I have been away from my blog for a long time now. I still love the blogging community and all of the virtual friends I have made over my 10+ years of blogging. But other pursuits have filled my time and photographing my meals got to be too time consuming. When I have to tell my husband that we have to eat at 4:00pm in order to get the best light for the meal, he just shakes his head.

We are also cleaning out accumulated stuff of a lifetime. One of the cabinets in my bookcase has housed my collection of Gourmet Magazines dating back to the late 60’s and 70’s. I have been an avid cook from the time we married in 1966. I have been reading some of these back issues and am amazed at how much information is available in each of them.

The 1989 December issue is a good example. There are tasty recipes for Winter stews for entertaining, 6 different fudge recipes, 3 recipes for Hanukkah latkes, and a yummy praline butter cookie recipe. There is a detailed travel article on Santa Fe, New Mexico and a Christmas in Provence article. But the best article was about the way Dolley Madison entertained in the White House. She was quite a character. Each article was so well written, intelligent, and detailed.

I checked EBay and Amazon for old issues of Gourmet and have decided a fair price to charge is $3.00 each for them with the following breakdown.

The issues will be sold by year. This is what I have.

1966-1, 1967-1, 1968-4, 1969-5, 1970-4, 1971-3, 1972-3, 1973-5, 1974-10, 1978-10, 1979-1. The issues are in pretty good shape for their age, but a few have loose pages. Nothing is missing.

1980-4, 1981-3, 1982-12, 1983-12, 1984-8, 1985-12, 1986-9, 1987-10, 1988 -12, 1989-12 (one issue has loose pages), 1990-12, 1991-6, 1992-6, 1993-11, 1994-3, 1995-12, 1996-11, 1997-12, 1998-9, 1999-12, 2000-7, 2001-5, 2002-1, 2003-5, 2004-4, 2005-8, 2006-12, 2007-4, 2008-6, 2009-6.

Shipping charges will be calculated by the number of magazines you purchase.

E-mail me with any questions, pennyklett@gmail.com.

My best to all. I may be blogging something occasionally.

One of the steps in making Quiche Lorraine that I don’t like is having to pre-bake the pastry shell. You have to fill the pastry shell with dried beans or weights of some kind in your parchment lined dish. The pastry is baked until lightly cooked. My problem with this is that even with carefully following these instructions, the pie shell still shrinks and the edges no longer hug the top of the pie dish. I experimented with this quiche and am happy with the results.

The reason for pre-baking is to prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy. With this quiche I preheated the oven to 425 degrees F. and turned my oven to the convection setting. If you don’t have a convection oven, the higher heat should be enough to help the crust along. After 15 minutes of baking I turned off the convection and lowered the temperature to 350 degrees F. to finish cooking. The bottom crust was not crispy, but it was not soggy either. That was enough for me to avoid the extra step of pre-baking.

My pie dish was a deep dish version so I felt that I needed lots of ingredients. I added sautéed leeks, an over abundance of bacon, Gruyére cheese and extra liquid. You can scale your ingredients to the size of your dish. Enjoy.

On another note, I want to apologize for not being here on my blog more often. I certainly do not want to give up this space that has meant so much to me over the last 10 years. But other responsibilities and time constraints make it hard for me to focus as often on my favorite outlet. Bear with me and I will try to be here is often as possible.

Quiche Lorraine

• Ina’s pie crust ( I halved this and left out the sugar) or a pre-made pie crust
• 8 slices of bacon, diced

• 2 large leeks, washed and sliced
• 4 large eggs or 3 Jumbo eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 4 oz Gruyère, shredded

Refrigerate the prepared pie crust before filling.

1. In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the leeks and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
3. Spread the leeks evenly over the bottom of the crust. Top with the bacon, and the Gruyère. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
4. Slide the quiche into the oven and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes until the top is slightly browned and the center is set.

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It has been a quiet Winter in our Florida rental home. In the past we have enjoyed so many activities available in New Smyrna Beach. There are weekly weekend events along the main thoroughfares of Flagler Avenue and Canal Street. We have attended antique car shows, art exhibits, wine tastings and Fat Tuesday parades. But this year we have avoided the crowds. But, when Valentine’s Day came around, we traveled back to NC for our Grandson’s birthday and then stopped in Charleston on the way back to Florida. We had a glorious warm and sunny day to explore this quaint town. One of the perennial favorite restaurants is called 82 Queen. They are repudiated to have the best crab cakes in Charleston. We had lunch in the courtyard.

I ordered the appetizer of Crab Cake with Bacon Sautéed Corn and Red Pepper Aioli.

It was delicious and it was fun trying to duplicate this at home. I think I came up with a good recipe combination using recipes found on line and adapting them to our tastes. The below recipe makes a lot. For the two of us I cut it in less than half. It is easy to adjust it to your needs.

Crab Cakes with Bacon Sautéed Corn and Red Pepper Aioli

Crab Cakes:

2 pounds fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

1 1/2 cups panko

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped chives

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus more lemon wedges for serving

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. For the crab cakes: Gently fold together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, chives, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and the juice and zest of one lemon in a large bowl. Refrigerate the crab mixture for 15 minutes to firm up; this allows the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the liquid, helping the crab cakes bind together.
3. Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, dill pickles, capers, chives, zest and juice of 1 lemon in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Scoop heaping half cups of the crab mixture and pat into 2 1/2-inch wide patties. Lightly press them together so they do not fall apart while cooking. You should have 8 patties.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes to the pan and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then flip using a flat metal spatula. Continue to cook until lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until the crab cakes are completely heated through, about 10 minutes.

Bacon Sautéed Corn:

• 5 slices of bacon , diced
• 1 16 oz. bag of frozen white shoe peg corn, thawed

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Sauté corn in bacon dripping until soft, about 10 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

• 2 whole roasted red peppers ( I used Jarred roasted red peppers)
• ⅔ cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved, or more to taste
• 1 ½ cups light mayonnaise (such as Hellmann’s® Light) 
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Place roasted red peppers and basil in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped and combined. Add lemon juice; pulse 3 times. Scatter garlic halves over mixture; pulse to chop, 4 to 5 times. Add mayonnaise and sugar; pulse until smooth, 5 to 7 times. Season with salt and pepper.

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Any dish with Provençal in the title stirs memories for me of sunny hill towns with French blue shuttered homes, lavender fields, and beach towns on the Mediterranean Sea. Vegetable gratins are a speciality of Provençal cookery. One of the first American ex-pats to embrace living and cooking in Provence was Richard Olney. In his 1974 book Simple French Food, he included many zucchini recipes and several gratins.

The recipe I am including today came from Ina Garten but it was inspired by Richard Olney. According to Ina, “Richard Olney was a curmudgeonly but extraordinary cook who wrote about Provençal cooking at the same time Julia Child was teaching Americans how to make classic French dishes.”

I would love to be at a table in Provence enjoying this special gratin, but since I can’t be there, I will enjoy it here at home.

I didn’t expect how complex the flavors would be in this dish. I consider zucchini to be quite bland, but Ina has a way of bringing out flavor that is amazing. This Provençal Zucchini Gratin was delicious.

Provençal Zucchini Gratin

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus extra for the dish
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced crosswise
• 2½ pounds small zucchini, sliced ½ inch thick crosswise
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup ground fresh bread crumbs from a boule, crusts removed – I used a good sourdough bread to make the crumbs.
• ¾ cup grated Gruyère cheese (2 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter an 8 × 10-inch oval gratin dish.

In a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and 2 teaspoons salt, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but not falling apart.

Sprinkle the zucchini mixture with the flour and stir gently. Raise the heat to medium-high and slowly add the half-and-half, allowing each addition to come to a boil while you’re adding it. Off the heat, stir in the thyme, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and lightly flatten the top. Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyère in a small bowl and sprinkle on top. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in small dice and sprinkle on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the gratin is bubbly.

Allow to sit for 10 minutes and serve hot or warm.

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I received Ina Garten’s new cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, for Christmas. This is an updated, perhaps you could call it modern, version of split pea soup. What makes it different is the crispy kielbasa sausage that is added to it.

With leeks, onions, carrots and a ham hock it rocks with flavor. Ina has a way of bringing out the maximum flavor in her recipes.

We are in Florida. It has been cool so far. Therefore this split pea soup is a welcome meal and makes us feel warm and healthy. We also were able to get our Covid vaccines. Looking forward to a better year.

Split Pea Soup with Crispy Kielbasa

• 6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts (2)
• 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 large)
• 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 lb dried green split peas
• 8 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine
• 2 large fresh bay leaves
• 12 oz smoked kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch-thick pieces
• Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat 1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil in a large (11 to 12-inch/28 to 30-cm) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, onion and carrots and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown.

Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the peas to coat with oil and cook for one minute. Add 8 cups (2 L) of the chicken stock, 2 cups (500 mL) water, the ham hock, thyme bundle, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons (10 mL) salt and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very tender and falling apart. After 45 minutes, stir more frequently, scraping the bottom of the pot to be sure the soup doesn’t burn.

Discard the thyme bundle, bay leaves and ham hock. Transfer 2 cups (500 mL) of the soup to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and purée. Return the purée to the pot, adding more chicken stock or water if the soup is too thick.

To serve, heat 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil in a medium (10-inch/25-cm) sauté pan over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the kielbasa is browned. Serve the soup hot with the kielbasa and parsley sprinkled on top.

Serves: 6

Make ahead: Reheat the soup over low heat, adding chicken stock or water to thin.

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Baking Bread. It is a wonderful thing to do when the world seems out of control. We are living in fraught times. Kneading bread and smelling the baking loaves does much to quiet the troubled soul.

One of the things I was gifted with during Christmas was sourdough starter from my cooking-enthused Daughter-in-Law, Kristen. She has been baking bread for several months now and developed the starter from one of the best French bakeries in Cary, La Farm Bakery. I receive catalogs from King Arthur Flour and saw this recipe in their Christmas publication. It sounded unusual and a good recipe for my sourdough starter. They also featured a Bread Baking Bowl that is the perfect vessel in which to bake it.

It makes a hearty loaf studded with sweet cranberries.

I have since made a simple Honey Wheat Bread. I have a feeling there will be lots of bread baking in my immediate future. Stay safe, healthy and sane during these perilous times.

Wild Rice, Cranberry, and Cornmeal Sourdough Bread

• 1 cup (227g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter
• 1 cup (227g) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast, optional; to ensure rise if your starter isn’t very active
• 1 cup (138g) cornmeal, whole-grain preferred
• 1 cup (113g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup (120g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 cup (164g) cooked wild rice
• 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
• 1 cup (113g) dried cranberries

1. In a large bowl, combine the starter, water, yeast, cornmeal, and flours. Mix and knead for 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
2. Knead in the cooked wild rice, salt, and dried cranberries. Knead by hand for 6 minutes, or for about 3 minutes using a stand mixer. Or place in a bread machine programmed to the dough cycle. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes (or let the bread machine finish its cycle).
3. Turn the dough out and fold it in thirds. Return it to its container, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into a round or oval and place, seam side up, in a basket or bowl lined with a damp tea towel heavily sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; or cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. One hour before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven (with a baking stone on the middle rack, if you have a stone) to 475°F. If the dough was chilled overnight, take it out of the refrigerator before turning the oven on. Set up a shallow, stovetop-to-oven pan or skillet with 1″ of water in it.
6. When the dough looks puffy (it won’t necessarily double in size), bring the pan of water to a simmer on the stove and place it in the oven below the baking stone. Turn the loaf out of the towel onto a piece of parchment on a peel (or onto a baking sheet, if you’re not using a stone). Slash the top from end to end, 1/2″ deep, with a sharp knife. Slide the dough and parchment onto the stone. If you have a spray bottle, spritz the inside of the oven 5 or 6 times before closing the door.
7. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden brown all over, and the center measures 195°F or higher when tested with a digital thermometer. The bottom will sound hollow when thumped.
8. Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a rack before slicing.
9. Store the bread, tightly wrapped in plastic, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

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Serendipity; the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. My husband loves to cook. He has lots of time on his hands since we are staying pretty close to home. He recently set aside a few hours to make caramelized onions. He used a recipe from Vivian Howard in her new cookbook, This Will Make it Taste Good. Caramelized onions take time because they need to cook low and slow. The original use was to top a steak. But there were so many of them that I ended up with a stash in the refrigerator.

Thanksgiving included pie making. I made several rounds of pastry and ended up with extra. A light bulb moment happened and I put the two leftover ingredients together with delicious results.

This caramelized onion galette would make a perfect appetizer for the holidays. I added some Gruyere cheese to the onion mixture and was pleased with the results. The taste is reminiscent of French onion soup. It would also be great as a light supper with a salad. Serendipitous indeed.

Caramelized Onions

• 4–5 large or 6–8 medium yellow or white onions
• 1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt

1. Peel your onions and cut them in half through their stem ends—longways, if you will. Slice them thinly with the grain, following the line from root to stem rather than cutting the onion across its belly. This is actually important because slicing it the other way makes the path to silky onions a longer one.
2. Once your onions are sliced, heat your skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil, then the onions and the salt. Let the onions sizzle for a couple minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula and watch as they wilt for about 3 more minutes. At this point, reduce the heat to medium low. Put a lid on and step away for a few minutes. Give the onions a stir every now and then. You don’t have to stand over it like risotto, but don’t go for a walk around the block either. Caramelized bits will accumulate at the bottom and sides of the pan, and that’s good. Just scrape them up and stir them in. A little color building as you go is okay, but don’t rush to brown them. The point is to cook the onions gently, coaxing them through stages of raw, wilted, sweaty, soft, light brown, and finally deeply caramelized
3. About 45 minutes in, remove the lid for the last time. They should be a light caramel color. Now, with the lid off, you will need to watch more closely and stir more frequently. At some point you may find that despite your best efforts some of the caramelized bits, verging on burnt, cling to the pan and threaten over all onion ruin. Do not fret! Just add a ½ cup or so of water and use its energy to help scrape up the stubborn but tasty film. Let the water cook out of course. When you’re smiling over a soft, creamy, fragrant pile of mahogany onions, you’re done. Makes 2 cups.
4. Note:  Onions will keep in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for 3 months.

Assemble Galette

Mix 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooled onions with 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll pastry dough of your choice (Could use a store-bought pastry round) into a 10-inch circle on a sheet of parchment. Spread the cooled caramelized onions on the dough, leaving a 1- to 2-inch border. Fold the edges in, over the onions, transfer to a baking sheet and bake until the dough is golden brown and some of the onions have browned on the edges, 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the galette halfway into the baking process.

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These beautiful piped Duchess Potatoes make the perfect accompaniment to any holiday dinner. The added advantage is that you can pipe them ahead of time onto the baking sheets and bake them right before dinner.

Duchess Potatoes are mashed potatoes that are flavored with butter, cream, nutmeg and egg yolks. The potato mixture is put in a pastry bag using a star tip. My Daughter-In-Law made these over the Thanksgiving holiday and our 9 year old Grandson loved them. He said the crispy edges made the mashed potatoes delicious.

All of us are scaling back this Christmas. But we can still enjoy good food and the love our families, even if it is at a distance.

Duchess Potatoes

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• Salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 egg yolks

1 Boil the potatoes: Place potatoes in a medium to large pot (3 qt) and cover with a couple inches of cold water. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (the tines of a fork easily pierce), about 20-25 minutes.

2 Melt butter, preheat oven: While the potatoes are boiling, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and set aside. You will use this butter to coat the potatoes right before they go in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°.

3 Drain potatoes and let them release steam: When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander and put the potatoes back in the pot set over low heat. Allow them to release steam for a minute or so.

4 Using a ricer, run the potatoes in batches through the device into a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and mash the potatoes until the butter has been incorporated. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, heavy cream and continue gently stirring the potatoes.

Once everything is incorporated, add salt to taste and the egg yolks.

Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth. Do not over-mix or your potatoes will end up with a gluey consistency.

5 Pipe onto a baking sheet, brush with melted butter: Using a piping bag with a large star point, pipe the potatoes onto a cookie sheet. Alternatively, you can just fill a casserole dish with the mashed potatoes, and use a fork to create lots of peaks on the surface.

The swirled edges from the star-point piping bag forms or the peaks of mashed potatoes in a casserole dish will brown nicely in the oven. The browned parts taste great, so you want to maximize them.

Whether you make piped portions or a casserole, paint the potatoes with the melted butter.

6 Bake: Bake in the 425°F oven until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

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I am sending all of you my best wishes for a safe and secure Thanksgiving. We will have a small Thanksgiving with just six of us. All of us have been very careful. I made these Cranberry Orange Muffins for breakfast to enjoy, either between the two of us or shared with our limited family members. They freeze well.

There is lots of orange zest, orange juice and a small hit of citrus flavoring in the batter along with frozen cranberries that burst in the oven and lend their tart essence to the mix.

You can find the recipe here. Let the holidays begin. It has been a tough year. Let us hope for a better New Year.

We have foregone visiting many restaurants during this pandemic. The exceptions have been restaurants that have outside seating. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy restaurant meals at home. There are many copycat recipes on the internet. PF Chang’s lettuce wraps are among them. I combined several different recipes to come up with one that suited my tastes.

This adaptation has a hit of heat to it from the chili-garlic paste. It has crunch from the water chestnuts and flavors of the orient from hoison sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic.

The summer has passed quickly. Many decisions were made with caution in mind. We decided to cancel the family 4th of July celebration. Having 14 people crowded together in our cottage did not seem wise. But when Labor Day rolled around we reconsidered. The family had been careful with contacts and we spent much of our time outside. Meals were simplified so we did not have to spend as much time shoulder to shoulder cooking. But we still managed to have our annual blind wine tasting. Thank you Dave Anderson for the fine selection of Grenache wines.

Welcome to Fall with a toast to good health and a future free of dread.

PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili-garlic paste or sambal oelek (less if you don’t like heat)
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly chopped
• 1 head of Bibb or butter lettuce

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook until chicken is browned crumbling as you go.

Add the onion and cook until onion begins to wilt. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir and cook for a few minutes more.

While chicken is browning combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and the chili-garlic paste. Add this mixture to chicken mixture in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or so to combine flavors.

Add the water chestnuts and cook for a minute more.

Serve in lettuce leaves with the chopped green onions. ( I added a few diced red peppers for color).

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It has been a long summer. I haven’t been blogging and I apologize for not letting all of you know that all is well with me. We have been staying at home as many others have also. I just needed a break from social media for a while. But I am back and following all of you again. Thanks Lynne for checking up on me.

I have been cooking, but nothing inspiring or new until I made this pork chop dish. It comes from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. My Daughter-In-Law gave me a container of dried gourmet mixed mushrooms for Christmas and they led me to search out recipes including dried mushrooms.

This is not a quick recipe. Several steps are required. But I have the time. My days have fallen into a new rhythm. Mornings are spent on necessary chores or trips to the grocery store. Early afternoons are spent reading or binge watching Netflix shows. I have seen every episode of The Great British Baking Show and I’m working my way through each season of NCIS. But at 4:00 P.M. I am usually in the kitchen. I like the concept of “slow cooking”. Working my way through a recipe that requires slow deliberate steps is calming.

The braised pork chops are flavored with white wine, tomatoes, heavy cream, the dried mushrooms and fresh button mushrooms. It is a dish worth the time.

Braised Pork Chops with Tomatoes, Cream, and Porcini Mushrooms

• 1 ounce (1/2 cup) dried porcini or other dried mushrooms soaked in 2 cups of warm water for at least 30 minutes.
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 pounds pork chops, preferably from the center loin, cut 3/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, drained and cut up
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• The filtered water from the mushroom soak
• 1/2 pound fresh white button mushrooms

1. Choose a sauté pan that can subsequently accommodate all the chops without overlapping. Put in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, turn on the heat to medium high, and when the oil is hot, slip in the chops. Brown the meat deeply on one side, the do the other.
2. Add the white wine, letting it simmer briskly for 15 to 20 seconds, while using a wooden spoon to scrape loose any browning residues in the pan. Add the tomatoes, cream, salt and pepper the cup-up reconstituted drained porcini mushrooms. (Save the soaking water). Turn the heat down to cook at a very gentle simmer, and cover the pan, setting the lid on slightly ajar.
3. Cook for 45 minutes, or more, depending on the exact thickness and quality of the chops, until the meat feels tender when prodded with a fork. Turn the chops from time to time.
4. While the chops are cooking, put the filtered water from the porcini mushroom soak into a small saucepan, and boil it down to about 1/3 cup.
5. Wash the fresh white mushrooms rapidly under cold running water and wipe them thoroughly dry with a soft cloth towel. Cut them into very thin lengthwise slices without detaching the caps from the stems.
6. Choose a sauté pan that can contain the fresh mushrooms without crowding them. Put in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and turn on the heat to high. When the oil is hot, put in the mushrooms. Stir them frequently, adding salt and pepper. When the liquid they will shed has boiled away, add the reduced filtered water from the porcini soak, and continue to stir frequently until there is no more liquid in the pan. Take off heat.
7. When the pork chops are tender, add the cooked mushrooms to their pan. Turn the chops and mushrooms, cover the pan again, and continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes always over moderate heat. Transfer the entire contents of the pan to a warm platter and serve at once.

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Carne Guisada is a Tex-Mex dish whose translation is “Stewed Meat”. In Josef Centeno’s new cookbook, Amá; a Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen there is no doubt that this stew shines in its simplicity. It is nothing more than beef chunks cooked with chilis, spices, tomatoes and beef broth. The 3 hours in the oven meld the flavors and soften the meat into succulent pieces.

The chef/ author, grew up having these tacos for breakfast. This makes so much sense. Folding soft meat, flavored with Mexican spices into a sturdy flour tortilla works well as breakfast in the back seat of a car on the way to school.

But we enjoyed the Carne Guisada for dinner. I have to admit that I ended up adding some condiments like cheese, onions, peppers and lettuce. They made enough that we can have then again over rice, in a bowl with tortilla chips or over scrambled eggs. I love that we can make many meals from this recipe. By the way, if you don’t have the right chilis just use what you have. I used jalepeños and 1 serrano.

CARNE GUISADA

• 2 Ancho chilis
• 4 Tbls oil
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs boneless short ribs or chunk roast, cubed in 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 Serrano chili, stemmed, seeded and finally chopped
• 1 Tbls oregano- preferably Mexican oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp cunim seed
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbls flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes

If using ancho chiles: using tongs, toast over open flames of a gas burner until slightly softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stem and seed the chilis and tear into pieces. If using jalapeños: Stem seed and chop.

Heat 2 Tbls. oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and brown in batches on all sides. Remove to a plate.

Add remaining 2 Tbls. oil to the pot. When oil is hot, add onions, chilis and salt and cook over medium heat, scraping up brown bits of meat until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, chili powder, bay leaves and pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Add the beef cubes and their juices back to the pan. Stir. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.

Transfer the pot to a preheated 300 degree F. oven and cook for about 3 hours.

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A clafouti is a French egg dish. It is usually a sweet batter with cherries or other fruit. Melissa Clark, of the New York Times, recently came out with a new cookbook called Dinner in French; My Recipes by Way of France. In it, she shared this recipe for a savory clafouti with peppers, ham and cheese It is perfect for a Sunday brunch. We have made it twice so far; two Sundays in a row. Adjusting to quiet solitary living has mixed results. We miss meeting with friends, dining in restaurants, shopping and traveling to visit family. But the slow pace of being home has allowed us to relax, read, enjoy the lake and plan, cook and eat interesting meals.

The second time that we made this clafouti we used cooked sausage instead of the ham and roasted red peppers from a jar in addition to the sweet green peppers. But both times we used lots of fresh basil since I have a pot of basil sitting on my kitchen windowsill. You can use anything you have on hand for good results.

I almost skipped the suggestion to garnish the finished dish with crushed red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon. Do not ignore this suggestion. The heat of the pepper flakes and freshness of the lemon juice just made it all better. Whatever we can do to “make it all better” is important right now. From my isolated home to yours.

SWEET PEPPER AND CHEDDAR CLAFOUTI

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup Crème fraîche or Sour Cream
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 Tbls. flour
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 oz. sliced ham, chopped
• 2 Tbls. olive oil
• 3 sweet peppers, preferabley different colors, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh lemon juice, for serving
• Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
  

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, crème fraîche or sour cream, eggs, flour, basil, 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheddar and ham.
• In a 9″ ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the peppers and cook until they are softened and golden at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remaining 1/4 tsp salt and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape the egg mixture into the skillet, and top it with the 1/4 cup remaining cheddar and the Parmesan. (Or, for a more elegant presentation, scrape the vegetables into a gratin or casserole dish and add the egg mixture and cheese to that). Bake until the eggs are set 35 to 40 minutes. (Mine took 45 minutes). Cool slightly then top with the lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

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We are on our second roast chicken since the quarantine.  When it is just the two of us, there are always leftovers.  I like to turn them into casseroles, soups and salads.  Here are a few ideas from previous posts.

Mexican Chicken Casserole is a lightened version of Mexican ingredients – less cheese and tortillas and more vegetables than a normal dish. Plus it has a charred tomato salsa that could stand on its own.  Chicken replaces ground beef.  The original recipe came from Cooking Light.

Chicken Salad with Wild Rice is a refreshing take on this traditional salad.  The wild rice pairs well with the orange dressing.

Chicken and Orzo Soup is one of my favorite soups.  It is easy and full of good vegetables.

I am thinking of everyone and hoping all of you are staying safe at home.

Week three of home confinement.  We have fallen into a rhythm; marking the days with small household tasks, canceling airline tickets for a Fall trip to Europe, cooking, reading and cherishing our continued good health. It is on my mental list to do some major cleaning to closets and bathroom tiles.  But for now, all I can manage are small steps.  Trips to the Supermarket are fraught with worry.  We try not to go often.  Cooking has been one of the ways that restores calm.  I bought a bag of Navel oranges a few weeks ago and have been using them in baked goods.

This simple one bowl poundcake came from Melissa Clark of the New York Times.  Rubbing the sugar with orange zest seems to release the oils in zest and impart more flavor.

It is a treat to have this bread available for a quiet breakfast on the deck with a cup of coffee each morning. The beauty of nature soothes us in these turbulent times.  Stay safe.

CITRUS POUNDCAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

1 Cup sugar
Zest of 1 navel orange
2 Tbls melted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla (or 1/4 tsp Fiori de Sicilia Citrus flavoring and 1/4 tsp vanilla)
Grated nutmeg (optional) or 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plain cornmeal
1 1/4 cup flour

In a large bowl, rub the sugar with the orange zest.  Add the wet ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine.

Whisk in the dry ingredients in this order; salt, baking soda, baking powder and cornmeal.  Once smooth whisk in the flour until combined well.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Let the bread cool in the pan.  Remove.  Slice and serve as is or place in a toaster for a crispy warm treat.  Butter optional (or not).

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I thought I would share an apple still life with you during these challenging days; a little art can distract us from all that is happening.  Still life is a good word for these days by the way.  We are living a “still life” now;  no social events on our schedule. We returned to North Carolina from Florida last weekend.  We are sheltering in place like so many of you.  I have kept busy Spring cleaning after being away for 3 months.  But I have also been busy cooking and reading.  If you want to read a great series of books, I recommend Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache books.  The charming village of Three Pines inspires warmth with its quirky people and strong sense of community.  Ironically the first book in the series is called Still Life.  I have been downloading books to my Kindle.  I am caught up with all of Louise Penny’s books, but am looking for more feel good books with wonderful prose and a hopeful message.  Let me know if you have suggestions.

This recipe for Danish Apple Pie with Caramel Apple Topping actually came from one of the Kindle books I have been reading by Susan Wiggs; The Apple Orchard.  Although this is called an apple pie, it is actually an apple cake with a crumbly surface.  It is so easy in execution that you can throw it together in no time.  The topping takes a little bit longer, but it is a great condiment to have on hand for this or a topping for ice cream. It will keep well in the fridge for a week or more.

We have been avoiding desserts over the last year, but sometimes life throws you a curve ball.  I am feeling an occasional treat can brighten the day.

Another thing to brighten the day is this wonderful roast chicken.  We will be eating on this for a few days and will turn the carcass into soup.

This is the way to distance yourselves on the lake.  In these uncertain times it is hard to know what to do.  We are trying to support our local restaurants and businesses in anyway that we can. The best thing we can do right now is to help others.  One of my friends is making runs to Sam’s Club for food for several families so that fewer people are exposed. We have bought gift certificates to restaurants to be used later when the threat has passed and will be ordering take out from our local restaurants.  Stay safe and try to weather this unexpected “still life”.

DANISH APPLE PIE WITH CARAMEL APPLE TOPPING (Slightly adapted from Susan Wiggs)

Danish Apple Pie:
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups diced apples, peeled and sautéed in 1 Tbls butter until soft
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Beat the egg, gradually adding the sugar and vanilla.  Then add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt to create a smooth batter.  Fold in slightly cooled sautéed apples and nuts, then p9our into a buttered and floured 8″ square pan or 9″ pie pan.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Caramel Apple Topping:
4 chopped apples; no need to peel
4 Tbls butter
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream or buttermilk

Melt the butter in a heavy pan.  Add the sugar and swirl until melted.  Add the spices and apples and sauté until apples are tender.  Add the walnuts and stir.  Turn off the heat, and slowly stir in the cream.  Serve over ice cream or cake and keep leftovers in a jar in the fridge.  Also good with yogurt, pound cake or granola.  I halved the topping recipe when I made it.  It is easy to do if you don’t want a lot of leftover topping.

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We are all aware that these are hard times.  Social sacrifices are necessary.  Everyone should be hunkering down at home to avoid getting, or spreading the Coronavirus.  Grocery stores are out of stock on many items. But meals don’t have to be boring.  That can of tuna in the pantry doesn’t have to be made into a tuna sandwich or a tuna casserole.  Why not make Tuna Tostadas? It does require a can of pickled jalapeños and carrots, but I bet that is one item that will not be depleted on the grocery shelves. The crunchy fried corn tortillas also give this dish pizazz.  You can also find unique condiments and specialty items through an asian grocery online, making it easier than ever to add bold, delicious twists to your home-cooked meals.

Pappardelle with Pine Nuts, Prosciutto (or Bacon), and Brown Butter is another satisfying meal which relies on some pantry items and special items like Prosciutto and pine nuts.  Substitute bacon and slivered almonds if you like.

Margarita Glazed Chicken Thighs are a fun way to spark up mealtime.  Especially with a margarita on the side.  Keeping an upbeat attitude is good for us.

Baking bread is a rewarding pastime at any time.  But it is especially so when you are housebound.  The kneading, slow rising and aromatic baking is soothing to the soul.  This Rosemary-Garlic Baguette recipe is easy.  Make several and share with your neighbors.

Julia Child’s Scalloped Potatoes are a classic.  With simple ingredients you can transform the lowly potato into a gourmet treat.  Nobody does it better than Julia.  Also, if you haven’t read any of the books about Julia Child you can find them on Amazon.

Starry starry night chocolate cake is special to me.  It is an easy chocolate cake that reminds me of my artistic Mother. Go out and look at the stars. Stay kind to everyone. Be safe and healthy.

Winter’s last gasp has even hit Florida.  Last week was unseasonably cool and windy.  A fire was lit in the fireplace and I craved comfort food.  Soup is always my first choice.  Soup made with lots of vegetables puréed to a smooth consistency is also my first choice.  The depth of flavor created is heartwarming. Add to that lots of Poblano chilis, which are not hot but pleasantly warm, and you have the perfect bowl of soup.  Chicken is just a given.  Chicken soup has been warming our bellies forever.

This recipe came from Joanna Gaines which will appear in her new cookbook Magnolia Table Volume Two.  It can be preordered on Amazon.

A chicken soup with a Mexican flair and crispy tortilla strips is the best way to say goodbye to Winter. We return to Lake Lure at the end of the month.

Stay warm wherever you are.

CREAMY CHICKEN POBLANO SOUP

ingredients

+ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
+ 2 cups small-diced onion (about 1 large)
+ 4 celery stalks, cut into medium dice
+ 3 carrots, cut into medium dice
+ 2 garlic cloves, minced
+ 3 medium poblano peppers, seeded and cut into medium dice
+ 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
+ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
+ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
+ 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
+ 8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth
+ 2 cups heavy cream
+ 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (home-roasted or rotisserie chicken)
+ 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
+ Tortilla chips and sliced radishes, for garnish

instructions

1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and poblanos and sauté, stirring often, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and thyme and sauté until caramelized and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

2. Add the broth and cream, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes to meld the flavors.

3. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, let cool slightly and, working in batches as necessary, process in a stand blender until smooth, filling the blender no more than half full and removing the lid slowly after blending. Pour the soup back into the pot.)

4. Add the chicken and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes to meld the flavors to your liking. Stir in the cilantro.

5. Serve warm, garnished with tortilla strips and sliced radishes.

6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

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We have salmon quite often.  I find it one of the easiest fish to cook.  The beauty of this recipe is that the oven does most of the work. The salmon is coated with a mixture of chopped walnuts and minced rosemary and baked.   What takes if over the top is a drizzle of browned butter when it is plated.  It hits all of the right notes.

The recipe is one from Eva Kosmas Flores of the blog Adventures in Cooking.  I love her moody photography and beautiful food.  She offers photography workshops and has written two cookbooks.

Visit Eva’s blog for the recipe.  You will love the professional quality of her website.

I have been hesitant to share this recipe with you.  Not because it isn’t delicious, but because it uses a couple of ingredients that I first thought were questionable.  My philosophy is to use as many natural and high quality ingredients as I can find.  But because my husband is limiting his carbs, he is always ordering ingredients to compensate for higher carb alternatives.  Corn and cornmeal are high in carbohydrates.  This cornbread is made with almond flour with the addition of Sweet Corn Extract.  The extract contains no artificial ingredients.  Even though it is rather expensive, a little goes a long way and it has a long shelf life.

I was surprised by how much I loved this “cornbread”.  It was extra moist, slightly sweet and definitely corny.  I will be adding this to my repertoire of low carb recipes.  By the way, David made this; start to finish.  He did a good job and cleaned the kitchen too.  All I did was photograph it!

LOW CARB CORNBREAD (From Wholesome Yum)

5 cups Blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 cup Besti monk fruit allulose blend
1 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup Butter (melted; plus more for greasing)
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp Sweet corn extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet with butter.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sweetener, and sea salt.

Stir in the melted butter, almond milk and eggs, until smooth.  Stir in the sweet corn extract.

Transfer the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

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