Betty's Kitchen Fare

Betty B’s Fresh Wrap (a la McDonalds)

2013-05-21T20:53:00.002-04:00

It has happened to all of us: you are driving on a highway and have to get something to each. Your choices are leaving the highway and taking goodness know how long to find a restaurant or stop at Mickey D‘s. We were faced with that choice recently and didn’t want to add an hour or more to our journey so we opted for McDonalds thinking a small hamburger would tide us over. We were

Quiche Lorraine

2013-05-17T08:05:00.000-04:00

Quiche Lorraine - essentially a fancy sounding French name for what the Brits would call a bacon and egg pie! Still, the combination does produce an elegant dish that is at home for brunch, lunch or supper. Even better - you can make it ahead and even freeze it. Doesn't get much more versatile than that.Ingredients:1 prebaked pie shell, 9 to 10 inches4 slices bacon cooked till quite crisp

2013-05-12T11:06:00.001-04:00

A lovely Mother's Day message from a viewer.... My mother use to cook like you cook...many years ago...wish I could roll back the years and visit her just one more time on this Mothers day...I can't wish my mother a happy Mothers day, so I will wish you a happy Mothers day instead!!! JW

Grilling Tip: Barbeque Rub

2013-05-08T11:28:00.000-04:00

Barbecue season has finally arrived! In preparation, I have made a double batch of my favorite rub. It's great on pork and chicken and I'm thinking I'll use it next time I grill some salmon. Just rub it on whatever you are planning to grill an hour or two ahead of time to let the flavors seep in. 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika2 tablespoons brown sugar1 tablespoon dry mustard1

Tip for Today: Potato Ricer

2013-05-04T13:50:00.000-04:00

Tip for today: If you own a potato ricer, it is the best tool for squeezing the liquid out of defrosted frozen spinach! It gets it absolutely dry and saves lots of time.

NOT QUITE PAELLA

2013-04-23T16:59:00.000-04:00

This is a dish which evolved from a family recipe I learned from my mother-in-law who got many of her recipes from my father-in-law's family. They were Italian but had a lot of Spanish influence from friends in their Tampa neighborhood. This is a great dish to serve for a crowd since you can prepare most of it in advance - if you omit the shrimp you can do the entire thing in advance!

Brandy Snaps

2013-03-26T07:32:00.003-04:00

I recently invited some friends for a "proper" Afternoon Tea. I served the obligatory cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon sandwiches along with shrimp salad rolls, scones with butter and raspberry jam, mini lemon meringue tarts, fresh fruit and Brandy Snaps. I don't think any of the women there had tasted Brandy Snaps before and they were the hit of the afternoon. I'm happy to share

A Fresh Take on Fried Rice (A Quick Meal Suggestion)

2013-03-10T08:33:00.001-04:00

I’m often asked if I cook at home every night… NO! We enjoy eating out at restaurants and at the homes of friends. When I have a really busy day or am just out of ideas, my go to meal is Chinese takeout! Invariably, I have leftover rice and being of the “waste not, want not” school - I use that to make fried rice. You can pretty much use any leftover protein to go into it along with

Honey Dijon Chicken with Warm Potato Salad-how to prepare

2013-02-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of "Restaurant Impossible" while I was about to start dinner. I had planned to make chicken breasts - with what else I don't remember! Robert Irvine, the chef of the show, was teaching the restaurant cook how to make a dish composed of chicken breasts served over a warm potato salad. I was amazed to see that he coated the chicken with egg

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB CAKES

2013-02-11T14:38:00.001-05:00

When we lived in Virginia Beach on an inlet from the Chesapeake Bay, we could - and did - catch blue crabs right off our dock. While they made great eating just boiled with Old Bay seasoning, they were even better made into crab cakes. I mean real crab cakes with lots of lump crab meat and very little else. Here's my recipe: 1lb. backfin crabmeat 4 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs 2

Immersion blender injuries!

2013-01-17T23:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's New York Times contains an article that absolutely stunned me - an account of people injuring themselves while using an immersion blender.I have been using one of these marvelous gadgets for years without sustaining so much as a scratch so I was amazed to read of people requiring huge numbers of stitches and worse. How could this possibly happen? Well, it seems some people attempt

Scottish shortbread recipe challenge

2013-01-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

I recently acquired a copy of Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery - a magnificent tome worthy of any cocktail table! My mouth was watering as I flipped through it - mentally making notes of recipes I can't wait to try. Then I came upon his recipe for shortbread. He stops short of calling it Scottish, but does refer to it as traditional. While I would never have the temerity to match my

Cookbooks we like

2012-12-31T12:01:00.001-05:00

If Santa didn’t grant all your wishes this Christmas, here are a few cookbooks you might want to consider: The Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perlman. From the famous food blogger, a chatty (maybe too chatty?) book with well thought-out recipes. I bought this one for my vegetarian son-in-law because of the interesting-sounding veggie recipes. There were quite a few recipes that the carnivores in

Chocolate Tarts (Part of Christmas Cookie Series)

2012-12-19T10:11:00.000-05:00

Whenever I threaten to cut back on the number of Christmas Cookies I bake each year, I can count on several family members saying "Not the Chocolate Tarts!". These are a labor-intensive cookie but well worth the effort. I shared this recipe with a friend many years ago and she used to say she wasn't sure whether to thank me or not since her children loved them too and demanded they appear on

Rugelach (Part of Christmas cookie series)

2012-12-18T16:38:00.002-05:00

Betty's Annual Christmas Cookies The first recipe I had for these wonderful cookies was called simply “Apricot Pastries”. It was a number of years later that I discovered they were actually Rugelach. By then, they were firmly ensconced in my Christmas cookie repertoire. In addition to the original apricot filling, I have added a raspberry, chocolate, coconut filling. I have to warn you -

Thumbprint Cookies (Part of Christmas Cookie Series)

2012-12-06T08:51:00.002-05:00

Another one of my favorites, these are a pretty - and tasty - addition to any cookie tray. One batch of dough is enough to make three different varieties of this popular cookie. Of course if you need lots of cookies, make a full batch of each! See the video for how to make a paper cone for easy filling of these cookies.Thumbprint Cookies Ingredients:¾ pound unsalted butter, at room

How to Temper Chocolate

2012-12-06T08:48:00.000-05:00

"Proper tempering gives chocolate a smooth and glossy finish and won't melt on your fingers as easily as improperly tempered chocolate." Here are the clearest instructions I have found for this process. It is time consuming but it does work. If you are going to melt a pound of chocolate, have several different kinds of cookies that you plan to dip already made so that you don't waste or

Meringue Kisses

2012-12-03T08:33:00.000-05:00

My Christmas/Holiday cookie platter Here is one of our Christmas cookie platter favorites: Meringue Kisses 3 egg whites, at room temperature½ teaspoon cream of tarter1 cup granulated sugar½ teaspoon mint flavoringa few drops of green food coloringLine 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°. Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer (you may also use a hand

Christmas Cookie Time! Russian Teacakes

2012-11-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

For the fifty or more years I have been baking, I always start my Christmas baking with these rich, buttery cookies. Whether you call them Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes or Snowballs, they are an easy, delicious addition to your holiday table.Russian Teacakes Ingredients:1 cup butter at room temperature½ cup sifted confectioners' sugar1 teaspoon vanilla2¼ cups flour¼ teaspoon

Two dozen French macarons for $60! Make your own!

2012-11-27T12:37:00.003-05:00

Have you seen Williams Sonoma's latest catalog? Lots of holiday treats. But.....$60 for 24 French macaron? I don't think so. See my recipe and video and buy yourself a present with all the money you saved! Here is the link to the recipe http://www.bettyskitchenfare.com/2011/11/french-macarons-are-classic-pastry.html Watch the video demonstration:

Home Made Pizza

2012-11-14T14:38:00.001-05:00

Pizza Margherita I have been making pizza at home for years but have never been totally satisfied with it - particularly the crust. It never seemed to develop the taste or texture I was looking for. Along came Arthur Schwartz with his great cookbook “The Southern Italian Table”. His recipe for the dough requires an overnight rise in the refrigerator and that makes all the difference.

Salmon

2012-10-04T11:16:00.000-04:00

FILE PHOTO Hi Betty, I remember, along time ago, having a delicious salmon dish at Chez Vous. I am doing Pot Luck in November and considering a salmon entree. Any ideas? JCW Hi, Memory fails me as to what that dish may have been, but my current version is to use an orange/ginger sauce made by Iron Chef which I find in the Asian section. I just roast it at 425 degrees for 7 to 10

Leek and Potato Soup

2012-10-03T12:21:00.000-04:00

This classic soup was and is my husband's favorite. I think it all started when we were living in London about 20 years ago. He would often have a business lunch and want something light for dinner so soup filled the bill. There was a wonderful little store that he passed by on his way from the tube (subway) to the flat that seemed to bake bread every hour on the hour. A warm baguette

A Cook's Best Friend is Her Knives!

2012-09-14T13:47:00.000-04:00

Here is Part One of a video Rick and I made about kitchen knives. In this first one, I review the quality, care and sharpening methods. Remember: Never put fine knives in the dishwasher!

Eggplant Parmigiana

2012-08-26T18:25:00.002-04:00

Eggplant Parmigiana, an Italian restaurant favorite that is easily made at home. In fact, you can probably feed six people at home for what one serving would cost at a good restaurant. It can be made ahead - even up to a day before - which makes for easy entertaining. Add my Caesar Salad, some pasta and you have a great meal. Buon appetito! Ingredients: 3 medium eggplants, 1 1/2 cup