Foodnatic

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 7: Sugar Biscuits

2012-12-07T02:00:00.000-06:00

I think every family makes sugar cookies at Christmastime, in fact...I have never met a family that doesn't have their own "secret" family recipe. Last year I made one of our family's favorites we adopted from a beloved friend at church. This year, I was pleased to see that my HP Cookbook had a sugar biscuit recipe that looked like it was going to be wonderful.

I will stipulate this recipe calls for refrigerating the dough and rolling it out, I am not a fan of cut outs. Not even when all I do is decorate them with colored sugar. I like my sugar biscuits round and I like them with buttercream frosting, so does my WHOLE family...the people I grew up with and my own little family. So, that's what I did.

Sugar Biscuits
3 c. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, soft
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Extra sugar to dust the top of the cookies with

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the two ingredients have combined and become light and fluffy looking, beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure that each egg has been fully incorporated before adding the next. Next, beat in the vanilla extract.

Turn the electric mixer down to the lowest speed. Gently add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Once almost fully mixed, turn the mixer onto medium-high and beat for 15-30 seconds. Divide the dough into two portions and wrap each portion into individual pieces of plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove one chilled dough ball and quickly roll it out into ¼ inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut out pieces of dough and place them on the cookie sheet. This is where things got a little tricky. You see, its probably best to divide one dough ball half into two and then roll that portion out as the other portion chills. Then stamp out the cookie and place on the baking pan. Lightly dust the tops of the dough with sugar.

Bake for 12 minutes. I personally think this would be too long. I baked mine for 10 minutes and they came out perfect, however, they become a little tougher as they sit out, so if you want a really soft cookie, go for 8 or 9 minutes.

**Note: These are Hagrid’s cookies and they are supposed to be a little doughy, so if you want them like Hagrid, roll the dough to about ½ inch thickness and bake for about 10 minutes max. Remove the cookies from the oven and place on a cooking rack for about 3 minutes. Then transfer the actual cookie onto a cooling rack for the duration of the cooling process. Repeat steps until all of the dough has been used up.

As I mentioned, I like my cookies round and frosted. So I used my Pampered Chef medium scoop and then dipped the rounded tops in sugar and baked them RIGHT away, no refrigeration. They only spread a small amount. (Had the dough been refrigerated, then rolled out and cut into shapes there would have been no spreading whatsoever.) I also usually skip the parchment paper. If you haven't made flavored cookies on your cookie sheet in a while, it really isn't necessary. Especially if you wash your sheets between baking sessions and typically don't have your cookies stick to the sheet.

This is a WONDERFUL, simple sugar biscuit recipe. The dough didn't end up being overly sticky or gooey, so this is fabulous for a quick biscuit marathon with your children!!

They turn out incredibly crisp on the outside, thanks to the sugar dip they got before baking, but then on the inside...SO soft and chewy. Just a DREAM of a basic sugar cookie dough. I just love this recipe. It is going to be a hard one for anyone else to beat. Give it a whirl with your family today, you'll have a great time in the kitchen and fabulous biscuits at the end for your reward!

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 6: Homemade Fudge

2012-12-06T14:02:00.002-06:00

Every year when Christmas rolls around...ever since I can remember there has been fudge in the house. All of my life Grandma made it, as an adult I would go nuts and get creative making 3 or 4 different kinds. The "Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook" has a couple fudge recipes. One for "Homemade Fudge" (AKA Opera Fudge) and a recipe for "Treacle Fudge". I chose the simply titled "Homemade Fudge", but 5 minutes into the venture I realized...this didn't have chocolate it in! Say what?! I quickly read the notes in the book, talking about traditional fudge in America being chocolate but that the English enjoy their creamy, rich Opera Fudge without chocolate.

Normally, I made new recipes "as is" from the book, but...I just couldn't imagine fudge without chocolate OR without some kind of nuts... So this is MY version of HP's Cookbook recipe "Homemade Fudge". (If you want to make it as created for the cookbook, omit the unsweetened chocolate and walnuts.)

Homemade Fudge
2 c. sugar
2 c. whole milk
2 T. golden syrup or light or dark corn syrup
2 T. unsalted butter
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 c. walnuts (or nut of your choice)

Grease an 8-inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper, allowing the paper to come up two of the sides. This will make it easy to remove the fudge and slice it.

Combine the sugar, milk, golden syrup or corn syrup, butter, heavy cream, salt, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. (As you cook, the mixture will expand like crazy, so be sure the pot is large enough; it should be at least 4 quarts.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water to get rid of sugar crystals. A few crystals on the sides can cause the fudge to recrystallize.

Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 220°F. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 238°F. This whole process may take more than 30 minutes, so be patient. Don’t worry if the mixture looked curdled; it will smooth out as it thickens during the beating process.

Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the mixture cools to 115°F. Remove the thermometer, add the vanilla, and beat or stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture loses its gloss and is very thick, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. You can use a piece of plastic wrap and the palm of your hand to do this.

Cool completely before cutting into 1-inch squares.

*Note: If the mixture gets too hot, the fudge will seize up into a hard, grainy clump when you try to stir it. If it doesn’t get hot enough, the fudge will not thicken and will remain a gloopy mess. You can then try to save it by putting it back in the pot with some water (don’t worry; the water will evaporate) and reheating it to the correct temperature. It makes about 64 pieces

Of course...this is some of the best fudge I've ever had! I am pretty sure its the heavy cream and whole milk....so creamy and SO smooth. It tastes JUST like my Grandma's Christmas traditional fudge..."Fanny Farmer Fudge"; brilliant!!!

I guarantee you'll love this recipe and it will be a new "must have" every year for your family.

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 5: Any-Nut Nut Brittle

2012-12-06T09:03:00.004-06:00

I won't lie, I've never been a fan of "brittles". Largely due to childhood memories of tossing a bit in my mouth and cutting the roof of my mouth open because I didn't know I had to let the heat of my mouth soften it a bit first. Ouchies! Now that I am an adult...and a Momma, I thought I'd give it a try. My Mister does like his brittle, but he prefers it homemade to store bought. So, he hasn't had any in years. I thought I'd make his year by giving it a go. What's the worst thing that could happen??

*Seriously...a lot of bad things can happen. Read through the recipe and make sure you have the proper ingredients for this. Most candies that have to be cooked like this don't do well with substitutes. And...always BE CAREFUL when boiling sugar. It burns and it burns badly when you get it on your skin.

Any-Nut Nut Brittle

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. golden treacle or light corn syrup
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. unsalted butter
1.5 c. chopped raw nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts, whatever!)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Grease a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Clip your candy thermometer to a (at least) 4 qt saucepan. Place the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 280 degrees.

Add the butter and nuts and continue cooking, stirring constantly (it gets thick quickly, so really stir!!), until the mixture reaches 300 degrees.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Be careful, because the mixture will bubble and expand quite a lot!

Quickly pour the mixture into the prepared pan and FAST AS YOU CAN spread it out as much as you can; you're shooting for about 1/4" thick. (Ms. Bucholz says to use a wooden spoon.)

Cool completely before breaking into pieces and eating.

Before breaking....

After!

I'm not surprised that I still don't like brittle. There is just something about "fried sugar" that doesn't seem to appeal to me but, the Mister LOVES it...so it was well worth the venture. It IS creamy and rich, just as it should be. So, take a chance like I did and make a batch for the brittle lover in your family. Make sure you ask them what kind of nuts they want! This recipe works with almost any nut...I'd skip chestnuts though. Enjoy!

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 4: Treacle Tart

2012-12-06T08:58:00.002-06:00

I've never tried anything "treacle" in my life, but my Mister has. He served a mission for our church and was called to serve in the Scotland mission for 2 years when he was a young'n. He loves treacle, having never tried it but knowing he loves it made my fingers come to a screeching halt when I was thumbing through my HP Cookbook. Heavy cream, butter...lol...what could go wrong?!

Treacle Tart

Tart Crust
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks cold butter, cut into chunks
2 cold large egg yolks, reserve the whites
1/3 c. cold heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling
1 c. golden syrup or light molasses or corn syrup
2 1/4 c. fresh bread crumbs
Grated zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 egg beaten with 1 T. of water, for brushing the crust

For the crust, place the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse yellow meal without any white powdery bits remaining, about 20 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg yolks with cream and vanilla and pour them into the flour-butter mixture. Toss with a spatula until the dough clumps together. If the dough is too dry, add 1 more tablespoon of heavy cream (better too wet than too dry). Divide the dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Just before you are ready to roll out the dough, prepare the filling. Warm the golden syrup in a saucepan until it is runny, or microwave it for 1 minute. Combine the golden syrup, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll out the larger disk into an 11-inch circle. (I have a wonderful granite rolling pin, the heavier the pin with this dough, the better. Right out of the fridge its hard. Keep on the flour!!) Fold it into quarters, brush off excess flour with a pastry brush after each fold, then unfold it into a 9-inch tart pan, easing the sides gently into the pan and pressing the dough down into the fluted edges. Trim the dough even with the rim. Roll out the second disk 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough into long strips for the lattice topping. ( Skipped the fiddling around with lattice and went with a more fun way to do it...star cut outs! Its Christmas...why not?)

Scrape the filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Lay half the strips of dough over the filling in one direction and the other half in the opposite direction to form a lattice. Trim the overhang. Gently brush the beaten egg over the lattice.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 25 minutes until the crust is browned and the filling puffs up in the center.

Serve the tart warm with custard or whipped cream.

Dough pressed into shell, not hard at all. I promise!

Before baking...

After!

Ready to eat! Mmmmm.....

I have never had treacle, but I am in love! I didn't enjoy it warm, but the next morning at room temperature with some loverly whipped cream.... *swooooooon* When it was warm I couldn't taste the lemon...I couldn't taste much of anything except the crust. Once the flavors had a chance to marry and settle overnight, it was magic in my mouth!! If I was making this for just myself, I would love to try orange zest and juice rather than lemon. But again, as with the Dundee Cake from day 1, I was shocked at how light this tart is even though there is heavy cream, egg yolks and so much sugar. Give it a try, I do believe you'll fall in love just like I did!

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 3: Chewy Ginger Biscuits

2012-12-05T12:56:00.001-06:00

Each Christmas there seems to be a call for some kind of spiced cookie. Last year I made a graduated star tree out of gingerbread, crackle top molasses cookies and a batch of snickerdoodles. A little something for everyone. The molasses were my favorite, the Sprout was in LOVE with the gingerbread and the Mister likes his snickerdoodles every year. This year I wanted to try to cover all those bases in one cookie. I knew I had totally lucked out with the HP Cookbook when I came across a recipe for ginger biscuits. Chewy ginger biscuits.... Soft, just like I love them; filled with ginger flavor just like the Sprout likes them and...lightly dusted with sugar to make for a textured outside just how the Mister enjoys them. Yay for a cookie that covers ALL of the bases!

Chewy Ginger Biscuits
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. ground ginger
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 egg white
3/4 c. golden syrup or light corn syrup
1/2 c. sugar for dipping the tops of cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in the middle position.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ginger. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, egg white, and syrup; beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir on the lowest speed until combined. Scrape the bottom with a rubber spatula to make sure it is fully combined.

Scoop out balls of dough with a cookie scoop or tablespoon (I used my pampered chef medium scoop). Form into 1 1/2-inch balls, dough will be very soft. Roll the balls in sugar. Place the balls 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes.

Slide parchment paper onto wire racks to cool, do not remove the cookies individually until they cool. (Be very careful not to over bake these cookies or they will be hard instead of soft and chewy. The cookies will be very soft when you take them out of the oven; they will set up as they cool.) It makes about 3-3 1/2 dozen cookies.

These totally hit every note I was hoping for and everyone loves them like I made them just for them. Don't be fooled or scared by that tablespoon of ginger. It really turns out much more mild than you'd think. Give it a whirl...I promise you'll love it!

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 2: 1-2-3 Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons for Kids

2012-12-05T12:36:00.000-06:00

Every year there is some kind of candy being made in our house. Last year I did bonus recipes of fudge, mounds candies, nut butter chocolate molded candies and truffles. I'm not quite that ambitious this year... But Harry has something for that....

1-2-3 Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons for Kids! A sweet peanut butter mound with a bit of crisp rice cereal....drenched in milk chocolate. How can you go wrong with that?! Since peanut butter/chocolate combos seem to be a must around the holidays, I decided to give this one a whirl. The thought of the crunch inside the bonbon really piqued my interest. Almost like the feel of a Ferrero Rocher....with peanuts instead of hazelnut. BUT!...there is nothin saying you can't make this with cashew butter, macadamia butter or even almond butter. If you like those nuts...go nuts!

1-2-3 Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons for Kids

1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. crisp rice cereal
10 oz. milk chocolate, melted, for coating

*I highly recommend a peanut butter that has salt and sugar in it. I used unsalted, unsweetened in mine and I could feel my brain saying "More sugar...more salt..."

Combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until the mixture begins to come together. Beat on high speed until it reaches a dough-like consistency, with no crumbs. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar; if it’s too dry, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Note: It’s better to avoid adding the milk as the rice cereal with begin to lose its crunch after several hours due to the added moisture. Add the rice cereal and mix until combined.

Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and line them up on parchment paper. Using two forks, dip the balls one at a time into the melted chocolate, turn to coat and then lift out, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the coated candies back onto the parchment paper. Try to wait until the chocolate has set before you eat them. To speed things up, you can put the bonbons in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, but no longer than that. The condensation can ruin the chocolate.

These bonbons were so easy to make it almost fooled me right out of making them when I was looking through the cookbook... But!...something that tastes great doesn't have to be complicated. These were creamy and the small bit of crunch that the cereal added was a welcomed surprise each time I hit a piece and broke through the sweetness a bit.

Try these in your home with the kids for Christmas, they are sure to be a hit and become a yearly Christmas tradition.

A Very Harry Christmas, Day 1: Dundee Cake

2012-12-05T12:08:00.000-06:00

I decided that I wanted to do something super FUN this year for my 12 Days of Christmas. Last year was alright, but they were all recipes I was used to...classics. This summer my Mister got me the perfect gift...a cookbook called "The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook". *squeeeeeeeeee!* I was so excited...still AM! All the recipes in this book are SO rich and sound SO scrummly, I just couldn't stand it. I was going to use it for Thanksgiving dinner as well, but my energy levels got the better of me. (Low iron; not for the faint of heart!)

So let's get started. Fruitcake...the bain of of most bakers existence. Everyone avoids it, no one wants it for a gift and some of it inevitably ends up in the trash. Last year I made up my own recipe for it. It turned out very well, but I still wasn't in love with it enough to make it more than just the ONCE a year. Then, I came across a recipe in the HP Cookbook called "Dundee Cake (Fruitcake) for Kids". I don't have to tell you, there is no alcohol in this cake, do I? That's pretty much what makes it "for kids". Most English fruitcakes tend to have brandy or some other such liquor in them. But...just reading through the ingredient list!!....I was getting hopeful for a Christmas fruitcake miracle. Orange zest, marmalade, cherries, cranberries, almonds...it SOUNDED great.... But how was it going to taste??

Dundee Cake (Fruitcake) for Kids

2 c. flour

½ c. finely ground almonds

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1½ half sticks (12 tablespoons) butter

1½ c. sugar

2 large eggs

¼ tsp. almond extract

Juice & zest of 1 orange

¼ c. orange marmalade

1/4 c. apple juice,not from concentrate; no sugar added

½ c. dark raisins

½ c. golden raisins

½ c. currants or dried sweetened cranberries

¼ c. chopped cherries, optional (pat dry with paper towel)

Whole raw almonds for covering the cake

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep and set aside. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until incorporated. Add the almond extract and beat until combined. Add the orange zest and juice and the marmalade and beat until combined. Add the apple juice and beat until combined. Stir in the flour mixture at the lowest speed until combined, scraping down the sides. Stir in the dark raisins, golden raisins, currants or cranberries, and cherries, if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the whole almonds in concentric circles on top of the cake. Bake for 1 hour; then reduce the temperature to 275°F and bake for another hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Seriously...it takes this long, don't freak out...)

Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. When completely cool, invert the cake onto a cardboard round and immediately reinvert the cake onto a serving platter or another cardboard round. Store the cake at room temperature tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to two weeks, but it is best eaten when fresh.

This is how it should look when it is done baking...

Mine didn't turn out that beautiful...when they tell you to use a cake pan that is 2 inches or higher for this cake, they aren't joking. But for what my cake lacked in appearance the flavor, my GOODNESS, it made up for the ugly!!

I added every single ingredient it called for, even the "optional" cherries... It honestly is some of the most delicious fruitcake I've ever had. Much brighter flavors, more cake-like and lighter than the fruitcake I made last year. I will make this throughout the year, NO question. It would be a wonderful tea time dessert year round, especially being that it "keeps" for up to 2 weeks as long as it is covered. I have been nibbling on a slice the whole time I have been writing this post...partially the reason its taken me nearly an hour.

Yep, that slice of Dundee is now in my belly... It feels great! Usually, fruitcake lands in my tummy like a BRICK. This fruitcake felt like just enough and the citrus really perks it up.

I can't wait for you to try this recipe and fall in love with it like my family. The Mister had a slice last night and quite liked it. He's not a fan of raisin, but he had to admit...it was some great fruitcake.

Rosemary Olive Bread

2012-11-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, you crave Italian food. My 'rents were here with a new recipe they tried at my sister's place in Alberta. Low carb lasagna. I'll save that one for another day...and for when I master the moisture issue the zucchini brings to the recipe. But, what does EVERYone want when they eat Italian food?? You GOT it! Some killer bread. So, I got on it and made one of my favorite recipes from Cook's Illustrated. Rosemary Olive Bread!!

There are numerous reasons I fell in love with this recipe. The pungent rosemary, the soft texture of the bread and the irresistibly crusty exterior. Then...there is the wonderful way it soaks up whatever sauce you dip it in. The 'rents liked the balsamic dipping oil with theirs, I went virg or just dipped it in the lasagna sauce every once in a while. Plain, red sauce, dipping oil...no matter how you prefer your bread, this recipe has you covered!

*This is time very time consuming. But, its worth the effort for the end product. ALL of the rests and rises are crucial to this loaf turning out perfect. Also, I skipped the wheat flour and just went with 4 c. of King Arthur bread flour.

Rosemary Olive Loaves
1 3/4 c. (14 ounces) room temperature water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2 T. honey
3 1/2 c. bread flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 c. pitted olives, chopped and patted dry

Whisk water, yeast, and honey in bowl of standing mixer. Add flours and mix on low speed with dough hook until cohesive dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap; make well in center of dough and add salt and rosemary. Knead dough on low speed (speed 2 on KitchenAid) for 5 minutes (if dough creeps up attachment, stop mixer and scrape down). Increase speed to medium and continue to knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 1 minute. If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and continue mixing for 1 minute. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and pat into 12 by 6-inch rectangle. Press olives evenly into dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Starting at long side, roll rectangle into tight log. With seam side facing up, roll log into coil. Transfer dough, spiral side up, to oiled container or bowl, at least 2 quarts in volume, and cover with plastic wrap or cheesecloth towel. Let dough rise in warm, draft-free location until it increases in size by 50 percent, about 1 hour. I warm my oven to 200 F then turn it off right before I stick my dough in to rise. I do this every time I remove it from the oven, then return it for more rising. The last "episode" of rising takes place on the stove while the oven warms to 450 F.

Fold partially risen dough over itself. Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again. Turn bowl again; fold once more. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise 30 minutes. Repeat folding, replace plastic wrap/towel, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface, being careful not to deflate. Divide dough in half or thirds, loosely shape each piece into ball, and let rest 15 minutes. Flip each ball over and, starting from top, roll into tight oval shape. Using palms, roll each oval (seam side down) from center outward until 12-inch loaf is formed. Poke any olives that fall off into bottom seam, then pinch seam closed. Transfer each loaf, seam side down, and cover with plastic wrap/towel. Using a VERY sharp knife cut 2 inch slits every two inches along the tops of the loaves.

Before rising

Let rise on sheet or in pan you intend on baking the bread on until loaves double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (dough is ready when it springs back slowly when pressed lightly with finger).

**I never pressed my loaves, I just let them rise the hour and a half and went to town. I always make three loaves with this recipe. When I made it as concocted by Cook's, I ended up having two MONSTROUS loaves of bread that were better suited for sandwiches. There is NO reason why you can't do that say...with fennel and golden raisins. That would make a GREAT Italian loaf for ham sandwiches, but for a side bread with a meal...they just end up way too large if you only make two loaves. Lastly, this recipe originally tells you to place these loaves to rise on parchment and bake them on a stone...if you have a stone, go for it. But it is a lot more fiddling than most people want to mess with. If you use a stone, put it in the oven when you turn it on to heat to 450 F.

After rising, before first spray of water

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees at least 30 minutes before baking.

Spray loaves lightly with water. Bake 15 minutes, spraying loaves with water twice more in first 5 minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until bread is deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 210 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool loaves to room temperature, about 2 hours.

*After removing from the oven, I immediately brushed my loaves with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil. This seals the bread and keeps it moist.

Right out of the oven

Completely cooled and ready to devour!

Everyone loved this bread. My 'rents ended up leaving early to get home to Minnesota to prepare for their mission. They got word that they might be asked to report for their mission earlier than they had previously thought. When I offered to send them home with a loaf, it was a nano second decision. I hope you love this recipe as much as my family and I do. Make it your own... There are a lot of things you can do with this. For instance, I used all green organic sea salted olives...but for those that love a salt factor you can go with a combo of regular green olives or a mix of green and Kalamata. There is really no "wrong" you can do with this! Have fun!

P.S. Someone already asked me on the Foodnatic Facebook page what kind of pan it was that I used. So...here it is. The "three channel loaf pan", cheapest on Amazon.com

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake!!

2012-10-30T13:16:00.001-05:00

I will apologize immediately because it has been quite a while since I have been able to devote any time to my poor flog, and you the readers. A TDY to Baltimore, ear infections with growth spurts, 'rents moving in for a one month visit before they leave for their mission and my general exhaustion all add up to one empty flog wall! Ask me how many times I have gone out to dinner and your answer would be a big FAT zero. This is not normal for me, so I have been sort of itching to do something...ANYthing with food for weeks. But when a hankering hits, there is no better way to deal with it other than indulge in it. *chuckles* I'm sure you agree, right?

I didn't make my cheesecake dairy free because the majority of guests at the dinner table were dairy consumers. As long as I eat organic dairy, I can handle it. But the Sprout can't handle it at ALL. (Lucky for us...somehow we ended up with a child that doesn't like chocolate. *gasp* I am still not sure how this occurred.) However!....this can TOTALLY be made dairy free. There IS soy cream cheese and it turns out JUST as silky and just as delicious. I promise you'll love it whether you use dairy or not.

*To cook cheesecake properly and to avoid a cracked appearance for presentation purposes you MUST bake this in a "hot water bath". It isn't much more effort, but vital to a moist cake with a smooth top appearance.

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. pecan, walnut or almond meal (optional)
1 T. organic cane sugar
1/2 c. vegan buttery spread, melted
3 8 oz. packages cream cheese or soy cream cheese, softened
1 c. organic cane sugar
2 T. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. milk (if you use soy...go with unsweetened soy milk)
3 eggs, beaten
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 375 F

***Wrap the bottom of your spring form pan in heavy duty foil making sure that you have the foil (in one continuous piece) at least halfway up the whole pan, all the way around. You will need a half sheet cake pan or a cookie sheet pan to set the spring form pan in and pour the warm water into. Be sure you have these things on hand before you begin.***

**Make sure your oven rack is DEAD center in the oven and DO NOT use convection, even if you have the option. It changes cooking time and will brown the top of your cheesecake prematurely, fooling you into thinking it is closer to being done than it really is. Always lightly SHAKE for confirmation!**

In a medium mixing bowl stir together crushed graham crackers and nut meal. Stir in butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan; set it aside.

Soften cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs all at once, beating on low speed just until combined (do not over beat). Stir in milk.

In a double boiler or a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate.

Pour half of the filling into crust-lined pan. In the bowl you melted the chocolate in, start adding the rest of the cheesecake batter in 1/4 c. intervals. Completely mixing in each addition until you have half of the batter mixed into the chocolate.

Once you have tempered the chocolate to a cooler temperature (three separate 1/4 c. additions of cheesecake batter to the melted chocolate will do it), pour that chocolate batter into the mixing bowl you were taking the plain batter out of. Mix the chocolate batter and the remaining plain batter until completely incorporated.

With a large soup spoon place blobs of chocolate batter on top of the plain batter in the spring form pan in 3 or 4 separate places, closer to the center of the pan than the edges. With a knife, swirl the chocolate into the plain batter, as you would when you marble a cake.

***Do not "over swirl" or you'll just have a chocolate cheesecake that isn't very chocolaty!***

Place in your baking pan of choice (the cookie sheet or half sheet cake pan...I used a half sheet cake pan). Place on oven rack FIRST!...then pour in enough water to completely cover the bottom of the pan (it WILL evaporate/steam a fair amount during the baking process) for sure. I put 2 c. of water in my cake pan, when I poured it out only 1 cup remained.

Gently push the oven rack into the oven, taking care not to splash water into the cheesecake batter.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch pan, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, until edges are solid about 3 inches in on the whole diameter of the spring form pan and the center still appears slightly wobbly when shaken gently.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a sharp, thin bladed knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan; cool for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the side of the spring form pan; cool cheesecake completely (until the bottom center of the spring form plate is no longer warm at all). Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

*Having a cheesecake knife or a cheese wire is ideal for cutting cheesecake. I didn't have either one. You can see in the picture at the bottom of this post, my cheesecake slice didn't come out clean. It is so smeared it looks like the marble effect didn't happen, but when you fork into the slice it had. If you don't care how the cake looks presentation-wise, by all means...use whatever you want to slice your cheesecake.

Top cheesecake with fruit filling of your choice or eat it as is, like we did last night.

Another option is to make this a double chocolate cheesecake and make the plain portion of cheesecake white chocolate by the same method...adding 4 oz. of melted white chocolate to half of the cheesecake batter. I believe if you pulverized 4 oz. of fresh fruit you could also make this a fruit swirl cheesecake, though I haven't tried that one yet. This is a versatile recipe that is a SURE people pleaser!

*If you have special dietary considerations, you could try low fat cream cheese and halving the amount of sugar. These two changes won't effect the outcome of the cheesecake either. No matter what, have fun in the kitchen. Cooking and baking should always be fun!

Dairy Free Loaded Baked Potato Soup!!!

2012-09-22T14:21:00.000-05:00

The weather has officially taken a "turn" here in Ottawa. I wait around ALL year for this to happen. Autumn is my favorite season, I make NO bones about it. Ever. I love snow an' all, but the autumn colors on the trees just fill up a place in my heart that the summer has left barren. The FIRST thing I do when the temperature changes is crock pot something. I try to avoid chili until the blustery cold snow comes. Autumn....autumn is reserved for stews and thick, creamy soups!

I made a quick look through the cupboards, fridge and freezer. I had 3 large baking potatoes, a whole pound of bacon, a Spanish onion, a bag of shredded soy cheddar cheese and happened to have an unopened container of soy cream. Hmmm.....ah ha! Loaded Baked Potato Soup...dairy free!!

*For all my friends who can eat dairy, simply change the soy cream to regular dairy cream, the shredded soy cheese to shredded mild cheddar and the unsweetened soy milk to regular 2% milk.

Those dairy eaters interested in a lower calorie soup...substitute the dairy cream for fat free sour cream, shredded cheese for low calorie or "half fat" shredded mild cheddar and use skim milk for your milk. **I DO NOT recommend using "fat free" shredded cheese. The soup won't turn out properly**

Dairy Free Loaded Baked Potato Soup
1 pound organic bacon, cooked and finely chopped
3 large russett potatoes, baked in the oven, chopped 1 in. cubes
1 large Spanish onion, minced
1/4 c. flour
8 oz. shredded soy cheese, cheddar flavored
16 oz. plain soy cream
2 c. unsweetened soy milk
2 c. of water OR chicken stock
2 T. fresh cracked black pepper
1 T. fresh cracked sea salt
green onion for garnish
extra shredded cheddar for garnish
ALL bacon fat reserved

In the oven or on your stove, fully cook the whole pound of bacon; set aside to cool on paper towel. Pour ALL of the bacon fat in a large, deep pot. Mince the onion and sautee in the bacon fat on medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes. After 10 minutes, add in the 1/4 c. of flour. Incorporate it well into the onion, making sure there is NO flour that hasn't absorbed onion juice and fat juice. Slowly add the soy cream, 4 ounces at a time; stirring each addition completely into the onion and flour until the roux is complete.

When the roux is finished toss in the whole bag of cheese and stir constantly until the cheese has melted, this will take up to 10 minutes of stirring off and on. Add the 2 c. of unsweetened soy milk, in 1/2 c. increments, until it is all well incorporated. The soup will still be VERY thick at this point, resembling something more like a chowder. At this point you need to decide how thick you and your family like your soup. As you add your water or chicken broth, add it 1/2 cup at a time, totally incorporating each addition. Evaluate the consistency, flavor and thickness each time. You can stop adding liquid when you hit your desired consistency.

Chop your cooled bacon, reserve 1/8 c. of bacon for garnish, toss the rest of the chopped bacon in the soup. Chop your cooled, baked potatoes and toss them in the soup. Make sure you stir as you add each handful of potatoes. The starch on the potatoes will make them likely to stick to each other, so stir well. At this point, once you have everything in the pot you can decide if you want to turn it into a crock pot or leave it in the pot. We planned on eating this all weekend so I crock potted mine. It almost filled my 5.5 quart crock pot.

When serving, I simply ladled some soup into the bowl and garnished with extra shredded soy cheddar, crumbled bacon, freshly snipped green onion, fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Happy Anniversary!!

2012-08-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

Since we had the Sprout, when our anniversary rolls around we struggle to figure out what to do to celebrate. In fact, whatever we did last year....had to be a dud because I can't remember what we did. At all. *waits for it to come to her* Nope...not even two seconds of a memory of the event. Apparently, my Mister was determined to make this one memorable.

We've had a rough year...I've kept you informed enough that I suppose you can add together moving across the country, a miscarriage, an emergency surgery, my mom having a heart attack, a pelvic surgery/losing an ovary, a brain surgery....another brain surgery and you get the same answer most people do. They are surprised I still smile. Lol....but I'm not surprised...and I still do. Plenty!

The first thing my Mister did was hire a loverly girl from church to sit the Sprout, then he went and bought me a brand new dress and cover up (I tried it on before my brother's wedding...it was a dress he REALLY liked on me, but in the end we didn't buy it for the wedding.) and then...he made reservations at a fine dining place. Beckta Dining and Wine.

I was really excited to eat here, it was on my "to eat" list after all. I had taken a look at their menu the day before and couldn't decide what to get, so I made an executive call and went with the 8 course tasting menu. Why not? Then I'd be trying "a little of everything" right? Of course right! When we walked in for our 6:30 reservation it was already humming in there. I instantly felt way overdressed for the occasion though. None of the other customers were that dressed up. Oh well...

When our waiter came to ask us what we would like I ordered the 8 course tasting menu for us. If one person at the table orders it...everyone has to have it and my Mister was fine with that. I wondered if the optional cheese course came with it and he told me it was sort of worked into it. I found out later...there really wasn't much cheese included but, I also discovered with 8 courses I didn't have room for anything else. But lets get started....and let me apologize now for the lighting in my photos. It was slightly dim inside....

"Amuse"

(Mushroom Croquettes)

These little spoons were the PERFECT bite! A nice mellow mushroom flavor in a fine crispy coating with a smooth garlic aioli and a robust relish. It was balanced perfectly. It really got me excited for the rest of the evening! I assumed that on a Friday night the place was going to be filling up so as soon as I finished my croquette I got up to take what pictures of the inside that I could without disturbing the other customers.

Bench & Table Seating

Private Dining

By the time I made it back to the table, our first course was served and it looked amazing!

Heirloom Tomato Salad

The heirloom tomatoes were beautifully meaty and fresh, the grilled halloumi was nice and salty and just set off the sweetness of the tomatoes so well, and add to that the tomatillo gazpacho, yellow pepper puree and the creamy toasted pine nuts and you have a real winner!

Foie Gras Mousse

I won't lie to you...I wasn't a fan of the foie gras mousse. I love rich foods as much as the next woman, but I could barely handle this. I had to dip my fork in the sweet Peking Glaze and the salty, sour purslane and a bit of the wonton cracker to be able to make it "okay" to chew. I always try things on their own first, it was a huge mistake with the foie gras. My Mister and I both thought it felt like we took a giant bite of a stick of butter.

I needed something to cleanse my palate... Lucky for me, there was a guy walking around handing out fabulous bread from True Loaf Bakery in Ottawa. That concept is very important to me...staying local with your offerings and ingredients as much as possible. Way to go Beckta!

Date & Fennel Bread

When we were in Manhattan back in 2007, we lunched in Central Park with some food we picked up from Dean & Deluca. I will never forget my sandwich, ham & swiss with stone ground mustard on fennel and golden raisin bread slices. It was a thing of beauty. The bread I chose to try at Beckta was True Loaf's Date and Fennel bread. It far surpassed my expectations...but if I kept eating bread I wasn't going to be able to finish my other 6 courses still to come!

Oysters 3 Ways

My Mister was less than excited when this landed in front of him. He has trouble swallowing more than one vitamin at a time. So *giggles* I KNEW as soon as I saw the terror in his eyes, the he was dreading trying to swallow the oysters whole. He asked the waiter if he should chew them or not, he kind of left it up to my Mister. But for me it was down the hatch with the first one. The very top oyster on the plate was raw and simply dressed with horseradish and it was pretty good. The middle oyster was lightly crusted, perfectly fried and served on a bed of sauteed, sweet wakame. That was my favorite of the plate... The third oyster was warm and enveloped in a savory, lightly sweet cider soubise sauce. It was my runner up... I LOVED this course!!

Corn Croquettes

These little babies were more complex than they looked. On the inside of the, again...perfectly, but lightly crisp outside, we were favored with a mixture of peaches, grits and corn. It was so interesting and it totally worked! The yellow sauce up at the top of the plate was a bourbon curd, the sauce under the croquettes was a smoked creme fraiche and sprinkled over the top were some pickled watermelon rind. With a dab of each sauce and a piece of the rind in each bite these little babies were pretty good. By themselves, they were a bit rich. The croquettes definitely needed those sauces and garnish.

Pork Belly

This was one of my Mister's favorite courses. We both love bacon, but this was 50 times better! It was lightly salted on top which actually brought the pleasant sweetness out of the meat. The zucchini escabeche was wonderful and the eggplant puree was smooth in flavor. I ended up leaving most of my fava beans on the plate though. They just aren't my cup of tea...

I was starting to sense that I was nearing the "full mark" on my tummy. It was SUCH luck that these courses were spaced out so well or I'd have been toast after course number 3! But just then...our waiter brought us our new set of silverware. There was a steak knife! I was so excited! MEAT...lots of it!

Duck Magret

This looked SO wonderful! I almost didn't want to touch it, but...then again I LOVE a beautifully cooked duck breast. I leaned in to inhale...it smelled like Heaven on a plate. The duck breast was PERFECTLY cooked. It is hard to tell from the lighting, but it was superbly prepared. It was sliced and fanned over a bed of miso sweet potato gratin and dressed with shiitake mushrooms and a black garlic demi glace to DIE for! The duck was so succulent and tender... The sesame beans and pickled ginger tempura were just the icing on the cake. There were so many complex layers of flavor built into this dish...I would go again JUST for that entree. Everything was perfectly delightful on that plate.

When they took away my plate I felt like I was going to burst. A couple times my Mister and I had tried to recap and count...what course are we on??? We weren't sure we could make it through the rest of the courses. 2 more... Oofdah!

Sage Fried Cornbread

This baby came out of the kitchen HOT! The little skillet was majorejo raclette just out of the oven and topped table side with oloroso sherry. I waited a couple minutes for the sizzle to die down in the skillet, then I forked some of the cheese out of the skillet, added some of the sage cornbread and I dabbed it in the lingonberry gastrique. All together it was pretty good, then I explored each component on its own. I ended up eating the rest of my course without the lingonberry gastrigue. It was simply TOO bitter for me, even with all of the sweetness from the sherry and the fried cornbread.

Dessert Trio

It was so sweet of them to write "Happy Anniversary" on our plates with chocolate. After the waiter explained each dessert I started from left to right... The first one was a shaved ice Mai Tai with a candied slice of lemon. The lemon was pretty interesting but I couldn't handle the bitterness of the alcohol. I went for the ice cream in the middle under the chocolate biscotti... Blech! All I tasted was coffee. I don't drink it...when it is in chocolate cake recipes or the like, I leave it out. I cautiously stuck my spoon into the last cup and tried the shaved ice that was margarita flavored. There was a little coconut dacquoise on top. It was the texture of a meringue but didn't have much of a detectable coconut flavor. *shrug* So I went for what I was leaving for last, because it looked like a "sure thing".... The chocolate biscotti. It was the best thing on the plate. I dredged my biscotti in a bit of the melted chocolate and just reveled in it.

It was our 8th and final course and I was seriously bursting at the seams internally. My Mister asked for the check so I started getting my camera and notes ready to go... That's when the waiter brought our whole menu typed out with "Happy Anniversary" written across the top. Wow! Such a helpful staff! I spent some time making notes and trying to remember everything they told us so I didn't forget a single element on each course...so this relieved me a bit. I knew I wouldn't get anything wrong now.

Then something else came out of the kitchen...a special cherry to the top of our already fabulous evening...

Petit Fours

The two little cookies had peaches and what tasted like oats, they were pretty good. But the best part for me was the little bite of bar in the back. A seriously chocolatey, rich bottom that had all the feeling of a brownie but light enough you could still call it "cake" and it was topped with a moist layer of coconut cake. I really loved that little bite of cake. It was a wonderful ending to a spectacular evening of food.

I'd be lying if I said the best part of the evening was the food, though I can't recommend Beckta's enough for all your fine dining special occasions... They really went out of their way to make the evening special with their service and the food was every bit of the description of "fine". For me, the highlight of my evening was my company. My Mister and I don't get out much, let alone without being totally preoccupied about what the Sprout is up to. We spent most of our time talking about our relationship, traveling, food and his job; the first three of those are some of my favorite things to talk about, his job....not so much.

We didn't spend a lot of time talking about all of the unbelievably excruciating challenges we've been through in the past year, or how we didn't deal as well with some of those challenges as we did with others. We didn't need to...we were just relieved to be sitting with each other, to be alive and to still be in love.

Happy Anniversary

Taken by Julie Jones, my little sister, at my big bro's wedding in Minnesota

I don't go a single month without hearing that someone we know is getting divorced...for whatever reason...or at least having some relationship trouble. It has begun to feel like "forever" or a "50th" isn't something anyone ends up celebrating anymore. But even through all our 11 years together, most of them married, and all of our own troubles...we keep growing and learning...and most of all, we wake up in the morning with our best friend. Thanks for another year...I couldn't have made it without you!

Bring on the Autumn!!

2012-08-25T02:00:00.000-05:00

I just came home from spending 2 weeks in Minnesota. I was there for my big brother's wedding. He married the most AH-mazing woman! I love her to pieces...she really was meant to be one of my sisters. There's no better feeling than that. We spent 4.5 days in the Minneapolis area and 4.5 days in the Duluth area, where I am originally from.

Jill Manners, Photographer

One morning, as I was walking out to my Momma's garden for a "shoot" (being a photographer she takes full advantage of my talent and has me take pictures of her garden every summer that I come), I took a deep breath and could feel the temperature was hanging just around 50F. Mighty chilly for an August morning, even in Duluth. August is usually the "grossest" month for heat and humidity everywhere in Duluth, even by "the lake". It reminded me that my favorite season, autumn, is right around the corner.

I spent a lot of time in her garden taking pictures. One thing that was evident is that it is very near to the end of the growing season. Most of what was left were vined fruits, tree fruits and veggies. Her grapes, squashes, pickling cukes, beans, pears and apples. It was like a autumn farm market waiting to happen. It made me want to eat some pumpkin...NOW! I don't usually get like that until its really time for pumpkin pie and stuffing....and my favorite, green bean casserole!

Pumpkin bread is something I make every year, but over the years I have come to love fiddling with it. My favorite way to dress up my pumpkin bread is to add a rich praline crumble to the top. It gives it an extra little boost aesthetically and adds an incredibly soft, crunch to the top of this very moist bread.

Praline Pumpkin Bread

1 c. oil

2 3/4 c. sugar

3 eggs

15 oz. pumpkin (unflavored)

1.5 c. flour

1.5 c. cake flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

Praline Topping

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. pecans, crushed

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix the oil, sugar, and eggs together until smooth. Add the pumpkin, and mix well. In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients together and stir with a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.

For praline topping, cut butter into brown sugar and salt. Crush pecans and add them to the butter/sugar mixture.

Grease and flour two 9x5x2 inch loaf pans or 7 mini loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, sprinkle the praline topping over middle evenly.

Bake for 55-65 minutes for the bigger loaves and 35-45 minutes for the mini loaves, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

The No. 1

2012-08-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Lately, I wake up in the morning and I just do NOT want to cook. I am not sure why, and it really doesn't matter. I still gotta eat right? Right! I dig through my purse for my "to eat" list and scan the breakfast section... There was one place that I keep hearing about that has been on my list, but I was waiting for a day when my Mister and I could eat breakfast together before I went. Knowing that the odds of that these days are nil, I went to Stone Face Dolly's all by myself.

When I got there someone was cleaning the windows...I wasn't sure they were open... As I rounded the corner I saw on the door that they opened at 7:30am. Brilliant! I walked in to find I was one of only 3 customers in the place. This is always a catch 22 for my brain. It means I'll most likely be allowed to shoot the inside...but then I wonder "If they are so awesome...where is everyone?"

I got to talking to who I assumed was the manager, Jeff, about their menu. I knew what I was leaning towards, but there were some things that I was curious about...like "Lemon Diablo Sauce" listed with all of their versions of Eggs Benedict. I noted right away that Omelets were the first thing on their breakfast menu...usually this means this is one of their most popular items or...what they know is one of their best offerings. Sure enough, when I asked Jeff what he makes at home or what he would feed a friend he said "An omelet".

Alrighty....when I looked at all of the choices the one that lept off the page right away was "No. 1". A 3 egg omelet with basil pesto, tomato conasse, portabello mushrooms and your choice of either brie, goat or gorgonzola cheeses. Without hesitation I picked goat cheese and Jeff told me that goat was really the best choice. Something else that caught my eye on the menu though was Banana Bread French Toast... I told Jeff that and thought to myself that if this omelet was awesome, I'd be back to try the BBFT later. With my order in the kitchen I poked around and took my shots of the inside...

While I was on my walk about, I found a little cubby area near the bar. It was filled with awards... Stone Face Dolly's has some clout...hello! In fact...one of the first things I noticed when I walked in was an autographed photo of the host from "You Gotta Eat Here!" hanging near the reception area. (I love that show....I think I watch every single food show there is...cooking, eating, baking...you name it, I watch it.) Discovering all of these accolades elevated my expectation to a place I usually don't take my breakfast. As soon as I sat back down...breakfast was served.

I couldn't believe how HUGE my omelet was...and that Jeff had given me a slice of the Banana Bread French Toast and a cup of Lemon Diablo Sauce even though I didn't "officially" order them. Thanks Jeff!! But lets take this breakfast one element at a time, shall we?

Lemon Diablo Sauce

One of the first things I got my fork into was the sauce. Jeff told me that most of the time people order this sauce as a side with their entree...whether it comes with it or not. I tried a tiny dab of it and my mouth exploded with flavor! There was the initial rich, velvety creaminess followed by the essence of citrus and rounded out with the tiniest bit of heat. The PERFECT amount. I was ALL in on this sauce, so I slathered it over my omelet....after I took a picture of it lol....

No. 1 w/ Brown Bread Toast, Salad & Home Fries

The first thing I tried here was the omelet, of course. I will tell you right now, words don't do this omelet justice. So, no matter what I say, I encourage you to get to Stone Face Dolly's with all due HASTE and order a No. 1 with goat cheese yourself. But lets begin with texture... This is one of THE fluffiest omelets I've ever had in my life, but the meatiness of the egg wasn't lost in the "fluff" factor. It still felt like you were eating a nice portion of protein. The herb and mushroom flavors just JUMP out of this omelet and the goat cheese really rounded everything out bringing a balance and a creaminess that was just stellar. Couple this omelet with the lemon diablo sauce?? Unstoppable dish!!

Now...the brown bread toast. Yeah...remember how I talk (almost incessantly) about growing up in Minnesota and all of the creating my Momma and I do in the kitchen?? This brown bread just transported me right back... She always puts a generous portion of molasses in her wheat breads so...close my eyes, and I am back home. They were loverly, thick cut slices. Loved this bread! Loved it so much I bought a loaf to bring home, yeah...they sell it. Score!!

The home fries were good, but not the star of the plate and I don't tend to eat 2 starches at the same time with ANY meal. The salad...I won't lie, I didn't even touch it. For me, it didn't belong on the plate...even if it was meant to be a palate cleanser. I don't do salad with breakfast, unless it is a fruit salad.

Banana Bread French Toast

Now, this isn't the full amount of slices you get when you order this for breakfast...it was just enough for me to try it out. It LOOKED yummy, but when I poured the syrup over it...there was SO much cinnamon and powdered sugar on it the syrup evacuated itself to the plate and was coated in cinnamon. I took a bite and BAM!...cinnamon. This wouldn't have been such a crisis had the banana bread been sliced thicker. The bread itself was a mild banana flavor so, it really needed to be thicker to balance the amount of cinnamon on top. Aside from that...it is a great concept. I have done this at home myself many, many times.

Bottom line on Stone Face Dolly's is it is fabulous...worth every penny and I would love to try more on their menu. As I sat there eating my breakfast, Dolly's started to fill up with other customers. The two men that were there before I started were STILL there when I left. Even when I was tweeting and updating my Facebook status about where I was...readers were commenting back to me right away about how much they loved this place...especially their omelets.

Dolly's is a nice, peaceful place to take your time and enjoy your food and your company. The staff are friendly, prompt and take pride in making sure your experience at Dolly's is a good one. Make the time to take some time and head down to Stone Face Dolly's for some heavenly breakfast. I promise, it will be the best decision of your day!

Jam & Jelly Fest 2012!!!

2012-08-18T02:00:00.000-05:00

Growing up with the Momma that I did, there were some pretty common occurrences in my life. Every winter we played "Fox & Geese" in an open field and went back to the house for warm, creamy homemade hot chocolate. Every autumn we cleaned out the flower beds to get them ready for spring and the long winter "nap". Every summer.....we made jam and jelly and canned just about everything we grew. Yes, in this century people. My Momma still does this and I decided it was my turn, at the ripe old age of 32, to try this out myself. The jams and jellies anyhow....

First things first...what do I know about jam and jelly?? It is sweet, it tastes great and its always made out of fresh ingredients. For me I decided I was going to keep my standards high though...I was going keep my stuff organic. I have to with the sugar sources but I always do for eating with the fruits, so why quibble now??

Now....what do I know about how to make it?? Fruit, pectin, jars, lids, rings, funnel, canner.... Wait a second...don't you have to, like, stand there and stir that stuff for FOREVER before you can put it in the jar?? Crap... I have a 2.5 year old son, how the frack is that going to work?? *sigh*

Then I found it...the oasis in my desert of disappointment.... The Ball FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker! Did you catch that ladies??? AUTOMATIC!! Score!!

All of the stuff you see in the picture was everything I need to make a batch of Apple Jelly. Unsweetened apple juice, organic cane sugar, pectin and a smidge of vegan butter. The machine comes with 5 recipes for jam and 5 recipes for jelly. Each recipe makes four 8 ounce jars of jam. Yeah the batches are small, but for a family of 3 like I have, that's PERFECT!

My mind went WILD with ideas for flavor combinations....I didn't want to do anything singular. We have tried plenty of plain jams and jellies that are nothing but strawberry or cherry or blueberry. It was time for some dynamite pairings. But what I love most about this whole process is taking this....

and this....

...and turning it into beautiful, sweet all natural homemade jam!

For the first time in my life I understand why women get together in gaggles with their fruits, jars and canners and spend whole days together canning for their families. There is just something SO satisfying and GRATIFYING when you are able to take raw ingredients and turn it into something useful. Yarn into booties, wood into furniture or fruit into jam....all things that help bring something special to your life and your family when you produce it yourself; with love.

I followed the directions in the booklet for each flavor I made; put in the pectin, then the mashed fruit and a small bit of butter and pushed either the "jam" or "jelly" button on the machine and OFF it went, stirring. After 4 minutes it was time to add the organic cane sugar. Once you do that its 17 minutes of the machine stirring for you, that's when I prepared my jars, rings and lids.

I believe this is how I ended up with 9 different flavors of jam and jelly, it was so EASY! The flavors I ended up with were:

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

Raspberry Pear Jam

Raspberry Mission Fig Jam

Calimyrna Fig Pear Jam

Cherry Date Jam

Apple Jelly

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

Habanero Pepper Jelly

I'm not sure at what point in this process I realized that I was making WAY more jams and jellies than my small family would EVER eat...even in 2 years. The Sprout doesn't really go for jam or jelly...most of the time I can't even get him to eat chocolate (still not sure this boy is MY son...), so I wasn't sure where my train derailed in the logical process of planning what I was going to do with all of this canned yumminess. But, 4 ounce sized jam and jelly jars make for sweet little gifts to family or friends, and that is exactly where I started handing them out!

Apple Jelly, my first venture

After day 2 of canning....

Result of 3 days, 9 flavors!!

I did make TWO rookie mistake during this process... The first mistake was running out of jars on day 2. That is why all of my Raspberry Mission Fig Jam ended up in 8 ounce jars rather than 4 ounces. Only problem there is you have to find someone that REALLY likes those two things and eats a lot of jam. Challenge accepted... But then...I followed the directions to the LETTER for the Jalapeno Pepper Jelly...I chopped my green bell peppers and jalapenos "finely" and threw them in the machine. Earlier in the day, I told my Momma what I was up to and she "tsk, tsk"ed the idea that you could just throw those in there because peppers don't have a lot of natural pectin to begin with, they would need to be broken down more than a "fine chop". Turns out experience will get you farther than a recipe if the person who wrote the recipe didn't know what they were doing. This is a new product, its only been on the market about 1 month. So...you do the math.

I ended up having to open all of my jars of Jalapeno Jelly and put them in my Magic Bullet to pulverize the peppers like my Momma had suggested in the first place. Just to make sure they gelled the second go round I added a tablespoon of pectin to the batch and brought it to a boil on the stove before rejarring it all. I am pleased to say redoing it made it turn out like a proper pepper jelly, no chunks and totally gelled.

It probably isn't safe to say "now ends the jam and jelly fest of 2012" because Christmas is just a couple months away, but I am going to wait on some feedback from this go 'round before I go hog wild with another marathon of canning. If you have the 95 bucks to blow on this machine and you don't have time to stand and stir...because of a little one, a health issue (my Momma has fibromyalgia and my Grandmother has chronic fatigue....these machines would be IDEAL for them) or you just want your jam/jelly process to go a little faster head over to Ball's website and order one of these today and try it out for yourself. You will be glad you did!

One Of The Family

2012-08-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

One of the things I haven't been shorted on since I have been in town is recommendations for places to score some awesome breakfast. I find it funny, because its the most ignored and rushed meal of the day almost everywhere you go, even though it is the MOST important. It is your fuel for the first half of the day...how far would your car get to work without fuel...?? Yeah...think about it people... Sifting through some of the information I have been given is a little oasis of love down on Bank Street. Ada's Diner...

I was going to be heading over to the Orleans side of town today for some light shopping, so...Bank Street wasn't a total crisis for breakfast today.

Ada's doesn't look like much from the outside except very busy. You can clearly see all the tables in the window are taken. It becomes apparent throughout my visit that this is normal for Ada's. I was in there for an hour and it took that long before tables started to free up. I got one of the last tables there was when I walked in. Because it was stacked wall to wall in there with people, I don't have photos of the interior. I like to respect the privacy of other customers to eat in peace. But, I did the next best thing...I started talking to them all.

Most of the people in there are regulars...and you can tell because Ada knows who they are, she knows what they want to drink and what they will want to order before they even open their mouth sometimes. She remembers names and faces and she hands out hugs for FREE people! Their business card says "Where you feel like one of the family." and I have to tell you...I did.

Ada herself walked up and greeted me with a menu, I knew what I wanted and I think she did too. I asked her what she'd recommend..."Eggs Benedict." How did she know??? I still don't know. Although I knew I wouldn't have to wait long for my food, I decided to start gabbing with the people sitting next to me. The tables and chairs are fairly close to one another in there...its hard not to feel like you should strike up a conversation with the person you are just about touching knees with. It didn't bother me one bit...I love talking to people and it was a perfect opportunity to get the scoop on Ada's. The first couple I chatted up gave me the name of some places I should hit up for the flog...I already had most of them on my list. While I was talking to this couple my food came.... It looked SO fabulous that I didn't have to wonder if I was going to enjoy it...I KNEW I would!

While I was eating a second couple came in and seated themselves right next to me where the previous couple had been. In the beginning when I asked them if they ate at Ada's often and what other places would the recommend around town, I got most of the same answers about restaurants as I did from the previous couple. But this couple also clued me in to Ada and her ability to recall names and faces...and even what they will want to order. I watched and listened to her in action while I ate. She was always busy...never stopping for a second. Checking to make sure everyone was happy, washing a table here or refreshing some coffee there. It really did seem like a huge family was eating breakfast in there. Even over the typical noise from the kitchen you could hear smiles in the voices of people talking and enjoying their meals. I am pretty sure I like Ada's...

I had heard a lot of things about Ada's before I went. The food is a bit pricey, but it tastes good. Well...property down on Bank Street probably isn't cheap and the last time I bought eggs that weren't organic or free range...they were about $3 a dozen. Price wasn't an issue for me. I had heard it was noisy...too noisy. Listening to it for an hour I can honestly say, as a mother, it was a GOOD noise. The kind of noise that speaks to productivity and that there are happy things going on in that place. Everything negative I heard about Ada's was blown out of the water this morning. The positive things I heard about the food were easily confirmed in my first bite. I mean look at that yolk people!!

That's how you poach an egg.... I loved my experience at Ada's Diner and if I am ever that far east for breakfast I won't think twice about whose door I will be darkening for my meal. Give Ada's a try some morning, I promise you it'll be a great day!

Broccoli...Mmmmmm.....

2012-08-11T02:00:00.000-05:00

With all the awesomeness going on at the farm markets around town, I end up with a hankering for fresh, bright foods in the summer. Which is fabulous because they have plenty of things to choose from to fit the bill on those scores. I mean...doesn't the thought of taking this...

And turning it into a meal for your WHOLE family just make you happy?? It makes me completely giddy and...as one friend put it, I feel like "a domestic Goddess".

A couple weeks back a reader sent me a recipe....and I am pretty sure, although she claimed it to be her broccoli soup recipe, that I saw Gordon Ramsay make it on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. I did a search for that episode and couldn't find it, but you can watch Gordon make it on YouTube just to give you an idea how ridiculously easy this soup is. I can tell you right now it is hands down the BEST broccoli soup I've ever had, and I wager that nothing will ever top it for me...ever.

Gordon Ramsay's Broccoli Soup
2 heads of broccoli, fresh and very green
2 T. of salt
5 qts. water
goat cheese, sliced
whole, shelled walnuts
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
drizzle with olive oil if desired

Cut the florets off the heads of broccoli. Cut the stems into similarly sized pieces. Add all of the broccoli, florets and stems, into a pot of rapidly-boiling, salted water (2 tablespoons salt in 5 quarts of water). Cover and cook 3.5 to 4 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, put the cooked broccoli pieces into a blender. Fill blender about halfway with cooking liquid; blend carefully since it's hot. Add more cooking liquid as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Check seasonings.

If desired, add walnuts to bottom of the bowl and top with slices of goat cheese (goat cheese or cheddar cheese) then pour the soup in. Serve, drizzled with olive oil if desired.

Three different sized bowls, three different ways of dressing it up but one AWESOME bowl of broccoli soup. Blanching the broccoli in the salted water just made it taste like broccoli on buttered steroids. I had a smidge before I pureed it up and it tasted like heaven. With a tiny bit of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper it tasted like a soup from a 5 star restaurant. The comfort in knowing that I was giving my family nothing more than pureed broccoli with lightly salted water was truly gratifying. Everyone loved it, there wasn't a lick left in anyone's bowl. My Mister claimed the leftovers for dinner the next night (leftover night).

If you have a busy night coming up and but you still want to make sure you get something healthy on the table quickly, give this soup a whirl. It literally took me less than 5 minutes to make and I promise you, it will leave everyone asking for MORE!

*We are a mostly dairy-free bunch here, so I used shredded cheddar flavored soy cheese and my Mister isn't fond of any kind of nuts, so I omitted those for an addition we BOTH love...bacon. I also made a lemon cream peppercorn sauce for the top, but I didn't follow a recipe and I don't recall everything I did....sorry. That's truly a first. I blame it on brain surgery recovery #2.

For a dairy free option use:

1 c. shredded cheddar flavored soy cheese

3 strips of bacon, fried and coarsely chopped

Place cheese on soup and sprinkle with chopped bacon. Our 2.5 year old even loved that! Happy cooking!

One Of EVERYthing If You Please...

2012-08-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

When we first moved to Ottawa the agent that was showing us homes told me that I just HAD to check out the Carp Farmers' Market if I wanted to see a larger farm market in our end of town. I of course had to bite on that. There is something about garden to table cooking for me. I am sure I have mentioned a bajillion times that I was raised in Minnesota right?? Right. By a Momma that grew up on a farm in Grand Rapids. I know for myself that you can take the girl outta the farm but you never get the farm outta the girl. To this day..she lives "in town" and keeps her own chickens so she can have organic free range brown eggs and when it is time to cull the flock...she has fresh, organic fed chicken to eat. These are the kind of things I go to the market for, things that my Momma has right in her back yard.

Every Saturday that we go, the market is teeming with people, and sometimes even dogs. As soon as you walk through the gates at the Carp Fairgrounds you start to smell amazing things. Not the least of which is actually the fresh dirt smell on some of the vegetables, amazing hand made soaps but most of all...fabulous food.

One of the first places that stood out to me, of course, was a little food shop inside the market building. I took one look at the table and initially, based only on colors only, I thought to myself "Boy, this stuff looks pretty plain." But there were samples...

Eccles Cakes

And if I have learned one thing with food in my lifetime, it is that you can't base your opinion on looks...you have to try it before you can see the whole picture unfold....

Sausage Rolls

I tried one of each of these little gems and knew that I clearly had misjudged by doing so on looks alone. I wanted to eat MORE.... A lot more. I struck up a conversation with the shop owner, Rosanna Salter, and she clued me in on the simple, straightforward method used in traditional English cooking. It was so refreshing to hear someone talk about "less is more" with food, especially at a farmers market. We chatted for quite a while before I started noticing out of the corner of my eye a crowd building up at her table. She had to excuse herself from our conversation a number of times to complete sales and speak with her other customers. I didn't mind. I listened in while I looked around at her signs and display...

I don't know HOW many times I heard comments such as "My father was straight from the Isles, he would LOVE this food!" and "This reminds me of the pies my mum used to make me when I was a girl.", on the first trip; I heard these comments over a dozen times in the 20 minutes I was standing there. On this trip, I let myself get lost in my own mind a bit when Rosanna was talking to her other customers... I got to thinking of the pies and pasties my Momma made when we were growing up and yes, Rosanna's food DID take me back to that kitchen table in Minnesota. My maternal grandfather was half Scot, half German but the only cooking style retained in the household he grew up in was traditional English food. My Momma learned these things from her Grandmother Ivy and, in turn, has taught me. There are some beautiful traditions brought about by food in families all over the world and one morsel of Rosanna's food can give someone a moment of total recall of their traditional English childhood in 2 seconds flat. I love that...

On that trip (there have been a couple since the first) I bought one of everything but the desserts. I have since been back and purchased an Eccles Cake to enjoy. The presentation of crusts on Rosanna's food is just outstanding. Such attention to detail like, flowers and leaves made out of the dough...something else my Momma does and has taught me to do. It really makes you feel like the person who made it did it with {love}. Love of the food, love of the traditions and love for YOU, the person about to enjoy this food. The phrases "Love and best dishes, from our kitchen ta yers." (Paula Deen's closing phrase on her television show) played through my head when I thought about all the love in those little tins on Rosanna's table....

Last night the Mister and I popped a chicken pie and a steak and mushroom pie in the oven for our dinner. It had been a long day for me, the last day of my Jam & Jelly Fest of 2012 (I'll tell you more about that some other day!), and I was beat; my feet were killing me. Rosanna's pies to the rescue!

Chicken Pie

Steak & Mushroom Pie

We took turns with each pie, switching plates back and forth. I was really loving the wonderfully moist pieces of meat in each one. I've never eaten any of Rosanna's pies or pasties and had overdone meat. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and they are never "mushy". But the biggest star of the dish for me EVERY time is the tender, flaky crust on her pies. I let my Mister eat as much of the guts as he wanted while I gobbled up the mesmerizing crust. Rosanna has cooking directions on the back of each one of her items, telling you exactly how to cook it properly. In fact, as I type this out I am sitting on my couch enjoying an Eccles cake... It was easy as 1, 2, 3... Take it out of my freezer, pop it in the toaster and DONE! I am enjoying a warm, tender Eccles cake riddled with raisins and other mixed fruit. The layering in this delight is amazing...

You can't just walk into a kitchen and DO that! Those tender layers of flakiness take years...sometimes decades to master! What a accomplished chef Rosanna is. And to think...it all started 18 years ago in Plymouth. In that tiny little part of Devon county, when a man walked into Rosanna's place and wanted to buy some of her Cornish pasties! Back when she'd work to make and sell 2 dozen Cornish pasties and turn around and invest everything she had earned back into ingredient... Although, now, she is most known for her English Steak & Kidney pies...which some have tried to imitate but NEVER duplicated. Her dedication, experience, love, passion....you taste it ALL when you eat Rosanna's food. Because I understand a love and a talent like that so well, I feel like I have found a kindred spirit in her. An uncommonly talented visionary in the kitchen. I'd call her the "Pie Whisperer" but I think it doesn't do her quite enough justice.

I obviously can't say enough about the English Pie Shop's food...and recently, CBC radio decided enough hadn't been said. So they featured her on "All In A Day" last Wednesday, where she could tell her story in her own words. You can listen to the full interview on their website (click on "All In A Day" to get to the website) I am only here to inform my readers about where the great food is and sometimes try to educate them so they know without thinking twice that they are eating fabulous food. But, in this case the real work will need to come from you. Drive, walk, bike...RUN yourself over to the Carp Farmers' Market and get inside the main building to the English Pie Shop, sample Rosanna's sausage rolls and her eccles cakes and you'll begin to see just how irresistible her food is and you'll never want to be without "a little something" of hers on your table once in a while.

All About The Callebaut!!

2012-08-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

I am a huge fan of anything that tastes good, so I subscribe to many different styles and genres of cooking and I sign up for just about every single group I can in order to come across fabulous recipes and fabulous people who want to share the joy of cooking and baking like I do.

This week, my made from home recipe is from the kitchen of King Arthur Flour....as far as I know anyhow. I like to give credit where credit is due....my grandmother's potato bread is a family secret, but where did SHE get it from?? I always wonder if the people at Cook's Illustrated, King Arthur Flour or Epicurious really make all of this stuff up themselves or if they take a recipe and tweak it a bit to make it their own. Everyone I know does that...most of the time I HAVE to do that in order to make it dairy free for me and the Sprout. But every recipe came from somewhere.... I just hope that people always give the credit to their source because it is the right thing to do.

I also want to give proper gushing time to the cocoa powder that I used in this recipe. I read a LOT about food...I devote almost as much time to reading as I do to the making. Food is such a passion for me. But the real joy comes in using the best quality and the freshest ingredients that I can so the bold, rich unadulterated flavors of whatever I am making can shine through whatever I do to them. I mean...isn't it amazing that you can take something like this....

.....and turn it into a rich, chocolatey loaf of sweet bread?? Yeah, it is AH-mazing!

I recently did some intense study on what cocoa powder was truly the best to use for baking. I stopped looking after 4 different sources all named Callebaut as the #1, end all be all of cocoa powder on the market. I couldn't find it here in Kanata or greater Ottawa at a reasonable price, so I ordered it off Amazon.com....have I ever mentioned how much I love the interwebs and how they bring the world of culinary spice and ingredients to my front door in a snap?? Well....I do! When my 2.2 lb bag of powder arrived it was like Christmas morning...or even better, my favorite holiday...Halloween night! I opened that sucker with all due speed and inhaled so deeply that I almost passed out. It was worth it though! I could SMELL that I had just bought pure gold and I was eager to mold it into something.

Dairy-Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 large eggs

1/3 c. honey

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. organic brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/3 c. Callebaut cocoa powder

1 2/3 c. flour

2 c. peeled, grated zucchini, gently pressed

1 c. Enjoy Life chocolate chips (dairy free)

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan OR 4 mini loaf pans and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and slightly airy. In a separate bowl whisk together the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and flour, mixing until combined. After the dry ingredients are incorporated, add them to the wet ingredient bowl and mix well. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake a SINGLE loaf for 65 to 75 minutes or until toothpick clean (don't worry if you see a slight chocolate smear from the chocolate chips, that is normal). For the mini loaves bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick clean.

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto the cooling rack. Make sure it is completely cool before slicing the loaf/loaves; store well-wrapped, at room temperature.

The two bowls of zucchini up at the top of this post were a total of 4 cups of zucchini, so I was able to make this recipe twice. Four of the loaves remained dairy free and then I went the extra mile with the other 4 and drizzled melted Callebaut white chocolate (not dairy free chocolate) on top of them. I never got a shot of those triple chocolate loaves with my camera (oops!) before I gave them all away but, all of the taste testers loved them! My picky Mister enjoyed this bread quite a lot as well. Give it a whirl in your kitchen today, just make sure you have a top quality cocoa powder like Callebaut and you'll be in business!

Wonderland....

2012-08-02T11:58:00.000-05:00

There is a new place in town...well, in Carp, but in Kanata that is close enough when you're on the hunt for fabulous food. When we go to the market on Saturday, we hit the Carp Farmers' Market. We HAVE to, there is an English pie shop there I simply MUST get some goodies from every time I go...but that's for a future post.

While we were leaving the market this past Saturday I looked across the street and noticed, there in all its glory was Alice's Village Cafe....finished. I had heard whisperings last year when I flogged the Cheshire Cat Pub that the owners might be branching out. I joined their "regulars" group on Facebook so I could keep track of all the yummly dishes they were featuring on their menu each week and...of their new cafe project. I saw pictures pop up here and there of laying slab and walls going up, but apparently I was hip deep in brain surgery recovery #1 when they officially opened their doors for business.

As soon as I got out of my car, I could SMELL that I was going to love my lunch. It was only 11:30, so there weren't too many people in there yet. Their website isn't up and running quite yet, so I couldn't do anything but call ahead to see what variety of foods they had to offer. As soon as the girl on the phone said "panini" when she was listing off their lunch fare, I knew what I was getting. I LOVE a sandwich with a nice crusty bread, it is one of my favorite things to eat.

Alice's set up is a bit different from what I am used to, when you walk in you see a counter and a case filled with food. The idea is you walk up to the case and pick out what you want...quiche, wrap, sandwich and they prepare it. They also have some killer baked goods that are a force to reckon with.

I knew what I wanted when I looked at the offerings, but just to cover all of my bases I asked the girl at cash what she thought was their best sandwich. Great minds think alike, Turkey Confit...exactly what I wanted. With my sandwich I wanted to try a couple other things... They haven't been open long but they are already on the map for their Big Nasty and I saw the glass jars filled with scones and immediately wanted to try their spinach cheddar scone. Mmmm... With my sandwich cooking and baked goods in hand I found a table and got to looking around.

These pictures don't do the cafe justice and I feel horrible about that, but not too long after I sat down the place started packing in the people. Below those very cool light bulbs is a huge family style banquet table. It was occupied most of the time I was eating...as was almost every other table in the joint. I wasn't sitting very long before they brought my panini to the table. I was busy staring down my Big Nasty wondering if I was going to be able to eat my whole sandwich and that roll.... Then my sandwich arrived.

Turkey Confit & Potato Crisps

I spent a couple of seconds staring at it in wonderment. It looked SO appetizing, but I didn't want to jump ahead of myself. I had a test...something not many people think of but, one thing that is always in the back of my head when I am judging whether a panini is top notch or not. The meat. See...anyone can go to a deli and buy thin sliced whatever and stack it fancy pants into some bread... I was looking for flavor layering and Alice didn't let me down. When I opened my panini there were pieces of turkey...off the bird turkey! Not ground up, pressed into form and then shaved turkey. That meant FLAVOR and texture and....yummliness. The turkey was moist and meaty and was paired sublimely with the bacon, swiss and tomato. There was a roasted garlic black peppercorn mayo on there that was the French kiss to this otherwise perfect creation. I was on cloud 99! Their potato crisps were just right on the crisp and the salt, which is very important to me. Overcooked crisps and over OR under salted crisps are the kiss of death on a plate. If you can't make 'em right...leave them off is what I say! But, Alice had them spot on. It was time for the finale of the encounter....

Big Nasty

It seems rather ironic to me after sinking my teeth into the roll that this behemoth could be characterized as "nasty" by anyone. I laughed out loud while I was sitting there thinking of telling my Mister that he just HAD to go to Alice's to try their Big Nasty. I can't call it nasty, but I WILL call it tasty! This dough was perfectly cooked all the way through, which is sometimes a problem when you get into "Texas sized" baked goods. The dough has to be properly constructed so, as it sits in its caramel, it doesn't absorb the caramel, causing the dough to become soggy mess. The seasoning was light and the nuts still had a crunch to them. I'm in love with this roll...

Yeah, if my Momma heard me say that she'd be mystified, she taught me how to make these back when I was 10 years old. I can still make one just like it, but...lol...there's somethin about eating one when you didn't have to make it. Especially when your whole city is experiencing its driest month in recorded history and its hotter than an oven every time you walk out your door. Who wants to bake when it is like that? Okay, honestly, me. But!...lol...when you can get the same exact thing somewhere else, you take a break from the slaving in the kitchen every once in a while. I was glad I did. There have been times in the past where I have looked at a menu and thought "Oh, heck...I can make that at home." and passed up on a dessert or pastry that might have been super awesome. Shame on me....

It is nice to know there is a place in town that I can go for good, old fashioned comfort foods. With autumn creeping into the calendar I will be keeping Alice...and all her wonderment...in my back pocket as a place to go for a fast (it was remarkably fast!), healthy, local and very flavorful meal. Between Alice's and their Cat, just down the road, I have a feeling that I know where I am going to be spending my "off flogging" eating hours the rest of my time in Ottawa. For reasonable prices, fabulous food and peaceful atmosphere its Alice's for the win!

Flanks A YUM!!

2012-07-26T15:51:00.001-05:00

We were headed to pick up mail today...downtown. Oy... This is always an "ordeal". There is never NOT copious amounts of vehicles, buses and peds to try to maneuver around and get through. Finally, the police agree...they were also out in full force; car and bike alike, handing out tickets to "jaywalkers". YES!!!

We were on Murray Street after grabbing the mail and all I could think was...."Murray Street...Murray Street...there is a place on Murray Street that I wanted to eat." I sifted through my purse and looked at my "To Eat" list for a while. I had forgotten the place I wanted to eat at on Murray Street was called...Murray Street.

*facepalm*

Yes, I swear I went to university.... *sigh*

I wanted to eat here once before, but the crew I was with couldn't "fall in love" with anything on the menu that evening, so we pressed on. But today, I was with the easiest person to please on the planet. My Mister. He's like me, he will try ANYthing once; sometimes twice if we could tell it had potential but failed in the execution of the concept/idea of the dish.

It was so comforting to see all of those "Where To Eat In Canada" awards. I hate wasting money....I hate wasting time and most of all, being a foodie, I hate wasting space in my stomach on things not worthy to pass through my lips! Four awards!! Their menu changes daily and lunch choices aren't as numerous as dinner, so this "meet and greet" with the menu board is hit and miss for some. At any rate, I knew before I saw the lunch menu I wanted meat. Red, rare cow to be exact. I was in luck, which doesn't happen often.... There it was in all its glory, listed on the menu, "Flanks A Lot".

Being someone who has a hard time deciding what to eat sometimes, having a menu with only 7 choices made my life...and everyone else's SO much easier! I went straight for the "Flanks A Lot" and we ordered a "Fat Fries & Spicy Mayo" to share. I got to work checkin' the place out while we waited for our entrees.

There was one other occupied table when we sent in our order, they were 2 seconds in front of us when we walked in. I rather like not being smack dab in the middle of mayhem when I am trying to enjoy a meal. As the waitress brought that table their meal I started to notice the people piling in the front door. Groups, couples, loaners... So...noon 30. That's when all the downtown business folk eat. Good information to have! Before I could think about anything else, our food had arrived.

Flanks A Lot

Flanks A Lot is marinated flank steak, sliced and arranged on a bed of greens that has been dressed with bacon ranch dressing (you had to know bacon would be in there somewhere...who loves bacon more than me??) and studded with beautiful chunks of Bleu D'Elizabeth Cheese and some potato salad. This was food for the eyes AND the belly! The meat was cooked beautifully and was SO tender. There isn't much you need to do to a good cut of meat to make it perfect...you just have to cook it right so it can show off its natural flavors. The marinade complimented the meat and highlighted the earthiness of the beef. The green salad was a work of art! The cheese was SO creamy and rich, I loaded up my fork and shoved a bite in my Mister's mouth before he could wave me off. He had to admit, it was some damn good cheese. The bacon was crisped perfectly before it was tossed in the dressing and it had retained much of the crispiness and meatiness. Its always a let down to bite into a chunk of bacon in a dressing and have it taste like a lump of cold, rubbery lard. This salad dressing was spot on...I'd buy it if Murray's started bottling it. Yeah...even with my dairy allergy...I'd risk it.

The only thing on my plate I didn't finish was the potato salad. I'm a Minnesota girl...I LOVE a good potato salad, but "good" is a relative term. For me "good" means basic and bare bones...let the 'taters do the talkin'. I despise crunchy textures in my potato salad that aren't minced, even onion. It has to be close to pulverized or not be in there at all. This potato salad had huge, thin slices of radish. *gag* It also tasted a little "off" somehow. By "off" I mean...a tang. Like...when mayo has gone bad... But these days, it could just as easily have been that they had used yogurt or sour cream in their salad goop. People do it quite often to cut the fat content and richness in potato salad, especially in healthier cities. I asked the waitress, but...she wasn't sure. I didn't want to be annoying, so I let it go. Having traveled as much as I have and eaten what passes for "potato salad" in so many places, I don't have to spend too much time wondering where they came up with that recipe. Potato salad changes from region to region, always something being added or replaced so its creator can make a statement about where they are from. Its common, and I am used to it now. Moving right along...

Murray Street was overall a great experience. Comfy, quaint atmosphere with courteous staff that were knowledgeable about their menu and they had perfectly simple, clean lunch fare to offer. Prices were reasonable for downtown lunch and looking at the dinner menu on our way out, I would go back for most of what they had to offer. The "Awesome Bucco" sounded like it was right up my alley. If you're ever down on Murray and looking for some great food and you need it in 30 minutes or less, stop in at Murray Street and give 'em a whirl. You'll be glad you did!

Mushroom Risotto

2012-07-22T10:54:00.002-05:00

From time to time random people send me recipes. Okay....really, it happens all of the time. (I just spent last week testing 3 different recipes for the same thing; there was only one winner.) Most of the time I am not sure where they came from originally or, after reading through them, if they even turn out well. There IS a science to cooking and baking and some of the recipes people send just do NOT add up to "edible". But, I'm not here to judge...I'm here to cook. So keep on throwin' your recipes my way and we'll see what magic we can make in the kitchen!

Last night I felt brave, so I whipped out a random risotto recipe. I've had risotto a bajillion times, some fabulous and some disgusting, but never really had the patience to mess with it with my 2.5 year old pulling at my legs. I've seen enough episodes of Hell's Kitchen, Restaurant Nightmares and Masterchef to know you are NOT allowed to mess up a risotto. I have this feeling...wherever you are in the world, if you mess it up, Gordon Ramsay WILL come find you and tell you how much of a "brilliant DIS-ASS-TER!!" your dish was as he furrows his brow in shame and glares at you. This dish takes patience, technique and finesse... Bring your "A game" if you are going to make this dish for someone else...and for Heaven sake...don't use substitutes for anything except perhaps the herbs!

Mushroom Risotto

1 large shallot, finely chopped

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

8 oz. portabella mushrooms, diced

10 oz. arborio rice

1/2 c. dry white wine

4 c. unsalted chicken stock

1 T. fresh basil, finely chopped

1 T. fresh chives, finely chopped

2 T. mascarpone cheese

3 T. freshly shredded parmesan cheese (NOT grated)

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 T. unsalted butter

In a large saucepan sauté the shallots in the olive oil over medium-low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, then add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the mushrooms have softened.

Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine, stir and cook until absorbed.

Pour in a quarter (1 cup) of the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook until absorbed, stirring frequently.

Gradually stir in the rest of the broth over a period of about 15 minutes, adding 1 cup every 5 minutes or so, waiting until each previous amount is absorbed. This helps to give you a creamy, full bodied risotto.

When the rice is al dente, mix in the chopped herbs. Check the seasoning, you may feel like you want more herbs in. Stir in the cheeses, the heat will melt them. Finish by stirring in 1 T. of butter for shine; sea salt and pepper to taste and serve in with shaved aged parmesan curls or more shredded parmesan.

This was worth the time and effort and everyone, even the Sprout, loved it. He took big spoonfuls and added a "Mmmm...." to his critique after each bite. My Mister isn't in love with mushrooms and even he had to give it some "props"...and said he would eat it again.

When I make this again I'll try beef stock with thyme, burgundy wine and gorgonzola cheese or turkey stock with sage, a sweeter white wine and shredded swiss... There are a lot of possibilities, but you can't play TOO far outside of the parameters if you want this dish to work. I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as we did and...above all, have fun!

I'm Melting...

2012-07-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

If I said "Lately, it has been SUPER hot outside." most of my readers would want to smack me across the face for not adding an exclamation point to the end of that statement. "SUPER hot" isn't even a good enough phrase, "scorching humidity" fits SO much better!

Ottawa, according to most of the people I have met here, has a "normally mild northern climate" but I keep hearing that it has been "unseasonably hot and humid" this year. We heard that last summer as well. Citizens of Ottawa be warned, I officially don't believe people who say such things anymore.

This being the case I didn't feel like subjecting myself to being in the kitchen too often. Who wants to eat hot food when it is this hot outside anyhow? Not I. I picked up a tip from my mom when I was growing up in Minnesota, look at the forecast for the week and pick the coolest day...then cook up a STORM of cold salads. On Thursday I decided it would be a great time to get ready for what the forecast showed was gonna be a killer. I got right to work making one of our family's favorites...Greek Pasta Salad. Mmmmm.....

I will warn you ahead of time, most of these ingredients come out of cans or bottles. I don't prefer to "cook" like this which is why it is reserved for insufferably hot days OR when I just don't have time to spend 4 hours in the kitchen but I need something that will be fabulous anyhow. I put a homemade extra virgin olive oil sun dried tomato recipe at the end if you aren't crazy about bottled dressings, like me.

Greek Pasta Salad
1 lb. box of farfalle, prepared al dente
1 can Libby's sea salted green olives, halved
1 English cucumber, peeled, quartered and diced *
1 8 oz. bag of sun dried tomatoes, sliced
1 jar of Cora's marinated artichoke hearts, lightly chopped
2 bottles of Kraft extra virgin olive oil sun dried tomato dressing
10 oz. crumbled goat cheese feta

Cook pasta as directed on box; normally al dente on farfalle is around 7 minutes. While your noodles are boiling prep your veggies and toss them into a large mixing bowl with 1 bottle of dressing to start them soaking in the flavors.

When the pasta is finished, drain in a large strainer. Rinse repeatedly with cold water to get any extra starch off of the noodles. This will help prevent them from sticking together (If that doesn't work, drizzle a tablespoon of EVOO on the noodles). Wait about 20 minutes before adding them to the mixing bowl with the vegetables. They can still be warm when you add them, but they shouldn't be hot. Warmth will help release the flavor from the tomatoes and artichokes, but "hot" will cook them.

Pour another bottle of dressing over the noodles before attempting to mix them into the veggies. Pour into a large container with a lid and let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour, take it out and stir. Put it back in for another hour before stirring again, then serving.

EVOO Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
16 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
1 c. red wine vinegar
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
8 T. fresh basil, lightly chopped
2 c. extra virgin olive oil
fresh cracked pepper
sea salt

Add tomatoes, vinegar, basil and garlic to food processor. Pulse until tomatoes, garlic and basil appear to have a nice pasty consistency. Open the lid of the processor and s-l-o-w-l-y add in the oil while the processor is running at medium speed so the oil has a chance to emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. You will have to double this to use it for the pasta salad.

*You can switch out the English cucumber's crunchiness for something else if you prefer, celery or shredded carrots work well.

Happy Birthday!!

2012-06-28T11:15:00.001-05:00

Six days after June 5th, my second brain surgery, I turned 32. I finally feel like my age matches how old I feel physically; I have felt 32 since I was 15 years old! We of course didn't "celebrate" on my birth date because it was just too soon to be out and about with 30 staples in the back of my head. Guh... Somewhere on my birthday my Mister piped up and said, "We'll go to Montreal for lunch sometime in the next couple of weeks for your birthday."

I'll bet he thought I wasn't going to remember that...HA! Of COURSE I'd remember a promise like that. I went to my "to eat" list and searched through Quebec... I wanted to see the inside of the Notre-Dame Basilica, so I tried to find something fairly close to our final destination. Turns out, the place we decided on was just down Rue Notre-Dame from the basilica. Score!!

A place I had heard of from a friend who is "in the know" about French food told me I just had to try Spanel. I spent a lot of time deciding that I wasn't going to mess around with fusion places. When you search for "French" food in Montreal almost every place is some kind of fusion...the most troubling one I came across was Asian-French fusion...blech. Spanel is straight up French food with a bistro theme. Simple dishes with clean, rich flavors...that's a REAL representation of France on a plate.

We walked in at 11am making us the first customers of the day, so I took the opportunity to look around and grab some shots before it began to get busy...

It was a nice, cozy little place to be out of the rain. Lovely art on the walls and inviting lighting...it all made me feel like I could really relax and take my time with my food; that's important. Our waiter came along with the menus, I was pleasantly surprised. Their menu online was done completely in French, I'm lucky I can read plenty of it, even if I can't speak it well. When I talked to the owner, Yann, and asked him what their signature dish was he asserted that everyone comes to Spanel for the crepes. It had started raining as soon as we hit the city, so no matter what I knew I was having soup with my meal. I ordered Soupe à l’oignon gratiné, the Sarlat crepe (buckwheat, gluten free crepe filled with shredded duck confit, onions, mushrooms, hash browns fried with duck fat) which came with your choice of soup of the day or a house salad (I chose the house salad with a Balsamic vinaigrette) and then for dessert, I ordered the Normande (Calvados flambées caramelized apples with ice cream) crepe.

I only waited about 10 minutes for my onion gratin. It was beautiful when it came to the table. The toasted cheese looked SO inviting!

Soupe à L’Oignon Gratiné

When I stuck my spoon in for some nicely crisped, toasty bread instead my spoon pulled out soggy, engorged sponge; and tons of it. I couldn't believe how MUCH bread there was. It was as if they loaded the inside down with croutons rather than just place ONE nicely toasted, small baguette slice on top before toasting it in the oven. It was disappointing. I tasted the broth and knew I wouldn't be finishing my crock of soup. The broth itself was SO sweet...it shocked me. We had stopped at Tim Horton's before we left for Montreal. I had a chocolate dip and my Mister had a maple dip...my Mister tried my soup and we both agreed...the gratine was sweeter than our donuts that morning. I asked Yann about that later when he came by during the entree and he explained to me that most Americans like it that sweet. I chuckled a bit and told him that Americans don't always know how things should taste and what is "good". I ran into the same situation in Alabama. But!...the soup wasn't the whole experience...

Sarlat

I was pretty excited when this beauty showed up at the table. I leaned into the plate and inhaled....it hit my olfactory in all the right places. The next thing I did was try each element on its own. The crepe was fabulously rustic in flavor and cooked to perfection. The duck didn't taste muddy and there was just the right amount to keep the dish from getting too heavy; very important for a lunch menu! The mushrooms were sauteed well and FULL of flavor and the caramelized onion brought in just a bit of sweet to this very savory mixture. The potatoes were a wonderful surprise; being sliced and fried in the duck fat they were crisp and bursting with flavor. When I took bites of it all together there was quite a nice texture to each bite. I fell in love with this dish. I couldn't wait for the dessert!

La Normande

This smelled amazing and looked like a dream on the plate. I tried everything on its own again; the apples were succulent, the ice cream was a smooth, full bodied vanilla, the whipped cream was made in house and the caramel was rich and velvety. My crepe on the other hand tasted scorched. This wasn't a total crisis to me because the crepe wasn't the star of the show with this dish, not to me. The apples were; they were just on the drunken side, spiced well and cooked just the right amount of time. I couldn't finish all of my food of course but I was determined to try. I made it about halfway through this masterpiece before I had to give up the ghost.

On the whole our experience was good. I'd never had a crepe made properly by a professional French kitchen. It was quite interesting to experience what a difference there is in crepes made in the states and crepes made in Montreal. There was a tiny bit of a language barrier being that everyone in the place was Francophone, but they made it work which was admirable. (My Mister informed me that I sounded like an idiot trying to say the French words with a French accent, thanks honey.) I was a little put off that my salad never showed up to the table, but because it was free with the crepe entree, it was something I just shrugged off and didn't bother reminding the waiter about. For 2 soups, 2 entrees and 2 desserts we paid just about 58 dollars and it was well worth it.

If you're ever in Montreal and you're looking for a taste of authentic French bistro fare, stop in at Spanel and have a bite. You won't be sorry you did!

Recovering...

2012-06-21T13:11:00.002-05:00

I'm sure all of my readers are dying to know how my surgery went this go 'round. I have been dying to tell you....it went FLAWLESSLY! I woke up in the recovery room from the anesthesia feeling BETTER than the day before the surgery....this was AFTER they sliced my head open for a second time and stapled me shut with about 30 staples. I would have lept out of bed and danced a jig if it weren't for the cannula inserted in the lumbar region of my spinal cord. I was on strict bed rest for 72 hours...this is as bad as it sounds. Never used a bed pan before....never want to again. *sigh* I walked out of the hospital this time feeling ready to conquer the world. It was stark contrast to my first surgery. I'll never forget my husband wheeling me out to the truck as I wondered why I felt so much worse than when I went in. But enough of that!....life is calling....

That is me on day 1 of being back home. A friend of mine on Facebook joked I should have had them install a zipper. It made me laugh quite hard...which made me realize that no zipper was required. After the first surgery, laughing, coughing, sneezing....they all made me feel like my head was being ripped open by tiny mischievous imps. This time around smiling, laughing...the occasional cough or sneeze, didn't give me a moments pause. I was on an outing with my Mister by day 3 to pick up some vitamins at the local market and by day 5 we were down in the states grocery shopping.

This is the back of my noggin....day 14. My but my hair DOES grow quickly doesn't it??

I can't say enough about my surgical team. I love them like they are my family. A lot of people challenged my decision to have a second surgery in Canada...citing the fact that I had to have a second surgery at all as reason enough to have it done in the United States instead. But I knew in my heart that my surgeon and his team were the ones that were going to give me a chance at life. The cause for a second surgery were complications during the recovery...not the surgery. My neurosurgical team was made up of 3 of the best surgeons in the whole country of Canada.

I prayed about the first surgery...I prayed about the second; my path was sure. Quite frankly, having this whole experience has strengthened my trust in my personal connection with the Spirit of the Lord and my knowledge of there being purpose in life. I'm not done yet...I knew that back in February before I took my first breath of anesthesia. I have NO idea what ALL there is to my particular purpose, but...that's half the joy in life. Finding out!

I am still on lifting restrictions...and exercising restrictions until the middle of July for sure. I hope to be released from the restrictions after they confirm with a CT scan that everything healed properly during this recovery. So please keep your fingers crossed, say your prayers or send happy healing vibes...whatever you prefer. I need them and I appreciate them. I have felt all of the love and thoughts throughout this year from all of you and I am beyond grateful.

I am SO excited to be able to get back into the kitchen and out into the community and share all the wonderful food with you, my readers. I have missed the whole of spring and all of the wonderful yumminess that accompanies it, but I plan to rectify that FULLY now that summer is officially here. I will do my best to bring you the best of Ottawa and the surrounding area and share some of the best homemade recipes I have to offer. Just to let you in on some of what I have coming up, this year I will be making and canning jams and jellies for the very first time. Strawberry rhubarb jam, crab apple jelly and raspberry jam....and I can't wait! I will be doing my best to continue to bring you versatile recipes for those of you that live a dairy free or vegan lifestyle. I love that most of what I post from home can be made with or without dairy and still turn out perfect. Its important to me that people know that eating the way that is best for their body doesn't have to mean food looks gross or drab...it can still be beautiful and taste like it was made in a Michelin star restaurant.

Tomorrow Is Here!

2012-06-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

A while back I let you all know that I unfortunately would have to have a repeat of my brain surgery due to a large collection of CS fluid in the back of my head, this was a complication of the recovery. Luckily this news came BEFORE the end of the 3 month mark of my recovery. It would have been mental hell to find that out AFTER I believed myself to be well. I was surprised to begin with that the fluid was even there in that high of an amount because I was feeling so much better than the previous month. But, nothing in this life surprises me anymore.

I won't be feel up to much flogging in the months to follow, so don't hold your breath waiting. I AM going to resume posting, never fear. I have been told this recovery will be 2-4 months; I pray that after that, it will be the end of brain surgeries and end of recoveries.

Thank you all so much for your support and for following my flog, I appreciate your readership and PATIENCE so much! :0)