PLATTER CHATTER WITH PATRICIA

Citrus Fruit Ambrosia Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 06:03:00 +0000

Hello Old Friends,

It has been ages since I have posted to my Platter Chatter With Patricia Blog. I had developed some other interests and pastimes and have been pretty busy over the past few years with that. However I have been wanting to get back to Blogging once again, and I thought this would be a good time to start as I have had some recent interest by Friends to post some of my recipes.

One of these recipes I already posted several years ago on my Blog, and if you are interested you can find it by going to the home page and looking in the right hand column you will find a list of recipes which I had posted. The one I am speaking about is for Apple Butter. It is a wonderful recipe, full of amazing flavor. The post will explain everything. Apple Butter is a fantastic spread for toast or even plain bread and also tastes great spread on crackers and having it also with cheese/crackers. My husband enjoys having it with roast pork right out of the oven or with pork leftovers on a sandwich. Please note however, there is no butter in this recipe or as an end result. It is merely called Apple Butter due to its rich and velvety smooth consistency just like butter itself. If you have any questions on this recipe you can reach me at worldpeace@slingshot.co.nz or on Face Book

Patti Hoesten-Watts

Now as for the next recipe....

The following recipe is a very old favorite that I have been making for decades, and it never fails to please. It is called Citrus Fruit Ambrosia. It happens to be a very popular recipe in America, particularly in the South. I have been making it since I was a young girl, and so frequently I would make the dish to bring as one of my contributions to a Pot Luck Dinner. It is great anytime, but it is also popular around all the Holidays and for picnics as well. I will give all the details below, but after reading everything, you may want to change or replace different fruits used for other fruits. I will give the ingredients and directions as I make it which serves approximately 8 people/children. But please feel free to scale the recipe any way you would like to reflect your own needs. If you have any questions regarding this recipe also, you may contact me at the e-mail address I posted above or you can contact me on Face Book and the details for that are also above.

Firstly here are the basics of what you need in cook ware:

1 serving bowl quite large for your finished Ambrosia

1 large bowl or pot for all the reserved syrups from the canned fruits

1 electric hand mixer or something similar for beating your whipped cream

1 hand colander or similar to aid in draining canned syrups from cans

1 large spoon to be used when all ingredients are added to the serving bowl to mix everything together. I always like to use a large wooden spoon, but you can improvise of course. You may need other odd items which most people have right in their kitchens.

Citrus Ambrosia Salad

Serves 8

But you can always rescale for your particular needs

This will all take about 1/2 an hour to prepare

Ingredients:

1 large can of peaches in syrup

1 large can of apricots in syrup

1 large can of diced pineapple

1 large can of pears in syrup

1 large can of mandarin oranges in syrup

1 package of diced glazed cherries, or a bottle of cherries

( If large cans of the above are not available in your grocery store, you will have to choose smaller cans, so you may need 2 or 3 of each of the above.

1 bag of desiccated coconut

1 container of heavy cream

1 container of sour cream

1 bag of small sized marshmallows (if small size marshmallows are not available you will have to cut larger ones into fours)

1/4 or less of a cup of sugar for the whipped cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla for the whipped cream

Optional: chopped up walnuts which you may want to add and mix up in your finished Ambrosai. Some people have allergic reactions to walnuts, so I only add them when I am preparing this dish

for people that I know that are not allergic. You can also add slithered almonds in place of the walnuts if you like.

Directions:

Open all the cans which you are planning on using. Using a hand colander pour contents of one can at a time into colander and make sure there is a pot or bowl underneath the colander to catch the syrups. Do this also for all the remaining cans. Now here is something that is a big help. When it comes to the peaches and apricots, slice each peach piece into 3 and add to your serving bowl. Do the same with the apricots so the pieces are not too huge in the dish. As for the can of pineapple you can do the same, unless you purchased diced pineapple. If you did buy the diced, they will be the perfect size, Also if you are using pear slices or any other kinds of canned fruits use your judgement about slicing the fruits into small pieces. Once all the fruits are completely drained from the syrup, set aside the bowl of all the reserve syrup. You can use that for other cooking ideas in your kitchen. It will not be going back into the serving bowl at all.

Once all the cans of fruits are in the bowl, add in a bunch of cherries. Do not use cherries with pits, but rather a jar of pitted cherries and they are also available in cans as well. Be as generous as you would like to be with the cherries. They taste wonderful in the Ambrosia, but they also add some great color to your finish dish.

Set aside for a moment.

Now whip your cream with an electric hand mixer or you can also whip it up in one of these large electric type of mixers with the large bowl. Either way is just fine. Firstly, use your judgement as to how much whipped cream you would like to make. All you will need for the recipe for 8 is about a cup and a half of heavy cream. Add that to a smaller bowl. Add in a teaspoon of vanilla or vanilla essence. Add in about 1/4 cup of regular white sugar and beginning beating on a high speed. This may take about 4-5 minutes. When the cream is whipped into lovely white peaks, it will be ready to use.

Next step is top add into the serving dish approximately 30-35 small marshmallows or cut up 15 large ones into 4 pieces and add them in at this time.

Then add approximately 1/3 of a cup of the dessicated coconut and mix in with all the other ingredients.

Now begin to add 2 large dollops of whipped cream and 2 large dollops of sour cream to your bowl and mix together gently so not as to break up any of the fruit pieces. I find a good wooden spoon does this best. If you have decided to use walnuts or slithered almonds you can do this now and give another gentle mix.

Now just for the record I use a very large stainless steel bowl for all of the items that go into the whole mixture, and when everything is done I then pour everything into a large serving bowl to serve. Also you can add extra marshmallows to top your dish and also with some extra cherries for a great look. The Ambrosia can be put on your table and using small pretty bowls for each person also makes a lovely look.

Please note:

The last time I made my Ambrosia was just recently as we were having family members for Brunch. I had wanted to take a photo so I could use it when I posted this recipe, but I wound up totally forgetting to do so. I went to Google images and found an image which looked as close to my finished recipe for the Ambrosia, and I have used it above so you can see exactly what it should look like.

So this is the recipe in full. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions or would like to leave a comment.

Take care!

Cheers From Patti

I'm In A Pickle.....And Loving It!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:53:00 +0000

Homemade Sweet and Spicy Gherkins

I started bottling sweet and spicy gherkins in 2007, and it has been something that I have looked forward to every year since then. We had quite a number of gherkins from the garden this year, so today I spent a good part of the day in my last step by step processing for the gherkins. I have about 5 or 6 bottles now and that will do us well for the winter. We won't be seeing any more gherkins from the garden until next summer now,but it has been great fun bottling them. I have a recipe for bottling them which I found on the Internet several years back and it has seved us well. I thought I would re-post the details from 2007 for those of you who will soon be in summer. We are in autumn presently here in New Zealand. So if you love sweet and spicy gherkins, get your garden plots ready to plant your gherkins. The recipe for bottling them is very straightforward and you will be surprised how easy it is if you have never canned in your life. Anyway here is my post again fro 2007 below.

Enjoy your Sweet and Spicies!

Patricia

Three months or so ago, while visiting with my wonderful In-Laws, my husband's father was kind enough to give us a nice bag full of gherkins from his lavish garden. My antennas went up and all that I could envision was making some Sweet Gherkin Pickles from our prized gift. The only thing was.... that although I have been in plenty of pickles of my own in my life....I had never made any for eating. Now I must admit I am a great lover of recipes from the Internet, many of which have become household favorites. So off to the computer I fled to find a recipe for making my pickles. I came across the following recipe from a wonderful website called Recipe Source and did not have to look any further as it appeared that this recipe presented itself as being very straightforward, and in fact the pickles were extremely easy to make, and no fuss. I guess it must have been in April or May that I had made them, but decided to let them soak in all the lovely juices for a couple of months before tempting to try them. Well today was the day for the unveiling. I was so pleased with the outcome that I just had to share this recipe today. The pickles were crisp and crunchy and ever so sweet with a very spicy flavoring. The pickling spices certainly do the trick and this is one recipe that I will be making again and again. Have a go with it if you enjoy pickles.....very straightforward and luscious to boot!

Note: This recipe can be found at the Recipe Source.Com website below and is adapted for MasterCook.

For more information about the MasterCook Software visit the link above.

SWEET GHERKIN PICKLES

Recipe Source.Com

Serving Size : 6

Ingredients:

7 lbs Cucumbers (1-1/2 inch or less)

1/2 c Canning or pickling salt

8 c Sugar

6 c Vinegar (5 percent)

3/4 tsp Turmeric

2 tsp Celery seeds

2 tsp Whole mixed pickling spice

2 Cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp Fennel (optional)

2 tsp Vanilla (optional)

Yield: 6 to 7 pints

Procedure:

Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of stem attached.

Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water.

Six to 8 hours later, and on the second day, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt.

On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork.

Combine and bring to boil 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, turmeric, and spices. Pour over cucumbers.

Six to 8 hours later, drain and save the pickling syrup. Add another 2 cups each of sugar and vinegar and reheat to boil. Pour over pickles. On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. Drain and save pickling syrup 6 to 8 hours later. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla and heat to boiling. Fill sterile pint jars, with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. For more information on sterilizing jars see “Jars and Lids”. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1, or use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment.

(For more information see “Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment”.)
Table 1. Recommended process time for Sweet Gherkin Pickles in a boiling-water canner. Style of Pack: Raw. Jar Size: Pints. Process Time at Altitudes of 0 - 1,000 ft: 5 min. 1,001 - 6,000 ft: 10 min. Above 6,000 ft: 15 min.

This recipe can also be found at Recipe Source.Com right HERE.

Granny Smith Working Overtime

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:44:00 +0000

Hello Food Lovers

I have been try to organize my time more carefully so I can get back into Blogging regularly as it has been a while.

I live in New Zealand and Autumn is just around the corner here for us, which is a reminder that our apple trees will be reaping some rewards for us. Each year I enjoy canning 'Apple Butter' which I make from the apples on our trees. Actually Apple Butter does not have any butter in it, just so you know, in case your have never made it or eaten it before. One of the reasons it is called Apple Butter because when it is all processed and ready to be put in canning bottles the Apple Butter is smooth and creamy just like butter. It is amazingly good and tastes just wonderful on bread or toast as a spread and also is great on crackers with a slice of brie or camembert, or just by itself on the crackers. Next to canning sweet and spicy gherkins I enjoy making the Apple Butter the most. If you have not tried itm you are really missing out on somethng sensational. Granny Smith apples make the best Apple Butter of all in my humble opinion, but you can use Royal Gala or even wild apples.

Approximately 6 years ago I shared the recipe for it on my Food Blog that I always use, however I have two or three techniques but the following one I love the best. Be warned though, that this is not something that can be made in 5 minutes. It is a step by step process but it is worth every single minute and I know you will be pleasantly surprised for all of you that have never tried it. The key though I feel is to plan to make several large jars of it so you will always have plenty on hand until the next apple season. You can just keep the sealed jars on a shelf in your cupboard, but once you open a jar of it to use, be sure to refrigerate it. Keep in mind also that it can last months in the refrigerator once it has been opened.

I thought I would post the full recipe once again for newcomers to my Food Blog.

I hope you will enjoy this delightful recipe for canning Apple Butter.

Enjoy the recipe, and I would love to know how your apple butter turns out!

APPLE BUTTER

SOURCE: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

4 lbs of good cooking apples (we use Granny Smith or Gravenstein)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 cups water Sugar (about 4 cups, see cooking instructions)

Salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Equipment Needed

1 wide 8-quart pan (Stainless steel or copper with stainless steel lining)

A food mill or a chinois sieve

A large (8 cup) measuring cup pourer

6-8 8-ounce canning jars

Preparing the Fruit

1. Cut the apples into quarters, without peeling or coring them (much of the pectin is in the cores and flavor in the peels), cut out damaged parts.

First Stage of Cooking

2. Put them into large pot, add the vinegar and water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Measure out the purée and add the sugar and spices3 Ladle apple mixture into a chinois sieve (or foodmill) and using a pestle force pulp from the chinois into a large bowl below. Measure resulting puree. Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of apple pulp. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add a dash of salt, and the cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, lemon rind and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

The above is a chinois sieve

The above is a food mill

You can use either for this canning recipe

Second Stage of Cooking

4. Cook uncovered in a large, wide, thick-bottomed pot on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth when a bit is spooned onto a cold plate and allowed to cool (1 to 2 hours). You can also cook the purée on low heat, stirring only occasionally, but this will take much longer as stirring encourages evaporation. (Note the wider the pan the better, as there is more surface for evaporation.)

Canning

5. There are several ways to sterilize your jars for canning. You can run them through a short cycle on your dishwasher. You can place them in a large pot (12 quart) of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don't touch the bottom of the pan), and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Or you can rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

6. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal. If you plan to store the apple butter un-refrigerated, make sure to follow proper canning procedures. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. I use a hot water bath for 10 minutes to ensure a good seal.
As an alternative to stove cooking the puree you can cook uncovered in a microwave, on medium heat to simmer, for around 30 minutes.

Makes a little more than 3 pint jars. You can adjust the recipe to make larger quantities. I usually use large jars, and several of them for storing.

A Lovely Recipe Using Your Homemade Apple Butter

Baked Prosciutto and Brie with Apple Butter Recipe

Courtesy Tyler Florence

Show: Food 911 Episode: Texas Tea Party

1 loaf crusty French bread

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup apple butter

16 thin slices prosciutto

about 1/4 pound 2 pears or apples, thinly sliced

1 pound Brie, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut 16 (1/2-inch thick) slices out of the loaf. Butter each side of the slices and put them onto a baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of apple butter onto each slice. Top this with 1 slice of prosciutto and 3 or 4 slices of pear or apple. Cover this with the Brie slices, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hugs From Patricia

Happy New Year Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:49:00 +0000

Avocado Crème Brûlée

I am putting this on the top of my list for my next taste test. I love Avocados and pretty much just use them in guacamole dip only, but I will always be the first to try something new. I found this recipe at Project Foodie recently and was delighted to add it to my Favorite Food Blogs. I hope some of you will try it like me......off to buy my avocados!

It has been such a long...very long time since I have posted, but one thing for certain is that I am so happy I did not delete my Blog pages all together, as I am about to start blogging again. I had some very serious health issues over the past couple of years which eventually resulted in a spinal fusion this past August. My recovery was relatively a slow one and one with too many restrictions. I was unable to sit comfortably for more than a few minutes at a time and spent many a day flat on my back staring at the ceiling. I am still in physiotherapy which will still go on for many more weeks. Soon I will be starting hydro therapy in our hospital's physio pool and I am looking forward to that for sure.

So much has happened since 2010 but I would like to begin afresh and it is good to be be back with everyone. Little by little I will be revamping my Blog as I think some new changes are evident, but for tonight I am just getting my feet wet once again and I will be into full swing soon. I see that there have been a huge number of people reading my existing Blog over the past two years....even in my absence and I truly thank you for that, and it is one of the main reasons I have to start blogging once again. I have missed it so much and I will endeavor to make my posts enjoyable and interesting.

In the meantime.....do something special for yourself!

Hugs From Patricia In New Zealand

FEATURED FOOD BLOG OF THE WEEK

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:15:00 +0000

Cherry Rippled Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

FEATURED FOOD BLOG OF THE WEEK

The Technicolor Kitchen

Patricia Scarpin never ceases to amaze me with her absolutely delightful recipes on her

Technicolor Kitchen Food Blog. I have been a fan of Patricia and her Food Blog for three years now. What I love so much about her Blog is her finesse in photography, making everything she creates look like something to die for. I have included one of her gorgeous photos above to give you an example of what I am talking about, and what you will have to look forward to when you visit her outstanding Blog. The first taste that I ever had at Patricia's Blog was a recipe of hers for Lime and Macadamia Fudge. When I first saw the photo I knew immediately that it was something I had to make immediately. Be sure to check the recipe out when you have the time to have a look at Patricia's Blog. Also you will find the recipe for the above on her Blog as well.

Enjoy!

Patti

The Pavlova: A Slice Of New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:03:00 +0000

I have decided to go ahead and post the recipe which I use for a Pavlova. This particular one calls for using cherries as the topping, however you may find that you would like to choose your own topping. I usually enjoy strawberries. This recipe has been sourced from the Becks and Posh Food Blog. You can find the URL below to visit their site and to enjoy other recipes available at this site. The following is the recipe for the pavlova.

Almond Cherry Pavlovas

Serves four

2 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 cup Bakers[US] or Castor[UK] sugar
1/4 cup Soft, Light Brown Sugar
1/8 cup Ground Almonds
1/2 teaspoon Distilled White Vinegar
1/2 pint of whipping or double cream
2 cups fresh cherries, stoned
1/2 cup flaked almonds
1 heaped tablespoon Bakers[US] or Castor[UK] sugar

Method:

- Preheat the oven to 250F
- Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks
- Slowly beat in the 1/2 cup brown/white sugar until the meringue is thick & glossy
- Gently fold in the ground almonds and the vinegar
- Spoon the meringue onto a silpat-lined baking sheet, forming four nest-like circles
- Pop the meringues into the oven for 35 minutes
- Turn the oven off, leaving the meringues there for at least 1.5 hours or overnight

Before Serving:

- Whip the cream until it thickens to the consistency of a soft, pillowy cloud
- Put the flaked almonds and 1 heaped tablespoon sugar into a small skillet
- Heat to medium whilst stirring constantly
- After a few minutes the sugar will start to caramelize
- Keep stirring to coat the nuts
- Once all the nuts are sticky and golden, remove from the heat to cool and crisp

- To serve, assemble meringue, then cream, cherries and finally almonds

This recipe is sourced from:

Becks and Posh Food Blog

http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/2007/05/almond-pavlova-with-seasons-first.html

Enjoy!

Patricia

Happy New Year Foodies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:24:00 +0000

Well I just cannot believe it has been almost 2 years since I have posted anything to my Cooking Blog, and my other personal Blogs as well. I have had numerous committments which have prevented me from staying in touch through my Cooking Blog "Platter Chatter With Patricia", and my fond hope is for me to start posting regularly now again with some exciting recipes, food articles, cookbook reviews, and other items to enhance your appetite. I desperately need to tidy up my right hand panel on this page with some refreshing new links for you to enjoy. I will also be doing the same on my other Blogs so it may mean that my site will be somewhat be under a new construction phase, however there is still plenty to see nonetheless. I have added some new cookbooks to my library so you may want to have a look at those. They are ones that have been sitting in my collection for a while, but over the weekend I retrieved them to have a whole new look at them again with the hopes of inspiring some special new recipes. Have a look through the right hand panel as there is still a lot to see and for you to enjoy. Please make note that today I added a link about The History of The Pavlova. Over the Christmas Holidays my husband made one and it was so scrumptious I had to have a hand in making one myself 2 weeks later. It too was out of this world. A Pavlova may not be known to some people outside New Zealand or Australia, so hop on over to the panel to the link where you will find the History of the Pavlova. This week I will be posting my personal Pavlova recipe...I do think you will enjoy it very much. Also I had been speaking to my dear sister in Michigan (I live in New Zealand by the way) over the holidays and we were having a good chat about Pavlovas. Well Gayle had never made one before and I kept telling her that she just has to make one for her son-in-law who hails from New Zealand. The Pavlova basically being a New Zealand recipe, I felt it would be a great Christmas Holiday surprise to spring on her daughter and her husband. Anyway the upshot of it was that she wound up finding a pavlova recipe that was a chocolate one....virtually unheard of here in New Zealand. She wound up making it for her family and it was loved by all, so now I will have to try the chocolate one myself. Who knows I might be introducing a new version of the pavlova in New Zealand. So I thought the perfect thing to start the New Year would be to post my first recipe for the New Year: The Pavlova. I will plan on posting it tomorrow as I would like to spend several hours today in tidying up my Food Blog so you will have much more to enjoy when you pop on over for a visit.

In the meantime, keep those whisks shiny and may you have at least one chicken in the pot!

Sincerely,

Patti

Edmonds Coobook Mustard Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:03:00 +0000

Mustard Sauce For Corned Beef and Cabbage

Now I know this is the spur of the moment...so close to St. Patrick's Day but I wanted to post this recipe for Mustard Sauce for those of you who would like a little something different than plain old mustard from the jar on your Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day.

I have been using this recipe each time I make a Corned Beef for almost 12 years now. When I first moved to New Zealand I came across the most wonderful cookbook called 'Edmonds Cookbook'. It is a New Zealand icon, and it is chocked full of some of the most amazing recipes. To be honest, and as some of you know my husband loves to cook too, and it is the only cookbook that he refers to. I am more the cookbook collector in this household, and I have a huge collection which I have been collecting since I was a teenager. Anyway the Edmonds Cookbook has the most fantastic recipe for mustard sauce and it is so nice for a change on your Corned Beed than just using plain old mustard. You can also save yourself several dollars from not having to buy a bottle of mustard sauce in the grocery store. A bottle of that is very pricey. This is such a cinch to make...it will take you five minutes at the very most.

So I am posting this recipe from the Edmonds Cookbook for you to enjoy, but just one more thing. I put my own two cents worth into the recipe if interested. Once you have made the recipe you can add 1-2 tablespoons of honey for another little different taste which is really great, so that will be up to you, but it tastes so lovely. You can't get it better than this.

Here is the recipe!

Enjoy!

Hugs From Patricia

Ingredients

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 cup corned beef stock or ham stock (that corned beef or ham has been cooked in)

1/4 cup vinegar

salt & pepper

Directions

1. Beat egg and sugar together.

2. Add flour, mustard, pepper and salt.

3. Stir in liquids gradually.

4 .Cook in saucepan over medium heat until mixture thickens.

5. Serve over hot sliced corned beef or hot ham.

Malcolm's Homemade Rhubarb Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:14:00 +0000

Well I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted. I have had plenty of committments over the last year and more, but I do hope to be posting more regularly now that things are quieting down.

I was recently mentioning on FaceBook about my husband's wonderful Rhubrab Pie recipe and I have had quite a number of people messaging me and e-mailing me to post his recipe. Well he just typed it up for me so I am including it here below for all those that might be interested. This is his own personal recipe, and Malcolm always bakes from scratch....one of his passions is baking of course as many of you know. I did a search on the Internet on Google images to find a photo of rhubarb pie which I thought would closely resemble the ones that he makes just so you can get the idea of what it will look like. As for my own two cents here, you can also add some cut up fresh strawberries to the mixture for some additional taste. Malcolm made us a rhubarb pie about two weeks ago...I should have taken my own photo but the above will do.

If you would like to see more of our recipes and others, feel free to Follow Me on FaceBook and/or Network Blogs.

Here is the recipe:

MALCOLM'S HOMEMADE RHUBARB PIE

This could not be easier - you can make a pie from fruit of just about any sort using this method (rhubarb of course is not a fruit). If you thought rhubarb was boring you might change your mind after trying this. It is dead easy to grow in a sunny spot, is perennial and above all makes a very cheap but delicious dessert. Since the recipe is basically just stewed rhubarb, the pastry pie topping makes it attractive to the children which is a bonus.

METHOD:

Choose your favourite pie dish and cut enough stalks of rhubarb into pieces about an inch long to fill it to about an inch below the rim. DO NOT use the leaves - they contain oxalic acid which is not stomach-friendly. The stalks are just fine!

Prepare a topping of flaky pastry sufficient to cover the top of the pie dish with a little to spare.

Place the chopped rhubarb into a pot (saucepan), put in about half a cup of water and half a cup of white sugar.

Bring to the boil stirring occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Simmer and stir occasionally until the rhubarb is soft and basically mushes up easily.

Taste and add sugar a tablespoonful at a time, stirring each time until the sugar is dissolved before re-tasting until the tartness (or lack thereof) suits your liking.

Preheat the oven on BAKE to about 160C (about 320F).

Remove the pot containing the rhubarb from the heat and pour into the pie dish. Wet the pastry on both sides and place over rhubarb in the pie dish, pushing the excess into the sides of the dish to form a moat with a mound in the middle. Make a cross-cut in the centre of the pastry to give expanding liquids in the pie an escape route should they need it. Sprinkle some raw sugar over the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 - 40 minutes or until the pastry is somewhat golden on top.

Done.

We hope you will enjoy this one...it is absolutely scrumptious!

Patricia

Chicken Vegetable Soup And Red Lobster Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:02:00 +0000

Patricia's Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

6 chicken drumsticks

2 large zucchinis

cut circular

2 large carrots cut into small pieces

1 large red onion chopped

2 celery stalks with some leaves chopped into small pieces

1 parsnip cut into small pieces

2 bay leaves

8 peppercorns

salt

1 tbsp. fresh or dried parsley chopped

5 tsp. chicken stock powder

4 liters of water

Directions:

Place the drumsticks into a medium sized pot and cover well with water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for one hour. I prefer to do the chicken separately first and then remove the meat from the bones rather than having to remove the bones from the completed soup.
While the chicken is simmering, cut the veggies and set aside.
Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool. Reserve liquid for stock.
Remove the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces.
In a large soup pot add the reserved liquid from the chicken and add 3 of the 5 tsp. of chicken stock powder. Add 4 liters of water and bring to a boil, constantly stirring to dissolve chicken stock powder.
Add chicken and all the vegetables, bay leaves, parsley, and peppercorns. The chicken stock powder tends to be a bit salty so it is possible that no salt will be required. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 3 hours. Taste at regular intervals to determine whether you might want to add any of the remaining chicken stock powder from what you have set aside initially, and add salt to your taste only if required.
Serve with biscuits.

This is my personal recipe for homemade chicken vegetable soup which I have been making for many years. Feel free to pass it on.

Copy Cat Recipe For

The Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
¾ cup cold whole milk
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Brush on Top:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch salt

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

Corn Chowder

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:04:00 +0000

In my estimation corn is one of the most versatile vegetables I can think of. Not only are there endless ways to prepare and serve corn but there are also many health benefits to be derived from corn as well.

One of the benefits of corn is that it is high in nutrients. A few of these important nutrients are:
Thiamin (vitamin B1) which is used in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) which helps with physiological functions. Folate which helps the generation of new cells, and especially important before and during pregnancy and Vitamin C which fights against diseases.
Corn is also a good source of fiber. One cup of corn provides 18.4% of the daily recommendation of fiber. Its high fiber content is one of the biggest benefits of corn. Fiber has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Fiber is also useful in helping to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Corn is a low-fat complex carbohydrate that deserves a regular place on any healthy table. These high-fiber, fat-fighting kernels of goodness are also hearty and satisfying.

Nigella Lawson, world famous British Cook and Cookbook Author has a great recipe for

Sweet Corn Pudding

I made it last week after seeing her prepare it on one of her videos. You can also find her recipe at the above link. Although I am not very big into eggs, and there are a few in the recipe, but my husband just loved it.

Another wonderful way to enjoy corn is to grill corn on the cob on the barbecue. It is quick and easy and one of my favorite ways to have corn.

Yes! You Can Grill

Southern Cornbread is another favorite of mine. I love the flavor and texture of freshly baked cornbread right from the oven with butter. It tastes especially spectacular with Mexican dishes too, and goes very well with my personal family recipe for Corn Chowder below.

Iowa Corn Au Gratin is the next recipe with corn I am going to try. There are not as many eggs in this recipe as in Nigella's Sweet Corn Pudding, but I am anxious to give it a whirl.

Simple Corn Stuffed Tomatoes is another great recipe I found on the Internet. Now this one is so easy to prepare and takes so little time. It is a great "go with" with chicken and pork dishes. I have oodles of wonderful recipes that I have collected over the years from the Internet and there a millions of them out there. I have a huge collection of cookbooks as I have been an avid cookbook collector for eons, but I just love to search for new and exciting recipes from other people throughout the world.

Now here is my personal recipe for Corn Chowder. I feel that it is one of my favorite food items to prepare and I must admit it is so yummy. I make it quite a bit during the cold winter months, and just made some a couple of days ago, and there is plenty of it sitting in the fridge for my lunches. I have shared this recipe with many of my family members and friends and everyone seems to enjoy it so much. By the way the Southern Cornbread goes very well with this chowder.

Patricia's Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1 large can fresh corn kernels

1 large can creamed corn

(You can also use fresh corn of desired)

1 large can whole plum tomatoes (drained)

1 large onion diced

1 red capsicum (sweet red pepper)

6 cups of chicken stock

(I use chicken stock powder - 1 level tsp to 1 cup of water)

1 tbsp ground coriander seeds

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp of unsalted butter

1 cup of dry white wine

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp basil

salt

pepper

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Directions:

Dice the red capsicum (also know as red pepper) and set aside.

Boil enough water for 6 cups for the chicken stock and add the chicken stock powder to the boiling water and stir thoroughly and set aside.

In a food processor blend all the canned corn and plum tomatoes for about 20 seconds and set aside.

Dice the onion, and in a large soup pot saute the onion and ground coriander in the olive oil and butter. I love to use coriander seeds which I grind up with my mortar and pestle first. I think the aroma and flavor of the coriander is much more pronounced using seeds vs. already ground coriander in a jar. Saute for approximately 5 minutes using moderate heat, and stir frequently.

Add the white wine and continue cooking for just a few minutes until the majority of the wine has been evaporated. Add the chicken stock, cream, and the corn and tomato mixture and red capsicum, 1/4 tsp. chili powder and bring to a boil on High. Then lower the heat and cook at a good simmer for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently. You can add the basil and stir into the chowder about ten minutes before the corn chowder is done. Add salt and pepper to your own taste.

Garnish with croutons or serve with Southern Corn Bread or any of your favorite soup "go withs".

I would love for you to try this recipe. I think it is one you will want to have over and over again. If you decide to give it a try I would love to hear from you.

Enjoy!

Patricia

Foodscapes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:33:00 +0000

A dear friend from Alaska sent this wonderful Power Point Presentation to me this morning....a Food Art Photography presentation which is a must see for all foodies. And by the way if you would like to know how to embed Power Point Presentations on to your blogs, be sure to read my post on Power Point Presentations on my Every Day Matters Blog. My blogs are listed on the right hand sidebar panel of my blog.

To view a full screen beautiful view of this presentation click "presentation" below. The link will take you to the SlideShare web site and then you can click on "Full View", although you can view a smaller version just by clicking on the forward arrow below.

Enjoy the Presentation!

Patricia

Foodscapes

view presentation (tags: food art photography foodie)

Garam Masala Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:20:00 +0000

I received this recipe from Emilie and I can't wait to try it. You can visit Emilie's excellent Food Blog at:

The Conscious Kitchen

Thanks for sharing your recipe Emilie!

4 small ripe Comice pears (Anjou or Seckle are good alternatives)

4 Tablespoons agave nector

4 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon lemon juice optional

toasted sesame seeds or toasted coconut for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

peel and core the pears, cut in half and arrange cut-side down in a baking dish

whisk the agave, water, oil, garam masala and lemon together

pour mixture over the pears

bake for 20 minutes, basting the pears halfway through.

I was mentioning to Emilie that all I needed to find now was some agave nectar, but in having done a little research I found that it is available in most food specialty shops and also in health food shops. The following is some useful information about the agave nectar.

The Awesome Agave

The agave (uh-gah-vay) plant has long been cultivated in hilly, semi-arid soils of Mexico. Its fleshy leaves cover the pineapple-shaped heart of the plant, which contains a sweet sticky juice. Ancient Mexicans considered the plant to be sacred. They believed the liquid from this plant purified the body and soul. When the Spaniards arrived, they took the juices from the agave and fermented them, leading to the drink we now call tequila.
But there is a more interesting use for this historic plant. Agave syrup (or nectar) is about 90% fructose. Only recently has it come in use as a sweetener. It has a low glycemic level and is a delicious and safe alternative to table sugar. Unlike the crystalline form of fructose, which is refined primarily from corn, agave syrup is fructose in its natural form. This nectar does not contain processing chemicals. Even better, because fructose is sweeter than table sugar, less is needed in your recipes. It can be most useful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance (Syndrome X), or are simply watching their carbohydrate intake.
Fructose has a low glycemic value. However, according to some experts, if fructose is consumed after eating a large meal that overly raises the blood sugar or with high glycemic foods, it no longer has a low glycemic value. Strangely enough, it will take on the value of the higher glycemic food. So exercise restraint, even with this wonderful sweetener. It is a good policy to eat fructose-based desserts on an empty stomach, in between meals or with other low-glycemic foods. Use it for an occasional treat or for a light touch of sweetness in your dishes.

FYI

This sweetener is sometimes called "nectar" and sometimes called "syrup". It is the same food.
The light syrup has a more neutral flavor.
In recipes, use about 25% less of this nectar than you would use of table sugar. ¾ cup of agave nectar should equal 1 cup of table sugar. For most recipes this rule works well.
When substituting this sweetener in recipes, reduce your liquid slightly, sometimes as much as 1/3 less.
Reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Agave nectar can be combined with Splenda to counter Splenda's aftertaste and to control the amount of fructose used.
The glycemic index of agave nectar is low.
As a food exchange, a one-teaspoon serving of agave nectar equals a free food. Two servings or two teaspoons equals ½ carbohydrate exchange.

Cheers From Patricia

Garam Masala

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:15:00 +0000

My husband and I love having Indian food and the spicier the better. Hubby is an excellent cook and loves taking over when it comes to preparing all our Indian meals. Garam Masala is one of the main ingredients in most Indian foods, so I thought I would share an easy recipe for making your very own Garam Masala. By the way I will be sharing a few posts in the near future of various Indian recipes. One coming up will be for a Chick Pea Gravy...a recipe which my husband received from a friend at work. He and his friends were having a luncheon at the office and a friend had made some Chick Pea Gravy which my husband claims was "out of this world". It is served with bread or rolls. Now I haven't made it yet, although I have already added the recipe to my personal cookbook files...but I purchased the Chick Peas last Saturday and just need to get a couple of more ingredients and I am set to go. Looking forward to making it on Saturday.

Well on with the Garam Masala.

1 /2" Cinnamon Stick (about 1 heaping tsp broken)

2 Bay Leaves, broken

3 tablespoons Green Cardamom Pods

2 teaspoons Fenugreek Seeds

1 tablespoon Whole Cumin Seeds

1 tablespoon Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tablespoon Black Peppercorns

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Whole Cloves

1 teaspoon Blade Mace

Preparation Instructions

Break the cinnamon sticks into pieces.

Crumble the bay leaves.

Heat a heavy frying pan and after 2-3 minutes put in the whole spices.

Dry roast over medium heat until the color darkens, stirring or shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Burns very easily!

Leave to cool, then grind.
Apparently stored in a airtight jar this will last 3-4 months.
You can add 2 teaspoons of ground tumeric after grinding to add a golden color and/or add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger to give some heat, or to taste."

Let me know how yours comes out!

A little info about Garam Masala....

Garam means Hot and Masala in this sense means spice mix, although not many are hot as the name implies, but . There are hundreds of varieties, but suprisingly not many are available to public viewing as their secret content is often jealously guarded by families and chefs alike.

Garam Masala is often used towards the very end of the cooking process, and sometimes just sprinkled over the dish as it is being served. It creates that wonderful smell and taste we are so used to, and because most spice mixes are delicate they would not withstand a long cooking time and still preserve their aromas and flavours.

The typical spices found in Garam Masala are; Coriander, Cumin, Cinnamon or Cassia, Asian Bay leaves, cloves, Cardamoms, Turmeric, and Chillies. Quite often these are roasted whole and when cool they ground to a fine or coarse powder. A grinding stone is the best method as it releases the flavours, but you can use a coffee grinder which will do a reasonble job; but beware some spices like Cumin cause the spindle to seix=ze and attack the plastic also. So make sure you clean the grinder thoroughly each time.

It is always preferable to make your own Garam Masalas as commercial packaged varieties are often contain fillers, additives and inferior spices. Make up in small quantities, keep them in a glass jar (spices affect some plastics) and store them in a dark cool place, and don't keep them for too long as the soon lose their qualities.

Cheers From Patricia

Baked Peach Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:45:00 +0000

One food item I have truly missed since I moved here to New Zealand ten years ago is Bisquick. It is just so easy to use and very convenient to have on hand in the cupboard. Unfortunately it is virtually unavailable here, but just recently I was browsing some food categories on TradeMe New Zealand which is the New Zealand equivalent of eBay and I found a lovely lady that had some for sale which she had brought over from the States. So I immediately bought 6 large boxes and found myself in seventh heaven. I hadn't used any for ten years so this was definitely heaven sent as far as I was concerned. Now I know many of us are Gordon Ramsay fans and I would probably get a "white thumbs down" if he ever knew I was using anything but the natural ingredients from scratch, but sorry Gordon we all have a comfort zone and now was my chance to get busy in the kitchen again making some great Bisquick goodies. I thought you might all enjoy a great recipe for Baked Peach Pancakes....using Bisquick of course, and I will include the recipe here for you, but for those of you who prefer the "from scratch method" it is here for you as well.

Baked Peach Pancakes (Bisquick Style)

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup Original Bisquick® mix

3/4 cup milk

4 eggs

2 medium Green Giant® Fresh peaches, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Place 2 tablespoons butter in each of two 9-inch pie plates. Heat in oven until melted.
2. Stir together Bisquick, milk and eggs. Arrange half of the peach slices in each pie plate. Divide batter evenly between pie plates. Stir together sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Baked Peach Pancakes From Scratch

4 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

4-5 medium peaches, peeled and sliced

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Beat eggs and add sugar, milk, oil and salt. Add flour and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter two 9 inch round cake pans and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange peach slices on pans and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar and brown sugar. Dot with butter. Pour batter over peaches and bake 30-35 minutes until top is golden.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:29:00 +0000

Although it is quite cold here in New Zealand right now, I have spoken with several family members and friends up in North America and all I am hearing is how hot it has been. I am quite envious actually and I would swap weather with any of you in a heartbeat. So I have decided to share something refreshing from the heat with all those sweating in those hot spots all over America and elsewhere. A nice Pineapple Smoothie should do the trick. I have always loved pineapple during the summer especially, and even now we enjoy having fresh pineapple here in the winter months as well. I love to munch on it, and I really do enjoy cooking with it too. Pineapple is terrific on homemade pizzas, and great in a pork stir fry too. Give it a try!

Here's your Smoothie!

Ingredients:

2 c. orange juice

2 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained

4 med. bananas

4 tsp. sugar

2 (16 oz.) carton plain yogurt

2 c. crushed ice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except yogurt in blender and process until smooth.

Add yogurt and process until blended.

Garnish with a pineapple .

Yummy Cupcakes...But Take A Closer Look!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Greetings From New Zealand!

Setting all food aside for a moment....you will just have to have a look at these great cupcakes.....But....they are pincushions! I couldn't resist sharing them on Platter Chatter. Almost good enought to eat, right?

If you are a stitcher, sewer, quilter or an all-around craftsperson than you will absolutely adore these wonderfully glitzy cupcake pincushions created by my dear and talented friend Jana way up in the woods of British Columbia, Canada. I was so excited when I saw Jana's cupcake pincushions that I just had to share them with all my blog readers. They are so reasonably priced that you won't be able to resist adding one to you collection of needlework or craft accessories. They are sooooo soft and ever so colorful. I use mine every day....it is just so pretty to look at in person and serves your every day pincushion needs for your crafting. The pincushion comes with some bright glitzy pins which really top it off to a perfection that you will almost want to eat one. Just click on any one of these excellent images and it will take you to Jana's wonderful web site for pricing and additional details...and while you are there have a good peek around at all the other magnificent goodies that Jana has to offer especially for those of you interested in graphics for computer graphic design and scrapbooking. There are gigabytes galore of beautifully designed and created goodies for all your special needs.

Enjoy your cupcake.....mine is so good...I'll just have to have another!

Jana's Wonderful Web Site

A Whimsy Dust Affair

Patricia

Food Lovers Unite...I'm Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:28:00 +0000

Well I'm back blogging after a very long hiatus due to some health issues, and more recently busy with my jewelery business. I hope to be able to stay more current so that I can provide all of you that read my Blog all kinds of interesting goodies and items worth noting. Yes, all these months away from blogging has been a bit disheartening but hopefully things will pick up. I thank all of those who have still been reading my blog during my absence and look forward to having you all back again.
A very special Happy Fourth of July to all of my American Family and Friends and Readers. Actually the 4th happens also to be my Wedding Anniversary. This year on the 4th my husband and I will be married ten years. So hard to believe that I moved here to New Zealand from New York just ten years ago to marry my Kiwi fiancé It seems like just yesterday quite frankly.
I have been pretty busy just lately setting up my new web site for my jewelry business:

Irresistibly Ewe
At
Patricia's Beaded Treasures

I would love for you to stop by for a visit, although I do not have any jewelry uploaded as yet but hope to be ready to go within the next week or two weeks. All of my jewelry is hand-crafted personally. I will be offering beaded jewelry, beaded charms fobs, and beaded bookmarks. There will also be links for other items for offer such as Home Decor, Vintage Treasures, and Shabby-Chic. You may also have interest in auctions, and they will be available via my boutique as well. I will post to my blog to let you know when I am up and running, but feel free to have a peek at my web site itself.
Well...good to be back all.....and as always I welcome your feedback at any time. Have a good look around as there are lots of things to see and make you think on my all my blogs.

Cheers From Patricia

Apple Butter: Granny Smith Working Overtime

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:07:00 +0000

I have all of my ingredients set for the weekend.....it's time for me to make some Apple Butter!

Apple Butter Festivals are a great pastime in the American South, but making apple butter itself seems to be virtually unheard of in many other parts of the world, so I thought I would share a great recipe for making your own apple butter. Apple butter is wonderful as a spread on toast bread or a bagel, and even better, served on a cracker with a nice slice of brie or camembert. In some areas, making apple butter is a family or community project where everyone contributes the apples and the other ingredients and all the components are simmered together in large outdoor kettles. However it could not be more simple, in that you can make it on your own stove top or also in your slow cooker or crock pot. Once you have had a taste of this luscious treat there is no turning back. I use Granny Smith apples because I feel they offer the best taste for apple butter, however any good cooking apples can be used. The term butter is is used because when the apple butter is complete it resembles a soft rich consistency much like butter, but there is no actual butter in the recipe. I am making my Apple Butter on Saturday, and with the 4 lb bag of Granny Smiths that I have in the kitchen it should yield about (6) 8 ounce jars or the equivalent. It is helpful to have either a chinois ( a conical shape sieve) on hand or a food mill for use in this recipe. They can be purchased very inexpensively, and usually found in the gadget section of the supermarket or even in the $2 stores. The following are photos of the chinoise and the food mill, but have a look at the recipe as you may be able to improvise with something you have in the cupboard.

chinoise

food mill

Enjoy the recipe, and I would love to know how your apple butter turns out!

APPLE BUTTER

SOURCE: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

4 lbs of good cooking apples (we use Granny Smith or Gravenstein)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 cups water Sugar (about 4 cups, see cooking instructions)

Salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Equipment Needed

1 wide 8-quart pan (Stainless steel or copper with stainless steel lining)

A food mill or a chinois sieve

A large (8 cup) measuring cup pourer

6-8 8-ounce canning jars

Preparing the Fruit

1 Cut the apples into quarters, without peeling or coring them (much of the pectin is in the cores and flavor in the peels), cut out damaged parts.

First Stage of Cooking

2 Put them into large pot, add the vinegar and water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Second Stage of Cooking

4 Cook uncovered in a large, wide, thick-bottomed pot on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth when a bit is spooned onto a cold plate and allowed to cool (1 to 2 hours). You can also cook the purée on low heat, stirring only occasionally, but this will take much longer as stirring encourages evaporation. (Note the wider the pan the better, as there is more surface for evaporation.)

Canning

5 There are several ways to sterilize your jars for canning. You can run them through a short cycle on your dishwasher. You can place them in a large pot (12 quart) of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don't touch the bottom of the pan), and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Or you can rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

6 Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal. If you plan to store the apple butter un-refrigerated, make sure to follow proper canning procedures. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. I use a hot water bath for 10 minutes to ensure a good seal.
As an alternative to stove cooking the puree you can cook uncovered in a microwave, on medium heat to simmer, for around 30 minutes.

Makes a little more than 3 pint jars.

A Lovely Recipe Using Your Homemade Apple Butter

Baked Prosciutto and Brie with Apple Butter Recipe

Courtesy Tyler Florence

Show: Food 911 Episode: Texas Tea Party

1 loaf crusty French bread

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup apple butter

16 thin slices prosciutto

about 1/4 pound 2 pears or apples, thinly sliced

1 pound Brie, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Wikipedia: Apple Butter

The Plump Persimmon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 05:43:00 +0000

Computer Desktop Wallpaper 800 x 600

(click above image)

I have long loved the taste and freshness of a nice juicy persimmon, but it has been ages since I have had one. They are great in salads and some desserts and make a wonderfully colorful presentation in your cooking. My husband is an avid gardener, but we have yet to plant a persimmon tree, so I think it is high time I started making some new recomendations for some fruits that I have truly missed.

I have made a new Desktop Wallpaper with a Persimmon Theme, so feel free to snag it. Just click on the Desktop Wallpaper image above to see the larger view and save to your hard drive. The size is 800 X 600 pixels but feel free to resize it to accomodate your screen resolution. From time to time I will be creating more Desktop Wallpapers with Culinary Themes, so be sure to stop by often to see what I have available for you. I will more than likely create a list on the sidebar with the theme links so you can grab them on the go.

In the meantime here is a very good article by Mary Robertson about persimmons, and some links I have found where you can find some persimmon recipes.

Persimmons

Source:

Mary Robertson

National Radio Talkback Host and Newspaper Columnist

Known as the fruit of the Gods Persimmon have been a major fruit in the diet of more than a billion people in Asia. But new Zealanders have been slow to appreciate this gorgeous looking and deliciously sweet and crunchy “good for you” autumn and winter bearing fruit. The glossy orange round fruit are available in supermarkets right now and easy to eat, just like an apple without the skin. Use in fruit salads, desserts, cakes, ices and sorbets. Whole fruits and pureed flesh freezes well and will remain in perfect condition for months sealed in polythene bags. Persimmons contain high amounts of Vitamin A and C which make them the ideal pick me up after a night of alcoholic over indulgence.
There are two types of Persimmons available---- astringent and non astringent. Modern varieties are non astringent which means you can eat the delicious ripe firm fruit straight off the tree. Astringent varieties are highly acidic and give you that pucker up feeling unless they are soft and very ripe. Most of the older mature garden specimens are astringent varieties and to hasten ripening harvest the pale orange fruit and seal in a plastic bag with a ripe banana or apple.
The Persimmon is a highly decorative ornamental deciduous tree. Its wide spreading arching branches grow in weeping tiers to give an oriental appearance. The large glossy dark green leaves turn vibrant orange, yellow and red in autumn. They fall to reveal the ripening fruits. These start out as pale green then apricot and finally glowing orange. Fruit will remain on the tree until discovered by birds and deemed ripe enough to eat.
Persimmons need to grow in fertile, free draining soil. They especially dislike having wet roots in winter so good drainage is critical. Choose a sunny wind sheltered site. If space is a problem espalier against a wall or fence. They also make good subjects as container plants where they will fruit for many years in a Bonsai state. I saw a specimen recently growing on a raised wall where the branches were cascading and I could look up at the hundreds of pendulous fruit. Quite a marvelous sight.Stake well when planting and be prepared to support young branches with props when laden with fruit. As the tree matures it will be able to support the fruits weight. Keep pruning to a minimum as fruit is produced on current wood or from the tips of the stems.
Feed your persimmon twice a year with a fruit tree fertilizer, the first in late winter and the second straight after flowering in spring.
In the orient there are over one thousand varieties to choose from but the standard in N.Z is Fuyu. This non astringent variety produces medium sized fruit of great quality. The pale yellow-orange fruit has a fine texture and is very sweet.

Wikipedia: Persimmons

Epicurean.Com

Don't Miss Lucille Ball's Persimmon Cake At Epicurean

Persimmon Cookbook

Mighty Foods

The Recipe Link

Check Out What's New On My Netvibes!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:38:00 +0000

Platter Chatter With Patricia (309)

Just click on the above link and sign into Netvibes to check out all my yummy culinary goodies for you today.

A Thanksgiving Celebration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:32:00 +0000

With Thanksgiving not too far off I am offering a free download to a wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration Cookbook. I have uploaded the file to "YouSendIt" and the file is only good for 7 days (from September 18th through September 25th) or 100 downloads, so you may like to add it to your Computer Cookbook Library. There are some fantastic Thankgsiving recipes, especially if you are looking for something new to try for the Holidays. The cookbook contains around 115 pages and there are even some excellent leftover recipes for turkey as well. Here is just a small sampling of some of the recipes you will find in this lovely cookbook.

Tangerine-Glazed Turkey

Maple Roast Turkey and Gravy

Cranberry-Tangerine Stuffing

Minnesota Wild Life Dressing

Candied Yams With Bourbon

Corn Pudding

Lemon Garlic Steamed Broccoli

Roasted Parsnip and Thyme

Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie

Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad

Zucchini Slaw

Indian Pudding With Nutmeg Ice Cream

Cookies N' Cream Peach Cobbler

White Chocolate Almond Torte

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Ambrosia Salad

Scalloped Corn and Tomatoes

Turkey Croquettes

Here is the link for the cookbook

Thanksgiving

A Celebration Of Food

I have quite an extensive collection of Cookbooks in (.pdf) files which I will be making available regularly on this blog, so stop by frequently to see what is available for download. All that is necessary is to download and save the file to your own hard drive. You will need Adobe Reader to open the file and you can download Adobe at the following link for free.

Adobe Reader

If you have any questions about the above or need assistance you can contact me at the following email address:

Patricia

For The Love Of Sushi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:17:00 +0000

Photo By Don Kurfurst

Sushi Platter At Takara

Islandia, Long Island

New York

Photo By Don Kurfurst

Takara Sushi Bar Restaurant

Islandia, Long Island

New York

California Roll

It was in February of 1989 when I had my first scrumptious taste of sushi. I remember exactly where I was when I decided to try my first piece. It was at my nephew Michael's Christening party.....first bite and I was instantly hooked forever. I recall the party as being a pot luck and one of my brother's friends brought two huge platters of sushi....enough to feed an army I thought. I was amazed how absolutely lovely everything looked on the platter and so beautifully presented with the colorful and neatly organized layout on the trays and all the marvelous sushi combinations that made it all look so appetizing. I immediately sensed an urgency to have a go with the sushi, wasabi and all. It was then that I realized that sushi was definitely"my thing", and I try to have it as often as I can, but still not often enough. Another wonderful recollection was the night another brother took my husband and I out to a Japanese Restaurant on Long Island when we were visiting the family in New York in May 2001. Well I never saw so much sushi in my life, and to be honest I ate so much of it that night that I almost had to roll out of the restaurant. It was the best sushi I had ever had. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant so I could give them credit. Everything was so wonderfully fresh and it was a very special treat being able to watch the chefs make it right in front of us. I will have to speak to my brother and get the name of this place because I would recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys sushi and lives on Long Island. The interesting thing is though that I have never made it myself. I am dying to do so but I just do not have the supplies needed such as the sushi rolling mat. I am definitely putting it on my Christmas wish list for this year though. I think one of the best things about sushi however is that it is so easy to prepare, and providing that you have all the proper ingredients at hand you can actually put something together in less than 2 minutes. My favorite of all the sushi is the California Roll. Not only is it one of the most colorful, but I happen to adore avocado which is one of the ingredients that can be used in making it.

ADDENDUM TO THE ABOVE: September 15, 2007

It has been a few days since I posted about "For The Love Of Sushi", and since, I have been in contact with my brother in New York and he was kind enough to send me the link to the fantastic Sushi Bar Restaurant I spoke of above of which I could not remember the name the other day off hand. I just felt that I wanted to post the link so much for sushi lovers in New York that may not have been to TAKARA before. It is the finest Japanese Sushi Bar Restaurant I have ever been to, and well worthy of receiving the credit here for their superb Japanese Cuisine. I have quite a number of readers from Long Island, so whether you are a local resident on Long Island or planning on a visit to Long Island, TAKARA is not to be missed. I have uploaded a couple of additional photos since I lasted posted as well from TAKARA. You are surely in for a wonderful treat at TAKARA'S....the cuisine far surpasses that of most of the restaurants I have ever been to in the past, and the ambience at TAKARA'S as well as the culinary skills of the brilliant masterchefs is worth every moment of your dining pleasure. At TAKARA'S Japanese cooking is an art worth feasting your eyes on.

Here is their address

TAKARA

1708 Veterans Memorial Highway in Islandia

(In the Islandia Shopping Plaza)

Take the Long Island Expressway west to exit 57 (Route 454, Veterans Memorial Highway). At the light make a left, heading south on Veterans Memorial Highway. Stay in the right lane and continue south for about a quarter mile. You will see the Islandia Shopping Center to your right. Make a right into the shopping center. Takara is on the far right section of the shopping center next to Starbucks.

Here is a good recipe for the California Roll.....very simple and straightforward. I will also include here for you my favorite web sites for sushi and also a link to a video for making a quick and easy preparation of the California Roll.

How To Make A California Roll Uramaki

The most popular sushi dish and a favourite with the Japanese. California Rolls are the perfect introduction to the healthy fast food that's here to stay.

Uramaki is a sushi roll made with the rice on the outside and the seaweed on the inside. Uramaki can be made with a number of different fillings. This recipe uses a crab, avocado and mayonnaise filling. This is known as a California roll Uramaki.

You Will Need:

Crab meat

2 Avocado strips

Japanese mayonnaise

1 nori/ seaweed sheets

1 knife

1 bowl of water

Lay It Out

Place the rolling mat on a flat surface, we have covered it in cling film so it can be cleaned easily.
Lay the nori, that's the seaweed, on top, closest to edge that is nearest to you.
Moisten your hands in the bowl of water. Then spread a thin layer of the specially prepared sushi rice on top of the nori. Make sure the rice evenly covers the nori and press it down firmly, ensuring the rice has stuck, without mashing the kernels.

Arrange The Fillings

Flip the nori over so that it is laying rice side down.
Lay the avocado strips horizontally across the centre of the nori. Squeeze a line of mayonnaise next to this. If your mayonnaise is not in a squeezy container you can use a knife to spread a thin line instead.
Arrange the crab on top of the mayonnaise. Make sure the fillings lie evenly as this will make for a better roll.

Roll
Carefully lift up the side of the mat nearest to you and fold it over to make a cylindrical shape. Tuck in the edge of the nori with your fingers to make a complete roll
Continue pressing the roll gently, using your fingers to compress and shape the Uramaki. Make sure not to press it too hard but do ensure it is of a good even size.

Roe

To complete the roll place the Uramaki in a container of roe and keep turning it until it is covered. If you don't have such a large amount of roe, you could use your hands to press the roe into the roll.

Slice It Up

Cut the roll in two. Lay the two sides parallel to each other and slice them into 6 pieces.
TOP TIP Dipping the end of your knife in the water bowl will make it easier to slice cleanly through the roll.

Presentation

Turn each slice on its side allowing you to see the colours and pattern of the fillings, and display on a serving plate.

Video: Making a California Roll

Takara

Sayonara!

Chef Daniel Scherotta: Graduation Speech And Recipe For Gnocchi Ferrarese with Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:17:00 +0000

Chef Daniel Scherotta

As some of my readers know I also have an Inspiration Blog called Treasures In The Attic where I post items of inspirational and motivational interest to brighten and cheer one's day. Well yesterday I came across a wonderfully inspiring Graduation Speech given by Chef Daniel Scherotta to a graduating class of culinary students, and it inspired me so much that I decided to post it here at Chatter Platter With Patricia since it is related to the world of culinary arts. Hopefully you will find it as inspiring as it was for me.

Chef Daniel Scherotta is the Chef-Owner of Palio d' Asti which is a top rated Italian Restaurant in San Francisco. He is also the Vice President of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, and California Culinary Academy Alumnus.

He was the guest speaker at the August 18 commencement ceremony in the Careme Room. I am also including one of his famous recipes for Gnocchi Ferrarese with Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts. Here is what he said to the graduates.

I'd like to congratulate you all on making it this far. Now, for the sake of your career, forget that you have this degree. Forget that you endured a year and a half of knife skills, garde manger, culinary history, safety and sanitation, table service and wine service, French, Italian, and Chinese cooking, mother sauces, and classical garnishes. Instead, pretend that you've just woken up from a long, Burgundy-induced slumber to realize that you want to be a chef and you have no idea how. Now, your real education is about to begin. I can't give you the key to becoming rich and famous, but I can tell you some habits of successful real chefs and also why people fail.
At my graduation from the CCA, Jan Birnbaum gave the address. Jan compared cooks to pans; there's the cheap aluminum pan that gets hot real fast, speeds you up on the line, is easy to clean and cheap to replace when it warps. Then there's the cast iron skillet; it's heavy and it takes time to heat up, takes time to season, and takes time to maintain, but once it's there, it stays hot, cooks evenly, doesn't stick, and lasts for a long time. Most cooks and chefs are aluminum pans. These are people who are the flavor of the month, the hot new thing, the rising star. So many of these one-hit wonders have disappeared since I became a chef a decade ago. You're here to build a career. Careers take time and effort, blood, sweat, and tears, but they last. In these days of fly-by-night celebrity chefs and Food Network stars, resist the impulse to become famous fast; the greats -- Keller, Vongerichten, Danko, Puck, Batali, Soltner -- all took their time. Be the cast iron skillet and do it right.
In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray kept on living the same day over and over again, gradually improving, finding his way around, preventing accidents from happening, learning from his mistakes, and earning love he passionately sought, until he finally got it right. That is life in the kitchen. When you start working somewhere, choose well and stay with it. Keep pushing yourself. Choose a place that will kick your butt every day and twice on Sundays. Work where you will learn, where even the prep guy from south of the border can teach you something. Stay there for at least a year, no matter how hard it is, no matter how much you get yelled at, no matter what kind of anxiety dreams you have, no matter how much your feet hurt. Work hard enough to get promoted, ideally to every station in the kitchen. Show your passion.
Most importantly, do not leave before one year, EVEN if you get a better offer, because if you do, down the road, the people you want will NEVER hire you. We want to see dedication and short stints say Flake with a capital F. When you've learned a chef's style and worked his menu for four seasons, ask for advice. Go someplace new and learn what they have to offer. Learn how to cook volume and how to cook fine dining. Listen. Show loyalty and respect to those above and below you, as you will want it in return.
General Rommel, the brilliant German tank commander in World War II, had a habit of burying ammunition in the desert on his advance so that he'd be able to move faster and have supplies on hand if and when he had to retreat. Ours is a very tight industry, so when you move on, leave goodwill behind you. I've seen too many cocky cooks and chefs make themselves unemployable by not playing nice in the sandbox with others, either above or below them, and burning bridges behind them.
When you finally get promoted to sous chef, and you finally get the opportunity to be creative, remember one thing: you aren't the boss, you're the middleman. You are there to help everyone succeed above and below you. Once you start telling people what to do, you're on your way out the door, despite what you may have seen on TV.
Cooking is a trade; therefore, knowledge and experience are bankable assets. Generally speaking, for cooks on their way up the ladder, the better the restaurant, the less they pay. However, the better the restaurant, the more you learn and the faster you get to the place where you can start to pay back your student loans. Think about it: who will become a sous chef first, the woman who stages for two years in a Michelin-starred restaurant for room and board, or the guy who takes the fry job at Chile's for $15 an hour? Now is the time to force chefs to teach you their secrets. Commencement means start, not finish, and that's just what you're all about to do.
You're probably all here because you are passionate and you want to create. How you handle that first opportunity matters. Limits are what force you to be creative. Necessity is the mother of invention and we all work within the limits of the seasons and the concepts and budgets of our restaurants. Remember, cooking wasn't invented by chefs but rather by poor women trying to feed their families with nothing -- keep that in mind every time you're writing your menu and you're lamenting that you have nothing interesting to use because it's January and there's not much on the market or you're over budget. Never use the words "my food" as though you don't fall into that long and noble tradition of turning lemons into lemonade; it implies arrogance and ignorance at the same time. Do not believe the press, unless it's bad, and then learn from it. To paraphrase Woody Allen, there's nothing worse for a young chef or new restaurant than a good review. In my opinion, it's better to have loyal customers and employees than three stars and closed doors. I've had both, I know.
Finally, when you're ready and you finally become a chef, realize that you are not a god. You are the center of a wheel that supports your investors, your employees, your guests, and you answer to all of them. Your job is keep them all together. Nothing you did as a cook prepares you for the balancing act of keeping everyone happy. You will need to earn their respect to get the help and cooperation of everyone around you. You will need to build both a team of workers and a congregation of regulars. You will need to listen to unhappy customers, unflattering critics, unruly cooks, disrespectful waiters, and demanding investors. In your spare time, you may even get to do a little cooking.
So take it slow enough to learn things right, show up on time, stay long enough to learn the fundamentals, focus on doing the best job you can, build your repertoire, develop your network, and always, always leave some ammo behind in the desert, if not in the dessert.

Gnocchi Ferrarese with Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts

"The Northern Italian autumn harvest tastes of pumpkin, nutmeg, butter, potatoes, nuts, sage and cabbages. The food is warm, soft and rich; comforting and exuberant at the same time. In this dish, we showcase these flavors in a fun, attractive combination. While a few steps are required in advance, the final assembly of the dish takes almost no time or effort at all. this vegetarian plate pares quite well the meatiest of red wines. I'd recommend a Zinfandel, Syrah or Barbaresco."

Serves 6

Gnocchi Squash

2 lb. russet potatoes

3 ea. two-lb. acorn squash

1 large egg

½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ - 2 cups flour

Kosher salt

Nutmeg

½ cup parmesan cheese

Butter

Brussels sprouts To Finish

2 lb Brussels sprouts

¼ cup unsalted butter

½ cup parmesan cheese

Kosher salt

½ cup toasted hazelnuts

To Prepare Gnocchi:

Quarter potatoes and put in cold salted water, bring to a simmer, never allowing a rolling boil (it breaks the potatoes). When potatoes are cooked (knife goes through like butter), drain and put through a food mill or potato ricer. Let cool 15-30 minutes. Spread out mass on a wooden surface lightly dusted with flour. Build a volcano. Dust volcano with a snowfall of ¾ of the flour and all the cheese. Beat the egg and drop into the middle of the volcano. With a fork, gradually work more and more of the volcano and the snow into the egg until you have a dough you can work with your hands. When all is one, roll out into long tubes ¾-inch thick. If the dough sticks, flour the surface and hands. Cut gnocchi about 1 to 1½-inches long. If you like, then roll each gnocchi over the tines of a fork for the traditional sauce-grabbing ridges. Put onto floured cookie sheet without stacking and freeze. If this is too much trouble, buy the gnocchi; the rest is easy.

To Prepare Squash:

Heat oven to 350°. While the potatoes are coming to a boil (above), cut the squash in half from tip to stem and scoop out all of the seeds. Lay the squash halves face up in a deep baking dish with half-inch of water on the bottom. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and a pinch of nutmeg. Rub rim with butter and drop a pat of butter in each squash. Cover dish with foil and put into the oven, bake until the squash is soft (40-60 minutes; test with a knife). These will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

To Prepare Brussels Sprouts:

Trim stem and outer leaves, cut in half. Put into a wide pot with butter, salt to taste and almost enough water to cover and bring to a boil, occasionally stirring gently. the ideas is that when they're totally cooked (never al dente), the water will have evaporated and the sprouts will be glazed with Brussels Butter. Let cool, spread out on a cookie sheet.

To Finish:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If squash are no longer hot, put them back into a 500° oven. Drop gnocchi into water. Brown butter in a sauté pan, add Brussels sprouts and some pasta water. When gnocchi float to the surface, gently add them into the pan with the heated sprouts and sauce. Put a piece of squash into a bowl. Toss gnocchi with sprouts and sauce (add water if you need more sauce) and fill each squash with the dumplings and top with parmesan cheese and toasted hazelnuts.

Chef Daniel Scherotta Details

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:56:00 +0000

Photo and Recipe By: Ann and Ming

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours making a Greek Bean Soup called Fasolada. We are having it for dinner with sub sandwiches which I am making with some left over pork roast. I honestly wish I had seen this recipe for Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes sooner as I would have certainly loved to have made them as a little something special on the side with our dinner for tonight. They would make a lovely and colorful presentation and appetizer on any table and they appear so simple to make. I will have to try these soon for sure. Thanks to Ann and Ming for the photo and this lovely recipe.

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes,

Black olives,

Garlic,

Olive oil,

Basil,

Shredded cheddar & Monterey jack cheese

Directions :

1) Hollow out the tomatoes & fill them w/cheeses (cheddar & monterey jack)

2) Place the tomatoes under the broiler for about 5 mins /until the cheese starts to melt

3) Ligthly brown some garlic in olive oil

4) Drizzle the tomatoes w/ some garlic & olive oil

5) Garnish w/ basil & black olives

Cherry Tomatoes: Wikipedia

A cherry tomato is a smaller garden variety of tomato. It is marketed at a premium to ordinary tomatoes, and is popular as a snack and in salads. Cherry tomatoes are generally considered to be similar but not identical to the wild precursor of the domestic tomato. They are often sweeter than standard tomatoes. They are often referred to as tommy-toes.
Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up to the size of a golf ball, and can range from being spherical to slightly oblong in shape. The more oblong ones often share characteristics with plum tomatoes, and are known as grape tomatoes.
The cherry tomato has 24 chromosomes, and its scientific name is Solanum lycopersicum cerasiforme.
There are a number of cherry tomato varieties. The Santorini cherry tomato is cultivated in Santorini (Greece), and is known for its flavour and body. International conferences dedicated to the cultivation, horticulture and agriculture of the cherry tomato are also held at Santorini. Another popular variety often grown in American gardens is Sweet 100, named for its flavor and prolific production.

How To Grow Cherry Tomatoes