ChefBliss.com

Pumpkin Swedish Pancakes...or Pumpkin Crepes

noreply@blogger.com (Tiersa) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:47:00 +0000

This morning I made Pancake Swedish Pancakes. Or Pumpkin Crepes. For a first attempt they were quite good. And yes, they were orange, although with not quite the yellow cast that shows in this picture.

Pumpkin Swedish Pancakes/Crepes

1 cup oat milk
¼ cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
½ cup oat flour

Mix pumpkin with the oat milk, then add in the eggs, beaten. Add the liquid mixture slowly to the flour, while stirring. Cook on griddle until done.

Next time I will add a bit more pumpkin, and maybe some more milk to thin them out a bit more. I was aiming for swedish pancake style and they were a little thicker than that, but not nearly as thick as a pancake. Still Delicious!!

With our food restrictions this works really well, eliminating the cows milk and wheat flour. Trust me, you won't even notice the difference. You can substitute type of milk or flour for these and get great results.

Enjoy!

Review: Pudding on the Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Tiersa) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:44:00 +0000

Pardon the fuzzy picture, but it was the best I could do on a dark evening walking down the sidewalk to my car. However, that should not detract from the fact that this was probably one of the most delicious, rich and creamy desserts I have had in a long time.

I LOVE rice pudding, and this was excellent. I had Pumpkin rice pudding on the bottom of the cup, and then S'mores on top of that. I will say that I don't love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, but they were both excellent on their own. K had coconut and some other flavor that escapes me right now. He said they were both great. We also split a savory crepe, ham and swiss with mustard and fresh baby spinach (a great dinner snack!) before we dove into dessert!

Rice pudding in all flavors is just fun. It's not a common dessert, it's all hand made fresh every day by Aaron and Jessica, the local owners. Jessica developed the recipe for the rice pudding from her Swedish grandmother's recipe. Hhhmmmm, maybe I should introduce her to my Swedish great grandmothers secret-recipe cookies! That would be a heavenly combination, and just as unique!

Enjoy!

every kitchen needs one...

noreply@blogger.com (Tiersa) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Among the many projects we have going, one of them is the redecorating/mini-remodeling of our house. I have spent the past few years living in a safe black and brown world. And I love color so I am not sure why I have distanced myself from it. One of the challenges right now is deciding what color to paint the kitchen.

Not too safe, not too kooky!! I keep going back and forth on color choices. But I like fun, daring, and unusual combined with clean, classic, straight lines. Then I found this clock, and so many other color choices by this fun artist here in Portland, made from recycled records ~ Eye Pop Art. Hhmmm.....maybe she would like some of the hundreds of records we have stashed in our closet! But one of these clocks will be in my finished kitchen. I just have to decide which color I want!

Enjoy!

the perfect quinoa...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

I have talked about Quinoa before, as a side dish. We eat it often. It's healthy, quick and simple to make, and if done right, it tastes good. I start out with a cup of Quinoa, washed in a strainer. Add that to the pot, then add 2 cups of liquid. I usually use chicken broth, or half broth/half water. Season well with salt, pepper, ground dried garlic, thyme, or try your own spice combination. It needs salt, but not a lot, just enough to give it some flavor. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer with the lid on, for about 15 minutes. Once it looks done, turn the stove off and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Quinoa is a very bland grain. I have done some experimenting with it and it works best if you cook it simply with broth and/or water. Once it is cooked you can add more ingredients to flavor it. I usually make enough for two meals, and we even add it to our tacos and enchiladas. My favorite way to eat it is as a side dish with seafood, sprinkled with a good balsamic vinegar. Absolutely delicious! How do you like your Quinoa?

Enjoy!

heavenly hash browns...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

I love good hash browns, but I am often disappointed at restaurants because they are usually greasy or undercooked. I know this may sound crazy but I never made hash browns at home because the one time I tried was a disaster, and when I did a little research people had some crazy ideas on how to make them. So I just didn't.

Last week I decided enough was enough, and I was really in the mood for hash browns. I had 3 small Yukon golds, which I washed, ran through the shredder on my food processor, and plopped into the frying pan with some olive oil and a small dash of butter to help them brown. On went the lid, the burner on medium low, and away they cooked. As they started to brown I flipped them over, and by the time the rest of breakfast was ready they were done. Seriously the easiest and best tasting hash browns. Ever!

If you have never made them but want to just give it a go. I seasoned mine with salt, pepper, a dash of paprika, and some thyme. The options are endless! And for those of you who enjoy over easy (or over medium) eggs but don't like the hassle of flipping them, try this: pour your eggs into the frying pan, season (salt, pepper, thyme, etc, lightly), cover the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. This works best if you pre-heat the pan and then turn it down to a medium low, and it works for me every time. I love cooked whites with a runny yolk, but not too runny, and this does the trick, as you can see in the picture above! If you are not using a non-stick pan make sure to use some butter, olive oil, or Pam.

Enjoy!

flying pie review...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

On a recent weekend jaunt we came across the Flying Pie Pizzaria. Hungry, tired, and thirsty, we decided to check it out. We were told that the sausage was made especially for them, and it was good and spicy. We decided on a selection of meats (sausage, salami, pepperoni on half. I am not a pepperoni fan.), black olives, mushrooms, onions (on half), and some good cheese.

The sausage was indeed spicy. It had a nice kick to it, and good flavor. I wasn't sure how I would like the big chunks, but I was impressed. We are somewhat of a pizza-snob family since we make our own, and have a favorite pizzeria that we go to when we want to splurge, but this turned out to be a good pie. The crust is usually the make-or-break for me, and this one was okay. Definitely better than others that serve bread disguised as crust.

There are about six beers on tap, all local Oregon beers. They also serve pop and water. The place has that old 70's pizza joint feel to it: lots of posters on the wall, everything from Oregon beer to the Trailblazers, and stuff in between, plus a selection of old and new neon signs. On the Sunday night we were there we saw a steady stream of people, and they were working on a big catering order as well.

Fresh out of the oven breadsticks are yours for the asking. 50 cents each or you get one free with a salad bar purchase.

Enjoy!

a toast...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Today for the anniversary of 9/11 I am honoring the many heroes with a toast!

In July Mexican-American Border Cooking treated us to a bevy of Pina Colada drinks and treats. I thought it was only fitting that I make one too. So I did, for several days I drank Pina Coladas, and I fully enjoyed every one. Then I ran out of pineapple, both fresh (which I started with) and canned (which I finished with).

So a little time has passed, and I'm still thinking how much I love pina coladas, and wouldn't they be great with mango. And low and behold I remember the bag of frozen mango in the freezer. Hello gorgeous! For two evenings I fully enjoy the smooth, cool, sweet flavors of my Mango Bliss. And all I can say is... more please!

Mango Bliss

In a blender:
1/2 cup mango juice
1/4 cup coconut milk (use more if you like)
1 cup frozen mango pieces
3 cups ice

Blend and serve!

A perfect way to end the summer!

Enjoy!

dine at a discount...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:13:00 +0000

This is a wonderful restaurant offering! And for 4 days Restaurant.com is offering 90% off on gift certificates. Why is this important to know? Because you can get a $25 certificate for $1. And that is great news. K and I had dinner at Cafe Allegro last week with one of our $25 certificates. Our total bill was $36, so after using our certificate (which I got at an 80% discount/sale for $2) we ended up with a great dinner for $11 plus the original $2. You can't beat that! This offer is good for 4 days, so don't miss out. It's the best deal I've seen!

By the way, my pasta and scallops was delicious, but is there really anything better than chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache, chocolate buttercream, and chocolate sauce? I think not!!

Save 90% off w/every $25 Gift Cert. order. Use code NINETY and Pay$1 thru 9/13/09 3:01 AM PST at Restaurant.com.

Please excuse the cell phone pictures, we forgot the camera at home!

Enjoy!

do you like biscuits and gravy?

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Mouth watering. Moist. Tasty. Butter. Flavor. Fabulous. I could end it here and this post would be complete. But I don't want to deprive you of this delicious meal we had.

Bless my Tivo's little heart for recording Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives, a show I have never seen, other than the commercials. But apparently Tivo knows I love food and it dutifully recorded Guy and his roamings. As I turned on the TV Guy was saying "...and here in Portland...". My ears perked up, my taste buds stood at attention. I was eagerly awaiting the goodness of new food.

The first offering was ribs and pulled pork. Yes, that will be another adventure, and another post. Then he paid a visit to Pine State Biscuits. A quick PSB background: 3 guys from the Pine State meet up again in Portland, and decide to bring the best biscuits and gravy to Oregon. With initial offerings at the Portland Saturday Market proving to be a huge success (including being named one of Esquire magazines top sandwiches), they opened their little brick and mortar establishment in 2008. My research warned me that there would be a 30 to 45 minute wait and that's exactly what we found. On a glorious wet and rainy Oregon weekend morning (okay, it was LATE morning!) we dutifully stood in the rain to have biscuits and gravy.

A quick background on me: Important note #1: I have never had biscuits and gravy. Actually I have had ONE bite of a very poor offering of B&G that my mother was eating at one of those small chain breakfast joints. It was not good, and it left me with little desire to have it again. Important note #2: My mothers favorite breakfast is biscuits and gravy. We are West coast born and bred, and I have no idea where this love of hers came from, unless Illinois counts! (She attended high school just outside of Chicago.) Important note #3: I love GOOD biscuits. So if people are willing to line up for biscuits and gravy, there must be something to it.

This quaint and tiny little spot has tables for about 12, bar stools for 6, and a lot of to go orders. It's first come first serve, and you bus your own tables. The menu is up on the chalkboard, and there are just enough choices to make the decision difficult. We decided to start with the Moneyball Double Down (center, biscuits and gravy with 2 over-easy eggs), and the Reggie Deluxe (top picture, a biscuit with bacon, egg over-medium, fried chicken, cheese, and gravy). We opted for a side of grits and a glass of organic fresh squeezed OJ.

The OJ was good. I love fresh squeezed and I love pulp, which was the only thing there was not enough of. The grits were good, but I don't know that I am necessarily a grits fan. K thought they were better with super-hot hot-sauce on them.

I will just say for the record: I want more. I have never been a fried chicken person, but apparently on a biscuit, with gravy, bacon, and eggs, I want more. Every bite was delicious, mouth watering, warm, delicious, super moist and super good. The biscuits were really good and next time I will have a plain biscuit with butter and jam, so I can fully take in the buttery flaky goodness. The eggs were on the verge of being over cooked so next time I will make sure to ask for over easy (this time I asked for over medium), but the whole combination works, and works well. I also read recommendations for the McIsley with fried chicken, pickles, mustard, and honey. That's next on my list.

This is definitely someplace we will go back to. I enjoyed every guilt free bite, and every moment standing in line was worth it...actually the half hour flew by rather quickly. We are planning on taking my mom there when she visits at Christmas time. Doesn't that sound terrific? I can't wait!

Enjoy!

planning a great meal...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

A little bit of melted chocolate and some peanuts and you have yourself a great sweet treat. Unless, of course, it's 100 degrees outside, and then you have peanuts with continuously melted chocolate on them. A little messy, a lot of good taste! Just bring me a spoon!

My friend Sandy and I went to see Julie & Julia yesterday. I really enjoyed it. And I mean really. I have not been a huge follower of Julie Child, although I think everyone agrees on her influence and talent, and she has always intrigued me. And I had never read Julie Powell's blog either. So it was a few hours of just sinking into a chair, munching on my movie popcorn, and getting lost in the moment. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. It also got me going back to the beginning of my own blog and revisiting my hopes and dreams as I entered blog-land, and it reaffirmed my love of Meryl Streep!

I have been doing a lot of blog-soul searching lately as the summer draws to an end, and so I decided to kick off my end of summer cooking with Boeuf Bourguignon, from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Sandy is going to be cooking it with me (although in her own kitchen) and then we will compare notes. I can't wait to try it. And of course share it too!

Enjoy!

sweet basil thai...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Last year I bought The Entertainment Book. You know the one, full of coupons for your given area, often kids sell them as fundraisers for schools or organizations. I have never been good about using enough of the coupons to make it worth it but I always think I am going to. This year I have been quite persistent in righting some wrongs, and this coupon book is one of them. We are such creatures of habit in my house that I thought it was time we ventured out of our restaurant comfort zone and have some new (and hopefully VERY tasty) adventures. Not to say we never try anything new, just that we don't try it enough.

Our most recent venture was fantastic Thai food at Sweet Basil Thai, in downtown/NW Portland. I thought the best part was the buy one entree, get one entree free coupon, but one bite and I knew the best part was truly the food.

We had the Beef Mussamun, a beef curry with almost a peanut sauce flavor. Peanut and curry is a great combination, and the beef is slow cooked for four hours. The result is truly tender, beautifully flavored beef. It reminded me of a pot roast, served with potato and carrots in a beautiful Thai curry sauce. This was also served with a side of white and sweet jasmine rice, served in the shaped of a star and a moon.

The other dish was Pad Tom Yum, with ground chicken, egg, basil, green onions, and stir fried rice noodles. This dish was spicy and full of flavor, with a hint of lemongrass, and as we were enjoying the meal I decided that it's time I start cooking Thai.

The restaurant is on the smaller side, clean, contemporary, and the service was wonderful. We wanted to try something new and our server made several suggestions based on flavor and spice, and he did not steer us wrong. You can request levels of spiciness on some dishes, and they will also bring you a spice caddy. It contains dried red peppers, sambal, and a soy sauce/fish sauce combination with chili peppers and lime marinating in it. The latter is a tad salty but has great flavor, and the sambal was wonderful on the Pad Tom Yum. This is one we will visit again.

In doing a little research I found that there are many ways to spell Mussamun. I found everything from Masaman to Mussaman, and on these menus it was Mussamun. Mussamun curry paste is sold in a can, apparently this is one to buy rather than make from scratch. Hopefully my next trip to H-Mart will prove fruitful.

Enjoy!

green leafy stuff...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:48:00 +0000

My computer is still under repair so I am borrowing today to share some garden shots. These were taken in May and June. Once I am back to computer normalcy I will have some harvest to share! It's going to be a tasty summer and fall!

Seedlings: I planted Tuscan (Cantaloupe) Melon, Acorn squash, and a few others from seeds. The melon and acorn squash seeds were from our food last year. I have seeds from eight different foods that I dried, and the ones I have planted this year are doing well. We will have three acorn squash ready to eat next week, and they look gorgeous! I had two trays from flowers that I used, as well as some cardboard egg crates. They all worked well.

Grape Plant: I decided on the spur of the moment to pick up a grape plant. K wants a trellis or arbor for it to grow on but we haven't gotten around to that yet. I plopped a large tomato cage upside down and tied the top ends together to give it something to grow on for now. I can't wait to show you how it's doing today!

Larger Raised Bed: Several varieties of tomato running down the center, with carrots on one side (a great idea, but a bit late in the season, and I will explain why on a later post), and some cucumber and melons on the other. We planted bell peppers on this end, and a variety of chili peppers on the other end. (As you can see our weeds are thriving as well. We had so much rain after we tilled that it took us a while to get the beds together. So now we are working on phase 2, for permanent (or semi-) all natural weed removal.)

4 Foot Square Bed #1: All artichokes, all the time! We have five artichoke plants. I bought the first (and smaller center) one because it was all I could find for weeks. Then finally I found a plethora, so we added four more. This is a permanent home for the artichokes. If all goes well, we will be enjoying these for years!

4 Foot Square Bed #2: On the left corner is a tomatillo plant, far back is the acorn squash and a broccoli (that I have low expectations of), in the front corner is crookneck squash, and on the right is potatoes. The cheerios box in the background contains my sprouted New (red) Potatoes.

I happened upon the Food Network one day and Jamie Oliver was pulling potatoes out of the ground. He said if you have sprouted potatoes just toss them in the ground, so I did. K laughed and said they would never grow, but the other night I sliced some cute little reds and plopped them on the grill. They were delicious!

It's rather late into summer but we have the goods for one more bed, and I have a bunch of potatoes left so I may toss them in the ground just to see what happens! I can't wait to show you the progress and share the harvest with you!

Enjoy!

do you pesto?

noreply@blogger.com (Tiersa) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Last week I made a pesto with baby spinach, cilantro, pine nuts, some grated Manchego, a dash of S & P, lots of garlic, and olive oil. It was quite delicious!

It was also only the second time I have made pesto, and it needs a little refining! So since I am having massive computer problems (my computer is threatening to croak and is only working sporadically, making it very difficult to not only back up important files, but to blog and blog-cruise!) I thought it would be a good time to get this quick post up and to ask you "How do you Pesto?"

Our farmers market has a chef who makes and sells pesto in some wonderful flavor combinations and, while I aspire to match his flavors, I continue to enjoy his wares! I'd love to try some of your personal favorites so comment away...... I look forward to your delicious words as soon as I have achieved computer repair!

Enjoy!

cake week: 4 layers of goodness...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:05:00 +0000

The challenge: Red. The solution: lots and lots of red (no taste) gel coloring.

Fondant stars (the birthday girls favorite) in red, black, and white (with crushed candy canes), and red-colored white-chocolate cream-cheese butter cream frosting. Working fast because of the heat, and thanking my lucky stars for the fridge in the garage, it was a lot of fun to make this tower of 4 delicious layers!

Alternating layers of black & white and black & red cakes, I used 4 dowels to brace the cake. I also had some fresh strawberries, and since the girls like anything sweet and like-store-bought, I cooked the strawberries down with a dash of honey into a jelly that worked beautifully between the cake layers!

It was a huge success and seriously one of the best cakes ever, taste wise! I think that cooking with love has such a huge impact on the flavor, and this is a perfect example of that! It may look funky and fun, but the taste was pure heaven!

A quick note to clarify the cake release from my last post: In using the oil/flour mixture, you simply "grease" the pan as you normally would, no need for parchment paper. Just cool the cakes for about ten minutes, flip the pan over and they will pop right out. It's like greasing and flouring the pan, but all in one step. My second and third sets of cakes worked beautifully, popped right out with no tugging, and no need to run a knife around the edge.

Enjoy!

cake week: perfect layers, fabulous flavors

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:05:00 +0000

The birthday girls favorite colors are red and black. I decided to do swirled/marbled cakes this time, and the cake above is black and white swirl. I made the cakes with applesauce instead of oil, and the flavor was so moist and delicious. It was the best cake I have ever made or eaten.

I usually use parchment paper in the bottom of the pan to make for an easy release. I also grease and flour the pan. Despite all this it seems to add up to a lot of work for okay results. Then I came across a little secret which I love and will always use for ever and ever! Some of you may already know about this, but I was in heaven when I tried it. I've seen the exact same recipe in several places but because I don't use vegetable oil I used my own mixture and this was the result:

No parchment paper was needed and the cake popped right out of the pan! Beautiful! My version was 1 part olive oil, 1 part coconut oil (melted), and 1 part flour. Mix it all together, grease the pans with it like you normally would and voila, good to go! No need for parchment paper, and just cool the cakes for about ten minutes, flip the pan over and they will pop right out. Not only was is so simple, but they looked beautiful from top to bottom!

My biggest frustration with cakes is leveling them. Try as I might, nothing seems to work. I tapped bubbles out, I tried creating a well in the center, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend money on tools and gadgets. They make metal cones that you can put in the center to help keep a dome from forming. There are also straps that you cool, wrap around the pan, and this helps keep the outer edge cool longer, which helps keep the dome from taking shape as well. I was looking for a cheaper option!

As I pulled the first cake out of the oven and stood there looking at the mounded top, I thought that maybe I could just push it down. So I put a clean towel over it (it was still hot hot hot!) and gently pressed. It stayed down, so I tried the second one. Even after they cooled they did not pop back up. I was so excited that I didn't have to try to slice the top off until it was level (which never works for me, but does give me lots of crummy scraps to enjoy!) and my only concern was that it may have an effect on the taste or density of the cake. In the end the cake was perfect and I had wonderfully level layers to work with!

This was the first layer and I flattened it a bit too much, but the remaining layers were perfect! Trust me, it is simple and works like a charm! And making them a little more indented makes it easier to add filling between the layers, too!

Enjoy!

cake week: homemade fondant

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:26:00 +0000

It's cake week again! Another birthday was celebrated in our house, and another funny fantastic cake was had! I've got some great tips and some funky, yet droolworthy, cake coming up! Today we start with the fondant.

The last time I made cakes I bought pre-made fondant to decorate it. I wanted to try making my own and after a bit of research decided on marshmallow fondant. It was super simple, and following a few basic fondant rules, made for great decorations.

The recipes I found called for 1 pound of mini marshmallows, and since I already had a bag of full size ones, I cut them into 3 pieces each. I melted the marshmallow in the microwave with 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, in 30 second spurts on half power. In the mixing bowl I put a 2 pound bag of powdered sugar, mixed on low for a minute or two just to get the lumps out, then added the melted mallow mixture. Mixing on low (with the dough hook) until it was incorporated, I then turned the mixer to medium and ran it for about 3 to 4 minutes. I did have to stop and scrape the sides down once or twice, and I also added a splash of milk to help it absorb the last of the powdered sugar.

Mixing until it was all incorporated and no longer sticky, I plopped it onto the counter (dusted with equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar) to knead it into a loaf. Tightly wrapped in plastic, I let it cool for an hour or two before using it. The secret to keeping your fondant pliable is to keep it well wrapped in plastic wrap, and then in a ziplock bag. Store it in the fridge for long term use. When I am working with a chunk I keep most of it under a moist towel and just pull off bits as I need them.

This was very simple to make, and I estimate I made this for about $3.50. To buy the same size at the store would have been about $17, so it was worth a bit of my time. It made much more than I needed, but I have another cake to make in a few weeks, so it will be a good test to see how it stores in the fridge.

Enjoy!

garden at last...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:05:00 +0000

You may laugh at my yard. This is what it looked like in April. Overrun with weeds and blackberry bushes, and basically the final resting place for anything they didn't know what to do with. I say "they" because it was before my time. Unfortunately I was the lucky one who got to clear it. Underneath those buckets (the white and orange ones) and brush is a truck top, I kid you not. So we set aside a weekend, and spent about eight hours on Saturday and another six or seven on Sunday to get it weeded and free of blackberry bushes.

This is the end of day 2. We still have a ways to go, but it is so much better. If you are wondering why the blackberries needed to be banished, there is good reason. Blackberry bushes tend to overrun everything in their path. They grow fast and furiously and they multiply in spades. In addition to that if you walk by one it will probably reach out and grab you. I know this from experience! There is a lot of effort here in Oregon to rid our neighborhoods of these plants, and unfortunately they grow EVERYWHERE!

It took us a few weeks to get the roto-tiller from K's dad, but he made quick work of it, and we were tilled! YAY!!

We spaced out the yard, and decided on our box sizes. We started with one 6-ft by 4-ft box and two 4-foot squares. One square (pictured above, upside down as we measure and space) is dedicated to artichokes. The second square is now growing tomatillos, potatoes, and squash, In the fall it will be planted with rhubarb as its permanent resident.

It was a long day, and the sun was hot. Fortunately we remembered the sun block, but the dog was just pooped from all the hard work! Stay tuned for the planting, and progress. I think it's going to be a good harvest this year!

Enjoy!

a lazy breakfast...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:58:00 +0000

For my birthday in 2008 we went to Cannon Beach for the weekend, and one of the restaurants that was recommended to us was The Lazy Susan Cafe. For breakfast you can't go wrong, as they have some great choices on the menu. This time we decided to go again because the gingerbread waffles we had the first time were so good we had to have them again. Unfortunately the gingerbread waffles were not on the menu this time (they are often the waffle of the day), but we still had a great meal.

I had Eggs Benedict, one of my favorite breakfast choices, and it was really good, served with fresh fruit, and country potatoes. The eggs were perfectly poached which, in my opinion, makes Eggs Benedict the truly luscious meal that it is!

K had the oatmeal waffles, served with organic (plain) yogurt and fresh fruit. This is one I am going to make at home, because they are just that good! After our last visit I experimented with gingerbread waffles, but I haven't quite perfected it yet. Overall we like this place. The service is friendly, the food is good, and although the restaurant is housed in this little tower of a place and filled with antiques, it's got it's own personality and is worth the short wait for a table.

If you ever find yourself at the Oregon Coast, make sure The Lazy Susan Cafe is on your list of places to eat.

Enjoy!

banana cake and rhubarb compote...pure deliciousness!

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:03:00 +0000

We had another graduation party two weekends ago. I tend to overbuy for parties, so we had a lot of good stuff left, including bananas that we bought for the chocolate fountain. I knew I had to start getting creative so my first dish was banana cake. I found a recipe and changed it up to fit our food requirements. It was delicious! Still gooey in the middle, and great flavor! Since I had some wonderful rhubarb compote I thought it would make a great dessert, and with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, I was very impressive to those who eat my cooking! The cake was super simple to whip up and stick in the oven, and we will definitely have this one again.

Banana Cake: (Adapted from Diana's Desserts)

2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated honey powder
1/2 cup barley malt
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (two to three; 12 oz. total)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh if you have it)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, sour cream or yogurt, bananas, and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture just until well blended. Scrape batter into a buttered and floured 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Bake in a 350°F regular or convection oven until top springs back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar before cutting into squares; serve warm or cool from pan.

Makes 8 servings.

Print Recipe

Because we are trying to avoid the use of cane sugar I have been trying different ingredient choices. A while ago I bought some barley malt that is designed to be used in baking, and can be a substitute for half the required sugar in a recipe. Since I had the cactus honey powder to use as a sweetener I used equal amounts of the two items for the sweetener. I didn't really notice a malt-y taste but I think that is because of the stronger taste of the bananas. This cake was really good, and to be honest, the more I cook without cane sugar, the more I want to cook without cane sugar, with the exception of frosting of course! There are so many options that are not fake or chemically derived, so it is fun to try new things. Next up is date sugar to test. And maybe cooking this cake in cupcake form. We'll see what comes out of the oven next!

Speaking of cupcakes, girlichef is having a fabulous giveaway for her 101st blog post! You really must go check it out. And enter if you must, but really just leave the winning to me, and I will regale you with tales of cupcake deliciousness!

And because I know how much you love desserts I have another treat for you next week!

Enjoy!

do you keep your knives sharp?

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:41:00 +0000

Cook's Illustrated tested chefs knives and their panel of testers agreed that the Victorinox 8-Inch Chef's Knife with Black Fibrox Handle was the hands down winner. Customer reviews seem to back this up, and since I have been shopping around for a new knife I think this and the Victorinox 7-Inch Santoku Knife are the ones I want to try.

So when was the last time you had your knives professionally sharpened? At our local farmers market there is a knife sharpener who attends, and he will sharpen your knives while you shop. Quite a good deal, and we have talked about it, but have yet to bring our knives. A decision I would change now if I could.

I have a serrated bread knife that I love because it works well for so many different things that my chefs knife is too small for. However, over the years it has become dull and a bit difficult to use. Since my carving knife is even more dull I tend to use the bread knife, as it seems to work better on larger cuts. Last Thursday as I was readying my next blog post (one that is still to come,) I realized how late it was getting and that I needed to get dinner ready. I was cutting a pork loin into thin chops to test a new recipe, and unfortunately I ended up spending four hours in the ER and coming home with eight stitches in my thumb.

I have a handy dandy knife sharpener, but I readily admit I do not use it enough, and at a certain point a knife needs to be professionally sharpened to do any good. So if you have been putting off sharpening or replacing your dull knives, now is a good time to add it to your to-do list!

Enjoy!

one tasty deep dish...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:13:00 +0000

We love pizza, and we eat it at least once a month, if not more. Sometimes I make my own crust, but lately I have been using the premade dough from Trader Joe's. They sell a regular, whole wheat, and garlic herb crust dough. It comes in a bag, refrigerated, and all you need to do it plop it on the floured counter (or board) for a half hour, roll it out, and voila, ready to decorate! We love the garlic herb because it has great flavor.

I tend to over-flow my pizza. I mean, what's another topping or twelve? So when I happened across a Food Network special on the secret life of pizza, including the deep dish Chicago style pizza pie, I knew I had found the solution to my overfilled pizza problem! The last time I had a deep dish pizza was 1981. I remember exactly where I was at the time too. I have no idea why it's been so long, but hey, it was definitely worth trying again.

I used a 9 inch round cake pan, gave it a quick spray of pam (don't ask, I apparently was having a menopausal moment!), plopped in the dough, pressed it out and up the sides as much as it would go. The "up the sides" part was a bit of a battle, and took a while to sort-of stick. Next time I will roll out the dough first, larger than the pan, and then place it in like a pie crust. I will also use a bit more flour next time and see if it makes it a bit easier. Another option is corn meal, but I didn't have any on hand. Even as it was, once it cooked, it worked its way up the sides and turned into a great pie.

Topped the crust with some garlic mushroom marinara sauce (it was a Trader Joe's kind of night), a thin layer of mozzarella, sausage, Canadian bacon, halved grape tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, black olives, some feta, and another layer (bit heavier) of mozzarella. I popped it into a preheated 400 degree oven, and cooked it for 40 minutes.

My only concern when it came out of the oven was that I may have overcooked it and burned the cheese, but I was able to easily pop it out of the pan, and slice it into wedges; and despite how it looks, it tasted wonderful! Next time I may cook the first 20 minutes with foil, so that the top is brown but not as crunchy. Never the less, it was so good, fabulous flavor, great cheese, and held together well in the deep dish form. We will be making this one again. Soon!

Enjoy!

glad to be back...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:05:00 +0000

If you are just here for the food feel free to move on to more delicious fare today. This post is a thank you, and a story, for those I have missed!

At the beginning of May I was going strong, starting my second month of NaBloPoMo, and then I hit a wall. I had a lot of food pictures and little time to process them. Add in some family issues and some health issues and I gave myself a vacation from blogging. Originally I had planned to take a few days off, maybe a week, and do a little blog restructuring. But when other issues fell in my lap the restructuring never happened and I got farther and farther away from my computer.

While I was gone I got my Green and San Antonio goodies from Gloria: the fantastic book Happy Ways to Heal the Earth, a cute San Antonio t-shirt that we are all trying to claim,, my San Antonio magnet, and a really cool big re-usable shopping bag, which has received numerous compliments as I carry it from store to store to farmers market! Thank you Gloria! I also have to say here that I was the next recipient of Chef Bear, but unfortunately the mail man must have given it to someone else. While I know this is beyond my control, I still feel badly that she did not make it to my kitchen. I was really looking forward to cooking with her! Gloria has been a great friend and I felt that I let her down, I even left a note for my mail man just in case it came back to him!

I also received my apron from Domestic Muse, which is cute, oh-so-fun, and will not only be enjoyed, but since it is in Christmas colors I will just be that much more festive at the holidays!

I have a few food reviews coming up, all sweet and delicious, and I will also have a great product review for you in the new few weeks, one I love so much I may just have to make into a giveaway. Oh yes, I said giveaway! Of course there will be food too, most of which tasted wonderful! I also got my vegetable garden planted (finally!) and I will share that with you too. So thanks for sticking with me, I am grateful. Those of you that wrote to me while I was on hiatus, thank you for your thoughts, I appreciate you all. I am excited to see what the foodie future holds!

Enjoy!

in with the new...apron!

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:05:00 +0000

A while back Domestic Muse ran a fun event called Everything Old Is New Again. I made a quite delicious meal, updating the classic American picnic. And for my efforts I won a too-cute apron! Since I was in desperate need of a new apron I was thrilled! Now I am using it as my muse to conjur up new treats! Thanks again Ms. Muse!

One of the stands at our farmers market had some wonderful rhubarb at a great price, so I bought five pounds, cooked it into a wonderful sauce/compote with only a tad bit of cactus honey powder so it still has quite a pucker, but not so much that your mouth folds in! I froze most of it, and the rest we are eating with greek yogurt (more on that later) and I am working on another dessert option to use it with, hopefully with a healthy twist! I love rhubarb season!

Enjoy!

clam happy...

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:25:00 +0000

We recently took my grandmother to McGrath's Fish House for lunch. I happen to love steamer clams, but I don't love to make them (I know how easy they are, but I just don't love it). And the last time I had steamers at a restaurant (at the coast, that shall remain nameless, and that I will not go to again!) they were so tough I couldn't eat them. So I was needing clams, craving clams, and this seemed like a good time to take care of that! McGrath's is pretty reliable with their food. Although sometimes their clams can be a bit salty, the flavor is always fresh and wonderful! So I was pretty clam happy!

K had this wonderful salmon with a dijon cream sauce with artichokes and red peppers. Unfortunately they didn't offer me the recipe, and I was almost regretting ordering clams; that's how good this dish was. I tried to convince K to switch with me, and when he declined my offer I decided I would just have to experiment at home!

For years our local fish house was only in Salem and other points south. They finally opened a location here a few years ago, and it's nice to have this option. McGrath's has been around for so long that I was taken there as a baby in the 60's. They have opened and closed locations, done some remodeling and occasional menu retooling, but it's nice to have a fresh, local option for seafood other than the big crimson crustacean!

p.s., it's good to be back! Enjoy!

food quote: happy mothers day to you all!

noreply@blogger.com (ChefBliss.com) — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:33:00 +0000

" What is home without a mother?"
-- Alice Hawthorne

When I was in my mid twenties I was a manager with about 130 employees that reported directly to me. Six of these were my "supervisory team" that helped with the day to day running of the place. They were all in their late teens and early twenties, and loved to hang out with their friends, play softball, go the the beach, and fun things like that. I expected a lot from them, and more often than not they delivered! One day I was sitting at my desk, with a full view of everything through my window, and I saw a flower delivery come through the door. The flowers were in a large vase and absolutely gorgeous. I remember just feeling pure joy at the sight of them, and though how lucky the recipient was going to be to enjoy these for days to come. So imagine my surprise when the delivery guy walked up and handed them to me! They were a Mother's Day gift from MY team!

That was the day I knew that even if I never had children of my own, that I was making a positive impact on the world. And I knew that this day would have a life long impact on me. A great one!

For all you mothers out there, with children of your own or not, enjoy your day! You deserve it!

Enjoy!