Another Year in my Kitchen

2012-07-26T12:06:00.001-07:00

Slow-Cooked Chicken with White Wine and Cream Sauce

This recipe is rich and creamy, and the aroma of it cooking all day really tempted me to sneak a taste or two. I felt drawn to the slow cooker and gazed into the clear lid, but I knew that lifting the lid was a "mortal sin" for slow-cooked food. The chicken falls off the bone as you lift it out of the cooker and leaves some of the meat in the sauce, which just adds to the richness of the sauce. When you ladle it onto the chicken, it almost looks like stew or soup. Regardless, messy or not, this recipe will not disappoint you.

Most of the recipes I have tried lately that include wine as an ingredient have required red wine. And since I mostly drink red wine these days, I had to buy a small container or white for this recipe. I chose a crispy, dry white wine that worked great.

(While this dish isn't real conducive to those on a diet, it is worth the extra calories for an

occasional "slip" from your diet.)

Enjoy!

6 (12 oz.) pieces of bone-in split chicken breasts or thighs (I used thighs)
1/2 cup EVOO - separated
1 pkg. brown mushrooms - sliced or quartered
1 tbsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 garlic cloves - minced
1/4 cup all-purpose white flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 can low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 lb. carrots - peeled, halved lengthwise - sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
sea salt and pepper - for seasoning and at the end for taste

Dry the chicken with paper towel and season with sea salt and pepper. Heat 1/4 cup EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin side down and brown lightly. Once browned, place chicken on a plate and set aside. (You can remove the skin once it has cooled if desired - I left it on).

Add the other 1/4 cup EVOO to the same skillet along with the mushrooms, minced onion, thyme, and 1/4 tsp. sea salt. Cook over medium heat - about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic. Whisk in flour and white wine until mixture is well-blended. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Gently stir in broth, carrots, and Worcestershire sauce into slow cooker. Place chicken in slow cooker with the meatiest part facing up. Cover and cook on low-setting 5 to 6 hours. When cooking time is done, remove the chicken from slow cooker and place meat in a wide, shallow bowl or a casserole dish. The meat will slide off the bone easily. Once chicken is removed, stir the cream into the sauce and blend evenly. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve. Makes 4 hearty or 6 smaller-sized portions.

NOTE: The sauce from this recipe would be great on masked potatoes, rice, or even steamed vegetables, You could even dip bread sticks or warm homemade bread in it!!

EVOO = Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil

2012-07-23T12:47:00.001-07:00

Italian Vegetable Stew

When I make a dish, I usually give part of it away or, as of late, freeze portions as I always make more than I can eat by myself. Especially if my kids aren't interested in trying the food, which is usually the case. BUT....I actually kept all of this recipe for myself. I ate it for two days - as a meal - and then eventually put the rest in the freezer for later This stew is delicious and great with the homemade bread I made. (The recipe for this will be in my cookbook "Another Year in My kitchen - 2012." The stew is filling and easy to embellish with your favorite vegetables. A true "comfort food."

P.S. You may notice a "slow cooker" trend here.....My mom gave me her's - which is bigger than my old one! Thanks, Mom!!

1/4 cup EVOO (Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil)
1 eggplant - about 1 pound - cut into 1" chunks
1 can diced, salt-free tomatoes - drained (keep the juice for later)
1 small onion - diced
1 red bell pepper - chopped (minus the white rind and seeds, of course)
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano - dried
3 cans vegetable broth - salt-free if you can find it
1 lb. golden potatoes - peeled and diced
2 med. or small zucchini - peeled and diced
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. garlic salt
black pepper
Parmesan cheese - grated

Heat 2 tbsp. EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. Coast the chopped eggplant pieces in the oil and lightly brown on all sides - about 6 to 7 minutes. Once done, place in slow cooker.

Heat remaining EVOO in the same skillet and add tomatoes, red bell pepper, minced garlic, tomato paste, oregano, garlic salt, and the onion and cook until mixture becomes thick - about 10 minutes. Stir in one can of the vegetable broth and gently stir to blend ingredients. Place the thickened mixture in the slow cooker and combine with the eggplant. Stir in the juice saved from the canned tomatoes and the other two cans of vegetable broth. Cover and cook for about 6 hours on the low-setting of the slow cooker.

After the 6 hours, stir in the zucchini and basil, cover, and cook on the high-setting for another 45 minutes to one hour. When ready to serve, sprinkle individual servings with grated Parmesan cheese and additional EVOO (if desired). Makes 6 hearty servings.

2012-07-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe and the History of the Dutch Oven

(A.K.A. Slow Cooker)

This past winter, I was standing at the check-out with my groceries, and, as usual, I had a few minutes to leaf through the magazines that were strategically placed there, seemingly just for me. And, as usual, I don't do a very good job of talking myself out of buying ANOTHER cooking magazine. I spotted a magazine with recipes exclusively for slow cookers. What was unusual about this particular magazine, was that there were LOTS of delicious-sounding/looking recipes (rather than the usual few) that convinced me that I absolutely HAD to buy it. So I did. This magazine and its recipes inspired the topic and recipe for this posting.

Below you will find a recipe for Slow-Cooked Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Pulled Pork. It is a "tweeked" version of a recipe I found in the slow cooker magazine I bought last winter. Since it made far more than I could ever eat by myself, I gave some to my friend and co-worker, David, and he LOVED it! Sooooo, I gave him more the next day and the reaction was the same. This told me that this dish will keep for a couple of days after making it and that you could probably freeze portions of it, too.

Being the "Geek" that I am, I wondered where the term "Dutch Oven" came from and did a little research. Hence, the article History of the Dutch Oven was born. It follows the recipe, so be sure to read it.

As always, thanks for checking out my latest post and let me know what you think.

Bon Appetite!!

Slow-Cooked Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Pulled Pork

2 1/2 to 3-lb. boneless pork roast 1 small onion - chopped (optional) 3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup red bell pepper - chopped 1/3 cup brown sugar - packed 1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup orange bell pepper - chopped 1 clove garlic - minced 1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth - low-sodium 1 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Remove any excess fat from the pork roast and cut it in pieces if you need to so that it will fit in your slow cooker. Mine is a medium-sized cooker, so I didn't need to cut it up very much. Put the pork in the slow cooker and add the peppers and optional onion. Sprinkle with the dried herbs. Pour the chicken broth over the top. Cover and cook on low-heat for 9 to 10 hours - or on the high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. I used the low-heat setting because I put it in one day before work so it could cook all day.

For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine the Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, ketchup, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and sea salt. (Yes, sea salt. For the reason, refer to my posting Worth Its Salt) Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir the mixture so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the pork is done, you can either take it out of the slow cooker to pull the pork apart - or you can leave it in the slow cooker. Use two forks to gently shred the pork. Drain the liquid out of the cooker. If you use a liner for your cooker, you can CAREFULLY pick up the edges of the liner and drain the liquid out. The idea is to get the excess liquid out so that you don't dilute the sauce. Cover and cook for an hour on the low-heat setting. The low-setting will allow the sauce to blend nicely with the pork and veggies.

You can serve the pulled pork on any kind of bread or buns, You could also serve it on mashed potatoes. YUM! This recipe makes enough pork for about 15 to 18 good--sized slider-sized sandwiches.

NOTE: I always use the plastic liners they make for slow cookers and sell in the baggie section of the grocery store. They make clean-up soooooooo much easier.

And now.......

What Did People Do Before Slow Cookers?

Long, long, long time ago, before the invention of the slow cooker lots of people now own, including me, food that was supposed to cook slowly for a long time was prepared in cast-iron pots called Dutch ovens. The Dutch oven is a very distinctive piece of cookware, which is made from a single piece of cast iron. This oven was used throughout the early history of the U.S. So where did the "Dutch" part come from? Well, of course it comes from Holland. You know, where Dutch people live?

Seriously, the Dutch ovens we know were made and patented by an English guy named Abraham Darby in 1708, who went to Holland to study how the Dutch made their ovens. In the 1600s, the Dutch had a much greater system for molding iron than England. They produced their molds through sand, which gave them a smoother surface area than English molds. In the beginning, Abe sold his pots to British households. As interest grew, he shipped them to the American colonies. The oven was modified to suit the American market. The shape changed a bit and was made more shallow than the original ovens. Legs were also eventually added so that it could stand right over an open fire. These modified ovens were a better fit for American households where it could be positioned over an open fire or over a fire in a fireplace.

The Dutch oven became very popular rather quickly as it was durable and great for traveling. Lewis and Clarke even took one on the expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase. It was an all-in-one-pot - you could use it for boiling, frying, stewing, roasting, and even baking. It was easy to pack and unpack for the pioneers as they made their way West. The pot eventually became associated with cowboys and wagon trains traveling over the prairie.

The Dutch oven became so important and valued that it was often bequeathed to a loved one in a will. The Dutch oven inspired the development of cast-iron frying pans, bake ware, molds, and many other modern-day kitchen essentials. The beauty of cooking with cast-iron products is that they evenly distribute heat as the slowly heat up. It'll even keep your food warm after cooking.

Many modern-day cast-iron products come pre-seasoned, layered with enamel, are mainly used indoors, and come with life-time warranties. They are also a staple for many campers. However, the traditional Dutch oven remains a symbol of the American West. In fact, the Dutch oven has been named the "state cooking vessel" (I didn't know that states had such a thing) for Texas, Utah, and Arkansas. There are Dutch oven associations and clubs across the U.S. that represent the heritage and traditions of the Dutch oven, including: International Dutch Oven Society (IDOS), Northwest Dutch Oven Society, Columbia Basin Dutch Oven Society, Nevada Dutch Oven Society, Kast Iron Kookers, Heart;land of the Prairie Dutch Oven Society, and Flint River Dutch Oven Society.

2012-07-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Shrimp:

History, Information, and Two Recipes

"Squilla" is Latin for shrimp. "Shrimpe" comes from Middle English and meant "pygmy."

Both ancient Greeks and Romans had access to really large specimens and ate shrimp prepared in lots of different ways. Apicius, an ancient Roman author, collected recipes for shrimp in his cookbook. History shows that as far back as the 7th century travelers like Marco Polo mentioned shrimp as a staple in Chinese diets. In Louisiana, harvesting shrimp dates back to the 17th century where nets up to 600 feet in diameter were used to scoop them up from the Gulf of Mexico.

And.... there actually IS a Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant and Market that was inspired by the movie Forrest Gump. As of late 2010, there were 32 restaurants in operation around the world.

There are TONS of restaurants that either have the word "shrimp" in its name or advertises preparing shrimp as its specialty. For example, The Shrimp Boat (FL), Sea Island Shrimp House (TX), Killer Shrimp (CA), Frank's Chicago Shrimp House (IL), The Shrimp Basket (AL, FL), JACK Shrimp Restaurant (CA), Shrimp 'N Stuff (TX), Shrimp & Co. (FL), The Boiling Shrimp (CA), Shrimp King (NJ), Goose Island Shrimp House (FL), Mr. Shrimp (NJ), The Shrimp Station (HI) - the list goes on and on. It's not surprising that the many of them are based in states close to the ocean that have access to shrimp on a daily basis. If you were to decide to open your own restaurant that specializes in shrimp-based entrees, you might be hard-pressed to come up with a name that hasn't been used before.

Today, the U.S. harvests over a half million pounds of shrimps and imports another 200 million pounds each year, more than any other country. There are more than 2,000 species of shrimp in the world and the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic waters there are five species that are commercially harvested. Four of those species are recognized by their shell color - white, brown, pink, and red. The fifth species is "Rock Shrimp," which if found in deep water and have a tough, rock-hard shell - hence the name. Sometimes shrimp are called prawns, but prawns are a completely different species in the lobster family.

Shrimp can be caught in the wild or farm-raised. Shrimp that is caught in its natural habitat are found in bays, estuaries, and oceans. The species that are popular commercially in the U.S. are cold water, warm water, and freshwater shrimp. The restaurant locations mentioned above would verify that fact.

I love shrimp and can always eat it prepared in boiling water with Old Bay seasoning. I decided to test out some new shrimp recipes that turned out to be delicious, too. I've included two in this post and will continue to post any that I feel are noteworthy. Let me know what you think!

Baked Shrimp in Lemony Garlic Sauce

This simple baked shrimp recipe takes less than 20 minutes and includes ingredients that you probably have on hand or aren't hard to find. You can serve this dish with a nice artisan bread to soak up any extra sauce you might have.

1 1/4 lbs.large shrimp - peeled and deveined

PAM

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. light butter - melted

3 garlic cloves - minced

1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

2 tbsp. fresh parsley - chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in a 13x90inch baking dish coated with PAM. Combine lemon juice, butter, garlic cloves, lemon-pepper seasoning, and red pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle parsley over shrimp. Serve immediately.

Shrimp-Artichoke Frittata
This could be an appetizer as well as a meal. But when you're cooking for just yourself - this recipe is the MEAL - with some to spare for later. It heats up easily the next day in the microwave. Like I said, for just me - it was a bonus to have the second meal. Low calorie, too!

4 oz. fresh or frozen raw shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/4 cup skim milk
4-oz artichoke hearts - canned or frozen
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups Egg Beaters
PAM
1/4 cup green onion - thinly sliced
1/4 tbsp. parsley flakes
3 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese - finely shredded
1/8 tsp. pepper
Cherry tomatoes - cut in quarters

Thaw shrimp if using frozen shrimp. For either, rinse the shrimp; pat dry. Halve shrimp lengthwise; set aside. Thaw artichoke if using frozen artichoke hearts. For either, cut in quarters; set aside. Stir together Egg Beaters, milk, onions, garlic powder, and pepper; set aside. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet with PAM. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp to skillet; cook shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour egg mixture into skillet; do not stir. As the egg mixture sets, run a spatula underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edges until mixture is almost set (top will be wet).

Remove skillet from heat; sprinkle with artichoke heart quarters evenly over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand - covered - for 3 to 4 minutes or until top is set. Loosen edges of frittata. Transfer to a serving plate; cut into wedges to serve. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and parsley. Makes 3 servings.

Thanks for ready my latest post.

And, as Julia would say. "Bon Appetite!"

2012-06-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Which Salt is Worth Its Salt?

Have you ever come across delicious-sounding recipes that listed a particular type of salt in the ingredients that you did not have on hand - and actually used iodized table salt instead??? Don't worry, lots of people have done it, including me. After reading a book that described a taste-test for different kinds of salt, I began to wonder about the differences between all the kinds of salt I have seen in recipes and on cooking shows. Here's some of the interesting history (you know I have to tell the history of foods in my postings) and characteristics I learned about the different kinds of salt.

"cum grano salis"

"With a grain of salt."

This is said to be one of the most familiar Latin expressions. When one does not fully believe something or someone, cum grano salis, suggests a certain caution or reserve.

Salt was a valuable commodity in the ancient world, so a grain of salt is not to be taken as a trivial matter.

Salt of the Earth: We Can’t Live Without It

"Not worth his salt."
"Rub salt in a wound."
"True to his salt."
"Salt an invoice"
"With a grain of salt."
"Salty wit, salty personality, salty dog."
"Salad, salsa, salami."
"True to his salt."

Salt runs through the English language in a thick vein; and no wonder, since it runs the same way through history, religion, folktales, superstitions, geology, physiology, and nearly every aspect of daily living, from cosmetics and clothing to gasoline and our meals.

History of Salt

As far back as 6050 BC, salt has been an important and integral part of the world’s history, as it has been interwoven into the daily lives of countless historic civilizations. Used as a part of Egyptian religious offerings and valuable trade between the Phoenicians and their Mediterranean empire, salt and history have been inextricably intertwined for millennia, with great importance placed on salt by many different races and cultures of people. Even today, the history of salt touches our daily lives.

In ancient times, salt (or the lack of it) could drastically affect the health of entire populations. Trade in salt was very important, and salt was valuable enough to be used as currency in some areas. The Latin phrase "salarium argentum," "salt money," referred to part of the payment made to every Roman soldier, and the word has been carried down the ages into the English word "salary." Everyone must have salt, so it has been a commodity much abused by attempts at monopoly, by individuals, corporations, cities, and nations. The city of Rome may have begun as a salt-trading center, like Venice after it. Certainly the salt traders of the Roman port of Ostia raised the price so high that the state was forced to take over the industry about 506 BC. Man-made salt-ponds along the Mediterranean shore date back to Roman times, and it is inevitable that we will find older ones. Salt was already being mined in the Alps when Rome was founded.

The fact is that throughout history, salt—called sodium chloride by chemists—has been such an important element of life that it has been the subject of many stories, fables and folktales and is frequently referenced in fairy tales. It served as money at various times and places, and it has been the cause of bitter warfare. Offering bread and salt to visitors, in many cultures, is traditional etiquette. It is used in making pottery. While we have records of the importance of salt in commerce in Medieval times and earlier, in some places like the Sahara, China, and Nepal, salt trading today gives a glimpse of what life may have been like centuries ago.

(Click on the blue words to learn more about the history of salt in these historical eras and regions.)

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*Kosher Salt*

Why Use It?

You can use Kosher salt for all types of cooking. It dissolves fast so the flavor blends into food quickly.

Origin of Kosher Salt

Kosher salt comes from either the ocean or the earth. It is widely sold by companies that include Morton (seen above) and Diamond Crystal. This type of salt got its name because its thick, bumpy crystals that make it perfect for curing meat―a step in the koshering process.

Texture

Kosher salt is coarse. The roughness of the crystals makes it easy to putt a "pinch of salt" in a recipe.

Verdict

Definitely worth its salt.

Crystalline Sea Salt

Why Use It?

Crystalline sea salt adds a burst of sharp, strong flavor to food that has just finished cooking. It is great for salmon, salads, and fresh, cooked vegetables.

Origin of Crystalline Salt

Crystalline sea salt comes from a wide variety of areas, including Maine, Portugal, California, and other regions of the Pacific Rim.

Texture

Crystalline sea salt can be fine or coarse. The size of the crystals determines how fast it dissolves. The minerals in crystalline sea salt can affect the color. For example, iron-rich, red clay gives Hawaiian sea salt a pinkish shade. Natural impurities can give crystalline seas salt a sweet, bitter, or even briny flavor.

Verdict

Also worth its salt.

*Flaked Sea Salt*

Why Use It?

Flaked seas salt will add a complex, or

Origin of Flaked Sea Salt

Flaked sea salt originated on England's Essex coast where the most popular brand, "Maldon" (as shown above), is harvested.

Texture

Flaked sea salt has a soft, sheer, pyramid-like shape. This type of salt is the fastest-dissolving of all the salt grains.

Verdict

Also worth its salt.

*Fleur de Sel*

Why Use It?

Fleur de Sel have light, delicate flakes of pure sea salt that dissolve instantly when sprinkled into food. It is a special-occasion table salt. It adds the perfect hint of saltiness to fresh foods like sliced tomatoes or melon.

Origin of Fleur de Sel

Fleur de sel, which literally means "flower of salt," has been hand-gathered on the island of Ré, off France's Atlantic coast, since the seventh century. These fine, light crystals have a delicate flavor and high concentration of minerals, making them the perfect finishing salt. It "blooms like a flower" on fresh food.

Texture

Fleur de Sel has a crystalline texture making it melt slowly in your mouth. Its earthy, pleasing flavor lingers on the tongue.

Verdict

Absolutely worth its salt.

*Rock Salt*

Why Use It

Rock salt is used for making ice cream. It is used in old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream makers to regulate temperature. You can also use it to melt the ice on your sidewalk in the winter.

Origin of Rock Salt

Made from pure mined salt from ancient salt deposits, this salt is all natural with no additives. It is not sold for use directly on food.

Texture

Rock salt has coarse, chunky, nonuniform crystals. Minerals and other harmless impurities can give it a grayish color.

Verdict

Worth its salt as long as you only use it for making ice cream. (Or melting that pesky ice on your front porch.)

*Pickling Salt*

Why Use It?

Pickling salt is used for canning purposes. It can brine pickles and sauerkraut, as well as a turkey. Pickling salt is way more concentrated than Kosher salt, so be careful how you use it. I recommend using it for canning only.

Origin of Pickling Salt

Like table salt, pickling salt can come from the earth or the ocean. But unlike table salt, pickling salt is not fortified with iodine - which is a nutritional need for humans. It doesn't contain anti-caking chemicals either. Virtually 100% sodium chloride, it's the purest of salts.

Texture

Pickling salt is fine-grained, like table salt.

Verdict

Worth its salt if you only use it for canning purposes.

*Iodized Table Salt*

Why Use It? Where it is in Our Diet?

Humans require trace amounts of iodine, a non-metallic mineral, for proper development and growth. If you are eating a healthy, balanced, varied diet, you're probably getting enough iodine and don't need to use iodized salt. If you aren't, then you might wqant to consider continuing to add it to the food you eat.

We can get iodine naturally by eating saltwater fish and seafood, kelp and other sea vegetables as well as vegetables grown in soils that contain iodine. Dairy products also provide iodine if the animals graze on plants growing in iodine-rich soils. Use both unrefined (gray) and refined (white) sea salt, which I prefer to commercial salts that often have additives I don't like, such as aluminum compounds to prevent caking. Sea salt contains trace amounts of iodine.

Origin

See Above......

Texture

Table salt is usually fine in texture, meaning that the grains are very small and easily dissolve in liquid.

Verdict

If you are eating plenty of seafoods — saltwater fish and/or sea vegetables — you don't need to add iodized table salt to your diet. However, if you avoid most of the foods mentioned here, you may want to reconsider getting iodized salt, just to be on the safe side.

In other words, only use as needed and worth its salt if your health depends upon it. Otherwise, use Kosher, Crystalline, or Flaked sea salt - or Fleur de Sel. So....Iodized table salt - not always worth its salt.

I Need to Eat More Veggies - Here are Some Delicious Ways to "Kick 'em Up a Notch!"

2012-04-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

I Need to Eat More Veggies - Here are Some Delicious Ways to "Kick 'em Up a Notch!"

I don't care what anyone says, you HAVE to eat your veggies....but they don't HAVE to be boring. We all get older and some of us need a bit more "roughage" in our diet - and vegetables are a means to and end.....Ahem - well, you know what I mean!!

Anyway, these are some easy ways to "Kick Up" your vegetables a "notch" - or two...(I really miss watching Emeril Live!) Let me know what you think or if you have one to share - please do. These recipes are molto bene!

Baked Vegetables

2 potatoes - peeled and cubed
4 carrots - cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head fresh broccoli - cut into florets
4 zucchini - thinly sliced
garlic salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil (I always used Extra Light Virgin)
1 1-oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish. Combine vegetables in the oiled baking dish, and sprinkle lightly with garlic sat. Brush the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. You can feel with a fork when they are ready. YUM!!

Marinated Barbequed Vegetables

1 small eggplant - cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
2 small red bell peppers - seeded and cut into wide strips
3 zucchini - sliced thinly
small pkg. mushrooms - stems removed
1/4 cup olive oil (as said above, I always use Extra Light olive oil)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh broccoli - coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced

Place eggplant, red bell peppers, zucchinis and mushrooms in a medium bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, basil and garlic. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Preheat outdoor grill for high heat. Place vegetables directly on the grill or on skewers. Cook on the prepared grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, brushing frequently with the marinade, or to desired doneness. (Is that a word?)

Marinated Asparagus

2 lbs. fresh asparagus - trimmed and cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh parsley - chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus just until tender - about 1 minute. PLUNGE (I like that word) into a bowl of cold water to cool. Drain the asparagus and place it in a large zip-lock baggie. Before sealing, pour in the vinaigrette and then seal the bag. Refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Just before serving, drain the asparagus, reserving the vinaigrette. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon zest, parsley, sea salt, and pepper. Serve reserved vinaigrette in a small dish on the side. This is a great compliment to grilled steaks!! or fish!!

Asparagus Bruschetta

Don't forget, real Italians pronounce "Bruschetta" like "brush-ketta." I learned that in an Italian cooking class I took with Susan many years ago.......Sigh.....

3 cups water
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus - trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups grape tomatoes - halved
1/4 cup fresh basil - minced
3 green onions - chopped
3 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
12 slices French Baguette or Italian bread - toasted
1/2 cup feta cheese - crumbled (or blue cheese if you prefer - I don't care for blue, so I haven't tried this with blue cheese.)

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus; cover and boil for 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. In a bowl, combine asparagus, tomatoes, basil, onions, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, lime peel, salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, spoon asparagus mixture onto the toasted bread. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Tortellini Meatball Soup

2012-01-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Tortellini Meatball Soup

This soup is marvelous! It is tender and has "girth." (I remember a guy I liked in college coined the word "girth" to describe life and all that it holds....Thanks, John!) Anyway, this soup is tender and not overly spiced. I suppose you could spice it up if you prefer more spice, but the recipe below will reflect that which I did to create what I call "comfort food." Today I took my 18-year-old son to the hospital as he did not look well and had already been diagnosed with pneumonia 10 days earlier. This soup was a welcome "Mommy Soup" and was very well-received. It is "magnifico!"

2 tbsp. minced dried onion
1 cup pre-cut crinkle carrot chips
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cans beef broth - low-sodium
1 cup water - more if necessary
1 9-oz. pkg. frozen cheese-filled tortellini
8 oz. frozen Italian-Style meatballs
2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 pkg 10-oz. frozen spinach - thawed and dried
3/4 red pepper - chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper - to taste
1 tsp. dried basil

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook onion, carrots, Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic in hot olive oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beef broth and water and bring to a boil. Stir in tortellini and meatballs. Return to boiling - then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the thawed, drained spinach, red pepper, and lemon juice. Simmer - uncovered - about 10 minutes or until tortellini are tender.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

History of Tortellini

Although tortellini are undoubtedly a food from Emilia, the origin of this famous pasta dish is unclear. One thing is for sure and that is that tortellini are fairly ancient. There is a recipe for tortelli, larger tortellini, that dates back to the 12th century, while the first recipe for tortellini alla Bolognese comes from 1550. From that moment on, tortellini have held a special place in the cuisine of Bologna.

There are many legends told about this dish: one of the most famous, written by Cerri in the 14th century, recounts that Mars, Bacchus and Venus came down to earth to intervene in the 12th century war between the people of Modena and Bologna. Having arrived at the battle site, the three guests decided to spend the night at an inn in Castelfranco, a small town located in between the two cities.

According to the legend, in the morning, Bacchus and Mars woke up early to visit the battle site, but when Venus awoke, she thought she had been abandoned by her companions. She immediately called the innkeeper to find out where they had gone. The innkeeper arrived to find the goddess of love naked in front of him. The beauty of her body made such a strong impression on him that he created a new shape of pasta that resembled her belly button!

I'm BAAAACK.....What To Do With All That Zucchini - Even Off-Season

2011-12-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

I'm BAAAACK.....What To Do With All That Zucchini - Even Off-Season

Wow! Really??? My last post was in April???? How can it be that so much time has passed and I've scarcely noticed? But wait, let's see.......Oh yea, my life has completely changed since I started this BLOG and now - it's time to begin again....Maybe a Renaissance of sorts - a re-birth of the loving friendship I established with my last kitchen and divert some of the love and energy to a different kitchen. A temporary kitchen - not the kitchen of my dreams - but a kitchen nonetheless.

It's true when they say, "You never know what will happen when you wake up in the morning." Needless to say, I've had some pretty rough mornings in the last year, mornings I do not care to ever relive. Mornings when your heartache feels like it has invaded your every thought and action, rather than reason, optimism, and the strength you know you possess somewhere deep down within yourself. Letting go of someone very important to me was absolutely the hardest, most gut-wrenching thing I've ever had to do - but I did it. And I survived and feel that I can finally go on with my life. And now....On to making my own dreams come true in my own good time.

And that begins with this BLOG. I am hoping it will provide an outlet of something I am passionate about and allow me to share that love and passion with others. And, of course, share a little bit of my "GEEKY" side.

I am making it a personal goal to be able to speak "decent" Italian. (notice I didn't say "fluent" - can a 50-year-old become fluent in anything new?) When I looked up the Italian word for zucchini, I was a little bummed that "zucchini" in Italian is "zucchini." But! I will think it with an Italian gesture of thumb-and-forefinger together as I wiggle my wrist to make seem more "Italian-y." Onward......

This summer I found HUGE zucchini at the local farmer's market and did make an attempt to find ways to prepare it - beyond my beloved "Zucchini Pie" from a previous post. Zucchini is actually very versatile - I think because it won't overpower the flavor of any ingredients added to it. It is extremely healthy and contains enough "good stuff" - vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin A - to make it worth the effort to include it in whatever dishes you like. Here are some ideas.....

Bake With It and Add it to Just About Anything You Cook

Aside from the "Zucchini Pie" recipe from an earlier post (July 20, 2010), zucchini is great in bread, muffins, and even cookies. Zucchini adds moisture, rather than drying out those things. Other ways to bake with it is to add it casseroles, or meatloaf. Add it to omelets, soups, quiche, and make zucchini "boats" or "fies." (See the directions below.)

Add it to Pasta

Adding zucchini to pasta is a a great way to get kids to at least try it. My daughter loves buttery rotini or penne noodles with a little garlic salt and parmesean cheese sprinkled on top. Maybe if I slice the zucchini to resemble the penne noodles, she wouldn't actually notice she was eating a "vegetable." You could even add zucchini to pasta salad or to spaghetti sauce.

Deep Fry It
You need to make a batter with 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, pinch of salt, and about 1 cup of a beer - light or otherwise. Stir together and refrigerate about 1/2 hour. Slice the zucchini, dip in the batter, and fry in about 1/2-inch of extra-light virgin olive oil. (it's better than cooking oil and smells better in the house - which is very important!) Place zucchini pieces of paper towel on a plate to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with your favorite dips or sauces.

Zucchini Boats

Cut a large zucchini in half and scoop out the zucchini to leave a canoe-shaped boat. Boil or steam the "boats" until tender. The fill them with a saute of the scooped out zucchini, onion, chopped tomatoes and spices. Fill the boats and then top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place boats in a hot oven to melt the cheese. These would be a great side dish or served as an appetizer. Or if you like light meals, this is a great dish for you!

Zucchini Fries

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Cut 2 zucchini into 3-inch sticks. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add 1/4 cup skim milk. Combine 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Coat a baking sheet with PAM or cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 32 "fries." Serve with any kind of dipping sauce that you love to enhance the flavor.

And Now for the "Geeky Stuff" I Know About Zucchini...

History of Squash and Zucchini

Squash is one of the oldest known crops--10,000 years by some estimates -- in Mexico. Since squash are gourds, they most likely served as containers or utensils because of their hard shells. The seeds and flesh later became an important part of the pre-Columbian Indian diet in both South and North America. De Soto, Coronado, and Cartier all saw “melons” (probably squash) in the Americas.

Northeastern Native American tribes grew pumpkins, yellow crooknecks, patty pans, Boston marrows (perhaps the oldest squash in America still sold), and turbans. Southern tribes raised winter crooknecks, cushaws, and green and white striped sweet potato squash. Native Americans roasted or boiled the squash and pumpkins and preserved the flesh as conserves in syrup. They also ate the young shoots, leaves, flowers, and seeds.

Virginia and New England settlers were not very impressed by the Indians’ squash until they had to survive the harsh winter, at which point they adopted squash and pumpkins as staples. Squash were baked, cut and moistened with animal fat, maple syrup, and honey.

Less than thirty years ago, the zucchini, formerly often referred to as green Italian squash, was hardly recognized in the United States. Today, it is not only widely-recognized, but a particular favorite of home gardeners. Notwithstanding its prolific growing nature, its popularity is probably due to in large part to its versatility as a vegetable as well as in breads and desserts.

Zucchini, Cucurbita pepo, is a member of the cucumber and melon family. Inhabitants of Central and South America have been eating zucchini for several thousand years, but the zucchini know today is a variety of summer squach developed in Italy.

The word zucchini comes from the Italian zucchino,meaning a small squash. The term squash comes from the Indian skutasquash meaning "green thing eaten green." Christopher Columbus originally brought seeds to the Mediterranean region and Africa.

The French snubbed zucchini for a long time until chefs learned to choose small fruits which are less bland and watery. The French term for zucchini is courgette, which is often used also for yellow squash.

Although the term summer squash can mean a variety of different squashes depending on to whom you are speaking, you can pretty much use the different summer squash varieties.

Mashed Potato Soup

2011-04-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Mashed Potato Soup

Wow! It has been a very long time since I posted to my BLOG. Let's just say that some major life changes have preoccupied my mind and I haven't really cooked much in the last few months. I'm determined to get back to trying out new recipes and learning more techniques, etc., so I'll start with this recipe for "Mashed Potato Soup."

I made this in January and since it made so much, I took the extra servings to school to share with my single friends. I figured they would appreciate something homemade and luckily they LOVED it!! They highly suggested that I put this recipe in this year's issue, "Another Year in My Kitchen - 2011."

In my first annual cookbook, "A Year in My Kitchen - 2009," I included a potato soup recipe, but this recipe is different - and a lot more fattening. It is rich and thick and wonderful. Let me know if you try it and what you thought of it!

ENJOY!!!

Mashed Potato Soup

4 baking potatoes - about 2 lbs.
4 - 6 slices of bacon - cooked and crumbled
4 tbsp. butter - don't substitute with margarine - you'll miss out on the rich buttery flavor in the soup
4 oz. Monterey-Jack cheese - shredded
2 tbsp. chives - dried
4 cups milk
1/3 cup flour
4 oz. sour cream
salt and pepper
garlic salt - if desired

Poke holes in all of the potatoes after you wash them and microwave them on high until they are cooked through, turning once. They should cook for 12 - 15 minutes total. Let them cool slightly and then scoop out the flesh, discarding the skins. Mash the potatoes with a fork.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Place cooked bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to cool. Once the bacon slices are cool, crumble the bacon and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and light golden brown for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook - whisking until thickened for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Stir/Whisk in the cheese, potatoes, and 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring/whisking constantly until cheese is melted and is heated through. Whisk in the sour cream. Check for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Add garlic salt if you think it needs a little more seasoning or spice. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top before serving.

You can always add more bacon or cheese. I think I added a bit more than the recipe called for, but it is great with the amounts listed above.

Tried and True.....My First Cookbook is Still the Best.....

2011-02-06T03:06:00.000-08:00

Tried and True.....My First Cookbook is Still the Best.....

I scanned in the cover of the book, but not being terribly savvy on the PC, I at least got half of it. Originally published in 1982 in hardback form, the book is now available as a paperback from Sunset Books. I bought this book when I had my first apartment at Hudson's where I worked at the time. It's amazingly still available at Amazon.com. I ordered it earlier today to see if it has the same recipes and food information that my copy contains. (See the link below) Well, wonders never cease...

My son, Dane, is probably the pickiest eater on the planet, so I am constantly searching for healthier food choices for him. More specifically, food that is not in the "processed meat and mac-n-cheese food group." Last week, I saw four pitiful bananas sitting on my counter and I was determined that they would not go to waste. I searched my cookbooks for something fun to do with them and came up with a few that were kind of fancy and probably wouldn't appeal to "HRH." My mom had been successful in making a banana cake Dane liked, but I wasn't sure if he'd venture away from the comfort of something Grandma Jo made.

THEN....I pulled out old "Tried and True," and took a chance Dane would like the banana bread recipe in my very first cookbook. The recipe was so easy and required just basic ingredients aside from the four pitiful, mushy "nanners" I had.

SCORE!!! Dane LOVED the bread! He commented that it smelled "awesome" as it baked in the oven and couldn't wait to try a piece when it was finished baking. He ate it warm and came back for more. I have to admit, it was delicious and incredibly moist with four bananas added, versus the three the recipe called for. Plus I sprinkled a tiny bit of sugar and cinnamon on the top before baking it - but not too much, though. So here it is.....and some "Geeky Stuff" to follow.

ENJOY!

Banana Bread

3 - 4 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar - plus 1 tsp. to dust the top of the bread before baking
1 egg
4 - 5 tbsp. soft margarine or butter - I used real butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Dash cinnamon
PAM

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the melted butter and egg. Peel the soft ripe bananas and cut into small slices and add them to the bowl. Stir the bananas until the flour is moistened. I used an electric mixer to speed up the process.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and lightly sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the top and a dash of cinnamon. Bake in the preheated oven for about 55 - 60 minutes, or until a fork inserted into middle comes out clean. Using a knife, gently release the bread from the sides of the pan and remove the bread, placing the loaf on a cooling rack. Don't leave it in the pan as the heat from the pan will continue to "bake" the bread. Viola! Banana Bread fit for HRH Dane!!!

Here's the link to Amazon.com for the softbound version of my cookbook.

And Now for the "Geeky Stuff".....

Banana History
Bananas are the fruit of Musa acuminata. Acuminata means long-pointed or tapering, not referring to the fruit, but to the flowers giving birth to the fruit.

Antonius Musa was the personal physician to Roman emperor Octavius Augustus, and it was he who was credited for promoting cultivation of the exotic African fruit from 63 to 14 B.C.

Portugese sailors brought bananas to Europe from West Africa in the early fifteenth century. Its Guinean name banema, which became banana in English, was first found in print in the seventeenth century. The original banana has been cultivated and used since ancient times, even pre-dating the cultivation of rice. While the banana thrived in Africa, its origins are said to be of East Asia and Oceania. The banana was carried by sailors to the Canary Islands and the West Indies, finally making it to North America with Spanish missionary Friar Tomas de Berlanga.

Sweet bananas are mutants!!!
These historical bananas were not the sweet yellow banana we know today, but the red and green cooking variety, now usually referred to as plantains to distinguish them from the sweet type.

The yellow sweet banana is a mutant strain (Wow! "Mutant Strain??" I better not tell Dane!!)of the cooking banana, discovered in 1836 by Jamaican Jean Francois Poujot, who found one of the banana trees on his plantation was bearing yellow fruit rather than green or red. Upon tasting the new discovery, he found it to be sweet in its raw state, without the need for cooking. He quickly began cultivating this sweet variety.

Soon they were being imported from the Caribbean to New Orleans, Boston, and New York, and were considered such an exotic treat, they were eaten on a plate using a knife and fork. Sweet bananas were all the rage at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, selling for a hefty ten cents each.

Bananas are Herbs!!! and Other Facts

Although referred to as banana trees, they are not trees at all but a perennial herb. Its trunk is not a true one, but many leaves tightly wrapped around a single stem which emerges at the top as the fruit-bearing flower stalk.

The fruit fingers grow in clumps known as hands, since they resemble a hand with fingers. The entire stalk, known as a bunch, takes up to a year for the fruit to ripen enough to be harvested. The original stem dies after producing fruit, but side shoots rise from the same underground corm to produce a new plant to be harvested the following year. The fruit itself is sterile, unable to produce a plant from the minuscule dark seeds within.

Some banana trees continue producing up to one hundred years (Wow, again!), although most banana plantations renew their stock every ten to twenty-five years.

The tree itself also has uses. The leaves are used as wrappers to steam foods in Latin, Caribbean, and Asian cultures. The banana flower is also edible, but if you eat the flower, you obviously won't get any fruit.

The banana is a distant cousin to ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, and is botanically classified as a berry.

There are over four hundred varieties of bananas with the yellow Cavendish being the most favored in America. Americans consume an annual average of twenty-five pounds of bananas per person. Bananas are the world's best-selling fruit, outranking the apple and orange.

Bananas Can Help with Hangovers!!! Yep, it's true!!

Bananas can help cure or prevent hangovers. The main causes of hangovers are dehydration and depletion of potassium, both direct results of alcohol consumption. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium (second only to the avocado) with over 450 mg. per one banana serving, as well as being high in magnesium, which can help relax those pounding blood vessels causing that nasty hangover headache.

Bananas also contain tryptophan, the same amino acid found in turkey that makes you sleepy, as well as high amounts of vitamin C. So, if you're out partying and want to avoid a hangover, drink sixteen ounces of water and eat a banana before heading for bed for a good night's sleep.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

2011-01-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

and Happy New Year!!!

Wow! It has been a LONG time since my last BLOG entry!!!!! The time between the last time I had TIME to sit down and actually BLOG anything is a complete blur. I took on a second job - I teach an ACT Prep class for UM-Flint on Saturdays. I know, "glutton-for-punishment." But the extra money was hard to turn down. I have to say, though, I am glad I am NOT a high school teacher. I'll stick with 5th grade.

I've also taken on the role of "Daisy Scout Leader" for Parker's scout group!!

I have to admit I was hesitant about 14 Kindergarten-aged girls - but the first meeting I was all by myself "teaching" the girls was a blast!!!

ANYWAY..............I am committed to being able to continue on my journey with "Another Year in My Kitchen." However, I am also going to tweak the name to "Another Year in My Kitchen and Other Geeky Stuff I know." I am also committed to compiling my annual "Another Year in My Kitchen" cookbooks for friends, family, and anyone else I can convince to read it. I LOVE writing them and appreciate all of the fabulous positive feedback I have received for my second annual cookbook. Somehow knowing people read them and like them makes me feel less alone - like I actually have a place in the world all for me. So thanks, kind readers, you have received my outlet into the world with loving hands and I thank you for it.

Happy New Year!!!

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

I found this recipe and thought it sounded easy and delicious. I was right! I actually went to the seafood counter at a local grocery store and had the amount I needed weighed on a scale. I had never done that before. It made me feel - I don't know - like a cook or chef that knew what she was doing??? The funny part of this whole thing was watching my children walk around the house as it was cooking with the front of their shirts up over their noses because they hated the smell of the salmon as it was cooking.!!!

1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon
black pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
4 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the salmon fillets in 2-quart glass baking dish. Sprinkle with black pepper and drizzle the salmon with the olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes - I had to bake mine for close to 30 minutes before I felt it looked ready - or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

One cardinal rule is: NEVER OVERCOOK SALMON. Although it is an oily fish, overcooking makes the flesh dry and dense, and it can become quite chewy in texture.

Stir the cornstarch, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and orange juice in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Using a whisk, cook the mixture until it boils and thickens. When done, drizzle the salmon with the balsamic glaze. I served the salmon with brown and wild rice. It was fantastic!! Matt was skeptical about the glaze, but admitted when he tasted mine with the glaze that it actually enhanced and complimented the salmon, rather than cover up the taste of the salmon.

Now for the "Geeky Stuff I Know......"

Part of the 5th grade curriculum in Michigan is to teach kids about the Native American Cultural Regions of North America. Keeping that in mind, here's a little "trivia," or "Geeky Stuff I know," about the Native Americans living in the Pacific Northwest.

The word "salmon," any variety of fish of the genera "Salmo" and "Oncorhynchus," comes from the Latin "salmo," which later became "samoun" in Middle English. Many Native American tribes depended heavily upon salmon in their diet.

The Indian tribes of the Northwest look upon salmon with great reverence and have special rituals and legends for the yearly salmon run. They look upon the salmon as life, as the salmon has nourished them physically and spiritually since the days when people first came to this region. They would migrate to the Columbia River each year during the spring and fall spawning season, when the salmon hurled themselves upstream from the Pacific Ocean to lay their eggs. During that time, the Columbia River was so thick with the countless salmon that the Indians simply speared or clubbed them to death from their canoes or from the river banks. What the Indians didn't eat fresh, they would air-dry in the river winds to create jerky.

The life cycle of the salmon is an interesting one. Spawned in freshwater streams, the young salmon travel to sea early. Here they live and grow for three or four years. In the spring after they reach maturity, the adult salmon return to their native streams to spawn. As salmon begin their journey home, they will stop eating and live mainly on the oils stored in their bodies. In some mysterious way, they orient themselves and swim homeward. The distances they travel and their amazing return to the exact point where they emerged from their egg sacs. They will leap over any obstacle in their way, such as dams and waterfalls, hurling itself many feet out of the water until it gets over the obstacle or dies of exhaustion in the attempt; there is no turning back. For some unknown reason, the female always dies after spawning.

Chinook Salmon

Chinook or King: Average size 10 to 15 pounds, up to 135 pounds. Soft in texture, very rich in oil, and separates into large flakes, making it excellent for salads and recipes calling for large pieces. Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, with some individuals growing to more than 100 pounds. These huge fish are rare, as most mature Chinook are under 50 pounds. Kings run in the spring.

To cooks, gourmets, and fishermen alike, the salmon is the king of the waters. The distinctive color of the flesh of a salmon is part of its attraction. It can vary from a very delicate pale pink to a much deeper shade, verging on red. In the Northwest, because of the various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, you can find salmon smoked hard in the Indian tradition and salmon smoked light in the Scottish tradition. It can also be as simple as a barbecued salmon dotted with butter and lemon.

Just Appetizers...My Kind of Meal

2010-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Just Appetizers.....My Kind of Meal

I seriously think I would be satisfied with eating only appetizers for every meal. It seems like I get overly-stuffed from a large meal. But when I make a few appetizers, I don't seem to get as full as quickly and can savor those appetizers more than a full meal.

Face it, once you have the complimentary bread and the tossed salad before your main course at restaurants, you are already full and end up not eating or finishing your entree. You have the entree wrapped to take home and if you're lucky, someone in the family will eat it before it needs to be thrown away.

My solution - order a bunch of appetizers to share. In my experience, there are usually no leftovers of appetizers - or very few.

The topic for today's posting, obviously, is "Appetizers." I hope you find one you like. These are straight from my own files. I'm always looking for more great recipes for appetizers and I would appreciate it if you would pass them on!!

****Also, read about "Some History of Appetizers" at the end of this posting. Come on, you knew I would have to include something from my "Geek" side! *****

Low-Fat Vegetable Egg Rolls

1 pkg. shredded lettuce
2 medium carrots - peeled and shredded
2 medium garlic cloves - minced
minced onion - to taste
2 tsp. dried ginger
1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sesame oil
8 egg roll wrappers - about 1/2 oz. each (or more)
olive oil PAM

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with olive oil PAM. Place lettuce in a microwavable bowl and cover. Microwave on HIGH until wilted - about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add carrots, garlic, minced onion, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch and oil; mix well.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a clean dry surface. Spoon lettuce mixture diagonally onto each egg roll wrapper. Fold over one corner to cover filling. Fold up both corners. Moisten edges of remaining flap with water and roll up wrapper jelly-roll style until sealed. Transfer egg rolls to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake until golden brown - about 25 minutes. NOTE: If you count points like WW, each egg roll is one point.)

Spinach-Cheese Balls with Pasta Sauce

1 box (9 oz.) frozen spinach
1 cup Parmesan cheese - shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese - shredded
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 egg - beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. Extra-Light Virgin olive oil
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 cups flour
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 jar (25.5 oz) pasta sauce

Remove frozen spinach from the box and place it in a colander. Rinse with warm water until thawed; drain well. Squeeze spinach dry with paper towel. In a large bowl, mix egg, both shredded cheeses, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, sour cream, oil, and ricotta cheese until well blended. Add spinach to cheese mixture; mix well. Stir in flour one cup at a time until well blended. Fill 10" skillet half full with vegetable oil and heat over a medium heat until a thermometer reads 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, place bread crumbs in a small bowl. Shape spinach-cheese mixture into 1.5-inch balls. Roll each ball in the bread crumbs and place on the cookie sheet. Fry 6 balls at a time for 4 to 6 minutes - turning as necessary until golden brown. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Cool for two minutes before serving. Serve with pasta sauce - warm or cold, whichever you prefer.

Beer Cheese Spread

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese - finely shredded
1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beer
1 clove garlic - minced
2 tbsp. butter - softened

In a food processor with a metal blade, combine cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cayenne, and minced garlic. Place beer in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over cheese mixture in the food processor; process 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or just until blended. Spoon into serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour to blend flavors. To serve, let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften. Serve with your choice of crackers, French or Italian bread slices, or raw veggies.

Basil Cheese Triangles

1 package feta cheese - crumbled
2 eggs - slightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp. white pepper
16 oz wonton wraps
1/3 cup butter
PAM

Heat oven to 400m degrees F. Spray cookie sheet with PAM. Place crumbled feta cheese into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in eggs, basil, and white pepper until well-blended. Cut the wonton wraps into 2-inch strips. Place one level tsp. cheese mixture on each end of one strip, end-over-end, in a triangular shape, to opposite end. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining strips and cheese mixture. Brush with over triangles.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve warm. NOTE: If you count WW points, each triangle is worth 1 point.

Some History About Appetizers

Hors d'oeuvres, antipasto, starters, gustus, tapas, maza, mezze, zakuski

Here's some facts you probably didn't know - and may not actually WANT to know - but they're here anyway! It's a great day to learn something new!!

The word companion comes from Latin's "com panis," meaning the person you share meals with, or friendship defined by dining.
The Chinese word "dim sum" means to "touch the heart."
Italian antipasto literally means "before pasta," but it is really the Italian word for hors d'oeuvres. Antipasto can include lives, pieces of raw or cured ham, marinated mushrooms or other vegetables, and items of seafood. Click here for a recipe from allrecipes for "Antipasto Squares."

Middle Eastern "maza" (Arabic) was considered a foretaste of the "delights to come." "Maza" includes olives, cheeses, eggplant puree, and hummus. "Maza" was carried by the Arabs to the Iberian Peninsula (Modern-day Spain and Portugal) during the 900 years the Arabs were part of Europe. The Spanish tradition of gathering before a meal for a drink and sampling or endless appetizers, or "tapas," began during this time. (Italian hummus??)

"Tapas" literally means "to cover." This name is thought to go back to the middle of the last century from the name given to a slice of ham, cheese, or bread, used to cover the wine glass served to horsemen as they arrived at a roadside inn, tired and thirsty. The "tapa" protected the wine glass from dust or rain - and it was free. The patron only paid for the wine. (Maybe that's where the idea for "Happy Hour" snacking came from. Hmmmm...)

In Sweden, the "smorgasbord," which literally means "buttered-bread table," is the best-known feature of Swedish cuisine. In the old tradition of Sweden, a host would place all of the foods on the table at once and guests brought contributions with them for the meal. A "smorgasbord" can be served as a preliminary to a meal or as a full buffet meal. (I remember a restaurant on the north end of my hometown that was a "smorgasbord-style" buffet. I somehow remember meatballs and a tray. I'll have to ask my mom about it. I know that's where I learned the term "smorgasbord." My how the memory can retrieve even little bits of trivial things. HA!)
Visit this link to read an article about the Swedish "smorgasbord."

Did you know that IKEA is a Scandinavian company?
Click here to go to the website and see if you can pronounce the names of their products. I know I don't pronounce the names well, but I try!

Twice-Baked, Double-Stuffed Potatoes and Caesar Salad

2010-08-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Twice-Baked, Double-Stuffed Potatoes

and Caesar Salad

Many of my friends have told me over the years how much they love potatoes. I love potatoes, too, and always have a bag on hand. There are lots of ways to prepare potatoes, but not many methods can beat baked potatoes. And taking baked potatoes another step, twice-baked potatoes are an excellent variation to plain baked potatoes. And, taking another step beyond that, "Twice-Baked, Double-Stuffed Potatoes," is an even more decadent variation.

After this recipe, I've included the original Caesar Salad recipe and some information about the history of the salad. (By the way, it is NOT named for Julius Caesar)

Twice-Baked, Double-Stuffed Potatoes

4 large potatoes
Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil
4 tbsp. butter - melted
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cream cheese - softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
1/4 cup Colby-Jack Cheese - Shredded
1/2 cup green onions - chopped
2 - 3 strips crisp bacon - cooked
garlic salt and pepper - to taste

Clean the potatoes and place them on a baking sheet. Rub them with olive oil and season with salt. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before preparing. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides. Place in a bowl and mash. Add melted butter, sour cream, milk, cheese, and green onion. Using an electric mixer, combine until the mixture is light and fluffy. Check the filling for seasoning - add salt and pepper as needed. Fill a pastry bag with potato mixture and fill each potato half. Add bacon or other topping you like on top of the potato mixture and bake in the 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

You can wrap and store the potatoes and potato mixture for future use - or freeze them. You don't even have to defrost them if they're frozen - just place them in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake until cooked through and golden brown on top.

I found these potato cookbooks on Amazon. Check them out for more great potato recipes.

History of the Caesar Salad

As mentioned above, the caesar salad was NOT named for Julius Caesar, but after Cesare (later Caesar) Cardini. WHO is Caesar Cardini?????

Caesar Cardini was born near Lago Maggiore, Italy, in 1896 - a 33.5 mile long lake that stretches from SW Switzerland into Italy. He emigrated to San Diego after WWI. During Prohibition, he and his brother started a restaurant - Avienda Revoucion - in Tijuana, Mexico so they could serve alcohol.

Caesar created the Caesar salad by necessity. On a busy Fourth of July in 1924, as supplies began to run low, Caesar created the salad with what he had on hand. To add style to the salad, he made it "table-side," right at the customer's table. The salad and the way it was made became a hit with the Hollywood set and entered into history.

In 1948, Cardini began selling bottled dressing called, "Cardini's Original Caesar Dressing." It sold millions. People everywhere heard about the salad and the dressing and wanted to eat at Cardini's restaurant. In fact, Julia Child, who ate at Cardini's restaurant as a teenager and later as as an adult, contacted Cardini's daughter for the recipe!

The Original Recipe for Caesar Salad

*NOTE: Notice that there are NO anchovies!!!

1 head Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese - grated
1 lemon
pepper - to taste
5 oz. croutons

Break the lettuce into 2-inch lengths. Squeeze the lemon over the lettuce to bring out the flavor. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and pepper. Toss. Add croutons. Toss and serve.

You can find Cardini salad dressing at this link:

http://www.cardinissaladdressing.com/

You can also find it at Amazon.com - Click on one of the images below and it will take you right to the Amazon website if you want to order it. The first image is for a 6-pack of 20-ounce bottles. It isn't really $25.29 a bottle!! HA!! There also links below for some of the other Cardini products.

Let me know what you think if you try it!

Fun with Feta

2010-08-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Fun with Feta

Feta Cheese...............Love it!! Anyone who has read any of my previous BLOG entries or my first annual "A Year in My Kitchen - 2009" cookbook, you know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! Feta, that is. A staple in any Greek Pantry (O.K., the refrigerator), feta is a "classic" Greek cheese. It is traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk and is cured, or stored, in its own salty whey brine until it becomes white and crumbly. It's right up there with olive oil (not quite that high), basil, cucumber, ouzo, and oregano. Following these recipes will be a little background on other Greek "pantry" items to have on hand. (See the article following the recipes entitled, "Facts on Feta.")

Here are some simple, but delicious recipes with feta cheese. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did....

Let's hear it for the stinky cheeses!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomato and Cucumbers with Feta Cheese

2 medium tomatoes - cored and sliced
1 1/2 cucumbers - peeled, sliced, seeded
salt and pepper - to taste
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup (4 oz.) feta cheese - crumbled - you can either buy it crumbled or crumble it yourself - I vote for buying it already crumbled, but that's just me.............

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes and cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper. Add vinegar and olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle on feta cheese and serve.

Sauteed Zucchini with Feta Cheese

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 large zucchini - thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves - chopped
salt and pepper - to taste
1 tbsp. dried basil flakes
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup feta cheese - crumbled

In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil on low heat. Add zucchini and slowly saute with garlic and a little salt and pepper until golden and slightly carmelized - about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in basil, cilantro, and feta. Saute for 10 minutes or until the ingredients are at the "doneness" you desire.

Greek Salad

1 package romaine lettuce - e.g. Dole Salad Mixture
3 medium tomatoes - quartered
1 medium cucumber - seeded and chopped
7 oz. feta cheese - crumbled
2 medium green onions - chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper - diced
3/4 cup black olives - halved
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper - to taste

Combine lettuce, tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, and chopped cucumber in a large bowl - add the feta cheese, onions, and black olives. Toss gently. For the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper - to taste. Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture. Toss gently. Serve with pita or crusty bread.

Facts on Feta

Feta cheese is the most popular Greek cheese and is traditionally made from goat's milk or sheep's milk. It is stored in wooden barrels of brine and matured for at least two months. This method of preserving cheese was first discovered in ancient times and may have been the first preserved cheese in Greece. Most feta cheese comes from mountainous areas and its pure white color comes from the color of milk of lean animals that roam the "craggy slopes" looking for food.

Goat's feta cheese has a strong, gamey flavor. Sheep's feta has a richer taste. Both soft and firm feta, as well as sweet and less salty types of feta are available in Greece. Feta is used in salads and baked in a variety of pies. (e.g "spanakopita") Cubed or crumbled feta is used in stuffed vegetables or added to omelettes - or used as a stuffing for fish. Feta is also served with fruit, such as watermelon, or just with olive oil poured over the top and sprinkled with oregano.

*The Greek Pantry

Basil - Called the "royal herb" by ancient Greeks, basil is a key summer herb in Mediterranean cooking.
Cucumber - Cucumbers were believed to have originated in either India or Thailand and was cultivated for thousands of year.
Olive Oil - Olive oil is from pressed, tree-ripened olives and its extracts are monounsaturated fats - or the "good fats." Olive oil is graded by the degree of acidity they contain. The best olive oil is cold-pressed, and the chemical-free process creates the low-acidity. Extra-Virgin olive oil has only 1% acidity, which is the finest and fruitiest of all olive oils.
Oregano - Oregano came to the United States by soldiers from WWII. It is sometimes called "wild marjoram."

*More to follow in subsequent postings......................

Peach Cobbler with a Sugar Cookie Crust

2010-08-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Peach Cobbler with a

Sugar Cookie Crust

In keeping with the "Old-Fashioned Food" theme for another posting, I searched through my recipe files for a recipe using the peaches I bought after discovering Matt loved peaches. I came across a few recipes for peach cobbler and Matt informed me that he LOVED peach cobbler. Hence, today's recipe. And, me being me, I just had to learn more about the origin of peaches and a little bit of peach history, of course, to satisfy my "Geekness." As I said before, I should probably rename my BLOG, "Another Year in my Kitchen and Other Geeky Things I know." BTW, August is National Peach Month!

8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 stick of butter - cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs - lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil (yes, vegetable oil - olive oil didn't work for this recipe...)
1 tsp. cinnamon
PAM

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x13" baking dish with PAM. Arrange cut peach slices into baking dish. Scatter butter pieces over the top of the peaches, then sprinkle with brown sugar evenly on top. Mix flour, white sugar, baking powder, ans salt in a bowl. Add oil to beaten eggs, then stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Spoon batter over the peaches. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Bake for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven or until the crust is lightly browned. Makes 12 servings.

2 Basic Types of Peaches

1. clingstone - flesh of the peach "clings" to the stone

2. freestone - can be loosened from the pit easily

*When choosing fresh peaches, look at the skin around the stem area. If it is green, it was picked too early. If it is creamy yellow, these will be the best peaches to choose.

History of the Peach

The peach originated in China and has been cultivated there since 1,000 B.C.E.* The peach has a special significance to the Chinese culture - the peach tree is considered to be the tree of life. Peaches are symbols of immortality and unity, and are thought to bring luck and abundance. Peach blossoms are carried by Chinese brides, even today. In China, peaches were reproduced in porcelain dishes. Dumplings, shaped like peaches, were served as a special treat on a person's birthday. Wood of the peach tree was carved into special amulets.

Peaches traveled west to Persia via the Silk Road, which helped it earn its botanical name, "Prunus Persica." In Persia, peaches were discovered by Alexander the Great, and he introduced them to the Greeks. By 322 B.C.E., Greece had peaches. By 50 - 20 B.C.E., Romans grew and sold them for the modern equivalent of $4.50. The Romans called the peach a "Persian Apple." The Romans cultivated the peach and transported it north and west to other countries in their European Empire.

Columbus brought peaches to the New World on his second and third of his four voyages. The Spanish brought peaches to South America. The French introduced peaches to Louisiana. And England brought peaches to Jamestown and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Production in the United States began with the California Gold Rush in 1849. During the Gold Rush, as the population rapidly grew, the demand for peaches outweighed the availability of peaches. In Sutter County, two farmers, A.F. Abbott and Joseph Phillips, developed a variety of cling peaches that led to the canning of the clingstone peach because it holds its flavor and texture. At the turn of the century, the cannery, today used as a waterfront marketplace, was once the largest peach cannery in the world.

California produces more than 50% of peaches in the United States and grows 175 different varieties. Georgia is called the "Peach State" because it grows so many peaches.

Today, China is the largest producer of peaches. Italy is second and is the main exporter in the European Union.

*B.C.E., or Before Common Era is the new politically-correct term for B.C. Additionally C.E., or Common Era is the new term for A.D.

Old-Fashioned Food: Tomato Sandwiches and Meatloaf

2010-08-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Old-Fashioned Food:

Tomato Sandwiches and Meatloaf

Sometimes the old-fashioned food from the past is a pleasant reminder that the world hasn't always been fast food and processed packaged dinners. While we all enjoy the convenience of these items, if we take a step back and think about it, we did just fine with real food.

This past week during the annual "Garage Sale" I participate in, I discovered that my friend's husband, Will, has been growing vegetables in his back yard all summer. "Holy Tomatoes, Batman!" His tomato plants were taller that he was and full of tomatoes. After plucking off the ripe tomatoes he could reach, he offered to make myself and another friend a tomato sandwich. WOW!!!

I remember not liking tomatoes as a kid - but luckily I've come to my senses and have learned to appreciate them!! There's nothing better than a good old-fashioned tomato sandwich made with

fresh-picked tomatoes.

There are MANY variations, but as long as you have the basics - slices of tomato, bread, cheese, etc., you can create an amazing tomato sandwich. I've made many tomato sandwiches since that day. Next summer, Matt and have agreed to try our hand at growing our own vegetables. And then.....possibly some canning....Hmmmmm......

Now I have to try the cucumbers Will gave me.....

SO, keeping in mind the old-fashioned theme, last night I made a good old-fashioned meatloaf (no, not the singer). It was AMAZING!!! Every member of my family ate some - which is a rare feat in and of itself. I made a great big meatloaf and only a few pieces were left once everyone

had their fill.

Now why didn't I think of it sooner?

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

2.5 lbs. lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 small onion - diced
2 cups skim milk
2 cups dried Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
3 tbsp. brown sugar
3 to 4 tbsp. yellow mustard
2/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 small cans mushrooms stems and pieces
Optional: 1 small green pepper - diced
PAM

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, onion, milk, mushrooms, optional green pepper, and bread crumbs. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until they are well-combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, as well as garlic salt. Spray a large baking dish with PAM and place the meat mixture in the dish. Mold the meat mixture with your hands in a elongated oval shape.

In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf and using a barbecue brush, ensure that the surface of the meatloaf is covered. Add additional amounts as needed.

I added more mustard, garlic salt, and ketchup over the top of ours - I knew my kids would appreciate the extra!! I would have added diced green pepper, but I knew they wouldn't appreciate that! Another idea would be to saute the onions in 2 tbsp. butter until they are soft before adding them to the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours or to your desired doneness.

NEXT.......Peach Cobbler. Stay Tuned!

A Taste of Italy on YouTube???

2010-07-31T03:35:00.000-07:00

A Taste of Italy on YouTube??

Yes, YouTube....

Who would have believed that YouTube would have had such a great video series? It is called Into the Heart of Italy. Three celebrities - Rocco DiSpirito, Marisa Tomei, and Dan Cortese - visit Italy to learn the "secrets" of Italian cuisine. The series was created by Bertolli, a company that specializes in making authentic Italian pasta that we can buy at the grocery store to cook at home. They now have frozen meals you can buy that are examples of authentic Italian cuisine. The series is divided up into different segments, each featuring something you will learn about Italian cooking - and you can learn it vicariously through this video series.

*** I am not endorsing Bertolli, nor do I profit from sharing the information that the company made available on YouTube. I am simply sharing a video series I truly enjoyed and appreciated.

Segment 1 - The Secret of the Perfect Pinch - filmed in Lucca, the heart of Tuscany. You will learn how to identify the ages of different cheeses, as well as the origin of the milk used to create the cheese - cow, goat, or sheep. You will also see how farfalle (bow-tie) pasta is made with "the perfect pinch."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju_MgN2Y3AQ

Segment 2 - The Secrets of the Fungaioli - In this segment, you will see how mushroom-keepers - fungaioli - know how to find and collect the best mushrooms in Italy. They grow naturally in the mountains of Pistoia. The mushrooms are then taken to a resatuarant, Aoristo, where they are used in an authentic pasta dish prepared by Massimo - the chef at Aoristo, as well as the "finders" of the mushrooms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1-tENdrMy0

Segment 3 - Here you will how the BEST eggs in Italy are retrieved to make lasagne. The best eggs are those laid by free-range chickens fed with a mixture of goat's milk and grain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9QR4gjselo

Segment 4 - Carnavale - a very lively celebration and parade...leads you to a port on the Mediterranean Sea to net shrimp for a garlic-shrimp and pasta dish. The dish is prepared at a very famous seafood restaurant, directed by an up and coming young chef. Preparing shrimp once it is caught is not a job I would volunteer for. I liked seeing whole cherry tomatoes in the pasta - YUM!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ7nNiqtong

Segment 5 - The Secrets of the Cantina. Here you will visit Mantalcino (pronounced "mon-tall-chino") - one of the largest wineries in Italy - and how to pair different foods with specific kinds of wine. Marsala wine is used to make Chicken Marsala at Baccon Di'Sino Ristorante.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_BtSb5VvY

Segment 6 - The last segment - The Secret of the Butteri - In the town of Panzano, "The Meat Man," Dario Cecchini (pronounced "che-key-knee"), shares how the buttero, or what we think of in the U.S. as a cowboy (butteri is more than one cowboy), manage the free-range cows that provide the beef for

Antica Macellaria Cecchini, Dario's butcher shop. The spirit of Italian cuisine and appreciation for simple, locally grown and raised ingredients make all the difference when you cook great food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvf-L1yrJKs

I really enjoyed this YouTube video series and hated see that it ended with Segment 6. I hope you get a chance to watch it and see how Italian cuisine has influenced so much of the world.

Zucchini Pie and Notes on China

2010-07-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Pie and Notes on China

I made this recipe for a Bon Voyage party last night at my house for a good friend, Jill, who is moving to China in a few days. (See my "Notes about China" at the end of the BLOG. I just had to include some of the things I have learned about China. I guess I should call my BLOG "Another Year in My Kitchen and Other Geeky Stuff I Know" HA!!) The ironic part is that Jill gave me a big stack of cooking magazines and cookbooks recently, and I found this recipe in one of them. Of course, I tweaked it a little, but most of it was what the original recipe called for. It was an overwhelming hit with the crowd and copies were distributed to those who were interested. So, this BLOG posting is dedicated to you, Jill. Those of us who were a part of the Lunch Bunch last year will miss you in the coming school year. We know that you will have many new adventures and stories for us when you return.

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
3 medium-sized - peeled and thinly-sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 eggs - lightly beaten
1 cup Monterey-Jack cheese - shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Separate crescent rolls and place in a greased 9-inch pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate to form a crust. Seal the perforations. In a skillet, saute zucchini and minced garlic in butter. Add one-half of the parsley, dill, garlic salt, pepper, and shredded cheese into the bottom of the pie plate. Next, spoon the sauteed zucchini into the pie plate. Pour the beaten eggs over the top and then add the other half of the spices and shredded cheese over the top.   Cover the edges of the pie plate loosely with foil. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the pie stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Some Notes About CHINA......
Last summer, while recovering from my right hand carpel tunnel surgery, I read a very interesting, yet sad, story by Lisa See called Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. The story took place in 19th century China and was about the friendship between two young girls who had to follow the cultural traditions of arranged marriages, the agony of footbinding, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The girls are paired as friends and share poems in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret. Women were not allowed to have relationships or contact with the outside world beyond that which men gave them permission.

Lisa See has also written other books that focus on the experience of Chinese women. This book was given to me by my friend, Tina, who adopted a baby, Natalie, from China about 7 years ago. I, in turn, gave a copy of this book to another friend, Kathy, who adopted her daughter Rachel - a beautiful, intelligent young woman now, and Claire, who came to join her new family at the age of 6 - and spoke no English and who is developmentally delayed.

While my daughter, Parker, is from Korea, I felt a bond with my two friends and their daughters. I know the two cultures are slightly different, but we share an understanding of what the lives of our daughters would have been like had they not been adopted and came to live in United States. I am also grateful that the traditions the girls endured in Lisa See's book - like footbinding - is no longer practiced. There are images on the Internet that you can view to see just how gruesome and mutilating footbinding was for women. Lisa See's book really opened my eyes to the cruelty placed on women in China, making me very glad that Parker, Rachel, Natalie, and Claire are now safe and sound and blessedly American.

China A to Z: Everything You Need to Know to Understand Chinese Customs and Culture

I have Lisa See's latest novel on my bedside table, Shanghai Girls, as well as Peony in Love. I've included links to Amazon if you are interested in learning more about her books. Like I always tell my students, "You learn something new everyday," and historical fiction and nonfiction are definitely my favorites.

Chop Suey : A Mixture of the Chinese Language, Customs and Culture

Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture

The Moon Year - A Record of Chinese Customs and Festivals

How Do You Go From Hating to Cook to Loving It?

2010-07-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

How Do You Go From Hating to Cook to Loving It?

A friend of mine, who has known me for a long time, asked me this question when we were having dinner last week. It really made me think back to the days of when I claimed to "hate" cooking. Truthfully, I didn't actually "hate" it. I now realize that I just didn't know how. I remember always wanting to be a great cook someday. I even collected recipes as a kid and swapped them with my neighbor friends. The turning point was when I was a wife/mom/teacher in my 30's. Here's what turned it all around for me......

My mother was a big fan of Emeril Lagasse and his live cooking show, Emeril Live!, and watched it everyday. One day, I went to her house and she was watching it. Now, if you've ever watched one of Emeril's live shows, you know how entertaining he is. I was mesmerized by how simple and straight-forward he made cooking look. That day, in December, 2000, he was making a dish called "Hot-Mayonnaise-Glazed Scallops." I knew immediately that Matt would LOVE this dish. And as I watched Emeril make it, I thought to myself, "Hey, I can make that! And Matt would be in heaven."

I found out that you could download the recipes from the show on the Food Network website. Voila! There it was!!! I printed it out and shopped for all the ingredients. I even bought the scallops at our local fishmonger's shop - Donlan's Fish House - because I knew that Emeril probably used the best ingredients on his show, and I intended to do the same.

I followed the recipe to the letter and was pleased that I could recreate something I really knew nothing about. Matt loved the scallops. And so began, the quest to be a great cook.

In future BLOG entries I'll share some of the early dishes I made from the recipes I got from Food Network. Back then, like now, I especially enjoy cooking for friends and family. And luckily, most are game to try whatever I make. Matt is my biggest fan and supporter. My friends are also very supportive of my efforts.

So, the answer to the original question: I didn't actually HATE cooking, I just didn't know how. Today there are a plethora of websites, cooking shows, magazines, and cookbooks that can help any novice cook develop their cooking skills, techniques, and repertoire of recipes. Some things to keep in mind when adventuring into the world of cookery:

Make sure you have a well-stocked pantry with basics you will need on a day-to-day basis. Keep a running grocery list on the refrigerator so that you can pick them up when you go to the grocery store.
Invest in some decent pots and pans, baking sheets, and gadgets.
Explore the Internet for "How-To" videos demonstrating how to make something you are interested in making. (Try the website for "Howdini.com")Search Amazon.com for emeril lagasse
Watch cooking shows on t.v., but remember, the people cooking are professional chefs, so don't be intimidated or discouraged.
Go to the Library and bookstores to browse through cookbooks for recipe ideas and cooking tips.

I'm including the first recipe I made from watching Emeril Live! The only thing I really didn't have were the individual rammekins needed to bake the scallops. My mom came to the rescue and bought them for me and I still use them today.

Hot-Mayonnaise-Glazed Scallops

For the Mayonnaise:

1 large egg
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. pepper sauce (Tobasco Sauce)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup olive oil
OPTIONAL - 1/4 cup white wine and garlic salt - or - 1 clove garlic

For the scallops:

24 large - or about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. - sea scallops - each cut horizontally in half
1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper
OPTIONAL - 1/4 cup chopped green onions or scallions (green part only)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a blender, combine the egg, mustard, hot sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil in the blender in a steady stream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Divide up the scallops among 6 individual rammekin dishes. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. Spoon about 2 tbsp. of the mayonnaise mixture on top of the scallops in each rammekin. Bake on the top rack of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown on the top. Garnish with the green onion and serve hot. Makes enough for 4 to 6 people.

Creamy Philly Potato Leek Soup

2010-07-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Creamy Philly Potato Leek Soup

In my 2010 "Another Year in My Kitchen" cookbook that will be mailed to family and friends this holiday season, there will be some background information about leeks. I decided to expand my culinary horizons and try a vegetable or other food item that I haven't made before and is not a part of my repertory of recipes. Last year it was eggplant, this year it is leeks. Leeks are often referred to as the "poor man's asparagus" and are native to the Mediterranean region. This recipe is one of the recipes I found that we especially liked.

This soup seems time-consuming, but it was definitely worth the wait. I was a little worried when I roasted the potatoes and leeks together because it smelled really "onion-y," which makes sense because leeks are part of the onion "family." But the leeks, once combined with cream cheese and the other ingredients, the flavor was much more mild than I expected. So....the research I did for leeks was very accurate.

2 leeks - cut into 1-inch pieces - cut off the darkest green part of leaves and keep the light green and white part (be sure to cut off the "hairy" bottom part of the bulb sections.
2 to 3 lbs. golden potatoes - peeled and cubed
3 cups water
2 tbsp. Extra-Light Virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. dried rosemary
1 can chicken broth - you can also use low-sodium
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese - cubed and divided
PAM

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the leeks and potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary. Spread over a nonstick baking sheet sprayed with PAM (I had a hard time scraping them even from a nonstick pan). Bake 40 minutes or until veggies are tender and golden brown - stir occasionally.

Place water, broth, and 3/4 cup cream cheese in a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently with a wire whisk until mixture is well-blended. Stir in cooked veggies.
Using beaters or a stand mixer (I used my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer) and mix until smooth. Return to saucepan - bring to a boil. If the soup is too thick you can add a little water to thin it out. Serve with remaining cream cheese cubes on top. Serve with warm bread and a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=another0f2-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00007IT2T&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=another0f2-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00007IT2T&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=another0f2-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00007IT2T&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no">

French Toast Casserole

2010-07-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

French Toast Casserole

I was looking for a new twist on a breakfast food my kids love - French Toast. I was getting a little bored with same old method of making them on my stove-top griddle which can span across two burners. Unfortunately, the two adjacent burners were different sizes and so the French toast slices cooked unevenly. This method was also messy. After dipping the bread slices in the egg, milk, and cinnamon mixture - which you had to be careful not to leave in the dipping bowl too long - the bread would inevitably drip the mixture down between the stove and the counter, down to places we all hate to clean. SO...........

I found a lovely alternative that my family LOVED and it does not make the mess the other makes. In fact, you assemble it the night before and bake it in the oven the next day.

It is very sweet - almost reminding us of the elephant ears you can get at a carnival,

but not quite. It is so sweet that you really can't eat a lot of it at one time, making it a

two-day breakfast fare, which makes even better!! French Toast Casserole would be a great dish to bring to a brunch. You can impress your friends with a very simple, make-ahead dish to pass. Voila!! Another bonus to making this dish!!! ENJOY!!!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp. light-colored corn syrup
8 slices bread - any type you prefer - I just used white sandwich bread
6 eggs - lightly beaten
3 cups sweetened, condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Stir until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Pour into a large rectangular glass baking dish. Sprinkle one half of the cinnamon over the top of the mixture. Arrange the bread slices on top of the brown sugar mixture in the baking dish - they may overlap a little.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs (I have the kind of whisk shown in the Amazon Box below), condensed milk, vanilla, and salt and pour over bread slices. Sprinkle to top with the other half of the cinnamon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Let the baking stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and puffed - and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Cut the casserole around where the bread slices are. This recipe makes 6 servings, but you could easily adjust it to make more with a bigger baking dish. Or you could cut the slices smaller. Either way, it is absolutely dreamy-tasting.

Pan-Seared Steak

2010-07-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Pan-Seared Steak

One of the best cookbooks I have purchased lately is The Best 30-Minute Recipe (See Amazon Link) cookbook published by the Editor's of Cook's Illustrated, which is part of the America's Test Kitchens group, which I love!! I have searching for ways to prepare the large cuts of meat - usually English roast - without having to cook it in the crock-pot all day for it to be tender and tasty. This particular cookbook had great suggestions for different cuts of meat, so I adapted their insights to fit the BOGO (Buy One, Get One) cut of meat I bought at a local grocery store. I can't pass up deals like that and have several more cuts in my freezer. So, here's an easy way to pan-sear steak that tastes almost as good as you can get in upscale restaurants. In fact, the first time I made it, Matt and I stood at the counter and ate the whole thing without sitting down. (We love our red meat!!)

2 to 3 pounds beef steaks, English roast, or other thick cut of meat from 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
1 tbsp. Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place your cut of meat on a plate and tenderize with a fork on both sides. Be sure to poke a lot of holes in the meat - as there is no such thing as over-tenderizing a cheaper cut of meat. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and continue to tenderize with a fork. Before you cook the meat, add the olive oil to a skillet on medium-high heat. Make sure your skillet is large enough for the cut of meat you are searing because if the steak is too crowded and not packed together in the pan, the meat will cool the pan down and you will end up stewing the meat, rather than searing. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the cut of meat to the skillet. Leave the steak in that exact spot for at least 5 minutes so that side of the meat will develop a crust, which takes about 5minutes. You want that side to have a dark brown crust.

Once the first side is done, flip the steak over to the other side and cook until it at the desired doneness, about 3 to 6 minutes. If the pan starts to scorch, turn the heat down a little. Once both sides have a dark brown crust, transfer the meat to a clean plate. Make a little tent out of foil over the top and let rest 5 minutes before eating - of you can wait!!

TIP: Always under-cook your cuts of meat a little to allow for carryover cooking as the steaks rest. This is a rule of thumb for cooking most meat. You should serve cooked meat shortly after cooking for best results.

About Us

Recreational Division

Bacon and Tomato Linguine

2010-07-01T08:01:00.001-07:00

Bacon and Tomato Linguine

If there's one theme to many of the recipes in my cooking today, my first annual cookbook, and this BLOG - it would include tomatoes and bacon. I used linguine for this recipe because thicker pasta would over-power the bacon and tomatoes. Pasta should enhance the ingredients you use, sort of like a "venue" for the other ingredients. Magnifico!!

12 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled
2 cans (14.5 oz) Italian-Style diced tomatoes
4 cups. chicken broth
1 med. onion - finely chopped
2 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
12 oz. uncooked linguine pasta
2 tbsp. parsley flakes
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan Cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
12 grape tomatoes - halved

Keep 1 tbsp. bacon grease in a large skillet. Microwave the chicken broth and canned tomatoes in a microwavable bowl on HIGH for 6 to 8 minutes or until hot. Add finely chopped onions, garlic salt, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook 10 to 20 seconds or until the onions are tender. Carefully add broth mixture, uncooked pasta, and half of the bacon. Cover and simmer 9 to 10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked, but still firm, stirring occasionally. Cut cream cheese into cubes and grape tomatoes lengthwise. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in parsley, cream cheese, and grape tomatoes. Let stand 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with remaining crumbled bacon, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

EASY!! But really satisfying. Serve it with a nice Chianti or a Lambrusco. Like I said, "MAGNIFICO!!"

The Tuscan Influence - Part 2

2010-06-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

The Tuscan Influence - Part 2
As I've said before, my dream is to one day spend an extended amount of time in Tuscany, Italy. I'd love find a house to rent that is near public transportation to take us to other areas of Italy so we can explore and discover. I have been studying and learning about Italian cuisine, as well as the people, culture, and history of Italy. I am amazed how the Italian tradition has so greatly influenced American Cuisine. For being a rather small country in size - only 750 miles from the top to the bottom - Italy has one of the world's most popular food cultures.
Italian food is honest and straightforward. Ingredients are harvested nearby to ensure cooks have the freshest ingredients possible.

I am going to try to link a video of Florence, Italy, from You Tube that I watched on Facebook. It shows much of the beauty of a "Day in Florence."

The biggest theme of my first little cookbook, A Year in My Kitchen - 2009, was largely focused on the Mediterranean Diet, which was discovered by a group of scientists that wanted to find out why Mediterranean country populations had lower cholesterol and suffered fewer heart attacks than Americans and other non-Mediterranean countries. The use of olive oil (the good kind of fat), mostly plant-based unprocessed foods, and foods high in complex carbohydrates and fiber were the basis of the diets of people in the Mediterranean region. From the interest in the Med. Diet grew my interest in learning more about Italy and Italian cuisine.

So.......Here are a couple of Mediterranean Diet recipes that will demonstrate how using ingredients
that reflect those used by Italians, Greeks, and other Mediterraneans, can be delicious and satisfying.

Mediterranean-Style Vegetable Soup

2 cups zucchini - sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups sliced yellow, red, and green sweet bell peppers
2 cups fresh mushrooms - sliced
2 cups celery - chopped
2 cups tomatoes - diced
1 1/2 to 2 cups carrots - diced
1 to 2 cans low-sodium/low-fat chicken broth
1 tsp. dried oregano and 1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup water - if needed
garlic salt - to taste

In a large stock pot or deep Wok skillet, combine zucchini, sweet peppers, carrots, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, one can of chicken broth, basil, oregano, garlic, oregano, and pepper. If one can of chicken broth is not enough for your taste, add a portion or all of the second can of chicken broth to the pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 6 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes as the final step. Add extra water if you think it needs it, as well as garlic salt and additional black pepper. Makes 6 to 8 generous bowls of soup.

Idea for Leftover Veggies: Keep a "For Soup" container or large zip-lock baggie in the freezer for leftover veggies. When the container is full, use the leftovers to make vegetable soup, such as one above. Be sure to mark the date on the container when you begin collecting vegetables and use within 3 months.

Tomato, Pepper, and Feta Cheese
I LOVE feta cheese and look for different ways to use it. This is VERY easy to make, and can last in the refrigerator for two or three days after you make it! YUMMY!!

3 medium tomatoes - chopped
1 large cucumber - peeled and diced
1 medium green or red bell pepper - chopped
1 stalk celery - thinly sliced and chopped
3 tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. white sugar
1 to 2 pkg. feta cheese - crumbled
ground black pepper - to taste

In a bowl, mix tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and celery. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper in a separate bowl, and pour over the vegetables. Gently toss to coat. Cover top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

NOTE: You can substitute Splenda for the sugar and red wine vinegar in place of white vinegar.

Basil Oven Fries

2010-05-28T13:26:00.001-07:00

Basil Oven Fries

I wanted a quick and easy way to use the few potatoes I had left in my bag before they went bad. This recipe is so amazingly easy that I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before! You could play around with the kind of cheese you use, but the Parmesan cheese was perfect for our taste buds. You could serve the fries with sour cream or a dip of your choice, but you really don’t need to because they are yummy all by themselves!

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. garlic salt
4 medium potatoes – I used golden potatoes
PAM

Using a large zip-lock baggie, mix together Parmesan cheese, olive oil, basil, and garlic salt. Gently squeeze the baggie to be sure to get everything mixed well. Spray a medium-sized baking dish with PAM. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the potatoes (or if you like the skins, leave them on) and cut into narrow pieces that resemble the size of French fries. Place the potatoes in the zip-lock baggie. With the baggie securely zipped, gently shake the baggie and squeeze it to ensure that the potatoes are well-coated with the mixture.

Place potatoes in the baking dish and evenly spread them out. Add a little bit of the remaining mixture from the baggie to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes appear to be golden and toasty brown.

Another Year in my Kitchen

Salt of the Earth: We Can’t Live Without It

*Crystalline Sea Salt*

I Need to Eat More Veggies - Here are Some Delicious Ways to "Kick 'em Up a Notch!"

Tortellini Meatball Soup

I'm BAAAACK.....What To Do With All That Zucchini - Even Off-Season

Mashed Potato Soup

Tried and True.....My First Cookbook is Still the Best.....

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Just Appetizers...My Kind of Meal

Twice-Baked, Double-Stuffed Potatoes and Caesar Salad

Fun with Feta

Peach Cobbler with a Sugar Cookie Crust

Old-Fashioned Food: Tomato Sandwiches and Meatloaf

A Taste of Italy on YouTube???

Zucchini Pie and Notes on China

How Do You Go From Hating to Cook to Loving It?

Creamy Philly Potato Leek Soup

French Toast Casserole

Pan-Seared Steak

About Us

Recreational Division

Bacon and Tomato Linguine

The Tuscan Influence - Part 2

Basil Oven Fries

Crystalline Sea Salt