-10-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Italians know how to live. Wine with lunch. 6 weeks of vacation a year. Here they start the meal with pasta and then you have your meat and vegetables as the second course. I have to say it was delicious - the beef slowly cooked in the tomato sauce imbibing it with a meaty flavor. As leftovers the next day I just chopped up the meat and added to the sauce for a hearty pasta meal.

Italian Pot Roast with spaghetti as a first course serves 4-6

1 onion diced

4 oz pancetta chopped

couple tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 and 1/2 pounds of boneless beef roast

2/3 cup white wine

2 cups tomato sauce homemade if you got it!

about 3/4 pound pasta

shredded parmesan

Saute the onions with the pancetta and olive oil in a large dutch oven for about 12 min. Add carrots and garlic and cook another couple min. Push aside veggies and brown meat on all sides. Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated. Pour in tomato sauce and gently simmer turning meat a few times for about 2 hours. Cook pasta and serve it first coated with the sauce and some parmesan. Then slice the beef and serve with romano beans.

I could eat Mexican food almost everyday!

2011-10-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

I love chicken enchiladas - and since I don't care for dark meat, I tend to make them at home so I know what goes in. I usually get a little lazy and use a store bought roasted chicken and shred it, but this time I poached a couple chicken breasts in some broth for about 15 min and it was perfect because then I had some extra broth to make the mexican rice. Since peas aren't in season, I quickly chopped some small zukes and sauteed them in a little olive oil and added to the rice at the last min so they were still a little crisp and added a nice color to the rice. With some sour cream and guacamole on top we were set!

Fall is in the air...

2011-10-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

It was nice and cool for a few days with a little bit of rain so I made this comforting beef, barley and mushroom stew. The broth it made was so delicious - if you think you don't like grains you should try this - so good! And good for you! Adapted from Martha Stewart

Beef Barley and Mushroom Stew serves about 4

couple tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound sirloin tip steaks cut into bite sized cubes (I get these when they are on special from Prather and keep in the freezer, just slightly defrost so it's easy to cut)

1/2 onion finely chopped

2 carrots chopped

8 oz mushrooms sliced

1 clove garlic minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 oven roasted tomatoes chopped (if you don't have these homemade use a store bought few in olive oil - it really gives an amazing depth of flavor)

3/4 cup red wine

3 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup pearl barley rinsed

S&p the beef cubes and brown in a large dutch oven with the olive oil. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and saute the onion until tender then add the carrots and mushrooms and a little salt and cook about 10 min. Add garlic, tomato paste and roasted tomatoes and cook another couple min. Add the wine and reduce by about 1/2. Return the beef to the pot along with the broth and 2 cups water cook on low for about an hour. Add the barley and cook another 20 min - s&p to taste.

Post Note: Great way to get lean protein and grains!

Sacrificing a few tomatoes

2011-10-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

I figured since it was getting towards the end of the tomato season and I've got quite a few red ones sitting on my counter, picking a few un-ripe tomatoes would be a small sacrifice as I do love a good fried green tomato.

Fried Green Tomatoes serves a couple greedy people

couple green tomatoes

about cup flour

1 egg

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Tabasco to taste!

In 3 separate plates put 1. flour then 2. beaten egg and then 3. cornmeal and breadcrumbs. Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick then dredge in the flour, dip in the egg and finally coat in the cornmeal breadcrumb mixture. Fry in a large skillet in hot vegetable oil for about 3-4 min a side or until crispy and brown. Serve hot with s&p and tabasco. Welcome to the South!

Leftovers - good as gold!

2011-10-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

We had a little leftover flank steak (no tostones - I ate every one!) so I quickly sauteed some onions and peppers and then warmed the steak a little and topped with my freshly roasted tomatoes - what a sandwich! With a little quinoa salad it was a great way to use the leftover steak for our lunch the next day.

Tostones - my new love!

2011-10-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Jennifer brought this adorable Tostone press back for me from the Dominican Republic and I finally tried it out - and I'm in love! I don't even like bananas but these fried green plantains don't taste like bananas - they are starchy and salty - I could eat them every day! I also made these black beans and a grilled Prather flank steak - served over a little rice cooked in chicken broth and it was a perfect meal. The only thing I changed about the beans was I substituted a red bell pepper for the chopped green one. Go Cuba! - or at the very least Miami!

Cherry tomatoes galore!

2011-09-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

I picked a bunch of these from Malin's house next door and it's like having a bowl of candy on the counter - they are so sweet! I didn't cut them in half, so they were tricky to get on a fork, but when they didn't roll off it you got this amazing burst of fresh tomato flavor in your mouth. Just tossed cooked pasta with some pesto and then the cherry tomatoes and some extra parmesan. God I love this time of year - have to eat as many tomatoes as possible since soon they will be gone and I'll only have my taste memories. Until next summer...

Soup!

2011-09-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

I love this soup! When fresh shell beans are in season this is my favorite - I'm sure it tastes good with dried beans, but if you can get your hands on the fresh it's worth the shelling. Fresh Shell Bean Soup - topped with shredded parmesan and a slice of garlic bread on the side - perfect meal! Even got to use some of my own tomatoes!!!

Okra - let me count the ways.

2011-09-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

When we were visiting Kenny, Frances, Lucas and Shep in Georgia, Frances made whole fried okra and it was great - much less work! I decided to try it when we got home and loved it. Make sure you have fresh small pods and toss them with an egg white and then in a shallow plate mix 1 part flour to 2 parts cornmeal and some cajun spices - I use Paul Prudhomme's. Roll the okra in the dry mixture then fry as usual. Sprinkle with a little salt when done and you can eat the whole thing! No waste. No cutting. Love it!

When tomatoes are finally ripe...

2011-09-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a cool summer up here in Healdsburg, so everybody's tomato plants have been slow to produce - mine are finally full of red ones so I made a Greek salad. Just chop a few cucumbers, cut up some fresh tomatoes, top with feta, drizzle with olive oil and s&p to taste. Some people like red onion, but you know how I feel about raw onions. If you have a few olives on hand, put those in too. Simple.

Post note: normally I don't- but was feeling like some balsamic drizzled on top. Sweet and salty goodness.

Boiled or Fried Peanuts?

2011-09-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Maybe if you grow up in South Carolina you like boiled peanuts. Maybe if I knew before I popped one in my mouth that they were going to taste like warm mushy cooked beans I wouldn't have wanted to spit them out. I don't know what I expected with a name liked boiled peanuts, but I can tell you that for my personal taste fried peanuts are the way to go. The weird part is that with the fried ones you eat the shell and all - talk about fiber! Salty goodness with out the mush. Nice farmer's market in Charleston - you can buy raw peanuts and do whatever you want with them!

Don't eat Shrimp any place else!

2011-09-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Seriously - once you have fresh shrimp straight off the boat the rest of that farm raised, antibiotic filled frozen mush just doesn't cut it.

Our first night on the Isle of Palm in South Carolina Kenny (Richard's little brother) made us a Frogmore Stew also know as Lowcountry Boil. The bowl of raw shrimp in the sink had absolutely no smell - can you say that about any shrimp you've cooked lately? And - for breakfast the next day - leftover shrimp and grits!!!

Frogmore Stew by Kenny

2 beers (for the stew - drink the rest of the case)

couple cups water

crab/shrimp boil seasoning package

bunch of small potatoes

couple Portuguese sausages, or some smoked sausage cut into 2 inch pieces

6 corn on the cob

Couple pounds fresh shrimp un-peeled

Bring beer, water and spices to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Add sausages for another 5 min then corn for a couple more min. Add the shrimp and take off the heat - only needs about 1 min to cook - don't overcook the shrimp! Drain and serve - only when you are in the south!

Post Note: As if sweet tea isn't gross enough - they make "Sweet Tea Bourbon"!

I do love the Southern food!

2011-09-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

On our way to Charleston we stopped in this little town called Greensboro in Georgia and found this place called The Yesterday Cafe. All I can say is - Best Fried Green Tomato of the trip! Served with a horseradish sauce, they were crispy and delicious! Next came our refreshing chicken salad plate with grapes and walnuts - perfect for me without any onions or celery. Lastly - an amazing buttermilk pie - wow - what a meal!!! If anyone notices how curly my hair is - it's because it is so fucking humid in the south! It feels like you are swimming in it -don't even pack a flat iron - it's worthless against this.

Post Note: One southern tradition I do not follow - Sweet tea. Every place gives you the choice of sweet or un-sweet tea - and if you say you want regular tea - well that's the sweet kind!

I'm a Giant at heart - but when in Atlanta

2011-09-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

You gotta embrace the locals - so we went to an Atlanta Braves game and almost melted - lord it was hot! I've never really had that issue at home! That's Rich doing the "chopping" motion for the Braves. Keep the cold beer coming!!!

Dinner after the game

2011-09-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Even though we felt like sweaty pigs after the Brave's game - we did a quick change of clothes in the car and proceeded to dinner in Atlanta. My first choice was this restaurant called Bacchanalia but when we got there for our reservation at 9:30 pm and they told us it would be a 5 course tasting menu - we decided it was too late for that much food - not to mention that Richard couldn't resist a slice of pizza at the game! So instead we went to their sister restaurant just a short walk away called Abattoir and even though that sounds like it could be heavy, it was a great meal. We had the Grouper (great fish in the South) with a crispy oven roasted crust and fresh cherry tomato sauce and a corn saute with fresh peppers. Their menu is local and very good - I wanted to try the steak tartare but Rich was not in the mood - next time! The one thing we couldn't resist was the Chocolate Chess Pie - omg! I need that recipe!!! Cute logo too.

Before our trip - the final concert...

2011-09-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned that every tuesday during the summer Healdsburg puts on a free concert in the square - It has been one of the greatest perks about living here! It's pretty much all locals - and let me tell you it is a serious business. The concert is from 6-8pm and you are allowed to put your blanket down and leave it at 4pm to reserve your spot. Before 4pm you can put a blanket down, but you have to stay with it - and people make a day of it! You would not believe the tables that get set up, complete with china plates, wine glasses and flowers in a vase! Not to mention the wine! The final night was the tuesday before we left on our trip and featured local Blues God - Charlie Musselwhite - and what a fun show it was! Here's a few pictures from our little group - can't wait until next summer!!! Thanks to all our new friends for sharing "big barfy" the blanket, great food and wine!

A trip to The South...

2011-09-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a southern tour: Atlanta, Isle of Palm, Charleston, Savanna and Warner Robins - two states total. We flew in to Atlanta late at night and the only place open was this pizza joint - Fellini's near our B&B in Buckhead. Great cheesy calzone - don't think I've had one of those since my old college days - it was perfect with a couple cold beers and 80's music playing - I felt like I'd gone back in time! If you are ever stuck in Buckhead late at night - I recommend cheese filled bread with a spicy tomato dipping sauce and cold beer!

Pesto on everything!

2011-09-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I made some pesto and I've had it covered with olive oil in the fridge and trying to find new ways to use it besides a bowl of pasta (although it is one of my favorites!) This time I took 2 bone in and skin on chicken breasts and loosened the skin a little with my fingers to make a pocket. Then I took about 2 tablespoons of the pesto - if you don't have any fresh, you can try some store bought - and spread it under the skin. I then spread a little extra olive oil all over the chicken and s&p. On a low heat grill we roasted it for about 25 min. I think you could also easily just roast skin side up in the oven. It turned out very moist and flavorful. My side dishes were garlic mashed potatoes drizzled with olive oil and my "vegetable bin succotash" I had a couple sweet peppers, a shallot, an ear of corn and a couple baby zucchini. In a saute pan I put a little olive oil and then sauteed the chopped zucchini on high heat til just browned then set aside. In the same pan I added the peppers and shallot and cooked until tender. Lastly I cut the corn off the cob and added it to the pan and cooked just a couple more min. Add back the zukes s&p to taste and sprinkled with some fresh basil. YUM.

A little bit of Tuscany

2011-09-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

The other day for lunch I was going to run out and get a pizza from the Simi Winery - they do a lovely wood oven roasted one on Friday and Saturdays and it's right down the street. Then I thought - why go out for pizza - I've got all I need right here for a perfect bruschetta. I had just bought this fresh loaf of olive bread so I sliced that and toasted and while hot rubbed a cut garlic clove across the bread. Then I made 2 toppings: on one slice I spread some soft chevre and then topped with some quickly sauteed mushrooms, for the other slice I chopped some of MY tomatoes and tossed with fresh basil, olive oil and s&p. I happened to have a little prosciutto and olives so I placed them on the side and presto - lunch is served!

Look who came to visit

2011-09-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Why are all things cute when they are little? Richard was trying to pick it up when it leaped into my hands! And crapped. Not me, the frog- I just screamed. I would say not enough for a dish of frog legs...

Sausage and Grapes - what a combo!

2011-09-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Now, this is not a great picture because I couldn't quite capture the purple amazing-ness - not to mention the winey aroma emanating from this pan!

And although I'm not much into cooked grapes, they created a lovely sauce. I served these Sausage and Grapes with some fresh french bread to soak up all the sauce. I'd say this was a perfect wine country dish! It was pretty rich so I think this would make a nice appetizer, just cut into bites and serve with the grapes and some cut bread on the side.

Great tomato soup - two ways!

2011-09-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is truly an amazing soup. The first night I made the tomato bread soup I served it with the croutons and pancetta on top. I pretty much followed Ina's instructions except that for the tomato I used my own tomato soup. That's one of the great things about that basic soup recipe - you can add things to make it fancy. The next day I made some Chicken Meatballs and topped the soup with that. Alongside I served these amazing little baby zucchini that are half yellow and half green. I cut them in half lengthwise, sprinkled with garlic olive oil and a little s&p and grilled just a few min - they are so tender and sweet!

Big dinner at Malin's

2011-08-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

While our friends from Maui were in town I made one of my favorite dishes to serve to friends - Salmon Nicoise. It makes an amazing impression! I even made some of my own garlic aioli as a side dip. What a feast! I served it with some my favorite fresh shell beans and pancetta.

Finally some ripe tomatoes!!!

2011-08-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

So I guess it's tomato salad time - and this was like a BLT - delicious! Although I have to admit the the yellow pear tomatoes are kind of mealy. It's actually trickier than I thought to grow your own - too much water, not enough water - how much and when to fertilize... the good news is I've got a lot more coming!

Bacon Arugula and Tomato Salad served 2

4 slices good thick bacon

2 cups arugula

large handful of cherry tomatoes sliced in half or couple larger tomatoes cut into chunks

1/2 garlic clove finely chopped

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

pepper

Fry the bacon until crisp, then tear into chunks. In a small bowl whisk a little of the bacon grease with garlic, mayo and vinegar. Mix all together and season with lots of freshly ground pepper.

I'm missing my cookbooks!

2011-08-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Since we moved I kept out just a few cookbooks and packed the rest. In about 30 book boxes are the rest!!! I can officially say I have a collection. I also have to confess I've bought a couple more since the move. The thing is, I keep thinking of recipes I want to do and then realize they are somewhere in that huge pile of boxes. (They aren't unpacked yet, as I'm waiting for shelves to be built in the den) So, I'm having to wing it! This was a risotto recipe from a Williams Sonoma cookbook. It's basic risotto but instead of the usual parmesan (the link recipe is goat cheese) I used some good blue cheese and then on top I mixed some chopped black cherry tomatoes (from my garden!) with a splash of balsamic and some olive oil. On this day I had 1 corn on the cob so instead of cooking it separately I cut it off the cob and added during the last 5 min. of cooking the risotto. It's not exactly the same as the original recipe, but pretty darn close! The green stuff is shredded zucchini sauteed in butter in a very hot pan until browned. Lovely summer meal with grilled swordfish. Post note: Decided not to wait for a custom built bookshelf so found one that fits great from Ikea - I have my books again - yeah!!!

Spoonful of pudding

2011-08-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is my mom or maybe her mother's recipe but it's great and versatile. Please don't buy the powdered box stuff, you most likely have all the ingredients on hand to make it from scratch and believe me you can tell the difference.

Vanilla Pudding serves 6

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 egg

pinch salt

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon good vanilla

Mix in your saucepan sugar, flour and 1/2 cup of milk. Then stir in the beaten egg and the rest of the milk and salt. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until thick. Then off the heat add the butter and vanilla. Pour into 6 ramekins and chill in fridge covered with plastic wrap pressed down so it doesn't form a skin.

Variations

1. Chocolate - add 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with the flour, reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup and then stir in 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips with the vanilla

2. Butterscotch - with the vanilla add 1 tablespoon scotch and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

3. Banana pudding keep the original recipe but layer a large bowl with vanilla wafers and sliced bananas then pour the pudding over.

Note: I know this is a horrible picture, but you try to make this not look like poo

Pancakes on my new grill pan!

2011-08-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

My new Kenmore Pro stove came with a great griddle. It fits exactly on the left side burners and when turned on a specific way the gas flames go the whole way. One side is ridged (haven't tried that half) but on the smooth side I made some awesome pancakes! It's cast-iron so it makes a great crispy crust - can't wait to make a panini next - I even gave away my other panini maker! One less kitchen appliance. I used a pancake mix that struck me at the market - and it was good! So, when in a hurry...

Mexican Lasagna - it's magic!

2011-08-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

The magic is the fact that even after cooking the guacamole stays green - I've always marveled at this.

Mexican Lasagna serves about 6

1 pound ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup tomato sauce

package of soft taco sized flour tortillas

oil

2 cups shredded cheddar or montery jack cheese

2 avocados mashed with s&p and teaspoon of lemon juice

In a large skillet brown the beef. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup tomato sauce with tablespoon of taco mix - save for later. Mix the rest of the sauce and seasonings into the beef with about a 1/4 cup of water and let cook another 10-15 min. In another pan fry the tortillas in a little oil until lightly browned on both sides and put in between paper towels. Lightly grease a non-stick round cake pan and place in 1 tortilla (I usually cut into quarter moon slivers an extra tortilla to cover the bottom of the pan and each other layer). Next put 1/2 of the ground beef and sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Top with another tortilla then spread the layer of guacamole. Add another tortilla and the rest of the beef and sprinkle with 1/3 cheese. Top with last tortilla and spread on the reserved tomato sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min, or until bubbly and browned on top. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Post Note: This is another recipe from the very beginnings of my cooking adventures! I just love a good casserole!

Off-the-Deep-End Strawberry Squares!

2011-08-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite desserts as a child growing up in Phoenix - and if you are hot this summer this is the dessert for you! Easy and refreshing! The challenge is not eating all the crust straight from the pan - I just love butter, sugar and nuts! If you are lucky enough to have a pool, wait 30 min after eating and then jump in the deep end!

Off-The-Deep-End Strawberry Squares serves 12

1 and 1/2 cups flour

5 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup melted butter

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup cream whipped

Mix together the flour, sugar, walnuts and butter and spread in a 13x9 inch pyrex and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min, stirring occasionally until browned. Let cool and remove about a cup for sprinkling over the top. Press the rest into the bottom of the same pan when cool. Meanwhile, in a mixer combine egg whites, sugar, berries and lemon juice and mix at low speed until it begins to thicken - just a couple min. Then increase to high speed and let beat about 10 min or until big and fluffy - you won't believe how big! Fold in the whipped cream and spread over mixture in pan and top with reserved nut mixture. Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight, let sit on the counter a few min until it softens a little then cut into squares and serve.

Post Note: That is the original recipe down in the corner - it's taped onto a index card and I have no idea where it originally came from!

Finally - something from My Garden!

2011-08-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

Padrones!!! Now, I only planted one plant, but so far I've gotten enough to serve 2 people twice! And there have been a few hot ones! I'm still waiting for the tomatoes - there are a ton on the vines - but still green... been a cool summer I guess. Soon though...

My best helper!

2011-08-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Or should I say sous chef? While Sarah was visiting we made a picnic dinner for our group at the Tuesday night concert in the square here in Healdsburg (so fun!) Our appetizer was mini caprese on toothpicks. These are easy to make, especially with a pretty helper! Cut in halves small ciliegine mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes. Skewer them on a toothpick with a little piece of basil in the middle. I make a little dip with chopped olives and olive oil and either drizzle over the top or serve on the side. Our main dish was my Spanish Tuna Sandwiches. Perfect refreshing meal that ended with chocolate chip cookies. Good food, friends -old and new, music and wine - what more could you ask for?! Life is good.

Unless you are from the South...

2011-08-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

You have probably never even heard of a Buttermilk Chess Pie. Well, let me introduce you. I know it sounds weird - but believe me it's wonderful and refreshing - like a custard pie but with a great texture. My grandmother Daisy used to make this - good way to use up leftover buttermilk. I have to confess - I bought the raw pie dough at Downtown Creamery and Bakery in Healdsburg - find a local bakery near you for a good shortcut.

Buttermilk Chess Pie

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled

1 pie crust, unbaked

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash fresh grated nutmeg

dash salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put crust in 9" pie pan. In a large bowl mix sugar and flour. Add the eggs and mix well. Add butter and buttermilk and mix. Stir in the rest and pour into shell. Bake for 15 min at 400 then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 35 min or until browned on top. Cool then serve plain or with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Berry Good French Toast

2011-08-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that - I'm just amusing myself...

Anyway - this is Very good french toast and the best thing about it is that you make it ahead of time and just bake that morning. Almost like a berry cheesecake. I did this last week when our friends were visiting from Maui - which is why I've been lax on posting - too busy cooking and socializing!!!

Baked Berry French Toast serves about 6 (less if Gary is eating it!)

1 loaf of french bread cut into slices and then strips (I always have extra bread in the freezer - today I had a loaf of cranberry bread I got at the farmer's market here in Healdsburg - it was perfect!)

3 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 stick cold butter

6 oz cream cheese

4 cups berries (blue, black, raspberries - a combo or whatever you find that's at it's peak - this week it was blackberries)

Grease a 13" x 9" pyrex pan. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla then stir in milk. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter with a fork until it is crumbly and put in the fridge. Next morning preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle over the bread the bits of the cream cheese, then sprinkle the sugar/flour/butter mixture and finally scatter over the fruit. Bake for about 35-45 min. Invite over the neighbors!

Chicken Tarragon

2011-08-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

I think this was one of the first dishes in my "repertoire." I remember making it in my first year of college - for friend's and family. I always served it with Uncle Ben's wild rice - it's still a classic and I was reminded of it when I saw a big bunch of fresh tarragon at the market.

Tarragon Chicken serves a couple with leftovers

1 pound chicken tenders

fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic chopped

2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

2 tablespoons butter

8 oz sliced mushrooms (I used crimini)

1/4 cup dry sherry

S&P the chicken and sprinkle with some chopped tarragon. Heat oil in pan and saute chicken until browned, but not cooked all the way. Add the garlic, vinegar, butter and mushrooms then place the pan in a 400 degree oven for about 20 min. Remove from oven and add sherry and saute for a couple min. Serve over wild rice. Add this to your repertoire! If no fresh tarragon is available, use a little dried and sprinkle in some italian parsley.

I'm on a shrimp kick!

2011-07-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's been on special at my local market - so you don't pass that up! Easy!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta served 2

couple tablespoons olive oil

1/3 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

couple cloves garlic minced

sprinkling red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine

s&p

couple tablespoons butter

fresh angel hair pasta

fresh parsley chopped

lemon

In a large saute pan heat the olive oil and toss in the shrimp and cook for a couple min until pink. Remove to a bowl. Add garlic, red pepper and wine and cook down over high heat for a couple min. Add butter and then stir in shrimp and remove from heat - toss all with cooked fresh pasta and sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice and s&p to taste.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake for neighbors.

2011-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

I had a couple new neighbors with birthdays this week - Happy Birthday to Bob and Adriana! And since zucchinis are bursting out at the market I decided to disguise them in chocolate! Baked them in 2 medium sized bundt pans and used some TCHO baking chocolate that I had instead of unsweetened chocolate so I reduced the sugar to 1 cup. My house smelled soooo good! I guess Chocolate Zucchini Cake is good for birthdays because I made it for John's last year!

It looks a little weird but the taste is amazing!

2011-07-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe for Catalan Butter written down on a post it - and I have no idea where I got it. Thank god I didn't lose it because it is amazing!!! It's like a compound butter with tons of stuff mixed in - I just did it on toasted ciabatta but it would be great on grilled fish, chicken, even a steak! The flavors just keep coming - every bite is an explosion! It's best served a little cold, don't melt it on the bread.

Catalan Butter

3/4 stick unsalted butter at room temp

2 hard boiled egg yolks only

2 or 3 chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil (I used my roasted tomatoes)

1 tablespoon of the tomato oil or some olive oil

6 green olives pitted and chopped

4 anchovy filets finely chopped

1 tablespoon capers chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

sprinkling of red pepper flakes to taste

Mash all the ingredients together. Form into a roll and wrap in waxed paper and then use rounds to place on top of grilled meats or I put in a butter keeper to spread on grilled bread. Also it freezes well, so make a double batch - you are going to love it!!!

Two winners! Almost a vegetarian meal!

2011-07-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

These cute little round zucchinis were just begging to be stuffed - so I did a lighter version with shrimp adapted from Food and Wine and the pasta was Giada's Trenette with Eggplant and pesto. Both were delicious! I'm going to adapt the recipe for the zucchini to pasta - but if you want to do the stuffed instead check out the original recipe.

Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta with Feta serves 2

couple tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion finely chopped

1 red pepper chopped

2 small zucchini diced

2 medium tomato, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 pound large shrimp

s&p

cooked pasta

about 2/3 cup crumbled feta

In a large saute pan heat the oil and add the onion and cook about 5 min. Then add the pepper and cook another 5 min. Next add the zucchini and tomato and cook another 5 min. Add the garlic and shrimp and cook until tender - Don't overcook it just needs a couple min! Toss with cooked pasta and serve topped with feta and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Ina is brilliant!

2011-07-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

This was my first Coq au Vin - and boy was it delicious! - Thank you Ina Garten - I even did it with her garlic mashed potatoes. I pretty much did the chicken straight from her recipe but the potatoes needed some adjustments. I made the garlic oil and only used a couple cloves and about 1/4 cup of the oil. Having this garlic olive oil around has been great - I've been using it everyday in something and then added the cloves to everything! Even better the next day!

Breakfast the next day!

2011-07-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Or - what to do with the leftover twice baked potato stuffing! I made a little indent in the potato mixture then cracked in an egg. I baked it for about 18 min at 375 degrees - just watch it - it's tricky to get the whites done and still have some runny yolk. Why is it that you can't fit all the mashed potatoes back into the shells? Who cares when you can do this with the leftovers?!

Happy Birthday Rich!

2011-07-18T14:35:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was Richard's ##th birthday - guy's gotta have a few secrets! So of course I have to make him some of his favorite meals - and this is definitely one of them. Surf and Turf - with a twice baked potato and some sauteed beet greens. Steak was a Prather grilled rib-eye and I got frozen lobster tails from the local grocery Big John's. We split them down the middle and drizzled with melted butter with a little garlic and lemon juice then grilled. Oh yeah.

Twice Baked Potatoes serves 2, with a little left over

2 large Idaho baking potatoes

1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1/2 cup chopped ham (one thick cut piece of smoked ham)

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

s&p

bit of freshly grated nutmeg

Scrub and bake the potatoes at 375 degrees for about an hour or until tender. Let cool. Meanwhile saute onions in the olive oil and butter about 7 min. Add the ham and cook until browned another 5 min. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. When cool add the egg, cream, cheeses and mix together. Cut the tops off of the potatoes then scoop out the cooked potato into the mixing bowl and mash it all together. Season to taste. Spoon the mixture back into the shells - at this point there will be some leftover so set it aside in a little baking pan. Bake the potatoes at 375 degrees for about 20 min - or until bubbly.

Another warm night dessert...

2011-07-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

My Lime Ice Cream may not be green, but my bowl is! And these blackberries - wow - perfect combo! This is easy and the great thing is that you could make it even without a machine as the lime juice thickens the cream mixture as soon as you add it. But I think that a hot climate screams for an ice cream maker - I do!

Lime Ice Cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup lime juice (about 6 limes)

2 cups cream

2 cups whole milk

zest of 1 lime

Mix all together and put in ice cream maker until thick and frozen. Remove to another bowl and let cure in the freezer about an hour. Eat within a few days as homemade ice cream hardens quickly.

Swordfish - Greek style!

2011-07-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

This was a spur of the moment dinner. I was so excited that I was able to harvest a couple small tomatoes that I chopped them, tossed with olive oil, chopped kalamata olives and feta for the topper for this grilled swordfish dinner. The side was my beans and farro.

Greek Swordfish serves 2

1 large or 2 small swordfish steaks

couple tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons ouzo or other anise liqueur

Mix together all the oils and herb and liquids. Let the fish marinate in it for a couple hours in the fridge. S&P the fish. Grill on hot grill about 4 min per side, or until done. Top with tomatoes, olives and feta!

And finally -The dessert!

2011-07-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

I love my new fridge! It has a slide back shelf so you can put tall things in - and this is my Trifle for the fourth with red raspberries, blueberries and white whipped cream! Oh, and yellow custard and pound cake. Jen brought up her lovely serving bowl - pretty! Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

Patriotic Trifle

about 3/4 of a leftover pound cake, cut into slices

1/2 cup or so of chambord (raspberry liquor)

1 cup of each, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries (or you could use strawberries)

1 and 3/4 cup whole milk

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon brandy

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup cream whipped with a tablespoon of powdered sugar

To make the custard layer: Beat the yolks with the sugar until pale. Sprinkle over the cornstarch and mix in. Heat the milk and add to the sugar mixture while beating, then pour into a saucepan and cook on low for about 10 min, until it thickens slightly. Keep on low so you don't end up with scrambled eggs! Add the vanilla, brandy and butter and let cool. To make the trifle: Line a lovely glass bowl with a layer of sliced pound cake and sprinkle with 1/3 of the chambord, then pour over a third of the mixed berries and then top with a third of the custard. Continue making 3 layers. Top with whipped cream.

Post Note: I had made this pound cake a couple weeks ago but thought it was a little dry and overcooked so I froze it to make a trifle at a later date. I thought all the stuff would make it tender and soak up the juices, but unfortunately, it was still pretty dry. I think you need to use more liquor if you use a leftover poundcake. But I have to say the leftovers were perfect - soaked up all the good stuff!

Post Post Note: This pool was the best $25 we've ever spent! Now I need to start a collection for putting in a real one...

The start of our 4th of July Feast!

2011-07-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Jen brought this salmon rillette for our appetizer on the 4th - and it was amazing with a little rose and some cornichons.

6 tablespoons very soft butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped chives

6 oz smoked salmon chopped into small bits

16 oz poached salmon

To poach salmon: s&p salmon and in a oven proof dish place the salmon and pour over juice of couple lemons and 1/2 cup white wine. Add water to about 1/2 the thickness of salmon. Put around dish some fresh thyme maybe a slice or two of onion and fennel if you have it. Bake in 350 degree oven until it is cooked through - I'm guessing about 20-25 min, depending on the thickness. Just flake a little into the middle to see if it's opaque. Let cool. Mix the butter and oil with a fork until very smooth. Stir in lemon juice, chives and smoked salmon. Remove skin from poached salmon and flake into mixture, season with s&p to taste and blend thoroughly. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days (can even be frozen for 2 months) but bring to room temp before serving with toasted baguette, endive, crackers and cornichons.

The sides...

2011-07-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Bean salad with arugula

1 cup of cooked beans (I used these gigantic scarlet runner beans - but any good bean would do)

arugula

vinaigrette - the usual, garlic, little dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

shaved parmesan

Toss all together with the vinaigrette and serve with lots of pepper.

Warm Potato Salad with Bacon

2 and 1/2 pounds small red potatoes

1/2 pound good bacon cut into bites and cooked until crisp

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

some chopped fresh basil and parsley

Boil potatoes until done then cut into quarters or halves if they are small. Make the dressing by mixing the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, olive oil and a little bit of the hot bacon drippings. Toss the warm potatoes with dressing, bacon and herbs and serve warm. Taste for s&p.

Sauteed Corn and Chanterelles

1 shallot, chopped

couple tablespoons butter

4 ears corn, cut off the cob

handful of chanterelles cut into bite sized pieces

s&p

Saute the shallot (in the bacon pan from the potato salad!) with the butter. Add the corn, cook about 2 min then add the mushrooms and cook another 4 min, until it's tender. S&P to taste.

3 meats for the 4th of July!

2011-07-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

This was a recipe from Jamie Oliver's At Home-cookbook and it was amazing! I did boneless leg of lamb, 1 whole chicken (bone in, but back bone removed, so it can be splayed) and 1 rack of pork ribs so I doubled the sauce. Since it cooks first in the oven I did that part on sunday, then we let it warm up in the back of the grill for about 20 min. then just put them on the hot burners in the front for crispy goodness. Meat fest!!! Side dishes to follow... Happy Independence day!!!

Post Note - There was a fourth meat - bacon in the potato salad!

2011-07-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was craving a good meatball and these are it! So comforting - I served them on spaghetti, but they would be great on a sandwich or over polenta. Yum.

Fresh and tasty!

2011-06-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

I love a good artichoke - especially dipped in this red pepper mayo! Ruth brought these little artichokes from her garden and I steamed them then cut in 1/2 and removed the choke and sprinkled with olive oil and s&p and grilled just to get some marks. The sauce is 3 jarred roasted red peppers and about 1/2 cup mayo in the blender. I sprinkled a little smoked paprika on top too. Yum! Next came my favorite Garbanzo bean soup. It's topped with hard boiled egg and arugula. I made this on the spur as I had some dried garbanzos that I soaked overnight and was going to make hummus - then I decided their wonderful chewy texture should not be pureed. Makes a huge difference - but don't not make it just because you don't have them - a good canned chickpea works too.

They are like pretty flowers!

2011-06-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Cauli-flowers that is! How gorgeous is this?! I was planning on roasting them but decided I wanted a little soup instead. Of course you can use regular white cauliflower, but this mix gave the soup a nice buttery yellow color. My mom always served this soup with some cooked and crumbled Jimmy Dean sausage on top - wish I had some today - had to make do with crumbled bacon.

Easy Cauliflower Soup serves 2

1/2 onion chopped

couple small heads of cauliflower (these were babies!)

1 small potato

olive oil

couple cups whole milk

s&p

Saute the onion in some olive oil. Add the chopped cauliflower and potato and cover with milk. Cook covered about 25 min, or until soft. Puree in a blender or use a hand held blender - leave a little chunky. Add more milk if too thick, taste and s&p. Serve topped with cooked ground sausage or bacon.

A new way to cook in a new climate

2011-06-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

As it heats up in my new town, I'm having to change the way I cook. I remember last year in the summer making a pot roast in SF. I can't even imagine eating, much less cooking a pot roast in this heat! So - I'm on salads and this is one of my favorite and most refreshing. Smoked Salmon Potato Salad with a few blanched green beans added. Don't blow off the horseradish sauce - it makes the dish!

Post Note: I'm even creating a new label - salads!

Scallops and Quinoa - and lots of Quinoa

2011-06-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

First - the whole meal. I've been getting fresh scallops from the farmer's market up here and grilling them. This time I served them on top of a quinoa salad that I made last week. Our friend Linda was in town visiting so I made us an awesome dinner of this as our starter and then I roasted a piece of pork and some scalloped potatoes made with red potatoes and topped with gruyere cheese and grilled asparagus. We had a tasting of cupcakes from Downtown Creamery and Bakery to finish the meal. Now for the quinoa story! Basically - I've never cooked quinoa before. I read the instructions and it said 1 cup equals 2 servings. Well, I don't know if that is for a whole day or what because since I was serving 3 people I doubled the amount and used 2 cups raw quinoa to 4 cups water - well I ended up with enough quinoa for about 12 people! And we ate it for a week! Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, just a little too much - I was giving the stuff away! Anyway, I'm going to try to give the recipe and portions, but I had to keep adding more dressing (and making it as I went) as this stuff just keep coming and coming...

Quinoa Salad serves 6 or more

1 cup quinoa (I used red) Cook according to package directions

1 cup shelled frozen edamame Cook according to package directions

couple carrots, shredded

Dressing: give or take! and to taste!

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Mix the dressing and then pour over cooled quinoa, carrots and edamame. Season to taste with s&p and make more dressing if needed - but you don't want it soaking.

Easy Homemade Granola

2011-06-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have another recipe for granola that has about 15 ingredients and takes a couple hours. This is almost as good and sooo much easier! I actually like the simplicity of it. By making your own, you control the amount of oil and sugar. Next morning all you'll need is a little plain yogurt and some mixed berries and you are set. And a cappuccino...

Simple Cinnamon Pecan Granola makes about 4 cups (store in airtight container for a few weeks)

3 cups old-fashioned oats - not instant or quick cooking

1 and 1/2 cups pecan halves

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4- 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

Heat sugar and water together and stir in the oil and vanilla. Mix oats, pecans, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and then pour in the sugar water tossing to coat well. Pour into a large sheet pan, spreading in a single layer. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 min. then stir and bake another 15 min. Let cool completely in pan, it will crisp up when it's cool.

Post note: It's hard not to pick out and eat all the nuts!

Bringing back the memories

2011-06-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite lunches that my mom used to make for me as a child. She used to cook a turkey breast every couple months so it was always around. We called it Turkey Mush - but for the sake of making sound a little better let's call it Turkey Salad. It's as simple as grinding the cooked turkey breast (must use fresh cooked turkey - not deli meat) in a food processor and adding mayonnaise until it comes together - and it takes a lot more than you would think. Don't grind it so long that it actually turns to mush - you want a little texture - but not huge chunks. That's it. My favorite way to eat it is open faced on toast with dijon mustard spread on the bread. I'm pretty picky about what goes in the processor - my grandmother used to make it and it would have hard bits in it - needless to say I use only breast and sort through it so nothing gross ends up in it. We just found this place in Santa Rosa called Willie Bird Restaurant and they serve hot turkey sandwiches and you can get the fresh roasted and thick sliced turkey to go - that's where I got the turkey for the tettrazini the other day!

As the zucchini turns...

2011-06-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing lots of squash blossoms and zucchini out in the market - so I'm sure some of you have an abundance in your garden (maybe next year for me!) I was hunting around in my vegetable drawer and came up with this side dish - which I think would also make a nice vegetarian dish over rice.

Zucchini Succotash serves 4

About 1 pound of fresh zucchini cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used a mix of different ones I found at the market)

about 1 teaspoon salt

couple tablespoons each olive oil and butter

1 red bell pepper chopped

1/2 onion chopped

fresh corn cut off the cob about 2 to equal a cup

1/2 cup cream

Toss the cubes of zucchini with the salt and put in a colander to let it sweat out the water. After about 30 min, drain and place on a couple paper towels to dry. In a large fry pan heat 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter and when hot add zukes and saute for about 5-7 min or until browned but not mushy. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the rest of the oil and butter and saute the onions and peppers until soft - about 8 min. Add the corn and cook another 2-3 min. Pour in the cream and let cook down a few min. Mix in the squash and let reheat for a couple min - grind in some fresh pepper and taste for salt. Serve as a side dish or over rice.

Feather light dumplings

2011-06-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

I was feeling under the weather the other day and this was the cure! The only way to make this is to have homemade chicken broth - it makes all the difference, as it's really the only thing that flavors this dish. Whenever I have a roasted chicken I freeze the leftover bones in a bag and when I have a bunch I simmer them to make broth. All you have to make then are the dumplings.

Chicken and Feather Dumpling Soup serves 4

Leftover cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces

about 6 cups good homemade broth

3-4 carrots cut into rounds

1 cup flour

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (put a couple slices white bread in a blender)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1 egg beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter

s&p

Bring broth to boil and add carrots. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then in a small bowl mix the milk, egg and butter and then add to dry to make a stiff batter. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the bubbling broth, cover and steam for 20 min. Add the chicken and let warm through - s&p to taste and serve.

Not your mother's Tetrazzini

2011-06-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

And definitely not what you would find on the table at a church supper. This is comfort food at it's best - so bring back casserole night - and don't wait until after Thanksgiving to make this.

Turkey Tetrazzini serves about 8 (I made 2 and put 1/2 in the freezer for later)

12 oz spaghetti (cook in salted water until al dente - couple min. shy of the suggested time)

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

3 cups chicken or turkey stock

2/3 cup cream

about 3 cups cooked roasted turkey diced (or use roasted chicken)

1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter

1/2 onion finely chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

about a cup of mushrooms chopped

couple tablespoons dry sherry

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons melted butter

After you cook the spaghetti, melt the butter in the same pan and then add the flour and cook a few min. Add the stock and cook whisking until thickened. Pour in the cream and cook another 5 min. Set aside. In a saute pan melt the olive oil and butter then cook the onion and pepper. When they are soft saute the mushrooms too and then add the sherry and cook it down. Mix the vegetables into the sauce and then the spaghetti - taste and s&p. Pour into a buttered glass pyrex pan. Mix the melted butter with the parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375 degrees until bubbly and browned about 25 min.

Post note: I had some fresh peas that I tossed in to the mix too.

Beans and Scallops - what a combo!

2011-06-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

I found my last bag of Gigante beans from late last fall in my freezer and remembered my Beans with Pancetta. Then at the farmer's market there were these lovely fresh scallops. I thought they would make the perfect topping. Scallops are super easy to cook - the trick is to not overcook them. In a cast-iron skillet I put a little olive oil and heated it on our new weber side burner (no splattering my new stove!) When super hot I thoroughly dried the scallops and sprinkled on a little s&p and popped them in the pan. Just a couple min on 1 side and then turned over and let brown another couple mins. Then I removed from the heat put in a pat of butter and squeezed in juice from 1/2 meyer lemon. Lay them on top of the beans and drizzled with some pan sauce. Green salad on the side - and you are set!!

Bananas gone bad? Banana bread them!

2011-06-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

I have a very dear friend who stores ziplocs full of black bananas in her freezer - she says someday she's going to make banana bread. Well, here's two recipes to use up all those too ripe bananas!

Banana Bread with Coconut (one large loaf)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 egg

about 1 cup mashed bananas (2)

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 an 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or if you've been really good macadamia nuts - go Hawaiian!)

1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

sprinkling of coconut flakes for top (optional)

Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir together flour, soda, salt and mix in. Lastly add the nuts and coconut and stir. Grease a loaf pan, pour in batter and top with flakes if using bake at 350 degrees for about 50 min, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Banana Bread with chocolate chips and walnuts (3 mini loaves)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (if you want you can use all white flour but this gives it a nice texture and crunch)

1 teaspoon each of baking soda and powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup walnuts

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in mixer then beat in eggs, then bananas and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture and then stir in chips and walnuts. Butter and flour 3 mini loaf pans and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 for about 25 min, or until done.

THE most amazing sauce!!!

2011-06-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

This sauce was to die for! I'm getting the local paper here now and actually looking at what's on special at Big John's Market - a great local store up here. Last week fresh swordfish was on sale for $9.99 a pound - so in the parking lot I found this recipe on Epicurius and we loved it! I think it would be really good on some grilled chicken, or some grilled radicchio or asparagus too...

My side dish was Israeli couscous - this is a larger grained toasted couscous and just soaks up anything you want to add to it. As usual, I just used what was in the fridge. I had a few stalks of asparagus which I blanched for just a min. Then chopped up a red bell pepper, added some chopped olives and feta. To make it all come together I used a little vinaigrette I made and added some extra olive oil with s&p.

Grilled Swordfish with Balsamic Butter serves 2

couple swordfish steaks

splash of lemon olive oil

s&p

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1 and 1/2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

tablespoon capers

bunch of fresh chopped tomatoes (yellow cherry tomatoes were perfect!)

Brush the fish with oil and sprinkle with s&p and grill. In a small saucepan melt the butter and let it cook about 5 min or until it's golden brown and smells nutty, swirling the pan so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and whisk in the vinegar, dijon and honey. Top the grilled fish with the balsamic butter then with chopped tomatoes and a sprinkle of capers. Eat and go straight to heaven!

Breakfast hash - or even for dinner!

2011-06-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

I love this hash! I had grilled some Prather Pork and apple sausages the other night and had a few leftover so I just cut them up and made this little hash with some onions, cut up red potatoes and some italian frying peppers I found at the market. The egg was sort of pan fried/poached. In a non-stick skillet melt some butter and then crack in a very fresh egg. When it has slightly set the white add about a tablespoon of water and cover and cook just a couple min for a nice soft egg. Fresh berries didn't hurt either.

Pantry Cookies - or what do you have on hand

2011-06-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

I used a basic recipe for these oatmeal cookies and just mixed in some extras I had in the pantry and they were great! Feel free to add or subtract based on what you have on hand - get creative. Next time I'm going to try walnuts, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips...

Pantry Oatmeal Cookies made about 24

1/2 cup white flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or use all white)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, room temp

5 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup oatmeal (not instant)

Add in options:

use 1 cup chips (I used 1/2 peanut butter and 1/2 semi sweet chocolate)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (you could skip this, but it was good - just added more texture)

Whisk together dry ingredients. In mixer beat butter with sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in your options. Form into about 24 large balls and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 min, cool on rack.

Post Note: the cookies on the bottom are the 2nd batch with the white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup walnuts and the 1/2 cup coconut - OMG - even better than the first batch!!!

A trip to Spain - in your mouth!

2011-05-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

You know how I love to plan a meal - well this was perfect, if I do say so myself! Richard's dad was visiting so I made us a special Spanish style dinner. It was so nice out we ate the appetizers outside. To start I made the first Padrons of the season - yummy!

Next I served sauteed wild mushrooms (secret to making these special besides the great mushrooms is to add dry sherry at the end) on whole wheat walnut toast with a little chevre - the mushrooms were meaty and the goat cheese gave them a nice sharp bite.

Our main course was Spanish Brisket with carrots and fideo noodles and an amazing salad. For the salad I picked a mix of butter lettuce and romaine from Malin's garden next door then tossed with fresh pitted cherries, slivers of manchego cheese and marcona almonds. Just a simple dressing of sherry wine vinegar with a dash of honey, dijon mustard and a walnut oil and voila! Don't forget lots of fresh ground pepper!

Spanish Brisket serves 4 adapted from Food & Wine

1 tablespoon smoked spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper

3 to 4 pound beef brisket

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion

couple diced garlic cloves

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 bay leaf

pinch of saffron threads (if you don't have, no worries)

3/4 cup dry sherry

handful of green olives

bunch of carrots

Mix spices and spread on beef. In a roasting pan large enough to fit the roast add the oil and brown the meat on both sides. Remove meat to a platter. Add the onions and garlic and saute until soft then add tomatoes, broth, vinegar, bay leaf, saffron and sherry. Return the beef, bring to a boil and then cover with foil and put in a 325 degree oven for about 2 hours. Turn the brisket after an hour and add the olives and carrots. If you can stand to wait a day (it tasted better that way!) then let it cool and put the juices in another bowl. The next day skim off the fat from the sauce and then slice the brisket across the grain and return to the pan with the carrots and sauce and reheat for about 30 min. Serve with Fideo.

Fideo

1/2 onion thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil (I used the oil that I fried the padrons in!)

8 oz fideo noodles (small spanish or mexican noodles - could use broken spaghettini)

1 and 1/4 cup chicken broth ( I used some tomato water - drained off my canned tomatoes as part of the broth)

s&p

Saute the onions in the oil then add the noodles and let brown, stirring often. Add the broth and simmer about 10 min, or til liquid is absorbed, and pasta is tender - adding more liquid if needed. S&P to taste.

BLTA - without fresh tomatoes?

2011-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

In the winter my fresh tomato usage goes to nil. I would rather do without than have those tasteless, grainy hard blobs. But now that avocados are here and I had some bacon I decided to break out some roasted tomatoes that I had in the freezer to make this BLRTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Roasted Tomato and Avocado) We had fresh whole wheat sourdough from Costeaux in Healdsburg and I lightly toasted it with some mayo added of course. Very rich and tasty - this will hold me until MY tomatoes are ripe! - Richard's dad was here instructing him on planting...

A meal is a meal or is it something else?

2011-05-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

"I'm not looking for an experience, I just want a meal" If you know me, then you know that is not something that would come out of my mouth. And actually, I'm not really looking for an experience either - I just want a really great meal. Not JUST a meal. I hate what I refer to as a wasted meal. That's when I'm really hungry and I don't have anything to eat that I want and I just have to stop and eat something. For me that's not usually something like a fast food meal, but actually just not something I'm craving. I like to think about something and then either get it or make it. Eating is a joy. A pleasurable experience for me. I love the tastes, the textures, going to the market and seeing what's in season, planning the meal, serving it to someone and seeing the joy and satisfaction on their face too. People get wrapped up in what they should or shouldn't eat - that's just sad to me. I try to eat what makes me happy - within reason! Moderation is key if you ask me. I'll even include a fast food meal in the mix - just more like once a year, not weekly. Here's to no wasted meals - make it count!

"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

Ahhh, the weather up here...

2011-05-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

It's getting so lovely! Made this quick supper the other night and served it with Simi's Roseto. Such a refreshing meal! I had also picked roses from my neighbors yard that day, so this will be my Rose Dinner.

Grilled salmon, asparagus and sausage with my sauteed fresh white corn. Perfection. I can't believe I haven't shared this corn recipe before - I just searched my blog and didn't find it - so here you go.

Fried Corn

1 and 1/2 ears per person (I was serving 3 so I did 5 ears) and leftovers are not a bad thing, so do as many as you feel like cutting off the cob.

butter

crazy salt

Get really fresh corn - white is really starting to show up here now and it's super sweet. Shuck, wash and then cut off the cob. Over the years I've bought various contraptions to do this, but in the end you just need a large wide bowl and a sharp knife. I cut the kernels off then with the dull side of the knife, run it down again to get all the rest and the juices. Melt some butter in a large saute pan - at least a tablespoon per person, pour in the corn and add a little water. Let this all saute on medium heat for maybe 10 min. I like mine a little less done. At the end stir in a little more butter to make it creamy and salt with crazy salt. One of my summer favorites! For a fancy version saute some chanterelles and add to the corn.

Post note: Leftovers would be great in a little potato soup...

WOW! Croissant Pudding and Kitchen preview

2011-05-21T14:24:00.001-07:00

Ok, now I'm doing a second post today - after a month of silence - I just can NOT keep quiet about this decadent, creamy, luscious, easy snack I made this afternoon. I've read this recipe in one of Nigella's cookbooks many times but never had the leftover croissant to try it. I only had one, so I halved the recipe and reduced the sugar a little too and let me tell you it was hard to stop eating it. As she says it'll make you "swoon". Although I don't personally see it as dinner; breakfast, snack or late night munchie craving more like.

Also - a little preview of my new kitchen in the works...

No, I haven't quit

2011-05-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

But I have taken a big break. With the move and all I guess I had so much else to do and I got out of the habit, so I'm going to try to get motivated to cook AND blog. In the meantime I volunteered to work Passport weekend up here at Mauritson Winery with Chef Charlie Palmer. It was a lot of fun, met some very nice people and had all the "Panko and sesame crusted shrimp with a citrus aioli" and sauvignon blanc I could eat/drink. Try saying that a thousand times. It was exhausting, but I did get paid in wine! Gotta love that - I now have a growing cellar. Yes, will work for wine! Charlie was a very nice guy - will

have to try his restaurant up here Dry Creek Kitchen.

One meal by special request...

2011-04-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

And what a perfect meal it was, we had this the night after our "fried" lunch. These are Pam's special black-eyed peas. I happened to see them in the freezer (fresh from the farm originally) and put in my request for this for "supper". They were really tasty, Pam doesn't have a recipe, but here are the basics. Brown some chopped bacon, add some chopped onions and cook until soft, toss in a little chopped garlic then add peas and chicken stock to cover with a few bay leaves and simmer. After about 30 min she added some cut up new potatoes and let it cook another 45 min or so - served alongside some cornbread of course!

Texas- Mediterranean Style

2011-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

I thought after my totally fried meal it might be nice to have a lighter style meal. Pam and Philip generously allowed me to camp out at their house all week, so I volunteered to cook dinner for them and 4 of their friends. I usually do this kind of a meal with lamb, but decided to use chicken tenders instead. It was a warm week and this meal was the perfect antidote - along with some chilled white wine!

Grilled Chicken Souvlaki serves about 6

2 lbs chicken tenders

1 cup plain greek style yogurt (it's nice and thick)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

couple cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

s&p

1 tablespoon spanish paprika

dash cayenne

1 lemon, juice 1/2 into and slice the other half

Fixin's = see below

Mix together all above and let marinate a couple hours. Pull the chicken out and grill about 10-15 min, or until cooked. Serve with warmed pitas, sliced tomatoes, red onions, mixed lettuce, hummus and extra yogurt - I mixed into the yogurt some lemon juice, diced cucumbers and chopped mint - talk about refreshing! We served this with my Cold Rice Salad and started with Roasted Red Pepper Goat Cheese dip.

Now, for dessert - Tres Leches cake - I know, it sounds very rich, but I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup and used only 3/4 of the can of sweetened condensed milk and I would make this again - it was easy and tasty - just remember to make it the night before, as it needs to set and soak up all those milks - I think this should be called quatro leches as there are technically 4 milks! Oh, just remembered - we didn't use the cloves (didn't want to bother straining the milk) but we did decide later that some nutmeg would have made a good addition - and last but not least - Pam was low on her special fancy vanilla - so we just added some fancy bourbon - delicious!!

Fried, Fried and FRIED!

2011-04-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of Texas - where chicken fried steak is on every menu (kind of like a beet salad out here!) and the hottest new item is fried dill pickles. I went with my friends Pam and Philip to see their amazing new house built out of stone and on the way back we stopped in Cross Plains and ate at The Staghorn Cafe. We started with fried dill pickles - they were wonderful - not too salty and they stayed crispy - quite a feat! Served with ranch dressing of course. I ordered the chicken fried steak sandwich with fried okra - the okra was just ok (not really in season yet) but oh the sandwich! It was incredibly tender; almost like they had chicken fried a hamburger. With a soft bun, iceberg lettuce, tomato slices and mayo - perfection! I'm SO not getting my cholesterol checked anytime soon.

Is that color really found in nature???

2011-04-13T21:19:00.001-07:00

I could not resist this hot pink muffin! It was strawberry "flavored". I doubt a strawberry has been within a mile of this - but - I have to admit it was still pretty tasty! This was my first breakfast out in Abilene, as I went to visit my mom this last week. Stay tuned - it gets better than this!

My last meal prepared on plywood - NOT!

2011-04-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I've been waiting and waiting for my new counter top. On my birthday (Feb 5th!) we ordered a Silestone quartz from Home Depot. The salesman said it would take 2 weeks from template measurement. A week later they came and measured and I was told it would be 3-4 weeks. At the 4 week date they called and said my color choice of White North was on back order. You didn't know this 4 weeks ago?? They generously offered to upgrade my color choice and said I could go to HD and pick out a new one, that they had another very similar color. One small detail - the other color had sparkles in it. Now, I'm a sparkly girl; I like diamonds. But not in my counter top! Not to mention the fact that I've designed the rest of the kitchen around this color choice. So I said, as long as it's not going to be 6 months wait, then that's the one I want. Meanwhile, I have plywood down and no sink - which makes cooking rather tricky. Luckily my neighbor Malin has graciously allowed us use of her kitchen. Anyway, yesterday (note it was April fool's) I got a call that it was finally in and they were coming to install it saturday - today. So, last night I cooked my "last" meal on plywood - a really good version of my Mediterranean Lamb. Every time I make this I do things a little differently. This time since tomatoes are out of season, I used some roasted tomatoes that I had in the freezer and it added an amazing depth of flavor. I also used a chipolte chickpea dip I found at the Jimtown store, a little crumbled feta, some fresh mint and baby salad with a drizzle of olive oil and Rich said "wow - is this a new recipe?" - just a different twist! The good news about this dish is all you need is a grill!

So, when they arrived this morning and put the template down, it was 1/2 to 1 inch space between it and my stove - not acceptable! Especially since they said they were going to cut it 1/8 of an inch away. So, no counter top still. Waaaaaahhh!

And I'm sick of paper plates too!!!